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.
Quality Standards for Online Content
October 12, 2010. 5 Comments
So, the Internet Content Syndication Council is concerned about the allegedly abysmal quality of mass-produced articles flying out of the content mills. They’re so disturbed by the practices and output of the mills that they’re working on a series of quality standards and have discussed the possibility of certifying “legitimate” content. I can think of few sillier endeavors. Money Talks The ICSC thinks ad spends should go to the producers of rock-solid content. That wouldn’t be a bad argument if they could convincingly demonstrate that an investment in top drawer material would yield a superior return on investment compared to [Read more…]
Visuals Count in Web Articles
September 4, 2010. 4 Comments
Lede (lead), transitions, closing – check. Sound research, supporting facts, eye-catching headline – check. Full editing checklist – completed. You’ve got the perfect web article. It’s going to gain thousands of hits, right? One question: how does it look? Writing for the web is different than writing for print publications. Magazine articles have a lot of help to look pretty for the reader. On the net, many pieces are like the ugly duckling – inside there is a bevy of beauty, but no one can get past the outside. The majority of articles need to be visually appealing for readers [Read more…]
Should I Write for Free?
August 13, 2010. 11 Comments
There is a huge debate about whether or not writers should write for free. My thoughts about writing for free are rooted in my background as a marketer and an entire field of marketing called content marketing that companies are desperately trying to understand and integrate with social media and traditional marketing tactics and strategies. To me, writing for free and allowing that content to be published on websites and in media that will help build awareness, recognition, and loyalty to a brand equates to free advertising. Rather than investing hundreds or thousands of dollars into advertising placement and creative, [Read more…]
5 Ways to Breathe New Life into Old Content
July 23, 2010. 2 Comments
Andrew Rosen published a post on Splashpress Media’s BloggingPro.com site today called “Bringing Old Content Back to Life: 5 Ways to Revive a Blog Post” that applies to freelance writers, too, so I wanted to share it with the readers here on Freelance Writing Jobs. A big part of writing is knowing when it’s time to remember that you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel to make an impact on an audience. If you write evergreen content for a blog or other media that can get lost in the clutter over time, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with [Read more…]
Yahoo! Buys Associated Content: Some Initial Thoughts
May 19, 2010. 12 Comments
You probably heard Yahoo! is to purchase Associated Content for $100 million. I feel it’s a smart move seeing as how AOL Seed and Demand Studios are topping the searches with their content. I’m not one to complain about content sites because I think quick web content articles and how to’s can be useful as long as they’re well written and factually correct. Also, I believe content sites are creating jobs, helping to improve the economy, and helping writers to earn money during a time when competition for gigs is fierce. However… It’s no secret I’m not a fan of [Read more…]
Will Video Kill the Keyboard Star?
May 5, 2010. 9 Comments
I’m curious. What are you doing on this front?
Are you playing with video? Are you updating your blog with little clips of you chit-chatting directly to your audience? Are you peppering your site with video?
Are you providing video services to your clients or do you regularly collaborate on video projects?
Content Mill Writers ARE Business People – And We’re All Proof of That
April 30, 2010. 33 Comments
I just read, with interest, Yolander Prinzel’s post at All Freelance Writing entitled “Why Low Paying Gigs Are and Are Not Your Problem.” I’m inclined to comment, except my comment is so long that I decided to just post it here. Warning: Reactionary blog post ahead: In her post Yo discusses why you needn’t worry about content site writers as your competition, but offers an enlightening look at some of the things you should concern yourself with. I’m not arguing with most of her points because they’re fair. For the most part, I agree with Yo in that content mill [Read more…]
SEO Experts and Freelance Writers: Interview with Kieran Flanagan
April 7, 2010. 5 Comments
Kieran is a great guy with whom to work and his perspective on writing and search engine optimization is indicative of what I tend to encounter when dealing with the “right” people. He’s the kind of person I’d recommend to anyone looking for someone to provide link building services.
Don’t get any funny ideas about stealing my client, either. I’ve asked Kieran to tip me off if anyone tries to muscle in on my turf, lol!
