Freelancing Tom

Days you don't feel like writing.

2011-05-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

You ever had one of those unproductive days? I did...These past couple days have been really bad for me. Between a loss in work and personal things, writing hasn't been at the front of my mind like it should. There are ways to combat the lack of enthusiasm. Here's what I've been doing to get back in the writing mood.

Write a book.

I have been working on a short story for sometime. I find that when I write a little more of the book, I inspire myself to keep the momentum going. The best part about writing a book is that I can write whatever I want to. In other words, I'm not required to write about a certain subject or make the story go in a certain way. I can change the whole plot of my story as much as I want.

Take a short break.

Take a break for a day or two. No one in the real working world wants to work 7 days a week--neither should you. Give yourself that weekend break; even if it is on a Tuesday. You should be staying active when you are taking a break. You can go for a walk, grab something to eat or watch a movie. Your mind needs that time to refresh and think about other things.

Read something.

This is a good way to inspire yourself to write. I find that when I read other's writings, I feel inspired to create something of an equal caliber. So many ideas float around in my head when I'm reading that it is hard to narrow my focus down and commit to write about one idea. I tend to read a lot of guides about how to improve my writing, how to create websites, blogging ideas, how to market myself as a freelancer, and the list goes on.

Play a game

Not necessarily a video game, but any game that can stipulate your mind. Playing a game will give your mind the break it needs from writing, and it will also prevent you from getting burned out. I like to play games like online chess, speed typing, and various puzzle games.

Writing can be hard, especially if you do it for a living. There is always a chance to get burned out in this profession. It is important to be able to recognize when you are getting burned out, and do things to help you relax from a busy day.

Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. ~Hannah Arendt

Freelance writing video tips.

2011-05-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some freelance writing tips to help you with your work. Each video is made with a different author. I hope some of these videos help you in some way.

Associated Content.review

2011-05-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Associated content was one of the first sites I ever started working for after I decided to become a freelance writer. I signed up for the site a couple years ago along with Hubpages when I started writing as a hobby. Well, after I started to get serious about writing for a living, I remembered signing up for an account on the site. I decided some time ago to revisit it and see it has something to offer.

Upfront payments with Associated Content.

One of the best things about the site is that it offers a gracious upfront payment system. However, after the panda update with Google, Associated Content seems to not pay as much for upfront payment. It has been said that the site to a hard hit for Google rankings. It is true that the quality of an article does not need to be superb to be accepted on the site. Therefore, there is a lot of substandard content on the site. I'm assuming that because of this, Associated Content cannot pay as much for upfront payments as they used to. Upfront
payment with the site used to average about $5 for a decent sized article--roughly about .01 cent per word.

Residual payment with Associated Content.

Photo Credit: bowena

Along with upfront payments, Associated Content offers residual payments for every article that is published. It will pay about $1.50 for every thousand page views. This may not seem like much, but if you get at least one thousand views per article a month times three hundred articles that is a decent extra income. In today's economy, every little bit of money helps. Make sure that each one of your articles is unique and SEO optimized for best results. I will admit; I have plenty of articles that have yet to make it past 30 views. Then again, I have other articles that have 10 times as many views.

It's important to note that Associated Content does not pay upfront for news articles, opinion articles, religious articles, humor articles and poetry articles. Many of these kinds of articles do not gain many views, and Associated Content makes its money from advertisements on the articles. News articles will get a surge of page views at first, but as the news gets old, views will stop coming. However, News articles are a quick way to gain some exposure and popularity.

In all, Associated Content is a great site for beginning freelance writers to start. It will help them get idea of what to publish and how to publish. If you get writer's block, there are assignments that you can claim to write. Some of them pay and others do not. Writing for this site sets the stage for the next phase of a freelancer's career.

Life can't ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer's lover until death - fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant. ~Edna Ferber, A Kind of Magic, 1963

The importance of knowing basic SEO

2011-05-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: matt.searles

If you are a freelance writer it is because you love to write. Does that sound difficult? It shouldn't. Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that. If you are writing to make money, then you need to understand the business side of writing. If you want paying gigs, you need to know how to market yourself, but all the marketing in the world won't help you with jobs that involve SEO.

What is SEO?

That's the big question isn't it? You are probably wondering what SEO is and why it is so important. Well, like I said before, if you want clients, you are going to need to know SEO. SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization," and really, there's no other way to describe it. When an article is SEO'd (Yeah, I know that might not sound right) clients will want it. Clients understand how the web works. What good is an article, no
matter how well written it is, if the search engines can't find it? There are a few things that play into SEO.

Keywords.

