AC has announced the winners of the 2008 PMA Awards. It must have been a tough process to choose the winners. There are so many great writers on AC. But, they did an excellent job when it came time to make the choices. To figure out who won, read the official announcement on AC:
2008 PMA Winners Announced

Even the best of writers make errors. From typos to grammatical mistakes to run-on sentences, mistakes in writing are common. In internet writing, many writers are editing their own content. This works well most of the time, but we all have our off days. Even a star editor can make a mistake in their own writing. So, how can you solve that? One way is to get a writing buddy.

What is a Writing Buddy?
A writing buddy is another writer whom you trust with your work. This writer also must entrust their work to you. Writing buddies give their final proofread copies to each other to be sure the work is of good quality.

What exactly do writing buddies do?
Writing buddies read over each other's final drafts and make correction suggestions if needed. If both writers also are good editors, there may not be many corrections, but it always is good to have more than one set of eyes looking over a project. It's a great way to ensure quality work is produced as often as possible.

Why Should I Get a Writing Buddy if I Never Make Mistakes?
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. No one is perfect. I'm sure that anyone combing this very post will find at least one (if not more than one) suggestion to make. There always is more than one way to look at writing. Also, like I stated, nobody is perfectly accurate all the time. I have gone over pieces of work several times, thinking they were up to par. Then, after they've been published of course, I've found grammatical errors or typos. Having a writing buddy can minimize the chance of inaccuracies.

How Do I Find a Writing Buddy?
If you're a writer, chances are you know at least one other writer. If not, you really should start networking. Having other friends who write can be extremely beneficial in more ways than just the one listed here. I recommend choosing your closest writing friend for this particular project. Be sure that you and this person can fully trust that neither will misuse the other's work in any way. I won't give legal advice on this because I am not a lawyer. Only you can decide how you should handle the legalities. But, I will say that it can be extremely helpful to have a fellow writer give an opinion on work before it is turned in to the client.

How Many Pieces Should My Writing Buddy Check?
All of them, if possible. However, if you are like me, then that may not be possible. I write way to many articles in a day to fairly have a buddy check them all. You and your buddy should decide on a fair number that is feasible for you both. Once you get a balanced writing, reading, and editing  routine down, you may be able to add to that number.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Part of writing is drawing the reader's attention. If you can't do that within the first few sentences, they probably are not going to read past the first page. If you get paid by page view, that could shorten your profits. So, how do you make your writing stand out? How do you make your content worth reading to the end?

Search Trends
Check the search trends often, preferably with each topic you write about. See if you can find a search trend that is related in any way to what you are writing. Factor that into your content. Not only will this make your content stand out in searches (if the SEO is right), but it will make your content unique. Your piece of writing will be unique because it offers your own perspective (whatever your original idea was), but also mixes in a topic people are readily searching for, which helps draw  the interest.

Be Funny
It can get dull to read things in the same way all the time. Writing a how-to guide? Try inserting something funny that happened to you while doing the task you are explaining. Not only will this keep your reader interested with laughter, but it also will be a helpful addition to your guide.

Be Personal
Sometimes just stating the facts can get monotonous to the reader. Insert some personal experiences in your writing. Even if the writing is not first person, this type of thing can still be done. Try inserting some hypothetical characters in the circumstance you're describing or find a news story on someone who actually has been through it and discuss that in relation to what you're describing. People love to know a perspective through experience.

Challenge
There are many ways to make your writing stand out. These are only a few. Whether you read this today or next year, I issue a challenge for you to try one piece of writing that includes all three of these techniques. Once it's been published, come back and post a link in the comments section so everyone can check out your work.

Since most who read this blog are internet writers, you all likely know (or have some idea) what SEO is. Want to learn more about how to use SEO effectively? Fellow writers are going to be your best teachers. Read content of those with proven performance. Observe the things that differ between your content and theirs. Many writers are willing to help each other out. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

In line with taking advice from fellow writers, here are some great articles on SEO.

Using Free SEO Link Back Sources to Increase the Earning Potential of Your Web Content by Eisla Sebastian

SEO Trends for 2009 by KC Morgan
Writing SEO Rich Content for the Internet by GS Hammack
The Top Five Crucial Elements of Great Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques by Rob Mead
Keyword Density for SEO Writing by BlondieWrites
How to Write SEO Text by Allen Teal
Understanding Keywords and Keyword Density by Yoli P

Article Writer For Hire encourages self-promotion by other writers. If you have an article, blog post, podcast, or video related to the topic, please feel free to post a link in your comment.

Having a hard time coming up with good topics to write about? Here are some things I do to think up ideas.

Carry a Notebook Everywhere
It may sound silly to tote a notebook around every place you go, but really this works. many times, the ideas will find you, rather than you finding them. For instance, maybe you are taking your daily walk. Nothing interesting usually happens on your daily walk, but one day you are walking and happen upon a neighborhood incident that could cause national attention. There's a news story for you. Or maybe you just saw a nest of eagles and are inspired to write about saving the eagles. Either way, write that idea down and maybe even a couple notes and your next writeup will flow smoothly.

Browse Various Online Forums
Have a category you like to write about? Some of my favorites include parenting, disabilities, and home improvement. try browsing (and perhaps even joining) online forums related to that category. Pay attention to the things people discuss. What do you think of the topics? Turn those thoughts into some articles and add some plausible research where possible.

Think of Everyday Life As One Big Story Board
I look at everything in life as something that can be written about. People may not be interested in what I had for breakfast, but if I come up with a really good meal idea that turns out tasty, they might be interested in the recipe. Maybe no one cares about my mundane daily tasks, but perhaps there is something interesting in there that people would like to learn more about. This could be anything from workout tips, to parenting tips, or maybe even how I managed to get out of the grocery store with a meal for six that cost less than ten bucks.

Read, Read, Read...and then Read Some More
Many times while reading, something will catch your attention that can be drawn upn for ideas. Take these little tidbits and put your own take on the topics. If it interested you, chances are, someone else will feel the same.

Watch Search Trends
Follow search engine trends and figure out what readers are interested in. Put your own spin on those topics. Try for something not found in the other results. For instance, if you see people searching for pet care tips and you have a dog that you recently trained to finally sit still while bathing, maybe someone would like to hear how you did it.

Those who have followed my blogs know that I have done my freelance related blogging at FeaturedFreelancers.blogspot.com. I feel it's now time to move that here for convenience. It only makes sense to have all the writing-related content in one place, right?

So, for those of you who were subscribed to Featured Freelancers, as announced at that blog, you'll now have to subscribe to this blog instead. Stay tuned to the sidebar for that info. In the meantime, enjoy!