And it's true.

There are hundreds of thousands of ezines and newsletters. Most rely on contributed content, giving you a wonderful opportunity to connect with an endless ocean of prospects for free!

The rub is that most would-be authors get pretty shabby results. They conclude that they can't write, or that submitting articles isn't an effective means of promotion. At least not unless you're a "big name."

Wrong.

Almost anyone can write articles of acceptable quality to be published online. You needn't be a literary wizard, nor well-known. It's simply that like most things in life, there's a right, and a wrong way to do it.

Below are several easy ways you can get an editor to trash your article - EVEN if they LIKE what you say!

* Don't Check Spelling And Grammar Thoroughly

Even with electronic spell checkers, this is still a killer. Be particularly careful with words that sound alike but have different meanings (homophones). Should that be "there" or "their"? "Your" or "you're"?

Another trouble spot is apostrophe ('). An apostrophe should be used to indicate possession (John's car), dropped letters (don't) and characters/words mentioned as themselves (ID's). And remember, "it's" means "it is."

Most editors don't expect you to be perfect. However, a piece littered with obvious errors is unlikely to be published.

* Write In Long, Dense Paragraphs

Long, unbroken runs of text are visually unappealing, and act as a subconscious block to reading (looks like too much hard work). People are in a hurry, so information needs to be presented in a way they can scan for points of interest.

* Ramble And Use Wordy Sentences

Providing great information is not enough. People read to learn, but also seek excitement. Instant gratification. They lack time to be patient, so stick to point.

When you've finished writing, start deleting. Cut unnecessary sentences. Look for superfluous 'filler' words and repetitions. Delete them. Add more punch and drive by killing adjectives.

* Use Gratuitous Self Promotion

There's no greater turn-off than an article that proclaims author or their product wonderful. People want to discover your qualities for themselves. Your article is medium.

If not, you may want to rethink how to write a good one--one that gets noticed, published, and most important, gets a feature story. If editors notice and love your press release, they will want to interview you for a feature story. A feature gets a lot more attention than a news release.

Author's Tip: Editors and radio v talk show producers want and need human interest stories, and newsworthy stories. You have what they need is solutions to problems their particular audiences have. You have 7 seconds or less to impress them. So write an outrageous headline. Then, be able to prove it.

Examples: The Antidote to Depression is Passion (for book entitled "Passion at Any Age.") or "Outsell New York Times bestsellers Without Breaking a Sweat!" (John Kremer's headline for his San Diego seminar above, www.bookmarketing.com) or "Don't Drive in Traffic, Don't Look For a Parking Space, Don't Dress Up and Don't Worry About Weather!" Teleclass. (Judy Cullins' upcoming teleclass "How to Write an eBook or Other Short Book--Fast!" www.bookcoaching.com)

Advantages of getting a feature story: You get more editorial space, worth anywhere from $1500 to over $5000 depending on which paper accepts you. This "free advertising" is worth seven times as much as an ad because it implies newspaper endorses you.

Bonus Tip: Always ask interviewer is there is any problem with putting your ordering information into feature. What good is a feature if your audience can't get in touch with you? They usually say yes.

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