Summer Minor – Noisy Writer

I sold my first article at Constant Content and I’m pretty thrilled about it.

I had only a few articles up, getting a few hits but no one interested in buying. I’ll admit it, I was frustrated. So I changed my approach.

I get daily emails from CC telling me what articles people are requesting. So far none had been in my area of expertise so I did nothing. Until I started seeing a trend. Some of the same titles being asked for on CC were also being requested at TextBroker.

Someone has a niche going on.

So I jumped for it, wrote a simple piece along the same theme and submitted it. I’ll admit it wasn’t in a topic I know that much about, but it was easy enough to research a little and piece it together. What helped the most was that I already had a similar article in my free PLR junk folder that I could use as a basic framework. For me it helps to have a somewhat idea of what to write when I’m not familiar with the topic. I used expanded on and built up the junk article into a fairly good one.

And it sold. For a whopping $20. Sure that may not seem like much to the people charging $50 and up, but for a beginner like me it was awesome.

Now I’m stoked to sell another one.

Bookmark It

Too often freelancers can run into a serious case of writers block. This can happen when writing about a topic that is completely new, or writing about one that you have covered a hundred times already. For what ever reason it strikes, shaking loose from it can be a bit like finding fresh water on a deserted island. You are going to have to work for it.

For me, the easiest option is to switch gears mentally. What ever I am working on when the block sets in, I stop and begin something completely different. If I am trying to write a parenting piece I move to a food related one. If I am covering a political topic I pull up and try to tackle home care.

In some cases taking a break from writing itself is the best fix. Turning off the laptop and walking away to cook dinner, knit, take a walk, or play with my kids has an amazing ability to “un-stick” the gears in my brain. Before long I am crafting sentences in my mind and ready to sit down and begin working again. The flow renewed.

Bookmark It

A few writing sites that I read suggested trying Textbroker as a place to earn a little extra cash. I spent about an hour this morning writing 4 very simple pieces and earned $12 for it. Not bad on the hourly wage scale.

The problem with Textbroker is that it is all anonymous. Your name is not associated with the articles that you write, and you do not know who you are writing for. There is a way for clients who like your work to contact you and order more especially from you, but if you are hoping to build a portfolio from this look elsewhere. You give up all rights to your articles once you release them into their system.

For beginner writers however, this could be a great start. You get paid to practice writing and build your skill. Writers are paid more based on their rating, so the better your become the more money you can make. And while the pay is low, the articles are simple enough to complete in a relatively short period of time. You can spend an hour a day writing several pieces and earn a decent beginner salary.

Most of the articles requested are keyword specific. They give you a phrase or word and you need to write something with search engine optimization in mind. For me it’s a great way to kick start my brain when I am facing writer’s block. The technical aspect of it alleviates my creative writing pressure.

Bookmark It

One of the biggest tips on being a writer is to do plenty of reading. Read everything, from press releases to fiction. Reading has this magical way of increasing your writing skills and vocabulary. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt to read things from your own field as well.

Here’s what I’m reading right now:

• How to Find Your Voice as a Blogger
• Freelance Writing: The Early Years
• Face Your Freelance Writing Fears
• Freelance Writing Kickstart 2010
• 6 Tips From 6 Months: Getting a Full-Time Freelance Writer Online

Bookmark It

Within days of setting this site up I was already agreeing to a new writing job. A simple staff writer position at Growing Your Baby. And look, I already have two articles up.

OK, so the job did not come from someone contacting me. I saw the position being advertised and I emailed them about it. But, and this a huge but, having this small site gave me the confidence to do that. Being able to point to a my own site that has my resume and prices made me feel more secure about contacting someone for a writing position. I cannot believe I went this long without doing it already.

Though for now I have this as just a sub-domain of my personal blog, soon I plan to buy and move this over to it’s own domain. Until then though, just putting together this site has been a huge boost to me.

Bookmark It

My name is Summer and I am a freelance writer.

Writing is something I have done for a long time, but only in the last few years attempted to make money doing. Before it had mostly been for the love of words. Now I am not only making money from my writing, I am working at earning a real income as a freelance writer.

Step #1, create my own website. A place on the web to showcase my writing, discuss my fees, and be available to create contacts. If I want to move out of the shadows and into the real world of freelance writing this had to be the first step. And so, here it is. Things are still a bit rough around the edges, mostly because it is after midnight and I am trying to tweak code and calculate fees. If you see any glaring errors please let me know (nicely). I’m not sure I can spell my name correctly at this time of the night.

My next step will be to set a goal. When Darren of ProBlogger said “Be specific” my ears perked up. I don’t think I have an actual, specific goal yet as to what I want to do and how much I want to make. So that is where I am going next.

Right after I get some sleep.

Goodnight, and welcome!

Bookmark It