Content Magician, Freelance web content writers

Archive for the ‘Writer’ Category

By Peter Paulus

(Ed Note: This is a rather lengthy one but if you take the time (or have the time to read this, it might be useful)

When people are asked a question concerning what they like or dislike, or when they are asked to state what they think about a given topic, the answer will be their opinion. An opinion is their view or impression, their thoughts, feelings or conclusions on a particular topic. An opinion does not deal with the idea of right and wrong, correct or incorrect; rather, it deals with people’s reasons for thinking that way and how they came to their conclusions. Hence, the name: personal opinion essay.

As the writer, you are looking for agreement from the reader, and the reader is looking for something with which to agree. This is not a research paper based on scientific evidence and statistical facts. It is a relationship built between the author and reader, based on personal understanding.

Desired Outcome

The desired outcome is that you develop your ability to write clearly and make your opinions understood. You are also expected to reach a certain standard of quality in your writing. Your goal is to express yourself effectively and within the accepted parameters of the English language. This personal opinion essay is the first type of essay you need to master in writing; after all, the word essay embodies the concept behind personal expression.

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by Lisa Mason

When it comes to writing articles, many of us find that we need to write them faster. Whether you are a freelance writer with client work, a stay at home mom or dad looking to earn some income selling your articles online or maybe an article marketer looking to promote your business, more articles = more opportunity.

You can’t get more articles if you don’t learn to write them faster. Most of us live really busy lives already. Some of you may even have full time jobs that you have to juggle. So getting more time to write may not cut it. Instead, you need to learn how to write more articles in the time you do have. The best way to do this is by writing faster articles.

Here are 5 ways to write faster articles:

1. Use article templates. There are many available or you can create them yourself and they will dramatically shorten your writing time.

2. Plan head for your articles. When you have the extra time, plan ahead for your articles and next time you sit down to write, they will go faster.

3. Use article mapping. This is a great way to plot out what you plan to write about and you can use it to chart your progress, too.

4. Time yourself writing one article and gradually get faster with it. Egg timers or stop watches are a great way to do this. Start by shortening a minute or two off your time and keep progressing until you write faster articles of the same quality.

5. Shorten your articles to be more precise. If you tend to write long winded articles, it’s a good idea to shorter them. Stick to a tight topic and if you want to say more, use a new article to do so.

I have to create content for my clients and also marketing articles for myself that stand out from the crowd, offer something unique and valuable to the reader and that don’t get buried amongst all the other regurgitated crap out there.

I have been frustrated before to have an article that I worked hard on and that I felt was very valuable to the reader get buried below hundreds of articles on similar topics that basically all sound the same.

When I offer my advice to other article writers, I always say “write as many as you can without losing quality”. For some, that may be 100 in 100 days, for someone else that may be 30 in 100 days.

You need more articles to keep up with the people who are trying to scheme the system by rewriting the same content over and over but you need to also offer something of value so that you stand out in the sea of “authors” as a true expert in your field.

Yet we still need to find a balance in quality and quantity. When writing more, you shouldn’t get sloppy in your writing or create poor articles. With these tips, you can write faster without sacrificing quality. Happy writing!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer. with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet as well as two poetry anthologies and a how-to poetry book. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in her 10+ years as a professional writer.

AUTHOR: Marsha Maung

If not for the internet, many of us would never have made it as writers. Some of us would probably be stuck in a boring job in a kitchen or driving trucks from state to state or teaching in a kindergarten. Whilst there is nothing wrong with those professions, it’s wrong when deep inside, there’s a dire need to write and share what we know or a story with everyone else through the written word. Writing is like an itch. It needs to be scratched.

With the internet, writers get the chance to test-drive their skills, practice and get advice, promote ourselves, express our feelings and also start a business. Many writers can’t imagine what life would be like without the internet.

Of course, there are many other ways to promote oneself without the internet but let’s face it, it would be far less effective. And of course, photographers get quite a bit of help from the internet as with many other types of businesses.

But because the internet is a world where the written word is the leading reason why people can find you online, suffice to say that writers have the upper hand. If you could write a decent piece of work, you can use it to promote yourself via various methods. Almost everything is reliant on the written word.

