Writing for a profit doesn't have to be just about writing articles, it can also be all about blogging. My other blog is The WAHMs Friend and I have been blogging for a living since November 2009. It isn't a get rich quick scheme at all, in fact, it is time consuming and takes a while to build up traffic and a reputation, but I now have two blogs, this one and my WAHMs Friend one and I am passionate about what I write - so it is actually good fun, as well as work. It probably helps that I'm chatty (to say the least!), but I know of many bloggers who are far more introverted than I and they too blog for profit.
If you think that you might quite like to blog about your passion, be it growing prize blooms, or dog training, or making handbags, or whatever it is that you can get excited about, but you don't know where to start, can I recommend that you click on the link below to find out more?
Profitable Mommy Blogging
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Article Writing Tips From SpongeBob
Wisdom can be found in the most unexpected places. Today, wisdom bubbled up from a pineapple under the sea. I suddenly realized that everything you’d want to know about writing articles for your website can be taught by SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends.
When you write for your newsletter, blog, or website, which character are you most like?
Mr. Krabs: This crustacean is focused on one thing and one thing only, making more and more and more money. Only a cartoon could actually have dollar signs drawn in his eyes. He thinks of no one, only how he can benefit. Are your articles focused on you or on the reader? Are you providing information or do you have blinders on, thinking only about how you can make money from the article you are writing? If your article reads like an ad or is self-serving or full of affiliate links, you might write like Mr. Krabs.
Plankton: The smallest creature in the sea is also the sneakiest. He’ll do anything and hurt anyone to steal someone else’s work (the Krabby Pattie secret formula). Write your own material. Don’t be Plankton. Don’t copy and paste someone else’s work, edit it, and try to pass it off as your own. You will be caught, and it just isn’t worth it. Take the same amount of effort and work on your own thoughts and ideas. Plankton never gets away with his schemes, either. He’s on Plan “Z” and is still pathetically failing at his attempts to steal the secret formula.
Patrick: SpongeBob’s best friend, the starfish, has a good heart, but isn’t the brightest creature in the sea. Do your articles make you sound like an expert? Are you providing valuable content or just pushing out sloppy articles as fast as you can? Always double check for typos and grammatical errors. If you’re challenged by spelling and grammar, hire a Virtual Assistant or Copywriter to proofread and submit your article for you. Or slow down, set your article aside for a day and then reread it before you click the “submit” button.
Squidward: Squidward is B-O-R-I-N-G. When writing articles, are you a Squidward? Do you just get the words down on paper or are you finding a fun twist to entertain your audience and keep them coming back for more? Take time to make your articles stand out from the thousands of other dull articles out there by including personal stories or just having fun while writing. For instance, this article could be entitled “How to Write a Good Article”, but would it stand out from the hundreds of other articles about article writing? Probably not.
SpongeBob: This little guy always tries to do the right thing, and is a hard worker. He may not always end up getting the results he hoped for, but he bounces back and tackles his work with a renewed vigor. SpongeBob works very hard, he’s a good friend, he always thinks of others, and tries to have fun no matter what he is faced with. Hardworking, friendly SpongeBob is the guy to be when writing articles.
Although this is a silly lesson in article writing, I hope you’ll remember the important messages our underwater friends have taught us.
1. Write articles to help others, not with dollar signs in your eyes.
2. Write your own material. Don’t copy others.
3. Proofread your articles carefully, and provide valuable information.
4. Be entertaining. Not boring.
5. Be a SpongeBob! Hard work and persistence pay off.
Before you know it, you’ll develop a following for having informative and entertaining articles and you’ll be King or Queen of the sea.
This article was written, not by me, but by Nicole Dean - if you want a FABULOUS and inexpensive course in Article Writing, follow this link Easy Article Marketing
When you write for your newsletter, blog, or website, which character are you most like?
Mr. Krabs: This crustacean is focused on one thing and one thing only, making more and more and more money. Only a cartoon could actually have dollar signs drawn in his eyes. He thinks of no one, only how he can benefit. Are your articles focused on you or on the reader? Are you providing information or do you have blinders on, thinking only about how you can make money from the article you are writing? If your article reads like an ad or is self-serving or full of affiliate links, you might write like Mr. Krabs.
