8 Unwitting Mistakes Freelance Writers Make – Melissa Mayntz
You do everything right - follow guidelines, edit well, promote yourself - so why doesn't your bank account reflect writing success? …
Articles
Become Your Editors’ Life Preserver – Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Bad things happen to good people, including good editors. Sometimes they're faced with a hole in the periodical's layout when the deadline to go to print looms. Your story can save the day if you're the editor's go-to writer and they'll likely return the favor to you... …
Freelance Editing for Corporate Customers? – John K. Borchardt
Managers of businesses, nonprofit organizations and government departments have long complained about the poor written communication skills of many of their employees. Managers are often too busy to edit their reports so they read smoothly. Yet these reports must present a professional image to a company's customers and decision-makers. The answer for a growing number of firms is to hire freelance writers and editors to edit reports for clarity. …
Using Creative Visualization to Increase Sales – Roberta Roberti
Writers are accustomed to reading newsletters such as WritersWeekly.com to get practical, concrete information and tips on writing, marketing, and publishing. Occasionally, however, we get advice on how to harness our own powers of creativity, positivity, and spiritual energy to achieve happiness and success. This is one of those articles. We now enter the realm of the subconscious. Or as some people I know call it, the "woo woo" zone. …
Are Online Ads A Fool’s Game? – Merry Morrison
Over the years, I've probably responded to a good thousand online ads for writers. Out of those, about one hundred turned into assignments that led to actual checks. Some were one-time gigs, others have led to long-term partnerships. I have been hoodwinked, though, along the way... …
The Secret Angst of Book Promotion – Susan Sundwall
In my last piece for WritersWeekly, Blabbermouth Your Book, I focused on getting the word out by seizing the moment, wherever you are, in order to do so. But as I become engulfed in the process I'm finding more things to stress about than I ever suspected existed. I had a good time writing the book and I love the idea of being a published author. But nobody told me about situations that would cause hair pulling, brow furrowing and night sweats... …
ADVERTISING VS. EDITORIAL: Are you giving away your valuable ad space for free? – Candice Sabatini
As a beauty, fashion and travel writer the formula to get me to tell my readers about a company's product or place is a very straightforward one. I receive approximately three hundred email pitches a day from publicists who want to send me samples or invite me to their press event, spa or hotel in hopes that I'll like it enough to review it. Additionally, as the publisher of an online magazine, I have to worry about getting advertisers in order to stay in business. This advertising and editorial balance is the same whether the publication is a glitzy glossy with a one hundred year history, or a start-up digital. Advertising and sponsorships are what keep us all in business... …
Turn On Your Subconscious Mind to Help with Your Creative Flow – Harry Husted
As writers, it is your desire to use words that will entertain, educate, and inform the masses of people that may just end up reading them. You may feel obligated to write, or you may look at it as a passion. Writing is considered an art form. Those who partake of it, are looked at as people with unusual talent. Some may also be looked at as weird, isolated, and strange. Nevertheless, the object is to put words down... …
The Mobile Book-signing – Mary Cook
Libraries and bookstores are so last year when it comes to staging book signings. Instead, consider taking your books out into the wider world. It's full of your would-be readers. Farmers encourage beekeepers to set their hives on farmland because it's mutually beneficial. Bees get nectar for honey, benefiting themselves and their keeper. In return for this bounty, the bees pollinate the farmers' crops. Likewise, taking your books to a particular setting can attract customers to you, and also benefit your host. Match the location to your subject matter. The more off-the-wall your choice of venue, the greater your chance of attracting media attention... …
Choosing an Independent Editor
You need an editor—of that much you are certain. But how can you avoid falling prey to incompetent, untrained, or inexperienced pretenders who may insert more errors than they correct? (Yes, it happens alarmingly often.)…
Ask These 3 Questions BEFORE Starting Your Book! – Anne Violette
As an author, and speaking on behalf of all of us collectively, our primary goal in writing a book is to achieve blockbuster sales and mega success. It's the ultimate dream happy ending for authors, even if the novels and books we write don't require a happy ending for the readers. For some, it may even be the reason for writing it...…
