Getting published on Triond is a snap.  I've been a contributor to Triond for one week.  It is a blast!  It is so easy to use.  I'm having so much fun.  I've had five articles published, focusing on baseball, the debates, and the election.  So far I would rate Triond a thumbs up.

With Triond, all you need is a computer, a few ideas, and a bit of patience.  Back in the day, you needed pen, paper, ink, and eraser.  No more.  Today's tools are the Internet, modem, and God willing, a reliable DSL connection.  Don't forget your camera .

Since I started on Triond, I have watched less television.  That is good.

Since I started on Triond, I have read fewer books.  That is not so good.

Since I started on Triond, my cell phone bill is lower.  And that is very good.

Speaking of money, my articles have yet to earn enough cash to pay off my writing snack debt pictured here.

 

But I have an idea for Triond.  Let's do some effective product placement around the Triond Network.  I'd like to submit M & M's, Samsung, and the authors John Townsend and Henry Cloud as our first clients.  We can call it triondvertising.  Triond, what do you say? 

I feel the cash piling up every time I check my dashboard for views and earnings reports (okay, I have to admit I am a bit obsessive compulsive with the frequency that I check the dash, like checking my email a bizillion times a day).  One day it will pay off and I'll be moving from peanut M & M's to Starbuck's frappuccinos.

I take heart because my writing juices have been flowing.  The ideas for articles are bouncing around my brain, flooding my heart, and surging through my fingertips, into my Dell (whoops, sorry about that, I'm only trying to attract Google) keyboard, and on to your computer screens.

Yes, the key to success on Triond is creativity.

Take the Triond test-drive.  Triond.  Where hope and creativity become content and viewership.  Triond.  Where writers get published.

I started doing this so that I would have time to write those deathless words. Words that are all my own. Those words must be boring holes in my mind somewhere, as I am not contented unless I have spent at least four or five hours a day writing. And another one or two hours typing what I have written. And then another three or four hours editing and building on what I typed. Every day I ask myself why I don’t have time to put words into my own novels. However, when I accept work from a client, I must get so much out, every single day, or I quickly fall behind schedule. My own novels must take a backseat to the business at hand.

But, the words I write for one client are better, and more well chosen than the words I wrote for the one before, and I get paid for doing this. It is so wonderful to be able to pay my bills doing work that I love.

And as I said earlier, I am working in tandem with someone else. Writing is a lonely enough profession. Having someone else to consult with who has a very real stake in how the book will turn out is a necessary part of my work. Knowing that I am delivering what that person wants to see is highly gratifying. And that is why I have not had the time to write my own novels.

Still, every so often I write up another scene, or play with another plot twist. Perhaps there are other good ways to get a story out, but this is the way that I like best.

1) Simplest Format/Template

This is the simplest format to emulate. If you're not sure how an article in the format of a list looks like, check out the way this article is written. It's very simple. You need an introduction and a conclusion. In betwee, you slot in a list of pointers for your readers. For each point, write a short paragraph. You're done!

2) Fastest to Complete

I can write an article using this template in about 20 minutes. Having a limited amount of time to spend on my writing, this is the best way to churn out as many articles as possible in the least amount of time. Try it and you will find that you will be able to write more every day.

3) Easy to Scan

Readers find it easy to scan your article to look for relevant material in your article. By checking out the sub-headings from each point you are making, readers will be able to sieve your article quickly and effectively. It is a great benefit to your readers!

4) Informative

Compiling a list of information for your readers will win their favor. Some of my well-received articles contain a list of useful websites for readers. And they do value and appreciate you compiling those information.

5) Something for Everyone

The best thing in writing an article in the format of a list is that there is always something for everyone. Even when readers do not fully agree with your entire list, there will probably something that your reader will like from it. In this way, you will also gain reputation for providing useful tips to your readers.

Writing in the format of a list may be quick, easy and useful to your readers, but the most important thing is to enjoy it. I love writing in this format. So far I have no complaints from my readers!

I was skeptical about some of these fantastic claims about Xomba. However, I'm really trying to make a full time living from my online writing, so I decided to look into Xomba.com and find out what it was all about. Could Xomba really provide me with that elusive full time writing income I've been hoping for?

