Tag Archives: freelance writing

Guest Post: Four Effective Tips for Becoming a Successful Online Writer

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Please enjoy this guest post by Ruth Hinds from All The Top Bananas:

 

For budding writers, the internet has opened up a whole world of new opportunities. With writing gigs becoming much more publicized and accessible to just about anyone with some skill and a broadband connection, there’s never been a better time to make a living online as a writer.

Here, we look at some tips for getting work and forging a successful career.

1. Build a diverse portfolio of your work

Before anyone considers taking you on for writing jobs, they’ll want to see what you can do. As such, you should have a portfolio of your work that you can show to any potential clients. Depending on the nature of your expertise, this might include articles, blog posts, website copy and product descriptions. If you’re just starting out, you need to make up for your lack of experience. Try writing articles and uploading them to free sites. It’s a great way to get your work published quickly and easily.

2. Sign up for freelancing sites

There are dozens of freelancing sites out there where people are looking for talent just like you. Popular ones include People Per Hour, oDesk and Freelancer. Sign up and sell your skills on your profile. You’ll be able to pitch your ideas for available contracts, and you could even be headhunted by those looking for writers with your particular skill set.

3. Develop a strong social media presence

You’d be amazed at just how many opportunities you come across when you start networking on social media. Set up your profiles and take a little time each day to schedule updates and chat about your work. Of course, you should remain professional at all time, and bear in mind that the whole world, including potential clients, can see what you’re saying. Make sure that you upload a head shot so people know who they’re talking to, and make it crystal clear in your bios what you do.

4. Network with prolific writers in your field

It makes sense that you should learn from the top writers in your field, and many will have newsletters that you can sign up for to see what they’re up to and receive their top tips for success. Wherever possible reach out to them and strike up conversation. They might even have a few trainee jobs coming up that they’re looking for up and coming talent to fill.

As you can see, increasing your chances of success isn’t rocket science. With a plan and some determination, you could quickly build up a portfolio of great contents and regular writing contracts.

Are you thinking about pursuing a career as an online writer? Which of these tips will you be putting into action?

This article was brought to you by Ruth Hinds on behalf of AllTheTopBananas. ATTB allows you to search for and browse through UK jobs in one place, from London engineer jobs to Liverpool receptionist jobs. You can also upload your CV to increase your chances of being headhunted. 

 

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Inspiration for Blocked Freelance Writers and Bloggers

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It’s been said that we teach that which we most need to learn, and I have found that to be a profoundly true statement. I have been doing freelance writing and blogging for many years, but there are times when I hit slumps where I feel blocked and I just don’t feel inspired to write. I sometimes wonder with all of the blogs out there why I even bother. Does what I write really resonate with people? Are my words making a difference?

If you have been blogging for any length of time some of these thoughts might have fluttered through your mind a time or two. If any of this sounds familiar this post is meant to be an encouragement to you to keep on writing.

A writer writes out of a desire to share that which is within them with the world. Writer’s have a love for the written word, and we enjoy the satisfaction that comes when we have polished up a piece of writing and it gets published so that others can read it. But did you ever stop to think about where your desire to write comes from? Do you ever wonder about the origins of those lofty ideas that are floating around in your heart and mind? Your inspiration to write flows to you and through you from God, the Universe, All That Is, because you are a chosen instrument of the Divine.

The Universe communicates with us through each other. It wants to get its message out in a way that will be understood and acted upon, so you are given those creative impulses, those flashes of insight, that burning desire to write because the world needs to know exactly what it is that you have to share.

Think for a moment about those writers whose work has greatly inspired or influenced you. What if those writers had listened to that critical voice inside of their heads telling them that they suck, that no one cares what they have to say, and causing them to doubt their talent or worth as a writer? Pick a favorite author and try to imagine your life without the inspiration you gained from having read their work.

As a writer you have been chosen to tell the story that will transform, uplift, or maybe simply enchant your readers. You have a sacred duty to keep listening for the whispers of inspiration that the Universe will send your way. It is your duty to remain a yielded vessel. Stop looking to ‘someday’ as the only someday that matters has arrived in this moment. Write as if your words were a life saving elixir, or as if they contained the key that would release someone from the bondage of ignorance. Stop resisting living and working into the fullness of the gifts and talent that you have been blessed with.

The world is waiting to receive the message you came here to deliver. The audience you seek is seeking your message. Stop making them wait until you sort out your issues and take your place. It’s not about you, your fears, your excuses, your self-imposed limitations. It’s about the message.

