Freelance Writing - Why Do We Freelance?

There are a lot wonderful reasons to become a freelance writer. Staying at home to be with the family more, being able to work on your own timescale and because we love to write.

What do you love to write about? I write about many different subjects every day, some of them are exciting and interesting, others are not!

Over the last few days I have been able to write about VOIP – Voice over Internet Protocol, some interesting history articles based around famous sports figures, foreclosure and a few travel tips.

While I love writing, there are a few subjects that I find really difficult to write about. When you are being paid to write, finding it difficult isn’t an option.

Being a freelance writer at home with a one year old can be strenuous at times. The distractions are many and finding the energy can be difficult. One of the best ways that I have found to combat this problem is to remember why you are working from home in the first place.

Here is my reason for working from home...



What's your reason for working from home or wanting to work from home?

Freelance Writing - Wealthy Writer

I thought I would share a website I have come across on my travels.

Wealthy Writer is a great website with information on marketing, getting traffic to your blog or website, writing and much more.

Written in a relaxed manner, it makes for light and easy writing when you are taking a break!

Have fun reading!

Freelance Jobs - Do you want to be a freelance proofreader?

Proofreading is a career that many would love to have. Freelance proofreading is not easy to get into and it always helps to know a few people that could give you the work. But what do you do when you don’t know anyone who could help you?

Practice makes perfect

One of the best ways is to first become a writer and practice proofreading your own work. Freelance proofreading is actually quite difficult and isn’t the easy job people think it is. Not only do you need to be able to spot spelling mistakes, you also need to be able to spot grammatical mistakes as well.

What to check for

Some of the things you will have to look for when proofreading is the structure of the sentence. You have to read every word very carefully, otherwise a wrongly conveyed word or message may slip through. Never trust your spell check as to be brutally honest, it is rubbish! The Microsoft word spell check won’t pick up on wrongly used words, and very rarely does it give you the right option for grammatical errors as well. Freelance proofreaders also have to look for punctuation errors such as colons, commas and semi colons within a sentence.

Training

When you are thinking of becoming a freelance proofreader one of the best ways to do so is to train. A properly structured course on proofreading will ensure that you give your clients the best quality work. Being a qualified freelance proofreader will also look great on your applications or resumes.

There are tons of online courses that are worth giving a go, especially if you are serious about making it as a freelance proofreader. You will need perseverance, dedication and determination to be a freelance proofreader.

Where to find jobs

Personally, I find my freelance proofreading jobs online through freelance websites, through online advertisements or from previous clients. Whether you are chosen or not for a proofreading job will all depend on your turnaround time, your qualifications and your experience. If you lack the experience, you may have to work a little harder in convincing the clients why you are the right person for the job.

Writing - Writing a paragraph

Paragraphs are part of our writing, and part of our reading. Many of us don’t really know what they are for. Well consider reading something, or indeed writing something without a paragraph. It would be hard to structure our writing without the paragraph and it would be even harder to read something with no paragraph.

Think of a paragraph like a sign post. They help us navigate the text we are either reading or writing. Writing paragraphs help us tell the reader exactly what is going in within the text. For the readers, paragraphs help them move from point to point.

A lot of experts suggest that there should be a paragraph for every point made in the text. But what if you have a lot of short points that don’t need elaborating on? Is this where we make bullet points or do we extend each paragraph.

It all depends on who you are writing for. If you are writing for the web, the paragraphs are generally shorter than if you are writing a novel or an essay.

Some experts believe that paragraphs need to be ‘wider than they are deep’, this apparently will stop people becoming intimidated at lots of unbroken text. Again, it all depends who you are writing for.

Writing - Quick Writing Tip

Here is a quick writing tip for all the writers and budding writers reading...

• Have a plan of action before you sit down to write. Jot down your plan of action before you sit in front of your computer. There is nothing worse than a white screen and a blank mind.

• Why not get a pen and write on a piece of paper, (yes you heard me right, a piece of paper and a pen!), and write a brief outline of what you want to include in your writing.

• If you have an outline ready before you start, you will see a dramatic difference in the time it takes you to write!

