No posts in a while, I know. That's because I've been trying to move 200 miles away, and that, my friends, is a pain in the butt.
But that doesn't mean I have to stop writing. It was difficult, yes, but I think I've discovered how to keep writing while living the hectic life of a person trying to organize a move to a different state.
Here are a few tips to keep you on track if you are moving:
1. Write in the car if you aren't driving.
2. Write an article or whatever in email form on your phone while you are shopping or waiting in line.
3. Find ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, an hour, to write before bed. Or here and there.
The biggest thing is to forget about a regular schedule and to just get in a few minutes here and there while you can so that you have articles ready to submit later.
Happy writing.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
CoffeeJitter: the Excitement of Writing for a Brand-New Project
I don't know about the rest of you, but CoffeeJitter is certainly not my first freelancing endeavor. When I was approached about it, however, I thought, "Hey, why not?"
I love to write, and here was an opportunity to start writing with something from the ground up. Kind of exciting, don't you think, to start with something at the start instead of trying to launch yourself into a community of already highly recognized and established names? Instead I get to build my name as an established writer here, and when newbies come around on the scene, they will look at me and my work and think, "She must know something."
Right?
It's all very exciting, and I have published several articles on CoffeeJitter. The wait time is phenomenonally short, though I expect that will change with time, and pay is based on page views, but that isn't all so new for a content website.
Here's a link to my profile there: K.M. Stockton
I love to write, and here was an opportunity to start writing with something from the ground up. Kind of exciting, don't you think, to start with something at the start instead of trying to launch yourself into a community of already highly recognized and established names? Instead I get to build my name as an established writer here, and when newbies come around on the scene, they will look at me and my work and think, "She must know something."
Right?
It's all very exciting, and I have published several articles on CoffeeJitter. The wait time is phenomenonally short, though I expect that will change with time, and pay is based on page views, but that isn't all so new for a content website.
Here's a link to my profile there: K.M. Stockton
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
5 Items Every Freelance Writer Needs
There are certain items that every freelance writer needs to be successful, and while I could go on and on about the necessary items, here are five that I think are important and/or little mentioned.
Item 1: Computer
How can you write online without a computer? This one is pretty commonsense, but your computer will be your biggest tool as a freelance writer. A desktop and a laptop both work equally well. It is just a matter of preference.
Item 2: Document Composer With Spell-check
Microsoft Word isn't your only option. I use Open Office, my preferred document composer. The biggest thing is that you need a spell-checker. Wordpad and Notepad both fail in this department. Spell-checking is sometimes more crucial than the actual writing.
Item 3: Notebook and Binder
Item 1: Computer
How can you write online without a computer? This one is pretty commonsense, but your computer will be your biggest tool as a freelance writer. A desktop and a laptop both work equally well. It is just a matter of preference.
Item 2: Document Composer With Spell-check
Microsoft Word isn't your only option. I use Open Office, my preferred document composer. The biggest thing is that you need a spell-checker. Wordpad and Notepad both fail in this department. Spell-checking is sometimes more crucial than the actual writing.
Item 3: Notebook and Binder
This sort of go together, because you can kind of use one or the other. A binder, I think, works perfectly fine with some loose leaf paper. You can use it to jot down article ideas, keep a freelance writing journal (see here please and here), print out copies of your articles and research, and more. Having this will keep you much more organized, and that seems to be a crucial aspect that gets overlooked. The more organized you are, the easier the writing will be.
Item 4: Work Space
This is one of the most important things a freelance writer needs. You need somewhere to work. Even if you just clear off a table in one corner of the room and set up your computer there. It should be your work space. Don't use that space for surfing the web, talking on the phone, paying bills, or whatever. Use it only to freelance, and keep the space clean.
Item 5: Office Supplies
Highlighters, pens, pencils, Post-Its, erasers, etc., all make it easy to edit, write down ideas, and more. Keep a handy supply of them nearby and ready for use.
For the extended list, click on the title or click right here.
