Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 |
As we all continue on writing into the New Year, I’d like to take a moment to pause and reflect upon the many changes that are actively taking place across the online writing community.
As I’ve written about earlier on this blog, there is a parting of ways for people who spend a lot of time online. In particular, there is the “content producer” - the writer who exhibits the skill and ability to not only research topics that are in demand, but also to put the result of that research together in ways that are coherent and useful for readers. Then, on the other side, there are the Internet users. Those who search and surf, post comments and forum posts and in general “make use of” the Internet.
Yes, it is a parting of ways - that of the paid writer, and that of the entertained or educated (whichever the case may be) reader. Which group do you fit into, and is the line really that clear?
Are You a Content Producer or a Consumer?
I used to work for clients who were web designers that would purchase domain names with the home of publishing a page featuring lots of Google ads, with the hopes that the one web page would start generating tremendous ad revenue over time. In fact, there are still folks out there who believe that this dream will really come true.
In a recent article that I wrote for MakeUseOf, the popular tech blog, I discussed among other things the importance of fresh content for the SEO quality of a website. Stagnant websites simply don’t do as well as competitors who are always adding new content. A number of commentators either didn’t know about this fact or didn’t believe it, but it’s part of the reason why the Internet is now splitting into these two groups - the content producers and content consumers.
The Growth of the Internet
Just pause for a moment and consider the sheer growth of the Internet thanks to this phenomenon of competition for the freshest, most relevant content. Now, blogs and major informational portals are hiring and paying decent wages for high-quality writers to produce informative, novel and useful articles for the Internet audience.
Yes, there are still all of those spammy websites out there that produce garbage pages only to “trick” search engines into ranking them highly and to attract the occasional web visitor - but in time those are getting weeded out as search engine algorithms become more and more intelligent at identifying the relevant, high quality pages that pertain to an Internet traveler’s search terms.
This is the reality. As the Internet evolves into a massive database filled with more and more pages of content, the websites that win are those that have the better content - the high quality, well-written useful articles. And how do you get the content that’s better than your competition? You hire a high-quality writer with a mastery of the English language and with the ability to persuade, convince and teach your readers on the niche topics that you target.
When you choose your writers, just remember that more than any other service in the entire world, with online writers - you get what you pay for. So pay well, and screen out all of your applicants who can’t write well - only hire the best!
If you do hire well - before long, you’ll quickly recognize that your content and your website as a whole is consistently ranked at the top of search engine results.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009 |
If you’ve been sifting through the web for resume writing examples, then you know that it’s one of those terms that typically turns up hundreds of useless websites filled with Google ads and no legitimate help or resources.
In this update, in the spirit of this blog truly being a “Free Writing Center” I’d like to offer two important writing resources for job hunters. A general guide for writing your own resume, and a list of the top five resources where you can see free resume writing examples.
How to Write a Winning Resume
The first and most important thing I want to say here is that job seekers spend far too much time fretting over the formatting of their resume rather than simply conveying to the potential employer why you are clearly the best qualified person for the job. As long as you have the following sections detailed on your resume, and on a single word document (set the font size small enough so that it’s readable, but everything fits), then you’ll be successful. Typically each of these sections are displayed on a resume in the following order.
- Contact Information - In this section provide your addresses and phone numbers where you can be reached, as well as your primary email address.
- Objective - This is completely optional, but if you want to you can share what type of position and skills that you hope to achieve (should pretty much match the job you’re applying for).
- Qualifications - Let them know exactly how and why you’re qualified for the position. State, in 2 or 3 short sentences, what your experience and background is that’s most closely related to the potential job.
- Education - From present to past, outline every degree program or course of study you completed including the name of the degree, graduation date, and the name and location of the school.
- Experience - From present to past, outline your work experiences related to the job you’re applying for. Include the name of the employer or client as well as a very short description of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
- Skills - This section should simply list all of the skills you have that are even remotely relevant to the position you’re applying for.
As long as all of the sections above are included in a very clean and easy to read format, you’ll do well. If you don’t even know where to start, then check out the free resources below for a some excellent resume examples.
The Top 5 Sites for Free Resume Writing Examples
The following resources offer a very long list of excellent resume examples, most of which is tailored for specific industries or careers. Explore these resources and you’re likely to find a particular format that suits your tastes. Print it out and use that format as you write your own resume.
Resume-Help.org offers a long list of exampes that are customized for particular industries like fashion, marketing or software.
Resume-Resource is another valuable site filled with examples sorted by career level or industry. There’s even a section now on “before and after” resume examples which you can download in PDF format.
EZResume offers a very long list of sample resumes. When you visit the site, just scroll down the left menu to find the specific career that you’re looking for.
Quint Careers takes a slightly different approach. The sample resumes you’ll find here are sorted in terms of experience level and format. For example there’s a category for “New Graduate Functional Format I” and “Experienced Job-Seeker Chronological Format I.”