• By having a plan of action, you are able to work to your plan and not wander down different paths.

Writing - Beware of Writerlance

If you are a freelancer writer like myself you have no doubt searched for sites to find freelance work.

I recently found one called Writerlance.com and I thought I would give it a go. I have found two very good clients from there who now pay me through paypal and contact me direct. However, I did have some money in the writerlance account. It wasn't a huge amount so it doesn't really matter that much. They have been exposed as a scam site that take people's money and delete their accounts. They have done this to me now and I want to make sure none of you discover this the hard way!

The website was offline for at least a week and it is now up and running again. Please be very wary if you are looking for a freelancer or you are a freelancer.

Writerlance are a scam site so please look for your work elsewhere. It is hard enough for freelancers without having to contend with scam sites as well as clients who do not pay!

Keep safe out there people!

Writing - The Cost of Procrastination for Freelance Writers

If there is one thing almost all freelance writers have in common, it is that their productivity varies from day to day.

Some days are great, targets are achieved, projects are completed and there were no problems.
Other days, writers find themselves procrastinating. They get distracted and find that by the end of the day they haven't achieved even half of what they set out to get done.

The big problem is, those bad days cost a lot of money in lost productivity and billings.
Freelance writers only get rich if they can find a way to maintain a peak level of productivity, every single day.

How can you do that? How can you make sure that every day is a productive day? How can you get rid of writer's block, banish procrastination and avoid all distractions?

You need to get organized and have a system in place.

You need a process that gives structure and discipline to each day.

Frankly, most freelance writers don't have enough self-discipline. As a result they lose hundreds of hours a year, and thousands of dollars.

Is there a way to structure one's work that results in continuous, peak productivity?
Yes, there is. It's called Writing Rituals.

Five separate a sequential rituals are put in place, helping writers structure their work and achieve much higher levels of productivity, on a continuous basis.


Click Here To Find Out More About Writing Rituals

Freelance Writing - The Growing Demand for Case Studies

A lady I once knew was offered an assignment: She had to write a case study that showed the benefit of using a certain product. It was the first time she'd gotten an assignment for a case study.

She was nervous about accepting, mainly because she really did not even know what a case study was. But after researching the subject, she found out that case studies were easy to write, and that people with commercial web sites are willing to pay a nice premium for them!

So just what is a case study?

Well, the two paragraphs above are actually a good example. A case study just uses an actual person's real-life story to either illustrate a point or to show the value of a product or service. And web sites that are selling something love them! That's why there's a growing demand for copywriters who can do them well.

So if you're not regularly seeking out opportunities for case-study assignments, I'd like you to consider these main points:

1) Case studies are easy! In fact, they almost always follow the same style and format. So once you've written one, you can use it as a guide to write another, and another, and another!

2) They're short and quick. Most people who hire you to write a case study don't want more than about 400 to 600 words. Once you get the knack of it, you could knock out several of these in a day.

3) Demand is growing! When you consider that most people selling any product or service would LOVE to hear real people bragging about what they're selling, you'll understand that there is a real need for case studies. There is no end to how many of these are available if you just seek them out.

4) People pay well for case studies. While you might not get rich writing them, generally these pay more than any other kind of copy writing you might do for web sites.

5) You can re-use the same template over and over. Check out most case studies, and you'll find that almost all follow the same basic layout. It's expected. So once you come up with your first couple, you can re-use the structure again and again, and nobody will gripe. Just make sure you get your facts right, and use good grammar and spelling.

6) You won't have many competitors. The demand for case studies seems to be a little known secret, or at least, one that not many copywriters seem to feel comfortable doing. As a result, there are few covering this market. If you chase down the case-study assignments, chances are you won't have to fight for it.

So how do you find case-study assignments? You can either put it in your promotion that you specialize in case studies, or approach the web sites themselves and offer to do them. You have nothing to lose, and a lot of money to gain.

Freelance Writing - How to Make a Living Freelancing

Most freelance writers, especially those who concentrate on the copy writing niche are part-timers. They either have another job that provides their main income, or they have a spouse who does. However, it doesn't have to be this way. There are a lot of copywriters out there who do make enough money to make this their full time job.