Item 4: Work Space
This is one of the most important things a freelance writer needs. You need somewhere to work. Even if you just clear off a table in one corner of the room and set up your computer there. It should be your work space. Don't use that space for surfing the web, talking on the phone, paying bills, or whatever. Use it only to freelance, and keep the space clean.
Item 5: Office Supplies
Highlighters, pens, pencils, Post-Its, erasers, etc., all make it easy to edit, write down ideas, and more. Keep a handy supply of them nearby and ready for use.
For the extended list, click on the title or click right here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tips and Strategies to Improve Your Freelance Writing: Organize Your Time
Organize Your Time
If you don't organize your time as a freelance writer, you might as well kiss any type of organization or achievement good-bye. Organizing your time is absolutely crucial to your success as a freelance writer.
The Number 1 Mistake Freelance Writers Make
The number 1 mistake freelance writers make is treating their writing like a hobby and not a job. Freelance writing for many is not only a source of income but a full-fledged career. Treat freelance writing like a job: set hours and a schedule, write down what needs accomplished for the day, etc.
Stick to this schedule. If you don't, then making it was pointless.
If you don't organize your time as a freelance writer, you might as well kiss any type of organization or achievement good-bye. Organizing your time is absolutely crucial to your success as a freelance writer.
The Number 1 Mistake Freelance Writers Make
The number 1 mistake freelance writers make is treating their writing like a hobby and not a job. Freelance writing for many is not only a source of income but a full-fledged career. Treat freelance writing like a job: set hours and a schedule, write down what needs accomplished for the day, etc.
Stick to this schedule. If you don't, then making it was pointless.
How To Make the Most Out of Your Time as a Freelance Writer
By organizing it of course! Make sure you streamline your schedule. Set hours you can keep and keep them. Group all of your research together. Plan out your articles.
And once you do these things, see if you don't accomplish more as a freelance writer.
For more "Tips and Strategies to Improve Your Freelance Writing", please see here.
By organizing it of course! Make sure you streamline your schedule. Set hours you can keep and keep them. Group all of your research together. Plan out your articles.
And once you do these things, see if you don't accomplish more as a freelance writer.
For more "Tips and Strategies to Improve Your Freelance Writing", please see here.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
5 Ways To Sneak In Five Minutes of Writing
"With all the errands you have to run, the house you have to run and keep clean, the kids and spouse (and probably the dogs) that you have to feed and organize, the day-job you might have, it might feel like there is never any time to get a single word written. Trust me, we all have those days (or weeks) when we feel like we just don't have time to do anything at all. But the plain truth is, you can find time. You just have to take the opportunity when it arises. No, you might not find two solid hours to sit down and write, but if you can sneak in 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there, the time starts to add up..."
That's the intro to an article I wrote listing 18 ways to sneak in some writing time. (Go ahead and click the title of this post for the full list.)
Life always seems to get in the way of writing, but if you are serious about writing, you need to make time for it. Like I said, 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there makes 10, and that starts to add up pretty quickly.
Try these 5 times to sneak in five minutes of writing:
1. The waiting room at the doctor's office
2. Waiting in line at the grocery store check-out
3.Waiting for your food to arrive at a restaurant
4. During your break at work
5. Waiting for your child's practice or rehearsal to end
That's the intro to an article I wrote listing 18 ways to sneak in some writing time. (Go ahead and click the title of this post for the full list.)
Life always seems to get in the way of writing, but if you are serious about writing, you need to make time for it. Like I said, 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there makes 10, and that starts to add up pretty quickly.
Try these 5 times to sneak in five minutes of writing:
1. The waiting room at the doctor's office
2. Waiting in line at the grocery store check-out
3.Waiting for your food to arrive at a restaurant
4. During your break at work
5. Waiting for your child's practice or rehearsal to end
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Websites Every Freelance Writer Needs To Know: the Yahoo! Contributor Network (Associated Content)
For those of you looking for a place to kick off your freelancing career and a great website that pays you (not just for page views either!) for writing online articles, then the Yahoo! Contributor Network (formerly Associated Content - actually, to many that is what it is still referred to, and that is what I'm going to call it) might be for you.
