Archives for November 2009

Freelance Writing Jobs for Monday, November 30, 2009

November 29, 2009 by david 6 Comments

Many of you are probably tidying up your end of the month business, whether it’s meeting deadlines or handling accounting. Don’t forget the clean aspect of it all, today is Monday and tomorrow begins a new month. It’s the perfect time for you to make a fresh, positive start.

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Here’s what’s new around the FWJ network:

I’m pretty sure there won’t be a whole lot of leads, thanks to the long holiday weekend. Still, I think I found some good ones.

Leads…

Web and Content Writing Jobs (Some of these are guidelines and not a gig).

EverythingMom.com – $25+ per article
Freelance Writer for Bright Hub
AskMen.com – Pays $50 per article
Back to College – Pays $65 – $85 per article
CertCities.com – Pays $75 – $300 per article
SheKnows.com – (When I wrote a food blog for SheKnows payment was $500/month. Not sure if it still is.)
Dollar Stretcher – 10/word (Dollar Stretcher was my first print gig – it took three pitches before acceptance.)
How Stuff Works – Pays $100/article
LabMice.Net – Pays .25/word
StrategyPage.com – $25 – $300
Writers Wanted for Appliance Articles
Potty Training Expert Wanted
Bed Wetting Articles Needed – $20/article
Automotive Writers Wanted – $10/article
Bacon Writer

Blogger Jobs

Blogger for Vital Nature – $10 – $20/post
Hiring Writers for French and Romanian Blog
Photographer with Writing Skills for Blog Posts
Coupon Blogger $20 per 1 paragraph blog post

Proofreading/Editing Jobs

Proofreader/Editor Wanted

Copywriting Jobs

Sr. Editor/Copywriter – NYC
Copywriter – Plymouth MA

Journalism Jobs

Celebrity Gossip and Entertainment Reporter
Film Critic & Editor – Beverly Hills
Freelance Entertainment Reporters/Journalists – Beverly Hills
Writers with Bartending Experience – Los Angeles – $35+
Freelance Writer/Editor/Photographer for Arabic Newspaper – NYC
Writers & Columnists for Weekly Jazz Newspaper – NYC – $20/article

Ghost Writing Jobs

Business Plan/Proposal/Grant Writing Jobs

Grant Writer – Baltimore

General/Misc. Freelance Writing Jobs

Marketing Communication Specialist – Salary + Bennies – Telecommute OK
Process & Procedure Writer – Clarity Consultants
LinkBait Writer Wanted
Writers/Editors/Journalists
Researcher for Biography – Birmingham – $50
Libertarian/Independent Writer Needed

International Freelance Writing Jobs

Manchester United Blogger
Research/Report Writer – Buenos Aires

Magazine Gigs, Submissions, Guidelines and Markets

5280 Magazine – Guidelines – Pays $200 – $1000
Archaeology Magazine – Pays $100 – $1500
Threads – $150/page
Magazine Directors Needed – Telecommute OK
Vestal Review – .03 word – $25
The Writer – $25 – $500
You & Me – 03 – .10/word

Today’s leads are sponsored by:

Writer for Linwright Design

November 29, 2009 by david 1 Comment

Linwright Design is growing faster than we can keep up! As a writer who graduated with a degree in journalism, I found that while the print industry was going under, writing was still very much needed online. In fact, content marketing is one of the fastest growing web marketing techniques around. At Linwright Design, we impliment blogs, articles, press releases, social networking, and email marketing to create an effective SEO strategy. Oh yeah, we also do a bit of web design, using WordPress and nothing else.

We’re looking for writers! Not familiar with WordPress? We’ll teach you! The talent is in the writing, and that is something that cannot be taught. If you’re a writer looking for another writing avenue, check us out.

Responsibilities: Content development, blogging, press releases, social networking. If you can write, we’ll get you started on the rest.

This is a part-time position for the time being, but with our amazing growth there is no doubt that if you are a passionate writer we will take you along for the ride! We prefer local writers from the Arizona East Valley.

