Better Content

Top 10 Free Online Writing Courses

2009-10-19T22:08:00.003-04:00

While the art of writing certainly requires a bit of talent, learning the techniques of good writing through free online writing courses can send your own writing quality into the stratosphere. When it comes to online writing, the truth is that good things come to those who write well. Once your articles reach wide distribution and your name gets out there as a recognizable source for excellent writing - your earning potential as a freelance online writer is limited only by how much time you have available to devote to your writing.

Previously, I've written quite a bit about free online resources and tools for online writers, and I've also provide a little bit of insight into the path that you can follow to become a freelance writer. However, in order to lay down a solid foundation as a writer, you really need to take a few writing classes - so I've decided to put together a useful list of the top 10 sites that offer free online writing courses in order to provide you with a page that you can bookmark and return to often whenever you'd like to take another free writing course.

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Dealing With Criticism On Your Blog

2009-10-06T18:19:00.002-04:00

It happens to the best of us - the day when you're faced with the issue of dealing with criticism. Maybe you've spent hours researching and writing up your work of word-art, yet within the first few days of it being posted and online your comment area is inundated with both constructive and hurtful criticisms.

Maybe you messed up a point or two in your article, or maybe you just completely missed the plot. If this has ever happened to you, I'm going to offer a few tips for bloggers out there on dealing with both kinds of criticism on your blog in a way that displays healthy maturity, but also in a confident and non-confrontational way.

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Website SEO Consultant Work Is Not Always Easy

2009-08-20T04:13:00.002-04:00

As a professional website SEO consultant, it's my job to help my clients strike gold in that magic "top 10" list on Google's listings. The problem is that many blog and website owners don't truly appreciate what it takes to do so, and many who do come to appreciate it sometimes realize that they simply don't have the ability to make the necessary sacrifices.

Website SEO Consultant Work Can Be Frustrating

It's one thing to run a blog or a website that's beautifully created and brilliantly coded - but it's quite another to draw in the crowds and keep their attention. The Internet is a fascinating social environment (in fact, one of the world's most amazing and long-running social experiments), and the "back-door" operations of that environment provides a fascinating glimpse of what the world wants to know about. Or, at the very least, it shows what people use the Internet for.

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Better Content Has a New Home!

2009-04-24T20:07:00.003-04:00

First, I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers who visit this blog often. However you found your way here, regardless where you came from or why you're here, I wanted to take a moment to recognize you.

I started really focusing on publishing my writing on the Internet last year, and only because I needed to generate some income to support my family. My love on online publishing didn't come from a need for income though, it came from a side passion known as Reality Uncovered. That was (and is) a website I own with my good friend from the UK, Stephen Broadbent. The focus of the site is to serve a unique and narrow niche related to a scientific analysis of the paranormal - specifically UFO's. After a few years of intense research and writing there, I found that I was running on empty. Family medical issues became a financial drain, so I need to produce more income. So, I turned to what I love to do - write.

Since then, I started several blogs and began writing on a whole miscellaneous array of topics for clients I found at Scriptlance. I was able to earn income from writing online, but the hours were very long and the pay wasn't very good. In fact, competing with the folks from India who can mass-produce web content at a rate ten times what I could - I really had to work to convince web designers that my quality was far above and beyond. In time, it no longer took convincing, I had a steady stream of regular clients, and a constant supply of work.

Writing Work Expands Upon Itself

From there, things only got better. I was hired as a writer at LoveToKnow, a very cool informational website - and eventually was promoted to Site Editor and finally to Group Editor for three channels, Sci Fi, Web Design and Online. I've also been hired as a Staff Writer at MakeUseOf, the coolest geeky tech site on the Internet (and likely how many of you found your way here).

Since then, the traffic and interest within all venues has increased and I couldn't be more greatful for all of the fantastic contents an interest from readers. So I've decided to establish a hosted blog that serves as a central point for all of my writing. I've migrated all of my posts here to that blog, and I'll be keeping both this "free" blog and my hosted blog updated constantly. If you are ever curious what I'm up to - check it out. The new location (please update your bookmarks!) is FreeWritingCenter.com.