Watch and be inspired:

Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results

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Guest blogging is the new–or not so new article marketing. The practice of bloggers inviting other bloggers to publish on their blog has been going on since blogging began, but now this somewhat quietly kept practice is becoming more and more popular. If you are an online freelance writer you’re always looking for ways to get more exposure for your writing to attract more clients. The occasional guest blog posting gig can get you exposure with a new audience, confirms your expert status and attracts fresh traffic to your blog.

As bloggers see the fabulous results that they can gain from both guest blogging on other blogs and hosting guests on their blogs, they are engaging in the practice more and more.

In this article I want to share five simple tips for getting your feet wet so to speak as a guest blogger:

1. Choosing the right blogs
Your goal as a guest blogger is to find a new audience for your writing, to get wider exposure and to attract fresh traffic back to your blog. So, it makes sense to choose blogs that focus on keywords similar to yours, within the same industry and a similar compatible niche.

Choose blogs that are more established and higher ranked than yours for the biggest bang for your time, but don’t neglect those up-and-coming blogs with a growing, loyal following.

Spend the time to regularly visit the blogs in your niche that you would like to guest post for. Make note of their idiosyncrasies, practices and biases. Take notes and keep these issues in mind when you are writing your post so that you don’t slip up and offend your host.

2. Making contact with the author
Compose a simple email to the blog owner explaining that you are offering to do a guest blog post for them. If this is your first contact with this blogger, briefly explain your blog’s topic and include a link.

Let the blogger know what you like about their blog and how your writing will fit in with their blogging style and topic.

3. Establishing a clear, mutually beneficial arrangement
Guest blog posting is a win-win for the guest blogger and the host blogger. The guest blogger gets exposure to a fresh audience, a nice boost in traffic back to their blog and more favorable search engine ranking from the highly relevant link.

The blog host wins because they get some fresh, relevant content that provides something new for their readership, and buys them a bit of time to do other things. But the blog readers also benefit because they gain exposure to a new writer and a different look at the topic.

Be sure to spell out the terms of the arrangement so that both parties are clear on things like the approximate word count of the post, publication date, number and types of links, ownership of the content, etc.

4. Coming up with the right content for the blog
Refer to the notes you took when you were choosing blogs to guest post on, and write from the perspective of someone who is familiar with the audience. Read through recent posts to get ideas for filling in and rounding out the blogger’s approach to the topic. Ask the blog host if there is a particular topic they would like for you to cover.

Be sure to always present your best work when guest posting. Do your research, format the post carefully and ask for someone to proofread it for you before you submit it.

5. The importance of follow up
After your post has been published, be sure to check back and respond to the comments. This is a great opportunity to forge a real relationship with another blogger and their readers, so don’t overlook this important part of the arrangement.

Go ahead and start guest blogging. It’s a great way to broaden your reach as a freelancer, create relationships and get some new, targeted traffic for your blog. If you are looking to host guest bloggers, it’s a great way to add fresh perspectives to your blog and give your readers a bit of variety.

For more of the gritty details about getting started check out this guest posting guide. Save the time and frustration of trying to figure it out on your own and instead hit the ground running with fabulous results.

Have you tried guest blogging, or hosting a guest blogger on your blog? Share your results here.

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Freelance Writing: Establish a Morning Routine for a More Productive Work Day

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One of the coolest things about being a freelance writer is that you can work pretty much whenever you want to. If you are a morning person, you can get up before the crack of dawn and complete your writing projects early so that you can have the day free to do what you want. Night owls can burn the midnight oil to get projects completed on time. But regardless of your schedule, you might want to consider establishing a morning routine to get your day off to a productive start.

But what makes being a freelance writer cool can also be the most challenging and that is learning to manage our productive time and energy in the most efficient way. I was inspired to write this post when I was listening to Internet Business Mastery, which is one of my favorite podcasts. They were talking about how important it is to establish a healthy morning routine, and to create a sense of order in the way you approach your business.

I was so inspired that I decided to create a morning routine of my own:

• Wake up

• 15-30 minutes meditation

• 15-30 minutes Yoga

• Wake children up

• Prepare breakfast and lunches

• Get dressed

• Supervise girls getting ready for school

• Drive girls to school

• Return home

• Shower & get dressed

• 30 minutes devotional time

• Begin work

When I can stick to this routine I find that my day flows much more smoothly. Now that the weather is warm again there’s a struggle between fitting in my walking time and my devotional time, but if I skip either one I can feel the effect of it pretty quickly, so I find a way to balance the two.

Writing is a creative talent that needs a rested, alert mind in order for the output to be of any usable quality. Getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet and establishing healthy routines can serve to feed your creativity and enhance your productivity.

Your Turn:
Do you have a morning routine? Please feel free to share if you think it helps you to be a better or more productive writer.