Arfa's Writing Blog

What do Parents Want to See in a Freelance Writing Guide?

2010-10-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, today's blog post is a bit different to what I normally do. I need YOUR help to gather some data and I need YOU if you are one of the following:

a stay at home mom
stay at home dad
working part time parent
working full time parent who wants to switch careers
a parent who is eager for new challenges

Here's what I need to know. I am conducting research for a book about starting a freelancing home based business while looking after the children and home. As a freelancer who started up because I couldn't afford to go back to work after having a baby (due to the extortionate childcare costs), this home business makes perfect sense to me and allows me to look after my baby while earning (a lot!) money.

How many of you out there would find this type of information useful as a book and what specific information if any would you like to see in it? What worries you and what irks you? If you were to buy a book on freelancing from home, what would you expect and want to see in a book like that?

This is really important because I want to address YOUR concerns as a parent so that the book I write is not only very useful and will take you from zero to successful in very little time, but will also provide practical help and advice about raising your children and finding the time.

You can either comment on this post, or you can send your comments to: arfawrites@hotmail.com

Thank you for taking the time to respond, and all comments would be very much appreciated.

Make the Most of Your Chambers Directory

2010-10-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

One of the most effective tools I found for doing my research when freelancing was non other than the Chamber of Commerce Directory book. Stuffed full of every local business opportunity and hence freelance writing work, it's the one place I go to repeatedly to do my mailing shoots and contact people.

You could also use the local Yellow Pages, but call me weird when I say that I like the colouful pages of the Chambers Directory. And the hotspots? Think media agencies, PR firms, consulting, academia and healthcare.

In fact, ALL businesses can ideally be approached for work and as your work piles on, you will find you get repeated work and recomendations from your clients. Word gets around when there is a good freelance writer around, and to be honest, they are worth their weight in gold.

As one college administrator told me: 'We simply don't have enough staff or enough hours in the day to get this type of work done.' Bingo! Take advantage of this and you hit the jackpot each and every time.

Make Newsletters Work for you

2010-09-20T02:58:00.000-07:00

Newsletters are an excellent way for all institutions, workplaces and institutions to keep staff, customers and clients informed of news, events and new products and services. They can be used on their own to educate and inform and to raise awareness of different issues within the workplace.

And luckily for you, they are also a great way to make money. Writing newsletters do not take long at all - perhaps at most a few days of information gathering and write up, but pays well. If you get a few newsletter gigs, then provided you do a good job, there is no reason why someone would not keep you on long term.

Even better, writing newsletters for larger organizations who have a healthy budget is even more lucrative because of the potential to pay you really well. Don't be afraid to make suggestions for fillers and side articles - once an organization sees you are more than able to deliver quality content, they will be more than happy to not only take you on long term, but pay extremely well for it in the process.

And you never know where this type of work may lead - I myself started with a newsletter for a local school. This then became a report and they decided to hire me long term. This is the best way to get your foot in the door of larger organizations. If you can team up with a designer and offer a complete solution to their writing and design needs, then organizations have no need to look elsewhere.

Make more money locally

2010-09-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

As an aspiring or serious writer, where do you think you will get the bulk of your work from? The Internet? Job auction sites? Let's think about these options and how well you can realistically make money from them.

The Internet seems like a great place to start - lots of opportunity and unfortunatly lots of competition. I signed up with two writing sites when I started, and ended up paying around $100 for subscriptions to sites which promised the best ever writing jobs. They were making crazy claims such as 'Make $300 a day easily writing blog posts'. The reality is that there are literally MILLIONS of people who have already joined these, and your chance of getting work is very slim. Infact, I am willing to bet you won't even recover your subscription fee.

Job auction sites also seem like a good idea because you can attach samples of your work and really show off your experience. The truth is, most people end up undercutting one another on the bids and the job is usually awarded to the lowest bidder. Highly paid jobs are given to more experienced writers. Don't get me wrong through - you CAN get work here, and I recommend using Elance and ODesk as well as Guru.com. Forget the other sites, there are far too many low paid writers bidding on projects which are likely to be picked up by a low paid writer.

Your best bet is to work at a local level. Join your local chamber of Commerce and advertise in their directory. My own town has literally zero competition, and I have just been hired by a school to write their reports and their newsletters. And guess what? They are paying for out of pocket expenses such as petrol and babysitting, and the money is quite good.

