I’ve seen it happen numerous times – in fact, I’m guilty of catching blogging fever myself. When someone catches the fever, they are faced with the urge to setup multiple blogs covering a variety of niche topics that are of interest to them. Early in my blogging career I had and was attempting to maintain 13 blogs. That’s right THIRTEEN! Let me just say it didn’t take long for me to find that was Impossible! Recently I had a discussion with a friend of mine who would like to begin earning money blogging and would like to start off earning [Read more…]
This Month in Media News
All the media news you were too busy working to read
August 31, 2010. Leave a Comment
It’s that time of the month! While you were hunched over your keyboard writing articles and SEO-ing the heck out of your blog, you may have missed these industry nuggets: You may have heard that Editor & Publisher will cease publication at the end of the year, but you may have missed this great Q&A between Greg Marx of Columbus Journalism Review and Editor & Publisher’s editor-in-chief Greg Mitchell. Like eating? Like blogging about eating? If you can articulate the difference between nutmeg and cinnamon you may be interested in learning: Spanfeller Preps Foodie Launch for Web from AdWeek. What [Read more…]
Don’t Lede Me On
Creating a strong article to support an iron lede
August 31, 2010. 6 Comments
I hate it when an article ledes me on. Things start off promising – the header is enticing, the sub-heading is clever and the lede is saying all the right things. It’s strong and gives a great angle. It asserts a particular opinion, thought or idea and whispers sweet nothings of all of the supporting facts to follow. In fact, the darn thing tells me it’s going to satisfy a particular question and then…I read the article. After hundreds of words and several opportunities, the article ends without giving me everything it promised. My time is precious and if I [Read more…]
5 Literary Agent Blogs Aspiring Writers Should Read
Get the Inside Scoop on Query Letters, Manuscripts and Publishing from the Pros
August 31, 2010. 3 Comments
There are a number of interesting and useful blogs written by literary agents that can help aspiring writers learn the process of querying agents, writing and formatting manuscripts, publishing, and more. However, there are five blogs written by agents that are absolute must-reads for any writer that has goals to publish a book through a well-known publisher one day. A few of these blogs helped me immensely as I taught myself how to get a literary agent and publisher for my first book. If you want to get published, start reading the following literary agent blogs today: 1. Nathan Bransford [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for August 31, 2010
August 31, 2010. 3 Comments
Good morning, FWJ friends! Here are your job leads for today. Enjoy the last day of August! New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network Is the Word “Freelance” Hurting Your Job Search? PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellowship Accepting Submissions Freelance Writing Jobs Content Writing Jobs Article Writer (Cleveland, Ohio) Math Content Writers for Grades 6-11 Content Providers – Debt Relief (Georgia) Article Writer (London) Freelance Writers – Demand Media Studios (Philadelphia Area) Content Writer (Huntington Beach) Article Writers for Website Poker Writer Blogging Jobs Freelance Automotive Bloggers (Fort Lauderdale) PR/Blog Writer (US) Copy Writing Jobs Freelance Pharma/Medical Copywriter (Indianapolis, [Read more…]
Is the Word “Freelance” Hurting Your Job Search?
August 30, 2010. 10 Comments
Have you ever thought about what a potential client thinks when you describe yourself as a “freelance” writer? The dictionary software on my Mac defines freelance as follows: “working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company” A person who can’t hold onto a job for a time is generally looked down upon, since we value people who can commit to an employer for a time. Companies recognize long-term workers and may even provide them with gifts or bonuses in return for their years of service. If you tell someone you are a freelance [Read more…]
PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellowship Accepting Submissions
Enter to Win a $1,000 Fellowship and 8-Month Mentorship
August 30, 2010. Leave a Comment
Sorry for the late notice on this opportunity, but I just stumbled upon it this morning. If you have poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction ready to go, then you can still make the August 31, 2010 deadline to enter to win a $1,000 fellowship from PEN Center USA and an 8-month mentorship in Los Angeles, California. The entry fee is just $10. Here are the main entry details from the PEN Center USA website: “Emerging Voices is a literary fellowship program that aims to provide new writers, who lack access, with the tools they will need to launch a professional [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for August 30, 2010
August 30, 2010. 1 Comment
Monday’s here again! We’ve got a lot of reading material for you from around the network. From submission guidelines to law to the grammar police – we’ve got them for you! Click on the links below. After laughing your butts off (the grammar police video is a perfect pick-me-upper for a Monday), check out today’s job leads – or do it the other way around, it doesn’t matter. New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network My Name is Jonathan Bailey, Let’s Talk Law Join the eBook Revolution Submission Guidelines – Sword and Saga Press Save Money – Pay Taxes in [Read more…]
