Articles - How many of you are qualified?

[Jayllie]

Ok just a quick question today:-)

How many of you succesful article marketers have degrees/qualifications in writing? I got good grades in my English clas at school and was always pretty proud of my writing skills, but now when I am trying to write posts, articles, etc I think they may not be 'good enough'
xx

[BloomerBeak]

I believe I'm qualified enough in terms of grammar and paragraph composition. I also don't mind researching if it's for the benefit of my article. But when I tried starting to write again (after how many years), nothing comes to my mind anymore.

[Les Blackwell]

I am not qualified but, since I started this business, I have written 4 books and numerous articles.
I do use PLR to get the brain working then the writing starts to flow. I think I even know where to put a comma now.

[AndyBlackSEO]

I don't think you need to be qualified in any way. If you can write an article that is clear, precise, useful and easy to digest, then I think that is all that is needed.

As far as 'nothing coming to mind'. I think that comes naturally when you force yourself to write and get nto the swing of things. The more articles you write, the easy it will become.

That's my opinion anyway.

[PatriciaJ]

I got RSA I, II and III qualifications in English language at college and later completed a years evening class course in creative writing.

When I was at school my English teacher who didn't like girls said that I was a rubbish writer in front of the rest of the class and offered no encouragement to myself or other girls. I believed him so stopped trying.

When I went to college both tutors encouraged me and said that I could make a living from writing so I know who I would rather believe.

For me what it boils down to is self belief and results. I am willing to bet that I have been published and made more money from writing than my old school teacher ever did. So don't knock yourself back there are others out there who will do that for you.

[Bev Clement]

Not qualified in writing, but that didn't stop Harper Collins asking me to ghostwrite for them. That's how I started my writing career.

[Paul Reid]

I've written a ton of stuff and don't have any writing / Engilsh degrees. If you are worried about it, then you can always write your e-book and have it proof read and edited by someone who is a pro. You can generally get that done for not much money and it can make a big difference.

[David Raybould]

Hey Jayllie,

If you're doubting yourself,
head over to any article directory
and check out 10 random
articles there.

If you can write better than
the drivel some people are
submitting, you'll be fine.

Don't stress about it, spend
your time honing your craft
instead.

-David Raybould

[Alevoor]

Originally Posted by AndyBlackSEO

I don't think you need to be qualified in any way. If you can write an article that is clear, precise, useful and easy to digest, then I think that is all that is needed.

I honestly believe that articles, or anything else don't have to be "easy to digest" always. You may be diluting the gravity of the topic or the situation on hand by trying to make things easy to digest where not required.

Otherwise, you have said this all right. I completely agree with you, Andy

[ShayRockhold]

I don't have a degree in English, but I am a native English speaker and a stickler for grammar.

I have some writing experience under my belt, too.

[Smokey_Joe]

IMO when it comes to writing, special training turns out of little help if writing is just not your thing. It is also something you can develop, but never actually acquire from a scratch. It must sound terribly deterministic, but this is the conclusion I've arrived at.

[ShayRockhold]

Originally Posted by Smokey_Joe

IMO when it comes to writing, special training turns out of little help if writing is just not your thing. It is also something you can develop, but never actually acquire from a scratch. It must sound terribly deterministic, but this is the conclusion I've arrived at.

I will agree.

Just because someone knows where to put periods and commas does not mean that he/she has a talent for writing.

Also, some people are comfortable with fiction writing, but not informative articles - and vice versa.

[Lindsay Brynn]

I'm a writer also and I do not have a specific degree in Writing or English. I do have a Liberal Arts degree in Psychology and obviously went through university level courses in English and Writing.

Like the others have said, I don't think that sort of thing is a requirement to be a good writer.

[J Elizabeth Dize]

I agree with most of the posts here. While some people have a natural knack for writing, I think it's something that can be learned as well. If you don't think you're qualified at the moment then it's time to sharpen up your skills.

It should also be said that writing for the web is different than many other forms of writing. Even those who are trained in one area will need to train for this specific area.

Here are some sites that can help:

Web Teaching Articles: Writing for the Web

Web Writing Basics

10 Tips for Good Web Writing

[Trader54]

Originally Posted by Jenn Dize

Here are some sites that can help:

Thanks for the links!

One in particular I really liked.

[D.K. Magnus]

In every one of my college English classes, my story telling was singled out as being better than other student's.

