Where Do I Get Ideas?

That's the most common question I get from fellow writers looking to break into article marketing. The truth? Steal them.

Yes, you literally steal ideas and twist them a bit to make them fresh – make them yours.

That leads to another question, how do you make old ideas yours so that they're fresh, new and – dare I say – revolutionary?

Actually, it's not as tough as you may think. Here's a quick and easy formula I use for turning old content into something new:

1.Find an old text. Dust off articles, books and home-study courses from your industry and find content that may be useful to your audience. I know what you're thinking. “What about copyrights, Lisa?” Good question. Unless you plan to republish entire blocks of text from the source material, you won't run into any problems. See the following points to find out why.

2.Pull out key points. Look at the information and pull out the salient points that really jump out to you. I usually highlight the points that are exciting to me, and then I re-phrase those points by putting them into my own words.

3.Add your expertise. Under the key points, you'll want to share a bit of advice and expand on the main idea. The best way to do that is to share some of your experience. Tell an anecdote or story from when you handled a similar situation. For instance, when I was an editor at a large business-to-business newsletter publishing company, I often took several articles, pulled out the main ideas and combined the information to create one short, coherent article. You can do the same.

4.Raise your voice. To make sure you're using the source material as a point of reference only, consider reading your final article aloud. If it doesn't sound like something you'd say to a friend or colleague in the industry, re-write it. In my experience, that's the only way the article will ring true with your readers. Plus, you'll steer very clear of the copyright police – who, frankly, aren't really watching anyway. It's your audience you want to please.

Bottom line: Maybe they have heard this information before, but they haven't heard it from YOU – a battle-tested, shooting straight-from-the-hip expert.

It really is that simple. But it does take some practice. Find two long articles from your industry and boil them down to four or five key points. Then simply expand on those points by sharing stories and anecdotes from your experiences.

Try it and let me know how you make out. This is the best way to find so-called “fresh ideas.” When you look at it this way, new ideas are everywhere.

About The Author
Lisa Sparks, marketing expert, is finally revealing every article writing trick, tip, idea, strategy and tactic she's learned over her 16-year career as an editor and marketing geek. More free advice at: http://www.ArticleSecretsRevealed.com.

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For years, writers were not even recognized. Now, the writers are not only recognized but celebs go the extra mile to praise the writer associated with your project. This change in attitude towards scriptwriters -- along with the Internet -- highlights the value of bringing the perpetrators of the project.

Now, a professional copywriter is in high demand. The Internet is all about copy. Whether for web pages, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, banner ads or autoresponders, the words you publish make or break the entire investment. Big companies with inhouse marketing departments and agencies know when and why to call on the copy writer. But, here's the cause that no one talks about driving small business people to the professional writer. Everyone and anyone sees the words on your website. The world knows if the words on your home page are junk! How embarrassing is that.

It's mean You need a copywriter for your team!

I have some tips on how to hire a copywriter.

a. If you want a writer working in a software manual, look for a technical writer. If you want a press release, find a writer who specializes in public relations. If you want to sell, hire the services of a commercial advertising copywriter or a screenwriter.

b. Review writing samples, but keep in mind that the copy is sometimes subjective. What is good for one may not adapt to another, but the project is still a huge success.

c. Find out who they have done the job. Reviewing a list of customers. Ask about previous employment if the writer is independent. Where did the writer get the experience.

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by Sharon Souter

1. Write List Articles:

List articles are the easiest and fastest to produce. Make a list of topics to include on any given subject. Expand on each one from what you know preferably, or from research. Then, take each topic in your list and create another list article. You will soon find you have an easy endless source of article ideas to keep your production up.

List articles are easy to read, so your audience will always take the time to read all the way through to the end.

2. Write How To Articles:

How to articles list a numbered step-by-step set of instructions. Directions are typically accomplished in a certain way, so you don't have to think about what to write for each step. It is automatic so you can keep your writing flow going.

