Bringing Community Back: FWJ is Giving Away $150

Once upon a time there was a blog. This blog had several thousand visitors each day. They shared. They chatted. They commiserated. It was all good. Soon some mean people came by and began scaring away the happy chatters. The vibe changed from warm and fuzzy to not so much fun anymore. The owner did her best to build up community, but she was so busy with her projects and her job it wasn’t happening. She put a comment policy into place but the damage was already done. She had a reputation for having a community that liked to bicker.

She wants to change that.

If you remember the days when FWJ was a huge, lively community of writers helping writers, you may miss the golden days as well. Let’s try and get it all back. Several years ago, we built this community with a contest – a comments contest. We offered a $25 gift certficate to the person with the most comments. People came and never left. It was good.

We’re doing it again, except we’re upping the ante.

Beginning today, October 1st, we’re giving away $150 to the people who help to bring back this wonderful community. We’re giving away three $50 prizes.

• The person with the most comments between now and October 31st, on the homepage Freelance Writing Jobs blog, will receive $50.
• The person with the most comments across the whole FWJ network by the end of the month, that’s all of the blogs, will receive $50.
• The FWJ blogger who does the most to build community and join the conversation will win $50 at the end of the month.

Just a few notes:

• Comments that only say ” I agree” or add nothing to the conversation won’t count.
• Comments not adhering to our comment policy will be deleted and won’t count.
• Spammy comments or comment dropping links – unless they’re truly offering something to the conversation – won’t count.

I know you’re here. I see the numbers. Thousand of people visit each day and even more subscribe. Come join the conversation. Let’s bring community back!

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Freelance Writing Jobs & Demand Studios: The Perfect Partnership

This is a sponsored post.

As you may have heard, Demand Studios and Freelance Writing Jobs have entered into a partnership. In return for Demand’s sponsorship, I’m spreading the joy at conferences, this blog, and across the social networks. Contrary to the grumblings of a couple of writers, my support of Demand Studios isn’t a new thing. I’ve been singing Demand Studios’ praises for well over a year now. I feel they’re perfect for new writers who are looking for a place to start, and, also, an easy way for established writers to supplement their income.

Back to My Humble Beginnings

Those of you who have followed FWJ since the beginning know I once wrote for a website called “Write for Cash” before launching a successful blog and getting into the social media space. WFC was a lot like Demand Studios. We logged into our dashboard each day, picked the jobs best suited for us, wrote, submitted and waited for the love from our editors. I credit my clips from WFC for helping me land my newspaper column. Most of the articles I picked had to do with saving money and thanks to those clips, I was selected to write about frugal living on a regular basis for an area newspaper. I think this is why Demand gives me a warm, fuzzy vibe. It takes me back to some good times. It reminds me of my humble beginnings.

Writing for Demand Studios

I signed up for Demand Studios a couple of years ago, though I never actually wrote for them. I was intrigued, but didn’t have the time for any new projects. Still, I supported Demand and posted links to their gigs often. Some people question my support of Demand Studios, and I can understand why. If you look through this blog over the past few years, you’ll notice I’m not happy with many content sites because I don’t like the way they treat their writers. However, Demand Studios is one place I recommended to the writers in this community from the get-go. They pay higher than average content site wages, treat their writers in a respectful manner, and they have a strict hiring policy, which means quality content. I can appreciate and respect that many writers wish to receive hundreds of dollars for their articles. However, it might interest you to know many highly paid freelance writers also write for Demand when they’re in between clients or would like a little extra income.

When we began discussing a possible partnership I revisited my Demand Studios account. I felt I couldn’t endorse them properly without making sure they were, indeed, a good place for freelance writers to work. I’ve been writing for Demand for the past month or so, and I must say I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s exactly like my old friend Write for Cash, right down to the ..umm...interesting article titles.

