Archive for the ‘Life As a Writer’ Category
Thursday, June 11th, 2009 |
If there was any clearer indication of a very large generational gap it is in terms of what entails proper "work." I’ve always been an avid Internet user, but a few years ago I turned to the Internet to earn part time income in order to pay off some of our debts. Technically, my first work for a company online was with Ebay - selling yard sale discoveries and, eventually, trading antiques. Even though I love writing, online freelance work never seemed very plausible or possible - and most of the sites that promoted any opportunities looked like major scams to me.
Doing Legitimate Work for a Company Online
Online freelance work never entered my mind until the second or third year while I was working as a powerseller on Ebay. I’d just spent three long hours packaging up items for a major shipment, and I was just sick of working on Ebay. The entire process of selling on Ebay consists of taking photos, listing items, packaging and shipping, and dealing with disgruntled customers. The work went around the clock and the mess from packaging was simple atrocious. So one night, I decided to do some Internet research to determine, once and for all, if it really is possible to earn decent income doing work for a company online.
Entering the Fray…And Finally Earning a Solid Income
Earlier in this blog, I wrote a bit about those first few websites I used to earn some income doing online freelance work. The most prominent on my list at the time was Scriptlance , but even there if you plan to work as a writer you have to be willing to churn out articles at a pretty low rate. I’m talking $5 for a 500 to 700 word article. Now that’s hard labor.
However, once I became recognized as worth my salt as a writer, and once I had articles published on the Internet that I could point to, new "buyers" who posted at Scriptlance were more willing to pay a bit more per article. One particular project fascinated me - one guy was looking to hire writers for his blog. Out of curiosity, I did a bit more online research on blogs that were hiring writers and discovered that there’s an entire community of websites and blogs where owners are more than willing to hire excellent writers to create a steady stream of valuable content. College graduates with an English degree must no longer fear a life of squallor and poverty. However, they need to be prepared for the overwhelming onslaught of work that’s available on the web. Yes…real work that pays real well.
It’s Not a Published Novel - But It’s a Job!
The dream of every writer is to publish a novel - but how do you plan to put food on the table or support your family. Is it still fashionable to be a starving writer? The contemporary writer is one who’s a contributor to multiple blogs and websites, building a reputation in the form of a viral meme more powerful than any publication house or agent could ever produce for you. For good writers - the Internet is yours, and if you write well you can be a king.
After about a year performing side jobs for Scriptlance buyers, I applied to become a contributing writer to one website and one blog . Performing as best as I could doing work for a company online, such as these, turned out to be the best opportunity I could have found. After a year or so I found myself promoted up to editor and management status - in effect proving to myself that it really is possible to find success with online freelance work.
The humor in all of it is that at first family and friends viewed the Internet work as all in fun - a side "hobby" that’s just part of my usual computer-obsession. I assured everyone that it was very much a part time job, to no avail. Then one day, one of them asked how much I earn each month through my online freelance work. When I told them, the laughing stopped. Few people understand how quickly and how far the Internet has advanced - and the tremendous opportunities that exist there. That is one reason why I created this blog - to spread the word that there’s an entire online industry that’s booming with opportunities for people who have creative talent.
Posted in Life As a Writer, Writing for Income | No Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
Here I am, blogging from the comfort of a vehicle, traveling at 70 miles per hour on the interstate. A thought struck me as I watch other passengers texting, using mobile email, or with a laptop on their laps and tethered to their mobile phone - surfing Google just like they were sitting at home. We are living in reality conceived by the sci-fi authors of the past.
In fact, this new reality has changed how writers write. I recall reading ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King, where he describes his writing process of scribbling thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper whenever and wherever the moment struck. He would jot ideas on scraps of paper, napkins, or whatever else was available. Later, he would work on his masterpiece on an archaic typewriter, locked in the laundry room to escape the chaos of family life.
