Submitting your articles to article submission sites and directories will bring your articles to the attention of various webmasters, blog owners and e-zine publishers for appealing and original web content.

Once you have a written your articles, the next step is to submit them to as many articles directories as possible. Most distribution services are free; still there are some that charge a small fee. The entire process will take some time before you see the results, but in the long run you’ll find the rewards even more exciting.

Article directories would not exist without authors submitting their work to article directories, leading to a win-win situation as authors get their work distributed on the Internet and the article directories get articles for distribution.

To enter the game and making the most of those links, let's take a look at what most article submission directories require.

The first step when visiting an article directory is to open an account. You will provide a login, a password and a valid e-mail address. If you get the chance to write an author’s biography (bio) or extended bio don’t hesitate to do so. It is a great opportunity to include up to three links to your web page.

The second step is to carefully read the directories Terms Of Service (TOS). You must read, understand and honor the directories terms of service, or else your article may be rejected.

Most article submission directories will provide you information related to article length and summary, the use of HTML in your article body, how many links you are allowed to insert in your Resource Box. You will also be able to get an idea on what kind of articles will not be accepted. Most article submission directories will not publish sales oriented articles, articles for self-promotion and press releases.

Now you’re ready to start submitting articles. On the article submission page you’ll see a place where you can select the category your article relates to. You will also have to present your article title on a separate line. Remember that the title must contain the keywords or phrases and should be as powerful as possible. Most websites won’t allow you to use caps in your title, however, you can capitalize the first letter of each word.

Most article submission sites require a summary of the article, so you can write a short paragraph that presents the main ideas of your article. Some sites allow authors to use a paragraph right from the article, while others require an original text as a summary. Many sites also require the keywords, so start by listing the main keyword or phrase at the beginning, followed by a comma.

Next, place the body of your text in the proper box. Some sites allow limited HTML in the body of the article. This usually includes bold, italics and bullet points. Once the article is in the box, analyze the layout and see whether the paragraphs are too long or if the word count exceeds 850-900 words.

Spelling is another major issue. Once the article is accepted for distribution, you may be embarrassed to discover spelling mistakes or typos posted on different websites, with your name on it. Before submitting your article read it again, just to make sure that it has a flow and it’s easy to read.

Remember, each article means more links to your site and potential sales, making article submission one of the best ways to drive free, targeted traffic to your web site, boost your credibility on the web and help drive sales.