When asked about getting articles into news papers and on radio, we often suggest using a wire service. You should find one that suits your needs - in the past we’ve had success with Interfax and RealWise, depending on which markets we’ve been targeting. This article is our quick primer into the background behind such services.
Organisations that supply news to the public - such as TV, radio and newspapers - often receive news stories from an ‘agency’; that is a business that produces articles written by journalists specifically for distribution. In some areas, these organisations may be known as wire services instead.
Some news agencies are businesses that the publishers or broadcasters buy news from. In other cases, agencies find a large media company to partner with, allowing them to write news stories from a central location, and allowing their larger partner to use the stories of local interest throughout their network. A third business model exists with wire services that charge companies per article they disseminate.
A number of countries have news agencies that are controlled by the state, and are used to distribute stories from the government as well as high profile information that they deem suitable.
Many broadcasters will buy articles from large agencies that are already prepared for presentation; similarly it is possible to buy in-depth articles that can be placed straight into a magazine for republication.
As technology progresses, the means for distributing news also follows - where telegraphs were once used for sharing the stories, the internet is now used by most services.
News agencies often find that their services are also useful to people who need to be kept abreast of all news in a particular area. Given the business relationships that exist between many companies and news sources, or the understandings between goverments and the media, a new group of independent agencies are also appearing, which aim to provide a reliably independent view.
There have been allegations of businesses comissioning articles that portray their business in a positive light, and submit these as news through a news agency. If the company is traded on a stock exchange, these strories have the potential to affect share price.
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have made a wise choice. Out of all the ezines that I am aware of, this particular one is the most active and well maintained site. No doubt featuring your articles here will get you noticed. You can ratchet everything up a notch by taking some additional steps to promote your good works.
Most of the articles that I have penned have been viewed at least 100 times each. One of my articles, 99 High Paying Keywords: The Secret is Out!, is about to surpass 1000 page views. I cannot even begin to tell you how much the nearly 80 articles posted by me have helped me get the attention I need in order to adequately market my product: me! Without posting to this site, a lot of my newer contacts would remain unknown to me. In retrospect, I would consider that to be a tremendous loss!
Beyond placing articles here, the following steps have helped me tremendously. They can help you too!
1. Send URLs for select articles to those who might find them interesting. For example, a review I wrote on a local railroad museum was forwarded by me with a note to five members of the museum’s board. I received back the nicest response from one member who thanked me for bringing attention to their organization. You can generate goodwill — and additional business — by sharing favorable articles directly with those whom you write about.
2. Discuss the article on related forums. Christopher Knight personally gave me a “big thumbs up” over my “99 High Paying Keywords” article and that gesture alone has brought me some very good attention. However, when I shared links to the article on a pair of SEO sites, the page views took off. Consider joining forums or sharing on existing forums you are a member of your expertise. If you post, they will click!
3. Link back to EzineArticles.com. Whether you have a website or include it within your signature, you can promote EzineArticles.com by making mention of their service to you. Several people have known that I was a writer; I received “added prestige” when they saw that I was published and syndicated through Christopher Knight’s site.
4. Contact publishers directly. If someone is publishing your articles, alert them the next time an article is published by EzineArticles.com. Everyone likes fresh material and the publisher will like the custom service you provide by your direct contact.
All in all, the more you publish the more your name will “get out there” as an expert in your chosen field[s]. You can take everything a step further by actively marketing your articles to the appropriate people. You will help yourself, EzineArticles.com, and other authors. So, how does “that” maxim go? Oh, yes: a rising tide lifts all boats.
(c)2005; Matthew C. Keegan, LLC
Matt Keegan is The Article Writer who will write on mostly any topic as long as he can make it interesting to readers. In addition, Matt designs websites. For samples of his work please visit: http://www.thearticlewriter.com
When you consider that the average successful letter gets about a 0.02% response, Barton clearly leaped past anyone else in his letter writing skills. But what was his secret?
After studying Barton’s letters, books, private memos, speeches, and advertising campaigns, I’ve discovered Barton’s method. I’ve used his technique to write my own letters and I’ve been astonished at the results. One letter got a 20% response. Another nailed a 10% response. Still another is approaching a 97% response (ninety-seven per cent!)! (It, too, is in The Seven Lost Secrets Of Success.)
I will now reveal the technique I’ve been using: Bruce Barton’s “Secret Formula.”
Barton said that good advertising copy (and letters are advertisements) had to be three things: (1) Brief. (2) Simple. (3). Sincere. In an eye-opening essay he wrote back in 1925, Barton said the following:
About Brevity:
“About sixty years ago two men spoke at Gettysburg; one man spoke for two hours. I suppose there is not any one who could quote a single word of that oration. The other man spoke about three hundred words, and that address has become a part of the school training of almost every child.”
About Simplicity:
“I think it might be said, no advertisement is great that has anything that can’t be understood by a child of intelligence. Certainly all the great things in life are one-syllable things — child, home, wife, fear, faith, love, God.”
About Sincerity:
“I believe the public has a sixth sense for detecting insincerity, and we run a tremendous risk if we try to make other people believe in something we don’t believe in. Somehow our sin will find us out.”
Let’s look at these three steps a little more closely.
