‘Write Right: Good Grammar Helps You ‘Sell’ Your Ideas’ – Articles That Sell Update
Bonnie Jo Davis has released October 2006 issue of Articles That Sell Update. The featured article is titled “Write Right: Good Grammar Helps You ‘Sell’ Your Ideas”. [Read the newsletter.]
Bonnie Jo Davis has released October 2006 issue of Articles That Sell Update.
Articles That Sell Update is reprinted here.
|
Articles That Sell Update |
||
|
||
|
Table of Contents |
||
| I. From The Editor II. Feature Article – Write Right: Good Grammar Helps You ‘Sell’ Your Ideas III. Feature Review – How to Write Special Feature Articles IV. New Submission Sites V. Article Submission Tips & Tricks – The Future of Writing and Promotion: An Interview with Chris Ellington by Jinger Jarrett VI. Legalities VII. Contact Information VIII. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Instructions |
||
|
From The Editor |
||
|
I. From The Editor Dear Subscriber, I’m just back from a 5-day stay at my favorite Bed & Breakfast, in San Diego, where I met people from England, Scotland and several states in the U.S. Everyone was friendly and the home-cooked breakfasts were a luxury! A business lesson learned: I returned with a notebook filled with marketing and business ideas that evolved from having the time to Take a break, even for 15 minutes, to rejuvenate your mind and give yourself time to ponder the big decisions in life. Thank you for your patience this week with the inexplicably broken link of the free reports I e-mailed to you. Hopefully, you got the corrected links in another e-mail. I find the debate about the Death of Adsense amusing and I hear that Joel Comm has a rebuttal available. I can’t wait to read it. Happy Autumn! Bonnie Jo Davis |
||
|
Clueless in Seattle about Article Marketing? |
||
| I’ve been using article marketing for myself and my clients for over 11 years, both in print and online. Let me teach you to use the power of words to promote your business and services. Now offering a package combined with three months of membership to my Article Submission Sites.
http://www.WriteYourWayToProfit.com |
||
|
Feature Article – Write Right: Good Grammar Helps You ‘Sell’ Your Ideas |
||
| There are some people for whom a misspelled word or a misplaced comma represents the Fall of Civilization – and then there are the rest of us. No schoolmarmish characters, we! That said, there is something very annoying about reading an article riddled with typos and bad grammar. If the writer can’t be bothered to write correctly, why should spend our time reading his or her article? Poor grammar and typos are a form of rude behavior, disrespecting the reader.
When you begin to write articles, you’re probably more interested in getting your ideas down on paper than in nit-picky grammatical and spelling conventions, and that’s fine. That’s the purpose of a first draft. As you refine your thoughts, you can also polish your writing – and they don’t call it ‘polish’ for nothing! Writing is a craft, just like silversmithing, and no self-respecting silversmith would let his or her work out the door without knowing that all the edges are smooth and the finish is shiny. (Okay, there are probably times that silversmiths don’t want their pieces to be shiny, but you get the idea!) Lucky for us there is the Internet, the largest source of grammar information in one place. You can learn everything about English grammar online from the most mundane punctuation to the language’s arcane intricacies. You can consult online dictionaries or check an online thesaurus to make sure you’re using just the right word. If you’re submitting an article to a site requiring you follow a specific style guide, you’ll find the major style guides with examples online too. These sites can help you learn the correct grammar, punctuation and style that will please your readers and keep them coming back for more. It’s good to remember that grammar usage changes over time, so a grammar “refresher” can be very useful. What was correct in the past may not be right today, with some grammar topics having been debated forever. You should also note that there are spelling and punctuation variances in British and American English, which might come into play if you submit articles to British or Canadian editors. Here’s a list of online grammar resources – dictionaries, grammar guides and thoughts about writing for the web, sure to make you an expert in no time! The Webmaster World A List of Grammar Resources Good Grammar, Good Style Archive The University of Wisconsin Writing Center http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/CommonErrors.html Grammar Slammer Punctuation Made Simple Web Writing Basics Writing for the Web by Jakob Nielsen A List Apart Blog on Writing Dictionary.com Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online OneLook Dictionary Search The Free Dictionary The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. Guide to Grammar and Style The Chicago Manual of Style Q & A Online http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/cmosfaq.html MLA Formatting and Style Guide The New York Public Library |
||
|
Feature Review – How to Write Special Feature Articles: A Handbook for Reporters, |
||
| The Timeless Question: Can I Make Money With My Writing?
