Writing Tips: Finding Newsworthy Topics for Any Examiner Title

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When publishing on Examiner, writers can get a boost in page views by getting articles approved as newsworthy.  Not all articles approved as such will get into the search engine news feeds, but just getting the newsworthy designation on Examiner will improve credentials.  As the dashboard meter climbs, it will cause future news articles to be reviewed more quickly and, if worthy, sent into the news feed immediately.  The latter can be a big boost if writing on a breaking news topic and you can scoop other writers..

If you write top news stories or about celebrities and other hot topics, you probably already have sources that you get information from, but what about your Examiner titles that are a little more obscure, and not generally in the news?

Tip:  Make sure you're following Examiner's criteria for writing a quality news article.

In my experience, you can find news items to write about on just about any topic.  Not everything will be headline news, but if something happened within the last 48 hours and you have a dated source to refer to, it can still be tagged as news.  Readers who share similar interests on topics you write about will be happy to read something that isn't about the latest celebrity wardrobe malfunction, or who is having whose baby, so read on to learn how to find news topicst for even the most general subjects that you write about.

Google Alerts

The Google Alerts tool is my preferred way to find newsy topics to write about since notifications are sent directly to my email, and I don't have to go digging elsewhere.  In a previous article about google alerts, I shared how it can be helpful for writers to find people who might be stealing their articles as their own, but the mechanics of setting up the google alert is the same as I explained there.

To find breaking news to write about, set up a google alert for a word or phrase that fits the topic of your Examiner titles, and choose whether you want to receive notification of anything that publishes with that word/phrase, or just news items.  You can also set how often you want to get the alert - as it happens (separate email immediately after something indexes on google), or a daily/weekly email with a compilation of everything that popped up during that timeframe.

I set mine to as it happens so that I get the most up-to-date information and can make the 48 hour window that Examiner requires for items to be considered newsworthy.

Tip:  Make a separate email folder for google alerts and use filters to direct emails directly there.  Google alerts on some topics might generate numerous emails a day, and it will be much easier to find and filter through them if they're contained in a separate folder.

Social Media

I mentioned social media sites in a post about how to find ideas to write about, and you can take the information therein and apply it to newsworthy articles as well.  If you're a celebrity writer, use interest lists on Facebook and lists on Twitter to watch for your favorite headliners to post something that might be worthy of an article.  The Facebook post or Twitter tweet with the timestamp is suitable as a source to show that you're reporting within the 48 hour window that Examiner requires for news.  Everyone and their dog has a Facebook page (including my own dogs!) and Twitter account, so you should be able to find all sorts of interesting things to write that would be considered newsworthy.

Still Not Convinced?

To show that you can indeed write newsworthy articles on just about any topic out there, I'll use my own articles as proof.  One of my Examiner titles is for crafts and I write a lot about crochet, since that's one craft that I know a lot about.  I have google alerts set to email me whenever the words crochet, knit, and knitting index as news on google.  None of these topics would be considered headline news, but I wrote and published these articles after receiving google alerts, and they do fit the parameters that Examiner has set forth for an article to be deemed as newsworthy:

Nebraska teen crochets through arthritis pain to help others
Norway's 'Slow TV' to feature 5-hour knitting contest
Third annual Stitch 'n Pitch scheduled during Fort Wayne Tincaps Game
Giant knitting needles and crochet hook to beat Guinness World Record

If I can write news about crocheting, you should have no trouble finding newsworthy topics to write about for your own Examiner title(s).

~ Marie Anne

Tips for Examiner Writers: Finding Article Ideas

(Photo by Ed Yourdon)

(These tips will be helpful to all article writers, not just those who publish on Examiner)

Keeping your Examiner title(s) updated with fresh content will give a boost to the rest of your portfolio within that title, but as with any other form of writing, ideas can dry up from time to time.  You can get ahead of any dry spells by knowing where to look for new ideas on topics that you write about.  Social media sites can provide fodder for any subject, so make sure to utilize them to your advantage.

Facebook

If you're on Facebook, like and follow pages on topics that you write about.  You can add each topic area to a separate interest list and refer to the feed for that list instead of having posts from those pages get buried in your regular newsfeed.  Click to see more in-depth instructions on how to create and utilize interest lists on Facebook.


