How to Start Off Right as an eHow Newbie

Member

By Janet Ford
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (32 Ratings)

All writers must start somewhere, why not ehow?

Hundreds of people, just like yourself, join the ehow ranks every single day. eHow has a fairly easy interface to navigate and learn to use whether you are a reader or a writer. If you find yourself enthralled by the idea of writing for ehow and, quite possibly, making a handful or two of cash doing so, this guide will help give you a needed boost to your confidence as an ehow newbie.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

eHow Account
Paypal Account (link below)

Step 1

Get paid to write on ehow!

If you are wanting to get paid for your ehow writing, make sure you sign up for an ehow account AND with ehow's Writer's Compensation Program (WCP). This is where you provide ehow with your paypal information and such so you can get paid.
Step 2

Take the time to read through ehow's terms of use policies and frequently asked questions (FAQ) sections. Click on the 'Write' tab and look through that as well. Many questions are asked by newbies that could have been answered by reading these resources. Don't rush. Take your time to read these things. You'll be glad you did.
Step 3

Take time to read articles of successful writers

Study the articles which are chosen each day for front page honors. These articles exemplify the type of writing and style ehow is desiring from it's members. While topics vary, they do have common bonds.
Step 4

Participate in the forums

Participate in the forums. You can find them by clicking on the 'Community' tab. Not only can you find helpful suggestions or answers to questions here but you can get to know other ehow members. eHow is a very supportive community and having community on your side is a win-win.
Step 5

Is this how friends are supposed to treat eachother here? No!

Avoid sending 'read my new article' type messages to other ehow members in your friend's list. I know you are receiving a lot of them and it looks to be the norm but it's not a good idea. It upsets most ehow members to receive these and ehow itself frowns on doing this. eHow considers it spam and if you upset the wrong ehow member with your request, they can potentially report your account to ehow for spamming. There are places on the forum you can share your links and there are groups in the groups section dedicated to sharing these as well. Take advantage of those instead.
Step 6

When writing your article, be sure to include a genuine introduction to your article. Don't just repeat your title. This is the section of your article that may be viewed all by itself in other areas of the internet with a link to 'read more' if they care to see your steps. Use this section wisely.
Step 7

By it's very design, the steps section should be actual steps. A good rule of thumb to follow is to attempt beginning each step with a verb. Some steps sound nicer not doing this but, regardless, each step needs to be actionable. If you're not instructing your reader to take action, it's not an actual step.
Step 8

Photos make an article fun and viral.

Make use of photos. They help the reader stay on task and enjoy the experience of reading your article. They also offer valuable search engine friendly areas to boost traffic. Rename your files with a keyword/s related to your title and make use of the caption areas in the same way.

Comments

mattlovesamber said

Flag This Comment

on 8/24/2009 I am still pretty new on here, and this article really helped!
Thanks and 5 stars :)

aprilk10 said

on 8/16/2009 :-) oops! They need an edit option on comments! THANKS!!!

on 8/16/2009 Tahnks...from a "newbie"!

wannawrkfrmhome said

on 8/6/2009 As an eHow newbie I appreciate the advice. It IS tempting to ask for friends to read your article and so far I have stuck to the groups. Thanks for keeping me on track! 5*