Freelance Writing: Brush Up on the Basics

Whether you’re a freelance writer just getting started, or a more seasoned veteran with lots of published articles, it’s a good idea to brush up on the basics of freelance writing. Even though I’ve been working as a content writer for five years this summer, I’m always reading, studying and learning new things that will help me get to the next level in my writing career.

There are a ton of helpful books out there about the basics of freelance writing, and I’ve discovered lots of helpful free resources online. I feel that becoming a writer is a journey that really has no end, because if you are serious about your craft, you are always growing and learning as part of the creative process.

At the end of last year, I reflected on decreased revenues for 2011 that occurred as a result of the Google search engine algorithm changes (what is commonly referred to as “Google Panda updates”). As the holiday season went on, I thought a lot about new directions for my freelance writing. I vowed to diversify in the New Year (and I’ll talk more on the importance of diversification for writers in a future blog post!)

I suddenly felt hungry for information about how I could make more money as a writer and break into new writing markets. Over the years, I have collected quite a few books on all aspects of writing, and I started reaching for these books in order to arm myself with as much information as possible, to help me go in new, more profitable writing directions.

Since New Year’s, I’ve been reading books about writing, and visiting some fantastic websites that offer free information and tutorials. I’d like to share a few of my favorite free writing resources to help freelance writers brush up on the basics:

1. Freelancewrite.about.com is a great resource for all types of freelance writing. This site offers tips and tutorials for journalistic type writing, such as nonfiction articles, as well as fiction writing. There is even a whole section about writing business copy. I find this site of particular interest because it talks about “creative freelance writing,” which is something I’ve become more interested in lately.

2. Writing-world.com is one of my favorites because it is SO comprehensive. There are articles that cover freelance writing basics, as well as more advanced topics. Reading the information here, I’ve become enlightened about the many markets out there for my work, from writing movie and music reviews to personal essays to selling articles about genealogy!

3. Constant-Content.com offers helpful reference materials (called extended writers guidelines) for potential contributors to study before submitting high quality content to its site. These tutorials cover topics like proper grammar and style, and it’s a treasure trove of free information about writing. (If you’d like to submit to Constant Content, which can be a lucrative market for web writers, it’s important to absorb this information in order to have your articles accepted at this site).

Those are my big three favorites at the moment, but there are lots of other informative blogs and writing sites out there that provide free information for writers who want to brush up on the basics of freelance writing. As an honorable mention, here are two other sites I like:

WritersWeekly.com has a long list of instructive articles about freelance writing:

http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/summary.html

WritingForDollars.com offers a list of useful articles covering all aspects of building a freelance writing career:

http://www.writingfordollars.com/ArticlesDB.cfm

I could literally spend hours at these sites, reading and bookmarking articles for future reference!

After a beautiful sunny weekend, it’s been raining nonstop. Rain, rain, go away! But rainy days are a good time to fire up the coffeemaker (I like hot, steaming and sugary Donut Shop coffee...) and settle in with some good reading about freelance writing. I hope you enjoy these free resources!

My Journey With Ovarian Cysts

I’ve been meaning to blog more, but recent health concerns have left me wiped out and off balance, and it’s only today that I’m finally feeling clear enough to write my thoughts. How about you? Has the coming of spring filled you with a sense of renewal and the urge to write?

I hope you are getting a lot of writing done, and working on your “passion projects”: a nonfiction book, or novel, a memoir, songs, solo shows, plays, poetry and so on...

Creative freelance writing is so varied and takes on so many different forms and genres; that’s what keeps it interesting!

The above photo is a lovely scene taken on the first day of spring here in the Hudson Valley. This peaceful serene setting is quite a contrast to the turmoil in my heart surrounding my annual gynecological exam, the one where my complex ovarian cyst is evaluated for anything suspicious.

My journey with ovarian cysts began eight years ago. In the spring of 2004, I had been experiencing some dysfunctional uterine bleeding and when I went to the gynecologist to look into the cause, my pelvic ultrasound revealed some interesting information that would put me on the path to ovarian cancer awareness...

It turns out my abnormal bleeding was due to an endometrial polyp that was then removed that summer; however, doctors discovered I also had a complex cyst inside my right ovary. At that time, I had no knowledge whatsoever about ovarian cysts, and didn’t realize that complex ovarian cysts sometimes turn out to be cancerous.

