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I’ve come to the conclusion that most writers don’t read as well as they write.

Every time I send an email, I get back several responses asking questions that were answered in the message. For example, I’ll say, “The call is at 5 pm Eastern time,” and a few people will respond, “What time zone is the call in?” Or I’ll invite readers to join a waitlist to receive an announcement when a class registration is open, and that the class will cost $X, and inevitably some people will write back with, “I signed up for your class using that link you sent and didn’t get the materials.”

I feel okay saying this because it’s something I struggle with myself. I’m impatient and tend to skim emails, instructions, and so on — and wind up asking “duh” questions that later make me want to kick myself.

Just today, I received a long email about my son’s soccer team and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out when his practices are. Only after I sent a desperate email to the coach did I reread the message and realize they had attached a schedule.

We writers tend to be scattered and easily overwhelmed. I’m not sure if these characteristics are typical of creative people (probably), or if there’s something about the writing life that makes us this way.

But knowing this, lately I’ve been making an intensive effort to thoroughly study and understand everything I read.

This is especially, super, vitally important because most of our communication with clients, editors, and sources is via email. And too often, I get frantic messages from writers saying things like, “I just read my assignment letter and realized I was supposed to write a sidebar — and the article is due today!”

Here’s how to bump up your reading comprehension: (And yes, I’m working on doing these things, too!)

• When an editor sends you instructions or a request, read them carefully — then read them again. If, after careful reading, there’s something you don’t understand — ask.
• When you’re scheduling an interview or anything else, double-check to make sure you know what time zone it’s in, and whether it’s AM or PM. It’s amazing how many people automatically assume everything happens in their own time zone!
• If you received an email from an editor that seems to be missing a vital piece of information, like the word count of an assignment, go back through your communications by reading through all the emails in the thread. Chances are, he mentioned it in a previous email.
• Re-read your assignment specs right before you begin writing. Chances are, you’ve forgotten some details from when you first read them.

Writers, let’s get reading — and we’ll cut out a lot of angst, do better work — and get more assignments!

How about you: Have you ever misread a piece of information from a client or colleague — and if so, what happened? Bonus points if your story is funny!

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This post is by Deb Mitchell.

I’m definitely more of a “rules are there for a reason” than a “rules were meant to be broken” kind of girl. It just never occurs to me to buck the system, and frankly, that’s served me well all my life.

But when my freelance writing career stalled (despite the fact that I had 5+ years of experience with clips numbering in the triple digits), even playing by the rules top freelance writing experts teach wasn’t getting me anywhere.

“Send pitches to newsstand pubs and LOIs to trade pubs.” Check.

“Email editors – NEVER call them!” Check.

“DO NOT clog an editor’s inbox by attaching your clips.” Check.

“Whatever you do, take time to research each market and NEVER, EVER use a template email.” Check, check.

I was spending loads of time researching markets, ferreting out the appropriate editors’ contact info and meticulously wordsmith-ing every email from scratch. Despite my best rule-following efforts, none of the editors contacted me back. Not. One.

There simply aren’t words to describe how frustrated and discouraged I felt. Giving so much time and effort with nothing to show for it eventually took its toll. On a daily basis I was at best, fighting despair and at worst, sinking in its depths.

In the midst of all this, I started working with a writing mentor (the one-and-only Linda). She calmed me down and gave me a few pieces of advice which I, of course, followed to the letter. I got a few lukewarm responses from editors as a result, and I even sold an article to a new-to-me (but not great paying) market.

Sure, it was progress, which lifted my spirits to a degree. But let’s face it — I was still working long, hard hours for minimal payoff. NOT a sustainable pattern for any small business.

Then Linda gave me a tip that helped me think outside the box – and believe me, it was one I NEVER expected to hear from her or any freelance writing expert.

“Why not try calling some editors?” she said, “And write a great LOI email you can quickly tweak for each market. Ask if they assign to freelancers or if they prefer pitches.”

Um, excuse me, what did you say?? Call editors?? Write one LOI to reuse over and over?? Pitch to trade pubs?? Break rules?!?!

As if that weren’t enough, Linda challenged me to call 25 editors in one day.

