The Quest for the Perfect Article

By Beth Ann Erickson

It’s the holy grail of writing, the backbone of our profession.

We use them for free traffic to our website. They generate instant cash when we need it the most. Nothing conveys our special message better.

They can get whipped out in a few hours, perhaps even minutes.

Sometimes they take days to ferment.

Succinct, airy… long winded, boring, they can make readers cry, laugh, giggle, incensed, and even fall in love with you.

Treat them well, and they’ll return to you more than you ever could imagine: fame, fortune, respect.

Treat them flippantly and you can generate enemies, create a maelstrom of negativity, and find your name dragged through the mud.

They contain hidden power, unlimited potential.

Yup. Today we’re discussing the lowly… or not so lowly… article.

This little powerhouse can easily become the cornerstone of some big-time success.

So, how do you harness this power?

It’s really not that hard.

Step one: Speak the language of your reader.

Before you set pen to paper it’s absolutely imperative that you get to know the publication.

Assimilate their tone. Visualize their perfect reader. Age? Sex? Income? Education?

Drafting an article for the National Enquirer versus pitching something to the New Yorker would involve a far different writing style.

Pitch the wrong tone to a particular audience and you may as well sing into the wind.

Does this mean you need to break a few grammar rules?

Yup. It does.

Depending on your audience, you need to always write in a very conversational tone.

If your audience is primarily college professors, you’ll assimilate their personality, capture their “tone” and speak directly to them exactly like one of their peers would.

Write for a women’s magazine and you must transform yourself into that particular audience. Gender be danged. Your job is to connect with your reader in as little time possible.

That’s because you have (literally) seconds to grab your reader before they flip the page, click the next link, and head on their merry way.

Most writers skip this preliminary step. It’s something copywriters instinctually do because pressure to make the sale is so great.

But general freelancers? Very few take the time to thoroughly research a market before they start pitching willy nilly.

The next step, of course is to organize your article.

You’ve got a number of options here.

In fact, you have so many of them, I think I’ll cover them in the next issue of Writing Etc. so I don’t have to rush.

~~~

Beth Ann Erickson is the Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing and editor of Writing Etc., the free e-zine that'll make your writing sparkle, help you write killer queries, and get you on the road to publication fast. Subscribe and receive the fre* e-booklet "Power Queries." Go here now: http://FilbertPublishing.com

~~~

You're absolutely free to use this article on your website or zine as long as you include the byline.