Posted by Mark on November 4, 2009
Everyone who pursues a career in writing does so for their own reasons. Some have a passion for writing. Some are looking to take advantage of their communication skills. Some writers actually don’t like what they do, they just know that they are good at it and that it pays the bills.
One of the many reasons there are to look into a career as a writer is the freedom that it allows. While different amounts of freedom are available to different writers, depending on their commitments and the type of writing they do, this is especially true if the writer works for no one but themselves.
When a writer wakes up, even on a day when they have a number of tasks to do or deadlines hovering, it is they who decide when and what they do. When a writer takes on a new client, it is they that decides what topic they will cover. There is a great amount of freedom to be found in the day-to-day responsibilities of a writer.
There is also a great amount of freedom in the lifestyle of a writer. For the most part, writing can be done from anywhere in the world. Being tied to a desk, office, or even a home is not something that a writer must worry about. If the rest of their life will allow it, a writer can write while camping in the woods, sitting on the beach, or visiting a lively city. This can also lead to more work sometimes, as the writer will then have a new geographical location that they can write about.
Being a full time writer is not easy. In fact, there are times when it may even be more work that what is known as a more conventional job. It does come with a number of perks though, and one of those perks is a great amount of freedom.
Categories: The Writer's Life |
Tags: Lifestyle | 
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Posted by Mark on October 26, 2009
There are a number of times I receive questions regarding where someone can find a client seeking an online writer. One of the best places to find available online writing jobs is in online forums.
The first type of forum that immediately jumps out at people, and it is a very good resource too, is webmaster forums. There are a number of very popular webmaster forums out there, some focusing on one small need that webmasters have and others focusing on all subjects that a webmaster would be interested in. What makes these great sites to find writing clients at is that webmasters are in a near-constant need for content. Webmasters are regularly developing, building, or updating at least one site and sometimes several. Depending on the style or type of website it is, it may need a good amount of content, and that’s where the writer comes in.
Webmaster forums are not the only place to look though, in fact there are some bonuses to looking for writing clients in niche forums that are not webmaster related. One of the first bonuses is that although there are probably less people needing the service, there also is usually less competition for the writer to contend with.
Finding the writing clients can be done passively by having a link in the writer’s signature that points back at their personal or writing blog, or it can be done more aggressively by outwardly approaching potential clients by private message or even posting openly about being available for hire.
Writers seeking out writing clients on their own in online forums need to know to be wary about those out there that are attempting to scam them. There are steps that can be taken to minimize this risk, including requiring all or part of the payment to be made up front.
Finding writing clients should be the number one priority for the writer looking to go full time. Online forums are just one of the many places where writing clients can be found.
Categories: Finding Clients |
Tags: Finding Clients, Forums | No Comments »
Posted by Mark on September 24, 2009
There are a number of people in the world that possess the right skill set to be a writer. Different people will give you different answers as to what that skill set is, but most often it includes at the bare minimum creativity and the ability to communicate well.
When transitioning into writing full-time though, you need to look at yourself as more than just a writer. While producing written content is what you are being paid for, it is not all that you need to do.
- You are part marketer, because without you marketing your writing services, you will have no clients.
- You are part salesman, because there will come a day when you have to explain to a potential customer why your service is either worth a certain amount or is the service that they should go with.
- You are part receptionist, because it is you that will be meeting, greeting, and even screening the people contacting you.
- You are part accountant, because if you don’t stay on top of the financial side of your writing business, your business will most likely fail.
- You are part manager, because there will come a time when you need to make the non-glamorous decisions that don’t involve doing what is fun and interesting.
- You are even part custodian, because at the end of your day it will most likely be you who clears off your desk and empties your garbage.
Earning a full-time living online through writing is definitely possible. The most successful online writers know though that they are not just writers, they are business owners. And sometimes that means paying attention to and doing things that are not glamorous or fun, but it all fits into the bigger picture of being a full-time writer.
Categories: Your Writing Business |
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Posted by Mark on September 21, 2009
If you are venturing into the world of earning a full time income through writing, or if you already write online for a living, it is essential that you have your own presence on the web. One of the best ways to do this is by having your own blog.
There are a number of reasons that having your own blog can be beneficial to your business or career.
- It can help you stay in contact with previous customers.
- It gives you a way of presenting samples of your writing skills.
- It allows you to attract new customers via backlinks and search engine results.
- It can even be a way for you to earn extra income through advertising and product sales.
Getting your own blog up and running is a fairly easy process too. There are free options out there like blogger.com or you could choose to have your own domain name and hosting package too. For those that are serious about an online writing career, it is a good idea to get your own domain name. Domains can be purchased at a number of places for less than ten dollars, and it gives you an air of professionalism that isn’t awarded to those that host their blogs on a free provider.
For those of you that have decided to use a free blogging service like blogger.com, you can follow their simple online instructions to customize your new blog, and then you are ready to start adding content. Concentrate on only writing about things you know about and don’t forget to include details about yourself and your experience.
For those of you that have decided to take the plunge and own your own website and domain name, you will need to purchase a hosting package. Hosting packages can be found all over that offer different prices, terms, and benefits. Personally, I use HostGator as it fits my needs perfectly. It is affordable (less than $10/month) and allows me to have a decent amount of room and host an unlimited amount of domains and websites. For many people out there, it doesn’t take long after establishing your first site to realize that you want to make another and another. HostGator also includes CPanel access, which is basically an easy to use interface with everything you need to access with your site, including being able to install the powerful and versatile Wordpress blog and content platform with just a few easy clicks. Wordpress is extremely easy to use, after an initial learning process, and can adapt to almost any need you may have. Best of all… it’s a free software package that is continually updated so that it always stays current.
Having a blog online where you can show off your writing skills is essential if you hope to earn a living writing online. Very few future clients will take you seriously as skilled writer if you are unable to point them to some of the online writing that you’ve done in the past, and what better way to do that than to send them to your own website?
Categories: Blogging, Your Writing Career |
Tags: Beginners, Blogging, Hosting | No Comments »
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