That isn't the same as saying my technical skills were better.

In the 10th grade of high school, I was tested as having reading speed and comprehension skills on a college sophomore level. And they say that a good reader is, in general, a good writer.

I was not an English major in college, but I should have been.

[Kate Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Jenn Dize

I agree with most of the posts here. While some people have a natural knack for writing, I think it's something that can be learned as well. If you don't think you're qualified at the moment then it's time to sharpen up your skills.

It should also be said that writing for the web is different than many other forms of writing. Even those who are trained in one area will need to train for this specific area.

Here are some sites that can help:

Web Teaching Articles: Writing for the Web

Web Writing Basics

10 Tips for Good Web Writing

As always, Jenn gives some valuable resources and advise. Thank you, Jenn!

Although I have college degrees and an English teacher for a Mother, I never felt my writing was anything out of the ordinary, until I began to get unsolicited feedback from some well known IM people encouraging me to write more and market my skill because I have a unique ability to write in a conversational style. Guess that comes from being a letter writer, pre-email.

One never knows who's going to see what you "put out there".

[Steven Wagenheim]

I've been writing for over 30 years. I took just about every creative writing
course in college that you could think of, including of course all the basic
crap that you have to take.

Does that make me qualified?

Honestly, no.

What makes you qualified is the talent that you bring to the table.

If you can put words on paper that make people want to read what you
have to say, you're qualified to write.

I seriously doubt that every successful author is technically trained.

It all comes down to talent...or lack of it.

[MarkWrites]

It is possible to be a good or even great writer based on talent, creativity, and knowledge alone. It is also possible to be a good or even a great writer based on education, theory, and learning the process. The combination of some talent and some education can also lead someone to become a good or great writer.

Often there are many paths that lead to the same destination.

[Jayllie]

Thanks for all the replies. I do think that writing is a talent that you are born with, I am sure it is also something you can learn but I dont think you will ever learn what someone is naturally talented at, maybe I am wrong but I think it is like art, music, etc, you are definately born with something there already. Still not sure what I was born with yet lol!

[Jillian Slack]

I don't think a degree is necessary.

You can be a great writer without having a degree.

Or you can get an education to become a better writer.

I've got a bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in creative writing, and I'm currently working on a master's degree in creative writing.

I've worked as a newspaper reporter and written for magazines, web copy for small business owners, PR for small businesses, and I've written thousands of resumes for job hunters.

Did I need the degree to do this?

Not really.

I was a great writer in the first place. I got the degree because I wanted to finish what I had started years ago. I'm working on the master's because I enjoy it and because I come from a family where pursuing higher education is important. I won't be able to go out and get a job with the master's degree, but I don't really want to go out and get a job!

With the thousands of resumes I've written for others, I've been appalled at the writing skills of highly educated people.

Some of the people with fancy degrees couldn't put a decent sentence together to save their lives.

Maybe their focus isn't in language arts, though, so I shouldn't be so harsh. I mean, I'm an idiot in math and the math geniuses probably think I'm pathetic.

[Kim Davis]

People have natural knacks for different things. How many men can fix things around the house or cars that don't have a degree in it. They seem to do qualified work. Many people learn by hands on, watching others and reading. Avid readers can be good writers because they see proper writing all the time.

[SurviveUnemployment]

Originally Posted by Jayllie

Ok just a quick question today:-)

How many of you succesful article marketers have degrees/qualifications in writing? I got good grades in my English clas at school and was always pretty proud of my writing skills, but now when I am trying to write posts, articles, etc I think they may not be 'good enough'
xx

The greatest writers in history weren't "qualified," they just had to write. Where did Shakespeare get his degree? Hemingway? Plato?

[Pat-Graham]

I've been a ghostwriter for several years and I've found that most of my clients like a loose, friendly style of writing and not stilted or a by-product of what your high school English teacher drilled into your head.

Do your research so you know what you are writing about and then, using your own words, just write it. Proof it later.

That's what works for me. Hope it helps.

[gronstone]

Both my wife and I write articles. My wife is an English major and I wrote a lot in my senior executive positions in my former 25 year corporate life. While I believe we can both write better than most, I believe that the key to writing articles that generate results (views and click thrus) is more marketing/promotion than writing. It appears to me that you really have to push the envelope with hype to get great results.

