Proofread - Even the most talented writers make mistakes. I find typos in just about every article I write but I proofread every one before submitting. Many article directories will deny your article if it contains misspelled words or improperly composed phrases. It is a good idea to write your article in a word processor such as Word and utilize the spell check feature.



Minimal Links - Some directories allow you to insert links into main keywords of the article body. This is ok as long as you do not insert too many. When publishers are searching for articles to post on their site or e-zine the number of outgoing links is one of the things they look for. They may find an article they really like but they will not publish it if there are a lot of links in the body. It is best to just utilize the signature block, authors area of the article to insert the link to your site.

Advertising - Most article directories will not approve your article if you blatantly advertise your site or service. If you think it could be perceived as personal advertising then do not do it. This includes placing your web site link in the body of the article.

Hard line breaks - These were acceptable in the past but not anymore. You may find a directory that accepts this but it is unlikely. A hard line break occurs when you have one or two line sentences. Authors want to do this because it is supposed to be more readable and the reader is more opt to read the entire article. The reason this is not acceptable anymore is because it just looks bad and unprofessional. To play it safe, write your paragraphs with at least three lines per paragraph.

Indenting - We are not in school anymore so do not indent. Although indenting paragraphs is known to be the standard for most magazine articles etcetera, it is not the standard for article directories. Just start your articles at the far left just like this article.

Above are just a few tips you can use in order to get your articles approved so publishers can post your article and links on their site. If you follow these guidelines you cannot go wrong with most article directories. You may run into some directories that allow some things I frown on but for the most part article directories go by these guidelines.