If you don’t current have a portfolio of writing samples, it is going to be extremely difficult to grab the attention of a prospective client. Think of it in terms of dating. If you don’t offer something that is attractive to them, they are not going to be interested in developing a long-term relationship with you.

So, where do you start?

First, you need to determine what kind of clients you are going to want to attract. This will determine what kinds of pieces you will need to develop. Build your portfolio around that specific area (ghostwriting, technical, copywriting, etc.). It is okay to choose more than one area. Just build a different portfolio for each aspect. Consider making your portfolio available offline as well as online.

If you have no writing samples at all, you are going to need to develop some as quickly as possible. Think about what kinds of clients that you would like to target. Then write a sample piece ahead of time specifically for them.  Choose topics that you have personal experience with.

Think about what you have to offer. What sets you apart from other writers? How can your target client benefit from your skills and experience? This will be what you use to convince potential clients to hire you.

What do you include in your portfolio?

Include a minimum of 3 clips that highlight your unique skills. Make sure that the clips that you include are free from grammatical and spelling errors. If you are unsure, enlist the help of other writers to review your work.  There are a number of writing communities that you can join both online and locally that can assist you with your efforts.

Include any copies of any diplomas, certificates, licenses, or letters of recommendation that you may have.

Also, include information concerning any professional writing organizations that you may be a part of. If you are not a member of any organization, consider joining your local Chamber of Commerce or the Freelancers Union website.

Update your portfolio on a regular basis to show clients that you are providing consistent high-quality work.

Make it super easy for clients to get a hold of you. Also, make it clear that you are looking for work in your About page so that clients know that you are available for hire.

Where do you find potential clients?

Freelance writers who are just starting out might want to consider checking out opportunities that are available to them locally. Typically, locally owned stores and professional and nonprofit organizations in your hometown have a small marketing budget and might be willing to let you write for them for free.

Check out their marketing materials. Do you see areas that could be improved upon? These are weaknesses you can use in your pitch that will help you get your foot in the door.

If you are brave enough, go and speak to them directly. Introduce yourself as a freelance writer who is looking for opportunities to build a specific area in your writing portfolio and let them know what you discovered about their marketing weaknesses.

Offer your services for free and let them know that it is a win-win for both parties.  You will want to make sure that that will be willing to recommend you in the future if they are happy with the work you provide them. Make sure you get the credit for your work as well.

If at all possible, include that the prospective client will not mention that you did the work for free when recommending you in the future.

If you are not brave enough for this approach, call them on the phone or send them a letter of introduction by email.

If the prospective client agrees to take you on, get the following terms agreed to in writing:

Define the project details and the length of the project.

The client will not mention to anyone that you did the work for free.

The client will give you a testimonial upon successful completion of the project.

The client agrees to allow you to claim full credit for the work. Note: Do not sign a nondisclosure agreement. This will prevent you from being able to use the project as a sample in your portfolio.

Creating your portfolio is a critical step in your freelance writing career. Spend time carefully crafting it. The higher attention to detail that your portfolio receives from you will increase your chances tremendously in landing the clients you want to work for. Do it right and you will get your first client in no time.

Have you recently launched your freelance career as a copy writer or writer for hire?

If so, congrats. You will make it just fine with a little elbow grease, networking, and hustle.

However, once you get a few clients coming in, how do you know if the clients you have nabbed are worth your time or are sour apples altogether?

These 5 signs will surely let you know that you have a bad copywriting client

1.   They call you all the time

When I first started out as a freelancer I did not provide my phone number in my marketing ads. I didn’t do so because I don’t like talking on the phone.

However, last year when business got slow, I knew I needed to change up my marketing tactics. I began adding my phone number to my advertisements and marketing collateral.

Before I knew it, I was getting calls left and right.

However, I did run into clients that called me all the time. Even after they had hired me and I was knee deep in their project.

This began to irk me because of two reasons.

A. They were not paying me for the additional time that they were demanding of me (they were actually always my lowest paying clients).

B. They were clearly not respecting my talent and abilities to solve their communications problem.

I eventually removed my personal cell phone number from my ads and collateral.

