Beginning Article Writing (Quorafied)

Practice:
Choose a book in the public domain—one that interests you and is well written. Find something in the book, just one part of it, and rewrite the story but as an article. Discover your purpose before and while writing--are you informing, entertaining, persuading, or serving some other purpose to the reader? When you are finished, read out loud. Change anything that doesn’t sound right. Read out loud again.

Next, give it to someone you trust and who will follow through. Have them read it and answer questions such as did every word move the article forward, was there repetition, did you write down to the audience, and what did they get from the article—what service did they feel you were serving?

You can do this until you feel comfortable, but the best way is to write articles for real and you’ll know you’re doing a good job when you get that first check.


Other Things to Do:
Read articles

Make a list of subjects you love and write about them

Make another list of subjects that can be entwined with other subjects and write about them

Write articles regardless of having a market or audience

Find online websites, magazines, and publishers that need freelance writers and ask for writers guidelines—this shows you what they are looking for


Get Used to Seeing Your Name in Print:
Write to the editor of your local paper regarding something current that you are also passionate about

Review products—books, movies, etc. and post wherever you can

Write a blog—whether personal or professional

Share your success stories with highly niche newsletters, for instance, your company newsletter, a product or service newsletter


Lastly
Article writing is fun and can be lucrative as long as push yourself—the writers who succeed do not wait for the check before writing—heck they don’t even wait for a green light from an editor or publisher—they write, send it in, write some more, send more in, write some more… and so on

Keep good records, not just on your submissions and paid work, but on your work itself

Do not be afraid to ask questions

Figure out if you are an independent contractor/freelancer and what the laws are about taxes

Getting Better at Last, so Why Does it Hurt?

Tonight I want to let you know I'm doing better and by next week, I'll be back to my old tricks.  But tomorrow marks the end of a level I was trying to attain in my new home business, At Home America.  From bed, I literally created ads and distributed them, booked a couple of parties, took online orders, and served a few customers I'll never get to meet.  Yet, I'm down by $350. A hundred of it is a mix up, where my hostess who first offered a party and ended up canceling, waited to order for herself when our free shipping offer came up. Which started today, BTW.

At the stroke of midnight, she made her order and paid for it.  Hours later, it never came up to me, letting me know someone ordered from me. No stress, no worries, sometimes things take a while. Turns out she ordered from the main site rather than from my site.  We're trying to work on it, but that's another order I anticipated. And somehow I'm not understanding how to close a party held for me thousands of miles away. Due to the time zone difference, she went to bed and we're hoping we'll resolved it when she's home from her job... probably after my time for this level is up.

You know, with all that's happened, I realize, how amazing it is that so many businesses run smoothly or stay in business. I mean, gosh, it can't be any easier than I have it now; the business is created, maintained, and ran by someone nearly anonymously to me.  All I have to do is bring it to the customers, offer free gifts, and fill out some paperwork.  Let's not forget there's a few nights I might go out, talk to some great women (no men so far) and enjoy some laughter outside my home, but still... how hard can it be?

So maybe this is disappointing (no maybe, it is), but it's not the end by a long shot. Imagine if Ray Kroc hadn't convinced the McDonald brothers to try his shake machine and then to sell him the business? Imagine if he gave up when his profits were below his expectations no matter how hard he tried?

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