Types of Payment
Associated Content offers two types of payment:
Upfront - receive an offer on an article as a one-time payment for your article
Performance - these are lifetime payments based on page views
The rates for both vary widely, depending on a number of factors, such as quality, relevance, searchability, and your clout as a writer, among other things.
Associated Content's Pay-Out Period
Performance payments are given approximately monthly, but upfront payments can be received at any time. Associated Content says there is a wait period of about two weeks for an article to be reviewed, but it is often shorter than that.
The editors don't work on the weekend, so don't expect to get any payouts or offers on the weekend.
Topics Allowed by Associated Content
Pretty much - everything. Not everything will be eligible for an upfront payment, such as creative writing pieces, recipes, and certain types of reviews, but you can publish those anyway and get page views on them.
You can also submit pictures, videos, and audio recordings.
Associated Content's Ease of Use
Associated Content is by and far the easiest website for freelance writers to begin with and use. The application process allows most anyone who can write to sign up and get published. You can write whatever you want or choose assignments and get paid for either.
You can also interact with other writers extremely easily through a variety of features including: forums, comments, messages, following, fan-ing, and more.
Benefits of Associated Content
-Ease of use
-Great for beginners to get published on (gives you something to showcase your talent and work)
-Get paid frequently
-Write whatever you want
-Network with over 400,000 other writers
To see my Associated Content work, please click here.
Types of Payment
Associated Content offers two types of payment:
Upfront - receive an offer on an article as a one-time payment for your article
Performance - these are lifetime payments based on page views
The rates for both vary widely, depending on a number of factors, such as quality, relevance, searchability, and your clout as a writer, among other things.
Associated Content's Pay-Out Period
Performance payments are given approximately monthly, but upfront payments can be received at any time. Associated Content says there is a wait period of about two weeks for an article to be reviewed, but it is often shorter than that.
The editors don't work on the weekend, so don't expect to get any payouts or offers on the weekend.
Topics Allowed by Associated Content
Pretty much - everything. Not everything will be eligible for an upfront payment, such as creative writing pieces, recipes, and certain types of reviews, but you can publish those anyway and get page views on them.
You can also submit pictures, videos, and audio recordings.
Associated Content's Ease of Use
Associated Content is by and far the easiest website for freelance writers to begin with and use. The application process allows most anyone who can write to sign up and get published. You can write whatever you want or choose assignments and get paid for either.
You can also interact with other writers extremely easily through a variety of features including: forums, comments, messages, following, fan-ing, and more.
Benefits of Associated Content
-Ease of use
-Great for beginners to get published on (gives you something to showcase your talent and work)
-Get paid frequently
-Write whatever you want
-Network with over 400,000 other writers
To see my Associated Content work, please click here.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Why Networking Is Important to Being a Freelance Writer
Networking is absolutely crucial for a freelance writer online. Why? Well, there are lots of reasons, ranging from marketing yourself to getting a fan base with regular readers.
Networking can and will improve your career as a freelance writer in various ways, and if you neglect to network, you won't succeed in this business. At least, you won't reach your full potential.
Networking Can Land You Jobs
By networking with others, you build a basis of communication, establish yourself as a real person, and keep yourself at the forefront of the minds of whomever you are networking with, which means that you can land yourself jobs. Maybe you are networking with the editor of a magazine or the owner of a very successful website. You have made it clear that you are a freelance writer. You have kept in touch, showing an interest but not pushing yourself. You are now at the top of the list for this person when they think of a freelance writer.
Networking Will Gain You Page Views
For those of you writing freelance articles for an online collection, such as Associated Content or eHow or one of the other various PV sites, then you know that you earn money for page views. And that makes page views entirely important. They best way to get page views isn't to wait around for someone to stumble across your articles. It's to market them, and that means networking. Tell everyone you know that you are a freelance writer. Pass around your link. Start a Facebook group. Get followers on Twitter. Anything you can think of to make sure people know what you write and where you write.
