Write it!

It’s been quite a month! I’ve signed a contract for a children’s book and the publisher wants a sequel–as well as other stories in the series.

The last two weeks I’ve been working simultaneously on three children’s books. Exciting to beat all get out! Between getting the contract in the bag and pulling new stories out of my hat, it has been a roller-coaster ride! But . . . a good ride for all that.

My poor boyfriend had two weeks off but, of course, the latest happenings had to take precedence.

On top off that, I heard that one of my health articles has been selected to appear in the Australian Mensa publication.

Sandwiched in between all this have been requests for blog posts and an offer of payment for helping someone to set up a Blogger blog. It never rains but it pours!!

That’s what makes the writing life so exciting. Some days it seems like Christmas!! –or, as Forest Gump would say: “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

If I can get four children’s books in the works this year, my writing goals will be on target.

Please keep your fingers crossed!

Many people were disappointed to learn that Susan did not win First Place. Especially since her last performance was stellar.

Reports have come in that, in some cases, the number that was flashed for voting was incorrect and that those who voted for Susan were in actuality voting for the other two acts. This may have contributed to Susan’s loss on Britian’s Got Talent.

It would be wonderful if they did a recount and gave Susan the recognition and the First Place win she deserved.

Today, I came across a site that allows members to leave messages of support for Susan Boyle .

Please check it out and take the time to register and send a message to Susan: Support Susan Boyle

Today, I want to mention valuable resources for writers. If you haven’t visited already, you’ll want to swing by My Writer’s Circle. This writer’s forum has received 100,000 messages in under two years.

My Writer’s Circle has passed another landmark: gaining 5000 members and making it to #1 in Google. What a way to go!

You can receive support and feedback for all of your writing endeavors from a community of like-minded individuals.

You’ll also want to check out Nick Daws writing blog.

Nick also offers budget-friendly courses that give you the tricks of the trade regarding articles and stories that can net you a good return for the time invested. He outlines other markets that are easy to break into and that may prove more lucrative in the end.

Nick shows you how to write fillers, reader’s letters, or how to write for greeting card companies. Imagine submitting a small five-minute filler and getting paid $50.00-80.00 for your efforts?

Nick discusses discovering niche markets that pay well and that pay quickly.

Once you know how and where to market your work, you’ll see a faster and more rewarding return for the time you invest in writing.

Crafting reader-friendly articles for the Internet

Writing for the Internet is different from writing for magazines. Studies show that Internet readers scan pages quickly, looking for digestible bites of information.

Craft Reader-Friendly Articles

• Come quickly to the point in an introductory paragraph
• Use subheadings
• Use bullets points such as you see here
• Break your article into digestible sections
• Conclude with an ending paragraph that sums up your article’s thrust.

Nix Wordiness

Avoid wordy paragraphs as they may be simply too much for the average Internet surfer to absorb. Think how you can offer usable information as concisely as possible.

Articles That Deliver the Goods

When you are looking for information, are you drawn to lengthy overly-detailed books or quick pages that deliver the goods in record time?

Our world just gets busier and busier. Online writers who recognize this craft reader-friendly articles that are easy to read and deliver specific information quickly.

Online Writing Resources:

• Writing for the Web

• How to Write and Publish Articles Online

I made a promise over at Triond. I pledged that for every author who commented on one of my Triond articles, I would return the favor and comment on one of their Triond articles.

Well, have I been busy today!!

In the past, I’ve tried to comment on others’ articles or on articles I happened to come across when at the Triond site–but so many readers take the time to comment on my Triond articles that I thought it only fair to buy out time to return the favor.

Will I be able to keep up the pace? I guess time will tell.

In the process, I have discovered awesome articles that I would have otherwise missed! I’m Stumbling, Digging, and Buzzing Triond articles that are stellar.

This experience has given me a renewed appreciation for a number of hard-working Triond authors. Some of their work is an incredible resource, which I’m sure will continue to earn for them for months or years to come.

What are your thoughts about Writing for Triond?

• Do you write for Triond?
• Do you plan to?
• Do you comment on Triond articles?

Reselling your work allows you to earn more from your efforts. Most writers don’t make enough from any one piece and reselling your articles allows you to capitalize on work you’ve already done.

If you are a writer who still submits your work to print markets, you should give consideration to reselling your articles. Some feel this isn’t a good idea and they rewrite their material so that it is original; others prefer to resell work they’ve completed because this saves them time and earns them more.

There are no hard and fast rules. Just as each writer has a different creative process, each writer will have to determine if reselling his articles is a good fit.

Reselling Your Work

I’ve had good success reselling my work and haven’t encountered any difficulties.

• Make sure the publication you want to resell to takes previously published material
• In your cover letter, provide details of when your work was published, where, and what publication it appeared in.

