My freelance writing business isn’t the first business I’ve been involved in. It is, however, the longest-lasting and most successful to date. It’s also very different from my other business ventures. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m one of those guys who starts up a new business every couple of years because he’s got a new angle or because he got bored of what he was doing. I know guys like that, and while I appreciate what they’re doing, that’s just not me. Rather than tell you about the other business ventures I’ve been involved in, however, I [Read more…]
The Ohio State University Kirwin Institute Writing Opportunity
March 31, 2010. Leave a Comment
Hey FWJ community! I was sent this by a friend and thought it would be a great opportunity for those interested. I am pretty sure it’s unpaid, however the perks are many – a published Kirwin Institute author (article) – sounds pretty good to me! If you go for it and get published let me know and we’ll feature your work here at Freelance Writing Jobs! Remember, we’re the number one web site for freelance writers! *end commercial* Visions 2042 Project A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (1000-2000 words due Monday, May 17, imagine@race-talk.org) Visions 2042: Notes toward a Racial Order Transformed [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for March 31, 2010
March 31, 2010. 4 Comments
Good morning FWJ Friends! It’s a beautiful spring morning here. The sun is out, the birds are singing, and it’s hard to stay focused on work. Do you find it difficult to keep on top of your work when when the weather improves or do you keep your nose to the grindstone no matter how nice it is outside? New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network We are the Social Media Cleveland Plain Dealer and Anonymous Posting Ethics Shakespeare Has a Gay Old Time How to Profit from a Free Service Recommended Reading It’s a Ripoff: How to Handle Work [Read more…]
How to Profit from a Free Service
March 31, 2010. 4 Comments
When I began this blog (and eventual network) it wasn’t to make a profit. It wasn’t even to provide a free service. It was to share some writing opportunities with other work at home moms. As the Freelance Writing Jobs community grew, I began to think about ways to earn money while still being able to provide a free service. Many people urged me to turn this into a paying subscription based service but I didn’t for two reasons: I knew our community could go elsewhere and find the same information on their own for free. I knew most of [Read more…]
Free Webinar: 8 Hot Social Media Tips You Need to Know
March 31, 2010. Leave a Comment
Mike Stelzner is offering a free teaser for his Social Media Success Summit. Led by my friends Chris Garrett begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Denise Wakeman and Mike Stelzner, the webinar, which features 8 Hot Social Media Tips You Need to Know, will give out some advice on using social media to leverage your career. Because it’s free, tickets are going fast and are limited to 1000. The even takes place April 6, 2010, and is a terrific (free) way to learn how to use social media to grow your business.
Are You Really Writing a Blog?
March 31, 2010. 13 Comments
I’m on a kick of talking about social media and Internet buzzwords. I’ve admitted it doesn’t bother me if people treat social media as singular, even if it’s really a plural noun. But I want to bring up a social media grammar pet peeve of mine: people who use the word “blog” when they mean blog post. “I’m Writing a Magazine” I’m going to use a conventional media analogy. When you write a segment of a magazine, you’re writing an article. Right? You wouldn’t say, “I’m writing a magazine for RealSimple this week; I was thrilled the editor accepted my [Read more…]
Shakespeare Has a Gay Old Time
March 31, 2010. 4 Comments
I write SEO articles. I compose “about” pages. I turn resumes into executive bios. I admit that I am no Shakespeare. That said, I love me some Shakespeare. I have a BA in Theatre Arts, and my dream was to play Ophelia, preferably with the Theatre Department’s heartthrob in the role of Hamlet. Because then he’d have to notice me, right? Of course, I found out years later that at least one of those heartthrobs was what they used to call a “confirmed bachelor.” Yep, the guy playing the most macho roles known to drama was, in fact, gay. The [Read more…]
Christian Book Reviewer Needed
March 31, 2010. 20 Comments
We’re looking for someone to write book reviews from Christian authors for our magazine, both online and in print. We are a local Christian magazine based out of Oregon’s mid-Willamette valley and all submission will be published online and a select few will be chosen for our print publication. We often receive books from Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Tate, David C. Cook and many others and we’d like to get the copy of the book to you and get back a 250-400 word review. Often we have opportunities to get interviews with the author if that would help you write the [Read more…]
Cleveland Plain Dealer and Anonymous Posting Ethics
March 30, 2010. Leave a Comment
Earlier this week I gathered up a bunch of interesting media and industry news from the past week for the FWJ community: “This Week in Media News.” While several stories are worth delving into, one story in particular had kept my interest since coming across it. This past week The Plain Dealer, a newspaper in Cleveland Ohio, investigated, uncovered and revealed the name of an anonymous poster from their web site. This poster,”lawmiss,” had commented many times, but one comment, aimed at a Dealer reporter’s family member raised eyebrows and led to the investigation. It turns out the username’s, registered [Read more…]
What motivates you as a blogger for others?