For better or worse, the Internet changed the landscape for new writers. Now, we prove ourselves in blogs rather than in small independent magazines. Today, the creative forces are digitized, published, distributed and syndicated in a few mouse clicks. In the writers’ modern world, when inspiration strikes, we pull out the Smartphone and instantly add those thoughts to our blogs.
Writers like King may lament these cultural and technological changes, but as the King’s mournful Gunslinger would say, the world has moved on.
Posted in Life As a Writer, Writing for Income | No Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
When you are a writer, whether you’re writing for the online market or the offline “print” market, there are a number of resources that are critical to your success. These span the whole range of skills that every writer needs, including:
1. How to write well
2. How to organize and plan your writing projects
3. How to make money from writing
4. How to get published (either online or offline)
Every month I plan to provide book reviews for the best books out there on particular topics related to writing. This month, I’d like to focus on two books in particular - the annual Writer’s Market
, and the instructional and entertaining book On Writing
by Stephen King.
The 2009 Writer’s Market
The Writer’s Market is published on an annual basis, and includes the most recent list of publishers, agents, and other contacts that writer’s who are looking to be published need to know. The fact is that this particular book is the Bible of the writing world. Even Stephenie Meyer, the new author who found tremendous fame in her Twilight series, pointed out what was at the very center of her publication efforts when she writes:
“I subscribed to WritersMarket.com and compiled a list of small publishers that accepted unsolicited submissions and a few literary agencies.”
The fact agents and publishers continue to “discover” new writers every year is proof enough that you too have the potential to become the next “big thing” in the literary world. This book contains everything you need to navigate that path.
Stephen King - On Writing
If there’s a single book “on writing” that I have to admit I enjoyed more as a source of entertainment than as a source of literary education, this book was it. I’ve always liked Stephen King’s dark humor and gritty sarcasm, although his arrogance, at times, is a bit difficult to stomach. Then again, when you get to his level of fame, I suppose that’s your right.
While there are some King novels that are at the top of my own “favorite” list, and others that are horrendous, like Rose Madder, this particular book titled On Writing, is at the very top of that list. The rare insight that King provides into his own life and his early struggles with writing is enlightening and encouraging for every new author. But his overwhelming advice is poignant and true - successful writers work hard, but the majority of them work hard for peanuts. Publication is often 50% skill, and 50% luck. This book is useful however, if only because of the wisdom found inside, from the “King of Horror” himself.
Posted in Book Reviews, Life As a Writer | No Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
One of the most valuable uses for the Internet is when you’re in need of free writing, such as free letters or tips about writing. People often don’t realize how often good writing can make an important difference in their life. Whether it’s dealing with a credit card company, writing an invitation or a formal resignation letter, or if you simply want some advice about writing better - good writing gets results.
Finding Free Writing Resources and Tools
In this article, you’ll find valuable links and resources to free letter templates, free tests and free questions, free tutorials to help you practice writing, and resources about writing that offer you with tips and techniques to improve your own writing abilities.
The saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” is very true. I’ve gotten out of some very serious scrapes and nerve-racking situations by writing a poignant and powerful letter. But not all people have the ability to craft the written word into useful prose, so when you need to have that kind of communication with a business or person, it’s important that you know where to turn. Below, I’ll provide you with some of the best online resources for both free and low-cost writing solutions. Bookmark this page and return to it when you find that you need to correspond with someone, or you just want to learn a bit more about improving your own writing skills. This article will cover the following resources:
1. Free Letters And Letter Templates
2. Free Tests and Free Questions
3. Free Practice Writing Tutorials
4. Tips and Techniques About Writing
Free Letters and Letter Templates
One of the most searches for free writing products online is for free letters. People are always finding themselves in a life situation where they need a free letter. They may be retiring, need to write a recommendation letter or a thank you letter, and people aren’t confident enough in their own writing abilities to write a powerful enough letter. The following are some of the best free letter websites that offer you with most of the more common letters.