Know When to Quit – Alice J. Wisler
Have you ever equated your writing projects to a line of pots on a simmering stove? The more you looked at this stove, the more you realized that the one good meal you envisioned to spring from those pots has not happened. Sure, you may have a satisfying dish, but there are so many others left unattended, burning, because you simply have too much going on. …
Recycle Your Clients! – Angie Papple Johnston
Past clients usually make the best future clients. They're already impressed with your work ethic, they know why you charge what you do and they love your style. You don't have to dazzle them with flashy advertisements to reel them in, and you don't have to walk on eggshells when you deal with them because you're already familiar with the way they do business.…
Is Traditional Publishing Still an Upgrade from Self-Publishing? – Karen Carver
Frankly, anyone who reads WritersWeekly already knows the advantages of self-publishing. While some authors do very well on their own, and prefer to stay on their own, others have received offers from traditional publishers after proving there's a market for their self-published book.…
How to Keep Your Job When Your Boss is You – Susan Sundwall
Well, that's a silly title, isn't it? I chose it because of a little read-in-the-bathroom book a friend gave to my husband last Christmas. In it there was this saying: 'I became self employed and I still have a jerk for a boss.' It gave me a chuckle but it also got my gray cells going in the direction of writing. When it comes to this area of my life - and maybe yours - I'm self employed. And sometimes I don't like my boss. Why? Let me count the ways. …
Fine Tune Your Radio Copywriting Skills – James Rada Jr.
While most towns nowadays have only one newspaper, they will generally have multiple radio stations. For a writer, this means multiple opportunities to write spots for radio salespeople who want effective ads for their clients. …
Writing for Real Estate Publications – John K. Borchardt
Writing about real estate opens many potential markets: big city, small city and suburban newspapers as well as consumer and trade magazines. Magazine markets may be local, regional or national in their coverage. Occasionally, a real estate subject such as the rise of World Trade Center 1 (the Freedom Tower), on Ground Zero of the World Trade Center, is national news, resulting in syndicated newspaper articles. Additional research can turn a subject that starts as a one-off local story, such as covering a local warehouse roof with solar panels to generate electricity, can also be written as a national trend story. …
Why Your Blog Needs a Media Kit – Jennifer Brown Banks
"Can you tell me how much it costs to take out an ad at your site?" asked a publisher in Arizona back in April. Unfortunately, like many bloggers who blog as a labor of love, I never gave serious consideration to earning pay for my say. Not until then. …
Marketing 101 for Freelance Writers – Lisa Evans
Prior to becoming a freelance writer, I had a career in marketing. Managing campaign schedules, building brands and doing competitive analyses filled my nine to five workday. When I made the switch to freelance writing, I thought I would ditch marketing vocabulary such as "target audience", "brand development", "ROI" and "customer relations" at the door. Instead, I have come to discover that the tools I honed as a marketing professional have enhanced my success as a freelance writer. Here are some ways I have used these marketing terms to build my business. …
En Route to Global Writing Recognition – Think Local By Jill Pertler
As writers, we all long to earn the big bucks by penning the next best selling novel or Hollywood-bound screenplay. The reality of this scenario is that it is a reality for very few people. Often, it is years in the making. Not many writers see their first novel or screenplay gain the status of fame, fortune and six-figure royalty checks. The truth is, while we're working and writing and waiting for our well-deserved global recognition, we have to pay the bills. For that, I suggest you think local. …
Three Ways Freelancers Can Avoid Getting Screwed
Do you have to be paranoid when you deal with editors and publishers? No. Should you be aware of your rights, responsibilities and potential red flags? Yes.…
The “Everything Writer’s” Submission Toolkit By Amy Lorenzo
One guarantee in freelancing - you'll be pitching your capabilities over and over again. If you serve a well-defined niche, it's easy to put together new queries and bids. But what if your work spans multiple fields? Whether you do it to expand your income stream or to keep your writing life interesting, diversifying has advantages - but it can also make winning new business more challenging...…
Blabbermouth Your Book By Susan Sundwall
