How AC Can Improve Your Writing

Information-driven articles instead of opinion pieces
Many Associated Content Producers come from the world of blogging, and to slightly alter a lewd (but true) cliché, blogs are like opinions; everybody has one. But the content of a great deal of blogs deals with minutiae that is rarely, if ever, newsworthy and more appropriate for as a journal entry or a rant to share with a few friends. By placing the focus on informational pieces that are both topical and of potential interest to large audiences, AC encourages writers to thinking beyond their own opinions and experiences.

Writing for an audience
Many writers, especially beginners, make the claim that they write "for themselves." Call it fear of success or fear of failure, but I think it's a copout. Writers write because they have something to say. Why write for ones self and then put it on a blog or website and watch the hit counter? Knowing one's audience is one of the fundamental rules of writing, no matter what genre. Writing for AC forces the writer to start to think about who the queston: who is the reader?

Use of keywords
This is a fact of life about writing for the Internet. If you want to draw attention to your articles, you will leave no stone unturned in using keywords. This is just a tiny leap from the age-old writing axiom about "finding the right word(s)" Brainstorming for keywords can actually open new directions for the article that the writer may not have originally considered. Examining he keyword density of my 10 New Years Resolutions for George Bush game me the idea for "7 Things You Never Knew ABout Saddam Hussein."

Exposure
Posting on AC can open up a world of opportunities to reach new audiences that is not available in the vast ocean of blogs or on personal websites. For example, a piece that I originally wrote for my website was re-posted on AC and ended up being an editor's pick. In one day, the article got as many hits as it had in three years. With blogs and websites, you never know when an editor might stumble upon your work. But AC content managers are there all the time, looking for the next article to feature.

Being concise
Let's face it: AC is great, but you don't want to spend hours and hours researching and writing a piece that's going to pay you less than $20. For writers who tend to pore over every word, the limited pay is a reminder to keep it tight, but it's also just enough incentive to get the article done instead of leaving it in draft form. Also, the suggested story lenght of 500 words is ideal for Internet readers, many of whom are at work and don't have too much time to spend on lenghty articles.

The habit of writing
What content producer wouldn't agree that AC is addictive! Ever since I started submitting articles, my mind has been racing for the next good idea. And who doesn't love those emails from Miguel?!? The payment is incentive enough to make writers set quotas for how much content they intend to deliver- be it per day, per week or per month. In my estimation, setting such specific goals for a blog or website is unheard of!

Networking
Any time writers can fellowship with other writers, it's a good thing. There is a strong mix on AC in terms of geography, age, race, gender and level of experience. And we all have lots to learn from each other.