BOO!

OK so that’s all I got. That’s my splash. Spectacular wasn’t it?

Kidding.

Seriously though, all this labor and angst over finding your “voice” as a writer… does it really have to be so damn hard all the time? (Hint: OF COURSE IT DOESN’T.)

Sorry, was I shouting? Forgive me, it’s all the pent up passion y’know. Wreaks havoc with my social filters.

Anyhoo, you probably already know the usual tips to finding your writing voice and groove, like:

• Write a lot.
• Write a lot more.
• Then write even more.

Or you could try:

• Write a lot.
• Write a lot more.
• Then write even more, plus read a lot from all the writers and “voices” you admire.

You could even try:

•  Reading this post!

Then of course you slowly absorb all these different tips, styles and voices by osmosis, and it suddenly mutates upon regurgitation into something resembling you, except you sound super cool and shite.

Right?

See how that works?

But it sounds mildly painful, doesn’t it? Sure it will help you of course, but does it really have to be so dang painful all the time? (Hint: And I reiterate- OF COURSE IT DOESN’T.)

So I’ve got a better idea, which you’ve probably already sussed out from the title of this post (you smarty pants, you) that involves far less pain, and almost makes developing your own unique voice kinda easy. (Look I said kinda, so don’t get your knickers in a twist.)

Of course we all know that as a writer, finding your “voice” is never as easy as you might want it to be, but if there is a lesson to be learned from my lame-o comedy act, it’s that it can be a little easier than you think, if you simply allow yourself to let go, and have a little fun with your writing.

Yes, I said fun!

One thing I’ve observed in my crash course to becoming a freelance writer, it’s that trying to follow a bunch of rules only winds up stunting your creativity and natural rhythm as a writer.

You find yourself on this hamster wheel of writing, self-editing as you go, analyzing whether or not you “sound” the way you want to sound, if you dotted that i and crossed that t correctly, and then editing some more when you think you “sound” less than perfect.

Before you know it, that great idea you started with has become hacked and mangled beyond repair, and you’re wailing at your computer screen, pounding your keyboard in frustration, and bounding out of your chair to hunt down the nearest bottle of vodka and box of chocolates. (Oh come on, don’t be a prude, you know vodka and chocolate sooo go together.)

So, while I am very aware that finding your way as a writer and nailing down your own unique voice isn’t always easy… (let’s hammer the point home one final time), it doesn’t have to be painful either.

And because I know ya’ll love to read shite that gives you something to take action on, I’ve come up with a few tips that will help you to inject a bit of fun and humor into your writing, so that your natural voice can begin to emerge and shine. So you can stand head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.

So you can even make a (vocal) splash, if you will.

Use Humor- Your OWN Brand of Humor

It’s all well and good to use humor in your writing, but the key component to that tip is to use your own sense of humor, not the sense of humor of the charmingly hilarious Jen McCoy or the bitingly funny Redhead named Erika.

The whole point of developing your own voice is to be unique and set yourself apart from all the other boring (or not so boring) blatherers in your industry. Using your own brand of humor can do that, by allowing your readers a glimpse of you in all your (dorky? uber cool?) glory.

Ultimately, most readers love it when you make them smile, and as I read somewhere once- if you can keep them smiling, you’ll keep them reading.

And keeping them reading is the ultimate end goal for a writer, wouldn’t you agree?

Stay the Course- Make Your Point

Remember that having fun in your writing doesn’t mean you bound off on every tangent that pops into that little brain of yours. Sure it’s OK to branch off on a wee side road to crack a joke, or to emphasize something in a funny way. (Lord knows I do it myself, in case you hadn’t noticed!)

But ultimately, your writing needs to have a goal and a purpose, and you need to achieve that goal or purpose without losing your reader. So while injecting humor is great, make sure you stay the course and still get your point across effectively by avoiding overly prolific tangents and limiting yourself to a more healthy number of side roads.

The upshot to that strategy is you won’t leave your readers blinking and thinking WTF. Capisce?

And FYI- sometimes just allowing a little silliness in your writing can do wonders for breaking the ice with a reader, and helping you to establish a voice they connect with. Really, it doesn’t take much, so don’t be a stick in the mud.

Try it!

Make Sure Your Readers “Get” It

While it is fine and dandy to think you’re the funniest thing since Jack Black, you have to make sure it translates in your writing and that your readers agree.

Of course not everyone will always get your sense of humor all the time, but it’s important that if you’re using humor in your writing to cultivate your voice, your readers feel “in on the joke”, so to speak.

And all of that really boils down to knowing your audience and who you are writing to, and whether or not your brand of humor is appropriate for them. In other words, do they “get” it or even want to “get” it?

And to really put it to the test ask yourself this-

• Does this sound even half as funny when I read it out loud to myself, as it does in my head?

If it doesn’t, you might want to reword it or scrap it altogether. That way you’re not cracking jokes that are falling in a bottomless black hole of shite labeled “ridiculously unfunny” to your reader. (Just a recommendation. That is all.)

Ultimately, as with everything in life, you never know how something might work for you until you try it.

My strategy?

Experiment a bit, have a little fun.

Then give all that pain and angst the finger, and see what happens.

Cori is a wildly hire-able freelance writing ‘ghost’ as well as the creative brains and dubious brawn behind her blog Big Girl Branding. If you’d like to harness her creative brains and dubious brawn to write for your blog, just stalk her on Twitter @BigGirlBranding and ask her. I’m “almost” sure she doesn’t bite. Well… like 95% sure.

Image source:

writeawriting.com

www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk

indyposted.com

In my dreamland, all of my calendars – editorial, home, kid activity and husband, are perfectly synced and color coordinated. In reality, my editorial calendar clashes with the other calendars in a fight to the death, stomping over karate classes and movie nights with reckless abandon. It’s a mess. I somehow get everything done – well. But just imagine if I got them in harmony? I’d be completely unstoppable!

Evaluate.

