When we think about eBooks, we generally think Kindle, Nook or iPad formatting, which have their own specifications about how the pages and images are laid out. Converting a standard Word document into one of these formats requires properly formatting your Word document first or using a service that handles the formatting and conversion for you. What is often overlooked by writers is the fact that all of these e-readers can also read files saved in pdf format. There is a formatting option that is as simple as clicking on the “Save As” or the “Export To” function in your [Read more…]
A Friendly Reminder: Authorship Markup Is an Absolute Necessity for Freelancers
March 29, 2013. 5 Comments
Many freelance writers don’t have to know anything about coding or even anything about SEO, but authorship is an exception. It’s important for every freelancer to understand how authorship works because it is becoming so important in the world of Google. Companies are using authorship for the posts that their authors write, so the standalone-freelancer can’t be left behind. Soon authorship is going to become a part of the job of a freelance writer, so the sooner you get started the better.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Picking the Best Freelance Job
February 10, 2013. 2 Comments
I usually have about seven projects at a time, and they’re not all created equal. As a successful freelance writer, I’ve been on the wrong end of a bad job. However, there are some warning signs that are easy to miss. If a job posting requires numerous, generic forms, you’ll be drowning in paperwork and red tape for the entire project. Trust your gut during a phone interview. If the client doesn’t know what they want, they’re not going to be happy with anything you produce. The most lucrative jobs are from either well-established corporations or start-ups with solid investors. [Read more…]
Follow These Freelancers and Enterpreneurs on Quora
December 9, 2012. Leave a Comment
A couple of days ago I was chatting with some friends over drinks, and the topic turned to social media. Given the status of about half of us as geeks, this was an in depth discussion that lasted for quite some time. Accompanied by plenty of eye rolling from the other half of our group with little interest in social media outside of playing Farmville. When we talk about the web and technology related fields, those in the group as obsessed as I am will usually agree on the good, the bad and the undecided. But what shocked me was [Read more…]
Business Solutions for Freelancers: Get the Most Out of Each Purchase
November 13, 2012. Leave a Comment
Business purchases are expensive, especially for startups and small business owners without deep pockets. Rather than trying to have it all, look for ways to reduce what you have to buy without actually losing any functionality. It is all about getting more bang for your buck when you are dealing with running a business on a shoestring budget. Start by Introducing the Sharing Mentality Via Flickr by BlockSim This is not kindergarten again, but one effective way of reducing IT and technology costs are simply to not buy as many. Communal computers are often just as effective, especially on split [Read more…]
How Do You Make Ends Meet on a Bad Month?
October 29, 2012. 2 Comments
Being a freelancer has lots of perks, but just like anything else, it also has its downsides. I could be wrong, but I think that being able to handle one’s finances smartly is a major concern of every freelance writer. Not only do you have to make sure that you land enough gigs to cover your living expenses every month, you also have to make sure that you are able to manage your income and not spend more than you earn. For individuals who are new to freelance writing, and who may have worked for a regular salary prior to [Read more…]
Is There a Dress Code for Freelancers?
September 9, 2012. 3 Comments
Freelancing is awesome. You are your own boss, there is no daily commute, you avoid the office politics and drama…there are so many benefits of working for yourself. However, that also means you have to learn things the hard way, and without a safety net. Accepting full responsibility for mistakes and your actions comes with the territory of being a freelancer.
