The Write Way.

For more than five years, OnText has been a resource for writers. Here are six essential links to feed your freelance writing success. Add yours in comments, and let me know how I can help you sell your writing and make more of your writing career.

1. My first post on WordPress – how a blog was born. My old blog site crashed and I lost everything, but valiantly committed to rebuilding. I made sure i posted regularly and the content was worth something to freelancers.
2. The post most fun to write – An interview with Chicago-based mystery writer Libby Hellmann. I so liked talking with her. She gave great advice.
3. Readers contributed to this one – a young writer complained loudly about how the industry failed to accommodate her. Writers rang in and a discussion ensued on LinkedIn.
4. An article on ghosting I wish I had written – It’s worth your time.
5. A title that said it all – I chimed in on the raging battle of why writers shouldn’t have to settle for a pittance.
6. I wish more people had read this three-part series – I felt it was worthwhile to learn about how U.S. copyrighting protects your work. The cool part? You needn’t spend a dime to be protected.

Thanks for browsing. What’s your favorite post at OnText. What do you need to know to get your career super-charged?

Don’t you get tired of reading the same over-published, randomly copied Craigslist jobs for freelance writers? These gigs are mostly trash, don’t pay, and some are even out-right scams. However, there are work-at-home, telecommute jobs for writers — jobs that pay decent money. Here’s one of my best finds.

A site called Cheapism hires freelancers to write short reviews of low-price, high-value consumer goods. Here’s their ad:

Are you a thorough researcher, fluid writer, and cautious spender? If the answer to all three is yes, Cheapism.com would like to meet you. We are a new website that aims to be consumers’ first stop on the way to finding the best inexpensive goods and services.

We are looking for freelance writers who will learn about a product category, identify the low-priced products, assess what the experts and users say about them, and write an article that tells consumers what they need to know and recommends the best budget buys.

In this time of economic stress, you can help put some lining back into consumers’ pockets and cash into your wallet; last but not least, you’ll have the good fortune of working with a collegial and easy-going crowd.

Contact us today at jobs@cheapism.com

I went through the application process with these folks a while back. They are serious about their business and looking for long-term relationships with good writers who can produce quickly.

Cheapism pays adequately. You will be asked to submit samples and suggestions. You will undergo an in-depth telephone interview and the company principals will take a few days to decide if you’re a good match. Feel free to ask questions.

Let us know how you fared with them and what you thought of the hiring process and the job.

More to read:

How to stop bitching and sell your writing

Make $30K annually from your blog

There’s a protest movement in social media. “Real” writers spend tons of time complaining that non-degree writers work for $5 per article. They howl that cheap SEO writers and hacks are ruining the marketplace for “real” writers who should command $2 or $3 per word. Writers are going down the tubes!

Hold on. Many, many highest-quality journalists have never attended college much less received a degree. Quality of work in our industry doesn’t depend on education. It depends on skill, not even talent, a commitment to work hard and dig deep, and the ability to communicate effectively. It also seriously depends upon building a portfolio of, and reputation for quality product.

Writing SEO articles for a penny a word or less does not constitute quality clips. Battling over bogus ads on Craigslist or jockeying for an elite position with a content mill won’t make a career. So many writers spend so much time wrangling about soft pricing on *entrepreneurial* websites. Have you EVER lost a high-quality assignment with a legitimate print or web publication — to someone willing to take five bucks?

I just took on a brand new client from Craigslist for a 50-page business booklet. I sent him my professional marketing package and a pitch. He said he was tickled to find someone who understood the depth of his project and would be committed to doing a good job. He got 84 bids. The bid just below mine was $200. Mine was well over ten times that. Two days ago, I took on a new client who upped their standard rate for me because my clips were “so incredibly well-written and researched.” Their words, not mine.

Read the social media sites – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, et al. This same discussion appears over and over with hundreds of comments. Why are these underpaid professionals spending so much time whining about the economy? Wouldn’t they be better served polishing clips, networking with editors and publishers, and hanging out where established writers who are making money hang out?

Success is about diligent marketing and presenting your strengths to real prospects. Troll the web in desperation, seeking work at Demand, Associated Content, Guru or Craigslist and you compete with people who write for exposure or for five bucks.

Journalists with clip files pursue good jobs in good venues. Don’t panic. The economy sucks but is getting better. Our industry is changing, not dying! Don’t reduce your own worth to match a cyber-perception of what professional writing is about. That kind of exposure isn’t going to do a thing for you.

Read more:

Why don’t people read self-published books?