Thanks again to everyone - see you there!

Writing on Helium.com Becomes Profitable...Sorta

2009-03-03T23:23:00.007-05:00

For anyone who missed it, back in January I commented about Helium.com, remarking that, "Helium is not the place I would recommend going if you hope to earn the big bucks." As you can see here, I've written a fair share of articles at Helium.com, but that was mostly at the beginning of my online writing career, when I didn't really know any better and was just testing the waters.

Helium Decides to Step it Up a Notch

To my surprise, only a few weeks after I published that article, Helium.com decided to increase their revenue sharing approach. So, in all fairness, I must reassess my original take on Helium. Instead of earning a "paltry" income from investing your time on the site, you will now be earning a "very tiny" income - but only if you're willing to invest a fair amount of time. Here's how the new system currently works.

Helium is now willing to offer "up-front" payments for your articles, similar to Associated Content, but at a lower rate and dependent upon your "writing stars" and your "rating stars." The current rates are as follows:

* 1 Writing Star – $0.50 per article published
* 2 Writing Star – $1.00 per article published
* 3 Writing Star – $1.50 per article published
* 4 Writing Star – $2.00 per article published
* 5 Writing Star – $2.50 per article published

The catch? You have to have "1 rating star." If you don't maintain at least a single rating star, you won't earn those upfront payments. How hard is it to maintain a rating star? Read on.

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Even More Free Writing Advice on the Way!

2009-02-10T17:44:00.003-05:00

I've got some great news for loyal readers and followers of this blog. First, I'd like to than you all for visiting and following along as we explore the world of online content and freelance writing. It's been a great ride even over these short months, and already I've decided to invest a bit and purchase a domain to step this blog up a notch. Within about a month FreeWritingCenter.com is going to go live, with even more content, tools and resources for professional online (and offline) writers.

I'm also planning to provide a great deal of insight regarding where other online writers have found tremendous financial and personal success in their online writing efforts, and how web designers have altered their websites, even just slightly, and brought in tremendous traffic. The new site will feature media, interviews, updated breaking news and much more. Stay tuned, and thanks again for following along. I'll provide an update here when the new site goes live!

How the Internet Changed Writing

2009-01-31T16:41:00.008-05:00

Here I am, blogging from the comfort of a vehicle, traveling at 70 miles per hour on the interstate. A thought struck me as I watch other passengers texting, using mobile email, or with a laptop on their laps and tethered to their mobile phone - surfing Google just like they were sitting at home. We are living in reality conceived by the sci-fi authors of the past.

Two Books About Writing and Getting Published

2009-01-24T10:20:00.010-05:00

When you are a writer, whether you're writing for the online market or the offline "print" market, there are a number of resources that are critical to your success. These span the whole range of skills that every writer needs, including:

1. How to write well
2. How to organize and plan your writing projects
3. How to make money from writing
4. How to get published (either online or offline)

Every month I plan to provide book reviews for the best books out there on particular topics related to writing. This month, I'd like to focus on two books in particular - the annual Writer's Market, and the instructional and entertaining book On Writing by Stephen King.

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Top Free Writing Resources and Tools

2009-01-17T22:18:00.011-05:00

One of the most valuable uses for the Internet is when you're in need of free writing, such as free letters or tips about writing. People often don't realize how often good writing can make an important difference in their life. Whether it's dealing with a credit card company, writing an invitation or a formal resignation letter, or if you simply want some advice about writing better - good writing gets results.

Finding Free Writing Resources and Tools
In this article, you'll find valuable links and resources to free letter templates, free tests and free questions, free tutorials to help you practice writing, and resources about writing that offer you with tips and techniques to improve your own writing abilities.

The saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword," is very true. I've gotten out of some very serious scrapes and nerve-racking situations by writing a poignant and powerful letter. But not all people have the ability to craft the written word into useful prose, so when you need to have that kind of communication with a business or person, it's important that you know where to turn. Below, I'll provide you with some of the best online resources for both free and low-cost writing solutions. Bookmark this page and return to it when you find that you need to correspond with someone, or you just want to learn a bit more about improving your own writing skills. This article will cover the following resources:

1. Free Letters And Letter Templates
2. Free Tests and Free Questions
3. Free Practice Writing Tutorials
4. Tips and Techniques About Writing

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Mobile Blogging to Boost Your Blog Ratings

2009-01-06T20:25:00.006-05:00

Whether or not you realize it yet, mobile blogging, otherwise known as "moblogging," is rising as a very popular form of instant blogging that's set to take the world by storm.

How to Moblog to Boost Your Blog Ratings

Mobile blogging isn't complicated. In fact, regardless which platform you use, there's very likely an integrated method to enable blogging to your blog from your cellphone. As you can see from my last post, which I used in this article, I've enabled my phone to fire off entries to BetterContent whenever I've come across anything exciting or newsworthy.

Just consider the possibilities:

Journalists can instantly publish pictures and text from breaking news events
Hikers and campers can keep a live online journal of their adventures
A whole new niche for traveling novelists
Private Investigators can instantly publish findings for clients in private blogs
Families can provide instant updates to each other on family blogs

First Mobile Blog Post!

2009-01-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

In an amazing advancement of mobile technology and social network wizardry courtesy of Google, you can now blog from your phone. In fact, this entry itself was sent from my ATT Smartphone. In the next update, I will explain how mobile blogging can send your blog to the stratosphere.

Using Craigslist to Discover Writing Work

2008-12-31T00:25:00.012-05:00

One of the best ways to start really ramping up your income from writing is to use Craigslist to find writing work.

How to Use Craigslist to Find Writing Work

While writing for many of the Royalty-Payment websites will allow you to flex your writing muscles online, and possibly earn you a small monthly income from the articles that you publish, the only way to earn a significant work from home income much more quickly is to land one or two writing gigs.

Ideally, what you're looking for is a short term, small job where you'll need to produce from five to ten articles for a webmaster, or some similar job. You could always search Constant Content or Scriptlance for posted jobs - but when you do so, you have to keep in mind that you'll be competing with thousands of other writers who are searching over the same listings that you are. That doesn't mean that you can successful land some great jobs at those sites, just just means that you'll need to lower your price in order to stay competitive.

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Make Money Online With Freelance Writing

2008-12-24T13:37:00.014-05:00

After a few weeks of earning money by writing for websites like Associated Content, Helium, and Ehow, you'll get a taste for what it's like to actually make money online with freelance writing. If you want to work from home, it doesn't have to involve get-rich-quick schemes or selling cosmetics and bath soaps to your friends and family. If you are a natural born writer, you really can earn a very respectable income by earning money online. Read on to learn how to work from home doing what you already love to do, through online writing jobs.

How to Make Money Online With Freelance Writing Jobs.

There are thousands of ways that you can make money online, earning a lot of income from various online writing jobs. Most blogs and work at home websites will tell you that you need to create your own website or blog and work at building enough traffic to generate ad revenue. In time, they say, ad revenues will generate steady streams of income. While this is partially true, for both your own blogs as well as for content websites like Associated Content, the truth is that those sites will produce steady income later. What you are looking for are ways to start earning good money by working from home right now.

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Work at Home With Legitimate Online Writing Jobs

2008-12-18T19:12:00.009-05:00

One of the most common questions I'm asked whenever I tell people the sort of online writing work that I do is whether it's really possible to earn money online through work at home. My answer is always the same, yes - it's absolutely possible. But you won't succeed by answering those too-good-to-be-true ads about earning $100,000 a year from home by letting your "computer do all of the work for you!" The magic bullet that I've found comes from using your god-given talent to earn a significant income for your family. There are four simple steps you can follow that will get you there. First you need to be honest with yourself about your abilities, then you need to decide that you're going to work your tail off in order to succeed, and finally - you're going to decide that quitting isn't an option.

Work at Home by Completing Online Writing Jobs

The online world is going through an amazing transformation. When the Internet started getting popular, back in the 90's, websites were fairly dull - with cookie cutter table-like formatting, with drab grey colors and horrendous writing. And work from home jobs using the internet was virtually unheard of. Here's an example - my apologies to Wendyanne...I simply grabbed this because it was the first example I found.

