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Tag: freelancing

  • How to Become a Writer as a Second Career

    How to Become a Writer as a Second Career

    When you entertain the idea of being a writer, it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin.

    If you’ve done something else with your career up to this point, how can you use that experience and expertise to find writing jobs? How can you become a writer?

    I spoke with two professionals, accomplished in their own careers, who’ve turned their interest in writing into more than a hobby.

    Angela Weiler, the public services librarian at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, has been a librarian for almost 20 years, but didn’t begin writing novels until her early 40s. Her first, a novel in stories called Going Up the Country, was published in 2005 by Log Cabin Books. She self-published Flashpoint in 2014.

    Kristen Lutz, a massage therapist in Boston, Massachusetts, also loved writing from an early age but only started writing professionally a few years ago. She’s now the director of communications for the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Foundation (Mass AMTA), a part-time position where she’s responsible for writing, editing and publishing its newsletter and blog.

    From their experiences, and my own, here are six tips for using your career expertise to land writing jobs.

    1. Understand your motivations and how far you want to take them

    Like many of us, Angela enjoyed writing from a young age, but until her 40s, she considered it to be a hobby. “It was a mid-life realization. I’d always had a folder in my file cabinet labeled ‘ideas’ but I didn’t start actually writing until I was in my early 40s.”

    For both Angela and Kristen, turning writing into more than a hobby took time. Once they both decided to make time to write, they knew they were on the right track.

    “I started setting aside weekend mornings to write for two to four hours at a time. I didn’t work at it a lot, but I worked at it very steadily,” said Angela. Kristen made the time to write when she realized starting a blog would help her health coaching clients.

    So, what’s your motivation to write? Have you already started devoting time regularly to writing? And how far are you willing or interested in taking it? If you’re ready to write professionally, either part-time or full-time, it’s time for the next step.

    2. Learn about all the different types of writing you can do

    Fiction or nonfiction? Long or short form? Books, blogs, articles, newsletters or social media? Thanks to the proliferation of written media on the Internet, a huge variety of writing opportunities exist. Which ones are right for you?

    One of the best ways to learn about different types of writing opportunities is to read. “Read everything! Read within your genre, outside of your genre, find voices that you like, and learn from reading others’ work,” said Angela.

    Kristen agreed, and also recommended practicing editing other people’s content. “Editing other content is super helpful for two reasons. One, it’s an ego-booster for my own writing when someone else’s writing style is horrible. Two, I pick up on new ways to write.”

    3. Look for ways to write at your current job

    One of the biggest obstacles for people interested in writing is finding those first writing gigs. Kristen’s first writing job came when she was a health coach.

    “My interest in writing while I was a health coach came from a need to better serve my clients. We needed a way to increase accountability for their goals, so I created a blog,” she said. “With access to the blog, my clients could virtually touch base with me and have key health coaching components repeated to them by way of my posts, sharing of news articles, exercises or healthy recipes. It became a way to continue our conversation past our session time.”

    If you can find an excuse to write in your current job, ask for it! The best part about this approach is you don’t have to hunt for a writing job — if you can work it into your current role, you’ll get paid for it and gain writing experience.

    4. Use your career expertise

    If you’re trying to use your career experience to land writing jobs, become an expert and brand yourself as such.

    I was hired as a writer because of my work in career development and job search advice. Kristen was hired as a writer because of her knowledge of health coaching and massage therapy. And, in addition to creative writing, Angela reviews books and peer-reviews articles for journals because of her experience as a librarian.

    “These opportunities came through my work as a librarian. I do peer review for research projects, and book reviews as well, mainly for nonfiction. Once you get a few of these experiences on your resume, more opportunities tend to pop up,” said Angela.

    Having solid writing skills is only one part of becoming a writer. Kristen found her current role as director of communication for Mass AMTA because she’d already started sharing her expertise by writing blog posts with massage-related organizations.

    “The former director commented that I was a natural writer and wanted me to get more involved in the chapter’s communications department. I was offered the newsletter editor position and later transitioned to take over the director position. All of that happened within a year,” she explained. Without offering ourselves up as experts in a certain field, how will others find out about us?

    5. Build your network and brand yourself as a writer

    When I was a college career advisor, I created and wrote my own blog about career advice just for fun. It was a nice outlet, giving me a chance to practice writing in a risk-free environment.

    However, a friend’s girlfriend had just been hired at a lifestyle website for college students and young professionals, and the company was in the market for a career advice blogger. Even though my blog was really only a hobby, it was enough to get me hired. She read my articles, thought I’d be a great fit, and voila, I’d found my first paid writing job.

    Building your network is one thing, but you also need to let that network know you’re available as a writer. All of your social media profiles should mention something about you as a writer. Use LinkedIn, About.me, Content.ly or an online portfolio to showcase your previous and current work, whether paid or unpaid.

    Also, figure out rates for your work. If you’re asked up front how much you charge for writing services, know how to answer!

    6. Look for writing jobs

    This is probably the most obvious tip in the bunch, but if you want to be hired as a writer, look for writing jobs.

