Archives for February 2011

A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

February 8, 2011 by Noemi 8 Comments

Some of you may recognize the title of this post as the opening line of Star Wars, but have you ever thought about the grammatical accuracy of the “double use” of the word far? To be honest, I never really paid much attention to the practice of repeating adjectives or adverbs as I have always believed it to be correct. While some purists may disagree, I think that there is a reason for this repetition.

Last week, the matter was brought to my attention, courtesy of a bunch of guys at Quora. ((Source: Quora)) The question posed was:

Star Wars opens with the phrase “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”. Is that type of word repetition grammatically correct in English?

I immediately said yes (mentally, of course), the rationale being that the repetition is for emphasis. Some of you – or maybe even many of you – may actually do the same thing every now and then. Consider this example.

I can’t believe he did that. I was very, very surprised.

I am also reminded of the words of the song American Pie by Don McLean. (Although we really can’t count on lyrics to be always grammatically correct, can we?)

A long, long time ago…

While I was reading up on this topic, I came across varying opinions. In the Quora thread, a commenter presented a very sound argument about the legitimacy of repeating words. In fact, I learned a new term – reduplication. Those who have studied linguistics will recognize it as morphological process wherein a word is repeated. It can also be that only part of the word is repeated. The purpose of this repetition can be for additional emphasis or pluralization.

I also discovered another term which could be used to refer to the repetition of words for emphasis – palilogy. Merriam-Webster has a very useful definition. ((Source: Merriam-Webster))

A palilogy is a figure of speech that is a repetition of word or phrase for emphasis.

Examples:

“He cannot be good, knows not why he is good, but stands good.”
“That answer is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!”

On the other hand, there are people who say that this practice should not be considered grammatically correct. Instead of the sentence I wrote above as an example, a “better” sentence would be:

I can’t believe he did that. I was extremely surprised.

While I see where they are coming from ((Say more with fewer words, right?)), I think that in many instances, reduplication and palilogy have their use.

What about you? What do you think about reduplication and palilogy?

Image via Simon and Garfield

Applying for a Freelance Writing Gig Without Looking Desperate

February 7, 2011 by david 7 Comments

If you are going through a dry spell or are experiencing some cash flow issues, you will want to pick up some work that (hopefully) will pay relatively quickly so that you can get your finances back on track. It may be tempting to share your current situation on message boards or other places where you are trying to pick up something that can tide you over for the time being. While I do understand and appreciate needing to get something going right away, I’m not sure that sharing a lot of detail about your personal situation is a good thing.

Before I go on, let me share something about myself. I consider myself to be a generally friendly person, but I’m also very private. Back when I was working in an office, I never really knew how much personal stuff was OK to share with people so I erred on the side of keeping things to myself. If I wasn’t sure whether something should be said, I didn’t. [Read more…]

Time Management Tip #1: Prioritize

February 7, 2011 by david 2 Comments

Writers tend to juggle several projects at once, in addition to all of the other things they do during the day – billing, networking, searching for work, living life, etc. There are times when it feels like there are never enough hours in the day to complete everything.

The bad news: there isn’t enough time. The good news: not everything has to be finished today.

One of the craziest things that people do when trying to manage their time is giving each to-do item equal priority.

I’ve talked with friends who have said that everything they do is important. I get it, I like to feel important and busy too, but everything I do throughout the day does not have equal importance. It took me a long time to figure out how to prioritize, but let me spare you the years of bewilderment with three ways to put your priorities in order.

#1 Develop a System

Tornadoes, terror alerts, snow emergencies, they all have one thing in common – set standards that determine which actions to take and when they should be taken. Is that email about dinner as important as the email about accepting a new gig? Is deleting spam as important as editing a piece to make your deadline?

Whether you use color coded Post-Its, numbers or electronic alerts, develop a system that combines standard actions with level of importance. Be careful not to set too many levels. An overly complicated system is ineffective – right, U.S. color-coded terror alert system?

#2 Make a decision.

Trying to figure out where things land within your shiny new system is the toughest part. Start with the obvious items – deadlines, contracts, billing, etc. Then move on to communication items such as research and writing, followed by social networking and follow-ups. Or work backwards – whatever works for you!

#3 Stick with it.

Another thing I have struggled with is implementing a system and sticking with it. It’s one thing to tweak things along the way, but it’s unproductive to scrap the whole thing and start over every couple of weeks. Give your system a chance to work and become a habit.

There are only 24 hours in the day. At some point you have to sleep, spend time with your family and eat. The rest is filled with deadlines and to-do’s. Successful writers figure out what must be done and when to do it.

How do you manage work priorities?