Networking Can Grow Your Fanbase
When you get more people to read your articles, you will get more fans, and more fans means more regular readers. The more readers you have, the more credible you look. I know, it seems kind of stupid, but by looking credible, you become more credible.
To read an article on "Why Networking With Other Writers Is Important", please click here.
Networking can and will improve your career as a freelance writer in various ways, and if you neglect to network, you won't succeed in this business. At least, you won't reach your full potential.
Networking Can Land You Jobs
By networking with others, you build a basis of communication, establish yourself as a real person, and keep yourself at the forefront of the minds of whomever you are networking with, which means that you can land yourself jobs. Maybe you are networking with the editor of a magazine or the owner of a very successful website. You have made it clear that you are a freelance writer. You have kept in touch, showing an interest but not pushing yourself. You are now at the top of the list for this person when they think of a freelance writer.
Networking Will Gain You Page Views
For those of you writing freelance articles for an online collection, such as Associated Content or eHow or one of the other various PV sites, then you know that you earn money for page views. And that makes page views entirely important. They best way to get page views isn't to wait around for someone to stumble across your articles. It's to market them, and that means networking. Tell everyone you know that you are a freelance writer. Pass around your link. Start a Facebook group. Get followers on Twitter. Anything you can think of to make sure people know what you write and where you write.
Networking Can Grow Your Fanbase
When you get more people to read your articles, you will get more fans, and more fans means more regular readers. The more readers you have, the more credible you look. I know, it seems kind of stupid, but by looking credible, you become more credible.
To read an article on "Why Networking With Other Writers Is Important", please click here.
Why I Now Have A Blog
Obviously, this is my first post, and this is my first venture into the blogging world. Before now I had taken the stance of not needing or wanting a blog. (You can see my reasons here in an article I wrote for Associated Content called "Why I Don't Have a Blog". Pretty straight-forward title, huh?)
But I feel confident enough that with enough experience under my belt and armed with quite a bit of know-how that I can successfully run the blog, and hey, I have a little time to kill, so why not?
Reason Number 1 Why I Now Have a Blog: Practice Makes Perfect
The first reason a blog will be beneficial to me - and this is a golden rule in the world of freelance writing - is that it gives me an opportunity to practice, practice, practice my online writing.
Reason Number 2 Why I Now Have a Blog: Marketing
Publishing posts and maintaining a blog is just one more way to market my online articles and to gain a base of readers and fans. If I'm successful at this, it benefits me in my career as a writer.
Reason Number 3 Why I Now Have a Blog: Networking
Additionally, blogging lets me network with other bloggers, some of whom are probably avid writers. Writers, in my experience, always have other writers' backs. It's just how we work.
Reason Number 4 Why I Now Have a Blog: Profit
I have been told that blogs can make a person a nice bit of money. I don't quite know how to be successful with that just yet, but why not try if I'm going to blog anyway?
But I feel confident enough that with enough experience under my belt and armed with quite a bit of know-how that I can successfully run the blog, and hey, I have a little time to kill, so why not?
Reason Number 1 Why I Now Have a Blog: Practice Makes Perfect
The first reason a blog will be beneficial to me - and this is a golden rule in the world of freelance writing - is that it gives me an opportunity to practice, practice, practice my online writing.
Reason Number 2 Why I Now Have a Blog: Marketing
Publishing posts and maintaining a blog is just one more way to market my online articles and to gain a base of readers and fans. If I'm successful at this, it benefits me in my career as a writer.
Reason Number 3 Why I Now Have a Blog: Networking
Additionally, blogging lets me network with other bloggers, some of whom are probably avid writers. Writers, in my experience, always have other writers' backs. It's just how we work.
Reason Number 4 Why I Now Have a Blog: Profit
I have been told that blogs can make a person a nice bit of money. I don't quite know how to be successful with that just yet, but why not try if I'm going to blog anyway?
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