Jeff Herring - The Article Guy writes:

Chris I can’t help but wonder if some people are thinking that sets and parts mean the same thing. While the distinction is clear to me, it may not be to others.

The key phrase here is “stand alone.”

One large 1,000 word article can be broken down into 3 or 4 parts, Part 1, Part 2 etc. but if Part 2 makes little or no sense without Part 1, it is of little use.

The same 1,000 word article can be edited down to be a smaller, and perhaps better article, OR broken down into 2, 3 or 4 separate articles that can “stand alone.” Then you have multiplied your efforts.

In my humble opinion,

Jeff

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Saro Saravanan writes:

Chris,

I agree with you that it doesn’t make sense to do an article in parts, but I think there’s merit to doing a “series”. For example, I have a “Family Management Tip #1…” series going, which I think makes sense. It tells the reader that if they like the article, they can find others in a similar vein written as part of one series.

What’s your opinion?

Best,
Saro

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Tinu writes:

Hi Chris,

Hope this part of the year is going well for you…

I don’t know how it is for everyone else is, but for me, I often submit my articles through a distribution service. And it often doesn’t matter whether they do them manually or semi-automatically, but if they don’t allow you to go over a certain length or submit more than one at a time, then all you can do is send one part through the service and come back and enter the rest of them manually or edit them.

Different sites accept different things, but when you’re trying to save time and hit all your bases, sometimes it gets kind of fubared in the middle there. I know this happened to me just yesterday – I didn’t even realize until then that this was one of the sites my distribution sites hit, as I like to enter my articles here manually.

Then on top of that I have to figure out how to make the other two parts make sense because they were originally blog posts. As if this time of year isn’t hectic enough, LOL… anyway, thanks for letting us all know what the preference is…

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Alden Smith writes:

I agree with you, Chris as far as “article parts” but feel that if an article is written correctly, it can be done in a “series”. this is a strategy I employ to get readers to my site.

“Need more Info? Go to blan, blah, blah for a series of articles on whatever”. This strategy works well for me, and one I learned from jason Potash when I bought Article Announcer.

I do not think it is up to the article directory to “keep everything in one place” but believe this strategy works well if done properly…

Peace,

Charlie~

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Tarakananda writes:

I acknowledge your experience in these matters, yet in our situation I find no alternative. I am posting what is actually a booklet in parts. Each posted article is stand alone in its content, yet is related sequentially to the others. Furthermore, I find that these articles in parts are among the most popular of all the articles I have posted.

I would welcome any feedback as to how these postings can be done differently, yet have those who use the articles know of their sequential nature.

Thanks,

Tarakananda

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Tom writes:

Hi! Good site! Different sites accept different things, but when you’re trying to save time and hit all your bases, sometimes it gets kind of fubared in the middle there. I know this happened to me just yesterday – I didn’t even realize until then that this was one of the sites my distribution sites hit, as I like to enter my articles here manually. Yesterday has bought toyota car to itself. Successes by all!

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Russ Reina writes:

You say:

“If your article is in parts and we have no mechanism to associate the parts, the viewer of your article is stuck with the problem of having to go find your other parts.”

In my read of your site, interest in a writer will bring you, either through a search or by links, to the writer’s output on your service, which has a complete listing of the author’s articles.

That allows the viewer who, attracted to the work, wants to learn more of what the author has to offer to find other articles by him.

That’s the name of the game, no? The reader becomes interested in the author and is drawn in to their more comprehensive works by one article.

You “don’t” have a mechanism in place to affect this? then why do you list all the articles written by each author on one page?

My interpretation of your site is that it’s a tool to drive traffic to the author. My experience is that people do read and publish what they see, regardless of whether or not the work is in parts.

I don’t know that it makes sense to discourage contributors to build a body of work on your site, as long as it gets read.

Good content draws people to you. Period.

Mahalo,

Russ

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