    “Reach out to your industry’s professional organizations and see if they need guest bloggers, or become involved in some of their local activities,” recommended Kristen. If you’re positioning yourself as a writer within a certain field, look for writing jobs within that profession.

    Many great niche sites can help you find freelance or part-time writing jobs, so if you want to keep your current profession and write on the side (as many, if not most, writers do), the opportunities are out there.

    When searching job boards, expand your search keywords to include job titles like copywriter, research writer, community manager, reporter, editor, content writer, freelance contributor, blogger, journalist and guide.

    Your previous experience counts

    If you’ve decided you want to be a writer, you don’t need to chuck your career out the window. Instead, use your expertise and knowledge to help you find writing jobs.

    Start writing to hone your voice, grow your network and brand yourself as a writer, and put yourself out there by applying to writing jobs. But first and foremost, realize that your career up to this point isn’t a waste — it’s an asset.

    Have you successfully used your career experience to find writing work?

    If you’re exploring other writing careers, check out this article, where you’ll find more options to get paid as a writer.

    Perhaps this quiz can help you decide.

  • Talking About Money: Why Writers Need to Be More Honest About How We Earn

    Talking About Money: Why Writers Need to Be More Honest About How We Earn

    We don’t talk about money. For all the social advancements I’ve experienced in my brief lifetime, we still don’t talk about money. It’s our everlasting taboo.

    For the independently employed, that taboo is almost more severe. We juggle clients and assignments and projects, but we only speak in ranges.

    There is something to be said for being polite, yes. But in this new normal of freelance-as-full-time (which often exhibits as piecing-together-enough-part-time-gigs-to-make-it-work), we need to talk about money.

    Sponsorship: For better or for worse

    Ann Bauer’s recent essay on Salon, “Sponsored by My Husband,” finally started the conversation, but the truth was harsh. Some writers, she illustrates through a series of examples, have connections or family ties that allow them to work as a writer even when they don’t earn much money.

    She explains her own path: that she published her first novel at the age of 39. She was a single mother who spent three months under her parents’ roof while she finished her first draft. She fought tooth and nail, and her gratefulness for the marriage she’s in now — a partnership, to be sure — is clear. “I do have a huge advantage over the writer who is living paycheck to paycheck, or lonely and isolated, or dealing with a medical condition, or working a full-time job,” she admits.

    The responses to Bauer’s piece have been varied and at times even heated. Brevity’s social media editor, Allison K. Williams, shared that she tailored her online dating preferences hoping to find a mate who could take care of her financially… and it worked.

    “Not paying my own rent is weird,” she writes. “Letting him hand me money for groceries and taxis is weird. But it’s better than not writing.”

    Bay-Area freelancer Stephanie Lucianovic explores the idea that it takes more than a breadwinning partner to be a successful writer. She shared a string of tweets that she later expanded in a post on Medium, and which I have compiled here:

    My last book was sponsored by my husband. My advance was eaten by the daycare needed to write it in the first place. My next book will be sponsored by my husband, the editing jobs I cram into every nook and cranny, the tears of my children, and my ego.

    My writing has been sponsored by: no vacations in almost six years, on a single family car, and library books only. No glamor. Reality. My last book was also sponsored by my MIL who came out to help during the writing and again when I toured. Tour 100 percent sponsored by my husband.

    All of these conversations bring up something many of us already knew: we’re grasping at straws. In the dark. While wearing mittens.

    Some of us get help, by chance or by choice. Some find other ways to endure the battle to practice our craft. Laura Bogart, who writes for sites like Dame and The Rumpus, offered powerful declaration of independence.

    “I will never be beholden to any man, however loving and supportive he may be,” she writes. “Having a husband as a patron is just as intangible as lighting out for the coast with only moxie and a moleskin. I don’t have a way out; I only have a way though.”

    Her call to action is one that we share here at The Write Life: “We need more stories of women artists finding their way through… Marrying well, or leaving life behind altogether, cannot be the only answer.”

    We need stories from men, too. Because surely some men face the same challenges, making choices around independence and how we cobble together our writing careers. This is more than a conversation about gender. It’s a conversation about craft.

    A new normal for writers

    The stories are starting to appear. But for the most part, they are disheartening at best.

    In these essays by women with two, three or four books under their belts, we find having your name on the shelf doesn’t necessarily make life as a writer easier or even sustainable. In Facebook groups and discussion boards, we hesitate to share what we made for a piece that (after much hand-wringing, usually) landed at a major publication.

    But we are talking about the publications that pay very little. Directories by Scratch magazine and The Freelancer have sprung up to help writers estimate what they might be paid by a variety of publications.

    We have to remember that people pitch and publish their writing for various reasons; some are dead-set on the career track, while others like to dabble, with the occasional financial reward. If we’ve learned anything recently, it’s that it takes a lot of writing for $25 or $50 per piece to build a career and/or nest egg.

