10 Deadly Article Marketing Mistakes To Avoid

Yesterday you joined my Free Article Spinner. Hopefully you had a chance to play around with it and even make some good new unique articles.

Today I want to share with you the 10 most deadly article marketing mistakes I see people making these days.

Article marketing is said to be one of the most effective Internet marketing methods, but is it also one of the easiest we use?

Unfortunately not.

Article marketing needs time, effort, and skill in order to be effective. But when it is done correctly it can bring you tons of traffic and of course, sales.

So let’s begin...

10 Deadly Article Marketing Mistakes To Avoid

#1: Grammar and spelling mistakes
No one wants to read an article full of typos and/or grammar mistakes. It is unprofessional and the reader will not take you seriously.

Before you submit your article double check it for mistakes or ask someone else to do it for you.


#2: Your article is too short or too long
A typical article should be around 300-400 words.

A shorter one normally does not provide much information to the reader. A longer one can
be very tiring for someone to follow.

I will tell you how I was able to figure this out in another email. It's probably not how you think. Good stuff I promise.

Just remember to keep your article around 300-400 words.


#3: Poor article formatting
It is common knowledge that readers do not actually “read” the article.

They scan it.

This means that for an article to be attractive to your readers it should be well organized. It should look nice to the eye.

Use paragraphs, bold, italic, headlines etc.

Pictures and YouTube videos can make a big difference too...

Just Make it look nice…


#4: Ignoring quality
Most people when writing an article are focusing on quantity and they totally forget about quality.

Quality is what matters though…

Write quality, unique, informative articles that people will like.

Even if you use my Free Article Spinner to make a new article in 5 seconds. You still need to go back through and use the thesaurus to clean it up and make it read well.



#5: Submit the same article to many article directories
There are many article directories (not all of them) that will accept your article even if it is not unique.

Is this what you want?

It really is not. I will tell you why in a future email.

For your article to bring you traffic and be search engine optimized it should be unique. Search engines do not rank duplicated content. As a result your site will not rank high if you post duplicate articles all over the place.

In fact if you do it too much you can even trigger some Google filters and get your site complete de-listed. Be careful with this.

#6: Do not consider guest posts
Submitting your articles to directories is a nice and easy backlink strategy. But for me it is not the best one.

It is better to find popular blogs in your niche and write a guest post on them. It will bring you more traffic. At the same time it will build your online reputation.

Make sure you are guest posting on Blogs. You can short-cut that process by joining my private blog network. It can give you the faster results you get with guest blogging without having to hunt down and beg all those bloggers to write for them. 

Check it out here..



#7 You write promotional articles
Never forget that article marketing is about building backlinks, gaining reputation in your niches, and indirectly making sales. Not directly makings sales.

Make sure to read that again because it is super important.


Thus, your article should be informative and helpful instead of promoting a particular product.

I will show you how to sell to them in a later email. Just for now know that article marketing is about getting them over to your main website.


#8: Lack of keyword search
Article marketing is a SEO strategy. As a result when you use it you should do your keyword research first. I will show you exactly how to do this later.

But for now just know this:

Try to use keywords, short phrases, and long tail searches.

Pick keywords that have high searches and low competition. This  way it will be relatively easy to rank high in the search engines.

Use long tail pro for this. It is the best one out there.


#9: Submitting too few articles
If you decide that article marketing is your thing then you should understand that you will need to be writing articles regularly.

Do not worry. I will show you a system for doing it so it does not take a lot of time. It can be worked into your regular day. I will even show you how to get other people to write articles for you for FREE.

Submitting one article will not work…

You can take your article marketing efforts to new heights by coupling them with smart marketing strategies like article clustering.

If you don't know what article clustering is just wait. I will explain it all to you.

//////////////////////////// Tip ////////////////////////////////
One of the fastest ways I know to get up to speed on SEO and not get penalized by Google is to just take Alex Bass's SEO course.

It is called SEO Omega.

Alex is the perfect teacher for you if you are just getting started or if you want to learn a few new tricks.