As I began researching ovarian cysts, I felt terror sweep through me as I read message boards and articles about the malignant potential of complex ovarian cysts. It was such a scary time for me. As I searched for information, I realized how terrified and confused other women are about their own ovarian cysts. It can be hard to find accurate information online and there’s a lot of misinformation about the disease, which is often overlooked, misdiagnosed and not found until the later stages, when ovarian cancer is often deadly.

When my complex ovarian cyst was discovered, I went into a “watch and wait” period to see if the cyst looked like anything that was, or might become, ovarian cancer. This “watch and wait” period has been going on now for eight years. I’ve had about a dozen transvaginal (and abdominal) ultrasounds in the last eight years, one MRI, and several CA 125 blood tests, and so far, after much evaluation, it doesn’t look like anything to worry about.

But I’m still in watchful waiting. And I’ll admit: eight years, it feels like a long time to “watch and wait.” I’ve grown weary of transvaginal ultrasounds, and wondering about test results. I just wanted to be free of the whole burden. In the spring 2010, my test results showed my cyst was unchanged since 2006.

So I am ashamed to say out of weariness and a bit of “watch and wait” fatigue, I got complacent about ovarian cancer awareness. I didn’t keep my yearly appointment with the gynecologist out of fears I might have to endure another pelvic ultrasound (my last one had been very uncomfortable, but in medical speak it’s often referred to as a “painless procedure”).

Then something awful happened: I recently experienced a few weeks of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. I felt horrified. Women of all ages sometimes experience a little abnormal bleeding and it can be nothing unusual, especially for ladies past 35 in their perimenopausal years. Yet I knew that abnormal vaginal bleeding can be a sign of cancer. This chill went through me and I knew I should have kept my yearly appointment; it’s been over two years since I’ve been examined.

I saw the gynecologist on April 19. She ordered a pelvic ultrasound for that very day! I was over the moon with joy, because this time it was just the transvaginal ultrasound, without any transabdominal ultrasound first. If you’ve read my other posts here about ovarian cancer awareness, you know that I absolutely hate drinking the copious amounts of water needed for the abdominal part of the ultrasound.

I had my test and descended into the usual worry spiral I feel waiting for the results, with my fears compounded by the dysfunctional uterine bleeding. I didn’t have to wait very long though. My gynecologist called just a few days later to let me know what was happening with my body: left ovary normal, right complex ovarian cyst to her surprise was actually smaller, but she found a few small fibroids and a polyp in my uterus.

Then she gave me the alternatives to deal with the uterine polyp which can cause bleeding: I could have a hysteroscopy (which uses a camera), or a saline sonogram with a catheter, or we could follow up in a few cycles with more ultrasound. Which kind of reminds me of that old “Let’s Make a Deal” game show where you could pick from a few options.

I instinctively chose door number three, the less invasive option. I said I wanted to wait and follow up in a few months. Then I researched the tests online, and I’m glad I had the option to wait, because these procedures seem scary and painful. Back in 2004 I had an endometrial biopsy, another so called “simple painless in office procedure,” and folks, it was not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.

It was invasive, psychologically disturbing and excruciatingly painful. It was just horrible! So I was really sweating it out, in anticipation of having to endure more of these medical procedures. The tension was really building in me. My doctor said to call her in a week if I was still bleeding.

Fortunately, after the week went by, my dysfunctional uterine bleeding disappeared on its own! Hurray! I have no abnormal bleeding, my complex ovarian cyst is shrinking, and Thursday, I had a normal mammogram! Life is GOOD!

However, I won’t forget the lessons learned from this experience. I had become far too complacent about ovarian cancer awareness. After coming so far to educate myself about this deadly killer of a disease, the last two years I’ve really buried my head in the sand. I was OVER the whole thing: the tests, my fears, and the worry about having ovarian cancer.

But ovarian cancer is called “the silent killer.” It doesn’t take time off. The potential for the disease is still there, even if I chose to ignore the issue. It isn’t proactive for me to ignore the issue of ovarian cancer simply because I’m tired of watching my cyst.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about how the medical community is divided on the issue of whether or not complex ovarian cysts can turn cancerous. For example, if my ovarian cyst looks benign today, as I age across the decades, could that complex cyst one day develop into cancer? When I asked my doctor if she thought my cyst could one day be cancerous, she replied: “It’s possible, that’s why we follow it.”