    Our own Nicole Dieker is a great example of kicking up the conversation about money. She just brought her freelance income column to The Write Life, where she’s publicly tracking her to-the-penny income each and every month. She also shares how many pieces she writes each month. And that’s where it gets scary.

    Dieker wrote 65 pieces in December (a slow month, she notes). She wrote 102 pieces in November. Sure, some of those pieces were likely short — she’s not writing long-form magazine-style — but that’s more than three pieces every day of the week. All seven days.

    I am convinced that Dieker doesn’t sleep. I don’t know her personally, but I know she’s working hard. So are the rest of the women who have responded to Bauer’s initial piece. It’s time we all follow their lead and admit that the market for freelance writers is terrifying.

    Kelly Sundberg’s response to Bauer’s post on Brevity struck me most. “I don’t have sponsorships,” she writes from her perspective as Brevity’s managing editor, “I have jobs. The only person sponsoring me is me, and for now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

    So, let’s talk

    This is our fight as writers, and for most of us, it’s not going to be pretty. With that in mind, I invite you to start your own conversation about money. Do it with your writer friends, or do it in a trusted online circle. Maybe even start with your family. Start talking about why you write, and what sacrifices you’ve had to make to lead this life and this career.

    I, for one, am ready to take off these mittens and turn on the light.

    What do you think about the sponsorship debate?

  • Tracking Freelance Earnings: January Income Report

    Tracking Freelance Earnings: January Income Report

    Hi! If you’re new to this column: I’m tracking my freelance income every month and sharing it with all of you. 

    This is my third year of public income tracking, and my first year sharing my income with The Write Life.

    Let’s start with the numbers for January…

    Completed Pieces: 87

    Work Billed: $6,000.80

    Earnings Received: $2,522.40

    When I track my freelance earnings, I look at two key metrics:

    1. The number of pieces I write
    2. The value of those pieces

    As I wrote for Make a Living Writing last year, tracking these two numbers, week by week and month by month, was one of the key ways I built my freelance career. My goal each month is to increase the amount of money I earn while simultaneously decreasing the number of pieces I write.

    Tracking these numbers publicly has also helped me find ways to earn more. There’s nothing like knowing people are looking at your earnings to inspire you to hustle for more work — you don’t want that number to look small, after all! I can’t tell you how many weeks I’ve written “just one more piece” because I wanted to have a nice big number to report online.

    How I track my freelance income

    When I break down my earnings, any completed item counts as a “piece.” A 200-word copywriting job is a “piece,” as is a 3,000-word researched article. When you do your own tracking, you may want to subdivide your work into additional categories to reflect these differences, but I am less interested in tracking word count than I am in tracking what I call “piece value.”

    The value of a completed piece is the dollar figure I write on the invoice. So for January 2015, I will invoice for $6,000.80 worth of work. Some of these invoices are already written, and some will be written soon — it all depends on each client’s individual invoicing schedule.

    It’s interesting to look at additional metrics like average earnings per piece. This month, I earned $68.97 per piece on average, with my per-piece earnings ranging from $300 on the high end to $15.84 on the low end. The majority of my clients pay me $50 or more per piece.

    This is the first year I am also tracking actual monthly earnings received. I always tick off a box when a client pays an invoice, and follow up with clients whose invoices go unpaid, but I hadn’t been tracking how much money actually came into my bank account every month. Instead, I’d just check my bank account every week or so, think “yup, there’s money in it,” and get back to writing.

    When you take a look at these numbers, for example, you can see that although I completed more than $6,000 worth of work this month, only $2,522 hit my bank account. Why? Two reasons:

    1. My pay is delayed. In general, I get paid for December’s work in January, and so on. I was only able to complete $3,323.63 worth of work in December because it was a holiday month. Many of my clients took the end of December off, which was good because it meant I wasn’t trying to complete work in the middle of Christmas dinner, but it also meant that I didn’t earn as much as usual.
    2. A big invoice is outstanding. One of my invoices that was due in January did not get paid. It was an honest mistake by the client, and the client immediately took steps to start the payment process on the missed invoice, but it’s important to keep in mind that just because you are owed money doesn’t mean you will always get it on time!

    Thoughts on my January freelance earnings

    As you may remember from my first Tracking Freelance Earnings column, I set myself the goal of increasing my monthly income to an average of $5,000 every month:

    I’m earning around $4,500 a month now, and I’d like to push it to at least $5,000 a month by summer 2015. If I average $5,000 per month over 2015, I’ll earn $60,000 for the year, which would be incredible.

    This month, I was able to complete $6,000 worth of work. Why is this number so high? Because I went on vacation for the first week of February, and I spent the last half of January “working ahead” to cover the week I’d be gone.

    I’m expecting February earnings to be a little lower because I completed some of February’s scheduled work during the last two weeks of January. I’m not too worried, though: if I invoice $6,000 in January and $4,000 in February, it will still average out to $5,000 a month.

    Why am I not going to start trying to earn $6,000 every month, since I proved I could do it? Because I am exhausted. Completing three weeks’ worth of work in two weeks has left me baggy-eyed, sleep-deprived and ready for that vacation.

