Many of today's writers are asked to write ad copy for companies. Some of them have viable solutions for small businesses, even freelance writers. There are some Fax Server solutions that can make life easier for a freelance writers - even help them start their own business.
All a writer needs to do is highlight the obvious benefits of the products. One of the hardest things to write about is a product that you don't use, and you do not know what it is for. A $4000 Fax Server may not seem like a good idea for most small businesses, but when you consider $40 a month per fax line,Fax Software and a small business may need 7 - 10. This means, a the $4000 fax machine can pay for itself in one year.
Basic Blogging
There are so many sites that tell writers they can get paid to blog. Most of them have something to sell. Few are written by people who are actually doing it. Except now.
I am making about $300 - $700 a month blogging, and that is only after ten months.
HOW TO BUILD A BLOG
You can get paid to write blogs. The first step is to set up about 10 blogs. You need to also set up a squidoo lens and a myspace lens - at least one. The most important thing to remember is that this is 'not' a get rich quick scam. You will need at least 400 posts online before you will start seeing any income.
TYPE OF BLOG
-ADSENSE
The most important thing to do is find out what type of blog you need. If you want to make Google Adsense money and learn from an expert then go to www.writingup.com (Here is my referral code. If you do sign up, please give me the boost. http://www.writingup.com?referer=4062)
Another good site is bloggerparty.com. These two sites get hundreds of thousands of hits, and more important, they come up on Google searches. I make 90% of my Google Adsense money from blogs on these sites.
Yes, I have received Google Adsense checks. I expect to be receiving one every month within the next four to six months.
It may take several weeks, or even months, to learn which blog communities people are clicking at, and which ones they are not.
www.writingup.com, www.bloggerparty.com, www.blogger.com are good for this. Wordpress.com is good, but you need to download a plugin.
-PAY PER POST
This is where companies pay $5 to bloggers for posting their client's press releases. This can be tricky. You usually get 20 at a time, and only 24 hours to post them all. If there is a mistake, the post is kicked back into your inbox and it must be fixed before you are paid.
One such company is Bloggingad.com another is reviewme.com
If you are going to use PPP then do not use www.wordpress.com - they ban sites with PPP ads.
www.writingup.com, www.blogger.com, www.bloggerparty.com is great for this.
-AFFILIATE
I was paid to write one person's blog. This person had so many affiliate codes on the page it was impossible to navigate the blog. I have Amazon code, and I write book reviews and then link to the code. I also have code for my web hosting - a great webhost company that offers me server quality and size, for only $4.50 a month. This is all the affiliate I do.
I also don't try to use general code. If you go to my blog www.Historical-Novel.blogspot.com, you will notice that I have linked single book pictures and code.
www.wordpress.com is a great place for this because the blogs look professional and have credibility. I receive very few clicks from my www.writingup.com or www.bloggerparty.com blogs.
-ALternatives
Along with blogs, there is also Heliumknowledge.com, ww.reviewstream.com, etc.
HOW TO BLOG
Each blog should have similar topics, but not the same. If all the blogs have different topics then it will be too hard to make a living. The best bloggers write one article or post and then write 5 versions to put on five different blogs.
The content must be personal, conversational, based on your own experience, and link to references.
Write as if you are talking to a friend on the telephone. Do not preach or teach. Conversational language uses simple sentence structure and a grade nine vocabulary. All posts should be based on experience. Do not write a post 'how to make money.' Write 'How I make money.'
Reference links are important. 1. Google will use them to increase the rank of your blog. 2. Readers will know that you are not making the information up.
LINKING
This is as important as hits. The more incoming links the better. The best way to get dozens of inbound links is to write free articles with a link to your blog at the bottom.
NETWORKING
Post in other people's blogs. Reply to threads. Talk to people. This will attract readers to your blog.
You also need to promote your blog on Tecnorati and then go to www.pingoat.com and ping it 'AFTER EVERY' post.
For more information read www.writingup.com/gracepub There are more than 500 posts to help you learn to start a career as a work at home freelance writer.
I am making about $300 - $700 a month blogging, and that is only after ten months.
HOW TO BUILD A BLOG
You can get paid to write blogs. The first step is to set up about 10 blogs. You need to also set up a squidoo lens and a myspace lens - at least one. The most important thing to remember is that this is 'not' a get rich quick scam. You will need at least 400 posts online before you will start seeing any income.