How to Make Money through Social Media
August 7, 2012. Leave a Comment
After the recession hit almost virtually every business across all industries, entrepreneurs are more aggressive when it comes to managing debtrelated to their business’ operations. For many, this means drastically reducing the budget allocated for advertising and sales promotion. Not all is lost though. Social media marketing now offers a cost-efficient alternative to reach out to customers and ultimately, increase sales. Making money through social media is a relatively unchartered territory and business owners not familiar with the Web 2.0 era may be clueless on how to thrive in this digital consumer world. There are fundamentals that need to be [Read more…]
The financial benefits of working at home – what you earn and save
July 16, 2012. Leave a Comment
Working from home has many financial benefits. It is also true that the benefits are not merely financial. For example, a home business allows you to strike a balance between your career and family. But instead of focusing on the emotional and personal benefits, I want to keep it business related – so I am only going to discuss the financial side of working from home and earning your income online. 1. You make the money This is what both motivates and scares people that decide that they want to work from home – your income is directly proportional to [Read more…]
6 Great Infographics About Freelancing
June 21, 2012. 2 Comments
Choosing to become a freelancer is both a positive and risky decision. You are setting our on your own, giving up the safety net of a steady employer. You are taking a step to be dependent entirely on yourself and no one else. It is liberating and terrifying, all at once. Whether you are currently a freelancer in any industry or you are just thinking of taking the leap, these infographics can help. They are full of useful information and statistics.
How to Build a Wildly Profitable Conversion Funnel On Autopilot
May 24, 2012. 1 Comment
In an interview with Bryan Eisenberg, leading conversion specialist, he noted businesses spend up to $92 to get someone to their site… and less than one dollar to convert them. Another shocking statistic: 76% of companies do *not* have any form of conversion optimization… and 48% believe they have zero control over conversion. I think that is ridiculous. Conversions are one of the few things you do control. Unlike most marketing efforts – which require third-party sites like Google or Twitter – conversion exists on your site, which puts you in 100% control of your destiny. But can you improve [Read more…]
You Know How to Write Great Content: Should You Start Your Own Blog?
April 26, 2012. 12 Comments
Yes. Well the answer is a bit more complicated, but in the majority of situations a writer has the tools needed to start a blog. As a freelance writer who was continually reading guest blogging guidelines and talking with editors about offering a submission, I couldn’t help but think: I could do this. The most important aspect of a website is quality content (hence why we all have jobs), and no one can write quality content better than a trained writer. There are many different reasons that a writer could benefit from owning his/her own blog or website:
Has Technical Writing Stifled Your Creative Side?
March 12, 2012. 14 Comments
It is no secret that technical writing jobs pay well. Many freelance writers slowly slip into the technical writing sphere and get stuck. The jobs are plenty and the pay is good, and as a writer this stability is appealing. Other freelance jobs that seem to pay well are those connected with a specific company. For example, I used to write for a credit card website, so naturally my writing was centered on credit card tips and advice. There used to be a time when I would try and play around with my sentence structures and get fancy with metaphors, [Read more…]
Build Your Arsenal to Better Promote Your Freelance Writing
March 7, 2012. 4 Comments
Man, it just isn’t easy to be a freelance writer sometimes. Sure, you have the ability to set your own hours and rates. You can work from literally anywhere with an Internet connection and you are your own boss. Plus, if you ever need to take time away you can do so. All in all, it is a good career choice, but it still has its difficulties.
Monitoring Your Online Reputation as a Freelance Writer
February 6, 2012. 5 Comments
Freelance writing is now one of the sources of income for many moms dads and othersalike. As a freelance worker, they are free to serve as many clients as they can. They build reputation by submitting works on time and providing high-quality work. The reputation built will then result into new job offers or job referrals from satisfied clients and writers will have increased income. As a writer, you can collect positive reviews from your satisfied clients. However, many potential clients today, go beyond profile reviews. They have now started to dig for more information about you. Below are the tools you can use [Read more…]
Requirements for Working with Clients in Other Countries
October 21, 2011. 1 Comment
Freelancing is a skill that takes some honing. While someone who has a knack for networking will find it easier than others, there are still challenges that you just have to work through. Much of it, in fact, is a matter of learning the hard way, and we all have our horror stories. Of course, the risks and difficulties become more pronounced when working with people from countries other than our own. All communication is done via email or instant messenger, though some might occasionally ask for Skype. There is no real legal recourse when things go wrong. All in [Read more…]
Freelancers Can Budget, Too!
