20 Golden Rules For Submitting Articles November 29, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Writing, Tips , add a commentThe acceptance rate for many freelance writers is between 25% and 40%.
In my own experience though, I’ve had an almost 75% acceptance rate.
Oh, really?
Yes. But, it hasn’t happened overnight. From trial and error, I’ve picked up a few tricks that seem to make all the difference.
If you follow the 20 Commandments listed below, you should be able to turn your queries into paying assignments.
Here’s a suggested plan-of-attack!
1. Keep your query letter concise. Briefly introduce yourself and your article idea. Mention which upcoming issue your article will suit their editorial calendar
.2. Always include 2 - 4 relevant credits and a link to your online portfolio; don’t make the Editor do the spadework!
Avoid attaching large files (e.g. massive PDFs) with your introductory query. You’ll choke their inbox! If you don’t have a website, ask if/when you can send over the PDF files.
3. Read several previous issues of the publication to get a sense of its tone and style.
4. Keep to the Editor’s original assignment spec; if you need to change anything, speak with him or her immediately. This assignment spec outlines the topic, scope and direction for your article.
5. Meet your deadline. If there is a problem, call the Editor immediately.
If you miss your deadline, you will probably not get paid, and you will certainly not get another commission.
6. Submit articles in the correct format, such as Microsoft Word. Don’t expect that they have MAC, Quark or WordPerfect. Ask the editor if you don’t know which format is required.
Be proactive in the best possible way.
7. Avoid over formatting the document. Keep it as plain as possible and you’ll save their production team having to re-edit your work.If they provide you with a template, use it!
8. Send graphics in the required file format, e.g. TIFF files with 300dpi. 9. Whenever possible, send relevant art, charts, screen shots, tables and other graphics (with their sources) to accompany your story. 10. Include a list of sources used in the article, with names, company affiliations and e-mail addresses. 11. Proofread and spellcheck copy before submission. Then do it again! 12. Always keep your audience in mind when writing. Avoid jargon. Spell out acronyms on first reference. 13. Avoid promoting products and/or services in which you have a stake.If you have a relationship with a vendor, say it to the Editor before starting.
14. Identify any sources (e.g. analysts, executives) that you mention. Don’t just say: “The CEO announced that…“. Mention his/her name upfront. 15. Spell out acronyms when first mentioned, e.g. that the UML is the Unified Modelling Language. 16. Define uncommon or little-used terms, e.g. virtualization; otherwise, only the technologies will know what you mean. 17. Double-check the spelling of individuals and companies, and use the name preferred by the company.Check how to present company names, e.g. in PeopleSoft the S is capitalized. In addition, the correct term for the web portal is Yahoo! Inc – note the exclamation mark after Yahoo.
18. Avoid clichés, buzzwords and figure-of-speeches. It dilutes the impact of your writing. 19. Don’t indulge in hyperbole — i.e. listing superlative product features. 20. Send the article to the correct email address. This may sound obvious, but… As I specialize in writing for business and IT publications, the emphasis here is on technology related publications. However, I’m sure that if you follow the steps outlined above, you will improve your relationship with Editors — which is the first step in winning new businessHow to Quickly Reduce Microsoft Word File Size - Secret #1 November 29, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Cool Tricks , add a commentEver had your Microsoft Word file explode from 1MB to 10MB in just a few minutes?
In the tech writing world, Microsoft Word tends to get a bad rap.
One of the arguments put against Word is that its fairly unstable and prone to creating ‘horrors’, such as bloating in size until your (Microsoft!) operating system grinds to a halt.
Compared with Adobe FrameMaker, this is true. FrameMaker is very stable, BUT can be awkward to use. Not even cut and paste…
I’ll admit it! I prefer Microsoft Word any day.
Bloated file sizes are a real problem. No-one will deny this. But, in the course of creating some long documents in MS Word, I’ve learned a few small secrets.
And these small secrets are guaranteed to save you ALOT of time.
The first offender is Bullet Lists. If there is one thing that’s guaranteed to destroy Word, its bullet lists.
Here’s what tends to happen.
When you click on the Bullet List from the Word toolbar, Word ‘points’ this Bullet List to the Normal.dot file.
In other words, it uses the default settings in the Normal.dot and applies these settings. Fine. No problem!
But… if you then cut and paste a Bulleted List from another document into your working file, Word gets very confused.
“What Normal.dot file do I now link to?”
AND, if you then use a special bullet style, it has a nervous breakdown…
What happens? Suddenly, your machine starts to grind while Word struggles to resolve this issue. And as it can’t, it crashes!
Here’s what to do instead!
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In Word, create separate styles for each different bullet lists that you need, for example Bullet Regular, Bullet Indent, Bullet Square and so on.
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When you need to use a bullet list, select the correct style from the drop-down menu.
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If you want to import a bullet list from another document, first select the Clear Formatting option from the drop down menu (this removes all formatting) and then cut it into the working document. Then apply the correct style.
Follow these three steps and you’ll keep your Word docs happy and healthy.
In the next article, we’ll look at another way to reduce large word files.
This is our first ‘insider secret’ on taming Microsoft Word. What’s been your experience?
PS: Please drop me a line at ivan
Get 100 Copyright Free Articles for your Website or Blog November 29, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : downloads , add a commentYou can print, publish, distribute, and post all articles on Klariti.com providing you include the byline with each article.