TYPE OF BLOG
-ADSENSE
The most important thing to do is find out what type of blog you need. If you want to make Google Adsense money and learn from an expert then go to www.writingup.com (Here is my referral code. If you do sign up, please give me the boost. http://www.writingup.com?referer=4062)
Another good site is bloggerparty.com. These two sites get hundreds of thousands of hits, and more important, they come up on Google searches. I make 90% of my Google Adsense money from blogs on these sites.
Yes, I have received Google Adsense checks. I expect to be receiving one every month within the next four to six months.
It may take several weeks, or even months, to learn which blog communities people are clicking at, and which ones they are not.
www.writingup.com, www.bloggerparty.com, www.blogger.com are good for this. Wordpress.com is good, but you need to download a plugin.
-PAY PER POST
This is where companies pay $5 to bloggers for posting their client's press releases. This can be tricky. You usually get 20 at a time, and only 24 hours to post them all. If there is a mistake, the post is kicked back into your inbox and it must be fixed before you are paid.
One such company is Bloggingad.com another is reviewme.com
If you are going to use PPP then do not use www.wordpress.com - they ban sites with PPP ads.
www.writingup.com, www.blogger.com, www.bloggerparty.com is great for this.
-AFFILIATE
I was paid to write one person's blog. This person had so many affiliate codes on the page it was impossible to navigate the blog. I have Amazon code, and I write book reviews and then link to the code. I also have code for my web hosting - a great webhost company that offers me server quality and size, for only $4.50 a month. This is all the affiliate I do.
I also don't try to use general code. If you go to my blog www.Historical-Novel.blogspot.com, you will notice that I have linked single book pictures and code.
www.wordpress.com is a great place for this because the blogs look professional and have credibility. I receive very few clicks from my www.writingup.com or www.bloggerparty.com blogs.
-ALternatives
Along with blogs, there is also Heliumknowledge.com, ww.reviewstream.com, etc.
HOW TO BLOG
Each blog should have similar topics, but not the same. If all the blogs have different topics then it will be too hard to make a living. The best bloggers write one article or post and then write 5 versions to put on five different blogs.
The content must be personal, conversational, based on your own experience, and link to references.
Write as if you are talking to a friend on the telephone. Do not preach or teach. Conversational language uses simple sentence structure and a grade nine vocabulary. All posts should be based on experience. Do not write a post 'how to make money.' Write 'How I make money.'
Reference links are important. 1. Google will use them to increase the rank of your blog. 2. Readers will know that you are not making the information up.
LINKING
This is as important as hits. The more incoming links the better. The best way to get dozens of inbound links is to write free articles with a link to your blog at the bottom.
NETWORKING
Post in other people's blogs. Reply to threads. Talk to people. This will attract readers to your blog.
You also need to promote your blog on Tecnorati and then go to www.pingoat.com and ping it 'AFTER EVERY' post.
For more information read www.writingup.com/gracepub There are more than 500 posts to help you learn to start a career as a work at home freelance writer.
Use Blog Catalogue To Earn Money
At another blog community, I found a post stating that Blog Catalogue is a waste of time. I had to look twice, before I realized that the author was serious. Then, I went to their blog neighbourhood and found why.
1. This blogger never helped promote other people's blogs
2. There was no 'recent visitor' widget (high enough on the bog that the screen shot captures it and show other blog catalogue users) So, the big bloggers who will trade a 'view' for appearing as a recent visitor will over look him.
3. He did not collect a neighbourhood of similar blog communities - so no one knew he was there.
4. He obviously didn't appear on other blogger's 'recent viewed' widget (my neighbourhood is good - but it offers no incentive for people to repeatedly visit your blog)
5. He himself had not chatted with other bloggers or even participated at Blog Catalogue
So, there is nothing wrong with Blog Catalogue - there is something seriously wrong with this person's expectations. If you give nothing - you get nothing.
1. This blogger never helped promote other people's blogs
2. There was no 'recent visitor' widget (high enough on the bog that the screen shot captures it and show other blog catalogue users) So, the big bloggers who will trade a 'view' for appearing as a recent visitor will over look him.
3. He did not collect a neighbourhood of similar blog communities - so no one knew he was there.
4. He obviously didn't appear on other blogger's 'recent viewed' widget (my neighbourhood is good - but it offers no incentive for people to repeatedly visit your blog)
5. He himself had not chatted with other bloggers or even participated at Blog Catalogue
So, there is nothing wrong with Blog Catalogue - there is something seriously wrong with this person's expectations. If you give nothing - you get nothing.