Some publishers appreciate a plug and you can simply add a sentence to the bottom of your article, such as: “Petting The Parrot” first appeared in the Dec. 2001 issue of Avian Adventures.

Mentioning that your piece has been previously published lets the publication you are submitting to know that another publishing outfit thought the work good enough to run with. This establishes your author credibility.

In an age of recycling, this concept can be put to good use with your articles. Reselling, for some authors, is a lucrative undertaking.

Do you want to get into online content writing? It’s not that hard to do. Maybe you are blogging and now want to take your writing to the next level.

If you are following this blog, make sure to check out the Work From Home tab up top because these are all sites you can write for–and best of all, you will earn from your online content writing.

Admittedly, you have to create much online content to make real earnings but the neat aspect to writing is that you can do it whenever the mood strikes and work at it over time to supplement your present income.

• Some people write part time for fun, to gain experience, and to earn a little extra.
• Some people keep on going and eventually build a writing career.

YouTube offers some good videos about online content writing and how to go about it. I’m including links to some of these below and hope they provide insights and encouragement.

How to Become a Freelance Writer and Start Online Content Writing

• How I Got Started Writing Articles Online.

• How to Find Writing Jobs Online

• Earn Money Writing Articles

• Write and Sell Web Articles

If you’ve always dreamed of being a writer, you can become one. The Internet allows for writers who are just breaking in to hone their skills through online content writing.

If you ‘ve ventured down the freelance writing path, you are either are sending your work out to hard copy markets or you are engaging in online writing. What are the differences between the two?

Hard Copy Markets

Sending your work out to magazines can be lucrative but it is a hit-and-miss undertaking. You can end up waiting months to hear if your piece has been accepted and then spend more months waiting for payment. In the worse-case scenario, you are told that your piece will be published and then it’s later dropped from the publishing que. If you have been waiting on payment, this can be particularly frustrating.

I had this happen with a piece that I had previously sold. I sent it to another publication and was told they wanted to run with it and I was offered $100.00. But, the promised payment never materialized–and I never heard back. I finally wrote and pulled the piece, which, by that time, was an effort in futility. Writing for hard copy, in the end, is a writer’s choice and it may be a good way to supplement your income if time is not a factor.

Online Writing

Many writers are transitioning or have transitioned to online writing because payment is so much faster and they can submit their work electronically, over having to mail it out. Online writing offers distinct advantages. If you have a PayPal account or some other payment method, you are paid almost instantly, upon completion of work. If you write reviews, blog, or write for content sites, you are paid every week, bi-weekly or monthly.

Some writers do both hard copy and online writing so that they have income coming in and have checks arriving in the mail. Whatever the process, this results in writing earnings.

• What kind of writing do you do?

Lesson 7: Free Blogger Backgrounds & Templates

In today’s lesson, I’m going to digress somewhat and include information for those who’ve had a Blogger blog for a couple of months or years and who want to spruce it up a little.

The templates offered via Blogger are a good starting point but as time goes on, you may find that you want your blog to offer more visual appeal. Thankfully, there’s a way–and all at no cost! It would be counterproductive to set up a free blog and then end up paying for a different blog template.

Free Blogger Templates

• Cutest Blog on the Block (backgrounds)
  
• Final Sense Blogger Templates (3 & 4 columns)
• Eblog Templates
• Free Blogger Templates
• 70 Fresh and Modern Blogger Templates 
• Top 20 Free Blogger Templates 
• 50 More Fabulous Blogger Designs to Inspire You

This list of free blog templates will get you started, or, if you prefer, you can simply type “free blogger templates” into your browser to check out what’s available.

Further Reading

• Everything Blogger

Watch a video about free Blog templates

These resources should prove helpful for newer or seasoned bloggers who are looking for free Blogger templates–either to spruce up an existing blog or for use when creating a second or third blog.

It pays to keep your finger on the pulse of freelance writing. One way to do this is to learn from top writing blogs.

Top writing blogs have more to offer freelancers than just great content and helpful resources. By examining some of the top writing blogs, one can learn much about writing and blogging.

Many writers have a blog these days. A blog is a great place to showcase your skills, network with other writers, and even obtain writing work.

 Freelance writers can benefit from scrutinizing what other successful writer-bloggers are doing.

Top Writing Blogs

To kick off the new year, I’m providing a handy listing of some of my favorite top writing blogs for your perusal.

1. Copyblogger
2. Angela Booth’s Writing Blog
3. The Golden Pencil
4. The Renegade Writer
5. Men With Pens
6. Freelance Parent
7. Freelance Writing Jobs
8. ProBlogger
9. Get Paid to Write Online
10. Blogging Basics 101

This listing is by no means exhaustive but from studying some of the top writing blogs, I’ve learned much about writing and blogging.

