Indies. Get It Write » How to get paid what you’re worth. Working From Home - 10 Keys to Survival - Worldwide Freelance Writer. This is a guest post by Anne Varia.
Conference calls in your pajamas. Two-hour lunches. Unlimited vacations and endless sick time. Indeed, working at home is every writer’s dream. The truth is, writers and non-writer’s alike tend to glamorize the notion of working at home. Lots of writers take their workspace for granted. While it’s okay to enjoy your flexible hours, you do need to set up some kind of schedule for yourself, and stick to it. This could be tricky. No matter how big the project looming before you, work on other assignments as well. Are you enjoying long conversations with the dog? No chit-chat at the water cooler for you.
As Senior Copywriter with an international catalog company, I’ve had the experience of supervising other writers for several years now. I’m not going to get on any kind of soap box about this, but staying fit is critical to good health. “Great work.” Once you start working at home, there’s a huge risk of your work life spilling over into your home life. Use LinkedIn Company Profile Pages to Promote Your Freelance Business. 25 (Plus) Must-Follow Tweeters for the Serious Freelancer. Is It Time to Take a Social Media Inventory? The Definitive Guide to Creating Your Own Freelancing A-Team. 26 Common Freelancing Mistakes to Avoid. 33 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business. Bad Language / How to make money writing for the web. My company, Articulate Marketing, helps big tech companies communicate better about their products and services.
A large part of my work is writing editorial-style content for websites. My credentials are my work for HP, Microsoft, eBay and others. In the past couple of weeks, several people have asked me for advice about becoming a web copywriter, so here it is: 1. Learn to write well The first thing is to become a good writer. Look at good and bad copy on other people’s sites and analyse why it works or doesn’t work. 2. The secret of making reasonable money at writing is to find a niche and become an expert. That doesn’t mean you have to stay in one area forever. What to start with? Once you have some traction in a given area, look for ways to expand your knowledge. 3. The key thing to remember – tattoo it on the inside of your eyelids and never forget it – is that writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. 4.
If you build it, they will NOT come. Social Media Starter Moves for Freelancers. Opportunities for entrepreneurial spirits, freelancers, and consultants are on the rise.
A weaker economy (as we’re experiencing in the US right now) is one reason, but another is the flexibility such employees offer companies who might not have the resources (or want the overhead) related to taking on full time staff for certain roles. And yet, with our attention forever dividing, how can you rise above the fray and be not only seen but selected for the opportunities you seek? Here are some thoughts on the matter.
First: Professionalism, or Not Before you even start in on this whole thing, determine whether you’re a fun-loving soul, looking to make a few extra bucks on the side, or whether you’re seeking to build a sustainable stream of revenue for you to sustain yourself and possibly a family. Your Blog, Your Storefront Ads, Sidebars, and Widgets Before we get down to tacks, let’s do some cleaning: Kill “random” ads. Posting Ideas Now, let’s talk about your blog as your business engine: How to Break into Freelance Writing - Mahalo. You can't expect to be paid for your scribbling without a few good clips to show editors.
One way to get clips is to write for little or no pay—but only for a limited period of time. You won't be able to sustain your living situation if you continually work for low or no paying publications. The fact is that there are plenty of paying opportunities available without resorting to giving away your work for free.