These free articles are available for you, providing you follow these guidelines.
1. Author’s credits are left intact.
2. Links back to our site.
3. Each article must be published in full. However, you can make minor edits, where necessary. Please contact us beforehand; there is usually no problem.
We hope that you enjoy these copyright free reprints, as they are an ideal way to boost the content of your website, educate your staff, and increase the quality of your products and services.
More at: www.klariti.com
Regards
Ivan
Freelance Writers, Make your Articles Work For You! November 29, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Writing , add a commentSubmitting articles to publications is a surefire way to increase traffic to your site. It will also raise your profile as a writer and lead to new business leads and freelance assignments.
Every Wednesday, I send out 5 articles to different magazines and publications. It’s hard to determine which are the most effective, but one thing I know – when I stop submitting the articles, my site traffic goes down!
So, here are a few tips when submitting articles:
1. Make sure you have the full rights to publish the material. DO NOT submit material if you have already assigned exclusive publication rights to another person or organization.
2. Avoid promotional type articles. Don’t disguise the real source. If an Editor receives a product review this is not balanced or appears to be ’slanted’, they will be suspicious and reject it.
3. Write your article on a topic that relates to the main readership. Don’t write an article that you think they SHOULD be interested in. I know this sounds obvious…
4. Don’t criticize a product without backing up your opinion with facts, quotes or research.
5. Use graphics to enhance your article. GIF or JPEGs are the best for web publications. Learn how to reduce their size, if possible. Try to stay under 15K.
Tip: Finally, confirm if you retain ownership of the material.
Many publications do not require exclusivity, which means that you can also publish the article on your own site. Be warned, some publications wont let you do this!
PS - Ask if you can also grant others the right to publish your article.
Take a look at what these sites offer:
Regards,
Ivan
Free MS Spyware Download November 29, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : downloads , add a comment
Get your copy of Windows Defender, a free program from Microsoft that stops pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software.
This new release features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it’s detected and minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive. It offers 2 free support incidents for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Animating Text November 27, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Misc, How do I ?, Formatting, Writing, Templates, Cool Tricks, Tips , 1 comment so farAnimating Text
1. Select the text you want to animate.
2. Click Format, Font, and then the Text Effects tab.
3. In the Animations box, click the effect you want, for example Sparkle Text.
You can preview the animation in the box at the bottom of the menu.
Only one animation effect can be selected at a time.
Create Subscript Text November 27, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Misc, How do I ?, Formatting, Writing, Templates, Cool Tricks, Tips , add a commentCreate Subscript Text
1. Select the text that you want to format as Subscript.
2. Click Format, Font, and then the Font tab.
3. Select the Subscript checkbox.
Keyboard shortcut: Press CTRL+=
Create Superscript Text November 27, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Misc, How do I ?, Formatting, Writing, Templates, Cool Tricks, Tips , add a comment
Create Superscript Text 1. Select the text that you want to change into Superscript.
2. Click Format, Font, and then the Font tab.
3. Select the Superscript checkbox.
Keyboard shortcut: Press CTRL+SHIFT+=
Why does text disappear when I type? November 27, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Misc, How do I ?, Formatting, Templates, Troubleshooting, Cool Tricks , add a comment
Have you ever started to type and then see your words starting to delete the sentence in front of them? Usually when you type in the middle of a sentence, Word inserts the new letters between the existing words – it pushes them to the right of the page as you type.
However… sometimes Word eats up the existing material as you type in new words.
9 times out of 10 this is because Overtype was turned on by accident. Overtype, as the name implies, types over other words. You can tell if Overtype is turned on, by looking at the status bar (horizontal bar at bottom of screen) and seeing if OVR is turned on.
There are two ways to turn it off:
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From the Tools menu, click Options, click the Edit tab, and then clear the Overtype mode checkbox.
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Double-click OVR on the status bar to turn it on or off.
Hiding Text
Select the text you want to hide. Click Format, Font, and then the Font tab. Select the Hidden checkbox. Note that while ‘hidden’ text is displayed onscreen it will not be printed out. Hidden text is highlighted with underlines beneath the text.
About Line Numbers November 23, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Writing, Style, Templates, Cool Tricks, Tips , add a comment
About line numbers
Microsoft Word can automatically count the lines in a document and display the appropriate number beside each line of text. This is useful if you need to refer to specific lines in a document, such as a script or legal contract.
By default, Word numbers every line in a document. However, you can choose which line numbers to display. For example, include line numbers in all or part of the document. Or include line numbers at intervals, such as every tenth line (10, 20, 30, and so on).
Adding line numbers
To add line numbers to an entire document:
- On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Layout tab.
- In the Apply to box, click Whole document.
- Click Line Numbers.
- Select the Add line numbering check box, and then select the options you want.
To add line numbers to a selection of text:
- Select the text you want to number.
- On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Layout tab.
- In the Apply to box, click Selected text.
- Click Line Numbers.
- Select the Add line numbering check box, and then select the options you want.
To skip line numbers for specific paragraphs
- Select the paragraphs for which you want to skip line numbers.
- On the Format menu, click Paragraph, and then click the Line and Page Breaks tab.
- Select the Suppress line numbers check box.