If you’ve thought about writing for Demand Studios but wasn’t sure about how it worked or if it was a good opportunity, let me take you through the process. Really, it couldn’t be more user-friendly. Simply sign up and upon approval read the guidelines, pick your articles and write within the allotted amount of time. Yeah, Demand has a lot of rules and guidelines, but this also ensures clean, thoughtful, well-researched content. There are reasons for “the rules”. Demand Studios provides content to several different clients and articles must be created and formatted accordingly. They expect the best from their writers because their clients expect the best from them.

About Those Editors…

Now, I read comments on various forums and blogs about rejected articles and how editors must be biased. I can’t say I’ve had this experience at all. What I have noticed is that the editors at Demand Studios are strict. Because of this, I’m taking more care with my writing. My sentences are tighter. I’m re-reading my work and self editing. I lost a lot of that when I began blogging full time, and it’s good to get it back. I find myself thinking as I write.

Yeah I had to rewrite a couple of articles, but not for anything bad – I made some silly mistakes. I didn’t include my references, which every article must link to. This is something else I appreciate about Demand Studios. Writers are held accountable. They can’t just Google and post. Our editors want to know how we came upon our information and to provide links to our references. I, for one,appreciate knowing where writers find their sources.

Every writer has access to some stats. Our stats tell us how we did. We’re scored on our writing and our research. It’s also noted how many articles are rejected. Plus, our editors leave comments on our articles so we can get an idea of why we scored as we did. I know some writers don’t love this feature, I find it to be quite the motivator.

Payment is made via PayPal every Friday. For writers who appreciate the regular cash flow, this is indeed a perk as most content sites pay once per month. The process is like clockwork and it’s very rare to hear a freelancer complain about lack of payment. I only write a few articles each week for Demand, but I like that little something extra each week.

Why Now, Deb?

So now you’re asking yourself, “Is Deb only singing Demand’s praises because they have a partnership going on?” Well, yes and no. If you look back you can see I’ve been recommending Demand for almost a couple of years now. However, as I promised transparency, I probably wouldn’t have dedicated this entire post to them if we didn’t enter into a partnership. You know me by now, though. It’s very rare I do endorsements and sponsored posts. When I do, I offer an honest review. If something sucks, I’ll say it. If I didn’t believe in Demand Studios, you wouldn’t be reading this today.

What can you expect from this partnership?

You’re probably wondering how the partnership between Demand and FWJ will affect the FWJ community. I hope it’s for the better. I’m going to be attending conferences on Demand’s behalf to talk to you and other writers about the Demand experience. I hope to meet as many of you as possible and welcome new writers into the FWJ community. Consider me Demand’s Ambassador of Freelance Writing and Social Media. You can also expect a Demand Studios “Tip of the Day” right here on the FWJ blog, plus first dibs on job openings at Demand.

I know many writers who invest several hours a day writing for Demand Studios. Many of them earn betweetn $2,000 and $3,000 per month. That’s not a bad thing. Again, Demand Studios may not be for you, but for the writer just starting out it can lead to an amazing career. I should know. A site just like Demand Studios did wonders for mine.

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2009 Copywriting Success Summit

Ok. You know me. I don’t spam. I don’t sell. I don’t do a heck of a lot of product reviews here. I don’t even pimp my ebook much. The reason for this is because there aren’t enough products or services I believe in enough to dedicate a whole blog post. Sure, I’ll put banners in the side bar for a more subtle approach, but in your face selling isn’t my style. I like to think that’s the reason you like us here so much.

I have a sales pitch for you today, one that will lead to an affiliate link. However, since everyone and his brother offer me affiliate links and I don’t take them up on it, I hope you’ll understand that this is something I believe in. I wouldn’t recommend you spend your hard earned money on this if I didn’t absolutely think it would benefit you in your freelance writing career.

The 2009 Copywriting Success Summit

The Copywriting Success Summit is an event geared towards helping you to become a better writer. Period.

How will you benefit?

• You’ll learn about the best ways to market yourself and your writing business.
• You’ll learn about successful marketing campaign and discover how to apply the same lessons to building your own business.
• Learn about how social media marketing can benefit you…and your clients.
• Learn how to turn one client into a repeat client.

