Social Networking for Writers

How to Network Like a Pro -- and Why Every Writer Should

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Time was, all writers had to do was write. We did the cool creative end of things and left the business and marketing to other, more qualified souls. Today, writers can no longer afford to leave their fan base out in the cold. Thanks to the Internet, there are more words than ever competing for readers, so breaking through the clutter requires more than eye-catching marketing. It requires interaction. I know “marketing” is a scary word for some, but I promise the kind of marketing I’m talking about is nothing to be afraid of. You don’t have to come up [Read more…]

32 Blog Posts About Setting Rates, Finding Clients and Going for Freelance Writing Gold

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Common questions asked by the Freelance Writing Jobs community are those having to do with rates and finding clients and opportunities. As I write another post about finding higher paying opportunities, I realize that I, as well as other bloggers, have discussed these issues on many occasions. Why not, gather the highlights together for you here? What follows is advice from the best in the business. Some of these posts are from the Freelance Writing Jobs network, and many others are from a variety of the writing and freelancing blogs around the blogosphere. I hope you them useful. Please add [Read more…]

More Thoughts On Writing for Free, Guest Blogging, and Marketing Opportunities

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I’ve been thinking about guest blogging a lot lately. Not a day goes by when I don’t receive emails asking about guest blogging opportunities at the Freelance Writing Jobs network. As you know, I don’t actively solicit guest bloggers for FWJ anymore because I feel it’s akin to soliciting free work. Instead, I look for paid contributors. To be honest, I always hesitate before accepting a guest blogging proposal because I don’t want to be accused of taking advantage. I’m a little gun shy because I was called out as looking for free content on two separate occasions in the [Read more…]

A List of Lists: 70 Posts About Freelance Writing and Freelance Writing Jobs

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It’s time for a little light reading to help you close out 2009 and get you through the long holiday weekend. We already cooked up a “Best of Freelance Writing Jobs for 2010″ post, however, that was only the top 20 posts of the year. There’s so much more to us than 20 posts. Since I enjoy making lists, I thought it would be fun to close out the year with a massive list of lists. We reached way back into the vault to bring you some of our older works as well as more recent helpful blog posts. Enjoy: [Read more…]

Identifying the Reasons Your Freelance Writing Business isn’t Growing

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If your freelance writing business isn’t growing  the way you had hoped, you’ll probably want to evaluate the reasons this might be the case. Like any business, you should expect to see a bigger, better client and profit base than the year before. Growing a business isn’t just writing or looking for work. If you want your business to grow in 2010, let’s see if we can identify the reasons your business may not be doing as well as you had hoped. Nip those  issues in the bud, and get motivated in time for a positive and profitable new year. [Read more…]

Introducing Yourself as a Freelance Writer Without Sounding Like a Smarmy Salesman

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In the mid-90′s I worked in the same building that housed the executive offices of the now defunct Fashion Cafe. It wasn’t uncommon for a day to go by without sharing an elevator with a tall, leggy supermodel. One day as Naomi Campbell got on my elevator, a person in the back approached her for an autograph. She rolled her eyes and grudgingly obliged. As she exited the elevator she said to the person next to her, “This is why I hate elevators.” I’m sure not every supermodel has that same experience but to me it’s a good lesson. People [Read more…]

The Best of FWJ: 15 Posts About Finding the Best Freelance Writing Opportunities

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It used to be that my name was synonymous with freelance writing jobs, or helping freelance writers to land jobs. Now I’m learning there are people who feel I’m only for the promotion of content “mills” for freelance writing jobs, and that’s so far from the truth it’s silly. I’m about keeping freelance writers busy and employed. I’m for encouraging freelance writers to make the choices that work best for them, but to also aim high. Because I won’t knock writers for starting with content sites, and because I won’t pretend I never wrote for content sites, my name is [Read more…]

What Does Your Twitter Name Say About Your Brand?

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I’ve been thinking a lot about my name as my brand lately. I’m not one who hides behind anonymous pen names because I feel I can’t build up my brand by being anonymous.  I have always been Deborah Ng or Deb Ng. My forum handles are always a variation of my name, usually “Deb Ng”. My Twitter handle is my name, but I also have accounts for FWJ and HireVine. All of those reflect a name as a brand. Last week at the Creators Conference, I spoke with a lot of writers about marketing. Many of them are interested on [Read more…]

10 Marketing Tips for Freelance Writers

I was scheduled to give a talk last week about marketing for freelance writers.  The other presentations ran overtime, so I didn’t get a chance to speak after all. However, I still spent a lot of time during meals and recreation discussing the various ways freelance writers can market themselves. I learned marketing means different things to different people. For some it’s becoming a famous name on the web, for others, it’s about getting more work and landing lucrative contracts.  Either way,  it takes a lot of effort and shameless self promotion. If you want your career to take off [Read more…]

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