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

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome Cathy Miller as a guest writer on Get Paid to Write Online. Her Simply Stated Business blog is one of my must-reads and you’re in for a treat as Cathy describes her writing journey.

There’s a freshness about a clean sheet of paper. It’s like newly fallen snow, silently waiting for the season’s first snow angel. For someone who spent most of her life creating snow angels on paper, the online world was a new universe. My name is Cathy Miller and I am an old business writer.

The Journey Online

The year 2008 signaled the winter of my discontent. After 30+ years in Corporate America, I packed up my pen and paper and headed online. Up to that point, I was free of all social media platforms.

• Twitter was something gossipy girls did
• And Facebook sounded like a student’s fate during finals

I started my own business writing company. Fortunately, there is still plenty for an old business writer to do. But, I have never been one for labels. Give me one and I’ll probably write all over it. I knew if I wanted to compete in  this new world, I’d better find out about this online stuff.

Comedy Central

My first peek at online jobs had me looking for the hidden camera. Surely, this was some kind of joke.

• Ads for $5 per post
• Blogs devoted to Loosing Weight
• Rants about spam

To be fair, I never liked the taste of spam either, but why was everyone getting so worked up over it? Suddenly, the print world was looking pretty good.

Back to School

Believe it when they tell you, you are never too old to learn. Eventually, I found my way to the sunny side of online. Talented professionals, like Sharon Hurley Hall, showed me you can Get Paid to Write Onlineand still afford to eat. Your only limits are what you make them. There were lessons to learn – blogging and ghosting and WordPress – oh my. For all of its newness, the online world offered much of what I loved about the old world.

• The power of the written word
• Helping others express their dreams
• The rewards of communication

How could I not fall in love with a place where keeping it simple scores?

Lessons Learned

A Different Style

My last corporate boss told me that one thing she liked about my writing was its short sentences. I think I just blew that theory. Is it any wonder that my style took to online writing? Okay, don’t go running to my early blog posts. It did take me a while to adapt. A combination of my writing style and baby boomer eyes was a natural for the online world.

• Bulleted lists
• Bold headings
• Short sentences

Love it!

Calling All Writers

There is a tremendous need for good writers – emphasis on good. Think about it. The opportunities for writing online are endless.

• Web pages, press releases
• Professional bios
• Articles for online magazines
• Ghostwriting and blogging
• eBooks, newsletters
• Sales pages, ad copy, and much more

Why shouldn’t an old business writer join the fun?

Online and Loving It

You can make a good living online. You can also mix print and online writing and survive – no, thrive. In the end, it’s all about communication, and it doesn’t matter if you are new to the business or a 30+ year veteran. Emily Dickinson (someone even older than me) put it this way –

We turn not older with years, but newer every day.

Go online and enjoy the journey.

Cathy Miller is a freelance business writer with over 30 years of professional writing experience from small businesses to Fortune 500 customers. Cathy started her own business in 2008, providing all forms of online and print business writing. Cathy has a business writing blog at Simply stated business, a health care blog at Simply stated health care and her personal blog, millercathy: A Baby Boomer’s Second Life.   

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

• Advice on Charging for Writing Blog Posts
• Liberate Your Writing Business – Giveaway
• Get More from Elance: Giveaway
• When Does A Freelance Writing Offer Or Promotion Become Something That Has A Detrimental Effect On Your Career?
• Do You Prefer Personal or Impersonal Article Writing?
• 10 Most Common Writing Mistakes
• Stop Multitasking from Killing Your Productivity
• Google Alerts: A Great Freelance Writing Tool
• First Get Paid to Write Online Video
• How Much Of An Issue Do You Think Bad Spelling And Grammar Is?