The thought of doing things that are widely considered no-no’s freaked me out enough, but seriously, 25?! Believe it or not, the part that scared me the least was the actual cold calling. I have a background in sales and I’m good at talking to people and I like marketing myself. Maybe, just maybe, the reason my by-the-book efforts were flopping was because my approach felt inauthentic. Calling editors seemed much more “me” — I’d just always thought if I did it, they’d view me as unprofessional (and kind of hate my guts for bugging them).

But with Linda, a seasoned pro writer, saying it was OK, I didn’t hesitate.

Armed with a three sentence script Linda wrote for me and a short and sweet LOI template email, I started the challenge.

I didn’t even get to leave voicemails with five editors before my phone rang.

“Deb, I was just delighted to get your message!” Really and truly, an editor was calling me to tell me she was happy I’d called her — not “hacked off” or “appalled” or even just “annoyed.” It seems she’d heard my voicemail right after leaving an editorial meeting where she’d learned an article slated for the next issue had fallen through. I’d also thrown caution to the wind and sent her my LOI email with my resume and a clip attached. She’d seen something in my article that would make a perfect story to fill that empty spot. Could I get something into her within a couple of weeks?

I know, right?!?!

After all my nose-to-the-grindstone work and months of angst over doing things the “right” way, all it took was literally a couple of phone calls and I had a gig that paid more than triple what I’d been getting! Even better, the editor ended our conversation by saying this was “the start of a very beautiful working relationship.” Hello, future high-paying gigs!

I’m no expert when it comes to freelancing, but I do think there’s something to this whole “find what feels right for you” idea. Just because the freelance writing books and classes say “Do this” or “Don’t do that” doesn’t necessarily mean those rules are hard and fast. It took me having someone of Linda’s caliber giving me permission to break the rules for me to do something that in the end felt natural and comfortable for me. And it worked.

As long as your approach allows you to both be yourself and to “sell” yourself as a competent professional, it’s worth trying something out of the ordinary — especially if you’re feeling stuck. You can’t predict how editors will react, but if you’re being genuine and gracious to them, no reasonable editor would hate you just for doing something differently. If they do, consider yourself lucky to have been warned about their inner crazy before you got stuck working with them.

So what will you try that’s not in the books? Be brave and take a risk. Go ahead — run with a stick in your mouth! Jump on the good furniture! Call an editor! Take it from me — it’s good to be bad.

How about you? Have you ever broken a rule of freelance writing and benefited as a result? Or have you found a marketing tactic other freelancers would scoff at, but that works for you? Let us know in the Comments below!

Deb Mitchell is a freelance writer in Charlotte, NC specializing in writing about interior design and women’s interest topics. She also works with business clients to make their websites and client communications the best they can be and with students as a general writing and college application essay coach.

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Last spring a writer (let’s call her Jill) emailed me that she was pitching a profile of me to a UK writing magazine — and would I be available for an interview?

Here’s how the conversation went:

*****
Jill:

I’m interested in interviewing you for [magazine]. If you are agreeable, I’d need to ask you a few questions in order to prepare my pitch.

Me:

Hi, Jill! Did you want to ask your questions via email or phone?

Jill:

I live in Australia, Linda, and find email is simplest because of the different time zones.

Will just ask a few questions to start with. If my editor at [magazine] likes the proposal, I’ll be in touch again. If he’s already accepted something similar, I’d like to pitch the interview to [two other magazines] if you’re happy with that.

Here goes -

* You list Redbook, Woman’s Day, Family Circle and Writers’ Digest as magazines you’ve sold to. I’m wondering how many you’ve sold to each. What’s the most number of commissions you’ve had from any one magazine that you’ve broken into by initially breaking rules?
* Are there any rules you definitely wouldn’t break?
* What’s the most daring way you’ve broken a rule and gained a commission?
How many magazines have you broken into by breaking rules?

Me:

[I answer all the questions, which takes about 300 words.]

Jill:

My editor at [Magazine] is interested in the interview. I’ll need to slant it to UK writers subbing internationally, and also point out if any of the advice is wrong for the UK market. [Following are 11 questions, many of which are actually composed of two or three separate questions.]

Me:

Hi, Jill! That’s good news!

