Why you still don't have an agent

This is an email I received from Jeff Rivera

Why you still don't have an agent

Brian,
Many writers have been struggling for years to find an agent and they've tried everything. They're starting to think that they'll never get one, or that there's some kind of universal conspiracy against them and they're wondering why.

If you still haven't landed an agent or know someone who hasn't, listen up. I'm about to tell you exactly why and what you can do about it, to change things today.

As someone who deals with hundreds of agents every year, who's constantly on the phone with top editors and publishers and authors from James Patterson and from Nicholas Sparks to Janet Evanovich to David Baldacci, I hear first-hand what successful people in the industry have done to separate them from the pack and why they're successful and others are not.

In the coming weeks, I'm going to outline exactly what you could be doing wrong to block yourself from ever landing agent.

Today we will discuss one of the top reasons why writer's can't get an agent. In fact, I've helped so many aspiring writers (literally over a hundred) take that first step, getting an agent to even request their manuscript, that I can scan someone's query letter in less than 5 seconds and tell you exactly what they're doing wrong.

Let's start with the first mistake writers make and prevent themselves from landing one:

The first 50 pages suck.

Sure, I'm supposed to say something politically correct like "your work is not up to par" but no, I'm not going to insult your intelligence. I'm going to tell you how it is. In fact, I'm going to say exactly what agents tell me about 98% of writers, behind closed doors. "They suck. Their work is awful." The agents wouldn't use the writer's manuscript to wipe themselves if they ran out of toilet paper or at the bottom of their pet Parakeet's cage.

Sure, the writer thinks it's a masterpiece. After all, they've spent the last few months, if not years writing it. Everyone likes it. Even their best friend and mom told them so.

NOTE: That's the writer's first mistake, relying on the opinion of those that love them. They say they want their feedback, but in reality, the amateur writer only wants their loved ones' praise and their loved ones will give them nothing else.

No, you need to take it to the most objective, negative, nasty person you know and after they say it's amazing, then it's ready. Drop your ego, and resist the writer's kryptonite, defending your work. In fact, take it to three objective people, who aren't related to you, who don't even know you and aren't afraid to tell you the truth. In fact, remove your name from the manuscript, use another name, a pseudonym, and ask them to read it. Then, you'll get the truth.

Writers are often in such a hurry to get an agent that they blow their chances to get one by rushing to get their manuscript to an agent before it's even ready. No, no and no! If you really want to land an agent, that thing better be better than anything else there on the market. Read, read and read your competition. Stop thinking there's nothing out there like it because that's a lie. And to tell you the truth, it's the last thing an agent wants to hear from an aspiring writer.

NOTE: Agents and editors aren't looking for something that hasn't been done before, they need to be able to compare it to something successful (other than Twlight and Harry Potter) so that they can get a proper advance for you. But it has to be different enough, that it feels fresh. (More on that in future pieces)

It's those first 50 pages that really matter. When an agent reads a query letter they like, they often ask for a partial (the first few chapters, equivelant to about the first 50 double-spaced pages).

If you want to guarantee those pages are ready, after the three objective opinions, get it edited by a professional and I'm not talking about for grammar and spelling. I'm talking about for content, for pacing. You need developmental editing, line editing and then finally copy-editing.

NOTE: And if you can't afford it (though if you're going to invest in anything, it should be this), see if you can trade services with a professional editor. There has to be something you can barter. You might be able to find an older, more experienced writer who is willing to do it for you.

But that's not all. There are 11 other mistakes that writers make that are blocking them from ever landing an agent, more on that in the future. But I will tell you this quick little tidbit: You don't have to be a good writer to land an agent, you only have to be a good storyteller. There's a difference and we'll talk about that and more in the near future.

Jeff Rivera
HowtoWriteaQueryLetter.com

Thanks for the article writing tips and shedding light on an unknown area of writing copy.
Brian Ankner (non-guru)

Grammar Checking Software - Improve Your English Writing Skill

By John Smith

One of the hardest things in writing English is the use of grammar. Are you one of those who sometimes are doubtful on what grammar marks you are going to use? If so, then this article is for you. Grammar Software is the best solution to your problem.