Lots of people are bitten by the writing bug. Maybe it has happened to you. Maybe it was in high school or college when a favorite teacher praised your book report or essay. Perhaps it was when you were drafted to write a report for the boss, and earned serious praise. Possibly it was hearing about J.K. Rowling, just a ‘regular person’ in a coffee shop, writing what was to become her astronomically popular Harry Potter series. Whatever the reason, you can’t seem to put down the pencil (pen, keyboard). And while it’s great to ‘follow your bliss’ by writing those family Christmas letters and Internet blog comments, somewhere in the back of your mind is a little voice asking, “Could I make money from my writing?” If you’re ready to answer that question, Willard Grosvenor Bleyer, Ph.D., is your redeemer, reaching out from the past with his book, “How to Write Special Feature Articles: A Handbook for Reporters, Correspondents and Free-Lance Writers Who Desire to Contribute to Popular Magazines and Magazine Sections of Newspapers”. Although first published in 1919 (!), what it says about writing is timeless. If you’re willing to overlook some slightly archaic language, you’ll find a wealth of valuable information here. Bleyer also wrote “Newspaper Writing and Editing” and “Types of News Writing” and he served as Director of the School of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin. “How to Write Special Feature Articles” is based on his 12 years of experience teaching university students to write these kinds of articles for newspapers and popular magazines. Bleyer’s approach is to analyze example articles from newspapers and magazines to illustrate how to present written information attractively and accurately. According to Bleyer, the feature article format is especially suited to the ability of someone who is new to writing. Writing a feature article lets you develop the ability you already have by teaching you 4 essential lessons: “¢ How to observe what is going on around you Bleyer’s book is structured in 3 parts, the first of which focuses on the nitty-gritty of feature writing. In Chapter 1, he discusses the origin and definition a feature article, what newspapers want in features, and how to break into the magazine market. The second chapter addresses the preparation required for feature writing, what editors are looking for, and understanding your readers. Chapters 3 ““ 5 tell you how to find subjects, what elements will interest readers, the types of articles you can write, and the methods for handling different topics. Chapter 6 is entitled “Writing the Article”, which is what you’ve been waiting for, right? Bleyer presents the value of having a plan for your writing, including setting an appropriate article length, arranging your material, and creating an article outline. He also discusses how to write more than one article from the same topic. An intriguing part of Chapter 6 is Bleyer’s take on “articles composed of units.” Some topics lend themselves to being written about in “units”, a term that Bleyer uses to talk about writing with examples, incidents, statistics, technical processes, recipes or directions. He shows how these units can be presented by developing examples in your own words, via dialogue, and by conducting interviews. Bleyer begins Chapter 7 by telling you the importance of beginnings! He emphasizes the significance of the beginning of your feature article, since after all, the beginning is what changes an article browser into an article reader. Bleyer lists 7 distinct types of beginnings: “¢ Summary He also notes that writers often combine two or more of these methods. The most common faults writers make in the beginnings of their articles are listed too, so you can avoid them. Chapters 8 and 9 examine the mysteries of writing style, figures of speech, sentence lengths, revising your articles, and the importance of titles and headlines in producing an effective article. In Chapter 10, he offers advice on preparing and selling your manuscript, while in Chapter 11 discussing the value of adding photographs and other illustrations. Because Bleyer’s method depends so much on analyzing various types of special feature articles, Part II of the book provides an outline for a comprehensive analysis. It presents a list of questions to help you examine the contributing issues and elements of the article’s construction. These include the material sources, the topic’s appeal, the author’s purpose in writing the article, its structure and style – essentially, all the issues covered in the Part I. However, Part II encourages you to apply your knowledge to concrete examples. Speaking of examples, Part III consists entirely of examples of special feature articles from various newspapers, including the Kansas City Star for which a young named Ernest Hemingway once wrote. As an addition and final part of the book, the editors have included a reference section listing online sites for submitting your special feature articles for all the world to read. This section also lists web sites offering free photographs and graphics to illustrate your feature articles, plus links to other books on writing, including other books by Breyer. Purchase this e-book at: http://tinyurl.com/lg2sk |
