Article Writing For Book Promotion - Why Online Articles Are Easier to Write and Publish Than Print

Writing articles in a book's niche is the best form of book promotion for every non-fiction author. Yet, most book authors fail to follow through on this highly effective means of reaching more people with their message.

Out in the brick-and-mortar world, the writer has to crash through a gatekeeper called a magazine editor. Magazine submissions are tricky because each magazine has its own criteria and agenda. Each magazine has a subject list and the articles within that particular edition must be appropriate. The writer must select magazines in his or her niche, pore over the subject list, and get acquainted with the editor through query letters, writing samples, and credentials. All this without the slightest promise of success.

Online articles, on the other hand, are easy to write and quick to publish.

Online articles are conversational in style.

Forget those frustrating and confining composition formats and write like you talk. Better yet, talk out the article into digital format and have it transcribed. Or do what I'm doing and use voice-activated software. Online readers want simple words and short paragraphs. They want to cut to the chase.

While the print article requires hours of intense labor, the online article can be talked into a file in 20 to 30 minutes.

Online articles are short, 300 to 600 words on the average, while print articles range from 1,000 to 2,500 words -- roughly equivalent to a chapter of a book. The information must be researched, verified, and documented. It must be carefully organized and complete. The online version delivers one idea or block of information. It is based on personal expertise more than on research. While the print article requires hours of intense labor, the online article can be talked into a file in 20 to 30 minutes. No lengthy outline. No footnotes. No detailed research.

Instead of intensive effort to convince an editor your work is worthy of consideration, the burden of discovery shifts from the writer to the editor. E-zine editors search online directories for material. Instead of compiling a list of potential targets, the online writer focuses on keywords then uses those words again and again, from article to article. He creates keyword-rich titles and catchy descriptions. Once familiar with his keywords, they become a natural part of his vocabulary to automatically create his platform and build his personal brand.

Because of their very nature, online articles provide a smooth transition to the writer's website.

The article is already online, so one click moves the reader into the writer's world. Although print magazines will include the writer's URL in the byline, the reader must carry the magazine to his computer and type in. This effort automatically reduces the click through rate. Once the reader drops the magazine, the writer's URL is the last thing on his mind.

This one point makes the online article intensely effective for promoting your book or other information products. The reader has got the mouse in his hand with his nose inches from the screen. That barely visible movement of his index finger could be called the most powerful exercise on earth.