One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make is not spell checking their own work and not hiring their own editor. – Meg Meyer

When your own name goes on the work, and it is YOU self-publishing – regardless of what printing or publishing company you work with – You, Mr. or Ms. Author, are responsible for the quality of your work. If you spend $1000, to have your book in print, and it comes out with a typo, a wrong word, or formatting issues – it is likely your own fault and $1000 down the drain.

People work hard for their money. They don’t want to spend $10-$20 a pop for a shoddy product. You might get your friends and family and possibly a few others to buy a copy. But if the work is poor – you lose the possibility of turning those buyers into fans.

So in your budget for your writing business, be sure to include time and money to ensure your book is perfect prior to printing. Then you can turn each new reader into a fan for life.

Many article directories do not pay money. And while that may deter you – consider some of the non-monitary rewards that you may reap from submitting original content in a subject matter that interests you.

Tip: Quality is Key! Make sure your articles are well researched, spell-checked, and edited! Poor articles make you look bad & may be rejected for quality standards.

Marketing – when you want to get the word out about you, or what you do – you use marketing to do it. Rather than paying for advertising – you can submit your articles to content directories and include a promo blurb about you or your business. People that read your article about the stock market and find the free information helpful will be very likely to click through to your website to find out more about your expertise in that industry.

Google Page Rank – this is especially important if you have a website that relies on SEO, search engine placing, search engine ranking, and advertising to pay the bills. Many article directories, like the one linked here, allow search engines to follow the links in your bio. More quality pages that link to yours – the more value the search engine robots see in your site. That improves ranking and exposure. This generally leads to hits, sales, and making money.

Note: The article directory that I’m checking out now is currently accepting original submissions. They must not be published elsewhere. Feel free to check out if Web Articles is the right site for your article marketing.

These are just a few of the benefits an author gets when they market their ideas through writing articles and publishing them in directories. Research the industry a bit and you’ll find out what features would most benefit your online business and help you make money online.

Have fun, clean your office and feel better about your workplace environment. Hey, it may even make you more productive!

Here’s a few tips to get you started, then click on over to read the rest of the article, if you like!

Step 1 – Get yourself ready. Without your own preparedness, you may have to interrupt your flow several times to compensate. Put comfortable supportive shoes on – when you stub your toe on the corner of your desk – your tootsies will be glad they weren’t bare! Crank up the volume on energetic and motivating music. Grab tools for sorting(storage bins or garbage bags work fine), cleaning recycling, notepad & a pen. If you use a timer a la “Flylady,” bring that & use it, too!

Step 2 – In your office, look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. If you were a neighbor walking in to this, what would look out of place? Do you see trash, things that belong elsewhere, or things that need mending? Make notes in your notebook about the things that need mending. We’re not going to stop to do that right now, we’re on a mission!

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