Unlike the other sites, these resume samples are provided in HTML format. To see how the formatting is done, just click view page source in your browser.
Do you have any success stories in your job hunt? Are there particular resume formats that you prefer? Share your insight in the comments section below.
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009 |
One of the best ways to get your writing noticed is by entering your work into free writing contests. There is no greater proof that you are a well-skilled writer than the awards and prizes that you’ve won with your writing.
So in the spirit of giving your writing career that boost, I’d like to present the top 10 sites where you can submit your work for awards, cash prizes, or both. Truly free writing contests are hard to find, as most organization charge entrance fees if you want to enter. So bookmark this page and return often - this is a list of hard to find contests where you can submit your work for free!
The Top 10 Free Writing Contests on the Internet
Writer’s Digest is, by far, the premier spot on the Internet for writers looking to get published. The site is the online version of the print publication, but it offers a lot more than the magazine does. On the Writer’s Digest website, you’ll find a constant flow of contests, from short story competitions to poetry events and of course a large annual writing contest covering many categories of writing and offering a significant cash prize.
In fact, beyond the contests, the Writer’s Digest website offers some of the most valuable resources for aspiring writers, including tips on improving your writing skills, how to come up with ideas for stories and most importantly how to get your work published. This is the one site I’m willing to mention here even though the contests are not free simply because of the amazing amount of free tips and advice the website offers to writers as a whole.
The PEN/Faulkner Writing Contest
The PEN/Faulkner Foundation was created by William Faulkner with his Nobel Prize funds. It is an organization that truly promotes a simple love of all literature, and it does so especially through the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
Five fiction writers can win this Award (one winner and four finalists), but the competition is pretty fierce. Usually about 300 entries are submitted (including entire novels). The top writer wins $15,000, and the other four each receive $5,000. Best of all, you will have the opportunity to read from your work at an award ceremony in May at the Folger Shakespeare Library - a true honor.
The Shenandoah writing Awards
The Shenandoah is an esteemed publication sponsored by Washington and Lee University. Submission to the publication is free, and by submitting you stand to win any one of five wonderful prizes (beyond the prize of being accepted and published in the first place).
Shenandoah wards the Goodheart Prize for Fiction ($1,000), the James Boatwrite III Prize for Poetry ($1,000), the Carter Prize for the Essay ($1,000), the Shenandoah/Glasgow Prize for Emerging Writers ($2,000), and the Graybeal-Gowan Prize for Virginia Writers ($500).
MyAfricanDiaspora Short Story Competition
MyAfricanDiaspora is a website that embraces African Heritage, and in that spirit the site is offering an annual short story competition - open to anyone at all, regardless of country, gender or race.
The entry only needs to be 1500 words, and you stand to win the $500 grand prize. The only caveat is that the main character must have an African heritage.
Other Free contests - Folio Alley and L. Ron Hubbard
Sometimes you can find free writing contests in the most obscure places. Folio Alley is best known for the photography that you can find there, but the site also promotes writing and other creative endeavors. As a testiment to that, starting in 2009 they’ve started offering a writing contest. The fascinating thing about this contest is that the writing isn’t judged by a small panel, it’s judged by the entire FolioAlley community. If you can impress the membership - you’ll win the $500 prize!
If you like writing Science Fiction, another popular writing contest is the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest This organization accepts free submissions, and every quarter they award cash prizes ($1,000 in many cases) to the top three writers. The Grand Prize Winner gets an additional $5,000 on top of that.
When you search for “free writing contests,” what you’ll find is that over 80 to 90 percent of online writing contests ask for entrance fees. You may find a large number of them ask for very modest entry fees, and if that works for you, then go for it - just make sure the sponsoring organization is respectable and legitimate. However, if you want to focus only on contests that are free - there are some out there, as this particular list shows - you just need to search in nonconventional places like at Universities and websites that offer content that’s indirectly related to writing.
Good luck, and I hope you win!
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 |
Any time the economy takes a nosedive and people find themselves losing valuable high-paying jobs, the first question skilled writers ask is, “How do I become a freelance writer?”
Why Become a Freelance Writer?
You may have always had a particular gift when it comes to writing. In fact, many people often choose higher paying careers instead of writing for income, because for so many years writing was never really a very viable occupation. The stigma of the “poor writer” remains integrated throughout modern culture, and it’s difficult for people to imagine actually earning a legitimate income if they become a freelance writer.
So Then, How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?
One of the central reasons I created this blog is because, once I realized that the evolution of the Internet forms new and exciting opportunities for freelance writers every day, the reality hit me - there are countless excellent writers out there who are not doing what they love to do because they believe that writing is not a “legitimate career.” In this post, I’m going to lay clearly lay out the answer to the question: “How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?”