If your new client is calling you non-stop, then you may need to make this the last project you do for them. They clearly are never going to respect your skillset and time.

2.   They ask for countless revisions

This can be either a communication’s issue on your part, or the client once again not valuing your time.

Establish a policy that limits the number of complimentary revisions.

Make sure your policy is built into your service contract and that you share your policy with them in your first reply email to their inquiry.

My policy is complimentary revisions (within reason) up to 7 days after submission. After that time frame I charge another project rate.

Doing so up front, will eliminate their call for revisions from being a real drag on your time.

Try your best to grasp all of their needs with your initial communication with them regarding their project. Use a questionnaire or set up a Skype call with them right from the get-go.

This way you will be in accord with one another and be able to deliver what they envision for their project the first time around.

3.   They ask that you complete a “test’ project free of charge

This is a classic predicament that many new freelancers find themselves in all too often.

If a client asks that you write a blog post or newsletter to see what your skills are like, then they are never going to charge you what your worth and they are not going to value your time.

This is why you need to create a portfolio before you even launch your freelance writing career.

If you have never had any clients, take a few days and create ad campaigns, newsletters, and blog posts for either your own brand and/or target companies.

This will allow you to have something to present to potential clients.

Therefore, you will never have to fall prey to doing work for free.

Let your portfolio speak for itself and be your audition.

4.   They “let” you submit the completed project before paying in full

You should never hand over a completed project to a client if they have not paid you in full.

This just sets you up for run-arounds and possibly getting stiffed for your work.

A stand-up client will insert herself in the project and pay you as soon as you invoice her (considering that you have an air-tight contract that ensures your guarantee to complete their project).

5.   They play email tag with you

When you have encountered a client that consistently emails you without landing a deal with them, run.

They are more and likely not serious about their own communications needs or they do not have the money needed to pay you what you are worth.

They are trying to milk you for your time and expertise (which falls true for the phone calls example as well) and you only have so many hours in a day.

In conclusion…

Being a freelancer means being “in business” and managing your time. As you foray deeper into your freelance writing career, keep your eye out for these characteristics in clients.

If you find that you are encountering clients that act as above. Do yourself and them a big favor and part ways.

Your career as a writer for hire is meant to shine and blossom.

When you adopt this mentality, the money (good clients) will come in due time.

Quick Bio:

CJ Johnson is an emerging photographer and freelance writer that specializes in writing press releases for lifestyle brands and providing copy editing services to indie authors.

She has been freelancing since January 2011 and transitioned to full-time entrepreneur in March of 2013.

 

You can find her hanging out at her business blog for creative entrepreneurs athttp/www.terrifictype.com/

 

You can also follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cjjohnsonwrites/

You have a burning desire to write for magazines. You have the time. You have the talent. So, what’s the problem? You apparently don’t have enough experience for editors to take you seriously!

 

What’s a new writer supposed to do? To get published in magazines, you usually need to have clips (published credits) to include with your query letter. But you don’t have clips because you’re struggling to get published. Is there any way out of this chicken-and-egg-dilemma?

 

Actually, yes! Here’s a strategy that really works.

 

Before You Submit

 

1) Right-size your expectations. Are you focusing on ultra-competitive magazines, such as Good Housekeeping, Parenting or Entrepreneur? If so, even if your query letter is outstanding, it could get lost in the shuffle, as these types of magazines receive a staggering number of submissions. Consider starting out with a quality local or regional magazine or perhaps trade magazines rather than consumer magazines. These publications are typically easier to get into because they usually receive fewer queries than the big name magazines. Get a few clips under your belt this way and then start moving up the publishing ladder in the direction that makes sense for your goals and dreams.

 

2) Highlight your unique expertise. One of the biggest challenges that new writers face is that they struggle to get experts to agree to an interview for an article without a contract from a publication – and they struggle to get a contract because their query letters don’t indicate interviews secured with intriguing experts. Don’t play that catch-22 game! Instead, brainstorm a list of areas where you are the expert and then present yourself as such as persuasively as possible in your query. Are you a special education teacher? A mountain climber? A beautician who works in funeral homes? What magazines would pay for articles based on your expertise?

