The Frugal Freelancer

Freelance Marketplace Comparison Site WhichLance.com Goes Up for Sale

2010-10-25T07:37:00.000-04:00

Online PR News – 21-October-2010 – WhichLance.com was launched in April 2010 and is the only freelance marketplace comparison site on the web. The owners today announced the site has been put up for auction on Flippa.com the leading marketplace for buying and selling websites.

WhichLance.com enables buyers and providers of freelance services to find and evaluate freelancing or outsourcing marketplaces. Users of the site can compare the features, prices and niches covered by outsourcing websites in order to choose the one which best meets their needs.

Read more at: http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/71053-1287657789-freelance-comparison-site-goes-under-the-hammer.html

How to Find Backlinks to Articles or Websites

2010-07-25T14:01:00.001-04:00

As a matter of routine each morning you check your article stats, this morning you see that there is an unusual number of hits to your article or website. Is it a fluke, computer glitch or did you really receive that much traffic? How do you find out?

Backlinks are where other sites link to your article or website by posting a link to your site on their site. Backlinks are important because search engines, such as Google look at the number an quality of quality of sites that link to your site to determine your page's ranking.

Knowing where backlinks come from help you know where and how to drive more traffic to your site or page and what types of articles to write.

One of the most common ways to get backlinks include exchanging links with other sites (reciprocal links) and by placing articles you write in article directories and on other sites. But the most effective and preferred way to attract backlinks is to create quality, interesting and useful articles and web pages, where others voluntarily link to them.

Here are a few backlink tools you may find handy:

Law Enforcement Shuts Down over 70,000 Blogs

2010-07-19T08:47:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend BurstNet the hose of Blogerty, a Wordpress platform, shut down the server and subsequently over 70,000 blogs. It is suspected to be due to copyright infringement but officials are keeping quiet about the matter.

Click here if you would like to read the original article, 70,000 Blogs Shut Down by US Law Enforcement, by Curt Hopkins.

Upon further search on the matter I found this article, U.S. Authorities Shut Down Wordpress Host with 73,000 Blogs, by enigmax, which explains more of the details.

Five More Essential Search Operators

2010-07-18T18:04:00.005-04:00

Here re five more need to know search operators for searching the web.

Cache Search
If you are looking for a recently deleted article or are wanting on older version of a website’s home page, using the word “cache:” then the URL will generate the Google’s cached version of the web page.

Note: Do not put a space between cache: and the URL (web address).

Define
If you are looking for a definition of a word or phrase, using the word “define:” before your query will generate definitions from pages on the web for the term specified.

Source Search
Including the word “source:” in your query, will restrict your search to articles from the news source with the ID you specify.

For example, the search, “Election source:New York Times”, will return articles with the word “election” that appear in the New York Times.

Plus (+) Operator
Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters that slow down your search without improving the results. If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can make sure we pay attention to it by putting a "+" sign in front of it.
Search Example: peanut butter +and jelly

Terms you want to exclude (-)
By attaching a minus sign and space immediately before a word tells Google that you do not want pages that contain that particular word to appear in the search results. For example, in the query [ anti-virus software ], the minus sign is used as a hyphen and will not be interpreted as an exclusion symbol; whereas the query [ anti-virus -software ] will search for the words 'anti-virus' but exclude references to software.
Additionally you can narrow down your search results by excluding as many words as you would like. The – sign can also be used to exclude more than just words. For example, place a hyphen before the 'site:' operator (without a space) to exclude a specific site from your search results.

"OR" search
To find pages that include either of two search terms, add an uppercase OR between the terms.
Search Example: london OR paris vacations

Sources:
?Google Guide: Making Searching Easier

80+ RSS Feed Submission Sites

2010-07-13T12:00:00.003-04:00

Drive traffic to your blog or website by submitting your sites RSS feed to RSS Feed Submission sites. Below is a collection of over 80 feed submission sites to help you in your quest for more traffic and exposure for your site.