Getting Started With Xomba

Full of optimism, I decided to give Xomba.com a chance and signed up for an account with the site. Xomba is a revenue sharing site that is a bit different in its approach than Triond or Associated Content. In order to participate in Xomba, you must have a Google Adsense account (which is relatively easy to obtain.) Sign up for Google Adsense at the website www.google.com/adsense , or register for a new account through Xomba (I already had a Google Adsense account through my blog on Blogger.com.)

Once you are approved by Google Adsense and you have your Adsense account number, you then insert it in your Xomba account. Google ads are then placed on all your writings on Xomba, and you share in the ad revenues whenever someone clicks on an ad that is shown on your Xomba articles.

Excited by the prospect of earning big bucks with Google Adsense, I went to work on Xomba. In fact, I was initially so excited by the thought of earning money with Xomba.com, that I planned to focus a lot of my attention there, and cut back on my article writing for Triond and Associated Content.

I think that was a big mistake, because my experience with Xomba has been hugely disappointing so far. I definitely prefer Associated Content, and especially Triond, to writing for Xomba.

My Experience with Xomba

There are two types of content that can be posted on Xomba.com. According to Xomba, “Xombytes” are magazine type articles of 100 words or more. In my experience, lots of Xombytes aren't 100 words in length and are just excuses to post links to other websites, or the author's own products. “Xomblurbs” are used for social bookmarking purposes; a Xomblurb is a link to an interesting website, blog, photo, or news story, with a brief description of the link and no minimum word count for that description.

I'm heading into my second week on Xomba, and I've posted a few Xombytes (articles) and some Xomblurbs. Each day I eagerly log into my Google Adsense account, and I've had lots of page views, but only one click. That one click has earned me a grand total of four cents so far! It's very frustrating to see my work on Xomba getting page views, and not earning any income on the page views like I would on Associated Content or Triond.

Xomba made a serious mistake in my user profile that will probably drag down my page views and my potential to earn money from those valuable clicks on ads. I noticed on my Xomba profile that my Xombytes are not visible from that page. When someone visits my profile and wants to click on my Xombytes to read more, they are taken to the Xomba homepage. There is no link to my Xombytes from my user profile.

I contacted technical support and they responded that it definitely was an error, and it was being sent to “a programmer to take a look at it.” Meanwhile, I'm losing potential revenue, as Xomba readers can't find any of my Xombytes from my profile page. To me, this is a serious error, one I've never had on any other website I write for. As I write this, Xomba has still not corrected the error on my profile.

Some Xomba members have literally thousands of Xomblurbs that they've posted to the site. If you are going to give Xomba a try and hope to earn big dollars there, then posting tons of Xomblurbs or Xombytes is the way to do it. Also, consider writing Xombytes and Xomblurbs that contain popular tags; those are the hot topics that people are searching for on Xomba.

Getting your Xomba work out there through social bookmarking, and building traffic to Xomba articles should also increase your revenues. In order to earn money on Xomba, you must drive a lot of traffic to your Xombytes and Xomblurbs, and hope that your visitors will also click on some Google ads. Xomba itself will not pay for any page views to your articles, and revenue is only earned directly through Google Adsense. So it's conceivable that you could work really hard on Xomba and write a lot, and not see a dime unless you get clicks on some ads. That has definitely been my experience with Xomba.

In my opinion, I much prefer the slow and steady money making that occurs with Triond and Associated Content, than I do the gamble on earning big bucks with Xomba that doesn't seem to be working for me. While I'm willing to give Xomba a chance to correct the error in my profile, and I'm probably going to continue with them, I'll definitely be focusing most of my future money making efforts on writing for Associated Content and Triond.

 Be it the technical articles, or the general blogging or to that matter, business content on various sites, web publications seem like a career in fashion, pooling different genres of writers. Coming across various writers' profile, you would realize umpteen reasons how they got down to earn with the pen's (or in today's world, the keyboard's) might. Though, since ages, there is no kind of bounding as to who all can take up writing, but with better and more varied opportunities cropping up in this field, experts of every other sector have bowed down to the publishing houses and have taken up writing through their experiences. And then, why wouldn't they, when they are paid tons for their expertise.

