At the bottom of this article you will find my "sig file". I attach it to every article that I write. As you can see it bears my name, web-site address and e-mail address.

This is not done out of vanity, or a desire to see my name in print. It is done because it costs me nothing. When I submit my article to an Ezine or other publication, I do so on the condition that the article be re-printed in its' entirety.

This means that the company that re-prints my article sends it to their subscriber base, at no cost to me, and even better that the publication considers my work to be authorative.

What do you know, I'm an "expert", at least to the entire subscriber list of the Ezine in question. If I were not an "expert", the publisher would not re-print my article !!

Every time I see one of my articles re-printed, I see an immediate increase in my own subscriber base, as people who did not previously know me check out my web-site, and click through on one or more of the banners there.

The result is a Marketers' dream come true. Potential buyers at absolutely no cost to me.

I write the articles in question for my own use in my "Independence Day Ezine", so I would have to expend the time and effort anyway, and the fact that I can use them as an active part of my Marketing Campaign is a huge bonus.

I recommend most strenuously that you start to write articles if you have not already done so, and make sure to attach your own "sig file".

This valuable piece of free advertising should be attached to every piece of e-mail that you send out, as well as each article.

I can see you sitting there reading this and saying to yourself, "it's all right for him to say write an article, but I don't know how. I've never tried."

It's easy, once you know how.

First open a new file in whatever word pro- cessing system you normally use. There, a nice blank page. All you have to do now is fill it up.

You need a subject for your article. "Marvellous", you say,"I all ready knew that but what can I write about?"

Examine your life carefully and make a list of all your experiences to this point. Here is just part of mine:

I was born and bred in the North of England Started in the Direct Mail business selling collectibles to Soccer fans.

Served in the Manchester City Police Force

Emigrated to Canada

My first real job was driving a City bus in Vancouver

I sold Life Insurance

I ran a tele-marketing centre

I am married

I have two children, one boy and one girl.

I have had my own retail business (Electronics)

I lost the business when I was diagnosed with Cancer.

I underwent Cobalt radiation treatment for 6 months.

After I recovered I was a Business Management Consultant.

Until I had a heart attack, while shoveling snow (stupid !!)

The cardiologist forbids me to work as I could suffer another attack, if I am under too much stress.

I started my own on-line business in Internet Marketing.

I had to do something to retain my sanity.

That's a partial list, it tells you nothing of my hobbies, areas of expertise, likes or dislikes, as I wanted to keep the list short enough that I didn't lose your interest.

Choose one of the items on your list, type it on the blank screen, and then just sit and type out whatever comes into your head.

Keep going until you can't think of anything else to type. Don't correct your spelling errors or punctuation. Don't second guess yourself and re-write anything. It doesn't matter whether all this typing is making sense or not.

When you're finished, save the file and take a break.

Re-open the file and proof-read what you've just written. Check the spelling carefully, and smooth out any awkward passages. Correct the punctuation and spacing where needed.

Congratulations, you've finished your first article.

Do you think I could write an interesting article about sailing across the North Atlantic, from Liverpool to Montreal, via Quebec City, in the mid 1960's ?? Or the three day train ride across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver, on the West Coast ?? Or any of the other facts on my list ??

Could I find someone who was willing to re-print such an article ??

There are tens of thousands of Ezines on the Web, covering every area of human experience. They all have one thing in common. They are looking for, no desperately seeking, quality content for their publications.

When your article is finished to your satis- faction, search the Web for 10 Ezines that cover the same area of interest as your article.

E-mail the editor of each one and inquire if they accept unsolicited articles for re-print. No matter which ten you choose at least five will reply encouraging you to submit your article.

You'll never be at a loss for a subject again. As proof please reflect on the fact that I have just finished an article on how to write an article.

It took me thirty minutes.

Until next time

Martin Cargill

Martin Cargill has his website at www.millionsbynet.com and gives a FREE mini-course at mini-course@getresponse.com This and his newsletter " Independence Day Ezine " are available FREE on an opt-in basis only.

After over 40 years in Direct Marketing, I am trying to come to terms with that "new-fangled" internet. It's a steep learning curve, but I'm getting there. I can offer you the chance to learn from my experience (and mistakes), and the best of the web guest articles and web resources.

capnblack_ca@shaw.ca