How to Write Sales Copy
by James @ Men with Pens sales copyLearning how to write sales copy isn’t as easy as it looks. We tend to pick up sales copywriting jobs around here, probably because we display a good business image and a ton of confidence. Personally, all my sales copy seems to hit just the perfect note with clients. But knowing how to write sales copy isn’t something I’ve been able to teach others. In fact, this form of copywriting seems to be the most challenging.
How to Reduce Writer’s Fatigue
by James @ Men with Pens fatiguehealthOn the heels of my post about position, posture, and being a writer, here are some tips on how to reduce writer’s fatigue:
5 Ways to Increase Your Writing Income
by Susan Johnstone @ Quips and Tips ideasmoneytipsGoing “commercial” is one way to increase your writing income – and there’s nothing wrong with it – but there are other ways to support yourself as a writer! For more insight into a writer’s life, click on Only as Good as Your Word: Writing Lessons From My Favorite Literary Gurus by Shapiro. And, read on for Johnston’s tips for increasing your writing income…
A Quick How-to for Article Marketing
by James @ Men with Pens driving trafficmarketingDriving traffic to your site is important, and one of the best ways to do that is through article marketing. There are a few dos and don’ts, though, so before hiring someone to write your articles, make sure your article marketing campaign will be effective. Here is a look at what to do – and more importantly – what not to do with article marketing…
Water: The Way of Writing – Part 3 of 6
by Harrison McLeod @ Men with Pens. series: the way of writingWater is fluid, flowing with the crashing waves. It is one of the most powerful elements. When a river is blocked, water finds a way around the obstacle. Water takes on the shape of a container without losing its essence. It erodes stone mountains, reducing them to pebbles. It might take time, but water perseveres and finds its course.But how do you persevere? Do you stay calm and keep pushing ahead, or do you panic and let the whirlpools drag you under?
When you run across a difficult situation, it’s so easy to panic and lose your head. Losing control is also the easy solution when the moment seems lost.
Writing First Draft? Forget Looking Good. Make Messes
by Bill Henderson @ Write a Better Novel draftsfreewritingmethodsMost of my adult life I’ve used an original NordicTrack cross country ski machine. I love it, but I remember how ungainly and uncoordinated it made me feel on first try. It reminded me of learning to ride a bicycle; I practically fell off a couple of times until I got the knack.
There was a nice new “Pro” model at my health club, but I never saw anyone on it, even when the other machines were jammed with users. One day I asked one of the trainers why. “Because they don’t want to look bad.” He had a point. The membership was young, and trendy singles filled the place after five, strutting their stuff to the opposite gender.
5 Q’s with Stephanie Dickison
by Susan Johnston @ The Urban Muse interviewStephanie Dickison is a freelance writer and the author of the recently released book, The 30-Second Commute: A Non-Fiction Comedy About Writing And Working from Home. Stephanie and her publisher have graciously offered free copies of her book to two lucky Urban Muse readers, so be sure to read to the bottom for details on how to win! For now, here’s how Stephanie approaches her writing projects and working from home.
Coming Up with Fresh Content
by James @ Men with Pens ideasinspirationOne of the largest problems freelance writers might have is creating something new and exciting to generate interest. The Internet makes it easy to find all sorts of information within minutes with just the click of a mouse. The many angles of a topic or subject might already be covered by someone else. Been there, done that. There is a unique twist to everything, and part of the challenge and fun is finding that something special for your material. Stay away from the writing about the same-old that you find anywhere – it’s safe, sure, but why do you want to be the same as everyone else? What will make your material more likely to be picked out, if it isn’t unique? To stand out from the crowd, you have to go that extra mile to find something different and interesting.
The Blogging Habit
by Joanna @ Confident Writing inspirationmotivationtipsBlogging is a powerful writing habit to develop. With time, repetition and regular practice you’ll find that: Your creative mind generates new material, day after day, week after week. New ideas for posts will pop, unbid, into your mind, asking to be written up and shared. You notice words, images, resources, ideas that you can use as quarry for posts. The feedback, responses and comments from readers help you to develop new material to share…
8 Tips on Starting a Book Club for Writers
by Daphne Gray-Grant @ Quips and Tips tipswriting groupsMy two book clubs are very different from one other – and I love them both! Here’s what I’ve learned – my tips for starting and running a book club for writers. Thanks to Tumblemoose for prompting me to write this article! Fellow scribes, if you want to be successful writers, you need to know about your fellow man. And as Huxley says, one way to learn about mankind is to study books. If you want a book club journal (I love the one my husband gave me!), click on Books I’ve Read, a Reader’s Journal by Write it Down Series. And, read on for my tips on starting a book club for writers…
Finding a Freelancer
by James @ Men with Pens teamsBusiness on the internet needs two things: A good graphic designer and a good writer. Your website has to look good and be laid out properly, and your copy has to attract or inform readers. Relying on your own abilities for graphic design and writing can be an option to save on costs, but unless you’re very skilled, hiring a professional is a better idea. A professional can most likely do a better job and free up your time so you can focus on other aspects of your business that need attention.