Grammar Jokes
August 29, 2010. 1 Comment
So, I’m always on the lookout for “writerly” jokes. Yes, I know that “writerly” is not a word, but I use it on a regular basis nonetheless. It’s my favorite non-existing adjective, in fact. I like to fancy myself as a Picasso of the English language. Now that I have a fairly thorough understanding of the proper use of words, punctuation, etc, it’s safe for me to experiment and add my own touches and flourishes. Or an extra nose or something. (Just had to reincorporate that whole “Picasso” comment.) Anyway, I found some new writerly jokes, and this was my [Read more…]
My Name is Jonathan Bailey, Let’s Talk Law
Introducing a New Column to Help You Understand the Law and Your Writing
August 27, 2010. 5 Comments
Hello. My name is Jonathan Bailey. As Susan warned earlier this week, I am the new guy here and I wanted to take a moment to both introduce myself and my new column here. I also want to invite you to send me your ideas and questions to help get this column rolling. So, without any further ado, here’s a little bit of information about me, what my column here is about and how you can help pick the topics that get discussed. About Me As a blogger I am best known for my site Plagiarism Today where I blog [Read more…]
Join the eBook Revolution
Everything You HAVE to Know
August 27, 2010. 6 Comments
As technology advances, art always finds new ways of taking advantage of it. For Music, vinyl records were the first major format to catch on, until cassette tapes came along. Years later, we ditched out cassettes in favor of CDs. Today, the format of choice for most music lovers is the downloadable MP3. The technology got better — with new benefits such as higher quality recordings and instant distribution over the Internet — and the entire art form grew because of it. Movies started out as silent black & white films, then graduated to sound and color. Today we can [Read more…]
Submission Guidelines – Sword and Saga Press
Sci-Fi, Fantasy and More
August 27, 2010. Leave a Comment
Hunter Liguore, Editor-in-chief of Sword & Saga Press, sent me the current submission guidelines for Sword & Saga Press, and asked me to share them with the Freelance Writing Jobs audience. You can check the guidelines out below and visit the Sword & Saga Press website to learn more or follow @SwordSagaPress on Twitter. Submission Guidelines Provided Directly from Sword & Saga Press 1. Science Fiction & Fantasy Cookbook A cookbook for science fiction and fantasy fans. Now accepting submissions for both recipes and stories that have a genre and food element. A fun way to explore the food side [Read more…]
Save Money – Pay Your Taxes in Full
Why You Should Avoid Installment Agreements
August 27, 2010. Leave a Comment
If money were no object, would you rather pay your taxes in full or via an installment agreement? I don’t know about you, but I would rather get it over with and pay everything up front if I could. While this may not be possible for everyone, you ought to realize that you can actually save money if you pay your taxes in full. That is probably common sense – you don’t need me to tell you that you will save money if you pay everything in one go (much like with other purchases that you make). Do you know [Read more…]
Do You Make These Capitalization Mistakes?
August 27, 2010. 2 Comments
I remember a classmate in university who failed a test simply because she did not use proper capitalization. For some reason, at that time, it was a cool thing to write everything in small letters. Unfortunately for her, the professor didn’t think it was “cool” – she was given an automatic failing mark. Today, it seems that the fashion of not using proper capitalization is making a comeback. For some, it may be borne out of ignorance or apathy. For freelance writers, there are no excuses. I did a little digging and found some common capitalization mistakes people make. Is [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for August 27, 2010
August 27, 2010. 2 Comments
Good morning, everyone! It’s Friday, and it sure feels like it’s going to be a great weekend. Enjoy the last weekend of August, but do check out the job leads below first! New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network When Good Article Writing Goes Bad Call for Submissions and Writing Contests from Creative Nonfiction Journal Create Content with Timeless Appeal Freelance Writing Jobs Content Writing Jobs Education Writer Article Writer Financial Writer (New York) Writer for TicketKick (San Diego) Website Content Writer (North Vancouver) Website Content Writer (London, UK) Norwegian Web Writer Writers – Foreign Affairs (Sausalito, CA) Blogging Jobs [Read more…]
Grammar Police
August 27, 2010. 2 Comments
When Good Article Writing Goes Bad
How to tell you've lost your writing spark
August 26, 2010. 14 Comments
On the outside, writer ‘A’ appears to be successful. Their byline appears in multiple publications, they make a decent living as a freelance writer and they can roll out most articles with minimum effort. That’s a good thing right? Maybe not. Writer ‘A’ has got what I call “By Rote Disease.” It’s a common affliction for many freelance writers. Symptoms include: Writing articles by a formula Nodding off during an assignment Creating work that is competent but typical “By Rote Disease” is not serious for most writers and can be cured by re-igniting the writing spark that lives inside of [Read more…]
Call for Submissions and Writing Contests from Creative Nonfiction Journal