October 17, 2011. 2 Comments
Freelancers have, be definition, a fluid income source. Projects come and go, clients don’t always have steady work, and new opportunities are just around the bend. There is also the somewhat unsteady foundation for many websites, magazines and experimental publishers, which make it hard to know when what payment will be coming when, and for how long. In the past, I have spoken to dozens of other freelancers who seem to agree that this makes budgeting a near impossibility. As a consequence, they end up living from month to month trying to put their money wherever they can, and making [Read more…]
How to Happily Accept Criticism
September 22, 2011. 2 Comments
It has been said that the two most sensitive people in the world are artists and writers. This is often proven in how the two groups take criticism, which is a regular part of our chosen professions. Perhaps this is because we all tend to put so much of ourselves out there when we craft our art. We are opening ourselves up to review, and we all want what we create to be well received. As a blogger, you are even more vulnerable to negativity. Not only are you writing on a much more frequent basis, but you are doing [Read more…]
Going Green in Your Writing Office
March 17, 2011. 7 Comments
Bring up the topic of green living and people think recycling and light bulbs. These are, of course, important parts of caring for the environment, but they are not the only things each of us can do to save, reduce and reuse resources. The office presents several opportunities to lessen our personal impact on the world around us. Paper Control Cut back on paper use. Writer’s use a lot of paper, including to hand -edit pieces. That’s why it’s important to keep a bin next to the printer to deposit used paper. The paper is can be reused for back-side printing, [Read more…]
When a Freelance Writing Job Doesn’t Pay
March 8, 2011. 11 Comments
There is perhaps no other topic in the freelance writing world that generates more controversy than the concept of writers writing for free. Bring it up and lines in invisible sand are drawn, commenting spikes and in the case of Harlan Ellison, a few F-bombs are dropped. It’s understandable. Shady publishers and editors prey on vunerable writers who want to see their names in print. Writers are constantly burned by “write for free now and earn later” promises in which “later” never comes. However, in the angry buzz of the debate something gets lost. Choice and education. There will always [Read more…]
Freelancer 2.0 – Shoeboxed Review
March 2, 2011. Leave a Comment
There have been many advances in the field of freelance writing over the last few years: for most publications it is no longer necessary to send in an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) query; electronic payments outpace snail mail checks; social media has made it easier to connect to other writers and editors, etc. The business side of freelance writing has gotten easier with more online applications streamlining mundane tasks many writers loathe. Shoeboxed is one great app that moves shoeboxes full of receipts out of the closet and into cyberspace. Shoeboxed organizes and stores receipts, business cards and documents [Read more…]
Article Clip 911
January 13, 2011. 7 Comments
This is it! This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for – a publication you’ve had your eye on is interested in your work. Perhaps you’ve had a chance meeting with an editor or saw a job post. Now all you need is to send in that one great clip. You know, the one that shows your skill, expertise and spot on interviewing? So you type the title and your name into Google to pull up the piece…It’s gone. Silly you, you never got around to saving that clip or even printing it out. You figured it would always be [Read more…]
Writing is Like Sex
November 30, 2010. 8 Comments
While you’re doing it, you’re focused, zoned in and intense. Every distraction is met with deep disappointment – the phone, the kids, the dog standing there watching you do it. When you’re not doing it it’s all you can think about leaving you distracted. “It” is writing, but the passion in which we pursue, fantasize about and devour it makes it a lot like sex. That’s another big reason why it’s fun. The Heat. There’s nothing like the heat of new blog post, new assignment or new magazine. The magazine represents an opportunity. The blog post or assignment represents a [Read more…]
Creating Your Own Freelance Writing Gigs
November 30, 2010. 7 Comments
I believe that one reason writers aren’t in higher demand is our collective shortcoming in marketing our gifts and their value. We have a tendency to wait until people see a need for us when we should be telling them why we’re so damned valuable. When you’re rainmaking, that’s exactly what you’re doing.
