Get Paid to Write Online » Sharon Hurley Hall

Will Write for … Barter?

Sharon Hurley Hall — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:13 +0000

Weigh up the options before bartering your writing services.

For most writers, getting paid to write means just that – money in the pocket. I’ve never advocated writing for free, but when is it ok to use the barter system?

Barter is something we often get into as kids. Perhaps we traded an hour spent washing the car for an extra hour of watching TV. With our friends, we almost certainly traded lunch items we didn’t want for ones we found more appealing, and also traded collectibles of all kinds. Human beings like to trade, but is writing for anything but mondy a sound business practice?

I have to be honest. In most cases, I go for the cash – a deposit up front and the rest on completion. Sometimes, though, barter can be worth it. Here are a few examples from my writing business.

Barter and My Writing Business – Case Studies

Case Study 1

A friend approached me to help get her WordPress website set up. We agreed a fee for the initial job (a slightly discounted mate’s rate, as we would call it in the UK) and started the job. However, it turned out to be a much longer job, partly because we kept refining what the site really needed. We also had some hosting and technical problems to sort out. Since I knew the budget was tight, I offered to do the rest of the job on a part cash, part services basis. She is a massage therapist, and I’ve got a pampering session booked in for some time in the next month. She got her site up and I get some self-care. Everyone wins.

Case Study 2

I had a meeting with a new client who was strapped for cash. However, he was upfront about it and wanted to compensate me. He offers business and organizational development courses. We agreed to swap a three day course for a package of writing services. That means I get some professional development which all of us need sometimes. Even better, I’m top of his list for payment for services when his next cash inflow comes.

Case Study 3

I once traded writing a promotional article for placement of my ad on a site where the ad fees would normally have been too high. The person who wanted the writing placed value on my writing services and I was happy with the ad placement and traffic I received in return.

Case Study 4

I run an ongoing promotion for a site that’s useful for writers on this blog in exchange for access to the daily job opportunity updates. I also promote the site wherever I can, as it’s a useful service. So far, we’re both happy with the arrangement.

How to Barter Successfully

So, yes, barter can work, but I don’t accept every offer. There are some important aspects to bartering successfully:

First, you have to know the value of the services you want to trade. If you are a writer with a price list (even if it’s only in your head), then you know what you would expect to earn for writing an article, blog post or ebook. Keep that figure in mind when making a barter arrangement.
Second, the other person has to have something that you want – and probably something that you wouldn’t normally buy, otherwise there’s no incentive for you.
Third, you need to work out some equivalency. How much of your writing is worth how much of their product or service? You both have to be happy that there’s parity, otherwise one of you will end up feeling disgruntled.
Fourth, only barter if you can live with the fact that you’re not getting cash on this occasion. Man – or woman – cannot live by barter alone. It might have been possible in the days before utility bills and cars, but it certainly isn’t now. Try bartering with the electricity company and you’ll see what I mean.
Fifth, limit the arrangement. Most business people won’t want to barter forever. In the case of the second client I mentioned above, I stated clearly that while I was happy to barter in the short term, in the medium term I would expect to get paid so I could eat. He understood where I was coming from.

That’s my experience with barter – what’s yours? Have you learned any lessons you’d care to share?

This is my WordCarnival entry. Be sure to check out the other posts on the topic of barter – they will be great!

Photo credit: Sepehr Ehsani

Going the Half Hog: Freelance Writing without Marketing – A Review

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:18:57 +0000

Spike Wyatt’s book on freelancing grabbed me from the title. ‘Going the Half Hog?’ I asked myself. Did this mean a half hearted approach to freelancing, as opposed to going all out aka the full hog? No, it didn’t. Instead this is a book for those who want to make a part time income or work part time as freelancers.

The book is subtitled Freelancing without Marketing – another draw for me. Sure I can get my writer marketing done in a short time, but not marketing at all? I was intrigued.

Going the Half Hog Contents

I found Spike’s book an easy, no-nonsense read. The contents list includes:

How to freelance as a writer
What you need to get started as a half-hogger
The basics of online content creation
The “natural marketing” alternative that takes almost no time or effort
Where to find freelance writing jobs that suit you
How to sort through the crap jobs and find the gems
The major ways to earn – all with their pros and cons
Avoiding the cheats and scams
The editing and proofreading route to success

The Best Bits of Going the Half Hog

I knew I was going to love the book when I read the disclaimer, which stated: ‘the author has been known to talk crap’. From then on, I was clear that this was going to be a down-to-earth read with no pseudo-guru-speak – yay! And I was right. Spike promises ‘real information with actual, explicit ideas and guidelines’ and that’s what he delivers. Among my favorite bits were:

on what clients really want – most just want a reliable, professional writer who will produce high-quality work on time, every time
on getting paid – Repeat after me: you deserve to be paid the same as full-time freelancers of similar talent for similar work.
on running a writing business – There is no ‘right’ way to run a business, beyond a few simple concepts such as honesty, integrity, producing quality work and meeting deadlines
on how to freelance successfully – Provide solutions. Create accurate specifications. Offer simple, clear contracts. Keep deadlines. Do quality work.

