5 Dynamite Ways to Generate Ideas for Parenting Articles

The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the creation of dynamite ideas followed through with professional writing. Here, I'm focusing only on finding those lucrative topics.

Most topics in regional parenting publications are straightforward: finance, parenting tips, health, sports, and education. The trick is to twist them in an unusual way.

1. If you're a parent, what do you wish you knew about a topic? Write down questions that you have as you go through the day. When I was driving the other day, I complained to myself about bad teenage drivers. Then I wondered, "What can parents do to encourage good driving?" If you already know the answer to the question, it won't make a good article unless you're an expert on the subject.

2. Take a generic topic and make it seasonal. Choose a season about four months away, because the lead-time for parenting publications is 2 to 6 months. Four months from now is April. What happens in April (or would be published in April) that I can combine with a topic like health? In April, parenting publications start printing their summer guides to camps. What can parents do to make sure their children stay healthy at camp? What are the traits of a safe camp? Change to camping plus another topic like education or finance to create unique articles.

3. Who do you know who has an unusual or remarkable story ? something that affected children? What did the parents learn? Write an article using the anecdote as an introduction to the information you want to give. A great anecdote can sell a story.

4. Visit online parenting forums and read the questions people ask. Use some of these as a basis for your article ideas.

5. When you research a piece and talk to experts, look for what you don't know. "Joe says insurance is important for families," won't make an article interesting. Too many people know that insurance is important. But a quote like, "Joe says disability insurance is the most neglected area of insurance, but it protects young families from the biggest threat to their security," will make parents keep reading.

If you give editors timely articles that readers will want to read, you'll sell your work over and over again.

Terri Pilcher edits a FREE weekly e-zine for writers, "Writer's Guidelines Magazine", that provides 10 fresh, editor-approved, writer's guidelines and useful marketing information. She recently published "MONEY Markets 2005: 101 Publishers That Pay in 6 Weeks or Less". Her website contains the writer's guidelines for almost 200 parenting publications. http://www.powerpenmarketsearch.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Got Lingo? The Terminology Of Marketing With Articles

Every field or discipline has its own specialized vocabulary and... Read More

Dont Buy Your On-Line Marketing Articles From Article Factories

I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More

How To Write A Profit Pulling Article

Having an article published is one of the fastest and... Read More

How to Write Money-Making How-To Reports

This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order... Read More

Bugaboos of Article Marketing in Web Content Management Systems (CMS)

One of the most common blunders by those using article... Read More

Writing Articles

You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More

3 Article Outline Essentials

Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More

A Simple Suggestion to Improve Your Article Marketing

Article marketing is becoming more and more popular, especially as... Read More

Do I Really Need To Write Articles For E-zines?

When I was first advised to start writing articles, this... Read More

Reward Those Who Publish Your Articles!

It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More

Articles: How To Turbo Charge Traffic When Your Promotion Budget Is Tiny

Writing articles for your site and for the use of... Read More

Using Anecdotes - Remember, People Like to Read About People

Okay, I admit it: I'm a keen people-watcher. (Most writers... Read More

An Affable Article

It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More

Niche Marketing: The Power Of Articles

If you haven't considered the power of articles as part... Read More

Article Marketing: Free Speech Means Free Plugs for Your Business

Article marketing works like this. The majority of webmasters are... Read More

Do You Know the 7 Essential Parts that Make Up a Resource Box

The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More

Recycle Your Work

Recycling your work is a lot like doing your part... Read More

Five Tips to Write Winning Web Articles

Looking for another no cost promotional tool? Your fee will... Read More

Advertising that Wont Cost You a Dime is to Write Articles

Search Engines are constantly on the "look out" for freshly... Read More

Writing Articles - Two Aspects Of The Surge

Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More

1 Powerful Strategy To Craft Your Article For Maximum Readership

Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More

Article Marketing: The Five Indisputable Rules of Author Bio Creation

Hey! Who's that I see, typing feverishly as brilliant ideas... Read More

Letters to the Editor: Having Your Say

Writing a letter to your newspaper's editor is a privilege... Read More

Put Your Recruiting on Auto Pilot

Getting people to join your company can be hard work.... Read More

What Posting Articles Online Did For My Google Page Rank In 90 Days

Article Marketing Builds Momentum and TrafficWhen I started submitting articles... Read More

The 2 Headed Dragon: Let Others Publish Your Material and Keep Your Site Unique

Is Putting your Articles in the Public Domain really a... Read More

Creating A Great Print Newsletter

The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More

Top 10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines

When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More

Success Starts with Articles

No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More

Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #2: - John Colanzi

MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More

How to Find Ideas for Articles & Speeches

Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More

Get Traffic to Your Web Site with Articles

It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More

Articles and Internet Branding: 5 Steps to Success

Are you ready to become an internet marketing expert? Are... Read More