How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career

I'm Back! Sort of . . .

2009-09-01T21:42:00.001-04:00

Finally, after a long hiatus, the new wordpress design for InkwellEditorial.com is up and I'm blogging again . . .

BUT . . . the site is still a work in progress. To see what I mean, visit me in my new home.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Yuwanda

P.S.: This will be my last post here on Blogger. This blog has been folded into the new site, so bookmark it. All the the posts will remain live here though. Over the next few months, I'll be transferring all the posts over into the new design but until then, you can still dig through the archives. There are 4+ years of posts here -- tons of great info on freelance writing, so have at it!

P.P.S.: Don't forget to join me in my new home, and once again, thanks for your patience.

Blog Hiatus Until September

2009-04-22T10:38:00.001-04:00

Catch me on SeoWritingJobs.com! This is where I'll be blogging until my main site, InkwellEditorial.com, has been switched over to WordPress. You can search for new media jobs here as well. This is one of my new niche WordPress sites (part of the virtual real estate (minisites) empire I'm building for passive income).

I fretted over this decision for a few weeks, but finally decided to just trust my gut and go with it. This blog will not be updated again until Tuesday, September 1, 2009. Following is why.

Learning WordPress

I've finally started to learn WordPress and will use this new knowledge to begin the daunting task of integrating this blog with its accompanying website, InkwellEditorial.com. Once all the pages have been migrated, they will exist under one roof -- finally.

My website dates back to 1999. While it's undergone a few style changes, it was built using FrontPage, which is an obselete software now. And, this free blogging platform (Blogger) no longer fits my business model.

While I naively thought I would be able to finish updating the site in one month, my personal projects have prevented this, which brings me to my next point . . .

Personal Projects: Ebooks, Minisites and Affiliate Programs

I have quite a few personal projects I've been working on that take up an enormous amount of time. Couple this with client work and there just aren't enough hours in the day. My personal projects are starting to outearn the income I make from client projects, which is why I've continued to pour so much more time into them.

Remember, these are projects that earn me "passive" income. Passive is in quotation marks because they do require some effort (eg, article marketing, site design and setup, etc.). But, compared to what I put into them timewise, the return is phenomenal.

I still have ebooks to write, affiliate programs to test and minisites to build. This is why I wanted to learn wordpress so that I don't have to rely on a web designer every time I wanted to design and build a site to promote a product.

Now that this is underway, I can go full steam ahead.

Shedding Responsibilites to Secure a Future

Recently, I resigned from a long-running blog gig. And, I've been very picky about the client projects I take on. This is because I want to focus more on securing my financial future through my own endeavors; not client projects.

As a freelance writer, you never really have to retire. But I've said here many times that I want the option of retirement at 50 (that's 7 years away for me). I'm sure I'll always work -- it's just a part of my nature -- but I want it to be a choice, not something I have to do.

My stepfather always impressed upon me and my sisters that you never get rich working for someone else. And while being rich is not a goal, financial security is. And that means making money from my own products and endeavors, not depending on the next client gig to come through.

Bear With Me

I know this is a long explanation, but I wanted to share with you why I'm doing what I'm doing so you don't think that I'm just abandoning this blog altogether. I'm not. I enjoy blogging here. This blog is my baby. But, she has to bear with "mama" while she gets her s*itty house in order.

You Can Still Get Info on Freelance Writing

This blog is four years old, and it's accompanying website is 10 years old. That's a lot of info to comb through. To find info on this blog, simply use the search box at the top left-hand side of the page. Type in your keywords and see what pops up. I've written on practically everything under the sun about freelance commercial writing (not magazines, for example).

To learn how to search InkwellEditorial.com for info, go here.

Get All Issues of Inkwell Editorial's Newsletter

I also won't be publishing Inkwell Editorial's newsletter (which became popular beyond my wildest dreams) again until later this year either -- probably in October. To read the current issue and all past issues, click here.

Catch Me on Twitter

If you want to know what I'm up to on any given day, catch me on Twitter. 140 characters is about all the "extra stuff" I can squeeze in, so I'll be there.

Here's to hoping your freelance writing dreams come true, and I'll catch you back here in September.

Yuwanda
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

2 High-Paying Online Writing Jobs

2009-03-11T10:56:00.004-04:00

The title of this post is what I wrote about over at BloggingTip.com today. It really brought up an interesting point, ie, when was the last time you pushed yourself to learn a new skill as a freelance writer so that you can target higher-paying markets?

When I started SEO writing in the fall of 2007, I had no idea that I was entering a niche where I could position myself as an expert and earn more money. Internet marketing (SEO, online marketing) is one of the fastest growing freelance writing niches around. For proof, read SEO Investments Expected To Grow More Than 20%.

And because there aren't a lot of freelance writers who specialize in this niche, there is less competition for these writing jobs. In my experience, even clients don't know a lot about internet and online marketing. Many of my clients look to me for direction on which online marketing initiatives they need.

The internet marketing niche is wide open, which presents an absolute golden opportunity for freelance writers who take it upon themselves to learn what it's all about and position themselves as experts.

Sometimes to earn more, you have to go back to school -- just like in the corporate world. So, get your degree in IM (Internet Marketing). It'll pay great dividends for years to come.

Want to appear here? Submit a guest post.

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writing 101: First Steps to Getting Started as a Freelance Writer

2009-03-05T11:33:00.004-05:00

Many who visit this blog are experienced freelance writers. However, this economy has created a whole new group of talented professionals who may be considering freelance writing for the first time. If this describes you, the following article describes the initial baby steps you need to take to get started.

Once you've digested this information, spend some time tooling around this blog's companion site where you'll find hundreds of articles on every aspect of freelance writing. Good luck -- and welcome to an exciting career!

Launching Your Freelance Writing Career
by Holly McCarthy

With the current state of the economy continually shifting from bad to worse, it’s no wonder many people are trying to find new and improved ways to supplement their income. The need for fresh content and new ways of conveying information online is still a growing market online and there are many ways to break into the freelance writing community. What follows is a brief list of tips to help you get your freelance career started right away.

Launch Your Own Website or Blog

One of the best ways to get your name out there is to have your own space in the virtual world that showcases your abilities and connects you to those who may need your services. Continually update your blog or site with fresh content that demonstrates your abilities. Link to any articles that you may have published online so that your content can be viewed in its proper context as well.

When setting up your own site or blog, work hard to show that you are a professional in every way. Customize your site and keep it strictly professional. It’s great to have followers and make sure that you moderate comments on your postings to ensure that anything unprofessional is not allowed to stay posted beneath your hard work.

Produce Plenty of Content

Work hard at creating content on a wide variety of topics that are being viewed by readers all over the web. Keeping yourself busy writing will help ensure that you are ready to write what’s needed when big requests and assignments come down from clients in the future. Once you have gotten a good amount of work completed, you can begin compiling your portfolio.

Maintain a Quality Portfolio

As a freelancer, you will come to learn that many who purchase content are more about quantity over quality. While these types of assignments will keep you busy and make sure that some money is coming in, you need to make sure that you have some high-quality pieces that are polished and ready to demonstrate your ability to go beyond the call of duty and create outstanding content.

Having this in place will ensure that your communications with potential clients will be efficient and effective; you won’t have to scramble to look for your best work if you maintain a portfolio of your best work.

About the Author: Holly McCarthy writes on the subject of the top online colleges. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12 at gmail dot com.

Feel free to submit a guest post.

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Success Story: Finding Success via Versatility

2009-03-03T11:54:00.003-05:00

Today I published a sucess story from a long-time freelance writer. She's worked on everything from poetry to web articles to adult magazines. Following is an excerpt:

One day I came across an invitation for writers to submit to a new magazine being sold around the pubs of England. It was a humorous, “adult” publication to which I sold some off-color jokes. I followed up with a proposal to write a column as a spoof “agony aunt”. This proved to be quite a lucrative job which lasted for more than a year until the magazine folded after its sponsorship money dried up. I wasn’t too proud to write for other adult markets after that. Indeed, I still do, though perhaps some readers would be horrified to learn that the writer of some of those steamy fictional scenes is now a senior citizen.

Read the entire account. Have a freelance writing success story? Submit it -- for pay! Starting in April -- after the new site is up -- I'll publish about one a month.

Enjoy!
Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

March is "Devote Time to Your Website/Blog Month"

2009-03-02T10:20:00.005-05:00

As I posted to my Twitter account this morning, I've been MIA for the last week or so. I was finishing up an ebook I co-authored. I have another one on tap that I have to turn my attention to -- and this is in addition to my regular workload. So things are a bit hectic around here.

However, another reason I've been lax about posting is that this month I'm finally turning my attention to getting this blog transferred over to my new wordpress design -- which has been sitting unused since last July -- yes, last July (I can hardly believe it!).

Devote Time to Your Website/Blog Month: What is this?

I've designated March to be Devote Time to Your Website/Blog month. What is this? If you have blogs or websites that you want to start or redesign, then designate this month to get it done. I've learned that the only way to get things done -- especially when you're super busy -- is to set aside a definitive time to just do it. So this month, that's what I'm doing.

I have two more money-making blogs I've been wanting to set up for ages. Additionally, I've been wanting to transfer this blog and its accompanying website to its one, newly designed online presence. I will have all of this done by April 1st because it is my number one focus this month. This means turning down jobs, outsourcing work and anything else it takes to reach this goal.

While I have been MIA, I've also been posting over at BloggingTips.com. Listed below are the last four posts. Hope you enjoy them.

Making Money Online: Unplugging to Get Things Done, Mar 2, 2009

Self-Publishing: Why You Shouldn’t Write an Ebook, Feb 25, 2009

Social Media Marketing: Should You Outsource It, or Not?, Feb 24, 2009

Blogging: How to Get New Life Out of Old Posts, Feb 23, 2009

Tomorrow I'll post a success story from a freelance writer in England. It's the last one that will be posted on this blog. More will follow once the new one is set up.

Best,
Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

What to Do When Your Website Goes Down: Advice for Those Who Make Money Online

2009-02-18T15:46:00.005-05:00

This post has been moved to http://inkwelleditorial.com/blogging-tips-one-way-to-breathe-new-life-into-old-posts. Same great content; new blog design.

Enjoy!

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)

Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Blog Networks: What Are They, How to Make Money w/Them & More

2009-02-16T10:05:00.003-05:00

This week over at BloggingTips.com, I'm writing a series on blog networks. You don't see them discussed much on the web, but they can allow you to make money online quicker than if you stayed an independent blogger.

BUT as with most things, there are pros and cons. In today's post, I covered what a blog network is and listed four advantages of joining one. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the cons and Wednesday I'll go over a list of questions you should ask yourself before joining a blog network.

Happy President's Day to my American readers!

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

9 Useful Tips for Bloggers: How to Stand Out from the Crowd

2009-02-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

Well, you have a blog now and want your voice to be heard out loud? So does everyone else. It’s no surprise to see that the blogsphere is getting more and more crowded. Proof? Technorati recorded that 7,200 new blogs were established per hour in 2006. I'm sure the figures have increased exponentially since then.

As such, it's impossible for a blogger to achieve success by modeling what others are doing. In fact, being different is now the key to success. There are of course,tons of good ways to make your blog stand out from the crowd. Here, I compile a list of 9 crucial ways to do just that. I hope it helps.

1. Choose a unique topic

Yes, it’s not easy to select a unique topic to blog about. However, being unique is a good way to stand out from the rest. Even if you can't find a unique subject, viewing an old topic from a different point of view is good enough. Think about EduBlogs.org – there are thousands of free blogging platforms, but by focusing their services on teachers and students, their blogging service stand out from the rest, and hence is remarkably successful.

2. Write in-depth content

Don’t just brush over a topic. There are too many “me too” blogs that write short postd in a hurry. These blog posts are so brief that it hardly delivers any value to the readers. Writing in-depth posts earns you creditability in your niche. It encourages people to read further; subscribe; and even link to you. All in all, writing in-depth posts helps your blog to stand out from the rest (who are too lazy to do their research).

3. Build a blog with a professional design platform

Stop using that free blog templates that are used by other 7,809 bloggers (yes I'm fully aware that this blog using a free platform; ie, blogger)). It’s boring to stumble thru tons of blog with the similar designs and layouts. It doesn’t take a huge effort to create a special blog designs. Spend some time (or money) to get your blog template customized, ensuring that it is unique and user-friendly. Every blogger should be aware that visual impressions count and you should enhance your blog design from time to time.

4. Write eye-catching headlines

A good headline attracts readers -- and encourages them to read further. As mentioned by Brian of CopyBlogger.com, 8 out of 10 readers will bypass your main content and read headlines only. This shows the importance of blog headlines. Polishing your copywriting skills is a must if you wish to stand out from the rest and increase your blog readership.

5. Write list posts and sub headlines

Readers don’t read thru everything; they browse and the Internet. I tend to scroll down and scan thru before I read a blog post every time. Constructing your post in lists and with sub headlines simply improves the readability of your blog. It helps readers to learn what your blog post is about and encourages prospective readers to read in detail.

6. Optimize your blog for search engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is something every blogger should learn. Making correct usage of your header tags; building incoming links; and writing with SEO in mind is crucial to increasing your blog visibility.

7. Build your blog on its own domain

While starting a blog on blogger or WordPress is good because it's free, you are actually missing a lot by not hosting your blog on its own domain. A blog with its own domain/hosting enjoys better advantages in term of branding and web marketing. It doesn’t have the amateur image like a free WordPress blog, and it comes with better flexibility in term of web functionality.

Finally, it’s cheap and easy to host a blog on its own domain. A shared hosting normally cost $5 - $10 per month, In case you need help with hosting, read my web hosting review.

8. Show your personality

Revealing more about yourself is important to gain trust from your readers. It is, in fact, crucial to stay in touch closely with your loyal readers as this encourages feedback from your readers. Furthermore, readers tend to recommend your blogs to friends and families when they feel respected by you.

Build an ‘About’ page, connect to your readers via Facebook and MySpace; contact readers who leave comments. These are the basic ways to extend yourself to readers.

9. It’s okay to have a fight

Sparking a debate and starting a fight on controversial topics is a good way to increase your blog visibility. By speaking with a different voice, you stand out from the rest. Of course I am not telling you to be controversial just for the sake of controversy.

What I mean is is okay to stand by your beliefs, even if that means sparking controversy. After all, you get buried in the crowd if there are too many ‘Me Too’ postings on your blog.

Bonus Tip 10. Blog with consistency

Bloggers are often stimulated when they first start their blogs. After the initial thrill wears off, their postings tend to become more sporadic, until they finally stop altogether.

To succeed and stand out from the rest, you will need to be disciplined enough to blog consistently. As a reader, I am rather skeptical towards blogs that seldom gets updated. Posting regularly builds trust among your readers; and increases your creditability.

About the Author: This guest post is brought to you by Jerry of Web Hosting Secret Revealed. Jerry inspects and reviews web hosting services based on his own usage and experience. You can read more about his work at his blog.

Submit a guest post! Hope you enjoyed this one.

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

A Recession-Proof Freelance Writing Job (& More)

2009-02-11T16:12:00.008-05:00

This week over at BloggingTips (BT), I tackled a subject that not many think of as related to making money online -- your home environment. As in, can your relationship be costing you success? One single mom who makes her living online commented:

I never even considered this until I read this post, but now that I remember back to when I was married, I realize I’m in a much better place now (blogging-wise) than before. Even though I don’t have any help looking after my 3 and 4 year old now, it’s a healthier, more relaxed environment so I find I work with a lot more focus and efficiency now.

Read Make Money Blogging: Is Your Relationship a Help or a Hindrance to Your Blogging Success? for some interesting insight.

