In this issue

-- How To Promote Your Way To The Top Of Google

-- Why I Like Text Link Ads

-- Get Paid to Write: Writing For Magazines

-- How To Organize Your Day To Become A Successful Freelance Writer

-- Diary Of A Working Writer - May 2007

-- Five Essential Reference Tools For Writers

-- Writer's Bookshelf

This month, find out how to promote yourself successfully so freelance writing clients can find you. Discover how to make the most of magazines as a writing market and read Yuwanda Black's tips on organization. Enjoy! Next edition: June 2nd.

How To Promote Your Way To The Top Of Google

By Sharon Hurley Hall

Eighteen months ago I launched my freelance writing career. I set up a website and began the process of getting that site noticed so I would be the first port of call when people wanted freelance writing and ghostwriting. Along the way, I made some mistakes and I had some successes, but I kept going. And last week I did a search and found that I was top of Google for the keywords ‘freelance writing ghostwriting‘ (without the quotes). That proved to me that I must have done something right and I’m going to share with you the steps I took.

1 Domain Name Choice

OK, I made a mistake with this one. I should have gone straight for sharonhurleyhall.com, because as a writer, my name is my brand. But I was still figuring things out so I went for doublehdesign.com. The ‘doubleh’ was my last name; the ‘design’ was because I was doing web design and Quark page layouts. I’m not doing either of those now. However, doublehdesign was what I had and doublehdesign was what I promoted. I’ve now got links into the site and lots of traffic, so I plan to stick with it. As for sharonhurleyhall.com, I’ve used that as a portfolio blog and will eventually use it for book promotion.

2 Building A Web Presence

Once I’d bought the domain name and found a web host, I needed to put something there – something that would show the world that I was serious about freelance writing and ghostwriting. So I set up my site. At the start it was simple. I had a home page where I introduced myself (including a 50 word version for the skimmers); a bio/resume page, a ghostwriting page, a writing samples page and a contact form, so people could let me know if they wanted to hire me.

That was enough to get me started but over time I added a photo, pages of links to related sites (all of them to do with writing), a sitemap so the crawlers could find the whole site and Google Adsense, so I could make some money from the site. For about four months, I added one page to the site every week and updated at least one page every couple of weeks, so my content would always be fresh. Today, I have about 30 pages on the site. Some of the original ones have fallen by the wayside, but many are still there – and I’m still tinkering with the site today.

When people come to my site, they can find out who I am and what I’ve done on the home page, but there’s even more info on the inside pages, including general information on ghostwriting. That’s because many people don’t know exactly what it is. That’s useful content that’s there for free – another secret of a successful website. And it’s why I put free articles on the site as well.

Read Part 2 of How To Promote Your Way To The Top Of Google

Read Part 3 of How To Promote Your Way To The Top Of Google

Why I Like Text Link Ads

I'm always looking for a new way to make a little bit of passive income from my site. I've found a program I really like, called Text Link Ads.It's simple to sign up and then you grab some code, put it on your blog and you're ready to go. For Wordpress users there is even a plugin to make it easier.

One of the good things about Text Link Ads is that you can sell ads in your feed – someone bought an ad in my feed for $5. The link is about books, so I'm happy that it's related to my site content.

The reason I like Text Link Ads so much is because it's exactly what it says – text links. That means no more badges fighting for space on my blog's home page. So far, it's been pretty painless and I've made a little bit of money. Check it out for yourself. They are currently offering $100 in free links to new advertisers.

Get Paid to Write: Writing For Magazines

by Sharon Hurley Hall

Magazines are a key market for freelance writers. The magazine publishing industry is huge and growing. Every year, across the world, hundreds of new magazines are launched. These magazines provide a good source of income for both new and experienced freelance writers. Here is some advice on writing for magazines.

How Do Writers Find Magazines To Write For?

An easy way to find a magazine to write for is to visit a book shop and browse the magazine rack. There will be hundreds of magazines there. New writers can look for magazines relating to topics they already know about or are interested in. This will help them with research and preparation for writing articles. More experienced freelance writers may feel comfortable writing about any issue.

Another way of finding magazines to write for is to use a directory such as Writer's Market or Writers' and Artists' Yearbook. Both of these contain listings of publishers who produce magazines on almost any issue writers can think of. It is simple to browse the list, find an appropriate magazine and get in touch with the editors or publishers.

Help Me Write For Magazines

Most of the content of most magazine consists of feature articles. Examples of feature articles are a profile of a person, place or company or a survey relating to an issue or market sector. Writing feature articles requires good research skills. Writers who like to use a lot of description and who are very creative will find writing feature articles appealing.