The Posts You Talked About Most in 2011

• Advice on Charging for Writing Blog Posts
• Creativity Alone is Not Enough!
• First Get Paid to Write Online Video
• The Revenge of the Concise Writer
• Guest Blogging Opportunity
• I’m Not Hiring Writers, But …
• CommentLuv Premium and Other Changes
• Finding and Connecting With Writing Clients
• My Top Writing Tools – October 2011
• 3 Simple Healthy Habits for Writers

All Time Greats (according to WP-Stats)

• How To Create A Writing Portfolio
• 10 Most Common Writing Mistakes
• How To Write With A British Accent
• Guest Post On Get Paid To Write Online
• Five Best Sites For Freelance Writing Opportunities
• How To Write Online and Make Money without Spending A Dime
• New Writers Start Here
• Freelancer.com Review
• Grammarly Review
• I, Ghost Blogger

Great Guest Posts

• Research Your Writing With Blekko – A Review
• When to Self-Edit (and When to Get Help)
• Writers – Are You Filling In Your Profiles?
• Your Elance Profile: The First Step to Finding Success
• 4 Ways To Manage The Overwhelm as a New Freelance Writer

Personal Favorites

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

• Why A Change In Perception Can Make Freelance Writing Progression All That Easier
• Writing Business Lessons From The Guttering Guy
• Are You Prepared To Lose All Of Your Writing Work?
• 5 Reasons Why I Hate Freelance Writing
• It’s Time To Talk About A Writer’s Ammunition. Again.
• Why I’m Guest Blogging More
• New Writers: Are You Ready For The Lonely Side Of Freelance Writing?

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

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)

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?

This is just a quick post to let you know that, with the launch of Google+ Brand Pages, Get Paid to Write Online now has its own Google+ page. There’s not a lot there at the moment, but for those who prefer to get news of blog updates on that site, that’s where it will happen. My thinking at the moment, though this may change, is that I’ll share all GPTWO content on its page, while continuing to share selectively on my own personal Google+ profile. This feature is so new that it’s hard to say how it will develop. I’ve shared my initial thoughts here. If you’re interested in getting your own page, then check out this easy tutorial from Hesham Zebida. And if you’re a writer, come back and share your page with me so I can check it out.

Being able to go on more breaks is without doubt one of the best things freelance writing has allowed me to do.

Being a freelance writer can be a considerably varied career.

If you’re a banker, you work in finance.

If you’re an IT executive, you work in IT.

If you’re a doctor, you work in medicine.

If you’re a freelance writer, however, you get to sample numerous different careers and be involved with a variety of different projects and client.

For some, this variety isn’t ideal.  For me, however, I absolutely love it and being a freelance writer has given me the opportunity to do things I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do, with the three things mentioned here being perfect examples.

1.  Expand my knowledge base

This is something that I’m sure every freelance writer out there will agree with to some degree – I’m certain I’ve learned more as a freelance writer over these last few years than people I know who are 30 and 40 years older have learned in their entire lives.

I never turned down work when I first started writing, preferring to research a topic for a project rather than only work on projects with topics I had knowledge of and it’s meant I’ve developed somewhat of an extensive – if not a little random – knowledge base.

From swimming pool design to venomous snakes, every piece of knowledge I’ve gained might not help me tremendously throughout life, but I’m a massive fan of continually learning and so for me, developing my knowledge base while working has been a major positive by-product of freelance writing.

2.  Develop my career

The first few months of my freelance career – not necessarily freelance writing – were spent trying to define just what I wanted to do.

I knew I wanted to do something with my spare time and I tried my hand at what seemed like everything.

I taught myself HTML and CSS.  I had a stab at some graphic design work.  I had a few proxy websites for a while.  I even invested in some premium rate phone lines to see if it was an avenue I could pursue.

I stumbled upon freelance writing by chance and it’s turned out to not only be a career choice that I love and which fits around my individual needs, but one which has allowed me to develop my overall career immensely.

I’ve met people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.  I’ve developed skills to the extent I don’t believe I would have done otherwise.  I’ve made contacts that are, simply put, invaluable.

I dropped out of college and I never went to university, but I still tell people that I honestly don’t believe I’d be in a better position than I am today if I’d stuck at full time education.

I’m not saying that’s the right option for everyone, but for me, I have no doubt that it worked.

3.  Go on more breaks

As many of you will know, I started out as a freelance writer while working a full time, salaried role and I’m still working in a salaried position today, albeit a part-time one.

Now although I don’t choose all of my clients and projects based on how much money they bring in, I’m honest enough to say that one of the biggest draws for me over the years when it comes to freelance writing benefits has been the additional income.