 

3) Harness the knowledge of friends and family members. Think about the people you know and what they know. Do you, for an example, have an aunt who is a family therapist? Would she be willing to be interviewed for an article on, say, how to help children who have experienced trauma? Would she be willing to introduce you to a couple of colleagues who would add their own know-how to your article? If so, then you’ve secured your panel of experts without the need for scary cold calling and chilling rejections from experts who say – “no contract, no interview.” This is an especially effective strategy if you are targeting local/regional publications and can provide quality advice from area experts.

 

4) Understand a publication’s niche. Before you submit a query, read the writer’s guidelines and some sample issues: one goal of this exercise is to make sure you understand the magazine’s target audience(s) thoroughly. For example, if you discover a new karate magazine and excitedly submit a query about how to learn basic karate moves, you’ll annoy the heck out of the editor if the audience of the magazine is karate teachers – who already know those moves, and more. Instead, if you tailor your query in another, more appropriate way – say, how to encourage shy students into trying new karate moves – then you’re doing a much better job of tailoring your query to the publication.

 

 

Bonus tip #1: I’m not a big fan of simultaneous submissions, because that causes a writer to craft a query that will work, to some degree, for several magazines, while your goal is to create one that will fit the magazine at hand like a glove.

 

 

Bonus tip #2: To target the audience of a publication, study the ads. If the ads focus on extreme sports, it’s likely that magazine readers are teens to young adults. If the ads focus on retirement villages, think of topics that are pleasing to older adults. Also read the editor’s letter, as it often contains his or her wish list for the publication.

 

 

Bonus tip #3: Ask for advertiser guidelines. They typically contain magazine themes for the upcoming year, which will allow you to target your query more precisely.

 

 

5) Right-size your topic. For four years, I worked as the managing editor of a regional publishing house in Ohio. Too often, queries that I received were too large in scope, with topics more suitable for a book proposal than a magazine query. Make sure you avoid this pitfall! To do so, try the “rule of 7.” The rule of 7 says that, if you take a broad-sized subject and narrow it down 6 times, you’ll typically have a topic that is right-sized for a magazine article (or perhaps a book chapter). Here is an example:

 

 

1. Dogs

2. Pet dogs

3. Activities for pet dogs

4. Activities for pet dogs and their owners to enjoy together

5. Exercising with your pet dog

6. Exercising with your pet dog to lose weight

7. Lose 10 pounds a month by exercising your dog

 

 

See how the seventh level sounds like a magazine article topic? I don’t know why this trick works, but it usually does. Caution: make sure that you’re actually narrowing the scope with each numeral rather than listing similar and/or related topics. If you don’t employ this strategy correctly, it probably won’t work. (Note: if you find yourself repeatedly creating related topics when trying this exercise, your mind may be helping you to create a book on a subject and your list may work as a book’s table of contents.)

 

6) If appropriate, offer photos. Check the writer’s guidelines to see if the magazine is interested in photos. If so, and if you can take them yourself at a professional level – or if you can obtain them along with permission to use from another quality photographer – indicate this in your query letter. Gathering images to accompany articles can be a real headache for an editor; helping out in this endeavor will earn you gratitude, plus you may get extra money for your efforts.

 

After You Get the Assignment

 

Congrats! You now want to make sure that you create the best article that you can, keeping to the magazine’s word count and meeting the editor’s deadline. If you have a question or if an unusual situation arises during the researching/writing process, most editors are fine with you contacting them, but don’t become a nag. You don’t want to be the kind of writer that editors want to avoid.

 

Then, after you complete one article, start brainstorming another article idea for the same editor. I didn’t do this in my fledging years as a writer. Instead, I would write one article for a particular magazine, and then hunt out another magazine for my next query. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Learn from my mistake and continue to cultivate a relationship with editors for whom you’ve already written as you expand and add new magazines to your resume. As you become increasingly successful and as the open slots on your writing schedule become filled, drop publications accordingly and in a professional manner.

 

Okay. So I can’t stop. Here’s one more tip: also consider attending writer’s conferences where editors are the speakers. When I was the editor of a magazine, I would sometimes toss out ideas that I had for articles that still needed a writer to take them on, and I was willing to take a risk with a newer writer who projected both enthusiasm and an aura of responsibility. When I was fairly new at writing myself, I got my first regular magazine gig by meeting an editor at a writer’s conference.