Plus…(and this is the best part) You’ll be learning from the best in the business, including some of my friends.

• Peter Bowerman
• Chris Garrett
• Michael Stelzner
• Nick Usborne
• Marcia Yudkin
• Chris Marlow
• Casey Hibbard
• Pete Savae
• Ed Gandia
• Steve Slaunwhite

This is no mere podcast. It’s a summit. Live Q & A’s, networking, community, workshops – it’s all there. This is perfect for anyone who doesn’t wish to attend a full fledged conference, but would like to partake in the learning.

The Copywriting Success Summit begins on October 6th. For a limited time, you can get $200 off the price, but the early bird special is only good for the next 30 days.

Now. I won’t b.s. you and pretend this summit is inexpensive, because it’s not. I’ve been monetizing this blog long enough to know the FWJ community doesn’t like spending money. I’ll even go as far as to say most of you will take a look at the almost $500 price tag and move on (but don’t go until you see the discounted price!). That’s fine, I get it and there are no hard feelings. For those of you who wish to keep reading, compare this summit to the going rate at a live event, including travel and lodging, and you’ll find you’re getting a bargain.

Let me tell you a little more about the Copywriting Success Summit.

We talk often about finding the high paying freelance writing jobs. However, that’s not necessarily going to happen without good tools and good marketing. The Copywriting Success Summit will help you with both. We’re not talking about web content or keyword writing. We’re not talking about newspapers and magazines. We’re not talking about blogging. We’re talking about copywriting. The kind of writing the big, high paying brands use to sell their products and services. Ever wonder what the businesses with big budgets pay their writers? Thousands of dollars for a single sales brochure or letter. Even lower paying copywriters typically earn $50 – $150 per hour.

Sounds good, right?

You’ll also learn:

• How to grow your business during tough times.
• How to create a marketing plan that will attract the high paying clients
• How to use social media to gain exposure
• How to convert an “inquiry” into a lucrative contract.
• How to create a direct marketing campaign.
• How to grow a side business with products such as courses and books.

Last year 98% of those in attendance said they’d come back again. Sounds to me like they got a little something out of it.

If you’ve been looking to take some classes, invest in a seminar or further advance your freelance writing career, I hope you’ll give the Copywriting Success Summit some consideration. I wouldn’t talk about it here if I didn’t think you’d get the bang for your buck.

Support FWJ

Even More Posts You May Have Missed

Have you taken a ride around the Freelance Writing Jobs network lately? If not, you might have missed some good stuff! Here are some more posts you may have missed:

From Business Tips for Writers:

• 5 Tips for Finding Freelance Writing Work Between Clients
• The Phone is Your Friend, Use It

From Article Writing Tips:

• Quick Query Tip: Query the Right Editor
• Self Editing Tip #2: Read it Out Loud

From Blogging for a Living:

• Why Trolls Troll
• Blog Wars: Should You Engage
• So Did I Ever Mention that I’m Not Deb Ng

From Job Hunting Tips

• Overcoming Your Freelance Handicaps
• 3 Tips for Finding Work in the Hidden Freelance Writing Jobs Market

Other Stuff:

• obsessedobsessedobsessed
• Do You Earn a Full Time Living?

Enjoy the reading!

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RAND Publishing Taps Helium to Source Writers for New Skinny On™ Books

Selected Authors will Earn up to $5k per Title

ANDOVER, MA – July 21, 2009 — Helium, the world’s largest writing community, today announced a partnership with RAND Publishing, publisher of The Skinny On™ series of illustrated non-fiction books. Under the partnership, RAND Publishing will leverage Helium’s social publishing platform to identify the most appropriate authors for up to twenty-five new titles, such as The Skinny On Finance for Young Adults and The Skinny on Social Networking. Selected writers will be chosen by Helium and paid between $3,500 and $5,000 per title.

First launched in 2008 by acclaimed author, attorney and motivational speaker Jim Randel, The Skinny On series is designed to provide time-starved and information-overloaded readers with “the skinny on life’s most important lessons.”