I also liked the 5 principles of being a good freelancer – simple rules which anyone can sign up to – and the questions you need to know the answers to when you get started. These are especially useful for new writers. New writers will also get value from the section where Spike provides a simple structure for writing articles for an online audience.

My one point of disagreement with Spike was on the importance of spelling, grammar and punctuation. He says: ‘I’m not saying that spelling, grammar and punctuation are unimportant: they just don’t have to be perfect for the majority of online media.’ I say: people notice these things, even if subliminally, and it’s important to get them right. That’s the only niggle – and I’m still prepared to recommend the book.

I know the experienced writers out there are wondering what’s in it for them. I can tell you where I learned something – in the section on scams and cheats. I’ve seen my share of writing scams, but Spike added a couple twists on them which haven’t yet come my way (probably because I stay off the bidding sites.) It’s always good to know about these things in advance.

The Verdict

Overall, I think Going the Half Hog lives up to its description:

With this unique, straightforward book you’ll learn everything you need to get started as a freelance writer, including content creation, ways to earn online, where to find freelance work that suits your skills and schedule, how to sort through the rubbish jobs and find the gems, how to avoid the cheats and scammers, a “natural marketing” alternative that requires almost no time or effort and lots more to build a solid foundation that you can scale up whenever you want.

With all that value, at $7.50 it’s not hard to see this as a good investment in your writing career.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Going the Half Hog and I like it so much that if you click on the links below and buy it, I might earn a few cents.

Check out Going The Half Hog: Freelance Writing Without Marketing (or the Kindle edition) on Amazon.com

Check out Going the Half Hog: Freelance Writing Without Marketing (or the Kindle Edition) on Amazon.co.uk

Resolved: To Make No Resolutions

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:01:22 +0000

Happy New Year! I haven’t made any new year’s resolutions this year. They just don’t work for me. Instead of focusing change on a single date and period in the year, I’ve found that true change finds its own level. It happens when you are ready to take the steps to make it work – and that can be at any time of year.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t have plans and goals. I most certainly do. Last year’s goals included broadening my client list, which I achieved, and it remains on my list for this year. As planned I increased the number of clients in my local area, though I still haven’t done any local marketing to speak of. I didn’t make as much progress with ebooks as I intended, so I want to rectify that this year, and also reissue my most popular ebook, Getting Started in Blogging, for the Nook platform.

This year’s list looks pretty much like last year’s, though I am considering a couple of new moves like:

unsubscribing from all email newsletters and mailing lists and seeing if I miss any of them (with the exception of one I pay for which I know is valuable)
closing all the accounts for online tools which I no longer use
shifting business interaction from my Facebook page to Google+ (I don’t know if my 300+ fans would be upset or whether they would move with me)
sticking rigidly to a four day work week (I have tried this before, with limited success)

This last one will be the key to making all my other goals work and avoiding burnout, so it’s the one I’m going to focus on first. To make it work, I’ll need to structure my client load carefully and be more efficient on those four days. Wish me luck – and I’ll let you know how it goes!

Get Paid To Write Online 2011 – My List Of Lists

Sharon Hurley Hall — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:15:35 +0000

At usual this year, I’m keeping the Get Paid to Write Online annual roundup to a single post – this one. We have had a great year here. I know I say that every year, but it’s true. We’ve had more people visiting the blog than ever before, some great posts from Dan and guest writers and some excellent conversation. Drumroll, please, as I start the lists:

The Posts You Subscribed To Most in 2011

The Posts You Talked About Most in 2011

All Time Greats (according to WP-Stats)

Great Guest Posts

Personal Favorites

Some of my favorites from 2011 have already been listed above, but here are a few others:

Thank you for commenting and sharing.

Last year, I published a list of people who had commented on and shared blog posts. This year, I thanked those people in my Thanksgiving post, Thankful without Thanksgiving. You can also see some of the faithful supporters of the blog in the Top Commentluvvers widget in the sidebar. Thanks again, and happy holidays to all of you.