Check out SEO Omega Here


Highly recommended

/////////////////////////// End of Tip ////////////////////////////

#10: Ineffective use of resource box
A resource box is a tool that you should not forget to use every time you write an article.

Resource boxes are used mostly for article directories. They are a spot at the end of the article where you can put a link back to your website.

Your resource box should not only be informative, but also should be a call to action. Most people forget to make their link in the resource box appealing for searchers to click on.

They lose out on a lot of traffic by not doing this.

If you are doing guest blogging or using my private blog network then you do not need to use a resource box. It is much better to just put your link in the middle of the article in a natural spot.

So there you have it. 

My 10 deadly article marketing mistakes to avoid.

Now go ahead put these to use right now. It took me a lot of time and effort figuring these all out for you. 

Put them to work and you will start to increase your free traffic, leads, and sales in as little as a few weeks.

Remember if you want to take the shortcut and post your articles on my Traffic Getting High Page Private blog... then you can get access to it here:

Get Access To My Private Blog Network Here


at your service,


- Scott



PS: This email was all about how to avoid the deadly mistakes in article writing ...and how to write an article that gets you more free traffic.

In the next few days I am going to share with you my private “Cheat Sheet” of where to submit your articles FIRST. That way you can get the most traffic, leads, and sales for the least
amount of effort.

So be sure to keep an eye out for that email.

writing a book tips

writing a book tips

Need points creating a new guide? Perhaps number one creators of these studies bought assist creating a new guide from your guide guru as well as some other specialist. Now you can increase these imaginative guide tricks to generate, complete, as well as market place your own guide at this point.

You know the benefits. The guide will probably really make a difference inside individual's existence. It will help your own target audience manage to get thier troubles solved.

To get going creating your own guide, it is advisable to realize your own book's very hot selling things prior to generate a new term. Resourceful guide tips include learning your own subject matter very first.

Stick to These kinds of 10 Ways pertaining to Writing a new Book for making your own Book Remain out of your Herd:

1. Number your own all 5 favored subjects you want to reveal.

Find the one you happen to be nearly all zealous regarding at this point and you will be for that subsequent a couple of years. Will not generate one more guide before you market place the 1st one.

only two. Define in writing your own subject matter, name, thesis as well as very best crowd.

Once you realize these types of and have absolutely expended a little while understanding these types of in writing, take step 2.

3. Build a guide section summarize.

For each and every section subject matter, generate 3-5 inquiries you can answer inside it. In the future put in a land advantages having gains as well as a very last paragraph to be able to attract your own readers to the next section.

several. Create an obvious guide name by having an viewpoint.

You might have a lot less than 10 a few moments to grab your own readers' interest. The guide deal with as well as name needs to do of which. The functioning name as well as guide name can help you concentrate as well as answer your own consumer's cause of seeking this guide. Just what number 1 problem will probably your own guide resolve to your audience? Consist of your own book's promise-the benefits--in your own sub-title if not distinct inside your name. Which includes the main gains.

5. Create your own Dear Audience Notice in your # Just one Audience.

Tell them the reason why your own composed this guide as well as what it could perform for the kids. It's far much better to generate a new guide aimed towards only one crowd. Consider a new guide sequence with your some other viewers. Book income mature when your guide has a viewpoint. You may think of which everyone may wish to examine your own guide. Far from the truth. Alternatively, decide on your own crowd as well as resolve a challenge for the kids inside your the best way to guide. The target audience wishes distinct, certain facts instead of common.

6. Create your own deal with with your crowd in mind. Private growth folks including aqua as well as tones regarding green as well as salmon.

Consist of your own book's promise-the benefits--in your own sub-title if not distinct inside your name. It really is safer to be distinct than clever, nevertheless the best successful mixture can be distinct as well as clever.