Contact: [email protected]

Writers for Windows 7 Tutorials

November 29, 2009 by david Leave a Comment

Name of the business: www.7tutorials.com
Cotact Person: Ciprian Rusen – [email protected]
Payment Details: 15$/article

Job Title: Writer of Windows 7 tutorials
Job Description: Write Windows 7 tutorials for both beginners in computing and computer geeks using Windows 7.
Requirements:

Good knowledge of English;
Good Windows 7 operating skills (no need to be an expert but you must know the basics very well);
Ability to explain technical terms to non-technical audiences;
Willingness to write original content instead of copying ideas & content from others.

10 Freelance Writing Lessons Learned from the People of Walmart

November 29, 2009 by david 6 Comments

People of Walmart

The People of Walmart is one of those blogs that gets me through every situation. For example, if I’m feeling as if I have nothing to wear, I turn to the People of Walmart to show me there are endless wardrobe possibilities for the taking in my own closet.

Just when I think my hair cut is getting a little shaggy, I turn to the People of Walmart and realize that it’s nothing a couple of barrettes or a pony tail holder can’t handle. Business in the front and a party in the back, baby.

Finally, when life is getting dull or I need a break in the action, the People of Walmart give me the ability to laugh at myself as I realize that could be me in one of those photos, and maybe one day it will be. You won’t find me rocking a mullet or g-string, well, not in public anyway, but I’m sure there are people who don’t agree with some choices I make, either.

There are lessons to be learned at Walmart, even for freelance writers.

1. Style is in the eye of the beholder.

We may think we have it right, but there are other people to answer to. We might think our writing style is interesting or funny, but our clients or readers might find us dull. Something we might consider amusing, someone else might find offensive. If you’re going for style over substance, be prepared for the consequences.

2. There’s a market for everything.

Whatever your specialty, whatever your preference, there’s a market for your writing. There are buyers for all niches and genres. Whether you write for business or print, there’s work out there. It may take a while to find what you’re looking for, but it’s there. If you’re good at what you do, you can carve out a good living.

3. There are good ways to grab attention.

Your readers appreciate value. They appreciate having information presented to them in a cohesive manner. Readers will always appreciate good content, no matter where it’s published. If you research properly and write for your audience they’ll continue to follow you and support all your endeavors. Grab their attention with good writing and good reporting. Use eye-catching headlines and a kickass opening paragraph. Find a good hook and bring them in.

4. There are bad ways to grab attention.

Going for shock or controversy will bring in attention for sure, but once the train wreck is over everyone will go home. This kind of attention is always short lived, and it doesn’t leave the right taste in everyone’s mouth. Consider why your readers trust you, and take it from there.

5. Marching to your own drum is swell on your own time, but sometimes you have to conform.

It’s great to be an individual, but when someone is paying you to do a job, you’ll have to conform to their standards. When you’re representing someone else’s brand you’ll have to tone down the flair – unless that’s what they’re looking for. Before you begin any project make sure you and your clients discuss what is expected, and what they don’t want to see.

6. Just when you think you’re done, there’s the checkout aisle.

Acting impulsively as a writer isn’t a bad thing. Getting to the end of a piece of writing and adding in a last bit of brilliance to tie it all together can make a project. Moreover, taking the time to read your writing several times over to add a few lines, remove unnecessary words or typos and tweak the finished project is necessary. You wouldn’t complete your shopping trip without going through the check out aisle and you wouldn’t call a piece of writing “complete” without reading it over more than once to make adjustments.

7. Camouflage only hides so much.

Extra words don’t hide bad writing, they make it worse. Don’t pad your writing with fluff to up your word count. If you can’t talk about the topic in the desired word count, you probably don’t know enough about the topic. All extra words do is make the piece more confusing. Fluff takes away from the matter at hand.

8. We can better get down to business when we’re comfortable.

Freelancers work in pajamas, sweats, shorts and baggies. We’re productive and we’re comfortable. Ties and waist bands distract, who cares who might see us?

9. We are what we wear…er…write.

Just as a shopper’s wardrobe might say a lot about her personality, our writing says a lot about ours. Our writing might tell the world if we have a sense of humor (or not), it will say if we’re angry and bitter or calm and rational. Our writing will show if we’re slanted towards a certain topic, or have no affiliation whatsoever.