So that was a changing day for me. I’ll never stick my head in the sand again about ovarian cancer and my ovarian cyst. I’d like you to do the same also. If you feel you might have symptoms of ovarian cancer (which you can read about on sites like ocrf.org, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund has a Fact Sheet) please visit your doctor promptly for a full medical evaluation. If your doctor dismisses you, and something doesn’t feel right, then find more doctors and knock on as many doors as possible until you get answers and proper treatment!

The slogan of ovarian cancer awareness is: “Ovarian cancer whispers, so listen.” Listen to those subtle signs within your own body. Also, if you are being monitored for a complex ovarian cyst, or anything else, please don’t become complacent. Keep your appointments; don’t hide your head in the sand, hoping for the best. Regular screenings are the best way to catch any potential problems early, when they are more treatable.

Note: This blog post and all other blog entries about my health and journey to ovarian cancer awareness represent my own opinions, research, and personal experiences. My book and blogs are not intended to treat or diagnose any medical conditions. Please consult with a qualified physician if you have any questions or concerns about your own health.

For further reading about my journey with ovarian cysts, read the posts on this blog and my Soul Tripper blog labeled “Ovarian Cancer Awareness.”

My Soul Tripper book has a whole chapter about my journey to ovarian cancer awareness titled: “Close Encounters of the Ovarian Kind.”

Comma Cafe Spring 2012 Update and Blog Redesign

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”-- Anais Nin

Happy New Year and Happy Spring! The Comma Cafe has been under some heavy construction since New Years; get out your yellow hard hat and watch out for the hot coffee and falling biscotti! Duck your head--here comes a girder and a ton of blueberry muffins!

This blog has been in existence since 2007 and it seems to have nine lives, as there have been quite a few times I’ve thought about tearing it down (and then the space could be taken over by a shopping mall or big box store!) But The Comma Cafe is something like your small town indie coffee shop, a place for artists, entrepreneurs and writers to exchange ideas and encourage each other to write, create and dream. (The above photo is of my local indie coffee shop once called The Muddy Cup and now The Parlor Cafe).

Why would I want to take down The Comma Cafe? First of all, last year’s decline in residual earnings that I attribute to the Google search engine algorithm changes caused me to really step back and evaluate my place as a content writer for web sites. It was such a game changer for writers that I wondered if this blog that focused so heavily on online writing still had any relevance. I was so distracted that I didn’t write any blog posts for about a year as I rolled with the punches, plotting my next writing moves.

On top of all that, I felt disenchanted with many of the sites I write for, as some made sweeping changes in order to deal with this brave new online writing world.

Finally, I feared that The Comma Cafe was hopelessly outmoded. If you remember the old “look and feel” of this blog, it had one of the older classic Blogger templates (I believe it was called the “Lighthouse” theme!) It was a very pretty theme, but as I looked around at new blogs being created in 2011, it suddenly felt hopelessly old fashioned. I felt like the girl driving around in an Edsel while everyone else is flying by in a hot sports car...

Yeah, all the cool kids are blogging at Wordpress and Tumblr.

So with a dated template and lots of older posts that didn’t really reflect my new mindset of hurtling toward new technology and rethinking my writing goals, I was determined to (probably) delete this old Comma Cafe.

Only one thing was stopping me: I had mentioned this website in the author information page of my self-published memoir that went to print September 2011. It clearly mentioned for more info, visit the author’s blog at this address.

I didn’t want to change the book already in print to add a completely new blog, so I thought about deleting all my old posts here and starting over with a shiny new Blogger template. That was the plan.

Then something interesting happened! I realized that Blogger has created these new tools to help users update their blogs. I was able to browse through all of the many and varied templates and backgrounds to create a coffee and writing theme that seems very appropriate for The Comma Cafe. I was also thrilled to be able to create separate pages at the top of the blog, where you can find out more “About Me,” and my new “Soul Tripper Book” and read up on this blog’s “Disclosure Policy.”

But what to do about a lot of the older posts that might feel irrelevant or dated as I go in new writing directions? I wasn’t sure if I should clutter up the blog by keeping them, if they’d have any value to new visitors. I spent a few days in March, reading through all my older posts.