Grammar Software is the solution to any problem on basic editing and proofreading. The software enhances these functionalities (proofreading & Editing) of conventional word processors. You should always remember that English writing is a skill that can be improve through practice. If you will always use the software, it is as if you have a virtual teacher in the comforts of your home. If you desire to improve your writing skill level, read further.

According to the developers of such punctuation and grammar correction software, this technology is designed to ensure that your English writing matches the basic punctuation and grammar rules. The software automatically identifies and corrects your writing errors and will enable you to further edit your text or document. It is true that language analyzing technology is complex, but in recent years it made a significant progress as databases got bigger and algorithms got smarter. This state-of-the-art writing technology offers the following benefits: grammar check, punctuation and spelling check.

Natural Language Processing technology (NLP) can surely transform English writing easier.

Advantages in using this kind of technology:

* Analyzes sentence structure for correct grammar and making your writing more comprehensible.
* Automatically corrects sentence construction problems that is miss looked during manual proofreading.
* It will refine your writing style.
* It will amplify your vocabulary.
* Improve your status quo once people will notice that you are a well educated person.

This amazing technology constantly progress through time, and through this (progress of time), newer version and features will be added, thus making it more useful to you and everyone that uses this software. By doing extra research on this solution, it would bring up additional benefits that are not covered in this article.

If you want to be like the experts, having a clear, clean, and professional English writing, use grammar correction software. The fact that English writing is very important nowadays, expect further development with this technology.

If you desire to improve your English writing skills, then do not take chances, avail of this new technology and take advantage of the things you will get out of it.

About the Author:

Want to find out more about grammar software, then visit John Smith's site on how to choose the best grammar checking software for your needs.

#end

Use Article Marketing To Grow Your Business Fast

By Patricia Hedge

Article marketing is a great way to build your business, but unless you know how to make it happen fast & drive massive amounts of traffic to your site, you're just going to waste your time. That is why I want to show you exactly how to grow your business fast with article marketing!

Article Marketing Secret #1

To start with you need to think in terms of leverage. The internet provides an opportunity to leverage yourself like no other way that you have experienced before. For the sake of discussion let's say that currently you are writing 10 articles per month, reaping 100 visitors to your website, well then you know that your success will grow by 1000% if you personally write or have written 100 articles per month.

The power of article marketing is unbelievable! Simply continue to to do more of what is working and you will benefit from the same results only this time it is multiplied by the increased amount of articles that you submitted.
So the bottom line is the more submissions you make to the article directories the faster your traffic will increase.

Article Marketing Secret #2

In some cases you might even consider to increase your prices! This is a massive leverage point in getting your business to the next level if you are going to focus on using article marketing to expand your business. It only makes sense that if you decide to double your prices, or provide by sourcing out products that can handle the price being doubled, then you are going to be able to make twice as much money.The majority of people are scared to do this thinking that then no one will buy from them. The very truth is, you can expect to make the same or more sales if you just double your prices because the customers will now be in a different financial category.

The point I am making here is that many people will not buy your $20 product but without question will buy your top of the line $200 product.

About the Author:

Learn more about Article Marketing. Stop by Patricia Hedge's site where you can find out all about The Unique Article Wizard and what it can do for you.

Keep typing till your fingers blister!
Brian the Article Guy

Article Marketing And Public Speaking

By Ace C. Erin

Article Marketing is a form of "soft-sell" advertising that works in an indirect and often more successful way. Unlike traditional advertising which seems to get one's guard up because modern people tend to inundated with ads and thus will likely ignore them, Article Marketing presents itself as something informative and "harmless" by evaluation. No one wants to feel manipulated, but today's customers recognize that the point of an marketing is precisely that, and thus the message of a regular ad will most likely be successfully resisted by a majority of customers.