7. Create your own book's thesis prior to generate a single section.

A new thesis can be one time period proclaiming this audience's principal problem/challenge as well as the way your own guide will probably resolve it. Realizing this thesis prior to generate this guide retains anyone on the right track and that means you generate centered, convincing, readable copy. Each guide section ought to assist your own book's thesis. Take "Write your own Chapters in half enough time having A lot fewer Edits. " A new very best guide section name usually incorporates your own thesis as this particular guide will.

8. Go around driving a car regarding minimal guide income: examination your own book's meaning prior to generate it.

Recognize this approaches to select a guide subject matter of which offers. Determine what helps make one guide outsell one more. The guide can be considerable in the event that they have these types of factors: The item presents practical facts. It offers this likely to create a difference inside individual's existence. It really is vibrant as well as amusing. It may help answer essential readers inquiries. The item makes a new more deeply knowledge of human being characteristics. If your guide provides solely a couple significances, it will likely be value creating. Together with several or more, it's really a likely very best owner. Help make your own guide important so you can exhibit your own quest supporting other people to your far better lifetime, as well as while doing so complete a consistent ongoing earnings.

9. Record your own creating aims with this guide.

Which in turn matches your own more-- self creating or perhaps a standard publisher? Look at Art print upon Desire as well as whether these firms may offer that you fair work. Look at creating a e-book very first as well as while doing so as your own print guide. You will need considerably a lesser number of means as well as time to market a e-book.

10. Set up your own guide data.

We imaginative thinkers need to have assist. We waste in excess of one humdred and fifty hours 12 months in search of mislaid facts. To acquire uncomplicated as well as quick guide data collection perform these types of:

Initial, create a master folder with your book's name. Interior, retain an outside apply for every section. Brand every section for making feeling afterwards. Inside these, include your own diverse notices, research, as well as means. Title as well as date every file effortlessly to discover it afterwards. For example, Chapter Just one. Why Create a new Book? -8-20-08. You will be aware what section version could be the latest having brand-new file schedules.

You'll at this point end wasting moment as well as money since incomplete tasks of which don't get contributed, will not allow you to money and obtain your unique term away in your expecting crowd.

Writing a new guide is much easier if you strategy it inside tiny gnaws. Now you can get started with these types of 10 points creating a new guide.

writing a book tips.

15 Mistakes You May Be Making In Article Writing

Article writing can be a great way to drive traffic to your website and to get your feet wet in the writing business. But it's also easy to disappear in the ocean of content out there. By avoiding these 15 common mistakes, readers will recognize you as a competent writer:

1 - Writing in the same style you would use for a novel. People are not looking at your article to see if you're the next Shakespeare. They're here for the information, so give it to them in the simplest, most user-friendly way possible.

2 - Writing like you're texting your best friend. There's nothing more annoying than reading something that's supposed to be in your own language and not understanding it.

3 - Imitating someone else's style. If there's one thing people can spot from a mile away, it's when you're faking it. Let people get to know you for who you are and appreciate you as a unique writer.

4 - Worrying too much about repetition. In traditional writing, using the same word over and over is considered a mistake. However, search engines will never find you if you keep changing what you call things, so don't worry about it too much.

5 - Overusing keywords. Yes, it's the opposite of the previous point. Using keywords just so you can be found will break the flow and readers will get tired of trying to read it.

6 - Using too many negative words. You don't want to depress your readers, you want them to come away from the article feeling that they have gained something useful. Just like in real life, no matter how good the conversation, nobody really wants to spend a lot of time around negative energy.

7 - Unclear writing. If the reader doesn't have an immediate feel for what you're getting at, then the article fails to serve a purpose. Try and keep your sentences short and to-the-point.

8 - Too much "we", not enough "you". The informal style used in this type of article should have the reader feel like he is in a conversation with somebody he trusts. Make it about him and not about you.

9 - Badly organized body. The flow and direction of the article should be clear from the start. If your body is badly organized then your reader will lose interest and move on to another article. If your thoughts are organized, your writing will be organized.

10 - Giving poor quality/out-of-date content. This is just a result of bad research. Before you include any information you are not sure of in your article, make sure that you have a recent source so that you know the information you are supplying is still valid.