InspiredAuthor - Learn How to Write - Free
www.inspiredauthor.com
We are launching IA on a new platform. The site is bigger and better than ever, with more tutorials and articles, taught by people who are currently published, and/or working as freelance writers.
Our site has earned 2.2 million hits this year, with 1500 regular visitors each day. We are also building a forum, which I want to thank Communati.com for, because I hit a brick wall. This new forum will give readers a chance to talk to the Topic Editors and ask for help.
Membership costs $0.00 - so there is no reason to stay away. We believe we created the largest 'online course' site dedicated - 100% - to writers.
Freelance Writers - Five Reasons Why You Need A Website
By Sharon Hurley Hall
These days, if you're starting a career as a freelance writer, it's no longer enough to ring up a few editors and distribute a few business cards. Most of the people who want to hire you will ask if you have a website. If the answer is 'no', you could lose out on some valuable sources of income. Here are five reasons why you should have a web presence.
1. Developing the brand of you
As a writer, your name is your brand. People will like or hate your stuff, trust or distrust your opinions. Either way, they'll have positive or negative feelings every time they see an article with your name on it. So your job is to build editors' and readers' trust in that brand.
2. Writing is your business - you need to treat it like one
Every reputable business has a website that showcases its products and services. You should too. How else are people going to know what you have to offer? A website allows your potential clients the luxury of accessing your information in their own time. You should include a resume, references, services (types of writing), samples of work, links to where you're published on the net.
3. Efficiency
A website is a time saving way of showcasing your past and current work (an online portfolio or selection of clips). You can point editors to it as well - a time saver for you and them. No longer do you have to spend time selecting and printing your best work. Instead, upload examples to your site and link to other places where your work has been published.
4. Make your passion work for you
Some of the writing you do will be for love rather than money, but that's no reason why you can't make it work for you. Upload your short stories, poetry, novel chapters and so on to show how creative you are.
5. Skills development
If you do the web development yourself, you'll also be gaining another valuable skill. The discipline of editing your material for a website will be invaluable when you're trying to get a commission to write 40 web articles for a pittance (we all have to start somewhere).
So what are you waiting for? Get your stuff on the net and start building the brand of you.
Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon worked in publishing for 18 years, writing articles and editing and designing books and magazines. She has also lectured on journalism. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com. Read more of Sharon's writing at her blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Hurley_Hall
writing, brand development, freelance writing
Freelance Writers - Five Reasons Why You Need A Website
These days, if you're starting a career as a freelance writer, it's no longer enough to ring up a few editors and distribute a few business cards. Most of the people who want to hire you will ask if you have a website. If the answer is 'no', you could lose out on some valuable sources of income. Here are five reasons why you should have a web presence.
1. Developing the brand of you
As a writer, your name is your brand. People will like or hate your stuff, trust or distrust your opinions. Either way, they'll have positive or negative feelings every time they see an article with your name on it. So your job is to build editors' and readers' trust in that brand.
2. Writing is your business - you need to treat it like one
Every reputable business has a website that showcases its products and services. You should too. How else are people going to know what you have to offer? A website allows your potential clients the luxury of accessing your information in their own time. You should include a resume, references, services (types of writing), samples of work, links to where you're published on the net.
3. Efficiency
A website is a time saving way of showcasing your past and current work (an online portfolio or selection of clips). You can point editors to it as well - a time saver for you and them. No longer do you have to spend time selecting and printing your best work. Instead, upload examples to your site and link to other places where your work has been published.
4. Make your passion work for you
Some of the writing you do will be for love rather than money, but that's no reason why you can't make it work for you. Upload your short stories, poetry, novel chapters and so on to show how creative you are.
5. Skills development
If you do the web development yourself, you'll also be gaining another valuable skill. The discipline of editing your material for a website will be invaluable when you're trying to get a commission to write 40 web articles for a pittance (we all have to start somewhere).
So what are you waiting for? Get your stuff on the net and start building the brand of you.
Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon worked in publishing for 18 years, writing articles and editing and designing books and magazines. She has also lectured on journalism. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com. Read more of Sharon's writing at her blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Hurley_Hall
writing, brand development, freelance writing
Freelance Writers - Five Reasons Why You Need A Website
Freelance Writers - Five Reasons Why You Need A Website
By Sharon Hurley Hall
These days, if you're starting a career as a freelance writer, it's no longer enough to ring up a few editors and distribute a few business cards. Most of the people who want to hire you will ask if you have a website. If the answer is 'no', you could lose out on some valuable sources of income. Here are five reasons why you should have a web presence.