Then again, with Article Marketing, information and facts that is of interest to the customer is presented in a friendly way reminiscent of a normal newspaper or magazine article (hence the name) and thus effortlessly gains the consumer's trust. By not pitching a sale, the individual does not feel pressured and, in fact, is generally unaware of the fact that promotional efforts are indeed being made all the same. In this way, there is no internal opposition for marketers to conquer in the potential customer, making the job that much simpler.

For instance, a local accountant may pen an article in the local paper concerning taxes throughout tax season. He or she will reveal, say, new alterations to the tax law for the current fiscal year, changes which may affect routine credits and exemptions. In doing so, the accountant is truly providing a useful service while at the same time putting his or her own business in a positive light - as the source of such knowledgeable and useful information.

The business is mentioned only casually, almost as an afterthought - but it is precisely because of this understated manner of presenting one's business, in conjunction with the offer of timely useful information, that can help unconsciously endear the business to consumers, creating a positive association of the business that pays dividends in increased business.

It is, in short, exposure, free publicity - of the good kind. It's a little different online, but the core is basically the same. Businesses still create articles in their area of expertise in order to receive exposure and achieve recognition by sharing timely and useful information. But the internet offers exponentially increased reach, and can be a very powerful profit generation engine if deployed correctly.

The advice of proven professionals will be of great benefit in this arena. Whereas so-called "old media" like print and radio may still be indulged in on an amateurish basis by oneself, such as calling up the local paper to offer to write timely tax advice, when it comes to the worldwide web it is usually best to have well seasoned experts handle all the intricacies involved, a great deal of which is technical and technological.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on article marketing, then visit www.Articlecontentengine.com to find the best advice on article marketing for you.

The Right Way To Do Technical Writing

By Ken Carter

Many types of writing exist and these include creative writing, business writing and technical writing. Lately technical writing has been gaining growth as a field and it has attracted many freelance writers. Even employed professionals are now looking towards it. Going hi-tech has only made it a more interesting venture.

The identifying factor in technical writing is that the subjects been written about are to do with technical stuff. The main focus that technical writers stick within are engineering, aeronautics, computer sciences and other related topics like consumer electronics. They need a technical understanding of the subject they work on.

The gist of technical writers is to get the material written in simpler sense. A typical day at work will involve the production of how-to guides and beginner manuals on computers software or electronics.

If there is to be any effective work at the end of it all, the writer should work under close supervision of a technical expert's work. He should be referring to an expertly written manual while he goes about the writing process. This way, the people involved in the writing of the material have all the understanding required to gather an audience.

Technical writing can be started in many ways. It is best that a technical writer sticks to a field within which he has a passion for doing. Therefore, is someone has a qualification or a liking for engineering; he can write about engineering manuals and keep readers abreast with the latest in that field.

Working knowledge about something is an added advantage because in this case the writer will just keep writing about a certain subject matter that he knows inside out. He will be interested in transferring those skills. He demonstrates the ability to break down complex arguments into palatable content.

In case you are interested in becoming a technical writer, you should first search the internet for the technical writing association. Seek advice from others in that field.

You should sharpen your skills and increase your credibility by getting the formal certification and proper technique.

About the Author:

The writer additionally often publishes articles about things like pressure washer extension hose and shelf bracket.

Make Money Writing: Turn Your Passion Into Cash

By Angela Booth

With living expenses always on the rise, wouldn't it be nice to be able to make money doing something you really love, such as writing? It's possible, and this article will show you how. You can make money writing in more ways than you probably think.

One simple way to start is by writing articles for websites. Site owners always need content, and often buy articles from freelance writers. With a small stable of regular clients, you and earn a great part-time income working just a couple of hours a day.

Choose a subject you know a little bit about, and for which you've found some ads online. As an example if you have kids, enter "parenting" into a search engine.

Next, go to a handful of the sites in the results, and notice any advertisers on them. If there are ads, you can bet they are making money. And if there are ads, there must be writers to write them. Get the names of the advertisers, and go to their websites.