Google+

Similar to Facebook, you can sort through posts on Google+ by creating circles for each topic that you have an interest in.  When you find pages that you want to follow, add them to the circle(s) that you've created for that subject matter.  Clicking to look at the circle you're concerned with at that time, you'll be able to tune out general posts that might be cluttering your page/feed.

Twitter

Twitter by itself is extremely difficult to follow for anyone who is following more than a handful of people.  A third party app can sort your Twitter feed into a much more manageable tool.  I like HootSuite, where I can add names to lists, then make separate streams based on those lists, or hasthags, or any number of other parameters.  If I need an idea for an article about a particular TV show, I can refer to the feed for the list I created that might include certain actors I follow, television networks, and even hashtags associated with that particular show. Glancing through that Twitter feed is sure to spark something to write about.

I'll be writing more posts with tips for article writers, so keep an eye on this blog.  If you have any questions about writing for Examiner, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to address it in a future post.

Not writing there yet?  Click to get started writing for Examiner!

~ Marie Anne

Do you write on newsy topics?  Social media and other tools can help you find newsworthy topics to write about.

How to Use Pinterest to Promote Your Business

Putting your work on Pinterest is a great way to get it in front of large groups of people you might not otherwise have access to.  Every time someone repins a pin, the reach gets wider, and there's no limit to how far it can go.  But how do you utilize Pinterest to the maximum advantage?
We're all visual creatures, so having a great photo to pin with your work is key, whether it be a craft project, or your writing.  If your article doesn't already have an eye-catching photo worth pinning, you can pin it using another photo very easily.  If you have a blog on Google's Blogger, it's a cinch to add a pin it button to your post so that others can share it for you too.

There are many tips and tricks to maximize your reach on Pinterest, how to attract more customers, how to make your pins more appealing, etc., and Melanie Duncan is offering them to you at no cost.

The founder of Entrepreneuress Academy, Melanie is providing a free webinar class to teach you how to use Pinterest to advance your business and reach more customers and readers.  The webinar will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6-8, 2013 and there is no cost to sign up.  With an early morning and evening time slot available over all three days, there's no reason not to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Using Pinterest in the most basic sense is simple, but by using the power of pinning, you can make every pin count.

~ Marie Anne

Like this post?  Feel free to share it.

So You Want to Write Children's Books

If you're a writer, you're probably no different than the rest of us and have thought about taking your keyboard off into different directions.  Article writing might pay the bills, but perhaps you've always thought about delving into fiction, or if you're already a fiction writer, you might have wanted to switch gears and try a different genre.  Have any of us NOT thought we'd be great at writing children's books?

Sounds easy, right?  Kid's books are generally shorter than adult novels, and they don't need big words, so those things alone should have us pumping out children's lit at lightning speed, no?

No.

I'm finding out that there's a lot more to writing books for kids than I ever would have thought.

I'm the type that gets an idea in my head to do something and then I want to do it.  Now.  Little research or forethought, just jump right in with both feet and make it happen.  As you can imagine, I rarely have any amount of success when I take on a project in that manner.  So ... I thought I'd like to try my hand (fingers?) at writing some form of children's fiction, and since I honestly know nothing about where to start, I'm doing a little homework.  There's hope for me yet!

In one quick search this morning, I've already found a valuable tool that I think will help me along this path, or perhaps make me realize that this isn't the road I really want to take after all.  That site is Children's Book Insider at writeforkids.com.

I'm not getting paid to plug Children's Book Insider, but after just a short time poking around this morning, I can see where I'll be spending much more time there, and thought others might benefit from taking a peek too.  Everything I've seen so far is free, but I can't say for certain that there aren't things that they'll encourage you to purchase down the road, but I haven't found that to be the case yet.  Already I've downloaded an incredible eBook filled with information on how to get started, with links to videos that are just as helpful as the text.  I'm tickled that within the first seconds of my researching, I landed on something that has it all.

If you've ever thought about writing children's books, or even if you've already started out on your own, you WILL learn something at CBI ... guaranteed.

Happy writing!

~ Marie Anne

Free Book Every Freelance Writer Needs

Whether you're an established freelance writer or just thinking about testing the waters, Managing a Freelance Writing Business: A Writer's Guide to Building a Strong Company should be a part of your library.  Not only is Angie Mohr well known in the field of freelance writing, she is also a Chartered Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and management consultant -- titles she marries splendidly in this book.