Today's post at BT was inspired by an email from a newsletter reader. He asked, , “. . . do you feel SEO writing is something profitable to get into given the current state of the economy?” My answer was a resounding yes, for the three reasons I list in the post, 3 Reasons SEO Copywriters Thrive During a Recession (it really is practically a recession-proof freelance writing job).

Tomorrow's Post: Want to be a better blogger? Jerry from webhostingsecretrevealed.com will tell you how to go about it in his guest post, entitled How to stand out from the crowd – 9 useful tips for bloggers. Learn how to submit a guest post.

Until tomorrow,
Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

$40-$50/Article: Constant-Content.com Call for Freelance Writers

2009-02-10T13:37:00.005-05:00

As the current issue of the Inkwell Editorial newsletter reveals how to make money at Constant-Content.com (CC), I thought I'd post this listing I just received. As I said, I receive calls for content from CC 3-5 times a week, sometimes multiple times a day. And, the requests have been increasing lately. So if you want to pick up some extra freelance writing jobs, give this outlet a try.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with CC other than having a writing account with them. I 've submitted one article in the year or so since I signed up. Luckily, I stay busy enough that I've never had to actually use this site. But if you're new to freelance writing, or just don't feel like marketing directly to companies, this is a good outlet. Following are the particulars.

TOPIC: America's Economy: Dead or Alive

REQUESTED BY: Customer Davidearlrogers has requested a new article on Constant Content, below are the details:

ARTICLE DETAILS: A picture of how our economy is performing. How many jobs have been lost in the last 5 years? Last Year? Current state? Are the jobs lost primarily in the non-degree sectors or people with college degrees and above? Any real numbers would be great. America borrows a lot of money from other countries, who do we owe and how much? Is there a plan to ever really pay the money back? Does this stimulus package help in anyway? What do economists think about our future economy?

WORD COUNT: 300-500

RATE: $40-$50

NEEDED: ASAP. You can view / reply to this message from constant content. http://www.constant-content.com/mail/read/1205591/ (must have a CC account so you can sign in and read all Calls for Content.

QUESTION: Anyone know of an auto ebook delivery/payment program like e-Junkie/Lulu? I've been having some delivery problems with e-Junkie on my affiliate site (it's 100% perfect on delivery of my Inkwell Ebooks), so I'm looking for an alternative. If so, shoot me an email (info *at* InkwellEditorial.com). Thanks.

Until tomorrow,
Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Article Marketing: The Plan I Use to Bring in $100-$200/Day

2009-02-04T13:48:00.003-05:00

That was the title of my post over at BloggingTips.com yesterday. I just wrapped up a three-week series over there detailing my foray into affiliate marketing and how I'm using article marketing to make $100-$200/day promoting one affiliate product.

The last post in the series can be found here, along with instructions on how to access all nine posts in the series.

The 3 Most Important Things I've Learned in My Limited Foray into Affiliate Marketing

1. Choose Products/Services You Know About: Or, at a minimum, those you have an interest in learning about. The reason is, affiliate marketing takes a sustained, consistent effort to make money. This means putting in some marketing elbow grease. You must be interested in a product/service in order to do the marketing tasks it takes to make money with it.

Note: IMO, you don't have to be passionate about a product/service -- as many will tout. But, you do have to have a sustained interest in it; it must be more than just than passing interest.

2. Try to Choose Products You Can Build On: For example, my product has to do with foreclosures. Right now, I'm just promoting the one product. But, my partner and I are creating 4 more products that complement this existing product.

By doing this, we can increase our sales without putting in any more effort. How? We'll list those products on our same affiiate websites. So all the marketing we've done to drive traffic to our existing sites will benefit us.

Now, this won't be possible in all cases, but it's just something to think about (ie, stay in the same niche to maximize the results of your marketing efforts).

3. Do Something Every Day to Promote Your Affiliate Product: And by every day, I mean every weekday (I take weekends off). If not every day, then at least every other day. The web is a very competitive place, and I'm amazed at how "slacking off" for a few days decreases my sales.

So, keep the marketing metal to the pedal. It's why I like article marketing. I'm a writer, so I bang out 3-5 articles a week for my affiiate product. I put in on my calendar, right alongside the work I have to do for clients. That way, it's a "must do", instead of a "if I have time to do" project.

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make Money Using Constant-Content.com and by Writing Special Reports. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How Article Marketing Is Doubling My Affiliate Marketing Income

2009-01-29T11:33:00.003-05:00

At least . . . almost.

Over at BloggingTips.com (BT) this week, I posted a review of sorts of ArticleMarketer.com. Since I started using this article submission service, it's almost doubled my affiliate marketing income. My first article was distributed on January 11th, and it's working like a dream.

To learn more, read the two posts I wrote there yesterday and Tuesday. They are: Article Marketing: Is it Worth It to Submit to Thousands of Directories in One Click (Tuesday's post); and How ArticleMarketer.com Has Almost Doubled My Affiliate Marketing Sales (yesterday's post).

I'm new to this whole affiliate marketing thing, as I've said here before. So it's fascinating to see what works, why and what doesn't. This is especially true because I literally have to squeeze this in between duties of my "real job" (freelance writer).

ArticleMarketer.com Feedback

If you have any experience with ArticleMarketer, or another submission service, please share it here so that those who are interested can get first-hand info about it. Your experience may be different from mine. There are some comments to my articles on BT, so be sure to check those out. I guess what I'm saying is before you plunk down any dollars, do your research.

The Latest Edition of the Inkwell Editorial Newsletter Is Out

The first issue of 2009 went out on Tuesday. If you haven't signed up to receive it, do so here. This issue covers how to make money with Constant-Content.com. I'd always wondered if you can really make money with the site; and if so, how. I interviewed freelance Lisa-Anne Sanderson, who's sold upwards of 200 articles on the site -- garnering from $10 to $100 each. She gave us the inside scoop.

Also, I talk about how to make money from special reports. I've done two in the last 4 months or so. Because of this, I've landed a higher echelon of client, am selling my most expensive service at New Media Words ($595) like gangbusters and am getting to a place where I get to do more picking and choosing of the types of projects I work on.

All of this came from the special reports I wrote. I explain how and why in the newsletter.

2009 so far has been busy on so many fronts; I barely have time to breathe. I hope the same is true for you. Until next time,

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Averaging $100-$150/Day in Passive Income w/Affiliate Marketing

2009-01-21T12:08:00.008-05:00

All this week, I blogged about my "real" foray into affiliate marketing over at BloggingTips.com (BT). Real is in quotation marks because I've tried affiliate marketing before, but never put any effort into it other than sticking some links on my site. That garnered me little to no sales.

Affiliate Marketing Success!

I recently started to make good headway with one affiliate product though (3-4 sales a day, earning $25 per sale). Not bad for about an hour's worth of work per day to promote it.

I'm currently in the process of scouting for my next affiliate product. So, if you know of any, write in and let me know. As I say in today's post on BT, ". . . for me, “decent sales” translates into three or four sales per day, preferably with an affiliate payout of $25 or more per sale."

To read all three posts, visit the following links:
Article Marketing or Free Classifieds: Which Works Better to Promote Affiliate Products? (Monday, 1/19 BT post)

How to Overcome Buyer Skepticism When Selling Affiliate Products and Services Online (Tuesday, 1/20 BT post)

Newbie Affiliates: How to Choose Affiliate Products to Market (Today's post)

What's It Like to Have a Life on the Beach & Retire as a Freelance Writer

I was in Florida this past weekend (for four days actually). I'm working on a new ebook, so it was a working/pleasure trip. My fruitful foray into affiliate marketing is getting me closer to my dream of being able to work on the beach -- and essentially retire as a freelance writer.

You see, my plan has always been to have the option of retirement at 50. I'm working on becoming totally debt free by then -- including having my house paid off. Retirement for me means working only on my own projects (ebooks/affiliate marketing); not having to take on freelance writing projects.

And, that's getting closer every day -- much quicker than I thought.

What's It Like to Have a Life of Leisure; to Have the Dream of Financial Freedom Realized?

I don't know, but it's no longer a faraway dream; it's a blurry vision that's coming clearer into focus every day. And why am I telling you all of this?

Because when I first started freelanc writing, I could not have imagined where it would take me. As I got older though, I started to formulate a plan for my life, ie, by this age, I want to have this much money in the bank; by this age, I want to be able to work x number of hours per week; by this age, I want to be debt free; by this age, I want to retire altogether; etc.

While I have stumbled badly along the way, I kept pounding away. My dream has always the foundation for everything I've ever tried. With every failure, I knew I had to get up and start again, because I knew I didn't want to wait until I'm 65 to "retire."

I always joke with my girlfriends that I still want to be "cute" when I retire; not old with one foot in the grave. Not that that's what 65 is, but I've been working since I was 11 -- literally. If I retired at 50, I figured almost 40 years of work should be enough -- I should be able to play for 40 (assuming I make it to 80 years old).

What is Your Dream as a Freelance Writer? Are You Achieving It?

So my message for you today fellow freelance writers is, "What is your dream? Are you making headway? Where do you want to be in 5, 10, or 20 years?" What you do -- or don't do -- today is getting you there, or not. As my mom used to say, "Time is going to pass; it's up to you what you do with it."

Detailed Testimonial from a Fellow SEO Writer

I'm posting this testimonial from a fellow freelance SEO writer, because when I asked her what finally moved her to buy the SEO writing ebook, she wrote back -- explaining in detail what taking concrete action can do.

QUESTION
On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 1:43 PM, Yuwanda Black wrote:
Tenisha: Could you answer the following for me: 1. What finally made you purchase the ebook? As you said, you'd been doing SEO writing for a while, so you knew there was opportunity out there. 2. Why hadn't you capitalized; what made my ebook so useful to you?

ANSWER (from Tenisha a few hours later)
I'll be honest. The economy has affected my writing and editing business -- drastically. And I've been searching ways to get more clients. After doing some content projects for a couple of social networking sites, I decided to focus more on social media and SEO writing as a part of that.

I remember reading one of your posts, or maybe it was an article, where you mentioned how your accountant asked what you could do to make money today. Well, that's where I'm at right now. I'm hungry for work And SEO work seemed like one of the quickest -- and easiest ways for me to pick up work and get new clients.

Your book is useful because it shows you step-by-step how to make money; it wasn't some pie in the sky concept, but clear, concrete steps that I could follow. And the query email you included in the ebook is priceless! Everything else is gravy. It was also realistic. You weren't telling me that I would make $1,000 in a few hours, but a couple hundred of bucks a day. I could get my arms around that. And it's realistic. I'm used to the tricks copywriters use with ebooks to play to emotions, and I saw none of that with your stuff.

Your book showed me how to market my services. That was a big hump for me. I've owned my writing and editing busines for nearly three years. And I've done SEO blogging for more than two years. But I kept seeing SEO article writers charging only a few dollars for their work.

Writing is my passion, but figuring out how to get others to pay for top dollar for it has been a struggle. I'm a former journalist, but nothing about my newspaper career ever prepared me for running my own business. [Emphasis added: This is where many freelance writers stumble, especially when they first start out. If you don't learn how to market, you'll never be successful as a freelance writer]

I wasn't sure if this whole SEO article thing was really viable until your ebook. I'd heard of copywriters charging $100 an article, but these are copywriters who easily command $10,000 for a sales letter; that's not me -- yet!

But I figured you were on to something and so I read your blogs, articles and your website. (Plus, I think I'd already heard of you some years ago because I used to get emails from Inkwell Editorial.)

I was discouraged, though. I completed a rather low-paying SEO article project with lot of keywords over the summer. When I broke it down hourly, I was making less than minimum wage. What amazed me was the client said they had people making at least $1,000 a month. I figured they must be chained to their computers and writing at least 20 hours a day!

I knew I had to cut out the middleman, but I was having a hard time figuring out how. Your book showed me, and I'm sure I'll buy some of your other books. You have a gift of writing to show others how to do something. As far as the basics went, your books didn't leave me with any questions.

I'm still marketing and I've had some luck. The low-payers are still out there. An SEO guy from Atlanta contacted me yesterday about meta tag writing -- I had to turn it down because it involved Dreamweaver and Front page and I'm not an expert. This guy outsources from India, so I think he was blown away at my rates.

Take care,
Tenisha
###

That's it for today folks. To paraphrase our new president, "It's time to get down to work"(I'm working on a new ebook -- unrelated to freelance writing. I'll turn my attention to getting more of those out in a couple of weeks (I have many, many titles to get to)).

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

2 Scams Freelance Writers Need to Be Aware of Immediately

2009-01-14T16:10:00.005-05:00

As the economy worsens, the online scam artists come out in full force. I'm pretty used to online scams -- and how to avoid them. But, I received two variations of some old ones that were pretty convincing in my inbox this morning. So, I took a chunk out of my day to write up a pretty extensive article detailing them -- and how to avoid them.

I posted this piece on AssociatedContent.com so it could reach as many freelance writers as possible. Read AssociatedContent and PayPal Scams: How to Keep Your Online Earnings Safe 100% of the Time for full details.

I know a lot of us freelance writers use these two sites. So feel free to pass this along to any of your friends -- even friends who aren't writers as there are some concrete actions suggested that can keep your money accounts safe online.

Want to Immediately Make More Money as a Freelance Writer?

Moving on to a different topic, yesterday, I wrote a post on BloggingTips.com entitled, Freelance Writers: How to Immediately Make More Money. It's kind of a case study in when to say no to a client; when to cut them loose. Very insightful if you have clients who suck you dry in the time department.

How to Use Traditional Media Tactics to Make Your Blog Stand Out, Get More Traffic and Increase Sales

This was another post I did over at BloggingTips this week. A few readers have commented on the "tie in" tip. What is it? Read the post to find out. This never occurs to a lot of bloggers, but is a trick used by "traditional" journalists all the time.

Aw Shucks, You Made Me Blush!
(and yes, black people do blush! :-))

I receive a lot of flattering emails from readers of my blog, websites and hundreds of articles distributed via article directories. This is one of my favorites: Every time I read one of your articles, I bow to your insightfulness! As always, thank you so much for all you share :-)

Thanks Herstory (a fellow AC writer). Learn more about her here.

While I don't do unique posts here often anymore (that'll change as soon as I can catch my breath this year), I do try to keep you updated. And remember, if you want to submit a guest post, I'm all for it!

Yuwanda (anytime you wanna know what I'm up to, check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright ©2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

2009 Freelance Writing Resolutions: How Many Have You Broken Already?

2009-01-12T12:05:00.002-05:00

I make resolutions every year – personal and professional ones. I tend to break at least some of the personal ones pretty quickly. But, I do my darnedest to keep professional ones because they ae the ones my financial future goals depend on. Do I always reach them – no? But, I do make considerable progress – simply because I made them.

So I ask you this, how many of your 2009 freelance writing resolutions have you broken already? Did you promise yourself that you were going to go fulltime this year, but haven’t taken even the most basic steps yet, eg:

Have you written samples, researched what you’re going to charge, started building a website (or researching web designers you may want to use), ordered that ebook on how to start, started building your service list, etc.

The only way you’re ever going to achieve your freelance writing dream is to take concrete action toward it. It’s not too late – just because you got a slower start than you wanted does not mean that you should give up altogether. It just means that now that you recognize you’re procrastinating – stop it and get started.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
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Success Freelance Writers Tell Their Stories: There are freelancers who make a very good living working from home. The Inkwell Editorial newsletter routinely features these successful professionals. Subscribe to read all issues.
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Copyright © 2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Lessons from a Busy SEO Copywriter; Q&A w/ a New SEO Copywriter

2009-01-09T14:16:00.006-05:00

This blogger is one of my favorites because we seem to share the same mindset on this profession. If you're wondering how to get busy finding work as an SEO copywriter -- or searching for any type of freelance writing jobs -- read Do You Have the Attitude to be a Successful Freelance Writer in 2009?