I won’t go into the importance of having an editorial calendar, we’ve got plenty of posts on that here, here and here. Those that have one, take this time to evaluate it. What worked? What could you do better? Do you need a different style of calendar? A different system of tracking? Do you need to place it in a different position? Sometimes, depending on the amount of work you have, placing it right in your face can be overwhelming or depressing. Other times it can be a motivator. In that case, it’s not providing much motivation behind your bookcase.

How about too many calendars? Do you have one to carry, one at home, one on each floor, one on your desk and one or two online reminders? How’s that working for you? Pare down and keep organization tools simple and easy to use.

Don’t force it.

I have a great smart phone. It does all kinds of cool stuff, including keeping track of appointments and due dates. It cannot replace my pen and paper calendar. I know it is completely old school, but there is something about writing it down and mapping it out that works for me. I tried going completely electronic. I was lost and or late for a week. Find what works for you and stick with it. I know a writer who uses the Post-It method. It would drive me crazy, but hey…

Pen in days.

There are days that should be set in stone. Add them in now because if you don’t you’ll likely find every excuse not to set them – doctor’s appointments (you can’t meet a deadline if you’re dead); holidays, administrative days – days you clear up the books, straighten the files, etc. Penning in days is important because it gives you permission to have a life outside of writing.

Editorial calendars are essential tools when used effectively. Take this time to tweak yours.

Making changes to your calendar/methods? Tell us or share what works for you!

Money for Nothing

I was planning to write an incredibly long, detailed post about the not-so-wonderful world of writing for websites that operate on revenue sharing models.

Part of that post was going to discuss a throwaway article I wrote several years ago for a revshare site on a lark, just to test the waters.  Due to a lucky combination of good timing, optimization for a virtually unexploited long tail keyword in a big money niche and what one can only describe as stupid luck, I’ve made approximately $600 from that article over the course of five years.  It took me approximately five minutes to find the primary keyword (there’s that luck) and about ten minutes to write the simple article.

I’m not underpaid, but I generally don’t make $2,400 per hour for lousy little pen-named articles designed for content mills.  I still chuckle every month when I see the mill make a deposit into my checking account.

Anyway, I wanted to mention that article because stories like those are one reason why so many people hop into the revshare world.  Unfortunately, they’re flukes.  Anomalies.  Luck breaks.  You can’t count on them.  They don’t happen too often.  I was going to put that particular article’s numbers up against the other four I wrote in the same week for that site long, long ago to illustrate the point.

I was plodding through the post about revenue sharing while listening to George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh and just as I started detailing the story of the miracle article, I found myself half-singing along with Ring Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy”.

It don’t come easy,
You know it don’t come easy.

It don’t come easy,
You know it don’t come easy.

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don’t come easy.
You don’t have to shout or leap about,
You can even play them easy.

Well, in my case it did come easy.  I goofed around as an experiment and made a big ol’ chunk of cash from writing that I’d objectively value at approximately nothing.

Some days, Starr’s lyrics do ring true for a self-employed writer.

However, there are times when it does come easy.  The cosmic tumblers click into place and weird little miracles appear.

Accentuating the Positive

Instead of writing a post about the way things don’t come easy in the world of revenue sharing, I decided to write a post about the times things do come easy.  I figured it might be nice to celebrate the crazy flukes and accidental victories instead of focusing on the ugly grind of making a living with a keyboard.

Here are my favorite easy moments…  In no particular order:

The $600 Revshare Non-Masterpiece: This is the article mentioned above.  A nearly effortless bit of experimentation continues to pay dividends years after its creation.  There really is no logical explanation for why this article continues to earn and earn every month.  Somehow, it continues to fly below the radars of those who work in the niche and Google, pumping out steady earnings for the content mill and me.

The Three-Page Report that Made Over $5,000. I was driving down the highway and a simple idea crossed my mind.  Bum marketing (a simplified form of article-based affiliate marketing) was a hot topic in the Internet marketing world.  I realized there was a very easy way to boost the value of the articles and to insure at least some up-front cash value for them.  That relatively small cash payment could serve as something of an insurance policy for those who were writing free articles for directories in hopes of generating affiliate sales.

I came home, sat down and outlined the exceedingly simple process.  I added introductory and concluding paragraphs, converted it into a PDF and posted it for sale as an information product on a popular IM forum with a little off-the-top-of-my-head sales copy.  I set up a PayPal button and a quick automated download process for anyone willing to buy the guide.  From top to bottom, it took about two hours.

The next morning, I woke up to over $2,000 in sales.  Within three days, I made $5,000 off that simple idea.  The almost equally awesome part was the fact that the folks who bought the report actually liked it.  It didn’t take long for the concept to escape the confines of my hastily produced ebook and sales ground to a halt shortly thereafter.  I wasn’t complaining.

The Luckiest Celebrity Blog Ever: I noticed that my wife was watching a TV show featuring a woman I had seen on another show the day before.  Out of curiosity, I did some quick Googling and realized that her career was absolutely on fire and that she was poised for a major breakthrough.

At the time, I was experimenting with new keyword mining techniques and generating income via blogs monetized with contextual advertising.  A few minutes later, I had claimed a Blogspot blog with a domain name featuring a common misspelling of the celebrity’s name and was setting it up with a number of quick posts that were little more than silly notices of other articles about the celebrity, combined with a brief excerpt of the source material and a link to the original source.  It was a very crude homemade news aggregator, in a sense.

The site started making about $1 per day in Adsense earnings, so I kept adding occasional little posts.  The celebrity’s star power increased to the Nth degree and earnings went up, up and up.  Soon, it was making a solid $10 per day.  Then $20.  Then $30.  I outsourced one hundred additional news aggregation-style posts with some of the earnings, loaded them up and set them to drip feed at a rate of two per week.  The investment paid for itself within two months.

That site made a small fortune before people with real resources, strong content and a commitment to doing things the right way realized that a crummy little Blogspot blog was ranking in the top three for a series of high volume searches.  The competition didn’t find it hard to knock me off, but that blog put a stack of fat Adsense checks in my pocket before they did.  For what it’s worth, the site still generates about a buck every other day and I haven’t so much as looked at it in over two years.