10. If you’re not careful you’ll find yourself on someone’s blog.

Your writing may inspire another writer to react. Sometimes it’s in a positive manner and that other writer will agree, and sometimes it will elicit respectful disagreement. Still other times, your writing will inspire bitterness or anger. When you write, think about how other people will react. Are you prepared to defend your writing?

Can you find any comparisons between the People of Walmart and the world of freelance writing?

How to Turn Off Your Blog Readers in 10 Easy Steps

November 28, 2009 by david 18 Comments

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Blogging isn’t only a full time job or an income stream for me, it’s an addiction. It’s a way of life. Next to spending time with my family, it’s my favorite thing to do in the world. It’s my passion. I suppose that’s hard to explain to the people who see that I’m online all day and think I have no life, but it is what it is. I’m hooked on blogging, it’s my passion.

I enjoy reading blog posts from other passionate bloggers as well. When people love what they do their passion and happiness shine through, and those blogs are always a joy to read. Sometimes though, I subscribe to a promising blog only to unsubscribe a few days later. The lack of passion and general negativity are a turn off.

After doing a few informal Twitter polls on this very topic, I learned that it’s not only me. Sometimes bloggers go a little too far with their shock, awe, ranting and tough love and serve to drive people away rather than bring them in. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an audience for this. However, I learned the hard way most blog readers don’t come for negativity. I’m of the catching flies with honey variety blogger.

I also read some blogs that are more about earning revenue than about the niche. Many of these are dull and lack personality and passion. I don’t stick around long with these blogs either.

What makes me not want to visit a blog anymore? Read on…

How to Turn Off Your Blog Readers in 10 Easy Steps

Pontificate: We’re all adults, do we really need the lectures? If there’s one thing I’ve learned in ten years of freelancing and five years with this blog, it’s that there are no experts. There are no gurus. There are only people who feel strongly about what they do. There are ways to get our points across without calling out from the pulpit. Let’s share ideas, not force them. We’re big enough and intelligent enough to make our own decisions.
Insult: You’re right. Everyone else is wrong. They’re losers. They’re morons. They’re hypocrites. People who don’t follow your rules don’t know any better. They’re idiots. Yeah. This is the blog I want to visit.
Bore Your Readers: When a blog lacks passion, it shows. I find this with a lot of paid blogging gigs. Many times bloggers take jobs for the money and not the topic. They offer the facts but not much more. It shows when you’re not emotionally attached to your topic. Readers would rather be with someone who is excited to blog each day over someone who has to blog each day.
Unmoderated comments: Community free for alls are a major turnoff. People slow down for a train wreck but very few people stay for the duration. When you allow personal attacks, cursing, spam and other hotbeds, you’re risking readers. Some bloggers liken moderated comments to censorship, but I disagree. Your blog isn’t the government and you can run it as you see fit. Also, some people feel as if they’re not allowing an opposing point of view if they delete comments. This isn’t true, either. You can welcome respectful disagreement without alienating your community.
Push the Affiliate Links: Very few bloggers can get away with constant sales pitches. If you’re constantly selling and not doing as much sharing, people are going to walk away. Unless you have a “make money online blog,” be careful with the daily pimping. Ads, sponsored posts and affiliate links are all a part of blogging, pushing the ads everyday is when it starts to cross the line.
Curse and Swear: Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to let a few choice words go myself, but not on my blog. I respect my community and that shows in how I talk with them. What you choose to do on your own blog is up to you. However, there are plenty of people who are turned off by profanity. If your community is OK with the F-bombs, keep doing what you’re doing, but if you’re losing community members, it could be the reason why.
Rock the Negativity: If all you do is whine, complain and disagree, people might not want to hang out with you. No one likes to be around a chronic malcontent. You don’t have to like everything that comes along, but balance is good.
Mudslinging and Blog Wars: This is one that I’m so guilty of but I’m trying to get a handle on. Not necessarily mudslinging, but I feel I have to constantly defend myself against negativity. You know what, though? No one in this community wants to read about that. They come to FWJ to learn about freelance writing and blogging for a living, not to get a whiff of Deb’s Drama of the Week.
Push your religious or political views: Unless your blog is about religion or politics, readers are uncomfortable with someone else’s views being pushed on them every time they visit. Before you rant about a politician you disagree with or go off on a religious tangent consider how your community will react.
Change your format every other month: Readers don’t want to be confused each time they come to visit. If you change your vision, your mission statement, your line of thinking or your blog every other week, you’ll lose trust. How can your community trust you if you’re all things to everyone?

