Good News For Freelancers – Hiring Is Up

As many of you know, I find my freelance writing jobs on a web site called Elance. I use Elance for more than just finding work, though. I like to read their blog and keep my skills sharp by watching video tutorials and taking skills tests from time to time. Today I came across some encouraging news for both current and aspiring home – based professionals in a blog post on Elance. According to a survey of 1500 clients who use Elance to hire freelance contractors, the online work force is playing an increasingly important role in the success and … Continue reading →

My Best Advice for Blogging

Content is still king: No matter how the winds blow or the tides change the most important factor in writing is content. You must put out quality content to gain and keep readers. What is quality content? Content that effects a reader. Does your content encourage, enlighten, or engage? Are you teaching something, informing, or making your readers laugh? Readers are probably not interested in your last trip to the grocery store unless you demonstrate extreme couponing or have some antidote that is worth mentioning a trip to the grocery story. A blog post is a gift to your readers. … Continue reading →

The eBook Cover Search

I am in the process of writing a ebook. I only have about half of the first draft done but it is coming along. I do have a bit of a quirk about writing articles or ebooks. I always find the image associated with what I am writing first. When I first began my current ebook I selected an image. However, I changed my mind and decided to go with a photo rather then a vector image that I previously selected. So, of course, I decided that I had to find the image at that moment. I can be a … Continue reading →

Building a Platform

If you write for a living (or hope to), you need to understand the importance of building a platform. Writing today is much different than it used to be. In fact, you can’t really expect much of a career from it unless you have a platform. So what do I mean by platform? It is the means through which you promote, market, and sell your work. This is what will drive book sales. So if you hope to be taken on by a publisher you should know that without a platform, it likely won’t happen. The bigger and better your … Continue reading →

Tips on Making Money from Blogging

Many who engage in blogging look forward to the day when they can earn an income from their blog. It can be so exciting to earn money from blogging that it can be easy to make a mistake and get in on a bad deal. If you are a blogger looking to make money blogging you will need to follow a few guidelines. Tips for Making Money from a Blog There are a few options for earning money. There is advertising, text links, sponsored posts and affiliate programs. Once you are more established you can earn money from speaking and … Continue reading →

What Kinds of Writing Work Can I Find Online?

It has occurred to me that not everyone who wonders whether they can work as a writer knows what kinds of writing jobs are available on the internet through freelance job posting sites like Elance, oDesk, and Guru. Stephanie Romero wrote a great post about what it is like to write web content. If you are reading our Home Business blog or any of the other great blogs here on Families.com, you can see what kinds of things people write when they work as professional bloggers. There are many, many other types of writing assignments that are available online. If … Continue reading →

Is Web Content Writing for Me?

When it comes to explaining to others what I do for a living, they can usually understand the concept of blogging. But when I say that I write web content, I usually get a confused look. A web content writer provides the text needed to draw in a certain reader. Sometimes it can include the use of pictures, sound and videos. This will depend on the website and who you are writing for. Maybe you have heard the phrase, “Content is King.” What this means is that no matter how fancy your page looks, no matter how clever the layout…if … Continue reading →

Organization Tips for the Freelance Writer

I have been working as a freelance writer for over two years now. My work is a web content writer and a professional blogger. Along the way I have learned several ways to stay organized that I would like to share. I use a file folder system which enables me to locate what I need quickly. One of those folders is labeled “Work Receipts.” Anytime I purchase something that is used for my work (computer paper, pens, books, etc.) I put the receipt in this folder. If I purchase several items and only a couple of them are related to … Continue reading →

Freelancing Mistakes To Avoid – Part 2

Today, I would like to talk about three more common mistakes that home – based freelance professionals make, and how you can avoid them. Taking on too much work is a common mistake for freelance professionals and for the self – employed in general. It is also a sign of a larger problem – having unrealistic expectations. We all want to make as much money as we can, and we need to earn enough to pay the bills. However, we also have to be honest with ourselves about what we can realistically expect to accomplish in the time that we … Continue reading →

Freelance Work Is Going Strong

Today, I read the latest newsletter from my favorite place for finding online freelance writing work – Elance. The newsletter had interesting information about the current state of freelance employment, and the news is encouraging especially considering the dismal state of employment in general. Freelance business is booming and, in total, Elance contractors earned 43 million dollars in the first quarter of financial year 2012 – the strongest quarterly earnings to date. What are these contractors doing to earn all of that money? The skills that were in highest demand during the first quarter of 2012 were information technology and … Continue reading →