Many social bookmarking sites have avid writers on a variety of topics. For you serious writers there are ways to get your articles published for free. You sign up for your account at an article directory at no cost, then you can submit your article to the directories. These directories are used by webmasters, ezine writers and newsletter publishers for content. The publishers and webmasters have to have new content all the time for their product and it is not feasible to write it all themselves, so they use to the Article Directories to get free content.

So if they publish an ezine about gardening they will scour the directories for content. If you have written an article on gardening and submitted it to the directories in the gardening category, the publisher sees it and uses it in the ezine. You will not be paid but there are benefits for you. First your work will be out in front of more eyeballs, which is very beneficial. But there is a second reason this has become so popular. Let's say you write articles on gardening because you are promoting a website that you own and you want to let people know about.

Here is how it works. At the end of the article there will be a Resource Box. In that box you print a short bio of yourself and then add links to your website(s). Three links only, anymore than that and the directory won't print your work. If the publisher puts you in his ezine, you now have "free advertising" that will be seen by all of his readers.

There are some steps you will need to take. When you write your article, first you write the "Title" and then the "Author's name." If you want you can add a URL to a photo of yourself. Supply an email address where you can be contacted (this doesn't go out to the general public it is for the directories use only). Now for two important steps, Keywords and a Summary, both are essential in article writing. Keywords (Some sites call them tags) are words that you have used in your title and throughout the body of the article. If you write an article about "Making Herbal Vinegars" obviously that will be in your title and throughout the main article. Keywords are typed in a line and are separated by commas.

A summary is a synopsis of the article so that the publisher can tell at a glimpse if your article is something he wants to use. Get as much of the flavor of the article into this.

Next is the article followed by the resource box.

So essentially this is how you do it:

Title:
XXXXXXXXXX

Author:
Mary Hanna

URL to picture:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Email:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keywords:
XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXX

Body:
XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the end of the body you should insert a copyright notice. Here is the one I use:
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Copyright © Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

-------------------------------------
(Don't use the lines; I just did it so it would stand out).

Immediately after that is the Resource Box, where you get to place your links to the websites you are promoting.

The usual publishing rules apply; only publish your own work. The directories check all submissions so don't try to sneak someone else's work by. If the name of the author doesn't match the name in the resource box it won't be published. A typical article is 500 – 1500 words. Never put any links in the body of the article, it then looks like blatant advertising. Always choose a category that applies to your subject. It is silly to write an article about gardening and publish it under technology. Make sure there are no grammatical errors or misspellings, publishers don't have time to edit your work. The best way to test your work is to print it out and then read it out loud; you will be amazed at the errors you will pick up when you follow this tip. No directories will accept articles full of hate, bigotry, or sex.

Always submit to quality directories such as ArticleBazaar.net or EzinesArticles.com. There are many good directories out on the web. When you are first starting out just publish to a few of them. Later on you may want to purchase software that will enable you to automatically publish at many directories sites at once. I wouldn't do that until you see how this method works for you. Most directories review your submission within a few days and then send you a confirming email that you have been published.

If you have a home based business that sells products this is a great way to get exposure. Give it a try; you've already published your article on Gather or de.lil. cious or Digg It, this is just a second step.

Good luck.

Copyright © Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna writes eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.GardeningHerb.comhttp://www.GardeningHerb.com and http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
For more information on Instant Article Submitter please go to: http://www.FastArticleSubmit.com