SEO Copywriting Success Tip

To be successful in this business, you have to know your stuff. I do a lot of reading on SEO -- here's an an interesting read: Your Site is SEO Optimized But is it Search Engine Friendly.

Q & A with a New SEO Copywriter

Question: Many Internet marketers hire writers on elance.com for $10 to $15 per article at the most. In fact, hiring a writer for that much means the writer is very talented in the eyes of the Web marketer. If a marketer gives a writer steady work, the writer will tend to lessen his/her rate to like $7 or $8 per article. I’ve even heard of some writers going as low as $1.00 USD! (These writers tend to be non-US and non-native English speakers, though.)

With that as context, here’s my question: Why would a SEO company hire a writer for $25 to $45 (or even $50 per article)? What am I missing here? . . . I’d appreciate any clarification.

My Answer: One of the reasons I tell SEO writers to stay away from sites like Elance is that companies that go there are looking for quantity, not quality. And, this is why my marketing plan advises that you target companies directly.

Many companies will give these types of sites a try; once they get burned a few times by low quality, they then look for professionals. THAT's why they'll pay you $25, $35 or more for an article -- they care about quality. For more, read this article: Get $100 Per SEO Article - How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Writer There's a market for both -- remember, there are freelance writers who get paid $1, $2 or more per word. It's all in who you target with your marketing. Hope this helps to clarify things.

Get the ebook that outlines how to start a career as an SEO copywriter.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Happy Friday everybody. I'm knocking off early -- this week has been exhausting!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

SEO Copywriters: Want to Make an Extra $61,880 This Year?

2009-01-07T19:35:00.004-05:00

I've been woefully neglecting my own blog, but busy as a bee at others. You can find the post mentioned in the title at Copyblogger. SEO copywriting is a lucrative freelance writing niche -- if you know how to market to get the work. I lay it all out in this post.

How effective was this post? Got three client queries, landed two new clients and added new subscribers -- to my newsletter and Twitter.

Do you fear/dread competition as a freelance writer?

Moving on, over at BloggingTips.com, I addressed the fear of competition that a lot of freelance writers have. It's unfounded, for the reasons I list in the post ATTN: Writers & Bloggers: 3 More Reasons to Start Freelancing – Now!

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

I'm dying for a glass of wine, but have to get my workout in first -- rats! Until next time.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Posts!
How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How I Lost $26,000-$39,000 in Online Income Last Year

2009-01-05T10:35:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you had a safe holiday season, and are looking forward to a profitable New Year.

Now, on to the title of today's post. My bloggingtips.com post today details how I shot myself in the foot -- losing $26,000-$39,000 in online income last year. Ouch! But, I have a game plan moving forward to rectify that, you'd better believe. Read How I Lost $26,000-$39,000 in Online Income Last Year to find out what it is -- and to find out where you may be losing money online too.

Advice for New Freelance Writers on Getting Started

This past weekend, I spent some time answering emails sent in from new and experienced freelancers alike. I wrote an article in response to one and posted it on AssociatedContent.com because I get this kind of question a lot -- especially this time of year, particularly from newbies. The wannabe freelance writer wrote, in part:
I would love to start out in the freelance field. I am afraid that my previous work experience will limit my chances. I have done the research on freelance writers and their previous work experience surpasses mine. I have only worked in menial jobs making little or no money. I don't know how to market myself in this field where the people have PH.'D's masters and bachelors [sic].

I find that the number one thing missing in most freelance writers -- newbies and experienced alike -- is a lack of self confidence. I know I've written it before, but to risk repeating myself -- you must, must, must develop confidence in yourself if you're going to strike out on your own -- no matter what kind of business it is.

Is it easy? No. But, have the courage to take the first steps. You're going to make mistakes, but if you never take the leap, you can't start learning from them. With each mistake, you learn. The more you learn, the more confident you become.

Read my full response in the article, New Freelance Writers: How to Compete with More Experienced, Better Educated Writers.

What I'm Up to This New Year

Affiliate Marketing: I'm getting serious this year about upping my passive income. I squeezed in some affiliate marketing over the holidays -- and to my amazing surprise, made a few hundred bucks in just a few days. If this continues, it's going to make me shift some priorities, but I'm containing my excitement for now.

Marketing New Media Words: Most of my attention is spent on client projects garnered through my SEO writing and internet marketing firm, New Media Words. The company just landed a new client -- which is a welcome start to the New Year.

Writing More Ebooks: I've kind of let getting new titles out slip thorugh the cracks. The latter part of last year was a bit crazy. But, I'm going to get back on track, as it's part of my plan to make more passive income. So, I'm squeezing in some regular writing time to get titles out on a regular basis (at least one a month).

Site Redesign: This is taking for friggin' ever, but I've stopped pressuring myself to get it done. I had hoped to have it done by this month. But, it's going to take longer. Once I got my business goals assessed by a business coach, I realized that I was allowing myself to be pressured by others to get this done. While it is a priority, it's not an immediate "get it done today" priority.

He made me realize that my financial goals -- which I'm on target to surpass without a site redesign -- should be my priority.

What are your plans for your freelance writing career this New Year? I'd love to know.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Posts!
How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2009 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Blogging Jobs: 3 Ways to Land More Blogging Gigs in 2009

2008-12-31T11:15:00.005-05:00

That's the post from BloggingTips.com I did yesterday. If you want to stand out among the commpetition when vying for blogging jobs, this post offers some unique, creative advice. I've used them all to land blogging gigs. Read the post, Blogging Jobs: 3 Ways to Land More Blogging Gigs in 2009.

How to Make 2009 Your Most Lucrative Year Yet as a Blogger

The post, 10 Blogging Tips for 2009 to Make It Your Most Successful Blogging Year Ever, details how. I went back to basics when compiling this list. When I read back over it I thought, "Wow, this is some really good advice." A few on the list I need to incorporate myself heading into the New Year.

How to Make Money Online in 2009

"Pull the Friggin' Trigger!"

I was talking to a brilliant friend last night. I mean, this guy is off-the-charts smart. He wants to start an internet business. He's been planning it for six months or so and is extremely motivated. But, he hasn't started yet.

I kept trying to get him to tell me what's holding him back. He kept talking around it, making excuses, explaining, etc. I finally said to him, "Just pull the friggin' trigger already!" This is a phrase I picked up from Christine at SelfMadeChick.com. I love this phrase because it's exactly what so many who want to start this, that or the other needs to do.

If you want to make money online in 2009 as a blogger, freelance writer, affiliate marketer -- whatever -- stop talking about it, worrying about it, planning it and researching it. Just do it already! You will make mistakes, it won't be easy and it will definitely test your nerves, but if you never START, you'll never get to overcome your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Mistakes are the foundation of success. Get started so you can begin making them and achieve successs that much sooner.

That's my advice as we end the year 2008.

I've had a lot of professional and personal highs and lows this year. I'm glad to see the end of 2008, mainly for personal reasons. I look forward to 2009 for professional reasons. Happy New Year everybody. Be safe and be happy.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500
$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Making Money Online: The Secret Many Online Entrepreneurs Harbor

2008-12-29T09:52:00.006-05:00

As I make my living completely online -- and do more than okay as a freelance writer -- it may come as a shock that I'm unmotivated most of the time. Many days I'm operating in "have to" mode, not "want to" mode.

Today over at BloggingTips.com, I talked about why this is -- and why I think many successful online entrepreneurs feel the same way. It's an inside peek at what really goes on in the minds of many who others may think "are so lucky." So why then are so many of us unmotivated?

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hrs for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: How to Market for Work in 2009

2008-12-24T11:38:00.004-05:00

Just wrapped up a three-part series on BloggingTips.com about how to market for work in 2009. Today's post covers an area I get asked about a lot -- ie, how to set freelance writing rates to make a real living. I outline how I set my rates.

Hope you find the post useful and informative.

Merry Christmas Eve everybody. Now go on, log off and hang out with your family. Even if they annoy the heck out of you, they're still family and it is almost Christmas. They'll be leaving soon enough. :-)

Wanna appear on this blog? Submit a guest post.

Yuwanda (Wanna know what I'm up to? Check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: Are You Ready for Work in 2009?

2008-12-22T17:29:00.005-05:00

Over at bloggingtips.com today, I talk about gearing up for work in 2009. I know not many of your are listening/reading. Heck, I can't even believe I'm updating my blog. I want to be drinking egg nog, baking cookies and forgetting that I even have a computer.

BUT, 2009 is right around the corner. And planning is 90% of success. So, this week I'm doing a 3-part series on how to start marketing for freelance writing jobs in 2009. Check it out and get a leg up on the competition.

Wanna appear on this blog? Submit a guest post. That's it for today.

Yuwanda (anytime you wanna know what I'm up to, check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Stick to Your Freelance Writing Rates

2008-12-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

I blogged about a situation I had with one client recently where I stuck to my pricing guns. It's a scenario all freelace writers will have to deal with at some point. I hope it proves insightful.

Read, Freelance Writing Rates: How to Stick to Your Pricing Guns, at BloggingTips.com.

Wanna appear on this blog? Submit a guest post.Nothing more than that to say today dear readers. Hope y'all (yep, I'm southern) had a good weekend.

Yuwanda (anytime you wanna know what I'm up to, check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Need a Belly Laugh this Monday Afternoon?

2008-12-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

I recently joined Twitter, just in case you're new here and didn't know. And, this one blog I discovered via joining has made it all worth while. I wish I could be this funny and nasty at the same time -- and have people get it without being ultra offended (a little part of you is probably gonna be a little offended with every post from this blogger).

If you're kinda morally straightlaced and are easily offended, then don't click through. But if you like a real, coffee squirting through the nose, funny a** read that catches you off guard every time, then this blog is a must read.

The woman is simply brilliant in my book. Rock on Bloggess!

Wanna appear on this blog? Submit a guest post.

Nothing more than that to say today dear readers. Hope y'all (yep, I'm southern) had a good weekend.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Guest Bloggers Wanted

2008-12-12T13:14:00.001-05:00

This post has been moved to http://inkwelleditorial.com/guest-posts-wanted-submission-guidelines.

I look forward to receiving your guest posts.

Yuwanda

Do You Have the Balls to Be a Freelance Writer?

2008-12-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

I am not a guru!

I woke up feeling a little frustrated ths morning. About what? I've gotten four inquiries in the last day and a half about how to start a freelance writing career. Three were from those who had even gone so far as to write samples and put up websites, but hadn't started to market yet.

What are you waiting for!

This frustrates me b/c I spend so much time writing and dispensing information about how to be a succesful freelance writer (ahem, the name of this blog and it's accompanying website). BUT, I'm not a guru. I'm not a shrink. I'm not a career counselor. I can't hold your hand. I have my own work to do.

You're grown, probably highly educated, no doubt skilled -- I can't baby sit you through your fears. So, that was the impetus for the post Do You Have the Balls to Be a Freelance Writer or Blogger?

Have a PARTICULAR client question or problem, yeah, I can probably help. A basic "I'm scared to get started" query. You're on your own. I'm way too busy.

And if this sounds harsh, then understand where I'm coming from.

Poverty: The Great Motivator

I grew up poor -- loving family, extremely supportive -- but we were poor. I never felt poor though b/c my parents always told me I could do anything I wanted -- as long as I got an education and worked hard (which I've done and do). This gave me a rich spirit'; a belief in myself.

I get frustrated when asked simple questions from readers, because it's like, "Are you kidding me? If you spent five seconds researching this you can find it out on your own."

The Internet Is Your Friend When Starting a Business

Every business I've ever started -- and there've been quite a few -- I've done all the "unpaid" background research myself. It's how I discover 95% of what I know (for better or worse).

Take SEO writing for example. Nobody taught me. I spent hours (and still do) reading about it. What is meta tag writing? I researched it. What is social media marketing? Thanks Google for enlightening me.

My point? While I may consult those who are doing what I want to do, I don't insult them by asking basic questions that minimal online research can answer.

I ask targeted questions after doing extensive research on my own. This lets the "guru" I'm consulting know that I've put in time and effort -- so as not to waste their time and effort. This lets them know I'm serious. Hence, they are much more likely to take time from their busy schedules to help.

Scared of What?

As for addressing any fears I have, I just don't even let that enter my head. Maybe it's a personality quirk, maybe it's how I was raised or a combination of the two. But fear is an emotion I just don't entertain when it comes to business.

Do I get scared? Yes. But, what scares me more is not challenging myself. For it's when you challenge yourself that you wring the joy, the passion, the drive out of life. And, THIS is living. NOT sitting in some corner second guessing myself.

I'm no wallflower!

Did I Offend You?

If I've offended some, sorry. Don't stop by again. If I've lit a fire under some -- great! That's the whole point of this post. If I've scared you -- then your challenge is to address that fear. It's not about my words -- it's something that's inside you that my words hit upon. Drag it out into the daylight and deal with it so you can live the fullest life possible.

Now, I have a TON of work to get to today. And if you want to start a freelance writing career where your days are filled with tons of work -- get to it!

Other Posts from Blogging Tips I Wrote This Week You May Like
Freelance Writers & Bloggers: How to Bill and Get Paid Quickly

For Busy Freelance (SEO) Writers: How to Choose a Social Media Marketing Outlet

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: How to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Legitimate Freelance Writing Jobs Website?

2008-12-04T10:37:00.000-05:00

Two things today dear readers: (i) a website where freelancers can make money (maybe); and (ii) I’m kinda pissed at you guys. Let’s get to number ii first.

Why I’m Kinda Pissed at You Guys!

And I say the following with the utmost love, of course.

In the last issue of Inkwell Editorial’s freelance writing newsletter, I talked about how I was suspending publication for a while because I needed to focus more on my new fast-growing SEO writing company. And, just when I do that, how do you respond? By writing in imploring me not to stop publishing it b/c it’s been such a great help, so inspiring, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Usually, you guys aren't so vocal. So I guess a lot of you really are reading the newsletter. What’s a girl to do!

Get the Inside Scoop on Constant-Content.com: How Much Can You Really Make?

I was going to suspend publication until the spring, but I have three great interviewees lined up so come January, the newsletter will be out again. January’s issue will give us the inside scoop on Constant-Content.com.

I interview freelancer Lisa Sanderson. She’s been using Constant-Content.com for a few years now. I like firsthand information, so I’m curious to see what she has to say about the site. I’ve been wondering about it for a while because I receive a lot of content requests from them – and they seem to pay a bit more than the article mill rates you find on a lot of freelance writing job sites.

Lisa's info should help you to make a decision as to whether or not the site would work for you.

Legitimate Freelance Writing Jobs Website?

I ran across ClicknWork.com in some web surfing and was wondering if anybody had any experience with it. It seems legit. They have work-from-home jobs for all kinds of professionals, including writers. For writers, the site says that you can make $5-$40 hour and that “writers work across many sectors …. and assignments come regularly.”

Learn more about ClicknWork freelance writing jobs. AND, don’t forget, if you have experience with this site, let me know (info *at* InkwellEditorial.com). I’d like to feature you in an interview in an upcoming issue of the newsletter.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

Freelance Writers: Interview Request

2008-12-03T11:19:00.000-05:00

Small business consultant working on a Feasibility Assessment for a client needs an interviewee for the following. She writes:

"[My] client . . . wants to build a freelance business around selling his stories and photos to publications. I'm trying to figure out how tough this is in today's market and if the process has changed any in the last 15 or 20 years.