1. Developing the brand of you
As a writer, your name is your brand. People will like or hate your stuff, trust or distrust your opinions. Either way, they'll have positive or negative feelings every time they see an article with your name on it. So your job is to build editors' and readers' trust in that brand.
2. Writing is your business - you need to treat it like one
Every reputable business has a website that showcases its products and services. You should too. How else are people going to know what you have to offer? A website allows your potential clients the luxury of accessing your information in their own time. You should include a resume, references, services (types of writing), samples of work, links to where you're published on the net.
3. Efficiency
A website is a time saving way of showcasing your past and current work (an online portfolio or selection of clips). You can point editors to it as well - a time saver for you and them. No longer do you have to spend time selecting and printing your best work. Instead, upload examples to your site and link to other places where your work has been published.
4. Make your passion work for you
Some of the writing you do will be for love rather than money, but that's no reason why you can't make it work for you. Upload your short stories, poetry, novel chapters and so on to show how creative you are.
5. Skills development
If you do the web development yourself, you'll also be gaining another valuable skill. The discipline of editing your material for a website will be invaluable when you're trying to get a commission to write 40 web articles for a pittance (we all have to start somewhere).
So what are you waiting for? Get your stuff on the net and start building the brand of you.
Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon worked in publishing for 18 years, writing articles and editing and designing books and magazines. She has also lectured on journalism. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com. Read more of Sharon's writing at her blog
Copyright Summary
As a freelance writer, you'll need to be aware of the legal protection your work enjoys so you don't sign away rights that you should retain. This is a guide to some key aspects of UK copyright law.
As a freelance writer, ideas are your bread and butter. Getting a commission means revealing your idea for a great article to an editor or someone else. There's no way around it, but how can you prevent people from ripping you off? Here's what you need to know about UK copyright law.
In the UK, copyright is an automatic and unregistered right. That means there's no need to apply specially or fill in any forms. Copyright takes effect as soon as certain works (this term applies to all copyright protected material) are created and there are nine types of work that enjoy this automatic protection. These are literary work (including newspaper articles), dramatic, musical, artistic (photos, drawings, diagrams, maps etc), sound recordings, films, broadcasts, cable programmes and published editions of works. All of these are known as intellectual property. Intellectual property is a bit like real estate - it can be bought, sold, transferred and inherited, though only with your written permission.
The key thing to remember as a writer is that ideas themselves are not protected but the way ideas are expressed is protected. So if you think of an idea for an article, that isn't protected; when you write it, it is. It's the information you select and the way you arrange that information that makes it unique.
In order for material to have copyright protection it has to result from independent intellectual effort. In other words, you must have put some work into it. You'll need to be able to prove this if challenged, so although it's not obligatory, you can protect yourself by sending a copy of your work to yourself by recorded delivery and leaving it unopened. Recorded delivery post is date stamped so you'll be able to prove that your work existed on a particular date.
Copyright lasts for the duration of the author’s life plus 70 years for literary, dramatic or musical works. Different periods apply for films (70 years after the last to die of the director, screenplay authors and musical director), sound recordings (50 years) and published editions (25 years). People are allowed to publish excerpts from your copyrighted work for the purpose of news, review or criticism. This is known as fair dealing. Works used in this way should be properly acknowledged.
When you give someone the right to publish your work, you are assigning that right temporarily (a bit like renting out your house). As a writer, you'll want to avoid signing away any of your rights permanently. Instead, be clear on what rights you are assigning. First serial rights are normal. This gives the publisher the right to publish your material first in whatever country or region (for example, the UK or US) the rights apply to. Once the material has been published, all rights revert to you. Some publishers will also request online rights and the right to keep your work in an online archive. You'll want to make sure these rights are for a limited period or are non-exclusive, so you can make the most of your material.
A key term to be aware of is moral right. This is the right to be credited as the author (have a byline) and to object to alterations or errors which might damage your reputation (known as derogatory treatment of your work). It also includes the right not to have work falsely attributed to you. In other words, no one should say you wrote something if you didn't.
So what do you do if someone tries to pass off something you've written as their own work? If your copyright has been breached you can take the infringer to court but beware. There are two things that could damage your case. The first is if the person commits innocent infringement, which means the person genuinely didn't know you owned the copyright; the second is if you have previously allowed someone to use copyrighted work without complaint. This is known as acquiescence.
Summary
So there you have it: the lowdown on UK copyright law. In essence, freelance writers need to be aware that their written work enjoys automatic copyright protection, that they are entitled to be credited as the author of any work they right, that they should only assign limited rights to their work and that they have the right to sue if their copyright is infringed.