Plankton: The smallest creature in the sea is also the sneakiest. He’ll do anything and hurt anyone to steal someone else’s work (the Krabby Pattie secret formula). Write your own material. Don’t be Plankton. Don’t copy and paste someone else’s work, edit it, and try to pass it off as your own. You will be caught, and it just isn’t worth it. Take the same amount of effort and work on your own thoughts and ideas. Plankton never gets away with his schemes, either. He’s on Plan “Z” and is still pathetically failing at his attempts to steal the secret formula.
Patrick: SpongeBob’s best friend, the starfish, has a good heart, but isn’t the brightest creature in the sea. Do your articles make you sound like an expert? Are you providing valuable content or just pushing out sloppy articles as fast as you can? Always double check for typos and grammatical errors. If you’re challenged by spelling and grammar, hire a Virtual Assistant or Copywriter to proofread and submit your article for you. Or slow down, set your article aside for a day and then reread it before you click the “submit” button.
Squidward: Squidward is B-O-R-I-N-G. When writing articles, are you a Squidward? Do you just get the words down on paper or are you finding a fun twist to entertain your audience and keep them coming back for more? Take time to make your articles stand out from the thousands of other dull articles out there by including personal stories or just having fun while writing. For instance, this article could be entitled “How to Write a Good Article”, but would it stand out from the hundreds of other articles about article writing? Probably not.
SpongeBob: This little guy always tries to do the right thing, and is a hard worker. He may not always end up getting the results he hoped for, but he bounces back and tackles his work with a renewed vigor. SpongeBob works very hard, he’s a good friend, he always thinks of others, and tries to have fun no matter what he is faced with. Hardworking, friendly SpongeBob is the guy to be when writing articles.
Although this is a silly lesson in article writing, I hope you’ll remember the important messages our underwater friends have taught us.
1. Write articles to help others, not with dollar signs in your eyes.
2. Write your own material. Don’t copy others.
3. Proofread your articles carefully, and provide valuable information.
4. Be entertaining. Not boring.
5. Be a SpongeBob! Hard work and persistence pay off.
Before you know it, you’ll develop a following for having informative and entertaining articles and you’ll be King or Queen of the sea.
This article was written, not by me, but by Nicole Dean - if you want a FABULOUS and inexpensive course in Article Writing, follow this link Easy Article Marketing
Ladies, Starting a Home-Based Service Business? Heed These 5 Important Tips
So you’ve been thinking of starting a business from home. You’ve got some skills, don’t have a lot of space for inventory, so you figure it might be a good idea to start a service business. In fact, it’s a GREAT idea – you just have to be prepared to get your business off the ground and balance all the work/life responsibilities that are on your plate.
This article is going to provide you with easy-to-follow tips to do just that, but first, if you still don’t know what type of service business to start, here are a few popular suggestions:
Ghostwriting for the Internet: Write articles, reports and other information for online business owners.
Transcription Business: Create written records of audio recordings, meetings and more.
Virtual Assistant Business: Provide administrative support, secretarial services and more for other companies.
It doesn’t matter what type of service business you start, there will be some challenges along the way. Here are some tips help you as you go along:
1. First and foremost, set your working hours and ensure everyone in your household is aware of them and respects them. If you happen to be a mother or have other interruptions during the day, there’s nothing wrong with setting aside smaller chunks of time where you’ll be working. This isn’t the “real world” work setting anymore – it’s better. You work at home and you can decide when you work.
2. As a service business, you have two very important roles. One of those roles is to provide service for your clients. The other is to FIND those clients and the time involved in this is something many service-providers don’t take into account. Ensure you have enough time for providing services and the marketing tasks for your business – or hire some help to make the most efficient use of your time.
3. Charge a fair and rewarding rate. Even if you charge your clients for each hour you work for them, there are many tasks (administrative, marketing, etc.) that you don’t get paid for. To set a rate that is worthwhile to you, you need to decide what type of overall income you desire and figure out how many hours total (all business activities) you want to be working. If you find you can’t charge a rate that is worthwhile, consider another business idea or target a specific type clientele that is willing to pay the rates you charge.
4. Be choosy about your clients. It can be tempting to simply take on any clients because you may need the cash. Unfortunately, bad clients can drain your time, suck up your energy and end up being more work than they’re worth. Resist the temptation to just take any clients because your business will be more fruitful in the long run if you work with easy-to-manage, low-maintenance clients.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you find yourself taking on more clients than you can handle to earn more money, revisit tip #3 above. You may be concerned about giving your clients a good deal, but they actually suffer when you can’t provide the quality service they deserve. Instead aim for fewer clients, charge more and give them stellar service.
