Category: Uncategorized

“The article should be 800 words…maximum.”

I can’t count the number of times an editor has assigned me a word count for a piece. In the world of writing, word count matters more than we might think. Many publications determine how much to pay for freelance writing jobs based on article length.

Word count matters for book writers, too. How many words in a novel? Did you know novels should be at least 50,000 words? And that memoirs should be under 100,000 words, but biographies can be up to 200,000 words?

As a writer, do you compose drafts in Google Docs? (Here at The Write Life, we’re pretty big fans of track changes in Google Docs.) You may be wondering how to see the word count in Google Docs.

Good news — it’s simple.

How to see word count in Google Docs

When it comes to word count, there are three types of writers: Those who look at the word count after completing a draft, those who prefer to check in every once in a while and those who want to see the word count throughout the entire process.

If you fall into either of the first two categories, here are two strategies for viewing word count in Google Docs. (If you’re in the third group, don’t worry, there’s a method for you, too!)

1. In the upper left corner of Google Docs, click on Tools and scroll down to Word count.

A box will pop up that displays the number of pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces in the Google Doc. Take a look and press OK when you’re ready to hide the box.

2. There’s a second way to check your word count in Google Docs: use the shortcut! Just hit Ctrl+Shift+C for the box to appear.

How to check word count in Google Docs for a chunk of text

Do you get the hunch that chapter three of your novel is running a bit long? There’s a way to check word count in Google Docs without copying and pasting the chapter’s text into a separate document.

Highlight the relevant text, then either select Word count under Tools or use the Ctrl+Shift+C shortcut for the box to pop up. 

This time, the box will display how many pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces are in this chunk of text with respect to the total number in the Google Doc.

How to view word count in Google Docs as you type

This strategy is for the third category of writers. Let’s say an editor instructs you to keep an article under 1,200 words. You don’t want to finish a draft only to discover it’s 1,800 words, then make heavy edits before you can submit the piece. 

Just keep track as you go!

Either click on Word count or use the shortcut to bring up that little box. Then select Display word count while typing. A small rectangle pops up in the lower left corner of the Google Doc that displays the word count.

Click the rectangle’s arrow to see the number of pages, characters and characters excluding spaces. Is the rectangle becoming annoying? Click that arrow and select Hide word count to get it out of your hair.

Once your document exceeds 3,676 words, the rectangle no longer shows the number of words. (Why that number? I have no idea.) It will just say View word count, and you can click on the rectangle to see the details.

What is not included in the word count?

Be aware that Google Docs does not include certain things in its word count. It doesn’t count anything in the header, footer or footnotes, even if you highlight the words in those sections and select Word count.

Google Docs also doesn’t count symbols, such as # or $, in its word count. It does count them as characters, though.

It does include em-dashes, which look like — this. (Curious about how to type an em dash? It stumps a lot of writers, but we’ve got a simple guide.) Keep in mind, it only counts an em-dash as a word if there are spaces on either side of it. If you type it like—this, Google Docs doesn’t count the em-dash.

For example, I count 63 words in the above paragraph when I count manually, because I take symbols into consideration. But when I highlight the text and count using Google Docs, the word count appears as 60, because Google Docs didn’t count either of the symbols or the em-dash without spaces. 

Counting words can be a little like losing weight. Some people prefer to step on the scales constantly, others like to check in every once in a while, and some just do a final weigh-in when they’ve completed their diet. Whichever method works for your writing style, there’s a way to check word count in Google Docs.

Photo via Rido / Shutterstock 

Are you ready to rank higher on Amazon and sell more books?

This may seem like a daunting task; however, it can be done with a little bit of time and marketing know-how.

When it comes to figuring out how to self-publish a book, marketing is often the most dreaded part. But no need to worry. By focusing on certain areas, you can see your book start to rank higher, which can lead to more sales.

Here are three ways to get more exposure and sell books on Amazon.

1. Get more free traffic from smarter Amazon Keywords  

The first step to getting noticed on Amazon is choosing the right Kindle Keywords. Your keyword selection can fuel your book’s success or leave it floundering in obscurity.