Letter-Samples.com offers one of the most comprehensive lists of letter samples, including resignation letters, accepting job offers, and a long list of other well written letters.
Freebusinessforms.com provides an assortment of business resources, including free business letters, sales letters, collection letters and more.
TheBase has a list of decent letters in a blog format. Click the tags on the right to access the letter samples.
A1letters has one of the best collections that I’ve found of free letters in various categories, including banking letters, business letters, and a whole list of others.
Rocket Lawyer is best if you need free letters in the legal field. There are some very useful templates at this site for credit and collections, employee issues, proposals, and much more
LettersRep is the best site to purchase a custom letter at very low cost. The page above lists the letters that I currently have offered there, or you can contact me directly through this blog - I do offer customized letters tailored for your specific needs, just ask!
Free Tests and Free Questions
Educators and students are always looking for free tests online that can help them improve their score on various tests that require writing skills, such as the GRE, the ACT, or other educational tests. These tests offer free questions and provide you with the tools and information you need to not only pass these important educational tests, but also to pass them with flying colors. Online, you can find a number of excellent websites that provide such free tests.
WritingTester is a very cool free online test that lets you paste your article into a text field and it returns the “readability” of your writing, as well as the grade level that you write at. This free test isn’t for the faint of heart.
Admissions Consultants is a valuable resource for free information about taking various tests including the ACT, SAT, GRE, and a number of other tests at various educational levels.
Tools For Educators is a very useful website for teachers and professors who have very little time on their hands and need tools that can help them automatically generate free tests for their classes.
Free Practice Writing Tutorials
When it comes to writing an article or ad copy, many people find that they just don’t have the skills to do it. Writing an article takes patience, research, and knowledge of proper grammar and 
sentence structure, while writing ad copy additionally requires knowledge about how to sell people things through the power of the written word. There are a multitude of other forms of writing that require different skills, and the only way to obtain those skills is through learning how, and to practice writing by writing an array of your own materials.
The following free writing tutorials will offer you a tremendous opportunity to get some free practice with your writing skills.
Vocational Information Center features an impressive and comprehensive list of tutorials on a variety of important topics, but under the “Literacy Tutorials” in particular, you can find free practice with critical thinking, reading skills, resume formats, and much more.
AdCopywriting is a website that’s fairly simple, but it will offer you with a little bit of free practice writing adcopy for sales websites.
DiplomaGuide features this excellent article that outlines an entire list of online writing courses that various schools offer for absolutely free. These classes not only offer free practice with a variety of writing styles, but they will surely improve your writing skills overall.
Tips and Techniques About Writing
When it comes to tips and tricks about writing in general, the best writing advice that you’ll find is write here on Bettercontent. The following articles, which are offered right here on this blog, provide you with examples writing website content, information about writing for clients or websites, and a wide range of other topics growing daily.
Check out these tips and techniques about writing, and visit back often for our latest articles.
Final Words
There is no greater tool to improve your writing skills than practice and dedication. But free writing tutorials and other resources can certainly give you an advantage and a boost to improve your writing abilities. With the online world booming as quickly as it is today, more writing opportunities are constantly becoming available for writers who know how to produce high quality Internet content. This is a niche field that’s growing tremendously, and by improving your writing skills, you’ll be poised to take the online writing industry by storm.
Posted in Free Articles, Life As a Writer, Writing for Income | No Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
Whether or not you realize it yet, mobile blogging, otherwise known as “moblogging,” is rising as a very popular form of instant blogging that’s set to take the world by storm.
How to Moblog to Boost Your Blog Ratings
Mobile blogging isn’t complicated. In fact, regardless which platform you use, there’s very likely an integrated method to enable blogging to your blog from your cellphone. As you can see from my last post, which I used in this article, I’ve enabled my phone to fire off entries to BetterContent whenever I’ve come across anything exciting or newsworthy.