Paid to Blog Sites

2010-07-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

eHow favorite telecommute mom, Heather Schulte, has written a great article with links to paid blogging sites, How to Make Money Online by Paid Blogging.

What has your experience been with these types of sites? Anyone make any serious income? Is it worth the time?

Travel Writers Wanted: Top Travel Article Submission Links

2010-07-09T12:00:00.002-04:00

Boots-n-All Travel Network -
Matador Network (Brave New Traveler) -
Galavanting -
Gear Up and Play
Go World Travel -
Literary Traveler -
National Geographic Traveler -
Perceptive Travel -
Solo Travel Network -
Travel Write -
Travel Writers Tales -
Trazzler -
World Hum -

Magazine Submission Guidelines
Family Fun Magazine -
NorthWest Magazine -
Road and Travel Magazine -
Miami Herald -

Travel Apps?

2010-07-08T12:00:00.002-04:00

Traditionally in hard economic times new industries and fascinating new inventions are born out of necessity. We are presently in the mist of a rebirth of our great nation and industry as we knew is changing before our eyes.

For the travel writer, travel apps are the new up and coming wave to grace the industry. Travel Writers News blogger, Laurie McAndish King recently published a very informative article on the subject, Apps - The Future of Travel Journalism?

Do you think Travel Apps will stay? Or fall by the wayside as another technological advancement bulldozes its way into the industry?

Blog Building Traffic for Newbies

2010-06-20T22:03:00.002-04:00

O.K. I admit it, I am terribly new to blogging and even more green when it comes to promoting my blog. I understand SEO, unique content and posting often, but there has to be other tricks to this whole blog thing.

So I have searched for info on building traffic to my blog, driving traffic to my blog and blog traffic for newbies. One article that seemed to stand out from the rest was Building Blog Traffic for Newbies written by Duncan Riley. It features 6 steps just for newbies, no techy mumbo jumbo, just straight forward advise for the novice. Anyone who is looking for the basics this is a great place to start.

What is Blog Walking?

2010-06-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Blog walking is becoming a popular term. But what is blog walking?

Well, if you were an active eHow writer you wrote an article and hoped people would RRRC (read, rate, recommend and comment) on your article. In return you would then visit their site and do the same hoping to increase your earnings or at least increase the likelihood that someone would catch a glimpse of that comment post on the front page and visit your article. This is the premise behind blog walking.

In essence, blog walking, is a nice way of getting link exchanges for your blog. By visiting other blogs that use the same keywords you do, reading some of their posts and leaving a comment (with your URL of course), and if you like what you read follow them, those 'in the know' will do the same.

There is even a comment application by Intense Debate that allows people a space to leave their URL when they leave a comment.

Quite a nifty concept - don't you think?

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More Traffic Building Tips from the Experts

2010-06-18T22:18:00.000-04:00

Daily Blog Tips ran an article awhile back where the blog community chimed in and listed their top traffic driving tips. Thirty of the top contributors and their tips are listed in the article written by Daniel Scocco, Blog Project: 30 Traffic Generation Tips.

Among the most popular tips listed were - participating in online forums, social networking and question & answer sites. Some of the most unique tips were writing a Top10 "niche subject" article for your next post and writing something controversial.

When readers began to comment the collection just grew! A must read for all blog newbies for sure.

25 Free Blog Submission Sites

2010-06-16T13:11:00.015-04:00

This list started out with over 100 blog submission sites. I am in the process of testing each one, eliminating those with dead links and challenging submission routines, leaving the best for you!
The following FREE sites have been tested and relatively easy to submit to: Read more...