Now share. What are some of the things that turn you off when you visit a blog?

A Lower Bid vs. Selling Yourself Short

November 28, 2009 by david 9 Comments

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Last week I posted a job ad for a business looking to start a website from scratch. He laid out a flat fee of $5,000 for the project. Now, I can’t speak for him but I’m assuming he received a good response. He offered a fair wage for his project and I almost considered applying for it too. Something interesting happened in the comments – or rather the deleted comments. Though the client already proposed a fair rate, several writers bid lower in the comments. A couple of people bid much lower. As in way too low to make the project worth the rate. One commentator proposed $500. I didn’t let the comment through as I felt it sent the wrong message.

I ask you, if a client is willing to pay $5000, why bid $500?

I’m all for freedom of choice and taking lower paying opportunities to start out, but to bid so low on a project is a little foolish and reeks of desperation. If I was the client, I’d wonder why this writer would reject a $5000 fee in favor of a payment that made no sense.

Bidding $500 instead of $5000 show lack of good judgment. No one wants to hire a writer who lacks good judgment.
When a client reads a proposal, he shouldn’t be confused by it. He’ll spend more time wondering why the writer bid $500 when he already laid out a price, than he will looking at this writer’s qualifications.
The client will wonder why you value your writing so low. It’s one thing to knock $200 off the price, it’s quite another thing to knock off $4500.

There’s a time and a place for bidding lower to get a gig, this isn’t it. This isn’t even a “bid on” type project. The client laid out a good, fair price. To not accept it and bid extremely low is doing yourself a great disservice. Before you undercut other writers, think about what it says about you. The answers might not be as you expected. Moreover, if a client lays out a price, he’s not looking for a bid. If this writer wanted to stand out, this isn’t the way to do it. Instead she should work on submitting a solid proposal, one that outlines her strengths and lets the client know why she’s the best person for the gig. If she’s the right writer for the job she’ll get it regardless of whether it’s $500 or $5000.

She may have stood out with her lower bid, but not in the right way.

I’m a firm believer in each writer setting his own rates, but sometimes in our eagerness we get in our own way. What are your thoughts on this? If a client proposes a fee, would you bid much lower in hopes of catching his attention?

I Don't Think That's What They Meant to Say

November 28, 2009 by david 1 Comment

I’ve mentioned a few times that the need for editors is overwhelming. From misspelled signs to poorly punctuated websites, there are far too many opportunities for those of us who love grammar to shake our heads in dismay. I was downright shocked, however, to discover that even footwear apparently needs a proofreader from time to time.

That’s supposed to be “Texas,” guys.

see more Epic Fails

Will You be Job Hunting During the Holidays? You Should!

November 28, 2009 by david 2 Comments

I’m pretty sure the term “Holiday Season” is a misnomer. With all the extra demands and dare I say it – expectations – that come with this time of year to make it the “best ever,” I bet there are a lot of people who need a holiday to recover from the Holidays.

While it may be tempting to put your job search on hold until after New Year’s Day, please resist the urge to do so. Your clients are business owners of one kind or another, and they aren’t going to close their doors just because of the Holidays. Things might be a little slower for them or it might be business as usual, no matter what the date on the calendar is.

Even if a potential client is taking some time off over the Christmas Season, they will be still be planning for their writing needs for the New Year. Now is a good time to be looking for work. Your fellow freelancers may be thinking that there are no gigs right now and aren’t looking as diligently as they would be at other times during the year. This is a busy time of year, and in our effort to focus on the things we do to make our holiday memorable, looking for work can easily take a back seat.

