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Best Tips For Writing A Great How To Article
If you are using articles to help drive traffic to your website you will need to come up with ideas for articles that people will want to read and publish. The quality of articles found on article directories can vary significantly so it is important that yours are among the best available for your article marketing campaign to be successful.
There is no end to the subjects you can write about and you can use any style you wish. However, it has to be something that people will want to read. "How to" articles are very popular with both website owners and readers and can be a great way to get your article marketing campaign underway. Basically, the purpose of a 'how to' article is to explain to a reader how to do something.
Of course, you will have to have a good knowledge of how to do the task yourself before you can think about instructing anyone else how to do it, so stick to what you know. There are many possibilities. If you have experience in networking you could write a 'how to' article on how to set up a router at home, or if you love cars you could write an article on 'how to service your car'. There are endless possibilities for 'how to' articles, in fact you are reading one right now.
So let's get started. When you are writing a "how to" article remember that you are the teacher so write in an authoritative tone. You are sharing your expertise with someone who may have little knowledge of the subject at hand. So keep your writing style simple and your instructions clear.
At the beginning of your article tell your reader what their goal is and summarize how it is going to be achieved. This will prepare them for the task ahead. You should also inform them of what, if anything, they will need to have to hand to complete the task. Going back to the setting up a router example, you would need to tell them that they will need their computer, router, instruction booklet and perhaps and ethernet cable to complete the task.
Also, you must start at the beginning and work through the task step by step. Sometimes it may be beneficial to use bullet points to help give the impression that it is a step by step process. Alternatively you can link the steps with words like 'next', 'and then' or 'now'. If you are new to writing the bullet points option might be best for you as it keeps things simple, and helps you avoid complex grammatical structures.
As you write, re-read your text every few paragraphs, and try to read it from the reader's point of view, assuming they know nothing about the task at hand. As an expert on the subject it can be too easy to make things over-complex because the task is second nature to you. Try to imagine you are doing it for the first time and instruct the reader accordingly. Going back to our previous example, will the reader actually know what an ethernet cable is, or what a router is for that matter?
If a particular stage in the task is complex you may want to repeat the instruction, or ask the reader to check their progress so they are sure they have followed your instructions successfully.
With longer articles it is important to do this regularly so the reader does not lose track. Summarize what they have done so far, tell them what should have already been achieved and ask them to check that everything is as it should be. If a reader finds that the project does not look like what you have described, they can then retrace the last few steps and see where they went wrong.
If you work through your article in this manner you should be left with a clear, concise 'how to' article that takes the reader through each step of the project to completion. Read it again, at least twice, to make sure that it is well written and that instructions are clear. Wrap up with a concluding paragraph congratulating the reader for a job well done.
And finally, the icing on the cake, the headline. This does not necessarily have to be done at the end. It can be done before you write the article but you may find that headline ideas will come to you as you write your content. Be sure to spend some time perfecting your headline as this can be the difference between the success and failure of your article.
BONUS : Building A Rock Solid Query Letter
Recently I reviewed a client's query letter. It was a hard working query letter, detailing the marketing prospects for the book, her own glowing credentials and the contacts she possessed that would help her publicize the book. But she left out one teeny weeny thing: she didn't say what her book was about! I used to think query letters were relatively easy, but now I realize that a query has to do so many things that it's easy to forget essential elements. Since the letter is your first step in putting your book's best foot forward, you don't want that to happen. So here's a simple rundown on what goes into a solid query letter.
Who Are You?
It's tempting to start the letter by leaping into a breathless description of what you're sure is going to be the best book in the world, but resist a little longer. You want to use your first paragraph to introduce yourself and let the agent know why he or she should pay attention to you. Tell the agent who you are. Describe your qualifications, including a bit about your current activities which will in turn describe your platform. Have you been doing speaking engagements? Do you appear on television? Are you noted in your profession? Have you won any awards? Do people look to you as an expert in your subject? Do you teach? For instance, if you are a workshop or seminar leader in real estate finance, frequently travel across the country, and have 5,000 people attending your workshops every month, you can tell the agent:"Now Ive decided to give away all of my secrets in a book about real estate financing with no money down." Anything that puts you in front of people is a potential place to sell your book so don't forget to mention such activities.
What's Your Book About?
In the next two or three paragraphs of the letter you get to talk about your wonderful book idea and/or story. As a guideline, it may help you to read the backs of book covers. You'll want to do something similar--a brief synopsis of your book with enough spark it will intrigue the agent or any other potential reader, to pick up your book. Use bullet points to highlight what amazing tidbits the reader will get out of the book. Will they get five strategies on how to eat without gaining weight? Or 4 low cost resources for financing a large home improvement project? Or the 6 surefire signs you've found your life purpose? Make this description tight, concise and, of course, hugely interesting. Then you can move on to...
