Writing Information

How to Use Textpad to Write Articles Faster

It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in ezine publishers want your articles without any formatting. Also, for any email exchange, you need to put your article in the body of the email, not an attachment.  Most Online readers who don't know you will not open your email, and people who do know you want it this faster, easier way.

Textpad is a shareware download from http://www.textpad.com. Shareware means you can use it, fully functional, but you are expected to pay for it if you use it a lot.

The very first thing you should know about Textpad is that it is a PLAIN TEXT editor. That means there is absolutely no formatting like bold, underline, or italics. One of the benefits of this program is that it can wrap you articles at 65 chanters across fast and easily.

Textpad is straightforward and easy to understand and work with. Here's how to set up the program to make your articles. At www.textpad.com

First, click on the "Configure" menu, then 'Preferences...." then under the General page uncheck "Allow multiple instances to run."  Doing this makes it so that TextPad can't be run twice at the same time. Check the box next to "Allow multiple files in command line." This allows you to open multiple files at once.

Next, click on the plus sign next to the words "Document Classes." Then, click on "Text." You will notice a little to the right a bunch of settings. These are the settings to make your articles wrap. First, check "Word Wrap Long Lines," underneath that click the circle "Save with hard breaks." Finally, underneath the white area put a check mark next to "Word break at column numbers:" and fill in the text box with 65 or what ever number you want (for article purposes 65 is the best way to go).

Press OK and you are done!

To do a word count to your articles, simply highlight your entire article, right click on it, go to properties and remember the number under the "Selected Column" in the "Words:" row. Most opt-in ezines want the word count.

TextPad can do a lot more than just wrap your articles for you. You can sort a list of email addresses in alphabetical order, send your own ezine out without expensive services, opt-in and opt-out subscribers, find and replace, spell check, and much more.

This is the one program I wouldn't be without. It makes article submissions and marketing my business through sending out my ezine so much easier and faster.

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com