I ended up leaving all my older blog posts intact, except for updating the links to my older Associated Content articles so readers can find their new home on the site called Yahoo Voices. (Yahoo acquired Associated Content, changed the name of the site to Yahoo Contributor Network and changed all the original links to AC articles, moving them over to the Yahoo platform).

I expected to feel the urge to hit the delete button, but I didn’t really. I think it’s because looking back on my old posts and early experiences breaking into writing, it was like the Anais Nin quote mentioned above. It put me in touch with why I write: to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.

Reading my old posts, I could relive my writing journey, the triumphs of getting my first few articles published, my frustrations at finding a suitable day job that would support me while I pursued my writing goals, the roads I’ve taken as an online writer and lessons learned along the way.

One thing that stood out for me, reading my old posts, was my passion to keep writing, to never give up on my creative dreams. I think that’s the one thing Comma Cafe can offer: encouragement to keep on the path of the writing life and hold the dream of being a writer and creative person.

When I started writing in the fall of 2006, I was at the start of a new decade in my life. I’m now about half way through that decade, and I realized that in that time, I have published hundreds of articles, completed two one woman shows, one of them I self-published as a memoir, and I’m thinking about finally finishing a stage play I’ve been dreaming about and working on for about ten years. I feel that I’m also a lot closer to being able to self produce and stage my own solo shows and play.

All that growth happened in this decade I’ve been a writer. Through writing, I’ve become my own person, more fully me, not playing a role others wanted for me, but just simply being my most authentic Self.

I also realized I’ve become a creative entity, not just an interpretive one. When I was younger, I had nothing original to say, about me, so I was content to just pick up scripts and interpret the words of other writers.

Now that I’m older, something’s broke free, and opened up in me, and I reveal my Self in my writing; especially in my memoir writing, one woman shows, stage play and personal essays, I seem to have a lot to share and say and I’m not afraid to express that openly in my work, which feels great.

In the coming months, I plan to blog more and share my new goals for my writing. I’ve been coming in early and staying up late at The Comma Cafe, lovingly thinking about the finer details, paint brush in hand, redesigning the place, thinking up new color schemes and new items for the menu. I hope you’ll enjoy all the new changes here. (And if you get a chance, visit my new blog for Soul Tripper at: http://soul-tripper-journey.blogspot.com)

Wherever you are in your creative journey, I hope I can inspire you to keep writing and wishing you the best of luck in realizing your creative dreams!

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief: How to Help

President Obama spoke this afternoon about the crisis in Japan. He recommended the public visit the following web site for more information on the Japan earthquake and tsunami, and how to help:

http://www.usaid.gov/

I visited the web site and read again what I’ve been hearing the last few days, from places like CharityNavigator.org:

It’s better to send cash, not goods!

So much going on for me the last few days, but I managed to write this article published today on Associated Content from Yahoo, about ways to help with Japan tsunami relief. I’d like to share it on the blog. Follow the link below for the full article that gives tips for making donations and a list of recognized charities helping with Japan earthquake and tsunami relief.

Japan Tsunami Relief: How You Can Help by Allison West, Yahoo Contributor Network

Published March 17, 2011 on Associated Content from Yahoo

Since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, donations for tsunami relief have totaled about 64 million dollars. So far, this figure is less than one-third of the dollar amount donated after the Haiti earthquake. Why have donations for Japan tsunami relief lagged behind money raised for other recent disasters? Blame it on a dismal economy, burnout from being asked for donations in the wake of disasters, or the perception of Japan as a wealthy, industrialized nation; but whatever the cause, the public has been slower to respond with donations for Japan tsunami relief.

Japan is in crisis, the scope of the disaster is mind boggling, and the country remains in desperate need of emergency relief. There are ways to reach out and contribute money to the cause while ensuring that your donations go directly to help those suffering in Japan. Here’s how you can help with Japan tsunami relief. Read more...

Dealing With the Google Algorithm Changes

“Now is the winter of our discontent...” wrote William Shakespeare. This winter has been challenging (to say the least) for many people, due to the harsh winter weather and concerns about the economy (which is “rebounding” but you wouldn’t know it from where I live in a tiny rural town in the Mid-Hudson Valley). For me, it’s been one thing right after another since the holidays.