Get Published or Win Money from Creative Nonfiction Journal
August 26, 2010. Leave a Comment
Do you write creative nonfiction? Then this post is for you! The Creative Nonfiction Foundation is a private, non-profit organization described on their website as follows: The Creative Nonfiction Foundation pursues educational and publishing initiatives in the genre of literary nonfiction. Its objectives are to provide a venue, the journal Creative Nonfiction, for high quality nonfiction prose (memoir, literary journalism, personal essay); to serve as the singular strongest voice of the genre, defining the ethics and parameters of the field; and to broaden the genre’s impact in the literary arena by providing an array of educational services and publishing activities. [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for August 26, 2010
August 26, 2010. 4 Comments
Good morning, everyone! Here are your job leads (on this rainy Thursday). I hope the weather’s better wherever you’re at! New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network The Power of Free: Why It’s not All About Paid Gigs Book Writing and Editing FAQ – How Do I Format My Manuscript? Difference Between a Resume and a Portfolio? Freelance Writing Jobs Content Writing Jobs General Career Article Writer (Austin) Freelance Writers for HowStuffWorks.com Article Writers and Bloggers Needed Home & Garden Writers (Denver) Freelance Writers (Philadelphia) Freelance Writer for New Startup (Seattle) Blogging Jobs Bloggers for Popular Miami Website Tech Blogger [Read more…]
Create Content With Timeless Appeal
August 25, 2010. 1 Comment
If you’ve continued reading to this point, you’ve likely taken the time to evaluate the “standard guidelines” and feel you have what it takes to blog. While you take some time to develop your blog for appearance sake, you’ll want to begin thinking about your initial content. I personally recommend you put some thought into creating timeless content that will serve as your pillar posts. Even if you select news-related topics, you can create timeless pieces that means the content you create will be useful today, tomorrow, a year from now and quite possibly 5 years from now. Blogs that are focused [Read more…]
The Power of Free: Why It’s not All About Paid Gigs
Guest Entry by AnnSmarty, Founder of My Blog Guest
August 25, 2010. 10 Comments
Focusing on only direct sources of income is the hugest (yet the wide-spread) mistake many freelancers make. It is quite understandable though: you get so much used to hunting for paid opportunities that you can hardly ever find time or enthusiasm to do anything else – especially something that you won’t see any immediate result from. So let me share my own experience: it is your non-paid hard work that will allow you to grow personally and professionally and consequently grow your income exponentially. I’d been freelancing for about 2 years before I was offered the full-time position at BlueGlass [Read more…]
Book Writing and Editing FAQ – How Do I Format My Manuscript?
Font, Margins, Title Page, Oh My!
August 25, 2010. 1 Comment
Ask writers in a community or forum how to format your manuscript for submission to publishers and literary agents and you’re likely to get a variety of answers: Typeface: You must use Courier font! vs. You have to use Times New Roman. Margins: 1″ margins are required! vs. 1 1/2″ margins are what publishers want. Line Spacing: Double space! vs. Single space. File Format: Use Word! vs. Save it in .txt format. Which answers are correct? What do publishers and agents really want in terms of formatting when it comes to manuscript submissions? The real answer is that it doesn’t [Read more…]
Difference Between a Resume and a Portfolio?
Where You've Been and What You Can Do
August 25, 2010. 5 Comments
Dear Jodee, I’ve actually been wondering, what differentiates a portfolio from a resume? As a new freelancer, I’ve put any writing done in my portfolio, and it feels less like a presentation of work and more like an info dump. Thanks! Ashley Dear Ashley, Your portfolio is made up of your writing samples. If you are a new writer, it may look mostly like an info dump, as you say, but over time you will be able to update them to feature not only your best work, but ones that are relevant to the opportunity you are applying for or [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for August 25, 2010
August 25, 2010. 1 Comment
I’m excited to share our job leads with you today! It may be hump day for some, but we’ve got some good stuff for you. Before checking out the list of job leads, make sure you welcome Ahmed Bilal to FWJ. Also, don’t miss Carson’s post – Three Bags of Gold. It will really get you thinking. Now, for the hump day quote of the week: Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what’s right. ~Isaac Asimov New Around the Freelance Writing Jobs Network Ahmed Bilal Joins the Freelance Writing Jobs Team Three Bags of Gold Freelance [Read more…]
Three Bags of Gold
Writing, Responsibility, Compromise and Self-Amputation
August 24, 2010. 10 Comments
I’ve chopped off my finger. I’ve betrayed my friend. I’ve pulled the plug. I took the gold and ran.
I bet you’ve done it, too. Maybe you’ve stayed pure in ways that I haven’t, but you’ve compromised your responsibilities. You’ve done something short of your best work. You’ve pandered to an audience, to a client, or to your own writing vanity. You’ve made your deals with devils, even if your devils are incredibly cute and small.
If you haven’t, I bet you will. Someday.
