Unique Web Jobs For Writers

Are you looking for writing jobs? Consider focusing on the Web. As businesses and publications continue to move online, there are plenty of jobs available for writers who know the Web.

Use your creativity in your job hunt: remember that the Web is unknown territory to most businesses. The more you know about how the Web works, the more you'll be able to charge for your services.

Let's look at five unique jobs for Web writers.

1. Article Marketing for Money: High Profits

Get familiar with article marketing. Once you know how this works, you can develop an entire business just on writing articles, and developing article marketing campaigns.

For most businesses, article marketing is a new promotional tool. Once you explain how cost-effective it is when compared to other forms of marketing however, you'll easily get clients.

2. Social Media Marketing: Business Blogging

Over the past couple of years, blogging has become mainstream, and businesses already know what a blog can do for them. However, they're not as aware of other social media marketing options. If you're experienced on social media sites like Facebook and know how to blog, you can sell these marketing services to businesses.

3. Daily Ezines for Businesses

Although many businesses collect contact information, most don't use it. If you can show potential clients the return on investment (ROI) of a daily ezine, they'll hire you in a heartbeat.

4. Affiliate Manager for Products

Few businesses with affiliate programs manage their affiliates efficiently. They may provide a few creative tools -- banners and advertisements -- but that's all.

As an affiliate manager, you have two main areas of responsibility: providing tools affiliates can use (articles, autoresponder sequences, advertising), and inspiring and motivating the affiliates.

5. Writing Mini Web Sites

If you can write small Web sites of five to ten pages, you can both sell them, and can create them to order.

Many writers are shy of creating sites. No one is asking you to be a Web designer however. Get a simple (free) HTML template, write the pages, buy a domain name and get the site online. From go to whoa, this should take you no longer than three hours. Profit? Around $100 a page, at a minimum.

Want to make money as a Web writer? Discover how easy it is with Angela Booth's "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html

The program is fun and profitable too. There's a full year of lessons and assignments:"Sell Your Writing Online NOW" helps you to earn while you learn, even as a brand new writer.

For free weekly writing information, subscribe to Angela's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://www.freelancewritingezine.com/ and receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report" immediately.

10 Ways to Earn Even More Money From Writing

One thing that every writer wants to know is how to earn more money from writing. This is because being a writer can be a fickle business sometimes and so you need to have as many sources of income as possible.

You also need to use your time wisely to be able to write as much as you can and be as productive as you can. You need to use the phrase "Don't Get It Right, Get It Written" as often as possible to get you off the starting blocks and writing as much as you can, instead of trying edit your work and be as perfect as possible as you go along. It's so much easier to just start writing and don't stop till you've finished and THEN go back and edit your work later. Remember that writing and editing and two different jobs and should never be done together.

But what you really want to know is how to earn more money from writing. And below are 10 easy ways for you increase your writing income.

1. Write more. I know it sounds obvious that writers should be writing but you'd be surprised at how many people call themselves writers yet they hardly ever write. To improve your writing, get a book of an author you like (or a writer whose style you admire) and copy their work. Just sit and copy out their writing word-for-word. This will give you a really good understanding of their writing style and how you can incorporate it into your own writing.

2. Read more. Successful writers are avid readers as well as being prolific writers. Reading improves you knowledge, exposes you to different writing styles, and can also help you to come up with great ideas for your own writing.

3. Find more freelance markets. If you want to make more money you need to sell more writing. So spend a bit of time every week surfing online and browsing through magazines looking for new writing markets. You can also sign up for regular writers ezines that contain current writing markets. Always be on the look out for new writing opportunities.

4. Submit more queries. Once you've found new markets you then need to make sure that you do actually get your writing published. So make a definite decision to send out at least 5 queries or short stories to different writing markets every week. And then make sure you do it, even if you have to get up early or stay up late.

5. Try different writing projects. Instead of sticking to the same kind of things you write, try branching out into something new. For instance, if you mostly write articles for women's magazines, trying writing jokes, verse, puzzles or children's stories and find new places to submit them.