Taking Yourself Seriously
by James @ Men with Pens freelancingskill developmentFreelance writers aren’t often taken very seriously. Proclaiming to be a writer feels great, but friends and family may not feel that the profession deserves as much respect as that of a lawyer or doctor. Even the local plumber seems to get more respect than you do.
Needs for the Beginning Freelance Writer
by James @ Men with Pens freelancinggetting startedLaunching yourself as a freelance writer isn’t as simple as writing your way to a steady income. Writing as a profession is a job like any other and has startup considerations. Here is a look at some things you’ll need to get started as a freelance writer…
5 Ways to Salvage Writing Disasters
by Daphne Gray-Grant @ Quips and Tips editingtipsPublication coach Daphne Gray-Grant shares five ways to salvage writing disasters – from poorly written articles to weak anecdotes.
Writing is a long, fluid process – and writing well is even longer and more fluid! Gray-Grant’s tips on salvaging writing disasters are excellent ways to ensure you’re writing fluidly and well. And, have you heard of Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled, edited by Jon Friedman? It’s a funny compendium of authors, cartoonists, and columnists who were rejected from everywhere from Marie Claire to Buddy Hackett interviews for Time magazine. These writers’ stories give hope to hopeless writers!
How to Make an Old Blog Post New Again
by Taylor @ Men with Pens article ideasYou know what I hate? I hate it when someone gives me advice that I don’t know how to follow. It reminds me of the time I was standing there staring at my smoking car engine while on the phone with a friend of mine who knows a little something about cars. He says, “Oh, no problem. All you need to do is change out the spark plugs. You can do that in five minutes.” Um, no. No, I cannot. He can do it in five minutes. I don’t even know what a spark plug looks like. I assume it looks like a cross between the plug on the end of my computer’s cable and a child’s Fourth of July sparkler, but I am probably dead wrong and I know it. This is the long way of saying that last week I advised recycling an old blog post and making it new again as a way to get rid of the shameful inferior blog posts from your past.
A Confident Writer Knows When to Breathe
by Iain Broome @ Confident WritingA confident writer knows when to breathe. As writers, the idea of ‘breathing space’ is likely to mean something different to each of us. For me, breathing space is something we must give ourselves when we become too close, too attached to our writing for it to go any further. See, when I’m struggling to find the words I try to remind myself that writing is a process. It’s a craft. Yes, we all have those fantastic flashes of inspiration that illuminate our writing, but much of our time is spent screwing and unscrewing the nuts and bolts of our creations.
Sometimes, in our desire to perfect our work or meet our deadlines, we get lost and lose focus. We forget to breathe.
Content is King for SEO
by James @ Men with PensSearch engine optimization (SEO) has become a necessity for the business that seeks to survive in today’s web surfing society. Consumers are turning to the internet to research products and services, read reviews from other customers, and shop at any time of the day from the comfort of their own home. Every business under the sun has a website, which leaves many business owners wondering how to excel in the fiercely competitive world of online commerce. SEO seems to be the only answer.
Breaking Writer’s Block
by James @ Men with Pens inspirationtipswriters blockIf you’re a freelance writer, you’ve certainly sat down to write at some point and couldn’t find the right words. Worse, you could have ended up staring at a blank page. Writer’s block happens and it brings creative juices to a grinding halt. Most likely, if you’re a freelance writer, you panic. This is your job, after all, and no writing means no income. What do you do? How do you break through writer’s block? Here are some ideas for breaking writer’s block…
Ground: The Way Of Writing – Part 2 of 6
by Harrison McLeod @ Men with Pens freelancingseries: the way of writingIn the day of the samurai, warriors were more than just tough dudes slinging swords around. Part of a young warrior’s lessons included the learning about the written word as well as warfare.
The pen and the sword were reserved for nobility. Many young men dedicated their lives to perfecting techniques in both areas. These activities were more than about fighting or writing poetry; they were the foundation of discipline. They provided balance between the body and the mind of a well-rounded individual.
I Said, He Said, We Said
by Susan Johnston @ The Urban Muse grammarDo you say “I have over ten years of writing experience”? Or “Jane Smith has over ten years of writing experience”? Or, as you sometimes see, “we have over ten years of writing experience”? I think it depends on the kind of impression you want to make on your website.
Here are the pros and cons to each option.
Tips for Writers Who Want to Blog Full-Time
by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen @ Quips and Tips freelancingfull-timegetting startedlife balancetipsI’ve been transitioning from full-time freelance writer to full-time blogger (and will accept magazine assignments when assigned, my editor friends!). Here’s what I’ve learned so far – my tips for writers who want to blog full-time.
First, a quip from Sylvia Plath: “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise,” she said. “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
Got guts? Blog away, fellow scribes. Click on Darren Rowse’s Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income for a detailed description of how to make big bucks blogging, and read on for my tips…
