Does Article Marketing Still Work?

Article marketing used to be a great way to market any website or book.

But then, a few years ago, along came Google Panda and Penguin which wiped the article directories off the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page).

Before the changes it was easy to write an article for directories such as EzineArticles.com and soon your article would be republished and indexed all over the internet.

After the changes it's hard to find your directory articles in the search results even if you search the exact heading through Google.

So everyone said that article marketing is dead.

But is it?

Act Like a Publisher

The world of publishing has changed, especially for self published authors.

Gone are the days when you could leave all the publishing details up to your publisher (if you were lucky enough to have one).

Now writers not only write their own books but publish them as well. And if there's one thing that I've learnt over the years, it's that if you want to be a successful writer you need to act like a publisher.

$8 Domains and 75% off Hosting Plans

This is just a quick reminder that today is the last day to take advantage of HostGator's Summer Sale.

They are offering up to 75% off some of their hosting plans and only $8/year for a domain name.

But this offer ends on Sunday 27th July 2014.

If you're thinking of starting up a new website or looking to change hosting or registration companies, now is a good time to do it.

I use HostGator myself and until midnight tonight you can get

• 75% off all new Shared hosting packages with 1-6 month terms.
• 45% off all other Shared hosting packages.
• 50% off all VPS packages.
• 45% off all Dedicated server packages.
• Domains as low as $8 per year.

All for one whole year.

Just take a look at what they have on offer. They are a good hosting company with a solid track record of incredible reliability and great customer service.

Most Ridiculous Song Lyrics Ever!

This is something that is not educational but it sure is funny so I wanted to share it with you. Go and get a box of tissues first though to wipe the tears of laughter from your eyes.

Depending on your age you may or may not remember this band. They had a string of hits and record albums for years and did really well.

But I always thought that not only did they have a stupid band name but also their songs were the most ridiculous I'd ever heard because none of the words made sense. It was always as though they got drunk (or stoned), wrote down a load of crap and put a catchy tune to it.

And yet somehow they had hit after hit.

But when you see the actual lyrics to their songs written down, you can see just how stupid they are. I have absolutely no idea what their songs are about because they're just load of words that don't make sense at all.

But I'll let you make up your own mind.

Here are the lyrics to just two of their songs.

Are you ready? Do you have your tissues handy?

Here we go (spoiler alert: that is a line in one in their other songs.):

How to Write a Great Online Article

If you want people to read the articles that you publish online, then you need to do 3 things.

You need to hook them in, keep them reading and spur them into action.

But how do you do this?

Well, although there is no exact science, there are certain things you can do.

And here are the 4 main ingredients of a great online article:

1. A Headline That Gets Attention.
Your headline is important. It's no good writing a great article with a mediocre heading. You'll get far more readers with a great heading and a mediocre article. Headings matter. Make sure yours has a great hook.

2. An Intriguing Introduction.
Your article's introduction must provide the answer to why someone should read your article. Take a look at the opening sentence of this article as an example. It gets straight to the 'why?'.

3. Keep Them Reading.
Once someone starts reading, give them a reason to keep going. Write as you speak (WAYS) to keep them interested. Tell a story. Use numbers, bullets and subheadings. All of these can help.

4. Tell Them What to Do.
Conclude your article with a 'call to action.' Tell the reader what they should do next. Preferably, tell them to buy your book and read it for more information.

And that's all you need.

• A great hook
• A reason why they should read
• Stories and lists to keep them interested
• A call to action

Put them altogether and you'll have a great article.

How to Make Money As An Online Writer

This is what many writers dream of doing; earning money by writing articles and publishing them online. But how can you make money if all you're doing is writing a few blog posts and articles?

Well for a start, you're well ahead of others if you can already write.

Many people dream of earning an online income but can't write.

So here are 3 simple steps to help you earn money online.

Latest Writing News - July 2014

South Africa's Nobel-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer dies

Amazon Tests ‘Kindle Unlimited,’ A Netflix For Ebooks And Audiobooks
Amazon might give readers something to get really excited about: A digital ebook and audiobook subscription service that provides Kindle users with all the content they can consume from a potential library of over 600,000 titles for just $9.99 per month.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/16/amazon-tests-kindle-unlimited-a-netflix-for-ebooks-and-audiobooks/


Patreon
Patreon enables fans to give ongoing support to their favorite creators. A place where writers can upload content in return for monthly donations/subscriptions.
http://www.patreon.com

Lady Gaga's Former Assistant Writing Tell-All Book
Jennifer O’Neill has signed with Atria Books to write a tell-all book about the musician. Jennifer O'Neill, who sued the singer for $393,000 in unpaid wages, is reported to have gotten as much as $1 million to spill about working for the singer from 2009-11.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lady-gagas-assistant-writing-tell-719402?