This is a LOT of writing. Can we do a phone interview? I’m available outside of business hours since we’re in opposite time zones.

Jill:

I’ve been thinking what the best way to proceed might be, Linda. I didn’t mean to swamp you with questions.

One thing I’m wondering is whether you’ve already written pieces that I could read and draw on, that might cover some of this.

Then perhaps we could Skype?

What are your thoughts?

Me:

I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to write or research for you on this project. I think you will be better off finding someone else to profile.

*****

Okay, so what went wrong in this process?

Let me start off by saying that unless you are just looking for bare facts — data mining, basically — email interviews are less than ideal. I do them for a column where I’m asking for dates, prices, and workshop names for events, but in all other cases I rely on the phone.

But to be fair, I did give Jill the option, thinking there would be just a few questions. Instead she slammed me with 15+ questions (which actually ended up being more like 20 questions). I spent 300 words on the first set, and estimate it would have taken me another 1,200 words at the very least to answer the second set.

Hmm, does that sound to you like I’m writing an entire article?

Then, when I offered to make myself available at some weird time of the day to make it easy for this writer to do a phone interview, she responded by asking if I had ever written anything she could basically lift for her article. Because God forbid a writer should have to do an interview outside the 9-5, right? Much better to ask your source to spend a couple hours writing and researching your article for you.

It reminds me of the writer who interviewed me, and when I asked her to send me a link to the article when it went online, replied, “Oh, just Google your name and the name of the magazine and it should come up.” Um, no. I just took half an hour out of my workday talking to you for no benefit to myself so YOU can earn a few hundred bucks — you can spend 10 seconds emailing me a freaking link.

As a freelance writer, I have done interviews after my normal bedtime and before my usual wake time with people in opposite time zones. I have paid for a Skype phone number and added funds to be able to call overseas to people who don’t have Skype. And I ALWAYS let my sources know when an article I interviewed them for has been published, and try to get them a copy if it’s not available on the newsstands.

In short, I never put the onus on my sources to make it easier for me to do my job.

Too many would-be writers have the impression that freelance writing is a cakewalk — and when they find out to their horror that they have to do actual work, and that it (gasp!) may not be 100% convenient for them, they look for shortcuts.

I’ve earned up to $85,000 per year writing (and yes, this was before I started earning income from my classes) because, well, I worked my ass off. Freelance writing is a job. It’s not all sitting at cafes with a laptop and a cup of joe, typing away as the muse strikes. I really can’t fathom why any person would think that this is the world’s only job where you can put in little effort and reap great returns.

As a freelance writer, you need to put in the hours and shoe leather to get gigs, do great work, keep your clients happy, and deal with sources in a way that they’ll want to help you again in the future. In other words, it’s work.

Enough of the vent. How about you: Can you tell us about a time you went above and beyond in your freelance writing career? Or how about describing a time you dealt with a lazy writer? Let us know in the Comments below! [lf]

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By Travis Bliffen Regardless of whether you choose a functional resume, chronological resume or a combination resume one of the first and arguably most important sections is the objective or profile. Resume writing professionals have yet to agree upon which is a better choice, but the majority of professionals favor profiles since they focus on what you can provide, instead of what you want.

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It’s what I hope I do.  

by LuAnn Schindler

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Freelance Writers: How to Use Online Job Boards to Earn Fast Cash

Guest post by Suzanne Lieurance
If you're one of those writers who never seems to find any assignments on the online job boards, you're probably being too picky OR you may just be looking at the wrong kinds of ads. Here's something to try that should help you land a job you can complete quickly to earn some fast cash.

Search for just one short assignment that pays at least $50 for something you would feel comfortable writing because you have the skills and knowledge to pull off the job. It doesn't have to be something you're passionate about writing. You just want a quick assignment. For example, if you're good at writing press releases or book or product reviews, or cover letters, or artist statements, look for ads for one of those assignments.

As soon as you see the ad, follow the application guidelines immediately.

If you get the assignment, do it right away and bill the client.

The point of this is to look for jobs that you can complete quickly and that are relatively easy so you can make some fast cash. But then you want to move on to another new client and another new project that you can complete quickly.