When an Amazon user searches for a new book, they normally don’t start digging through each and every category. Instead, they utilize Amazon’s search function at the top of the page. Readers will type in words or phrases pertaining to what they want to read, and your goal is to choose relevant keywords that reflect what readers are actually searching for. 

One of the most reliable ways to find the right keywords is through Amazon’s autofill search bar function. 

In order to use this method, you first need to come up with a list of keywords you would associate with your book. Once that’s done, you’ll go ahead and enter your first keyword into the Amazon search bar. The search bar will then autofill with extended search options.

For example, let’s say you wrote a spicy Mexican cookbook. Here are some of the searches you could discover using the Amazon autofill trick. 

Some of these are searches you might want to target in your kindle keywords. 

And if you’re really looking to get your hands dirty, you can manually search the autofill options when a letter is added to begin a second word.

For example, if you were to originally type “pirate”, you’ll get a list of autofill options. Next, type “pirate a”. The autofill will populate a new list. This list may contain “pirate allegory”, “pirate army”, etc.

Remember, these phrases that appear are actual searches that are being performed by Amazon users. By testing many times over for different letter combinations, you can create a huge list of keywords that you can use to market your book.

Now, it should be said that simply choosing smart keywords won’t guarantee success. To turn exposure into sales, you’ll need an eye-catching book cover, an intriguing book title, and a compelling description to seal the deal. 

2. Chase bestseller status by choosing the right niche category

As you probably know, Amazon’s massive book database is divided into categories. These are not necessarily genres (they tend to be much more specific). And while choosing the right category might seem unimportant since many readers shop using keywords, category selection is still a big deal.

Here’s why. 

First of all, readers who are fans of certain genres will occasionally spend time looking through the new releases or top sellers in a given category. For this reason, you don’t want your travel memoir showing up with the CrockPot cookbooks. 

Also, have you ever wanted to be a bestselling author? On Amazon, bestseller awards are category-specific, and reaching bestseller status starts with choosing the right category. 

For example, let’s say you’re a sci fi writer, and your book has a strong military focus.

If you were to pick a general sci fi category, your book would likely get buried in the thousands of other options. But if you were to choose a more niche category, like “Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Military > Space Marine,” you would have a better chance of getting exposure and reaching that coveted bestseller status. 

Although most authors think you can only pick three categories per book, you can actually place your books in up to 10 categories if you know a special method I teach.

3. Accelerate sales with AMS ads

If you’re looking to skyrocket your sales, AMS ads could be the way to go. But as with every other type of advertising, AMS can be tricky. 

The main objective of AMS ads is to get your books seen at the most opportune times. To do that, you once again need to think about keywords. 

However, AMS Keywords are a whole new breed of keyword. Rather than focusing only on the content of your book, they often try to pull in new readers by targeting competing book titles, the names of famous authors in your genre, and other unexpected phrases. You wouldn’t rank highly for these organically, but you can appear in one of the sponsored spots. 

When it comes to choosing AMS keywords vs Kindle keywords, AMS keywords are by far the more elaborate and difficult to target. A properly run ad campaign can actually require days of market research, just to find the right words to use. But there is an easier way to do all of this…

Consider a tool to help you find success faster

Each one of these steps alone can take days, potentially delaying your release timeline, or worse…making your book less successful due to human error. 

Publisher Rocket is a software I created to help authors rank higher on Amazon. 

Publisher Rocket will provide you with a full list of actually searched Kindle keywords, the right categories for your book, and even the best AMS Keywords to target for your ad campaigns. Plus, it will give you real data about search volume and competitiveness, so you can find keywords and categories that are getting strong traffic with low competition — that’s the sweet spot. 

Now, Publisher Rocket is not a magic bullet — those don’t exist. But it is a tool authors can use to make their self-published books more visible and accessible to buyers. And if you’ve got a well-written book, you’ll start to see your rankings rise with more books sold.

Photo via Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock 

It can be challenging to find good writers, especially if you don’t come from the writing world. 

I liken this to looking for a reliable contractor when you’re not in the home-building space or a high-quality designer when you don’t work in design. Where the heck do you start?