 

Readers – what strategies have worked for you when clips were scarce and that writing assignment seemed so elusive and out of reach?

 

Kelly Boyer Sagert is a writer, editor and mentor with 23 years of experience, publishing 11 books and thousands of shorter pieces. She can be contacted at [email protected].

 

Are you a member of a professional organization for writers?

 

If you are, then you know the tremendous benefits you can receive from one. If you have not yet joined one, you will want to consider doing so, especially if you are a new writer in the field.

 

Professional credibility is arguably one of the biggest benefits you receive. As a member of a large professional organization, you are viewed as a serious writer who is committed to personal development in the craft.

 

Professional writers’ organizations help you leverage your time and resources. Why waste your time doing the work yourself when you can utilize the work that has already been done. It just makes the most sense for your business to take advantage of what these organizations have to offer.

 

You are also able to network with other writers, publishers, and editors which is a gigantic boost to your probability for success. The value that comes from learning from other writers and sharing challenges and triumphs is immeasurable. You also get access to highly-screened job opportunities that normally are not available through regular Internet searching.

 

Many other benefits come with membership as well. Professional writers’ organizations offer free legal advice, discounts on business development products and services, and access to a large database of editors, publishers, and other professionals that you can market your services to. You will also be able to learn how to create multiple streams of income by joining a professional organization.

 

One professional writers’ organization that I highly recommend is the National Association of Writers and Editors. The annual price of membership is $99. This organization provides all of the above benefits as well as offering a free SEO-friendly website and blog as part of their membership. Your website will automatically rank higher in search engines because it is linked to their large site. They even help you with editing your website.

 

You do not need to be an established writer in order to join. This is a great advantage to new writers to help them strategically develop their freelance writing career faster and more efficiently. To find out more on what this organization can do for you, visit the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Choosing a web hosting provider can be a daunting experience. With all the choices out there, it is hard to know what to choose. With a little preparation, persistence, and patience, you can narrow these selections down to the provider who can best service your needs. By following the Dos and Don’ts in this article, you will more confident in your final selection.

 

Before choosing a web hosting service for your website, you will need to develop a plan to be able to determine the best service for your needs. The first step is to sit down and write down a list of services your website will require. How much bandwidth will be necessary? How much storage will your website demand? Will you be running an ecommerce site that will calls for SSL encryption and online shopping carts? Or will you be running a blog that uses PHP or CGI scripting and access to an online database? Knowing what your needs are beforehand will enable you to make the best selection possible when choosing among the many web hosting providers.

 

To help you even more, here is a list of the Do’s and Don’ts when selecting a web hosting service:

 

The Do’s:

 

Research the various web hosting companies thoroughly and select a list of providers who accommodate all the features you will need for your webpage. Research reviews from others who have used the services of the companies you are considering.

 

Create a backup plan. System crashes happen to the best of companies and you cannot rely on them to have backups of your website. It is up to you as the website owner to protect yourself against data loss and other system failures

 

Check out the potential hosting companies’ support system in advance. See how they respond to simple questions and potential problems. This is a good way to see their response time and quality of customer support.

 

Do sign up for the shortest package at first. This will allow you to give the web hosting provider a trial run to see if their services are truly a good fit for your needs. Make sure you buy your domain name separate from the hosting in case you do need to switch to another provider.

 

The Don’ts:

 

Do not choose a provider simply because they are the cheapest. These companies do not always offer quality customer support or service. Base your selection on the best deal among the providers who can accommodate all the features you require for your website and the quality of customer service. This will save you both time and money later on.

 

Avoid free web hosting. Free web hosting services earn money by placing ads on your webpage. Some of these ads have been known to harm computers that visit these types of pages. Do not use free web hosting. Customers tend to take professional webpages more seriously than companies who use free webhosting. Using professional webpages over free web hosting pages will result in more business for you in the long run.

