3 Ways to Get Unstuck When Writing Ezine Articles

Come on, admit it: Whether you're a professional writer or
not we all draw a blank when we want to write an ezine
article. I've found an answer to that dilemma that will get
you writing in no time. That way you can publish your ezine
article and begin to receive that new wave of subscribers
you've been hoping for. Here's how to get the lead out if
you draw a blank:

1. Write your action steps first.

Forget about the catchy headline and attractive lead
paragraph for now. There's no use in cleverly leading a
reader into an article that has no real value to them. So
start where you build your credibility, right in the action
steps. Of course you want to identify your subject and then
tell them how to make their lives easier. For instance,
plumbers are always going to have to fix pipes, it's the
nature of their business. If you have an ezine to others in
the plumbing industry, write about a new technique in the
industry on sealing pipes or preparing them for the winter,
etc.

2. Save the best for last.

There's something called takeaway or take-home that should
be in every one of your articles. It's your last chance to
tell your audience, "I know my stuff." Try to put that key
piece of information in the last paragraph of your article
and you'll want it to be something your reader can do as
soon as he or she finishes reading your article. If you're
writing to accounts payable clerks, you'd tell them ways to
get each department to get approvals on all purchase orders
before submitting them. A/P clerks would just eat that up.
It's their number one gripe. Bottom line: Give your audience
something they can do immediately at the very end of your
article. They'll remember your name and become devotees for
life- hanging from your every word.

3. Get excited about the benefits.

After you've taken care of the credibility building portion
of your article, you have to draw the reader in and whet
their appetite for all this great information. By the way,
if you write the action steps and take-home first, this part
will be easier because you'll be so excited about the
information you'll see the benefits of it. And that's what
writing lead paragraphs and headlines is all about: benefits
to your readers.

Your final take-home

Don't forget your info at the very end. No matter what you
do, when you're writing to an ezine audience, always include
an "About the Author" blurb (some call this a sig file,
short for signature file) and a plug for anything new you're
into. To do this, determine what you want the reader to do
after he or she is finished reading. Do you want the to
subscribe to your ezine? Buy your new ebook? Or just visit
or site? Whatever the benefit to you is, identify it before
you write your "About the Author" section. And you can write
this at any time because it's separate from the article and
you can use the same "About the Author" blurb for multiple
articles. As a matter of fact, you could write one right
now. Check out the one I'm using at the bottom of this
article.

(c) 2003 Lisa Sparks

Need to get more subscribers FAST? Lisa Sparks is the author
of POWER WORDS, where she reveals how to write ezines that
boost sales, build your list and position you as THE
undisputed expert in your industry. For just a few hours of
reading and writing enjoy a steady stream of income. Go to:
http://www.integritywriting.com/power_words