If you are a freelance writer, learn from the best of the best!

Further Reading:

• Top 60 Blogs for Freelance Writers
• 20 Must-Read Blogs for Freelance Writers

*If you found this post helpful, please give it a Stumble or Buzz or bookmark it.*

With the wonderful Christmas Season winding down, now is the time to give thought to your writing goals for the New Year.

I often talk on my blogs about setting writing goals. Why? I find that setting goals helps me to stay focused and gives a direction to my writing.

Writing Goals

Considering what you are doing successfully can help you to chart out what you want to accomplish in the coming year.

Writing that nets earnings is writing you may want to look at to see how you  can magnify your efforts. A simple formula for writing success is: enlarge on what you are doing so that earnings continue to grow.

• Are your HubPages earning you income? Can you create more?
• Are your blogs generating income? How can you  improve them? Can you work to gain more readers? Can you implement additional monetization?
• If you are writing for revenue share opportunities, how can you increase reader views and earnings?

Scrutinizing what you are currently doing can help you to set writing goals that will propel you forward, resulting in greater earnings for you throughout the coming year.

Additionally, it also helps to consider the skills you’ve mastered and give thought to how you can use these skills in future writing endeavors. If you’ve mastered new skills, these may help in obtaining freelance writing work.

May your writing goals help to propel you onward to success and to lucrative freelancing!

Many people have gotten started writing for Today.com.

If you are considering doing so, you may find the following insights helpful. 

I recently heard from Gail Nobles about her experience of writing for Today.com. She related the following:

“At Today.com, I have 9 posts so far. I have been paid per post.

First, I had 11 cents for my unique visits, but my paid per post made me jump past 1 dollar.

Let me explain further. Paid per post does not mean that I have been paid for all 9 posts either. Some articles may be considered as

duplicate content. I have had this problem by submitting half of my articles to another site for someone to click into to read it on Today. So, just keep it at Today.com.

I am so happy that I joined Today.com. It makes me want to write

even more now that I see the progress that I have made.” 

Gail has created her blog Writeup at Today.com.

Writing for Today.com is another way to earn income from blogging and to familiarize yourself with WordPress.

• I invite readers to share their experiences of writing for Today.com

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For writers and bloggers everywhere, sooner or later the words “trackback” and “pingback” will surface and settle at the back of the mind in a fashion that is sure to be almost headache producing.

What the heck are mysterious trackbacks and pingbacks and why do writers and bloggers need to know about them? Most of us just want to create–and it’s comfortable to be oblivious!

Pain-free Trackbacks and Pingbacks

Okay, let’s wade right in.  And I promise to make this as pain-free as possible.

Trackbacks

Let’s liken a trackback as being similar to an acknowledgment. You write a blog post and in it, you mention something another writer or blogger has written. When you have completed your posts, you simply paste the URL to their post in the horizontal box at the bottom of your post, where it says: “send trackbacks to.” This alerts the other writer that you have made mention of his/her works. It’s a handy way to let someone know you’ve mentioned them.

Pingbacks

When you link to another blog that is pingback enabled, than the author gets a pingback or notification alerting him/her that you’ve linked to his work.

Why should you use trackbacks and how do pingbacks benefit you? This will be discussed in a future post.

* If you found this information helpful, please Stumble or Buzz it or share it at your favorite bookmarking site. *

In my last post I mentioned that I would be discussing different ways to earn income via HubPages.

Earning Income From Creating HubPages

The HubPages publishing platform is flexible and it is this very flexibility that allows you to earn income from HubPages.

• AdSense
• Amazon
• E-Bay
• Kontera

As the author of HubPages, you have the option of utilizing the methods mentioned above which result in earnings from HubPages.

Once you have created a number of pages, those pages work away in the background earning you ongoing income.

Whether it’s a few pennies or a few dollars at first, every little bit helps, as the old saying goes.

If you are willing to work at it, you can grow an income stream earning from HubPages you create.

In my books that’s a winning proposition!

In today’s post, I’ll cover online writing tips, pointing you to a wealth of helpful articles that will help to guide you on your path as a freelance writer.

If you are trying to become an accomplished online writer, it helps to know the tricks of the trade.

Online Writing Tips

• Online Writing: Beginner Tips
• 10 Quick Tips for Writing
• Writing Tips for New Writers

If you have adopted some of these writing tips already, you are well on your way to entering the world of online writing.

• How to Write for the Online Market
• Why Write Online Articles
• How I Became a Succesful Freelance Writer

You can become a succesful online writer, if you are willing to work at it and learn the ropes.

Finally, some excellent advice from one of my favorite writers over at Triond. Allison West gives the skinny on how to find paid online writing jobs in Five Great Sites to Find Freelance Writing Jobs 

Read through this information, apply it, and watch earnings from your online writing efforts grow!