People love to learn new things. They will most always read the article to the end when they are interested in your subject.

3. Write Review Articles:

Review articles outline a series of objective pros and cons of a service or product. They are based on your opinion, so you can write exactly what you are thinking after assessing your subject. Address the five W's and the H of journalism:

* Who

* What

* When

* Where

* Why

* How

Readers love review articles. They are helpful for them in making a determination for themselves.

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Do you calls yourself a writer?
Yeah, anyone can call himself (or herself) a writer. But what is a real writer?
The big answer is: a writer is a person who gets paid for their work!
Here are the list of condition that we will calls you a writer:
1. Never to send the same article to more than one publication at the same time.
2. Write novel, articles, and story every day
3. Get paid for your work.

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Yeah, why Freelancers needs website ? The answer is to save stamping: While prospecting for new customers, instead of sending a whole kit of media, many cuts, and/or the inscription of the samples, direct simply your target towards your Web site. A simple postcard can enumerate the services which you offer and/or of the products you are sold. For samples of your direct prospects for work to your Web site, which can do a better work of the sale.

A Web site can enumerate testimonials of customer, businesses special and discounts, rewards - the possibilities are without end. Primarily, you sell a prospective customer on your business for Juste the cost of a postcard. Naturally, you can always send a letter of sales instead of a postcard.

The point is, you should not spend much of money in stamping to the top of front. If a customer is interested enough of your postcard/letter initial to look at your Web site, then you have a better chance of them contacting you. One could discuss, less you spend to the top of front, the best.

This weeds outside the pulseurs of tire of the serious purchasers.

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By Steven Gerber

Advertisements are all over. You can view it on television squeezed in every other show. It is in papers strategically outlined, wherein ads are posted after the other. It is on glossy magazines almost domineering half of its content. Advertisements are also available over the radio or through the internet. Its availability to almost all types of media denotes that advertisements are part of life. It is present to give people ideas on what products to buy, on what establishments to go for and even what individuals to like.

With advertisements being on the go these days, more and more companies seek for individuals who can make good advertisements. They are called copywriters. Copywriting is their job.

Copywriting is a job where the main task involves writing advertising materials. It is a job where patience is needed.

For you to be able to come up with a good copy, you need to have ample of patience. To write effective advertising materials, a thorough research should be made. It is not plain book or internet research you must do. You need to go over different advertisements especially those who are from your competitors. Learn where you can win over your competitor’s advertisements. Write where you can pull over your competitors’ weakness and win the interest of your target audience.

After you have gone through your research, start making an outline of your material. Begin enumerating the advantages your target market will gain. Work on those advantages. You will not be able to accomplish the initial step of copywriting if you do not have what it takes to be patient.

Apart from patience, the most vital factor which is important for you to climb the ladder of success to copywriting is pushing both your brain and heart to work.

You need your brain to think different strategies to come up with advertising materials that will catch your audience’s attention. Who will think of patronizing your product if you do not initially capture their interest?

Along with your brain, let your heart work as well. You need to feel and understand what your target audience may most likely respond to what you are imparting to them. It is recommended that you have first-hand experience with what you are potentially “selling” so that you will personally feel or understand the effectiveness of what you are offering. If you can use the product, then use it. If it is a person you are promoting, then interact with the person. Nothing beats first-hand experience. Your target audience will feel the sincerity with your ads since you have first-hand experience; you are conveying not only your thoughts but your emotions as well.

Advertisements may be seen or heard all over but you need to have an effective advertisement for it to be felt and later on be patronized by your target market. If you want to be felt and patronized, not just simply be seen or heard, then you need to serious with copywriting. Work on with your patience. Invest on your brain. Follow your heart.

Copywriting is not an easy-to-do job; it requires more than mere research and writing. It needs you to be focused and dedicated. It needs you to know what “he” can say. It needs you to feel what the other individual will experience. It needs you to believe so your target audience will do so too.