(Oh, and in case you’re new to the blog or perennially curious, here are the 2009 and 2010 lists) – Image: Bright Meadow

Investing in Your Writing Business

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:17:52 +0000

I suppose it’s natural given the name of this site, but every so often I get a question from a reader about whether it’s really possible to get paid to write and what it takes to do so. Here’s the latest example:

I really need some reliable words of wisdom regarding the “real” potential to earn money at this kind of writing and the administrative work that goes into it. I know the energy input of the writing, but I’m hoping your site will have guidance on the return on investment and the amount of investment. – D

I was glad to see that D realized that you have to make an effort to succeed at getting paid to write online, but her questions about the investment required and the administrative work needed were also thought-provoking. First let’s look at the investment.

Investing in Writing Hardware

Any business needs an investment, and a writing business is no exception. When I started freelancing, I already had a computer and printer, which are the basics you need to get started. What kind of computer you get is up to you. I started out with a desktop, moved to a laptop so I could write from anywhere and moved back to a desktop once I had a fixed abode. I also have a laptop for going on the road and doing client presentations.

Fixed or Mobile Writing

My advice: if you want to be mobile, then get a laptop with the biggest screen and fastest processor but lightest weight you can achieve. If mobility is not necessary (say, for example, if you have to be around so kids can stay in school), then a desktop machine offers more hard disk storage, more processing power and the option of a bigger screen. A middle ground, which I have also used, is to have a laptop, but work on my desk with an external screen, keyboard and mouse.

Do You Need a Printer?

Unless you are working for local clients who need to see pieces of paper, you can probably manage without a printer and scanner at first. To replace those, you will need to have the ability to save documents as PDFs. I currently use two tools for this: the Microsoft Word 2007 add-on that lets me save documents as PDFs and doPDF which mimics a printer to let me create PDFs. We have a scanner in the house and once every six weeks or so I use it to scan in a signed contract to return to a client. Many now accept email signatures, so it’s getting rarer. As for printing, I have an HP LaserJet and my first toner lasted 2 years – that’s how little I print. There are other things you can get to trick out your office of course, like a headset, speakers and the usual assortment of software, but the entry cost isn’t very high. Next, let’s look at administering the writing business.

Writing Business Administration

Administering your writing business is where things get tricky. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to set out your shingle as a freelance writer and wait for the work to come in. As I pointed out in Getting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just Writing on Growmap, there’s a whole lot of work to do in getting your name out there. There are tens of thousands of writers out there, all going after the same jobs. However, don’t be discouraged, because there is also plenty of writing work out there. In Key Aspects of Your Business Website for Writers (and Small Businesses and Others), I mention another investment you need to make – getting your own website as a platform for self-promotion.

The best way to illustrate what it takes to administer a writing business is to give you a snapshot of some of the tasks I undertake.

Key Writing Business Tasks

1. Every year, I set up my client tracking spreadsheet, which includes income comparison figures for the last four years, a forecast of expected earnings for the coming year, and a sheet where I track income received, income on the way and client leads. I’ll be setting that up before the end of the year.

2. I have subscribed to several job leads emails, which I skim and send bids/queries for the things that interest me. This is a daily task, or at least 3 times a week if I’m busy.

3. I set out a calendar, including both personal and work obligations and all deadlines so I can have an at-a-glance picture of where I stand. I make sure this appears on my iGoogle page and also send reminders if necessary.

4. I have a schedule for writing. I check email first thing in the morning, which is already lunchtime for my UK/European clients. I spend 3-4 hours writing in the morning, and another 2-3 in the afternoon. I also do a last email check at night. This schedule varies according to other commitments such as client meetings and volunteering.

5. I hang out online on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook as well as a couple of writer forums.

6. I manage income received by entering it in my spreadsheet and managing transfers between Paypal and my bank account. This usually involves checking exchange rates as my clients pay in three currencies.

7. At the end of every month, I tally the income, update my forecast and assess how much more marketing I need to do in the coming month.

There are probably other things I do automatically that I haven’t listed here, but these are some of the main ones – and they take time.

What about the ROI?

How you assess the return on investment for your writing business is about whether it meets your personal, professional and income goals. For myself, I can say that since I started freelancing, I have earned a steady income that covers my bills and allows for extras. So yes, you can earn money if you have the skill and put in the effort.

I’ve also made connections with great writers and bloggers, some of whom have become friends. I have met clients and others who trust my professional opinion, consider me their go-to person for writing and recommend me to everyone. I think that’s a pretty good return on the time and effort I have spent on developing my writing business.