Without further ado, here’s the Q&A:
Four Types of Freelance Writing Sites We SHOULD Be Talking About
March 8, 2010. 19 Comments
The content site discussion is getting old. Some freelance writing bloggers see the merits, others don’t, and neither the twain shall meet. What strikes me about the content site debate is that we focus on one or two evil sites as if they’re the only problem. If we’re going to be discussing the best places for freelance writers to work and caution them against certain other opportunities, I personally feel that there are worse places and those are the ones we should be discussing. When we debate content, we generally focus on two main issues; pay and poorly written content. [Read more…]
Demand Studios Now Accepting UK and Canadian Writers
March 3, 2010. 13 Comments
Full Disclosure: Demand Studios is a sponsor for this site. This means I can have first shot at breaking their news, if I’m so inclined. Today, I’m so inclined. You know how you keep asking me when Demand Studios will start accepting UK and Canadian applications for freelance writers? And you know how I always keep telling you we’ll have news soon? We have news. Demand Studios is now accepting applications from writers in Canada and the UK. Now our neighbors overseas and in the Great White North can take apply, and if accepted, take advantage of Demand Studios endless [Read more…]
How Content Site Writers Can Avoid a Bad Reputation
March 3, 2010. 12 Comments
There are many sides to the content site debate and I understand them all, even if I don’t always agree. One popular argument for the anti-content site contingent is that the writers are unskilled laborers turning out crappy content. While I have seen some cases of truly bad content, I know this isn’t the case for all content writers. Some content sites take great pains to find experienced writers to create quality content, but there are also sites that don’t even check writing samples or credentials before hiring. To generalize and lump every single content writer in the “crappy content” [Read more…]
About Demand Studios: An Interview with SVP of Content & Editorial, Jeremy Reed
January 12, 2010. 63 Comments
Deb’s note: This interview is part three in a series offering a behind the scenes look at content sites. As there have been much speculation and a few rather one-sided “investigations” regarding some of these sites, I felt it would be fair to talk to the people who run content sites and let them tell the FWJ community a little about what they do, the benefits to their writers and why their sites are unique. In the past we featured interviews with the people behind Suite101 and HubPages. This interview was conducted in the beginning of November, but hopefully isn’t [Read more…]
On Bad Writing, Bad Proofreading and Responsibility
December 4, 2009. 31 Comments
Credit where it’s due: Carson Brackney’s most recent post discusses Angela Hoy’s latest rant against content sites and the people who write for them. In his post, “Content Mills, Angela Hoy, Search Engines and the Quality of Writng” Carson explores who really bears responsibility for bad content. This isn’t to argue Carson’s point, more to discuss the difference between bad writing and bad proofreading and also to touch a little on the responsibility part. I was going to leave a comment on Carson’s blog but it got too wordy, so I’m sharing my thoughts here. Warning: This is kind of [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs Community Discussion: $37,000 vs. $52,000
November 25, 2009. 52 Comments
I wanted to share an email I received this week. I thought it would make for an interesting discussion. The letter writer requested I leave her name out, but it’s reprinted with permission. I did edit for brevity (again with permission) as the original letter was very long: Dear Deb, My friend is always taking me to task because I write for two web content sites. One of them is a place that gets a bad rap for being a “content mill”. I like the work. It’s fun and challenging. She says it’s demeaning and low paying. In January we [Read more…]
About Hub Pages: An Interview with Ryan “Hup” Hupfer
November 12, 2009. 16 Comments
Deb’s note: This interview is part two in a series featuring content sites. As there have been much speculation and a few rather lopsided “investigations” regarding content sites, I thought it would be fair to talk to the people behind the content sites and let them tell the FWJ community a little about what they do, the benefits to their writers and why their sites are unique. Please note, these interviews aren’t endorsements, freelancers are always encouraged to make the decisions that work out best for them. Please see Part 1: About Suite101: An Interview with Editor in Chief Colin [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Experience: Does it Matter Where Your Clips Come From?
November 4, 2009. 12 Comments
Credit where it’s due: A few days Jodee Redmond wrote: “Will Taking a Low Paying Hurt Your Career.” Jodee’s post is the inspiration for this one. Disclaimer: This post isn’t encouraging writers to accept low pay, it’s merely a discussion of whether or not your low paying past will hurt you when you apply for other gigs.This discussion isn’t about low pay or whether or not writers should accept entry level opportunities. It’s whether or not these opportunities will cause you to lose work. When I was younger it was my dream to become a newspaper columnist. I couldn’t wait [Read more…]
About Suite 101: An Interview with Editor in Chief Colin Smith
November 3, 2009. 11 Comments
Deb’s note: This interview is part one in a series featuring content sites. As there have been much speculation and a few rather lopsided “investigations” regarding content sites, I thought it would be fair to talk to the people behind the content sites and let them tell the FWJ community a little about what they do, the benefits to their writers and why their sites are unique. Please note, these interviews aren’t endorsements, freelancers are always encouraged to make the decisions that work out best for them. In 1999, when I first began looking for freelance writing work, I came [Read more…]
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…]
What is a Blog…and How is Blogging Different from Article Writing?
September 21, 2009. 7 Comments
When friends or neighbors ask about what I do they’ll often ask, “what is a blog?”This isn’t always easy to explain because some folks think I’m talking about article writing when I’m referring to blogging. The line between blogging and article writing has gotten a little blurry over the past few years. Now with so many people looking to cash in on the web content writing craze or build online communities, they’re placing ads for bloggers without even knowing the difference. What is a blog? Blog is short for “weblog.” The first blogs were lists of links shared on a [Read more…]