Steven Gerber is a professional copywriter and a protégé student of Dan Lok – The World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. Find the latest internet marketing and copywriting techniques and tricks at his website.

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By Deanna Mascle

Are you a freelance writer or interested in freelance writing? Then you should consider starting a blog to publish your writing. While it is difficult for many freelance writers to think about publishing their writing for free, consider the three different methods you can utilize to profit from with a blog.

First, you can simply focus primarily on self publishing all your work to a blog (or blogs if you write in more than one area). The numerous pages of fresh, original content will be slurped up by the search engines and drive quality, targeted traffic to your blog. You can profit from this traffic by selling advertising, using third-party advertising services such as pay-per-click or pay-per-lead programs, or promote affiliate programs and products. If you want to focus simply on your writing and your audience then pay-per-click or affiliate programs is probably the easiest method to choose.

You can publish your writing in your own free ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product and use the blog to promote those products. You can still derive some profit from advertising or affiliate programs if you choose as well, but the additional informational products give you even more venues to profit.

You can publish your own ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product that is only available for purchase and use your free blog to capture leads and promote those products. Again, you still have the option to earn from advertising and affiliate programs on your blog in addition to your earnings from sales.

You can make a very nice living from giving your writing away but if you do not want to do that then you can choose to only give away a small portion and only share the balance of your work with paying customers. Either way you will have complete power and control over your own published work and you will reap all the financial rewards from your own hard work and talent.

Freelance writers should consider self publishing with a blog using one of these three profit models.

Deanna Mascle shares 7 Reasons Every Writer Needs To Blog and a free ebook Blogging For Fun Or Profit at http://route60.us/freelancewriters.php to help you get started with your own blog

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By Kym Moore

So, you’re thinking about writing a novel or a book of short stories? Are you determined to have a book of poetry published this year? Do you have that burning desire to overcome those writing challenges and take your written compositions to another level? We tend to look to outside influences, things and people for inspiration and motivation. Yet, what good is inspiration if you never do anything with it? Do you catch yourself saying that “you don’t have time to be a writer, because you’re just too busy?”

If you want to truly understand the essence of time, ask someone who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a certain amount of time to live. Ask a parent about time, who suddenly lost their only child in a tragic accident. Ask a person who was a dedicated employee for years with one company, never taking a vacation or a personal day off, then surprisingly losing their job, due to restructuring and budget costs. Out of these challenges, many books, articles, poems, support systems, seminars and organizations are born. These births are designed for healing and helping others get through some difficult times that the writer experienced. Time is short? No, time is precious and is a gift that must be used wisely.

Time doesn’t care whether or not you are young or old; male or female; rich or poor; good or bad; smart or dumb; married or single; happy or sad; a college grad or a high school drop out. Time is not concerned with your race, denomination or even if you’re not well traveled. Time moves on, with you or without you.

Do you think that writing is for the elite who have nothing but "time" on their hands? Well, writers just like other professionals, are among an elite group of people. In order to be a good writer, you must “make” the time to perfect your craft. It takes time, practice, patience, perseverance and a tough exterior to face those challenging situations that can attack your writing. Do you give up, give in, give out or give it your all-in-all?

Write that novel, chapbook, e-book or some articles starting now! Join a writer’s group or seek an agent to submit your completed manuscript to. Stop waiting! Just do it!

If now is not the time, then when do you think the time will be right to write? If you continue to wait to get started, you’ll quickly discover that others have already begun and succeeded. Their ideas or style of writing may not be better than yours, but they did something you didn’t do. They made it happen. So, what are you waiting for again? Don’t say that you don’t have time either!

Kym Gordon Moore is a creative marketing strategist for Moore 2 It Productions and coordinates cost effective, creative marketing packages for budget conscious new authors and new small business owners. http://www.moore2itproductions.com She is the author of the eBook, “Alphabet Soup: 5 Main Ingredients for Turning Words into a Bowl of Hot Topics!” Many of her articles, essays, short stories and poems appeared in a variety of magazines, newspapers, ezines and anthologies. http://www.kymgmoore.com

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By Kevin D Browne

So what is the best way to become a copywriter? Is there a suggested pathway that virtually guarantees success at finding one of the greatest jobs there is?