Learn to Write Free
Novel Writer Magazine
Writers Online Courses
Get Paid To Write
As a freelance writer, ideas are your bread and butter. Getting a commission means revealing your idea for a great article to an editor or someone else. There's no way around it, but how can you prevent people from ripping you off? Here's what you need to know about UK copyright law.
In the UK, copyright is an automatic and unregistered right. That means there's no need to apply specially or fill in any forms. Copyright takes effect as soon as certain works (this term applies to all copyright protected material) are created and there are nine types of work that enjoy this automatic protection. These are literary work (including newspaper articles), dramatic, musical, artistic (photos, drawings, diagrams, maps etc), sound recordings, films, broadcasts, cable programmes and published editions of works. All of these are known as intellectual property. Intellectual property is a bit like real estate - it can be bought, sold, transferred and inherited, though only with your written permission.
The key thing to remember as a writer is that ideas themselves are not protected but the way ideas are expressed is protected. So if you think of an idea for an article, that isn't protected; when you write it, it is. It's the information you select and the way you arrange that information that makes it unique.
In order for material to have copyright protection it has to result from independent intellectual effort. In other words, you must have put some work into it. You'll need to be able to prove this if challenged, so although it's not obligatory, you can protect yourself by sending a copy of your work to yourself by recorded delivery and leaving it unopened. Recorded delivery post is date stamped so you'll be able to prove that your work existed on a particular date.
Copyright lasts for the duration of the author’s life plus 70 years for literary, dramatic or musical works. Different periods apply for films (70 years after the last to die of the director, screenplay authors and musical director), sound recordings (50 years) and published editions (25 years). People are allowed to publish excerpts from your copyrighted work for the purpose of news, review or criticism. This is known as fair dealing. Works used in this way should be properly acknowledged.
When you give someone the right to publish your work, you are assigning that right temporarily (a bit like renting out your house). As a writer, you'll want to avoid signing away any of your rights permanently. Instead, be clear on what rights you are assigning. First serial rights are normal. This gives the publisher the right to publish your material first in whatever country or region (for example, the UK or US) the rights apply to. Once the material has been published, all rights revert to you. Some publishers will also request online rights and the right to keep your work in an online archive. You'll want to make sure these rights are for a limited period or are non-exclusive, so you can make the most of your material.
A key term to be aware of is moral right. This is the right to be credited as the author (have a byline) and to object to alterations or errors which might damage your reputation (known as derogatory treatment of your work). It also includes the right not to have work falsely attributed to you. In other words, no one should say you wrote something if you didn't.
So what do you do if someone tries to pass off something you've written as their own work? If your copyright has been breached you can take the infringer to court but beware. There are two things that could damage your case. The first is if the person commits innocent infringement, which means the person genuinely didn't know you owned the copyright; the second is if you have previously allowed someone to use copyrighted work without complaint. This is known as acquiescence.
Summary
So there you have it: the lowdown on UK copyright law. In essence, freelance writers need to be aware that their written work enjoys automatic copyright protection, that they are entitled to be credited as the author of any work they right, that they should only assign limited rights to their work and that they have the right to sue if their copyright is infringed.
Learn to Write Free
Novel Writer Magazine
Writers Online Courses
Get Paid To Write
Get Paid MORE to Write - PageRank
wrote a series of articles at DivaNetworking on page rank. The three page ariticle in the blogging 101 section is designed to help bloggers and work at home professionals learn how to build inbound links - and how to network - to increase their pagerank.
Increasing pagerank increases both traffic and the amount you make from Google AdSense clicks. The diva networking program does work well, but most people do not understand how important it is to network between good websites and pull up the page rank.
Take a look at the series and let me know what you think?
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Increasing pagerank increases both traffic and the amount you make from Google AdSense clicks. The diva networking program does work well, but most people do not understand how important it is to network between good websites and pull up the page rank.
Take a look at the series and let me know what you think?
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
You Can Become a Famous Writer
It always amazes me how people appreaciate good writing, whether it appears on a blog, in an article, or in a novel. The thing is, anyone can write well. You can write something that receives hundreds, even thousands of views. You can write a novel that sells thousands of copies. The secret is to write something that people want to read, by writing about life.
Take a look at two blog posts I wrote that received top hits, despite the fact they are on a blog community, www.communati.com, that has hundreds of great writers on the site.
