Writing and Editing Jobs 10/31/2009

• Freelance Writer – Washington, DC
• Freelance Financial Presentation Writer — HNW, Inc. — New York
• Freelance Writer – Tech Website – BrightHub.com
• Freelance Music Writers – Music Jobs USA – Miami, FL
• Freelance Writer Fashion and Travel – L-atitude
• Freelance Writers – The Daily Caller – Washington, DC
• Freelance Writers Wanted – Suite101.com
• Proofreader – Cabela’s Inc. – Sidney, NE
• Proofreader – Cadient – Conshohocken, PA
• Proofreader – Adlife Marketing – Norwood, MA
• Proofreader — Lakeshore Learning Materials – Carson, CA
• Proofreader – Detroit, MI
• Composition Specialist – Proofreader – RR Donnelley – New York, NY
• Copy Editor/Proofreader – New York State Bar Association – Albany, NY
• Legal Proofreader – Matura Farrington Staffing Services – Los Angeles, CA
• Public Affairs – Writer/Editor – SUNY Oswego – Oswego, NY
• Senior Editor/Writer – Colonial Williamsburg Foundation – Williamsburg, VA
• Sports Writer – Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Newspaper – Mount Vernon, IA
• Editor, Yahoo! Sports – Yahoo! Inc. – Brentwood, NY
• Assistant Professor, British Romantic Poetry – Miami University – Oxford, OH
• Literature Adjunct Faculty Pool – Howard Community College – Columbia, MD
• Assistant Professor – Creative Writing – Nonfiction – The University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, AL
• Reporter – Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. – Columbus, OH
• Reporter – The Hollister Free Lance – Hollister, CA
• Technical Writer – Intertek – Middleton, WI
• Technical Writer – General Dynamics – IT – Panama City, FL
• Technical Writer – Salesforce.com – San Francisco, CA
• Technical Writer – Applebee’s Services, Inc. – Overland Park, KS
• Technical Writer – Red Hat – Brisbane QLD
• Project Editor – Cumberland Newspapers – Sydney NSW
• Editor – SPE Canada Calgary
• Technical Writer/Editor – CGI Group – Ottawa, ON
• Writer – Toronto, ON
• Technical Writer – Stelfox – Ireland
• Senior Technical Writer – Computer People – Cork – Ireland
• English Content Writer /Editor – OPVM – Chennai, TN, India
• Content writer / Good English Editor – D R Intellects – Secunderabad, AP, India

Successful Freelance Writers are Running a Business

Successful freelance writers realize that they are running a business. Freelance writing is like any other small business. It requires a set of business management skills that cannot be ignored. Successful freelance writers handle tasks such as bookkeeping, billing, collections, marketing, public relations, sales and secretarial work. More importantly, they accept that they are the owner and operator of the business. The decisions the make and their consequences are entirely their responsibility.

You don’t have to do everything to run everything

The good news is that you don’t have to be good at every single task in order to freelance; you just have to be good at making sure that they get done. If bookkeeping and accounting are not your strong suits (or you prefer to concentrate on the writing) then you can hire someone to do that work for you. If you need secretarial work such as transcription, typing or filing, all of that work can be contracted for as well. In most cases, once your freelancing business gets rolling, it is a good idea to off-load these tasks and concentrate on the activities that generate income. Whether you do all the work yourself or pay to have it done for you, however, you are still the boss and it is still a business.

The more you learn, the more you earn

If you want to improve your business skills, take a class in small-business management or marketing or whatever other skill you lack. Even better, try writing a series of articles about the tasks that you most want to understand. That way the time you spend on learning these skills will be both instructional and profitable. After all, finding multiple ways to benefit from a single task is good business.

Would I work for me?

Having the right attitude is one of the keys to treating your freelance writing as a business. Ask yourself, if this were a company that I was hired to work for, would I approve of the way they operate? Is this company capable or reaching its goals or is this company dangerously inefficient and poorly run. If the answer is the latter, you have some work to do.

For more information

• Running Your Business
• Microsoft Small Business Center
• The Realities of Running a Small Business
• Sample Invoice for Your Freelance Writing Clients
• Guide to Writing Collection Letters for Your Freelance Writing Business

10 Steps to a Freelance Writing Career

One of the keys to freelance writing success is finding the right market for you. Developing a writing specialty that is both enjoyable and profitable will bring you long-term success as a writer. You don’t have to limit yourself to a single market. You should find and exploit your strengths in as few or as many areas as you feel comfortable working in. Below is a ten-step plan that outlines how to find success as a freelance writer though specialization.