Early this year, I got the wonderful news that my mystery was found suitable for publication. One reason was the marketing plan I'd submitted with my query letter and first three chapters. In that plan, I outlined the steps I intended to take before and after my publication date... …
Five Unique Freelance Writing Jobs By Michael Brown
It's not always easy to translate thoughts into words, and oftentimes as a freelance writer, it's not even your thoughts that need to be translated, it is somebody else's. Sometimes, the topics are familiar and sometimes they are dumbfounding. Quite often, it's not a surprise to see a freelance writer wearing strange wigs or doing strange things during a write-up to get a "feel" of the unusual writing job that has been given to them. Here is a list of five unusual yet lucrative freelance writing jobs available to freelance writers... …
Use Current Events to Promote Your Novel By Alice J. Wisler
Without being cheesy or over-the-top, you can tactfully use current events to sell your story. In fact, many authors get their book ideas by reading the paper. …
How To Avoid Becoming a Writing Hermit By Lisa Evans
Two years ago, I quit my full-time job as a marketing professional to follow my dream and become a freelance writer. Eager to escape the gray cubicle walls that confined me, I conjured images of myself lounging on the sofa in my pajamas, my laptop resting on my knees as I methodically tapped out story after story. I enjoyed my new wardrobe - happy to have ditched the high-heels and pencil skirts - and relished the freedom to make my own schedule, but was shocked to find that I missed the office. Well, not the office exactly, but the daily jaunts to the coffee shop downstairs, chatting with co-workers in the office kitchen and team meetings that I'd previously found tedious and futile that now seemed welcome distractions to the loneliness I faced in my new life as a writer. …
Mentoring Other Writers: What’s In It For You? By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Mentoring another writer may sound like giving away your industry knowledge for nothing or boosting a competitor. But really, mentoring is good for your protege's writing career and yours. Mentoring can benefit you beyond feeling good about helping another person who is new to the business. …
MARKETING STRATEGY RESULTS IN $6000 IN ASSIGNMENTS BY JOHN K. BORCHARDT
Tradeshows offer a unique marketing opportunity for freelance writers. Many industries and trade associations ranging from the oil, chemical and food industries to home builders and restaurant owners have tradeshows to exhibit the latest in equipment and services to their members. I tried out my new strategy at Houston's May 6-9 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). This is a major annual tradeshow. In 2012, there were more than 2,500 trade show booths and 89,400 attendees. So far my payoff from attending the tradeshow and marketing there is $6,000... …
Testify! Turning Testimonials Into Dollars By Melissa Mayntz
Every freelance writer knows the value of a published clip to establish professional credibility, but a clip does not tell a potential client or new editor what type of person you are to work with, how good your writing is before editing, or whether you're worth working with on a regular basis. How, then, can a writer share that information without seeming to brag? The answer is simple - have someone else say it for you. …
Add Some Military Flavor to Your Next Article By Dan Heaton
Want to work up a history on the old Army fort on the edge of your town? Perhaps you are just trying to find out what Grandpa did during World War II. All of this has become much, much easier today, thanks to the many resources now available online to the writer willing to spend a little time in research. …
Queries Going Out = Money Coming In By Cynthia Bombach Helzel
It's tempting to put querying aside while you're working on assignments, and then pick it up again when the work runs out. The problem is that, by then, it's too late. You end up with a gap in your assignments - and your income. …
Meet, Greet, and Take Action By Debra Holland
Writers are often a great source of support for each other. Few professions have so many members willing to educate others in their field. The experience and expertise of other writers can help you at all levels of your career. Joining writers groups and professional organizations, participating in online forums, writing your own blogs and following other author blogs, and getting to know people at writing classes and conferences, are all traditional ways to become acquainted with other authors. However, networking also involves giving back. Share your knowledge with other authors and offer them encouragement and inspiration... …
Five Ways to Make (Not Spend!) Money at Conferences By Gabi Logan
Any competent writer who puts himself or herself in the right place at the right time can achieve these essentially effortless results. Here are five ways you, too, can start making money at conferences instead of just spending it...…