If you have a great deal of knowledge on a topic, it’s inevitable that you’ll eventually get the urge to write an article series. Writing an article series when you’re doing article marketing is fine, but you need to be careful and keep the following guidelines in mind.
For most folks the natural temptation is scream at the reader, “I have an article series!” by putting “Part 1″, “Part 2″, etc in the title, but with article marketing having a title in parts is a no-no!
Each article must be able to stand on its own, because it’s not a given that someone who sees your “Part 6″ will necessarily also be exposed to your Parts 1-5. Having an article with a part listed in the title decreases your chances of getting published and minimizes the likelihood of your article being read.
Why does having Part 1, Part 2, etc in the title decrease your chances of being published?
Well, imagine if you’re an ezine editor who is looking for a top notch article to show her readers. She finds your article, and it’s exactly what she is looking for. There is only one problem–your article title indicates that this is part 5 of a 10 part series.
If an ezine editor included your “Part 5″ article in her ezine, likely she would have readers wondering, “This is Part 5–where are parts 1-4? Did I miss something?”
Why is an article written in parts less likely to be read?
Imagine if you go to the movies and one of the options is to see Part 3 of a movie. If you hadn’t seen the first two films in that series, you would likely think, “Hmmm, I don’t think I’ll understand what Part 3 is talking about since I haven’t seen Parts 1 and 2.”
By the same token, jumping straight into the middle of an article series is a little disorienting for readers. They can be wondering, “Is it okay to just read Part 4? It sounds like I should be reading the other parts first.”
And so they skip reading your article.
So, what should you do if you’re itching to write an article series?
Be sure that each title can stand alone (do not put Part 1, Part 2, etc in the title).
If you want to unite your titles, you can do so in a more subtle way. For instance, if your article is about holiday baking tips, you can make titles like this:
Holiday Baking Tips: Christmas Cookies
Holiday Baking Tips: Festive Party Cakes
Holiday Baking Tips: Homemade Food Gifts
If any one of these articles were found on its own, the reader wouldn’t know that the article was part of a series. However, if they saw all the articles together, they would know that they were related to one another.
The question that most authors ask me is– “How do I get people to read all the parts of my series?”
For the reasons I went over earlier, article marketing is not a medium where a series of articles draws readers into reading more of your work. It’s not a given that they will have access to all the articles in your series (you never now what site will pick up your article or where the reader will find your article), so it’s kind of hard to lure folks into reading things that they need to hunt down and search for.
Still, having an article series creates a unique marketing opportunity if you get creative with your content.
Suggestions for Marketing an Article Series:
*You could create a page on your website where you give links to all of the articles in your series. Then, in your resource box you could say, “To see the other 9 articles in this series, go to => [and give the URL of the page that houses the links to your entire series].”
OR…
*You could re-write your articles and publish them on your own website, then your resource box could direct readers to see the rest of the series at your site.
OR…
*You could compile all the articles in your series into an e-book that people could download at your site. That would be a great incentive to click through: “Grab the free e-book at my site!”
Writing an article series requires some subtlety when you’re doing article marketing, but there’s no reason why you can’t give into the urge now and then. If you craft your titles and get creative in the way you use your series, a grouping of articles on the same topic can effectively lure readers to your site!

The Christmas holiday season should be filled with joy.  Not a time when people feel overwhelmed and disappointed, because they can not afford to give store bought gifts.  A homemade gift is often a priceless treasure that may have people remembering for decades to come.  No more wandering aimlessly through obscure stores or web pages searching for Christmas gifts as the hours before Christmas tick down to zero.

With the economy being like it is this it the year for you to make the gifts you give for Christmas.  

Below are some of the gifts that I discovered can be made with little or no money:

1. Make Personalized Hand Made Gifts:

Example #1:

I did not know my in-laws very well at that time, so I thought I had to buy something special for them.  On Christmas Eve I still had not been able to buy them anything. I thought & thought about what I could give to my in-laws, finally I came up with a few last minute ideas. I did not have a sewing machine at that time, so anything I sewed would have to be by hand. I dug thru my old fabric scrap box I came across a small piece of red organdy.  I began to think of what I could make for Morene out of it.  Then, I remembered that my mother in law always wore aprons when she cooked. 

Then I started to work on something for Harvey (father in law), I found some red and blue plaid fabric pieces, I thought he might like.

·     I worked on it almost all night, but by Christmas morning it was a very presentable vest.

Each year we had Christmas breakfast at my in laws and then they went with us to my parents for Christmas dinner. When we arrived at my in laws on Christmas morning, I put the gifts from us under the tree with the massive amount of gifts that were already there.  For a few minutes I felt bad thinking how small our gifts were in comparison.  But, I did not feel bad for long.  After the children had opened all their gifts, it was our turn to open gifts.  I handed Morene her gift and Harvey his.

When Morene opened hers she began to cry and then to hug me.  Harvey opened his and immediately went in the other room and put it on.

Harvey passed away a few weeks ago.  But, if he were here, he would have on his vest this Christmas Day.

Example #2:

My former daughter in law (Mellissa) was only about 21, she made me a baby size quilt by hand.  She embroidered a tree with branches and leaves on it.  The grown children’s Dad & I are the tree trunk.  Each of our children are branches, and each of the grandchildren are the leaves. She embroidered all of their names and birthdates on the leaves.  It is a Wonderful and Unforgettable gift.  It hangs on my wall today.  (I’ve had to add a few leaves.)  :>)

Example #3

Shortly after my Dad passed away, my daughter in law (the same one) gave my mother a gift that she treasured for the rest of her life, and I treasure it now.

•2. Treats:

Homemade treats always make the perfect free Christmas gift. I like to make gift baskets or tins for my neighbors and friends. 

People you give these gifts to will really appreciate them.  I lot of women work and do not have time for baking homemade goodies.

When you give these free Christmas treats, the receivers will be thrilled.  Whether they are family, friends, neighbors, your mailman (woman), they will love treats for a Christmas gift.  The candy and cookies are much more precious than any Christmas gifts that you could afford to buy.  PS:  If some of them are diabetic, be sure you make diabetic treats…

3.  Babysitting:

4. Run Errands for Friends, Family, or Neighbors:

5. Make Crafts:

I have a grand daughter in law (Amber) who crochets knits, sews, etc.  She is always making something for somebody.

A homemade Christmas gift that they can keep forever means so much. When you put your time into a gift, your receiver does not think of the gift as free.  That is a gift of love.

6. Get freebies from the Internet:

These are just a few gifts that you can give; all come from the heart and are filled with love.  Chances are your friends or family member doesn’t need what you could afford to buy for them anyway.  What you could buy may not fit them, maybe they already have the item, or as my Grandson said to me “We don’t have room for it!” and they may just have to exchange what you bought for them.