One last point in this category is word usage -- don't use words in your article unless you actually know what they mean. Using big words doesn't necessarily make you look smarter. Did you know that newspapers are aimed at a sixth grade reading level?

7. Stop sending sales letters: No one will publish an article that reads like a sales letter... period.

8. Forget about affiliate links: Use your head... why would anyone use your article if it's full of your affiliate links? Ever hear of "Golden Rule?" This is kind of "Golden Rule" of writing articles -- don't expect someone else to do something that you wouldn't do. Would you publish another writer's article if it were full of his affiliate links? I doubt it.

9. Create a reasonable resource box: A resource box should tell me who you are, what you do, and how I can get in touch with you. It's not unlimited advertising space for you to describe every website you run and each product you sell. Don't bother sending an article where resource box is half as long as article itself. That "Golden Rule" thing applies to resource boxes too.

10. Only write about what you know: Even if you're writing an opinion piece, get your facts straight. Don't write an article filled with advice that you have no business giving.

If you take nothing else away from this article, remember that good copy always answers "What's in it for me?" When you're writing articles to send to newsletter and website publishers, you have to answer that question on two fronts...

What's in it for publisher? Why should they show your article to their customers and visitors? Does it give something of value?

-- AND -- What's in it for people who will ultimately be reading your article when it's published?

After all, idea is to provide some worthy content that compels readers to visit your site, subscribe to your newsletter, or buy your product. So next time you send an article, what's in it for me?

You could talk about film, review it. Talk about how it made you feel. Really try to relate to audience. In creating content, you would write for voice, just like you were talking to an old friend. At same time, offer some trivia or anecdotes about how film was made. I would prepare page and get it ranked firstly for phrase "Johnny Eck" and perhaps secondly around name of old film.

The Traffic Payoff:

Usually when a new "big name" movie is released, there is always a tremendous flurry of activity on Internet by movie goers who enjoy looking up information about it. When they start searching for info on new film and your pages come up in top ten, they'll also be reminded about old film and quite possibly want to purchase it. In this type of promotion, don't take page down after movie comes out because you may get double waves of heavy traffic. Actually, if you're lucky whole routine is going to happen all over again when it's released on video usually six to eight months later. Might there be a third wave when it finally makes it to DVD?

Fine Tune Your Thinking:

Think along these lines, now ask yourself if there may be value to optimizing a page around other big events that are definitely scheduled to happen. The use of a new movie release is only one idea, amongst hundreds of others. If you practice thinking this way, you can develop strategies for retail, professional clients or even business-to-business Web sites. Newsworthy events happen all time.

--Do you think "the Olympics" might benefit a sporting goods store which offers an overview of various participants.

--Do you think that a scheduled tour of a famous rock group might influence traffic to a music site offering a contest for free tickets?

--How might that upcoming children's film influence traffic to a toy store?

These are only a few quick examples but learn to think laterally about news events. Take full advantage of media in its entirety to bring maximum benefit to your clients. It's just a matter of paying close attention to those big scheduled events and creatively examining how these might benefit a your strategy.

In scenario I explained above, it would be ideal for a video store who is selling old classic films to (if they have any films available starring Johnny Eck) to take advantage of public interest that might be generated by a new movie.

By time film is released, (assuming it is created at all) I expect there will be a flurry of interest about this actor's life and any old films he may have appeared in.