Get Tough On Yourself and Write with a Point

An editor within the agency I write with rejected an article I had written and submitted. I've had articles rejected before, but usually, the editor has pointed out corrections needed. 

This time, the editor's words were piercing:

"You failed to deliver on the article's title.
Do not resubmit."

Wow. That hurt. Surely I could change the title. I'm certain something could be reworked. And, by the way, isn't it up to a client to decide if it is buyer-worthy or not?

So the idea that I failed to deliver on the article title's promise hit me for more than a few seconds. Ultimately, my writing didn't take the editor where they felt they were promised to go. 

I admit, this was one article I wanted to get submitted without letting it simmer longer or re-editing. But had I let it simmer, I might have seen the problem for myself and changed it.  

Here are some points on that topic. 

Make Sure Your Writing Delivers 

Literary agents often point out that issues like the one mentioned above are quite frequent. They are interested in knowing whether a book will fulfill not only the promises made by its title but also those made in its blurb or Amazon description. 

As for my editor, she wanted to know the article she was about to read would give her some new insightful information that answered any question posed in the title or introduction. 

It sounds simple, but time and again authors miss the point of their article or book too easily. 

I've purchased self-published books and discovered that for myself. It may be the book trails off in a new direction. This can happen when an author puts the writing aside for a time and, when they return, their passion or mindset is different. 

I've started books only to discover what an author suggests works for all people doesn't work for me. Painting too broad strokes may be problematic. For example, in some books I've read on life purpose, the author has assumed readers have full-time jobs or careers like they do. They tend to focus on finding purpose in a career. Since my main focus for many years was that of a stay-at-home mother, their advice didn't fit me. Neither will it fit the retiree. 

Sometimes the problem with a book is a chapter problem. An author gets so attached to a chapter he can't bring himself to chop it. It gets included but has little relevance to the rest of the book. 

When writing for pay, it's important we write for a target audience. Otherwise, we're merely writing for ourselves and our own fun. 

Ask These Questions 

We can ensure we make a point when we ask ourselves important questions as we're writing such as these: 

• What's the goal of this article, book, or book chapter?
• What is the point of this paragraph?
• Does this story illustrate the point of the chapter?
• Does this anecdote reflect the book's theme?
• What conclusion am I urging the reader to draw?
• Have I enlightened, informed, or inspired the reader?
• Do the stories I add undergird the theme of the book or simply make the reader feel displaced?
• Why am I mentioning such-and-such?
• Have I already said this?
• Does mentioning such-and-such distract from the story?
• Are my words bossy, preachy, or spoon-feeding the reader?
• Do I let the reader fill in the blanks?
• Is this book merely my own catharsis, a way to brag, an attempt to make a quick buck, or does it offer value to the reader?
• Why would someone pay to read this?

Writing is easy and hard. Good writers get tough on themselves and grow with each writing project they take on. 

As for the article I mentioned above, I did a full rewrite and resubmitted it with a new name. All went well. The lesson was learned. 

A Tip for Article Writing

Article Writing 

One way to grow in your writing career is to write articles. I wrote and submitted many articles to magazines hoping for publication. When my first paid article was purchased through a library association, I was overjoyed!

I then began posting free articles with the online platform ezine articles (now defunct). 

Why write articles?  

I wrote articles to promote my life coaching business launched in 2008. However, I realized I also wanted to become a web content writer. By 2010, I discovered I could write and sell web content articles through Constant-Content.com. 

It's important to note why there is such a service. It's because there is a market for articles today like never before. Website owners need articles and blog posts to keep readers coming back, to become educated, inspired, or entertained, and to keep their websites optimized.  

People are Readers

People read articles online daily.  They often set out to give the reader a new perspective or updated information.  Articles are usually informational or inspirational.  Simply reading an article can enlighten a person and change their mood. Articles can be powerful tools that lift others up and that is what I love to do. 

What to Do 

Do you want to be an article writer? 