“The Skinny On series offers a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and cell phones,” said Jim Randel, founder and Chairman of RAND Publishing. “Helium’s unique community of talented, motivated writers presents a gold mine for us to source the best authors for our future titles.”

Inspired by the Japanese literary form, Manga, a whimsical, illustrated modality for story-telling, and easily read in about an hour, each Skinny On subject is explored through the lives of ordinary people – normal in all respects but one: they happen to be stick people.

“The Skinny On™ books challenge the traditional publishing model for non-fiction works,” says Peter Newton, vice president of business development for Helium. “We look forward to helping such an innovative publishing company quickly and cost-effectively source new authors so they can continue to grow and scale their business.”

Helium’s partnership with RAND marks the latest in a series of alliances formed with various media companies over the last year. In February, Hearst Newspapers partnered with Helium to access premium local and lifestyle editorial content for its newspapers.

Helium has also partnered with prestigious journalism organizations such as The National Press Club and The Society of Professional Journalists, which view the site as a resource for their members to build their digital writing credentials and showcase their work in front of thousands of publishers online.

About Helium

Helium is the world’s largest community of writers. Since its inception in 2006, Helium’s writers have published over 1.25 million articles on 125,000 unique topics. Each month close to 4 million people visit Helium.com to read articles on a range of subjects from careers to home & garden, parenting, politics and more. Helium writers earn money and establish digital credibility by publishing articles on Helium, securing writing assignments with publishers through Helium’s freelance Marketplace, competing in writing contests, and engaging in civilized debate around the issues and causes that are most important to them. Recently named by Writer’s Digest as one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers,” Helium is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Andover, MA. For more information please visit www.Helium.com.
About RAND

Founded in 2008, RAND Publishing has created a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and mobile devices. Their quick-read story format and short lead publishing cycles allow RAND’s books to provide The Skinny On™ current events and topical subjects, all the while keeping readers informed and entertained.

With a focus on topics aimed at inspiring personal, professional and financial success, RAND Publishing’s mission is to provide must-have content in the right format to consumers, professionals, educators, students and lifelong learners worldwide. RAND’s first book, The Skinny On the Housing Crisis, recently won the coveted NAREE Book of the Year award. RAND is a privately held and funded company based in Westport, CT. Please visit randpublishing.com or theskinnyon.com for more information.

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How’re We Doing? Please Take Our Survey!

Hi friends of the Freelance Writing Jobs blog network. In order to make FWJ a more pleasant, user friendly and informative experience, we need to periodically gauge our readers’ opinions. I hope you don’t mind taking a couple of minutes out of your busy schedule and taking our brief survey.

It’s all anonymous, we’re not collecting names. By filling it out it will let us know a little about your habits and your thoughts about this network.

Click Here to take survey

Thanks, once again, for your continued support.

Thank you so much for your time!

- Deb

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The FWJ Network: Some Posts You May Have Missed

In case you only come here for the leads, and that’s perfectly fine if that’s your thing, you may have missed some cool goings on at the other blogs in the Freelance Writing Jobs network. I hope you don’t mind if I take some time today to highlight some of the other blogs and bloggers by showcasing their recent work. I also hope you’ll participate in some of the highlighted discussions:

Freelance Writing Jobs

• 5 Forms of Passive Income for Freelance Writers
• Is Old School a Bad Thing?
• 5 Ways to Step Away from the Job Boards and Create Your Own Freelance Writing Opportunities

Article Writing Tips

• What Phobias are Keeping You From Writing Success
• Build Your Niche or Your Name?

Business Tips for Writers

• Do the Projects You Work On Let You Sleep at Night?
• Should You Be Working for Free?

Job Hunting Tips

• The Cover/Interview Letter
• How Important is a Resume for Freelance Writers?

Other Stuff

• Simon’s successful job pitch
• Freelance Friday Quote
• Write or Die Application
• *tap tap* is This Thing On?

Blogging for a Living

• What You Want vs. What Your Clients Expect
• New Research About Bloggers Ethical Beliefs and Practices

Enjoy!