I seem to experience a bit of seasonal blahs this time of the year, but that’s understandable considering what a long, punishing winter we’ve had on the East Coast. My family has endured some health scares, and I’ve been trying to finish my New York State teaching assistant certification. A short while ago my beloved cat (who is 17 years old on St. Patrick’s Day) had her own health scare and I was devastated to think about losing her; fortunately, she had some treatment and I think she’s feeling a lot better.

Then I am scheduled to see my gynecologist soon, and it’s something I dread a lot. My doctor is wonderful but I am also in a never ending watch and wait period to keep an eye on what looks like a benign right ovarian cyst, and last spring during my manual exam she thought she felt something, so it was off for an ultrasound. Everything turned out fine and I was so relieved! My cyst was unchanged.

I think I’d like to discuss with my doctor the idea of having a yearly mammogram, not waiting every two years according to the new guidelines. I urge all you ladies out there to drop everything and get your mammogram! (If you’ve let yours go, you know who you are!) I admit I forgot to have it done last fall, but I’m making it a priority. I recently found out my cousin, who is in her sixties, had breast cancer and she told us breast cancer was traced to my father’s side of the family. For the men reading, please urge your loved ones to get their yearly gynecological exam which includes a mammogram--it’s of the utmost importance to get your screenings and catch any potential problems as early as possible.

Yearly Writing Resolutions

I’ve been thinking a lot about life lately, what’s really important and what directions I’d like to go in with my writing. I even wrote an article about my writer resolutions, but it’s not published yet (I’ll add a link to it when it is published in case you’d like to read my goals and direction for the New Year.)

First and foremost, my health and happiness, as well as the health and happiness of my family (which includes our beloved and aging pets) top my list. My artistic goals for my writing and also some acting dreams are extremely important. I’d like to move to a new place and develop a second career that enables me to earn extra money while pursuing my freelance writing. I have given a ton of thought to what would be a good day job for me, as I really want to continue on this path of being a writer. I’m exploring becoming a teaching assistant because I would love to help children (and adults) learn to read.

Things like sign language and ESL, also interest me a lot. I think this could be a great career for me, very fulfilling but I’m in the early stages of getting certified. I don’t have classroom experience yet, and I don’t see many job openings in teaching around here. I hope it works out but I am also thinking about computers and graphic/web design. In a harsh reality, our school districts are cutting a lot of teaching and support jobs this year, so I may have picked a bad time to enter teaching, and I might have to look for something else.

Recent Google Algorithm Changes

I will never give up on my writing and artistic dreams. I’ve given this a lot of thought and feel like professional writers, just like artists such as painters and performers shouldn’t fall into the trap of giving their work away for free. Writing is a skill and an art, and we have a right to be compensated for our work. The myth of the “starving artist” who considers recompense for their creative work to be vulgar is a scary myth, usually perpetuated by misguided artists and those who seek to exploit the artist for their own gain.

In the last few weeks, many creative people who are online writers have been affected by the recent changes to Google’s algorithm. This change was put into effect to help root out the inferior content out there, causing it to fall in the search engine rankings, ostensibly with the cream of the content rising to the top. It was supposed to make “content farms” quake in their boots and give up their evil ways, but many legitimate writing sites have been affected, with traffic and earnings at some places dropping by fifty percent since late February. This is horrifying to writers of quality content whose income from articles put food on the table and helped pay their bills: what on earth to do now?

I have some articles on Triond, but I haven’t written there in about a year, and my earnings have always been pretty low there. However, my Triond earnings have remained steady since the Google algorithm change. Unfortunately, my earnings and page views at Yahoo Contributor Network are down fifty percent, with the good news that they’ve risen a bit in the last few days. I was actually one of the Yahoo Hot 500 for February 2011 but not sure I can maintain that with recent declines in page views.

Originally my Xomba earnings seemed to be okay as my Yahoo Contributor Network earnings fell, but in the last few days, I’ve seen a sharp drop in page views for my Xomba content as well as Xomba revenue. Xomba will be starting over from scratch and becoming a totally new site, which will launch soon. I think there’s great opportunity in the new site they have planned for writers to showcase their articles and hone their skills. I applaud Xomba for wanting to strive for the highest quality possible.

I have been reading the Xomba staff blog very closely to understand all the many changes, but they still confuse me sometimes. I fear I might make a mistake with the new posting of bookmarks, as to what content they are looking for, and my old way of doing bookmarks (which I posted in good faith according to the old rules) isn’t what they want anymore. So I think I’ll be posting more articles on Xomba than bookmarks, and also I’m sitting back a little, waiting for the new site to be unveiled and just getting a feel for these many changes sweeping through Xomba and where I fit in the picture.