5 Legal Questions to Ask Before Turning in An Assignment

February 4, 2011 by Jonathan Bailey 5 Comments

Turning in an assignment is the goal of pretty much every freelancer. It’s the moment where they can send their invoice, collect payment and, generally make a living. If you don’t reach this point regularly, you’ll likely soon find yourself looking for another career.

That being said, the moment you turn in your assignment is also something of a point of no return. Once you send the email, share the Google Doc or otherwise turn in what you have completed, you’ve not only submitted that work for revenue, you’ve also distributed it to a third party, an important step legally and it is generally the final step before the work is sent out to the much broader public.

As such, before you click “submit”, it’s worthwhile to take a moment, evaluate your work and make sure that you don’t find yourself in any legal trouble for your work.

After all, the last thing you want is for something you submit to come back and bite you and/or your client after it’s published online. With that in mind, here are five questions you should ask every time you get ready to submit a new article, just to make sure you’re on the right side of the law. [Read more…]

Fix Your Toxic Writing Environment

February 3, 2011 by david 3 Comments

There are two sides to the writer debate – those who require certain comforts and those who can write in the middle of a toxic dump. I’d argue both types are just as likely to have hazardous work environments. Your office could be making you sick, or at the very least, decreasing your productivity. The good news is there simple way to creating a safe and healthy work environment.

1. Trouble in the Air

The information is scary: according to the August 2000 EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance report, “Indoor air quality can reduce a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory.” While this specific report discusses students in school, the same can be said for those who require mental acrobatics to earn a paycheck. The solution? [Read more…]

How Can I Find Clients Looking for a Back Links Writer?

February 2, 2011 by david 3 Comments

Dear Jodee,

I’m looking for companies or individuals that would like to offer pay per posts on my site. As well, I am looking to write for anyone looking for a back links article writer. Where do I advertise that I can do this?

Thank you.

Monique

Dear Monique,

I would suggest that you start with your own web site. Make it simple for visitors to learn that you are interested in writing articles by including a “Hire Me” tab. The page the visitor is taken to should include a list of the topics you have experience with or are willing to write about. Post your contact information on the page and include whatever other details a prospective client would need to hire you.

If you are accepting posts to your web site, make sure you mention it on your site as well. Another good strategy for finding clients interested in posting something on your site is to contact prospects directly.

To find clients who want back link articles written, start by visiting sites that post these articles. Check out articles written on topics that you are interested in writing about and click onto the links to follow them back to the original site. Once you have this information, you can contact the site owner to offer your services as an article writer.

Book Review: 37 Things to Know About Grammar

February 1, 2011 by Noemi 1 Comment

Readers of the grammar section of FWJ know just how tricky grammar rules and application can be. It is no wonder that a lot of people have developed an aversion to grammar. However, we cannot deny the importance of following grammar rules, especially for those who make a living out of writing. Now what if you had a quick reference guide that you can thumb through for the trickiest grammar points?

That’s exactly what I found in Matteson Claus’s gem of a book, 37 Things to Know About Grammar. Matteson is no stranger to Freelance Writing Jobs, as she has been following us for quite some time now. When she sent an e-mail informing us of her new book, we decided to take it for a spin. What better venue to talk about the book than Grammar Guide?

So what makes 37 Things interesting for writers? As the title implies, it is neatly divided into 37 sections. Each section focuses on a specific grammar point that can be particularly troublesome. Let me give you a few examples.

Does the term “pronoun antecedents” ring a bell? Here’s an excerpt which shows how the book treats this grammar point.

Pronouns are not spies. They should not have secret identities. On the contrary, it should always be clear what noun your pronoun is replacing. A pronoun that loses track of its noun is kind of like a child losing track of its parent. The pronoun gets confused and all sorts of chaos ensues. Unclear pronouns cause misery. Don’t believe me? Say you’re obsessed with dating a supermodel and you get this bit of news:
Yesterday, we interviewed Serena, the serial killer, and Giselle Bundchen, the supermodel, and she said that she thinks you’re hot.

Pronoun antecedents are so basic but can be easily overlooked. In order to get the message across very clearly, we do need to make sure that the nouns and pronouns match and that there is no ambiguity – as is seen in that example. Matteson Claus sums the idea up neatly: “If they are out to get you, it helps to know who “they” are.” Indeed.

Other items included in the book include the use of commas, parentheses, and dashes. You can also read up on the use of who and whom, among other commonly confused words.

To be honest, this book will not serve as a comprehenive grammar guide. In fact, the author will tell you herself that she does not intend her work to serve as such. Instead, she picked out concepts that often cause people trouble and presents them in a light manner. Indeed, the lightness of the presentation may not appeal to hardcore grammarians, but I believe that the treatment will go a long way with those who have an earnest desire to use proper grammar without feeling as if they are being slapped on the wrist. If you have a sense of humor, you will appreciate this book.

To give you more insight on the lightness of the treatment, take a look at some chapter headings.

