Good Feature Writing Examples Get You Closer To Your Byline

By: Andrew Morris

It is the dream of many of us that write to be featured above the fold on a leading publication, website or newspaper. For many it remains a dream, but for others who turns dreams into action it can become a reality.

It is the dream of many of us that write to be featured above the fold on a leading publication, website or newspaper. For many it remains a dream, but for others who turns dreams into action it can become a reality.

Gone are the days when few of us had a voice. Today, with the Internet, blogs and other news gathering sites, we can quickly and easily become published feature writers, although getting paid for it is another matter. The good news is that having your blog featured on Feedburner, or your article on the front page of Digg or Netscape will generate so much traffic and word of mouth that paying for the same advertising would be akin to buying commercial time on the Super Bowl, and beyond the reach of most.

A feature article can be about anything at all, but it helps if it is newsworthy. I have written an article or two about my dog, and while it brought personal fulfillment, it did not generate much traffic. In the newspaper field (and true also on the Internet) the headline "Dog Bites Man" garners little attention since it is an everyday occurrence, while the title "Man Bites Dog" makes us all sit up and take notice.

If you are going to write a feature article on anything, give it a unique perspective, and do not copy and paste something you read. That would be plagiarism, and the search engines tend to ignore what they identify as duplicate content.

Case studies are often provide very good feature articles examples, especially if the study concerns something or someone that could affect all our lives or the economy. When Alan Greenspan, head of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006, made a statement people around the World took note. Was it because he was a great writer? Rather it was because what he said affected the lives of millions, billions around the world.

Choose what you want to write about, write it well, but be certain you have an audience. If someone can read your feature article, and find it improves their life or teaches them something they did not know before, you have the very real possibility of achieving "above the fold" placement.

A proven successful feature article model is the "How To" article. Some examples are:

"How To Lose Weight and Keep It Off"

"How To Make So Much Money Even Your Mother-in-Law Will Think You Are Made Of Gold"

"How To Live To One Hundred and Remain Healthy and Fit"

When Winston Churchill uttered the famous words, "Never, never, never give up" he was talking about World War II. But the same holds true in getting your first featured article published. Never give up: if your article is rejected, revise it, write another one, or submit it to somewhere new. Rejection is part of life, and certainly part of any writer's life.

Know your market. This sounds simplistic, but it is crucial. Do not submit your articles to publications or websites about dogs if your article is about cats. Despite your talent, your work must fit the market where it is submitted or publication will be an elusive dream.

If you are a writer, then you have the potential within to be a feature writer. Research, refine, then listen if you get a rejection notice: often those editors will guide you toward ultimate success.

Andrew Morris
www.articlewritingzen.com