My first article received almost 500 views in less than a few hours. Within 4 hours of being written, it was on the ‘most popular list.’ Gladiolas, Dahlias, Pear Trees and The Secrets of Life . This is nothing more than a look at a quiet summer afternoon that I spent with my family, and how it touched me, and also touched my readers. The writing is not literary and flowery. There is nothing poetic about it. I just wrote it in a way that made readers look into their own lives. This is the secret of great writing, making people look at their own lives instead of forcing them to see life through your eyes.
The second is a tutorial on saving time. I did not tell people to save time. Instead, I showed them how I save time. There is a big difference between talking about what to do and how to do. The world is full of tutorials that tell people what to do, but never gives them the tools to help them do it. How Much $$ Does Multitasking Costing You?
You’ll also notice that I made some great titles. Are titles important? Yes. They are so important that I have even returned to my blogs and changed titles. In some cases, the hits increased.
So, next time you write, don’t just put words on paper. Think about your readers. “Take care of your readers and they will take care of you.”
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Take a look at two blog posts I wrote that received top hits, despite the fact they are on a blog community, www.communati.com, that has hundreds of great writers on the site.
My first article received almost 500 views in less than a few hours. Within 4 hours of being written, it was on the ‘most popular list.’ Gladiolas, Dahlias, Pear Trees and The Secrets of Life . This is nothing more than a look at a quiet summer afternoon that I spent with my family, and how it touched me, and also touched my readers. The writing is not literary and flowery. There is nothing poetic about it. I just wrote it in a way that made readers look into their own lives. This is the secret of great writing, making people look at their own lives instead of forcing them to see life through your eyes.
The second is a tutorial on saving time. I did not tell people to save time. Instead, I showed them how I save time. There is a big difference between talking about what to do and how to do. The world is full of tutorials that tell people what to do, but never gives them the tools to help them do it. How Much $$ Does Multitasking Costing You?
You’ll also notice that I made some great titles. Are titles important? Yes. They are so important that I have even returned to my blogs and changed titles. In some cases, the hits increased.
So, next time you write, don’t just put words on paper. Think about your readers. “Take care of your readers and they will take care of you.”
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Freelance Writing: Get Started PT2
The desire to write is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it taps some of our most creative resources and forces us to find a way to express ourselves in the symbols we call words.
It’s a curse because getting it right, or even close, can be agony. Ah, but when it works, its sheer bliss, no matter how we get there.
Writing is also a blessing because it gives us the opportunity to share our ideas with others - potentially thousands, even millions of others. Not many ever get the chance to inform, influence and entertain that many people. Of course, that’s part of the curse too, because we have to find and reach our audience.
We all want an easier, softer way to write, and to get published and to earn money through our writing.
Sound obvious? Good. It should be obvious. Or were you expecting some magic? Some get rich quick scheme? Not here. Let's explore a bit and see where the truth is.
Write
Nothing can happen if you don't sit down and write. There's no escape; if you want to be a successful freelancer you must get words on paper. The trick is to write and to write regularly, whatever that works out to be for you. It might be every day, or three days a week; it might be X number of words a day or even a complete chapter a day. The nature of the schedule you evolve - and it will change over time - isn’t nearly as important as writing consistently.
Rewrite
Once you’ve written, you’ve got to rewrite. Okay], rewriting is usually no fun at all. But it’s essential. Rewriting is where clarity and conciseness appear. It's in the rewriting that our personal style begins to shine through, setting us apart from others and making our work salable.
Rewriting may actually be part of your writing or it may be a separate activity done before or after generating something new. It may be done in bits and pieces or you may sit down to a marathon editing session. However you do it, rewriting must be done.
By the way, it’s worth noting that some of your pieces will need more rewriting than other pieces. The more we practice writing, the better we get at turning out clean copy, at least most of the time. Even when you’ve been writing successfully for years, however, some of your writing will need major rewriting. It’s a fact of the writing life.
Market
The need to market is the bane of every writer's existence, but it's an absolute must if we are to be successful. Peter Bowerman, in his excellent The Well-Fed Writer, says, “The bad news: marketing yourself is a continuous process.” He also says that if you market yourself consistently (emphasis mine) we’ll be something like 95% ahead of the competition. My own experience confirms this and I like to spend at least a third of my time marketing me.
Part of marketing is researching potential markets, but that doesn’t count if you’re not out there contacting the publishers or others who may buy your material.
You just must find a way to become your own best sales person. Bowerman suggests cold calling potential clients, which can work if you’re looking for corporate, non-profit or business writing. If you want to be published in magazines, you must send queries or even articles on spec. Putting together book proposals counts if you get them in the mail.
