This month I consider the issue of becoming a freelance writer, as well as some of the scams that might affect those new to the game. Check out some great articles on freelancing, as well as a light-hearted look at the summer vacation. See you next month!

In this issue:

• How Do You Become A Freelance Writer?
• Location Independent Blog Carnival
• Freelancing On The Web
• Scams To Avoid
• Writing Talk: A Writer's Summer
• Diary Of A Working Writer July 2009

How Do You Become A Freelance Writer?

by Sharon Hurley Hall

This is a subscriber exclusive. It hasn't appeared anywhere else yet.

Many of the people who search for my blog are looking for the answer to this question. They are hoping that there is some magic formula that will move them from being wannabe writers to published professionals without passing 'go'.

Sorry, but there is no simple answer.

Don't be discouraged. I really believe that almost anyone can learn writing skills. Learning the skills is not the problem. The issue is wanting  a writing career enough to put in the ground work that's needed to make it successful. That ground work includes doing some actual writing regularly and consistently and publishing it somewhere where others can see it. That's why I always recommend a blog - and I've had enough clients find me through my blog to know that my advice is spot-on.

There's also the need to sustain your skill level and write cracking good copy even when it's a topic you wouldn't normally be interested in. (Believe me, I've done my fair share of those, too, and still do.).The point is that your client should never pick up on your lack of enthusiasm. If you can sound like a fan even when feeling jaded, then you're well on the way to becoming a professional.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Contact me through the Get Paid To Write Online contact page to share your views.

Location Independent Blog Carnival

by Sharon Hurley Hall

This month, I'm excited about hosting the Location Independent Blog Carnival. It's only the second edition (first one here) but I'm pleased to say that there have been several entries already. If you are wondering how this applies to you, ask yourself this question:

Can you continue to do your job from anywhere in the world?

That's the only question, really. It doesn't matter whether you do move, only that you CAN. That makes you location independent - and I'm sure you have some posts about this aspect of the freelance writing life. Next edition is due out July 15 so there's still time to head over to the submission page and take part.

Check out the #LIP hashtag on Twitter to find out more about becoming location independent.

Freelancing On The Web

This month, I thought I'd do something different and share some of the articles that caught my eye in the past 30 days or so. Here they are, with short excerpts: 

Switching to Freelance: How to Negotiate to Work Less Hours in Your Job

Only 7% of people are using freelancing to get themselves paid employment. I’m heading in the opposite direction: scaling down my full-time employment to grow my hours available for freelancing.

Using LinkedIn — A Must for Freelancers

In the freelance business, testimonials are gold because it shows the depth of your capabilities and lends credibility to your name, too. If you have not done so already, it’s time to start using this powerful tool to help boost your image and even get gigs.

How to Mix Business and Pleasure on Vacation

You don’t have to break your work addiction cold turkey. You can work while you’re on holiday – just as long as you don’t let work interfere with the holiday itself.

The Ultimate Mobile Office Set Up For The Location Independent Professional

I’ve written a few posts about this before but never one as comprehensive as this…which lists pretty much all the tools, gadgets & services we currently use (and the ones we’ve tried in the past) to run and manage our location independent business from the open road.

Better Questions Than “Do I Need a Mentor?” and “How do I get one?”

That’s the beauty of the Internet. Reciprocity is king. It’s easy to do favors. It’s simple to give someone a boost. Show someone who’s already successful what you can do for them.

Scams To Avoid

by Sharon Hurley Hall

Regular readers can file this one under 'blast from the past' . For new readers, there are lots of ways to lose out on the income you should get for writing work. Here are three of the most common.

1. The Free Samples Scam - some job postings will only accept bids with a sample. It's always worth publishing these on your own blog or article marketing profile. Unscrupulous 'clients' may ask for a free sample from every applicant, thus getting all the articles they want for free.

2. The 'This Is Urgent' Scam - If a client says a job is urgent, you might be tempted to forego your usual requirements for a deposit. This is just what scammers count on. Once the urgent job is done, you may find it hard to track down the client to collect payment.

3. The 'Rates Will Get Better' Scam - Ever been asked to write 100 articles for $100 on the promise that you will get better rates for the next project? Don't fall for it, because the 'client' will find someone else to work at that rate for the next project. Only you will know your bottom line rate - don't work for less.

Writing Talk - A Writer's Summer?

How's your summer going? Does this picture look at all familiar? The other strips are here.

Diary Of A Working Writer - July 2009

This has been an interesting month. I took a couple of weeks off, then had to cram all my work into the time that remained. It was a challenge but I got more or less everything done. Then disaster struck - my blog had a meltdown after upgrading Wordpress and I had to do all kinds of things to get it back. It's now up again, looking better than before (I think so, anyway). You can read all about my woes in this post on my blog.

In the past month, I've faced the challenge many parents face of Freelancing Through the Summer Vacation. However, I still managed to do a few reviews of sites such as BookArmy and WizeHive. Over on PiggyBankPie, my favourite posts recently were Getting to Grips With Your Online Contacts and an exploration of multiple social bookmarking tools, while on the travel blog I examined online packing list tools and asked Would You Work For Free To Save Your Company?

I've spent more time using Twitter and other social media tools in the past year. In addition, thanks to my reviewing gigs, I sign up for more sites than the average person, which means I have a heck of a lot of social media profiles. I finally decided to bring most of them together on my DandyID page. Until something better comes along, that's going to be the one stop shop for connecting with me socially. I've put a handy widget on my blog too. Hope to connect with you soon - have a great month!