There is one glaring problem with creating a list of article submission sites. Keeping the list clean is a huge time drain. You need to add new submission sites, check the links of the entire list and delete those that are dead. I have experienced this problem myself in my Article Submission Sites membership program. I spend at least five hours a week keeping the list of 1,500 sites up-to-date and clean.

Many people give up on article marketing because they don't have the time to create their list and keep it clean.

Article directories (also known as article archives) are searchable on-line databases of articles contributed by multiple authors. The goal of an article directory is to collect articles on certain topics and offer them to publishers to place on their website, in their e-zine or in print. Each article directory has unique guidelines for both authors and publishers. The benefits of submitting your articles to directories are numerous and include:

1. Most directories give you a separate page for each article and some publish your photograph along with your articles. This allows an author to promote their articles without needing a website of their own.

2. Directories are a magnet for publishers. Most publishers are looking for specific articles on a specific topic and they are more likely to find such articles in a directory rather than in an individual e-zine that offers reprintable articles.

3. Many directories allow you to edit your articles and change your by-line as many times as you want.

4. Some directories offer a news feed that automatically adds your new articles to dozens of websites.

5. Article directories may have a good search engine page rank that that makes them ideal for providing a one-way link to your website.

There are hundreds of article directories on the internet. I am constantly searching the internet for new directories to add to my list but I have found that I receive the most benefits from older directories.

Individual submission sites are web sites and e-zines that accept article submissions. Each site seeks articles on a particular topic or a narrow range of topics. Accepting articles directly saves the publisher from having to search newsgroups or directories. Each submission site has its own set of guidelines that you must read and understand before you can submit your article.

Benefits of submitting to individual submission sites include:

1. Direct Delivery - your article goes directly to the publisher interested in your topic enabling the publisher to save hours in searching for the perfect article.

2. Expedited Publishing - direct submissions, if on topic and compliant with guidelines, are often published much faster than through other channels.

3. Strategic Relationships - you can and should create a relationship with the publisher of each individual site. Let them know that you can provide them with original articles or a customized version.

4. Return Link - a reputable web site that publishes your article will provide you with a one-way link to your web site.

5. Direct Control - if your article isn't published according to your wishes you'll know how to directly contact the publisher for corrections.

6. Submission Tracking - article marketers rarely know who has reprinted their article. When submitting directly to an individual site, you're able to track your submission easily.

There are so many specific article submission sites that it's overwhelming to consider them all. To find topic appropriate sites go to Google and use the search term "topic + articles" or "topic + article submission". Either of these terms combined with your particular topic should net you many potential submission sites.

Owning an article directory can be a thankless job. Submitters are often careless or they use a submission program that blasts articles to directories without any concern for making a submission correctly.

Some of the owners of Article Dashboard directories have graciously offered to share the top ten mistakes they see submitters making over and over again. Pay careful attention and you will find some real nuggets of wisdom to help you get the most from your submissions.

Mistake #1: Not reading the submission guidelines or taking advantage of the free FAQ's, checklists and other resources directories have developed to help you make a successful submission.

Mistake #2: Ignoring the required article length. Each directory has its own requirements, but submitters usually insist on submitting articles that are too short.

Mistake #3: Not tracking your submissions to find out which directories bring you the most traffic and then supporting those directories.

Mistake #4: Not categorizing articles correctly. Some submission services are guilty of this on their end, but incorrect categorization can also happen if you are using an automated submission script.

Mistake #5: Not respecting that article directory owners are giving you a free resource while they pay for the hosting, authorizing of articles and promotion of the directory.

Mistake #6: Not using the article keywords feature offered by many directories. Smaller Search Engines do look for keywords and this feature can bring you a steady stream of traffic.

Mistake #7: Learning the features of various directories. Article Dashboard software provides Google a meta tag for description using your article summary. If you don't provide a summary your meta tag description will be empty.

Mistake #8: Submitting general articles to niche directories. This wastes your time and that of the directory owner. Don't try fitting a square into a round hole.

Mistake #9: Improper punctuation. Directory owners often get quite a number of articles with sentences starting with lower case letters, missing periods at the end of sentences, etc.

Mistake #10: Submitting articles that don't make sense. These are recognizable because you will find a few random sentences thrown in here and there such as "It takes a lot of time to research this topic. I hope this article will better inform you about this subject matter."