Submitting articles to top websites and ezines two or more times
a week can yield 15 or more subscribers to your own ezine each
time. Read by thousands, even hundreds of thousands, your
articles also bring people to your Web site to buy your products.
Knowing these benefits, you want to create and submit as many
articles as you can. At times, you have the articles complete, but
don't have anyone handy to edit them. While it's best to get at
least two other edits from business associates, you can edit your
articles yourself with a little help.
Use this checklist to edit your own work
1. Start your introduction with a question or startling fact. You
must hook your readers with something that reaches their
emotions.
2. Make your introduction only a few sentences. Your readers
want to get to the heart of your article fast. They want easy-to-
read quick tips. Long stories can bring a yawn to your reader.
3. Make all of your sentences short. Since standard sentence
length is 15-17 words, make most of your sentences under that
number. Complex sentences and multiple phrases make the
reading tougher. Make it easy for your readers to get the point
fast..
4. Avoid dull, slow passive sentences. Start them with a subject,
then follow with a verb to avoid passive construction. The coach
marketed her business and books through submitting articles
online is an active sentence. The coach's books were marketed
online through submitting articles is passive. Drop linking verbs
such as "is," "was," "seemed," or "had." Replace them with
power, active verbs. Instead of "She is beautiful," you could say
"Her beauty compels you to stare at her."
5. Aim for compelling, clear copy. Write for the 8-10th grade
reader. Always think "What's in it for them?"
6. Use specific nouns and names. General references don't
engage your readers' emotions. Let them see the size, color,
shape. Rather than say, "Write your book fast to make lifelong
income," say "Write and finish your book fast so you can take
that long vacation to a Caribbean island such as Tobago."
Money isn't a specific pull, but a vacation is.
7. Let go of most adverbs. Words like very, suddenly, and
sparingly, tell instead of show. Use adverbs only at Christmas
shows how often.
8. Let go of adjectives. Instead of a super-intelligent person,
you can say a genius.
9. Appeal to the senses of sight, sound, and emotions. Telling is
not a effective. Instead of "Buy this book today because it is so
useful," say, "Would you like to double, even quadruple your
Online income in three months?" Use a question like this on your
Web site home page as a link. Where to? A benefit driven sales
letter about your product!
10. Cut redundancies. Don't talk down to your reader with too
much repetition. Be willing to part with your "precious" words.
The first edit usually reduces the words by 1/4 to 1/3.
11. Don't use pompous words. Use the shortest, most well-
known word. Instead of "utilize," try "use." The more syllables in
a word, the harder to get the point fast.
12. Keep the subject and verb as close together as possible.
Don't make your reader work to get the meaning.
13. Use the present or past tense of the verb form.
Instead of she is singing, say she sings or she sang.
14. To emphasize or dramatize, put your point at the end of a
sentence, the end of a paragraph, or the end of a chapter. These
positions hook the reader to keep going.
13. Cut cliches. Once, original metaphors, clichés age and
become trite. Instead of "Birds of a Feather Flock Together,"
you can say, "Birds of a Feather Need to Fly Away From Each
Other."
Keep your conclusions short. Sum up a few points and repeat a
top benefit.
About the Author
Judy Cullins: author, publisher, book coach
Helps professionals manifest their book dreams
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