Have you ever seen articles that are not only related to your expertise, but ones that made you think, "I could have written that!" And of course you can! You are an expert at something, such as education or science or marketing or whatever. What's more, you have an in-depth knowledge of your field.

So how do you begin?

First, review journals or magazines that you read or subscribe to. What subjects do their articles cover? What subject(s) should have been covered, but were not?

Next, write a list of overlooked subjects. Do you have expertise in any of those subjects?

If so, choose one subject and brainstorm it, keeping your audience in mind. List everything that occurs to you when you think about that subject. This list will consist of a breakdown of various aspects of that broad subject.

Choose one or more of those aspects and develop a point about it that is tailor-made for your specific audience. What should your audience know about and why? Visualize your published article in a magazine: what is its title?

Next, outline your article by making a list of subpoints that support your main point.

Write one or more rough drafts of your article. Then proofread and polish it before submitting it to your chosen magazine or journal. Remember that quite a few magazines and journals may require query letters first. A query letter proposes an article and briefly highlights its contents, just enough to entice and interest an editor.

Dorothy Zjawin's publications include Instructor articles and a book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker Pub. Co./Prentice-Hall). Her website, http://www.profitable-pen.com, includes resources and a free forum for new and experienced writers.