March 30, 2010. Leave a Comment
Last week we looked at whether or not performance-based pay-scales are fair (or worth your time). I was going to come right back and list some actual studies about this, but it’s been one of those drama, drama, drama weeks around here (blah). But today, I’ve got some research. However, first a recap. I’m not on board with strictly performance-based pay. It’s far too variable and a little shoddy in my opinion being that it’s so hard to correctly and fairly prove performance. Most of our reader who commented on this post were also not on board with pay for [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for March 30, 2010
March 30, 2010. 4 Comments
New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network 56 Ways to Use Social Media for Fun and Profit How I Improved Productivity By Canceling My Internet Connection Monday Markets for March 29 Bitesize: SubHeads in Article Writing Stretch Yourself When Applying for Freelance Writing Jobs Worth Noting: The H&R Block Last Minute Tax Webinar: If you have questions regarding freelancing or blogging taxes, now is your time to ask a tax professional. More info at this link. Also, stop by the Freelance Writing Jobs Facebook Group and join the conversation. This morning we’re wondering how many of you have a day [Read more…]
How I Improved Productivity by Canceling My Home Internet Connection
March 30, 2010. 18 Comments
by Dee Barizo You might think it’s a really bad thing to lose your home internet connection especially if you work as an online freelancer. Yet I cut off my home internet connection – willingly. This action has easily one of the best things I’ve done to advance my freelancing career. I still have internet access. I visit places with wifi like local libraries, restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores. But I can’t get online anymore at my home. I’ve lost a lot of convenience. If I need to go online, I have to get in my car and drive to [Read more…]
Monday Markets for March 29, 2010
March 30, 2010. 1 Comment
Backpacker From the Web Site: Our readers are knowledgeable and experienced backpackers, therefore we accept only authentic, well-researched, well-crafted stories (see the section on “Accuracy,” below). We’re not interested in slavish imitations of stories we’ve already done. As always, you should carefully study several issues of the magazine before submitting a query. The best articles have style, depth, emotional impact, and take-away value for the reader. Good BACKPACKER articles contain the following attributes: Foot-based travel: BACKPACKER primarily covers hiking. When warranted, we cover canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other human-powered modes of travel. Wilderness or backcountry: The true backpacking [Read more…]
Bitesize: Subheads in Article Writing
March 29, 2010. Leave a Comment
Often an article will have a topic that is like a giant buffet or one of those burgers loaded with everything under the sun. While impressive to look at, it is best to break the whole thing down into manageable bites so that the reader isn’t overwhelmed with information and the writer isn’t overwhelmed with finding a way to transition each morsel into a delectable feast. Outlines Help When writers cull their research and outline their article before starting the writing portion of the process, they’ll find subheads tend to highlight themselves. These standouts are a part of important information [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for March 29, 2010
March 29, 2010. 2 Comments
Today was supposed to be our first day of spring break. However, we’re at school making up snow days instead. Though I miss my son, the extra day will go a long way in working ahead on some things in anticipation of the rest of this week’s break. Flexibility is a beautiful thing. New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network How to Write a Book: Editing, Criticism and Agents Outright.com: All the Bookkeeping a Freelancer Needs in One Little App 10 Habits of Successful Freelance Writers Technical Writing: Seven Challenges Why Freelance Writing Businesses Fail Is the Freelance Writing Jobs [Read more…]
Part Time Blogger Wanted
March 29, 2010. 1 Comment
Dual Income No Kids is hiring! Dinksfinance.com is a personal finance weblog devoted to money, and investing within the context of a committed relationship. The candidate would help write blog posts on topics related to personal finance (obviously). Subjects would include checking accounts, debt, couples finance, money management, and investing. We are also looking for content about travel and career as well. The main aspects of the job would be to write mini-essays in personal finance topics. We are interested in three to four 1 page or shorter postings per week, plus two to three mini posts with quotes or [Read more…]
56 Ways to Use Social Media for Fun and Profit
March 29, 2010. 8 Comments
