Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #2: – John Colanzi – Writing-Articles
Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #2: - John Colanzi
MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific Ezine
Writers on the Web - I see your articles nearly everyday in
the 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 the 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 the most feedback on articles about success and
motivationMS: 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 the
resource box. Sometimes I promote a product, but mainly the
newsletter.MS: What have you found to be the 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)?JC: I created my free ebook Street Smart Secrets Of Success
from a collection of my success and motivation articles:
http://www.internet-profits4u.com/streetsmart.exe. I was
also contacted by a publisher who read the free ebook to
create a free e-course for his ebook Autoresponder Gold. So
from the articles I've created my ebook and the 7 Days To A
Turbo Charged Mind email course:
johncolanzi@freeautobot.comMS: Some people are discouraged from writing Ezine articles
because it seems that everything has already been written
about. What's your view on that?JC: Every writer brings their own style to a subject. You
may read about it 100 times, but a certain writer's way of
presenting the information, may be the article that gets
you to take action.MS: Yes, that's an important point. What's the single most
important style tip for writing a good Ezine Article?JC: Write to one person. Make the ideas personal to the
reader.MS: How important have Ezine Articles been in achieving
your success in online business?JC: Every good thing that's happened to me online has been
a result of someone seeing an article.MS: And finally John, what would be your advice to someone
who wants to write Ezine Articles but has never written for
the Internet before?JC: Write the same way you would explain something to your
best friend. Write to inform, don't write a sales letter
and try to pass it off as an article.MS: Thank you John.------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------
Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #3: – Shelley Lowery – Writing-Articles
Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #3: - Shelley Lowery
MS: Shelley, you're an excellent person to talk to
about Ezine Articles, because - as well as being a
prolific Ezine Writer - you own and operate the
largest article announcement lists on the Internet
(www.web-source.net). How would you rate Ezine
Articles as a promotion technique?SL: Writing Internet articles is one of the best
promotional strategies used online. Not only will it
provide you with massive free publicity, but it will
also build your credibility and promote you as a
trusted professional in your area of expertise.MS: How long have you been writing Ezine Articles and
what are the main topics you write about?SL: I've been writing articles for the last four
years and I write mainly about Internet marketing,
Ecommerce, Web Design, and Web Development.MS: Shelley, are Ezine Articles your principal web
marketing technique?SL: Yes, writing articles is my main marketing
strategy, as I have found it to be highly effective.MS: What sort of Articles have you had most success
with? In your experience, what kind of Articles are
most in demand?SL: I have found that articles written to teach and
inform are the most in demand.MS: Shelley, 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?SL: I use a combination of both. I mention my product
within my bylines, however, I concentrate more on
gaining new subscribers. By obtaining my readers'
email addresses, I will have the opportunity to
advertise my products over and over again. A long-term
relationship with a subscriber is much more beneficial
than trying to make a one-time sale.MS: What have you found to be the most effective ways
of getting your Articles published?SL: I use a combination of methods. The most
effective method I use is an opt-in list. I enable my
visitors to subscribe to my publishers list to receive
new articles as soon as they're released. The second
most powerful method I use is article announcement
lists. Some additional methods include posting my
articles on my website and submitting them to article
directories.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)?SL: In addition to getting your articles published in
ezines, syndication services provide a great way to
gain massive free promotion. If your article is
published, it will be displayed across hundreds of
websites.MS: That sounds like something every Ezine Writer
should be doing. You own and operate an article
syndication service yourself - can you tell us more
about that, Shelley?SL: Sure, Michael. The Syndicator is a unique
service that enables webmasters to publish complete
articles (with the author's photograph) and/or just
headlines on their website. These articles are
available in several different categories including
Business, Internet Marketing, Biz tips, Web
Development, Web Design tips, Home/Family, Horoscopes
and others. Each article feed displays fresh articles
each week and is automatically updated.MS: What kind of exposure could an Ezine Writer get
through your syndication service?SL: The Syndicator provides content to over 4,000
websites, including co-branded syndication sites. In
addition, the syndicated content is dynamically
delivered to over 10,000 ebooks circulating the
Internet, with a combined audience of nearly half a
million viewers each week.Syndicator: http://www.web-source.net/syndicator.htmMS: That's a huge audience! What sort of articles
does the Syndicator accept?SL: The articles selected to run in syndication
should be well written in simple, everyday language
that everyone can understand. They should provide our
readers with quality information that teaches and
informs in regard to the subject matter.Submissions:
http://www.web-source.net/syndicator_submit.htmMS: Some people say - with regard to Ezine Articles -
that everything that could possibly be written about
has already been written. What would be your response
to that?SL: There's an endless number of subjects on which to
write about. But even if a subject has been previously
written about, every writer has their own style and
their own opinion - your article will have its own
uniqueness.MS: What would you say is the single most important
style tip for writing a good Ezine Article?SL: Articles should be well written in a simple,
everyday language. And, provide readers with quality
information that teaches and informs in regard to the
subject matter.MS: And finally, Shelley, what would be your advice
to someone who wants to write Ezine Articles but has
never written for the Internet before?SL: If you really want to get published, write your
articles with a sincere desire to teach and inform. Talk
to your readers and share your expertise.MS: Thank you, Shelley - you've given us some great
tips.SL: Thank you, Michael. It was my pleasure.------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------
To Transcribe or Not To Transcribe Interviews?