Step One: Analyze your Strengths as a Freelance Writer

Make a list of subjects that you both know about and feel you would enjoy writing about. Ask yourself:

• What do I know that others either don’t know or don’t understand?
• What am I educated in?
• What work experiences do I have?
• What would I like to learn more about?
• What am I passionate about?

Don’t just ask these questions in your mind. Write down your answers. You will need them for later steps. Don’t be afraid to get specific. “I like to write about psychiatry” is a valid answer, but “I like to write about healing children who have been through psychological traumas” is a much more specific answer that could lead to articles or even books.

Write down all of the jobs you have held and classes or other educational experiences you have had. Even if you don’t plan to write about them right away, you may find that they can add unique twists on article ideas. Sticking with the psychology theme, if you once held a job as a florist, you might decide to write an article about the psychological effects of flowers on trauma victims.

For more information try 6 Freelancing Lessons from Tony Stark, aka “Iron Man” and Do Interesting Things.

Step Two: Analyze the Freelance Writer Markets

There are many markets for your writing. From print magazines to blogs to web content providers to small and large businesses. Don’t limit yourself to the publishing giants. The competition is steepest there, and unless you have a solid reputation and some good connections, you will find it very hard to crack those publications. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to crack them, but don’t make that your primary focus or you are likely to spend a lot of time waiting for assignments rather than completing assignments and getting paid.

Some markets to consider: consumer magazines, trade magazines, professional journals, newsletters, local and regional publications, electronic publications, textbooks, and corporate publications. This is by no means an exhaustive list of publishing opportunities but it should give you an idea of where to start.

Use your Internet resources. Search for sites that deal with your areas of interest. They can be both publication possibilities and research resources.

For more information try 40 Freelance Writing Markets Paying $100 or More (Much More) and The Monster List of Freelancing Job Sites.

Step Three: Pick Your Initial Freelance Writing Specialties

Not every specialty you have is going to be highly marketable. There are many factors to consider when picking your initial specialties:

• The number of potential clients (Publications, businesses, people) who may be interested in your specialty.
• Whether or not you have something new to add to the area of knowledge in that specialty.
• The potential profitability of writing in that specialty.
• How long you feel you can write in that specialty without becoming bored or running out of things to say.
• Do you have equal credentials to the people publishing in the field? If not, can you find a co-author who does?

Analyze your list of specialties and decide for yourself which ones have the greatest chance for success. Pick specialties for which you can both find markets and maintain your motivation. Generally, you want to start with from one to three specialties. The list of specialties can grow over time, but don’t spread yourself too thin at the beginning.

For more information try Should You Specialize in Website Content? and The Freelance Copywriter’s Unfair Marketing Advantage.

Step Four: Find Freelancer Allies

Even before you start sending out queries, you should start making contacts. This requires research and bravery. You need to find professional organizations, clubs, support groups, special libraries, experts and any other resource that will help you succeed in this specialty. Don’t settle for just knowing where, what, and who these resources are. Contact them and establish a relationship. You will need them for more than article research.

Knowing all of the people within a certain field will result in assignments and other opportunities. In addition, you may find that one or more of the “experts” in the field are looking for co-authors or ghostwriters to help them become better known. Just because a person knows a subject, doesn’t mean they know how to write about it. Also, look for other writers who are writing in your field. Contact them. Try to convert them from competition into allies. Sometimes, other writers are so swamped they might forward opportunities to you. Someday, you might be in a position to do so yourself.

For more information try Let me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance and Are You Forgetting to Network With Your Friends?

Step Five: Start the Query Process

Make a list of ten or so publications or clients that you want to query initially. Analyze their needs. Read back-issues and Internet pages of publications. Look at the past publishing history of business clients. Contact publications and ask for their submission guidelines. Many major publications will not accept blind submissions. If your heart is set on them, you will have to find a way to develop a rapport with the editor.

Try for a variety of prospects so that there is as little overlap as possible. Try different types of publications, different regions, different companies and so forth.

Querying is, of course, an ongoing process. When your first round of queries is out, you will want to be researching your second round. Don’t just wait for opportunities. Be proactive.

For more information try 7 Steps to a Successful Freelance Query and How to Write a Query Letter.