So that’s my take on it, but I’d love to hear what the other experienced writers who read this blog have to say. Over to you …

(Image: MyTudut)

Season’s Greetings

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:55:02 +0000

Thanks for a great year on Get Paid to Write Online. I hope you enjoy this holiday greeting:

Advice on Charging for Writing Blog Posts

Sharon Hurley Hall — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:22:15 +0000

One of the issues writers always struggle with is what to charge for their writing. Here’s how I advised a friend recently. She was contacted by someone asking her to guest post for a set fee and wanted to know how to respond to them, as the money didn’t seem huge but she wanted to build up the paid blogging side of her business.

Here was my initial advice on average rates for writing blog posts:

What you can charge for posts depends on your profile and their budget. Small blogs may only pay $15-20 a post, while corporate/big blogs may be anywhere upwards of $50. So the fee offered (about $30) sits right in the middle. (I also know bloggers who don’t do posts for less than $100-$150 apiece for corporate clients. )

Then I suggested that another consideration should be the work involved in writing the post:

If it’s a topic you’re expert in and you can write without thinking about it too much, then that would be ok (just) for a short post (400-500 words). If you have to write a longer, more detailed post and provide images, upload it yourself and so on, then you could ask for a bit more if you think they want it badly enough.

I followed this up with thinking about how the job sat with her personal productivity:

One way I work out a rate is to think of my hourly rate and halve it because I can easily write two 500 word posts in an hour, if it’s a topic I know inside out. (Update: but most people would expect you to take an hour to write a post and more time for associated tasks, so keep this in mind as well.)

Finally, I provided a short script for a response that left room for a future price increase:

You could also respond positively to the offer and make it clear that you will do it for $30 as an introductory rate, but would want more if it turns into something regular.

I always believe in leaving room for negotiation.

New writers, would this work for you? Experienced writers, what other advice would you add?

About Writing Squared – My Favorite Writer Forum

Sharon Hurley Hall — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:09:07 +0000

I’ve never been very good with forums. I always like the idea, join, participate for a while and then virtually abandon them. But one new forum has changed all that. It’s called About Writing Squared and it’s run by Lori Widmer and Anne Wayman. It’s the home of the Five Buck Forum because it costs five dollars a month to be a member.

Is it worth it? You bet your booties it is!

Here are three of the things I like most about it.

A Friendly Space for Writers

Let’s start with the feel of it. It is a friendly space where you can interact with experienced writers who are happy to share their knowledge on any issue that troubles you. In the time I’ve been on the forum we have talked about dealing with clients, marketing, top blog lists and a range of other topics. The writers in this forum are generous people who have an opinion on practically everything and aren’t afraid to share it.

Share Your Stuff

Second, there’s a thread specifically for sharing your latest blog posts. At the very least, other members of the forum will visit and they will often comment and share as well. This is not a place to share everything you have ever written but it’s a great place to share the good stuff, especially if it’s related to writing. Often you’ll get a whole other discussion going on on the forum which will help you think about your topic in a new way and may even give you ideas for other blog posts.

Rant or Rave About Writing

Third, we all have those days when we feel frustrated or need to rant. The forum provides a safe place to do that. And it’s also a great place for sharing successes. Lori and Anne also provide members only specials on all their books, monthly conference calls, webinars as well as lists of high-paying writing markets (land one gig and you could cover your forum membership for a couple of years) and a weekly tip that will help you to improve your writing business.

I visit the forum almost every day because I know I will find information from fellow freelance writers whom I respect that will be relevant, useful and may even make me smile . It’s simply a great writer hangout. Check it out and see for yourself.

Interview with Writer Jenn Miller

Sharon Hurley Hall — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:21:05 +0000

Writer Jenn Miller and family hang out with some camels

I first met fellow writer and travel aficionado Jenn Miller when we worked together at the Location Independent group of sites. Now, she’s written a book (with co-author Keri Wellman) about traveling with kids, titled Bottles to Backpacks: The Gypsy Mama’s Guide to Real Travel with Kids. I asked Jenn about the book and her writing.

Jenn, tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born into a nomadic family and have been traveling my whole life, but it wasn’t until four years ago that we sold our house and most of our stuff and hit the road full time. We’re on an open ended world tour with our kids for the purpose of combining education and adventure. I’m a freelance writer for the homeschool and travel markets and I enjoy inspiring and equipping others to live their dreams, with their kids.

What’s the book all about and why did you write it?

Bottles to Backpacks: The Gypsy Mama’s Guide to REAL Travel With Kids is a collaborative project with my friend, Keri Wellman. We’ve attempted to go beyond the usual “travel with kids” books that assume a short vacation, to a certain type of place, with a certain age group and answer the many “how” related questions about long term travel with kids. There’s a big difference between taking a two week resort vacation over spring break with two kids and setting off for a three month summer break adventure riding chicken buses in Central America, or seeing the great museums of Europe. Our book certainly applies to the first, but what we really aim to do is equip the families who dream of something bigger with their kids.

