The Writing E-zine for Beginning and Intermediate Writers
November 2007 ~ 217 Subscribers
Cover Story:
"Building Your Platform with the World Wide Web"
If you tuned in last month, we talked about what your platform is and how you
can get one. There are many ways to build your platform--your audience or amount
of readers you have-- by using the internet. I'll list a few here, but this is
only a beginning. Use your imagination. Check out what other writers are doing.
Check out the book I'm recommending this month in the "Resources" section.
You'll find the ways to grow your platform through the World Wide Web are nearly
limitless.
Speaking: If a main part of your platform is public speaking (or if you want
it to be), a web site can give potentials clients a place to find out about
you and what you speak about. If you don't have a web site, you can find information on how
to build yourself one in the June 2007 issue of this e-zine, archived
on the "About Writing" page of
www.DianneEButts.com.
Web sites: Once you have a web site, you'll want to learn how to draw traffic
to it. Besides letting people know about your web site at every opportunity,
you'll want to learn how to make your site easy to find on the world wide web
by making it attractive to the search engines. There are many resources to
help you do that, including this one: Search Engine Optimization For Dummies, Second Edition (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Blogs: To increase your audience (and therefore your platform) for your blog,
register it with blog directories such as
www.technorati.com. Also, visit other blogs, leave a nice, relevant
comment, and share your blog site URL below your name.
Article Distribution Sites: I'm not a fan of writing for free. Yeah, I've done
my share of it, but my anorexic bank account has convinced me it's time to
focus on for-pay markets. Writers offer a valuable service and we deserve to
be paid for our work. Having said that, there are many online sites that
distribute articles for free. These short articles are picked up for
newsletters, web sites, and more, so your article could receive wide
distribution. If you're getting enough out of the deal, such as increased
traffic to your site or blog, then it may be worth it to you and I wouldn't
consider that writing for "free."
Wally Bock (
www.threestarleadership.com ) first enlightened me about these article
distribution sites. Here's what he said, "Article distribution sites, as I use
the term, are sites that receive articles from writers for no compensation and
make them available to editors for no charge. They make money by selling
advertising and some services. They vary quite a bit in how they look, whether
they screen articles, etc. ...In some articles, I offer a freebie, such as a
form and count the responses or follow up with the requestor and ask
questions."
With dittos to my statement above about not being a fan of writing for free,
some large sites have such a huge readership and offer a bio where you can put
your web site or blog URL resulting in a lot of hits or contacts. They, too,
may be worth writing for. I'm thinking of sites like
www.Crosswalk.com and
www.CBN.com.
Section 2:
Q & A: Dianne Answers Your Questions about Writing
Q: If I write for these free article distribution sites, can I still
offer my article to print publications or other web sites?
A: Not as a first rights article, since it has already been published
(perhaps multiple times). And if you were to offer it as a reprint, ethics
dictate that you tell the editor you're submitting to that it has been submitted
to and/or distributed through such a site. As a general rule, editors don't want
to purchase articles that have been widely distributed or made the rounds on the
internet. Each editor wants fresh material to fill his or her publication. But
give the editor the information and let him or her make the decision.
I'd advise that you write short (say, 200-300 word) articles
for these article distribution sites and limit the content. Save the best of
your information for articles you wish to sell. That does not mean,
however, that you should fill these "free" articles with junk. Always give your
readers your best, and something of value. Remember every publication reflects
on you as a writer. I'm just saying don't give it all away, or why would
anyone want to buy your article?
Sidebar
"It's not all about the Internet"
In the "Cover Story" this month, I talked about using the world wide web to
build your platform. But please remember the Internet is not the only way to
increase your platform. Please also remember that not everyone is on the
internet. I have become intensely aware of how many sources of
information--whether newspapers, radio programs or ads, TV shows, and more--send
readers or viewers to the internet for more information. My pet peeve: Radio ads
that don't give the company's address or phone number, but only give a web site.
Guess what. There a still a lot of people not on the internet, probably
especially middle to older Americans. Just recently an older lady complained to
me that her big-city newspaper sends readers, "To their dot com to read more. I
can't get to a dot com," she said. So while the Internet has opened up remarkable
opportunities for us writers to promote our work and build up our platforms,
remember the rest of America who may need your words as well. You can still
reach them through newsletters, postcards, or even simply a letter or insert in
your Christmas card.
Okay, I'll step down off my soap box now!
Section 3:
Period.
Using the Internet to build our writing businesses and
platforms can become overwhelming. You don't have to do all these things. It's fine
to pick a few ideas...or one. Learn how to use it to your best advantage. Use
what suits your computer skills and knowledge. Be willing to learn more. But
don't get overwhelmed.
You can do it! Period. No buts about it.
Back Cover Copy
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Bio:Dianne E. Butts has been writing for publication since 1989
with 200+ articles in more than 50 periodicals and contributions to fifteen books. Her
articles have appeared in Focus on the Family magazine, The Lookout,
Light and Life, The Salvation Army's War Cry, The Plain Truth, On
Mission, Bible Advocate, Live, Evangel, the Christian Motorcyclists
Association's HeartBeat, The Quiet Hour, Christian Communicator,
SpiritLedWriter.com, and more. Book contributions include stories in Chicken Soup
for the Christian Soul 2, For Better or Worse: A Devotional for Married Couples
by Marlene Bagnull, Beauty is Soul Deep, A Cup of Comfort Devotional for
Women and Mothers, and Zondervan's New Women's Devotional Bible.
Her work has appeared in Great Britain, Poland, Bulgaria, Canada, and Korea.
All material in this e-zine is copyright 2007 Dianne E. Butts. All rights
reserved.
You may forward this e-zine unaltered and in its entirety to other interested writers.
Better yet, they can get their own free subscription at
www.DianneEButts.com.
For reprint rights contact Dianne at
dbwrites@comcast.net, P.O. Box 8784, Pueblo, CO 81008.
Published by the last Friday for the following month.
Subtopic 1:
Pull Quote
"Ultimately, the goal isn't to promote oneself but the message God has given
you." In the author interview with Gary Thomas titled "To Market, to Market"
by Carol Garborg in the October 2007 Christian Communicator, page 10.
I'm currently reading Six Figure Freelancing by Kelly James-Enger. I've
learned a lot from this book already and can highly recommend it. Especially
helpful are copies of query letters she has sent. Very helpful.
Article: "Wanna Go To Church?" appeared in the October, 14, 2007, issue of
ENCOUNTER: The Magazine for teens.
Writing Opportunities
New opportunity: Sex in the Cemetery, And Other Bible Stories--an
anthology contest looking for humorous relationship stories. More info here:
www.dcstanfa.com/index.php?screen=guildelines .
Note New Deadlines! When Miracles Happen: No web site. Send questions, requests for
guidelines, and submissions to
dmorris@guidposts.org
Miracles of Kindness Deadline: 11/12/07
Miracles of Nature Deadline: 12/21/07
Miracles in Tough Times Deadline: 2/4/09
God Allows U-Turns: Writing from the Heart and Soul and two other
projects in progress.
www.GodAllowsUTurns.com
A Cup of Comfort: Breast Cancer Survivors (Deadline: 12/31/07)
www.CupofComfort.com
In October I'm interviewing Jan White,
$10,000 first place winner of the Amy Writing Award for 2006. Stop by to see how
she did it at
www.ButtsAboutIt.blogspot.com.
Use your writing to impact our nation. Check out Butts About It.com E-zine. November issue: How to write letters to the editor (and increase your
chances of seeing yours in print). www.ButtsAboutIt.com
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