Step #1 - Take Inventory of Your Skills, Knowledge and Experience
If you really want to do well as a freelance writer, take stock of the experiences, skills and knowledge that you’ve already built up in your life up to this point. It doesn’t matter how important or unimportant you find it, if you’ve experienced it then it becomes a good source of information to draw from. Having a degree in a particular field is excellent, but not critical. Maybe you spent a good part of your life working as an ER nurse, an office assistant, or even a special education teacher. These life experiences form what you are knowledgable about, and they’re where you can draw out the information you’ll need to write. And if there are things that you don’t know about (there’s always likely to be) - that’s another reason the Internet is so great. If you need a refresher on any topic, there’s likely a website out there that can help.
Step #2 - Be Honest With Yourself. Do You Really Write Well?
Once I started doing some editing for various websites and blogs, I realized that there are a lot of people out there that have the dream of earning income from freelance writing, but their only asking, “how do I become a freelance writer?” because writing is something they think 
they can do from home with very little effort and overhead. However, if you really have a hard time putting together a sentence that actually sounds good when you read it out loud, you may want to consider one of the following approaches.
- Enroll in a few creative writing classes at a local community college or university.
- Subscribe to blogs (and read them every day) that discuss the many writing techniques you can use to “write well” (like this one).
- Join a local reading club - the best way to learn how to write well is by reading how the published authors do it.
Are you not really sure whether or not you’d classify as a “good writer?” If you’ve been submitting your work to various publishers and agents and you’ve received denial letters, that’s not an indication that you’re a good writer. Most professional published authors were turned down relentlessly. Agents receive far too many submissions to do a very good job judging good writing from bad - and a great many brilliant writers pass over the desks of many agents who, through their own overly inflated ego or just plain laziness, let that writer pass them by.
On the other hand, you do have folks that will likely be frank and honest with you about your writing - your family. Approach someone who you love and trust to be truthful with you and present them with your absolute best writing work. Explain that you’re considering embarking in a career that requires very good writing skills (you don’t need to offer all of the specifics) and you need to know if your writing is good. Tell them to be as honest as possible.
If they love it, then you should be okay. If they hesitate, or offer a series of critiques, then you may want to get a second opinion from another family member. In time, you’ll get the general picture - and don’t let your ego get in the way. If you can’t write, you can learn how, but don’t fool yourself into spending hours each day of your time doing something that’s doomed to fail because you weren’t honest with yourself.
Step #3 - Where Do I Start?
Start out with a simple google search for things like “write for us,” or “we need writers.” Sift through the many sites and look for those that match the field, topic, or career that you have expertise and in which you have a great deal to offer. If you don’t already have some writing samples published online, then your first step should be to either start a blog, or start writing on someone else’s blog for free. Get your name attached to high-quality articles, and preferably published on blogs or websites that have a good flow of Internet traffic. For example, try Associated Content or Helium. These are two sites where you’ll essentially be writing for almost free at first, but at least it allows you a venue to get your name out there and the quality if your work noticed.
Step #4 - Persistence, Motivation and the Rising Income
Most importantly, as you apply for jobs at the various top freelance job boards (more on those coming soon), you’ll first land jobs that don’t pay extremely well. But if you’re willing to put in the hard work to get your name known, you may be writing articles for $5 to $10 at the start, but in time your per-article income will rise to $20 or more once you become established as a stellar author, who’s writing is in demand. Those early days will consist of many hours of very hard work, writing article after article…but in time and month by month, you’ll see your freelance writing income rise.
Step #5 - Never Settle
Freelance writing is definitely a business where all you need are one or two high-paying clients, and you’ll likely find that you are never wanting for more work. In fact, you’ll be struggling to find the time to complete all of your projects on time. Don’t push yourself so hard that you burn out every month. Most importantly, once you’ve been able to establish yourself with a client that does pay $15 to $20 per article, don’t settle for other jobs that pay less. At that point, you are a higher quality writer. Someone has recognized your worth, so all of your writing should be valued at that same rate. Even though you’ll have to start at the bottom, as your name recognition and writing “brand” increases in notoriety, so does the value of your writing - at that point, never undersell yourself by agreeing to write for less than you’re currently worth.
Final Words About Freelance Writing
Ultimately, you are likely asking “how do I become a freelance writer” for very good reason. Make sure that you understand the freelance writing field, how it works, and how to advance within it - and you’ll find that you can earn more through freelance writing than you could in a majority of other careers.
Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 19th, 2009 |
Do you ever wonder how to go about building better website content in order to capture more google search traffic and longer visit times? The answer lies in keyword use and incoming links.
Learning How to Build Better Website Content
As an online content writer, learning how to build better website content is something that I’ve personally had to learn over a fair amount of time.
While it’s easy enough for a webmaster to throw together a page of content, it isn’t likely to attract many visitors to your site. Some web designers will go so far as to take a course on building better website content that teaches the importance of using keywords, and then they’ll attempt to draw in traffic by jamming their pages fill of keywords. This is also known as keyword spamming.
While this worked in the older days of the internet, it no longer works today. The following elements are what you need to focus on in order to make sure web page content is optimized to draw in the most traffic to your website.
(more…)
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