I would encourage you to continue to pitch potential clients, send out queries and respond to ads – just like you do at any other time of year. Take advantage of the fact that there may be less competition right now. This is your chance to show the potential client how diligent you are and that will make you stand out as a stellar candidate. You may land a great gig to start your New Year off right.

Do you continue to apply for gigs through the Holiday Season, or do you back off until after the Holidays are over?

The Obligatory Gratitude Post

November 27, 2009 by david 2 Comments

As I sit here half-bloated from turkey and mashed potatoes, it seems like a good idea to take stock of those things I’m grateful for during this Thanksgiving weekend. At the top of that list, of course, is the fact that I am a freelancer.

I’m currently sitting on the couch at my friends’ house in Seattle, Washington. I don’t actually live in Seattle, mind you. Rather, we drove here on Wednesday afternoon, arriving just in time to watch Gonzaga (our Alma Mater) win the Maui Invitational Tournament. Hm, Thanksgiving in on Maui makes Thanksgiving in Seattle seem a little less glamorous all of a sudden.

Still, I’m so pleased that it was no big deal for us to load the car full of essentials—which in our world means Goldfish crackers, Elmo DVDs, and baby dolls—and head over the mountain passes. In the past, I would have had to request time off a month in advance while knowing that my co-workers with more seniority were probably going to beat me out for all the good days off. Since I own my own business, there’s no one there with more seniority, and even if there was, I’m the boss and would have come out ahead on any scheduling conflicts, anyway.

This trip comes directly on the heels of another to Helena, Montana last week. We were home for approximately 42 hours between trips. After this, we’ll go home for a week and a half, head back to Montana for a baptism, come home for a week or so and then go back to Montana, yet again, for Christmas. Imagine working for “the man” and trying to get that schedule. Yeah, right.

But, in the freelancing world, we’re in charge. I still have work to do and projects to keep up with, but the fact of the matter is that I can work in the car, during the baby’s naps at friends’ houses, or even during a screening of Star Trek on DVD (which our friend Kevin is putting in the player right now). Not a bad deal, eh?

So, when it comes to being grateful during this holiday, there’s no doubt in my mind that being a freelancer is way, way up on the list. It allows me to be all the other things I want to be: a good mom, a loving wife, and a friend who comes from miles away to crash your holiday parties.

Freelance Writing Jobs for November 27, 2009

November 27, 2009 by david 5 Comments

If you’re one of our American friends, I hope you’re sleeping off turkey and pumpkin pie. There’s also a good chance you’re shopping and take advantage of some Black Friday madness. I can tell you one thing I won’t be doing today is shopping. You can’t get me near a crowded shopping mall even with the promise of a brand new free iPhone.

If you’re searching for a social media job such as for a blogger, online community manager, social media marketer or strategist or another social media gig, I hope you’ll check out HireVine, a new site for social media job hunters. It’s still in beta and we’re making some tweeks, but we hope you’ll come by and interact.

New around the network:

I don’t expect to see many good job ads today.
Leads..

We’re Patch.com, an AOL-owned start-up that’s radically reinventing community journalism. We launched in February and we’re expanding throughout many communities across the country. We have won acclaim in the industry and coverage in The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg, NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” Newsweek and numerous industry blogs and Web sites.

Patch.com is looking for smart, passionate people to contribute to our site.

We’re seeking candidates who have print or online journalism experience and multimedia skills. If you’ve written for a community newspaper, your hometown paper or if you can shoot video, edit audio and blog, then you may be the right fit.

Local candidates who have an interest in covering sports, politics, local government and entertainment in and around Rye and Westchester will be considered. Patch is also looking for videographers and photojournalists who are great visual storytellers. If you love covering hard news, writing features and enterprise stories, or producing cross-platform content, then Patch.com could be a great way to expand your portfolio.

Freelancers will be paid per assignment. Candidates should have good clips and diverse journalism skills. Recent graduates and candidates with local knowledge of Rye and Westchester are encouraged to apply. Please send your resume, 2-3 writing samples or a link to your work samples/ online portofolio, and an email stating your preferred area of interest to [email protected].