Most business owners begin with generic job boards, but I’m here to tell you: that’s a mistake. 

While big job boards can be valuable when you’re looking to hire writers, they shouldn’t be your starting point. Not unless you enjoy sifting through hundreds of unqualified applicants to find the good ones.

Your best approach is to lean on niche job boards and communities that cater to the exact type of person you want to hire: freelance writers.

Hire writers: Where to find freelance writers

I’ve spent a good chunk of my career hiring writers, both full-time writers and freelancers. I built a database of writers, thousands of them, when I ran a content marketing agency, then hired dozens of staff writers for full-time roles when growing a media company. Now, companies lean on me as a consultant to hire writers for their in-house writing teams.

I rely heavily on my network to find the right people, but it’s also good practice to go beyond that. Finding the best people is all about knowing where to look.

In this post, I’ve compiled a collection of places to look for freelance writers, so you can create high-quality content for your blog, business or whatever you need. These are the gems not enough people know about, where people in the writing world go when they want to find reliable freelance writers for hire.

Where you should look first depends on what kind of writer you want to hire, what kind of work you need completed and whether it’s a one-time project or recurring work.

Since niche sites tend to result in higher-quality candidates, I’ve ordered this list from most niche — sites that cater specifically to freelance writers — to general. 

For communities, software, job boards and agencies I’d recommend above the others, I’ve added a ⭐.

Here’s where to find freelance writers.

Writing communities

Writing communities are one of the best places to find high-quality writers, because they’re full of writers who are actively investing in their career and looking for ways to learn and improve.

While some groups offer value to all sorts of freelance writers, others cater to writers in a specific niche. Both are worth exploring.

When you share your need for a writer in one of these communities, you’ll meet writers where they hang out, rather than expecting them to find you on a crowded general job board.

⭐ 1. Facebook groups

Niche groups on Facebook are one of the top spots to find writers who do good work — but it can be challenging to access them if you’re not a writer. Some groups don’t allow people outside their core demographic to join.

Communities that are designed as support groups for writers tend to be more effective for finding high-quality writers than groups that operate as job boards, which often include a lot of spam and therefore have low engagement.

Here are a few groups I recommend:

• The Write Life community: This is our community. Feel free to join and share opportunities! 36,000 members.
• FinCon community: If you’re looking for personal finance writers, join this group for personal finance bloggers and post about your needs. Most members run their own blog or company, and some are interested in freelance work. 7,000 members.
• Freelance Content Marketing Writer: Here’s a small but high-quality group of freelancers who specialize in content marketing. 3,000 members.
• What’s Your Plan B?: It’s for journalists who have transitioned or are thinking about transitioning out of the industry, so many are open to freelance work. 14,000 members.

These are just a few examples. In addition to looking for writing groups, search for groups that cater to your specific industry, whether that’s travel or personal finance or health, and share your need for a writer with that community.

If you find a group you think would result in high-quality candidates but you can’t get access to the group, look for ways to connect with a writer or someone in that core demographic who can post on your behalf. More on that below in the “Ask a writer” section.

⭐ 2. Freelance Writer’s Den

Carol Tice’s membership site reaches more than 1,200 freelance writers, and she shares freelance writing opportunities at no cost to the employer. She calls it the “junk-free job board.”

⭐ 3. Problogger.com

This website is known amongst bloggers as one of the best places to look for blogging jobs. It costs $70 to post on the job board.

Writer matching services and directories

4. Virtual Assistant Finder

Gina Horkey’s Virtual Assistant Finder includes freelance writers. Fill out a brief form explaining what you’re looking for, and she’ll distribute it to graduates of her freelance writing success course. It’s free for employers. I’ve used this service to hire a Pinterest VA and was impressed with the applicants.

5. The Writer Finder

Offered by a content agency that has access to nearly 2,000 writers in various niches, The Writer Finder is a service that matches writers with companies that need them. They charge $250 to match you with 3-5 writers, with a 72-hour turnaround.

6. Certified Writers

A directory of writers who have graduated from SmartBlogger.com’s Content Marketing Certification Course. Founder Jon Morrow told me his team vets each writer before adding them to the directory.