Re-Writing for Multiple Sales 

Once you're an up-to-speed writer you too will see how easy it is to re-write the same article and potentially sell the topic more than once.  Now, I'm not talking about doing cheap article spinning where you flip things around for the sake of flipping them around sometimes with a spinning program.  What I mean is, re-writing your article from a different angle.

Here is are examples:

Sample article on writing fiction:

Want to write a novel?  Need new ideas?  Put yourself in the story.  Picture where you'd like to go, and what you'd like to see.  How might you see things differently than another person?

Same article re-written:

Are you in the midst of writing a novel and find yourself stuck?  Why not use this trick.  Dress yourself in the era of your novel and walk its streets or corridors.  That's right, put yourself right in there.  Smell, hear, taste, and see the environment.  Write about your experience.

Same article re-written:

Fiction writers have various ways of developing their work.  Many writers like to put themselves right into the story.  Once they've gotten an idea of the era and surroundings, they find it helpful to think about what they might see, where they'd want to go, and what they'd like to do.

How's that for switching things up and making your writing go further? 

If you have questions or comments, feel free to connect. 

Happy Writing!

Buy Content from Outside Writers

When you have an online magazine or a website you want to keep optimized you will need ongoing fresh material.  Whatever your chosen themes, usually there are several angles they can be written from.  That means you can repeat themes.  But don't repeat them just for the sake of loading content or keywords.  Upload content that says something worth saying.

Choosing to purchase from outside writers will give you a greater chance of discovering fresh angles. 

Why is Content Updating Important?

It's important to include new material on your site because, in an ever changing world, clients need to be kept up-to-date on trends.  You can become their go-to place for new information.

When you are an expert in a certain field, your clients will let you (maybe even expect you to) do the homework they have no time to do themselves.  Over time, with good content, they will learn to trust your expertise.

Your goal should be to have customers look for your latest content, share your content, comment and talk about your content.  Your content should make a reader want to bookmark your page, add you to their RSS Feed, sign up for your newsletters, hire you, or buy your products. 


New fresh content will help optimize your site as web crawlers search for the latest material to include in their search engines.  But search engines aren't the only ones using crawlers, crawlers can be used by anyone searching for  information in an organized manner to be used for a variety of reasons.  Ensure you're found!

Use Freelancers for Article Writing and Blog Posts

Yes, you can purchase web content from an outsider to be used on your site.  You can put your name on it if you buy the full rights.  This doesn't make you less of an expert, it just means the craft of writing isn't your focus of expertise; the subject matter of the articles is your focus.

When you purchase pre-written or requested articles for full rights you can still personalize the material. You can put your name or your company name into the article and add links.  You can change thoughts that don't apply to your business or things you don't quite agree with. 

Purchasing rights is always the better way to use material thereby avoiding plagiarism by trying to re-write something you haven't paid for.

Content is a Vital Marketing Tool 

It is a constantly changing society and one that reads daily.  More people spend time on their computers than reading newspapers or books.  More people look online for solutions and they want to discover what's most current. 

Since there are many ways to cross-promote your business online, if done well, you will never truly be able to predict how a client will find you.  Would-be clients might click a link in Twitter.  They might click a link in LinkedIn.  One writer they follow may have a link on their page your website.  You'll need to have ongoing new material to post if you're to be discovered.

The Internet is like a playground where new friendships and discoveries are made.  It's important to be involved in the playground to effectively do business today.  Don't underestimate the power of adding web content to your blog or website and then adding the links to your Twitter feed, Facebook and Linkedin pages.

To Write Well You Must READ

To develop as a writer:

Read.  When you read, watch what other publishers have done with punctuation.  There are so many rules around, but today, many are changing the rules.  Many are leaving commas out, for instance.

Read to develop your style.  Read to develop your vocabulary.  The Urban Dictionary may be a valuable resource to use.  Don't depend on Microsoft Word's grammar checker.  It is often incorrect and often isn't up-to-date with new words.

Read to stay current so you can write current.

Read online articles, magazine articles, books, blogs.

Practice writing summaries of what you've read.  Learn the art of highlighting and re-writing--putting things into your words.