Magazines also contain other content such as letters pages and advice columns. In many cases, these pages are written by writers rather than readers. This provides another opportunity for freelance writers.

Many magazines contain pages with news relating to the sector in which they are published. News items are short and direct and writing news articles may appeal to writers who like to tell a story simply and clearly.

Find out more about writing for magazines

New Writing Group – WritingDown. If you are having withdrawal

symptoms from WritingUp or just want somewhere to connect with

other writers, then WritingDownis the place for you. See you there!

How To Organize Your Day To Become A Successful Freelance Writer

$1,000/Week is Very Possible Putting the Following into Motion

Freelancing is all about managing time. With over 14+ years of experience as a freelancer, there are still things I learn on a regular basis to increase my income.

If you want to become a successful freelance writer, you have to first begin by organizing your day to make it happen. If you focus on organizing one day, then follow that plan for three weeks to make it a habit, you'll have no problem achieving success in this field.

NOTE: Most experts agree that for something to become a habit, you should do it for at least three weeks - continuously - before it will stick.

1. Block Out Hours for a 10-hour Workday:

I know, I know, this is not popular, but for the first year or so, you are going to have to put in 9 or 10 hours a day (sometimes more) to make it happen. So, just get used to it.

People wonder how I do all that I do and the my answer always is organization and willpower. I know what I want and am not afraid to work hard to get it. So, 10 hours - wrap your brain around it and move on.

2. Create a Marketing Plan:

A marketing plan is like your map to success. Without it, you will be like a dog chasing its tail - going around and around in circles making no progress at all.

Of course, creating a marketing plan means deciding what type of writing you want to do, who your target market is, how you will reach them, how much it's going to cost you, what your pricing schedule is, etc.

This doesn't have to be fancy, and it doesn't have to cost a bundle - but it is a must. Remember, marketing

is a numbers game. If send out 50 mailers a week, that's 200 hundred a month. A 1-3% return will bring in 2-6 prospects.

If you close half of these, that's 1-3 new clients a month. When you look at the numbers like this, it's really not so hard, is it?

Build up your client list to 25 or 30, and you should stay fairly busy.

Read the rest of this article

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Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.

Diary Of A Working Writer - May 2007

Well, the news is good this month. The writing team has settled down and we're all working happily together, though with one minor setback which I will blog about some time this month.

My Garden and Hearth freelance writing website should be online within the week, with my first five articles on freelance writing and ghostwriting. I've dropped by the forum and have been making friends with some of the other writers there.

As usual, I am busy. This month's challenges include a magazine and developing lessons for a new journalism course. And I'm also taking a fiction writing course in the hope that it will spur me on to finish ONE of my unfinished novels.

My new freelance writing blog is up and running and it's got me interested in blogging again. All of a sudden I find I have a few things to say, so pop by from time to time to take a look or just get updates by email.

By next month, I should know what's happening with my new course and should be in the swing of things at Garden and Hearth. If I can find some free time, then I'll get back to work on my freelancing book – watch this space.

Oh – and in case you are wondering what happened to the item called 'I Must Be Doing Something Right', I decided that it deserved a longer item, so I'll feature it next month instead. Have a good month – and happy writing.

Five Essential Reference Tools For Writers

by Sharon Hurley Hall

Every writer needs help sometimes - help with spelling, help with grammar, help with style. The reference tools in this article are essential for every writer to learn to improve their writing. This will increase writers' chances of publication.

As a new writer, it is sometimes hard to know when your writing is right for editors and publishers. The best way to get published and get paid for writing is to write articles without spelling and grammar errors. It is also important to target the right publishers for your work. Here are five essential reference tools that will help all writers learn to write better and improve their chances of getting published.

Improve Spelling With A Good Dictionary

Writers need to be able to check the spelling of words they're unsure about. Using a good dictionary will help to keep their writing error-free and will make it more acceptable to publishers and editors. Good dictionaries of English are the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (for American spelling) and the Collins English Dictionary or Oxford English Dictionary (for British spelling).

It is best for writers to invest in a full dictionary rather than a pocket edition, as this will have many more variations of words. There are also special dictionaries for writers and editors such as the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors. This dictionary helps writers learn to avoid common errors.

Check Up On Grammar And Usage

Writers need to avoid making grammatical errors in their articles, stories and manuscripts. Using the right grammar will make their work more professional and will help writers to impress editors and publishers. There are now many grammar and usage checkers available online.

Read the rest of Five Essential Reference Tools For Writers

Writer's Bookshelf

Starting Your Career As a Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk Jr.

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer... by Jenna Glatzer