11 insider secrets for becoming a freelance pro
by Dean @ ProCopyTips freelancingost writers are trained to think in terms of putting in 40 hours a week and taking home a paycheck. But to succeed as a freelance copywriter, you must make a shift from the paycheck mentality to the professional mentality.
How to Write Better – 5 Quick Tips for Clear, Effective Writing
by Laurie @ Quips and TipsThe key to successful writing – whether it’s a school essay, business proposal, book manuscript, feature article, or blog post (phew!) – is using clear and effective words and sentences. Here are several quick tips for better writing, which will make even the dullest subjects more interesting for readers (and writers!).
6 Ways to Promote Your Blog or Books With Your Email Signature
by Laurie @ Quips and TipsMany successful writers use their email signatures to promote their books or blog links – but that can get a little ho-hum. Here are a few creative ways to add pizzazz to your email signature to increase book sales and blog traffic – whether you’re an aspiring author or a busy blogger (or both!).
What a successful freelance website looks like
by Dean @ ProCopyTipsA website is a reflection of the person who created it.
When you see a disorganized site, you can infer that the owner is disorganized. When you see a site that is loaded with useful, relevant, information, you can infer that the owner is concerned about the needs of clients.
Repetition is Redundant
by John Robert Marlow @ The Urban Muse WriterIf there were a heavyweight championship for writing mistakes, repetition would be a leading contender. As an editor of both fiction and nonfiction, I see this again and again and again. And again. The basic issue comes down to this: writers are expected—by agents, managers, editors, readers; everyone who matters, really—to have large vocabularies. Repetition indicates that the writer in question either: a) doesn’t know any better, or; b) can’t be bothered getting it right. The first screams “amateur;” the second, “lazy.” Neither is a word you want applied to you. Repetition can be deadly in any one of several, all-too-common forms.
Tips for Reaching Writing Goals
by Dana Prince @ Get Paid to Write Online goalsWriting goals are good. Staying on track and reaching your goals is very fulfilling. They’re good if you’re a freelance writer and if you’re a fiction writer, and they’re also good if you write as a hobby as well. Whether you need to meet monetary goals, want to hit word count goals for a personal challenge (such as NaNoWriMo), here’s some help.
4 Signs You Need to Reevaluate Your Writing or Publication Goals
by Laurie @ Quips and Tips goalsTo be successful, writers need to step away from their career goals (whether that’s getting a book published, maintaining a personal blog, or freelancing for national magazines) regularly. We need to jump off the merry-go-round of pitching ideas, researching books or articles, and blogging our hearts out to figure out where our career is going!
31 sales letter openers to kick start your sales pitch
by Dean @ ProCopyTips sales copyThere’s nothing more challenging to a copywriter than taking on a sales letter assignment. And there’s nothing more discouraging than staring at a blank screen because you have no idea how to get your sales letter started. Here are some popular sales letter openers that can help get your creative engine running.
5 Tips for Maximizing Research
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay researchResearch is vital no matter what kind of fiction you write. I spent almost as much time researching modern-day Chicago for my fantasy novel Dreamers Come as I did the Third Crusade for my historical novel Behold the Dawn (scheduled for release October 1). I’ve always found it odd that some authors approach research as if it were the bane of their craft. Since most of us write fiction in an urge to learn and grow, research is a natural extension of that. On average, I spend three months researching any given novel before diving into the writing. And I love it. I love discovering the solid facts-the bricks-that will turn the imagined walls of my story into something solid. That said, I’m very much aware that research can be both overwhelming and frustrating. Following are some of the tricks I’ve adopted for my own use.
Writing Emails – The Do’s and Don’ts
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation emailWriting an email is not as easy as you think. There are many things to consider before you can press ’send’. Learn to write the perfect email by following these tips.
Query Letters
by Laura @ Word Grrls query lettersWe’re writers, we know the words, so why is it so tough to write a query letter? Why do we second guess every word on that page? Why do we agonize over the punctuation, the grammar and the spelling? Why do we “just die” when we realize a typo was missed in our proofreading of that all important query letter?
Letter Writing
by Laura @ Word Grrls freelancinglettersWhen was the last time you wrote a letter? A real letter to a friend or family with news and other idle chatter? Letter writing is a skill. These days it’s becoming quaint, old-fashioned as email and typed notes take over. There is a little formality to letter writing. You start with the date and then add a greeting. It’s easy to forget the date and it may not seem important when it’s a casual, personal letter. But, the date gives it relevance for when they read it later. Even now, it shows when you wrote the letter and how long it took to get through the mail.
Writing your Bio/ Profile
by Laura @ Word Grrls marketingtipsNow and then you’ll have to write a biography to go along wth an article, book, or something else you publish. It’s tough to figure out what you want to say about yourself in just a few lines. Of course, you consider what you want to share with the faceless masses as well as what information will show you in the best light. You want to make yourself look like an authority on the subject of your article.
What a Freelance Writer Will Not Do
by Sara Lancaster@ No2Pen freelancingGenerally speaking, freelance writers are a knowledgeable bunch with skills in a number of areas. However, there are a few tasks that fall outside of the realm of freelance writing. Here is a list of some of those items.
Is This Project For You?
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation freelancingAnyone would be happy to get a freelance project. At least I was over the moon when I first scored my first writing project. However, the question to ask yourself is whether the project is the right one for you. Why? Simple. You wouldn’t want to work on a project that is non educational and non profitable.
Rewriting Articles Without Copying Someone Else’s Work
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation editingrewritingOften, you have come across clients who require you to rewrite articles for article marketing.
How to Create an Online Writing Portfolio
by Susan Johnston @ The Writer Today portfolioSo you’ve written a couple of articles, and you watch to keep querying so you can break into bigger (and better paying) markets. How about creating an online portfolio?
What To Do When You Are Rejected
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation motivationrejectionsIt must be heart breaking to be rejected for the very first project you bid on. After all you have spent so much time preparing your portfolio for the project. However, this is life. There are people winning and losing at the same time.
Perhaps you are rejected today but tomorrow, you might get yourself a better project. Here are a few things you can do in times when you are rejected from the projects you bid on.
What You Should Not Do As A Freelance Writer
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation freelancingWhen we talk about being a freelance writer, many people thought that it is easy to write, everyone can write and we can write about everything. The truth is there is more than just writing.
Managing Clients – Focusing on One or Have A Few Clients
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation client relationshipsClients – we can never live without them (as a freelance writer). However, getting the right clients can be difficult. If you have got your very first client, I am sure you are jumping up and down, feeling motivated to get even more clients in the future.
What is a Style Guide?
by Sara Lancaster@ No2PenA style guide is a set of rules as defined by an organization like a magazine, business or even an industry. A style guide sets out to determine which rules not already defined by the dictionary should be followed.
The Right Rate To Charge
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation freelancingmoneyQ&A: How do you determine the rate for the freelancing work you are applying? This is a really important question you need to ask yourself as a freelance writer (or any freelancers in general).