Jennifer Mattern If you’re an author, you’ve probably heard plenty about the importance of social media marketing. But when it comes to using social networks as marketing and PR tools, there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Let’s look at Twitter as an example. Here are some Twitter tips that will help you build better relationships with existing fans (which ultimately leads to more
We’ve talked a lot about specialization as a freelance writer, why it’s a good idea to specialize, and even how to choose a freelance writing specialty. But if you choose to specialize in one or more freelance writing niches (as opposed to focusing on specific service types), how do you know if a niche you’re passionate about pays well? When it comes to picking the right
Today Kathryn Aragon was kind enough to host a guest post from me about content theft. In it, I explain: Why freelance writers and bloggers shouldn’t ignore it (and why you’re crazy if you think those “free backlinks” are a good thing); How you can track down information about even the most anonymous content thieves; What you can do to have your stolen content removed
When I first went into business for myself (full-time PR firm, part-time business writing and blogging), I had a pretty standard formal business plan. Later, and I expanded my Web publishing efforts, I started using a much simpler model — one page versions that help me map out my plans and ideas on a project by project basis. I’ve even released the templates I use
If you’re a blogger, you probably get more than your fair share of blog comment spam. This can include anything from robots to bad SEO professionals spamming you for backlinks to trackback spam. You have a few options to deal with them: You can let them go live on your site. (Ick!) You can moderate all comments manually. (But why?) You can implement intrusive captcha-style
I’m sitting here writing a post for Wednesday on a Tuesday night because we’re anticipating power outages tomorrow (“today” I suppose if you’re reading this). I can’t control ice storms or the fact that they rolled in at least eight hours earlier than forecasters expected. I can’t control the woods around our house and whether or not the ice will bring down branches on the
Multitasking. It’s awesome. It’s evil. It will make you more productive. It will make you less productive. It will make you more successful. It will destroy your business. What’s the truth when it comes to multitasking in your freelance writing business? The truth is, it depends. Should You Multitask? It depends on what kinds of tasks you’re talking about. For example, it would probably be
As the day quickly passes by, I realize that I’ve spent most of it staring out the two huge windows that sit in front of my desk. The snow has been falling since the early morning hours, and I’ve watched it go from a dusting to at least half a foot so far. I love watching the snow fall. It’s one of the things I
I read a lot of blogs. But my time is limited like most people, and that means I can’t always comment as much as I’d like. When I do take the time to write a comment for one of your posts, it’s because I thought you had something interesting to say and I wanted to engage in the conversation. But sometimes in the process of trying to
Are you a new freelance writer looking to write online? When you’re just getting started as a freelance writer, you probably have a lot of questions. And one of those questions is probably about what kinds of gigs are actually open to new writers. If you want to focus on writing for the Web, there are several types of gigs you can find, no matter
In traditional e-book publishing, authors sell their e-books predominantly on their own websites (mostly in .pdf format, although you aren’t limited by that). Despite changes in the publishing world and Amazon’s perceived takeover attempt of all things e-publishing, selling your e-books on your own site can still be important. That’s especially true when you have an existing author platform with a built-in audience interested in what you
You’ve probably heard this advice before: to protect yourself professionally, you should set up your freelance writing business as a limited liability company (LLC). The basic idea is that an LLC will protect your personal assets if claims were to arise against your business. But registering your freelance business as an LLC might do little more than give you a false sense of security. This
In today’s post I’ll answer several reader questions recently submitted by Wendy Komancheck, a freelance writer who specializes in writing for landscapers and related businesses. These questions came as a follow-up to my recent post, “How Writers Can Stay Productive Even During Sick Days,” where Wendy brought up the issue of not being able to take sick days because she doesn’t get paid time off.