Yes and no.

The yes part is relatively easy to answer. The best way to become a copywriter while in school is to EXPOSE yourself to as many different courses as you can. Seriously. Sounds like a wishy washy answer but it most certainly is not. By exposing yourself do radically different types of learning, you'll have a dramatically larger toolbox from which to draw from when you do get into the copywriter ranks. In effect, you'll have more weapons to fire. And that's a great thing.

As far as the no part of the answer...things get more complicated because some people are 100% ready to start putting the finishing touches on their spec portfolios after school while others need to go to advertising 'finishing schools' like SVA in NYC or th Art Institute in California to really put the white glove treatment on the work in their books.

As for me, I attended college in New England and studied Economics of all things with a minor in psychology (thought that would do the trick in terms of diversifying my thoughts) and then I headed to Los Angeles where I took five or six courses at different 'finishing schools.' And after winning several awards at the student level in LA, I landed my first job at a small shop called Kresser Stein Robaire.

For me, that was the best way to become a copywriter. For you, a different approach might just be your ticket. But the one thing I want to reemphasize is that you should never, ever, stop exposing yourself to as many different possibilities of learning. It will keep you creative when you become a big heavy hitter and write a Super Bowl spot or two!

To learn EXACTLY how you can learn the best way to become a copywriter, visit Kevin's Browne's new site: http://www.become-a-copywriter.com. And bring a notebook and a pen with you!

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By Jeff Lakie

As the magazine industry proliferates, so does the need for writers. And as is the case in many industries, employers often prefer to use freelance or independent contractor help, instead of having fulltime employees for whom they have to provide benefits, workspace, and other support. And with computer and Internet technology what it is today, freelance writers can create their articles from anywhere, email them to their editors, and never even have to meet the magazine production staff in person. But as the task of freelancing and its logistics become easier, so does the competition between freelancers.

Here are four tips to help freelancers who want to write for magazines:

1) Be professional.

Many writers are willing to work for less money, in exchange for the status of being published. And some do it just as a hobby, because they have other sources of primary income. While this creates competition, it also means that many writers – or those aspiring to be writers – lack professionalism or talent. The more you can stick to deadlines, present yourself in an organized way, and write copy that is free of mistakes, the more successful you will be as a freelancer.

2) Be unique.

If you have a background in a particular profession, hobby, or other interest, you may be able to parlay that into a writing job for a specialty magazine. Some magazines look for woodworkers, some need writers who know about cars or photography, and others need writers who understand wine or home decorating. If you happen to have some knowledge and experience, you can market yourself to magazines that follow the things you know and enjoy.

3) Communicate with your editor.

Good writers always stay in touch with their editors, without overwhelming them with unnecessary questions. If you have a problem with a deadline, tell your editor right away. If you have a question about editorial guidelines, ask an editor. The better you communicate, the more you will get hired.

4) Focus on what you do best.

If you are really good at interviews but no so good at doing research, then try to write for magazines that favor interviews over investigative reporting. And if you are a fiction writer who stumbles when it comes to non-fiction, then seek jobs in the fiction category. Doing what you do best not only makes your job easier, but it allows you to concentrate your energy on jobs that will probably pay you more in the long run.

Freelancing for magazines is not for everyone, but if you have a knack for writing and for managing your own time, then it can afford you great job satisfaction and a chance to work your own hours, from home. And along the way you’ll learn more about the writing craft, so that you can continue to build on your talents and marketable skills.

Jeff Lakie has helped many internet surfers since launching his website aeroplane monthly which details many aspects of the Plastic Surgery industry. Jeff also prides himself on over-delivering, why not stop by today and see why.

