Freelance writing takes grit.
You have to put your faith in your own talent and strike off on your own, without the comfort of an office job and stable paycheck.
Freelance writing also requires thinking outside the box in terms of what you write, who you write for, and building up your portfolio. Creativity is in your ink. [Read more…]
Here’s a harsh truth: getting straight A’s in high school English doesn’t make you a killer copywriter. It’s a profession, and like other professions, there are skills and strategies that you need to learn and master.
It’s true that you need a certain amount of natural writing talent, but you also need to learn the rules. Just like a baker has to learn how to separate eggs, or a mechanic has to learn how to use a wrench, copywriters need to learn how to craft a killer headline and create captivating content.
The good news is that there are plenty of free guides to help you acquire those skills and learn how to wield the tools of the copywriting trade. And one of them is by the content marketing guru, Neil Patel, which can be found here. [Read more…]
If you find that mundane day-to-day tasks steal away a lot of your time, making it harder for you to focus on the more important tasks at hand, it’s likely you’re keen to find ways to increase productivity and streamline your working day. [Read more…]
How’s your Christmas gift list coming along?
If you’re still on the hunt for a something for your writer friends, we’ve got you covered.
This gift guide for Christmas offers practical yet fun gifts that the recipient will appreciate. Forget the knick-knacks that will gather dust. Or stocking stuffers that scream “I forgot to get you a gift early on, so I had to grab whatever I could!”
We’ve picked these gifts for writers simply because we know you’ll want them – we know we do! Oh, and they’re so good you can give them all year round.
Once upon a time, there was the hum-drum office space, where people would gather from far and near, take to their desks and work. Then came the internet. Soon after, forward-thinking companies like Apple and Google formed huge corporate community workspaces. Then came social media. Soon after that, the “startup” appeared on the scene, mirroring the corporate workforce, but fusing into a smaller network of guerrilla entrepreneurs. [Read more…]
“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”
― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society
I’ve always thought that lazy writers are worse than “bad” writers – writers who just need to hone their craft. If we were to live by the quote above, I suppose I just revealed how I think of myself as a writer – at times, at least.
There is no point in denying it – I use “very” more than I should.
How about you? Are you aware of how often you use the word? [Read more…]
Writing inspiration is all around us, everywhere we look. That guy at the next table at the coffee shop who’s alone and reading a book instead of playing with his phone. That little girl at the park sitting on the grass staring at a tree. That sparrow who is pecking at the crumbs of your cheesecake.
Books. Blog posts. TV shows. And, yes, movies.
Even if these materials aren’t specifically about writing, we can still glean inspiration from them. Today, I’m sharing watching material for movie buffs – or even the casual movie watcher. I’ve seen some of these movies, while the others are on my watch list. [Read more…]
From the FWJ family to you – a free eBook titled “100 Websites that Pay Writers”.
As a way of showing our appreciation for your continued support and participation in the community, we created this eBook.
We’re all freelancers who need to find clients and gigs constantly, and we know just how difficult that can be at times. With this eBook, we hope to add to the holiday spirit – and help increase your income.
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
― Albert Einstein
We’re still alive, aren’t we? We continue to look for new clients and work with existing clients.
Shouldn’t we then apply Einstein’s words to our professional lives? Shouldn’t we find ways to continue growing professionally?
The reason I’m writing about this topic is that I have always been a firm believer in keeping up with new ideas and trends in my line of work. This is particularly important for online writers as the landscape of freelance writing, blogging, and content marketing is in a constant state of flux. If you stand still by not expanding your knowledge, you’ll find yourself being left behind.
One of the best and easiest ways to keep up with the times is to read – blogs of other writers, books, news, and other material that will aid you in learning more about writing and other online jobs you may have.
Another way – and perhaps more effective – is to take courses that teach you skills and ideas beyond what you already know. There are a lot of online educational providers today, some free, some for a fee.
I know that not everyone has the money to spend on expensive courses, but guess what? We have a treat for you.
The guys a Udemy got in touch with us about a “free writing course” they are currently offering.
If you’re not familiar with Udemy, it is one of the biggest providers of online courses. Their courses range from app development to search engine optimization to job search to writing. Some of their courses are free, but they also have paid courses.
One of their current offerings on writing is “Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer”. It focuses on tightening your writing style while at the same time honing your skills to take your writing to the next level.
Michael Blau from Udemy generously gave me a code to take the course, which is priced at $299 (now don’t stop reading yet), and while I haven’t finished it, based on the outline and the sections I’ve gone through, I can honestly say that I will walk away a better writer when I am done.
To give you a sneak peek, the course introduces you to the “world elite writing” – not the usual articles/web content you see online – and the “secret sauce of flair” (while at the same time cutting out the unnecessary).
When you saw the price of the course in the previous section, you might have ditched the idea of taking it – and understandably so. The $300 price tag is not easy to swallow, and even if I keep on repeating how good the course is, some of you may just not want to spend that money.
I’ve got good news for you, though. Michael was generous in giving me a code to take the course, but he has gone the extra mile by giving a code for our readers, essentially making “Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer” a free writing course!
How do you get in on the action?
Just visit the course page, and enter the code NOEMIBUSINESSWRITING.
It’s that simple. You get to take a $299 writing course for free!
Here’s one important detail: This code is good for the first 50 users who sign up (no fees to create a Udemy account).
Learn how to improve your writing skills from one of the most popular courses on Udemy without spending a single cent. How’s that for a great deal?
With the growing popularity and use of the Internet, more and more people are sitting at their desks thinking: I could do this from home. Fortunately, company owners are also starting to realize the fact that many jobs can now be done at home through the Internet. This is especially true for writing gigs. This is known as telecommuting, and for those who have landing a telecommuting job, home can really be anywhere in the world.