Your Great Marketing Plan--With You As the Star
The query letter should include a brief paragraph or two about how you're going to market the book. Of course, if you go with a traditional publisher you'll get major help in this area from the publishing house. But remember this: no one will be a better advocate for your book than you. And when editors are considering manuscripts they're also considering what kind of a marketing presence they'll be getting with the author. You'll make their job easier--and your book much more successful--if you can bring your own marketing plan to the table to work hand in hand with the publisher's. Do you have contacts in the media willing to help? Are you good at getting quoted in newspapers and magazines? Do you publish freelance articles that can mention your upcoming book? Put a lot of thought into this. Too many writers go into the publishing process expecting everything to be done for them and then are disappointed. Having a good marketing plan would show a potential agent that you're serious and you understand the business.
The Next Step
Youve mentioned your credentials, described your book and your stellar marketing plan. Ideally, at this point, you have the agent intrigued. You want him or her to say, "Great! What does this person have to offer?" This is where your letter would say something like, "I would love for you to see more and I have a proposal" or "I have 50 pages of a manuscript." Whatever you want the agent to see next, offer it up and ask, "May I send this to you?" Asking permission is always a classy thing to do, it shows you're not being presumptuous. Then you move into a closing that let's the agent know you'll follow up in a certain amount of time either via phone or email (they might prefer email).
When you're done, read your query letter over many times. Have another trusted set of eyes read it for you. It's easy to overlook important points, or to think you've covered something when you really haven't. When you can polish no longer, send it out--many times! And congratulations. You've just made the first step in getting yourself and your book out there. I wish you a successful journey.
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
Recently I reviewed a client's query letter. It was a hard working query letter, detailing the marketing prospects for the book, her own glowing credentials and the contacts she possessed that would help her publicize the book. But she left out one teeny weeny thing: she didn't say what her book was about! I used to think query letters were relatively easy, but now I realize that a query has to do so many things that it's easy to forget essential elements. Since the letter is your first step in putting your book's best foot forward, you don't want that to happen. So here's a simple rundown on what goes into a solid query letter.
Who Are You?
It's tempting to start the letter by leaping into a breathless description of what you're sure is going to be the best book in the world, but resist a little longer. You want to use your first paragraph to introduce yourself and let the agent know why he or she should pay attention to you. Tell the agent who you are. Describe your qualifications, including a bit about your current activities which will in turn describe your platform. Have you been doing speaking engagements? Do you appear on television? Are you noted in your profession? Have you won any awards? Do people look to you as an expert in your subject? Do you teach? For instance, if you are a workshop or seminar leader in real estate finance, frequently travel across the country, and have 5,000 people attending your workshops every month, you can tell the agent:"Now Ive decided to give away all of my secrets in a book about real estate financing with no money down." Anything that puts you in front of people is a potential place to sell your book so don't forget to mention such activities.
What's Your Book About?
In the next two or three paragraphs of the letter you get to talk about your wonderful book idea and/or story. As a guideline, it may help you to read the backs of book covers. You'll want to do something similar--a brief synopsis of your book with enough spark it will intrigue the agent or any other potential reader, to pick up your book. Use bullet points to highlight what amazing tidbits the reader will get out of the book. Will they get five strategies on how to eat without gaining weight? Or 4 low cost resources for financing a large home improvement project? Or the 6 surefire signs you've found your life purpose? Make this description tight, concise and, of course, hugely interesting. Then you can move on to...
Your Great Marketing Plan--With You As the Star
The query letter should include a brief paragraph or two about how you're going to market the book. Of course, if you go with a traditional publisher you'll get major help in this area from the publishing house. But remember this: no one will be a better advocate for your book than you. And when editors are considering manuscripts they're also considering what kind of a marketing presence they'll be getting with the author. You'll make their job easier--and your book much more successful--if you can bring your own marketing plan to the table to work hand in hand with the publisher's. Do you have contacts in the media willing to help? Are you good at getting quoted in newspapers and magazines? Do you publish freelance articles that can mention your upcoming book? Put a lot of thought into this. Too many writers go into the publishing process expecting everything to be done for them and then are disappointed. Having a good marketing plan would show a potential agent that you're serious and you understand the business.
The Next Step
Youve mentioned your credentials, described your book and your stellar marketing plan. Ideally, at this point, you have the agent intrigued. You want him or her to say, "Great! What does this person have to offer?" This is where your letter would say something like, "I would love for you to see more and I have a proposal" or "I have 50 pages of a manuscript." Whatever you want the agent to see next, offer it up and ask, "May I send this to you?" Asking permission is always a classy thing to do, it shows you're not being presumptuous. Then you move into a closing that let's the agent know you'll follow up in a certain amount of time either via phone or email (they might prefer email).
When you're done, read your query letter over many times. Have another trusted set of eyes read it for you. It's easy to overlook important points, or to think you've covered something when you really haven't. When you can polish no longer, send it out--many times! And congratulations. You've just made the first step in getting yourself and your book out there. I wish you a successful journey.
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