Common Traits

All three of those weird winners share a few common traits:

They happened because I was willing to experiment. If I had been wholeheartedly committed to following THE plan and only THE plan, they wouldn’t have happened.  This serves to remind me that keeping an open mind and trying new things can be a lot of fun and a source of profits.

They all defied duplication. Efforts to replicate the results with similar projects invariably fall short of those anomalous originals.  I did have some luck with other Adsense-monetized blogs (enough that I still get a check every month from Google) and I’ve sold a few other information products here and there that have been well worth my time, but I’ve never come close on another revshare article.  This reminds me that luck matters more than we’d probably like to think.

All three of these happy accidents share one other trait.  They happened three or more years ago.

And You Know it Don’t Come Easy

I think that last fact may contain the most important lesson my three examples offer.  In the last few years, we’ve witnessed an absolute explosion in the number of people trying to make money online as writers, Internet marketers and everything else imaginable.  I think it’s an overstatement to say we’re near a saturation point, considering the web’s continued rapid growth, but the online world is certainly more crowded and competitive today than it was a few years ago.

I really do believe it was easier to mix some rudimentary knowledge with a little skill and a chunk of action to generate healthy chunks of cash back in the “good old days” (which aren’t particularly old at all, truth be told).  As I think about other cool little bursts of luck I’ve had, most of them happened during or before 2008.  I know I haven’t stopped experimenting with new ideas and I’d like to believe that my skills have improved.  I know my knowledge base is more expansive.

So, either I’ve hit a long luckless streak or it’s getting tougher to hit the big time with little effort due to increased competition.

I wanted to go from a somewhat negative post about the doomed nature of 99.99% of revshare writing efforts to a positive reflection on the times when the money rains upon request.  Instead, I think this post could still end on a somber note.

These days…  Well…  It don’t come easy.

Your Glory Days…  And a Prize!

Ah, who wants  to end on a down note?  Maybe it can come easy.  Even if it doesn’t, it did at some point and that’s worth a little party, right?

I open it up to you, the FWJ readership.  Let’s hear your stories of glory days, your memories of times when things that shouldn’t have been successful turned into moments of accidental greatness.

Maybe it was the unedited, typo-riddled query that still landed you a plum contract.  It could’ve been the time you sent off a piece of work you personally hated that the recipient loved so much you developed a profitable on-going relationship.  Perhaps you had a magic revshare moment, too.

I don’t know what’s happened to you, but I have to believe you’ve had times when it all came easy.

Tell your story.

Oh, and just to encourage participation, I’ll tack on a prize.  The best story wins a free copy of The Concert for Bangladesh on DVD.  You get Harrison, Clapton, Preston, Dylan and even Ringo in their full bearded 1971 glory!

Let’s hear your tales of mysterious moneymakers, accidental brilliance and those unexplained moments of magic when very little effort resulted in a massive payoff of some sort.

I’m sure everyone knows many examples of Anglicisms used in other languages such as offshore or Germanisms used in English, such as Schadenfreude. Another very popular example, especially among freelance writers, is the Gallicism Resumé or for nostalgic souls your Curriculum [Vitae]. These terms are also called loanwords.

In this new infographic, we have a look at the different language families, their spread and popularity- really a very complex and controversial topic in the classifications of such families.

Did you know that every 14 days a language dies?

Thanks to the crew at Infographiclabs.com for another awesome infographic.

Copyright: The Other Paper 2010

I love a good hot topic article. It’s hip, current and tells me all I need to know on whatever everyone is talking, blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking and Googling about at that particular time. Unfortunately, there are often more bad hot topic articles than good. To tell the truth, some writers/publications wake up, check Google or Twitter trends and start writing on whatever subject that’s moving up the interest boards. In an hour or two, they’ve got their piece up there alongside everyone else’s and it stinks. They hit every “Don’t” of hot topic writing:

Don’t Simply Rehash What Everyone Already Knows

• It’s boring and lazy writing. Everyone is talking about it already. Find a new angle on the topic while other people beat the main points horse to death.

Example: The President visited my city recently – it was a big deal. Interrupting local programming to watch the plane taxi in kind of deal. He held a Q & A in a local family’s backyard – even bigger deal and that’s all anyone reported. We learned the family’s names, what the parents did for a living, what neighborhood the chat took place in – repeatedly. Even the broadcasters seemed bored with reciting the same thing all day.

DO Find a Different Angle

When everyone is talking about something – ask the questions no one is asking! When in doubt, try to take the story the local route. Is there someone local who’s been affected by or involved with the subject? Taking the previous example, one could try to find if there were other families in your area that had hosted a sitting U.S. president. You could also go the route of our local weekly, besting the big time daily paper here with a little digging:

The Other Paper found and interviewed the family that came in second to host the President. The story was interesting, hit a different angle and told readers something new about the level of security concern surrounding the President. Named “Sniper Alley,” the article let readers in on a security snafu that knocked the couple out of the running – a quiet, suburban alleyway that could have been a sniper’s paradise.

DON’T Force a Hot Topic on an Unwilling Audience

I could be wrong, but when people hit a online knitting  magazine, they are not looking for gossip about Snooki or any of those other Jersey characters. What may be a hot topic on The View can be wildly out of place in other media. Likewise, the latest college football shake-up may not play well with the fictitious Senior Medical Times magazine.

DO Tailor the Topic for Your Publication

This is similar to finding a different angle. Getting a little creative AND working a different angle can make a hot topic work for your audience. Senior Medical Times may not be interested in the mechanics of the Big Ten division split and championship game, but they would be interested in a story about recognizing and preventing deadly heart attacks during football games  – true fact: deadly heart attacks increase during games because men having the attack are absorbed in the game and ignore the warning signs.

Sure they score you points with your audience and Google, but tackle a hot topic the wrong way and you’ll find yourself in the slush pile or worse – with a completely irrelevant or stale article.

