I spotted a thread on a discussion forum in my online travels recently that caught my eye. The subject was whether taking a freelance writing job that pays at an entry-level rate is a good idea or if doing so will hurt your career. I have always been of the opinion that it’s better to be working than not doing so. My family enjoys eating and living indoors, so that’s a prime motivator for keeping busy. Simply because someone takes on a project that pays lower than they would normally accept doesn’t mean that they have done the one thing [Read more…]
Freelance Writer Wanted
October 31, 2009. Leave a Comment
We are looking for a freelance writer for a children’s catalog we are putting together. The writer must have a bachelor’s degree in English and provide us with samples of his/her writing. We are willing to pay at least $20/hour. The Company’s name is Pediped and is located in Henderson, Nevada. Please submit all applications to johnb@pediped.com.
6 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Halloween
October 31, 2009. 1 Comment
Halloween and freelance writing are two totally different entities but they’re more alike than you think. For example, the effort always pays off. Getting into the spirit of today, I give you: 6 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Halloween 1. You have to act quickly or you’ll miss out on the full bars: There’s always one house in every neighbor with super premium candy and everyone wants to get to her house first before she runs out. Good clients are like that as well. They pay well and they offer many perks to their writers, but if you wait too [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for October 30, 2009
October 30, 2009. 4 Comments
Thanks for your patience. I was enjoying all the ghouls and goblins at the school Halloween parade. Hope these leads are worth the wait. Here’s what’s new around the network: Top 10 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Working Out Free Stuff for Writers: All Freelance Writing Releases Two Word Trackers How Long Does it REALLY Take You to Write an Article? Why Your Freelance Writing Business Needs a Disaster Recovery Plan Sorry leads aren’t as organized today, I only had time for a quick search. Leads… P.R. Writer/Blogger- eReleases – $1500/month Personal Finance Blogger – Spock Media Small Business/Web Design [Read more…]
FWJ Contest Ending Soon!
October 30, 2009. 1 Comment
Our FWJ Contest: “Bring Community Back” ends on Halloween. In case you don’t know what’s at stake – can you say $150? Here are the rules: We’re giving away three $50 prizes. The person with the most comments between now and October 31st, on the homepage Freelance Writing Jobs blog, will receive $50. The person with the most comments across the whole FWJ network by the end of the month, that’s all of the blogs, will receive $50. The FWJ blogger who does the most to build community and join the conversation will win $50 at the end of the [Read more…]
Why Every Freelance Writer Should Switch to the Dvorak Keyboard
October 30, 2009. 16 Comments
by Heath Gordon The Dvorak keyboard is a keyboard layout that will save you time and prevent repetitive stress related injuries. I’ll help you get started, but first, a history lesson: The QWERTY Keyboard was specifically designed for the typewriter, eliminating jams, but limiting the typing speed. In 1932, realizing there were far more efficient typing methods, August Dvorak made a keyboard that took into account letter frequency and the physiology of the human hand. Although it is not widely used, it comes standard as a keyboard setting on Linux and all Mac OS’s, and it is a piece of [Read more…]
Leads Will Be Late…
October 30, 2009. 1 Comment
How Long Does it REALLY Take You to Write an Article?
October 30, 2009. 39 Comments
Credit where it’s due: Just got done reading Laura Spencer’s “Writing Thoughts vs. The Five Minute Article Writer.” It has me thinking a lot about article writing and what goes into writing a good article. Can you write an article in five minutes? Me either. How about 30 minutes? Yes, sometimes. You see, I used to be a wedding writer. I worked for a wedding publication and wrote over 500 articles (over the course of a few years) for a wedding website. Though I know a little about weddings, I’m not an expert. There have been times when I wrote [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Job or Freelance Writing Hobby?
October 29, 2009. 13 Comments
When I was at BlogWorld a couple of weeks ago, I got into a discussion with a few members of the freelance writing jobs community. The discussion had to do with the types of freelance writing jobs and whether or not they were for everyone. The answer, of course, is that not all jobs were for everyone. The discussion took a more interesting turn when one of the writers in our group said she’s not a freelance writer by trade. She’s an attorney but she writes for a couple of blogging residual sites because they’re a fun hobby and she [Read more…]
Why Your Freelance Writing Business Needs a Disaster Recovery Plan
October 29, 2009. 3 Comments
When you read about disaster recovery, you probably think less about your small freelance writing business and more about bigger companies. Indeed, most of the advice you’ll find on disaster recovery has to do with things like redundant data centers, off-site storage facilities and cross-training. There’s big money in disaster recovery planning, and the a small freelance writing business isn’t usually the target of marketing efforts. Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ready for when disaster strikes. Just ask the folks at Equipment Express. Equipment express was a small startup founded by an Indiana man named Jeffery Ake in [Read more…]
Top 10 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Working Out
October 29, 2009. 10 Comments
As I was I doing the morning dog walk, it occurred to me that freelance writing is a lot like working out. We don’t always want to do it, but the rewards are plenty. As I thought about it a little more, I realized freelance writing and working out have more in common than we think. 10 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Working Out 10. The More You Work it Out, the More Things Begin to Fit When you first began writing, it might take a bit of finagling to get words to fit. With some practice, the words flow [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for October 29, 2009
October 29, 2009. 6 Comments
