I'm not buying. I am convinced that anyone who can serve a client, think and talk can get an article out.

First of all, the getting published part of it: It's 2008. We are all media publishers now, whatever our field. None of us has to send something off to a publication and wait, hope and pray it will be accepted.

Sure, it is still Goal #1 to get published in a known, independent publication. Do it when and if you can. But if you're one of the many who feel that is a daunting task (it really isn't, by the way), just … do it yourself. The impact and results are still considerable.

Do It Yourself means after you've written something brief and simple (we'll discuss how in a moment):

• Post it on your Web site
• Send it by email to your entire database of contacts
• Have someone (your assistant or a college intern could likely do this in his or her sleep) do a simple, attractive design. Print up a batch and mail them out.

Reasonably easy, no?

Articles are a great strategy because they demonstrate your expertise in an area, and they touch on a topic (whatever you choose) your audience cares about – something that affects them.

Now, let's get into the other excuses: "I can't write," "I have nothing to say," and "I have no time."

You don't have to be a writer to do this. You just need a few practical bits of information, advice or insight on your field of expertise. The kinds of things you say every day to clients, prospects and even acquaintances, are the kinds of things that are material for articles.

The job is not to be a masterful wordsmith. It is to take one single, small, topic and share just a tiny fraction of what you know about it – the very basics.

For instance, it's now September. An accountant might pick the subject of "Back To School Time" – Five Ways to Deduct Your Employment-related Education Expenses."

Could you think of five things? Could you write them in a simple list? Sure you could. And you should – especially if your target market is working professional people.

The key is to think of writing an article as writing a list – not as composing deathless prose for the ages. That's how most prospects want to receive your information. And, while you might struggle to write an article, you can write a list.
 
The last excuse: "I don't have time."

One solution: give yourself 10 minutes at the start of the day. Before anything hits the fan. Jot down some ideas. Make your list. When you get to 10 minutes, stop – whether or not you are done. Tomorrow, first thing, you can give it another 10 minutes.

That way, this little project doesn't take time away from client service, and doesn't become painful if you hate "writing." Who doesn't have 10 minutes in the early morning?

Here's another solution: Find someone you know – an employee, a child, spouse, intern or acquaintance – who has some knack for writing. They don't need to be in your profession – in fact, better if they are not: they will be a good reality check on whether you're being clear enough for lay readers.

Then, tell that person your ideas – your list. Talk it through as if you were talking in an elevator to a prospect. Have them write it up, list style, and give it to you for editing. Chances are, you'll find it about 80 percent accurate, and you'll be able to fix it in about 10 minutes of pencil editing.

You're done. You're an article writer. As soon as you get it published, in any of the ways we discussed earlier, including just slapping it onto your Web site, your audience will start perceiving you as the expert on the topic. You're on the way to building the credibility and visibility you need to attract more clients.

Next time in this series, we'll look at an easy checklist of steps to make writing articles even easier.