Ask a writer for recommendations

Most writers know other writers, and they’re more than willing to tap into their network for anyone who asks, especially if it means work for their fellow writers. If they don’t know anyone who fits what you’re looking for, they might even post your job in writing communities or Facebook groups that are only open to writers.

Here are a few ways to connect with writers who might be willing to share their network with you.

7. LinkedIn

Search for writers who specialize in the topic you need covered, and reach out to them via direct message in the platform, or via their email or website if they list that in their contact information. Don’t just ask if that person is interested in the job; ask if they know anyone who might be.

8. Clarity.fm 

This platform allows you to pick the brain of experts. Search for an expert in content marketing, freelance writing or editorial, and you might land on someone who has a large network of writers. My Clarity profile is a good example of this. You can buy time chunks as small as 15 minutes.

⭐ 9. Review bylines

This takes a bit more ingenuity, but it’s highly effective if you’re willing to put in the time. Find blogs or publications you respect in your industry, and look at the byline to see who wrote the articles. Some of those writers will link to their website or Twitter profile, so you can track them down via those links or Google. If they’re not interested in your gig, ask if they know someone who might be.

A professional contact of mine took this approach for their writing blog by looking at who had written for The Write Life, and emailing that writer. It worked, and that writer eventually turned into their full-time hire.

Associations for freelancers and journalists

Many industry associations have job boards, which employers tend to overlook. 

Most of the organizations we’ve listed here are for journalists, and journalism is a specific style of writing. While some journalists stick strictly to journalistic work, others put their writing and reporting skills to use for blog posts, company communications and more.

If you’re looking for a writer who can nail an informal blogging voice or craft creative copy, review the journalist’s portfolio to see if they showcase that type of work.

Aside from the first item on this list — which we’ve listed first because it reaches freelance writers specifically — we ordered these associations according to the size of their member base.

⭐ 10. Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

You can browse their 2,600 members in their member directory, or post a job for free. The EFA also provides a list of common rates for different types of editorial work, including writing, which is helpful if you don’t know how much to pay. 

While you can likely find freelance writers through any of these association job boards, I’d recommend starting with this group because it’s the only one on this list that caters specifically to freelancers. The EFA also supports all types of freelance writers, while most of the other groups we’ve listed here focus on journalists.

11. Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

This is one of the bigger journalists associations, with 6,000 members. Employers can post a job for $350, which includes the ability to search resumes of some of its members.

12. National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)

With 4,100 members, it’s the largest organization in the nation of journalists of color. The cost to post a job starts at $150.

13. National Association of Science Writers (NASW)

If you need content around science topics, NASW allows employers to post opportunities to its “jobs bank.” Ads for one-time freelance assignments are free; posts about ongoing work cost $175. Alternatively, you can browse their member database and reach out to writers who look like a fit for your business. The organization has more than 2,300 members.

14. National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)

With 2,000 members, this organization provides support for hispanic journalists. The cost to post a job starts at $150. 

15. American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA)

Post a job for free to ASJA’s Freelance Writer Search. Those jobs are available to their 1,500 members, who write on all sorts of topics. 

16. Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)

With more than 1,500 members, this organization allows employers to post a job for $150.

17. Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)

If you’re looking for a writer who specializes in the health field, AHCJ’s job board might be worth a try. The organization has more than 1,500 members and charges employers $100 to post an opening.

18. Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ)

For environmental topics, consider putting a call-out for writers in SEJ’s job board, which is available to their 1,500 members. The cost is $80 per job post.

19. The Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA)

This association works to foster fair coverage of LGBTQ issues and has 850 members. You have to register for the association to post on its job board.

20. Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)

This organization has 600 members, and the cost to post a job starts at $75.

21. Association of Ghostwriters

With 125 members, this is the smallest association on our list and has the highest barrier to entry, which means you’re likely to find good writers. Founder Marcia Layton Turner says she requires professional members (those who receive project leads) to have ghostwritten at least two books. Employers can post a project for free or browse the member directory.

