The golden opportunity of advertising yourself--for free!--that you're missing

Did you know each time you pitch, you have a golden opportunity to advertise yourself for free? It's your bio—your "verbal selfie"—a few sentences about yourself that accompany your article and give editors and readers a glimpse of the person behind the product.

Bios are powerful marketing tools, but many writers fail to take advantage of them by either not providing them or providing weak unimpressive ones. Here's how to avoid common pitfalls and leverage your bio for maximum mileage:

1. Shy? Clueless? Reluctant? Get over it.

So you suffer from what I call Ego Phobia, acute fear of knowing...

Read the full article in the June 2015 post of Freelance Writing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

615 words
Nonfiction/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I loved the article"

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

3 Quick and easy ways to know your freelance writing market

Imagine trying to sell apples to a stranger off the street. You don't know who he is, whether he likes apples, or if he even wants apples. You don't know how many he'll take, what kind he prefers, how much money he has in his pocket to spend on your apples, and if he needs a little left over to buy his dinner too. You don't know whether he wants the apples now or later, if he has any allergy to apples, what he plans to do with them in turn (sell, eat or throw away), if he has a friend who is equally hungry for apples, or whether apples are in season in his part of the world. Heck, you don't even know if he knows what...

Read the full article in the April 2015 post of Freelance Writing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

680 words
Nonfiction/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It has some good tips"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"This looks great. I'd love to run it in the upcoming issue."

Bill Kenower

Editor

Author Magazine

It's an ad mad world! Advertising - Does a freelance writer need it? How do you do it?

Let’s face it. In today’s competitive world, if you want to stay ahead in the game, you need every help you can get. On one hand, the Internet has opened up new vistas for writing. Nowadays, a lot of companies and websites advertise for writers to write copy. They may have a blog which they would like to keep updated, or they may need a person familiar with social media networking to keep them “in touch” with their customer base via Facebook or Twitter etc. For example, a magazine’s editor may not actually have the time to write a weekly blog post but may still want to maintain a blog called, say, ‘From...

Read the full article in the February 2015 post of Freelance Writing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

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Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"The 'how-to' part itself is excellent"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"It's a great article"

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

KISS - Keep it simple, stupid! (How to write about a complex subject in a simple way)

I’ve been working in the Information Technology industry in various capacities for the last decade. Anyone who does not live under a rock will know that the IT field, along with biotech, space and genetics, has been one of the fastest growing, changing and revolutionising areas of work in the world. From the invention of the wheel, to the first cloned sheep, to putting the “smart” into every single smart gadget available on the market today, we’ve come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Little wonder then, that this progress needs – and indeed deserves – to be documented, not only...

Read the full article in the August 2014 post of Freelance Writing

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Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"This is a great article"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"I like the angle; I think it is right on point; and it exemplifies the article's theme—a clear handling of a multi-faceted subjects."

Susan M. Tierney

Editor-in-Chief

Children's Writer

Top 12 sure-fire ways to make yourself an unpopular freelance writer

Virginia Howard, editor of Thema, has done it. Linda Formichelli of TheRenegadeWriter.com recently did it. Angela Hoy, editor of Writers Weekly does it all the time. What is it?

“It” is riff about how a writer messed up big time.

Most editors are calm, sensible, well-balanced people. They need to be, if they’re going to have to deal with the complexities of publishing – from reading submissions to getting that highly coveted periodical out, time and time again. Every once in a while, though, editors get a query that forces them to tear out their hair and abandon the air of restraint to vent their...

Read the full article in the July 2014 post of Freelance Writing

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2030 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"I wouldn't mind sending a copy to a writer who just queried me with perhaps the most insulting query I've received to date ("I am the most wonderful, experienced, fabulous writer in the world and you don't pay enough, BUT, I'm so desperate, I'm willing to grace your pages with a column..." I'm summarizing, but that was the gist)"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"Your article certainly has an interesting topic. Also the headline made me curious."

Elleke Bal

Editor

Ode magazine

Published on page 1 or 100? (Editors and publishers discuss the importance of article placement in a magazine)

Recently the editor of a popular magazine accepted one of my stories for publication. She was full of kind words about it and how much she liked it. ‘In fact, we like your story so much,’ she said, ‘that we want to put it in a more prominent position in our magazine.’

After the first flush of euphoria faded away, I got curious about this new aspect of publishing I had found out rather by accident. Was there such a thing as ‘a more prominent position’ in a magazine? Should I feel proud? Should I, perhaps, take this opportunity to ask for more money? Or should I settle for lesser payment in return for the...

Read the full article in the April 2014 post of Freelance Writing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)



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Writing
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Words from the Wise

"I absolutely admit, it is an angle I have never heard nor thought of -- and a great idea."
Susan M. Tierney
Editor in Chief
Writer's Institute Publications (Children's Writer)

"This is indeed a very good article. It's well researched and the quotes really give it depth. It really is beautifully done!"
Moira Allen
Publisher

Writing World

"It sounds really interesting, and it's something all publishers know but, perhaps, not many writers. From my perspective, there are definitely more prominent positions in pretty much any publication -- whether in print or online. For instance, our features get more exposure than our departments. Some advertising spots are better than others, etc. There are actually heat maps of websites that show where the most prominent places are so you can arrange your content and advertising effectively. The same thing with graphic design and layout of any book, magazine, poster, flyer, etc. It's one of the first things they teach you in graphic design. The thing is, unless you're the publisher of the content (or the editorial director) how can you control your article's placement other than writing a darn good article?
All of us really enjoyed reading your article. Personally, I really loved how you included interviews with editors of popular publications. Impressive! It's fun to read the banter and see how they weigh in. I like how you included a little bit about the web as well.
We all adore your article. Keep up the excellent writing!
P.S. I just checked out your website and love your bio. I, too, love comics and dark chocolate!"

Angela Mackintosh

Editor

Women On Writing

"I thought it was an exceptional article. Thank you for the wonderful article."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

8 Tips to maximise your freelance writing earnings

If only we didn’t have to pay tax! Now that would maximise my meagre earnings as a writer by as much as 20% – a significant growth indeed. Luckily for us, though, there are some simple ways in which we can ensure that we are squeezing as much value out of the dollar as the law of the land will allow. 

1. Stay away from non-paying markets Bit obvious, really. It’s a lose-lose situation for you and a win-win situation for them, so why should you even bother with markets that cannot compensate you for your work? Forget the ‘for the love of literature’ and ‘amass glory and prestige’ rubbish. If you wanted...

Read the full article in the December 2013 post of Freelance Writing

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1095 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"This one looks right for us."

Dana Cassell

Editor

Freelance Writer's Report

Top 5 irritating habits of editors - And how freelance writers can handle them

On a whim they can subject us to torture of the vilest bilge. On a fancy they can deny us the pleasure of a beautiful composition. They control what comes into the market and what remains. They are the demi-gods of the publishing industry. They are, of course, the Editors.

Where would the writing world be without these paragons of the paragraph? They are the proverbial woman behind the successful man, the unsung heroes of the war of words. It takes a lot to be an editor and then some to be a great one.

Writers interact with editors on a daily basis: when querying, when speculating, when being profusely...

Read the full article in the August 2013 post of Freelance Writing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

2150 words
Humour/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"I thought your article had a creative approach"

Angela Mackintosh

Editor

Women On Writing