January 2008

5

It’s about time for another roundup of posts that made me think in the last couple of weeks. A post on Dosh Dosh about reaching 10,000 subscribers made me wonder whether all the things we do to promote our blogs are really worth it. Dosh Dosh concludes that great content ...

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7

If you’re going to write for a living, then you need to put your writing life on a business footing. That doesn’t mean giving up the pleasure of writing; it just means that you need to take it seriously and get others to do the same. So how do you ...

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7

Here’s another in the series of questions on freelancing. Rachel asked me: Do you ever think about going back to being an employee? She also asked about the benefits of freelancing. While the benefits are different for different people, here’s what I get from freelancing: I work for myself. That ...

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4

In my last post in this series I answered Rachel‘s question about why I decided to freelance. However, wanting to go freelance doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea to just jump ship and do it. Rachel also asked: ‘Should a young freelancer like myself try to get a stable ...

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4

Last week I invited you to ask your questions about freelancing. I got a great response, with several questions to answer. Rachel asked why I decided to go freelance. For me, the decision was relatively easy. I didn’t realise how essential writing was to my well being till I stopped ...

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10

One aspect of freelancing that always stymies new writers is how to set the right rate for the freelance writing job. In fact, even experienced writers who are bidding on a new area might have difficulty. A post the other day on rates for blog posting provoked some discussion. There ...

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2

I’ve been doing a LOT of blogging this month. Here are some of my posts on writing and blogging that have been published on other sites. Pureblogging Windows Live Writer Review So You Wanna Be A Problogger? What To Do When Nobody Likes Your Blog Post Daily Writing Tips Days: ...

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17

4 Guidelines for Setting Blog Posting Rates is the latest in a series of quality articles from Yuwanda Black of Inkwell Editorial. I’m not just saying that because she interviewed me recently. In fact, this article answers what everyone who’s hoping to get paid to blog wants to know. What ...

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13

I’ve just completed a travel piece about a place I’ve never visited. It may seem a strange thing to do, but this was the commission that my writing client gave me. Usually a travel piece is full of local color, but how do you add that if you’ve never set ...

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15

I get a lot of emails from people who want to know how to get started as a freelance writer. It’s one of my favourite topics and I never mind giving a few tips. My advice is based on more than 20 years in the writing business. I have worked ...

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10

When it comes to making a success of freelance writing, two simple rules will take you far. Rule #1: Follow The Brief The brief is there for a reason. It’s meant to tell you how the client wants the job done. It’s true, not all writing briefs are as detailed ...

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14

I’ve been reading a lot about freelance writing and money this week. Yuwanda Black’s post on How to Set SEO Writing Rates to Make $250-$500+/Day matched the direction my thoughts were taking. As she points out: You have to make a decent wage to feel good about yourself. While we ...

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18

If you do a lot of writing, then it’s essential to get organized. Planning is very important, but tracking is equally important. Someone asked me the other day how I kept track of my writing life. I’m not a spreadsheet wizard, but Excel is the best way to keep track ...

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3

As a freelance writer, you can make your life a bit easier by planning the content that you write. It may seem easier to do a brain dump and write whatever comes to mind on a given subject, but that won’t help you to organize it in a way that ...

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9

It’s always nice to know you’ve made a difference to someone, so I was very pleased when I realised that Rebecca Laffar-Smith had reviewed Get Paid to Write Online. She’s said so many nice things about this blog – and me – that I’m blushing, and she’s also highlighted the ...

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15

Sometimes you need to admit when you’re wrong – and that’s what I’m doing today. At the start of 2007, I moved my diary online. I set up Google Calendar with a personal calendar, a work calendar, a school calendar, and a holiday calendar. Yes, the system had some advantages. ...

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0

I’m pleased to welcome Lori Chance to the blog today. She’s a writing life coach and has recently published a book aimed a stressed out, overworked moms. It’s called Who Am I? Hi Lori. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Well, I’m a mom, an entrepreneur, a ...

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2

The January issue of Writing Lab News features another sneak preview. One of my contacts wrote to me saying that he thought he’d been scammed. I commiserated and offered some tips for avoiding scams in the future. Those tips became an article and if you subscribe to Writing Lab News, ...

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