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Freelance Writing Experience: Does it Matter Where Your Clips Come From?

November 4, 2009 by david 13 Comments

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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 to see my little picture and byline at the top of a column. Several years ago I found my chance when a new newspaper opening in a nearby major city, advertised for journalists and editors. Even though they weren’t hiring columnists, I didn’t think it could hurt to query. Taking a deep breath, I pitched anyway, for a column about saving money. All I had to show my style were a bunch of clips from entry level freelance writing jobs. I sent them, pitched and landed a regular gig as newspaper columnist. No one ever came back and said, “Sorry. You wrote for low pay. We don’t want you or your stinking clips.”

Good Writing Matters More Than Pay…or Even Experience

When a potential client asks for clips, they want to get an idea of your writing style.They want to know you can handle the material. Many times clips that are related to the potential client’s niche are fine, even if they come from a low paying market. Many times your client has no idea what the other places pay. I often recommend writers who have no experience write up a few articles and use these to apply for jobs, and more than a few have been able to land jobs using unpublished clips. Good writing stands out. You can be the most experienced writer in the world but if you send in bad clips you won’t get the gig.

To be fair, if you’re applying for a high paying journalism job and only have certain types of clips, an editor might be inclined to pass you over in favor of someone who has actual journalism experience or has written for well-known magazines. However, those same clips might land you a higher paying gig in a niche topic, if this is something you write about often.

Every career has entry level openings and positions and none of these positions hurt, they only lead to valuable experience. I believe this to be the case with low paying opportunities as well. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set your goals higher, but taking entry level gigs for the experience isn’t a terrible thing.

Who is Really Looking Down On You?

There’s a lot of speculation on the web that writers who accept entry level gigs are seen as “laughingstocks” or have “no self respect.” However, I don’t see many hiring editors say this. It’s only from anonymous commenters and freelance bloggers who don’t approve of entry level opportunities. Again, when I was first freelancing, not a single editor or client told me I couldn’t have the job because I wrote for low pay in the past. When I worked in publishing, we never looked a writer’s past pay, or even experience when considering freelancers for our magazines. We put more value into the pitch and the clips. We didn’t look down on anyone who wrote for free or earned very little money. One more time because people tend to misquote: I don’t believe every writer should only work for low payers and not aspire to do better, and that’s not what this piece is about. My point is that entry level opportunities won’t hurt your career.

Granted….

Many schools won’t accept certain content sites as sources for reports and articles. However, this has nothing to do with freelance writing jobs. In my experience, it doesn’t necessarily matter where you have worked in the past as long as you put forth a good effort. It’s sort of like an audition for a television show or movie. Sure, big names have a better chance of getting the job, but that doesn’t mean the C-list or Indy star won’t land a role in a major movie. Always put forth your best effort no matter who you write for and soon the sky will be the limit.

What is your experience? Has using clips from entry level opportunities helped or hurt your career?

About Suite 101: An Interview with Editor in Chief Colin Smith

November 3, 2009 by david 12 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 across a series of ads by a writer inviting freelancers to write for Suite101. I was accepted and wrote my column, Everyday Humor for three years. At the time “The Suite” paid a flat month fee for three posts per month. I enjoyed working for Suite101 but moved on because of higher paying opportunities. I’m pleased to bring you an interview with Editor in Chief Colin Smith.

First, tell us a little about who you are and what you do

My name is Colin Smith. I am the Editor-in-Chief for Suite101.com and I manage the editorial department for the English-language division of Suite101.com Media Inc. I am a veteran journalist and publisher with 25 years of experience in print and online operations. I love being the EiC at Suite101; it’s an honour and a privilege to help support the ambitions of freelance writers-journalists around the world.

What is Suite101?

Suite101 is an online magazine written by over 4,000 freelancer writers. Some people call us a writers network; others consider us to be one of the most respected sites in the category of “how-to” articles. We’ve been publishing freelance writing for thirteen years and we also operate sites in Germany, France and Spain. It’s our mission to create opportunities for writers.

How is Suite101 different from other writing and blogging sites?

Here are five key things that set Suite101 apart from other sites:

1. We have the best revenue-share program online: averaging $3.90 per 1000 pageviews, and writers’ earnings get paid-out forever, there’s no time limit.

2. We hire internationally: you can live anywhere and still write for us.

3. Direct contact and guidance with professional editorial staff: writers get valuable feedback and communicate with editors directly.

4. Writers keep their rights! Copyright remains with the writer, always.

5. Quality focus: we’re selective about the writers we accept and all articles are well-researched pieces. Writers must submit at least two articles to join.

Tell us a little about the history of Suite101

Suite101 was created by writers for writers thirteen years ago, and this fact continues to shape our mission. (We’re here to help writers be successful, not to amass owned content.) As a Canadian company, we also have the freedom to hire writers from any location in the world, so this attracts a lot of interested parties. Last year, we launched a site in Germany and this year, we launched sites in France and Spain.

Perhaps the most significant part of our history happened in 2005, when we realized that to succeed we needed to live and breathe the value of “writers first.” Not only has this philosophy attracted writers, but we have more than doubled our readership each year since then. We grew from two million unique visitors a month in 2005, to 24 million a month today.