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I tried to write like Enid Blyton once because I love Enid Blyton books….I love them when I was five and I still love them today. There’s something very endearing about gnomes, pixies, brownies (I thought they were the edible kind at first) and also those naughty little boys having their faces frozen mid-scowl when the wind blew – mind-blowing. You remember that one? Yeah, it’s fantastic and out of this world. The world could end and Enid Blyton books would still be selling like mad cakes out of the oven.

I also tried to write like John Grisham because he’s really up there and I am a law graduate. I understood (sort of) all the procedures and lingos that he was using in all his books. I got all of those stuff covered. And then when I do that, I sound like a half-baked college student trying to impress her teachers and school mates and the next door neighbor’s dog.

Avid readers of love stories would definitely, positively try to write a romance novel. Those Mills and Boons stuff? Yeah, you’ve got to try writing them….but after a while, you’re afraid that you don’t know enough about all those ‘stuff’ to write them and when you try to get it published, people will laugh their faces off.

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Author: Marsha Maung, a freelance writer, ghost blogger and online social networking consusltant

Every now and again, I get emails or have people adding me on my Facebook account asking me if it was possible for them to become a freelance writer because:-

1. They’re a mother who is looking for extra income
2.  They’re a fresh graduate and is looking for a job
3. They think they’re bored with their current work and think they can string a couple of words together to make a living
4. They’ve just got laid off and is in the middle of a financial crisis

I would love to say that it’s possible for ANYONE to make it as a freelance writer, no, seriously, SERIOUSLY, I would. But honestly, it’s not true. I would be lying to you and at the end of the day, you’re going to hunt me down and spew curses down my throat for misleading you.

Freelance writing, much like anything else in life, needs skills and talents. Stringing a couple of words together does not a writer make. Hang on. I need to rephrase that. Stringing a couple of words together not a SUCCESSFUL freelance writer make. Freelance writers need, not only talents and skills, but he or she needs to WANT to be a writer.

Allena Tapia of about.com explained it at length about what makes a freelance writer a successful one and she has been spot on. During the early days, writers like me offer encouraging words to aspiring writers to spur them on so that they don’t despair. But it’s wrong.

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Your goal to achieving maximum writing results cannot be obtained if your readers’ interest fades. In fact, the majority of writing fails to be read because of what the author wrote in the headline, and sub-headline(s). As shown here it takes the additional power of descriptive word lists to achieve reader inspiration.

Think of which of these titles sound more appealing to you. “A list of ten things your dentist did not telling you about brushing your teeth.” Alternatively, choose this title. “Don’t stick that toothbrush on your germ infested teeth.” I am sure you made the same choice as I did. Keywords in the second example were toothbrush and teeth. The motivational, descriptive words are stick, and germ infested. Combined they produce a desire by the reader to continue reading. What good is your interesting story, article, sales piece, or book if it never is read?

For maximum writing results, there are two critical areas where your writing must shine above the stars. These are eyeball grabbing headlines, and earth shattering sub-headlines. In the case of book writing, that would encompass chapter titles. You might have a natural born knack for writing that easily flows unto your document. It is all meaning less, unless you knock the socks off your reader. The problem is that the time frame to accomplish this key feat, only lasts from three to five seconds. You have to grab the reader by their receding hair to awaken their feelings to read on. The time proven method is using motivational words, and thought provoking descriptive word phrases.

Like most writers, you probably do not currently have a killer library of these. Therefore, I am going to provide you with 50 beneficial words and phrases to start your two descriptive word lists. Your other list should be of motivational, inspirational, and action power words. Referring to these descriptive word combinations will not only enhance the desire to read on, but also spice up the intensity level of interest in what you are writing.

Here is the first of the two descriptive word lists - words

This sample consists of the words accelerate, action-packed, adventurous, affordable, aggressive, allstar, amazing, amplify, anxious, artistic, aspiring, assertive, astonish, attract, awakening, awarded, awesome, backbone, beastly, bewildered, beefy, bargain, blasting, bliss, blazing, blockbuster, and boiling.