Angie is offering Managing a Freelance Writing Business  to her readers as a free download from Saturday through Monday, September 29 - October 1, 2012.  Don't miss this opportunity for not just any old free eBook, but one that will help you save time and money as you pursue or advance your career as a freelance writer.

Mohr shares her financial expertise in a variety of books that teach financial responsibility, basic bookkeeping, and provide tax help for those working from home.  See the full list of titles available at Angie Mohr on Amazon .

~ Marie Anne

On Writing Fiction

I've been writing articles for internet publication for a while now, but have recently been toying with the idea of dabbling in fiction.  I read a lot of fiction, but haven't the foggiest idea how to go about writing it, so decided I'd best start off with some basics before I get too ahead of myself.

While searching for some tools on how to write fiction, I came across this great deal on Writer's Digest - On Writing Fiction is available for a mere $5 (regularly $14.99) through Sunday night, June 24.  You might have to sign up to be a  member at Writer's Digest first, but it's well worth it as the site is chock-full of tips for writers of all genres.

If you miss out on the special $5 deal this weekend, you can still purchase the book through Amazon.com at a decent price.

How to Choose a Pen Name

In a previous post, I mentioned a few reasons why writing under a pseudonym might be a better option than using your real name.  But how do you choose a pen name?

I'm toying with the idea of dipping my pen into a different color of ink to write fiction - perhaps flash fiction or short stories - but don't want to mix my article writing with other forms.  Writing fiction under the name of an alter-ego will allow more freedom to try various genres (and will also preserve my given name from being further tainted should I totally suck at fiction).

While trying to come up with a name that suits me, several tips came to mind that might be helpful to others trying to decide on a nom de plume.

• Make a list.  It doesn't matter if it's on the back of an old envelope, or in a text file, but write down every name you like.  Make separate columns for both first and last names that tickle your fancy, then mix and match the names from both columns, using a third column to write down the various combinations of first and last name together.


• Steal from your kids.  I'm assuming most people like their kids' names because they chose them.  Can you use various forms of their names as first or last names?  My sons first and middle names are Brian Douglas and Paul Daniel.  I could easily use any one of those four names as first or last names, so there are several possibilities right there.  Did you pick out a baby name that you never had the chance to use?  Become that child you never had.  I had names for girls picked out but was blessed with two sons, so I might consider using one of the baby girl names I liked.


• Think pets, locations, occupations.  If you have pets, you could combine various forms of their names, or use a job title, or even the name of the city or street where you grew up for inspiration.  I lived on Dudley Street for the first 18 years of my life, and Dudley would work as first name for a man, or the last name of either gender.


• Do you need a sex-change? There is no rule that says if you're a woman that you have to choose a woman's name, and vice versa.  If you want to write a suspense or mystery novel but think it would be easier to market as a man, choose a masculine pen name.  Alternatively, if you're a man who wants to write about relationships or fashion, you might feel more comfortable writing it as a woman.  Of course there's no reason you can't write about anything you'd like as either a man or woman, but for marketing purposes, a nom de plume suited for one gender might work better than the other.  

Using these practices, come up with several of your favorite names, then walk away from it for a while before making the final decision.  There might be a reason one or more of your chosen names wouldn't be suitable after all.  I'll cover that in a later post.

Keep Content Fresh for Best Search Engine Placement

With massive overhauls in google's search algorithms in recent months, many article writers and bloggers are taking big hits in the pocketbook when content that previously ranked well is now buried on page eleventy-seven.  There's been a lot of speculation about how and what to write to get back into the running again, and fresh content is one of the topics that keeps popping up.

After what I saw this evening, I believe fresh content is key.

Setting Writing Goals and Meeting Them

Do you set goals for your writing?  Is there a dollar figure you strive to earn each month, a word count total, or number of articles each day or week that you hope to attain?

Setting goals can help you be more productive, but make sure they're realistic.  You want to stretch yourself, but you also don't want to set yourself up for failure right out of the gate.  Setting the bar too high is a recipe for disappointment, so take a look at your past performance and adjust from there.  If you currently write an article each day, you might stretch that to 10 articles a week.  If you find you're able to do that easily enough, you can always up the ante.