In my next post we’ll talk about more on hot topic writing. Got a good tip? Email me at Terreece@TerreeceClarke.com and I might use it in the next post! Be sure to include your name and blog or portfolio url.

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 each keyboard tapper. There are many reasons why “By Rote Disease” attacks a writer – often it stems from sheer boredom. When a writer becomes an expert in their niche they are 10 times more likely to become victims. A writer is also more susceptible to contracting this disease when they focus more on making money writing than on writing.

Many writers walk away from their full-time jobs to join the exciting world of freelance writing. They are lured by the promises of relaxing days outside under a tree with words pouring forth onto their laptop like a waterfall. They imagine skipping through the tulips on the way to their mailbox to pick up large checks for work that was more pleasure than pain. They see themselves interviewing the leading experts in a particular niche and becoming “besties” with them. Then reality hits:

• Lots of work doesn’t necessarily translate to tulip skipping.
• Thinking about the phone bill can put a damper on creativity.
• Becoming an expert in a niche can mean being so sick of writing about it you want to scream!

This is when the disease sets in and writers turn off the creativity and turn on the robotic lede-paragraph-quote-paragraph-quote-side bar-paragraph-close formula. The copy? Clean. The sources? Stellar. The passion, interest and spark? Gone.

Light the Spark

The quickest way to get over “By Rote Disease” is to simply get out of your comfort zone – which can be scary for writers. Writers build up a reputation, following and list of contacts that makes the job easier, but can potentially stagnate their growth. Moving out of your comfort zone can be as dramatic as moving onto a completely new niche or as easy as taking on a different perspective.

One of the quickest ways to set the writing spark on fire is to learn more about a subject. The great thing about writing is the world is constantly evolving and there are always new ideas and theories being floated about everything. There is always a conference, a new book, etc. popping up. Instead of waiting for a bandwagon to drive by, create your own by investigating and writing about the new things that are happening in your particular niche.

Another great way to freshen up your work is to hit another genre on the side. It’s not like you’re cheating on your niche, it’s more like an open relationship kind of thing. You hook up with a few other interesting niches or genres and bring what you learn back to your main squeeze.

If all else fails, change your location. Get out of the basement and into creation. Hit the library, the park, a bookstore, your back porch…Anywhere that’s not your office. Utilize a perk of freelancing and be open to creating and being inspired by a new location.

All writers run into a lull every once in a while. Great writers recognize when the copy is getting stale and shake things up. Now, get out there and write something great!

Ambiance

It’s the library’s mystique – the rows of books, the smell of the pages, the weird looks from that one guy who appears to be talking to his toes…

Technically, writing and researching in a library won’t increase your I.Q. immediately, but it will be a more productive place to work. Picture your home office – cozy but full of distractions. It’s quiet unless you live with other people and then that’s optional.

Quiet in a library is not optional. I swear there are people who go there specifically to shush people. There’s no refrigerator, no comfy sleeping couch and definitely no annoying neighbors popping up to say hi or to ask you about your lawn, mail or any other inane topic. When you go it will be just you and your work. That’s worth the price of admission and did I mention it’s f-r-e-e-?

Knowledge Base

Spending time in the actual library will give you access to incredible amounts of information and to helpful librarians who often know more about the subject than the person whose book you are checking out. I know, the argument is that you can get the same thing on the ‘net, especially with online search mechanisms often powered by the library system in your area. Let’s take a closer look…

Face it, not all materials in book form are available to read online. Have you ever tracked down a source based on a book synopsis and then realize the person is either on a different track than your article, the book sucks or is so dry it would give sand a run for its money?

I have, it’s disappointing and a waste of time. I write mostly for consumer periodicals and websites now so when I pick people and sources for research, I do so with the audience in mind. Busy working moms do not have time, nor the inclination to pick up a dry medical journal citing the ratio of infants with reflux. They would be more interested in a ‘parent’s guide’ book that covers medical ailments in an easy to understand manner.

The people who wrote the ‘parents guide’ book will also fit my audience’s expectations when it comes to quotes and information. That makes my job easier and my research comprehensive and valuable to my target audience.

Source Magnets

The librarians often know someone in the field that you are intersted in or at least an organization or source that can take you on your next step. At public college and university libraries, finding the right source is only a short campus walk away from the library.

Don’t discount the public library, the Internet’s ease of use is tempting, but there are some times when immersion is the way to go!

I’m not saying this to brag, because there are multiple copies of each piece. Largely because my husband hordes my work. He picks up at least five copies and only because I begged him to stop picking up 10.

To be honest I don’t go through them often enough. So in the midst of the moving and dragging I sat down and went through a couple…

Wow.

It’s pretty cool to see a cross-section of your work back-to-back. It is an eye-opener for your style of writing, choice of topics and how far you’ve grown as a writer. I looked at a couple of my very first pieces and cringe. Hard. O.M.G. It was IM speak worthy. I used the word ‘that’ to often, had some weird turns of phrases and of course, used lay and lie wrong.

Now some of the things the copy editor should have caught, but in this business, you can’t rely on the copy editor, your clip is your entry fee into the next gig, at least that’s how I look at it. This is especially important for new writers who don’t have a large body of work on which to hang their hat.

So, when you get a chance within the next month, try this exercise:

Look through your clips and ask yourself:

• Which topics did I enjoy writing about the most? Did it come out in the piece?
• Which topics do I write about most often?
• How has my writing style changed?
• What reoccurring themes or items do I need to work on i.e. transitions, ledes, closings, etc.?
• What do I do well?
• Which clips are all purpose – meaning you can submit them for almost any job?
• Which clips are specialized to a certain field?

When you’re finished with that exercise, use your research to plot your next move in your writing career. Think of the next magazine you’ll query or the next blog you’ll start. Then come back and tell us about it. What did you learn?