11 - Writing the article like a sales letter. The purpose of the article is to provide free information. That is what you are supposed to do with it and that is what your readers will expect. You have your links at the bottom of the article and that is where you do any selling.

12 - Writing long paragraphs. Big blocks of text make you lose interest before you even get started. The content may be amazing, but if it's presented like a brick wall there's not much chance anyone will ever read it. Short sentences, short paragraphs, and lists are the ideal format for user-friendly information.

13 - Not writing consistently. Writing one article will not make people recognize you as an expert. You prove your worth by consistently returning with more information or a fresh perspective over time. Once you become familiar, readers will appreciate your work because they can see you treat it professionally.

14 - Putting the article in the wrong category. If you fail to assign the article to the right category, people who are looking for the information you supply may not find your article. And people who find your article probably won't be interested in what you have to say.

15 - Being a perfectionist. Make sure you write a solid article. Check it for spelling and grammar mistakes, and then just publish it. The truth is, perfectionism is just fuel for procrastination, so you eventually just have to get it out there, otherwise you never will. Come up with a routine and stick to it, whether you think the article is perfect or not.

You know immediately if you have been making any of these mistakes. Keeping a list nearby helps you make sure your articles always come out at their best in the shortest amount of time.

If you find this information useful and would like to learn more about article writing, please visit http://www.profitfromyourwriting.com where you can get a FREE 7-day course in writing for profit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8043078

Technical Writing and Localization

Writers who write technical documents intended for localization need to pay attention to much more than verb agreement and active voice. These writers should also focus on rules that make it possible for translators to match the original document in intent and in structure and minimize the cost of these translations in the process. When I researched articles and books on writing for localization, I did find one interesting fact. Following the rules for localization generally made the document better in English as well.

Some basic guidelines

If you are serious about writing for localization, get this book, The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market. Until you get the book, here are some guidelines to get you started:

• Use shorter sentences. Avoid nested clauses or phrases.
• Reuse or repeat as much language as possible: phrases, terms, notes and warnings.
• Avoid using words that have more than one meaning.
• Use nouns as nouns and verbs as verbs.
• Use 'that' in all those places you were taught not to use the word 'that.' Removing 'that' as we were taught in Freshman English only makes translations more difficult and more subjective.
• Avoid idioms. Favor usages that are in an ordinary dictionary.
• Give clear instructions to the translation agency. Make sure everyone is on the same page.

Keep it simple with shorter sentences

This is always a good writing technique. I have found that when I am trying to write a concept and it the concept just cannot be framed, I probably need to break up the thought into two or more sentences. It is like trying to put 10-pounds of stuff into a 5-pound bag.

Keep in mind that sentence structures, even thought structures, are not the same globally. If you want as direct a translation as possible, do not use a sentence structure that is predominate only in English. It can get mangled fairly easily.

Consistent verbiage

This is a great rule in that it helps the translation, helps the readability in any language, and it saves on translation costs. Obviously, you are using the same words for all of your UI controls or technical terms but if you start most of your interface tasks with the same phrase, "On the command bar, select... " or "At the main window, select... " You have just made the author's job easier, the translator's job easier, the user's reading experience easier, and you will not be paying for as many "fuzzy matches."

This is true for any words, phrases, paragraphs, such as notes, cautions, and warnings, or any consistently repeated and reused item. Repetition also puts the emphasis where it belongs: on the content.

Idioms for the Idiomatic

Some idioms and idiomatic phrases are so ingrained in our culture that we have become unaware that they are idioms. My best recommendation is to become aware. Some examples of words and phrases follow:

• the bottom line
• for the most part
• bear in mind

Also, using a word that has more than one meaning in English:

• 'since' when you really mean 'because.'
• 'figure out' when you mean 'determine.'

Rules for the Translation Agency

Rules breed consistency and they also set up realistic expectations for your translated materials. In most cases, you would not want an interpretive translation of technical material. That means that you want your copy translated to match the form and function of your tasks, concepts and references. I didn't realize how important all this was until a translation agency, a previously reliable translation agency, totally botched the translation of our newly minted DITA XML files. They had done fine with the trial copies and in all languages but most of the completed files had to be sent back for them to fix.