Leave aside the pros of an industry, the latest elevators that lead the masses(including students trying to earn a pocket money) to the content writing jobs sites are the pay your bills, earn sitting at home and make money online programmes (you might just name them scams if that sounds better) that have flooded the internet marketing sector. They would drive you insane if you start searching for the best ones on the web, and conclusively leave you on a craigslist or any other job site that would list some opportunities to start with. But as you start working on them, you would realize, it isn't that easy, for it demands concentration, hard work, and loads of research to carve a niche.

This is an article for all the newbie writers and those pros in the industry who are trying their best to get the hang of this writing field.

It sometimes gets pretty unnerving when you realize that you've put in your crazy efforts but still haven't been able to impress many. This is a clear indication that your writing skills need a little improvement since you might be just missing on some of the most essential points while bringing your thoughts on the paper or the computer.

Following apt points would prove to be a boon for those who want a serious career into article writing.

Do not Cluster every thought all together:

This is the first and the foremost point that slips out of most writers' minds. You may have all the knowledge of the work you've been assigned, and the sum of the great ideas popping up there is desperately wanting to flow through your fingers but, stop right there if you have those pangs. When such a situation occurs, you are bound to mess up the page.

• Let the ideas flow, but in a systematic manner.
• Consistently bring the points down and give a lot of spaces in between your lines and paragraphs to keep the reader interested
• Use bullets and numberings to highlight the important points. This will help you keep your reader stuck to the work.
• Use the bold and italics applications to enhance the attractiveness

Avoid exaggeration of your point:

This goes out for those professionals who have been hired by companies to pass on their knowledge of their respective fields to the masses. Considering you are cognitively skillful, do not exaggerate every nook of the point you want to express.

Secondly, before starting to write, consider your target audience:

• If your readers do not hold any experience of the technicalities, preferably use layman's language which will keep their interest in place. If you go deeper into the subject with heavy technical words, they might just look for better options than your article.
• If the web site or the paper is meant for the people having intellects at par with yours, then is the time to flaunt your knowledge and skillfulness.

Any typing error is a path towards being called an unprofessional:

The biggest blunder in this field would be a ‘typing' mistake like a misspelled word or a repeated one. Remember that every sector has experts and newbies. When you tend to make such kinds of mistakes, it will not only forcefully bring a spot on your profile (which can be a permanent one), but also categorize you into the section of those unprofessional writers who have been employed for peanuts.

To avoid such situations, always proof read your work before publishing. While proof reading:

• Try deleting instead of adding words. At the first attempts, we usually fill up the passage with words. Kindly keep the quality as a priority over the quantity.
• Read aloud. This is a tried and tested method and would certainly help you discover those small grammatical errors that you could have escaped while reading in mind.
• Read backwards. This phrase isn't new for professional proof readers as it is the best way to spot spelling errors.
• Delete the flowery language. This isn't for sure a marked school essay to compete for the best grades. Hence, your fancy words may be counted as unprofessional.
• Cut off the excessive and unwanted adverbs. Your readers might not have all the time of this world for your article and hence, just get rid of the adverbs which describe obvious situations.

Therefore, it is advisable that you must stick to the basic structure of an article. Start off with an informative opening paragraph, followed by well divided body and a definitive end. Just remember one thing - ‘Simplicity is the essence'. Have a happy writing journey!!!

1. Triond allows me to publish all kinds of content in any form and any language. I can publish videos, pictures, articles, and so much more.
2. I've met so many great friends on Triond. When I told them I was a new member, they didn't treat me like an outcast, but even gave me some tips on how Triond works and what kind of content gets onto the Hot Content list. In return, I helped them view articles and comment on them.
3. Triond Editors are simply awesome. They really edit your work, unlike AC editors, where they just skim through the articles they receive. Also, Triond Editors are very efficient. Whenever I submit an article, I am sure I will see it published within 24 hours.
4. Unlike other writing websites, Triond allows you to publish articles at your own rate. 
5. Triond allows their writers to fix their articles - easily ONLINE. For example, I made a typing error in my article, and I don't like other people to see it, so I can just fix it immediately. Unlike other writing websites, Triond writers do not need to delete their articles and submit it again. When fixing your articles, you can choose to fix your articles online, or submit the fixed file again. This is very useful when the articles are on another computer.
   
