Writing articles?

laurenjs88

Hey MSE's!!

Ive joined Qype & DooYoo, like the saddo i am i love writing reviews and articles etc...

Im a creative writer with a very broad imagination, so i am thinking of marketing myself as a online writer for research articles etc... well whatever anyone wants me to write about. So just looking for some tips and advice how to market myself etc...

Im not after making a full time income etc... so doing cheap free lance work to get some testimonials.

Also if anyone else is interested in setting up something together just let me know, might be easier if a couple of us are interested!

:beer:

antoniakelly

Hello.

I understand why a lot of people think of doing some paid writing to earn a bit of extra cash, but it really is an incredibly difficult sphere to get into. There's an awfully big difference between DooYoo and Qype and actually having people paying you to write for their company. I'm really not trying to say don't do it, but I've been pro-writing both for media companies and national press (as freelance) for several years and if you're thinking of starting this, you deserve to know how hard it is to get a grip on the industry.

Experience, not qualifications, is everything in writing. But to get it you have to work damned hard. I started off my career by pro-blogging for a media company, and I did it for free. It wasn't a full time job but I had to pay my dues and get some experience. For me, it paid off and I was offered a full-time paying job when the company expanded and from there I got a wealth of writing samples with a well-known company backing me, but I never would have got that if I'd not spent three months working three hours a day for nothing but a byline. This is not unusual.

I now work as a freelancer because the money is better than pro-blogging in most cases and I prefer the variety. But I don't think I'd get half the freelance jobs I do if I couldn't put "Three years with *company*" on my CV.

Still, the biggest thing is quality of writing. You need to be able to write well, to a word count, quickly and accurately. If your grammar and spelling is anything less than perfect then you need to learn it, spellcheckers will not do as they miss context. Luckily my husband is a professional proofreader so I run everything by him before submission.

You need writing samples about a vast variety of topics and they need to be different tones. My samples include lighthearted jokey articles, serious articles, teasing articles, informative articles. I simply select which one to send depending on what the offered job is. I have articles about politics, fashion, rugby union that I wrote myself and then job writings about things like lingerie and casinos. DooYoo reviews aren't going to cut it as samples, you need full articles, at least 500 words.

Then sign yourself up with getafreelancer.com and bid on jobs. Include samples with every bid, describe exactly why you can do the job and be honest in how long it will take you. GAF is an absolute gem for getting some experience and samples collected together and you can earn a living off it. It also has feedback scores from clients so if you're good, you have proof of it.

For bidding, I tend to bid mid-range, not the highest and not the lowest. If that figure in the middle isn't going to be worth it for me to do, I won't bid. Some people bid crazy-low amounts just to secure a job but it isn't worth it in the long run. Don't bid if you're not certain you can complete the work. I always tend to overestimate how long a piece will take me by about a day, because delivering before deadline really impresses people.

Through GAF, I've been introduced to clients for an initial project and have then forged an ongoing, higher paid relationship with them. I bid occasionally now if I've not got much on but most of my work comes through people finding me, either from knowing me from my time with Company X or through previous commissions on GAF.

Another good way is to design a website with your writing samples and contact details. I don't currently have one, but an ex-colleague of mine has one that is a great example - Google 'Amber McNaught' and it's the first one. Simple is the key. Then submit your website to every search engine and list of writers out there.

Next suggestion is to blog, blog, blog. Put together your own blog and get into the habit of writing - not only can you sell advertising, but it's an ongoing portfolio. I actually personal blog for fun and never submit it as an example of writing, but the practice is always good. Or, you can apply as a pro-blogger to one of the big media companies, like I did. Try b5media or Gawker. Also keep an eye on Pro Blogger for blogging vacancies.

Also, you can apply for your own blog at today.com. You have to come up with the subject and submit samples to them and if accepted you get your own blog and are paid $1 per 100 words. It's a pittance, but if you build the blog up you get good advertising revenue, and there's no limit to how many words you can do. I just signed up for a blog about small business owners, as I figured it'd be handy to have guaranteed money if things get a bit slow. Plus somewhere like Today.com looks good on a CV

Lastly, pitch! Got an idea for an article? Tell someone! Email the editor or sub-editor of whatever website, magazine or newspaper it might be applicable to. Even if it doesn't get accepted immediately, if you make the pitch good enough you'll be remembered and possibly considered for future work.

Basically, you have to work really hard to get work if you want it to be worth it, but it's more than manageable. Journalism degrees are a fallacy; if you write well you don't need any qualifications. I've said some ways to get started, hope you'll find them useful, and good luck!

I know I might seem a bit dour but I just want people to be realistic, being alright with words doesn't mean you'll get paid jobs easily, it's a bloody hard slog to get samples and work. But it is undoubtedly worth it if you can be bothered to put the time in

laurenjs88

Wow thanks for a fantastic reply.

I've written alot more than for Qype & DooYoo, but thats all i have done recently. I've worked for an Online Media company in the past so have a little knowledge, however right now i'm just looking at getting myself a portfollio together

EDIT:
Wooh what happened to the post??

Scaredy_Cat_3

What happened to the reply? I agree, it was really useful and now it's just vanished!

laurenjs88

Scaredy_Cat wrote: »

What happened to the reply? I agree, it was really useful and now it's just vanished!

There's some magic a foot!

antoniakelly

Gaaaah... cat + laptop mouse pad touch = big delete.

Is there any way I can retrive it? I can sum it up (links, recommended companies etc) but I really wouldn't have the patience to write it all again!

Scaredy_Cat_3

Can't understand that at all - I didn't think us mere mortals had the power to delete something once it had been posted. Edit, maybe, but not totally delete.

Can you use the back button to find it and copy it? It worked for me earlier, but doesn't now, maybe I've refreshed too many times since then.

Debt_Robot

Set up a website: As a writer, you need to set up a website with a portfolio of the work you have done. Prospective employers of freelancers need to see your background and this looks very professional. Especially since you say you want to write online articles so having your own website is very appropriate.

Sell, sell, & sell: What kind of 'research articles' do you want to do? The impending financial doom that has set in would be a good opportunity to write articles or conduct market research about how people are dealing with debt or how people are dealing with keeping up with their mortgages.

Think of articles that you can sell to an online publication or to a print one.

Topics: 'Real-life stories' are still very marketable so if you know anyone who has an unusual or quirky real life story, you could market that to a publication like Take a Break which is a successful magazine, despite the downturn in the publishing economy.

Making money from writing articles is hard work but once you find out what topic you can do whether it is finance, business, film, you can make a good side living from it.

laurenjs88

antoniakelly wrote: »

Gaaaah... cat + laptop mouse pad touch = big delete.

Is there any way I can retrive it? I can sum it up (links, recommended companies etc) but I really wouldn't have the patience to write it all again!

I have no idea if you can retrive it! I understand what you mean i used to have a kitten who was obsessed with not only my mouse but with attacking my fingers as they were typing!

jo_b_2

antoniakelly wrote: »

Gaaaah... cat + laptop mouse pad touch = big delete.

Is there any way I can retrive it? I can sum it up (links, recommended companies etc) but I really wouldn't have the patience to write it all again!

Fantastic first post! I've used the super Board Guide technology to restore your lost post and spare your typing fingers!

laurenjs88

jo_b wrote: »

Fantastic first post! I've used the super Board Guide technology to restore your lost post and spare your typing fingers!

Thank you Jo! It's a superb post!! :T