Getting down to the wire. All those last minute, end of the month details need tending to. What are some of the things you take care of at the end of the month in order to make a positive beginning when the new month starts? Here’s what’s new around the network: Freelance Writing and the Big Screen TV Factor 10 Ways to Stop Multitasking How to Become a Grant Writer: Part 2 – Never Write a Grant “On Commission” The Ins and Outs of Lines Double D’s Enjoy today’s leads… Content and Web Writing Jobs Writers for Click Work (To [Read more…]
How to Be a Grant Writer Part 2: Never Write a Grant “On Commission”
October 28, 2009. 9 Comments
by Lisa Jo Rudy I once wrote a grant that won $4,000,000. If I’d earned a 10% commission, I’d’ve been a wealthy woman. I didn’t. I was paid a nice fee, but no commission. The reason was simple: professional grant writers don’t earn commissions. They are paid fees. So why, you may wonder, do so many online ads offer grant writers a hefty commission if and when they “earn” a grant? The reasons for that are simple too: either: (a) the client is broke, and they think this is a terrific way to get money for nothing and/or (b) the [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for October 28, 2009
October 28, 2009. 9 Comments
Ok, I have to know. Where do Phineas and Ferb live that they get 104 days of summer vacation? That’s where I want to be. Are you also looking for a social media job? HireVine, a new social media job search site, will have its beta launch during the first week of November. We’re looking for employers and job seekers to become part of our beta test. If this interests you, stop by HireVine for more details. So here’s what’s going on around the Freelance Writing Jobs network: 10 Reasons You Need to Stop Multitasking 10 Things All Freelance Writers [Read more…]
10 Ways to Stop Multitasking
October 28, 2009. 4 Comments
Yesterday we discussed multitasking, or why it’s a bad idea. Of course, talking about it is one thing, actually stopping is a whole other story. Those of us who juggle family, home and kids may feel as if we have no choice. However, since I stopped multitasking for work, I find I’m much more productive. I also have time to spend with my family. Today, I’d like to share: 10 Ways to Stop Multitasking Set up a block of time to work without interruption: I like setting business hours. This tells the neighbors it’s not a good time for coffee [Read more…]
The Ins and Outs of Lines
October 28, 2009. 3 Comments
“That girl looked like Kate from Lost,” I observed as we left the bank. “Who? The one on line?” my husband asked. I gave him a blank stare. “No, the girl in the bank… She looked like Kate from Lost.” “Yes. The girl on line… in the bank,” he specified, sounding frustrated. “Oh! Yes! Didn’t she?” And that is how using incorrect grammar can confuse people in spoken conversations. This is also how a teething one-year-old who wakes up every two hours can impact communication in a marriage. Admittedly, I wasn’t too swift on the uptake in the above conversation. [Read more…]
Freelance Writing and the Big Screen TV Factor
October 28, 2009. 3 Comments
Credit where it’s due: Yesterday I was making my blog rounds when I stopped at a post by James Chartrand entitled “Want More Clients? Explain Yourself.” James explained how some potential clients will choose the lowest bid, but might be inclined to change their minds if you convince why you’re worth the extra pay. As I commented, it reminded me of what I call “the big screen TV factor.” Thus, a blog post is born. When my husband and I were shopping around for a new television, we spent a lot of time researching. Instead of rushing out to WalMart [Read more…]
10 Things All Freelance Writers Should Do Before the End of 2009
October 27, 2009. 8 Comments
I know you’re busy, but if you’d take a look up at your calendar you might notice there’s less than a week left of October. This means only two months left to the end of the year. While I always enjoy the clean slate feel of January, the truth is, November and December are a whirlwind of activity for freelance writers. Not only because of the impending holidays, but also because of all the administrative tasks we need to take care of before the end of 2009. Don’t wait until the last minute… 10 Things All Freelance Writers Should Do [Read more…]
Finding Freelance Writing Jobs: Becoming a Craigslist Millionaire
October 27, 2009. 9 Comments
by Carly Schuna Okay—lest any of you try to slam me for false advertising, I’d better be up front about one thing right away: I’m far, far from a millionaire. Like, almost a million dollars away from being a millionaire. But still, I’ll stand by the title of this post, which implies that freelancers can and should use Craigslist to help them along the way to reaching the millionaire mark. A little bit of background: I quit my job a while ago to become a full-time freelance writer and editor. I had a few side gigs going at the time, [Read more…]
10 Reasons You Need to Stop Multitasking
October 27, 2009. 18 Comments
Are you a multitasker? Do you find you have your hand in several different projects at once? If so, you might want to rethink your plan. While many people take pride in their ability to multitask, the truth is, your focus is all over the place. Multitasking may enable you to work on several projects at once, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting done to the best of your ability. Consider this: 10 Reasons You Need to Stop Multitasking Concentrating on one project at a time actually saves time: Picture this: you’re making breakfast and stop to answer the phone. [Read more…]
Monday Markets for October 26, 2009
October 26, 2009. Leave a Comment
Kiwanis Magazine From the Web Site: KEY CLUB is published two times during the academic year. Two printed issues are mailed to Key Clubs and are also posted on the Web site. It is the official publication of Key Club International, the largest high school service organization in the world with more than 245,000 members in 28 nations. Members of Kiwanis clubs, who sponsor these youth groups and have an active interest in them, also read the magazine. Members of Key Club are service-minded students interested in helping others and in making their communities and schools better places in which [Read more…]
BlogWorld 2009 How Does Your Light Shine
October 26, 2009. 2 Comments
5 Things You SHOULD Say to an Editor
October 26, 2009. 9 Comments
Last week I named a few things you shouldn’t say to an editor “5 Things You NEVER Say to an Editor” and the post was pretty darn popular so I figured it was only practical to give a couple of tips on things editor’s love to hear from writers. 5. “I need help.” Writers like to present a tough facade. They want to show they have everything under control and worry that asking their editors for help on a piece will cost them future work. On the contrary, editors love to know a writer will come to them for help [Read more…]