Are you persistent – writing despite things going on in your life or business? This is important especially if you’re a blogger, but applies to magazine and web writers as well. Blogging on a regular basis despite sickness and strife helps build and keep your audience. They know  your blog isn’t another fly-by-night fancy and they will come to look for and depend on it. Good bloggers can write through any upheaval. Great bloggers write ahead so they can manage unforeseen circumstances.

Persistent writing for magazines and the web means staying on schedule no matter what is happening. It means making the deadline even if you’ve got to run to the library and work on their computers next to the kid sneaking looks at porn at the terminal next to you. It means doggedly shopping queries after rejections.

If you veer off your schedule ahead of your deadline in favor of coffee with friends or a movie with your honey, you are counting on nothing to go wrong before your deadline. How many times has this happened: You knock off early or a whole day for a little extra fun and then the day before a deadline the computer goes out? Or your cat knocks over a glass of water on your keyboard or there is a storm and the internet is affected? Now instead of pushing through work on days you’d rather play, you have to scratch to the deadline with one arm tied behind your back and an elephant standing on your foot.

Consistency in work quality

Admit it. Sometimes you give a piece a little less love and attention than others because it’s for a small publication or a content site, or because you just don’t feel like it needs that extra tuck in and kiss on the forehead. Whether the publication is big or small if you blow off an article you are blowing off a clip.

There should be nothing in your portfolio you’d be embarrassed to show to a potential client. This is different than content that is appropriate for one client while inappropriate for another. If you write about ‘personal electronic massagers’ for one client and want to write about toddler tinker toys next week, I wouldn’t show a Parents Magazine editor your article “Buzz-worthy Products for Couples.” Though if you did, it better be written well! Stop giggling folks… This is a good time and place to move to:

Are you consistent about working within your niche? When you are committed to building yourself or brand within a niche, you have little time to take work from the four corners of the world about everything under the sun. Every piece that isn’t about fly fishing does help build your credibility as a writer, but can take away from where you want to be – the featured writer for Fly Fish Monthly.

Persistent. Consistent. For the next week check to see if you are living your life and managing your freelance writing career according to these principles. If not, figure out why!

Got a tip for other writers? What principles guide your freelance career? Share below!

10. How do you write an article?

It’s true, I get this one pretty often and it’s kind of like asking someone how to cook – there’s a lot to it. So in pretty general terms: start with a topic, research the topic and based on your research find an interesting angle to the piece. Make an outline and be sure to include references (and locations if you’re smart) of source material. Decide on a format, create that all important lede (lead), then develop the article. Let it marinate for a day or so, then edit it with a fine tooth comb.

9. What’s the difference between plagiarism and inspiration?

Plagiarism will get you fired, inspiration will bring you fans. When you use someone else’s ideas, quote or material you must cite the source. Even on informal blogs. Inspiration gives you ideas on where you can take the material further. It inspires you to think of how you can enhance it, change it or develop it for a different market.

8. How long does it take to write an article?

How long do you have for me to explain it? All jokes aside, the time it take to craft a piece really depends on the writer, length of article and complexity of assignment. I’ve had articles I sat down and birthed in an hour, while others have taken days of writing, editing, sulking, rewriting, etc. Really, the question should be, how long does it take to write a good article. It’s the quality of the piece that is important.

7. What are editors looking for in a pitch?

You should really ask them. Check the publication’s material for writers and/or send them a quick email asking a specific question about the work they accept. Whatever you do, don’t ask: “What kind of stuff do you like?” In general, editors are looking for fresh angles on evergreen pieces, fresh ideas in general, timely pieces and material that appeals to their target audience. Remember, many publications especially print magazines create an editorial calendar that operates several months ahead. Editors love writers who take the time to get to know their publication.

6. What are editors looking for in a piece?

Again, it’s a good idea to ask your editor. When you receive an assignment, it likely comes with a good amount of instructions. Editors want pieces that match the tone of the publication, follow the specific instructions given with the assignment and have a good number of cited, well researched sources. They love a clean copy so fix the easy mistakes i.e., spelling and grammar. Pay attention to the more abstract ideals such as tight writing and flow.

Stay tuned for Popular Writing Questions 5 – 1 coming up on Friday!

Got a writing question for me? Post it below!

Think about it, we write article after article here at FWJ discussing the best way to write an article, interview techniques, source cultivating, how to make money at the craft, the pros and cons of freelance writing, etc. Today I ask, “What is your motivation?”

Some of us are adrift. We write the articles, we send the invoices, we look for more work. A lot of us are very successful at our jobs. We put food on the table, pay the bills and have a little left over to buy gadgets that we swear is mainly for business purchases. More of us are lacking realistic goals for our freelance writing career.

Guess what? Paying the bills is not enough. It’s an important goal, nothing like flicking a switch and the lights coming on, but I’ve realized to say you’re a freelance writer has to mean something more, otherwise, go back, update the resume and plug yourself back into the Matrix.

My confession? I’ve lost sight of my goals. Which is why I have just recently let go several clients and spent time looking in the mental mirror. I had begun to feel like I did when I worked my hellish corporate job – no choice, little joy, over-scheduled, under motivated and under appreciated. A few health scares among my family has also given me a bit of a gut check.

Folks, life is too short, find your passion and use your writing to get you there. As a matter of fact, I dare you to declare it here an now: What are your goals? How will writing help you meet them?

My passions are writing, teaching, learning and my interests include media matters and issues that affect women and children. I will use my writing to:

• Teach writers about freelancing here at FWJ.
• Write articles on media/women/children.
• Teach small businesses how effectively use their written materials for success.
• Study for my PhD in Women Studies
• Teach at the college level on media matters and how they affect women and children.
• Write the four books that have been dancing through my head for the last few years.

Will I still worry about the pay – of course. My time is valuable and my kids’ seem to want to eat every day, several times a day. Will I allow it to drive me to insanity? Heck no! Chasing a dollar is not the same as chasing a dream.

Take the challenge! Post below your answer to: What are your goals? How will writing take you there?

