Archive for the 'Life Of Publishing' Category

Article Writing – The Income Loop

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

You don’t have to submit articles to companies to get paid for your work. While that would be a great thing, there are other ways that may actually be more profitable. We’re going to discuss a very clever way to make income from writing articles without having to worry about a company sending you a check for your work. As a matter of fact, you can give these articles away for free and still make money. Wondering how? Keep reading.

This is going to take some work, but once you’ve done it you’ll be glad you did.

The first thing you have to do is pick a very specific niche that you want to write articles for. It doesn’t matter what that niche is but it would be best if it was something that you could write easily on and didn’t have to do a lot of research on. For this example let’s pick the topic of boating.

The next thing you have to do is write as many articles on boating as you can to start. You want to have as many to begin with as possible in order to get you off to the best start. You’ll see why in a minute.

After you have all your articles written, the next thing you want to do is build a web site. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but it should look professionally done. If you can’t do this yourself, hire somebody to do it. It only has to be one page, so it shouldn’t take too long or cost too much.

After your page is complete you want to open up a Google Adsense account. You’ll then place Google Adsense ad blocks on your page which will include the articles that you’ve written. You’re not going to have each article in its entirety on the page. Maybe just a paragraph of each and then a link to the main page of the article where they can read the rest of it.

The next thing you’re going to do is search through some of the marketplaces online to see if there are any products being sold that relate to your article. If so, join their affiliate program and place your affiliate link with a description of the product on your site. Write a little blurb that will tell people how this product relates to what they just read and how if they get it, the product will help them.

After you have this all set up, you want to create your own blog. On it you’re going to post, first, that your web site about boating is up and there are articles on boating there. Then you’re going to go to one of the blog pinging services and let them know that your blog exists.

Here comes the hard part. You then want to try to write a new article every day. Why? Because each day that you do this, you can then update your blog, which further means you can ping the blog services. Why do you want to do this? Because each time you do this you’ll be bringing new visitors to your site. Over time this is going to add up to quite a few visitors and potential customers.

Just repeat this procedure for every site you want to put up. Eventually you’ll have a nice sized income being generated from it.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Article Writing

Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Loyalty and Online Writing

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Many online article writers have little if any loyalty and it is unfortunate that they will not stick with one source to promote their online works or online articles. It behooves an online writer to author works which fit parameters of the online article submission sites in their specialty niche or support the categories of their articles and then foster a loyalty to that online article submission website.

Having more than one or two online article submission sites can be problematic as all too often those who may wish to pick up the articles may go to several websites themselves and thus you risk their being upset that they may end up duplicating your articles on their sites, because you triple or quadruple posted on so many online article submission websites. Find a good one and stick with it.

Loyalty to an online website does not mean that once you start with one or two that you do not ever switch. But if you replace one with a better one, stay with the new set and do not go back and forth or add a third, forth and fifth one where you post all duplicate articles.

In fact if you find a really good one and want their loyalty to you, then you should reciprocate the same notion, without two-timing them. No one likes a cheater and it really serves you no purpose to duplicate, when online article submission sites allow others to pick up your articles anyway. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Lance Winslow - EzineArticles Expert Author

Giving A Speech

Monday, April 27th, 2009

It is said that next to death our greatest fear is making a speech. For most of us being asked to speak before an audience causes us to panic. Our stomachs freeze up and our heart races.This can happen even if we have experiences of successful speeches. Fear freezes us up.Unlike most people I actually enjoy being in front of an audience. I suspect that like people who enjoy writing there is a 5-10 % of the population who enjoy speaking. It’s interesting that people who write well are not necessarily good speakers. I owe my love of writing to my mother who made me write weekly letters to her mother.

Like most people I was scared of speaking in public since I was shy. One of my high school teachers thought the best thing was to deceive me into debating. He made me a researcher for the debate team. I worked closely with the three man team and was quite animated in private while arguing points. A few hours before the debate my teacher said that one member of the team could not made it. Therefore I had to go on and do his bit.It so happened that the ‘missing’ person was the leader and so I had to speak first.

Several decades later I an recall vividly how scared I was. My teacher assured me I would do well.His first advice was to view the audience like my friends and family.”You are quite fluent among your friends. This is just a slightly larger group.”
Then he gave me a tip that was a virtual lifeline. ” Choose a friendly face in the audience and speak as if you are talking to that person.”

I chose the sister of one of my school friends. Little does she know that her smiling,comforting face prevented me from collapsing on stage. That night I spoke in passionate tones to just one member of the audience. Following my teacher’s advice I spoke slower than normal and imagined my voice hitting the wall at the end of the room and coming back to me. When we finished that night my friends crowded around me and congratulated me on leading the debate team to a big win. Among that group was the leader of the team who was ‘ill’.My teacher then confessed his ruse to get me going as a speaker. I have not looked back since that first time. Though when I still remember how I feared the room would open up and swallow me.