Sherlock Heirs Lose US Supreme Court Test
Justice Elena Kagan dismissed a plea by the Scottish author's heirs, who aimed to delay another writer's ability to use Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr Watson in a new book.

Kagan provided no comment as to why the request by the inheritors of Doyle's literary rights was turned down.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/24493670/sherlock-heirs-lose-us-supreme-court-test/

South Africa's Nobel-Winning Novelist Nadine Gordimer Dies
Johannesburg (AFP) - South African Nobel Prize-winning writer and anti-apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer, who became an icon through her unique insights into the country's social agonies, has died at the age of 90.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/news/a/24458257/south-africas-nobel-winning-novelist-nadine-gordimer-dies/

22 Lessons From Stephen King On How To Be A Great Writer
In his memoir, “On Writing,” King shares valuable insights into how to be a better writer. And he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He writes, “I can’t lie and say there are no bad writers. Sorry, but there are lots of bad writers.”

Don’t want to be one of them? Here are 22 great pieces of advice from King’s book on how to be an amazing writer:
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-7

From Presentation to Pilot to Series + Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy

Have you ever wanted to write comedy but just didn't know where to start or how to write it?

To help you, here are two of the latest comedy writing courses offered by The Writer's Store.

They both have discounted prices, but not for long.

Comedy series are well thought-out worlds constructed to play out over 100 or more episodes. In this webinar, Paul Chitlik will lead you through the process of creating a world, designing characters to populate it and coming up with stories to keep it vibrant and funny. ON SALE! $59.99 (ends 20th July 2014)
From Presentation to Pilot to Series: Get Your Comedy on the Air, Cable, or Net

Believe it or not, being funny is a skill that can be learned. This value pack will teach you how to structure a comedy film and how to create a unique story line that your audience will love. If you want to launch a career in writing comedy, whether it's in a writer's room or selling your script, you need to start with this invaluable collection of comedy writing resources. ON SALE! $59.99
Essential Tools of Writing a Comedy

Books to Inspire, Books to Enjoy

If you're looking for an inspirational book to help you to write, or you're looking for a good book to curl up with, below is a list of books available now from The Book Depository.

All have discounted prices and all are available or free worldwide shipping.

And it's not just these books. The Book Depository discounts all it's books and offers free shipping worldwide on all orders, which is great because often the shipping costs can be more than the price of the book.

On Writing (Paperback)
by Stephen King
http://www.bookdepository.com/On-Writing-Stephen-King/9781444723250

Why I Write (Penguin Great Ideas) (Paperback)
By (author) George Orwell
http://www.bookdepository.com/Why-I-Write-George-Orwell/9780141019000

How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (Paperback)
By (author) Paul J. Silva
http://www.bookdepository.com/How-Write-Lot-Paul-Silva/9781591477433

Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau (Paperback)
By (author) Henry David Thoreau, By (author) Joseph Wood Krutch
http://www.bookdepository.com/Walden-Other-Writings-by-Henry-David-Thoreau-Henry-David-Thoreau/9780553212464

642 Things to Write (Record book)
By (author) San Francisco Writers' Grotto, Introduction by Po Bronson
http://www.bookdepository.com/642-Things-Write-San-Francisco-Writers-Grotto/9781452105444

The Creative Writing Coursebook: Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry (Paperback)
By (author) Julia Bell, Foreword by Andrew Motion
http://www.bookdepository.com/Creative-Writing-Coursebook-Julia-Bell/9780333782255

Writing for Comics: v. 1 (Paperback)
By (author) Alan Moore, By (artist) Jacen Burrows
http://www.bookdepository.com/Writing-for-Comics-v-1-Alan-Moore/9781592910120

The Writing Life (Paperback)
By (author) Annie Dillard
http://www.bookdepository.com/Writing-Life-Annie-Dillard/9780060919887

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity Third Edition/Expanded (Paperback)
By (author) Ray Bradbury
http://www.bookdepository.com/Zen-Art-Writing-Ray-Bradbury/9781877741098









And if you want an easy, relaxing, read, try any of the Book Club Classics
http://www.bookdepository.com/book-club-classics


Happy reading. :)

Pre-Order Writing Market Books for 2015 & Other Resources for Writers

The Art of the Query: Winning an Agent From the Very First Page
The Art of the Query: Winning an Agent From the Very First Page - In this live webinar, instructor and literary agent Michelle Brower will show you how agents go through their slush pile and how they make decisions based on query letters. The webinar will cover query dos and don'ts, and will also have examples of successful letters that have made the cut. Michelle will show you how to win over an agent, as well as identify common pitfalls.