If you keep these things in mind, your transition to a work-at-home service provider will go much more smoothly. It’s not always easy and when you’re first starting out, it can be tough to find that balance and a schedule that you can work with. But stick with it and keep refining your process and you’ll find yourself owning a very rewarding business that you absolutely love.
Recommended
To get more at home business ideas, be sure to visit Just Add Sweat - they’re your source for step-by-step guides for starting your very own home-based business. You’ll guidance you need to get your business off the ground, find real-life success stories from women just like you and more.
Click here to go to Just Add Sweat
This article is going to provide you with easy-to-follow tips to do just that, but first, if you still don’t know what type of service business to start, here are a few popular suggestions:
Ghostwriting for the Internet: Write articles, reports and other information for online business owners.
Transcription Business: Create written records of audio recordings, meetings and more.
Virtual Assistant Business: Provide administrative support, secretarial services and more for other companies.
It doesn’t matter what type of service business you start, there will be some challenges along the way. Here are some tips help you as you go along:
1. First and foremost, set your working hours and ensure everyone in your household is aware of them and respects them. If you happen to be a mother or have other interruptions during the day, there’s nothing wrong with setting aside smaller chunks of time where you’ll be working. This isn’t the “real world” work setting anymore – it’s better. You work at home and you can decide when you work.
2. As a service business, you have two very important roles. One of those roles is to provide service for your clients. The other is to FIND those clients and the time involved in this is something many service-providers don’t take into account. Ensure you have enough time for providing services and the marketing tasks for your business – or hire some help to make the most efficient use of your time.
3. Charge a fair and rewarding rate. Even if you charge your clients for each hour you work for them, there are many tasks (administrative, marketing, etc.) that you don’t get paid for. To set a rate that is worthwhile to you, you need to decide what type of overall income you desire and figure out how many hours total (all business activities) you want to be working. If you find you can’t charge a rate that is worthwhile, consider another business idea or target a specific type clientele that is willing to pay the rates you charge.
4. Be choosy about your clients. It can be tempting to simply take on any clients because you may need the cash. Unfortunately, bad clients can drain your time, suck up your energy and end up being more work than they’re worth. Resist the temptation to just take any clients because your business will be more fruitful in the long run if you work with easy-to-manage, low-maintenance clients.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you find yourself taking on more clients than you can handle to earn more money, revisit tip #3 above. You may be concerned about giving your clients a good deal, but they actually suffer when you can’t provide the quality service they deserve. Instead aim for fewer clients, charge more and give them stellar service.
If you keep these things in mind, your transition to a work-at-home service provider will go much more smoothly. It’s not always easy and when you’re first starting out, it can be tough to find that balance and a schedule that you can work with. But stick with it and keep refining your process and you’ll find yourself owning a very rewarding business that you absolutely love.
Recommended
To get more at home business ideas, be sure to visit Just Add Sweat - they’re your source for step-by-step guides for starting your very own home-based business. You’ll guidance you need to get your business off the ground, find real-life success stories from women just like you and more.
Click here to go to Just Add Sweat
Got Writing Skills? Get Paid to Write Every Day as a Ghostwriter
If you have ever dreamed about having a career in freelance writing, you might look into the growing opportunity of ghostwriting. Ghostwriting is the practice of writing works (books, articles, etc.) anonymously for a client. In turn, the client gets full rights to place her name on the writing and publish it as her own.
Side Note: If you've heard of ghostwriting before and you already know it's a career path you want to pursue, I recommend you pick up a copy of Just Add Sweat's "How to Become a Ghostwriter" Guide. It will show you exactly what you need to know to get started.
But if you're new to the idea of becoming a ghostwriter, let's continue:
To get into ghostwriting, there are a few skills you should have or work to acquire:
- Excellent Writing Skills: Certainly to be a ghostwriter, you need to be able to write well. Your writing should flow well, cover topics thoroughly and in many cases, your clients will expect you to capture their unique voice in your writing.
- Research Skills: As a ghostwriter, you'll be responsible for finding and processing all of the information that you will need to be able to do your writing on a specific topic.
- Grammar & Spelling: It might seem obvious, but it's important to note. All of the work that you turn into your clients as a ghostwriter must be free of any grammar and spelling errors.