 

Certain practices of website design have become popular lately that are just downright annoying to people who visit those sites. Keeping visitors interested, engaged, and repeat customers is highly crucial for the life of any website. Here are 12 things you should stop doing to your websites if you want to attract and keep visitors to your site:

 

1. Stop cluttering up your website with useless widgets, counters, and badges. These are major turn-offs to visitors. If you want to display badges that recognize your rewards and achievements, put these on the About Us page. You can keep social media widgets like Facebook and Twitter provided that you post to these on a frequent basis. Otherwise, keep them off.

 

2. Stop audio and video that automatically plays when someone visits your site. Let the visitor decide whether or not to view it.

 

3. Stop annoying pop-up windows and advertisements that don’t directly pertain to the topic of your website. Cluttering your webpage with ads not relevant to your site makes the website look very unprofessional and untrustworthy. Pop-up windows are irritating, making it highly unlikely a visitor will want to return.

 

4. Stop being afraid of boasting on your website any media attention you receive. If others are talking about your website whether on TV, radio, or other websites, put as much information as you can about these and any links if they are available. Buzz creates more buzz. Use it to your advantage.

 

5. Stop using Flash and animation video. While they may be entertaining, they just take up space that could be used for more effective content.

 

6. Stop believing it is bad to link to other sites. While you don’t want to over-do it, linking to other webpages that are similar in topic to yours can be extremely helpful in boosting your authority as an expert and expanding your visibility.

 

7. Stop ignoring people who visit your website. Invite visitors to share their opinions on your website. Reply back to comments as soon as possible. This helps build relationships and a sense of community and will have visitors wanting to come back often to see what new information is being shared.

 

8. Stop using stock photos. There are way too many websites on the Internet that are using these and many are using them against the copyright. Dare to stand out from the crowd. You can hire a graphic designer inexpensively if you take the time to do a little research. You can also forget the photos entirely and either provide more content or use that area to give away a free gift that visitors can sign up for.

 

9. Stop demanding visitors to register first in order to access your site unless it is really necessary.

 

10. Stop keeping information that is no longer relevant on your site. Fresh content should be added on a regular basis and you should pitch anything dated or no longer useful.

 

11. Stop going on and on about a topic. Keep articles short, 1500 words max. Keep paragraphs short, concise, and to the point.

 

12. Make sure all links posted on your site are working correctly. Click on them from time to time to make sure they are working correctly and fix or discard as needed.

 

Freelance writers are independent contractors who provide a wide arrangement of services to clients. Here is a breakdown of the types of services:

 

Business Writing

 

Business writing services include writing company newsletters, marketing brochures, and PowerPoint presentations. Freelance writers also help businesses with their online presence as well through blogging, technical writing, copywriting, and SEO and web content.

 

Blogging

 

Freelance writers also help businesses in building their loyal customer base and promoting products and services through blogging.

 

Web Content

 

Web Content helps businesses pass on critical information to their clients and customers. Web content generally appears as articles, columns, how-to guides, or lists and outlines that shares expert information in a field of endeavor. It also includes writing engaging content for online magazines and newspapers.

 

Copywriting

 

Copywriting promotes, markets, and sells products and services. Freelance writers assist businesses in this area by writing press releases, white papers, and informational brochures.

 

Reviews

 

Freelance writers are often called upon to write reviews of books, movies, or products.

 

Non-Fiction Writing

 

This is a broad category that can range from short articles to full-length books.

 

Fiction Writing

 

Fiction writing is the art of storytelling. Writers in this category submit items such as poetry, short stories, and novels.

 

Ghost Writing

 

Ghost writers write for others and allow them to take credit for the finished piece.

 

Grant/proposal Writing

 

Typically, this is for non-profit organizations. Proposal writers assist in putting together a funding proposal. Often, this means that they will handle matters of accounting, budget, research, interviewing, project management and filling out forms..

 

Journalistic Writing

 

Journalistic writers produce content for magazines and newsletters both online and offline.Topics covered can be just about anything and come in the forms of newspaper columns, feature stories, or even ezine articles.

 

Poetry Writing/Script Writing/Speechwriting

 

These items are self-explanatory.

 

Technical Writing

 

Technical writing conveys specialized information in the form of instruction manuals, white papers, or other similar types of documents.

