7. Think cross-categories.

One of my specialties is emotional intelligence. As you can see I?ve just applied it to article content, for which it is eminently applicable. I have also written the following: articles on ?How to Have an Emotionally Intelligent Valentine?s Day;? ?How to Manage in an Emotionally Intelligent Way,? for the business audience; ?Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child,? for parents; and an ebook titled ?How to Write for the Internet Using Your Emotional Intelligence,? just to name a few.

8. Your time is the scarcest commodity. Take every topic and chew it to the bone.

When you read a landmark book, for instance, and come across a new ?idea?, write a book review. Then write an article about the ideas in the book relating it to management, personal life, marketing, sales, self help, family life ? every way it?s applicable. There are sites dedicated to all these topics. Then write a Top Ten. Then write a Business Top 7. Then go and review the book on amazon.com (yes, I?ve gotten clients that way). Then write ?tinies? for the ap-shorts yahoo group. Then extract quotes from it and submit them to coachville. Milk it for all its worth. The ?serendipity? if you?re in a professional field such as coaching, is that by the end you are going to KNOW that topic, and your clients will benefit.

9. Go where your people go and find out what they?re interested in.

If your target market is working moms, continually cruise those sites and see what topics are current.

10. No matter how tired the subject, you have something new to say about it because it?s coming from you.

11. When you?re stuck, look right under your nose.

What problem are YOU dealing with right now? For instance, the plague of my life right now is I?m a coach and I can?t find a headset that works. Now surely there are 10,000 coaches out there struggling with that same problem who would like me to research that topic for them and help them out. Excuse me, I gotta run. I?ve got an article to write!

12. Hypnagogic time.

That?s a big $5 word there. It?s the time just before you drift off to sleep. Tell your brain you?d like to have some article ideas. Maybe in the shower the next morning, or later that day something will ?pop? into your mind as if by magic ? when actually it?s because you invited it to! Remember to keep it positive, i.e., ?When I wake up tomorrow I?ll have lots of great ideas for articles.? USE your brain; that?s what it?s there for.

13. Lucky number13 - if you don?t love what you?re doing, don?t do it.

About the Author

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.