Under the new rules of Xomba, we can no longer bookmark our content from other sites, like published articles and blog posts.

I have to confess dear readers that I really want to bookmark my own articles sometimes! Why should I boost traffic to other articles and have to ignore my own? I see nothing wrong with occasionally bookmarking my own articles; I thought that was the spirit of bookmarking. Xomba bookmarks aren’t do follow links, but boy did those Xomblurbs (now called bookmarks) drive traffic to my articles! I am unable to bookmark my new articles on Xomba, and I feel the loss of traffic already. Even without a do follow link, many people would find my Xomba bookmark and go to my original article on another site.

In the old days on Xomba, I posted about 1470 bookmarks, but since I only have a few hundred published articles online, clearly I wasn’t just bookmarking my articles. I really miss bookmarking my articles on Xomba right now. So I discovered two bookmarking sites called Snipsly.com and SheToldMe.com.

I have a few bookmarks there already for my recent articles about the Academy Awards, and I think it helped boost traffic to my work. Also, these two sites are do follow links, and the Adsense revenue sharing split is higher. I had to look around for a new place to do bookmarks, and I find these Xomba changes led me to a new door of opportunity, bookmarking on other sites. I obey all the rules on Snipsly and SheToldMe, but I feel this great sense of fun and freedom there. In good faith, I post my bookmarks. I always do the best I can with bookmarks, but I don’t feel overly restricted there. But I can bookmark my own blog posts and articles, and I don’t worry so much about keeping up with so many rule changes. I am also starting to see a small trickle of revenue from these two sites and I’ll continue bookmarking there to see what happens.

In the wake of the recent Google algorithm changes, I'm returning to Triond. Sometimes I’m slow to embrace change so I didn’t take the Triond Adsense integration when it happened last year, because my earnings were so low there I thought it didn’t matter. But every little bit of revenue helps! I added Google Adsense to my Triond articles, and I am seeing a small amount of revenue that pleases me, and my Triond revenues are improving, so I’m going to try writing for Triond again.

Maybe it’s because Triond publishes articles on a variety of niche sites, but Triond didn’t seem as hard hit by the recent algorithm changes at Google. It makes sense to give Triond another look and besides, I really enjoy the great writer community there.

I’ll continue to write for Yahoo Contributors Network, riding out this dip in earnings caused by the search engine changes. I feel so proud of my writer profile and library of articles there. My page views are already rebounding and I feel confident that writers can ride out this bump in the road by doing the best they can, continuing to write high quality content.

All this talk being casually thrown around about “content farms” and “content mills,” I find it kind of offensive. It’s suddenly as if any user generated content from a writing site is automatically low brow, just thrown together for commercial purposes to wring a buck from the internet. Once in a while I come across some printed publications that have glaring proofreading errors and feature low quality content, but since it’s published on paper, it’s considered more legit than web content.

If you’re writing online, and you’re working for a writing site, then you’ll hear the label “content farm” sometimes. I just let it roll right off my back; I’m passionate about my work and creating the best online content possible. But I’m afraid in response to this Google algorithm change, some writers will be afraid to say they want fair compensation for their work. In fighting back against the “content mill” label, some writing sites out there are saying just write for your art, with money a secondary consideration.

I’ve heard rumblings that writing for pay or thinking of popularity and developing revenue streams from writing is “too commercial” and to avoid the dreaded “content farm” label, and ensure quality content, just forget about earning money for your expertise and time. I’ve heard rhetoric like writing is a hobby and expect pocket change, or even no money at all, for your articles. I say: Excuse me? Writers are flesh and blood--we can’t subsist on thin air. We also need to earn a living and quality professional writers want to be paid, there’s nothing wrong with that!

I will produce the best quality content I can, and I will write with a passion and continue to grow and improve. I’m developing a second career so that I can write the articles I want to write and not worry so much about downturns, like the Google algorithm changes. I want to earn income as a writer while improving at my craft. For me, it’s always the intersection of writing as an art and as a business.

I refuse to starve in a garret, as the starving artist! The well-fed, fulfilled self supporting writer is my vision.

