Article directories are one-way places on a web site where the site's owner lists their articles. Here you can read the articles and sometimes these articles are available as free or paid content for publishers.



Article banks are two-way web sites or pages within a web site. They are places where authors "deposit" articles to invest and where lenders "take" the article to use. The "interest" someone pays for using an article consists of a bio or resource box. Each article bank site includes guidelines for authors and potential publishers. Authors retain first rights - retain ownership - to articles placed on article banks. Some article bank sites publish ezines that include recently submitted articles, ad swap requests and/or an "articles wanted" area, too. You'll find 10 article bank web sites listed below.

For Business Owners

Article banks are a way to advertise your business and gain link popularity, ezine subscribers and new clients. At the end of each of your article, place a 5-6 line bio, with a link back to your web site!

For Authors

Are you a new writer? Gifted writer? Business owner who enjoys writing? Writing can be an excellent way to market services or products with little capital outlay. Articles posted to an article bank include a short bio (sometimes called a resource box) about the author. This would include a copyright year, the name of author, and a link to the author's web site at the end of each article. Some article bank sites or publishers may request an authors' picture and/or logo, too.

A few words of caution for authors.

--Never give blanket permission to anyone to use your articles. Not an article bank, web site or author.

--Instead, set boundaries and your articles will appear in places you'd enjoy visiting. When someone requests to use your article, check their web site or request a copy of their ezine. If you don't like the web site, the product or whatever - remember to say "no"!

--If you don't always catch your own writing mistakes consider hiring a Virtual Assistant or Copywriter to assist you with proof reading, submitting articles, or even keeping track of places your article appears.

--Place your articles on your web site as a way for your potential clients or publishers to get to know you better. If you provide your articles for free, make sure that your bio includes a link to your web site or ezine information. Also include an easy way for anyone to request permission to use your article as text or to copy the code directly from your web site (if you allow that).

If someone wants to use your article and they'll receive compensation, you deserve compensation, too. Money, ad's in newsletters, paid membership, yearly subscription, a copy of an e-book for you to use and send your clients, these are all ways for you to be paid. If the way someone suggests you'll be paid, doesn't agree with you, well, here is another place you can say "no".

For Publishers

Article banks are for you if you don't enjoy writing or are looking for some extra content for your ezine, magazine, web site, e-book, etc. With the permission of an article's author and sometimes the article bank owners themselves, you will be provided with free content. In return, the author will provide you with copyright information, a brief bio and link to their web site. Many of the sites below contain both article banks and ezine directories. When you visit article banks, look for the other services that the site owner provides for you as a publisher and utilize the other helpful services, too. If you find yourself using an article bank over and over again, consider providing a link from your site to their site - maybe on a "recommended links" page. It's an excellent way to thank the site owner for providing such a valuable resource.