No matter how busy you might be, if you are a freelance writer in the business of freelance writing then you always need to be on the lookout for other ways of making money from your writing.

Freelancers should Diversify

I write for several clients and for a couple of content mills when I have a spare hour or two. I have Adsense on this and on my other blog but I don’t seem to have seen much profit from that yet. Occasionally I write and article for Triond as they pay out every month, even if you’ve only earned a dollar or two.

PLR Articles

I was reading Raven’s blog today, particularly her post on writing PLR articles. In case you don’t know, PLR articles are public label rights where you can sell an article you have written many times over. You may only charge a $1 for that article but if you sell ten or twenty or more of that article, then you’ve made a reasonable rate. Most writers who do this sell batches of 5 or ten articles and it is possible to make as much as fifty dollars from one article on a good day. Head on over to Raven’s blog and read the post, it sounds like a good way of making a bit of extra income.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Just a Five Minute Writing Whinge
• When the Freelance Writing Gets Tough
• Write it Right, Right?
• Freelance Writing: Keyword Research and Other Writerly Things
• A Dog’s View of Freelancing

Tweet This Post  Plurk This Post 

When work gets in the way that’s my fault because I’m either not working to schedule or I have underestimated the work involved in a particular project, sometimes it is both of these. I drastically underestimated the amount of research involved in one particular job, which meant that it took me three times as long as normal and I had not charged enough at the outset. All of which has been a problem because I had intended to be well on the way with preparation for this year’s Nano Wrimo – haven’t finished the last one off yet but it has been worked on and will continue until finished.

I have been almost totally absent from Twitter and anywhere else that I network and chat. I’m hoping that this weekend I will be able to start on this years preparation for Nano. Are you going for it this year, if so, what gets in the way of your writing?

Possibly Related Posts:

• Just a Five Minute Writing Whinge
• When the Freelance Writing Gets Tough
• Write it Right, Right?
• Freelance Writing: Keyword Research and Other Writerly Things
• A Dog’s View of Freelancing

Tweet This Post  Plurk This Post 

What Do You Enjoy Doing?

Most people have something in life that they really enjoy doing. Thinking about the things in life that give you pleasure is a good way of working out what you enjoy doing, once you have that settled then you have to find a way to do more of what you enjoy doing. People who enjoy writing when they get the chance and reading what others have written, might want to consider how they can get started as a freelance writer. If you are one of those people then don’t give up your day job straight away, it will take you a couple of months to get things going and you can do that in your spare time. As this is the first in a series of posts I’m going to start with the basics of setting up a workspace and a free blog.

Finding Your Own Writing Space

If you live alone then you probably won’t have trouble finding a quiet space that you can use as your writing area, if, like me, you have a large family, then things might be a bit more difficult. Try to set aside some space, whether it is the corner of your dining room table, or an office in the spare room, where you can work in peace. A laptop is a great investment because you can work wherever you feel comfortable at the time. While I have some office space at home now, I often write sat in an armchair with my laptop on my knee, or on warm sunny days like today, in the garden. All you really need to get started is some sort of computer, an internet connection and a good diary or notebook that you can use as a diary. You may not have thought about setting up a blog for yourself but it’s essential for a freelance writer.

Setting Up a Free Blog

Probably the best place to get started on blogging is with Google’s Blogger. Once you are settled in your workspace then head on over to Blogger and sign up for a blog. Once you have done this you can either stick with the theme presented or choose from one of the other themes on offer. Once you have got your blog you need to think of a name for it, take your time over this as your blog title is how people will find you on Google.

Once you’ve set up your blog and got yourself a blog title that suits you and the way you envision your freelance writing business, you can write your first post. When your business starts to take off you will need your own website, but in the meantime a blog is great and it’s certainly how I and people like Sharon over at Get Paid to Write Online and Dana over at The Writer’s Blog got started. Having a blog is a good way of giving clients some idea of your writing style until you get some writing clips and a portfolio together, for now a blog is great.

If you have now got as far as finding a writing space, setting up a blog and giving it a name, and written your first post, then you’ve done well to begin with. Take a look tomorrow for the next steps you can take to getting your own freelance writing business.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Just a Five Minute Writing Whinge
• When the Freelance Writing Gets Tough
• Write it Right, Right?
• Freelance Writing: Keyword Research and Other Writerly Things
• A Dog’s View of Freelancing

Tweet This Post  Plurk This Post 

Writing is useful when you are feeling bad, even the most mundane subjects are much better than looking at the dark hole inside, and there is something soothing about the rhythmic tapping of the keys. It’s not often that I put stream of consciousness stuff on here but this is the way things are at the moment. I can certainly do without the bloody RA flare that has been hanging around for more than a week.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Just a Five Minute Writing Whinge
• When the Freelance Writing Gets Tough
• Write it Right, Right?
• Freelance Writing: Keyword Research and Other Writerly Things
• A Dog’s View of Freelancing

Tweet This Post  Plurk This Post 

1. Use the Active Voice

All too often busy writers use the first phrase or idea that comes into their head instead of searching for words that will attract the reader’s interest. Whether you write fact or fiction these tips apply to you as a writer. Writing in the passive voice e.g. he was sitting in the chair is much lmore immediate in the active voice, he sat in the chair. Now and again the passive voice fits what we write but in the main, readers respond better to the active voice.

2. Vary Your Opening Sentences

When you write a story, a blog post or an article, read it through carefully at the end and identify your favourite sentence openers, most writers have them, change some of your opening sentences for something fresh and interesting. Readers soon grow tired of repetitive writing.

Don’t Let Your Writing Fade Out

It is all too easy to spoil a great piece of writing with a flat ending. If you are writing sales copy then you should always conclude with a call to action e.g. get your copy now. Most readers like a satisfactory end to a story, if your writing goes out ‘not with a bang but a whimper’ to use Eliot’s famous phrase, you will lose your audience. Make sure that whatever you are writing has a satisfactory finish. What are your tips for making your writing more effective?

Possibly Related Posts:

• Just a Five Minute Writing Whinge
• When the Freelance Writing Gets Tough
• Write it Right, Right?
• Freelance Writing: Keyword Research and Other Writerly Things
• A Dog’s View of Freelancing

Tweet This Post  Plurk This Post