One of the main points of SEO is keywords. Keywords are so important that Google makes money off of them with advertisements. Small business owners will run ads on websites with certain keywords, and when people click on the business owner's add the keyword that was used to find the ad is paid for. Website owners can make money with Google ads. They will get a portion of the clicks in return for allowing a business owner to run ads on the website owner's page.

You can run an article through software to find out what dominant keywords are in the article. You can also use free services from Google to see what keywords people are using in their searches. Obviously, the keyword with the most searches are the best keywords to use in an article, but be careful, keyword stuffing is discouraged by search engines. There is a lot of debate on how many keywords it takes to be considered stuffed, but many experts say around a 5 percent keyword density is too much. Aim for 2-3 percent keyword density. There is software to help you determine the keyword density as well.

Keywords are such a large topic that there are books written about the subject. The best thing you can do for yourself is to study how keywords work. The more you know the better off you'll be.

Unique Content.

If your content can be found on hundreds of other sites, it's not unique. Obviously, copy and pasting content from one article to the other is pure plagiarism--unless it's your content, but that is still discouraged. Content that can be found on other sites will be removed from the Great Google's almighty search engine! It is important to keep your article completely unique. Many times, people find information on the web and regurgitate it in their own words. While this is a step-up from plagiarism, it is still not unique content. If what you are writing about has been written a thousand times before, you need to provide a very unique spin on the subject. Make it completely "Your own."

High Quality.

Make sure your article is completely free of spelling and grammar errors, especially since Google updated their SERPS to look for quality. Having quality content will score bonus points with search engines. After the Panda update, many articles farms like E-how, Ezinearticles and daily article got hit hard. Google removed many high ranking posts from these sites off of the search results. Make sure that every article you write is professional; this will keep your clients coming back for more. Believe it or not, there are not many people that have good grammar. Also, people don't have high attention spans for internet articles. They want your article to get right to the point, so take out every single word that is not essential to the sentence. Wordiness is not attractive to readers--unless you are writing a novel where adjectives and adverbs are necessary to paint a picture.

There is a popular saying when it comes to writing,

"Say what you are going to tell them, tell them what you want to tell them, tell them what you just told them."

This is not recommended for online writing. Skip all the fluff, and just tell them what you want to tell them.

I hope this has helped clear some questions you might have had about SEO. There is a whole lot more to it than what I have written, but these are the basics that you should understand. Stop worrying about what Google wants, and instead, start focusing on content that is unique, creative and free of grammatical error.

Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged. We all have the conviction, perhaps illusory, that we have much more to say than appears on the paper. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

Why should you become a Freelancer?

2011-05-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Boetter

There is a stigma around the word "Freelance". When people hear that word, an emotion is going to ignite in their core-being. If you are a freelancer, you know what I'm talking about. You can almost feel what they are going to say--how they are going to respond. Their eyes light up with excitement or their mouths shrug to disdain.

How can such a simple answer to the question, "What do you do for a living?" inspire so many different emotions? Why do people react so differently? Surely, if someone asked you what you did for a living and you told them you were a doctor, there would be no disdain, there would be no shrugging and there would be no looking for the nearest exit.

With so many mixed emotions associated with freelancing, people ask, why should I become one? I have a few good reasons why.

It's your passion!

If you are going to start a career as a freelancer, it is because you are passionate about something, and you want to share that with the world. Freelance graphic artists, freelance writers, and freelance musicians--they all have something they are passionate about and want to share with the world.

You use your talent!

Many people are scared to use their talents as a means of income. Instead, they stick with their boring jobs that are going nowhere. If you have talents that can benefit other people then share it. It may be hard at first to become a freelancer. I'm not going to lie, finding work can be stressful, but it is so rewarding.

Because you cannot find work!

This may be a sad reason, but it is one nonetheless. With the economy in such bad shape, many people are getting laid off. Along with getting laid off, they cannot find other work. What we have today is a lot of men who are going into business for themselves and doing anything they can to make ends meet. We are entering an age that is returning to self employment. Freelancing is just another way to say that you are going into business for yourself. Your company name is YOUR name. YOU are your product and service. Many freelance jobs require that you fill out a W-9 tax form, so obviously, you are not unemployed if you are working for yourself and actually making money.

Because it is rewarding!

Paying your bills with the money you made all by yourself is rewarding. You don't rely on your boss for hours, raises and promotion. You are your own boss, and you call the shots. There is almost no other feeling that is so rewarding. There may be times that you get stressed out. Every freelancer can relate to the stress that comes along with the job, but what jobs have you had that wasn't 100 percent stress free?