So far this year, I’ve had one normal work day. One. Just a day after returning to work from my holiday break, I needed a sick day. That turned into a “sick week.” And it’s now going on week two. Surprisingly though, those sick days have still been productive days. I launched several new features here on this site. I published several blog posts on various
When I launched this blog in 2006 (under the name SixFigureWriters.com at the time), one of the biggest issues being discussed by new freelance writers was the “global writers’ market.” Writers in English-speaking countries would routinely blame this supposed global market for the fact that they couldn’t find decent-paying freelance writing jobs. They blamed non-native English speakers in countries with lower costs of living, as
We all have goals for our freelance writing careers. And many of us are probably gearing up to make changes in the New Year. But what happens when you feel stuck — like there’s no time left in the day to actually work on growing our businesses? No matter how busy or even overwhelmed you might feel there’s always one option open. Change your current
This week is my last work week of 2013. That means it’s time to take a look back at my progress this year — both my successes and failures. And it’s time to think about goals and resolutions for 2014. You can find mine below, and I hope you’ll share some of your own in the comments. Let’s start with some of my biggest goals
I doubt any of you are strangers to spam. My favorites, if you can call them that, are all of the terrible pitches I receive from marketing and design firms as well as other freelancers. Here are the most common I see: “Your website isn’t ranking on the first page of Google,” (followed by all of the reasons I need their SEO services to get
I was contacted recently by freelance writer, Steve Koch, with some questions that might be on the mind of other new freelancers. He agreed to let me publish my responses on the blog so hopefully other readers with similar questions will benefit. Reader Questions “I have some general questions about getting started as a freelance writer. I have gone to the usual attempts (elance, helium
We’ve talked in the past about why freelance writers need a professional website. There are some things we didn’t get into then, and some things have changed over the years, making them more important now than ever. To kick off our series on professional websites for freelance writers, let’s start by looking at some of the most important reasons you might want to create one.
One of the biggest benefits of indie publishing is the freedom it allows authors to assemble the perfect team to develop and represent their books. That includes bringing in the right editors. But what kind of editing help do you really need? You probably know that copyeditors and proofreaders can help you catch things like spelling and grammatical errors. But what about consistency and making
Lori Widmer is a fellow business writer, and one of my “go-to gals” for all conversations business or writing-related. On her Words on the Page blog, Lori encourages new and experienced writing professionals alike to realize their worth and strive for something better. Lori inspires freelance writers to pull themselves up out of the low pay rut, and to do so through better marketing and networking. Her e-book, Marketing
In our interview with Lori Widmer of Words on the Page about marketing your freelance writing services, Lori emphasized the importance of building relationships and following up with prospects. If you’re one of the many writers who are uncomfortable with the idea of marketing from a direct sales perspective, thinking about marketing in terms of relationships can help you ease into a more effective marketing strategy.
There are only a handful of freelance writing colleagues that I turn to on a regular basis to bounce ideas around. Lori Widmer is one of those writers. And one issue where I wouldn’t hesitate to consult her for advice is freelance marketing. Lori comes from a business writing background, but also pursues creative writing projects (currently focusing on poetry). She knows how to adapt
Whether you maintain a blog as a way to market your freelance writing services, as a way to maintain an author presence, or as its own business model, tying your blog to your larger social media presence is vital. That includes giving blog readers the opportunity to share your posts on their favorite social networks. And it involves telling readers how they can connect with
Recently we’ve been talking a lot about writing books, including Karen Wiesner’s recent release on writing fiction series. Today I’d like to delve a bit further into the decision we make as authors between pursuing a one-off novel versus looking for series potential. Both have their place. So let’s look at the pros and cons of both. Here are some of the most obvious upsides
Normally I post my quarterly business goals and plans at the beginning of each quarter, and I try to post a follow-up in the next update to let you know how I did. Plans always unexpectedly change in one way or another, but this past quarter might have been the worst. As you might know, I took off for an extended leave of several months
Interview on nonfiction book indexing with Virginia C. McGuire Have you ever considered writing a nonfiction book? Whether your goal is simply to be a published author in a certain niche or you want to publish a book to promote your overall freelance writing business, your book might need an index. How do you create a nonfiction book index? Can you (and should you) do
We’ve been talking a lot this past week about Karen Wiesner’s latest writer’s reference book, Writing the Fiction Series. Today I’d like to share some information about another book you should keep an eye out for. The rights to her book, From First Draft to Finished Novel, have reverted to her, and Karen is set to release a new version of the book through another publisher. The new release
I’ve made it no secret that I’m a fan of the previous two writers’ reference books from Karen Wiesner — First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel. So I was thrilled when she sent me her most recent release for writers, Writing the Fiction Series. This was a timely read for me. I’m gearing up to take part in my first NaNoWriMo, when I’ll finish