A person writing for a magazine or newspaper has to follow journalistic guidelines, except in first person narratives, so does that make them a journalist? When a journalist blogs like I do for a non-news blog are they a writer only? I tend to attach journalist to my profile because I have a degree from The Ohio State University School of Journalism (now Communication) that I am still paying for so I like to make that bit of effort known!

When I attach journalist to my profile, I seem to earn a bit more respect from sources (and other writers) and it clearly defines what I do for a living. On the other hand I also have corporate clients and attaching journalist sometimes scares off potential clients because they think I may a “down in the trenches, war-zone reporter,” not a flexible freelancer who may report about breastfeeding and local politics one minute and produce press releases for a business leadership trainer and surgical camera company the next moment.

If I say I’m a writer people ask about books, and while I’m working on one I haven’t been published yet so I am hardly an expert. If I say I’m a journalist, people ask on what channel I appear.  It’s pretty sad people forget about newspapers these days! In my brain there’s a difference, what do you think?

The comment section here at Article Writing for Freelance Writing Jobs has been a bit quiet lately so I’d like to hear from everyone, including those lurkers – what do you call yourself? Is there a difference between the two?

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

Imagine that the year is 2042 and that surely, dramatically, and transformatively, the racial landscape of the United States has changed over the course of the century. The long-forecast end of the United States as a white-majority country in that year may or may not be an important part of the story. Race still matters, but operates now much more to unify rather than divide us. Many trace the change to the Obama era that ended a quarter-century earlier – not necessarily because of any big new federal policies implemented during that president’s time in office, but also because of other social and institutional developments that took seed or began to flower then. Some social justice oldtimers recall that they wept when Obama, our first nonwhite president, first took office. They did not know that even more meaningful developments were just ahead.

We invite you to elaborate this vision.

What would a United States another giant step or two toward racial equity and justice look like? What specific and notable markers of racial change would we see, hear, and feel? If some seeds of change indeed are in place right now, in 2010, and/or just around the corner, identify one or more of them for us. What sorts of things do we need to do to get from here to there? Who must play what role in moving us along?

We encourage a range of perspectives and emphases. You may want to tackle just one aspect of the challenge – what this future looks like, what the seeds-in-place look like, how to move from here to there – or a combination.  The scope of your ideas may range from the local to the national; from matters of politics and policy to questions of spirituality and art; from pieces that emphasize the well-being of a single racial or ethnic group to those that discuss implications for us all; from attention to a single institution (say, schools, faith organizations, workplaces, or professional sports) to more encompassing perspectives. That’s up to you.

Please send your 1,000-2,000 word entry to Imagine@race-talk.org by Monday, May 17. Include your full name and a sentence or two identifying yourself: e.g., “Andrew Grant-Thomas is Deputy Director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity, a national policy-oriented research institute located at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.” Articles will be posted to our well-trafficked Race-Talk forum beginning Monday, May 24. We will post as many pieces as possible. However, given our uncertainty about the volume of responses we’ll get, we reserve the right to post only selected articles. (Of course, the normal rules of respectful engagement apply.) We’ll let you know whether and when your entry will be posted.

Please feel free to forward this notice to others. All thoughtful visions are welcome.

Let’s look ahead!

Andrew Grant-Thomas, Kirwan Institute Deputy Director,

Written by: Kirwan Institute on March 19, 2010.

Too often when writers really start working as writers – getting paid on a regular basis, they have multiple clients, etc., they lose sight of the awesome-ness of being a freelance writer and only focus on the business of being a writer. Don’t get me wrong, a successful writer never turns away from business matters for long, but all work and no play makes a writer duller than bargain basement knives. This lack of sharp passion will show up in your work, heck it could already be a factor.

Having fun with your work could be as simple as trying new brainstorming techniques or reaching out to a new publication. It’s still work related, but you will benefit from a change in pace. It’s also important to be of the right mood and attitude for your assignments.

I had to write an article on breast cancer survivors and how the diagnosis and overall experience affected families. There was nothing fun about the assignment at first. I was nervous approaching my sources and less than eager to have them relive some of the hardest moments in their life. The article, aptly titled “Surviving Breast Cancer,” became on of my favs. I allowed myself to have fun with both the interview and the format of the article. I simply had a conversation with several wonderful women and wrote about our conversations, Q & A style.

When you have fun with your work and delight in what you do, you work harder to produce better work. The breast cancer article wasn’t a bunch of facts with a person and anecdote thrown in to validate the information, it was people talking and revealing information during the course of conversation and, it was fun.

Relevant Posts:

Day 2, 5 Ways to Enhance Your Writing Skills

5 Days, 5 Ways to Enhance Your Writing Skills

Brainstorming Technique #2 Freewriting

5. Popular topic, popular article

Writing on a popular topic means the article is going to be read by many, referenced and if online, gather hits for a long time. When a writer produces a well-written piece on eating organic, they can rest assured they will always find an audience willing to send clicks their way.

4. Plenty of places to sell

Evergreen pieces have a broader market where they can be pitched. Editors are always looking for good pieces with a long shelf life to boost readers and maintain reader loyalty. Using the eating organic example, there are a variety of possible publications including cooking, health, parenting, gardening, environmental awareness and senior citizen targeted publications. Writers will still have to angle their pitch to the specific publication, but the markets are there and that’s what is important.

3. Stretches creativity

Popular subjects make writers use their brains to come up with new angles and sources. Publications may include the same subject matter, but they don’t want to publish the same piece written by different authors over and over again.

2. Intro to niche writing

Writing a general piece on a subject can awaken the idea monster in a writer. Points lightly touched upon in an evergreen article can be explored further in progressively specialized articles. Before you know it, you’ve written dozens of articles on a subject and have another area of expertise to add to your resume.

1. Show talent for the general and specific.

Many freelancers write for specialized publications or have a heavy concentration in a niche and that’s not a problem if that’s the only area in which you have writing interests. When writers get antsy for something new, they can find themselves at a disadvantage. They may want to write fashion pieces, but all their clips say technical writer. Taking the time to write general evergreen articles gives a writer variety in their clips, ensuring they have a broad body of work to chose from when pitching outside their niche.

