How to Guarantee Your Article Gets Published?
I got kicked out of Constant Content last week. I hadn’t used the platform in years and thought I knew what I was doing. Nope. I screwed that puppy!
Want to get more of your work published? There are 9 areas you’ll need to master to cut down on rejected copy.
If you’ve ever wanted to make more money from article submissions, then you need to read this short post. That’s because you’re about to discover my easy 9-step checklist for ensuring that your material gets accepted.
And the good news is that this method works even if we miss a step now and again.
Read on…
There was a time when article marketing and ezines ruled the Internet. The once reigning king of the article directories, ezinearticles.com has closed their submission interface.
Although articles can still be read, they are no longer taking submissions after building their brand since 1999. I was one of their expert authors for years.
Your Income Depends on Your Attention Span
That so many authors don’t read submission guidelines amazes me. When I was an owner and publisher of article sites for many years, this was an ongoing issue.
Back in the heyday of article marketing, authors would submit high-quality material for backlinks and promotional links to their offers.
It was a win/win scenario for us content-hungry sites. We needed a lot of content to rank our sites and get more traffic.
Article directories would gain a lot of traffic and receive ad revenue as part of the bargain. That was the quid pro quo between us. Periodically, Google would penalize article directories when the quality of the content became too crappy.
Then, content moderation became more important whenever Google demanded it. Remember, like “Big G”, article directories depend on traffic to for ad revenue.
Now, it’s not uncommon for many of these sites to have a two-tiered system. Some will offer memberships to their authors and allow them some latitude regarding promotion or link building.
They may offer partnership programs to share in subscription fees. Other sites sell content produced by writers and act as a clearing house between content providers and those looking to purchase blog posts or articles.
Get with The Program
Back in the day, new article directories would often accept any article submitted in order to build their content count. The sites with high Alexa and Google rankings are usually more selective when posting to their directory.
Pay close attention regardless of whether you’re getting paid or getting a backlink. ALWAYS read the submission guidelines.
Here are some mistakes authors often make:
1. Failing to follow the format requirements.
Page layout is preserved by word wrapping and HTML formatting. My biggest reason for rejecting articles is when word wrapping applies to them.
Using forced breaks at 60 characters may be appropriate for Ezine feeds, but it does not look very appealing on a web page. Editors can also find it frustrating to remove HTML articles posted on sites with only text articles.
2. Specific software formatting.
The page design and layout are severely affected when you copy and paste from a Microsoft Word document. Text formatting can appear within articles and also cause problems in online forms.
3. Sponsored affiliate links and advertisements.
Affiliate links are not allowed on many article sites and magazines. Normally, affiliate links can be found in the author’s resource box, but some authors insist on putting them in the article’s body, or the article sounds like a sales pitch.
These articles are frequently rejected by affiliate networks. Try to include some useful information in your article.
4. Selecting the wrong category.
Editors have been finding this too time-consuming and will sometimes just delete articles that are placed in the wrong category, even though most editors would just take a second or two to place the article in the right category.
In most cases, sites receiving 50 articles a day or more do not have the time to edit each one and select the category. Choose the most appropriate category when submitting your article.
5. Placing an email address in articles or resource boxes.
Using email addresses in articles or a resource box is not seen as a concern by most editors, but authors should know the issues that may arise. Search engines, as well as mail harvesters, constantly scan article directories for new content.
A website that lists your email address opens the author up to receiving a lot of spam, so it’s not recommended. Also, email addresses change regularly, so you might find incorrect email addresses on the web.
6. An incomplete author bio or profile.
Many authors hurry to submit their articles to hundreds of sites as fast as they can, but don’t take the time to create a decent author bio. Some folks make their bio look either pretentious or unprofessional.
7. Poor spelling and punctuation.
It takes a lot of time and effort for editors to correct spelling and punctuation errors in every article. You should make sure your article is examined for errors before it’s submitted.
8. Word count is too short.
Many article sites will have a 300-word minimum. Most articles under 400 words are written purely to get a link back to the author’s website. There’s usually more value in articles that range between 600 and 800 words.
Some sites may have a long form article limit as well. To help increase your chances of acceptance, make sure your article meets the word count requirements.
9. No organization or consistency in pitch campaigns.
If you don’t have a system for getting regular freelance work, you’re wasting time and losing money. Whether you go for the article marketing agencies or submit stories to online magazines, you’ll need a system that cuts down on repetitive tasks and speeds up your process.
Remember to Perfect Your Pitch
It’s great to go for the easy opportunities when submitting articles, but some of the more lucrative assignments will require you to pitch your idea. Learn how to create your pitch and look for companies that accept submissions through that method.
You’ll need to do some legwork to ensure that your concept reflects the magazine’s brand. I found out about wheretopitch.com during a research project a while back.
You should pitch editors every week. Research the online magazine first. Learn about the audience and types of articles that the magazine publishes. Consider headlines, formatting, style, and voice.
Next, contact the editor or fill in their submission form. Are you ready to start cold pitching? Here’s a free spreadsheet to help you stay organized. Getting into the habit of contacting cold leads will cause a flood of responses to your pitches in your inbox. Your workload will increase tremendously.
I’ve included a free spreadsheet to help you get organized.
You can download the spreadsheet and use it as a starter. It can be used in Microsoft Excel or Google Office. The spreadsheet is very simple to use.
Choose a topic or niche. Do your research. Google can find the most reliable companies in your field. I’ve included 50 websites and links to submission pages in the spreadsheet to get you started.
Then, in Column B, put the address of their website. In Column C, describe your niche if you can categorize it. Does the website have a blog? If yes, write that information down in column D.
In column E, note any word limits. Enter the payment rate in column F as well. The G column records the date of your pitch submission. Click on column H for more information on updates. Keep the spreadsheet updated when logging in follow ups with the prospect (I,J,K).
If you want to build a profitable freelance business, I recommend sending at least three well-written cold pitches every weekday. Cold pitching requires a certain level of consistency. You will always have work once you’ve mastered that practice.
Standardize Your Process
If you have subscribed to the contentmarketingmagic.co pro-version, consult the cold pitch templates for ideas. You’ll even have access to the email templates as well.
One of my favorite places to submit is Listverse.com They will pay $100 for an article with a list of 10 or more unique and fascinating facts. One more important point is that they will allow you to promote your blog or book.
That’s a great deal when you can get paid and promote all in one deal.
There are simple but specific requirements for submission and acceptance. If you follow the guidelines and they accept your work, that’s money in your pocket. Writers can definitely make money online pretty consistently these days.
Use the spreadsheet or some other organization strategy
Staying organized will save you time and make you money. I’ve got a memory like a clown fish so I need all the help I can get (yes, I know it’s a myth). If this system works for a guy like me with lifelong ADHD, it will definitely work for most people.
Staying organized is a great way to keep the cash flowing. I’ve included a link to a spreadsheet that may help. I’ve even loaded it with my top 25 favorite sites to publish articles for cash.
Summary
Article submissions to different sites have different requirements. Familiarize yourself with each site’s requirements if you want to gain more exposure and make more money from your content.
It’s extremely important to follow the submission guidelines for each publication. Always remember that quality comes first.
Now that you know how to organize for content submission, there’s just one thing left for you to do: take action. So get to it, and soon you’ll reap the benefits! For more information on content marketing, connect with me at https://contentmarketingmagic.co/blog