    I’d like to boost my earnings to $6,000 a month eventually, but I’d rather do it by getting higher-paying clients than by working until midnight every day.

    And about those higher-paying clients: In my last column, I wrote that I wanted to get “at least one more really solid client” to bring my monthly income to that desired $5,000 a month goal. I landed this client on January 22, just a couple of weeks after that public declaration.

    Like many of my best clients, I got this client through a referral: a current client publication recommended me to another publication, and an editor there contacted me about a regular blogging gig.

    What types of assignments I covered this month

    This month, all of my income came from blogging and writing articles. Right now, I write about three major topics:

    • Personal finance (with, I like to say, an emphasis on the personal)
    • Freelancing, including both this column and my Ask A Freelancer column
    • Pop culture

    More than half of my 87 pieces were written for The Billfold, and one of the pieces that got the most traction this month was an Are You Gifted And/Or Talented? quiz at SparkLife. I loved taking Teen Magazine quizzes when I was younger, and I’m delighted that now I get to be the person writing them.

    I didn’t do any copywriting work this month, and although I could have sought some out, I feel like I completed enough work as it is! I’m ending January satisfied with my income, happy with my new client, and very, very ready to take a nap.

    How do you handle “working ahead” before a vacation? Do you try to squeeze three weeks of work into two, or do you have another way of handling your workload?

  • The Key to Keeping Clients Happy, Even When Delivering Bad News

    The Key to Keeping Clients Happy, Even When Delivering Bad News

    “It’s not my job to tell my client he’s making a mistake. My job is writing the content he paid me to write.”

    That’s the prevailing attitude of most freelancers today — and it has to stop.

    You’ll have happier clients, better profits, more respect and ultimately a more successful business if you’re brave enough to be upfront and proactive with your clients… even if you lose them forever.

    Think you have what it takes? Being honest with your clients takes guts and integrity, and not everyone has the confidence to pull it off.

    But if you do, you should. Here’s why:

    What your client doesn’t know

    You know a lot. Your client doesn’t — at least, not about what you do.

    After all, you’re the expert. People hire you because you’re a professional who knows way more than they do. That’s the way it should be.

    But there’s a big difference between being a professional expert and being the one who doesn’t shout a warning when your client’s about to step in a hole.

    Here’s an example, taken straight from my personal life. In the past four months, I hired a contractor to build my custom home. And I’d heard the warnings: everyone says that when you have a house built, you should expect the project to cost more than the initial quote.

    How much more? Well, now. That’s a fun surprise you get to figure out on your own.

    Now, I don’t have a problem with extra costs that the contractor can’t foresee. When we hit some unexpected bedrock during excavation, I paid the dynamiter’s bill with no fuss at all.

    But some extra costs were the sort that the contractor definitely saw coming a mile away — because he’s experienced, and I’m not. Here’s my favorite example:

    We knew we needed a well to provide water to the house. The contractor gave us a quote for digging the well. We agreed to the quote.

    Once the well was dug, we expected we’d have water.

    But then our contractor told us, “Now you’ll need a special pump to help maintain the right water pressure because your house is so far from the well. It’ll cost $300.”

    “Oh, and there’s an extra charge because we had to dig past 300 feet. That’s another $2,500.”

    Didn’t you know about these possibilities beforehand?

    “Well, we didn’t know for sure, but it was pretty likely.”

    So why didn’t you tell me?

    “Well, we could’ve hit water sooner and found it wasn’t really necessary, and we were hoping maybe the pressure would be strong enough on its own… ”

    Frustrating.

    What do you know that your client doesn’t?

    Many people who get in touch with me want great web copy to improve their conversion rates.

    Now, great web copy I can provide. But improved conversion rates? That depends on a huge number of factors that may or may not be related to the great copy.

    Great conversion rates require that you have a certain number of visitors to begin with. That’s not copy, that’s traffic.

    Great conversion rates require that you’re driving the right kind of visitors for the product or services you’re selling to your site. That’s not copy, that’s marketing strategy.

    Great conversion rates require that your website looks credible and trustworthy. That’s not copy, that’s website design.

    And so on.

    I could do what my contractor did: just agree to provide what they’re asking for. I could say, “Sure, we can give you great web copy,” and take their money, even though I know full well that they have a particular intention for that copy.

    I didn’t know that there was an extra step between digging the well and getting the water piped into my house — but my contractor did.

    My client doesn’t know that there are extra steps between slapping up great copy and getting improved conversions — but I do.

    So here’s the big question: do I tell him now, or do I tell him later?

    Always tell him now

    I’ve experimented with both strategies. I’ve been concerned that if I tell the client my great copy won’t magically solve all his problems, he’ll walk away. That’s a legitimate concern. Many do.

    But here’s an even more legitimate concern: the client will hear me agree to solve his problem, and he’ll operate on the assumption that I’m handling the problem he presented to me:

    Not getting enough conversions.

    Since he thinks I agreed to solve that problem, not just provide him with excellent copy, he’s going to be pretty unhappy when it turns out that copy doesn’t automatically result in better conversions.