There are standard subjects people want to learn more about and as a writer you have the opportunity to not only provide this information, but to use your skill and natural talent to take the subject in a new direction, discover new angles, developments and research. I believe blog and web sites benefit from evergreen articles the most because people may not hold on to a magazine forever, but they will continually refer back to their favorite posts and links. If you haven’t branched out into this area already, make it a point to do so in the new year – you won’t be sorry.

Once upon a time there was a blog. This blog had several thousand visitors each day. They shared. They chatted. They commiserated. It was all good. Soon some mean people came by and began scaring away the happy chatters. The vibe changed from warm and fuzzy to not so much fun anymore. The owner did her best to build up community, but she was so busy with her projects and her job it wasn’t happening. She put a comment policy into place but the damage was already done. She had a reputation for having a community that liked to bicker.

She wants to change that.

If you remember the days when FWJ was a huge, lively community of writers helping writers, you may miss the golden days as well. Let’s try and get it all back. Several years ago, we built this community with a contest – a comments contest. We offered a $25 gift certficate to the person with the most comments. People came and never left. It was good.

We’re doing it again, except we’re upping the ante.

Beginning today, October 1st, we’re giving away $150 to the people who help to bring back this wonderful community. We’re giving away three $50 prizes.

• The person with the most comments between now and October 31st, on the homepage Freelance Writing Jobs blog, will receive $50.
• The person with the most comments across the whole FWJ network by the end of the month, that’s all of the blogs, will receive $50.
• The FWJ blogger who does the most to build community and join the conversation will win $50 at the end of the month.

Just a few notes:

• Comments that only say ” I agree” or add nothing to the conversation won’t count.
• Comments not adhering to our comment policy will be deleted and won’t count.
• Spammy comments or comment dropping links – unless they’re truly offering something to the conversation – won’t count.

I know you’re here. I see the numbers. Thousand of people visit each day and even more subscribe. Come join the conversation. Let’s bring community back!

Soliciting article advice from friends is a great way to put your social networking skills to good use. Tap your Twitter buddies and your Facebook friends to help you come up with the next, best idea for your work.

Make sure you tap your friends who are not writers, they often give the best ideas and angles for a story. These are people who aren’t tainted by the writing process and the burden of reading so much in a particular niche. It is also an exercise in digging for the story because most of the ideas thrown at you aren’t in query, blog, or article ready form. Turn a general “What about health care” suggestion into a working topic by asking questions about people’s concerns, local health care issues, or something germane to your niche or target audience.

“What about health care?” can breakdown into:

• Pet Insurance Do’s & Don’ts
• Finding coverage for children
• Local health care advocate news
• Health issues in your state, city, school
• Where your local Congressman stands on health care

The options are endless and I guarentee you’ll not only be able to gather great ideas from your friends, you’ll be able to find some pretty good sources among them as well.

Have you ever used a social networking site to gather ideas for an article? Tell us below.

*Sigh* Felt good didn’t it? Letting out that breath of fear and hesitation is the first step to taking your writing career to the next level. Now, back to business. How do you write about something of which you have no knowledge? Research, research, research.

Do you need to become a leading expert in the subject before you can write your lede? No, but you need to become literate in the subject before you can begin searching for and interviewing subjects. Read up on the bones of the subject and then look at your audience. Are they other experts, hobbyists or the casual reader? Knowing your audience helps you determine how in-depth your knowledge of the subject needs to be.

Read up on the subject and then contact an expert. Ask the basic questions and also ask for research and source recommendations. Ask about angles on the subject that are not often covered. Remember, even for the casual reader you want to offer something more – something that will catch a reader’s eye and draw them into the article. Every parent has read an article on infants losing their belly buttons, but an article targeting less circulated newborn belly button issues like hernias is a great and different angle.

On Thursday: Part 2 – Research Sources.

1. You’re bored. There are times a writer needs to switch course or look for new ways to stay passionate about an familiar topic.
2. You’ve gotten lazy. Let’s be honest, sometimes freelancers slack off and don’t feel like doing what they are supposed to do. I’ve been there and it’s tough to get back on task, but take a look at that electric bill – feel like writing now?
3. You’re not reading enough. The more you write, the more money you make right? The more work you have can take away from the other things that make a writer great, like reading other great writers. It’s amazing the amount of inspiration one well written piece can provide another writer.
4. You’ve got too much work. It sounds like a good problem to have, but in reality too many projects can take away from the time you have to devote to the perfection each project. The result? Sloppy or rushed work and not too much to show for it.
5. You’re burned out. When’s the last time you took a break? Switched up the routine a bit? If you’re still thinking, you may need a breather, a chance to go off the grid for a day or so and recharge. Time to refresh is not a privilege it’s a necessity.
6. You’re lonely. Online social networking is great and you can make some wonderful friends, but you also need to get out there and make friends in and out the writing field. You need your writing friends to commiserate and appreciate the life you lead and you need non-writing friends to give a different perspective. A writer’s life can be a lonely one and it can drive you bonkers, don’t let it happen to you.
7. You don’t have any support. Are you battling deadlines, kids, bills and the feeling no one really understands what you do? You are in need of support – it makes all the difference in the world. When someone’s in your corner it can help you get over those hump days and it’s important to have someone to share the good times. Nothing like calling up a friend to relay the news of a hot new gig knowing they are just as excited as you are about it.
8. You’re not enjoying yourself anymore. An important indicator of having a great job is when you love what you do.  You don’t have to love it all the time, there are days I’d like to throw my laptop and favorite pen out the window, but generally I get a whiz bang out of writing. Recapture that magic and it’ll show up in your work.
9. You’re not charging enough. Raise your hand if you ever worked your butt off for a piece only to get the check and decide it’s just not worth it? Ok, hands down. What’s going on with your fee schedule? Should you really charge more and does your work justify it? This great article from James will help you make what you’re worth.
10. You’re not doing what you really want to do. You became a freelancer so you could travel the globe, or your local playground, finding tips and trends in a fascinating field. Six months later you’ve got SEO and tech work coming out of your ears. You keep telling yourself it pays the bills, but really a corporate job would do just as well if that’s all you wanted. Time to check your goals and develop a plan to get back to your dreams.