Job boards for editorial positions, including writers

22. Journalism jobs

This is the go-to job board for journalists looking for both freelance and full-time work. The cost for a job post is $100.

23. Mediabistro

With positions covering the gamut in media, MediaBistro is used heavily by journalism and public relations professionals. The cost for a job post is $297.

Job boards for freelancers and freelancer marketplaces

These job boards connect employers to freelancers in a wide variety of fields, including writing. 

The pro of using one of these sites is they reach a lot of people who are looking for freelance work. The con is you’ll have to sift through a lot of applications, many of them from unqualified applicants, to find the right hire.

⭐ 24. FlexJobs

This is one of the leading job boards for remote and flexible employment, both freelance and full-time roles. Employers can submit up to five jobs for free, or purchase a monthly membership that includes unlimited job posts and resume searches for $225/month. 

Unlike most of the sites on this list, FlexJobs’ involvement in the project ends once you make your hire; you don’t communicate with or pay freelancers through the platform.

25. HireMyMom.com 

Smaller than the other sites in this category — which can be a good thing when it comes to a job board — this board connects employers with women who work prefer flexible work that can be done from home. The cost to post a job starts at $14.99, and once you make a hire, you move the relationship off the platform.

26. Upwork

A marketplace for freelancers, Upwork boasts a huge community of remote workers available for hire. It’s free for employers to post jobs. The company requires you to pay through its platform and retains a percentage of each freelancer’s earnings.

27. Fiverr 

Fiverr is known for helping workers provide $5 services or products, but the platform also allows anyone who needs work done to solicit proposals for larger projects. Join the platform for free to browse writer profiles, and Fiverr takes a commission based on the price of your project. 

28. CloudPeeps

Find, hire and work with freelancers through this platform. It’s free to post a job, but you can upgrade so they identify the best applicants for $150. You’re required to pay the freelancer through the platform, and monthly transaction fees start at $9/month depending on volume.  

29. PeoplePerHour

Another freelancer marketplace that connects clients to people who bill by the hour or project. It’s free to post a job; the company makes money by retaining a percentage of each freelancer’s earnings.

30. Freelancer

Another big marketplace for connecting and working with freelancers, Freelancer is free to post jobs and review proposals. The company takes a percentage of each freelancer’s earnings.

Content creation platforms and writer portfolio websites

While these platforms provide excellent opportunities to connect with writers, they’re typically better suited to creating recurring content over time than one-time projects. 

These companies generally expect you to work with their writers within their platform, although a few make it possible to search their talent network and then move projects outside their software to execute on your own.

⭐ 31. Pitchwhiz

This software helps writers organize their pitches and connect with editors. Unlike the other platforms in this list, Pitchwhiz has more features for participating writers than the editors who want to access them, and users don’t create content within the platform. Sign up as a commissioning editor, and writers will pitch you based on your needs. It’s free.

⭐ 32. Contently

This content marketing platform helps companies connect with writers. You can use it as a workflow tool, executing your content strategy within the platform, or simply use it to browse “talent,” what the company calls its writers. Subscription fees aren’t available on their website. If you’re not sure how much to pay for writing talent, Contently’s rates database is full of (anonymous) examples of rates for real projects. 

33. Scripted

Use this platform to connect with writers and then work through the content creation process with them within the site. You can browse writers by topic, and they offer a free trial. It’s $149/month to use the platform, and that does not include the cost of content. 

34. Skyword

This company offers a software that helps users hire and manage writers, as well as create content. Like several of the other platforms listed here, they specialize in content at scale. You have to become a client to access their talent network, and prices aren’t available on their website.

35. Muck Rack

It’s primarily a resource for public relations professionals who want to find the right journalists to pitch. But because journalists use it as a portfolio site, you can browse those portfolios to find writers in your niche. You have to join to access their media database. They don’t list prices on their website.

36. Zerys

This company offers both managed services and a content platform. It’s difficult to decipher from their website how much they charge. Check out their price guide tool, which helps you figure out how much to charge based on type of work, length and other factors.

37. Writers Work

The platform offers an editing software for writers, as well as training and a way to display an online portfolio. They allow employers to feature job listings for writers for free.