6. Triond is very trustworthy. I have received my payment every month. I like the fact that Triond pays through cheque or PayPal, making it very convenient for writers to receive their payout. The minimum payout is only $0.50!
7. Triond does all the publishing work, but only leaves the promoting work to you. Which makes it so much easier for you, you just need to promote your articles! Tell your friends about your article and they will help you view it.
8. Lastly, Triond pays me for doing something I love - writing. It also benefits me in many other ways - I can improve my essay writing and relax at the same time.

Join Triond today!

I recently had a comment on that article from a writer who was very frustrated and sad about their lack of page views on Triond. This writer was going to just throw in the towel on Triond and seemed very frustrated about the whole situation, talking in a very negative way about not being an article writer.

Reading that comment, I wanted to do a follow up article with a few more tips about how to succeed on the Triond website. In my opinion, just because your success isn't immediate here, that doesn't mean you're not a good article writer. Sometimes success comes more quickly for some, but takes more time to develop for others. I feel that everyone should have their dream of becoming a successful writer. So, if your page views are disappointing and you are thinking about leaving Triond, I hope you'll reconsider that decision.

Read on for a few more helpful tips about how to become a successful Triond writer.

Create an Inviting Profile

I currently write for two websites: Associated Content and Triond. Associated Content lets you fill out a small profile, with a photo, a description, and some links. Triond's profile section for its members is a lot more colorful and creative. Creating an attractive Triond profile is a way to set yourself apart and generate interest in your articles.

When you are on Triond adding friends to your list and trying to make connections in the Triond writer community, I think it helps to share something of yourself in your Triond profile. When you show up on another writer's fan list, and they click your profile and there is no photo there, and a blank space where there should be a description, it's hard to get a sense of that person who has an empty profile.

I like to have a smiling photo of myself in my profile, because it just feels friendly and warm. I share something of myself in my profile description, but it's not too lengthy. A nice photo of yourself or even an intriguing or funny pic like a pet photo, a cartoon, or a nice nature scene, makes your profile seem more inviting to others.

I don't like to add a lot of links to my blog or other websites I write for in my Triond profile. This is because I hope my visitors will click on my articles in my Triond portfolio during their visit to my profile. I don't want to send them away from my profile page to click on some other site before they've had the chance to read my work.

So what works for me is a personal photo, and a brief description about me and what I'm currently working on. The most important thing about your profile is to make it attractive and inviting; Triond is an intimate community where other writers like to get a sense of the person behind the profile.

Write New Triond Articles on a Regular Basis

I just had my best month on Triond yet, and I have to say that I began to rest on my laurels a bit. I slacked off adding new articles on Triond, and I saw my earnings start to dip. The months that I do better on Triond are the times when I'm adding the most new content here on a regular basis.

On Associated Content, there are a few writers who have thousands of articles published at that site. Imagine the passive income streams they must earn, from thousands of published articles. Even if each article didn't earn a lot, it would still add up to a nice residual income for the writer.

Writing thousands of articles isn't realistic for a lot of writers, but the fact remains you will earn more Triond revenue as you build up a body of work here. Only publishing a few articles now and then won't help you achieve your dream of earning an income stream as a writer.

As your library of Triond articles starts to increase, you'll see small but steady increases in your earnings. I have almost 100 articles published on Associated Content, and recently started to see an increase in monthly revenues from those articles, some published over a year ago. The more quality content you publish on Triond on a regular basis, the better your chances of meeting your income goals.

Actively Comment on Triond Articles

In my earlier article about success on Triond, I discussed the idea of building your friend list in an intelligent manner. I talked about adding friends only when you find a writer you enjoy and want to keep up with their Triond articles.

It is also important to read and comment on the work of the Triond writers you admire. It's a way to become part of the Triond community, and can also increase recognition of your own work. This can be a challenge, as far as time, because I write steadily for two websites and I'm considering taking on some new assignments.

I currently have over 1,000 articles sitting in my friend's news feed. I'm not sure I could find the time now to read every one. Since I write on such a diverse group of topics, everything from soap opera, to beauty product and food reviews, to travel in the Hudson Valley, I'm not offended if my friends don't comment on every one of my stories. I'm aware that some articles may be of more interest than others to the people on my friend list.

What I try to do is read some stories from everyone on my friend and growing fan list. Sometimes I don't have time to comment on every one, because I have dial up and my internet is extremely slow; however, I am really starting to see the importance of reaching out and connecting with those on my friend list by commenting on as many stories as I can.