    It doesn’t matter if I explain to him later that it’s obvious copy alone won’t solve the conversion problem. It doesn’t matter if this is a well-known fact among successful online entrepreneurs.

    My client clearly wouldn’t know, if I didn’t tell him.

    Which would make the resulting misunderstanding my fault, as far as the client’s concerned.

    He’s not likely to be happy about paying me for my services, even though I provided exactly what it said on the contract. He’s not going to recommend me to others. In fact, he may even leave me bad reviews or tell people that I’m a dishonest service provider.

    The almost-certain hit to my business is way worse than the possibility that the client might walk away when he realizes the solution he needs is more than he thought.

    What to do when a client wants magic

    When I have a client who thinks copy or design has magical properties that solve all his marketing woes, I stop and explain what he can and can’t expect from the work he’s asking me to do.

    I can provide you with great copy, I’ll say, but your conversion rate will depend heavily on these other factors, and those are probably bigger priorities than copy right now. You may want to get in touch with a marketing consultant or a traffic strategist.

    If the client doesn’t want to do that, it’s fine. I can still provide the copy.

    But the client won’t be able to say that I promised him conversions. I didn’t. It’s clearly written down in black and white: great copy will solve one of your problems, but not these other ones, and you should look into them.

    I often even make myself as useful as possible: I always try to suggest a few trusted people who might be able to provide the other elements of the required solution.

    Being upfront with a client works

    Let’s pretend my contractor had followed this plan. Let’s pretend that when we discussed the original quote about the well, he mentioned, “Just so you know, since your house is so far from where we’re planning to put the well, you may need to have a special pump to help with pressure.”

    “How much will the pump cost?”

    “$300. And you’ll want to prepare for the possibility that we may not hit water within 300 feet, so there might be extra charges if we have to go deeper.”

    “Yeah, that makes sense. I hope it goes well! How much would it cost if you have to go deeper?”

    “Could be about $2,500 extra.”

    “Ouch! But what can you do, eh? Oh well. Thanks for letting us know; we’ll factor that into our budget just in case.”

    The contractor still gets paid the same amount, whether he tells me now or tells me later.

    The big difference is that I know in advance that I may have to spend this money, and I know why.

    I also know that my contractor knows what he’s doing. I know that he understands my needs and is looking ahead to warn me about pitfalls that might get in the way.

    In short, I know he’s got my back.

    Which makes spending more money feel okay. I don’t feel cheated. I feel like I dodged a bullet. I can plan ahead with confidence. I feel like I successfully avoided hassle and headaches in the future. Good thing he told me about this!

    It makes me feel good about handing over an extra $3,000.

    Communicate as much as you can

    Always assume that your client doesn’t know — even if it’s common knowledge, clearly obvious or plain fact. Take responsibility for your client’s well-being, and be proactive about as much as you can.

    The worst that can happen is that your client says, “Oh, I already knew that, don’t worry.” No harm, no foul. You still look good for having communicated as much as possible ahead of time instead of after the fact.

    And you’ll make your clients feel good about working with you. You’ll make them feel good about the money they’re spending. They’ll see you’re looking out for their best interest. They’ll feel like you’re going to shout “Watch out!” if they’re about to step on a snake.

    Clients who know you’ve got their back are loyal clients. And those are the ones you want to keep.

    Have you ever had to tell a client she was making a mistake? How did you explain the situation?

  • Staying Healthy as a Freelance Writer: 9 Important Self-Care Strategies

    Staying Healthy as a Freelance Writer: 9 Important Self-Care Strategies

    The biggest myth about freelance work is that it’s not actually work — my sister thinks I spend my days trolling the internet and playing on Twitter.

    Perhaps because of this myth, freelancers often don’t learn about healthy workplace habits. While there’s lots of talk about staying healthy in the office, what about those who work from home?

    When I started freelancing, I wanted to improve my quality of life, work less and feel more connected to my goals. Instead, I found myself glued to my computer screen, barely stopping to eat, let alone get fresh air.

    The reality is that freelance writing is hard work. It’s easy to become so focused on work that we overlook our reasons for going freelance in the first place.

    Ready to add some healthier habits to your freelance lifestyle? Here are a few strategies to help keep you in top shape.

    1. Minimize the time you spend sitting

    As a writer, you probably sit and type furiously on your keyboard for hours at a time. At this point, you’ve probably heard that this habit isn’t exactly good for you. Here’s a great infographic that explains why sitting all day is hazardous to your health.

    Consider investing in an ergonomic chair or a standing desk. Sound like too much of an investment? Make your own standing desk by following one of these ideas — some are as simple as piling books or boxes to the perfect height. 

    2. Sit properly

    When you are sitting, be conscious about how you’re holding your body. Sit up straight in your chair, letting your head sit naturally on your shoulders without plunging forward toward the computer. Bend your knees at right angles and avoid crossing them. Rest your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest, recommends the Cleveland Clinic.