Here is the second of the two descriptive word lists - word phrases

This sampling is composed of the word phrases: a child could do it, 2 products in 1, a date with destiny, the masterpiece collection, a very elite opportunity, as recent surveys show, achieve the impossible, act now for this bonus, activate the fuse, all bets are off, the obstacles are eliminated, alleviate the pain, always a knockout, ambush the competition, ask yourself this question, at your fingertips, attack with conviction, avoid feeling insecure, award winning features, awaken to a new era, bag a trophy, be the first to call, begin tomorrow today, behind door #4, best kept secret, better than striking gold, look behind the scenes, beyond normal boundaries, big hitters only, blistering speed, bone chilling, brilliant deduction, and bullet proof system.

Build a burning desire to bypass your competition by building a strong foundation for writing effectively.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Well published author, Don Yerke likes to concentrate on what you don’t know or what no one else dares to print. Tell it like it is.

Watch for his new paperback book debuting on Amazon early this summer. It is loaded with great insurance marketing and recruiting information.

Come and get your FREE “Think and Grow Rich” Ebook by Napoleon Hill instantly. The website address is http://www.agentsinsurancemarketing.com

I’ve received many messages from my friends and visitors of both my blog and websites asking me for advice on how to get started as a freelance writer. One of them asked me, point-blank, no-holds-barred, ‘How to get clients ah?’

The internet is a vast space for you to explore your options. In the same way that it is a vast space with an abundance of opportunities, it’s also filled with competitors….with sharp nails…and fangs. They will not hesitate to sink their fangs and nails into your flesh. Especially now that the economy is nose-diving into a pit of possible oblivion, competition is even tougher.

But it’s not impossible to thrive as a freelance writer today and here’s how you’re going to get started.

Write write write and then write some more

No matter how tedious you think this is going to be, I’ll hit you with it. There’s no escaping this. If you want to start building your career as a freelance writer, you’ve got to write, write, write and write some more. Write till it becomes very natural to you. In an ironic way, this is how you’re going to pay for your tuition fees….through experience.

Write for free, write to publicize yourself, write to promote your services, write for peanuts, write and get criticized….this is the first task right there at the top of your to-do list.

Publish articles for free

This is a small part of article marketing. If you’re not familiar, here’s how it works. You write for free, you post it up on an article directory, other website owners go in in search of articles to post in their own website or blog, they find yours, publish it and link it to your own website or profile page.

Essentially, you’re saying, ‘Hey, take this and publish it. It’s free…no, really, it’s free. It’s really….here, try me….please?’ The only condition about publishing your article(s) for free is for them to include your byline (this is where the publicity stunt is, folks) and a link (if you have) back to where you want your potential clients to find you.

Blog about everything, show off what you’ve got

For me, the internet and the blogging platform is the next best thing to an orgasm. You’re running your own tabloid, no editor breathing down your throat and you’re a columnist overnight – use it and use it wisely. Now, although blogs were meant to be online journals IN THE BEGINNING, I believe that they have evolved to an extent that everyone’s got one and if you don’t have one and want to have an online career, you’ll have better chances of making it where the zebras live.

So, start a blog and start displaying your talent.

Bid for projects through freelance websites

In order to reap the rewards of your hard work, experience and skills set, you’ve first got to learn how to grovel. Eat dirt. Getafreelancer (there are many others, so, do your homework) is a haven for grovelers because employers know that most green horns get their starts here and you’re going to have to do the same. In Getafreelancer, an employer posts a project, an army of people bid for the project at less-than-self-respectful prices and then the employer picks one. Most of the time, you’d have to go down really low to get a hold of the project but hey, this is where you start.

The main purpose is for you to get the experience and also build your portfolio.

Somewhere down the road, when you’ve successfully marketed yourself as a freelance writer, people want to see a portfolio. Since you’ve groveled, kissed shoes, begged and worked for peanuts so much, you’ve probably got a tidy bundle of portfolio to show off.

That, my friends, is when your groveling pays off.

Good luck to you!

by Marjorie J McDonald

When deciding on a topic to write or speak about gather the information you want to present to the reader or audience. Place the information in categories relating to various aspects of your topic. From there, sort the information into level of importance from most important to least important in being able to communicate about your topic.

You then can determine what would actually contribute to presenting your topic clearly and what would be extra information that could add some value. Then determine what information would subtract value from your subject or fall into rambling about the subject.