My biggest problem with article marketing is how time consuming it is to submit articles. I tried a service from articlemarketer.com. All appeared well as they kept reporting 800+ sites that they submitted each of my many articles to. Problem was that when I checked my Yahoo incoming link results after over 3 months for just one of my anchor text keywords that I submitted 14 articles to, it showed less than 200 inbound links, many of which I generated thru other ways. I know it takes a while for some directories to post but taking 1/2 of the "sites submitted" would mean (800x14x.5=5,600 theoretical links). I went and checked a bunch of these supposed article directories submitted to and they either didn't exist or show my articles. Needless to say I canceled this rather expensive "service".

Sorry to go on so much but I feel like I lost 3 months of valuable SEO time. Anyone had any good luck with an article submission service?

[OmarNegron]

You don't have to be qualified when it comes to article marketing.

I think people get in trouble because they think so much. That's the good thing about writing articles....you don't have to be some wiz...you just have to make it happen!

[AndyBlackSEO]

You can use software to speed up the process of submitting articles. I have quite a few of them but recently I've been submitting manually.

Were all these submissions unique articles? Or the same? If they weren't unique then that would also explain the lack of links showing.

You need your articles to be unique and also 'found' (indexed) in order for your links to count.

[7_8_shortcuts]

Well, talent or no talent...

for your marketing articles it's good enough to
submit HELPFUL and brief information to people, who
want to solve a problem.

Okay, if you are great writer you might have couple more
people click on your resource box, but... in general I would say it's
better to write more articles (that are still helpful) than sit on
one article for ages until it's ready.

If you write for people that have a big burning problem to
solve and are in an irrational state... you will not need to
write a novel...

all you need to do is... (in my opinion)...

put yourself in their shoes and genuinely help them,
get to that product that will solve their problem, as
if you are trying to help a friend.

Make the articles, clear, easy to read, give some steps
and there you go... nothing complicated.

English is my third language and I never took a course about
writing in my life... and... I am not saying I am any good at it
but... the articles get me sales!

When I got that advice on just writing
helpful points, FAST, as if you are talking to a friend... it worked :-)

Just in general...

people like FAST results and FAST tutorials.
sometimes articles of just 250 words work great, as long as
they are helpful.

[Jillian Slack]

I *do* think you need to be able to write a good article, whether you have a natural talent, degree, no degree, studied on your own, whatever.

There are plenty of absolutely crappy articles out there.

If I find my way to a web site while looking for info on a certain topic and the content is bad or it's simply badly written, I leave the site.

If the writer can't express himself well, I'm out of there.

The writing doesn't have to be stuffy or written as if a rocket scientist is the only person who should be able to understand it.

I lose confidence in the writer's ability to write (and, therefore, their credibility in whatever topic they are writing about) when they can't put a sentence together.

[JonStein]

Originally Posted by gronstone

Both my wife and I write articles. My wife is an English major and I wrote a lot in my senior executive positions in my former 25 year corporate life. While I believe we can both write better than most, I believe that the key to writing articles that generate results (views and click thrus) is more marketing/promotion than writing. It appears to me that you really have to push the envelope with hype to get great results.

My biggest problem with article marketing is how time consuming it is to submit articles. I tried a service from articlemarketer.com. All appeared well as they kept reporting 800+ sites that they submitted each of my many articles to. Problem was that when I checked my Yahoo incoming link results after over 3 months for just one of my anchor text keywords that I submitted 14 articles to, it showed less than 200 inbound links, many of which I generated thru other ways. I know it takes a while for some directories to post but taking 1/2 of the "sites submitted" would mean (800x14x.5=5,600 theoretical links). I went and checked a bunch of these supposed article directories submitted to and they either didn't exist or show my articles. Needless to say I canceled this rather expensive "service".

Sorry to go on so much but I feel like I lost 3 months of valuable SEO time. Anyone had any good luck with an article submission service?

You are 100% correct!
The problem with article submission sites, is they overload you with hundreds of directories that shutdown months or years ago.
It seems nobody updates the programs.
Automatic article submission is a huge waste of time effort and money.
As mundane as it may be, manual is the way to go!
Keep in mind some of the article directories are nothing more than MFA (Made for Adsense) sites.

