If you've been on Internet for a while, you've probably subscribed to a few ezines. Many ezine publishers will include an article written by a guest author. At end of article is a few lines of text about author referred to as bylines or resource box. These lines of text are basically just an advertisement for writer. They usually contain a couple of lines about author and a web address.

The writer gives publisher permission to publish their article, free of charge, in exchange for publisher including author's bylines.

By writing articles and allowing them to be freely published, your articles will have potential to be viewed by millions of Internet users. They may be published by several ezines with subscriber bases of a few hundred to several thousand. In addition, they may be displayed in ezine archives or on high traffic websites.

Most ezine publishers prefer short articles between 500 and 750 words. Short "tip" articles of just a couple of paragraphs are also very popular. Articles should be formatted to 65 characters per line or less, including spaces, and written in short paragraph sections.

When you begin writing your article, avoid using your standard word processing programs, as they do not allow for proper formatting. Instead, use a text editor such as NotePad. It should already be installed on your desktop.

When you begin typing your article, use a hard carriage return (hit enter) when your text reaches 65 characters, including spaces, and leave a space between your paragraphs. This will enable publishers to easily copy and paste your article into their publication. By taking time to properly format your article, you will increase your chance of being published significantly.

Most publishers receive many article submissions each week and only select a few to be published. Here are some basic guidelines to assist you in getting published:

(1) Make sure you follow publishers' submission guidelines. Articles submitted to publishers that don't follow submission guidelines will most likely be deleted.

(2) Make sure your article is properly formatted. Publishers won't take time to format your article. They'll simply delete it and move on to next article submission.

(3) Keep your bylines down to 6 lines or less. Publishers will not publish articles that contain excessively long bylines.

That's why I write articles.

Articles help to build your reputation as an 'expert' in your particular field. Over time, they build credibility, and through credibility, trust. And we all know that people tend to buy from those they trust!

If you have some basic writing skills you can benefit from writing and distributing your articles. Here's a quick overview of how it works: you write an article based on your own experiences or research. Make it informative or entertaining (or both), depending on audience you're trying to reach. At end of your article you include a 'resource box'. This small blurb (usually 5-7 lines long) provides a description of your business and a link to your website URL and/or email address.

You then offer your article, free for reprint, to other sites or newsletters within your target audience. In exchange for this free content, webmaster/editor publishes your resource box. Readers that appreciate your writing can click on your link to find out more about you and your business.

How to Find Editors that Accept Submissions ---------------------------------------------

You can manually find and email editors within your market, asking if they accept submissions. It's tedious and time- consuming, and often times you won't receive a response... but it can be done.