Next, write at least three articles, of about 500 words each, on a subject within the parenting niche. Choose toddlers, infants, or even pregnancy -- whatever you want. You'll use these articles as samples, and will show them to prospective clients. These articles may take a while to write, simply because you're new to writing. But as you write more, you'll get faster. Before long you'll be finishing articles in thirty minutes, maybe less.

You can sell your articles in various ways. The easiest way is just to sell them to one of the many sites which advertise for "content." Now, although this is easy, you won't make much money this way.

To make a steady part-time income, you need to be proactive. Approach some of the sites you've studied in the topic area you chose and introduce yourself as an article writer. Remember, if there are advertisers, money is being made, so unless these sites have staff (some do, most don't) they buy articles.

Like any business, you will probably need to contact several websites before you get your first client. Don't worry about it -- that's normal. When you've got your first client, contact more sites.

Before long, you'll have a collection of sites for which you write and will be happily turning your writing passion into cash. You can make money writing -- start today.

About the Author:

You can make money online when you have the right web writing training. Students love Angela Booth's Sell Your Writing Online NOW (SYWON) course: it helps them to build highly paid writing careers. You can read more of Angela's great writing tips at her freelance writing blog.

Professional Writing Careers: Copywriting

By Angela Booth

Have you ever thought about a writing career, but weren't sure if you could earn a living at it? Consider copywriting, which pays well, and can be a fun, creative outlet. The best copywriters can earn $100,000 or more annually. In addition, you can get started fairly quickly. These three tips can help you get off on the right foot, and build a solid career.

1. The point of copywriting is to persuade. You will be writing marketing and sales pieces. Projects can range from small space ads to full video or audio scripts. You may occasionally even work on a product manual.

Copywriters often end up specializing in a certain area. Your specialty might be in writing for the internet, or radio scripts, or direct mail. You can make money while you're learning, and your projects and clients will grow along with your experience. Plus, you can increase your fees as long as your copy brings good results.

2. Understanding yourself can help you get into the mind of your audience. A clear knowledge of what makes you take action, and how you get motivated, can help you tap into the emotional triggers of your prospects.

Keep in mind though, although you'll gain a basic understanding of psychology, you must be honest. Just because you may be able to sell a product doesn't mean you should. If you think the product falls short, it's better to turn down the project.

3. Don't forget the classic advertising mantra, "what's in it for me." Your prospective buyer is concerned about his own needs. It's your job as the copywriter to find those hot buttons that will make him take action.

The copy you write has a purpose, and that is to get the prospects to take some kind of action. You want them to click a link, make a phone call, join a list, order a product, or whatever it may be. If they don't respond to your copy, there's no point. You have to create a great offer with a strong call to action in order to get the desired response.

If you put these three tips in your copywriting: write persuasively, understand the psychology of selling, and create strong calls to action, you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful copywriter.

About the Author:

Imagine starting your own successful copywriting business with help from top copywriter Angela Booth. You'll soon be taking on clients, and will build a great new career as a professional copywriter.

Till the next post...
Brian

Article Writing Benefits That You Should Enjoy

By Davion Wong

If you are wondering if there are any article writing benefits, then you need to know that there are lots of them. Actually, there are already several individuals who have tried this out and most of them really took advantage of it. As a matter of fact, there are already a lot of success stories out there so it is really a good idea if you are going to try it out.

Probably, one of the most obvious article writing benefits that you have already heard has something to do with the profit. If you are going to think about it, this is certainly one of the most profitable enterprises in the Web. If you can produce essays in bulk, there is a chance that you will be paid more.

Other article writing benefits have something to do with the convenience that it can give to anyone who is venturing in this kind of enterprise. Indeed, this is also a very convenient job because you can do everything right in front of your computer. You no longer need to leave the comforts of your home to work. You just need to be constantly online so that you can do some and research and so that you can send your compositions.

You also do not need to have some experience because the only skill that you need to have is the skill to compose essays. As a matter of fact, this is the only requirement that you need to meet.

