Here are the top 5 factors ezine publishers look for when deciding which articles to publish:

1. Does the article have zero self-serving links in the article body?

  Loading up the body of your article with affiliate
  links or other obvious self-serving links is a
  liability and will keep your article from ever
  seeing top results.

2. Does the article have no more than 2 self-serving links in the resource box?

  Your resource box at the bottom of your article
  should be short and to the point.  It should
  also be less than 10% of the total word count of
  your article.  Ezine publishers don't mind
  giving you name credit and a link for sharing
  your article with them, but they don't want to
  look like a fool by being required to reprint
  a short novel about all of your websites and
  accomplishments.

3. Is the article within 250-700 words?

  Readers want instant gratification from your
  quality, original content. No one has the time
  to really go deep when it comes to reading email
  newsletters.  It's proven that shorter articles
  achieve a much higher distribution rate than
  longer ones.

4. Does the article deliver quality, original content with numbered lists, bullet points or easy to glean information their audience would deem valuable?

  Key Point:  Make sure your articles are 100%
  original content.  Anything less is considered
  an insult.

5. Is the article's author well recognized or respected within their market niche?

  Ezine publishers have an ego just like you. They
  want to use articles in their email newsletters
  that make them look good.  The more you use your
  articles to help yourself gain credibility for
  your unique expertise within your niche, the
  greater the chances you'll find your articles
  getting picked up by your ezine publishing
  peers.