Just consider the possibilities:
- Journalists can instantly publish pictures and text from breaking news events
- Hikers and campers can keep a live online journal of their adventures
- A whole new niche for traveling novelists
- Private Investigators can instantly publish findings for clients in private blogs
- Families can provide instant updates to each other on family blogs
As a writer, the potential for using mobile blogging in your online writing is unlimited. Moblogging provides creative writers with a new method to publish adventures and travels instantly, as they are taking place. Imagine reading each mobile entry from an adventurer as she hikes through Colorado. Picture viewing images and text from writers traveling throughout the Middle East and providing updates from Islamic societies directly from those villages. And even on a much smaller scale - you can publish updates to your camping blog while you’re on your camping trip, or updates to your travel blog as you are exploring on a safari.
Enabling Mobile Blogging
Google has made it as simple as possible to blog from your cellphone. Read my recently published article here, and in just moments you’ll be publishing updates from your own cellphone. You don’t need a data plan - Google allows mobile bloggers to publish blog updates with simple Instant Messages. It’s simple, and it allows you to update your blog far more frequently - keeping things fresh, and keeping your readers happy.
Posted in Life As a Writer, website marketing | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
By now, everyone is starting to understand that Twilight the book and Twilight the movie are quickly becoming the next cultural phenomenon, much like Harry Potter was. But, as a writer, one of the most amazing things about Stephenie Meyer’s novel, Twilight, is the fact that it destroys many of the myths about getting yourself published. And more importantly, Stephenie provides a wonderful play-by-play of her experience getting her first book, Twilight, published.
Twilight the Book offers New Writers Hope
Stephenie Meyer’s completed her spellbinding manuscript of Twilight the book in only three months. 
This is an amazing feat, regardless of the fact that she describes how the process of writing it became almost like an addiction. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, but was at least able to control the desire to write enough to only write at night after the kids were in bed. Her description of the writing process, which she provides in detail at her website, is almost as intriguing to me as the novel itself. Every writer out there can feel the sort of emotions she describes as she struggles to get the words on paper in the same way it appears on the movie screen of her mind. Soon enough, the book would become Twilight the movie. But first, she needed to get published.
How to Get Published Using Twilight, the Book, as a Guide
The story that Stephenie describes is a wonderful lesson in humility and perseverance. Every new writer who has ever attempted to publish a book can feel the pain and rejection she describes when receiving rejection after rejection, some more harsh than others. She describes one case in particular as follows:
The only rejection that really hurt was from a small agent who actually read the first chapter before she dropped the axe on me. The meanest rejection I got came after Little, Brown had picked me up for a three-book deal, so it didn’t bother me at all. I’ll admit that I considered sending back a copy of that rejection stapled to the write-up my deal got in Publisher’s Weekly, but I took the higher road.
The Process of Getting Published
The process she describes to get published, however, is a perfect outline for all new 
novelists to follow. Unlike common belief among young writers, you do not simply mail off your manuscript to every publishing house you can find. The first step is the most difficult, you need an agent. It may be a long and difficult road, but a good writer with excellent skills and an amazing storyline will ultimately find success, just as Ms. Meyer did. The road she took to final publication was as follows:
- Subscribed to WritersMarket.com in order to find publishers and literary agencies that accept unsolicited submissions
- Listened to advice regarding “good” literary agencies with an established reputation
- Sent out multiple queries to all of those contacts
- Suffered through countless rejections until Writers House asked to see more of her book
Her description of the moment Writer’s House asked for her entire manuscript is every writer’s ultimate dream. She writes:
It was a very nice letter. She’d gone back with a pen and twice underlined the part where she’d typed how much she enjoyed the first three chapters (I still have that letter, of course), and she asked for the whole manuscript. That was the exact moment when I realized that I might actually see Twilight in print, and really one of the happiest points in my whole life. I did a lot of screaming.
