Writing Success

Writer’s Contests with March Deadlines

I received a really great email from the folks at WritersMarket today. While many of us think to search WritersMarket for agents, magazines, and publishers we tend to forget that they also list some incredible contests. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather go through WritersMarket to find contests I know are real than hope and pray the ones I find online are legit.

Without further ado, make sure you check out the following… …Continue Reading Writer’s Contests with March Deadlines

Copywriting Tips for Beginners

Check out this incredible video featuring Ted Nicholas. He’s covering copywriting secrets for beginners and is talking about specific words you should use when writing your next piece of sales copy. Do you use the word “yes?” Do you use the words “You’ll hate yourself if you miss out?” These phrases may seem simple but they’re underused and have a huge impact on readers.

I really hope you’ll take five minutes to watch this video. Ted really knows his stuff when it comes to copywriting and I think you’ll find what he has to say incredibly informative!

Zac Johnson Twitter Contest

I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for contests and came across one the other day that you might be interested. Entering is easy, so you really have nothing to lose.

Zac Johnson has been running the website at zacjohnson.com for quite some time now. He’s what’s considered a “Super Affiliate” - aka, an affiliate marketer that is really good at what he does and draws the attention of the people who make the products he sells. His blog is only one of the multitude of ways he makes money writing, but it’s a great example for any freelance writer interested in using his skills to break into affiliate marketing. …Continue Reading Zac Johnson Twitter Contest

Growing Your Freelance Business

Every once in a while a freelance writer will find himself in a wonderful position - one in which he is comfortable. The bills are paid. There is food on the table. And he thinks he can take a break.

That last part is where most of us go wrong, though. That point in which you become comfortable is not the time to kick back and relax, but is more often than not the time you need to step your game up a notch and start growing your business.

But how?

Everyone dreams of finding a way to earn some passive income. You may want to start another website or blog, get into affiliate marketing, or have some other plan. Whatever your dream, use some of that free time to make it happen. That way the next time business is slow you’ll have something to fall back on (we hope, anyway). …Continue Reading Growing Your Freelance Business

When Saving Money isn’t Worth the Effort

As a new freelance writer you’ll need to make a few investments to ensure you have the proper equipment to move forward in your career. Unfortunately, there are a few areas in which you’ll find that cutting back to save money will do nothing but cost you more money in the end.

For example, when I first set up my home office it was designed to be just that - a home office where I could browse the internet, pay my bills, and work on a few small projects. When I turned that home office into a home business environment things needed to change.

My desktop computer became my lifeline. Instead of running one monitor I now have a dual-monitor setup. If you’re constantly reading, researching, and printing things just so you can see them while you write this could be a great investment. …Continue Reading When Saving Money isn’t Worth the Effort

Scams Attacking Freelance Writers

Today’s post is inspired by Yuwanda Black at Inkwell Editorial. She wrote an article titled AssociatedContent andPayPal Scame: How to Keep Your Online Earnings Safe 100% of the Time. I highly suggest you take the time to read this article in its entirety.

In short, Yuwanda is describing two emails she received, one that looked like it came from Associated Content and another that looked like it came from PayPal. Both were asking her to confirm key user information that would have given them access to her account had she fallen prey.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the processes used by the companies you deal with on a regular basis, especially if they’re paying you. …Continue Reading Scams Attacking Freelance Writers

Emails & Topic Ideas

Do you receive a number of emails and comments after you write articles or blog posts? Do you regularly respond to each and every email until, ultimately, you’ve got a string of a dozen or more conversations going on in your email inbox at the same time? What a mess!

At some point you’re going to have to recognize when a conversation has gone on long enough and needs to be ended. Sometimes your readers will email you for additional advice, which you may or may not want to give.

Let’s say, for example, you’re writing a niche blog on a specific subject in an effort to sell a product. …Continue Reading Emails & Topic Ideas