Here are some tips that can put you with that exclusive group.

Freelancing tip one - Set a goal for how much money you need each day. Break it down according to what you need to make per year. For instance, you know you need to make $1,000 a week to get $52,000 a year. That breaks down to $200 a day for 5 working days. Now you have a target. You must search out the jobs that will help you achieve that much money. If, however, your needs are extremely modest, and you only need half that, then you'll just need $100 a day.

Freelancing tip two - Recognize the value of your time. Using the example above, the person who makes 50 grand a year and works a 40-hour week finds he is worth $25 an hour. So is it worth it to take the day off to cut the grass? Or can you maybe find someone to do it for you for $15? If so, you've saved yourself a $10 block of time.

Freelancing tip three - Create new habits that will allow you to get more done in less time. For instance, start earlier, eat lunch at your desk, and operate off a to-do list. Do the hardest tasks in the morning, because that's when you're most likely the most productive.

Here's another time-saving tip: Did you know it's almost never necessary to go to the post office? For letters or small packages, you can just mail them out in your own mailbox. Need stamps? You can go to the Post Office's website and print out postage for your envelopes. Likewise, even if you need to mail out a package, you can go to the Post Office website and schedule, (for free), a pick-up right at your place. You might save an hour or two a month just by doing your mail chores right from your home or office!

Freelancing tip four - Learn to conquer writer's block. Remember, the more you manage to write each day, the more assignments you can take on. In fact, the best way to beat writer's block is to have a lot of assignments on your schedule. This will keep you fresh. When you can't think of what to write on one topic, move onto something else and come back to that one later. Try to always keep five or six assignments in the mix at any given time.

Freelancing tip five - Don't forget to constantly be targeting higher-paying clients. Right now, you probably have a certain amount of money you get regularly for your work. Once you've got work coming in steadily at that rate, it's time to start looking for clients that pay a bit more and try to solicit their business. Eventually, you'll get a lot of clients at the new, higher rate. When you have a consistent flow at that level, you can then start targeting even higher-paying clients. Keep up with this practice, always looking at better-paying customers when the work flow is good at the current level.

Freelancing tip six - Focus on repeat business. Customers who have bought from you in the past are likely to do so again if you provide quality product and meet deadlines. So keep them happy!

Freelance Writing - Get Serious about Deadlines!

One of the keys to being a successful copywriter is to keep your clients happy, so that they offer you more work in the future. And one of the surest ways to tick them off is to repeatedly miss deadlines.

One of the best ways to have a steady income is to always have new assignments coming in. And of course, this is only possible if you're moving quickly -- and meeting deadlines.
For a freelancer, it all comes back to making yourself meet deadlines. This is the prime directive in your career!

But here's a suggestion for helping you in this area. Don't just concentrate on meeting the deadlines set by the person who's paying you. In addition, you need to set deadlines of your own. To concentrate only on the client's deadline will result in lost productivity, and as a result, lost money. Let me illustrate.

Mr. Jones has a big article for his web site that he's given you until noon tomorrow to finish. If you keep telling yourself you have until then to finish, then you will likely give yourself that much time. You'll probably spend the rest of today and much of tomorrow morning on the job. It's human nature to take the time we're allotted. When you were in school, were you more likely to finish an essay that you were assigned a month ago a week in advance--or the night before? It was probably the night before.

The better alternative is to create your own deadlines, and write them down. For instance, jot down a note that you have until noon tomorrow, not just to complete that article, but also to catch up on billing and bookkeeping. Learn to be a lot tougher on yourself than your clients are.
The benefits to doing this are obvious. There's the benefit of getting more work done between now and the "real" deadlines. Also, believe it or not, you'll probably deliver a higher quality product to the customer. There's something about tight deadlines that makes us focus with more concentration on the project at hand. And the final benefit is a feeling of accomplishment that you've gotten as much out of the day as you possibly can.

