Moving to a New Website

I've finally decided to go ahead and purchase a domain name for this blog, and to move it on over to my hosting service. The new address is www.contentwriterslife.com. I hope you will update your bookmarks and join me there :)

Another Freelancing Source

I recently found out about another site that is fairly similar to Constant Content. This site is GhostBlogger.net.  I just joined the site, so I cannot report how good or bad it is, but I will be submitting my first article later today.

The pay structure is 3.50 for every 100 words, which is nice. You also have the option to set your own price for each article that you submit. The site puts their 30% cut on top of your price, so when the article is purchased, you get the amount that you set. There is no set payday...you can cash out when you want to, as long as there is at least $25 in your account.

You have the option of writing for requests for buyers, or on any topic that you choose, just like Constant Content, but there is no way to see what the buyers are buying, or what they are searching for. It doesn't have as many features as Constant Content, but one feature that it has that CC does not have is the ability to write the article directly on site - in fact, you have to either write it on site, or copy and paste your article into the box.

When I have a chance to see how it all goes, I'll write a fresh review of GhostBlogger.net. In the meantime, I've got work to do!

My First Book in Progress, Indecision on Back Burner

So, today, I am starting work on my very first, full length book. My book - not a book that I am ghostwriting. A full length book - not just a short report or mini book. I won't mention the title or the subject at this time. I wanted to start this project some time ago, but one thing was stopping me from moving forward. The details.

I was getting far too wrapped up in the details, and those details had more to do with what I would need to do after the book was finished than it did with the actual work of writing the thing. For instance, I have no idea whether I should sell it as a Kindle eBook, or go a different route. Should I sell it only as an eBook, but not a Kindle eBook, or should I go with print? Should I sell it as a Kindle eBook and in print?

I finally woke up and realized two things.

1. I can't sell something that I don't yet have, so there is no point in determining how it will be sold at this time.

2. I could wrestle with these decisions from now until the day that I die and never reach a final decision. I am a Libra after all, and we are notorious for being indecisive.

So, with a much clearer perspective, I've put all of those thoughts and decisions on the back burner and I'm moving forward. I'm going to write, and I'll work out the details later, when the book is finished.

There is Writing and then there is Writing

Not everyone who thinks that they can write can write well enough to truly call themselves a professional writer. Sadly, those who think they can write, but really can't, insist on calling themselves professional writers anyway. It's even more unfortunate that this fact actually has a negative effect on those of us who actually are professional web content writers.

How does this affect us? You may think that this means that there is less competition if another person cannot write well, but that isn't true at all. You see, if they are willing to get all of the facts written down on any given topic, regardless of spelling and grammar errors, and offer that to content buyers at a very low, cut throat rate, the buyer will buy it - especially since it is sold as a full rights license piece.

When a buyer has full rights, he or she can do whatever they want with the written work. Because the work is factual, but shoddy in terms of grammar, spelling, or sentence structure, the buyer is going to do one of two things with it. The first option is to load it up into MS Word, and run the grammar and spell check on it, simply clicking the mouse to make corrections, and ending up with a decent article that they can use. The second option that they may choose, or even incorporate with the first option, is to go over to any number of freelance sites and hire another writer, or so-called writer - to rewrite the original article, or the corrected article.

Fresh or original articles always cost more than rewritten articles. The research is done, and there are countless writers who will happily rewrite articles all day long for bottom of the barrel rates. So, in the end, the buyer not only gets a half decent article, but overall, he or she probably only paid five or ten bucks total for that article...if that much.

This is how it affects us. Those low rates and the content buyers willingness, patience and ability to make something out of complete garbage in order to get even lower rates. Unfortunately, the only thing that good writers can do about this is to continue to write quality content, with the knowledge that there are still content buyers out there who care about the content that they are using on their sites. Sadly, those particular content buyers are a dying breed.

Freelancing Success with Constant Content

If you are a freelance writer who hasn't realized much in the way of success working through the various freelancing websites - where the competition is tough, and the bidders are tragically cutting their rates to win projects, you may want to give Constant Content a try.

I only joined the site on July 21st, which was just ten days ago. In that time, I have written and submitted 7 articles. Of those 7 articles, three have sold. Two were sold under the usage license, which means that they can be sold again and again, and they will retain my byline, and one was sold under the full rights license, which means that the buyer can remove my name, rewrite it, or do whatever they want with the article.

I've read what a lot of other writers have had to say about Constant Content, and I feel very confident that as I add more articles to my inventory, my sales will increase, and my income from that site alone will greatly increase as well. I'm just writing and submitting one article per day at this point (5 days per week), because I'm still working on other projects, and doing other writing work as well.

I'm happy to see that the little bit of time that I am dedicating to this endeavor each day is paying off :)

New Freelance Writing Website

Today, I've received two press releases about a new freelance writing site that is being widely publicized. When freelance websites that are writing specific advertise, that's great for the writer's who work through that site, but that may not be the case this go around.

First, I went to check the site out. The company is Real Writing Jobs. I clicked on the FAQ and read what it was all about. There's really not a lot of information there, but I was able to get a few vital bits of information from what I read, which lead me to not recommend using this website for freelance writing.

1. While the site did all of the proper things to protect itself against being accused of making false claims, they do tell you that you can make up to $10,000 a month. As a freelance writer, I know that to be extremely unrealistic, and I will even go so far as to say false.

2. This site does not pay you for your work, the clients/companies in their database pay you.

3. There is a membership fee for joining, even as a writer. Especially as a writer. You see, this isn't actually a place to find writing work. Instead, this is a membership website, where you will find links to sites where you will find writing jobs. I haven't joined the site, but I suspect that you will find the usual freelance sites listed inside, such as freelancer.com, vWorker, iWriter, etc. You do not need to pay for this information. You can easily find it on your own.