Why should you become a freelancer? That is your question to answer. Not everyone is in the same situation. You may not have the time or resources to start working for yourself, and that is understandable. Some people do not like the idea of being self motivated and self started. Some people need the feeling of having a boss. There are all sorts of reasons why some people should NOT be a freelancer. However, if you are dying to start working for yourself and do something you love, then it is time to start doing some thinking. Assess your life and your needs. Be realistic with what you need on a monthly basis.

Freelancing is not for everyone, but many people who have started freelancing their talents will never go back to their old jobs.

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~Francis Bacon

Review of Seed.com From AOL networks.

2011-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Peter Kaminski

I don't know too much about this site's history, but I recently heard from a forum member that seed underwent changes to their system. I don't know if this meant new management, writers, or available content; however, I have an account with them, and I submitted content.

Seed actually looks like a great site for freelance writers; however, there is one problem. There is not a lot of available assignments to choose from. I've only been with this site for a week, but I only found one article that I was qualified to submit. Almost all of the available topics seem to be about working or interviewing for different companies--such as Google, Yahoo, Bank of America, Cisco, etc.

I found one article that I felt qualified to claim, and go figure, it was an article about what life is like being unemployed. Of course, I don't consider myself unemployed since I am a freelance writer. Many different companies, websites, and clients have W-9 tax forms from me--I'm probably the least unemployed person in this world.

It's a shame that Seed.com doesn't offer more of a variety in terms of content. They pay about $25 for every accepted article. They require that the article be unique and at least 700 words long. I don't think they have a style preference, but AP is always a good style to default to when it comes to web and SEO writing. Since my article was about my life after becoming unemployed, I obviously used a lot of first person view sentences. Since I don't like switching point of view, my article is almost 100 percent first person view.

I will be constantly visiting Seed.com to see if there is any new content. Also, I will write some of the editors asking about new assignments. I do know that their blog lists assignments from time to time; however, the assignments are not consistent.

When a man is in doubt about this or that in his writing, it will often guide him if he asks himself how it will tell a hundred years hence. ~Samuel Butler

Review on Microworkers.com

2011-05-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Wools

In my effort to always be searching for more freelancing work, I have stumbled across a site called microworkers.

Microworkers is a site that allows you to perform easy, miniscule tasks for small compensation. These tasks can be anywhere from liking a facebook page to signing up on dating sites. I have seen tasks for High PR blog owners to post links on their blogs, and those usually pay more than the average $0.30.

There are many reasons why clients need these small jobs done -- such as referral sign-ups, free sponsorship products, and quick promotion of a blog or website. I question the motives of a lot of clients on microworkers because a lot of their miniscule tasks seem like they want you to do their dirty work. I personally believe in Karma, so I'm not going to participate in questionable practices for .30 cents.

Aside from some shady clients, microworkers is a great way to earn .50 cents for a few minutes work. If you work quickly, you can easily make around 7-10 dollars an hour. However, there is a catch. A lot of tasks involve you using your accounts on sites like Amazon, Craigslist, Facebook, etc. to write reviews, post ads, and sign up for offers. Not only that, signing up for some sites listed in the work can take longer than it's worth.

I just looked at the available offers as of now, and there seems to be a lot of small tasks for dating site sign-ups. I personally do not want to take the time to sign-up for all these sites and sending the clients links to the email used for the sign-up--don't ever use your main email; instead, create a fake one for these tasks.

I do not think that I will be using this site. I prefer to focus on actually using my writing skills to create unique content for clients. Clients are only willing to pay a few dollars for articles that can be as large as 1,000 words. I don't know about some freelance writers, but I will not write a quality 1,000 word article for only a few dollars. That is just a complete waste of time and talent.

I have not reached any kind of payout, but other users are saying that microworkers.com pays on time. It is good to know that at least this site is dependable. If you have some extra time to kill and you do not mind using your accounts and possibly your name to review, post, and comment on sites for clients, Microworkers.com could be a good site for you.

Let me know what you think of the site.

What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he's staring out of the window. ~Burton Rascoe

Cutting wordiness.

2011-05-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Anybody can write right? If you plan on throwing some words down on a piece of paper or a computer screen and calling it finished, you have a long way to go. Many writers like to use embellished words and fancy adjectives, but in reality, not many editors like this.

Online readers have a short attention span and they do not want to read a 1,000 word article that could have been written in 750 words. They are reading for quick information, not pleasure. People today are so accustomed to the "Novel" way of writing, and I know you know what I'm talking about--"In the dark, eerie forest, I saw what seemed to be a small glimmer of sheer hope!" Unless you are specifically writing a short fiction story for a client, you're not going to have much luck with that excerpt.

