What does it take to make an article powerful enough to succeed? Will the pinpoint accuracy of a grammar girl take you there? Unlike the rotten neighbor that posts a good title and no content, I propose to present to you the single most key element to web article writing and challenge you to success.

What could be considered the first element of successful article writing. The street view is for articles to have content, humor, purpose and meaning. Publishers focus their efforts on keyword density to bolster search engine report position. Both of these have merit as everyone who has ever been on, or will ever be on the internet will seek a profit.

Profit does not have the same meaning for all.

Profit for a student is to gather the appropriate information to finish a report. Profit for a retiree can be gathering enough information to protect their investments or save on medications. High demand professionals booking their itinerary in minutes as opposed to hours, profits by the conservation of time. The purpose you choose to write an article seeks a profit. What that purpose may be is solely defined by you.

The first element of successful article writing. For you and others to profit from your articles the format has to be correct. Not the deep, intrinsic web secret others hype about. Yet, without correct formatting of whatever you have written, Publishers will be hard pressed or even able to add your content to theirs.

If you have made efforts to publish articles to available directories you may already have experience with articles rejected for format. Akin to the grammar girl that nit picked you through school or the rotten neighbor who is convinced that your yard is their garbage can, having articles rejected in succession can irritate you to no end.

Do not rely on your high powered word processor to produce a document of suitable format. In the race to produce lithographic grade output, many include hidden formatting and characters that just cannot be resolved by all web browsers. Your familiar software is great for your drafts, grammar checking, spell check etc. There is no need to pitch it out.

After you have written (and saved) your article, copy the entire contents and paste in into a plain text editor like windows notepad. Turn off the word wrap and see what happens. Each paragraph is now a very long single line. Characters not recognized are easily located and corrected right at your desktop. This is also the place to add any HTML script.

When you are ready to submit with your browser open and logged into your article submission account, in the text editor use the select all function, then copy your selection, switch back to the browser and paste the copied contents. Its an extra step in the process but the reduction in frustration is priceless.

At the beginning I proposed two things: 1) The first element of successful article writing is correct format and 2) Challenge you to success.

Here is the challenge, write. Write a little bit or write volumes. What is your opinion on the first element of successful article writing? Write it down. Post a comment here. Post a comment in your blog and track it back. Write a whole page on the merits or misrepresentations you have read here. Publish this article yourself and highlight what is right or point out what is wrong. Write something, write anything. Be quick and let it flow.

Pick 1 item a month to write about and you will become a successful writer in time.