[DanielFonda]

Originally Posted by Jayllie

Ok just a quick question today:-)

How many of you succesful article marketers have degrees/qualifications in writing? I got good grades in my English clas at school and was always pretty proud of my writing skills, but now when I am trying to write posts, articles, etc I think they may not be 'good enough'
xx

You should really try to show your work to audiences. Maybe your work is genius. Maybe it's not. You'll never know unless you try showing it to the world.

[DanielFonda]

Originally Posted by Jillian Slack

I *do* think you need to be able to write a good article, whether you have a natural talent, degree, no degree, studied on your own, whatever.

There are plenty of absolutely crappy articles out there.

If I find my way to a web site while looking for info on a certain topic and the content is bad or it's simply badly written, I leave the site.

If the writer can't express himself well, I'm out of there.

The writing doesn't have to be stuffy or written as if a rocket scientist is the only person who should be able to understand it.

I lose confidence in the writer's ability to write (and, therefore, their credibility in whatever topic they are writing about) when they can't put a sentence together.

I totally agree. In other words if you know your niche, you know how to write a decent article about it. Some people simply know how to write, others don't.
But I guess with a lot of research and practice everyone can master writing. At least in my opinion.

[yves]

Originally Posted by AndyBlackSEO

I don't think you need to be qualified in any way. If you can write an article that is clear, precise, useful and easy to digest, then I think that is all that is needed.

As far as 'nothing coming to mind'. I think that comes naturally when you force yourself to write and get nto the swing of things. The more articles you write, the easy it will become.

That's my opinion anyway.

In a nutshell.

And any English class literature exams etc really don't come into play with articles and internet content for the most part. In fact I find sometimes that the more "down to earth" the better the results.

Cheers.

[Guitarnut]

To me, it depends on the criteria that you use to determine the "qualifications".

[Wizardofwisdom]

Hi Jayllie

Don't get hung up on "qualified!" I trained in the psychiatric profession and about 10 years ago I finally met the man who's probably changed more lives in a single day than all the psychiatrists and psychologists I've met will in their combined lifetimes - Tony Robbins. Not a formal qualification to his name.

Marianne Williamson, author of "Return To Love" I believe was a cabaret singer.

Where did you get the notion that qualified matters?

If you've got a message and you can put it in writing with passion from your heart, people will read it and people will love you for it. Getting results - that's the only qualification you need in this day and age, and all people need and expect on the net!

Just write from your heart, and let the commas take care of themselves.

All good things
Trev.

Originally Posted by JonStein

You are 100% correct!
The problem with article submission sites, is they overload you with hundreds of directories that shutdown months or years ago.
It seems nobody updates the programs.
Automatic article submission is a huge waste of time effort and money.

Jon,
Keep in mind that some of us actually have a custom built solution and not just a junky submitter... Some of us actually do have a configuration submitter that allows you to add your own directories, you are not forced to use what the submitter says. You add your own on your own account and it uses the actual categories of the article sites.

By the way as promised in another thread since you remembered my birthday - - your site is being bookmarked as we speak and I will send you a report when done ..

James

[bbgandanghari]

I cannot say I am successful already, yet I have a few articles and researches posted on different sites. I do not have a degree in Writing, but I had good grades in English class, particularly grammar and and composition. I research on the topic so I can come up with good articles. Sometimes, it comes out even better than I expected.

[Warriorcoach1]

Hi Jayllie,

The really important thing is to deliver high-value info to your client. Remember you're not out to win a writing contest. The important thing is quality info from the heart. That's what will resonate with clients and make you money.

The only thing you need to avoid are repeated mistakes that make you look really bad, like "it's" instead of "its" or using a word in a totally wrong sense. Sounds like you have the skills to avoid all that.

Oh yeah... I have a ton of writing qualifications (Ph.D and more), but some of the best stuff I've read has come from people who don't.

If you're really sinking in self doubt about your writing, find out what people in your niche think about it. After all, they're the only ones whose opinion really counts

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by Jayllie

Ok just a quick question today:-)

How many of you succesful article marketers have degrees/qualifications in writing? I got good grades in my English clas at school and was always pretty proud of my writing skills, but now when I am trying to write posts, articles, etc I think they may not be 'good enough'
xx

Jayllie, every field has its masters. The true artists who do what they do superbly because it isn't in their nature to do anything else.

You don't need that to be successful with article marketing. Being a fairly competent craftsman is enough to make a good living with your writing.