But even if this is the case, there is still a need for you to realize that this is not a very easy job. In order for you to succeed, there is still a need for you to make sure that you can really compose.

You should also know that your success will not come easily because you still need to work hard for it. If you can compose good essays, you can expect success.

In general, with these great article writing benefits, there is really no wonder why a lot of people are into it. And if you think that you have the skill, then you should try it too.

With these article writing benefits, there is really no wonder if you want to try it out too so it is really a good idea if you will learn more about it.

About the Author:

Many top marketers use our professional SEO article writing service to promote their websites. Try us! Read this article on how to choose a professional and affordable article writing service that suits your needs and budget.

Keep typing till your fingers blister!

Brian The Article Guy

Where Marketing And Copywriting Converge

By Brian Layne

Imagine your competition breaking in to your encrypted network to steal your strategic business plan. But if your marketing was doing things right, all your competition would need is your best sales letter. Why?

Because quality copy will hone into the essence of your business strategy by exposing the right message that reaches the heart of your target market. Demonstrating their buying process. The motivating factors that get them to buy. The features that help place your product BEYOND what the competition can or will provide. The wording that enraptures the market's most valuable customers for maximum life time customer value. And much more.

However: Your competition will find it near impossible to replicate. Why? Because copy is never a collection of creative wishful thinking. Rather, copywriting done right will blend your company's genuine advantages with irresistible brand strengthening benefits though a compelling personal brand story. Your competition can not compete on those grounds.

What Are Your Marketing Objectives? A good copywriter can near effortlessly reel off high quality copy for short-term gains by evolving pre-existing collateral. But beyond that short-term promotional sales uplift, copywriting can 'get at the roots' of your business strategy to support a sustained and 'irresistible' competitive advantage. In Marketing Due Diligence, McDonald, Smith and Ward explain: "Market definition should be described in terms of a customer need, in a way which covers the aggregation of all the alternative products or services that customers regard as being capable of satisfying that same need."

Legendary copywriter Gene Schwartz put it thus: "Your markets sophistication depends on how many similar products, and how many competing ads... the goal is to be at exactly the right place, at the right time, with the right gadget or gizmo - To discover, intensify, and revitalise the desires held by a market. To focus those already existing desires onto a particular product."

The more your copywriter uses a crystal clear copy platform which defines the target audience, the more your advertising will produce high-performance results.

Here's where marketing and copywriting come together. Your copywriter must understand the essence of your company and product to build brand preference and response 'inside the mind' of your target audience.

"Positioning starts with a product. A piece of merchandise, a service, a company, an institution, or even a person. Perhaps yourself. But positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is, you position the product in the mind of the prospect." - Positioning - The Battle For Your Mind, Al Ries and Jack Trout

Consider beer. First there was just beer. Brands like Miller, Schlitz, Heineken and Carlsberg. Which to choose? But then came Miller Light. A new market category was instantly formed for the market segment concerned about calories and weight. Miller created and owned a new market category. How can your company create and own an entirely new market category?

Your Product Positioning Statement - To really empower your copywriter, work together to select a suitable company/product positioning statement for the brief. Something to the effect of: My product helps [whom?] do [what?], [when?], better than any other product in the world by [how?]. With strong product positioning, your copywriter can produce rock-solid sales messages for you.

About the Author:

Find out more and choose your b2b copywriter or email marketing copywriter wisely.

#end

Powerful Article Rewrite Software Tool For PLR Articles

By Todd Harmons

Why do you write articles online? To make money or for fun? Do you get tired of seeing other people make money with writing articles? Do you wish you make the article writing process easier and less time consuming. I would encourage you read the rest of this article rewriting blog to see how I learned how to use PLR articles effectively in my article marketing campaigns.If you're like me you in all likeliness have gobs of 'PLR' content lying around on your computer. It's easy to get in the habit of joining membership websites and downloading everything they have to offer, just because it's there. After all you bought it, so you might as well take advantage of it.

But when it comes time to tweak and rewrite those articles, you'd truthfully rather do anything but that!