Social media enables us to handle a wide variety of tasks, yet so many of us think of it as only blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The truth is, social media encompasses so much more. To truly tap into its potential could mean to take your career to a whole new level. If you think social media has nothing to do with freelance writing, you couldn’t be more wrong. Building an online presence can be an important step towards becoming a successful freelance writer, even if you’re doing something so innocent as playing a game or sharing music. Below is but [Read more…]
Stretch Yourself When Applying for Freelance Writing Jobs
March 29, 2010. 1 Comment
Most people, whether they are working for an employer or freelancing, want to feel like they are working toward something better. They may be trying to get a better salary or qualify for a promotion. Whatever the individual’s personal “carrot” hanging on a stick in front of them, they need something to keep them motivated on the job. The same thing is true for freelance writers. We have an idea of what “success” means to us, and while what it looks like is as unique as the writers themselves, part of it usually involves a writer stretching him or herself [Read more…]
This Week in Media News
March 28, 2010. Leave a Comment
There was a lot of media news this week from trouble at the New York Times to The Plain Dealer’s ethics quandry, here’s my weekly recap. New York Times Staffers Furious Over The Huge Raise Executives Gave Themselves – Gillian Reagan reports for Business Insider the $12 million in executive bonuses the paper paid out is not going over so well with the staff at NYT. Perhaps cutting staff by 100 and giving yourself a raise isn’t the best way to get on their good side… Magazines Use the iPad as Their New Barker – Magazines including Conde Naste are [Read more…]
How to Write a Book: Editing, Criticism and Agents
March 28, 2010. 8 Comments
Thank you to all for your encouragement as I write my first book. I know I talk often about my overloaded inbox, but the amount of emails I have received offering support and encouragement is staggering. Thank you, FWJ community. Many of you are finding my blogging the book process to be helpful for your own book aspirations, which is why I’m doing this. Welcome to part two of my series. So let me tell you where I am now. Writing a book is both easier and harder than I thought. I know what I want to say and where [Read more…]
Is the Freelance Writing Jobs Network Grammatically Correct?
March 28, 2010. 8 Comments
We look at the header for this blog every day and never think twice about it. It’s the Freelance Writing Jobs Network, a blog network and community for freelance writers. But are we all really “freelance writers?” Or “free lance writers?” Or, to complicate things further, might we be “free-lance writers?” Deb, you’ve got it right. It’s freelance. It wasn’t always, but it is now. “Freelance” is one of those words like “email” where the hyphen has been dropped. Freelancing’s Gray Area Those who run free lance writing blogs or even “free-lance” writing blogs aren’t exactly wrong. Dictionary.com, which draws [Read more…]
Outright.com: All the Bookkeeping a Freelancer Needs in One Little Web App
March 27, 2010. 7 Comments
A guest blog post by Jennifer Escalona When I landed my first freelance writing gig, I was so clueless that I didn’t even track my income. When my financial advisor (and by financial advisor, I mean dad) mentioned that I would need to be a little more organized come tax time, I switched to a spreadsheet. I’m a writer because of my love affair with numbers, naturally, so I treated my profit and loss spreadsheet with all the diligence of a 3-year-old with a new turtle. In other words, I picked it up and ogled it from time to time, [Read more…]
The Great Space Debate
March 27, 2010. 7 Comments
Virtual Assistant Tracey Tarrant of TCT Business Solutions writes in with a punctuation/style question. She asks: What is proper when starting a new sentence… one space after the period (or question mark, etc.) or two? For example: I went to the store. I bought milk. or I went to the store. I bought milk. That’s a good question! Tracey didn’t realize she was touching on a hotbed issue with writers of every ilk, a debate as heated as “Coke or Pepsi,” “Burger King or McDonald’s,” “Starbucks or Tim Horton’s.” (I can hear health-conscious friends of mine saying, “None of the [Read more…]
Why Freelance Writing Businesses Fail
March 27, 2010. 4 Comments
Like we talked about last time, many freelance writing businesses, as well as many other small businesses, can’t seem to keep their doors open for more than about five years. According to the Small Business Administration, there are10 reasons why a given small business might fail. Today, I’d like to take a look at each of them, particularly in terms of the freelance writing business: 1. Lack of experience. I’d say this one definitely qualifies. The fact of the matter is that, if you want to make money as a writer, you need to have some writing experience. Whether that’s [Read more…]