Skip over the ads that promise regular work - these are usually the ones that will gobble up your time for very little pay and you won't be able to do anything else. Also, skip over the ads for assignments that will take weeks to complete. You aren't looking for a regular client at this point or a long-term assignment. You just want a short, easy assignment that will give you some quick cash.

Get in the habit of scanning a variety of online job boards like this on a regular basis and you'll soon be making some quick cash every week!

Try it!

For more tips to help you build a freelance writing career, check out Suzanne Lieurance’s Working Writer’s Club. It’s the place to be if you want to create a writing career and/or get it in high gear.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6014243

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Ghostwriting – Content Rewriting
Writing for Money – Breaking Into Freelance Writing
Freelance Writing Work: The Possibilities

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It's an inside-the-biz guide that steers you clear of the shark-infested waters that gobble up and spit out most wannabe writers. Howells shows you the shortcuts to earning good money quickly. His hard-learned secrets and stealth tactics will save you a ton of pain and frustration.

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1. Flexibility: One of the best benefits of being a freelancer is the flexibility. I'm not going to tell you it's easy--because it's not. You'll work hard, and you'll work long hours; sometimes just to get one article finished or five query letters researched and sent in. But you can generally do this work at 5:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.--whatever your schedule calls for. Freelancing is perfect for stay-at-home parents who have a different schedule almost every day or even writers working day jobs but hoping some time to freelance full time. I would say my favorite thing about freelancing, besides how interesting it is to write different articles and meet a wide variety of people, is the flexibility!
2. Extra  income: That's the joy of freelancing--you get paid--or at least, you are supposed to. And in real, live money--not copies and not t-shirts or other merchandise. Whether you write for small or large markets, glossy magazines or your local paper, a paycheck should accompany your hard work. It's hard for me to tell you how much you should get for your submission--until you break into the national magazines, you are probably not going to be funding your child's college education. But you could easily fund next year's Christmas purchases or that cruise vacation that you wanted to take with consistent querying of small to medium-size markets.  And I always encourage my students to go for the glory--why not send in that query to O the Oprah Magazine first before you send it to a regional woman's magazine? You never know when an editor might love your idea. 
3. Your resume: If you're freelancing while you're working on your memoir, a nonfiction book proposal, or your novel, you're also building your resume or platform and collecting clips. You also probably have a bio included in several of these freelance publications, where you can list your blog, your website, your upcoming work, and so on.  Any exposure you can get for your upcoming work is great. Any networking you can do while freelancing is doubly great. And finally, you are getting all types of writing and publishing experience that is invaluable during these experiences.

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Today I have the pleasure of featuring an interview by Donna McDine with Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach.

Ready to start a freelance writing business but you don't know how?

Have you been looking online for someone or something that will help you?

Then find out more about the Working Writer's Club in this interview with the club's founder and president, Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach.

The Working Writer's Club might be just what you're searching for!

Q: Suzanne, as the founder and director of the Working Writer's Club what is the first thing you would like people to know when visiting www.workingwritersclub.com?

A: I'd like visitors to know that our club is all about helping freelance writers learn to write better, make more money, and live the writer's life they've always dreamed of living.

Q: Having created your own successful freelance writing career you know what it takes to build momentum. What is one of the most critical steps a writer needs to take consistently to develop their own freelance writing career?

A: The most critical step is to develop your goals - you have to KNOW what you want before you can figure out HOW to get there. Yet, this is the one thing that so many new writers don't take the time to do - or at least they don't take enough time to do it well. They may think that "write a novel this year" is a goal. But actually, I think of a goal as something even BIGGER than that. Writing a novel is an action step toward a goal rather than a goal itself. To get to the goal, consider WHY do you want to write a novel? What do you want this novel to do for you or your career? Your answer to that question is closer to your goal (or at least one of your major goals).

Q: What advice would you give to a newbie in freelance writing? And the intermediate freelance writer that has seen some success, but seems to be in a holding pattern at the moment?

A: Whether you're a newbie or an intermediate freelance writer - or even a very experienced, successful writer - continue to learn from other successful writers.

Join our club or another organization for writers. Then take an active part in whatever group you join. Next, develop a focus for your writing and create no more than 3 major writing/career goals for yourself that you hope to attain within the next 12 months.

