Talk About Being on the Pulse

[Elizabeth Ann West]

So I just submitted an article last night that I let stew all month long. It is an in-depth look at the handwriting on the wall for credit card companies and a warning that saving good old cash is a must now because credit lines are not remotely reliable for emergency funds right now. Credit card companies like American Express actually paid some people to close their accounts! My article is still in review...

So this morning, I open Yahoo and what's on the splash screen? Suze Orman is using the exact same analysis I did to change her traditional advice of put all extra money to a credit card to instead pay only minimum payments and put everything in savings! It's funny because the article cites the same evidence I did that the days are numbered for credit card companies, though I went one further. I also hypothesized that if the credit card companies are saddled with unpredictable default rates, they may lose some of their ability to meet transaction covering demand, and in turn merchants or utilities may not wish to work with them anymore. Scary I know, but the researche shows that last quarter the number of people defaulting on credit card lines (more than 3 months delinquent/no payment) was more than double original forecasts....

My article is more about the importance of savings, even at the macroeconomic level, so it's not a situation of she beat me to the punch or anything. I just feel very validated in my analysis :)

[dsletten]

Good for you! It's always fun when you are ahead of the game. It's nice to feel validated about the importance of the articles that you research and write. Too bad you didn't get yours out there first, though. Years ago I wrote an article for a parenting magazine that explained that children learn to read better if all styles of teaching, site, Phonics, memorization, were taught so it would encompass both boys and girls. Many teachers wrote in to complain how wrong I was. A few years later our schools here had changed their reading programs to be exactly as I had described. Not because of me, I know that, but studies had shown that it worked better for all students. While I was a few years ahead of the pack, at least I felt all my research and my article had been validated. This writing stuff is fun!

[HayleyWriter]

Way to go! Your article sounds like it will be a good read, and with your finger so firmly on the pulse, you can probably expect it to sell quickly. I know many customers look for articles that expound the 'current' theory, so it is great to get a hit like that. I hope your article goes through the review unscathed!

"This writing stuff is fun!" - dsletten

You are so right about that. I am enjoying the freedom to write what I feel like writing. I'm also loving the challenges of writing to meet specific requests, and the writing challenges that Celeste has started. Every day, I am working on craftsmanship of writing and it is fun. Writing is a skill that can be continually developed and refined, whether it is finding the right topic, having your research and analysis validated, or finding the right word to engage the reader. CC is offering more to writers than just a place to market our wares.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Well, it didn't get premium status, but I'm proud of it just the same! :)

http://www.constant-content.com/MoreDet ... y_Fund.htm

[eek]

I read it and liked it. Thanks for sharing the link. It's nice to have an outlet for those niggling little ideas that refuse to go away, and even more satisfying when your ideas are validated. (Freelance writers don't get many pats on the back.) Hope it sells.

Emma