How many active writers are with Suite101 now?

Over 4,000 internationally, mostly in the US but from a range of different countries.

What does Suite101 offer as incentive and pay for their freelance writers?Daily revenue share for all articles published on the site, averaging $3.90US per 1000 pageviews. (Note: A writer’s revenue share is ongoing, it lasts forever. There is no limit to a writer’s earning potential.)

What does the average Suite101 columnist earn in a given month? What do the highest earners earn?

It’s fairly common to earn $200-$300 a month, with a large group of writers earning $1500-$2000 month, and our highest monthly earning was just under $5,000.

We have a group of writers too who say Suite101 pays their mortgages every month – even if they don’t write another article for us!

What sort of traffic does Suite101 receive on a regular basis?

24 million unique visitors a month

What are some of the more popular articles?

* It’s quite balanced across the site with 20 sections and 400 topics to read
* Lifestyle sections do very well: Parents & Partners, Home and Garden, Travel
* We attract less of an audience for History, Politics and Sports

What would you like to say to the people who criticize Suite101 for being a low-paying content mill?

Firstly, I would introduce them to Lena Gott. Lena is a part-time writer who has published 228 articles after two years of writing for Suite. Lena earned $5,000 for her articles in July. On average, she earns around $2,000 a month.

Secondly, I would point out there is no limit as to how much you can make on Suite101. There is also no baseline guarantee. For new writers just starting out, the latter fact can be discouraging. We see their experience change as they add more articles and continue writing here for three months, or six months.

For writers who actively engage with our site and work with our editors, Suite101 quickly produces a significant income stream. For people who give it little time and effort, they will likely not enjoy as much success. As is the case with any job, the more effort you put into it, the more reward you earn!

For people who learn, understand and practice the key concepts for great online writing, Suite101 is the best site to generate ongoing, revenue share income over the long term.

What are your thoughts about all the other content sites? Room for everyone? Too much competition?

Competition means more visibility, which is good for all sites. Just as people choose a college based on the school’s reputation and standards, writers choose online publishers with an eye for quality. We believe Suite101 is synonymous with editorial integrity and professionalism. Suite101 writers are proud to display their articles on our site; they relish the opportunity to engage other writers as part of our supportive community, plus they have a direct link with a high caliber editorial team. And of course, Suite101 writers appreciate the fact they own the copyright to their work too.

What are some of the things we can expect from Suite101 in the future?

o More features that make it even easier for writers to work with, and get feedback from, our editorial team.
o More tools and ideas focused on helping writers become successful online.
o A cleaner “look” to the website designed to make it even easier for readers to find what they’re looking for.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

We’ve built our reputation around a commitment to editorial quality and we plan to continue on this track. We invite all writers who are confident of their writing skills to apply at Suite101. If accepted, get ready to write! We look forward to meeting you.

How Long Does it REALLY Take You to Write an Article?

October 30, 2009 by david 39 Comments

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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 an “off the top of my head 300 word article” in about thirty minutes.

When people ask me if it’s true someone can really write two articles per hour, I say “yes, but it depends.”

It depends on:

The topic
The writer’s area of expertise
The writer’s experience
The amount of research
The word count
If interviews are needed

I can do a quick “how to choose a wedding veil” piece of web content in about 30 minutes. If I was to write about the wedding veil industry or changes in wedding veil trends including prices and designs, as well as interviews with wedding shop owners and wedding veil designers, this would take more of my time. Writing an in depth piece would most likely take several days to produce.

As I don’t agree with the “Google and rewrite” method of writing, I might take longer than some people to write a good article. If I’m writing a blog post off the top of my head requiring no research, I can get it done in less than 30 minutes.

Talk to me, writers. How long does it REALLY take you to write an article?

What is a Blog…and How is Blogging Different from Article Writing?

September 21, 2009 by david 8 Comments

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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 personal website. Soon they evolved into personal journals. Nowadays there are still many personal blogs, but professional bloggers do more than share personal thoughts. They teach and encourage. A blog is also an effective marketing tool.

A blog is a series of chronologically written posts, usually the newest first. Blog posts are written in a casual tone geared towards creating a discussion around the topic. Most blogs are made up of personal commentary and opinion, so they’re generally one-sided. Comments are encouraged on blogs, the more the merrier. Because so many content purveyors are hiring bloggers, they’re not necessarily personal anymore. Many blogs are started to create brand awareness or build up community around a product or service. The people who hire bloggers generally prefer a blogger’s casual tone to more antisceptic copy. Blogs are only web-based.

How is blogging different from article writing?

An article is based on fact rather than opinion. There’s no room for personal commentary on an article, instead the writer is to present all sides of a story. Articles are more authoritative but they’re not personal. While While bloggers write within their realm of expertise, articles tend to be more heavily researched. Article writers interview expert sources and read books and magazines to present the facts. Articles are also more heavily edited and the tone isn’t so casual. Articles aren’t only web-based, they’re also found in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and more. Many web based articles also allow commenting and discussion.

What are some of the differences you see between blog posts and articles?

Check out Blogging for a Living for tips for becoming a successful professional blogger. We took a brief hiatus but are returning shortly to discuss setting up and creating a blog, choosing a niche, and generally making a living as a blogger.