Blog Digger - submit your rss feed for your blog
Globe of Blogs - submit your rss feed for you blog
BlogCatalog - The Ultimate Blog Directory - Search For Blogs
EatonWeb - submit feed for online blogs
Blo.gs - blog submissions
BritBlog - blog submission
WeBlogAlot - RSS feed Submission
BlogPulse - automated trend discovery system for blogs
Blogz - add your blog
BoingBoing - submit blogs for review
Liquida - Submit Blogs for Review
Blogged.com - Submit your blog
Top Blog Area - Submit your blog
Blog Top Sites - Submit your blog (choose a category to be directed to submission pages)
Blog Rankers - Submit your blog
BlogFlare.com - Submit your blog
BlogRankings - Submit your blog
Bloghub - Submit your blog
Bloggernity - Submit your blog.
FreeWebSubmission - Submit your blog, website, or article
Technorati - Submit your blog
Bloggernow - Submit your blog
Blogarama - Submit your blog
Blog Village - Submit your blog

Blogger Auto Follow

2010-06-14T14:13:00.000-04:00

I knew it wouldn't be long before the old chain letter got a techno update. Remember those letter you received in the mail back in the 80's asking you to send $1.00 to each of the people at the bottom of the letter, then add your name to the bottom removing the top person and send to 100 people? It promised that your mailbox would be brimming with free cash in a few days (I'd be interested if this actually worked for anyone...)

Well Blogger Auto Follow is very similar, but instead of money it promises to flood your blog with followers. Blogger Auto Follow has a free version that is limited to auto follow 50 blogs by keyword and in theory they are supposed to return the favor, then your name goes on the list for the next round. A backlink to Blogger Auto Follow is required for this free service. You can return to the site each day to blog walk 50 blogs by keyword but the auto follow is only allowed once.

If you choose to the premium option it is $3.95 and allows unlimited access to each option.

Online Affiliate Marketing nets $160 at Commission Junction

2010-06-13T17:25:00.008-04:00

I have to admit I am a bit of a stats nut. For the first six months writing online I kept track of every penny and view earned. To this day, I still record my earnings and views every Sunday morning for the previous week and at the end of each month. I can see progress, slowly but surely.

So it was quite a surprise when my online affiliate marketing and pay per click advertising generated over $160 this past month. In previous months I had been excited when the few links I had thrown up here and there generated a few bucks, maybe $10 and really excited when it broke the $30 mark. The funny thing was that they were not tallied during the month as they occurred. They actually didn't show up for May until well into the second week in June.

About two months ago I had embedded a few links into a couple of credit rebuilding articles on my website without any great hopes. It seems these couple of articles generated a little over $160 this month in commissions at Commission Junction. Not bad for a few minutes to embed a link!

Content Writing at Helium

2010-06-13T17:25:00.005-04:00

Helium is an online writing community, where writers are also editors, reading and writing every article on the site. Helium offers writers monetary incentives such as upfront payments, revenue share and cash prizes for writing contests. They also offer their top writers recognition through citizen journalism awards, published articles through Marketplace and other professional journalism organizations.

To read more about Helium, find out where to apply and rate this site

Parent Company: Helium, Inc.
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started: 2006

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted: Yes

Topics: Various

Types of Articles: Various
Copyright Retained: Yes for content posted on Helium; For Marketplace assignments writers do not retain copyright

Payment Type: Upfront Payments and Revenue Share; Members are also able to earn by rating other writer's articles.
Pay Range: Revenue Share; Upfront payments from $.50 to $2.50; Rating payments and assignments offered at Helium’s Marketplace range from $20 to $200 for selected articles
Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: If you want to be paid by the 10th of the month, and you have at least $25, then request payment by 23:59 GMT on the 4th of that month. Helium pays into PayPal accounts by the end of the 10th day of that month.
Payment Threshold: $25.00
How are Writers Paid: via PayPal

Do you write for Helium? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

Pennies Can Really Add Up

2010-06-13T17:24:00.006-04:00

From what I have experienced, everything you read about residual income and multiple streams of income from online sources is true. The things they don't tell you is that it is a lot more work and takes a lot more time than one might think.

Not being very computer savvy myself I'll admit I'm impressed with my earnings thus far, but am way more impressed with the amount of knowledge I have attained learning the ropes.