Among the things I would emphasize is the need for preparation and structure . It is often amusingly said that all you have to do is tell the audience what you are going to say,tell them and then remind them at the end of what you told them.This is like a famous folk story about the success of a village fool as a teacher.

The Village Fool wandered to a town far away from his home.The town was expecting a famous scholar and mistook the Fool for him.They rushed him to the town hall and implored him to teach them.

Stunned, but living by his wits, the Fool thundered to his rapt audience:” Do you know what I’m going to teach you?”
” No,we don’t,”they replied adoringly.

” You are too ignorant for me to teach” said the Fool storming out of the hall.

The audience rushed after him begging him to teach them again. He agreed to do so a week later. In the meantime he attended many events but spoke sparingly. All were convinced of his wisdom.

The next time he ascended to the platform and gravely asked the same question as he did the previous time.
” Do you know what I am going to teach you?”

This time the audience shouted gleefully: ” Yes ,we do.”

The Fool smiled and said as he left,” Then my work is done. You already know all. “

The audience was amazed and thought that the Fool was truly wise so they asked him to speak to them one more time as they felt they knew the best response to his question.

So when the Fool got up and asked in his confident way,”Do you know what I am going to teach you?” half the the crowd said “Yes” and the other half said “No”.

The Fool smiled. Then said ” Well, those who know will teach those who don’t know.”

The Fool then left the town with all in awe of his wisdom.

Another useful tip is to establish rapport with your audience, say something that links you to them.Also it’s never a good idea to try to speak about something you are not passionate about.You need the energy of you belief to move you and your listeners.It is absolutely critical that your speech has ‘bridges’ in it to help your listeners to cross from one idea group to another. You must give clear indications when you are moving on. So transitional phrases like “As an example of this” or “This brings us to the larger problem of,” assist in understanding.

Do develop a sense of your listeners’ engagement with you. Keep an ebb and flow as you go though the stages of your speech. In time you’ll learn to create anticipation For example I have listened three times live to Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mind Evening speech and I always marvel at how comfortably he paces the speech.Observing him close up I noticed that he seemed to ‘play’ the audience’s energy level.Like actors, successful speakers have a great sense of timing. They speak ‘to’ people not ‘at’ people. They are aware that they have to fine tune their ability to receive responses from their audience and keep reacting to them.

When you are preparing you speech establish clearly what your central speech focus is.In one sentence, like a corporate mission statement, you must be able to say what your speech is about.Preparation is in two main parts –content and delivery.After you have got clear what you want to say practice and practice often.Observe yourself in a mirror. Try different shadings of voice. Observe your facial and body movements as you say certain parts. Record yourself on video and critique yourself. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Pay attention to what you are doing right and build on that.Above all remember that you must make eye contact with the people in front of you. Don’t make the mistake of keeping eye contact with the paper on which your speech is written!

My advice is to have key points and an outline on index cards.It is possible to train yourself to speak from memory especially if you rehearse often. Work on having a memorable ending. Study good speeches and model your ending on theirs. Your audience should leave with a feeling that their time was spent in a worthwhile way.

Finally ,today, I recognize that the best way to work with people is to deal with their fears about speaking and doing well before others. I use a simple tapping and affirmation process called Emotional Freedom Technique. It has helped many with performance anxiety.

Milton Drepaul is co-author of CXC English and CXC English B . He is an Career Consultant,Educator,Writer,Business Consultant and Resume Expert. Clients can view his website at http://www.theresumexpert.com.

How to Influence the Article Production (as a Reader)

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Dear Reader,

You could influence the article production obviously by contributing as a producer. Yet it is also possible to influence the production as a reader. And this is very important.

Companies like Microsoft, Philips, Procter & Gamble but also news and broadcasting stations share one important producer characteristic and that is that they do not have direct contact with the end consumer.

Internet has changed this a bit, but their products are predominately sold by third parties. This means that they lack information about clients. No profiles, no way of grouping clients with familiar traits, no insights what so ever.

And the article producer is not different in that sense from these big guys.

As an author, you have no direct contact with your reader. There is no profile. There is nothing.
To overcome this challenge Television broadcasters use a rating mechanism. A group of people are asked what to watch and so on and so on.

Here at ezinearticles.com there is such a rating mechanism and it is a very fine one. It is stimulating that what is essential for these kinds of market places; a good climate.

So as a reader you have the power to steer the production. Rate articles that you like with a excellent or (very) good rating, something that seems interesting could be rated as such and fair enough is also available.

If you dare to write about quality in relation to the article production you run the risk of receiving a “Could use Improvement” rating. A very stimulating rating that I received for, “Be Aware of The Article Production Hype,” I fully agree with it.