6. Write and publish eBooks. EBooks are a great way to earn a passive income. You can write an eBook in as little as 24 hours and publish it online in only a few minutes. And because there's no cost involved in selling eBooks you can write as many as you want for as long as you want.

7. Write and publish books. There's nothing more wonderful for a writer than to feel the first copy of your book in your own hands. It's so easy now to publish your own books that there's nothing to stop you from becoming a prolific author and publish several books a year.

8. Learn new writing. There may be areas of writing that you don't feel proficient in. Maybe you've never really tried writing fiction, or, like me, you want to learn copywriting or SEO writing. Choose a area of writing that you've never tried before but would like to learn, and then learn to do it.

9. Invest in your writing. Don't be afraid to spend money to further your writing career. Splash out on some really fancy notebooks and expensive pens or treat yourself to a new computer. Or how about taking a seminar or a writing course or maybe there's a book about writing that you've been thinking about buying. Just open your wallet and buy whatever it takes to help you write more and earn more.

10. Write more. Now you probably notice that this is the same advice in step number one. But it is so important that it needs mentioning more than once. To be a great writer you need to be great at writing and the more you write, the more natural writing will be for you and so the better a writer you'll become. As you write more and more your words will flow onto the paper (or computer monitor) more easily and so your writing will sound more natural. Never stop writing.

The bottom line is that writers write. They always write. When a writer is not writing, they are thinking about writing. And when they're not writing nor thinking about writing, they are reading about writing. So if you want to be a writer, be the very best you can and start writing now.

Want to learn more about becoming a writer? Just go to http://www.newonlinecourse.net, scroll to the bottom of the page and download the FREE eBook, "How to Make Even MORE Money as a Writer" that outlines the different and most profitable ways to earn money working at home as a writer

And if you want to keep up to date with the lastest writing news, competitions, free resources, articles and more go to Writeaholics.net and sign up for the free monthly newsletter and receive the free eBook "Become a Freelance Writing Success" as soon as you subscribe. While you're at the site, make sure you look around and download all the free writers' eBooks, software and other resources to help really kick-start your writing career

Top 10 Tips to Writing Great Candle Lighting Ceremony Poems

10. Get inspired.

Think about an anecdote or personal trait that makes this person special to you and write it down.

Example: For a bar mitzvah boy's grandfather who passed away very recently, the notes one could write about him are as follows:

He was Irish, Catholic, not Jewish. He was so proud of the man that David is becoming. He lived in Florida and he made David feel safe in Florida by telling him that his home was really David's Florida home, so David was never homesick in Florida. He was a baker, he used to make bread on the kitchen table without a bowl, he made a lake in the middle of the flour. There needs to be something about David remembering him making bread with the lake on the table. The candle will be lit by Grandpa's brother Uncle Frank and Aunt Marianne. This is the first family get together without him.

With a little work you can turn it into this:

My grandfather who I love so dear

Passed away recently, but I know he is near

His was my second home in Florida, of this I know

He told me how proud he was as he watched me grow

Grandpa was a baker and bread he would always make

With flour on the table, in the center he made a lake

This candle is to honor him, that has been my plan

Please come up to light it with me, Uncle Frank & Aunt Marianne

9. Make poems that are 4-8 lines.

Too few will be hard to convey your message and too many might bore your audience.

8. Try to keep each poem the same length.

You don't want Grandma to be upset that she got 4 lines when Uncle Bill got 8.

7. If you are having trouble finding a word to rhyme with another word, you can either pick a different word (like choosing "great" instead of "good" or "sweet" instead of "nice") or try going to http://www.rhymezone.com/

It is a great rhyming dictionary on-line that comes in handy for those tough to rhyme words.

6. Try to make the first line rhyme with the second line and the third line should rhyme with the fourth line.

It's an AABBCCDD pattern that makes it simpler to read and find a rhyming word.

5. If you know who you want to call up to light the candle, find a word that rhymes with their name

With you guys as family I am never alone... (and end the line with) Come on up Uncle Bill and Aunt Joan.

4. An easy method to use is to find a last line that rhymes with the number you are on.

For example:

Grandma's cooking always tastes like heaven,

So come on up to light candle number eleven.