    3. Give your eyes a break

    Staring at a screen for hours can lead to eyestrain and fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic. To prevent these problems, follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at an object at least 20 feet away.

    4. Stretch after sitting

    At the end of a long day, it’s always a good idea to stretch your body in the opposite way it was sitting all day. Open your chest by clasping your arms behind you and letting your head fall back. Lie on the floor and rest your legs against a wall, feet pointing up, to change your circulation.

    Looking for even more tips to help undo the damage of sitting all day? The Art of Manliness offers seven simple exercises (that work just fine for women, too!).

    5. Go outside

    An easy way to take a big break from both sitting and staring at your screen is to head outside. Changing your environment is incredibly helpful when you need to work through a tough problem or come up with new ideas.

    Set a time during your day where you will head outdoors, whether to walk, run, garden or meditate. By prioritizing and scheduling time outside each day, I help hold myself accountable to my healthy lifestyle goals. 

    6. Exercise

    Whatever flavor you choose, from walking to running to Crossfit to yoga on your living-room floor, move your body. Exercise helps clear your head, boost creativity and relieve stress.

    Schedule your workouts and hold yourself accountable to completing them. If you struggle to make them happen on your own, why not plan to meet a friend at a Pilates class or weight-lifting session? You could also consider joining an exercise club or Meetup group.

    7. Hydrate

    Drinking coffee is non-negotiable for many freelancers — myself included. But for all it’s great affects, drinking too much coffee can keep you up late, and make you jittery.

    In addition to your cup of joe, drink as much water as you can. Dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue or an inability to focus — none of which are good for freelancers.

     If you find water boring, spice it up with some mint, ginger, cucumber or lemon. You could also consider drinking tea, which offers the comforting warmth of coffee and contains delightful antioxidants that pack more punch than water alone.

    8. Set your hours

    No longer being forced to work 9 to 5 is great! But do you find you’re actually working more since switching to freelancing?

    I did, which undermined the reasons I wanted to freelance in the first place. The plan was to have more time to make art, travel and spend time with the people I love. The reality? I work a lot.

    Decide how many hours you want to spend working each day, and stop yourself when you’ve reached your limit. Close the “office” and unplug. If you’re worried about having enough time to get it all done, consider testing a few new time-management strategies.

    9. Separate your spaces

    This tip can be hard implement, especially if, like me, you live in a tiny home. Even though I can’t have a separate office, I do make rules about where I work and keep that space organized and uncluttered.

    Leave work documents on your desk or workspace — they don’t get to come in bed with you or migrate to the couch. If they do end up strewn about, make sure to put them back where they belong at the end of the day. You don’t want to be able to see your work at every waking moment — or you’ll be tempted to work outside your carefully set hours.

    What’s your best tip for staying healthy and fit as a freelancer?

  • The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2015

    The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2015

    Editor’s note: Looking for our most updated list of best writing websites? Here’s our list for 2021.

    Ready to improve your writing — and maybe even make a living as a writer — this year? Our 100 Best Websites for Writers list is back and better than ever.

    Thanks to your suggestions, this year’s list of writing websites includes both well-established favorites and bold newcomers. We struggled to whittle it down to just 100 — there are so many fantastic resources out there for writers! — and could probably create a second list of 100 based on all your recommendations. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

    We’ve broken the list into eight categories: blogging, creativity and craft, entrepreneurship, freelancing, literary agents, marketing, publishing, and writing communities. The writing sites are listed in alphabetical order within each category, and the numbers are included for easy tracking rather than as a ranking.

    If you want to start your own website or blog, here’s our step-by-step guide.

    Whether you’re keen to find better-paying freelance writing jobs or self-publish your NaNoWriMo project, build your email list or strengthen your SEO skills, these sites will help you reach your goals.

    Best websites for bloggers

    1. All Indie Writers

    Developing a successful writing career is hard work, and Jennifer Mattern, founder of All Indie Writers, tells it like it is. AIW is a helpful resource for freelance writers, indie publishers and bloggers; it features a job board, community forums and podcast episodes.

    Post you’ll like: 71 Tools and Tactics for Your Book Marketing Plan

    2. Be a Freelance Blogger

    Sophie Lizard and other fantastic writers behind Be a Freelance Blogger are making their second consecutive appearance on this list. They share useful resources, valuable tips and guest posting opportunities for bloggers looking to earn a living from writing. If you need advice that’s tailored to your specific situation, or if you’d like to connect with like-minded bloggers, check out the BAFB community — it’s completely free.

    Post you’ll like: How to Survive the Business Side of Blogging

    3. Boost Blog Traffic

    Since appearing on our list last year, Boost Blog Traffic has become an even bigger powerhouse in the blogging space. Jon Morrow and his team publish fantastic, in-depth content that will help aspiring — or even expert — writers get more eyes on their work.

