Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #2: - John ColanziWritten by Michael Southon
MS: John, you must be one of most prolific Ezine Writers on Web - I see your articles nearly everyday in article lists and in dozens of Newsletters. How long have you been writing Ezine Articles? JC: I first started writing ezine articles around 1999. MS: What are main topics that you write about in your Ezine Articles? JC: I mainly write two types of articles, (i) Marketing and promotion, (ii) Success and motivation. MS: John, how important have Ezine articles been in promoting your website? JC: I sometimes use paid advertising, but my main method of promotion is writing and submitting articles. MS: John, what sort of Articles have you had most success with? In your experience, what kind of Articles are most in demand? JC: I get most feedback on articles about success and motivation MS: Some Ezine Writers promote a product or service in their Resource Box, while others aim only to get a subscription to their free Newsletter. What would your advice be for getting maximum results from your Resource Box? JC: I usually promote my newsletter and free ebook in resource box. Sometimes I promote a product, but mainly newsletter. MS: What have you found to be most effective ways of getting your Articles published? JC: Persistence. I've set up a weekly mailing to publishers. Most publishers get a lot of submissions, so getting them to notice you article will take some time. Once they start using your articles, they are more likely to start reading your submissions. MS: Apart from getting your Articles published in Newsletters, are there any other ways you use your Articles to promote your website? (such as turning them into a free E-Book)?
| | A Profitable Idea for WritersWritten by Mary Anne Hahn
To say that I read a lot is perhaps one of greatest understatements of all time. I read chronically, obsessively. Articles, books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters--you name it. Whenever I am alone, if I'm not actually writing something, I make certain I have something to read with me. I carry a large purse precisely for this purpose; my partner, John, calls one I hoist on my shoulder these days "carryon luggage," which should give you some idea of its size :-).Although I have a great love for novels, most of my recent reading involves topics that inform and/or inspire. Of special interest to me is anything that can show me new ways (or new slants on old ways) for writers to make a comfortable living using their skills, things that I can share with readers of my ezine, WriteSuccess. One area that continues to look especially promising and profitable for writers is ebook writing and publishing. For readers, convenience of ebooks can't be beat; you can purchase your book and be reading it moments later without getting up from your PC or Mac. For writers, benefits abound. Ebooks are relatively inexpensive and easy to publish. You don't need to shop around for an agent. There's no yearlong wait between having your manuscript accepted and seeing it in print. And you can do some neat things with ebooks that you can't with traditional print variety--include your own clip art and graphics, add hypertext links right in pages of your book that take you readers to related Web sites, and other fun online stuff. You can't just slap an ebook together and expect to find an instant road to riches, however. Finding and developing a book on a topic that people care about, and will pay for, is key. You will also need to decide whether to self-publish, or go through an ebook publisher. And success of your ebook lies in how willingly, and how well, you market it. Probably most sought-after type of ebooks, and hence most profitable avenue you can pursue, are ones that contain information. These run gamut as far as content, from how to develop a gorgeous perennial garden to how to balance one's work and family life. If people are passionate about topic, and feel it will enhance their lives, they will buy a book about it.
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