Getting to the bottom of what ails your pen is not only great for your career, it’s great for your health. People who are passionate about what they do live fuller and longer lives. Let’s get you back to living yours.

Thursday’s post: “Inspirational Writers for Inspired Writing”

Got any great tips on a common writing threat/malady? Have you dealt with one of these and overcome? Share below!

I heard a level of entitlement. I’m sure you’ll find it in every line of work, a host of people who like to stay in their comfort zone, particularly when that comfort zone has a bit of hand holding.

As an editor, I love to work with writers who have flexiblility and who strike a good balance between independence and knowing when to seek counsel. These writers are confident in their knowledge and skills enough to know when things are under control and when it’s important to contact an editor with questions. These writers are more likely to be the ones who accept edits and input with professionalism and make editing a breeze.

Then there are writers who really like their comfort zones. They never want to vary from their writing style or story angle no matter if it’s better for the audience or publication. They view critiques and edits as a personal attacks and they require a fair amount of hand-holding. An editor’s job is tough enough without having to baby-sit a writer.

Here’s the problem with loving your comforts too much – it prevents you from stretching and growing as a writer. So while there are some things as a writer you’d prefer to live without – a good cup of coffee, or in my case cocoa and a sharp pencil, there are some things you can’t live without and thrive in this profession: flexibility, independence and a “plan-b.”

…Then I’m likely bored reading it.

It’s true. Writing articles or blogs can become so by-the-formula that you can mentally check out and still deliver, on the surface, a quality article.

A “surface quality article” has all of the makings of a great article – structure, sources, insight, clean copy, but lacks oomph or the passion of the writer behind it. There is a difference between mom’s brownies made with love – whether from box or scratch – and the mass produced, machine-handled bricks that pop out the vending machine. You can serve them both up on a plate, but it feels different.

A bored writer often comes from boredom with the subject or approach. Figure out which one applies to you and work on bringing the vigor back. If it’s the subject that puts you to sleep, new sources, new angles, unusual audiences may help stimulate your mind.

How are you approaching your work? Downtrodden with a heavy heart, all business or with enthusiasm to bring out the best the subject has to offer for your audience? Often it’s the mood you’re bringing to the table that will determine if your article has that extra sparkle.

Step out of your comfort zone or regimented routine and try something different. Inject humor into the article – where appropriate. Write the article from a completely different perspective. But do something, because if you’re boring I won’t read it and your audience won’t either.

The world’s eyes are on the United States today as we swear in our first African-American President. As I watched history and prayed morning sickness wouldn’t strike in the middle of it, I found myself thinking several things. One of which was: “That would make a good article.” What can I say, I’m a writer and I find inspiration where I can!

Let’s look at some of the themes and occurrences of today and shape them into article ideas using popular categories that you can further break down to fit your niche:

Responsibility

This was a big theme in President’s Obama address and responsibility can fall into many categories:

• Kids and Family – Responsibility and kids, Teaching responsibility, Role modeling responsibility
• Green – Using your home/office/school energy sources wisely
• Financial – Steps toward financial responsibility, What’s standing between you and financial responsibility?
• Work – Get your boss to give you more responsibility at work

Service

• Kids and Family – Ways to get your kids involved in volunteering, Finding volunteer opportunities in your area, Balancing volunteerism and career interests
• Green – Green volunteering opportunities
• Work – How to start a volunteer program at your company

Other themes:

• Health – Know what to do when someone has a seizure
• Fashion

Did today inspire any article ideas for you?

Take this opportunity friends, to enjoy this moment to relax and reflect on all that you’ve accomplished this year, but not in the freelance writing arena. Today is a day to be with the people that have supported you on your freelance writing journey. The friends, family and religious mentors, if you have them, that have listened to your triumphs, frustrations and aspirations.

Most of us get into freelancing so we can make our own hours, rearranging them to spend more time with our family. Have you accomplished your goal? What fun times did you have with those most important to you this year that you would have missed if you had been shackled to a cubicle?

For those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, happy Thursday! You’ve got a choice today. You can either spend your time enjoying a relaxed, bonus day off or you can take this opportunity to get ahead on work, or take the “Query Challenge.” Either way, all writers should take this end of the year time to look back in order to prepare for the future.

By Terreece M. Clarke

Tuesday in “Date Your Publication” we talked about getting to know the publications you want to query and got some great feedback, specifically from Mary who commented on how frustrating her first year writing was because she hadn’t tailored her queries to specific publications. Once she started however, her success rate climbed. Mary is an excellent example of a great writer stopping to take stock in their career to see where things could be improved.

This time of year is a great time to take stock in your career and goals as Deb wrote in her “Setting Goals for 2009” post. What worked for you in your freelancing career? What didn’t? How is your querying process? Your time managment? What about your sources?

In other words, to channel Dr. Phil, “How’s that working for you?” A successful freelance career depends on being able to adapt so making the same mistakes – rush work, scrambled billing practices, not so great, or worse, tired sources are not going to get you to your goals. You’ll never be able to take James’ advice on “Preparing Yourself for Better Writing Rates” if you can’t justify an increase. Think about these areas of your writing life:

• Are you meeting your deadlines?
• Do you allow sufficient time to edit and proof your work or are you always rushing to the finish line?
• If an editor called you today to check on a sources’ quote, could you find the notes?
• A client is disputing a bill, could you pull up the accounting information, including hours?
• Quick, what are your average business expenses for a month?
• Could you find a clip in your clip file from 2006? What about last month?

Take a little time this Thoughtful Thursday evening and ask yourself “How’s that working for you?”