One more thing about this. Each week, give yourself a deadline to read something educational about the craft of writing. The process of constantly improving yourself is every bit as important as the assignments you complete.

Freelance Writing - Which Keywords are the Best Ones to Use?

When we are looking at the kind of keywords and key phrases to use on websites, there are actually three kinds of keywords that you could use.

1. The keywords and the key phrases that are used for browsing (CD player)

2. The keywords and the key phrases that are used for comparing (Sony CD player)

3. The keywords and the key phrases that are used for actually buying (Sony CD player free shipping)

The search engines pick up the keywords that are better used for comparing rather than the buying and the browsing keywords. People who are typing in the comparing keywords and key phrases are generally looking for a solution to a problem that they have, this means more often than not, a person looking to compare will end up buying.

The most effective keyword phrases are those that contain at least two words and generally no more than four. Phrases are much more effective than singular words as there is less competition for key word phrases.

According to recent research by Oneupweb Research, people searching for products and services using more than one keyword are much more likely to buy then those searching for single keywords.

Freelance Writing - Warning – Are you breaking Copyright Law?

With blogs and website content being so prolific on the internet, copyright concerns are more important than ever. It is easier today than it ever has been to copy, change and share different pieces of information. The main worry with this is that there are many people who don’t have a clear understanding of the Copyright Law. This could then end up with serious, illegal and extremely costly mistakes.

I am listing here a few Do’s and Don’ts where Copyright Law is concerned, and I hope it helps clear up any worries or concerns you may have as an online writer.

What you can do

· You can use materials that are under a public domain – You are able to use any work that has been placed in the public domain. This includes many materials such as any produced before 1923 and 1977 that do not have a copyright attached to them.

· You can quote interesting remarks or tidbits – You are able to quote small snippets of other peoples work provided it is used for criticism, commentary or perhaps news that you need to report. The quote however, should only be a small part and shouldn’t be from the ‘heart’ of the work.

· You can use different facts and also ideas – The Copyright Law allows everyone to express facts and certain ideas. You can create these from the form, the combination and also the structure of certain documents. This doesn’t include the facts themselves however.

· You can use any materials that do not have a Copyright attached – There are many different types of materials that cannot conform to Copyright Law. These are popular slogans, titles, procedures, short phrases, ingredients in recipes, symbols and names. Be careful though, as these may be protected by trademark instead of Copyright.

· You can use another companies name or logo if you are writing about them – Obviously they will have a trademark attached to them, but if you are writing an article or comment about them, you can still use the name and the logo.

· You can use a company name within your domain – As long as you not out to deceive people, (by attempting to fraudulently get people to your site), you can use another companies name within your own domain name. If you want to create a website called ‘Microsoftrippeopleoff.com’ then you can!

What you can’t do

· You can’t assume that because you credit the author you will conform to Copyright Law – You won’t be. You can only ever use material from another if you have permission to do so. Even if you credit the author or the place you got the material from, you are still in violation of Copyright Law.

· You can’t assume that because there is no Copyright message there is no Copyright – Copyright Law required a notice of Copyright to protect work until 1977. It was in 1978 that the law was changed then abolished to give way to a Copyright Notice. What this means for any author is that anything written either online or on paper, automatically generates a Copyright notice, whether intended or not.

· You can’t remove the Copyright Notice and use the material – Whether you remove the Copyright notice or not, you are still breaking the Copyright Law.

If you are worried that you may be breaking Copyright Law, you need to seek advice from a specialized lawyer or representative.

This article was not written by a lawyer and it is not to be considered legal advice.

Writing - Proof that Proofreading works!

It doesn’t matter if you are only writing an email, a college essay, a letter or an article, getting your writing free from mistakes is paramount.

If you use MS Word or other spell checkers this can help, but it isn’t foolproof and can sometimes miss glaring errors.

This is where proofreading comes into play.

Read on to find tips for proofreading that will make finding errors and mistakes much easier.

Make sure you concentrate

If you are going to spot any errors that you have made in your writing, then you have to be able to concentrate. Free yourself from any distractions and watch out for potential interruptions. Wait until the kids have gone to bed, turn off your phone, turn off the TV and start to concentrate.

