www.inkthinkerblog.com — Well! It’s been quiet here, but I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that — you already picked up on it from the depressing lack of posts. The short story (and believe me, you want me to spare you the details) is that I’ve been sick as a dog for a couple of weeks and am finally feeling back to normal. Mostly, anyway.
But a lot’s been going on all the same! My last semester of grad school (finally!) started last night and I’m very excited about my Tuesday class, Designing for E-Publishing success. And when I stopped by Borders on the way home to pick up my textbook, I stumbled across an article featuring lil’ ol’ me in the current issue of Home Business Magazine! How’s that for a fun surprise? I checked the site but don’t see the article up there yet, but I did go ahead and order the June 2007 issue since it’s all about ecommerce and blogging for business, and I finally broke down and subscribed.
Also, on a non-work-related front, we got a new dog! His name is Murphy, and the brings the canine numbers in this house to an odd 3. You know what that means! We’ll have to even it out before too long. I haven’t uploaded my pics yet, but when I do you’ll be able to read all about him, Pickles, Ty, Zoe, and Isabel at meow/bark/blog.
Back to work, things are hopping over at the L-K Summer Article Challenge despite my sick-tastic absence, with several participants already having completed their 30 articles and qualifying for the Golden PJs award! There’s still time to get on board, so don’t be shy — sign up!
The Kristen King Freelancing website has a new look that you may not have seen yet. I’m trying to target clientèle with deeper pockets in an effort to work less while making more money, and I think sprucing up the site and making it look a little more corporate is going to help. So far the feedback I’ve received has supported that assumption, and the numbers continue to climb. Thank goodness. [continue reading…]
by Jodi M. Webb
www.inkthinkerblog.com — People have been asking me for years where I get ideas for my articles. I’d like to say they come to me in a flash of brilliance but it’s much less impressive. They come to me from my daughters’ book bags, an advertisement on the back of my cereal box, or a comment made by my hair stylist. Every day, the ideas are there, waiting for writers to notice them and turn them into articles. Unfortunately, they hide in the most unlikely spots and don’t wear signs that read “I would make a great magazine article!”
Local Publications
The smaller a writer’s hometown the more valuable your local newspaper. Local folks that do memorable things could be interesting to people across the country—but how many of those people read your newspaper? After reading articles in my paper, I’ve written stories about local artists, charities, and events for statewide, national, and even international publications. Never read your paper without scissors in your hand and the question “Who would find this interesting?” in your mind. [continue reading…]
by Kristen King
www.inkthinkerblog.com — It sounds counterintuitive. Giving away free content that just anyone can use? How could that possibly help anyone? Two words for you, my friend: viral marketing.
In the article “Building Traffic with Article Marketing,” Brian Clark of Copyblogger describes article marketing as
submitting short articles to directories such as Ezine Articles, with permission for others to republish your work on their blog, website or in their email newsletter. In return, you get one or more links back to the site of your choice.
Over at Associated Content, Michael Brito takes the definition to the next level when he says,
By distributing articles to various article directories on the Internet, your business can reap the benefits ranging from an increase in web traffic, lead generation, new customers and a solid reputation. It’s a simple concept that has the potential to take your business to the next level and higher.
Article marketing is not writing content for article mills (which I fondly think of a plagiarism factories) for $.00002/word. Article marketing is a targeted, planned business technique that’s specifically geared to bring more people to your website/newsletter/whatever, increase your search engine ranking, and give you and your business more exposure. [continue reading…]
by Nancy Callahan
www.inkthinkerblog.com — Goals can compel you to write faster, write better, and submit more often — but they need to be specific, quantitative and not overbearing if they’re going to work. So what sort of writing goals are best for you?
If you’ve always aspired to write, but have never been able to squeeze time for writing into your busy schedule, Time-Based Goals will assist you in establishing a fixed writing routine. With time-based goals, the emphasis isn’t necessarily on the quality of your writing but on simply making writing a priority in your life. Here are a few examples: “I aim to write for a total of 5 hours per week.” “I am going to write for at least 30 minutes right after I wake up every morning.” “I will write for three hours straight every Sunday afternoon.” [continue reading…]
by Joe Giunta
Great Sales Letters Focus on Readers Not Sales
www.inkthinkerblog.com — How many times have you opened a direct mail letter and thrown it out after reading the first sentence? If you have discarded enough paper to recycle the Rainforest, you may feel that sales letters are a waste of time, money, and trees. Well, think again.
Good sales letters can generate leads, sell products and services, and increase charitable donations. They do it by focusing on the needs of readers rather than the needs of sellers. Here is how to write a sales letter that will get the results you want. [continue reading…]
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