If you are trying to increase recognition of your work on Triond, try reaching out to others here by reading Triond writers you enjoy and leaving some thoughtful comments about their work.

Social Bookmarking for the Triond Writer

I recently discovered social bookmarking sites, like Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon. Getting involved in social bookmarking has definitely increased my earnings on Triond, as I realized I couldn't just let my articles sit there without promoting them.

Promoting your work can be very important to success as a Triond writer. After you publish an article here, Triond offers links that allow you to share your work on sites like Digg. I'm still figuring out the social bookmarking sites, and Triond has some tips about this in its help section. StumbleUpon has been the most successful for me so far, and I'm looking into other sites also.

Other ways to promote your Triond articles include blogging about them, or creating a HubPage or Squidoo lens that provides information on a topic and also links back to some of your Triond articles.

Having a blog or a lens is another way to earn money online, while you promote your Triond work. I like to diversify my writing efforts across a number of websites, that way I never get too frustrated if my earnings are down at one site. So I recommend writing for a variety of websites to keep that income flowing in; I am on Associated Content and Triond, and looking into joining sites like Xomba.

Remember, success as an online writer can be full of ups and downs. Just when you are feeling discouraged and think about giving up, success could be right around the corner. These are a few more tips to put you on the road to online writing success. I wish you the best writing for Triond and may all your dreams come true!

Look at the Site Itself

The site should be relatively free of grammar mistakes, weird sentence structures and spelling mistakes. While this does not necessarily mean that a site is a scam, having these errors can serve as an indication that a site isn't in very good hands. Think about it. If a writing site can't even keep it's site free of these mistakes, how do you think it would be able to judge if that article a writer sent in is a decent piece of work? Chances are, they aren't. They're probably going to accept any piece of work that is half-way readable and try to sell it to unsuspecting customers. If you think that what happens on the customer side doesn't really matter so long as you get paid, think again. That attitude that they are showing to customers could just as easily reflect their attitude towards you.

A good example would be Academia-Research. Their site has a fair number of grammar mistakes and weird sentence structures. They accept badly written work and don't bother about the quality so long as they can find a customer to buy it. On the writer side, they pay writers until they get a new batch of writers, upon which they use various excuses to stop paying the old batch.

Check the Site's Whois Records

On it's own, this doesn't reveal much. However, the information gleaned from the Whois records can be used to verify the site in other ways. Some sites use a fake address. The address displayed on the site itself, the address displayed in their Whois records and them being actually located at the address given. All these three things should match. Another thing to look at is who the site is registered under. In some cases, the site is registered under someone who has been known to operate scam sites under another URL.

Check Out Writer Communities and Writer Scam Alert Forums and Sites

If a site has been around for some time, there'll certainly have been writers who have written for it before. However keep in mind that not all that is said on these communities, sites and forums is always the truth. There will always be disgruntled writers out there who hate a perfectly legitimate site for some reason and try to discredit it. On the other side of the coin, are new writers writing for a scam site who will give glowing testimonials, as a number of scam sites out there do pay new writers for the first few months to lull them into a false sense of security and convince them to continue to write for them. These writers will frequently continue to write after one or two payments have lapsed, naively believing that they will continue to get paid. It usually takes some time, sometimes up to several months, before these writers realise that they have been tricked to write for free.

While not commonly seen in the industry, another trick employed by writing scam sites is the “pay three out of ten writers”, where they only pay a small number of writers the full sum. These writers will give good testimonials because they are being paid in full, even though the bulk of writers for the site are not being paid.

Search the Web

Use terms such as “(name of site) scam”, “(name of site) fraud”, instead of “(name of site)”. This will help to filter out search results that turn up the actual site and you'll be far more likely to turn up discussions on whether the site is a scam. Search using “(name of site) scam”, see how many relevant results your search turns up, and read those scam accounts and judge for yourself whether you trust the person who's calling the site a scam. Sometimes it may just be a person trying to twist the facts. For example, I once read an account of a writer who claimed that he had been scammed by Helium. In his account of the incident, he said that he had written to several titles for a Helium contest and was leading in the contest, and a writer who had written to the same titles and the same contest after him had plagarised his work. And so to retaliate, he spammed the contest titles with one liners and reported the writer who plagarised him. Helium banned him for spamming and the writer claimed that he had been deprived of his earnings by Helium, since he was the wronged party. Hardly a case of being scammed. Just because someone has stabbed you with a knife doesn't mean that it's right for you to turn around and shoot another person with a gun. Unfortunately, not every account of being scammed is as easy to classify as this one, so at the end of the day, you'll have to rely on your judgment.

