Fitting Article Writing into a Busy Schedule
How to overcome the challenge we all face: Finding the time to simply write.
Most newbie Expert Authors fall into one of three categories:
- “I love writing and I write all the time.”
- “I’m a decent writer. I think I can do this.”
- “I am definitely not a writer. Help!”
Even if you love writing and write all the time, the idea of churning out a constant stream of 400+ word articles can be a bit daunting. However, anyone with a good grasp of the English language can be successful in article marketing. You don’t have to be a pro novelist or newspaper feature writer to create brief, informative pieces that will attract readers and drive traffic to your website.
Some writers have the luxury of being full-time writers. Writing articles is just something they fit into their schedule with the other projects that fill the day. For the rest of us, though, it can be a challenge to fit writing into an already busy schedule. Whether you’re a doctor, a lawyer, a realtor, a professional affiliate marketer, or a stay-at-home mom, it can be tough to fit one more thing into your already-packed schedule.
Yet frequency is the key to success in article marketing. So it’s imperative that you find time to write and submit fresh articles every, single day.
7 Tips for Finding Time to Write:
- Carry a Small Notebook with You – Or use your Smart Phone’s notepad feature. Or keep a word processor document open all day and constantly jot down ideas. Real-life experiences are great fodder for new articles. When you do have time to write, just weed through the list you’ve been accumulating, pick an idea or two and dive in!
- Set Aside Time daily to Write – It’s harder to ignore writing when it’s written as a regular event in your schedule.
- Write articles right away when you wake up. What better way to productively enjoy that first cup of coffee than with pen and paper (or keyboard) in front of you?
- Block a “meeting with yourself” into your day and just sit down and write for a few minutes.
- Use the first half-an-hour after the kids go to bed to sit down and write.
- Schedule a full day every month and write 10+ articles that you can publish one at a time over the next couple of weeks.
- Use Outlines – Make outlines of each article before you begin to avoid being sidetracked. They’re especially helpful if your writing sessions are frequently interrupted because you can pick up your train of thought quickly after the interruption.
- Avoid Perfection Paralysis – Write your article. Come back to it later and read it through once or twice. Correct any glaring grammar or punctuation mistakes and make sure it reads naturally. If English isn’t your forte, have a friend edit your article for you. Then just hit submit! Don’t hesitate, and don’t dawdle fixing minuscule issues. Maximize your time by minimizing your need for perfection.
- Make Writing a Priority – Article marketing works. As with any other endeavor, you simply have to be willing and motivated to make the time for it in order to be successful.
- Make Writing a Reward – Treat your writing time like a reward for other hard work. Give yourself a quiet place to write, maybe with your favorite music and your favorite beverage (we suggest Author’s Brew, of course!) and relax into the joy of writing. In other words, run to writing, not away from it.
- Ask Other Authors How They Do It – Or read our blog archives and learn from the successful authors we’ve spotlighted in the past.
What it really comes down to is this: If you want to write articles, you must find time to do it. Everybody is different, so learn to write when you are at your most productive. Make it consistent and get in the habit of writing at a certain time or on a certain day. Then stick with it. Eventually, it will become a habit.
Key Point: Quality is imperative, but quantity is more important than perfection.
If you can make the time to write, you’ll start seeing the returns immediately … not to mention that sense of self-satisfaction that comes from accomplishing your goals and knowing your work is being read by people from all over the world.
Carve out some writing time in your schedule now. Then stick to it! And leave a comment here to let everybody else know what method worked for you.
On Lance’s recommendation, I installed a speech-to-text app on my iPhone. I use it constantly for small memos and longer written pieces. It’s a great way for me to ‘write’ blog posts, articles, etc. during my 25-minute commute. I agree with his accuracy estimation, but think of the text that’s created more as a starting point than an end product. I use it to capture ideas and general structure. Then I email that to myself and refine it in my text editing software.
Besides, some of the inherent typos created by the software are hysterical and worth the aggravation of having to do some occasional editing. I sometimes think the incorrect words and phrases are intentionally picked for my amusement. =D
July 1, 2010 at 9:25 AM[Reply]