3. There are a few catch phrases that you can use for any poem such as:

...I love you ...

Come light candle number two.

And...

"To my aunt and uncle whom I truly adore,

Please come up to light candle number four."

Here is an example of how you turn the notes you jot down into a poem. For Grandma & PopPop: Michael is their first and only grandchild, he has slept there every Friday the first 2 years of his life, and still sleeps over at times. They took him skiing for the first time when he was 4, they take him to movies, play cards, you name it, they do it for him!

Turn that into:

There are two special people here who I just love and adore

They introduced me to skiing when I was a boy of four

I have learned so much from both of them about being a good friend

Whether it's at the movies or playing cards, there's laughter without end

When I was little I stayed with them almost every Friday night

Grandma & PopPop it's number twelve, I'd love your help to light

2. If there is someone on the list that your family knows, but you don't know so well, be sure to speak to your family and get some insight into who they are and why they are special.

Example:

For a very dear friend of Mom and Dad's - JoAnn. Steven's mom has known JoAnn since they were 6 and of course JoAnn knows Steven since his birth. She helped the family a great deal when Mom and Dad were going through a divorce. She helped move them from Staten Island to NJ, she stayed there for 2 weeks to help them settle in. Always there for Mom, serious or fun...she is a lot of fun to be around.

Turn that into:

This next candle is for a family friend who's always there in a fix

She's known me since my birth and known Mom since they were six

From Staten Island to New Jersey, she helped us with our move

Two weeks she kept us company, till we got into a groove

Always fun to be around, that's why I'm such a fan

Please come up for candle eleven, mom's dear friend JoAnn

1. When in doubt, go to a professional who will write the poems for you and allow you to concentrate on all the other things you have to do when becoming a bar or bat mitzvah. Visit me at www.thepoemlady.com or email heymannyc@yahoo.com. I'll write candle lighting poems for you based on the information you provide. I also help pick out the songs and make the whole thing effort free. The poems are sweet and funny. You can even print them out and roll them up in a scroll and hand them to the candle-lighters as they come up so they can take their personalized poem home with them.

Most important, just remember to have fun and enjoy your special day

jill - the poem lady
http://www.thepoemlady.com

What Do You Do When You Are a Writer and Witness History

What do you do when you are a writer and observe a historical event unfold and you know the truth? Should you write the truth and burst the lies of the present period so that those in future periods can know the reality of the era, or should you promote the lie in hopes that somehow this might change the world?

It has always been my contention that political correctness is other than reality and thus, is a dangerous marker from which to judge and make decisions. Once we forgo the reality of human nature and the primate politics of humankind, we deny ourselves decisions that will be free from the laws of unintended consequence.

As a retired Franchisor Founder, I've made a little bit of history in my esoteric Industry sub-sector niche and as I've both participated and observed history over the last four decades. Now as a writer in early retirement I write about present and know that my record will live on.

It pains me to know that others who have mastered the power of the pen are so ethically challenged and confused, and purport falsehoods of our time while covering the truth with their wordsmith ways. Today, we have a new President of the United States, and we are to celebrate how diversity has overcome glass ceilings and barriers.

What a great day for America indeed, yes, but only in name. You see, there is a reality behind this election of the first Black President, a story that is known, but goes untold. Is it fair to history and to truth to sugar coat now? If we do, as others have in the past, are we any better than they, have we learned nothing?

Is all history a lie, just like the present? If we sweep truth under our carpet and modify the textbooks of the next generation to suit - where is the integrity in that? If we really want to do something great in our time, there is no need to pretend or fake it. We can make a difference without fakery, propped up propaganda, and pretending in the present period.

Is our whole civilization and society going to live a lie to themselves - is this what America has become? We are better than this. There is nothing wrong with having an African American President, that indeed is commendable, proof if you will of our strength and vision, but allowing so in a manner that is far beyond the span of rules we have set for ourselves is a disgrace.

We are to blame, we have traded our promise for a myth, and into the gates of hypocrisy we do march.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Writer's Block - The Curse Of Perfectionism And How To Overcome It In Your Creative Writing

As a creative writer, you know all about writers block. Sat at the blank page or screen, trying to come up with the right paragraph, the right sentence, even the right WORD.