First, they said they could handle DITA XML when they really didn't know what it entailed. Using their translation tool, it should have been simple. Strip out the phrase, check the context, translate it, put it back in, no problem. Right? Oh, and validate the reconstructed file against a DITA Document Type Definition (DTD). DITA has an element, menucascade, that allows you to enter a menu item > menu item > menu item structure.

For example, select File > Print . Some of the files came back with, "Select Print on the File menu." Not so bad. However, some of these were 3-level cascades and they read like spaghetti by the time they were translated. But worst of all, it broke the code.

Another example of interpretive translation occurred in the German translation. We noticed that some of the words were partially rendered in boldface font. We use boldface font for selectable UI controls and windows. The translation agency provided a translation of the Results window like this, 'Ergebnisfenster.' That did not work for us style-wise. We checked other German translations from other agencies and found that the norm was, 'fenster Ergebnis.'

These are just some of the examples of agreements you must make before you go too far with translations. Here are some suggested actions:

• Hire really good proofreaders to review your translated documents against the original English.
• Keep a record of any and all disparities between your expectations and the translated documents. Use this list on every new project with every new translation agency.
• Create a Glossary of terms. This is an absolute necessity for most translation agencies.
• Relax, have fun. This is easy.

You can read more of my opinions on Technical Writing and purchase that book on Global English at The Technical Author. You can also check out my other site for back wellness Old Back Magic.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7586806

10 Elements of Effective Communication in Article Writing

Effective communication is vital to almost anything you do in life. Failure to communicate effectively is the main cause of many of our problems. Writing articles is no exception. When you take on the responsibility of writing informative articles for other people to read, it is your duty to learn how to communicate the right message.

Here are 10 simple points to keep in mind when writing your next article:

1 - Structure. The structure of any piece of writing is always a beginning, a middle, and an end. In the introduction you name the problem you plan to solve with your article and your solution. In the body of the article you break the solution down into its various components and analyze each component in a short paragraph. In the conclusion, you give a brief summary of the problem and the solution, and identify the next action the reader should take.

2 - Simplicity/clarity. Simple, short sentences help get the message across in the most direct way. Clarity is just as important: say what you mean and try to avoid complicated language. It will only distract your reader from the useful information he expects from your article.

3 - Know the purpose of your article. With the purpose of your article clearly stated, you immediately notice if you are wandering off to another topic. You must know what you hope to achieve with the article, and so must your reader. Then aim to achieve just that with no extra fluff to get in the way of your message.

4 - Know your audience. Once you know the purpose of your article, you will also have a pretty good idea of what kind of person will be reading it. Knowing who you are talking to makes it that much easier to use the correct language and to refer to external facts that you know your reader will understand.

5 - Use a positive, relaxed style. If you are moaning, you're not being helpful. The purpose of writing your article is to be helpful, so don't bore people or scare them off. A positive style will always win the most votes. People prefer to be optimistic, no matter what they tell you. It's what allows us to move forward.

6 - Avoid jumbled or multiple messages. Ideally, your article should be based on one specific message, and built around it. If you have another message, write another article. The problem with jumbled messages is that it is very easy for the reader to either become confused, or to forget a part of the article. So you would really just be wasting your time.

7 - Edit your work. There's nothing more off-putting than running into one mistake after another when you are reading something. It distracts you from the objective of the article and you lose concentration. If you really care about your writing and getting your message across, you will also want to present your work professionally.

8 - Ask for and give feedback. In order to improve you need feedback. If your writing is a one-way communication you are missing the point. Ask for people to give you their feedback. Then apply the changes you think will be most effective. And give what you wish to receive. When you read something and the author asks for feedback, try to give them constructive feedback. It will make a difference to their work and to your own.

9 - Practice. Write as much as you can. Go back after a few days and reread your writing. This is the only way you can develop your skill and get a feel for how your writing "sounds" to the reader.

