by David Lim
When I tried my hand at article marketing a while back, it took me quite some time to write a single article. I'd would start writing a paragraph or two without an overall plan, and would invariably end up staring at the screen trying to figure out how to continue in the next paragraph.
In time, I got the hang of it, and have managed to cut down on the time needed to write a single article, while at the same time, maintaining the quality of the article.
If you are doing article marketing, the following tips might prove useful:
Think About It First
I would suggest that you plan a main writing session to write the article but come up with a rough draft as early as possible. No need to spend a lot of time, just a few minutes will do. That will start your unconscious mind thinking about it. And jot down any sentences or paragraphs that come to mind before the main writing session, although they will probably be disjointed and not gel together properly.
By the time you sit down to write and finish the article, you should already have the gist of it. In many cases, it should merely be a matter of putting down on paper what is already in your head, adding to what you might already have jotted down. A bit of organization might be all that you need before you have your finished article.
Plan for Multiple Articles
If you are going to write more than one article, try to plan for a few articles at the same time. There will be times in which you will get stuck with one article, so the best thing to do is to move on to the next article. Chances are that when you revisit the same article again in the next sitting, you would probably have figured out a fresh angle and can continue writing.
Read Other Similar Articles
You can get a good start by reading articles on what you want to write. It gives you a good perspective and sometimes, an alternate view to the topic that can be useful. It also gives you an idea of how to start your article which, for me, is half of the challenge of writing an article.
Write in Point Form
If it is possible to write an article in point form, do so as you can get it out faster. Have an introduction at the beginning of the article to introduce the main ideas, devote a paragraph or two to each point that you want to make and include a conclusion at the end to sum it all up. And you are done.
Just in case you haven't noticed, this article is written in just this format. You will notice that I managed to get my points across clearly, and it was a breeze to write.
Don't Be A Perfectionist
Your article doesn't have to be perfect. But that does not mean that you can put pen to paper, just write what comes into your head, and be done with it. You just have to keep in mind that there has to be a balance between a well written article that is finished comparatively fast but with one or two rough spots, and a perfect article that takes forever to write.
Have A Deadline
I don't know about you, but I always seem to finish a project just before it is due. It seems that the time I need to finish a project always increases to fill the time available. Something like never having enough money, because however much money you have, you always seem to find a way to spend it.
So, by giving yourself a deadline, you set a limit to the time available to complete your article. But do be reasonable and don't set too tight a deadline or you will be doing mediocre work. And do be a little flexible and compromise on the deadline should you set it too tight.
Conclusion
If your article writing speed is not as fast as you would like it to be, the tips above will certainly be useful. I can recall a time when it would take me days to write a single article, and nowadays, I can finish one within one or two hours.
David Lim is the webmaster of http://QuittingYourJob.com, a business resource for the entrepreneur looking to start, or grow an online home-based business.
This article may be reprinted freely, provided no changes are made, and provided the resource box above follows the article.