Pre-order the 2015 Market Books and Receive Free Shipping at Writer's Digest Shop
Pre-Order the 2015 Market Books and Get Free Shipping.

Shop the Storyist Sale at Writers Store
Storyist provides word processing functions with the features writers expect from a top-notch writing program, including spelling and grammar checking and a page layout view with support for headers, footers, and style sheets, plus manuscript and screenplay templates so you can focus on the writing, not the formatting. Don't Miss the Sale, Storyist starting at $35.40, Now-7/31/14.

Writing Services & Writing Help for Screenwriters
The biggest mistake aspiring screenwriters make is sending out their scripts before they’re ready to be reviewed by an agent or producer. Luckily, The Writers Store offers writing services that include writing help from experienced professionals, writing resources such as books and personal coaching sessions, proofreading, revising and editing services. Use these writing resources along with our writing software to help start, market and sell your screenplay!

3 More Writing Markets

Here is a list of web pages where you can find lists of writing markets:

Short Mystery Fiction Markets
List of print magazines, online magazines and anthologies looking for short submissions of mystery stories.
http://shortmystery.blogspot.com.au/p/markets.html

Who Pays The Most Online?
A short article that contains a list of almost 30 markets that are high paying, many at $1 per word.
http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/freelance-writer-rates-who-pays-the-most-online/

Paying Markets And Jobs For July 16th
List of current writing markets from WritersWeekly.com
http://www.writersweekly.com/markets_and_jobs.php

Don't forget that you can always find a huge list of writing markets at Writeaholics.net.

Good luck and keep writing. :)

Too ill to Write

I've been out of action for a few days now. I came down with some sort of wretched virus that has had me flat on my back since last Saturday.

Thankfully I'm almost back to full health now but I'm still finding it hard (impossible) to breathe through my nose.

The biggest problem with beling ill, though, was boredom.

Bored! Bored! Bored!

We have a cable TV channel called TV Hits and I watched it constantly for days. NCIS, CSI, The Mentalist, Law & Order and lots of other crime shows, one straight after the other, all day every day.

I slept on and off and dozed through nearly every episode.

Bored! Bored! Bored!

Then 2 days ago I felt well enough to sit up (which had been a struggle for a few days) and do limited work on the computer before my eyes began to stream. My creative spark seemed to have been extinguished so writing was out of the question.

But what I found was that it was a good time to do catch up work.

Taking a Break From Writing

Writing is great. I can sit and do it for hours.

But not without breaks.

I find that if I sit and write for too long, my creativity wains.

There are times when I'm working in a huge window of inspiration (and I just love those times) and I can just go and go. But I always regret it later because I get dehydrated from not having a drink.

I also notice that on a usual day of writing, taking breaks makes me much more creative.

Kindle Has Changed Self Publishing Forever

Self Publishing used to be hard.

In the 'old' days you had to have your books printed and shipped, and you had to pay for it all yourself.

And getting your books into book stores was hard.

Not only that but self published authors were ridiculed by other writers as not being 'proper' authors.

Then along came Kindle Publishing and BANG!

It all changed.

Now there are thousands of self published authors all over the world.

And Kindle publishing is free to do.

You can sit at home writing one book after another and know that every single one of them will be published and made available for sale all over the world.

And you don't have to print or ship or pack anything.

Once you publish your Kindle books, that's it. There's nothing more to do.

In fact Amazon is pretty good at helping to market your book.

And if you have dozens of published Kindle books, you have even more chance of making sales.

So if you haven't joined the Kindle publishing revolution yet, why not?

Kindle publishing really has changed self publishing forever.

These Can Really Help to Kick Your Writing Into High Gear

If you're serious about writing professionally, following your writing passion and earning a living as a writer then you should already be there.

If you aren't then it's time to do something about about it and I mean do something really radical that you haven't tried before.

Remember what Einstein said about insanity? He said it's doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

If you want to write but you're not doing so or you are writing but not doing the writing you want to do OR not doing enough of it or making enough money, try any of these resources to help you get going to where you want to be: