So much to do...

I'm such a procrastinator, which makes life as a freelance writer a little difficult. Right now I have 120 keywords articles to write 350-400 words, AND a 100 page e-book. theoretically I would like to have both of these uploaded and approved by the buyer by Thursday so I can get paid on my next check from the site where I found the jobs. Unfortunatly, i'm not sure this is going to happen. the list of keywords this guy game me are absolutly absurd as well, so its going to be a big pain in the butt.

I have to finish one of them at least by Thursday. If only I wasn't such a procrastinator, and so addicted to this blog. Anyone have any tips for keeping yourself on task while writing?

Tips for new freelance writers

If your just starting out as a freelance writer it can be hard to find work. Here are a few tips to help you find freelance writing jobs out in the huge world wide web.

1. Have a Portfolio. - Don't send someone an email asking for a job, when you haven't actually written a thing in your life. You may know you can do the job, but your going to need to prove it to someone who doesn't really know you. This will require you to have some sort of portfolio. It doesn't have to be huge, but try writing a few articls on topics you would also be looking for jobs in. For instance, if you want to be a travel writer then write a few travel articles to send out to prospective employers.

2. Try to get your work published. I have a list a mile long of places where my work has been published. A few of them I have been paid pretty hansomly, others not so much. The idea is that someone read what I wrote and though it was worth some webspace. If you've just written some sample articles as suggested in #1, try getting them published on a website like associatedcontent.com. I personally recommened giving them non-exclusive rights, that way if you want to use the article later for a perosnal project you can. So far, everything ive given them non-exclusive rights to has gone for more money than the articles I've given them full rights to despite the fact that they claim the opposite will happen. there are also sites like constant-content that will allow you to sell your work for a price you name, i have a few things up on there but have yet to sell any. Other options would of course be to get your own website, which isnt really a bad idea.

3. Get a website - take this blog for instance. Totally free. i can write whatever i want, and I have a link to give people who might be inteested in what i have to say. I email them a link, they click link...BAM my work is on their screen. if no one wants to accept your work, or even if they do...try setting up your own website or a blog to showcase your work to potential employers.

4. Write write write. Even if you don't have a job to be working on, always write. You'll keep yourelf in practice so when a job does come allong the words will flow.

5. Check freelance writing websites a few times daily. i usually try the morning, lunchtime, and then early evening. Freelance writing jobs will be snatched up quickly. You don't want to miss that perfect job because you waited a few days to check a website. as a freelancer you need to always be looking forward. Sure you have a job now, but when this one is finished, what are you going to do. Always apply for things. ALWAYS. It would be better to have too many offers and be turning work down rather than not having enough money to pay rent.

Todays freelance writing job quest...

Today's freelance writing job quest brings us to none other than my favorite website for freelance writing, freelancewriting.com. I scrolled through the open jobs today and found 2 that seemed like they would be some easy money:

**I am in need of a writer who can write three 300-word articles for $10 each. The topic is digital photography. Payment will be made upon project completion. I also need a writer who can write three 300-word articles on romance topics. The pay for these articles is also $10 per article. These particular sets of articles need to be completed by June 8, 2005.

and..

ARTICLE WRITER NEEDED
Payment is $50.00 total for 10 written articles
Articles must be 300 words or more
Articles will be on various subjects and we will provide you with the topics
All 10 articles must be completed within 14 days
We ask that you please follow these simple rules:
You may not use first person
Articles must have a positive feel (no negative writing)
Must be in your own words, no direct copying from other sources

The first one really more than the second. I can bang out a quality 300 keyword article in about 15-20 minutes. I'm the host of a digital photography webpage, and i've previosulyy published over a hundred articles on dating, as well as an e-book. you would think that these people would be jumping at the opportunity to hire me to do their writing for them. Apparently, not so much. I emailed them early this morning, and still no reply.

One thing ive learned thus far in freelance writing, is if you don't get a quick reply, you probably won't get one at all. A whole business day is a pretty long time in the grand scheme of things. especially since these people want so few articles. i could have totally finsihed them all today had they emailed me this morning. I write this now I'm sure as soon as i post this blog they'll be an email waiitng in my inbox.

The thing that irritated me the most about this situation is the first ad even posted a bad email address. Come on now. if you really want people to write for you, at least know your own email address. I had to find an old ad from the same person to get the right address. So irritating.

For all you freelance writers out there...

Here are a few of my favorite websites to try when looking for freelance writing jobs.

Once you get a reputation you will often have people contact you looking for a writer. When i first started out i wrote a travel website for someone for $40, the same job today i would charge over $500. The site owner put my email address on the site however, and gave my name to a few friends. I didn't make much on that one website, but it gave me at least ten other high paying jobs as a result. newbies, don't be afriad to write for less than your worth, I'm not saying forever...but just to get some work published and get a good rep. It will pay off later.

www.freelancewriting.com - This is by far my favorite, I actually put a link on my toolbar to it as well. Freelancewriting.com has a section for "paying markets" and "low paying markets' if your new to the freelance writing world and just want to find a place to get some of your work published then you can probably find a market here. There are also a few low paying markets that will give you a little money for your troubles as well. the paying markets site has helped me find a great number of jobs over the past few years. Most of the postings are looing for pretty specilized writers, but if you have what it takes they can be pretty profitable.

www.writersweekly.com - This site is not only a great place to find writing jobs, but it is also a terrific place to get advice from other writers. they have several discussion boards where you can find out about companies who are trying to trip writers off, and get job tips from other writers.

wwww.absolutewrite.com - I can't tell you how much information I've gotten from this website. the chat rooms are frequently visited, and usually contain very good information for freelance writers.

www.craigslist.com - Thers a craiglsist for almost every major city now with listings for writing jobs. Since many jobs are tellecommuting positions, check other cities particularly larger ones like New York and Seattle for positions as well.

www.elance.com - You do have to pay a fee to join, but the fee is often paid for with one good job from elance. This site isn't for new writes, but rather for more established writers with a good portfolio and some decent refrences.

www.judysbook.com - The site where you can get a free ipod (see my last post) You know you want one. This site will accept...everyone. So if your new to the writing world and just want some experience or just want an ipod... check it out.

Will write for Ipod

Now with this new debt over my head Ive really stared to get focused on finding writing gigs. Or obsesssed as the case may be... I've also found this fantastic deal where I can get an ipod for writing reviews of local businesses. What's sad is how hard I've written for the ipod, and how much of a slacker I've been writing for money. I have two perfectly good writing gigs, with deadlines right around the corner...and i'm writing reviews for an ipod. At least I'll be entertained while i'm living on the street corner.

Any smart editors out there?

So I totally don't get where the $9 price difference comes from. I could see it if maybe I sold them exclusive rights to one and not to the other...but no.

This post should also let all you people out there in TV land know exactly how fantastic the online freelance writing market is. I get excited about $17...which also consequently is why I'm probably still so increadibly poor. One day, life will be different..everyone will pay $17 to hear my musings. ;O)

This is an $8 article

What features should I look for in a digital camera?

Digital cameras have gotten a lot more high tech than just point and shoot. Today’s digital cameras can come with dozens on features so you can customize your camera to meet your photo taking needs. Here are a few of the different features that are available on today’s digital cameras, so you know what to look for when you’re out shopping.

Megapixel:

The megapixel of your camera is going to be the resolution of your photos. Digital photos are made up of tiny dots called pixels; a megapixel stands for 1000 pixels. The more pixels you have, the higher the resolution of your photos. If you plan on cropping your pictures, or printing larger print you want to make sure you are purchasing a digital camera with a resolution that can accommodate those needs.

Optical v. Digital Zoom

Digital cameras in most cases have two different types of zooms, optical, and digital. Optical zoom is the zoom like your traditional camera would do, the lens goes in and out bring you closer, or further away from the picture. Digital zoom essentially takes the picture as it is…and blows it up. Since the digital zoon is merely enlarging the individual pixels in your picture, you can loose image quality when you use a digital zoom, and your pictures can seem blurry and out of focus. Most professional photographers will turn the digital zoom function off on their cameras to preserve the images quality. If you decide you want to enlarge the picture or zoom in a on a particular piece, you can do that later in a photo program with much better results.

Manual Focus:

Professional photographers, and even some amateurs can enjoy having a manual focus on their camera. A manual focus will allow you to physically change how your camera is focusing and make different items stand out. A manual focus can make for much more creative pictures, and most digital cameras with the manual focus option also have an auto focus option for those times when your feeling less adventurous.

Movie Mode:

Many digital cameras today will have a movie mode along with them as well. A movie mode allows the user to shoot a small mpg movie on their digital camera and save it to the cameras memory card. On some cameras the movie can have sound and take up as much room as is remaining on the cameras memory card. In other cases the camera can only make small clips without sound. If your interested in a movie mode make sure you know exactly what type of movie mode the camera your interested in has before you buy. Movie modes can be fun for family trips, allowing you to email a small clip of your vacation or special event to family members and friends.

Aperture priority and Shutter speed:

More advanced photographers will want to be able to set their own aperture and shutter speed on the camera just like they would with their traditional SLR camera. There are digital cameras that will allow you to do this, and everything else you could do with a traditional SLR making your pictures just as creative as you are.

Portability:

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes. Sure that big camera may have tons of great features, but are you going to want to carry that around with you on your family vacation? Make sure your picking a camera not only with the feature you want, but also one your going to willing to tote around,


Before making any camera purchase, think about what features are going to be important to you and look for the camera that meets most of your search criteria. Nothing could be worse than finding the perfect camera, the week after you make your camera purchase!

This is what a $17 article looks like

It’s finally time for you to join the digital photo revolution…but where do you get started?

The best place to start is to know what you’re up against.

Digital cameras are primarily categorized by the resolution of the pictures they will be able to take, or the cameras megapixel. Unlike your old pictures, digital pictures are made up of thousands of tiny dots called pixels. One megapixel is equal to one thousand dots. The more dots you have, the better the resolution of your picture, and larger photograph you’ll be able to print out without the photo starting to look grainy, because you can see the dots.


Here’s a chart to give you an idea:

1 megapixel = good enough for the web but not much more

2 megapixel = 4x6

3 megapixel = 8x10

4 megapixel = 11x14


If you think you may want to crop out piece of your photographs, and then blow that particular section up, you may want to purchase a higher megapixel camera than you think you will need for just regular photographs.

The higher the resolution of your photos, the larger the file on your computers memory card will be, and the more memory you will need. A memory card serves as the film in your digital camera. You can purchase additional memory cards for your camera and switch them out just as you would rolls of film. Memory cards however can also be purchased in varying sizes, some large enough to hold hundreds of photos. Make sure when you purchase a memory card you are getting one that is going to be large enough to hold all of the pictures you will take before you will be able to get back to your computer. Like your old camera, where you could just run out and pick up a roll of film, memory cards are much more expensive, and much harder to find while out on a family vacation.

Once you find that perfect camera, you can then start looking at ways to print your photos out. There are a variety of photo printers on the market. Try and find one that specializes in printing only photos, and has a resolution that is similar to that of your camera. Photos taken with the best camera in the world can only look so good on a crappy printer.


Manufacturers are releasing new digital cameras, and new photo technology every day. Keep track of what’s going on around you, and make a visit to a few camera stores before making a purchase. Try the cameras out, and get a feel for them to make sure that you are able to get the best camera possible for you.

Must find $850 in writing jobs in 2 weeks...

So a long long time ago in a neighborhood far away...I had a roomate.

That roomate and i moved out of the apartment in December, and now in July we learn that our apartment complex wants to charge us for $1700 worth of "damages" that we did to the apartment while we were there. We lived there 6 months, I can't imagine...

In a furver to scrounge up my half of this ungodly amount of money I applied for a crapload of writing gigs this week. Right now i've gotten 2, one to write 120 350 word articles on a topic that has yet to be disclosed, and the other to write an e-book on Real-estate Investment in Panama. I know absolutly nothing about real estate investment, or panama for that matter. So this, this is going to be fantastic.

I have to come up with this money before the end of the month or it goees on my credit report, so this is going to be a marathon of writing excitement.

I have sold a bunch of articles to associated content this week. If your a freelance writer, you should try them out. A few of the articles have sold for a good deal of money, and by good deal I mean $17. The others have sold for not neerly as much. I only sold them publsihing rights not exclusive rights, so its kinda cool to get paid, but still own my writing. Its kinda weird how they decide what to pay you though...I'll post a few for a readers side by side comparison, let me know.

Blogs are taking over the world!

I saw an ad today for a professional blogger. That seems kind of odd to me. So i started loking at the blogging world.

There are a ton of people who blog! I never realized what a popular hobby it was. I have two...maybe three friends with blogs. My friend Kevin went on tour with Kelly Clarkston (who's name I feel I just butchered) and had a blog dedicated to his thoughts on the tour. Ok...maybe I have one friend with a blog.
The other two I know are:

Jump Little Children:
A band that I adore. They should be my friend, I have been to every single concert they've had in the past 4 years within a 50 mile radious of my house. So i've definitly bought them a few dinners.

Jen:
When I sophmore in college..5 years ago? My boyfriend at the time cheated on me, and dumped me for this girl Jen. I was 19, and had just had my heart broken by my first love...so i stalked her just a little bit with the help of some resourceful friends. By stalk i mean I read her blog, its really not all that psycho.

So with those three fanastic blog experiences, its a wonder that I've never gotten into this before, and had no idea that s many people did. I'm impressed.