38. WriterAccess

The software connects clients with writers, and you pay freelancers through the platform. The cost to access writers starts at $39/month, and there’s a free 14-day trial. The company also offers managed services. 

General job boards

While niche job boards tend to convert better for high-quality candidates, it’s still worth trying the big boards if you can’t find a writer elsewhere. Here are a few where I’ve heard writers say they’ve found work.

39. Indeed

40. Craigslist

41. SimplyHired

Editorial and content agencies

If you don’t have your own editor to manage writers, you might be best off hiring an agency. 

Plenty of agencies offer turn-key solutions, handing you completed blog posts or even overseeing all content creation for you. I appreciate this model because I used to run a blog-management agency!

There are lots of editorial and content marketing agencies out there; this is just a small selection of ones I can vouch for or have heard good things about.

⭐ 42. PodReacher

This boutique content agency focuses on producing articles based on podcasts. They offer monthly packages or single articles, and you can see their prices right on their website. PodReacher is run by a good friend of mine, Jaclyn Schiff, so I can personally vouch for the quality of their work.

43. Copify

The company is based in the UK, but they have a team of American writers for U.S.-based clients. Their prices are affordable and listed on their website, so you can easily price out your needs.

44. Scribewise

Led by a former journalist, this agency offers not only content creation, but a variety of other marketing services.

45. Masthead Media

Created by magazine editors, this agency offers a wide range of services, including content creation.

46. Storyhackers

With a focus on storytelling, Storyhackers provides marketing content with an educational bent.

Creative staffing agencies

47. Staffing agencies 

Some staffing agencies work specifically with freelance writers. Carol Tice offers a list of staffing agencies that work with freelance writers near the bottom of that post.

48. Alexis Grant Media

If you’re stuck, I work with companies — typically startups — to hire writers and editors. Shoot me a note to see if I can help.

One more resource: Need guidance on how to choose the best writers and work with them efficiently? We don’t have a guide for that yet, but blogger Michael Lynch does: tips for small businesses on how to hire content writers. 

And this post offers suggestions for how much to pay writers.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

This post was also published on AlexisGrant.com.

Photo via Savanevich Viktar / Shutterstock 
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Creating a perfect blog post is so much more than slapping a few hundred words on a document and uploading it to your website.

There’s a craft to writing blog posts that are engaging and fun — and yet also optimized for search engines in a way that’ll bring you more traffic.

If you want to create a blog post that drives traffic and gets people sharing with others, there’s a kind of formula you have to follow.

An easy formula for how to write a blog post

But what makes a blog post better than others?

Which ingredients are necessary to not only keep people interested and sharing but also get your post to rank highest on search engines?

Here’s what you need to craft a perfect blog post:

• A catchy title and subheaders
• Interesting, relevant images
• Search engine optimization
• Helpful, factual information
• Lots of personality

Of course, you’ll want to start a blog first. But once you’ve got that nailed, you’re only five steps away from creating compelling, valuable content.

Here’s an easy guide for how to write a blog post.

1. Choose a unique idea and a killer title

You probably have tons of great ideas for blog posts. Except…lots of people have great ideas. Someone has probably come up with the same idea before.

People don’t want to read the same blog post over and over again when they’re looking for information. So how do you make your blog post different? 

You dive into specifics. You share details. You create a unique spin on a broader idea.

For example: if you want to write about how to moisturize your hair, you can’t just choose the topic, “how to moisturize your hair.” It’s way too broad of an idea and people will gloss right over it. Plus, there are tons of blog posts covering the exact same thing.

Instead, provide an idea that’s fresh.

To do this, you have to narrow the general idea into something more specific like, “how to moisturize your hair with five natural items from your kitchen.” With this idea, you’ve just created a unique title and a fresh angle on a much bigger idea.

And this way, you’ll also get the right readers to gravitate toward your blog by giving them the direct information they’re looking for while showing them your blog niche.

2. Use headings and white space

People want to be able to find what they’re looking for easily. When you present them with a huge block of text and nothing to separate any of your ideas, they’ll leave.

