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How to Make the Donuts: Being a Writer

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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