Print out your writing

It is easier to read and check for mistakes on paper than it is on screen. The computer screen can be distracting and it can affect the way your eyes see the writing. Read aloud what you have printed off and you will be amazed at how many mistakes you spot. (If you have made any that is!)

Keep an eye out for Homonyms

Words that have the same spelling or the same pronunciation, but have different meanings are known as homonyms. Words such as weather and whether may not be picked up by spell checkers. It can be disastrous for your letter or text if you mistakenly leave the wrong word in, so always proofread to make sure you have the correct word.

Be on the lookout for Contractions and also Apostrophes

Common mistakes in writing are confusing words such as it’s and its, your and you’re and their and they’re. Make sure you are using the right word for your text, it again can be disastrous to use the wrong one. Remember that an apostrophe is never used to form a plural of a singular word.

Watch your punctuation

Make sure you use commas, periods, and capitalization of words properly. Never neglect the punctuation in your writing. The spell checkers do not pick up grammar mistakes so read aloud what you have written to be sure.

Read your text backwards

If you read your text from the last word to the first word you will find it is easier to spot mistakes. This may seem time consuming, but I guarantee you will spot mistakes that you couldn’t spot reading it normally. This is because the brain corrects words automatically and makes you see the correct word when it is mixed with other text. If you read words in the wrong order, it forces your brain to actually see the word in front of you.

Read your work aloud

Reading aloud can help with your grammar and your punctuation. You will notice more mistakes by taking the time out to actually read your work. Reading it out to another person can help as well.

See your work through fresh eyes

If you have the luxury to be able to, leave what you have written for a couple of days and go back to it later. It is staggering how easy it is to see mistakes after you have distanced yourself from the work for a while.

Enlarge your writing

If you can, change the settings on your software. You should have the option to enlarge the writing and this will help you spot mistakes. So if you can, always proofread your work on a higher setting, such as 150 or 200 per cent.

Make sure your numbers are correct

If you mean to put numbers into your text, make sure you get them right. Putting $20,000 when you mean to put $200,000 is definitely not the same thing! Always check your facts and your typing!

Finally, get another person to proofread your work

After going through all of the other points, see if you can find a friend or a colleague to proofread what you have written. Even after going through these points, you may have still missed a few mistakes. A person who is not affiliated to the writing will be able to see things you may not be able to.

Freelance Writing - How to be a Freelance Writer

Writing is a wonderful art form, you can explore your own feelings, your attitudes, values, goals, motivations and so many more feelings that you may or may not have known you had. To turn writing into a career that actually pays you have to approach your writing as not only a craft but also a profession.

Here are a few steps that you need to take before becoming a freelance writer.

Step One

Look at your options and your skills. Not everyone can write a bestselling novel. However, if you can write informative and interesting articles and short pieces then you could make a career as a freelance writer. Copywriting is massive at the moment and because it takes place mainly on the internet your options are literally endless. Think about how many websites there are that need regular updated content. There are lots! This means everyone who can write and write well can get a piece of the proverbial pie.

Step Two

Use your own logic and the desire within you to find and create the vision you really want.

Step Three

If all you want is money then you are looking at the wrong career. Being a freelance writer isn’t an easy job. A freelance writer works long hours and has to put a lot of effort and grind into the work. If you are willing to go that extra mile and make a name for yourself then being a freelance writer is for you. If you want to write because of the love for it then being a freelance writer will be right up your street.

Step Four

Find your niche and unless you are comfortable stepping outside of it, don’t. As you begin your career as a freelance writer be prepared to write about what you like the most. This way you will be more confident in your own skills. When you have built up your confidence then you go on to write about other things.

Step Five

Writers block exists and it can be nasty! I know because I have experienced it! As a freelance writer working from home it is all too easy to write 7 days a week and as many hours as you can manage without sleep! Doing this will only reinforce the writer’s block, and you will be staring at that dreaded white screen of nothingness!

Step Six

Take regular breaks and make sure you give yourself a day off at least once or twice a week.