Hope you had a happy winter and thank goodness spring is almost here!

Follow your bliss, blaze your own path and keep on writing!

Freelance Writing: Living the Dream

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about freelance writing, and living the dream of becoming a self supporting full time freelancer. When I received my statement of last year’s earnings for some of the sites I write for (it was tax time, yuck!) I was quite stunned to see my earnings laid out for me, in black and white! At this half way point of this year, I’m well on my way to exceeding last year’s earnings.

As I’ve been working as a content provider, I’ve become acquainted with things like the self employment tax, and Schedule C. I was thinking about making jewelry, as a sideline, but I like the thought of keeping my freelance business operations very simple, so I’m sticking to writing for now, because I don’t have any inventory or major expenses. My taxes this year were relatively easy to figure out, which I like! At some point soon I’ll probably have to think about estimated earnings, and possibly find an accountant (I was a business major, I like keeping track of my own finances!)

I get a check certain times of the month, and each time I go to the mail and receive a payment for my articles, I get really excited. I’ve been writing online for almost three years now, and the thrill is definitely not gone. Somehow, it’s a lot more meaningful for me than the checks I’d get when I used to punch a time clock. I feel like the rewards of being a freelance artist (in my case, freelance writer) are so great and it’s completely worth it to take the big leap into the freelance world.

I remember being locked in to a 9 to 5 job in the corporate world, sitting with my good friend and co-worker, literally counting the moments until 5p.m., our quitting time; unfortunately, we did that most days of the week. Now, I work most days of the week on my writing, on a freelance schedule, and when I take a break to look out a big window here, I see the grass and the birds and the sky, and I feel so blessed to be doing this work that is so fulfilling, and to be able to work from home.

I’ve really come a long way from my beginnings as a freelance writer in the summer of 2007. Back then, I was just content to see my name in print on web sites as my articles were published, and to make a few cents, then dollars here and there. Now, I want more. I want to feel fulfilled as a writer; however, I also want to make a full-time living from my article writing.

In today’s dismal economic climate, that often feels like the impossible dream. Some writers do live the dream by making a full time living from their print and online articles, and they inspire me so much. Today I’ll be talking about what does and doesn’t work for me, writing online. Lately, I’ve been thinking about other options I could explore, in addition to freelance writing, and how to continually grow my writing income into a full-time living.

Pros and Cons of the Writing Dream

In my three years writing online, I’ve realized that there are pluses and minuses to the freelance writing life. Is pursuing the dream of becoming a full time writer right for you? If you are self motivated, willing to work harder than you ever did in the 9-to-5 with no one else to manage your business operations but you, and can deal with living on a shoestring at times, then you’ll do well as a self supporting freelancer.

I find that many people can’t budget around the irregular paychecks that freelance writers receive, and they can’t work without a lot of supervision or someone over their shoulder making sure assignments are completed. Also, it can be hard not to buy everything you desire, or to have to work weekends to catch up on articles when everyone else is out having fun.

I’ve noticed that as time goes by and I have more and more invested in being a freelancer, I don’t mind not being able to spend a lot of money on material things. Buying the newest or the latest items isn’t worth it to me if I have to give up my writing and take a higher paying corporate job that would cover higher expenses. So I try to keep my expenses very low so I’ll have the freedom to pursue the writing life.

I wear many hats as a freelancer, also. I am my own accountant, secretary and any other hat I need to wear, as well as writer. A freelancer is responsible for every facet of your own business operations. I have to do all my own boring tasks, like keeping my own records, paying my taxes and just keeping track of my freelance operations. Plus, I have to keep up a writing schedule of producing enough articles that will yield me writing income, so most days of the week I’m thinking about writing, researching something, writing articles or keeping track of my online earnings.

On the plus side, I have enormous freedom and flexibility, the thrill of seeing my work online and I receive wonderful feedback from my readers and fellow writers, a sense of peace and fulfillment that comes from being in charge of my own working life, and the chance to express myself creatively on a daily basis.

Do you think that the positives outweigh any negatives of the freelance writing life? If so, read on...you could be a freelance writer too!

My Favorite Sites to Write For

Here are my picks for my favorite writing sites 2010:

AssociatedContent.com

Xomba.com

Three years ago in July, I had my first article published on a great travel site called BootsnAll. I was intrigued by this site I heard about called Associated Content that offered upfront payments for articles as well as residual earnings on page views for my writing. I was also very excited to learn that I could publish articles there and retain the rights to republish my articles on other sites also.