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by: Ruth Barringham

Your first question after reading the title of this article is probably, ‘what does it mean to brand yourself?’

Well, it means exactly what it says. When we go to the supermarket we tend to trust brands we know. We look at the name of the manufacturer on the label – Heinz, HP, Nescafe, etc – and we instinctively trust these names. Why? Because they’re known brands.

This is exactly what you need to do to yourself if you want to be a successful writer. Brand yourself. Get your name ‘out there’ and get it known to as many different people as you possibly can.

Using articles on the internet is a great way to brand yourself, because your name can become known all over the world in an instant, or as long as it takes for someone to read your article.

There are plenty of ezines and web sites looking for articles with good, well-written content.

But how do you go about writing an article and getting it known?

First, you need to pick a subject to write about, a subject that people are interested in. It also needs to be a subject that you are knowledgeable in or, preferably, be related to a book you’ve recently written or a product you’re trying to sell. This way, even though the articles are written for free, they can result in sales.

Everyone has a subject that they’re knowledgeable in. Writers usually write about writing, artists about painting, chefs about cooking and housewives about cleaning, chores, children, etc.

Even if you feel you’re not knowledgeable about anything, think of a subject that you’re interested in, and that others might be interested in too. Research the subject (children’s books at the library are usually the easiest to understand on any subject) and make copious notes.

Make sure though, that your article is only about one subject without going off on a tangent about something only related to it. For instance, if your subject is about writing a novel, don’t suddenly veer off and start talking about short stories.

Readers are only interested in one subject at a time, and if your article doesn’t stick to its promise of the content it originally promised, your readers will quickly lose interest, stop reading and be dubious about any other article written by you.

Remember; if you’re going to brand yourself, make sure it’s a brand people can trust.

Every article should have a beginning, middle and an end. I know that sounds pretty obvious but it’s a point that quite often gets missed.

Your beginning needs to state a problem. The middle should discuss this problem and offer examples, if possible. The end needs to offer solutions and then sum up. And your bio should be included at the end of the article.

Your title should in some way explain what the article is about.

The word count should be no more than 1,000. You can go to 1,500 at a push but just remember that it’s much harder to read from computer screen and readers get tired of reading if the article is too long.

Make good use of white spaces and keep paragraphs short to make the article easier to read.

Make sure your article isn’t an obvious sales pitch or your reader won’t even bother to finish reading it.

Make sure your article is full of facts and be sure that they are correct.
Keep your writing tight and avoid flowery prose which has no place in a non-fiction article.

Be sure that your articles are available for reprint to anyone who wants to use them.

Use free article sites that can quickly and efficiently upload your articles ready for publication across the whole World Wide Web.

Manually submit your articles to web sites or ezines looking for content, but make sure your article is appropriate for their needs.

But above all else, make sure your articles are informative. If they don’t offer information to the reader, then you come across looking like an amateur who doesn’t know anything about their subject or how to write.

Here are some article sites that you can submit your articles to for free:

http://EzineArticles.com/

http://www.articledashboard.com

http://www.aboveallcontent.com

http://www.writeaholic.co.uk/article.html

Just make sure you check out all guidelines before you submit to these sites.

So, all that’s left to do now is get writing, get your articles out there and BRAND yourself.

Good luck

About The Author
Ruth Barringham is a freelance writer and runs a web site at http://www.writeaholic.co.uk.

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by: Donna Monday

I was browsing online the other day and discovered the news about a first time novelist who had recently published a book telling the story of an African tribe suffering the loss of land and identity. Her story is based on her true-life experiences and research. She’s even donating a portion of the book’s profits to a charity that helps the displaced people. Her whole story sounded intriguing. However, when I looked for her web site--I couldn’t find it.

What a shame, I thought.

While her book is featured on Amazon.com and other online bookseller sites, and there’s a couple of press releases announcing her book signings, there is no obvious web presence for this wonderful book and its author. My immediate thought was that she was leaving book awareness and sales on the table.