As a writer, you need to keep your options open, and while the Internet can present some good options, you should really build your reputation locally - this way you will have steady work coming in for years to come.

Make your words sell - Free!

2010-09-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

If you are an aspiring copywriter or even a seasoned one, chances are at some point you will have to write copy for businesses and local communities or even for the web that involves selling something or the other. It doesn't always have to be a sales letter, although it can be that too.

What do you do when you can't think of the words you need to use to push people from 'I am thinking about it' to 'I need that product now' frame of mind? Simple, you consult resources designed to help you make your communication sharper and help you make your words sell.

Of course, it is easier said than done and many times copywriters will do one of two things - they either rush out to buy the next best resource, or they try and get by with the knowledge that they have. When you are running a business, every penny counts and this is especially true if you are new and spending more than you are earning.

There is help and no you do not have to rush out and buy the latest book! Check out: http://myws.sitesell.com/ - this site contains not one but two ebooks on words that sell. The first is 'Make Your Words Sell' and is especially designed for the Internet. There is a ton of valuable information here and best of all it's free.

The second book is 'Make Your Content Presell' and is more geared towards creating brand awareness - something that every business and savvy marketer values highly. Did I mention that it is also free? Go get yours now!

Tax Issues Every Freelancer Should Know

2010-09-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

If you work exclusively from home, did you know that you can get a home office deduction for taxation purposes? To qualify, you must use your room solely for the purposes of your business, and even if you are using part of a room, this must also be exclusively for the purpose of work.

The other main thing to note here is that your home office should be where you conduct the majority of your business from. It doesn't matter if you visit clients at their location or meet up elsewhere, as long as you are using your home office as your main place of work.

Other things which are tax deductible include:

stationary
computer, laptop and anything needed to run your office such as a printer, fax and scanner
office equipment including chairs and lamps
phone expenses including your mobile as long as it is used exclusively for business
postage costs
travel and entertainment
travel expenses for your car (you can claim on mileage, but check with your Country's tax office to get the correct amount per mile)
cost of professional memberships, attending conferences and any fees for writing related organizations
health and medical insurance for yourself and your family
courses you take to improve your writing and business skills

A simple rule is this: if you have bought something for your business (including books and resources), keep your receipts and log your expenses. You can always check with your local tax office who will be able to guide you further.

If you want to do your tax returns yourself, then ensure you use a simple book or ledger to note all incoming and outgoing expenses. You will need an accountant once your earnings are over a particular threshold, but again, this varies depending on where in the world you live.

Boring yes, but a necessary pain to talk about!

Diversifying your talent

2010-08-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Apart from write, what else could you do to rake in the cash and build yourself a good business? Writing alone can sometimes be hit and miss - and every writer goes through the feast and famine cycle. How about looking at additional ways to boost your income:

writing and selling an information product using Clickbank to manage sales
start your own CV writing service
launch yourself as a professional copywriter - do a professional course such as AWAI's program or indeed any of the other programs on offer from famous copywriters
have you considered offering workshops and training for business writing skills?
what about freelance marketing consultancy? For those commercial freelancers and copywriters out there, this would be a natural progression for you
specialize in one area - say brochures and team up with a graphic designer and then market yourself as selling a complete solution

There are literally dozens of ways connected to writing that you could diversify. All it takes is the courage to step out of your comfort zone and push yourself that bit harder.

Tips on Punchier Copy

2010-08-19T01:27:00.000-07:00

How do you get your copy to have more impact and more power? A great place to start is with the sentence structure - you basically keep your sentences short and sweet. Aim for no more than 2-3 sentences per paragraph, breaking into a new paragraph every time you discuss something new.

You should be mindful of the way you write - a first draft is NEVER good enough. Read over your first draft and now mark all those paragraphs that you think are great. Now repeat for those you think could be worked on. And lastly mark those that are terrible. I use a number system, numbering all bad paragraphs with a 1 etc.

Now go through and delete the bad paragraphs and keep the good ones. All the ones left need re-working, so do that and repeat the whole process. If you are writing a sales letter, one tip is to use lots of adjectives in your copy so that it makes your copy stand out and sound better.

Now look at the use of words you have. If you have words beginning with S, these make your copy read faster, while those with a P sounds more powerful. Avoid words which are ambiguous or difficult to understand, since your aim is to grab the audience's attention rather than put them off.