Thank you!

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool - EzineArticles Expert Author

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account

Smashing Writer’s Block

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Writers block – the nemesis of every writer. At times, I wish Writer’s Block was a real person so I can do them bodily harm.

You have something you need written. You sit down at your desk, look at the blank screen or equally blank sheet of paper …and…you hear the ‘tick’ ‘tock’ of the clock in the background.

Nothing.

You can’t think of anything to write! Every time you start to write something, you either hit the delete button or score a 3-pointer in your wastebasket. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

In fact, you have plenty to say. Its just your thoughts are cluttered and ideas are zipping around and you don’t know where to begin. Here’s a great way to beat Writers Block

1: Just write

Don’t worry about what order it’s in, or what the spelling is like or what words to use. Just say exactly what you want to say by writing all your thoughts down first.

You can trim it and plug in the holes later. Write it down! If you think of a great way to end your piece, write it down – right away. Don’t try and save it in your mind, because then you’ll forget and kick yourself for not having written it down.

2: Once you have it all down, I want you to become the reader now.

Forget you’re writing something, just read it like you’re a customer. Does it strike you? Does it cut through the clutter? Does it make you want to act? Does it have all the good components of a powerful message? (Problem, Agitate, Solution?) Keep repeating the above process until you can answer yes, yes, yes and yes!

3: Read it aloud.

Use the tone of voice in which you’d like the material to be read. When you come across a word you want to emphasize, use italics, underline, bold, CAPS OR ALL OF THEM. Use punctuation marks where required like ! and “. It’s very effective

Here, let me show you:

“NEVER AGAIN will you need to clean grimy brake dust from your wheels!”

The effects give the sentence a stronger presence and it oozes confidence.

Do this for your entire piece.

Once you’re happy with it, give it to others for feedback. That should do it. If you still can’t break the deadlock – if you still can’t smash Writer’s Block or the Blank Mind Syndrome, drop me a line.

Sammer Hakim is a Dallas-based copywriter serving clients worldwide and helping them with their sales materials. He can be reached at http://www.marketing-commando.com.

Hire a Writing Coach and Get Your Freelance Writing Career Off the Ground

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

While freelance writing provides wonderful benefits such as an easy
commute and flexible schedule, it can also be isolating, especially if you
are just beginning. Writers combat this by getting involved in writers’
groups, critique groups or other associations.

If you’re just getting started as a freelance writer, one of the best ways to
get your new writing career off the ground may be to invest in a coach.
Just as you might hire a personal trainer to get a physical fitness
program started, a writing coach can provide you with tips,
encouragement and accountability.

Getting established as a writer takes time, energy and commitment. It
can be intimidating to do it alone. In addition, we all know that every
writer needs an editor. Having a coach gives you someone to read and
edit your work, someone to answer your writing questions, and
someone who can simply give you the security to actually submit that
dusty manuscript to a publisher.

A seasoned writing coach can also educate you on trends in the
industry and how to find the best publishers for your work. A good coach
can also provide clues as to where to find writing jobs you never knew
were there.

We all have different goals for our writing. Some may want to begin a
freelance writing business while others may want to begin publishing
stories or books for children.

No matter what your writing ambitions are, an experienced writing coach
can help you reach your goals.

Diane Samson is a writer with The Lieurance Group, a freelance writers’
cooperative in Kansas City, Missouri. Samson can provide writing,
reporting and editing services for magazines, newspapers, corporate
communications and especially animal publications. Find out more
about her writing services, as well as coaching services for writers, at
http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com or email Diane at
dianesamson@birch.net

Posting Rates… Or Not

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

There has been an ongoing debate amongst some of us who provide paid writing services for clientele. The debate revolves around a very important topic: should we post our rates online…or not?

When I first launched The Article Writer in May 2005, I kept specific prices off of my site. Then, as I realized that quite a number of my colleagues were posting rate information on their sites, I decided to do likewise. Admittedly, my first rate sheet was too low as the rates I had listed were lower than what I felt was right. Weeks later I raised my rates and then, finally, I sat down and gave my site a serious “new year” review and came up with my current rates, as featured here.

To this day, some of my colleagues continue to insist that my rates are on the low side. At first glance it would appear that their assessment is correct. However, the rates I show reflect a couple of things: they are for content based articles only and they are my best rates for my best customers [much like the prime lending rate is the best rate for banking customers].

I do charge much more per article for smaller projects as well as for higher quality magazine style works. Those rates aren’t posted, so an individual quote is in order.

Yes, there are times that I still wonder if I should pull the rate sheet. For now, my prices will remain posted for all to see. One good thing is that it does tend to scare away the bargain basement buyers. No loss there for me!