||
|
Article Submission Tips & Tricks – The Future of Writing and Promotion: An Interview with Chris Ellington by Jinger Jarret |
||
|
Article Submission Tips & Tricks – Accelerating Author Writing Volume Jinger Jarrett interviews Chris about the future of article marketing. This not to be missed article is available at: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/08/165911.php |
||
|
New Submission Sites |
||
|
Lead Articles – General article directory provides free content for web sites, newsletters, e-zines, blogs and RSS feeds. Features 18 broad categories, including Finance, Business, Computer, Google, Health/Fitness, Self-Improvement, Sports/Recreation, Family/Home, Technology, and more, each with multiple sub-topics. Authors must have their own web site address, not just a URL to an affiliate program. No blatant ads or affiliate program promotion. You must own all submissions and must submit all articles in your name, not a company name. Headlines may not contain all CAPS and must be free of all unnecessary symbols prior to submission, including quotation marks and asterisks. Free account signup required for submission. http://www.leadarticles.com/ ArticleClips – General article directory offering free content for e-zines, blogs, web sites, and newsletters. Free content is distributed by syndication via RSS feeds. Features 19 broad subject categories, including Hobbies, Humor, Legal, Automotive, Business, Relationships, Entertainment, Religion, and more. Articles must be unique and owned by you. Ghostwritten articles accepted provided you are the only one using them. Re-branding disallowed, and you must be sole copyright holder of each submission. No affiliate links permitted, but you may include URL’s to helpful sites or your own web site. Must be proofread for grammatical errors prior to submission to avoid rejection. All submissions monitored. http://www.articleclips.com/ Articles Engine – Free article directory supplies general content for web sites, newsletters, blogs, e-zines, and RSS feeds. Features 23 different subject categories, including Arts/Entertainment, Business, Computers, Culture/Society, Disease/Illness, Environment, Fashion, Finance, Writing, Travel, and more. Categories contain multiple sub-topics. Articles must be unique and owned by you, with ghostwritten articles accepted if you are the sole user. No re-branded articles allowed. You must be sole copyright holder for all submitted materials. Each article contains resource box that will credit you as its author. No affiliate links allowed, but URL’s to helpful sites or your own web site redirecting to affiliate products are acceptable. Articles that are grammatically incorrect will be rejected. Free account signup required. http://www.articlesengine.com/ Cafe She Womens Online Magazine – Women’s online magazine featuring subscriber articles and stories, a poetry column, an interactive blog, advice on all types of women’s issues, a recipe column, a member forum, and classified ads. Article directory contains 15 categories, including Health/Wellness, Parenting, Relationships, Style, Work, Personal Stories, Of the Heart, and more. Articles can be submitted to several different monthly columns, including Ask Aunt Henny, Chatter On With Kristine & Lana, Life Beyond One, and more. Poems and food recipes also accepted. Nicely designed submission form lets author choose from multiple options, such as font, size, colors and icons. Approval of Site Administrator required for all submissions. Free account signup required. http://www.myonlinemagazine.net/women/modules/articles/submit.php Dog News Center and Dog Article Directory – Article directory offers free content to web sites, e-zines, newsletters, blogs, and RSS feeds. All articles must be related to dogs. Fourteen dog-relevant categories available, including Training, Breeders, Insurance, Hunting Dogs, Puppy Training, Care, Medical Care, and more. Unique content only and you must hold all copyrights. Ghostwritten pieces acceptable if you are the sole user. You may include two links in your resource, but NO links allowed in the article body. No affiliate links allowed. Do NOT capitalize all letters in article’s title, or it will be rejected. All submissions monitored, and grammatically incorrect articles will be rejected. http://dognewscenter.com/index.php?page=login |
||
|
Legalities |
||
| Articles That Sell Update Newsletter is published by Davis Virtual Assistance.
(c) 2006, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights reserved in all media. You may not forward complete copies of this e-zine to anyone and may not reprint portions thereof without express written consent of the publisher. |
||
|
Contact |
||
|
Bonnie Jo Davis, Publisher |
*IMNewswatch would like to thank Bonnie Jo Davis for granting permission to reprint the latest newsletter.
Comments are closed.