Gaining Publicity as a Writer

2010-08-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

How do you gain publicity as a writer? How do you compete with the thousands of other writers out there? By carving yourself a niche. This is vital if you are going to differentiate yourself as a real competent professional. For example, your area of expertise may be anything and everything related to technology. Get as much experience in this field and really make a point of over-delivering to your clients.

By doing this, you will be creating a name for yourself and if you are good, then word will get around. But what about marketing techniques? Ensure that you leave your business card wherever you can and make a habit of telling your local businesses about you by advertising in your local Chambers of Commerce. In fact, use your chamber membership to full benefit. Place an advertorial in your Chamber magazine and if your budget allows, get a full page spread and really drive home the benefits of a great writer for any business.

Believe you me, if you get this right, you will have clients ringing you left, right and center! Always point them to a website and ensure you make a point of following up calls to clients. This not only re-enforces the fact that you are a highly seasoned professional, but also gives a clear indication to businesses that you are confident in your abilities and are not afraid to get in touch.

Easy when you know how! Happy writing! :)

Write your way to more money

2010-07-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Fed up of earning a pittance? With so many writers on the Internet, you need to separate yourself from the hoard of mediocre and not so great writers out there. How? Brand yourself. A simple concept and one that really works wonders.

Do you have a website? No! That will never do - get yourself a website - I recommend starting with one from www.weebly.com - they are free and you can upgrade to a dot com any time. Never try to be too clever. I have seen some sites that play on words with the name and you have no idea what it could mean. Truth be told, you are branding yourself. I would suggest sticking to your own name first. Mine right now can be found at www.arfawrites.com.

Get the word out - submit a press release announcing your services. Using a tool like www.prfire.com will allow you to do it for free. Submit your press release to your local paper about your services. Think long term - get business cards and postcards advertising your services and use every opportunity you can to get the word out.

When people come to your site, it should be clean looking and highly professional. List your clients if they do not mind and get some testimonials on your work. All these things increase your value and will allow you to market yourself as someone who is highly competent and able to charge more.

Increasing Working Hours Value

2010-07-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

What's your hourly rate? Or do you work on a per job basis? Have you ever actually worked out how much you are worth? If you want a pay rise, it is easier than you think. Increment your working hours by say $5 or $10 maximum and trial it out. It's easier with new customers than old.

With old customers, you have to give them more for their money, otherwise they will not understand why you have upped your rates and your service remains the same. A good way of increasing the value of your working hours and get paid more is to hire in help - use a proofreader or editor and whatever you do, reflect their pay in your rate.

For example, you hire a proofreader at $9/hr and you charge clients an extra $10 on top of your rate. If you are on say $30/hr, you are now on $40, except that out of the extra $10, you have pocketed $1 and bagged hours more time to spend on writing. This means more money for you.

I use a proofreader not because I can't write well, but because I do not have the time to spend hours proofing and correcting my own work. It has worked out great for me because I can get on with what I love most - writing. Using a proofreader has freed up around 3 hours writing time a week which is an additional 12 hours a month which translates to a lot more money.

Try it yourself. You may decide to hire someone to do your admin and marketing which takes anything up to 5 hours a week at a time, and possibly more if you work full time as a freelancer. Remember, you are not expected to be superhuman, but you can make yourself super efficient by hiring help.

Adding value to clients' businesses

2010-07-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

If you have already started a freelancing business and have steady work going on, you need to keep in touch with clients and make offers to them on a regular basis. This is really important because firstly, it keeps you busy and in work, and secondly, it really helps out the client.

Think of it like this, clients have limited time and sometimes they forget that there is someone more than adequate to do the job. You need to remind them. If you worked for a client months ago, how about ringing them or dropping them an email and asking if there is anything that you can help them with? You would be surprised the number of times they will say 'ah yes, there is something you could help me with.'

Once you have built yourself a good reputation, clients will offer you more work themselves. My last client was so impressed with my work that he has given me long term work on not one, but THREE of his websites and there is so much work that I have had to pull in help from my assistants. And to think it all started with a simple ebook that I wrote for this client.

Keep busy and keep writing and don't forget to get in touch with your old clients.