I'm currently writing at 4 different sites, all with different compensation packages. Added to those earnings are also affiliate and ad revenues. Before writing online, I don't think I'd ever get excited about finding a penny on the ground or have a "great over $1 day". Writing online, watching your earning grow penny by penny, dollar by dollar gives one a new perspective and has taught me that pennies a day really do add up!

Online Writing Sites for International Writers

2010-06-12T21:01:00.007-04:00

Only certain sites will accept International Writers. As we see changes in the market almost daily, freelance writing sites are beginning to open up more and more to international article writers. Of course having a proper grasp on the written English language is a must, but also a way for funds to be transferred is also essential for international freelancer writers.

Each of the sites below
have been confirmed with two outside resources and I am presently researching parameters of each for upcoming blog posts. Please feel free to contact me if any of the information is incorrect or needs updating or if there are sites that need to be added.

About.com
Associated Content
BrightHub
Bukisa
Consumer Search
Constant Content
Content Current
Cracked
Demand Studios - UK and Canada Writers
Freelancewriters.info
GetaFreelancer
Ground Report
Helium
InternetBrands
KGB
LovetoKnow
Mahalo
Makeuseof
MyLot
Neutral Existence
Niner Niner
Prospect Solutions
Scriptlance
Squiddo
Suite101.com
Triond
Words of Worth
Wordstart
Writers Research Group
Writers Work Station
Xomba
WiseGeek

This post will be updated as I locate sites that accept writers from other countries, so please bookmark this page - it will be updated often.

Associated Content

2010-06-10T16:50:00.022-04:00

At Associated Content (aka The People's Media Company) writers can contribute original content (articles, videos, images or audio) on any topic they choose and earn money on a pay per view basis. There are also opportunities to write for upfront pay and additional income through their Featured Contributor program.

To read more about Associated Content, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company: Yahoo Network
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published: Various
Year Started: 2005

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted:

Topics: Various

Types of Articles: Various
Copyright Retained: Writers may choose what type of copy write they wish to retain; compensation is adjusted accordingly.

Payment Type: Assignment fees, Upfront Payments and Performance Payments; Assignement articles are paid a flat fee; Articles that are written for Upfront Payments can also receive Performance Payments; Performance Payments are based on the amount of traffic to your articles.
Pay Range: $10 - $100 for Assignments; $2 to $15 for Upfront Payments; $1.50-$2.00 per 1000 views

Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: "Typically, Upfront Payments are sent daily, M-F (except for holidays). If a payment is not sent one day, it will be sent the following day. Performance Payments are sent at the beginning of each month, no later than the second Wednesday, to accounts with at least $1.50 in Performance Payments."
Payment Threshold: N/A
How are Writers Paid: via Paypal

Do you write for Associated Content? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

InfoBarrel

2010-06-10T16:47:00.002-04:00

Writing for InfoBarrel is described best by this intro blurb on their site, "InfoBarrel is redefining the way average users participate in online media sites. By contributing their knowledge in the form of media (articles, videos, picture galleries or sound clips) any user can generate an income stream via the Google Adsense program while simultaneously contributing to a community of knowledge hungry individuals."

To read more about InfoBarrel, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted: Yes

Topics: Various

Types of Articles: Author chosen topics; 325+ (preferably over 400) word articles

Copyright Retained: Yes

Payment Type: Revenue Share via 75% of Google Adsense revenue generated by your content
Pay Range: Varies

Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Monthly
Payment Threshold: $100
How are Writers Paid: Through Google Adsense Account

Do you write for InfoBarrel? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

Experts123

2010-06-10T09:30:00.001-04:00

Experts123 is a question and answer search engine designed to help match people with questions to people who have answers. Experts123 offers writers upfront and revenue sharing opportunities for articles written on topics/titles in the content pool. Some articles must be approved by editors as well as the client the article is being written for.

