Oh my gosh, you guys. I had the most self-congratulatory dream where I beat out something like 500 people to get a high-profile blogging gig on—get this—Freelance Writing Jobs. Like that would ever really happ…Wait just a cotton-pickin’ second! I am writing at FWJ. I’m on Deb-freaking-Ng’s team. There’s Jodee and Tereese, and…uh-oh, James.* Nah, really. I’m pretty stoked to be here. I’m more than a little nervous, though, after all the hype around getting hired. Everyone’s been talking about how I’m so hilarious and all, and I’m just sitting here with a towel in one hand thanking the gods [Read more…]
Join the New Freelance Writing Jobs Social Network
April 19, 2009. 3 Comments
Want to socialize with others from the Freelance Writing Jobs community? Join the brand new Freelance Writing Jobs social network on Ning. The benefits abound: Share tips and ideas with other members of the FWJ community Post your own (non spammy) blog post Discuss issues in the forum Share images, videos, podcasts and more Receive alerts to what this blog network is up to, as well as what the other members of the FWJ community are doing Network with other like-minded people FWJ also has a Twitter presence. You can follow me @debng or to receive updates everytime there’s a [Read more…]
The Difference Between an Internship and Unpaid Labor
April 11, 2009. 12 Comments
Discussing interns and internships are what I consider an “annual” topic. Every year at about this time we talk about interns, or rather, the folks who like to present a job as an internship in order to get away with hiring free labor. So let’s talk about what internships are, why they are necessary and why they are not free labor. What is an internship? An internship is a job one takes, usually working for a business, corporation or the government, in order to gain experience, build up a reputation and learn from the best. The focus is on the [Read more…]
Kick Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps
March 29, 2009. 17 Comments
I’m not just a fan of Susan Gunelius because she’s a terrific writer or that she replaced me when I gave up my gig with About.com Weblogs. I’m a fan of Susan because she knows her stuff and is generous when it comes to dispensing advice. I have a confession to make, however. I’ve been remiss in reviewing her awesome book Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps: Build the Buzz and Sell the Sizzle. It’s not that I didn’t want to review this book, only that I have stacks of books to review, and so little time to do so. [Read more…]
Who Do You Work For?
March 28, 2009. 12 Comments
As a freelance writer, this is usually the second question I get asked when I tell people what I do for a living. The first one is “What’s that?” (I kid you not.) Here’s the thing. When you are a freelance anything, you are not working for your clients. You are working for yourself. You are the head of your own company – “Me, Inc.” for want of a better name.
Rules For Writers
March 10, 2009. 8 Comments
I found this in my online travels on the WritersJokes web site and thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy! Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They’re old hat.) Be more or less specific. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies. No sentence fragments. Don’t use no double negatives. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out or mispeld something. Eschew obfuscation.
What Will I Do in My Outhouse After My Newspaper's Gone?
February 4, 2009. 1 Comment
The Freelance National Anthem
December 22, 2008. 12 Comments
FWJ Contests … and a Discount Coupon
November 21, 2008. Leave a Comment
We have a couple of fun things going on here at the Freelance Writing Jobs network that I wanted to share with you. If you love coffee (mmmm…coffee…..), check out the Win a Dunkin Donuts Coffee Gift Basket Contest at Deb’s Freelance Writing Jobs and Other Stuff blog. The other contest is over at Network Blogging Tips. Two readers will win a set of 250 post cards to help them promote their business. Please check them out and enter for your chance to win.
Are Freelance Writers and Bloggers Boring?
November 20, 2008. 13 Comments
Yesterday I contacted a sponsor for my Cookerati blog (Dunkin’ Donuts) to see if they would be interested in giving away a gift basket here. I thought it would be a nice change from the usual fare and an awesome gift for the winner. It occurred to me that I could do a lot more of these giveaways if I had enough sponsors and prizes. The thing is, whenever I put out word that I’m doing a gift guide or that I would like sponsors for giveaways, I get a whole bunch of self help books and laptop supplies. Now, [Read more…]
