Being a successful writer isn’t that hard. You just have to be very creative, no pun intended. You have to see the opportunities that are available, but don’t always seem so obvious. That’s how you stand out and forge your own way in this world.

There are so many writers on the internet and they all go to the same job hunting sites. Guru is a major powerhouse for writing projects. Professional writers create profiles where they display their work and list their skills. But, a writer has to find a way to make a project proposal really stand out because they will be bidding against professional writers who are coming by the handful for any good project that is posted.

This of course means gaining experience. But, you can simply get away with creating a portfolio of your best work. In other words, just write. Write an article example. Write a book example. Write pieces that exemplify your skills and put them on display. If you are good enough, you can take a contract away from a high powered writing team with professional work on display. I do it all the time!

Other sites include GetaFreelancer.com, but you are mainly competing against English speaking writers who live in third world countries. While they might be able to produce 500 articles for $3, writers in wealthier nations can’t afford to make such outlandish promises. But, you can find good projects once in awhile. It’s like a needle in a haystack, but it’s worth it to keep looking every day.

Those are obvious places to find work as a writer. But, you need to think about other opportunities in order to get the good positions. Everything you see on the Internet is written. That’s obvious, but not many writers really think about that. Everything is written! If you’re looking at it, someone wrote it. There just might be a position available.

Look on every website you see for “careers,” “job opportunities,” or anything similar. There will be an application process and you just might find yourself being a contributor. If you look through a site and it’s hideous, get in touch with the owner and ask for a job as its editor. Show a few examples of the need for editing. I’ve got to be honest with you and say that some owners won’t like your criticism. Others will welcome it.

For every email you get from a form you filled out on someone’s website, there was a writer. They are called autoresponders or newsletters. There is a writer.

When you visit a publisher’s website, there are going to be submission guidelines. In fact, if you Google it, you can find plenty of publishing opportunities. Watch out for the scams! But, if you’re smart you can find the legitimate opportunities.

It’s unbelievable how many writing opportunities exist. There are employers hiring people to open up myspace account and advertise dating services. There are merchants who hire writers to write articles, newsletters and product descriptions for them. Writing jobs are everywhere. All you have to do is look right underneath your nose.

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I have been very fortunate in that I have not been taken for a ride yet however it is not for a lack of effort on the part of the unscrupulous. Writing scams abound and sooner or later you are going to encounter one.

Bidding for work on eLance and GetAFreelancer is a great source of profitable work and as you would expect, I’m frequently asked to provide samples of my work. That’s nothing unusual and I’m happy to do so, however when a project provider asks for 500 words on a topic they specify as a sample, I shy away. The reasoning is simple, if 10 people bid, that is 10 articles produced and it has cost the project provider precisely - £0! If you’re asked to provide a sample on a specific topic, by all means do so but keep it below 200 words unless they are going to pay you.

A friend of mine, Dawn, writes poems as a way of getting through her daily drudge working as an administrator in a retirement home. Over time she has accumulated quite a collection of very funny poems and I am in the process of editing and arranging them into some sort of order suitable for publishing. Dawn has already encountered the “vanity” publisher who for a fee will publish her work and promises worldwide exposure. Vanity publishers have their place if you wish to publish your writing for use as a commercial offering to promote your company or simply as an off-the-wall Christmas present to friends and family. In the real world, vanity publishers have very little to offer a writer in terms of editing, presentation and most of all, marketing your work. Stay away from any agent or publisher who asks for money upfront!

If you have a new client asking you to do some work, it pays to check them out beforehand. You can do this simply by using Google and at the very least you are looking for some sort of presence such as a legitimate website or a listing in the Yellow Pages. Be wary of new clients asking you to produce large amounts of work - new clients rarely do this in real life, preferring a test project being completed before giving you larger projects. You may get caught up in the excitement of winning a decent sized writing commission only to be disappointed when the work is delivered but payment does not materialise. If the client happens to be in another country, just what are you going to do?

Following on from this, even if you have an existing relationship with a client, do not be afraid to ask for some money upfront or in stage payments as you deliver a large project. If a client baulks at doing this, then you should be wary of taking the project on. I’ve only been left unpaid once, and fortunately for a small project, but the bitter after taste is still with me so take notice and don’t let this happen to you.

You can also help yourself by not broadcasting your inexperience as a writer. Many budding writers still have their day job to handle, or are otherwise engaged in the child rearing and domestic industries and are writing to put some extra money into the budget. While there is nothing wrong being a stay-at-home mum (I’m after all a stay-at-home dad) you don’t need to tell a potential client. I’m not saying this is a guaranteed way to attract a scam artist, but some people will definitely take advantage if you let them.

