That's the most common question I get from fellow writers looking to break into article marketing. The truth? Steal them.

Yes, you literally steal ideas and twist them a bit to make them fresh – make them yours.

That leads to another question, how do you make old ideas yours so that they're fresh, new and – dare I say – revolutionary?

Actually, it's not as tough as you may think. Here's a quick and easy formula I use for turning old content into something new:

1.Find an old text. Dust off articles, books and home-study courses from your industry and find content that may be useful to your audience. I know what you're thinking. “What about copyrights, Lisa?” Good question. Unless you plan to republish entire blocks of text from the source material, you won't run into any problems. See the following points to find out why.

2.Pull out key points. Look at the information and pull out the salient points that really jump out to you. I usually highlight the points that are exciting to me, and then I re-phrase those points by putting them into my own words.

3.Add your expertise. Under the key points, you'll want to share a bit of advice and expand on the main idea. The best way to do that is to share some of your experience. Tell an anecdote or story from when you handled a similar situation. For instance, when I was an editor at a large business-to-business newsletter publishing company, I often took several articles, pulled out the main ideas and combined the information to create one short, coherent article. You can do the same.

4.Raise your voice. To make sure you're using the source material as a point of reference only, consider reading your final article aloud. If it doesn't sound like something you'd say to a friend or colleague in the industry, re-write it. In my experience, that's the only way the article will ring true with your readers. Plus, you'll steer very clear of the copyright police – who, frankly, aren't really watching anyway. It's your audience you want to please.

Bottom line: Maybe they have heard this information before, but they haven't heard it from YOU – a battle-tested, shooting straight-from-the-hip expert.

It really is that simple. But it does take some practice. Find two long articles from your industry and boil them down to four or five key points. Then simply expand on those points by sharing stories and anecdotes from your experiences.

Try it and let me know how you make out. This is the best way to find so-called “fresh ideas.” When you look at it this way, new ideas are everywhere.

I really hate my job!

I'm quitting!

Tomorrow.

That good melody
playing on the radio
makes me remember
how you died so suddenly
last September
without saying goodbye
or farewell
to anyone

Driving fast
even if you knew
it could not last

All summer long
you were playing around
with no fear in your eyes
trying to get the most
telling us all those lies
about how daring and tough
you could be behind
the long hood on your sports car

You never knew
when it was time
to say no
to all that cheap speed
and snow
you loved to snort
and at last you had to go
in a stupid car crash

Oh my friend
I wonder
when we will meet again
and get the time
to do all the things
we can be able to
someday soon my old friend
you don't have to walk alone
I will meet you
in the twilight zone

That good melody
makes you remain forever
in my mind
but I still miss you so
it was for sure a great tragedy
to your family and us
who were forced to stay behind
with great sorrow
and old pictures of a friend
who went away for good

The worst thing that
ever happened to me
I cannot tell
but I can feel
that there has been
something going on
that I have not been
aware of
my mind is locked
on the wrong course
and I am heading
against nowhere
with no meaning in
my life

Round and round
no meaning
ever to be found


The worst thing that
ever happened to us
it was the day
when somebody decided
to mislead our thoughts
so that we got lost
from the right path
and the purpose
was to get in command
and have full control
over the world
and those who are
living here
and most of all
they want to control
the way
we speak our words


The worst thing that
ever happened to me
was that they took away
my ability to see
and my understanding
of what it is like
to be free
but I know in my soul
that there is a way
to be found
and I will never give up
trying to find a way
back to my real self
because there is
something missing
and I want to have
it returned
to its right place
where it belongs
from the day I was born

A Lonely Saxophone wails in the night
It is a silent prayer for broken hope
Like the drunkard crying, trying, praying Blowing out,gambling up,
gettin' the straight dope

Fucking up every laid plan
A bum is all that he is
A heap of junk dressed in a old dress
A corrupt,rotten biz

Waitin', hopin', doin' the deeds
Tryin' to find a way
But stayin' like every rotten weeds
He destroys everywhere he lays