Who, that, and which, while pesky, are not worth any nail-biting
There’s no need to feel bad because you become badly confused trying to do a good job using your adjectives and adverbs well
OMG r u 4 real? IMHO u must 86 this habit B4U get axed
Please be gentle with our wee brains separate each of your ideas clearly so our heads don’t explode

I have to say that 37 Things to Know About Grammar can be a handy – albeit limited – reference for those who consider themselves well-versed in the English grammar. To be honest, though, I would not use it as my main guide. I would definitely not hesitate to give out copies of this book to friends, though. I recommend checking it out.

You can buy 37 Things to Know About Grammar from Amazon.

If you want to know more about Matteson Claus, here is a video of her being interviewed on Good Morning Texas.

Is Your Blog Dressed For Success?

February 1, 2011 by david 24 Comments

We’ve all heard it said that if you want to get the job “you have to dress for success.” The obvious point being, that you must present yourself in a way that fits the future you want.

When you treat your blogging as a business and you are trying to appeal to a specific audience, dressing for success should apply to your blog. Of course we can’t dress our blogs in an Armani suit and power-packed tie, but we can dress up the appearance so our visitors are visually influenced the moment they arrive.

First impressions reveal to your readers that you are a serious and successful blogger or that you soon will be. The flip side could set you back if they are met with an unattractive, disorganized blog.

When you do dress for success, you are showing that you are aware of your appearance. You show that you take your job seriously and that you have aspirations. When you start working for a new company, your goal is never to remain right where you are, is it?

Your eyes are often set on a higher position with higher pay – always aspiring to be more, make more money. You wouldn’t go to work in t-shirt and jeans but rather, in a way that helps others visualize you in those more coveted positions.

How You Can “Dress For Success” With Your Blog:

For starters, take a look at some of the top blogs within your niche, then compare those to others within your niche that get very little traffic and have far fewer readers. You’re bound to see major differences without much thought. No doubt, the more successful blogs have the ability to spend more money on their appearance, but that’s not likely to be the biggest difference. In fact, with all of the blog themes and resources teaching how to customize your blog, money shouldn’t be a factor at all.

Now, step back and take a long look at your blog and ask yourself these questions:

Does it look like it fits among the successful blogs or an unsuccessful blogs?

If you could improve the appearance how do you think it would affect your own success?

Success is obviously more dependent on content than design, but your visitor’s first impression, attractiveness will need to serve as the hook. Just like in a real world interview, your ability to perform a job is not determined by your appearance, but if you give a sloppy presentation you will kill your chances of actually getting the job. Just like a sloppy appearance on your blog will kill your chances of getting and keeping the readers.

If your goal is to be in the top blogs within your niche, you must look like you belong there. Visitors are going to know immediately if you belong in the top or not. It IS possible to overcome a bad first impression with exceptional content, but don’t risk missing out on that first impression. It’s just not worth it.

Qualities I’ve noticed in Top Blogs include a very clean, professional look – the design enhances the content – no distractions pulling visitors away from the content and advertisements are carefully chosen and strategically placed.

Images and Theme Customization:

Images are important, although many blogs don’t need photos to accomplish a classy look.

If you’re looking for free stock photos, try stock.xchng. It’s my personal favorite. There are also a number of places to get very affordable, quality stock photos including my preference, iStockPhoto. There are plenty of other image sites, but I’ve learned to limit myself to these two simply because it’s been known to be a major time suck for me if I don’t. (Disclosure: if you join iStockPhoto through the link I’ve provided here, I will earn a small amount that I can use toward future image purchases).

If you’re using a free WordPress theme, learn about themes from the WordPress Codex and forums. There’s tons of helpful information to help make minor changes to a free theme. In most cases the smallest change will set your blog apart.

You may wish to spend a small amount of money and have someone do the coding for you. On occasion, I do provide free blog setup for new blogs. I also like to check with my friends. I have a few designers I turn to when I can’t do the work myself – I’m happy to refer you if you like. If they can’t help, I then check Craigslist – there’s usually someone readily available to get the job done for a small fee.

Now, take a bit of time today, look at your blog and see what changes might be able to “dress it” for the success you want. Focus on changes that will tell your readers you’re serious about your appearance and you’re ready to be a blog they can count on.

Not everyone can be an executive in the corporate world, just like everyone can’t be a highly successful and influential blogger – especially in an extremely crowded market. If you need help with objective views – leave a comment here using your link. I encourage everyone reading to share tips and ideas that will help others push forward to the next step.

As an added bonus, I am making a commitment to my readers. If you leave a comment on any of my posts, I will visit your blog and “share it” in some way whether on StumbleUpon, Twitter or Facebook depending on if I can find a nice fit. This will be my way of saying thank you!

Image: Stock.xchng