Also, constantly evaluate what you're doing to see if it's getting you closer to your goals. If it isn't, then change what you're doing.

Q: By becoming a member of the Working Writer's Club what can a freelancer expect?

A: Well, for one thing, you can expect us to help you create a focus for your writing career or your writing business. And, we can help you create no more than 3 major goals - so you'll get really, really clear about WHAT you want, WHERE you're wanting to go, and then we'll help you stay focused so you take the steps to attain your goals and build your writing career and/or your writing business.

Q: With the wealth of freelance writing information available on the Internet what makes the Working Writer's Club unique?

A: I think the one thing that makes the Working Writer's Club unique is that we're not out to get you into our club so we can sell you a bunch of other high priced programs or products. We just want people who love to write and want to build a business or a career around wr

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Recently, I taught a telecourse for the Children's Writers' Coaching Club on writing for parenting and family publications. One comment that was made during the course was from a children's writer. She said, "I never thought about writing for parenting magazines as a children's writer, but now I see how it makes perfect sense." 

Exactly. There are two things we can learn from her comment as freelancers. 1. We often get stuck in one genre or with one age group, and we don't think about how we can expand our career. 2. If you are a children's writer, there are a lot of magazines that seem to be folding up; but parenting, family, and teaching magazines are a natural audience, too. This is especially true if you are a children's book author. Who buys these books for children? Parents, teachers, and librarians--the same audience you are writing to in these magazines. 

No matter what kind of writer you are, parenting and family magazines are a big market. Go to www.thenewmagazinecity.com, and click on this category to check out the most well-known and national magazines. But besides these, almost every region has a parenting magazine like Indy's Child or Georgia Family . Here's another website to check out: Parenting Publications of America. You don't want to subscribe to the organization necessarily, but look around the site to see different names of parenting publications. Once you find some you are interested in writing for, do a Google search and find their websites to find writers' guidelines and past articles. 

Once you have your market, what do you write about? Look at your own family--you could write a how-to article about a recent problem you and your toddler solved. How about a travel article on a cheap but fun vacation in a magazine's region? Does the publication take book reviews? Do you like to read new parenting books? Then this may be the niche for you. Study your potential market carefully, and then make a list of the types of articles included in the magazine as well as topics. Use these as a starting point for brainstorming ideas. 

You have an idea, you have a market, so write that query. Make parenting publications a part of your resume, starting today!

Post by Margo L. Dill; 

Margo will be teaching FREELANCE WRITING: Querying and Writing Non-fiction Articles through WOW!'s online classroom, starting on August 19. For more information about the class and to sign up, please visit the classroom here. 

2 Comments on Tap Into Your Family: Parenting Publications, last added: 6/25/2011

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Sioux said, on 6/25/2011 5:48:00 AM

Margo--This is a great post. As my grandparents used to say, "There's more than one way to skin a rabbit." If we can write for children, take that talent, and utilize it in a different way.

Margo Dill said, on 6/25/2011 7:09:00 AM

Thanks, Sioux. It is always helpful to me to be reminded of other markets!

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Award-winning children’s author Donna McDine published her first book The Golden Pathway, August 2010 with Guardian Angel Publishing and has two more books under contract with said publisher for The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey. She writes, moms, and is the publicist intern for The National Writing for Children Center and Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club, and the editor-in-chief for Guardian Angel Kids e-zine from her home in the historical hamlet, Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Musing Our Children.

WOW: Donna, welcome to the Muffin! We're thrilled you've decided to share your experience on freelance writing. So, let's start at the beginning. How should a writer prepare herself to enter the freelance marketplace?

Donna: Before someone jumps into a freelance writing career, keep your day job. The comfort of a steady paycheck will lessen the stress until you build up your publishing credits and clientele. It is imperative to study the market or genre you are interested in writing for by visiting various websites, blogs, and discussion boards to educate yourself on each unique opportunity. Since I write for the children, I offer the following suggestions to get you started:

• Institute of Children’s Literature
• National Writing for Children Center
• Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
• Verla Kay
  

WOW: Thanks for the specific examples! We know that a writer's bio and resume are an important asset to a publication, but what if she doesn't have any published clips yet? What should she do to build her platform?

Donna: Building one’s platform is not as difficult as it sounds. Start out by writing book reviews and post them on your blog, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Conduct interviews of authors, publishers, editors, agents, and illustrators and post these too on your blog. I highly recommend Christina Katz’s book, Get Known Before the Book Deal published by Writer’s Digest Books.

WOW: So, as we learn from example, what was the very first freelance publication you were accepted to? And what did your query letter entail?

Donna: Stories for Children Magazine was my very first acceptance for my non-fiction article, “What’s Not a Fish, But is Called a Fish?” Even though my submission was via e-mail, I made sure to keep it professional and to submit it according to their submission guidelines.

WOW: That's so true! And I love that title. In your opinion, when you write query letters, what do you find is the key ingredient that entices an editor?

Donna: A key component I always make sure to include is my research of their back issues, themes (if a themed magazine), and

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As a freelance, especially a full-timer who relies on steady income, it's important to find some kind of balance with my cash flow. If there's one constant in freelance, it's this: some months are busier than others.





How do I handle those slow moments? I tackle my "to do when I have time" list. No, this laundry list isn't filled with household chores. It's not a "honey do" slate of activities I'm unable to execute, like the one I have for my husband.

Instead, this list pertains to my writing business. Here are a few ways I keep occupied when I'm between assignments:

• Contact editors at places I've been published. If I haven't written for a particular magazine or newspaper for a few months or even a few years, I draw up a list of ideas and pitch them. Immediately.
• Review old files. What articles can I update for a new feature? Which articles can be revised and sold as a reprint?
• Update my portfolio. I like to add my latest work and hopefully, my portfolio shows how I've expanded my expertise.
• Revise my website. Now, don't make this task more difficult than it sounds! Remove old articles and links, add new clips, update news. This process can be a time sucker! I just finished scanning 10 years of clips and am going to finally add my best pieces in a variety of formats.
• Clean the office. Or, as my husband says, rearrange the junk. It's organized chaos, but I know where everything is located. I give my desk a thorough cleaning, file paperwork, and rearrange the furniture. Change does a writer good! :)
• Research. I've mentioned it before, but I'm a Post-It note queen. When inspiration strikes, I jot it on a post it and stick it to any available space on my desk. This is when I begin grabbing those individual notes of goodness and decide my strategy for my next project.
• Network. This task isn't just for down time. Writers should always be networking and promoting their work.

At some point, every writer will experience a slow down. It's the natural ebb and flow of the writing business. Having a plan of attack for those calm moments will keep you focused on the writing bottom line.

Blog post and photo by LuAnn Schindler. Visit LuAnn's "I-need-some-down-time-so-I-can-update-my-website" website at http://luannschindler.com.

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Last week, I was lucky enough to land a freelancing job thanks to timing and being ready. I saw the call for writers, and I already had my resume and basic cover letter ready to go. I took ten minutes to look them over, tweak them for the job, and send them in. Some people might say I landed the job because I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I don't completely agree. I landed the job because of that reason but also because I was ready.

If you are a writer--freelancer, novelist, children's picture book writer--you need to be ready to take advantage of opportunities you see IMMEDIATELY. If you don't, someone else will. And the ready writer is the one that is going to land the job, get the book contract, or receive assignments from the editor. What can you do to BE READY?

Keep an updated resume and basic cover letter on your computer, so when you see a call for writers that interests you--all you have to do is take a few minutes to send them in. AS SOON AS you see an ad for writers, answer it. If you wait a couple days until you get around to updating your resume or editing your cover letter, you have probably lost the opportunity--unless the ad states an application deadline or is REALLY specialized, such as a certain type of science writing.

If you are a novelist ready to turn in a manuscript, create a folder on your computer just for the submission process. You should have a file of the first 50 pages, a file of the first 3 chapters, a query letter, and a synopsis. Different agents and editors will require various pieces for the submission process. If you have all these files ready, all you have to do is open them, copy, and paste them into the body of an e-mail; attach the files to an e-mail; or print them out to send them in snail mail. When you see a new lit agent on the scene or a publishing house that is opening their doors to unsolicited submissions for one month, you'll be ready to take advantage of these opportunities and won't have to spend time getting your submission together.