This profile on InkwellEditorial.com inspired her to contact me, but I no longer have Mr. Grigg's information on file. She's looking for someone with a similar background.

If you can help, please get in touch with her at lscumm@aol.com. Her name is Linda Cummings and she's a Vocational/Small Business Consultant who works with state voc rehab agencies, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and others.

Want to know what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

New Freelance Writers: How to Make Your First $100 Online In Less Than 24 Hours

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Take Your Freelance Writing Biz to the Next Level

2008-12-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

Today over at BloggingTips.com I wrote about how to use special reports to land more freelance writing gigs.

What to Put in a Special Report to Land More Freelance Writing Gigs

Just to expand on this a bit here, you may be wondering what to put in a report of this kind. It’s simple really. Ask yourself one question, ie, “What are some things that clients are constantly asking me about?”

Do a thorough manual that addresses all of these. It can be short or long. I’d suggest no more than 5-10 pages though, or it might not get read. It will not only make your freelance writing business seem more professional, it will set you apart from the competition.

Take Your Freelance Writing Business to the Next Level

Remember, marketing is a conglomeration of all of the things you do to “brand” your freelance writing business.

While I hate that term (reminds me of scorching animals), if you want to move to the next level as a freelance writer, you have to start mimicking what successful companies do. And boy, do they brand themselves!

Want to what a typical day in the life of a busy SEO copywriter and new media marketing consultant is like? Follow me on Twitter.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Topics Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Gain an Instant Following Online

2008-12-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

I now Twitter! Upon signup, I immediately had a following of . . . 3! Hey, not bad for a few seconds. I like Twitter b/c it literally takes a few seconds to update. With my schedule, this fits perfectly.

So, if you ever wonder what I'm doing on any given day (M-F), just follow me on Twitter, for it's going to be a regular part of my day.

Marathon Day Run

For those who read the Inkwell Editorial Newsletter, you know I've been in training for the half marathon (13.1 miles) that was held on Thanksgiving Day (Atlanta). I finished in 2:25:09. I ran the whole thing.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to run the entire distance b/c my training had been so sporadic. But, I gutted it out. Now, I have two marathon medals (did the full marathon in Nov 2006) and am in training for my third, the ING Marathon in March here in Atlanta.

I'm officially a marathon girl! And, as I literally ate my way through the holiday weekend (and the season has just begun), this is a very good thing.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

2008-11-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

If you saw a freelance writing job ad like this, you’d probably look at it. But, you’d probably bypass it, thinking it was some kind of scam. But, it’s not. Welcome to the world of case studies.

What is a Case Study?

A case study is really an elongated client testimonial. They are frequently referred to as success stories. What makes case studies different from normal testimonials is how they’re presented. They’re written in a semi in-depth, journalistic style.

Case studies can vary in length, but they are usually 3-4 pages; 1,500-2,000 words. They consist of 3-4 parts, depending on the layout you use. The one I like is the following. Note: New Media Words, my new SEO writing company, is the firm profiled in the following faux case study.

Part I: Company Profile. This is where you’d write the client profile, eg, type of business. Remember, case studies are short, so you don’t need a lot of info.

Example: New Media Words is an SEO writing and internet marketing outsource firm.

The company partners with web design firms, advertising agencies, internet marketing firms, and other new media enterprises to provide affordable SEO writing, social media marketing and internet marketing solutions to their clients.

Part II: Problem. Here is where you’d list the problem that the client product/service solved.

Example: XYZ Widget Company's problem was how to drive traffic to its new website. It had recently been redesigned with an eye towards increasing online sales.

Part III: Solution. This is the proposed solution.

Example: New Media Words’ solution was three-fold.

i) The first was an in-depth consultation. The purpose of the consultation was two-fold: (a) to gather all the necessary information to provide effective short- and long-term internet marketing solutions; and (b) to assist clients in gaining a better understanding of how online marketing works, and the results to expect.

ii) The second part of the solution was to implement a short-term plan of action: A social media marketing campaign was recommended to start gaining some immediate web traffic.

iii) The third part of the solution was to implement a long-term plan of action. An ongoing article marketing campaign was recommended to sustain – and continually grow – web traffic.

Part IV: Results Achieved. This is where you spell out how using the company’s product/service helped their customer. This is the real “selling portion” of the case study. It’s where the company gets to shine.

Example: During the first 90 days, XYZ Widget Company’s tripled its web traffic. As a result, online sales increased by 22% -- more than 10% over XYZ Widget Company's projections.

To gain the most traction from the social media marketing campaign, New Media Words authored an industry report, which went viral and accounted for the bulk of this traffic.

The report continues to generate buzz, and XYZ Widget Company has decided to have New Media Words write this report every year. This allows XYZ to set itself up as an industry authority, giving it a competitive edge over its competition. The report will be a free giveaway every year.

After six months, XYZ Widget Company had achieved front-page Google results for three of its most profitable keyword phrases, all due to the aggressive article marketing campaign implemented by New Media Words. After six months, online sales had increased by 37%.

John Doe, the marketing manager said of New Media Words:

We didn’t know a lot about internet marketing. Most of our marketing efforts have been concentrated offline. But luckily the New Media Words team did. Their command of online marketing strategies like social media marketing and SEO article writing achieved results we didn’t expect to see for two years. They did it in six months. We couldn’t be more thrilled!

And that, people, is the power of a case study. After reading that, wouldn’t you want to hire New Media Words to handle your online marketing needs?

Here is an actual New Media Words case study on how we helped our client, Ephricon Web Marketing, to get results for their clients.

The 3 Elements of a Good Case Study

A case study is only as good as the information presented. You need three elements primarily, ie:

a) You have to present the problem in a way that others can relate to. Eg, “Yeah, how do you drive traffic to a newly designed website if you know very little about online marketing?”

b) You must present concrete solutions. This means explaining how the solution was approached (eg, New Media Words’ three-pronged attack). You want potential clients to think, “Wow, now I see why they chose to go that route. Maybe they can help me put together an online marketing strategy for my business.”

c) You must provide real, tangible results: This means using numbers, (eg, increased online sales by 37%, tripled web traffic in 90 days). This not only makes it believable, it starts client minds to churning with thoughts like, “If they can do that for that business, even if they only achieved half the results for mine, I’d be happy. Let me give them a call.”

How Much Should Freelance Writers Charge to Write Case Studies?

As mentioned in the beginning of this post, case studies start at a low of $1,500, and can go on up to $20,000 or $30,000. Most fall in the $1,500 to $5,000 range.

At New Media Words, we charge $750. Why less? Because most of our clients are online businesses. Hence, they tend to want short, sweet case studies that don’t require as much interviewing and research as a traditional, offline business for example.
###

The Rest of the Week: That's it for this week's posts. Enjoy the following old favorite. I wrote it a couple of years ago, and it's one of the most popular articles I've ever written: The Freelance Writer's Thanksgiving Prayer.

To my American counterparts, here's to a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. To my friends in the rest of the world, wish us Americans good luck as we try to squeeze back into our pre-Thanksgiving Levi's!

Turkily yours,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all of the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Get the Latest Issue of the Newsletter -- Topic: The #1 Way to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0 ***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Holiday Blog Marketing: Are You Making This All-Too-Common Mistake?

2008-11-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

Come back here you. Yes, you! I know you're in holiday mode and everything, but before you rush off, you have one more thing to do. If not, you could be making the biggest mistake many freelance writers, bloggers and online entrepreneurs make.

It's almost 2 pm EST, and I'm about to close up for today -- BUT, I did this before even thinking about heading out to do some holiday shopping and errands. Did you? Find out what it is here.

From Laid Off New Mommy to Freelance (SEO) Writing Success!

I received this email from a new freelance writer who has really taken the SEO freelance writing bull by the horns and is running with it. I share this to remind those of you who may be wondering if you can succeed as a freelance writer, who may be scared to try, or procrastinating on starting . . . it proves that if you put out the effort, the rewards can be yours.

Katrina wrote:

Hi Yuwanda!

I have some very exciting news for you. I have to send you a major thank you because your SEO book has opened a whole new career opportunity for me. We spoke on the phone last month. I called to ask you about pricing and communicating with potential clients. You were so very gracious in our phone conversation and led me through what I needed to know.

Well, I started writing for a few websites in addition to individual web designers. One of the websites was Bright Hub. I applied what I learned through your articles/books and other sources about SEO to write my articles. All the ones I optimized ended up on the first page of Google for their keywords.

The VP of Marketing for Bright Hub contacted me a few weeks later to let me know that she had heard great things about me and my articles. She asked me to be the managing editor for the new fitness channel they were starting! I was so thrilled when I read the email from her that I didn't know what to do besides squeal (and scare my husband in the process). :-)

I couldn't have done this without learning what you teach about being a good writer in general, managing my time, SEO, and all the other great info you share on a regular basis. I will be referring my writers to your blog to learn about SEO and all the other things they need to know about being a good freelance writer.

I'm so richly blessed by God, I have to tell you. I was laid off earlier this year a few days before I was supposed to return to work after maternity leave. I had a new baby, lots of bills and no job.

It was so hard to tell my husband that I didn't have a job to go back to. I decided that I could either pout about it or add to my skill set and start marketing myself (emphasis added -- this is the kind of chutzpah needed to make it as a freelance writer!). I became self-employed as a freelance writer thereafter, and it turns out that getting laid off was a blessing!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

View Katrina's BrightHub profile.

Tomorrow: Case studies, as in, how to make money with them. They're so easy to do - and clients pay a mint for them!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all of the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Get the Latest Issue of the Newsletter -- Topic: The #1 Way to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

The $150,000/Year SEO Writer

2008-11-20T14:44:00.002-05:00

Hey, be careful what you wish for peeps, b/c you just might get it! In the latest edition of Inkwell's newsletter, I put the power of intent to work. I stated that my goal for my newly launched SEO writing company was $150,000 next year.

What It Takes to Make $150,000/Year as a Freelance Writer

I've been getting up earlier, and taking on more work. In essence, I've decided to put the pedal to the metal and challenge myself to live up to my full potential. My new motto is, if a black man can become president of the United States of America (which I never thought I'd live to see in this lifetime), I can certainly make $150,000 year as an SEO writer.

And I'll be darned if projects haven't been flowing in like crazy! It's as if the universe is saying, "Hey, if you're willing to put in the work, I'll throw you all you can handle."

My week so far:

On Monday I wrote 20 SEO articles and did a blogging gig. I outsourced the remainder. I usually outsource the bulk of my projects. The reality is, I don't work nearly as hard as I could; I haven't for years.

But, I've decided to dive in and do more of the work b/c like I said, I just want to push myself to see what's possible. In essence, get off my toukas and work like my parents and grandparents always did. My record had been 18 articles in one day.

On Tuesday I wrote a record 27 SEO articles and completed a blogging gig. I outsourced some other work that came in. I'm never doing that again. I now know my daily writing limit (15-20 articles).

Yesterday I wrote 20 SEO articles, and did a short blogging gig. I was exhausted from the previous two days, so didn't even attempt to do anything else. I outsourced a few other projects.

I've been marketing all day today, finishing up a case study, tweaking the new site and catching up on correspondence.

Remember, I'm also training for a marathon, and also do marketing for InkwellEditorial.com and write and publish my own ebooks. I've been falling into bed exhausted, but excited that I'm already on track to surpass the $150,000/year goal - not that I'm trying to, believe me.

Tomorrow, I already have another 20 articles on tap and 6 blog posts. I also have 3 ebook writing proposals out that I'm waiting to hear back on (seems clients are really enamored with that service all of a sudden).

There is TONS of Freelance Writing Work Out There!

My point in relaying all of this is two fold: (i) there is TONS of freelance writing work out there; and (ii) intent coupled with action is a powerful thing. I really do need to pick up that book, The Secret. Isn't that what it's all about?

Now, I just wished intent worked this way when I wish for thinner thighs -- so far, no dice.

Get Featured, Get Published!

Freelance writing website cuckleburr.com seeking submissions. The editor, Kay wrote me the following, "I'm always looking for quality submissions so if you know of anyone else that would be interested in sending us something, I'd be grateful if you could tell them about us."

There you go Kay!

No pay, but exposure. They featured one of my articles today. I think they found it on EzineArticles.com (that's the power of article marketing folks). It's a very professinally done site, so if you have a product/service of interest to writers that you promote, you definitely want to send something over to Kay.

That's it for this week folks.

Next Tuesday -- case studies, as in, how to make money with them. They're so easy to do - and clients pay a mint for them!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all of the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot, Popular Posts
Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Current Issue: The #1 Way to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

The #1 Way to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer

2008-11-12T21:53:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of Inkwell Editorial's newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, was published today. The topic, maximizing your freelance writing income.

I've been at this since 1993 and I'm constantly amazed at how my career evolves and how much more there always is to learn. Learn from my mistakes and insights. I divulge the #1 way to make more money as a freelance writer -- as well as some other sage advice.

How to Make $12,000 a Year from Your Blog

I've been a little lax blogging here, which I talked about in this post.

But, I appear three times a week over at BloggingTips.com. Read the latest posts, a two-part series here: Blog Marketing: How to Make $12,000/Year from Your Blog, and here: The $12,000/Year Blog Marketing Campaign Explained.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all of the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: The #1 Way to Make the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. Wanna know what it is? Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

New SEO Writing Company Launch -- & Some Other Stuff

2008-11-10T12:48:00.000-05:00

Even though I'm sick as a dog today (slamming toothache which has led to a headache, stomach ache (medicine I took for the toothache) and cold, clammy chills), I'm really excited about the launch of my new SEO writing company -- New Media Words.

For Clients Who Want Social Media Marketing

FYI, the new site offers everything a client would want in the way of new media marketing, including social media. Check out the expanded service listings -- and place your order today!

Sorry about the promotional digression, but I am a marketer at heart!

And Now, Back to the Particulars of the Site

I'm 90% done with the site, and will be finishing it up either later today or tomorrow. In my last post here, I talked about the need to update all of my web presences (InkwellEditorial.com, this blog, SEO-Article-Writer.com and SEO-Articles-for-Sale.com). Well, I wasn't kidding. I'll be forwarding SEO-Article-Writer.com and SEO-Articles-for-Sale.com to NewMediaWords.biz, my new SEO writing site.

That leaves InkwellEditorial.com and this blog, InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com.

New Posting Schedule for InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com

Once I finish with the New Media Words site, I'll be turning my attention to learning all I need to know to work with my newly designed site, which was completed this past summer in wordpress. As I said in my last post here, it's gorgeous and I can't wait to get it up and going.

Realistically, that's going to take me the rest of the year to do. I have to upload and redirect over 300 pages on InkwellEditorial.com to the new site, which is a task in and of itself. Before that's done though, I need some lessons in wordpress, which I'll be starting next week.

Hence, I won't be posting regularly here again until the new year. Only if it's absolutely necessary. You guys really gave me a kick in the pants to bring my sites into the 21st century. And, I'm so glad you did.

Blogging Jobs: How Much Should You Charge to Blog?

If you want to catch me on a regular basis between now and mid-January, I post at BloggingTips.com every M-W around 10 am EST. Today's post is entitled, Blogging Jobs: How Much Should You Charge to Blog? Enjoy it!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all of the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $500, 1,000, or $3,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Make Money w/Ugly, Free Blog Designs

2008-10-31T17:59:00.003-04:00

My blog design sucks. I know that. The design of my website sucks even more, as I've been told three times in the last two days. I know that too! Before I explain how to make money with ugly, free blog designs, let me tell you what inspired this post.