Article Spinning

2010-07-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

The best freelance writers out there make the most out of every article they ever write. They never just write an article and then sell it only to forget about it. They sell the same article elsewhere. How? By limiting the exclusivity of the article.

For example, you may want to sell your article with first British serial rights. This means that the rights to the article are limited only by the location of the UK. You may decide to sell the same article to another magazine over the pond in the UK and give first North American serial rights.

You could then approach Canada etc etc - you get what I am trying to say here. There is also the interesting issue of 'article spinning'. This is when you re-write an existing article in a different way and sell it again as is mentioned above.

Two great ways to make more from your article. When you spin an article, it takes minimal time because all the research is complete and all you have to do is write it. Did I mention another way of getting more bang from your buck? You can create web articles from the articles you have already had published.

All you need to do is keep to around 500-800 words and you should be laughing all the way to the bank.
Happy writing!

Quick Wins with Work

2010-07-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted because I have been bogged down with work! Always good mind, and there is nothing I would rather do more. Anyway, today I am going to mention quick wins. What are quick wins? Quick wins are my term for writing projects that you get under your belt quickly and regardless of how small, you can easily make some money from them.

The larger projects may be few and far between. You may want to write a book that could take you months and years from the very inception to the final piece - and even then you do not have the definite knowledge of whether you are going to get paid or published.

Think on a smaller scale - magazine fillers, letters to editors and doing posters and flyers for people in your local community. The advantage here is that they take almost no time at all and pay you cash almost immediately. This can be a very useful addition to your income. If you are just starting in writing and want to profit immediately, then quick wins are the best way to go about it.

Imagine spending no more than 20 minutes daily and having cash in your pocket in as little as a week! This is certainly possible, and the possibilities are endless. For those of you who really want to sink their teeth into this a little more, I recommend Nick Daw's Quick Cash Writing. I only bought this a few days ago, and already as a seasoned writer I am finding new ways to get money in my pocket.

I have bought quite a few of Nick's courses and certainly recommend them for an 'all meat and no fluff' approach. In fact, thanks to Nick, I went from being a new mom stressing over returning to work after maternity leave because the childcare was so expensive, to a part time freelance writer who is now earning three times what my last job paid, and working less hours too. Now if that isn't an incentive to get stuck in yourself, I don't know what is!

Finding Work at a Local Level

2010-06-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Most newbies make the mistake of spending hours glued to the Internet and on job auction sites looking for the next big writing assignment. Yes, these sites do have a plethora of work you can do, but they are competitive and make it difficult to get the jobs in the first place.

I should know. At any one time, I had applied for over a dozen jobs before I got one that paid really well. Thanks to a kind gentleman who decided to take a chance on a new writer, I landed myself an ebook assignment...and because my client loved the work so much, he decided to give me more work.

While these sites are extremely competitive and can really get you down each time your bid is declined for whatever reason, the best source of work is actually offline. In fact, the best source of work is your home town. What are the chances that there will be hundreds of writers competing for work here?

Join your local chamber of commerce and get familiar with the various businesses that may be in need of a good writer. Scour your local paper and mail shoot every company that places a big advert in the paper. Chances are if they have a budget for advertising, then they are the type of company that will spend good money on hiring a writer to do anything from writing brochures and promotional material to writing their web content and maintaining it.

If you can, go and visit web design companies as they often require someone to write the content for their site. You may be able to strike a deal with them -give them a good rate and they may give you regular work for years to come. The same goes for ad agencies and marketing houses. There is plenty of work to be had if you know where to look.

How to Get More Work

2010-06-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

How do you get a steady influx of work coming in? Easy. Promote, promote and promote. The holy grail of any good business is the ability to promote and market themselves at all times.

One of the easiest and most effective ways of doing this is to set aside 20 minutes a day to do nothing other than send out queries. Even if you send out just one query a day, it's better than nothing. If you are proposing an article, send your proposal to at least a handful of possible magazines who would be interested in what you have to offer. That's a handful of queries a day.

You could target local businesses and agencies that have a lot of promotional material that they send out. Ad agencies in particular are quite receptive to new writers as they are always on the hunt for fresh ideas that a new writer can bring.

The reality is that if you do not take the time and effort to promote yourself, you will run into periods of 'drought' where you simply have no work for weeks on end. Believe you me, this is not a nice position to be in.