Many of us get intimidated by large amounts of text. Not because we can’t read it, but because we don’t want to take the time to read through it when we can easily find the information in a few seconds on a different site.

If you want someone to stay on your website long enough to actually benefit, they’ll need to be able to find the information they want quickly.

Breaking up your big blocks of text and labeling them with obvious — yet helpful — titles is a great way to capture attention. You can also add to this by throwing in bolded phrases and making the font bigger with the main ideas you want people to take away from your blog post.

3. Write with personality

People don’t want to read something that sounds like a computer generated it. It’s boring and makes them think there isn’t a real person behind the content they’re reading.

So if you really want people to relate to what you’re saying and actually enjoy reading your blog, you need to throw in some of your personality. You need to have a voice.

That may sound easy enough but if you’re not used to writing how you speak, it could be a struggle.

Here’s how to breathe life into your blog post:

• Read it out loud and fix choppy sentences
• Add in phrases you actually say a lot
• Throw in some jokes
• Tell a story related to the topic (this also adds credibility!)

All of these can help you ensure you’re putting the real you into the words instead of robotically typing them.

Another way to make your blog post more personable is changing the font style. You talk with certain inflections on different words. To show that and help people read the content the way it sounds in your head, use italics or make important sentences bold.

4. Add relevant images

People are visual creatures. We love connecting ideas with images. Which means you should add photos to your content if you want to have the perfect blog post.

Blog posts with photos get 94% more views than those without them.

Now, this doesn’t give you permission to litter your content with random photos. They need to make sense and add to the content you’re writing. They should be offering something extra that words alone can’t.

But you can’t just choose any photo you can get your hands on.

The actual photos you use also play a huge role in reader engagement and can result in a positive or negative outcome depending on the quality of the image.

Incorporating high-quality photos into your blog post adds to your credibility. It’s a key element when it comes to how to write a blog post.

How many times have you been on a website only to click the “back” button when you see they have super low-quality photos? If you’re like the rest of us, probably a lot.

Not having great photos shows people that the rest of your website may not be high quality, either. Thankfully, there are a ton of places you can find high quality photos in your niche for free.

You just have to know where to look.

5. Optimize your blog post for search engines

Still not getting the traffic you want?

Search engine optimization (or SEO) is crucial for getting your blog post to rank higher when people type in your keyword on Google.

The most important part of great SEO is the keyword. You need to find a word or phrase that readers are actively searching for on Google. Once you have that, you need to put it to use in all the right places.

Here are some places to consider using your keyword:

• In the title
• In the first paragraph of the content
• At least in one subheading
• Within the body content (but not too much)
• In the last paragraph of your content
• In the “alternate attributes” section of your in-text photos

Check out these other ways to optimize your blog post for search engines:

• Use internal links to other content on your blog
• Use subheadings so people can find what they need easier
• Structure it with a lot of white space and smaller paragraphs
• Guest post on high-traffic websites — get those backlinks!

If you’re like me and you don’t want to worry about making sure you have the right number of keywords throughout your content, using a free plugin like Yoast can help you manage all of your SEO information in one place.

There may be a lot of reasons you’d want to grow your blog. Whether it’s to increase your income or simply to have your voice be heard by a wider audience, the process is very much the same.

Knowing how to write a blog post — and a good one — is essential for helping others to find your blog in the black hole that is the internet. Those ingredients are what you need to build a successful blog and the above steps will help get you there.

What are your tricks for creating the perfect blog post? Let us know in the comments section below!

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

The day you’ve either longed for or dreaded has finally arrived.

You check your email and see a message from your editor with the subject: Edits Complete.

Your heart skips at least a beat as you scramble to save your edited manuscript to your computer. Then you open that just-received document, hoping to see the few things you missed so you can finally get to the next step of your publishing journey.

Except your expected quota of errors for your entire manuscript is already exceeded within the first five pages.

The longer you keep scrolling through your marked-up manuscript, the farther your jaw drops. Before even reaching the end, you close the document, slap your hand on your desk, curse your dog and swear that “this writing thing” is a frivolous waste of time.

