Is it possible to write a 400-500 word article or blog post in just 20 minutes, and still have quality content? Yes, it sure is, according to Jim Estill, and I agree with him. So much so that I am reprinting his article here.

Jim Estill is a featured author on Chris Knight’s Ezine Article directory.

It takes me only 20 minutes to write a 400-500 word article or blog post. This article (that I wrote in 20 minutes) explains some of the tricks I use to accomplish this. I started thinking seriously about this when I started blogging. Blogging gave me a deadline (almost every day) and I did not want to spend more than 20 minutes each day on blogging. Many of my blog entries are actually less than 500 words so take me less time.

1 – I start with a list of ideas and concepts I want to cover. Usually I write this list in point form. For me, I do this the old fashioned way, with a pen and paper.

2 – I often “incubate” an article for a few days (that does not count in the 20 minutes). What I do is start roughing out some topic ideas then leave it. Because I have thought about it, ideas tend to come to me that I frequently add to my points. Of course I always carry a notebook for ideas.

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I just spotted this tip about ezines on Joan Stewart’s Publicity Hound weekly ezine:

"Most ezines that find their way into my email box are garbage. The biggest mistakes publishers make are concentrating only on selling a product or service, and publishing on an irregular schedule, or less than every other week."

Joan advises, "At the very least, send a tip of the week to a list of people who have given you their email addresses and permission to market to them.

"Here’s what’s happened to me (and what can happen to you) as a result of publishing an electronic newsletter, almost every week, for six years:

–I’m invited to speak at conferences because people who read this pass it along to meeting planners in their trade associations who hire speakers.

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What is your core message? What is the purpose of your newsletter or blog? Have you written it out, and is it clear? If not, take some time to do it now. I see so many people who rush into getting out their newsletter or blog without a clear purpose. You need to know what your core message is because it will make writing easier and more interesting. Are your newsletters short and targeted?

Many of you know that I have changed my Newsletter Nuggets ezine from weekly to bi-monthly and revised it to focus on newsletter writing tips, and ezine article topics for executive coaches and consultants. To see the revised version, send an email to dr.patsi-159657@autocontactor.com.

Denise and I, as The Blog Squad, have taken the Internet marketing info out of Newsletter Nuggets, to form Savvy eBiz Tips, a weekly, plain text ezine, packed with information about using the Internet to grow your business.

You don’t need another newsletter that tries to cover all the bases, nor do you need one that takes too long to read.

Savvy eBiz Tips is delivered on demand, and gives you short tips on how to make your Internet marketing tasks easier and quicker.

Oh, did I mention that you can win an iPod this month, just for subscribing? Yep, go here to sign up and enter the contest. When you do, you will find out another way you can win an iPod and a Razer Copperhead mouse.

If you work with a partner or other people, it’s important to know how to make changes in a word document for sharing and revising so that your edits can be seen.

I was really surprised to learn that not everybody knows about the "Track Changes" feature in word doc. (It’s found under Tools…) In fact, one of my friends who was big in computers and software in the 80s and 90s didn’t know about it! He’s retired now, so maybe he doesn’t keep up.

It’s really easy to use. Click on Track Changes. When you do, any changes you make to your document will show up in color with the changes marked up in the margins. When you send your marked up doc to the other person, they can see what changes you are making/suggesting.

When they make changes, their changes are in a different color. You decide to accept or reject the changes, by clicking on a little check icon in the tool bar.

So anyway, this retired friend needed to compose a doc with a new associate. First he asked me if I knew about Lotus Notes, which I don’t. They are also a file sharing system/software. But rather than download new programs, it is so easy to use what is already built into the Microsoft Word Doc program.

My friend loved it. But, get this: his friend/associate objected. He said he’s been using printed docs that he marks up by hand, then gives it to his wife to type up…! He refuses to learn this "new tool!"

Oh boy. Some people don’t want to join the 21st century, even if it will make their life easier.