Step Six: Gain Something from each Freelance Assignment

You may find that your initial assignments don’t pay as much as you would like. Sometimes, they may not offer any money. Chances are, you will not start off at the top of the pay bracket unless you happen to be well-known in your field. The key is to work your way up that pay scale at a speed that is acceptable to you. To do this, try to gain something from every assignment. Much like an athlete or a musician, your initial aptitude and ability will only get you so far. Experience, research and coaching are needed to get you the rest of the way. Here is a partial list of ways you can improve your writing:

• Find at least one new source (Person, book, web site, article) for each article you write, even if you have covered the territory before.
• Write each article with the intent to improve one aspect of your writing skills:(To write more quickly, to make less initial errors, to improve your editing)
• Do everything you can to meet every requirement your client has set (Subject, sources, length, supplemental materials, and of course, deadline.)
• Improve your relationship with the editor or client. Sometimes you can get to know them as a person. The busiest ones will not be as open to talks, however, even if they like you. Don’t take it personally and don’t be an annoyance. At minimum, ask a client what else they are looking for and follow up with another query. Remember the first part especially. Often, editors already have ideas. All you may need to do to get an assignment is ask.
• Develop a circle of mentors or peers. Join a writing group. Email a blogger. Form individual relationships. Find people who can help make you a better writer and a better freelancer.

For more information try 5 Things You Never Say to an Editor and Proofreader’s Marks.

Step Seven: Develop a Clipping Library of your Freelance Work

Keep all of your published materials. Keep your initial computer files and keep any print versions of your work. A clipping library will come in handy in many ways. You can use the information as sources for new articles, to refresh your knowledge of something you’ve covered, and to send out as samples to new prospects. Organization is not always easy for writers, but an efficient filing system can do wonders for your projects. In effect, you become your own research library. This will come in handy when it is time to recycle and reuse.

For more information try Quick Guide to Creating an Efficient File System and Getting Things Done: How to Take Control of Life.

Step Eight: Recycle and Reuse your Writing Work

One of the great advantages of having a specialty is that you can constantly reuse your work. Here are just a few examples:

• If you have retained the rights, you can resell articles as reprints without changing a word. That means you can get paid two or more times for the same exact article.
• You can repurpose an article. For example, an article about preventing heart attacks can be rewritten slightly for sale to a fitness magazine, a business management magazine and a senior citizen’s magazine. A new introduction and the personalization of a few items might take an hour, and the new sale might pay the same as the initial article or even more.
• You can combine pieces of more than one work into a new, different article.
• Once you have written a number of different articles about a subject, you can consider combining them together into a book. Publishing a book on a subject is a great way to generate new prospects and to be recognized as an expert in the field.
• You can give lectures based on your articles. Depending on the subject, lectures can pay quite well, and they further establish you as an expert in the field.

For more information try Repurpose or Reprint? What Do I Do With My Articles Now? and How To Repurpose Your Articles.

Step Nine: Work on Your Writing Credentials

Anything you can do that builds your reputation as an expert in a field will improve your opportunities. Here are a few ways you can work on your credentials:

• Take classes in your specialty, and if possible get a degree or a certificate.
• Teach seminars or classes or give lectures in your specialty. This is much easier to do than it sounds. Provided that you don’t have a fear of public speaking, you can almost read straight from your articles. The best part is that these opportunities don’t just improve your standing; they are generally paying opportunities.
• Be available for interviews. If someone else wants to quote you as an expert in the field, jump at the opportunity.
• Attend conventions and other gatherings of people in the field. Even if you aren’t giving a presentation, you can still introduce yourself to people and tell them you write in the field.
• Write a book or an eBook. There is no better way to establish your credentials than to write a book about your hey subject.

For more information try Thirteen Steps to Write and Publish a Free Ebook In Thirteen Hours and How to Become an Expert on Nearly Any Subject.

Step Ten: Learn When to Say When

As stated earlier, you can continually expand your specialties. You might start out writing about two subjects that may or may not be related. For example, you might start out writing about the Russian economy and about model trains. After a year, you might find that your interest in the Russian economy has lead to an interest in Middle Eastern business practices, and that your interest in model trains has either vanished or is failing to generate the business to make writing about it profitable for you. You can always drop or cut back on one specialty to pursue another or to concentrate on your remaining specialties. You can also go back when and if you feel it is time for another try.

For more information try How to Defeat Burnout and Stay Motivated and Are Your Stuck?.

How to Avoid Copywriting Rewrites

Alex Writes:

Thank you for your wealth of information on writing. I’m an aspiring copywriter, and on top of my day job, dabble in freelance writing for brochures and corporate websites. The thing is, I occasionally encounter clients who change my copy so much (admittedly, for the better) that it makes me doubt my writing talent and potential. My numerous job applications have also been rejected by ad agencies – both big and small.