To Transcribe or Not To Transcribe Interviews?
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules of writing a book, an article, or
any sort of material that requires the writer to interview
experts or people "in the know" is to tape record the
conversation. Whether the recording occurs via phone or in
person is irrelevant. This rule is a good one.This leads to the following questions:* Do you transcribe every tape?* Who owns the transcription?The answer to these questions does have an "it depends" so
let me explain. It depends on your state's or countries
laws on the tape recording issue. It depends on the how
much you're getting paid for the project. It depends on
whether you can use the interview notes more than once. It
depends whether you are using interviewing as an escape -- a
procrastination technique because you enjoy that interview
process more than the writing.Okay, we got the "it depends" listed and out of the way.
Let me present a few of my secrets -- the things I have
learned as a writer and teacher over the last many years.Secret 1: Just because you tape recorded the conversation
doesn't mean you have to transcribe the tape. The tape is a
great safety net for reviews.Secret 2: You don't need to transcribe the whole tape.
Many times all you need are the important parts.Secret 3: Tapes are cheap, buy plenty instead of reusing,
and keep them for a few years.Secret 4: Create a tape master finding system. Microsoft
Excel is a great way to track with a numbering system.
Include the year somewhere in the numbering. Color coding
adds visual effectiveness. Large colored dots are available
at most office supply stores.Secret 5: The storage container and where you store the
tapes is important as to how long they last. Heat and
moisture destroys the quality. Find small, thin, plastic
containers with a tight seal with a one-layer depth.Secret 6: Don't place a magnet anywhere near them. So keep
the paperclip magnet and the phone (many have magnets in
them) away from the tapes. Palm Pilots too.Secret 7: Use rubber bands to consolidate tapes for a
similar project or topic but be careful not to wrap them
vertically over the open part of the tape. Wrap
horizontally. After a few years rubber bands dry out and
become brittle.Secret 8: Delegate the task, it always cheaper either in
dollars or patience. Place an ad at the local college and
offer $30 to $45 per tape. I have found several through the
Business Centers at high schools and community centers. If
the interview is rare or precious, hire a professional
service and pay the higher rate. Have at least 10 ways you
can get a tape transcribed reasonably and fast at your
disposal. Start with the Yellow Pages. Rate them on
fastest and quickest. Consider using FedEx to deliver and
pick up the tapes, for safety, and to save time. I never
recommend sending the tape out of your country to save
money.Secret 9: Don't sign a contract, ever, if they have a
clause in it, "All notes, tapes, materials and transcripts
must be turned over to the publisher." Cross it out and
don't agree to this. If the publisher is paying for the
transcription and your time separately for the interview,
they are yours.Secret 10: Prepare the questions ahead of time and stick to
them. Preparation saves time all around. If you are not
sure what questions to ask, ask the publisher what questions
do they want to have answered when they give you the
assignment. It is a good procedure to provide the questions
before hand to the interviewee. This helps them prepare.
If they read from their typed notes then ask questions
differently or drift with one question then return. They
will usually stop reading, think, and not return to their
notes.Secret 11: If you are a fast typist you will most likely be
able to type and capture 75% of the conversation. Learn to
leave out repetitious information and use a keyboard
shorthand. After the call, review the notes immediately and
expand the shorthand. If you use a common shortcut, use
"find and replace" in your word processor as a time saver.
Also explain that you will be typing their response so that
the sound of the keyboard doesn't distract from the
conversation. If you prefer, you can even ask for
permission: "I hope you don't mind, I'm a fast typist so I
prefer to type my notes as we talk." It's like asking for
permission but not quite.(C) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.Catherine Franz is a writer and author of over 1800
published articles, books, and on various subjects. For
more: http://www.abundancecenter.com