WritingThoughts

The amount of online resource for freelance writers can seem overwhelming.

Recently I ran across three inexpensive resources that most freelance writers will find helpful.

In this post, I’ll share a mini-review of each resource.

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Copying is NOT the highest form of flattery.

Yet copying seems to be a constant problem on the web. Sometimes it seems that no blog or website has gone untouched.

I’m frequently asked if my material can be used in its entirety elsewhere. Generally, the answer is “no.” After all, the posts on this blog are protected by copyright and writing is how I earn my living.

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Often writing clients want to know my rate–what do I charge for a specific type of project?

My usual answer is that I don’t have a rate, but that I would be happy to provide a customized proposal. I’ve learned over the years that the amount of effort that goes into writing projects varies greatly.

Many clients don’t understand the factors that cause a writing project to cost more money, so I’ve listed eight of those factors in this post.

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Answer: Very important.

Spelling words correctly is very important for professional writers. Spelling mistakes distract from the message you are trying to convey to your reader.

“No problem!” You say. “I have a spell checker on my word processor. I won’t be making any mistakes.”

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Did you ever have one of those days when you just didn’t feel like writing?

Writing takes a lot of focus. If you’re tired, sick, or otherwise distracted you might have trouble staying on task with your writing.

However, there are many low intensity tasks that you can do to help your freelance writing business even if you don’t really feel much like writing.

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Over the years, I’ve noticed a real need for freelance writers to find more mentoring relationships with each other than can normally be accomplished through commenting on blogs or participating in social media. Freelance writers need specific information about how to succeed.

So, I went looking for a place that could provide both a chance for freelance writers to interact and an opportunity for writers to learn more about writing. Of course there are a lot of resources out there, but what I found was The Freelance Writers Den (affiliate link, I receive a small fee for each purchase).

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How friendly are you to your fellow freelancers?

Lately, I’ve noticed that there’s some bad social media advice about freelancer networking being given. The advice goes like this–you shouldn’t connect with other freelancers through social media. Instead, you should only connect with those companies that can hire you right away.

However, if you’re not including other freelancers in your social media contacts, I think that you’re making a serious mistake.

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The word “editor” is used by companies in two very different ways.

As a freelancer, you need to understand what it means to be asked to be an editor. If your client is not clear about your editing responsibilities, ask.

Fortunately, I’ve done both types of editing so I’ll help you out in this post by describing both types of editors.

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We freelance writers can get hung up on numbers and the numbers we tend to like are big ones. We like to talk in terms of lots and lots.

But big numbers aren’t always better for the freelance writers–especially when it comes to the number of projects you handle. Sometimes less is more for the freelance writer.
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One of the things I’ve noticed over my years of blogging is that there’s a fair amount of ranting and raving going on in the blogosphere. Such bloggers even appear to get attention at times.

So, is it worth it? Should you be the negative writer on your blog?

Many bloggers claim that negativity makes them more authentic. I’m not sure that I would agree. I don’t think that you have to be negative to be authentic.

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