    Post you’ll like: 63 Blogging Tools That Will Make You Insanely Productive

    4. Copyblogger

    Founded by Brian Clark in 1998, this epic content marketing and blogging resource is a one-stop shop for bloggers looking to increase traffic, build a large community, sell products and gain exposure. Spend a few hours digging through their archives and you’ll be amazed at the number of takeaways you can immediately apply to your copy and business. Sign up for a free My Copyblogger membership to access 15 ebooks covering everything from keyword research to crafting headlines.

    Post you’ll like: The Ultimate Copy Checklist: 51 Questions to Optimize Every Element of Your Copy

    5. Problogger

    Problogger is the go-to resource for online entrepreneurs and bloggers who want to make a living from their craft. Darren Rowse’s site is a wealth of resources, from its popular job board to workbooks, ebooks and programs to help make your blog a success.

    Post you’ll like: Can You Really Make Money Blogging?

    6. Sark e-media

    With the help of Sarah Arrow’s 30-day blogging challenge (it’s free!), you’ll focus on creating and publishing without waiting for “perfect.” Her advice is motivational and inspirational — it’s the kick-in-the-pants we all need when procrastinating on our writing.

    7. Smart Passive Income

    In the year since we mentioned Smart Passive Income on our 2014 list, creator Pat Flynn has given it a beautiful makeover. Along with the valuable blog posts that help you create a successful blog and business, you’ll find an extensive podcast library and a new series called Ask Pat.

    Post you’ll like: How to Grow Your Blog Audience by Building Relationships With Other Bloggers

    Creativity and Craft for writers

    8. AdviceToWriters

    Curated by Jon Winokur, this site collects quotes from past and present writers, in the form of a Quote of the Day post and daily email. If you’re in need of inspiration, motivation or new ideas, these daily bursts of creativity can give you just that.

    9. Aliventures 

    Author Ali Luke’s site is all about writing, blogging and life as a writer, including behind-the-scenes details. While she’s on maternity leave until later this spring, her vast archives include tons of advice about blogging, freelancing, writing ebooks and creating a loyal reader base.

    Post you’ll like: Finding Time — or Making Time — to Write

    10. Almost Fearless 

    Christine Gilbert is a videographer, storyteller and photographer who teaches courses and workshops on story-driven blogging. She’s working on a book about exploring the world and learning languages with her husband and two young children, and her storytelling advice glows with personality and life.

    Post you’ll like: I Disappear When I Write, But for My Kids I Can’t

    11. Brain Pickings

    Maria Popova believes that multiple points of creativity drive our ideas and stories, and she created Brain Pickings to aggregate diverse, interesting information. When we look for many different sources of inspiration, we can create more complex worlds for our characters and readers. 

    Post you’ll like: Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits vs. Literary Productivity, Visualized

    12. Christina Katz

    Christina Katz teaches writers to become successful at their craft through training and classes. From freelancers looking for a nudge to pitch new markets to new authors preparing to self-publish, many types of writers find helpful advice on this site.

    Post you’ll like: What Writers Don’t Realize About Platform

    13. Daily Writing Tips 

    If you need daily inspiration and writing tips, look no further than this site, which features articles on everything writing-related, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage and vocabulary.

    Post you’ll like: 7 Grammatical Errors That Aren’t

    14. Dani Shapiro

    Dani Shapiro’s site is unlike any other. Her words captivate your attention through each post. She shares her personal stories and experiences as a writer, author and storyteller. You’ll find plenty of creative inspiration here, and no doubt relate to her stories about looking inward.

    Post you’ll like: On Getting to Work

    15. Elizabeth Spann Craig

    Mystery author Elizabeth Spann Craig shares advice on writing, character development, productivity and other details around the writing life. She also compiles a weekly list of writing articles that many writers find immensely helpful.

    Post you’ll like: Multiple Projects at Once

    16. Erika Napoletano

    If you need a kick in the butt to overcome writer’s block or get unstuck with your writing business, you need to read this blog. Erika Napoletano offers advice that’s anything but ordinary (and usually NSFW [not safe for work]). You’ll cringe at being called out on chickening out as a writer, but you’ll laugh at the way she does it and feel motivated to step up your game.

    17. Fantasy Author’s Handbook

    Fantasy and science fiction author and editor Philip Athans shares his experience through witty, informative, entertaining and inspiring posts. Whether he’s decoding the legal page of a print book or analyzing word choice, his posts will make you think about your work in a different way. 

    Post you’ll like: Thoughts on the Difference Between Science Fiction and Fantasy

    18. Fiction University

    Instead of sharing advice about what writers should be doing, author Janice Hardy explains how to apply the industry’s advice to your work, including tips on how to plan, write, edit and publish a novel. She also pulls back the curtain on how other successful authors and writers manage their creative processes.

    Post you’ll like: The Inner Struggle: Guides for Using Inner Conflict That Make Sense

    19. Grammar Girl

    With Grammar Girl by your side, you can boost your writing and grammar confidence. Each article and podcast episode is an adventure into the world of the English language, and you’ll likely be able to find any advice you need in the archives or most popular tips categories.

    Post you’ll like: When to Use a Comma Before ‘Because’

    20. Inky Girl

    Inky Girl is all about books for children and young adults. Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi creates comics that many writers can relate to, as well as interviews with experts and industry professionals. With her passion for telling stories in unique and interesting ways, you’ll never run out of inspiration.