4. The company claims that even if you only have an eighth grade education, you can make big money writing. In fact, there are additional services that the company will direct you to if you do not write well. You can bet that this company will get commissions when you pay other companies to teach you how to write. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against anyone making money online - not even this company. What I am against is the way that they worded their squeeze page, making it seem like you will work for them, regardless of your writing skill, and promising big money for it - for a free of course, when in reality, it is just a database of links to other, free writing sites.

It just feels sleazy.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

I think one of the biggest mistakes that I've seen writers make is to not to have a definition for the type of writer that they are. For example, I am a writer. That is a very broad term, and could mean just about anything in the writing world. If I had said I am a healthcare worker, that could mean that I am anything from a Candy Stripper to a World Class Surgeon. In order for others to understand what you do, you have to be more specific. Additionally, if you are new to freelance writing, it is essential that you define - for yourself - the type of writer you are, and the field or genre of writing that you are interested in.

Here is a list of various types of writers:

• Freelance Writer
• Staff Writer

As you can see, there are only two types of writers. As you probably know, a freelance writer writes for various clients. They are not employees of any of these clients, and are usually paid by the job, and not by the hour. A staff writer, on the other hand, writes for one client or company. These writers are usually paid a set salary, or paid by the hour, and are rarely paid by the job or written piece. A freelancer rarely works in the clients place of business, while a staff writer will either work in the physical workplace of their employer, but may also work from their home, or at a location specific to what they are writing about for their employer. 

Now, with that cleared up, what kind of writing do you, or will you, do? Here is another list: 

• Copywriter - A copywriter typically writes content such as sales letters, short ads, scripts for commercials, sales copy for websites or brochures, and things of this nature. They may be freelancers or staff writers. 
• Journalist - A journalist usually writes about current events or less current events for periodicals. There are many different types of journalism, such as investigative journalism. Sports writers, who only write about sports, are also journalists. Journalists may be freelance writers or staff writers. 
• Academic Writer - Academic writers are rather hard to explain. These writers are usually already employed or studying in a specific academic field, such as science or a subset of science, and the writing that they do relates to the field that they work or study in. They are, for all intents and purposes, freelance writers, but they rarely write for money. Getting published is important to them, as their future in their chosen field depends on it. 
• Columnists - Columnists are another tricky breed to explain. They may write about one specific topic, or many topics in one field, or a variety of topics in a variety of field. They may write facts or opinions. They usually write for periodicals, such as newspapers, but may also write for online magazines. They may be staff writers or freelance writers. 
• Ghostwriter - A ghostwriter is almost always a freelance writer. They may fall into many fields of writing as well. The main thing that sets a ghostwriter apart from other types of writers is the fact that they do not get credit for the work. They get paid for it, but they do not get a byline or any other credit. Instead, they are paid to write something, and another person gets the recognition for the work. The ghostwriter goes into the assignment or job knowing this is to be the case. 
• Grant Writer - Grant writers are typically freelance writers, but they could be staff writers as well. They are typically employed or contracted by universities, non-profits, research labs, and things of this nature for the purpose of writing grant applications for government grant money. 
• Novelists - Novelists are also called authors, but not all authors are novelists. They usually write fiction, and their work is almost always found in the form of a book. These days, that could include an electronic book. Novelists are freelance writers, and there are many different types of novelists, based on the types of fiction that they write. One example of this is a romance novelist. 
• Play Writers - Also known as play-writes, these writers write scripts for plays or theater productions. They are freelance writers in almost all cases, and they typically only get paid for their work in the form of royalties. 
• Screen Writers - Screen Writers write scripts for television and movies. They can be staff writers or freelance writers, and they may work in groups with other writers for one television show. 
• Speech Writers - As the name indicates, these writers are in the business of writing speeches. Those speeches are written for other people to deliver. They may be freelance writers, but they usually work for just one client, or at the very least, one client at a time. Most politicians or those running for public office have a speech writer on staff. 
• Technical Writers - Technical writers write things such as manuals for products. They may also write documentation for products that are being developed, as the product is being developed. They may be staff writers or freelance writers. 
• Content Writers - Content writers write content on a wide range of topics or on a very specific topic. They may be staff writers or freelance writers. I am a content writer. Additionally, since I write content that is meant for use on the Internet, I am known as a web content writer. Some may even refer to me as a SEO Writer, or Search Engine Optimization Writer, meaning that I write content that contains keywords used in a certain way, not only for the purpose of engaging and informing the reader, but also for the purpose of getting the search engines to rank the web page higher in search results when that keyword is searched for. Content writers may also be staff writers for print magazines. 
• Business Writers - Business writers write about business. They may write about a specific aspect of business, or about a specific industry. Typically, they must have vast knowledge and personal experience in business. They may be staff writers or freelance writers.
• Game Writers - Game writers are a relatively new breed of writers. These writers write story lines for video games such as role playing games. 
• Poets - Poets, of course, write poetry. They are freelance writers in most cases, but may also be staff writers for greeting card companies. 
• Resume Writers - As the name indicates, these writers specialize in writing Resumes for other people. They may be staff writers or freelance writers, and they usually have copywriting skills as well. 
• Reviewer - These writers write reviews, and little else. They also specialize within their field. For example, a food critique is a reviewer. After they have eaten at a restaurant, they write about their experience with the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant. A reviewer can be a staff writer or a freelance writer. 

So what kind of writer am I?

I am a Freelance Web Content Ghost Writer when I write for clients, and a Freelance Web Content Writer when I write for my own projects. 

What kind of writer are you?