By having a consistent approach and sending out regular queries, you are placing your name in front of people at all times. You will get work, and hopefully a steady supply of it. I have often been surprised when I get work from places I have not even advertised to.

Just recently I was approached by someone in Canada to do their CV as well as someone from the US - and this was from a mailing that I sent out weeks earlier. Someone kindly forwarded on my mailing to others and this too got passed on. I got additional exposure plus two new clients.

Just minutes a day of promotion can bring in steady work, so book it in your diary daily!

Getting More Bang for Your Buck

2010-06-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Want to make more money? What if there was a way of enticing your clients to giving you more work for more money? An easy way to do this is by offering them additional things at a discounted rate because they are already a customer. And it works a treat. You will usually find that a good proportion of clients will give you more work, especially if they think they are getting a great deal.

For example, you are writing an ebook for a client. You have a look at their website and notice how badly it has been put together. So you offer to re-write their content at a reduced fee because they are already a client. Then, while completing the web copy, you also notice that their brochure needs some more work on it. You offer to do that too. If you get good at it, you can even stretch to helping them market their products by writing the sales copy.

If you don't ask, you don't get. It's as simple as that. I had a client who asked me to write an ebook and market his site for him. I noticed his web copy was not great, and now I am completing that too. Bottom line: If you don't ask, you don't get.

Yes, I know I have repeated myself, but it is so true it's amazing how many people will not ask because they are too shy or worried the client may think you are trying to leech more money out of them. A sensible client will thank you for pointing out errors and thank you for correcting them. A client that takes personal offense that his site is rubbish (well, you wouldn't say that now would you?) is probably not worth working for anyway.

Sometimes winning over a client can be as simple as re-writing an advert they have created and showing it to them for free. Then asking if they have any work on. The chances are that even if there is no work for you, they will keep you in mind when they do.

The Well Fed Writer

2010-06-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

Everyone, no matter how good they are at writing, needs a helping hand when it comes to growing their business. One of the most crucial elements of writing is not just the ability to write (although you DO need to be a good writer, and a decent one at the very least) but it is the ability to SELL your writing.

Enter 'The Well Fed Writer' - a writing resource that provides the best in all that writing has to offer. My personal recommendation is that you buy the book (which is available in either ebook format or a traditional book) along with the writers toolbox (which has a whole host of VERY useful writing tools, letters and cut and paste formats to make your business run even more smoothly) and the writers timeline (tools to help organize your workload).

At less than $40, it is a worthy investment because it is PACKED full of techniques to sky-rocket your business to astronomical proportions. I am well stuck in at the moment and there is a HUGE amount of useful information here. What I also like about The Well Fed Writer is that it has a mailing list so you can subscribe to their newsletter and get loads of inspiration right to your inbox.

Unlike some resources which gloss over the details, The Well Fed Writer covers everything in detail so you know exactly what to do. Peter Bowerman who is the brain child behind The Well Fed Writer has thought of everything, and even offers one on one consultation to help you should you need it. A truly worthy resource which is definitely worth checking out.

If you are serious about establishing yourself as a great writer that is able to profit handsomely from writing, then I really recommend that you get yourself a copy of the book. I bought the download (because I am impatient and I didn't want to wait to receive it) and have never regretted it for a moment. In fact, I would go as far as to say that EVERY writer out there should own a copy.

Handling Rejection

2010-06-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

In the writing world, we all face rejection for submissions, rejected job bids and rejected queries for submissions. For some, it can be hard to take. My first rejection for a job was purely on the basis that my profile was 'work in progress' and I was in the process of updating it. The client turned me down saying that I didn't have any references. I did - but they weren't up on my site. The client promptly declined my bid and that was that, even though I sent him feedback from other clients. Too late.

That rejection really got to me, but instead of sulking or getting mad at myself, I fixed the problem immediately and got cracking with the next lot of work. After all, in the writing world, rejection is extremely commonplace and as far as any good writer is concerned, part and parcel of the job.

The only way to deal with rejection is to get to work on your next proposal and next bid. That's it. If you cannot bear the thought of being rejected, forget it - you are not cut out to be a writer. My attitude is to take it on the chin and get on with it. I now have regular work coming in and whether my proposals are accepted or not, it is not going to deter me from re-applying to the same place.