If you have checked the Whois records for the site, you can also enter the name and address in the Whois records as search terms to see if you find anything. Although these instances are rare, sometimes searches using these terms do turn up something suspicious.

While these are just some of the methods that I use to tell if a site is legitimate, I'm sure some of you will have other ways of verifying a site. Do send me a message or leave a comment here to share them with me.

As I read through articles, I noticed that most were from people who already had great success writing on Triond.  I wanted to read about someone like me, a struggling writer that was trying to figure it out.  Since I couldn't find an artilcle like this, I decided to create my own.  This is post #1, an introduction to the struggle, if you will.  Below are my first attempts to boost readership:

Research

I found some good tips and I've been trying to use them.  My first step was to register on Digg.  It didn't do much for my posts initially but the more friends I gather and the more time I spend digging, the more hits I get on my articles.  I'm going to invest some more time on Digg and see if I can't get an article to be popular.

A few days later I tried Reddit and then I Google book-marked all my articles.  It's only been a few hours since I first tried these, so nothing much to report at the moment either way.  

Adding Friends on Triond

I added over 50 friends on Triond in my first week.  I added some of the "Hot Users" first so I could become familiar with the writers that got the most clicks.  Then I read a bunch of articles from lesser known Triond writers.  If I liked the posts, I added the writers as friends.  Then I added about 20 or so people whose work I hadn't read.  This allowed for a steady stream of posts and articles to be loaded directly onto my Community Page.  Easy access to articles means less time searching and more time reading and learning what does and doesn't work for Triond.  

Trying New Content

In order to see what is popular, and also in hopes of keeping things fresh, I've been writing about various subjects.  So far, I've written about my day job, weight loss, a friend's scary run-in with mono and a list  of tips to get through a bad day.  The weight loss, bad day, and day job have had decent success.  Mono has tanked horribly.  Who doesn't want to read about Mono?  Apparently everyone on Triond.

Future Plans

First: I'm going to post this and hope to get some feedback in the comments section.  Feel free to leave tips, comments, or even to tell me I'm wasting my time.  My feelings are pretty hard to hurt. 

Second: I'm going to write a good bit more content.  Every article about writing for Triond emphasizes creating a large quantity of quality content.  Thankfully, writing articles is a nice way to break up my work day.  It's also a welcome break from my other writing;  I'm attempting to write screenplays, plays, and novels as well. 

Third: Once I get a good body of work, I'll email friends and family and ask them to take a look.  A bit out of order you may think?  Most people send out those links with their first submissions.  Everyone's lives are so busy these days, I'd rather send them a bundle of things to check out at their leisure.  The alternative is to send them a link to one and either do follow up emails or hope they want to check back frequently.  This way, at least, they know I've been working hard.

Fourth: I'll keep you posted. 

A good rule to follow in writing is to always write about what you know and places you have been. You are of course exempt if you make up the location and scenarios, but then you are burdened with separate reality issues.

Sometimes you will be required to write about a location that you have not visited. (If you don't travel, start - writers must travel!) If, however, you are unable to visit the location that is the best choice for your story then rely on your creativity to carry you through. Watch movies, travel shows, read books, and travel magazines. Talk to other people who have been to the place you are describing. Use your creative talent to pretend you have been somewhere and then write what you feel.

Submissions

Only send your story to ONE agent, magazine, or publishing house at a time. Unless told otherwise there are NO exceptions. Some places openly accept simultaneous submissions. In those cases demonstrate professional courtesy by disclosing your submission as a simultaneous submission within the cover letter. I have found it is easier on your sanity and professionalism if you only send your story to one destination and if you receive a denial, then move on. Your communication will be more effective if you only deal with one professional at a time. In addition the advice you receive, if you are turned down, can be incorporated improving your story before your next submission. If you want to "sell" your story in order to get the best deal than the fact is that you must empower an agent to work on your behalf. Know your job. In the beginning your extent of selling yourself is to get your story read by a professional.