From what I've seen of your skills here on the forum, you are qualified to write articles. You can quote me on that.

Now that you have some outside validation, get out there and write some articles and make some money, you hear?

[roger_ball]

First post. I apologize if I misspeak. I have bachelor degrees in English and Journalism and a Masters in Journalism. I've been a writer for almost 40 years and I'm here to tell you that anybody willing to put the time into it, can write. In fact, I think most writers (looking for feedback here, folks) would agree that the only way to become a writer is to write. If it's a skill you need, than just start. In the beginning doesn't really matter how good or how bad you do it. The idea is to communicate what you want to communicate so the person your writing to understands what you're saying.

Anyway, you shouldn't feel you can't. You can. Just do it.

[TimG]

Originally Posted by Jayllie

Ok just a quick question today:-)

How many of you succesful article marketers have degrees/qualifications in writing? I got good grades in my English clas at school and was always pretty proud of my writing skills, but now when I am trying to write posts, articles, etc I think they may not be 'good enough'
xx

Undergraduate degree is in business administration with an emphasis on finance and my graduate degree is in information technology management.

However, my article marketing degree consists of over 1600 submitted articles so experience makes up for the lack of a formal degree. Kinda like Clint Eastwood's experience from Heartbreak Ridge instead of college training like his platoon leader in the movie by the same name.

Funny thing is I hated english in high school and college....now I spend my time writing for profit....go figure!!!

Respectfully,
Tim

[duality32]

My business partner has a degree in Marketing. But that still doesnt mean that someone without a degree couldnt do just as well. I have a 19 year old in my program that is doing better than alot of the people who has done marketing before. I was surprised.

[Craig Fenton]

Hi Jayllie:

Hope all is well. As a writer/author/public-speaker for a a multitude of years let me give you facts.

Writing and speaking isn't about the diploma (or lack of one) on the wall. It is about your own thirst and quest for knowledge over time. If you believe in yourself and are willing to learn and take chances, as long as you have a heart, mind, pen, paper, and computer you can win!

If you have anything written and want me to take a look at it send me a private message. No cost obviously. I always try to encourage people to follow their quest. It doesn't matter if it is a student of mine or a stranger, if I can make them believe, I feel better.

Hope this helps.

[blargins]

I'm related to Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell and George Eliot. Does that make me qualified enough?

Seriously, I am a stickler for grammar, and even formed a 'Grammar Police' squad on another forum I frequent (just for a bit of fun) - but that was mainly to get at people who insist on typing in that horrible text talk.

Not sure you need to be that qualified these days, especially when you see certain journalists being paid well for writing in comic papers like The Sun. Their spelling leaves a lot to be desired too - criminal considering there are spell checkers.

[SteveJohnson]

Many people are wildly successful without being 'qualified' by academic or practical standards.

Heck, look at Obama.

[AndreaB]

The real qualification has nothing to do with technical proficiency in the art of article writing but that ability to write articles that appeal to both readers and the search engines.

Too many writers devote all their time and attention to creating articles that are search engine magnets while ignoring the fact that the articles must offer something to the reader or the search engine rankings won't matter all that much.

You do not need the eloquence of the Bard in order to write articles that are highly readable and compelling. What you do need is write to keep the readers interested long enough to take the desired action (in most cases click on the links).

Offer something of value, make it comprehensible and personable, and try to use decent grammar - though perfection is not necessary - and you should do well no matter what your pedigree (err resume) says you're qualified to do.

[Mary Gallivan]

I learnt to write when I was about 5 yrs old and have been writing for over 40 years - does that count as being qualified?

Mary

[travlinguy]

It's already been said in various ways but I'll throw in anyway. A degree won't make you a writer. Writing courses will enhance intrinsic talent but there has to be some talent to start with. You might want to check out Steve King's book on the craft, "On Writing." It's excellent. Also, here's a link to my own unique take on the topic:

All Writing is Sales Copy

[FSherrill]

As Paul J. Meyer once said... marketers are word merchants... we use words as a painter uses a palette and paint.

Frank Sherrill

[jamesburchill]

This might help you evaluate your writing skills. If you can get some writing published in a print magazine, newspaper or journal - something where an Editor's butt is on the line if they publish poor work, then you're fairly safe in considering yourself suitably skilled. This commercial test is a fair and true test of your marketability :-)