Part 4. Never, Never submit an article without proofing it first!

  
First, Always proof your articles for spelling, grammar and punctuation. The larger article directories such as idea-marketers.com and e-zine-articles.com will not even give you a second shot if you have misspellings and incorrect grammar. Most of the PC or MAC word processors have, at a minimum, a spell checker. MS Word has a spell checker and a grammar and punctuation editor to help you.

Remember that a sentence has a structure to it. If you have forgotten some of the basics pick up, Robert's Rules of Grammar," It's in paperback and it only costs a few dollars. It's a very simple and practical guide to better writing. There are a number of proofreading services on the Internet that offer online proofing for a fee, somewhere around $5 per page. I don't think that you will need to do this. These online services are usually available for eBooks, thesis work or term papers.

Remember that the grammar and spelling used in an article is the direct reflection of the author, that’s you. So take the time to proof your article before you submit it.

Some of the article directories have a proofing service that is a paid service for writers. Although you can list an article for free, it will get better placement if it is grammatically correct without spelling or typo errors. If you don't have the software available to you, you can download open-office for free. It has a spell-checker and a thesaurus in the word-processor. You can download it at www.openoffice.org

Part 5. How to insure that your articles are placed

•  One, Always proof your articles for spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Two, Try not to write over 500 words per article. This is important for two reasons.
• • A, It's very hard to maintain the attention span of readers today. The longer the article the shorter the attention span. Keep your articles short and snappy.
  • B, Many article directories limit the amount of words or characters you can have in one article. Although some directories do not have a requirement, It's easier to limit the article to 500 words than review the specific requirements for each directory.
• Three, Utilize shorter sentences and multiple paragraphs. This may not go along with what you have learned in school, however in today's Internet, brevity is king.
• Four, Do a little research first in the major directories to insure that you are not using the same title and or substance of an existing article. If you use the same title, the directories will not publish your article. It is perfectly acceptable to take a similar topic and write a different perspective on it.
• Five, The larger directories have preferred placement options. Generally you have to pay for them but they are worth it. The cost is reasonable and it will get you on the first page of that directory. This where you will benefit the most from writing articles. This will give you great exposure.
• Six, Some of the directories will ask you if you will allow your articles to be published by others on other sites, say YES! This is called pre-authorization They will also ask you if you will allow your articles to be syndicated, again say YES! This means that someone likes what you have to say and wants your articles as soon as they are written. They will then get a feed from the directory to their site.
• Seven, Always take your time to fill out the author's bio-box. Many Article Submitters have an author's box that will remain the same for each site submitted, fill it out once per session and they will do the rest. The author's bio-box is your sales brochure, your personal ad, your opportunity to promote yourself. Take your time in filling it out.

In conclusion, article writing will get you noticed and get your products noticed. But more importantly it will help you establish yourself as a subject matter expert.

Good luck and great fortune!