And it feels about as easy as juggling custard. Blindfold. With both hands tied behind your back.

One of the biggest causes of writers block is perfectionism not being happy with your creative writing until every sentence, every word, ever syllable is utterly perfect.

Theres a fine line between wanting to write the best work you can write and getting dragged down in a never ending quest for perfectionism.

Here then is how perfectionism takes hold and causes writers block, and how you can overcome it:

How perfectionism causes Writers Block:

You cant write a sentence without there being one word not quite right in it. Rather than change the word, or leave it to come back to and change later, you discard the whole sentence.

You write a page of 20 sentences, then dismiss and delete each and every one because a certain word wasnt quite the perfect choice, in your opinion.

This is the smallest scale example of this kind of habit and behaviour. It only gets worse when you junk whole paragraphs, pages or chapters just because a few parts werent perfect.

This then leads to the attitude of If I cant write a complete sentence well, whats the point of me even trying. Hence, exasperation, writers block, no new writing and an anguished time for you the writer.

How to beat it:

A tiny shift in perspective is actually all thats needed. Say you write your page of 20 sentences. Each has a word thats not quite right, in your view. Rather than say This is a page full of imperfect and therefore unusable sentences you could look it at this way:

This is a page thats 90% brilliant. Theres some great writing here, I just need to change the odd word here and there.

It sounds almost too simple but sometimes the best techniques are. Try it, leave the page, come back to it a day or week later with fresh eyes and make any extra tweaks and changes then if you feel theyre necessary.

Your approach now becomes: I can right a near perfect page without much effort. It flows easily and I write freely this way. I can then come back and make any fine adjustments later. I might not even need to.

The curse of perfectionism is a major cause of writers block if you let it be.

Try this small change in your approach from today and notice the difference it makes to your creative writing.

Want to find more ways to become a better creative writer and unlock your creative writing potential? Get your FREE 5 part creative writing ecourse at http://www.YouAreACreativeWriter.Com.

Creativity Coach and keen creative writer Dan Goodwin helps people who are frustrated they're not using their creative talents as well as they could be. See more at his website: http://www.CoachCreative.com

A Children's Writer's Guide to Critiquing Manuscripts

If you've just joined or started a critique group for writers but no one seems to know what to do next, maybe this guide and checklist will help. If you aren't in a critique group, you can still use it to critique your own writing.

CRITIQUING MANUSCRIPTS (For Critique Groups)

Begin with some basic procedural guidelines for critiquing:

1) Start with something positive - Point out at least one thing that worked really well in the manuscript.

2) Be specific in your comments and suggestions - For example, saying "I liked your story" is flattering to the writer, but doesn't really mean much. Saying something like, "I felt the dialogue sounded exactly like something two teenagers would say and advanced the plot well" is more specific.

3) Use the checklist (below) - This will help you be more specific in your comments and suggestions. And, if you use the checklist to critique your own writing it will help you recognize weak points in your story before you share your work with anyone.

CHECKLIST FOR CRITIQUING MANUSCRIPTS

I. Character

__ Are my characters well-rounded? Do the major characters have both positive and negative traits?

__ Is my main character someone readers can care about? Does he/she want something important?

__ Have I revealed character through action?

__ Does my main character take action? Or is she too passive?

__ Is each character's voice distinctly his/her own?

__ Have I avoided stereotypes and stock characters?

__ Does my main character solve his/her own problem? Is he or she different in some way from how he or she was at the beginning of the story? (this doesn't always have to happen, but usually it means your story has some depth to it)

II. Point of View

__ Have I stayed with my POV character throughout the story?

__ Would the story be stronger if I switched from third person to first person or vice versa? Would the story be better told from a different character's point of view?

III. Plot

__ What is the basic conflict of my story?

Beginning

__ Do I introduce my characters and the conflict right away? Or do I take too much time revving up? Could I chop off the first paragraph and start with the second?