Copyright

After you write a story it is legally yours. Don't forget only words are able to possess a copyright, not ideas. Copyright laws are strict and in favor of the writer. I have listed below the website to register your book for a legal copyright. The only situation that should require a writer to purchase a legal copyright is in a self-publishing situation. It is viewed negatively to put a copyright notice on a book that is submitted to a publishing house. Premature copyright of a book will make the book look old, the writer look ignorant, and could logically become a fatal publishing error.

If you wish to write a copyright notice on your story use the following example. Writing your own copyright notice is just as legal as purchasing a registered notice and is able to be changed at the author's discretion:

Example: © 2008 John Mallozzi (current year and writer's name)

Official website for Copyright registry found here.

Writing a Book:

Writing a book involves knowing a personal formula that exists exclusively for each author. The following is what I have learned works best for me. It has taken me four years of full time dedicated writing to learn what works best for me. Only through determined, persistent practice will you figure out what works best for you.

Steps I take: (Never worry about word count until the end.)

1. Handwrite a complete outline of the story from beginning to end
2. Outline a description of each character. I don't predetermine each character's tone, except for the main characters. I allow the story to develop naturally and allowing each character to develop his, or her individual distinctive tones help the realistic feel of the story. It is exciting to read your completed book and hear how each character ended up sounding.
3. To guarantee consistency within main areas of the story and involving important details utilize timelines and drawings. I draw horribly, but the drawings only have to make sense to me. What is important is to provide a solid reference point to refer back to throughout the story.
4. Add details to the outline adding in character and scenery details. I previously mentioned that I view writing similar to painting a picture. Below is an example of what I meant.

Example of how I build a paragraph:

First Draft:

As Jeremy quickly walked through the newly cleared path he heard the bushes rustle beside him. Jeremy tuned and saw the sleekest black cat that he had ever seen.

Second Draft:

Jeremy quickly walked through the newly cleared path that led to the open field where the soon-to-be condos will one day sprawl over the large basin. Jeremy walked to his new favorite spot of meditation embraced in pointless thoughts of bills and an argument he had with a coworker. Jeremy hated working with people he felt were as ignorant as wild apes. Suddenly a rustle in the leaves drew Jeremy from his trance. Jeremy's eyes scanned the ground along the base of the trees as he shifted his steps gearing away from the disturbance. Suddenly a light sound of scratching wood barely broke an audible level. Jeremy's eyes instinctively shot skyward. Sitting in the top of a very large lush green oak tree perched securely on a large brown tree limb was a small black panther. The panther sat like a shadow staring down at Jeremy.

Naming Your Book:

Selecting the perfect name for your story is of extreme importance. If you do not approach providing a title for your book with the same level of dedication as you devoted to writing your book than you are making a grave error in judgment. It is important to know that providing a title for your book with a title that is already in use is not illegal. Be forewarned by naming your book the same as another author's book you could provide confusion to people wishing to find your book. You could inadvertently provide sales to another author. In the end only you will know the perfect title for your book and the decision could be as difficult as the words you wrote in the body of the book itself.

Best Selling Lists:

It is important to remember that there are hundreds of best selling lists in existence. Most bookstores, Internet sites, and magazines have their own best selling lists. Being a best selling author is only a title, in no manner does it mean you are making the most money, or even selling the most copies overall. One author could continually sell numerous books, never making a best selling list, while a separate author may experience a short lived fad placing their work briefly on the coveted list of approval.

Asking for Information:

One tool I have learned that has proved insurmountable is the ability to ask for information. When you are writing a book and you need to research a certain area write a letter to the various book publishers who publish the type of information that you are researching. The worst they can do is not respond, or say no. In a brief letter to the editor explain what you are writing, and what type of information you are looking for. Agree to include a reference in your book for provided material and honor your commitment. You will be surprised how many publishing houses are constantly accepting of advertising opportunities.

Legal Advice:

Most contracts are quite complex and vary in drastic manners. You would be wise to have a lawyer explain to you what you are about to sign. As a writer it's your job to learn the definitions of Plagiarism, Liable, and Slander. If you ever find yourself being sued in any of those areas immediately retain legal representation.

The Average Reader:

The comfort zone of the average reader is an 8th grade level. If you don't believe me research the subject yourself. That is what I did.