10 - Read. Read all kinds of writing, newspapers, magazines, novels, letters, anything you can get your hands on. Read for pleasure, but also read as if you were studying. Notice how the writer communicates thoughts and feelings and what specifically made them clear to you. Reading is also the research you need to supply useful information.

So next time you write an article, make sure that it effectively presents the information and ideas you intended to discuss.

If you find this article interesting and would like to learn more about effective article writing, please visit www.profitfromyourwriting.com where you can get a FREE 7-day course in writing for profit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8044915

Search Engine Optimization Copywriting: How Themed SEO Content Differs From Regular SEO Writing

Since Google's Panda Update back in February of 2011, webmasters have been moving away from keyword density driven content to themed content. If you're a freelance SEO content writer and haven't started providing this type of copy to clients, you could be doing them a big disservice. Here we discuss why.

FYI, you can charge more for themed SEO articles - anywhere from $50 to $75 per article on the low end, on up to a few hundred dollars on the high end.

Why "Regular" SEO Web Content is No Longer Good Enough

In order to get rid of a lot of MFA (made for AdSense sites) - many of which were set up by spammers just to get clicks on those Google ads - Google cracked down on keyword-density driven content. You know, those short, spammy articles that repeat the same keywords over and over again just to rank high in search engines.

A search engine's job is to return the most relevant, "quality" results to web surfers. And by and large, most keyword-stuffed articles just don't do that. Many are nothing more than general info you can find all over the web - with the relevant keyword stuck in over and over again.

In order to prevent this, in its Panda Update, Google dumped a lot of sites that had this type of content in favor of those that followed what I call their "SEO writing guidelines."

These guidelines could be deemed the foundation of writing themed SEO content. As an aside, I reference Google here because it's by and large the most popular search engine. FYI, the three largest ones are Google, Bing and Yahoo!

What Exactly Is Themed SEO Content Writing?

Instead of focusing a specific keyword phrase, for example, themed web content focuses on a myriad of keyword phrases - in the same article.

Remember, search engines are just robots, they're not human. So, they if they read a block of content with the word "apple" in it, they don't know if you're talking about apple pie or apple computers. And this is what themed SEO content is all about. It helps search engines accurately discern what a piece of content is all about -- and keeps keyword stuffed content from rising to the top of search engine results.

The Difference between a Themed SEO Article and a Regular SEO Article

Let's explain by way of an example. Let's say you write a blog about homemade apple pies and you write a post about how to make an apple pie. Some of the "keyword" phrases that search engines would expect to find in that post are how to bake apple pie, apple pie recipe, make an apple pie, how to make a apple pie from scratch, etc.

See how there are many different " keyword phrases" there are and how they're all interrelated? Conversely, a keyword-stuffed, SEO article on this topic might just have the phrase "apple pie recipe" repeated over and over again.

Because themed SEO web content takes longer to write - and tends to rank higher in search engine results - as an SEO writer, you can charge more for it - a lot more.

Learn more about how to write themed SEO content, Google's SEO writing guidelines and 11 other things you need to know to succeed as a search engine optimization copywriter in 2013.

About the Author: Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words (NewMediaWords.biz), an SEO writing company. In 2007, she started earning $250+/day writing SEO content -- in less than three weeks! Via her search engine optimization copywriting course, she trains aspiring SEO writers how to do the same. You'll not only learn the nuances of SEO writing, but how to start a full-fledged, home-based freelance business offering this service to small and medium-sized businesses. You can take the course online or off (in Jamaica!).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7522486

The Minimalist Author

Back in the Dark Ages of Tech Writing, minimalism might have meant leaving out definite and indefinite articles, you know, 'the,' 'a,', and 'an.' After all, we wanted to sound all technical and using articles made the instructions and information way too understandable, not technical at all.

Being technical also meant never using second-person singular. It just was not done. Too friendly. This, of course, resulted in passive voice instructions that tended to distance the user from the action. That kind of technical writing was also wordy and confusing. Oftentimes you couldn't tell who was doing what to whom and how.