Copyblogger.com! My post there earlier in the week entitled, Where Have all the Freelance Writing Jobs Gone, started it all. Copyblogger is a megapopular blog for freelance writers. It has almost 45,000 subscribers to its RSS feed. Hence, it gets a lot of traffic.

And, apparently my site and blog just don't measure up. And ya know what -- I can't even get mad at those who wrote me to tell me so (they were all very nice) because it's true.

But, my ugly blog and website still make me money. And yours can too! How?

Don't let what you can't do slow you down. Obviously I'm a writer; not a web designer. My skills in this area are very limited. I'm a self-taught HTMLer, and this language is becoming about as old and staid as this presidential campaign has been long (sorry, could resist that!).

I need to move my sites into the 21st century (ie, wordpress). But, I don't know anything about cascading style sheets (CSS) and all the other stuff you have to know to work in wordpress. And, I don't have the time to learn right now. So, I keep working in what I know (HTML/FrontPage).

Is this limiting my growth and my income? For sure. BUT, not to the point (yet) that my business is not growing. AND, that's because I focus on what I do know how to do (write/market) -- instead of what I don't know (graphic design/programming).

Note: I already have a new site designed in wordpress and it's gorgeous! I can't wait to use it. But, I have over 300 pages that I have to migrate over. This means each page has to be redirected to its new page name. To pay someone to do this ranges from 3K to 7K according to the quotes I've gotten. And, that's just not in the budget right now.

So I plug away on my old site.

How to Know When It's Time to Bite the Bullet & Change

I'm the kind of person who has to be pushed into change -- especially when it comes to technology. My brain just can't seem to wrap itself around a lot of it. I find this particularly ironic since I'm sort of a tech writer (as in, knowing and understanding internet marketing technology, NOT programming/design).

But, I know it's time to make the switch. Following are some guidelines that signal when it's time to take the bull by the horns and implement change.

1. Your Peers Are Telling You So: Getting three comments in two days about how horrible my site is make me pause and go, "It's time." When well-meaning peers start telling you that you need to upgrade -- and doing it in groups no less! -- then it's probably time to change.

2. When You Know You Could Be Making More Money: Two of the three people who wrote in about my site practically begged me to change it because I was "leaving money on the table," so to speak.

And I know they're right.

3. When You Could Be Hurting Your Career: Your web presence says a lot about you. It's your face to the world, espeically in freelance writing b/c most of the time we never meet our clients.

I'm lucky in that I have long-time clients who refer me a lot, so I don't have to rely on my site to do so much selling for me. But, imagine what could happen if my site matched my reputation as a writer. Hmmm . . . can we say car paid off 1.5 years early instead of 6 mos to one year early.

4. You're No Longer Proud of Your Web Presence: When you dread logging onto your own site, then it's time to change. Looking at the new site design just sitting there waiting to be used made me drool the other day. Compared to my site now, it's like comparing Jimmy Choo sandals to Payless brands. The new site really is that gorgeous -- and the old one is that bad.

All of this made me realize that I have to carve out time to update all of my web presences (InkwellEditorial.com, InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com and SEO-Article-Writer.com (I'll be retiring SEO-Articles-For-Sale.com)). And, I have to do it sooner rather than later.

So by the new year, all of my websites will look 21st century slick. While the timing sucks, I realize that if I don't make time to do it, it'll be another 6 months to a year before I get around to it -- and that will never do.

Besides, I have some new services offerings, a new affiliate program and a revamped SEO writing company that I'm itching to market -- all of which I'd planned to have ready by the new year. So while the redesigns won't be easy, they will get done.

I heard you everybody, and thank you for taking the time to write in. I truly appreciate it.

120,000+ New Blog Readers? My Freelance Writing Jobs report got written up on Sitepoint.com. For those who don't know, this is a major tech site that gets over 120,000 visitors a day. And they'll all be eyeballing my ugy site (waaaggghhhhh!!).

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Where are the Freelance Writing Jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $500, 1,000, or $3,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

One Email -- $2,000 Worth of Work!

2008-10-29T10:01:00.001-04:00

Before I get to the title of today's email, just want to let you know in case you've been following along that I wrapped up the unofficial six-part series on internet marketing over at BloggingTips.com today. I end it with a look at how to place a traffic-drawing, sales-increasing online ad.

Not the mechanics of it, mind you, but some concrete guidelines to keep in mind as you go about trying to figure out where to place an ad, for how long, how to write it, etc. I hope you've enjoyed this series.

One Email -- $2,000 Worth of Work!

I addressed the question of how to find freelance writing jobs in this post on Copyblogger.com yesterday. The comments to it really highlight what I've been saying all along, ie, "In spite of the economy, there is tons of work out there." Proof?

I did an e-blast to about 50 contacts on Monday and got in about $2,000 worth of work this week -- with several more "maybes" on other projects.

FYI, I rarely send eblasts to this many contacts. I usually do 1-5 contacts per day, but wanted to fulfill a "quota" since I'd been a little lax in marketing the last couple of weeks. And this is why I don't; I usually get overwhelmed. But as the holidays are coming, I'm grateful.

Freelance Writers are in Demand

In speaking with two clients (internet marketing firms), they told me they are busier than ever.

You have to market to bring in the work though. If you do this consistently, you will get work -- it's almost guaranteed. I receive emails all the time about how I get work, which was the impetus for the ebook How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs. Within, I disclose all the methods I've used for years to ferret out freelance writing jobs.

One thing I can tell you is that "unpublished" freelance writing jobs are so much easier to get because there's less competition. You'll rarely look at a job board again if you market like this.

Now I'm off to kill off some deadlines!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Where are the Freelance Writing Jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $500, 1,000, or $3,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: How to Find Affordable Outlets to Advertise In/On

2008-10-28T17:04:00.000-04:00

Last week, I wrote a three-part series on internet marketing over at BloggingTips.com that’s kind of morphed into an unofficial six-part series. In today's installment, I tell you the methods I use to track down affordable sites to advertise my ebooks on.

If you write and self-publish information products-- or are thinking about it -- you don't want to miss this post.

Where ARE all the freelance writing jobs? The 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report tells you. It's a detailed report that outlines all of the "hot" freelance writing niches -- now, and next year as well.

Why the recession is good for freelance writers: Read more on how to use a down economy to snag more jobs, and other useful advice about how to stay afloat in this economy as a freelance writer. It's in my post featured on CopyBlogger.com today.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Popular Blog Posts
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: Where to Spend Money to Make Money Online

2008-10-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

In a continuation from my series entitled Internet Marketing: How to Tell When to Start Spending Money to Make Money Online over at BloggingTips.com last week, today I get very specific.

Do you write and publish ebooks or promote some other product/service of interest to freelance writers, bloggers and internet marketers? If so and you want to reach more prospects, you'll want to check out today's post because I outline 5 places I've advertised and/or am thinking about advertising. One costs only $1 per week for front-page placement of an ad.

The post also addresses how to tell if an ad is effective and some insight into why certain forms of online advertising gives you ongoing coverage. Read the entire post here.

FYI, did you get the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report last Thursday, It's an exhaustive list of "hot" freelance writing niches -- now, and next year as well.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Popular Blog Posts
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Where Are the Freelance Writing Jobs?

2008-10-23T17:18:00.000-04:00

I spent all day today writing the in-depth report answering this question. The 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report is an exhaustive list of "hot" freelance writing niches. I explain why I think they're fertile right now, along with some ideas for how to capitalize on them.

How to Recession Proof Your Freelance Writing Career

At the end of the report you will find 4 tips for recession proofing your freelance writing career. A few times throughout the report I detail how to go about starting your own business using your writing skills to capitalize on a niche.

I hope you find it useful. At the very least, it should get the wheels turning as to where to look for freelance writing work.

Whomever doubts that writers dont work for their money, or that it is a "sit on your arse type of profession" that's not exhausting . . . well, after today, I'm here to tell ya -- eat goat cheese buster! Writing is exhausting.

I'm off to wind down by running a quick 5 miles. Sounds crazy I know, but that's what runners do to "relax."

Oh yeah, one more thing -- feel free to distribute the report far and wide. That's what it's for!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Should You Spend Money to Make Money Online?

2008-10-22T10:33:00.001-04:00

Today over at BloggingTips, I wrote the last part of a three-part series that talks about how to know when it's a good time to spend money to make money online.

As a self-published ebook writer and publisher, I've gotten a lot of response from readers. I think it's because I'm "Joe the Plumber," in a manner of speaking. Meaning that, there are a lot of people who want to make money online, but they don't have huge marketing budgets -- or any marketing budget for that matter. So when I say I'm a small-time marketer who's kind of just figuring things out as I go along, a lot of people can identify with that.

Spending Money to Make Money with Ebooks: The Series Continues

I'm extending the series because of the amount of interest it's generated. Here is what I'll be talking about next week.

On Monday I’ll list the websites I've advertised my ebooks on, as well as those I'm thinking about advertising on.

On Tuesday I’ll tell you how I found affordable outlets to advertise on, and how you can do so too if you’re an ebook writer.

On Wednesday I’ll talk about the tangibles that go into placing an ad (ie, how long the ad should run, how to glean info from the sales numbers, whether or not to advertise with an outlet again, etc.).

Tomorrow: 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report! Tomorrow I'll be publishing a monster freelance writing jobs report. It will cover niches that are hot right now -- and will continue to be so for the next year or two based on my forecasts. I'll explain why these niches are going to remain red hot and how you can capitalize on them.

If you want to increase your freelance writing income, you won't want to miss this special industry report.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Are You Losing Money by Not Spending Money to Make Money Online?

2008-10-21T10:52:00.001-04:00

Funky title, huh? Sounds like something Rose would say, which would cause Dorothy to crack her over the head with a newspaper for uttering (Golden Girls fans know what I mean).

In Part II of my post over at BloggingTips.com, I discuss rule #2 of how I knew it was time for me to start spending money to make money online, instead of using free methods like article marketing. An excerpt:

. . . the second guideline I used which highlighted to me that I was ready to start spending money to promote my ebooks was that I was ready to make more money. Specifically, more passive income. You may be shaking your head thinking, “Yeah, I’m ready to make more money. Who isn’t?” Well, let me explain how this came about.

Goal: Make a FT Living by Writing and Promoting a Line of Self-Published Ebooks

When I first starting writing and publishing my ebooks, I never thought of it as a way to make a full-time living. I thought of my ebook sales as a supplement to my freelance writing income.

If you write and promote ebooks or anything online, you might find the post insightful. I'd love to hear what you're think as online marketing is still so new. And, its evolving so quickly. While some have "cracked the code," so to speak to making tons of money online, most of us are newbies to the game.

I've been at it for four years now and am just starting to take it seriously. So chime in!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

2008-10-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Three things today dear readers:

(i) BloggingTips.com: The title of today' post is my post over at BloggingTips.com (BT). I've been hired to do more posts at BT -- from once a week to three times per week (M-W; 10 am EST). An excerpt from today's post reads:

I’ve been writing and publishing ebooks since 2004. I’ve never spent money to promote my line until recently. So, how did I decide it was time to take the plunge? Following are some guidelines – and my reasons – for deciding to take this route.

Do you have a product/service that you're thinking of promoting online? Wondering if you should start spending money to promote it? Maybe the guidelines and reasons I wrangled with will help you come to some conclusions. Read Internet Marketing: How to Tell When to Start Spending Money to Make Money Online for some helpful insights.

(ii) IW's e-Junkie Affiliate Program: It's finally up and running. If you become an affiliate, you get a portion of every ebook we sell on e-Junkie, even if you only promote one product. Why is this? That's the way the program is set up.

For example, if you just want to promote the SEO writing ebook, then you can do so. But, when visitors click through from your site and they buy two ebooks, you receive a commission from both sales, not just from the SEO writing ebook. FYI, we have 11 ebooks for sale on e-Junkie, and 25-30% of purchases are multiple sales.

BTW, the freelance writing e-course is not sold on e-Junkie yet. I want to revise it a little before adding it. I'll do this either this week, or over the weekend. Click here to find out all the details on the program -- and to download the 4 free affiliate marketing reports. They help you sell more online, no matter what you're promoting (our products or someone else's).

(iii) Finding Information on InkwellEditorial.com: I receive a lot of queries from readers that I am simply unable to answer personally. Most of the time it's about marketing. Some other popular topics are ebook writing and publishing, seo writing and freelance contracts (I get this one quite often).

Many times, the info is on the site, which has over 300 pages -- and is growing weekly. As I'm unable to respond to every query, here's how to find info on InkwellEditorial.com.

Here's to a profitable week and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics

Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

What's It Like to Be a Freelance Education Writer?

2008-10-15T10:59:00.002-04:00

Our freelance writing success story series has been revived!

Christine Venzon details how she found success as a freelance education writer. She explains three lessons she's learned, how she got started, how she cracked a very difficult niche -- children's magazines -- and much more. If you're curious about how to become a freelance education writer, read Christine's account. Following is an excerpt:

It's [education writing] one of those overlooked opportunities in freelance writing: not every educational writer is an educator. Sometimes we're as much student as teacher.

I started writing some 15 years ago, right out of college. I'd planned to freelance, fly solo all the way. But after six months with just two bylines, I was happy enough for the quasi-security of a project worker with one of McGraw-Hill's textbook publishing divisions. My first assignment was as a humble researcher for a child care book. I read magazine and newspaper articles and chapters from competitors' books and sorted them according to topic: preschool, parenting, toileting.

Get Paid to Contribute! FYI, InkwellEditoiral.com has several freelance writing series for which I pay freelancers to contribute. In addition to the success series, there's the A Day in the Life of ... series, the International (working abroad) series, and the Best job/Worst job/Most unusual job series.

I'll publish roughly one contribution a month of those submitted. Log on, read the guidelines and send in your story.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

2008-10-14T11:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I sent a proposal over to a client who wanted me to rewrite a home page for one of his client sites. I was told that my rate was too high. I politely thanked him for thinking of me and promptly forgot about it.

Client Background: This is a client that I work with on a regular basis. He tends to be a bit of a stickler on rates, so I quote him with that in mind -- to a certain degree.

How to Take It When You Lose a Project Because Your Rates are "Too High"

It didn't bother me to lose the project because I know what it would have required. Instead of a rewrite, it would have required me to start from scratch. I had written some SEO articles for the site -- at the request of this same client -- so was familiar with it.

While I was writing the SEO articles, it had occurred to me that the site needed a complete overhaul, as it was disjointed and didn't spell out the benefits to the clients. Instead, it talked about the company and what they did.

This is one of the major mistakes many clients make -- they try to sell themselves based on what they do -- instead of what their product/service will do for their target market. But, I digress.

When I'm told that my rates are too high, I don't fret, for the following reasons:

Striking a Balance: I know it's a sign that I've struck a good balance. If you don't hear from clients every once in a while that your rates are too high -- you should probably be charging more. The reason is, you’re not challenging the market -- ie, charging what it will bear. You always want to push this envelope to be paid what you're truly worth.

Higher-End Clients: Clients run the gamut -- from simple price shoppers to high-end, "value-oriented" clients. Price shoppers will almost always be looking for the cheapest rates. Higher-end clients put a premium on the value that you as a freelance writer bring to their business.

They won't quibble as much about rate -- they just want the project done right. Strangely enough, many higher-end clients won't even consider using freelance writers who charge too little because they're skeptical about the value you can provide.

Therefore, when you set your freelance writing rates, set them with higher-end clients in mind, not lower-end, price-shopping clients. Why? Because as soon as price-shopping clients find another freelance writer with lower rates (and they always can), they will jump ship.

Higher-end clients tend to be more loyal because, again, they look at the long-term value you bring to their business, not what a particular project is costing them.

