I want to take a moment to thank Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out for starting the A to Z Challenge. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past two years and look for another successful April.
Articles are a very cost-effective means of promotion and place you in front of new audiences.
What do you write about? If you are a writer or author, you’re an expert in SOME field! Share that wealth of knowledge with the world. Remember, the purpose of articles is to provide valuable information and/or solve problems - not to promote you or your book.
How often? To be truly effective - 1-3 articles per week. (Especially leading up to the release of a book.)
Now it’s time to brainstorm! What topics can you discuss? How can you help others be wealthier, healthier, sexier, more informed, or save them time?
Visit other participants in the A to Z Challenge HERE
And your daily photo - "A Spot of Red"
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0
Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle UK, and Powell’s.
81 comments:
"What topics can you discuss?" - Reflexology and relationships. "How can you help others be wealthier, healthier, sexier, more informed, or save them time?"
The how can I help is a tough one, hopefully what I write will shed some light for some people, but ultimately, I believe, they need to help themselves. - Great photo.
Wow, that photo is awesome. I need to work on my photo taking skills. I look forward to reading more of your A-Z posts throughout the month.
Susanne
PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER
From the Market to the Plate
Great photo!
Looking forward to all your tips all month. Hoping to use them for my own books.
Tim
The Other Side
Red Sonja: She-devil with a Sword
An awesome post Diane, enjoyed the read.
Yvonne.
Loved that photo. Rushing around visiting at the moment.
JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
I wondered how often should I post when I started the blog. Thanks for the advice. And that's a great pic.
Good post, good advice from one smart writer! Thanks for sharing. Happy A to Z! :)
Great advice, beautiful photo!
Good luck with the challenge! LOVE the little red bug...;~) I participated last year and had a blast!
Donna L Martin
www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Great start! Good luck to you!
Love the pic and am looking forward to your posts.
As a first-timer with A to Z, I'm a bit overwhelmed but ready to go for the challenge. ;)
Best,
Barbara
How fun! Thanks for hosting this. And please visit us at http://citymusecountrymuse2012.blogspot.com/ where we are doing A-Z original poetry to celebrate National Poetry Month!
Beautiful photo, Diane!
Happy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Great advice. It's on my list of things I need to do more of.
Great advice! I try to write blog articles at least that often. :) Love the photo!
Jaimie
Living in the Light
Cool photo and great advice, too!
Do blog posts count? Because that's where I keep my articles.
Tim, I hope they help then.
Karen, you know the power of articles.
Thank you so much, everyone.
Didn't know you were a photographer, too! You seem to have endless talent! Now, are you talking articles to submit to magazines, or posts? I have a post that many people have suggested I submit to some magazines...but I have no idea how to do that...guess I'll check with Mr. Query himself, Matthew McNish.
Great theme - looking forward to it!
You're about the billionth (yes, I do enjoy hyperbole...)to recommend this movie so I'd better get on it.
Gentle reminder: the Arlee thing.
Looking forward to your posts - I'm a total movie buff!
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
thank you for the sound advice... shout out to the boss and sweet photo...
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host
Oh No, Let's Go... Crazy
Def looking forward to reading your postings this month. :) Also love the pic reminds me of the warmer seasons ahead of us!
OOPS. Been cutting and pasting comments in case they get eaten. Please ignore my comment to Livia in the middle there...
~Tina
I'm not sure what I'm an expert in, but I like the idea of the article. I think it's a good way to put yourself 'out there' without hawking a product.
This is a good tip. You are the 2nd blog I've visited today from the A to Z Challenge and Damn if we don't have the same theme. My theme is rules for the artist to follow :)
Images by Bil
I think someone's already mentioned that you need to be a good photographer to write articles, so I need to brush up on that first! But, you're right - after reading your post I looked through a glossy magazine and thought "I could've written that". Thanks for getting me thinking!
I'm not an expert on anything. I probably know just enough to be dangerous! I do believe in the importance and power of articles though.
Good post, and thanks for popping over to my blog. Hey, just bought your book too! I thought I already had it but didn't. Looking forward to reading your A to Z posts.
That picture reminds me of the Lady Bug that lived in our car for almost two weeks this month. Could not get it out! :)
Cool photo!
I really need to get better about writing articles.
Beautiful photo! And wonderful tips!!!
Best image of the day! Loved the red spot and the post on Articles.
Tips from you are going to be priceless!
Thank you!
Beautiful photo.
Heather
That photo is beautiful! I'm looking forward to more of your tips. They're great!
Dana @ The Daily Dose
I love your photo. It's like the advice to authors to use adjectives sparingly because that way when you do use them they are dramatic.
Beautiful picture.
I'll be back for more tips.
All the best with the challenge!
Beautiful picture.
I'll be back for more tips.
All the best with the challenge!
Sounds like great advice - now I know why you're a motivational speaker!
Love the contrast in the photo, Diane.
Yay for Arlee!
Perfect start. Thanks for the advice!
Great start - so practical and still fun! Thanks my deario ...
Article right up my alley today-- I love writing articles, and I love the photo! Thanks for sharing.
