Writers Need to Read!

This entry was written on Aug 06, 2009 by our Writing Guru Jessie Fitzgerald

When I first started my writing career I was so busy trying to be successful that I actually stopped reading. I didn't have time. Every now and then I did force myself to read a novel or a magazine article, but I honestly thought I was too busy.

I was wrong. I did have time. Or rather, I should have made time. Because I ignored reading for so long, my writing started to get stale. I was no longer current. As a result, it became harder and harder to find ideas and put pen to paper. I knew I either had to start reading again or experience burnout.

Here's a list of things I try to read on a daily or weekly basis:

-- Print newspaper

-- Free local publications

-- Magazines

-- Novels

-- Short stories

-- Poems

When it comes to reading fiction, I alternate between reading the classics, new releases, and other modern fiction. I approach poetry in the same way.

I don't necessarily do this reading to come up with ideas. However, I keep a notebook handy just in case. I always end up thinking of things to write as I'm reading.

LifeTips writers "Rules of the Road"

So you want to write for LifeTips, the leading online publisher of consumer tips? Have a great idea for a tip site and want to cast your spell on audiences? Before you break out your dictionary and start organizing your categories, take a look at the top rules for LifeTips writers:

1. Know your audience! It's important for writers to know WHO they are writing for in order to connect with the readers. This way, the readers get the most out of the tips.
* Example: If you're writing tips for a tax-sponsored tip site on Lifetips, your tone should be professional and business-like. The readers are likely to be over-21-year-old professionals, business owners and individual tax filers looking for ease and simplicity for filing taxes. Avoid slang terms and abbreviations. Taxes are a complex issue and people want clear and concise definitions.

* Example: If you're writing tips for body jewelry or tattoos, your audience is going to be more relaxed and "hip." Slang words are ok if they are industry-related, and the tone can be fresh and fun.

2. Spellcheck. Most word processing tools have a spellcheck option - USE IT. Even though you can write your tips directly online now, it might be beneficial to write them first in Microsoft Word, WordPad or Works and use the spellcheck option before submitting your tips. Misspelled will cost you - $1 minimum will be taken from each tip that has a misspelled word. And, if the tips are written poorly, the audience won't take them seriously.

3. Use present tense. These tips are meant to be used at any time so keep the tense present unless you're specifically writing about something that takes place in the past. Do not change verb tense within a single paragraph.

4. Re-read your tips! Be careful - it's easy to misuse and misspell words. Double-check the following words before submitting your tips:

* Your and you're

* Their, there, and they're

* "A lot" is two words

* Its and it's

* Internet, World Wide Web, Web, and Net - anything referring to the use of or in reference to the Internet is capitalized.

* A good idea is to bookmark: www.dictionary.com - if you're unsure of the correct spelling or use of a word, double-check.

5. You can use acronyms, but make sure you define the acronym for the reader. For example, if you're writing a tip about workplace safety and you site OSHA regulations, make sure you define OSHA: Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
** If you're referencing something multiple times in various tips, it might be a good idea to make a category out of that acronym, instead of spelling out the definition in every tip.

6. When writing numerical information, keep the following rules in mind:

* Numbers one through nine are in written form and anything above 10 is numerical. Easy rule: single-digit numbers are written, anything with two or more digits is numerical.

* Always use numerical form when writing about dollars and cents. For example: $100, or 50 cents.

* When starting off a sentence with a number, it is always in written form. For example: Eighty years ago the great inventor John Doe created something.

7. Bullet points and numbered items make tips simple. For example: if you're writing for the mortgage tips site and your tip offers five suggestions for finding an agent, use lists instead of one big paragraph.

8. Re-read your tips out loud. This will help you identify any grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Why Do You Love Writing?

This entry was written on Jul 27, 2009 by our Writing Guru Jessie Fitzgerald

As you go through your writing career, it is important to remember why you love writing in the first place. It also helps to know what kind of writing you like to do, especially if you find the need to take on some jobs and assignments that you don't like or that are a little frustrating. This doesn't happen often, but when it does - it can be discouraging. Knowing why you love writing can help banish that feeling of discouragement.

Before you continue on as a writer, take a moment to write in your journal. Date the entry and put the question, "Why do I love writing?" at the top of the page. Set the timer for fifteen minutes and write whatever comes to mind. Answer the question as best as you can.

When the timer goes off, read what you wrote. Try to come up with a way to turn what you said into a personal essay. Write it. You don't need to submit it anywhere if you don't want - but you could. Just keep it safe so you will have something nice to read when you need the encouragement.

Another part of this is to understand exactly what you to write. Is it articles, essays, poems, etc? There are so many different things you can write. Knowing what your favorites are will help focus your efforts and make it easier for you to find assignments that you will enjoy.