Every Writer’s Dream
A month later she was picked up by Jodi Reamer, an agent with Writer’s House. After a bit of editing work and Jodi promoting her book, before long Stephenie’s novel was picked up by Little, Brown and Company. The entire process? Six months. The book is not skyrocketing in popularity and is due to become a blockbuster hit as Twilight, the movie, is set to break records. It’s an amazing tale isn’t it? Stephenie’s tale, that is. And every writer out there, the successful and the not-so-successful, find a bit of solace in her success, because if it’s still possible for new writers like Stephenie to realize such wonderful success - then there’s still room in the world for future success stories just like hers.
Posted in Getting Published, Life As a Writer, Writing for Income | No Comments »
Friday, April 24th, 2009 |
When a 15 year old boy from Western Sweden collapsed after playing World of Warcraft for 20 hours, did it prove that online gaming is harmful to your health?
Is World of Warcraft Harmful For Your Health?
In the past couple of years I’ve written a number of articles about online gaming. In fact, just six months ago I completed a niche analysis report for a client about the dramatic growth (and projected growth) of the online gaming industry. According to that research, Massive Multiplayer Online Games - giant virtual worlds like Warcraft - represent one of the most substantial segments of the online gaming industry. Americans love immersing themselves into a magical 
and virtual online world where anything is possible. But are we gaming too much? Is gaming now the new alcoholism of this generation?
15 Year Old Swedish Boy Collapses
According to the report in the Swedish media, the 15 year old boy gathered with seven friends, and all of them played World of Warcraft around the clock. They hardly ate and they hardly slept….for 20 hours. After being raced to the hospital, doctors determined that the boy’s biological systems were out of wack due to sleep deprivation, partial starvation, and “too long a stretch of concentrated game playing.”
You read that right. Too much concentrated game playing.
The truth, discovered in the process of writing the niche analysis, is that not only children are at risk of suffering such a fate. According to recent trends, older women over 40 now make up the majority of online gamers (when you take sites like Yahoo games, MSN games, and other web-based games into consideration). Surprisingly, adults are also more likely than teens to stay up late playing games. So what happens when you have to get up early to go to work the next day?
What is Internet Addiction and Do I Have It?
The Center for Internet Addiction has published an online test to determine whether or not you suffer from internet addiction. For writers like us, however, where the internet is part of your job - how do you know there’s even a problem? Ultimately it comes down to the same criteria as alcohol. It’s not a problem until it’s a problem.
Some questions to ask:
- Do you find that you’ve stayed up far later than you intended while working on the Internet, and does that happen often?
- Do you neglect non-internet/family duties in order to spend more time on the Internet?
- Do others often complain about how often you are on the computer?
- Does your job or school work suffer because of the amount of time you’re online?
- Do you need to check email obsessively?
- Do you choose to go online rather than spend time with others?
- Do you feel agitated or moody when offline, but relieved when you are back on the Internet?
Yes to just a few of these questions could signal a problem. Richard Kelly wrote a fantastic book titled Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games: The People, the Addiction and the Playing Experience
that perfectly outlines why these virtual worlds, like the World of Warcraft, is so darn addictive.
Avoiding Internet Addiction
I personally suffered from this affliction since I was in high school. That was before the days of the Internet, and my addiction was the magical worlds of games like Sentinel Worlds (an old Electronic Arts space game) and Ultima. These addictions made it into my college life and incorporated the internet once that was 
invented. Finally all of the above addictions integrated into my marriage where it became a problem.
I now work online, but I’ve recovered enough from this addiction so that I can recognize it and work to make sure that it remains under control. The most important thing you can do, especially if you are a web designer or Internet writer who makes a living from the Internet, is to set strict guidelines regarding your online time. Make it like a real day job, where you clock in, and clock out at specific times during the day. And once you clock out, you go home and do offline work, or just enjoy time with the kids and family. As Internet workers, there really is no difference between Internet addiction and workaholism, so stay vigilant and protect yourself. The last thing you need is to end up in the hospital like this poor 15 year old from Sweden who had to learn the hard way.
Posted in Life As a Writer, Writing for Income | No Comments »