Brevity. A short letter isn’t necessarily what Barton meant. I’ve read many of his letters and memos. Most of them were so brief they were blunt. But those were not sales letters. When Barton wanted to persuade you to donate money to a good cause or buy something he was selling, his letters were longer, sometimes several pages long. (Again, see that sample letter in The Seven Lost Secrets Of Success.) Barton knew you had to give people a complete explanation before they would buy.
Simplicity. Barton’s letters were always simple and easy to read. He strove for clarity of communication. No big words, long sentences, or convoluted passages. He was clear and direct and conversational.
Sincerity. Barton was always sincere. He once dropped a million dollar advertising account because he didn’t support the client. That sincerity came through in everything he wrote. Readers could pick up on it.
Finally, Barton’s letters were “… phrased in terms of the other man’s interest.” Barton said your letters had to go straight to the reader’s selfish interest. He said the favorite song of every reader is “I Love Me.” As Barton said in 1924, “The reader is interested first of all in himself… Tie your appeal up to his own interests.”
The next time you have to write a sales letter, consider Barton’s formula. It helped him write letters that are still talked about today, and it helps me write letters that are making my clients rich. Now use it and see what the formula will do for YOU!
About the Author
Vadim Rachkowan
vadim@sellwide.com
President
SellWide Corporation
http://www.sellwide.com
And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it? Even now, chances are, your stomach knots when you recall the time you had to stand up in front of the whole class and Give a Talk. Or you feel queasy just remembering that other childhood disaster–the dreaded Piano Recital.
What if I make a Mistake? Or worse, totally Blank Out? What if I don’t Play Perfectly–which translates into the real issue–What if I (the real I) am ImPerfect and No One Will Love Me
For most of us that fear of being unlovable, however it manifests in your particular case, is the trigger that makes our fear of the self-exposure of public speaking so scary. So, how can we metamorphosize that powerful, basic human emotion into a positive and self-affirming technique?
The obvious answer is to separate your ego from the act of speaking. The most dependable and permanent method to easily and fully rid yourself of public speaking fears is through a technique of Energy Psychology.
However, here’s a suggestion which can help you right now:
*As you’re writing your speech, focus on the value of the information you’re presenting.
*Put yourself in the position of listener when you attended a talk that made a favorable impression on you. Remember your interest or your excitement at hearing what the speaker was telling you. Was it an outrageous concept, impressive facts, a particular word that stayed in your memory?
*Relive that experience with all of the sensory input that you can recall. Call up in your memory:
+How did the room look? colors? shapes? light?
+Smell any odors–of wood, papers, people, plants
+listen for the sounds around you–air-conditioning or heating system, traffic sounds outside,
electronic noises, peoples’ shuffling or walking
+Remember how your physical body felt.
+See if you can pick up the emotions of those around you, especially the pleasant ones.
*When you’ve gathered as much sensory memory as you can summon, use it to form a powerful habit by repeatedly going over it in your mind, particularly the parts you enjoyed most. Then use this in place of the less helpful self-talk in which you may have been indulging. The object of this endeavor is to embed in your psyche the experience of appreciation you felt for the speaker and her or his information.
*Now, in your mind, put yourself in that speaker’s place. Focus on the value of your information or entertainment. Imagine the welcome flowing to you from each person in your audience, even before you start to talk. Feel the sense of ease and confidence that arises from knowing that what you have to give your audience is worthwhile and eagerly awaited. Be aware of yourself giving a terrific talk. See and hear the compliments you receive afterward. Enjoy it!
The most powerful times to do this imagining is when you first awaken in the morning, if you take a nap during the day, and at night before slipping into sleep. It may even improve your dreams!
Carole McMichaels, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also pick up your free report, “7 Valuable Tips on Wiriting a Mind-Gripping Speech”. http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com
Have you ever had the experience of hiring a freelance copy writer only to find that the project takes longer than expected, or that the fees they offered are ‘flexible’ in the wrong way for you to benefit. There is no doubt that copywriter rates differ greatly from one to another. There is very little in the way of a standard rate especially when you are dealing with clients through the Internet. To ensure you don’t get taken for a ride, you need to get your copywriter rates set and keep them that way.
No matter if you are just beginning a project or are half way through, the benefits of having a set contract are enormous. Not only can you save yourself quite costly fees, but you can also count on when the project will be complete, how much you will pay, and, in the end, what to expect. If you are looking for basic rates, then ask for them. Find the copy writer you want to do the work, give them some basic idea of what the project entails and then ask for a quote. Now, before you get your email going, remember to include the word “flat” as in flat rate. By saying, “Here is my project, what is the flat rate you will charge?” you are eliminating the guess work.
Got the contract ready? That is the next most valuable tool you have to your computer. Having every detail spelled out, leaves little room for guess work. Dates, expectations, payment, and even revisions need to be included. It’s just a safe way to do business, no matter if you are the seller or the buyer. Copywriter rates that are flexible or based on a per hour rate are just too difficult to monitor. How will you monitor a per hour rate?
To find basic copywriter rates, you can browse through the listings of copy writers looking for work. There is a safe bet, here. You may want to steer clear of those asking for outrageous sums as they already have an inflated ego. You don’t need that in your work. If they had such a great business going, do you really think they would have to advertise? As for the lowest prices out there, require samples and references before getting too deep. No matter what you do need in the rates for copywriting, you can find someone out there willing to work with you. Just get the guidelines set before the project begins.
About the Author
Visit FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Views about Freelance Writing Jobs. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and links are included intact.