Well, I have marvelous news for you. Rewriting articles just got a great deal less complicated!

I've found a unique software system that produces rewriting articles an complete breeze! And unlike most other article rewriting systems that are "a breeze" to use, this one produces articles that people will actually want to read, and it will do it all very quick!

Do I have your attention now? WordFlood could just be the perfect article rewriting tool. It's powerful, simple to use, and currently being offered at a very special price!

But don't take my word for it. Download a free fully-functional 2 week trial run by clicking on the link below and see for yourself! If you have anything to do with rewriting articles, then you're gonna enjoy this little rewriting tool! For more information visit WordFlood. You could improve your article writing results immensely using a article rewriting software program like the WordFlood Rewriting Program.

About the Author:

Click here to Learn How To Download WordFlood For Free Unique version for reprint here: Powerful Article Rewrite Software Tool For PLR Articles.

Until the next post....
The Article Guy!

Significance Of Trademark In Cyberspace

By Alex Finn

Any discussion on the requirement of trademark laws in cyberspace invariably leads to the necessity of trademarks for domain names. This is quite crucial in light of the fact that your domain name conveys your identity and also highlights your services to the consumers.

A domain name that is protected by trademark not only helps you to sue persons infringing your mark and making use of it as their personal mark but also protects you from being perceived as the owner of their website that might be making use of an exact or deceptively similar domain name as yours.

However, you should undertake a search on the database of domain names to see if your proposed mark is violating any of the already existing ones. The search must include a close study of marks that are quite similar in spelling, sound or even meaning to the domain name you have chosen for your website. You should file an application for registration only after you are certain that your trademark is distinct enough to avoid any possible violation.

For this objective, it is advisable to take help of a lawyer, preferably a cyber law specialist, who also has a comprehensive knowledge of trademark laws. This can go a long way in preventing future conflicts related to possible infringement.

You must take into consideration the fact that the domain name that you want to trademark must be more than an ordinary web address to draw users to your site. It must be an identity that differentiates your services from others.

Other than domain names and their possible violation, keyword infringement is a new problem in cyberspace, wherein original trademarks are lifted and used as keywords in ads put up through Yahoo, Google, and MSN, with the obvious purpose of creating a misunderstanding and confusing among the customers.

If the promotional ads help in boosting the sales of the trademark owner, it is not a violation but the problem arises when the infringer starts using such ads for promoting his own product for a commercial advantage.

About the Author:

Discover more about trademark registration Singapore and discover how does a patent lawyer and IP protection increase the net worth of your business very fast. This article, Significance Of Trademark In Cyberspace has free reprint rights.

#end

How To Hire Article Writers

By Davion Wong

If you feel like you do not have that much time to compose your own essays for your website, then it can be a very good idea if you are going to hire article writers. This way, you will no longer have to compose yourself and you are also assured about the quality of the content of your site. And if you want to produce more essays to improve the traffic that is being generated towards your site, then you might want to consider getting a few people to compose for you.

It is very easy to hire article writers because there are a lot of people who have the capabilities to create very good essays. However, you also need to remember that this is not a very simple task because the success of your business totally depends on this one. Although you may have hundreds of applicants, it is necessary that you pick only the best.

If you are going to hire article writers, you have to make sure that you are going to get only the bets. Of course, it is necessary that they know how to compose essays, reviews, and commentaries. This is very important because you do not want to get someone who is not skilled with these kinds of things. They should also know the basic grammar and spelling rules.

It will also do you good if you are going to look for someone who knows your niche. This is much better because you are assured that he knows what he is dealing about. But if he is really not that good with your niche, then it is enough that he knows how to research.

It is also necessary for you to look for someone who can adapt to varying styles, themes, moods, and format. They should be flexible enough as it is very important that your site is not one-dimensional.

Of course, you should also never forget to see to it that they can meet deadlines. This is very important because you do not want to pay someone who is constantly delayed in submitting his work. The deadlines will actually depend on your agreement.

