How to Write an Ezine Article

Writing articles for ezines (Internet magazines) is a great way to share your expertise and opinions, build a writer's portfolio, get your name in circulation and even make some extra money. While writing material for an electronic medium follows exactly the same principles as prepping your work for submission to a hard-copy publication, the turnaround time for receiving a response from an editor and getting "into print" is much faster.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make a list of topics that really interest you, especially those on which you consider yourself an expert.

2. Identify websites, ezines and newsletters that publish the kind of articles you want to write. If, for instance, you want to share your travel experiences and tips with fellow minded adventurers, start with a search of "online travel magazines", "travel newsletters" and "travel sites".

3. Study the websites' content, including their archives, to assess whether your article ideas would be a strong match. Likewise, pay attention to the writing styles (including vocabulary, tone and structure) and whether articles are accompanied by photographs, artwork, charts and/or links to other resources. Your objective is to mimic what the ezine is already doing but also offer something with a fresh spin.

4. Review the submission guidelines for the ezines you think would be the most receptive to your work. These guidelines address minimum and maximum word requirements, when and where to submit queries and manuscripts, how submissions should be formatted, pay rates and what rights the authors retain.

5. Determine the best way to frame your article concept under the umbrella of a catchy title. This could take the form of a "How To", a "Top Tips" list, a checklist, an anecdotal/story approach, an interview format with an individual or panel of experts, or even a review of products and services that appeal to the ezine's target demographic (i.e., a review of screenwriting software programs for teens who want to write for the movies).

6. Outline your article prior to actually writing it. Your outline should consist of an introduction that tells readers what the article is about, a body that provides a series of stories or sequential steps that helps readers understand a concept or master a new skill, and a conclusion that reinforces your main ideas.

7. Use key words throughout your article. Key words - also referred to as "tags" - are significant for search engines to generate hits for your article. Key words also reinforce for the reader the concepts you're trying to explain. If, for instance, you're writing an article about playwriting, you'd want to include words that are often associated with this craft; i.e., stage, drama, theater, plays, scripts, actors, etc. Many ezines will ask that you provide tags at the end of your article. You can either come up with this list when you first start your outline (as a way to stay focused) or circle key words during your writing or after you're finished.

8. Compose a professional query and proposal that highlights what your ezine article is about, what readers will learn from it, and why you're qualified to write it. If you're querying by snail mail, attach a few short samples of your work. If you're querying by email, refer the editor to your website or links where she can find samples.

9. Include a brief bio and a link to your website at the end of each ezine article you submit for publication. This will help establish you as a professional in your field. Many ezines are also receptive to modest self-promotion tactics such as a reference to books you've written, workshops you're teaching, or consulting services you provide.

Tips & Warnings

• For ezines that only want one-time rights to your article, it's permissible to shop yoru work to other markets after the original runs. As a courtesy, though, try to hold off for at least two months and make sure that you're not submitting exactly the same content to competing markets. Unless the ezine specifically states that it opens attachments, confine your queries and articles to the body of an email. Shorter articles from a newcomer have a better chance of getting picked up than articles that are over 1,500 words. Many ezines require that prospective writers subscribe to the publication before their submissions will be considered. Fortunately, the majority of ezines are free to sign up for. Keep accurate records of what you've sent to whom.
• Many ezines frown on simultaneous submissions or work that has previously been published elsewhere (even on blogs). They will state this in their submission guidelines. Don't assume that the Internet market is so vast they'll never find out if you ignore their rules. Be wary of ezines that insist on acquiring all rights to your article. This precludes you from ever selling your idea to someone else unless you completely rewrite it.

References

• Right-Writing
• "Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing"; Writer's Digest Books; 2004

Resources

• Writing for the Web
• Ezine Article Ideas
• Ezine Article Template
• How to Write Ezine Articles in Clusters