Middle

__ Have I put complications in the middle that get worse and worse and build to a climax?

__ Does my character have to work to reach his/her goal?

End

__ Does my main character solve his/her own problem?

__ Does the ending grow logically out of the rest of the story?

__ Is my ending satisfying without being predictable?

IV. Language

Description

__ Are my details specific, not generalized?

__ Have I bogged down the action with tedious passages of description? (One way to check this is to see how many "ing" words are used; very many usually means there is too much description)

__ Would that description work better if I wove it gradually into the story rather than presenting it as a block?

__ Have I described with more than one sense (i.e. sight, sound, touch, taste, smell)?

Action

__ Have I used strong and specific verbs and nouns?

__ Have I successfully avoided passive voice?

__ Can I cut out redundancies? Small talk? Clutter? Meaningless qualifiers such as "just" and "very"? Passages that bog down the action? Have I used too many different dialogue tags that attract attention?

Mechanics

__ Are there awkward or confusing sentences or scenes that need to be cleaned up?

__ When I read my story out loud, does the rhythm sound right? Is it choppy? Too wordy? Monotonous?

__ Are my transitions smooth?

__ Have I avoided clichs?

__ Does each sentence sparkle with my own voice? Is that voice strong and credible?

V. Purpose

__ 1. Does each character and action in the story have a definite purpose?

With these specific points to look for when critiquing a children's story, it should be much easier for you and your fellow writers to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each and every manuscript.

For more helpful tips for writers, visit http://www.workingwriterscoach.com and sign up for the mailing list. When you do, you'll receive a free ebook for writers, plus every weekday morning you'll get The Morning Nudge, a few words to motivate and inspire you to get a little writing done.

Visit the National Writing for Children Center at http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com and find out how you can learn to write for kids. Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer, children's author, and founder and director of the National Writing for Children Center.

Your Writer's Web Site - Use it to Get Writing Jobs

Do you realize that you can write your way to riches online? As the saying goes, content is king online, and you can use your own content to profit. In this article you'll discover how to get writing jobs via your writer's Web site.

1. It's All About Content: Help Buyers Find You

Let's start by looking at how the Web works. People search for information and products online. They search using specific words and phrases. For any site's page to come up in the search query results, it must include the words the searcher typed into a search engine.

Therefore, think about your writer's Web site and the keywords (search terms) you need to include for buyers of your writing to find you.

Would you include the words "writing jobs" on your site's pages? You probably wouldn't, because you wouldn't attract buyers.

Would you include the words "content writer" or "medical writer" on your site's pages? Chances are that if that describes what you do, you would, because it would help buyers to find you.

2. Building Your Name: Add Material to Your Portfolio to Show What You Can Do

New writers tend to think of their Web site as a brochure, rather than as an ever-expanding hub of their writing activities.

The words on your site are vitally important: they have two functions. The first is to get buyers (traffic) to your site.

The second is to enhance buyers' credibility and trust, so that they hire you when they're looking for a writer.

Here's a big tip: have FUN on your Web site. The more your personality and enthusiasm show through on your site, the more likely it is that buyers will bookmark your site, and will hire you next time they need a writer. Buyers are looking for YOU.

Believe it or not, it's hard to find competent, reliable writers. Finding such a writer (you) is gold to buyers. You can turn one-time buyers into steady clients, bringing you thousands of dollars of income every year.

So add content to your site -- as much as you can. Add pages, and add your portfolio too. Your portfolio is social proof that others have hired you.

3. Create a Marketing Plan for an Ever-Increasing Income

Your site's traffic is the barometer of the health of your writing career. No matter how small your traffic is initially, it will grow. You'll start with five visitors a day, then 50, and then 500. Once your site's traffic hits 500 visitors, I promise you that you'll have more buyers of your writing than you can handle.

So create a marketing plan to increase traffic to your site, and do one marketing task a day. It will pay off beyond your dreams.

Want to make a great income from your writing? Angela Booth's "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html gives you all the skills you need to make great money writing for the Web. A subscriber recently said: "Your training has inspired me - I'm on Lesson 14, and I'm making enough money to quit my day job"

For free weekly writing information sent to your Inbox, subscribe to Angela's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://www.freelancewritingezine.com/ and receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report" immediately