Associated Content remains the backbone of what I do, as a content provider. I’m working on publishing three hundred articles there this summer (I have over two hundred published as of this blog post). With the combination of upfront payments from AC and page view earnings, it’s definitely possible to make significant earnings on Associated Content; in fact, many writers work there to support their families.

AC was recently acquired by Yahoo and there was a lot of panic and confusion about this news. Many writers including myself feared that their portfolio of articles at AC would be taken down and the Associated Content we all know and love could disappear. Since the news broke, there have been reassurances that AC will go on as before, but with more opportunities for AC writers as the site merges with the mighty Yahoo.

I felt scared and dismayed at first, but now I’ve relaxed a bit about the Yahoo acquisition; in fact, now I smile when I see “Associated Content from Yahoo” across the AC pages. Kind of cool! That being said, I still think AC is a great place to write for, but I’m backing up my work and diversifying what I do as a writer. The Yahoo acquisition of AC takes place in the third quarter 2010; in the meantime I’m backing up copies of all published articles and taking a look at some other sites I can write for, just in case the AC/Yahoo combination isn’t all we writers hope it will be.

I’ve been a bit lazy about diversifying my articles across a few web sites, because when I find a writer community I enjoy and where I make good money, I tend to settle in and not look around for other writing sites. The other site I really enjoy is Xomba. I’ve been writing for AC for three years this July and working on Xomba for two years this September.

Xomba is a really fun site with a great attitude and sense of humor, and a nice group of writers who are quite loyal to the site. The Xomba mascot is an alien called “Abmox” and Xomba writers are referred to as Xombies! You can write brief articles there (or any length you desire really) or you can do social bookmarking of your published articles from other sites (or bookmark anything online that strikes your fancy!) I bookmark my published articles from AC and Triond; this increases page views on these articles and then I share in AdSense revenues from these bookmarks. As time permits, I also bookmark other interesting things I find online, like articles, photos and blogs.

Xomba has been lucrative for me, but this year my AC earnings have really exploded. What I love about AC is the way my page views earnings increase as I go up the Clout Index there. I’m earning more and more in page view revenues there each month, not as much as AdSense, but it’s rising. Right now, I’m just concentrating on page view earnings, not working for upfront offers on AC.

My strategy as a freelance writer is to build residual income streams from my published articles and bookmarks. Some writers have a group of steady clients and they rise at dawn to write all day for these clients, turning in packages of articles on an agreed upon topic and often giving away all rights to their work. I’ve never been a pen for hire type; I’m more of a free spirit who likes to write on whatever topic I like, publishing the work on my own schedule.

However, I’m aware of the fact that if I hit the freelance writing job boards on a regular basis, scoping for regular clients to write for, then wrote packages of articles and turned them into those clients, I might be achieving the freelance writing dream of being a totally self supporting writer. By going my own way as a writer, and writing mostly what I want when I want, and publishing my work on a non-exclusive basis with sites like AC, it does take longer to build up that residual income stream.

I’m willing to live with that. I do think that being more independent as a writer and selective about writing jobs means that you’ll have to look for a part time job or outside work to supplement the writing income, and I’m okay with that too. I’d rather take some outside work (that probably isn’t a restricting full time corporate job) than take writing jobs that I wouldn’t enjoy just for the money.

I’ll still be working from time to time on Triond, but things are a lot slower for me there. The Triond AdSense integration happened last fall, and if it’s possible, my earnings went down even more! Triond is a great community and I’ve made some wonderful writer friends there who are truly gifted writers. I do believe that being a great Triond writer isn’t enough; you have to be willing to do a lot of promotion of Triond articles in order to earn more than a few dollars from your Triond work.

My 2010 Writing Plan

So in conclusion, I’ll be writing a lot more articles for Associated Content, and for Xomba. Sometimes, I think about writing some Hubs on Hubpages.com, but probably not right now. Some Triond writers moved over to Bukisa.com, which they seem to like better, so I’m thinking about trying that site too.

Definitely, as a freelance writer, get out there and explore writing for web sites, and see what works for you! Good luck in your writing endeavors; keep on working toward your freelance writing dreams.

Happy 2010!