Freelance Writing Rates: How to Price Your Services Right

When deciding on your freelance writing rates chart, one of the best ways to know what to charge is to actually do a project. For example, if you’re an SEO copywriter and want to know how long it takes to churn out a 350-500 word, keyword-driven article -- write one.

If you want to know how long it takes to pull together a case study, research and write one. FYI, this doesn't have to be work you do in vain. For example, you can write a case study on your business and use it as a marketing piece.

There's nothing like first-hand knowledge. With this in hand, you will be able to comfortably come up with competitive freelance writing rates.

Just some food for thought.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Get Freelance Writers to Work for Free

2008-10-08T12:21:00.001-04:00

Some freelance writers work for free and don't even realize it. It kind of pisses me off because we seem to be one of the only professions I know of who - as a group -- are highly educated and very skilled. Yet, we are more than willing to spend our time working for mere pennies.

And, this has nothing to do with freelance writing rates. It has to do with how we go about branding ourselves -- or not. Are you one of these freelance writers? Read my post today, How to Get Freelance Writers to Work for Free, at BloggingTips.com for details. Feel free to share your thoughts.

New Ebook! In other news, I'm working on a new ebook, How to Get Out of Debt on a Freelance Salary. It's one that's been on my list to write for a while. With the current credit crisis, bank failures and mortgage industry meltdown, it seems that it couldn't be more timely.

Freelancers have an uncertain salary to begin with. The economic troubles now have a lot of of us running scared. There's no need to be. In spite of what's going on, I've been able to make some good progress paying off debt. I'll explain how/why. Book will be finished in the next two weeks. I'll announce it here.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out last Monday. The topic of this issue is how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent Hot Blog Topics

Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Create “Sticky” Clients and Make More Money

2008-10-07T13:25:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I promised to write a tutorial on how to create sticky clients -- ie, clients who will want to use you over and over again. I posted it earlier today. It details 5 ways to land more freelance writing jobs by creating client loyalty.

Tomorrow over at BloggingTips.com, I'll talk about why it's important to brand yourself as a freelance writer, instead of spending your time branding freelance writing sites like AssociatedContent.com (AC), Helium.com, Hubpages.com and a host of others.

A lot of freelance writers do this. The idea for this article was inspired by a new freelance writer on AC who wrote me the following:

WOW! If Associated Content is the Wild West of the Internet, I've just struck gold in finding you. What a wealth of information. THANK YOU! I'm curious though why, on your InkwellEditorial.com website, you don't just create links to associatedcontent.com instead of writing your whole articles there so you can increase your views.

I'll explain why no freelance writer should do this -- in my humble opinion. Stay tuned!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out last Monday. The topic of this issue is how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Topics on the Blog

Internet Marketing: How to Use the News to Drive Traffic and Increase Web Sales

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Current Issue Topic: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Company Laying Off Workers Seeking Freelance Copy Editors and Editors

2008-10-03T10:28:00.001-04:00

This week, I've written a few articles about how the recent bank failures, credit crisis and financial troubles on Wall Street is actually a good thing for freelance writers. Yesterday, I got a call from an old client that illustrates this point perfectly.

As many of you know, Inkwell Editorial was an editorial staffing agency in New York City (1996-2004). I used to recruit writers, editors, copy editors and other publishing professionals for all types of firms.

Company Laying Off Workers Seeking Freelance Copy Editors and Editors

Yesterday, I received a call from a Human Resources Director I worked with back in the late 90s (yep, they keep information on file for years). They're laying off a lot of workers (copy editors, editors and proofreaders), and she wanted to know if I could help them land new jobs.

I told her that I was no longer a recruiter, but a freelance writer myself. And, slipping into business mode, I pitched my services to her. She asked if I did editing and copy editing in addition to writing and I said, "Sure." She said that they still needed people to do copyediting and editing, even though they were laying off workers.

As I wrote in the article, Freelance Writers: Why the Current Credit Crisis Is a Good Thing for Your Career, "While companies are contracting, work still has to get done. And to whom do employers turn to get this work done? Temporary employees and/or freelancers."

I'll be sending her over some links to my website today, along with the name of a contact who may be able to help her find the laid off workers other positions. This is just a little food for thought, just in case you had any doubt about work being more bountiful now than ever for freelance writers.

So, get on your marketing and have a good weekend. FYI, you can get a head start by checking out How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs.

BTW, next week, I'll be writing a tutorial on how to create "sticky" clients (eg, make them want to use you over and over again). Stay tuned!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out on Monday and it was all about how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Wachovia: Another Bank Failure, Another Opportunity for Freelance Writers

2008-10-02T18:16:00.001-04:00

In yesterday's post, I wrote about how to use the news to increase traffic to your website/blog. Today's article, Wachovia: Another Bank Failure, Another Opportunity for Freelance Writers, illustrates perfectly how this is done.

Remember, website and blog traffic is built based on what people are searching for on the net. Make what's topical (what's being discussed in the news) relevant to your niche and you can increase traffic to your online presence, and make your site more interesting at the same time.

On a side note: I actually finished all of my work on time today. That freelance writing tip I relayed in Monday's post really works!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Internet Marketing: How to Use the News to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog

2008-10-01T21:58:00.001-04:00

In my regular Wednesday post over at BloggingTips.com, I talked about how to use current events -- eg, what's happening in the news -- to drive traffic to your website or blog.

This is not only a fun way to drive more traffic, but it keeps your posts fresh and timely because it forces you to think about the totality of your demographic's lives. Doing this creates true bonds with your readers, which leads to trust, which leads to sales.

Tomorrow, I'll post an article that illustrates this in detail. In the meantime, enjoy this post.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
Over and out for tonight!
P.S.: The newsletter came out on Monday and it was all about how to make passive income as a freelance writer. A delicious read, if I do say so myself. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

2008-09-29T15:42:00.001-04:00

If you drop by here regularly, then you know I'm a huge advocate of making lists to get things accomplished. It's one of the wrap-up tasks that I do before I log off at night. If I wake up without one, I'll create one before I start the day's work.

One thing I've started doing recently is not only writing down daily tasks, but allotting a certain amount of time to get each task done. So today, for example, my list looked like this:

10 Marketing Contacts (6:30-7:30)
2 Articles for Judith (7:30-9:00)
10 Articles for Kathleen (9-3)
Schedule Personal Bills (I bank online) (3:30-4)
Send out Invoices from last week (4-4:30)
1 AD (article directory) article for me (4:30-5:30)

Now, the fact that I overselpt and didn't crawl out of bed until 8am threw everything off. This means I rescheduled some tasks and will be working a little late tonight and getting up a little earlier tomorrow. No big deal.

Working on the road really showed me how much I could get done if I stopped lollygagging at home. And I'm not a real lollygagger. I tend to use my time pretty well. But it's just a fact of nature that when you work at home, it's easy to procrastinate b/c you know you can come back to a task later -- even if it's 11pm at night.

When I was on the road, I didn't WANT To come back to a project later b/c I was having too much fun in the evenings.

Try this and let me know how it works for you. You should be getting more work done, hence increasing your income.

Money-making tip: If you schedule time for nothing else, schedule time for marketing. Make a certain number of contacts each day and work will flow in eventually. That's a money-making tip you can take that to the bank!

Want to make $500/month or more in passive income? How to do it is in the latest copy of Inkwell Editorial's newsletter, which came out today. If you haven't received a copy, read an excerpt and subscribe.

Most Recent "Hot" Posts
Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

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How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all past issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months!Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

2008-09-25T11:27:00.003-04:00

Search engine optimization (SEO) is here to stay. And, it behooves all of us to learn what it is and how to use it effectively. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been an SEO copywriter since last year.

Today, I guest posted over at SEO-Scoop.com (a fantastic blog about all things SEO by the way) about how to write effective SEO content. While the post is written with potential SEO clients in mind, it contains information that all website and blog owners can apply to their online presences.

If you've ever wondered what SEO article writing is, how to write SEO articles and/or how SEO articles increase traffic and sales, this post, SEO Articles: Why They Are the Best Free Marketing on the Web Today, lays it all out in great detail.

Enjoy (and implement!).

Get the ebook on how to become an SEO copywriter. It's a very lucrative niche!

Most Recent "Hot" Posts
How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Business

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all past issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

2008-09-24T12:00:00.002-04:00

We'll get to the title of today's post in just a second. Before then, wanna know . . .

What's It Really Like to Work While Traveling as a Freelance Writer?

My post over at BloggingTips.com today highlights the pros and cons of working on the road as a freelance writer. Hope you enjoy it.

Today's Newsletter: Today, Inkwell Editorial's newsletter was supposed to be published. But, one of the travails of working on the road is not having all of your equipment at your fingertips. I write the newsletter in Word and convert it to a pdf file before uploading it.

Duhh, I don't have word on the laptop, so I'll publish it on Monday. But, I didn't want to leave you high and dry. So here's a sneak peek at what you'll be reading.

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

The subject of this month's newsletter is affiliate marketing. And, not some cheesy programs that promise to make you thousands of dollars a day. BUT, real ways to make a few hundred to a few thousand extra bucks a month. So, I went in search of real affiliate marketers and was lucky enough to land interviews with three who were kind enough to share their experiences, their methods -- and their income.

Boy was I blown away with how successful these gentlemen were -- and within a relatively small time frame. Here's a sneek peek at what they had to say:

Affiliate Marketer 1: Set a modest goal of $550 to $1,000 a month. Has hit it and and sometimes surpasses it. How does he do it? He writes: "- I ONLY promote compatible products and services that are in alignment with my niche.

Affiliate Marketer 2: Bumped along for almost three years before he finally hit on a money maker. What was it? An ebook he wrote and published in 2004 for his consulting practice. It started to generate more than $1,000/month in the spring of 2007.

In answer to the question, "What were you initial income goals?" he wrote:

Initially, my marketing goal was to build credibility for my business consulting practice. Somewhere in the months that followed, I found my blogging to be the perfect mouth piece to promote the book that I wrote (and self-published) in the spring of 2004. My activities finally evolved in late 2007 to a more robust money maker, and started generating in excess of $1000 per month.

Affiliate Marketer 3: Is working on making five figures a month -- and he only started taking affiliate marketing seriously this past January. He writes:

So, once I realized that it was make or break, my goal was to make $200 in a month. Then, from there... you gradually move it up and up as you grow and learn more (and take action). I've basically almost doubled my "goal" from the previous month each month... and I so far I've been lucky enough to beat it every time. Now I'm shooting for my first 5 figure affiliate marketing month (I'm almost there)... recently I hit my goal of a $1,000 day (actually it was $1k in an hour... and a bit over $2,500 in a 48 hour period)...

As you can see, this is an exciting issue coming up. Sorry for the delay in publishing (remember, it'll be out on Monday). If you haven't subscribed, here's how to do so.

Most Recent "Hot" Posts
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hours or Less for $0

Job Security for Freelance Writers: Lessons from Lehman Brothers & Merrill Lynch

4 Things You Can Do to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs: Fall Marketing Tutorial

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all past issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Business

2008-09-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

The heading of this post was today's topic over at BloggingTips.com (BT). An excerpt:

I was reading an interview featuring Markus Frind of PlentyofFish.com. Mr. Frind’s site is the world’s largest online dating website. According to published reports, Markus pulls in over $10,000 to $20,000 a day from Google AdSense alone. His overall income is $5 million to $10 million a year.

Plentyof Fish.com is one of the ugliest sites online. It looks like a newbie web designer threw it up, got it operational and turned his interest to something else. So, why then is it so successful? Read the rest here.

Last week at BT, I wrote about why globalization almost demands that freelance writers get upfront payment. Yeah, I've been keeping my blogging commitment to others, but have been a little lax with my own.

I'm hitting the road!

I'm off to New York City tomorrow. Have lined up a meeting with an internet marketing firm there, and plan to catch up with some friends as well. I'm psyched. After that, I'm off to St. Paul Minnesota for a week to visit another dear old friend -- I'll be working all the while I'm gone, but it's still gonna be nice to get away.

I used to travel quite a bit. Since I bought my house in 2004 though, I've been a homebody (a big a** mortgage kinda demands it), but I'm starting to fly the coop a little more.

Sushi in Minnesota?

FYI, if anybody has any ideas about what I should do in Minnesota, let me know. I've never been, so am excited to see something new (I love going to new places). I love sushi, so if anyone knows of any good sushi restaurants, email me (info-at-inkwelleditorial.com). Put "sushi" in the subject line please, cuz I'm only gonna be skimming my inbox over the next week or so.

The Gosh Darn Affiliate Program!

It simply is not ready to be uploaded. Even though I have only one pithy report to put finishing touches on, it's the other stuff that hangs me up -- ie, converting it to the right file format, uploading it, checking that all links work, yadda, yadda, yadda. I need an assistant!

I really could release it without the reports, but my Type A personality won't let me until I finish some tools I think will help make it worthwhile for you. Once it's up, it'll be ongoing forever, so that's why I keep pushing it back. I'm not even gonna say when again. The next time you hear about it, it'll be an announcement that it's ready. How's that?

And the Floodgates Opened: Is Anybody Else Swamped?

I swear, the harder I tried to prepare for this little trip, the more projects came out of the woodwork. It's like clients knew that I was trying to leave and wanted to get their order in beforehand. Today alone, three clients (two old, one new) placed new orders. One was big, which is what I'll be working on next week. This week alone, I've had 7 new projects come in . . . and this past Monday, I had just one sitting in my inbox. What a difference a few days make.

I'm not complaining, but it just goes to show you, if you market consistently, suddenly the floodgates will open and you'll be swamped. In August, I sent out tons of queries -- 100-200 a week. Now, all of that effort is coming to fruition. And just in time because I just got my annual property tax bill in the mail -- rats! At least paying it won't be a problem.

Most Recent Posts
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hours or Less for $0

Job Security for Freelance Writers: Lessons from Lehman Brothers & Merrill Lynch

4 Things You Can Do to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs: Fall Marketing Tutorial

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hours for $0

2008-09-16T18:33:00.001-04:00

I receive anywhere from 5-10 emails a week (a couple a day), asking me the same question, “How do I get started as a freelance writer?” The short answer is to just do it.

But, many wannabe freelance writers hold themselves back by simply not starting. They put roadblocks in the way that just astound me. Eg, I need a website, I don’t have samples, I don’t have any clients yet, etc. If you want to be a freelance writer, it's time to start being a doer – not a planner, a talker, or a dreamer – a doer!

Following is plan of action you can take to start a freelance writing career in 24 hours, or less -- for $0. Stop over thinking it and just do it!

3 Steps to Take to Start Your Freelance Writing Career

Most Recent Posts

Job Security for Freelance Writers: Lessons from Lehman Brothers & Merrill Lynch

4 Things You Can Do to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs: Fall Marketing Tutorial

New Website for Freelance Writers to Make Money: Review of TheSyndicatedNews.com

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Job Security for Freelance Writers: Lessons from Lehman Brothers & Merrill Lynch

2008-09-15T11:29:00.000-04:00

This morning I turned on CNN and the lead story in financial news was the Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch debacles. Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch is being sold to Bank of America for some $50 billion. And, not only that, AIG, the world's largest insurer, sought a bailout from the Federal Government, who turned it down.

What does all of this have to do with job security for freelance writers? Read today's entry on job security to find out. If you haven't taken the plunge into freelance writing, this article will open your eyes as to why you should -- even on a part-time basis.

Affiliate Program: Later on today, I'll finally upload the affiliate program info. I got busy with some last-minute client projects last week and just didn't have time to finish it up.

New Ebook: How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs.