The current thinking is minimalist writing, to be more straightforward, to write all that is needed for a chunk of information and no more than is needed. And, to write it in a clear, direct active voice.

Minimalism unchained

You would think writing minimally would be easier. I mean, you are trying to write fewer words but that is so not the case. When you write minimally, you have to determine over and over whether this word or that phrase is necessary to the information you are trying to impart. It is like cleaning out a closet. You can't do it in one pass at least not until you have written the same types of information multiple times and really start to notice where you have a tendency to pad the text.

We all know about word weeds. You know, using "in order to" instead of just saying "to." I can provide whole lists of those. But what about the sneakier sort of text padding? For example, let's say you are creating the task topic "Changing Sparkplugs on a 1968 Chevrolet Impala."

In the old days, we would set up the context of this bit of information with some text about the '68 Impala and then maybe start the steps with an introductory phrase, "To change sparkplugs on a '68 Impala, perform the following steps," and then proceed with Step 1. We may even tuck some special information between steps 3 and 4 about which sparkplugs to buy according to price, longevity, and specific circumstances. All very reasonable.

In minimalist authoring, each topic is a single set of information and would not allow for anything but that set of information. So in our topic of the previous paragraph, the minimalist would create an overall document, "How to Maintain a 1968 Chevrolet Impala." This document would begin with concept-type introductory sentences we thought necessary to the reader's understanding of what kinds of topics are in the document.

Somewhere within that overall document, we would provide a subtopic called "Changing sparkplugs." We already know we are working on a '68 Impala so we don't need to repeat that bit of information. We also do not need the "To change the sparkplugs," introductory statement. That information is in the topic title. We can immediately start with Step 1. Topic title then Step 1, simple.

Any thoughts we have on sparkplugs or tools that are not directly related to the task itself, go into a Reference topic. This reference topic could be a table of sparkplug brands and which ones to use under various conditions. In addition, that table would be in its own topic, maybe following the procedure or maybe in a reference section with a cross-reference from the procedure.

Voila! You are now writing minimally. However, as I said, you are not done. Continue writing other tasks about Chevy maintenance, all of them and only the tasks, as individual topics. Set all reference information aside in another file that you will sort through later when you are writing reference topics.

When you have finished writing all the task topics, come back to the first one. You will no doubt find that you can extract even more words from the task. Not only that, you will probably find that you only need one introductory paragraph for all the tasks of a certain type instead of an introductory sentence for each of them. Maybe you find that you now want to have two concepts for maintenance: "Maintenance under the hood" and "Body maintenance."

See, when you write topics only, you can change around the flow of the document at any time without having to do a complete rewrite. This is also part of writing minimally, topic-based authoring.

When you are finished with all the tasks, notice that your reference topics almost write themselves. All the reference information is in one place so you reduce the chance of redundant information. You do not repeat the reference information in each topic that requires the information. You write each reference piece once and refer to that information from any and all topics that need that information.

All of this is simpler and less easy than I have made it sound but, with practice, writing minimally begins to become part of your writer DNA.

Rules for going minimalist

Okay, so it is not just writing minimally. Minimalism has rules. Well, they are more guidelines than rules but you should heed them nonetheless.

• Use no more than 7 steps in a procedure.
• Tell the story with pictures, if possible.
• Keep sentences short and to the point.
• Ensure that each step in a procedure contains only one action. That includes steps like, "Select the appropriate value and then select Save." Don't do that. This should be two steps.
• Ensure paragraphs are no more than 10 lines long, even if this means a somewhat arbitrary paragraph break.
• Use active voice. If writing in active voice is not natural to you, don't worry. You can go back and fix your passive voice boo-boos after you have all your main thoughts on the page. That's what I do.

I sort of fell into technical writing sideways, working as a business analyst for Ernst & Young. However, of all the careers I have had, and there have been many, I love tech writing the most. To read more about my love for technical writing, visit The Technical Author. For more on writing content minimally, go to Golden Rules for Content.

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