Strive for the Best and Shine through Tough Times

Every writer’s site I have gone to recently has been discussing grammar or lack of it and generally poor writing appearing throughout the web. After all, there are more freelance writers on board these days due to the appearance of numerous ads stating one can earn money easily by writing. Well meaning friends and relatives will say, “well you do it; how difficult can it be, so why can’t I?“

Don’t discourage them but instead let them in on the secret that writing is a full time job. Yes, you can work your own hours but there is much responsibility to writing if you want to earn a living.

Freelance writing takes time for factual research, coming up with unique ideas and the dreaded edits. Everything has been said already, so writing becomes a matter of expanding a flow of words that speaks your true inner voice. Every day you will be job hunting and composing effective cover letters and clips in order to secure another new writing job.

The web may be the instigator of poor writing skills and undervaluing writers. I read recently that approximately 150,000 articles are needed per day. The good news is that there will always be plenty of work for all of us. The bad news is that under-bidders who either spin existing article or have poorer writing skills are getting through and clients do not seem to care. Personally I believe this to be a temporary setback for writers who do widen their knowledge and training.

Many of these a articles appear to be based on rich SEO content with clients wanting the same key words plastered 20 times in a 200 word blurb in some cases. Talk about redundancy! So besides complaints of grammatical problems, what many are finding is the writing is beginning to become boring.

What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure - Samuel Johnson

Boring sites mean fewer hits and less income for those who own them. Perhaps those who hire will now realize that quality work will always reign.

We all started out as novices but cultivated our craft, while taking pride in our work as it improved. We are open to learn from others and continue to do so, probably to our last typed sentence.

Developing your craft will always be a continual objective; write everyday, brush up on your vocabulary and grammar and add that little extra that comes from deep inside you that sets you apart from the rest.

To Diversify or Not to Diversify, That is the Question

A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others.

William Faulkner (1897-1962)

Many so called "experts" will argue that you can only write about what you experience or know first hand. However, with a wealth of research tools out there, a good writer can write about almost anything.

Blogger to magazine writers to authors of books never

seem come to a consensus of which works better; focusing in one area or diversifying in many subjects. Finding the right niche can offer you a success in writing, depending on the subject matter. But opting for diversification, it will open up more gigs for you.

Which ever you decide upon, remain versatile.

If you feel uncomfortable to venture in other areas, focus in a general area but move out a little in style and spin a new thread to your topic and writing abilities.

There are several advantages to having a specialty. By developing an expertise in a particular area and you will be in demand and your rates can increase. You expertise should have adequate demand. Google certain key words to obtain an idea is the competition is fierce or not.

The downside towards writing only about what you already have experienced is boredom. There may be numerous ways to write about toilet paper but after thousand and one times, the subject becomes stale and originality begins to wane. Sometimes you may find there is no market for your niche.

On a personal level, diversification is where it is at for me, although I have certain niches I tend to cling to. Declining an assignment or project that is offered just because I have never written about before is not in my DNA. "I’m just a girl who just can say no."

However, I must be honest with the client in advance so there are no misunderstandings if the work gets rejected. In a positive manner, I will also request their opinion on how the topic should be handled. If I never took a chance away from print, I would never have learned how to use Word Press, Blogger and other web software; thus giving me a more competitive edge.

Adapt to the voice of the editor or client of what they specifically are seeking. Do not write as a liberal if the publication or website has a conservative or spiritual tone. You will soon be able to adjust to their vision.

What option will you choose; diversifying or specializing?

General Rules for Spotting a Scam

Sometimes writers become complacent and make the classic mistake of 'putting all their eggs in one basket.'

As a freelancer, an important rule of thumb is that nothing is permanent. Easily something can happen to the longevity of any assignment, whether through a change of management or a complete shut down.

This is not the time to panic, but carefully seek out other writing options as discussed in Hack Writers´ Guild. Even though you may be out of your comfort zone applying for new assignments; the good new is many editors are seeking fresh talent.

At times like these, it is easy to become more trusting and develop a "take a chance" attitude. The economic downturn breeds a feeding frenzy of scams geared towards writers. Many writers can easily become ripe for scams and cons out of sheer desperation. Now is the time you should be even more vigilant of who you are doing business with.

Don’t get caught in such webs of deceit.

Request free samples:

Unpaid writing samples are often a way for unscrupulous website owners to get free content. Almost any client should be happy to review previously published work as samples of your talent. If they request a short sample of thirty words to see if you meet their style in a particular subject matter, that is fine. Anything more requested is working for nothing.

Asking for money to set you up:

The basic principle of any job is that the employer pays the employee, not the other way around.
The potential employer’s websites can not be found:

Check the validity of their contact details and/or website. If the information given to you does not exist, it is certain neither does a legitimate job.

Will not discuss rates upfront and wants to negotiate:

This is not a Middle Eastern Bazaar: Get a firm offer and contract.

An ad states that a book publisher is seeking to publish first-time authors:

Established and legitimate publishers rarely take manuscripts from novices or unknowns. Many work through literary agents only. All though self publishing companies do accept unpublished authors, you may be responsible for printing costs and additional expenses. In other words, know all the details before signing any contracts.

If your intuition suggests something is amiss; just decline the offer:

With experience, you will be able to distinguish between the legit and scam offers. But even if everything seems on the up and up, you can still be taken advantage of with low payers. Know you worth. 1000 words for $2.00 is not the way to go with your experience.