While trolling your favorite (ahem) job list, you come across a gig for which your qualified, one that pays okay money. You’re not excited about the project, but you have nothing going on and something is better than nothing, so you apply. You’re offered the job, you accept the job and you begin. Halfway through the gig you find it’s not what you expected. In fact it’s boring and all you can do to keep at it each day. You don’t want to do this job anymore. What do you do?  

So I was just having myself a look around the Internet today and I came across some cool free stuff for writers. Then I decided to look around and see what else I could find. Have a look… Free 2008 Writers  E-Calendar – Personally, I prefer my giant wall calendar so everything is right in front of me. But you might appreciate this free e-calendar. Free Screen Writing Class – In light of recent events, this might be a handy thing to know. Norton Anti Virus 2008 – Free After Rebate. A free skin for your HP Laptop. Hey it’s [Read more…]

  Thanks to Jodee for today’s headline and topic. This morning she sent me a link to GiantWow.com, a site looking for writers. I was about to write a long diatribe  but thought it better to bring in an expert. Please welcome the Craigslist Curmudgeon for today’s guest post. From what I can gather, GiantWow pays at a scale which increases as the writer sends in more articles. What a scale it is! Take a look:

Thanks for your understanding. I don’t have much of an appetite but I’m out of bed and that’s a good thing. Best wishes to Jodee’s family for a speedy recovery. Here are your Monday Markets:

Hi All, The stomach bug is over here today as well. I’m OK but my daughter is feeling awful. I’m running a little late this morning as a result. I’ll have job leads up soon, though. Jodee

Hi friends, I know I promised Monday markets but my whole family is suffering from a stomach virus. We’ll have Monday Markets up in the next day or two. – Deb

Here’s what I’m reading this weekend: Most women really want to work at home at Work from Home Momma. Great tips for tracking your progress at the Writer’s Resource Center. Debbie Ridpath-Ohi offers a caution to writers who use online images at InkyGirl. 5 Ways to Go Easy on the Eyes (I hear that!) at Web Worker Daily. Link Bait 2.0 at the SeaWaves blog. The Ultimate Get a Clue Freelance Request for January 7, 2008 at Screw You! How Stressful is blogging at ProBlogger. 4 Tips to Manage Multiple Blogs (by Yours Truly) at Performancing. What Lowlife Spammers Can [Read more…]

I always say my blogs are nothing without my community. I get all my ideas and inspiration from you and I’m always touched by how helpful you are to each other. Even though I’m surprised Freelance Writing Jobs won the Performancing’s Reader’s Choice Awards for "Best Blog Community", I’m not surprised because you’re the most loyal, helpful and interactive blog community out there. Plus you’re genuinely nice people. A community isn’t one person, it’s a collection of people. This isn’t my award, it’s your award. So pat yourselves on the back for a job well done, you truly are the [Read more…]

Do you request a deposit from your client before you begin a project? Many writers, especially those who write for the web, don’t request deposits at all. In fact, many clients won’t hire a writer who requests a deposit. Here’s why you should and why many don’t.

The good thing about the Internet is how you don’t have to leave the house to learn. While it’s nice to be able to take courses at one’s local college, time and money are sometimes an issue. Don’t let either keep you from excelling at what you do. Here are some great places to find courses for writers. Some are free and some are a lot of money, but they’re all available to us online.

From what I understand, many writers take low paying web writing gigs because payment is quick. Many webmasters and content buyers offer a weekly paycheck, usually via PayPal. One can see how having a weekly deposit can be an attractive option. Every single one of my clients pays a monthly fee. As a matter of fact, all of my clients pay me during the same week. This can be a problem for someone who is budgeting for the month rather than the week, but there are ways to make it last.

Every now and then a company called “Articles and Content” advertises on the WAHM.com (Work at Home Mom) WAHMs Who Write forum. There’s always controversy and sometimes it gets ugly. Here’s why. Articles and Content requires their writers to pay a $10 fee each month in order to get work. While some writers are questioning why anyone would pay to work for a company, others are defending the “administrative fee” because they earn a couple of hundred dollars each month on a regular basis. I worked in corporate America for 20 years and another 8 as a work at home [Read more…]

Today after writing a piece for Performancing about planning ahead I forgot to mention the importance of outlines. After talking to many of my fellow bloggers and writers, I’m wondering if I’m in the minority? An outline allows me to organize my thoughts. Many times, I’ll write up the outlines for my some of my blog posts on the weekends, and during the week I’ll expand upon the outlined points. I also write outlines longhand in a notebook if I find myself away from the computer. Do you outline your blog posts or articles before writing?