How To Increase The Chance You Will Land a Writing Job

A good screening question is what is the objective of an article. Either side can ask or answer this question, whether asked or not.

For writers, it's a way to put forth your unique selling proposition or elevator pitch.

So, what's the answer? While there is no one right answer, if the articles have any objectives at all, I have one good reply.

Articles really have one purpose when the objective is business building. That objective is to make the writer's client look like an expert. Not a search engine spammer. Not a clueless newbie trying to find even more uninformed customers.

To that end, the writer has to be an expert researcher, not a human scraper who can get past Copyscape. The only reason to look at other articles, or Wikipedia is to find out the lowest common denominator generic drivel -- and then differentiate you from the dreary status quo.

Let's say you're selling photography technique. And you're trying to get a crowd shot. But people look directly at you as you're shooting, some stop, others make faces or pose for the camera.

Pro photographers have a secret. They get into a wheelchair. Nobody makes eye contact and the shot comes off looking like it does in magazines.

There are always powerful golden nuggets, every bit as closely guarded as a magician's secrets. As good as gold, such nuggets hold unequivocal value by building your reputation as an expert. That's king making content as opposed to content-is-king nonsense blinding people to content quality.

Most content makes the author appear just a little bit clueless. Most content is trite, obvious banalities that sound good ...because the article is common knowledge available everywhere.

That's what wrong with articles you reach the end of and feel vaguely cheated for paying any attention. You can't put your finger on it, but something important is missing. Trade secrets are what's missing from "content is king" articles.

A well-written ebook, especially if you charge for the download, is going to make your next sale easier. Just as surely as a dull, by-the-numbers "scrape" is going to make future sales that much more difficult.

More ebooks are disinteresting people from doing business again. And writing can not be separated from marketing objectives.

If you can't use it, it's not information -- it's a door stop. Google learned something most ebook writers haven't. That is, if you can't find information you can't put it into use. If you can't use it, then it is not information.

Here's a post I read discussing ebook courses in the (Old) Warrior Forum.

Jay Abraham is a fairly savvy information marketer. What he does is extensively cross-reference. It takes me only about thirty seconds to find a quickly digestible, actionable nugget. Even video DVDs have a "Scene Index."

And guess what? In an ocean of products which are "data dumps" this is a competitive advantage. When your reader understands they can get to and act on the information you provide, you are more likely to make a sale.

Take a hint from Google. Have a cross reference. Add an index, maybe even a dictionary of key terms. Make the right information findable. Because most ebook writers don't.

Ignorance of what the articles are supposed to accomplish is a prime reason writers disqualify themselves.