I’m lucky enough to have been able to write alongside a salaried position for years now and although I do rely on my freelance writing income to a certain extent (or I at least factor a certain percentage of it into what I consider to be my monthly income), when I first started out especially, any money earned was extra.

Me and my Better Half both work our socks off and so I love the fact that while we  might not see each other a considerable amount each week if I’m, for instance, working on a project and I’m investing 70 or 80 hours of each week to work, I love the fact that the result is I can take us away, whether it’s to see family two hundred miles away or a few thousand miles away to our favourite city, New York.

There are numerous benefits to freelance writing and every freelance writer will have their own stories, but for me, the above three points are all things that being a freelance write has allowed me to do.

Image:  sektordua (Flickr)

Whether you have an affiliate marketing site of your own, or you are a freelancer who has been commissioned to write copy for somebody else’s, one thing it will almost certainly need to have is reviews of the products you are aiming to promote. These serve two purposes – one, as content that can help search engines find your site, thus boosting traffic, and two, as sales copy to encourage your reader to take further interest in, or buy, the product. Here we take a look at some of the ways you can write great product reviews that will meet both of these objectives.

SEO

SEO (search engine optimization, to the uninitiated) is all about getting the best possible search engine ranking when somebody runs a Google (or other) search on keywords which are relevant to your website. You need to make sure your product reviews are optimised with keywords in the title and body which are the best and most likely match to what a prospective customer for your product might search for. What these are will vary depending on what you are promoting. If you are selling something with a particular brand and name, which people are likely to search for explicitly, then that would make sense as a keyword, perhaps in connection with keywords to do with the price of that item (“cheap”, “discount” etc.). If the name of the product is less well known you need to think about what it does, and questions it might be the answer to.

Information

If you are in an affiliate program, chances are you picked it because you believe in the product you are marketing, and even if you don’t you are going to write from a positive perspective because you want people to buy. Of course, people reading reviews are actually looking to find out how a product works and if it delivers on its promises, rather than to read a lot of sales copy about how wonderful it is, so try and give a good mixture of actual information about the product as well as the positive review element. If you are marketing computers, don’t just say that the model is the fastest and most reliable on the market, actually discuss the specs and compare it favourably to some competitors (ones it is superior to, obviously, don’t out and out lie).

Call to Action

As with any sales related copywriting, the piece should end with a call to action. This is harder to do with a review than with normal sales copy, but not impossible. You could mention that you got the product you were reviewing at a very good price because of a promotion that was going on, and urge your reader to participate in the same promotion right away. The reader needs to be told to buy, rather than just imparted with a positive overall feeling about the product.

Product reviews are really great content for any affiliate marketing site, and by following this advice you should be able to create ones that really add value.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

by Hayden Jackson

What does success as a writer look like on Elance? For me, it means working with great clients from all over the world, including worthy non-profit organizations, innovative tech startups, and interesting small businesses. It means only accepting work that pays professional fees. And it means working on projects that I’m proud to add to my growing portfolio.

And where does that kind of success begin? Not with delivering great work. Not with crafting a stand-out proposal. Before anything else can happen, successful Elance writers need a great profile.

Your profile is often your first point of contact with a potential buyer, and as a writer, it’s your chance to showcase your persuasive way with words. Yet many writers don’t make the most of their profiles on Elance, and it’s preventing them from making the most of this profitable freelance marketplace.

Don’t underestimate the power of your profile

If you have been putting all your efforts into crafting superstar proposals on Elance, pull back and take a closer look at your profile. Although proposals are important, a great profile can attract just as much business.

In two years, I have probably gained a dozen great, long-term clients who have contacted me directly after browsing my profile. The great thing about attracting clients in this way is that you don’t have to compete with other contractors to win their work. You’re pre-selected. You’ve pre-sold them on the value of your work, and you can confidently state your higher-than-average fee without worrying about being underbid by competitors.

Even in cases where you are one of many contractors bidding on a job, serious buyers WILL visit your profile, and if it stands out, it will win you the job.

So don’t neglect your profile and assume a great proposal is all you need to nose ahead of the competition.