In the few years since I've been regularly submitting my creative work and depending on a freelance income, I've learned that being ready and being able to take immediate advantage of a call for writers or manuscripts is extremely important. In the writing business, talent and persistence are important. But, so is being ready. Are you ready? What will it take you to get there?

post by Margo L. Dill. To read more of Margo's work, check out her blog: http://margodill.com/blog/

photo by kevindooley www.flickr.com

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We are lucky to have Robyn Galbos from Demand Studios with us today to answer some questions we've received about becoming a writer for them. She has provided some tips for applying and writing articles and information about some of the new Demand Studios programs, so let's get started!

WOW: Hi, Robyn. Thank you for taking time out to talk with The Muffin about writing for Demand Studios. What kind of writers are Demand Studios looking for? Specific genres? Certain experience or college degrees?

Robyn: Demand Studios is looking for all kinds of writers with a variety of backgrounds and interests. We are primarily looking for people with solid researching and reporting skills, and ideal candidates have had their work published in print or online. During the application process, writers must upload a résumé and a writing sample; the stronger the writing sample, the more likely the writer will be accepted.

Second, put your best foot forward with your writing sample. Take time to research the sites for which you are applying to write, and take note of the voice and tone of the writing. Attach writing samples that would fit well on those sites. If you don't have published work, try writing an article in the style of eHow, LIVESTRONG, Garden Guides or any other site you're interested in. Be sure to submit original work as your writing sample, however, and remember to proofread your submission for typos as well.

WOW: So, writers can use their knowledge they gain from hobbies and other careers to write articles and make extra money on Demand Studios. What are two or three tips you can give writers who are applying for positions?

Robyn: First, take the application process as seriously as you would for a full-time position. Because this is an independent contractor position, sometimes writers think that they don't need to try as hard. Upload a recent résumé that highlights your writing experience and any expertise you may have. Proofread your résumé for typos. Typos in a résumé are a red flag when you're applying for a writing position.

Second, put your best foot forward with your writing sample. Take time to research the sites for which you are applying to write, and take note of the voice and tone of the writing. Attach writing samples that would fit well on those sites. If you don't have published work, try writing an article in the style of eHow, L

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Eco-friendly web content writer Gen-Ex Finance Newsletter writer Copy Editor w/financial trading experience Technology/Gadget Blogger Expat Writer for Canadian market(pass this one on to your foreign writing friends, great pay!) Posted in Tagged: freelance, freelance jobs, freelance writers, Telecommuting Jobs, writers

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Good Morning:

It's been quite a busy morning so far. I've taken my morning walk, answered all of my emails, posted a picture on my new photo blog and collected all of my "accessories" to make iced tea.



For all of you who follow my blog, I'm sure you know by now that my daughter is a "foodie" and we cook and dabble in the kitchen on a daily basis. Most of our meals are prepared at home, as I grew up with home cooking as well. My mom is a good ol' southern cook, and I inherited her love for cooking, and evidentally, I've passed it on to my daughter. Although I must admit, I've taken my beloved southern recipes and tweaked them to make them healthier.

Well, with all this southern cooking going on, you'd think that I would have made iced tea a few times in my life, wouldn't you? Truth is, I have never made iced tea. My mom made it every summer when I was growing up, but I didn't drink it. I have since learned to like tea, and I drink plenty of the hot stuff in the winter. So today, for the first time ever, I am going to make "two big jugs of iced tea". And...as usual, I will tweak my mom's version to suit our tastes. We like mint tea, and that is what I intend to make. Mom always made one "jug" of sugared tea and one "jug" of unsugared tea. My dad liked it sweet and he chose the sugared tea. Mom served the unsweetened tea to guests and allowed them to sweeten it to their tastes. I will do this as well. I prefer my mint tea unsweetened, but others like it sweet. We don't use much sugar around here, so Splenda or Nutra-Sweet will be our choices.

Now, I'm off to boil two big pots of water and start my days project. Wish me luck!!

In honor of today's Iced Tea endeavor, I have listed an ACEO print entitled: "Afternoon Tea in Tucson", which can be found in my Etsy shop.

Afternoon Tea In Tucson



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

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