It takes a while to get all three elements of successful freelancing working well together. But once you do, you’ll find you are well on your way to becoming a successful freelance writer.
Write well and often!
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
It’s a curse because getting it right, or even close, can be agony. Ah, but when it works, its sheer bliss, no matter how we get there.
Writing is also a blessing because it gives us the opportunity to share our ideas with others - potentially thousands, even millions of others. Not many ever get the chance to inform, influence and entertain that many people. Of course, that’s part of the curse too, because we have to find and reach our audience.
We all want an easier, softer way to write, and to get published and to earn money through our writing.
Sound obvious? Good. It should be obvious. Or were you expecting some magic? Some get rich quick scheme? Not here. Let's explore a bit and see where the truth is.
Write
Nothing can happen if you don't sit down and write. There's no escape; if you want to be a successful freelancer you must get words on paper. The trick is to write and to write regularly, whatever that works out to be for you. It might be every day, or three days a week; it might be X number of words a day or even a complete chapter a day. The nature of the schedule you evolve - and it will change over time - isn’t nearly as important as writing consistently.
Rewrite
Once you’ve written, you’ve got to rewrite. Okay], rewriting is usually no fun at all. But it’s essential. Rewriting is where clarity and conciseness appear. It's in the rewriting that our personal style begins to shine through, setting us apart from others and making our work salable.
Rewriting may actually be part of your writing or it may be a separate activity done before or after generating something new. It may be done in bits and pieces or you may sit down to a marathon editing session. However you do it, rewriting must be done.
By the way, it’s worth noting that some of your pieces will need more rewriting than other pieces. The more we practice writing, the better we get at turning out clean copy, at least most of the time. Even when you’ve been writing successfully for years, however, some of your writing will need major rewriting. It’s a fact of the writing life.
Market
The need to market is the bane of every writer's existence, but it's an absolute must if we are to be successful. Peter Bowerman, in his excellent The Well-Fed Writer, says, “The bad news: marketing yourself is a continuous process.” He also says that if you market yourself consistently (emphasis mine) we’ll be something like 95% ahead of the competition. My own experience confirms this and I like to spend at least a third of my time marketing me.
Part of marketing is researching potential markets, but that doesn’t count if you’re not out there contacting the publishers or others who may buy your material.
You just must find a way to become your own best sales person. Bowerman suggests cold calling potential clients, which can work if you’re looking for corporate, non-profit or business writing. If you want to be published in magazines, you must send queries or even articles on spec. Putting together book proposals counts if you get them in the mail.
It takes a while to get all three elements of successful freelancing working well together. But once you do, you’ll find you are well on your way to becoming a successful freelance writer.
Write well and often!
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Freelance Writing: Getting STarted
The life of a writer appears to have many perks. The uninitiated envisions us working in our pajamas while writing fluff about far away places, beautiful people, and spectacular adventures. After chuckling, we patiently explain how many hours it can take to research an article, or the number of times an article is submitted before it sells.
We possess an intangible element, which prevents us from taking the well-worn route. A regular paycheck with benefits is attractive. I even tried it once, and almost died inside. Face it, we are not free to enjoy an easy life while others toil, writers must write.
The life of a freelance writer is burdened with unpaid bills, deadlines, and rejection letters. But, there are a few blessings outweigh the heaviest burdens, like the joy of being published in a national magazine, studying a truly fascinating topic for a client, or enjoying the spiritual journey only a writer can understand.
Still, it is nice to be paid.
The initial lack of income is where most new writers give up. They soon believe the desire to write is a prank their muse is playing on them. It doesn’t have to be this way.
View the world of freelance writing as a forest. On one side is the writer; on the other is a client willing to pay to have something written. All a writer needs to do is climb through the scrub and deadwood to find the elusive client. It isn’t hard, it just takes a different method of thinking, and a little caution.
The number of companies intent on ripping writers off is daunting. There is no way to avoid every scam. Writers sign with organizations that promise to locate work, only to find they must pay and bid against other writers. We all signed up for at least one newsletter that promised to help us earn a living, only to learn it is only a clever marketing tool to sell products.
Making a living shouldn’t be this frustrating. There are paying jobs out there. There are clients willing, even eager, to pay a professional writer. It just takes a little skill to find them.
Make a Client
This can be fun. There is only one rule, never confess what you write. Many small businesses are more than willing to pay a writer for a good press release, especially if the writer submits it to the newspaper too, but only if the business is named as author.