How do I know if I have what it takes to be a good copywriter? I know I have the passion for advertising copy, but when do I draw the line between passion and reality – that I should just stick to my 9-6 job and leave the writing to the pros?

Appreciate your time and advice, John.

First off, lets dispose of this, “do I have what it takes?” question. If you’re still in there trying, you have what it takes. Once you decide that it isn’t worth your time, then you don’t. I’m sure there are many better copywriters than you, and I’ll also assure you that there are worse ones than you who are making a great living. Don’t let the rejections get you down. The market is flooded with writers but it is also flooded with opportunities.

Your main concern seems to be that people are rewriting your copy. You need to understand that rewriting is part of the process. Your clients, because they are usually much closer to their product than you, will often have input into whether your copy will work for them. Often, their decisions will be best, but sometimes they don’t know what they’re talking about. Either way, they are the clients and your first job is to make them happy.

Here are a few ways to improve your chances of getting through the editing process unscathed:

Make sure you are clear on what the client wants

Don’t be afraid to ask questions as part of the process. Get the job requirements down in writing and if you are unsure of something, check. The more work you do at the front end of the process, the less work you’ll have to do at the back end.

Write carefully and edit carefully

I could recommend a dozen books to you, especially those by Robert W. Bly, but I don’t want to overload you so start with Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. This is a great resource for learning to fix your errors, and I don’t just mean bad grammar or spelling. This book covers the whole process of getting your documents right.

Test

Take the time to have others, not just your client, review what you have written. You can use other writers, or just friends who have any perspective on the product. Have them look over what you’ve written and ask them questions. Test to see if you have gotten the response you are looking for. Is the document persuasive? Does the document leave them with unanticipated questions? Are any instructions easy to follow? Do they understand what the desired result is? Your questions may vary depending on the document. The most important requirement is to listen to what your testers have to say.

Study and Practice

If you want to be a better copywriter, then dedicate yourself to improving. Study other advertising copy. Create a library of quality copywriting, both to study and to give you ideas when you set out to create a new document. Rewrite other copywriter’s materials in your own style. Study books on copywriting AND visual design. Take classes. In other words, make an effort to get better.

Copywriting is a learnable skill. Some people have more to learn than others, but if you are already getting clients, then I think your chances are pretty good. The question is whether you feel the career is worth the work.

Here are some sites about copywriting and web writing that are must-reads.

• Copyblogger: You could spend a year reading all of their articles about copywriting.
• Men With Pens: Great articles on copywriting and the writing business.
• Copywriting Maven: Good information about the business of copywriting.
• Remarkable Communication: A great site for marketers.
• Writing White Papers: Michael Stelzner specializes in white papers, one of the highest paying specialties in copywriting.

Good luck.

Successful Freelance Writers Are Like Pirates

No, successful freelance writers don’t sink ships or take hostages, but they do one thing that pirates do. They keep a stash. I’m not talking about the kind of stash your creepy older brother used to have in his underwear drawer. I’m talking about pirate stash. Booty. Treasure.

Pirates like to have things stored away for a rainy day. They bury their treasure under two trees that form an X. They keep weapons and a rowboat in a cave. They have secret compartments in their ship in case they get boarded. Pirates like to have something stashed aside for when disaster hits.

What do freelance writers stash? Freelance writers stash the things that will be useful to them: money, articles. ideas and clients.

Stash your money

Freelance writing is an up and down field. One week your are flush with cash and the next week the check you expected from your biggest client doesn’t arrive or bounces. Always have some money put away for emergencies. Be very careful about what you define as an emergency too. Your emergency stash shouldn’t be used for every little bump that comes along, or you will soon find yourself without an emergency stash. Put the money where you can get to it, but don’t use it unless you are facing a serious money problem. If you do use it, your next task should be replenishing it. You don’t want the treasure chest to be empty when an emergency hits.

Stash your articles

Keep all of your old articles, research and other work. One of the advantages freelance writers have over many other freelance professions is that they can resell, rewrite and repurpose old articles and research. A good writer can turn research about health clubs into club profiles, fitness tips and buyer’s guides. They can take those same articles and resell them in different markets. They can also rewrite them later to incorporate new information or use them as research for new articles

Stash your ideas

Keep a notebook, a PDA, a tape recorder or whatever it takes, but find a way to record your ideas when they happen and save them for later. Record article ideas, productivity ideas, marketing ideas and whatever other thoughts you have that may contribute to your freelance success. You may never use 90% of what you recorded, but it’s worth it for that one really great idea that you would have forgotten if you hadn’t recorded it.

