How To Use the New HowToDoThings Article Wizard

We at HowToDoThings would like to introduce to you a new article-writing interface! We believe that it will simplify the process of formatting and submitting your articles. Whether you’re a brand new writer who has just submitted your application, or have contributed to HowToDoThings in the past, here are the basic steps to use this new writing interface.

To start writing an article, click “Write an Article” on your Dashboard as usual.

NOTE: You can choose the old article wizard if you would rather use it. Just click "Write an Article" and then, at the beginning of the next page, click the link that says, "Click here to use original text editor."

1. Page 1: Choose Your Article. 
   • A. Choose a Topic. On this first page, select the appropriate category for your article using the drop-down menus. You will be able to select any category for which you have submitted an expertise application.
   • B. Once you have selected the category of your article, you will see a list of all available article topics that we have currently suggested within that category. Check the top and bottom of the list to see if there are multiple pages to peruse – click “Next” in the corner of the list box to see the rest of the available topics. If you see an article topic that you would like to write in that list of topics, then you can select it by clicking on the title.

     If you don’t see an article title that interests you, click “Create a Topic of Your Own” beneath the list.

   • C. If you chose to create your own topic, enter the title of the articleyou wish to write, and then add a subtitle if you wish. Click "Continue" to proceed to Page 2.

     If you chose a topic that we suggested in our list, simply add a subtitle if you wish, and then click the "Continue" button.

2. Page 2: Write Your Article. On Page 2, you will enter the text of your article. The page is organized into sections that indicate how your article will be formatted once it is completed. You’ll notice toolbars above the text fields. Click here to learn more about using the new article toolbars. 
   • Summary: In this optional field, you can enter a summary of your article (no more than 2 sentences).
   • Introduction (REQUIRED): Enter your introduction into this box.
   • Step by Step Instructions (REQUIRED): This is where you will create your numbered list of steps – the centerpiece of all HowToDoThings articles. The boxes are labeled Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3 – enter your text for each step into the appropriate box. Add as many steps as necessary using the “Add a Step” button at the bottom of this list.
   • Closing (REQUIRED): This is the box in which you will enter your concluding remarks.
   • Adding photos. Adding photos to your steps can greatly enhance the advice you provide to readers.
     1. Next to each step, you’ll see an “Add Photo/Video” button. Click it. A pop-up window appears, titled “Asset Wizard”.
     2. Click the “Browse” button to find and select the image file from your computer. The image should be a JPG and the file name of the image can’t have symbols in it (like #, $, %, &, * etc.). The file name must consist only of letters, numbers and spaces.

        There is no size limitaton, but your image may be resized to fit within the article template.

     3. Click “Next” at the bottom right corner of the window.
     4. You should now see the title of your image file in the middle column of the window. Click the title, and then click the “Select” button at the bottom of the window.

     And that’s it! You’ve added the image. The pop-up window closes, and you’re back on the article writing page. A preview of your image should appear next to the step it is associated with.

   • Adding Videos. You can also embed YouTube videos in your articles, using the “Add Photo/Video” button.
     1. Click the“Add photo/video” button next to the desired step.
     2. When the Asset Wizard window pops up, click “YouTube Embed” at the top of the window.
     3. Add the embed code for the YouTube video to the “Embed Code” field. You can find the embed code on the video’s YouTube page, to the right of the video.
     4. Click “Next”.

     And that’s it – you’ve embedded the video in your article. The Asset Wizard window will close, and the words “Media Placeholder” will appear next to the step where your video will be embedded.

   • Click “Continue” at the bottom right corner of the page.
3. Page 3: Enhance. All features on this page are OPTIONAL, but as the title of the page suggests, they can enhance the quality of your article and improve the experience for readers and writers alike. 
   • A. Add a photo or video to the top of your article. Right now, you can only add a photo in this step. Simply click the “Browse” button to locate the desired JPG file on your computer.
   • B. Quick Tips. Add any quick tips that would be useful to the reader.
   • C. Choose a difficulty for the task outlined in the article.
   • D. Choose a cost for the task outlined in the article.
   • E. List any special tools or materials required to perform the task outlined in the article.
   • F. Add any useful links that you feel would augment the advice you have given.
   • G. Add an author signature. Located after the article text, the author signature allows you to provide brief information about yourself and link to your website, blog or other interest.
   • Click “Continue”.
4. Page 4: Preview. Here you can see how your article will appear on the page. If you want to stop working on your article at this time, you have 2 options:
   • Click “Save as Draft” if you would like to continue working on this article later before submitting it.
   • Click “Submit” if you are happy with the article as it is, and want to pass it on to editors to publish.