And lastly, if you are going to hire article writers, you should also make sure that they know your goals. This way, you are assured that they will be able to convey your message more accurately.

It can be very beneficial if you are going to hire article writers but you have to be certain that they are really fit for the job.

About the Author:

Marketers are making serious income using articles produced by our professional article writing service. Read this article on unique article writing tips.

10 Article Writing Keys For Newbies

By Alfred Lancer

This article on the 10 (no, 11... yes, 11) tips for newbies is not written from the catbird seat point of view of the article host or database manager. Rather it is by and from the perspective of an author who remembers the early misgivings. It is written especially for the beginning article writer. The Tennessee Mountain Man has written and submitted hundreds of articles for publication to thousands of article hosts and database managers and still finds Article Writing his nemesis.

1. Necessity vs Desire:

Articles and Blogs are necessary in today's scheme of search engine indexing. Not what the newbie wants to hear. Just remember what the Bible says, "there has nothing over taken you that is not common to man". That's right! All of us hate article and Blog writing at times, and some of us dread the journey to pen and paper (or keyboard as the case may be) all the time. Many a webmaster would call them "a necessary evil" as they are not generally anyone's best liked house keeping chores.

2. Just Start, It Gets Easier:

First it is sometimes difficult to get a subject or theme and to get the first couple of lines scribbled down. The Tennessee Mountain Man knows authors who literally get sick thinking about the process. Lighten up. Once an author has a starting point and gets passed the initial thoughts, article and Blog writing usually goes fairly smoothly.

The main thing is that you get started. Pick a subject you know something about and just start. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how easily ideasflow. Don't assume everyone knows what you know. They don't. Will Rogers once said, "all men are ignorant, just on different subjects". And, so it is!

3. Good vs Perfection:

Your old English comp professor is not looking over your shoulder. This paper does not have to be perfect. That is not to say it does not have to be on point or to say that it does not have to be correct. It does or at least it should be. But, perfection is not the goal and is, in fact, seldom possible. Too much detail and you run the risk of losing your reader on several levels. Too long and most readers simply don't have the time or interest to wade through the material regardless of how important it is.

4. Blog Length vs Article Length:

Most publishers want a minimum of six hundred (600) words per article - some will let you slide with four hundred (400) words. Blogs can be much smaller. Blogs can and maybe should support appropriate pictures and embedded links.

Just don't over do it. Too gaudy or too slow to load and you have wasted your time, ticked off a potential reader, and probably upset a host who can ban you from their publications. Articles, on the other hand, typically cannot carry these extra touches according to the requirements of most publishers.

5. Format:

Prepare your article in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. There are many tools from which to choose to get the job done. A search for 'free ASCII editor' or for 'free plain text editors' will provide one with a multitude of free options. Word Press is a popular choice. If all else fails simply use notepad to turn out your masterpiece.

6. Spelling and Grammar:

Once you have your article or Blog run it through a good spell checker and a good grammar checker. Microsoft Word works well for these purposes. Just don't use the MS Word copy for publication of your article. Rather use it's suggestions to make any necessary corrections to your plain text copy. The MS Word copy will work for Blogs although the Computerman prefers other editors.

Just like the days when you were pushed by Profs, you will find Article and Blog writing skills become easier with time and practice.

7. Publish and Announce:

Once your Blog is ready you may want to use some automatic tools to publish and announce it. First do a search for Blog hosts and select those which best suit your needs. Join one or more and publish your Blog there. Then search for Blog announcers and rss announcers and use them to get your Blog noticed.

Now that you have that out of the way find an article wizard that will post your Articles to free publishers. You can post them one at a time by hand if you are really bored and have absolutely nothing else in life to do. Using an automatic poster you can publish to hundreds of hosts in an hour or so. The only way to go.

8. Patience:

Now, have some patience. Here is where you lose control. Many of the men and women who host articles are timely and your articles will be reviewed within twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours. But, many others will be days and weeks down the road therefore never date an article - a sure way to get rejected.