In fact, keep sending proposals. The more you do, the more you get yourself noticed. If you keep getting rejected, work on your proposal techniques. A great book on this is 'No contacts? No problem! How to Pitch and sell a freelance feature' does exactly what it says on the tin and is an invaluable source of guidance on the matter.

And whatever you do, keep writing!

Get Paid to Write About Topics You Like

2010-06-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled across an excellent resource and signed up straight away. A new service aimed at writers called Fortitude allows anyone to write on topics they like and get paid for it. It is an excellent idea, and for those of you who have yet to make money from writing, and easy place to start.

You simply write about any topic you like and put it up for review. The more votes you get, the greater the chance of the article making the first page. Any item making the first page will automatically get paid up to $100. Not a bad start for anyone. Fortitude is relatively new, so the chances of you making the front page are pretty high.

Not only do you get paid to write, but the experience is invaluable for any serious writer. You can test out ideas for articles and potential books or features. If you make front page, you know your idea has some weight. Use it to your advantage. It is also a good way for others to see what your writing style is like. This aside, you are getting your name out there to others and making yourself known - a great marketing tool.

There is a subscription charge of $1.99 a month, but you can easily recover this once you get paid for pieces that do well. As a writer, you should relish any opportunities you get to showcase your work. It also shows others how committed and serious you are about making it in the writing world.

Become a Published Author

2010-06-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

Becoming a published author doesn't have to be hard or something that only a select few can do. I have personally been published three times (twice for poetry and once for a short story) and am working on a proper book proposal at the moment.

Many people make the mistake of writing their book and then trying to sell it. Bad idea. Unless you have taken your time to glean your competition and taken your target audience into account, the chances are, you will most likely face rejection after rejection. I personally find rejection really upsetting, but it never stops me from moving on and getting on with it. As a writer, you will face a LOT of rejection. That's a fact.

A book proposal is so much less hassle and easier for you to complete than a book. It also spares you with the hundreds of hours being put into a book that may never be published. And the great thing about a proposal is that it will take a week of your time maximum, if even that.

How do you write a proposal and get an advance on royalties (which many people do?) Personally, you should get some professional advice on writing a winning book proposal. I personally recommend 'Book Proposal Secrets' I am in the process of using this myself to create my own proposal.

Once you have received the thumbs up from the publisher, you need to get cracking writing. The course 'Novel in a Month' is a best-selling course by Nick Daws (A leading writer) and helps you get your novel completed in a month. Ideal if you are not organized and find it hard to focus on what you are doing.

A book proposal will earn you royalties in advance, and you never know, that idea you had years ago to write an incredible adventure just might make it onto the bookshelves in the very near future.

Some Great Writing Resources

2010-06-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you find on the web. You think you have found all you need to know on a particular subject and then you find more. Only yesterday I was having a nosey at some writing resources when I spotted an advert for a free ebook on how to write power queries. I thought it was excellent and I know you will too.

Subscription to Filbert publishing entitles you to a free copy of their ebook on writing queries. What I love about their site is that you can also download free e courses on improving your writing. I found that surprising as many companies charge through their noses to give you training material, but this one doesn't.

Another good resource is 'Essential English for Authors'. Now I know I have mentioned this before but I cannot stress to you how important it is to brush up on your English if you are serious about writing for a living.

If you are new to writing for the web and seriously want to get stuck in, you cannot do better than the 'Wealthy Writer' which is jam packed full of resources and ideas to get your career off to a flying start. Indeed it is where I started and I think that it is an excellent resource which is highly recommended.

Juggling Family and Work

2010-06-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

Juggling family and work is actually easy once you know how. It is essential that you are organized and that your family understand that your working time is your working time. I cannot stress how important this is. When I started freelancing, I knew that in order for me to do well and succeed, I had to set clear boundaries.

It was imperative that I was organized and had clear bedtime routines for my 6 year old and my 1 year old. For me, I work best when my children are asleep - so I don't have any distractions when working. Luckily both of my kids are in bed by 8pm and do not get up until 8am in the morning. My baby also takes two naps during the day for a total of 2hrs and 30 mins.

I am up around 6:45am every morning and have about an hour of work I can easily get done before the kids are up. This time is usually spent on admin, marketing and updating my blog. I use my baby's nap times to get the housework, cooking and other chores done and any spare time is spent working. But the majority of my time is spent working in the evening. I start work around 8:30pm and work up until midnight and beyond depending on what I have on.