To read more about Experts123, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted: Yes

Topics: Various

Types of Articles: Articles vary in length depending on client; articles are reviewed by and editor and/or client prior to acceptance
Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Revenue Share (RS) and Work for Hire (WFH a.k.a. Upfront Pay)
Pay Range: up to $20 for 350-600 word articles

Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Monthly
Payment Threshold: $20.00
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal

Do you write for Experts123? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

BreakStudios

2010-06-10T09:22:00.010-04:00

BreakStudios provides content to sties such as Break.com, MadeMan, Holy Taco, Cage Potato, Screen Junkies, and Chickipedia.. Break offers upfront paying assignments to writers.

To read more about BreakStudios, find out where to apply and rate this site
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published: Break.com, MadeMan, Holy Taco, Cage Potato, Screen Junkies, and Chickipedia.
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted:

Topics: Writers choose articles of interest from the content pool.

Types of Articles: Articles vary in length depending on type and site; third person voice; all articles are viewed by CE.
Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Upfront payment
Pay Range: $8 for 250-800 word articles
Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Bi-Monthly
Payment Threshold: $0.00
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal on or about the 1st and 15th of each month

Do you write for BreakStudios? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

Seed.com

2010-06-10T09:22:00.008-04:00

Seed.com is part of the AOL Network. It provides content to a variety of sties like Moviefone, Fanhouse, Gadling and many more. Seed offers upfront payment to freelance writers and photographers, posting assignments daily.

To read more about Seed.com, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company: American Online
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted:

Topics: Various topics available and change frequently

Types of Articles: Articles vary in length from 100 word tips to 1000+ word features; more than one writer can write on a topic/title; Editors choose the articles that will be published; only published pieces are paid
Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Upfront payment
Pay Rate: $5 to $50 and up
Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Upfront payments are paid upon request
Payment Threshold: $10.00
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal, Check or Direct Deposit

Have you written an article for Seed.com? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

eCopywriter

2010-06-10T09:22:00.007-04:00

eCopywriter provides content for major publications, media companies and agencies. Writers cover topics in the Finance, Travel, Insurance, Legal, Manufacturing, Automotive, Telecommunications, Restaurant, Clothing, Marketing, Public Relations etc...

To read more about eCopywriter, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted: Yes

Topics: Various Topics
Types of Articles: Articles are written for third parties and vary in length and style;
Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Upfront Payment
Pay Rate: Various
Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued:
Payment Threshold:
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal

Do you write for eCopywriter? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

TextBroker

2010-06-10T09:22:00.004-04:00

Textbroker acts as a go-between for writers and clients. Pay and assignment pool is based on a writers' quality rating. Clients can also place direct orders to writers they are familiar and comfortable with.

To read more about TextBroker, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted: Yes

Topics: Various

Types of Articles: Articles vary in length depending on client; articles are reviewed by and editor and/or client prior to acceptance
Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Upfront payment
Pay Range: Less than a penny a word up to $0.14/word

Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Upon Request
Payment Threshold: $0.00
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal

Do you write for Textbroker? Freelance writers rate this site below and share your experience, income possibilities, favorite site author or article and profile page below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.

Get a Slogan

2010-06-10T08:04:00.002-04:00

New and established companies alike can purchase a slogan or tag-line from Get a Slogan. Contributors compete to offer catchy slogans and tag-lines for a flat fee.

To read more about Get a Slogan, find out where to apply and rate this site - Click Here.
Parent Company:
Other Sites Owned/Sites Where Articles are Published:
Year Started:

Where to Apply: Apply Now
Are International Writers Accepted:

Topics: Writers compete to provide the best slogan or tag-line for clients.

Types of Articles: Slogans and Tag-lines

Copyright Retained: No

Payment Type: Upfront Pay
Pay Range: $25 per accepted slogan

Referral Fees: No
When is Payment Issued: Monthly
Payment Threshold: $0.00
How are Writers Paid: Via PayPal

Have you contributed a slogan to Get a Slogan? Sloganeers can rate this site below and share your experience and income possibilities below!

Site Ratings:

Thank you for your input.