9. Rejection - "sorry your article has been declined":

Be prepared for most hosts to reject your articles. Do not take it personally. It usually has little to do with you or your article.

Some databases routinely reject articles for spelling errors when there are none or where there is more than way to spell a word. And, just as in any other endeavor some hosts are simply too lazy and get so far behind, the easiest and fastest thing to do (and perhaps the only alternative) is to reject everything. You will learn who these are over time.

Then there are those who run your articles through the sausage grinder and if they find certain words, irrespective of how they are used, your article gets no farther. These are the people who can't publish the Holy Bible because it contains words that offend them or their readers. Don't worry about these folks who are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly use.

Remember, just as in everything else in life, for every rule there is an exception

10. Keep the faith, and keep cranking out articles:

Since most authors, especially newbies, prepare only one copy of an article against the advice of most seasoned authors it is important that the newbie keep his chin up - keep the faith. That will be easier as more and more of your articles are accepted and published driving visitors to your website while creating those all important back links.

It is not necessary that every host to accept everything submitted to them. After one or two hosts publish your article on any given subject, the search engines tend to penalize you anyway by ignoring additional postings. This is close to spamming and while it could help someone find you, it probably won't. It is not necessarily, the more the merrier. The additional listings will not increase your page rankings or links reported by the search engines. It is more important to get published by hosts with the highest Google page rank possible.

Now, one BONUS TIP for you: Along with "the rejection slip" will usually come a suggestion on how to "fix" your article and a request that you resubmit it. Don't waste your time. While trying comply with one database manager's request you could have written a new article from which you get much more punch. Enough publishers will pick your article up so move on and save yourself some time and heartburn.

Everybody has a thought or idea at least once a day usually at the most inopportune time. How many good ideas have you lost because of waiting? Don't procrastinate! Go! Capture that thought before it is gone forever.

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This article was brought to you by christmas function venues in conjunction with car hire adelaide

Collection Letter Writing In Plain English

Usually the best first approach to debt-collection letters is a reminder. If the reminder to pay doesn't work, you may need a follow-up letter. Occasionally, when all else fails, you may need to send a final demand letter that explains what will happen if you don't receive payment.
Checklist

1. Remember that your aim is to recover the debt and keep the customer.
2. Check the amount is right and it's still outstanding.
3. Use a firm but friendly tone.
4. Do not apologize for asking for what is due.
5. Decide how to persuade the reader:

* Benefit to customer
* Fair play
* Easy way to pay
* Penalty
* Legal action

6. Use one of these letters:

* Short reminder
* Follow-up letter
* Final demand

7. Show you are confident they will pay.
Reminder

If a customer has not paid your invoice, the first letter should be a polite reminder. Use a short, natural message to remind the customer and either send a copy of the invoice or provide the information they need to know what to pay.

Use a simple, short message to remind the customer to pay the account now. Often printed on a copy of the invoice or statement, a short card or the shortest of letters is the best approach.
Follow-up Letter

The follow-up letter needs stronger wording that doesn't offend the customer. The best approach is to appeal to the reader's sense of fairness and to give a reason for paying. From the customer's viewpoint, the reason might be to offer an easy way to solve the problem, to avoid a poor credit rating, or to avoid having to pay cash for future orders and so on.
Final Demand Letter

Your aim is now to collect the money due. Don't be afraid of upsetting the reader. You can even threaten legal action. If you do make a direct threat, do not back down. Decide on your approach:

* Sanction
* Legal action
* Debt-collection agency

Whatever strategy you use, make sure you leave room for the customer to pay the debt.

Grammar Software for Collection Letter

StyleWriter is a Word add-on. You click on a button and in seconds it has checked the whole document for the three main obstacles to understanding: long sentences, passive verbs, and hard words. It gives the document a score for the first two, and an overall score for clarity. It is a good choice for plain english writing.

If you need english grammar checking, whitesmoke grammar checker will be suitable for your colllection letter writing

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Looking to find the best deal on grammar checking software, then visit www.writingsoftwarereviews.com to find the best advice on grammar software for you.