Also, there are two kinds of writers - those who write for a living or those who do it purely for fun and don't bother submitting. Some writers fall somewhere in between. Understand that even the writers who write for money still enjoy it. Knowing your motives will go a long way in propelling your writing forward and keeping you motivated.

How to Maneuver Your Way Through the Writer's Admin Tool

All assignments can be done online and filed online. There are multiple steps to take, so here are some helpful hints:

1) Log on every day to view new assignments.

2) If you are qualified to write the tips for a particular assignment, hit the "apply" button to submit your name for the task.

3) Once you are approved for a task, all writing assigments will be done online. (Note: If you are approved, you will receive an email and a deadline date).

4) View the task projects from your writer's admin tool - you'll see the category, keywords, and the number of tips needed for each category. Start writing!

5) When you're done with a category, and there are no more changes, send the tips to me for review. You do this by hitting the "DONE" button at the bottom of each category page. (Note: If you hit "SAVE" this will allow you to come back later and make changes).

6) If the tips are rejected, you will get the entire category back - this does not mean all the tips in the category have been rejected. The rejected tips will have notes from me asking a question, or providing some editorial comments to enhance the tip. Make the changes, and send the tip back to me.

It's that simple! Please remember to spellcheck - misspelled words are an automatic deduction from your tip payment amount.

Start a Blog or Website to Showcase Your Writing

This entry was written on Jul 07, 2009 by our Writing Guru Jessie Fitzgerald

How are things going with your writing business? Maybe you have more than enough work to keep you busy - or maybe you could use more. Either way, having your own writing website and/or blog is an essential element to your success.

There are some basic things a blog or website can do for you:

1. Give you a place to showcase your writing skills by posting articles and your portfolio.

2. Share information that could help other writers.

3. Bring in extre revenue through advertising, affiliate programs, and by selling your own books and information products.

The easiest way to go about getting your website set up is to start a blog. You can either use a free site like Blogger or reserve the domain, get the hosting, and run a platform like Wordpress. I personally would reserve a domain and stay away from the free sites. I wasted a lot of time in the beginning on the free platforms and didn't gain much from it.

Some writers don't want to spend the extra money, and that's understandable. But consider this - Reserving a domain for the year costs less than $10 a year, and you can find some really inexpensive but reliable hosting packages. It isn't a lot of money but you do gain A LOT more credibility. It looks more professional which will likely land you more work.

Once you set up your site, make sure you have an About Me page, a Contact form, your rates (if applicable) and any of your published work to show as examples. You can also offer helpful articles and resources to help other writers.

Write Your Freelance Writing Business Plan

This entry was written on Jun 28, 2009 by our Writing Guru Jessie Fitzgerald

Another great tip is to make sure you write your freelance writing business plan as soon as you get started - or better yet - before you begin. This is because a well written business plan will give you a blue print that will help you build success. Ever hear the saying that "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail"? This absolutely applies to writing.

Some writers choose to put together a simple business plan. Others go all out and make one that is very elaborate. It doesn't matter how you do it, as long as all the information you need is there to help you succeed.

My method is pretty simple. I write down a few goals, when I want to accomplish them, and then how I plan on accomplishing them. I also list things such as how I will market my business and how much money I need to make per month.

However, it is also a good idea to look into how to write a proper business plan. I've developed my methods over the years - I've written many business plans and this is the method that works the best for me. Once you go through the process a few times, you'll begin to learn what works for you.

Keep in mind that there is no need to make it look fancy. A simple business plan written in a word processing document is more than sufficient.

To get more information on writing a business plan, check out the resources the Small Business Administration has to offer. http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html

Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs

This entry was written on Jun 27, 2009 by our Writing Guru Jessie Fitzgerald

If you've decided to go the freelance writing route, or at least moonlight for a few hours a day, then you'll need to know where to go to find freelance writing jobs. In general, most of these jobs will involve working for clients - but a few places pop up that will give you a byline which means that you'll get the credit as having written the content.

Here is a list of my favorite places to go to find work:

** www.freelancewritinggigs.com --- This blog offers a roundup of all the best writing jobs that have been posted for the day.

** www.rentacoder.com --- I have the most luck securing freelance assignments on rentacoder.com.

** www.exquisitewriting.com --- When I first started out, I joined this writing team. It was a great way to get freelance work because it eliminates the hassle of finding the jobs yourself and bidding for them. You need to get accepted first.

** www.problogger.net --- This is one of the top blogs about blogging on the internet. There's also a job board which posts information about work that involves blogging.

There are other places such as Craigslist. However, I just stick to these. I get more than enough work from these sources to keep me busy.