* If you found this article helpful, please Stumble, Digg, Delicious it, or give it the Buzz up.

Photo Credit: Alvimann

Hello Everyone,

In my last post, I mentioned that I would be discussing using keywords in your articles.

Keywords are important because they help search engines to index your articles. When your articles are indexed properly, this helps with your article traffic.

Before you even write an article, you should do a quick check of the keywords you plan on using to see how popular they are and to gain ideas for additional keywords to use in your articles.

A good free tool you can use to generate keywords is the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Simply go to the site and enter your keyword or keyword phrase into the box, type in the requested characters, and wait while a search is conducted for your query.

You’ll be surprised at the different keyword terms that come up.

Using appropriate keywords will increase your reader views and you’ll see a tangible difference in your article earnings.

Keyword Tip:
* Try to use words that someone would type into their browser to find an article. These are your keywords.

Many writers wonder if they should invest time in blogging. While, admittedly, a blog takes work, it can be a good way to increase your presence online.

If you are serious about writing, blogging is another way to hone your writing skills, network with others, show your stuff, and even earn additional income.

Why You Should Blog
1) Blog posts can be used when you need to provide writing samples or, in some cases, you can direct a potential client to your blog, if they want to check out your writing style.

2) Financial opportunities open via blogging, from paid posts to job offers, from AdSense earnings to affiliate commissions.

3) Additionally, a blog is an excellent place to link to your other articles. Why is this important? If you are creating content, one way to drive traffic is to link to it. Your blog posts can do double duty, driving traffic to your blog and to your other articles.

4) What I particularly like about blogging is that you can place an article widget on your blog, thus shining a spotlight on a number of your articles.

5) You can even create your own widget and place it on your other blogs.

6) You can do the same thing with a headline animator that shows your recent blog posts and advertises your blog.

As can be seen, blogs offer incredibly flexible publishing tools that writers can use to their benefit.

Readers of my other writing blog Write and Earn a Living will be aware that I create HubPages.

HubPages is a free-to-join program allowing you create pages about a wide range of topics.

Why I Like HubPages

* HubPages is flexible.
You include videos, news and product capsules, link and picture capsules and RSS Feeds. These elements make for content-rich pages that tend to be search engine friendly.

* Ongoing Earnings.
HubPages incorporates AdSense ads and Kontera text link advertising on your pages and you earn from these. You also earn when someone purchases a product from either Amazon or E-Bay.

* Additonal Income Opportunities
Link to others’ HubPages, refer others, and earn even more.

* Traffic Generation
HubPages offers a handy article widget that can be installed in other places, such a blogs, which directs readers to your HubPage articles. You can link to your other pages via HubPages. (HubPages allows two links.)

The HubPages publishing platform particularly lends itself to how-to articles because you can use pictures to demonstrate different steps, whether how to make homemade noodles or how to carve a pumpkin.

If you’ve gotten started with online writing, you may want to take it one step further and create HubPages.

Today’s post will be a compilation of helpful articles about online writing and paid content. Some are my own, some are from other writers.

I’m including links to these and hope you find the insights helpful.

Since I’ve encouraged newer writers to join Triond and PrintNPost, this first set of articles discusses these opportunities.

• Triond Article Secrets: Craft Articles that Have a Domino Effect
  
• My Highest Paying Triond Articles
• How to Find Your Muse and Really Get Paid for It
• AdSense Earnings From PrintNPost
  

Now, if you are looking to expand your writing efforts, the next set of articles covers general online writing and paid content sites.

• Why I Enjoy Being an Online Writer
• Five Great Sites to Find Freelance Writing Jobs
• How to Promote Your Associated Content Articles
• The Best Way to Earn With Paid Content

These articles should help you to get started, giving you fresh ideas as to how to approach online writing and paid content sites, that can ultimately benefit you, the writer.

That’s it for today! Let me know how you are making out.

Do you like to write stories?

While pumping out articles can result in almost instant earnings, many writers hold fiction as their first love. Fiction, by its very nature, appeals to the creative side.

StoryMash is the perfect blend of creativity and earning potential.

StoryMash 

• Allows you to unleash your creative talent
• You collaborate with other writers on story creation
• You earn money on chapters you write (50% ad revenue)
• You can opt to enter StoryMash writing contests, for even more in earnings

StoryMash is a creative writing community with a discussion forum where finished story chapters receive review from other writers.

StoryMash is a great way to network with other writers, develop your writing skills, and earn as you go.

• StoryMash 
• StoryMash Blog
  
• StoryMash Forum

If crafting stories is what you love to do best, join StoryMash to gain experience with creative writing, meet other writers, and earn a little for your writing efforts.