Most Recent Posts
4 Things You Can Do to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs: Fall Marketing Tutorial

New Website for Freelance Writers to Make Money: Review of TheSyndicatedNews.com

How to Convince Clients That You’re the Right Writer for the Job

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

4 Things You Can Do to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs This Fall: Freelance Writers Fall Marketing Tutorial

2008-09-09T15:34:00.000-04:00

The break was nice, but now it's back to the grind. Three things today:

1) Freelance Writer Fall Marketing Tutorial: If you’ve writing jobs have been slow throughout the summer, now is the time to get the business flowing back in. To that end, following is a fall marketing tutorial for freelance writers that helps you hit the ground running now that potential clients are focused on work again.

Questions about Freelance Writing: At the end of this tutorial are answers to some questions sent in by freelancedr, ie, pricing, negotiating higher rates, blogging platforms and more. Hope my responses help.

2) Affiliate Marketing Program: I have to put the finishing touches on one more report, then I'll publish the details (on Thursday).

3) Which Ebook/E-course to Order: At least half a dozen times over the last 6-8 weeks I've been asked how to discern which product to order -- the freelance writing e-course, or the SEO writing ebook. I finally updated the order page with my answer, so if this is something you've been wondering about, you now have an idea of how to tell. For your convenience, following is my response to this question:

Which product to order all depends on where you are as a freelance writer. What I mean by this is, if you have little or no experience and want to learn about freelance writing in general, what it takes to succeed and how to formulate a concrete plan to get started, then the freelance writing ecourse is best.

If you want to learn how to start an SEO writing business, then the SEO writing ebook is the right choice. Basically, the ecourse teaches everything you need to know about starting or growing any kind of freelance writing business. The SEO writing ebook only discusses SEO writing and how to market for this kind of work.

New Ebook: How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs.

Most Recent Posts
New Website for Freelance Writers to Make Money: Review of TheSyndicatedNews.com

How to Convince Clients That You’re the Right Writer for the Job

Freelance Writers: How to Prioritize Your Schedule to Make More Money

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: How to Prepare for the Busy Season

2008-08-28T10:35:00.000-04:00

Summer is winding down and we’re about to head into the busy fall season. On Tuesday, September 9th, I’ll be posting a Fall Marketing Tutorial for Freelance Writers akin to the Summer Marketing Tutorial.

To that end, I want to know, what do you need help with, eg: pricing, marketing, how to handle clients, how to negotiate, which services to offer, etc. Now’s the time to send in your questions (info *at* InkwellEditorial.com). I’ll incorporate them into the tutorial so that you can be fully prepared to bring in as much freelance writing business as you can handle.

Blog Hiatus: I won’t be posting next week. Monday is Labor Day and Tuesday starts Ramadan, so I’m going to take this last little break before ramping back up again on the September 9th. In the meantime, enjoy yesterday’s post over at BloggingTips.com, Freelance Writers: How to Prepare for the Busy Season (it’s time to start thinking about it).

Don’t forget to send in your questions for the fall freelance writing marketing manual. Answering questions in this format allows me to really answer in detail, which I can’t do on a daily or individualistic basis anymore.

New Ebook: How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs.

Most Recent Posts
New Website for Freelance Writers to Make Money: Review of TheSyndicatedNews.com

How to Convince Clients That You’re the Right Writer for the Job

Freelance Writers: How to Prioritize Your Schedule to Make More Money

What Is SEO Writing? What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO Copywriting Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark & You Can Too!

See you back here on the 9th, and enjoying the waning days of summer (can you believe it went so fast!)

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter (read all issues!)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

New Website for Freelance Writers to Make Money: TheSyndicatedNews.com

2008-08-27T13:15:00.001-04:00

TheSyndicatedNews.com appears to be the latest entry into paid content media model sites for freelance writers. There are some pros and cons to this content model, which I’ll review here. FYI, this is from my own personal point of view. I have no affiliation with the site; I’ve never submitted anything to it or talked to others about it. So, here goes . . .

TheSyndicatedNews.com: A Review

Pros of The SyndicatedNews.com: I think this site has four things going for it, ie: Read the rest here.

Most Recent Posts
How to Convince Clients That You’re the Right Writer for the Job

Freelance Writers: How to Prioritize Your Schedule to Make More Money

What Is SEO Writing? What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO Copywriting Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark & You Can Too!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Convince Clients That You’re the Right Writer for the Job

2008-08-26T12:17:00.000-04:00

A running theme through a lot of the emails I receive from freelance writers – especially those who are just starting out – is a lack of confidence.

Whether it’s the, “I didn’t know what they meant by that,” in response to a client query, or “What should I charge for this job?” in putting together a proposal, the underlying problem is not a lack of knowledge or the price that should be charged, it’s the lack of confidence in the freelance writer.

If You Don’t Believe In Yourself, Why Should the Client?

Confidence is a must as a freelance writer. You’ll not only need it as far as your writing ability is concerned, but you’ll need it to price jobs, to go after assignments you may not be “qualified for”, to say NO to jobs that pay too little, to stand up to other freelance writers who wonder why you charge X. Read the rest here.

Most Recent Posts
Freelance Writers: How to Prioritize Your Schedule to Make More Money

What Is SEO Writing? What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO Copywriting Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark & You Can Too!

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

Sincerely,Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: How to Prioritize Your Schedule to Make More Money

2008-08-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

In order to live up to the title of this post, I’m going to tell you a story. I hope you find it interesting enough to stick around for the lesson – because there’s definitely one to heed.

Freelance Writers: What It’s Like to Live in Hell!

I was supposed to launch Inkwell Editorial’s affiliate program today, but unfortunately, I’m not ready yet. I need more time (until Tuesday, Sept. 9th).

To explain a bit, I’ve had a hell of a summer – from overseeing the blog design to equipment problems (all last week), nothing has gone right. And I realize, it’s due to success, which is a double-edged sword.

A sample of my hell? I had to rent a computer last week because mine had to be serviced. Do you know what it’s like NOT to have access to all of your files – especially if you have as many as I do? Remember, I’ve been freelancing since 1993. I have client files that go back to then, not to mention my own files (ebooks, financial records, idea files, etc.). It’s been a nightmare!

In the midst of all of this I’ve been keeping up with client work, trying to stay on an ebook publishing schedule (new ebook published), and trying desperately to finish the marketing material for affiliates. It’s just been overwhelming.

My sister said to me, “If Microsoft can delay their software rollouts, why can’t you delay your affiliate program rollout?” Aaaahhhhh, a moment of sanity in the madness. It hit me, “why couldn’t I?”

Freelance Writers: Is Your Personality Causing You to Lose Money?

Read the rest here.

Most Recent Posts

What Is SEO Writing? What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO Copywriting Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark & You Can Too!

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

What Is SEO Writing? What is SEO Copywriting?

2008-08-21T19:03:00.001-04:00

I've gotten this question from 4-5 people since I wrote yesterday's post on how I got to the $100/article mark for my SEO writing. Beause I work in this niche, I kinda take for granted that everybody knows what SEO writing is all about.

So, when I received the latest query from a freelance journalist in New Zealand, I thought, "Mmmm, better explain yourself missy!"

As I hadn't planned to update the blog today b/c I'm pressed for time, here is the answer I forwarded to her, with some links to tons of stuff. After all the source reading you'll be directed to, not only will you know what SEO copywriting is all about, you'll know what to charge, types of projects to expect and much more. I thought the query was kinda funny, so I've pasted a portion of it below:

NOTE: FYI, yesterday's post includes a link to the most recent issue of the newsletter, which means over a year of freelance writing news at your fingertips!

Reader Query about what SEO writing is. She wrote:

I'm a freelance journalist based in New Zealand. I have been perusing your website and am keen to purchase some of your e-books. But I have a query - nowhere does it explain what SOE [sic] means! Sorry if this sounds really stupid - but I have not idea what it stands for - if you could explain that would be great. (Here it means State Owned Enterprise).

I responded:

Thank you for your interest in my products/services. Regarding your query, there are no stupid questions in my book. If you don't know, the best thing you can do is ask. So, thanks for asking!

To learn the basics of what SEO copywriting is all about, start with the article How to Write SEO Articles in 4 Easy Steps. It's a link to one of my articles on AssociatedContent.com.

List of all the Pages on InkwellEditorial.com about SEO Writing

After you read this, you can find all of my articles on SEO writing on InkwellEditorial.com.

How to Find all the Pages on InkwellEditorial.com that Discuss SEO Writing

1) Simply go to the home page of InkwellEditorial.com and look for the Google Search box (bottom of home page).

2) Type "SEO" into the box and make sure "InkwellEditorial.com" is checked, NOT "Web".

3) Click "Search".

A list of pages will pop up. Be sure to cursor down and click on articles listed below this title bar:
Web Results 1 - 10 of about 67 from inkwelleditorial.com for "seo". (0.66 seconds)

FYI, some articles will be directly relevant; others will be peripherally so. But you'll have the complete library of what I've written on SEO copywriting right there in front of you.

Inkwell Editorial Now Has an Affiliate Program: Did you know that if you sign up, you can get all of Inkwell Editorial’s ebooks on freelance writing for one low price ($39.95)? You can! It’s a limited time offer, so check out the details.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

SEO Copywriting Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark & You Can Too!

2008-08-20T12:03:00.002-04:00

In yesterday's post, I shared how I recently began to land $100/article SEO writing jobs. I promised to share with you how I got there.

I did so in a lengthy post over at BloggingTips.com today entitled, SEO Copywriting Rates: How to Get $100/Article or More. Enjoy -- and implement!

Inkwell Editorial News: Following are a few things I want to bring you up to date on.

I. New Blog: My new blog design has been completed, but I won't be unveiling it until around the new year. Why the delay? I'm not comfortable working with Wordpress, and will be taking a class this fall.

To explain in more detail, because I've used FrontPage for years, I'm used to customizing my sites the way I want. I don't like having to rely on a designer to implement every little change I need. So I've decided to go this route because there's tons of stuff that I will need for my site to do. It would cost a small fortune if I paid someone to implement everything.

II. Newsletter: I was supposed to publish the August edition of Inkwell Editorial's newsletter today with the affiliate interviews. I'm delaying this until September because I've been swamped with internal company projects this summer: ie, writing new ebooks; setting up Inkwell's affiliate program; and overseeing the blog redesign.

This hasn't left much time to properly interview the affiliate marketers I've lined up.

Also, Labor Day is coming up (Sept 1st) and I know many of you are already in end-of-summer, holiday mode. The next newsletter will be published on Wednesday, 9/24. By then, we'll be in the thick of the "get back to work season," when many of you will be fully focused on business again.

Publishing the newsletter today would have been a disservice to readers to some degree. And if I'd be paying attention when I marked the date, I would have realized that. My mea culpa.

If you haven't already, enjoy the latest issue of the newsletter, which contains links to all previous issues -- that's over a year of freelance writing news at your fingertips!

III. Inkwell Editorial Now Has an Affiliate Program: Did you know that if you sign up, you can get all of Inkwell Editorial’s ebooks on freelance writing for one low price ($39.95)? You can! It’s a limited time offer, so check out the details.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

2008-08-19T10:05:00.001-04:00

SEO copywriting is very lucrative -- if you know how to get the most from your writing skill. The following happened to me recently, which proves this point:

$100 Per SEO Article; $50 Per SEO Article; $40 Per SEO Article

On Friday, August 8th, I opened my inbox and had an order for two SEO articles, 500-600 words: $100 each. On Wednesday, August 13th, I logged into my PayPal account and a client had pre-paid for a $50 article (350-450 words). On Tuesday, August 5th, I negotiated a $40/article rate (400-450 words) for three articles with a client.

SEO Copywriting Advice: How to Get the Most for Your Skill

As many of you know, when I first started out as an SEO copywriter, I charged $25 per article. For some clients, I still charge that. But, as I’ve gotten busier, my rates have steadily increased because it’s about maximizing my time to make the most.

SEO Copywriters: How to Hang Onto a Client When You Increase Your Rates

The one thing about working for money as opposed to passive income (which my ebooks provide) is that when you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Once my rate SEO writing rate increase went into effect, I had one client who kind of balked.

I patiently explained to him that while I was very glad to have him as a client and would hate to lose him, to grow my SEO copywriting business, I had to spend my time where it made the most money for me. I told him how I routinely put in 10-16 hour days and how I needed to still be able to make a living, but also have a life. I pointed out to him how a rested writer was a sharp one (adding a little humor never hurts).

As a business owner (he owns an internet marketing firm), he understood. And, I managed to retain him as a client -- although he orders fewer articles and blog posts. One thing I like about SEO writing clients is that they tend to be business owners, or account executives at marketing firms who understand paying for quality.

Explaining to my client why I was raising rates -- and appealing to him on a level that all business owners can understand (profit and time management) -- allowed me to keep him as a client.

Getting to the $100/Article Mark & How It’s Affected My SEO Copywriting Business

SEO Copywriting Average Article Rate: I average $40-$50/article now.

SEO Copywriting Marketing Results: When I market, I bring in fewer clients, but have actually managed to increase my hourly rate (this is how I chart what I make).

SEO Copywriting and Turning Down Work: I’ve turned down more work from potential clients who want to negotiate below what I think my time is worth. One of the reasons it’s easy for me to turn down work is that when I’m not working on client projects, I’m working on my ebooks. So, when I take into account what I would be making versus what I could be doing with that time (ie, building passive income via my own informational products), it’s a no brainer.

Inkwell Editorial Now Has an Affiliate Program: Did you know that if you sign up, you can get all of Inkwell Editorial’s ebooks on freelance writing for one low price ($39.95)? You can! It’s a limited time offer, so check out the details.

In tomorrow‘s post, I’ll divulge how I got to the $100/article mark-- and point out some things I did along the way that can help you get there too.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Get all of IW’s Ebooks for Only $39.95: Ebook Affiliate Program Details

2008-08-15T18:33:00.007-04:00

If you have a blog or website, one of the best ways to make passive income is to promote affiliate products. That’s why you see so many sites with those Google ads. Even though they produce mere pennies for most, it’s pennies that don’t have to be worked for (I make like “utility bill” and “girls night out” money from my site). Can you do better? Yes!

I’ve spent all day setting up the affiliate program for Inkwell Editorial’s ebooks. I’ll upload the freelance writing e-course to e-Junkie this weekend so it can be sold as an affiliate product. The price will be raised to $495, so you’ll jump for joy when you sell this “Freelance Writing Career in a Click,“ my tag line for it. But . . .

Affiliate Program Kickoff Deal

"Don’t sign up yet . . . I have a deal for you!"

One of the most effective ways to sell affiliate products is to try them out, right? But, who has the money to buy every affiliate product they may want to promote? I know I wouldn’t. Freelance writing is a niche where buyers are very discerning.

To ensure maximum success for affiliates, I’m going to give everyone who wants to sign up as an affiliate a chance to purchase everything in the IW library for one low price ($39.95).

That’s every product Inkwell Editorial currently offers for $39.95 (of course, you don‘t get the free website or marketing tutorial offered with the freelance writing e-course). Deal expires on Monday, August 25th at 9am.

What’s the Catch?

As I alluded to earlier, testimonials and reviews are the best way to promote an affiliate product. To write effective ones, you need to know what the products are all about. So there’s no catch at all. I just want to give you a chance to review the ebooks so you can tell potential purchasers about them in your own words.

A 100% Affiliate Payout?

And I’m even going one step further, you get a chance to make your money back on your first sale. You will keep 100% of your first sale. No matter how much it is, 100% of your first sale will be paid to you (minus payment processing fees charged by, for example, PayPal).

How much can that 100% payout* be? As an example, if you sell the freelance writing e-course for $495, you will keep all of that. Sometimes, purchasers will buy more than one item under your affiliate link. So, for example, if they buy the SEO writing ebook ($39.95), and the Freelance Writing Ebook Package ($37) you will make $76.95.