One golden rule is always, and I mean absolutely always, get the payment terms sorted out before you start any work. Establishing what you are going to be delivering is also crucial. What you are looking to do here is to specify exactly what you have to produce and when and how you will be paid. Bear in mind that a project provider may also be new to using a writer so adopting a straightforward professional approach will demonstrate a business attitude that can only reflect well upon yourself. The real benefit however, is to make sure everyone knows what their obligations are and when to deliver on their promises.

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I’ve written about common mistakes before, in several posts. But the more I read different writings posted all over the internet, the more I feel the need to point out the errors. It’s like the internet has devoured our ability to write.

Now, communication is not a problem. Anyone who has been talking in forums, chat rooms, or sending instant messages for any significant amount of time will be able to decipher the following conversation:

Girl #1: Btw, r u n T gtg gf

Girl #2: DEGT

Girl #1: ?

Girl #2: ihnc

Girl #1: brb

Girl #2: hb

Girl #1: muah

OK, that might be a little exaggerated. But, that is how bad it gets. Anyone coming in on that conversation who is not familiar with the language is lost unless they have the pocket-size internet slang handbook.

But see, that’s the thing. Communication is not in jeopardy. As humans, we will always know how to communicate. But, writing is different. Writing has rules and internet slang is starting to impose itself onto the written word.

So, I thought I would revisit the topic and make a few things clear. These are common mistakes so don’t feel alone. But, they are so common that they need highlighted…more than once…all over the place.

It’s and Its

This is actually a confusing rule that I don’t blame anyone for getting wrong. It’s the reverse of what you would think. So to make it easier for you to remember, just make a note to yourself that this is the rule opposite to all others.

When “It” owns something, the word to use is “Its.” There is no apostrophe even though there is ownership. In anything else, an apostrophe “s” would belong in an expression of ownership. While Bob’s ownership is proper with an apostrophe “s,” its ownership is not.

The contraction of “it” and “is” is written with an apostrophe “s.” That’s why this rule is so weird. But, ownership and contractions both have an apostrophe “s” when it comes to anything else like “that’s interesting” and “what’s the problem.” It would be very confusing if “it” and “is” were written the same as if “it” owned something. So, it’s easier this way.

Know and No

This is so common that it makes a person’s head spin. Sometimes people use “no” in place of “know” just to simplify things. That’s ok online in informal communication situations. But, this is one of those errors that bleed over into homework and work papers.

“Know” is having the knowledge of something. I know you know that.

“No” is the negative. There is no way the two should ever be confused again.

To, Two and Too

These three homonyms are often switched. It mainly comes from the substitution of “2” for any of these three words. I’d like it 2 stop.

“To” is actually a preposition that begins a prepositional phrase. So if you’ve heard the rule, you can’t end a sentence with a preposition. That’s because if it’s supposed to begin a phrase, how can it do that at the end of a sentence? Therefore, “to” is basically a connector from one part of a sentence to another that adds more meaning.

Remember the cloud analogy? A preposition is anything you can do to a cloud. You can go “under” a cloud, “over” a cloud, “around” a cloud and “through” a cloud. Technically, you can also go “to” a cloud. So, these words give you a general understanding of the purpose of a preposition. There are other prepositions like the word “of,” but you can’t “of” a cloud. So, our cloud analogy only gives you a general rule that helps you learn the basics. It’s a starting point and you build from it.

It’s probably easier to understand the word “to” if you learn the other two. “Two” is the spelling of the number. We’re going over three homonyms, but we’ve only covered “two” so far.

“Too” is an adjective. It comes before a noun or an adverb. I’ve written way too much about these three homonyms.

Once you start to see how your informal communication practices are bleeding into your actual work, you’ll look at your papers a little closer. Supa proofreaders already know these common errors and many others. We’re geared to pick them up instantly.

But, it’s not hard to catch them yourself if you put your work up for a few days and then come back to it just before the due date. You’ll see your errors much clearer and I’ve said that over and over. I think I’ll keep saying it just to keep reminding you guys.

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On a windy Sunday morning, I’m sitting at the PC for the second time of the day.  I woke up at 6 buzzing with a slight hangover from the excesses of a boozy Saturday night with my cronies. Several coffees later I sat down to start writing at 8 full of good intentions.

The result was absolutely nothing.  I just sat there and fiddled, checking email, checking google, and playing around instead of working.

As an example of gaining ideas to post about, this one is pretty lame - knowing when to leave the keyboard because you can’t write due to a hangover!  Nevertheless, sometimes you do need to take a break from keybashing and there are warning signs to look for that should sound an alarm.  When writing you need to be mentally and physically on your toes.