It is important that after your write, you re-read what you wrote and take out as many words as possible without altering the meaning of a sentence or paragraph. Also, your article should still be tight in its concept and cohesive. A lot of sites that I write for have strict guidelines. Not only do I need to have perfect grammar in my articles, I also need to make sure that each paragraph is cohesive and free of excess words.

Reducing wordiness is something I have been actively practicing with each article I write. If you plan on writing for online media outlets, practice how you write your sentences. Each sentence needs to be clear and concise, and it needs to get straight to the point.

Here are some quick things to look for when checking for wordiness:

.Are there a lot of adverbs?
.Do you have unnecessary adjectives?
.Do your compound nouns need to be in the sentence?
.If you have a subordinate clause, can it be removed without altering the sentence's idea?
.Do you have any run-on sentences in the article?
.Are you using unnecessary articles, like "A" "An" And "The"?
.If you read each sentence backwards, would they still make sense?

A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare. For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning or evening without their colors, or the heavens without their azure. ~Henry David Thoreau

Best freelancing sites.

2011-05-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since the new algorithm changed, the value of freelancing sites have changed. Sites like: Hubpages, Associated Content, Bright Hub, Demand Studios, E-how, and much, much more have become less effective. In fact, some of these sites have undergone changes to purge their system of mediocre articles to prevent the site from being on Google's black list. Other article farm sites like EZinearticles, daily articles, etc. have found themselves on Google's black list.

I have been searching the web and gaining the opinions of other freelancers to find out what sites are still good to work with. Here is a list of sites that I think still have potential as long as you're willing to put in some hard work.

Associated Content

Associated content took a hit after the algorithm change, but they still seem to rank high with Google searches. Though, the upfront payments have been reduced. Writers used to get an average upfront payment of about 5 dollars per accepted article. This amount seems to have dropped a couple dollars after the algorithm change. Yahoo recently made changes to the site. Users now use their yahoo ID's to log into their associated content account. If you are willing to put in some hard work, associated content can still be useful. You still get paid a $1.50 for every thousand page-views.

Constant Content

It can be hard to get published with constant content, but you can sell your work there for more than most sites. Their editors are strict and not only look for grammar and spelling errors, but they also look for paragraph clarity and cohesiveness, wordiness, and choice of words. They only publish articles that are top quality, and as a result, there is a likely chance--about 70 percent--that your articles will sell.

Wise Geek

Like other sites, you must pass an application process. I have not personally used the site myself,--I just applied last night--but other people are saying that Wise Geek is still a great site to work for. They, like constant content, have strict editors that only allow quality content on their site. Each writer is assigned their own editor to work with, so it is important to understand what your editor likes and doesn't like. Many of the authors that write for Wise Geek say that a lot of topics require research. If you are willing to put in some research time and use your best writing skills, you can succeed with Wise Geek.

Text Broker

Before the algorithm change, many people did not like using text broker. Even before the algorithm change, I used text broker the most for my freelancing work. Text Broker is a ghost writing site, meaning you don't get any credit for the articles you sell. Level 2 and 3 don't pay too much, but levels 4 and 5 pay nicely. If you don't mind handing over full rights for every article, text broker may be a great site for you.

These are four sites that I think still have great potential for freelancers, even with the new Panda update. Some of these sites may not work for you and that's ok. Some freelancers prefer to work directly with clients, so they can get the most for their writing. Remember, when you are first starting out as a freelancer, it is important to keep ALL of your options open.

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen? ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Google's new Panda algorithm change.

2011-05-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

Photo credit to KevinDooly

Since Google has implemented their new algorithm change code named "Panda," many articles sites have lost a substantial amount of page views. Many articles were simply keyword stuffed with no real content or original information. In fact, before the algorithm change, you could read the exact same article on hundreds of different websites. Once the algorithm change took place, high PR sites like associated constant, suit 101, squidoo, and others lost many page views. Of course, this was because a lot of articles were low quality in terms of content and grammar.

Because of all this, many sites like associated content and suit 101 have lowered their payments to writers. I see this as both a good and bad thing. It's bad that these well paying sites had to restructure the way they pay out and good that it forces writers to produce high quality content. A lot of low quality content was taking the spot light away from true, hard work.

The algorithm change affected a lot of affiliate marketers who relied upon keyword stuffed articles to attract customers to their products. If affiliate marketers still want to make sales, they must produce quality websites, blogs, and articles. It takes hard work to make money on the web, and now it takes even harder work.

I'm still figuring out what all the panda update affected. I'm sure a lot of affiliate marketers are not happy right now.

If I fall asleep with a pen in my hand, don't remove it - I might be writing in my dreams. ~Terri Guillemets