Each writer can find their own niche’. Some writers find untapped potential as speechwriters, others as copywriters, and still others as business plan writers. It may not be as fun as writing fiction, or magazine articles, but it does pay the bills.
Web Marketing is a booming business. This creates a vast wealth of work for writers. Web designers can make a good website, but they are not good writers. This causes a problem, because search engines want to see text content. A clever writer can convince webmasters to hire them to add articles.
Research Clients
I spend two hours a week looking for work. This results in one new client a month. This may seem discouraging, but good clients are repeat clients. The easiest way to find work is to surf the web. Most of the communities and periodicals listed are scams, but there are dozens of legitimate sites that work hard to promote their writers. But, there is a catch 22 with these groups. The good sites cannot have amateur, unmotivated, writers swamp their clients so they are usually harder to find, and harder to join.
Advertise
A freelance writer is a self-employed professional. No one would expect a lawyer to sit at home and wait for work to drop into their lap. They advertise, promote, and network, without thinking of advertising as a waste of time or money. It is just another part of business. Successful writers share a similar professional mindset. They love their lifestyle and are willing to fight for it, no matter what.
I love being a freelance writer. True, I accept some jobs to pay the bills, but then one request arrives that seems to be custom made for me. The prospect of landing that one assignment keeps me writing late into the night. And, the excitement of opening my PayPal account, or inbox, gets me out of bed in the morning.
Yes, there are downsides to freelance writing, but face it, true freelance writers will never surrender their passion for any other job - at any salary.
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
We possess an intangible element, which prevents us from taking the well-worn route. A regular paycheck with benefits is attractive. I even tried it once, and almost died inside. Face it, we are not free to enjoy an easy life while others toil, writers must write.
The life of a freelance writer is burdened with unpaid bills, deadlines, and rejection letters. But, there are a few blessings outweigh the heaviest burdens, like the joy of being published in a national magazine, studying a truly fascinating topic for a client, or enjoying the spiritual journey only a writer can understand.
Still, it is nice to be paid.
The initial lack of income is where most new writers give up. They soon believe the desire to write is a prank their muse is playing on them. It doesn’t have to be this way.
View the world of freelance writing as a forest. On one side is the writer; on the other is a client willing to pay to have something written. All a writer needs to do is climb through the scrub and deadwood to find the elusive client. It isn’t hard, it just takes a different method of thinking, and a little caution.
The number of companies intent on ripping writers off is daunting. There is no way to avoid every scam. Writers sign with organizations that promise to locate work, only to find they must pay and bid against other writers. We all signed up for at least one newsletter that promised to help us earn a living, only to learn it is only a clever marketing tool to sell products.
Making a living shouldn’t be this frustrating. There are paying jobs out there. There are clients willing, even eager, to pay a professional writer. It just takes a little skill to find them.
Make a Client
This can be fun. There is only one rule, never confess what you write. Many small businesses are more than willing to pay a writer for a good press release, especially if the writer submits it to the newspaper too, but only if the business is named as author.
Each writer can find their own niche’. Some writers find untapped potential as speechwriters, others as copywriters, and still others as business plan writers. It may not be as fun as writing fiction, or magazine articles, but it does pay the bills.
Web Marketing is a booming business. This creates a vast wealth of work for writers. Web designers can make a good website, but they are not good writers. This causes a problem, because search engines want to see text content. A clever writer can convince webmasters to hire them to add articles.
Research Clients
I spend two hours a week looking for work. This results in one new client a month. This may seem discouraging, but good clients are repeat clients. The easiest way to find work is to surf the web. Most of the communities and periodicals listed are scams, but there are dozens of legitimate sites that work hard to promote their writers. But, there is a catch 22 with these groups. The good sites cannot have amateur, unmotivated, writers swamp their clients so they are usually harder to find, and harder to join.
Advertise
A freelance writer is a self-employed professional. No one would expect a lawyer to sit at home and wait for work to drop into their lap. They advertise, promote, and network, without thinking of advertising as a waste of time or money. It is just another part of business. Successful writers share a similar professional mindset. They love their lifestyle and are willing to fight for it, no matter what.
I love being a freelance writer. True, I accept some jobs to pay the bills, but then one request arrives that seems to be custom made for me. The prospect of landing that one assignment keeps me writing late into the night. And, the excitement of opening my PayPal account, or inbox, gets me out of bed in the morning.
Yes, there are downsides to freelance writing, but face it, true freelance writers will never surrender their passion for any other job - at any salary.
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
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