If you are looking for the best free apps for Kindle, here is a list of the top ten recommendations:

 

1. Flipboard- this stylish magazine-format application allows you to choose the content you wish to see. You can combine your favorite websites along with those important updates from family and friends on Twitter and Facebook.

 

2. Pocket- This service allows you to upload content and pictures directly to it from anywhere on the Web to view at a later time. What is great about this is you can read your saved content offline. Use your scrolling position as a bookmark to pick up where you left off at a later time.

 

3. Little Piano- This musical app is not only fun for kids, but for adults as well. It includes a number of tutorials to help you tap out your well-known favorite tunes.

 

4. Imo Messenger- This instant messenger will allow to stay in contact with family and friends by tapping into a multitude of platforms such as Facebook, Skype and others. It will also allow you to make voice calls and send pictures as well.

 

5. Astrid Tasks- Keep productivity up through this easy to use task manager and its to do list. You can keep your schedule organized and delegate tasks to other people.

 

6. Box- With this application, you can sync and back up pictures, files, and other content to anywhere you want it to go. It will also allow you to upload and download files to your Kindle as well. When you sign up as a new user, you get 5GB absolutely free.

 

7. PicShop- This is one of the best image editors around. It offers a wide variety of options to choose from to get your pictures looking their best.

 

8. StumbleUpon- This application will help you find the most interesting websites on the Internet. Every time you like or dislike a page, it will tailor its suggestions in order to adapt better to your personal tastes.

 

9. Wifi Finder- This handy application does exactly what it suggests- helps you find hot spots so you can connect to the Internet on the go. If you have an Internet provider you are hooked up to at home, you can get this program to show you the wifi spots from them first.

 

10. TeamViewer for Remote Control- This desktop software can be installed on one device and accessed through another. If you are on the go, you can reach your home computer using your Kindle device.

 

 

Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms making it a goldmine for those who can market their products and services effectively. Here are the top 5 Twitter tools to enhance your marketing and develop your customer base:

 

Tweetr

 

This application will allow users to handle multiple tasks in order to meet all your needs for marketing through Twitter. Here you will be able to handle multiple Twitter accounts all at the same time. Through Tweetr, you can upload photos and videos and even find addresses, which you cannot do with Twitter alone. Other awesome features include syncing all your devices and shortening URLs. It will save your progress exactly where you are should you need to take a phone call or switch to another app. The best thing that users of this app have discovered is in scheduling tweets. Users can write several tweets at one time and arrange for those tweets to be posted throughout the day and at the times that they are most likely to be viewed. The app is available for purchase for only $3.99.

 

TweetDeck

 

This free desktop browser helps you keep track of multiple Twitter accounts. It also allows you to easily publish and track RSS feeds through Google Analytics. It will also help you keep track of traffic to your websites. Other features include account updating and conversation management that includes direct messaging. Marketers will find handy the built-in URL shortening program. For those who have a hard time keeping their tweets under the maximum 140 characters, the TweetShrink feature in TweetDeck will be a lifesaver. It also easily allows users to follow their favorite topics through saved searches. Through TweetDeck, social media marketers can share, watch, and record video clips through YouTube. Images can also be shared as this application supports mobypicture, Twitgo, and flickr.

 

CoTweet

 

This free tool is designed to help manage several Twitter accounts at one time with one single login. Monitor keywords and brands through its search feature. Its workflow management system is its best feature. Whenever there is a response to an @ response is delivered to a Twitter account, it can be assigned to someone listed on its task feature for response.

 

PeopleBrowsr

 

This application utilizes a browser-based dashboard for Twitter account management. The interface is similar to that of email. Here marketers can create and manage groups. Private and public tags can be attached to users of t=other social media sites outside of Twitter as well. Marketers can collect metadata and grow their network by identifying and connecting with the top influences in social media.

 

ClickToTweet

 

This application will help you maximize your visibility through allowing you to load customized tweets you want your readers to be able to share. It works differently than the regular Retweet function. When a person clicks on your tweet, it automatically adds it to that person’s status box. It allows for more content to be shared concerning the tweet then just the usual title of the topic that is being shared.