Many different types of businesses and individuals readily use ghostwriting services. Authors, business executives, celebrities and others may look to ghostwriters to write books for them. Online business owners, blog publishers and other websites hire writers to create articles and other content. Information product sellers look to ghostwriters to publish how-to and other instructional guides. The sky is the limit when you are looking for people who want to hire ghostwriters.
There are many things you can do put yourself ahead in this field (and the How to Become a Ghostwriter Guide covers these and more in depth).
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Start building a resume that will get you noticed. Highlight any writing experience and if you don't have any, you can offer to do a few free small projects to build your resume. Approach a non-profit business or someone that you know that might need writing services.
- Determine which topics you are qualified to write about. Although many ghostwriters are well-rounded and can write on many researchable topics, having a specialty can help you get work. For example, you might have special knowledge of health, finance or parenting topics. Use this to your advantage.
- Have relevant samples readily available to showcase your writing skills. Many clients are more concerned with how well you write, rather than the amount of experience you've had.
To get more help, get a copy of Just Add Sweat's "How to Become a Ghostwriter" Guide. It will help you discover if ghostwriting is indeed the right career for you, how to break into the business, service rates and more. Ghostwriting can be a competitive business, but there is plenty of room for new writers if you're armed with the right approach and that's exactly what the guide will give you. Click here for all the details.
Side Note: If you've heard of ghostwriting before and you already know it's a career path you want to pursue, I recommend you pick up a copy of Just Add Sweat's "How to Become a Ghostwriter" Guide. It will show you exactly what you need to know to get started.
But if you're new to the idea of becoming a ghostwriter, let's continue:
To get into ghostwriting, there are a few skills you should have or work to acquire:
- Excellent Writing Skills: Certainly to be a ghostwriter, you need to be able to write well. Your writing should flow well, cover topics thoroughly and in many cases, your clients will expect you to capture their unique voice in your writing.
- Research Skills: As a ghostwriter, you'll be responsible for finding and processing all of the information that you will need to be able to do your writing on a specific topic.
- Grammar & Spelling: It might seem obvious, but it's important to note. All of the work that you turn into your clients as a ghostwriter must be free of any grammar and spelling errors.
Many different types of businesses and individuals readily use ghostwriting services. Authors, business executives, celebrities and others may look to ghostwriters to write books for them. Online business owners, blog publishers and other websites hire writers to create articles and other content. Information product sellers look to ghostwriters to publish how-to and other instructional guides. The sky is the limit when you are looking for people who want to hire ghostwriters.
There are many things you can do put yourself ahead in this field (and the How to Become a Ghostwriter Guide covers these and more in depth).
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Start building a resume that will get you noticed. Highlight any writing experience and if you don't have any, you can offer to do a few free small projects to build your resume. Approach a non-profit business or someone that you know that might need writing services.
- Determine which topics you are qualified to write about. Although many ghostwriters are well-rounded and can write on many researchable topics, having a specialty can help you get work. For example, you might have special knowledge of health, finance or parenting topics. Use this to your advantage.
- Have relevant samples readily available to showcase your writing skills. Many clients are more concerned with how well you write, rather than the amount of experience you've had.
To get more help, get a copy of Just Add Sweat's "How to Become a Ghostwriter" Guide. It will help you discover if ghostwriting is indeed the right career for you, how to break into the business, service rates and more. Ghostwriting can be a competitive business, but there is plenty of room for new writers if you're armed with the right approach and that's exactly what the guide will give you. Click here for all the details.
Writing for Profit
Hello. I recently decided to do some writing for profit, so that I could report back to you on how I found the various aspects of it. So, I enrolled at Elance as a service provider (for free) and I bid on some jobs. I bid on 5 jobs and I got 2 of them. One was writing a blog for a travel niche blog (vacation rentals - holiday homes for those of us in the UK) and the other was writing 20 articles on a provided list of child related subjects. I was comfortable with both topics, and familiar enough with them to write a good proposal and have them accepted. In my proposal, I simply stated who I am, gave links to my blog and to my EzineArticle expert author page and quoted a price. I will be paid $10 for each 500 words I write. I am half way through the blogging experience and have nearly finished the articles. I have done it all in my "spare" time (not my usual working hours) and it has fitted in really easily.
It isn't impossible to make money online and writing is a great way to start. Swapping your time for money is easily achievable.
love
Sarah
It isn't impossible to make money online and writing is a great way to start. Swapping your time for money is easily achievable.
love
Sarah
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