Ten minutes later, you’re back at your desk, looking through your edits.

An optimistic thought passes through your mind: I can handle this. In fact, most of these edits seem pretty helpful. Guess I just need to dig into my manuscript. Again.

Receiving edits, especially for a first-timer suffering, er, undergoing their first edit, can be a reality shock. Many authors believe that writing “The End” is the end. Truth be told, that’s just the beginning of the writing phase of creating a book. The editing phase could take just as long.

And don’t even get me started on how long the marketing phase takes.

To help you make the most of your time during that last mile of the editing phase, consider these seven tips on what to do after your edit.

1. Don’t freak out

Although your manuscript may be swimming in a sea of red, you won’t drown in it if you refuse to freak out. To keep your head above water, take a deep breath.

Realize that even good, experienced writers may receive hundreds of edits within a book.

Understand that this is part of the process. Consider a heavy edit as your rite of passage into the family of authors. This is how you grow as a writer.

2. Review every edit

Go through each edit one-by-one, accepting and rejecting as you see fit. However, be sure you know why you’re confirming or denying each edit. (For a primer on how to use Microsoft Word’s collaborative editing feature, read “How to Use Track Changes to Collaborate on Edits With Ease.”)

If you wind up denying a majority of your edits, you need to let your editor know that. Either you hired a bad editor — it can happen — or your knowledge of grammar or publishing standards isn’t what you think it is.

A major pain point for editors is having their names attached to books that are ultimately published with errors that the editor initially corrected. If you find yourself rejecting a majority of changes, talk to your editor about it. Either let them rectify the situation or humble your writer’s ego to learn why their edits are correct.

3. Ask questions where appropriate

If you’re deeply unsure about an edit and you’ve attempted to research the question at hand, email a short question to your editor about their change. If you disagree with their edit, have a legitimate argument for your disagreement.

Unless you’re discussing dialogue or poetry, “It just sounds right” is rarely a legitimate argument with an editor.

4. Return your accepted edits to your editor

Because their professional integrity is also on the line when your book will be released to the public, your editor may want to review the final product before it’s released.

Some editors may stipulate in their contracts that you return all accepted edits to them for final approval. Some editors may not.

However, consider it a point of professional pride to send your accepted edits back to your editor for their final approval. They will appreciate your thoroughness and thoughtfulness.

5. Save copies in multiple areas

In “How to Prevent Every Writer’s Worst Nightmare: Losing Your Work,” I discussed a four-step plan to back up your writing.

Nowhere is this more important than when you have a finalized, fully edited manuscript residing on your computer.

Considering how much time and expense you’ve put into creating that manuscript, you don’t want to lose it. Save it to your hard drive, an external storage device and a cloud service, and then email it to a trusted friend.

6. Hire a formatter and a proofreader

While formatting tools have a come a long way even in recent years — consider my Vellum review — I still recommend hiring a professional book designer to format your interior for both print and digital versions of your book.

When you hire a true pro, your book’s interior will show it.

To ensure that you’re putting your book’s best face forward, hire a proofreader too. Contrary to popular belief, an editor is not your last line of defense against bad book reviews citing “bad editing.”

While an editor will certainly be responsible for catching a majority of errors, a proofreader is necessary to catch errors introduced after the edit. For instance, you may have inadvertently rejected an edit on a typo. Or the formatter may have unintentionally inserted a hyphen. Or ebook conversion software may have changed your curly quotation marks to straight quotation marks.

Because errors may worm themselves into your book after the initial edit is complete, a proofreader proofs the final formatted version of a manuscript to ensure every line is ready for publication. Traditional publishers employ this last step; so should self-publishers.

7. Celebrate

Once you’ve meticulously worked your way through your edits, your editor has signed off on the final product, and your manuscript is being vetted by your publishing company or being formatted and proofed by freelancers, take a moment to relish your victory.

You’ve endured the rite of passage every author must face. You’ve walked through your personal red sea. You’ve nearly arrived on the opposite shore, the Promised Land of “published author.”

And you have at least a few months, and maybe even a year or more, before you have to — get to — do it all over again.