Next, begin to gather the main points of your topic by putting them in order of what the reader needs to know first and then continue to what they would need or want to know last. You will be introducing your topic, giving information about your topic and then explaining to your reader or listener why this information would be of value for them to know.

Sort the main points into an outline. When you have the major part of the outline in place begin to add to those main points just enough extra information to increase the descriptions and give value to the topic so your reader or listener would feel like it was helpful additional information to understand the topic.

Write down your information and add just enough to keep it interesting and maybe, at that point, just a few extra tidbits that would add but were not really necessary. This way you will be staying on topic and the reader or listener will be able to determine if they want to find out more about the topic you have presented to them.

If you just stay with the main facts with limited extra information the reader or listener will value your presentation more and can then easily determine if getting more information would work for them. They will appreciate your ability to present information and stay on topic. It shows respect for their time and that places you as a writer or speaker higher on their list to come back to you for information in the future.

And now I invite you to join me for a series of writing exercises to help you discover your areas of interest in writing as well as increasing your creativity. You may access these exercises by visiting http://www.freecreativewritingstrategies.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
You also may enjoy visiting my blog at

http://www.creativewritingmadeeasy.com

The more natural you are at making friends without asking for something back in return, the better your business will be. I’ve figured this out all on my own…imagine that! HA HA HA HA HA!

Anyway, this advice is for all those aspiring web content writers out there who have been sending me emails and asking me for advice on how to become a web content writer on the internet and free themselves from the need to look for employment so that they can lead a more fulfilling life, etc.

Well, let me clear something up here. Even when you’re a freelance web content writer, there’s no GUARANTEE that you’ll live a more fulfilling life.

But the chances are higher compared to when you’re employed, of course.

Today’s advice about being a freelance web content writer is this…make friends freely, often and be genuine. Everywhere you go, online and offline, be nice. When you’re nice to people, they like you and when they do, they ask what you do (cue: tell them that you’re a freelance web content writer), and they’ll remember.

Out of the one-hundred people you tell about your freelance web content writer business, ten will probably remember you. Two of them might have immediate business for you, three are thinking about it. There you have five people thinking about hiring you as their freelance web content writer.

The other five have your name written at the back of their minds…they probably remember you more for your nice behavior and friendliness than your catchy phrases about being a writer…but it’s there.

Somewhere down the road, two of the remaining five might have something for you, and BING! Your name crops up.

This is one of the best ways to break it into the freelance web content writing business.

Ben, this is for you since you’re the last to ask this question.

Cheers!

Love,

Marsha M

The widardrette of words @ freelance writer by choice

by Susan Gabriel

There is a statistic I’ve seen in a couple of places that says that 99% of all writers who submit their work never get published. At best, this statistic is discouraging. Yet it floats around out there as if a tool to flog ourselves with mercilessly.

So why would someone do something that has such miserable odds? I wonder that myself, since I’m one of those people plugging away. I have been writing for 14 years. I have gone to what feels like a zillion conferences, taken creative writing courses, and worked out stories in writer’s groups month after month, year after year, for years. I have done this while piecing together part-time jobs and child-support to make ends meet.

In the process, I have written at least four viable manuscripts (two of which my agent is marketing), one now in print, and have a new one I’m working on. This new one will probably be revised a dozen times before I send it to my agent, probably a year or so from now. Folks, this is definitely not a get-rich-quick endeavor.

A whole industry has grown up around people who want to write. They are often called “wannabes” or they want-to-be a writer someday. And they, like me when I started out, are incredibly naïve about what it actually means to be a writer.

On the other end of the spectrum are the “I used to write” camp. These are the people that gave it a go and for whatever reason, usually having to do with paying the bills, gave it up. I don’t blame them one bit. I understand completely. And at the same time, I fight daily to not become a part of this camp.

This is not something you do for fame or fortune. Writing is something you do because you have to do it. You have to do it or else you will explode, implode, or be very unhappy. You have to do it or life as you know it will end. It feels like life or death. Being creative-writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, whatever-is not something that can be chosen lightly. It is a responsibility. And every time we pick up the pen or paint or learn a new dance position we are defying the odds.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Gabriel is an author of fiction for adults and children. Her latest book, Seeking Sara Summers, is gaining acclaim in diverse circles.
More info at http://www.susangabriel.com
Gabriel works and plays in Colorado.