Note: You are NOT obligated to purchase anything to become an affiliate. It’s absolutely free. You can just refer purchasers to the informational page I’ve written for each product.

How Do I Sign Up?

It will really be as simple as cutting and pasting a link on your site (which I will provide when the program officially opens). The reason I don’t want you to sign up now is because I’m still fine tuning some of the affiliate sales tools (discussed below). The program will be ready to go on Monday, August 25th.

“If I can’t sign up now, why are you telling me about it?”

One reason is, I opened my big mouth and promised to bring you more info on it in Wednesday’s blog post. And I like to keep my word. Also though, I wanted to give you a chance to take advantage of the deal discussed above and start formulating your affiliate marketing plan.

Coming Monday 8/25! Affiliate Tools to Help You Sell More

How to Write Effective Ebook Reviews: Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak

10 FREE Things You Can Do to Sell More as an Affiliate Marketer: A Special Inkwell Editorial Affiliate Report.

This detailed report will dispense techniques I’ve been using to successfully promote my ebooks since 2004. It will discuss for example, why it’s important to mix high-priced and low-priced items, why you should “niche” it, why you should mention the “bad” points of a product, and much more.

How to Set Up a Virtual Freelance Writing Bookstore: Sell More in One Fell Swoop!

How to Put Together an Affiliate Marketing Plan: Chart Your Way to Affiliate Success

How to Get all of Inkwell Editorial’s Ebooks for Only $39.95!

To take advantage of this affiliate kickstart offer, just purchase the SEO writing ebook found on the IW order page (IW-11) (it will be delivered instantly via automatic download). All other ebooks will be emailed on 8/25, after you've signed up as an affiliate (they will be manually processed). I’ll be able to track who’s eligible for the affiliate “give back” from the dates you place an order for this specific ebook.

Remember, this offer is valid until Monday, August 25th at 9am EST if you sign up as an affiliate.

*100% Affiliate Program Payout Note. You are only eligible for the 100% affiliate payout if you take advantage of the special offer that runs from today until 8/25 at 9am EST.

Comments, Feedback, Suggestions

I’ve done a lot of research on affiliate marketing since the beginning of the year -- from two perspectives: (i) as a product developer; and (ii) as an affiliate seller.

I say this to encourage comments, feedbacks and suggestions because it’s all new to me as a product developer. I’ve tried to put together the most comprehensive, rewarding program -- with the right affiliate sales tools -- to help participants succeed. I’m all ears for feedback though.

Have a good weekend everybody -- I’m exhausted (writing for 10 straight hours will take it out of ya boy!).

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Guest Blogging: How long should you wait for an answer?

2008-08-13T18:38:00.000-04:00

Appearing as a guest poster on other blogs is a great way to build traffic to your blog. I've experienced this first-hand, as I've been lucky enough to be featured on a few high-traffic blogs in my niche (eg, Copyblogger.com, FreelanceWritingGigs.com and FreelanceSwitch.com, to name three). Read more on my guest blogging journeys.

The Problem with Guest Blogging

The one problem I have with guest blogging though is that sometimes you dont' get a response, and then it's like, "now what?" Do I use the post on my own blog? How long should I wait to hear back? Will they ever use my post? So, in my post over at BloggingTips.com today, I addressed the "guest blogging query" question. Enjoy it.

Inkwell Editorial Affiliate Program

Over the last four months or so, I've had a few inquiries about an affiliate program, as in, do I have one and if I plan to implement one. It will be up and running next Monday. What will it entail? You will be able to sell any and/or all of Inkwell Editorial's ebooks and the freelance writing ecourse and and earn 50% off of each sale. All sales material will be provided. Stay tuned for much more detail on Friday.

Freelance Writing Jobs Are Starting to Pick Up Again

I've seen an uptick in client orders over the last week or so (I'm swamped this week into next). Many clients are getting orders from their clients who are priming themselves for the upcoming fall season. The ball is starting to roll A few weeks after Labor Day, things really pick up, so continue to market (or start if you haven't been doing so). The orders should start to roll in if you've been marketing like you should.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From article marketing to saving for retirement -- if it deals with freelance writing, you'll find info on it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

New Site for Freelance Writers to Make Money

2008-08-12T19:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was conversing via email with fellow freelance writer Jacob Malewitz, and he brought up the subject of a relatively new site where freelance writers can make money.

DailyArticle.com: A Good Place for Freelance Writers to Sell Content?

I’d run across this site a few months ago in my web surfing, but dismissed it because as I wrote to Jacob, “I tend to stay away from those sites -- with what I charge [as an experienced freelance writer], it would be a waste of my time to compete with those who are willing to write 500-words for $8.00.”

But, Jacob opened my eyes and proved to me that this just might be a good site for freelance writers -- especially new ones who want to know what it feels like to actually sell something (it’s a grand, grand feeling I still get a kick out of).

Why New Freelance Writers May Want to Check Out DailyArticle.com

One of the most frustrating things when you are just starting out as a freelance writer is landing that first client, completing that first job and seeing funds hit your PayPal account (ie, getting paid).

Once you experience actually getting paid for your work as a freelance writer, you feel official -- it’s like, “Yeah, I CAN make a living doing this!” It’s an amazing feeling. Sites like DailyArticle can make you “official” long before you land repeat, specific clients. They can even lead to repeat clients.

How DailyArticle.com Works

The site works very similar to Constant-Content ONLY. Jacob had the following to say about it, “They are much like Constant-Content, just newer, and you get a better rate for your articles. They accept just about everything, but unlike Constant-Content the articles are for ALL rights, not just USAGE or UNIQUE rights. That turns off some writers.”

What is this Usage and Unique rights? There are many different kinds of rights associated with freelance writing. In this case, what it basically means is that you sell all rights to the article when you post it to DailyArticle. Following is their official copyright policy.

“Upon verified purchase, full rights to the materials purchased are transferred to the purchaser. Upon purchase, the purchaser has the right to use the content in any way, including but not limited to publishing, distributing, reproducing, and amending the materials to suit the purchaser's needs. The content becomes the intellectual property of the purchaser.” [DailyArticle.com]

Read more on the various types of freelance writing rights/copyrights you should know about as it relates to freelancing.

Freelance Writers: Price Your Articles Right for Them to Sell

This is one reason I don’t like sites like this for freelance writers is because if you don’t set your price high enough, then you wind up selling a 500-word article (and all rights to it) for mere pennies. On the other hand, if you do set your price high enough, then it likely won’t sell. And by high, I’m not talking a whole bunch of money either.

$15-$30 Article?

So, why would I recommend DailyArticle? Jacob emailed me the following, and it gave me pause. He wrote, “Actually, while many articles just won't sell, and some are priced low, I have sold several pieces for upwards of $30. My highest sale was $35. But my average is around $15 an article . . .”

While this is certainly not a king’s ransom, it beats the $3 per article article writing gigs that many new freelance writers (especially SEO writers) get sucked into thinking that this is where they have to start.

Freelance Writers Can Get Paid Even When There are No “Clients”

DailyArticle and sites like it (eg, Constant-Content.com, AssociatedContent.com) are places for freelance writers to still get paid even when there are no “clients.” And, many times these can lead to more lucrative assignments? How?

Let’s say your specialty is insurance and you write a lot of insurance articles. Once a purchaser gets to know your work (your articles), they may request your services outside of the site. This is how relationships are born -- and freelance writing careers start.

So mosey on over to DailyArticle.com. While you’re sitting around waiting for “real clients,” you can start feeling official as a freelance writer before you even land your first one.

FREELANCE WRITER CAUTION: I just have to add that while I think sites like DailyArticle.com are great for newbies who want to get their feet wet and experience what it feels like to actually sell something, or for more experienced freelance writers who wants to pick up some extra cash during dry spells, it is NOT (in my opinion) the way to make a real living as a freelance writer.

To make good money as a freelance writer, you need to find your own clients. That means constantly marketing.

Thanks Jacob for the inside info on DailyArticle.com. Jacob can be found online at Smiles-Media.com and CoffeeAndHeroes.Wordpress.com.

Want to start a successful freelance writing blog? Get the latest ebook available in the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore, How to Start a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From article marketing to saving for retirement -- if it deals with freelance writing, you'll find info on it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

2 Tips for Landing High-Paying SEO Writing Gigs

2008-07-31T13:18:00.000-04:00

I posted this little ditty of an article on AssociatedContent today. . . it's part of staying on track with my article marketing, which I've been touting lately.

EXCERPT

SEO copywriting is a lucrative niche in freelance writing -- especially right now. But, many are entering on the low end of this profession, eg, $5 SEO article writing gigs. If you're a good SEO copywriter, you don't have to settle for this!

This is advice for SEO copywriters who are just starting out - and for more experienced ones who may be struggling to find high-paying SEO writing gigs. These two keys to landing high-paying clients should always be at the forefront when marketing for SEO writing jobs. Read the rest here.

How to Sell Clients on Your SEO Article Writing Services

Yesterday, I got a call from a potential client who was referred by an existing client. She's launching a brand new site and was completely in the dark about how much content she needed, how long it would take and how much it would cost.

I patiently walked her through what she needed, why, how long it would take and how much it would cost. She was relieved and impressed, saying something to the effect of "You really seem to know your stuff."

So my tip of the day for selling clients on your SEO article writing services is that you have to be a bit of an business consultant in this area. Many clients don't understand the whole "article marketing thing" and why it's one of the best ways to drive traffic to a new website -- relatively cheaply. What's in it for you, of course, is constant work.

All websites need fresh, unique content. Explaining the why behind this will convince most clients of the need for it readily. And, because you're the one who explained it and "knows their stuff," you'll most likely be the one they use when they're ready.

Whether I'll eventually get work from this prospect, I don't know. But, I do know that I left her with the lasting impression that I'm an SEO professional. And, most times -- that's enough to get the job.

Start a Lucrative SEO Writing Career -- Fast!

Don't forget, SEO is still pretty new and the vast majority of web users and website owners are clueless about it. This means more work for you -- the SEO professional. If you really want to start a lucrative SEO writing career get the ebook, How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles.

No Posts Next Week: I have some ebook writing I want to catch up on before the fall season rolls around and just need a bit of down time. I'll see you back here on Tuesday, August 12th, when I'll resume my usual Tues-Thurs posting schedule.

In the meantime, I hope you're squeezing every bit of fun out of summer!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Visit the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore for ebooks on how to start a work-from-home, freelance writing career.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

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Article Marketing No No's

2008-07-30T18:41:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how I increased by ebook sales by 166% using article marketing. That seems to have fired quite a few of you up by the questions I'm receiving. Good for you!

Today over at BloggingTips, I wrote about some article marketing directory submission no no's. Article marketing is time consuming -- no doubt about it. But IMHO, the rewards greatly outweigh the drawbacks, especially if you stick with it. These tips will help you avoid some of the article marketing sins I still commit. That way, you can start reaping the benefits of it that much sooner.

Want to start a successful freelance writing blog? Get the latest ebook available in the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore, How to Start a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From article marketing to saving for retirement -- if it deals with freelance writing, you'll find info on it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Why PLR Content is the Money Making Black Sheep of the Web

2008-07-29T10:31:00.001-04:00

PLR content is without a doubt the black sheep of the web. Is it fair? Is there a bit of discrimination going on here?

What is PLR Content? For those who may not know about this type of writing, PLR stands for private label rights content. It's sold to more than one party. But, you may be thinking, "Then it should be the black sheep. Why would anyone want to use content that can be found on other sites?"

As with most things in life, there's more than one side to this story. Guess who's making money from PLR content while discriminating against individual PLR content providers? Read the "hot topic" article Is PLR Content Dead? on InkwellEditorial.com.

Want to start a successful freelance writing blog? Get the latest ebook available in the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore, How to Start a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog . If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From marketing to saving for retirement -- if it deals with freelance writing, you'll find info on it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

11 Reasons You’ll Never Succeed as a Freelance Writer

2008-07-28T16:01:00.000-04:00

Freelance writing is a profession many pursue, but relatively few obtain success in. By my count, this can be traced to 11 reasons. If you’re struggling to make a living as a freelance writer, the answer could be listed right here.

Read 11 Reasons You’ll Never Succeed as a Freelance Writer for an in-depth discussion.

Want to start a successful freelance writing blog? Get the latest ebook available in the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore, How to Start a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog . Don't forget if you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From summertime marketing to search engine optimization -- if it deals with freelance writing, you'll find info on it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

The 8 Components of a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog

2008-07-24T17:38:00.002-04:00

As I've been writing about this week, writing jobs kind of dry up during the summer. Today, I had one of the slowest days I've had since I started SEO writing. The summer started off with a bang -- and I thought it was going to continue that way -- but things have slowed down noticeably and I for one couldn't be happier about it.

Today, I actually finished and uploaded to e-Junkie the ebook entitled How to Start a Profitable, Popular Freelance Writing Blog that I've been putting off for about four months. It lists 8 components every freelance writing blog should have to be popular and profitable. I simply hadn't had time to polish up -- and I'd already written 90% of it. I've been that busy!

How to Generate Income During Your Down Time

Yesterday, I sent out about 75 emails to past contacts and woke up to 6 responses in my inbox this morning. I landed one project from that, which is to start next week -- with the possilbity of two more as well. Nothing's firm with these though, so I don't count them.

Freelance Writing Marketing Tip of the Day: Use your downtime wisely to catch up on projects you never seem to have time for -- and to keep on marketing. In fact, the first thing I did this morning was send out 10 more email queries.

Advice for Newbies & Nervies (Nervous Freelance Writers) During this Slow Season

I know a lot of you may be worried about this slow time. Don't be. If you continue to market, believe me, projects will seem to drop out of the sky come fall. You'll wonder what the heck is going on!

You see, what you are sending out now is being kept on file by many prospects. Proof? One of the inquiries I sent out to old contacts yesterday responded via the very first email I'd sent them last November.

See these summer marketing tips for freelance writers if you missed them earlier this week to figure out how to generate some income during the slow summer months - and right on into the busy fall season.

"When will the work start rolling in?" you may be wondering. After Labor Day, you should see a marked increase in projects. I fully expect to be slammed, because I'm marketing like crazy -- up to 50 queries a week, where I've only been sending out 5-15 b/c I've been so busy.

Want to start a successful freelance writing career? Visit the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore. And if you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From summertime marketing to search engine optimization -- if it pertains to freelance writers, you'll find it here. Pass it on!
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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Traffic-Generating Lessons Learned from Internet Marketing Firms

2008-07-23T13:09:00.000-04:00

As an SEO writer, I work with a lot of internet marketing firms. This has been a great learning experience for me on many levels about how to market on the web.

Why Internet Marketing Firms are Hired

To generate traffic -- this is the number one reason all internet marketing firms are hired. Serious web entrepreneurs realize that to get recognized on the web, you need to first get found on the web. SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) firms help their clients achieve these goals.

I've learned a ton about how they go about doing this, which I discuss in my post, Traffic Generating Tips I’ve Learned from Working with SEO Firms, over at BloggingTips.com today.

As I wrote, "Think about it this way: if the traffic generation experts (ie, Internet Marketing Firms) are using these methods to drive traffic to client sites, shouldn’t you be doing the same for your site?"

Want to start a successful freelance writing career? Visit the Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing Bookstore. And if you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for more on How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.

P.P.S.: Did you know that InkwellEditorial.com is the authority site on freelance writing? From summertime marketing to search engine optimization -- if it pertains to freelance writers, you'll find it here. Pass it on!
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Want to learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? There are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.