On average, I get around 5 hours of work time a day, which is ample for me. I refuse to work full time because my little one is far too young and would definitely need some form of childcare. I take little one with me shopping and for long walks in his buggy so I get a workout too. Too much time spent at a desk is bad for you.

If you intend on working full time, make no mistake about it - you seriously need childcare of some sort. Perhaps you may decide that a babysitter would be a good idea. Many women have a baby sitter come to their home and look after their children in a different room while they work from their office. This can work really well for you as long as your children understand that mummy is working and should not be disturbed.

You may decide to put your child in a nursery, but bear in mind that this is expensive as well as inconvenient because you have to get your child ready and drop them off, wasting valuable writing time. If your partner is working part time, get them to look after your children.

If you think you can dangle a baby on one knee and work at the same time, you seriously need to think again. I strongly recommend you have an early bedtime for your little ones so that you can work in the evening. I know of some women who do a 'childshare'. This is when you look after a friend's child for a few days a week, and your friend returns the favour by looking after your child for a few days too.

This particular scheme can work really well because you do not have to worry about paying high childcare fees, and you get a few full days to work. In the UK, if you and your partner are working for more than 16 hours a week, you may qualify for childcare support. Ring your local tax credit helpline to find out more.

Finally, working for yourself requires some serious commitment and your family have to support you in your decision to do so. I have a rule that unless I have guests that have come from another city, I do not make allowances for anyone. If people turn up at my place in the evening when I am working, I let my husband deal with them. If I stopped for every person that popped over, I would never get anything done.

You have to make it clear that your work time is YOUR work time and just because you are at home, it doesn't mean that everyone can disturb you. Set your ground rules and stick to them no matter what. You will find that once everyone gets used to it, they will respect your time and will not bother you while working.

Travel Writing

2010-05-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

Travel writing presents some excellent opportunities for those of you who enjoy travelling. Tourism boards have a budget every year which goes towards promoting their area in the hope of bringing in more tourists and hence providing a boost to the local economy.

Because of this, tourist boards are always on the look out for new ways of marketing and this includes a budget for writers who can provide positive reviews about the local culture and attractions. They are quite happy to pay a writer to stay in the best hotels and provide travel passes to famous places for free - all in the hope of some extra publicity.

And the pay is good too. You can expect to write at least three of four articles on various aspects of the place you are staying and command around $500 per article. Usually, what they are looking for is an informative piece which provides useful information that real people can use when visiting a place themselves. Facts, figures, best places to eat, great places to stay, local attractions etc are all things that you would cover for a tourist board.

If you are new to travel writing, you can easily get yourself well known in the industry by writing for magazines and getting your name across to people. Once people start reading your name on travel features, editors will commission you to take on travel work by sending you places to go.

Of course, this type of writing commands contacts and knowing about the written style. Contrary to popular belief, you can still be a travel writer without travelling, although your research skills would have to be second to none. I recommend buying a proper travel course so that you know how to start and who to contact. Try the course by Mel McIntyre - Travel Writing Secrets - this course is designed to teach you everything about travel writing, and is definitely worth considering if you enjoy travelling and would love to make money from it.

Creative Writing

2010-05-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Creative writing is any type of writing that allows you to express yourself through words and in any way you please. There are no rules and no rules mean that you can let yourself loose. Typically, creative writing is poetry and stories in a nutshell and anything that doesn't require limitations on your imagination.

The best creative writing comes from within - and some writers have an uncanny ability to tap into this at will. Others like myself, need to be in a certain mood or frame of thought before anything productive comes of it. And then there are those that no matter how hard they try, they are just no good at it.

If you enjoy writing for the sake of writing and you are a real bookworm, chances are, you have a really good book inside you or other creative streak. If you only write because you have to and don't relish the idea of letting your mind wander, then technical writing is probably more suited to you.

There are courses available that allow you to hone your creative skills and develop character, plot, settings and other things that make a good story. Contact your local college or university to find out about these. Be warned though - these courses are extremely popular and book up quickly. Alternatively, get in touch with your local authority and find out if they are holding any creative writing workshops and programs. They give you a taste of what to expect and if you already know what you are doing, it may be all you need to get writing.

Have a look at www.writing.com to find out about creative writing. They have lots of resources including newsletters in various genres so you can have the latest information at your fingertips.