Pump up the volume: Add creds, visuals, and substance to your profile

As a copywriter who specializes in writing for the web, I’m a big believer in saying things in as few words as possible. But when it comes to your Elance profile, less is NOT more. A sparse profile may be easy to scan, but it will look bare and underdeveloped next to a profile with lots of test scores, work samples, service descriptions, and so on. Fill your profile page with as much information as you can to make it look full, lively, and interesting:

Overview. Craft an overview that describes your best selling points and, if possible, put a testimonial from a previous client front and center. A third-party endorsement is far more powerful and convincing than anything you could say about yourself. If you can, include a link to the client’s website or LinkedIn.com profile so that readers can see that this is a legitimate testimonial from a real person.

Portfolio. Fill the portfolio section with your best work samples, and make sure the full range of your writing talents are represented: creative writing, marketing copy, reports, etc. Make sure they’re your most visually appealing pieces as well as your best written. Clients will respond more favourably to writing that is attractively laid out on a web page or print brochure than they will to an ordinary Word document.

Skills. Take some Elance tested skills. Although most Elance buyers won’t make a decision to hire you based on your tested skill scores, they do form part of the overall impression, and offer proven verification of you skill in specific areas such as business writing, creative writing, editing, and so on. They also fill out the page, making it look more populated and authoritative.

Service Description. Use this section to provide some details on the specific services you offer. It’s also a good idea to list every type of writing product you’re comfortable creating: brochures, newsletters, taglines, B2B letters, etc. Don’t be afraid to build a long list: buyers will appreciate knowing exactly what you can do for them, and they might see something on the list that they hadn’t even thought of: “Hayden ghost-writes blog posts? Our company blog is looking a little neglected these days—maybe we should ask about that service…”

Employment. If you have held jobs unrelated to writing, leave these off your employment list. Even if you were the CEO of PepsiCo, it’s not going to be of interest to prospective purchasers of your writing services. The only exception is when a job helps you write in a particular niche: for instance, your work as an RN will give you credibility if you plan to focus on health writing. Other than that, focus on writing jobs, and feel free to include freelance work here as well.

Here’s an extra tip: to pack an extra punch, you can include a short employer or client testimonial in the job description field. A testimonial straight from the employer or client will be much more compelling than a dry description of your specific duties.

Education. As with your employment, omit anything that’s not directly related to your writing career unless (as an example) you have a degree in biology and you specialize in science writing. If your education section is looking a little thin, there are a number of inexpensive writing and editing courses you can take online or through local continuing education. Your education list doesn’t have to be limited to degrees: you can include non-certification courses and workshops as well.

Get verified. Choose one or two of your most relevant and impressive credentials and get them verified. For US-based credentials, the fee to have them third-party verified is $15—for non-US-based credentials, it’s $25 per verification. Verifying your credentials provides an added layer of reassurance for your buyers, and it also improves your ranking on Elance, so you’ll be more visible in search results.

Make your Elance profile letter-perfect

One final tip—and it’s the most important of all. As a writer, your Elance profile should be proofed and proofed again until it’s letter-perfect. A single error will destroy your credibility among discerning buyers. Don’t just review it yourself—even if you’re an experienced writer, you’re sure to miss something. Make sure another writer or editor you trust looks it over carefully.

Hayden Jackson is a freelance writer and successful Elancer. She is also the author of “72 Insider Tips for Elance Writers,” a comprehensive guide to earning money and building a freelance writing career on Elance.com. Find more Elance tips and tricks on her blog at http://www.72tips.com.

A friend recently asked me where to search online for writing competitions and contests. I realized that I don’t have a list of those anywhere, just finding them as I go. Last year, I identified some cool travel writing contests, but I think it’s time to put together a proper list. Here are a few resources to get us started. Will you help me by adding your resources for finding writing contests in the comments?

• C Hope Clark’s blog – she runs the Funds for Writers mailing lists and has up to date writing competition listings on her blog. There are also some on the Funds for Writers page.
• Daily Writing Tips has a list of 25 writing competitions.
• Writer’s Digest competitions
• Fanstory writing contests
• Writing contests on FreelanceWriting.com
• UK writing contests on JBWB

What would you add?

Find me on Google Plus: +Sharon Hurley Hall