#1 Procrastination

At #1, procrastination is a sure sign you need to take a breather.  If you’re surfing the internet and getting hooked on topics at a tangent which have no direct bearing on your assignment in hand, this is a sure sign you need to take a break.  This is my number one sin as I’m forever getting sidetracked but procrastination takes many more forms than just idle surfing the internet to no effect.  Sales people call this “soldiering”; making up chores and tasks in order to give yourself the feeling that you are being productive when in fact you are not.

#2 Not Knowing Where to Start

If you have a stack of commissions sitting on your desk and you don’t know where to start and the feeling of sinking dread is emerging, this is a good sign you need to stop scribbling and perform some prioritisation of your work.  For the most part, I now deal with larger commissions that last several days rather than working on three or four projects each day.  In my earlier days I had work from numerous, diverse sources all requiring urgent attention and paying scraps that together added up to a days pay.  Frequently I was overwhelmed with attacking the waiting work and at this point I found it was better to stop writing and sort the work out into some sort of order.  Generally, this exercise was more than sufficient to let me get back into the writing groove and keep me on a productive track.

If a client was not going to get their work on the deadline agreed, it’s better to simply tell them and to do so at the earliest opportunity rather than just letting a piece of work slip.  Missing a deadline is not good for your professional image and reputation but it does happen and when that happens a client will appreciate your professionalism by letting them know early.  The added bonus is that it takes some of the stress off you which will affect your writing and work performance.

 #3 Being Ill (or Hungover)

Trying to write while you are under the weather is of little use in my experience.  Writing is a mental activity and you need a mind that is on form.  A couple of months ago I had a severe cold and being a man, decided I had severe double pneumonia while my kids did wonders for my headaches.  Writing under such circumstances was completely pointless for me and if I did write, my work was full or spelling errors and typos making my work product nonsensical.

#4 Staring at a Blank Page

 If you find yourself staring in some sort of trance at the screen, you definitely need a break from the PC.  I find this happens quite often to me and it is easy to justify as “thinking time”.  Be realistic with yourself when this happens as you’ll likely find this is nothing more than a mental habit forming which should not be encouraged.  Taking a 15 minute break for a coffee and a walk is far better for your overall productivity and writing quality than staring into space.

#5 After Finishing an Assignment

If you have been writing about dog food for 2,000 words and then pass to your next project and need to focus on wedding dresses for another 3,000 words,  an appropriate time to take a break is before you start down the aisle.   Planning your working day is crucial to meet deadlines and deliver quality, however do not forget to factor in work breaks in order to  allow the old grey matter to recuperate.  Simply sliding from one project to another is a good way of letting yourself get stale because while you are dealing with a new topic, you’re brain still has the old one buzzing around.

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In my quieter moments I surf the internet just like anyone else involved primarily in writing web content. I regularly read CopyBlogger which is a mine of writing tips and resources, but I particularly picked up on a post by Brian Clark
bemoaning the adverse comments scattered about blog posts by English usage Nazi’s. I think he has a fair set of points but they are not the subject of this post here. Brian was posting about common errors and by all means read his post, I thoroughly enjoy his blogging but bear in mind this is American writing and grammatical tips.

I followed through the post and picked up on a couple of names - Strunk & White - and clicking on the hyperlink, there we go through to Wikipedia and the entry for their tome. Reading the Wikipedia entry has motivated me to purchase a copy through eBay not least because of the simple, straight-forward advice that Messrs. Strunk & White appear to be dishing out.

Here’s a sample:

1. Place yourself in the background.
2. Write in a way that comes naturally.
3. Work from a suitable design.
4. Write with nouns and verbs.
5. Revise and rewrite.
6. Do not overwrite.
7. Do not overstate.
8. Avoid the use of qualifiers.
9. Do not affect a breezy manner.
10. Use orthodox spelling.
11. Do not explain too much.
12. Do not construct awkward adverbs.
13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.
14. Avoid fancy words.
15. Do not use dialect unless your ear is good.
16. Be clear.
17. Do not inject opinion.
18. Use figures of speech sparingly.
19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.
20. Avoid foreign languages.
21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

I think Messrs. S & W have just provided me with a mountain of blog posting ideas - “17. Do not inject opinion” - really? Then there is rule “20. Avoid foreign languages.” - hmmm, being married to a kracevaya Rooskiyaya once upon a time, I have personally found avoiding foreign languages detrimental to the sex life as well as interesting experiences to write about.

Brian hits the nail on the head with his position that blogging and copywriting should be conversational and engaging; both forms lend themselves directly to rule breaking as far as Messrs S&W are concerned.

Seriously ask me how long I would be getting paid for generating sales copy if I did not “inject opinion” into it? Ask yourself how long you will be getting paid if you don’t deliver what your client asks for and it certainly will be no use in citing Messrs. Strunk & White.

BUT!

Knowing the rules while you’re breaking them is probably the honourable way forward?

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