Maybe she feels she doesn’t need a web site because she has the charity and her publisher assisting with publicity, or because there is some expressed interest in movie rights. Even so, I feel that a simple web site featuring her telling her story of how she researched and wrote her book, with photos of her on location, would do wonders for her novel.

In today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans can last a nanosecond, an author can’t afford NOT to have a web site. Even if people aren’t lining up to buy your book today, they can visit your web site and browse. If they like your site, there’s a good chance they’ll be back in the future, or tell friends about it. I think this point is especially true for us first-time novelists. In my opinion, a fiction novel is the hardest type of book to promote and sell online or offline. There are literally thousands of fiction novels published each year, due to how easy it is to get a POD published book on the market.

Authors have tons of competition to get noticed. While the amount of readers are declining, the amount of books being published is going up. New authors have to compete with each other, as well as, established authors, movies, TV, blogs, video games, and other entertainment offerings. From a reader’s perspective, why should they read your book over someone else’s?

Your web site gives you a fighting chance to capture someone’s attention and introduce them to you and your brand of storytelling. Plus, you have the creative freedom to make your site look however you wish. It’s all about colors, graphics and words—especially words.

HELLO WORLD, I’M HERE!

CHECK OUT THIS GREAT BOOK!

HERE’S A SAMPLE OF MY STORYTELLING!

Because most authors have to do their own promotion, your web site is your own personal promotion booth sitting amidst a vast sea of similar booths inside a virtual flea market. Remember, people are online 24-7 looking up information on all sorts of things.

While you’re sleeping, someone could be visiting your web site.

While you’re out shopping, someone could be visiting your web site.

While you’re busy at work, someone could be visiting your web site.

Of course, if you don’t have a web site promoting your book, then potential readers will just have to wait until they stumble across your book while reading about your book signing somewhere, or maybe browsing the online bookstores, or maybe hearing about your book from a friend of a friend . . . you get the idea.

Why leave it up to chance?

Web sites are easy to get up and running these days, so there’s no excuse not to have at least a page featuring your book. Believe me, people will be looking for it, and if you don’t have a web presence, they’ll move on to the next author that does.

About The Author
© Donna Monday
Love, desire, power and immortality are in the mix when mortal and immortal worlds collide in an upstate New York town. You’ll love the characters in my new novel - The Best Black Vampire Story You’ve Ever Read. Check it out for yourself. Warning: Once you start reading, there‘s a strong possibility you‘ll be sucked into this mesmerizing drama until the very end. http://www.donnamonday.com/Best_Black_Vampire_Story.html.

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1) Eliminate hyperbole - people want concise information not an artistic story

2) Start every paragraph with a different word to enhance sentence creativity

3) Use popular keyword and key phrases for your target market in your article

4) Edit unnecessary prepositions and phrases to make sentences more powerful

5) Sparingly add adjectives to make your words more colorful and descriptive

6) Try to stay neutral and don't get your emotions involved in your article

7) Write your article and sleep on it and edit it the next day with a fresh view

8) Make your article title longer and more enticing to gather more readers

9) Tell your reader something new they haven't heard before in a different way

10) Proof and read every article aloud to improve readability and create flow

11) Continue your research to jam pack important information into every article

12) Be in the habit of having both a Dictionary and Thesaurus handy for reference

13) Use plain ole easy to understand words so your reader doesn't get cross-eyed

14) The word "that" refers to things and the word "which" refers to people

15) Insert words that you have trouble spelling to increase your writing ability
About the Author

Dale Adams of Majestic Publishers is the author and self publisher of the new book, "Care Giving Made Easy - How to be an Awesome Caregiver" and the soon to be released, "How to Make Your Home Sell - Even In A Slow Market" His many experiences include being a Security Consultant, General Contractor and Energy Conservation Specialist. To learn more valuable information visit: http://www.majesticpublishers.com

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