Stash your clients

Keep track of your old clients, especially the good ones. Send them post cards and holiday greetings. Call them on the phone or send them an email every few months. You don’t want to be a pest, but you want to stay in their thoughts so that the next time they have a project, you are the first person they think of. Sometimes you will even manage to catch them at just the right time, and your effort to keep in touch will land you an immediate sale. Isn’t it worth the price of a few postcards to have that happen?

For More Information

• How and Why to Start an Emergency Fund
• How to save for an emergency fund
• Save Your Emergency Fund For The Real Thing
• The Idea Farm
• Create An Idea Journal
• 10 Ways to Re-purpose Your Content
• 17 Secrets of Keeping Your Clients and Yourself Happy
• Keep A Client

How to Send an Effective Press Release

Capturing a publication’s attention can be a difficult task. You are competing against a variety of other people, causes and events. To win this competition you must do two things. First, you must gain their interest. Second, you must present your story in a professional manner that will make it easy for them to give you the coverage you desire. Here are some tips to help you send effective press releases.

Know Your Target

Find out who the publication’s editor / reporter / blogger is for the section you want your press release to appear in. Include that person’s name on the press release, not just on the envelope or in the email address.

Pick One Person Per Publication

Once you’ve chosen the appropriate person, stick with them. If the article needs to be passed off to another reporter, the publication will make that decision. If you send your press release to more than one person, any problems that develop from duplicate coverage and effort will be blamed on you.

Don’t Just Send, Call

To increase your chances of getting coverage, call the intended recipient before you send the press release and call a few days later to make sure they received it. Making first contact by phone will also help you find the appropriate person to send your press release to.

Give it Time

Don’t email a press release the day before an event and expect your event to receive coverage. Give the maximum possible amount of time for the publication to decide how they want to cover the story. If you feel the event is so far in the distance that they might forget about it, then simply send another release as the time for the event draws nearer.

Know Your Deadlines

Magazines, even weekly ones, are planned months in advance. Seasonal events such as Christmas and Thanksgiving are great examples of this. Holiday issues are frequently developed in the heat of summer. For calendar items, know when the publication’s submission deadline is. Do your research.

Keep it Short and Informative

Reporters and editors are notoriously busy. Most press releases should be kept to a single page. Two pages is acceptable but not optimal. If the publications want more information, they’ll ask.

Write it in a News Style

Put the primary information (who, where, what, and when) into the lead (first paragraph), and avoid a heavy sales pitch. No exclamation points!!! Use short words and sentences. Make sure what you’re saying is very clear. Many publications will directly reprint a press release, as long as it is written in a professional news style. Buy either the AP Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style, and learn the general guidelines for abbreviating words, writing numbers and capitalizing names.

Use Postal Mail or Email

You should check with each publication to find out their preferred system for receiving press releases. In general, email is acceptable and postal mail is fine. Faxes are hard to read or to include photos with, so avoid faxing.

Help keep it Together

For printed press releases, always include, at the top corner of every page, a two or three word description of the story, the name and contact information of key contact people (no more than two), the page number (if there is more than one page) and the release date (usually “for immediate release” or “please hold until ??/??/??”). For emails, include this information at the beginning of the email. Be aware that most people will hit the reply button to respond to an email, so send your press release from an email address that you will be able to follow up from.

Show and Tell

If you have good photos, send them or include the words “photos available upon request” with your information at the top of the first page. Only send high quality photos, however, and only when they add to your story. Place photos between cardboard when mailing. Don’t tape or paper clip the photos or you risk damaging them.

Make it Easy on the Eyes

Use standard 8 1/2″x 11″ paper typed on one side only. Never break a paragraph across two pages. Leave wide margins for editors to write notes in. A 1 1/2″ or 2″ margin on each side is fine. Also, use a standard font; fancy text may look nice, but it is hard to read.

Dress for Success

Don’t fold your press release like a letter. You should fold it so that the headline and date will be the first thing the editor or reporter sees upon opening the envelope.

All Good Press Releases Must Come to an End

End a press release with either “###” or ” -30-” typed across the center of the page, three lines below the end of your text. If a release has greater than one page, type “-more-”, centered at the bottom of the pages preceding the final page.

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