Matthew Keegan - EzineArticles Expert Author

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

Acts, Plot Points, Mid Point, Pinches – Yada Yada Yada

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

The only valuable structural template is the one that works:

Classical three, four and five act structures are only valuable on a very superficial level. They certainly won’t help you write screenplays or stories on any meaningful level. If you must think in terms of acts, then think in terms of the macro stages of the Complete Hero’s Journey…more than 188 stages of the journey you need to know about… Classical Act Structure has a place in sitcom writing, but even there the Complete Hero’s Journey can be elicited per episode, across a series and across the whole lifespan.

Classical Plot Points I and II (around pages 30 and 90) are redundant – or, again, perhaps valuable on only a very superficial level. Pulls or Pushes between each macro stage of the Complete Hero’s Journey are more significant. For example, what Pushes or Pulls the Hero beyond Refusal to the Mentor or First Threshold? What Pulls or Pushes the Hero from Trial and Transformation 1 to Trial and Transformation 2? What forces the Atonement?

The Mid-Point is significant. There is a significant occurrence of increased antagonism and challenge at around this stage. Within the context of the main protagonist’s story, the mid point may be drowned out by the Trials, Transformations, Regression and Communion etc. However, the challenges of the other major characters and the threat of the antagonism may be given higher profile.

Pinches were never any use.

Various other multi-act structures (10-act, 12-act etc…) inherently recognise the repeating patterns and structures across stories but do not stand up to scrutiny as well as the Complete Hero’s Journey…more than 188 stages of the journey you need to know about…

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Stay Calm, Remain Focused, and Deliver On The Platform

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

When asked what activity causes the most stress in a person’s life, speaking in front of an audience will often be at the top of the list. Like most pursuits that we choose to devote our time to, being on the platform and speaking in front of an audience is one of those exercises that, with time and practice we can develop a high level of comfort with and find extremely rewarding.

A number of studies have been done around ways that we can deal with stress and how to remain calm when we find ourselves in stressful situations.

Dr. Stuart Brody, a psychologist at the University of Paisley in Scotland has conducted a number of such studies. One of his more recent studies showed that Vitamin C supplements may provide beneficial effects for people under stress. The study results indicated that individuals with high blood levels of ascorbic acid exhibit fewer physical and mental signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological stressors than do subjects with lower levels of vitamin C.

A second study conducted by Professor Brody found that “hitting a home run” in the bedroom can help keep stress at bay and that nothing is more calming before a speech or presentation.

Experts also agree that deep breathing will relax you before a stressful public speaking engagement and to satisfy an appetite of a different kind you may want to eat a banana or two. Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. They also deliver a good dose of potassium a mineral that helps normalize the heartbeat and sends oxygen to the brain. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These levels can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Coaching is another way to get over your fears and build confidence on the platform. Ivy Naistadt consultant and executive coach has been helping business professionals deliver successful public presentations since 1986. Ivy’s book Speak Without Fear addresses How to Reach Your Highest Potential through the Art of Communication.

As an author, speaker and coach Ivy works with executives to improve their platform skills, trains high-profile individuals for video and television appearances and frequently lectures on related topics.

Yvon Douran is President of Keynote Resource a leading US, california based speakers bureau representing keynote business speakers, sports figures and corporate entertainment for meetings and conferences worldwide.
To learn more about Ivy Naistadt go to, http://www.keynoteresource.com/IvyNaistadt.html

Term Paper Topics

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

One of the most important aspects for writing a term paper is choosing the right topic. But for this, one must understand the very concept of a term paper. A term paper is essentially a research project. This means that you will be required to conduct an in-depth study of the subject, assimilate the knowledge, and present it in a comprehensive form for evaluation by your instructor. In this context, choosing a right topic is of utmost importance.

Let us take as an example the topic “National Disasters.” Once you do the research you will be flooded by a sea of material, and it will become difficult for you to focus or build upon any central idea. A better option would be to select a more specific topic. In this case, you could consider writing a term paper on the disasters caused by storms like the tsunami that hit Asia or the hurricane that lashed the USA. Keep in mind that even while writing a term paper on a current topic, your aim should be to research and bring out little known facts to make it an interesting read for the evaluator.

Another aspect to keep in mind is whether the topic you choose can be researched thoroughly and easily. Otherwise, finding the desired information can become difficult, especially if you are working within a time frame. To ensure this, first decide as to where you would do your research; school or college library, public library, Internet or onsite visits.

Choose an original topic rather than an overused one. This will benefit you on two levels. First, it will arouse your curiosity and your enthusiasm will result in spontaneous and original expression. The other advantage is, of course, that the novelty of information would translate into an interesting experience for the instructor.

That said, research and present points that will give your term paper a mature, sensible and a fresh appeal.

Term Papers provides detailed information about term papers, custom term papers, free term papers, and more. Term Papers is affiliated with Book Binding Equipment.