Whether you’re setting out with your first newborn on a two week trip to Grandma’s, or planning to take a year off to backpack with your school aged kids, or are preparing your teen for her first solo trip, this book will give you the “boots-on-the-ground” information you need to make that dream a reality.

Did you have any challenges when researching and writing this book? How did you overcome them?

There are always challenges with any collaborative project. Working between two continents across three time zones wasn’t always easy! Keri and I have the great benefit of having four children each as our “guinea pigs” and we’ve both traveled for a living for quite some time now. At the end of our book we’ve got a section in which lots of different parents weigh in on their travel secrets and experiences with their kids. One of the challenges was finding a diverse group of families and compiling their experiences in a way that we hope will be encouraging and helpful to other families of various sizes and travel backgrounds. The only real secret to overcoming the difficulties we encountered was taking our time. This book has been almost a year in the making. It was not a rush job. We didn’t want to just “get it out the door” to have done it. We have really worked at getting it right, making it thorough and providing the depth that is missing in so many of the travel guides on the market for families.

What’s your writing process?

That depends a lot on what I’m writing. In this case, we spent several months mapping the project and carefully working and reworking the contents of the book and the direction we wanted to take it. Keri and I write well together, so that part of the project was a lot of fun. We enjoyed waking up in the morning and seeing what the other person had uploaded during the night, since we were working on different continents! The editing, as always, was the hard part. We went through a very long editing process at the end, about three months worth, with several families acting as “the review board” for various drafts. The result is a very polished, thorough, easy to access compendium of information on all aspects of travel with babies through teenagers.

Who or what is your best source of inspiration or advice when writing?

There’s no one answer to that. I read widely and am continually studying the style and mechanics of the authors I admire (or those I don’t, particularly) to improve my own work. Most of the inspiration I find is in the world around me. I’m dedicated to living in each moment and absorbing the sensory experience of living, which I then attempt to translate into words. When I get stuck, I have several “editors” who will move me forward. They aren’t famous writers, they’re just folks who know me and who aren’t afraid to tell me the truth and get out the red pen when necessary. At least half of what I write is for no one but me. Writing is my therapy and a barometer of my mental health. When it ceases to be that, when I’m pushing to “produce” for someone or something else it ceases to be a living thing. The best advice I’ve been given about my writing is simply to keep writing. Sometimes pages and pages of “junk” has to be gotten through before the good stuff emerges.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you haven’t yet revealed in an interview.

Ha! Okay: I once jumped out of a cake at a bachelor party! It was a joke and our poor friend nearly died of relief when it was “just me”. That’s not something I’ve written about or something that has come up in an interview yet! I don’t know any other home schooling mothers of four who’ve done that. One of the things I like best about myself is that I’m often not what people expect I will be.

Have you started another book?

Not yet. I’ve got several ideas up my sleeve. We’d like to continue the Gypsy Mama concept and create a series of resources for families who want to travel together. I’ve got another idea that is completely outside the family and travel realms that is about how life is never what you expect and coming to grips with the reality that the fairytale doesn’t exist. I don’t know if I have the courage to write that one just yet. In the meantime, I’m writing for the blogs and magazines that I contribute to and working to balance the screen time which that requires with plenty of time in the real world with my four kids as we head to Asia this spring.

Anything to add?

Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk about my writing and the new book! I really appreciate you contributing to the compendium of travel advice from “real travelers” at the end of our book and sharing it with your readers.

To find out more about Bottles to Backpacks: The Gypsy Mama’s Guide to Real Travel with Kids, check out these product information pages.

Guest Blogging Opportunity

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:56 +0000

Update: This guest blogging opportunity has now ended.

I’ve just landed a new gig – and it’s one that provides an opportunity for writers looking to raise their profile with guest blogging. I’m going to be managing Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals, part of the the successful Quips and Tips network, owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. I wrote some posts for the blogs earlier in the year.

Why is this good news for you?

Because the site is open to guest writers. In fact, it’s more than just open – we really, really want you to share your tips with readers.

Why Guest Post on Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals?

From my own experience as a writer on some of the sites, I can tell you that you get a great author bio and your post gets tweeted out a couple of times to 7,500 Twitter followers (and that’s just Laurie’s account. Add my Twitter followers into the mix and it’s going to nearly 10,000 people on Twitter alone – that’s great exposure.

If you’re interested in taking up this offer, check out Laurie’s Perks and Procedures post and start writing. I’m looking forward to publishing your posts!