Recommended Reading

Bookmark this page for all the latest third-party articles I recommend for freelance writers. Learn about building and running a freelance writing business, improving your marketing skills so you can find more clients, and much more. New recommendations get added here regularly.

What's New in WordPress 6.5: Font Library, Data Views, Block Bindings, Interactivity API, and Much More!

By: Carlo Daniele, At: Kinsta
Added on: March 14, 2024

Get familiar with the changes in WordPress 6.5, coming later this month. Carlo Daniele, writing for the Kinsta blog, shares important new features that could impact your own professional website or the way you work with clients' WordPress sites.

Read "What's New in WordPress 6.5: Font Library, Data Views, Block Bindings, Interactivity API, and Much More!"


Content Ideation: 8 Ways to Generate Infinite Blog Post Ideas

By: Ryan Law, At: Ahrefs
Added on: March 14, 2024

Not sure what to write about on your professional site's blog? Need blog post ideas to pitch to freelance writing clients? Ryan Law offers some inspiring tips in this post on the Ahrefs blog, with 8 blog post types or themes you can use again and again.

Read "Content Ideation: 8 Ways to Generate Infinite Blog Post Ideas"


Your Freelance Career Speed Bumps

By: Lori Widmer, At: Words on the Page
Added on: March 14, 2024

Are you blaming the wrong people, or reasons, for missing on on freelance writing gigs? Lori Widmer shares an example and explains why we sometimes have to look inward to see the real speed bumps in our freelance careers. She then offers some tips on how we can move forward, minus the excuses.

Read "Your Freelance Career Speed Bumps"


Niche Your Way to Freelance Copywriting Success

By: Bob Bly, At: WritersDigest.com
Added on: March 14, 2024

While focusing on a niche isn't the only way to specialize as a freelance writer, it can open the door to some of the most lucrative opportunities. This post from renowned copywriter, Bob Bly, gives some great examples of how your background could be the key to higher-paying freelance copywriting work.

Read "Niche Your Way to Freelance Copywriting Success"


5 Things to Hate on a Website

By: Cathy Miller, At: Simply Stated Business
Added on: March 7, 2024

Long-time friend and colleague, Cathy Miller, shares some pet peeves about web site design, navigation, and more on her site, Simply Stated Business. Does your professional website break any of these "rules," potentially driving prospects away before they have a chance to hire you?

Read "5 Things to Hate on a Website"


Should Companies Prohibit Freelance Writers from Using ChatGPT for Non-Writing Tasks?

By: Jennifer Goforth Gregory, At: JenniferGregoryWriter.com
Added on: March 7, 2024

Do you refuse to use AI tools when writing client articles? Well hold on... if you use grammar checkers or even spellcheck, you're already using AI tools. But there's a difference between claiming authorship for AI-generated content and responsibly using AI tools in the course of your freelance writing business. Jennifer Goforth Gregory offers a nice intro to this difference, and where the line should be between clients insisting on human-written content and telling freelancers what tools they may, or may not, use in the course of their business.

Read "Should Companies Prohibit Freelance Writers from Using ChatGPT for Non-Writing Tasks?"


By: Sydney Go, At: Semrush
Added on: March 7, 2024

If you see your website tank in search results, unnatural links could be at least partly to blame. Maybe you engaged in black hat link-buying in the past, or spammed comments for links. Or maybe a bad SEO "pro" did so on your behalf. Or, maybe you're even the victim of a negative SEO campaign where someone else built those links to your site. Are you screwed? Fortunately, not. Get some tips from Sydney Go at Semrush on what you can do if unnatural links are hurting your professional website or blog.

Read "Unnatural Links: What They Are and How to Fix Your Link Profile"


Google Releasing Massive Search Quality Enhancements in March 2024 Core Update and Multiple Spam Updates

By: Barry Schwartz, At: Search Engine Land
Added on: March 7, 2024

Learn about some important Google algorithm updates any online writer should be aware of in this article from Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Land. If you're familiar with Google's "helpful content updates," you should know they're now being rolled into core updates. How helpful is your content?

Read "Google Releasing Massive Search Quality Enhancements in March 2024 Core Update and Multiple Spam Updates"


Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?

At: Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Added on: March 5, 2024

If you're a US-based freelance writer, you need to understand your rights and responsibilities as an independent contractor. Part of that is making sure clients don't cross a line into employer territory, misclassifying you. It could impact your taxes, whether or not you retain copyright to your work, and much more. This IRS intro to the issue is a good place to start learning about the difference.

Read "Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?"


By: Chris Haines, At: Ahrefs
Added on: March 5, 2024

Your professional website is an important tool for attracting new freelance clients. That's especially true for attracting warm leads via search engine visibility. There are many SEO tactics that can help you improve that visibility. But the one that's perhaps most in your control is your internal linking strategy on your own site. Learn what that includes, and how you can improve your internal linking in this article from Chris Haines with Ahrefs.

Read "Internal Links for SEO: An Actionable Guide"


When a Client Breaches a Freelance Contract

By: Lori Widmer, At: Words on the Page
Added on: March 5, 2024

In this article, Lori Widmer addresses a freelance writing issue you hopefully won't experience often: clients who breach your contract. Does your client ghost you when their invoice comes due? Do they try to change the scope of the project without re-negotiating compensation or other terms? Get tips from Lori on how to handle these kinds of problem clients.

Read "When a Client Breaches a Freelance Contract"