Free eBook - Write That Book Already!

A must read for all published and would-be novelists, Write That Book Already!:  The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now is available free today in eBook format.  Amazon lists 10 reviews, eight of them receiving five stars and the remaining two rated at four stars. Editorial reviews listed on the site give just as glowing a report.

Don't have a Kindle reader?  Download the free version from amazon and read from your computer.

Blog Post Title SEO

When writing your blog post, it's important to think SEO when creating the title, but choosing key search words may not be enough.  If you look at the URL of any of your blog entries, you’ll see that the title of the post comes after the blog name; that’s how a search engine will read it unless you tell it to do otherwise by changing the title tags.

You probably know to ‘front load’ the more important keywords that people will be searching for, but the name of your blog post appearing before your carefully chosen title will steal some of its thunder.

Free eBooks for Writers

To me, reading for pleasure doesn't include a computer, eReader or any other electronic device, but when I realized that I could download the Kindle app for my PC for free, I jumped on it.  Besides the free app, I was able to download  from a list of over 1,000 free eBooks of all genres, several of them specific to the world of writing.

Here's a small sampling of free eBooks about writing that cost only a few minutes of my time this morning:

Readability Tests

Do you wonder if what you write is easy reading for the general public, or whether you’re writing over their heads? You can find out with just a few easy keystrokes.

Practice Your HTML With Practiceboard

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If you're like me and know just enough html to be dangerous, practiceboard.com can be your friend.

Practice Board is a very simple tool that allows you to type your html code into a box that will show you exactly what that html translates to, how it will look when published.  

Whether it be a simple email signature line with a link to your site, a custom widget you're making for your blog, or an entire web page that you're redesigning, you'll be able to see what it will look like live before actually hitting that enter key to publish it.

There are no complicated instructions for practiceboard, in fact, no instructions at all; just insert your html into the white box and click on  see html and watch your creation appear before your very eyes.

If you dabble in html at all, Practice Board is a handy tool to have around.

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on (hopefully) all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

Giveaway of Stephen King's Book, On Writing

According to many of my freelance writing friends, Stephen King's Book, On Writing, is a must-have for anyone putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. A conversation about the book came up again just yesterday and I vowed to purchase it today before it slipped my mind again.

As I was looking for freebies and giveaways for one of my other blogs this morning, I came across one that would be a better fit for this blog.  Christine over at The Writer Coaster is giving away a free copy of - you guessed it - Stephen King's On Writing.



To be eligible for the book giveaway simply follow Christine and leave a comment on  her blog.  If you don't win, you can buy the book at Amazon.com by clicking the widget above.

I'm going to hold off on buying the book until the contest is over, but if I don't win, someone better remind me again to make that purchase.

Don't forget - the contest ends today.  Good luck!

Why Every Web Writer Needs Google Alerts

There are many tools of the freelance writing trade and one of my favorites for the web writer is Google Alerts.

Google Alerts will tell you when your article or blog has been indexed (meaning it shows up on a google search), where your work may be linked to on other sites, and also if someone is using your article or blog post without your permission.  Using this tool will alert you within minutes of any of those instances occurring, rather than you having to continually look for your work by doing manual searches of your own.

If your article isn't indexed, there are things you can do to help it get picked up when google crawls.  If someone has stolen your content outright without proper accreditation, or used it in violation of copyright law, there are steps you can take to get proper credit with your byline and a link to the original article, and possibly payment for usage rights.  Without knowing where your article or blog post appeared,  you won't be able to take those steps in righting a wrong. Google Alerts can help you be proactive in protecting your work.

Read more about how to set up a Google Alert.

Web Writer's Library 'Must Haves'

Online freelance writers have a wealth of tools at their fingertips, but many also have hard-copy books that can be dog-eared and highlighted for easy reference. What does your print library look like?

Tools I have bookmarked online for frequent use are a dictionary, thesaurus and a few English and grammar sites, but I really don't have a print library of reference materials for the writer.  I've read The Yahoo! Style Guide online and plan on purchasing the more extensive print version (if I don't win one in the contest) and wondering what other sources of information would be worth a small investment to the web writer.  

Which books do you refer to most often?  Are there other updated online writing style guides that you find helpful?  What are the 'must haves' that should be in every online web writer's library?