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More Posts You Might Have Missed

Have you taken a ride around the Freelance Writing Jobs blog network lately? The best way to do it is to start at the home page and see what’s going on at all our blogs, not just this one. We have business tips, article writing tips, job hunting tips, blogging tips and more.

Here are some posts you might have missed:

• Embracing Social Media as a Job Search Tool
• Success Stories: Patrick O’Keefe
• What Does it Mean to Work Smarter Not Harder?
• When Editors Behave Badly
• Go Against Type & Type Up Creativity
• Let Go of Your Fear of Being Fired
• Rejection: A Fact of Freelance Writing Life
• Sharpen Your Listening Skills for Freelance Writing Success
• Redefining Your Blogging Goals
• Are You Too Distracted At Work
• On Not Judging a Social Media Gig By It’s Cover
• Do Your Blog Posts Gain Reader Attention
• Freelance Your Specialty…Or Diversity?
• What’s Your Specialty?

Hope you enjoy! Have a nice weekend…

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CALL FOR AUTHORS, CALL FOR WORK

The 4th Biennial &Now Festival of Innovative Writing & the Literary Arts will be held in Buffalo, NY from October 15-17, 2009.


The &Now Festival explores intersections between creative and critical praxes, examines innovative and experimental acts of writing, and advances a serious inquiry into theories of language.

PLEASE SUBMIT….
Critical papers, criti-fictional presentations, fiction readings, performance pieces (digital, sound, and otherwise), electronic and multimedia projects, and cross genre work of all kinds. Pieces that address linguistic transgressions, the limits of genre, or works that promote interdisciplinary explorations are particularly encouraged. Proposals can be for individual readings, critical panels, creative panels, and/or roundtable discussions.

Please send proposals by email in the following format:

*Title of Proposed Reading/Performance/Presentation
*Brief Description (no more than 500 words).
*Brief Bio (a few sentences) of all participants
*Tech needs (if any)

Submit all proposals to: andnow4@gmail.com

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: June 15, 2009.

Please note: Each session will be approximately 75 minutes. Individual presentations/readings should therefore be limited to 15-20 minutes so that grouped sessions that make thematic sense can be arranged.

For more information, visit:
http://www.english.buffalo.edu/andnow/

Or contact:
Dimitri Anastasopoulos at danastas@buffalo.edu or
Christina Milletti at milletti@buffalo.edu

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Posts You May Have Missed

Freelance Writing Jobs is a network of seven blogs, including this job leads blog. Since most folks come for the leads only, I like to turn them on to what else is going on in our network since our other bloggers all have great tips and advice. Here are some posts you may have missed.

From the home page at Freelance Writing Jobs by Deborah Ng:

• 10 Reasons You’re Not Receiving a Good Response to Your Freelance Writing Job Ad
• 15 People and Places to Follow on Twitter to Find Freelance Writing Jobs
• 5 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs Using Twitter

From Article Writing Tips by Terreece Clarke

• Finishing Strong: How to Wrap Up an Article
• Are You Communicating with or Stalking an Editor
• How to Lose Control of an Interview
• The Art of Yes/No Questions in an Interview

From Job Hunting Tips by Jodee Redmond

• You Know More Than You Think You Do: How to Find a Niche
• 7 Tips to Turn a One Time Assignment into Repeat Business
• Do You Treat All Your Clients Equally?
• Don’t Judge a Job Ad by the Way it is Written

From Business Tips for Writers by James Chartrand:

• The Outsourcing Lifestyle for Writers: a Bad Thing?
• Are You Ready to Get into Freelancing?
• How to Answer Why You Want to Work
• Are You Scared of Spending Money?

Enjoy!

You might also have noticed some tweaks to this particular blog. Notice more tweaks and better navigation for all our blogs in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully FWJ is becoming a more user friendly experience for all!

Follow me on Twitter @debng and for FWJ updates @freelancewj
Click here to search for jobs in your area on SnagAJob.com

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