The Best Technical Writing Fields of 2008

2008-12-06T21:20:00.009-05:00

Whenever an English major graduates, they often find themselves faced with finding a way to make income from a creative art - and this year a fair number of them are asking, "What are the best technical writing fields of 2008?"

Finding the Best Technical Writing Fields of 2008

According to a 2008 article on JobWeb.com
titled "Class of 2008 Steps Into Good Job Market," the top ten degrees in demand don't hint at what the best technical writing fields are. However if you review the list closely, you'll recognize an important advantage to English graduates who excel in creative writing.

Mastering the Art of Writing

The JobWeb.com article lists the usual top "in demand" degrees, including
almost all technical, computer, business, and finance. No surprise there. But what these lists don't share is a unique new trend that should have creative writing enthusiasts smiling from ear-to-ear. And that is - most technically savvy individuals do not have a clue when it comes to writing. All of the things you've learned in the course of earning that English degree may seem useless when you're undertaking the daunting task of finding a job that actually pays. However, you can earn a substantial living if you've mastered the written word.

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Twilight the Book Teaches New Writers How to Get Published

2008-12-01T20:20:00.008-05:00

By now, everyone is starting to understand that Twilight the book and Twilight the movie are quickly becoming the next cultural phenomenon, much like Harry Potter was. But, as a writer, one of the most amazing things about Stephenie Meyer's novel, Twilight, is the fact that it destroys many of the myths about getting yourself published. And more importantly, Stephenie provides a wonderful play-by-play of her experience getting her first book, Twilight, published.

Twilight the Book offers New Writers Hope

Stephenie Meyer's completed her spellbinding manuscript of Twilight the book in only three months. This is an amazing feat, regardless of the fact that she describes how the process of writing it became almost like an addiction. She couldn't stop thinking about it, but was at least able to control the desire to write enough to only write at night after the kids were in bed. Her description of the writing process, which she provides in detail at her website, is almost as intriguing to me as the novel itself. Every writer out there can feel the sort of emotions she describes as she struggles to get the words on paper in the same way it appears on the movie screen of her mind. Soon enough, the book would become Twilight the movie. But first, she needed to get published.

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15 Year Old Collapses After Playing World of Warcraft

2008-11-29T16:56:00.009-05:00

When a 15 year old boy from Western Sweden collapsed after playing World of Warcraft for 20 hours, did it prove that online gaming is harmful to your health?

Is World of Warcraft Harmful For Your Health?

In the past couple of years I've written a number of articles about online gaming. In fact, just six months ago I completed a niche analysis report for a client about the dramatic growth (and projected growth) of the online gaming industry. According to that research, Massive Multiplayer Online Games - giant virtual worlds like Warcraft - represent one of the most substantial segments of the online gaming industry. Americans love immersing themselves into a magical and virtual online world where anything is possible. But are we gaming too much? Is gaming now the new alcoholism of this generation?

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Introduction to Web Page Design

2008-11-28T18:09:00.007-05:00

Are you brand new to this whole website thing, and looking for an easy introductioni to web page design?

An Introduction to Web Page Design

This month I was tasked with the job of writing an article titled Web Page Design for Dummies. In the process of writing the article, I realized that there are very few resources available out there for people who have absolutely zero skills in webs design or HTML programming background, but who want to have their own website. Technological advances of the internet have made it absolutely possible for such a person to have a well designed and highly-functional web page. The only difficulty for such a person is knowing where to start.

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Building Better Website Content

2008-11-27T22:07:00.006-05:00

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.

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Better Website Content

2008-11-25T21:34:00.001-05:00

Looking for free website content, free articles, or quality website articles? You've come to the right place.

So you've just created your Internet masterpiece. It's the website that you've spent many months slaving over. The design is perfect. The code is flawless. You lack one thing...content.

Free Website Articles and Quality Website Content

Okay, so you're not a writer. It's a valid excuse. But how are you going to get all of those visitors to come to your new site if you don't offer new, fresh and quality content every so often? The answer is simply, you can't.

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