Publishing jobs still exist

Make money as a staff blogger

Self publishing is the modern way

Why don’t some people take self-published books seriously? Not everyone can interest an agent or publisher in their work, just as not everyone (no matter how talented) can play in the NFL. Some writers make the effort and pay the cost and self-publish. Writers sell writing to live, you know.

Some really skilled football players get turned down by the NFL, and sometimes for one single reason. There just aren’t enough positions on all the teams put together, for every one to play football on a pro team. Other good players play on regional leagues. Some coach. Some teach. Some even write books about football. That doesn’t make them bad players, or dumb players, or trashy players.

It makes them non-NFL players.

How self publishing is like football

It’s not. Except in a single way: not everyone can get an agent or publisher – a single, fallible, mistake-making human – to slow down and buy their manuscript. That’s the breaks. There aren’t enough slots in publishers lists for all the books that want to get written. About 80% of Americans believe they have an important book in their head. Do the math – lot of books. There aren’t that many football players, and look at their  chances to go pro.

Sidebar

Lately, some of the biggest writing names on the planet are going with self-publishing either in print or digitally. Steven King. John Grisham, Libby Hellmann, Stephen R. Covey, Maryan Pelland. Now read below why some people won’t even consider a self-published book.

One really terrible reason not to read self-published books

I subscribe to a newsletter called TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home. It’s a good read, packed with current info and published what feels like way too often (just my humble…)

The newsletter writer said this today:

“But on the other hand, there are still people who won’t read self-published books—I have a friend who says he won’t look even at ones friends recommend to him simply because he knows there are already more books that passed by a professional publishing gatekeeper than he could ever read and sees no reason to look outside those lines at something that may be awful. And it’s not clear yet whether a replacement gatekeeper will be found.

Italics are mine. This thinking says never go to an off-Broadway show. Never try an ethnic restaurant. Never watch a minor-league, or indeed, a little league game. Never listen to an unknown musician. They might be bad.

TeleRead, I really like subscribing to your site, but choose some more open-minded friends, will you, before all the up and coming talent in the world starves? Wait a minute. Aren’t you self-publishing??

Read more Ontext

Which is better – self publishing or traditional publishing?

Can writers find jobs through social media?

Content mills and farms can be good for writers

I’ve written for Suite101 and other content mill farms in various iterations on and off for about 10 years and have seldom been a fan of how they treat writers. But let me say this: Suite101’s newest management team, seems to have a better path.

There have been a confusing number of shake ups there, but now they may have put together a group that understands both the make-money and the treat-writers-with-dignity points-of-view.

How much do writers get paid, and is it on time?

First off, know that Suite101 always pays writers as agreed and on time through Paypal. Like clockwork. Every month. Can’t argue that. Some content  mills don’t pay consistently.

The amount of pay at all content mills if you don’t know how to work the system is minuscule at best. We all know that. Yes, Suite101 touts occasional writers who make “thousands.” Money depends on the topic, the section, and your writing (quality and quantity), PLUS promoting your articles effectively. But thousands? Rare.

As far as residuals, I make enough per month, without writing anything else for Suite101, to cover a nice car payment. Get that – no work, and I cover a car payment. I have about 125 articles up in carefully selected topic areas. My traffic is steady as a clock, no spikes, no dips. If you read my ebook, Writing for Content Mills, you’ll learn how to create a passive revenue stream that can really work — as a stream, not a river.

How Suite101 is fixing some things

Suite101 may, however, be heading in a direction that will increase writers’ rewards. And I don’t mean their contests, which are basically, sophomoric and not very helpful.

What they’ve done right, to my way of thinking, is dumped some of their arrogant, unprofessional, unskilled “editors” in favor of people who at least have experience within the Suite101 environment. The quotas for writers are reasonable. The exposure, no matter what nay-sayers say, is significant if you are in a trending topic. You must be savvy enough to know what topics are trending.

They pay residuals on existing articles, which many, many mills have stopped doing. Examiner, though they promised forever residuals, stopped paying them about a year ago. Suite101 just inked a deal with Google to feed Google News with Suite101 news articles from certain writers. This could mean traffic spikes and more money for certain news topics. Inquiring about writing news features is worthwhile.

How writers can win

Decide what your goal is and what YOU need to advance your freelance business. If you are looking for a way to make a living, look elsewhere. If you seek steady streams of modest revenue, consider Suite101.

I’ll keep you posted on how things progress. This company may end up being a good place for SOME writers.  If you want to know more, post a question here or browse Ontext.com

Other terrific articles:

Make real money as a freelancer

Can writers find jobs at Facebook, Twitter, and social media?