Your posts are perfect for me since I have a new book out--yes, I will mention it here. Stumbling Through the Dark, a memoir of my husband's final year of life.
That's IT! I will write articles to help people be sexier! Erm.
I love that spot of red...
I will have to brainstorm more about topics I could discuss... I'm sure I'm good at something. Now, what was it?
Spot on, on the spot of red. Topics, oh man, I have no idea.
Thanks for the tips. I'm not at that stage of promotion yet, but I'll keep this in mind. Also, love the photo! (:
Cool picture. Maybe you can write an article offering photography tips!
Excellent advice and tips..especially write about what you know, ie your field. It's a real boost to one's confidence in writing to realize how much you know about a subject/field you love.
Thoughtful and knowledgeable composition in your photo with the red spot contrasting against it's complementary green. Yep, I could write about color theory as well as what I'm writing about in this years AtoZ Challenge.
Sue~CollectInTexasGal
AtoZ LoneStar Quilting Bee
I have a problem writing articles - I always figure someone else could do it better. Unless it's humor. I love to make people fear.
(So naturally, I write murder mysteries. Go figure.)
I need to focus on some article writing. That's a good suggestion to follow.
Thanks for being part of this great A to Z Team that we have. You've been a terrific addition to the 2013 collaboration.
Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
What about how-tos?
Tina, I've been a pro photographer for 23 years now. Articles can be for magazines, real world and online, websites, article banks, blogs, etc. And I wondered about the movie comment - LOL!
Bill, we will enjoy visiting each other then!
Jess, thank you.
Thelmaz, I hope my tips help you.
Hart - LOL!
Cynthia, I could.
Sue, are you a photographer, too?
Lee, proud to be part of the team.
Smart. Also, pretty. Will keep checking back :)
Happy A to Z!
That picture is ALMOST 3-D... you have great photo skillz!
You are the Queen of promo info! Thanks for sharing!
Hmmm, I'd like to write articles - great A word for the day, btw. But, I'm usually asked to write plays, which is fine, since it's what I do. Hmmm, will have to think on this one, how/what/where can I write some articles? Thought provoking, indeed! Great photo!
Great photo!!
Diane, I write articles all the time, both related to the topics in my books and not, and I can tell you it's a great way to build a platform. I wish more authors would use this form of promotion versus the incessant "buy my book now!" rapid fire marketing.
I don't feel I'm much of an expert on anything... at least not that many articles worth. But it's a great idea if you can come up with them. I love the photo!
I wish I was better with articles. I can write novels any day, but the thought of writing articles make me cringe.
Hi Diane,
I'm liking your theme. And I know you bring up a good point in regards to 1-3 articles per week.
Ah,the photo. I spot the red spot.
Good luck with the alphabet challenge.
Gary
Texas I bet you can think of some ideas.
Steven, you understand!
As always informative and helpful!
Topics: Get Published For Real. It seems like getting published is equivalent to winning the lottery. :) Also how can I put a live link on comments? I am trying but keep messing them up. :)
Mary Hill
Mary-andering Creatively
http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/
i should try this article writing... now where and what and get over fear!
looking forward to more tips!
Great advice! As a reader, it's always nice when a writer shares something they know.
I love the photograph.
Great tip! I need to be writing more articles. Love that photo!
What a helpful tip. I hadn't really thought of it that way. Definitely something to keep in mind as I keep writing.
2 years of A to Z? Wow, I am impressed! I hope I can keep up with pros like you.
I wouldn't know what to write about!
Love the photo with the splash of red. :)
Great idea-I'm working on it ;D
lol
Love your "Spot of Red"
gorgeous!
Love the single point of read almost craddled by the green in the photo!
I think yours is going to be a good blog to visit this month, for me!
Amazing way to give back to the writing community...way to go!
Diane that image is so powerful. I find a thousand different ways to look at it and the scariest is blood.
-Maurice Mitchell
The Geek Twins
Hi Diane,
Hey, I like your spot of red photo!
Exquisite photo and great tip, Diane!
I do in-depth research for all of my books, but my subjects are self-indulgent—things I want to learn about. I used to teach sociology. You'd think there'd be something of value I could share. :)
~VR Barkowski
Thanks for stopping by. New follower.
Writing articles would be a fun way to help promote books, but so far I've stuck to doing guest blog posts.
I am definitely going to have to keep an eye on your blog this month. I need all the help and tips I can get to promote. Other than by purchasing another book to add to my reading list.
Great picture.
I'd like to write more articles. Maybe when I have some time off this summer I can brainstorm topics.
Hi Diane .. articles are always useful as extra fodder - and as you say can just help along the way.
Your tips will be so useful .. and that ladybird is just wonderful ... I do hope our warmer weather turns up soon! .. Cheers Hilary
I feel I would be rather sucky at writing articles, but I guess I would have to try to find out :) It's a good bit of advice anyway!
Nice to get the idea put in my head again. The last article I wrote one thought-driven late night was accidentally deleted! So much work, gone... :( I hope to have the stamina to rewrite it sometime.
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