    Post you’ll like: What Agents, Editors, and Art Directors Look for Online

    21. It Starts With 

    Sarah Peck combines her passion for technology, storytelling and creative design with her background in psychology to share a unique perspective on writing. If you’re looking to successfully mesh your multiple passions, better communicate your story and connect with your readers, it’s time to check out this blog.

    Post you’ll like: 17 Tips, Tricks and Habits I Use for Writing, Creation and Business-Building

    22. Jami Gold

    Paranormal author Jami Gold breaks down the challenges of writing, plotting and character development until they’re easy to understand and overcome. She also offers great worksheets for plot planning, story development, scene strengthening and more.

    Post you’ll like: What Drives a Story: Plot or Characters?

    23. KidLit411

    Keen to write or illustrate books for children? Author Elaine Kiely Kearns and author and illustrator Sylvia Liu compile tons of great advice on planning, creating and publishing your work from around the web. Their Facebook group is a great place to connect with other kidlit writers and even find a critique partner or group.

    Post you’ll like: The Weekly 411

    24. Positive Writer 

    Many writers struggle to carve out time to work. Bryan Hutchinson tackles this challenge head-on in posts on Positive Writer. He believes you should stop seeking approval from others, and offers advice on overcoming doubt and fears as a writer.

    Post you’ll like: Why No One Is Paying Attention to You (And How to Change It)

    25. Procrastiwriter

    It’s time to stop procrastinating and start writing! Written by Shanan Haislip, The Procrastiwriter will help you find the motivation you need to write more, hone your craft, and most importantly, make room for consistent writing.

    Post you’ll like: You Might Be a Writer…

    26. Romance University

    This site offers inspiring advice from a variety of industry professionals and established authors to help you create a successful writing process. While romance writers will find plenty of inspiration in the archives, even writers focused on other fiction genres can learn a lot about craft, marketing and self-publishing.

    27. Sterling Editing

    The Sterling Editing team is comprised of experienced writers, editors and literary agents striving to help writers create their best work. Their weekly “Written on the internet” posts share interesting publishing trends, editing tips and other writing advice from around the web.

    Post you’ll like: Written on the internet

    28. Susan Dennard

    Susan Dennard covers a wide variety of writing-related topics on her blog, with practical solutions and tips for all writers. She offers more great advice in her newsletter, which several TWL readers say are a must-read.

    Post you’ll like: The Writing Is All That Really Matters

    29. The Kill Zone 

    The Kill Zone focuses on writing and publishing fiction, with 11 top mystery and thriller writers posting advice every day of the week. Tune in for thoughtful, informative and entertaining articles on writing craft, marketing and industry trends, as well as “first page critiques” of submitted manuscripts.

    Post you’ll like: Getting Started With Scrivener

    30. The Write Practice

    To become a good writer, you have to practice — it’s as simple as that. The Write Practice, founded by Joe Bunting, offers daily writing prompts, creative writing lessons and a wealth of articles to help you overcome writer’s block.

    Post you’ll like: 10 Questions to Find Your Unique Writing Voice

    31. The Writer and the Critic

    The Writer and the Critic is a bimonthly podcast that discusses all things fiction, book reviews and general industry gossip. You’ll find ideas for blog posts, novels, characters and random storiese. In other words, hosts Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond help you find a little bit of everything for your writing.

    Post you’ll like: Episode 40: ‘Dust Devil on a Quiet Street’ and ‘We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves’

    32. The Writing Whisperer

    Shannon Hernandez spent 15 years as a teacher and now empowers other writers to find their voice in a noisy world. Whether you need memoir coaching, copywriting help, publishing advice or all of the above, her site is a full of high-quality information.

    Post you’ll like: 10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Becoming a Published Author

    33. Write to Done

    Everyone can become a great writer if they direct their practice properly and apply themselves, says Write to Done’s Chief Editor, Mary Jaksch. The site features inspiring articles and how-to posts that will help you become the best writer you can be.

    Post you’ll like: Learn From the Greats: 7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers

    34. Writers Helping Writers

    Formerly known as The Bookshelf Muse, Writers Helping Writers serves fiction writers of all types and offers tools to help with plot planning, self-editing and promoting your book. You’ll be especially excited about the collection of thesauruses for emotions, talents, skills, physical attributes and other important character traits.

    Post you’ll like: 5 Steps To Find Your Book’s Ideal Audience

    35. YA Confidential

    Young adult fiction has never been so popular, and YA Confidential is one of the best resources out there for writers for teens. Although the site has been on a hiatus for several months, you’ll still find gold in the archives related to writing for young adults, interviews with real teens and more.

    Post you’ll like: In Praise of Rejection

    Entrepreneurship for writers

    36. Alexis Grant

    Writers are not just creatives; they’re also business owners who also have to pay the bills. Along with great advice for freelancers and writers, Alexis Grant also offers several guides, ebooks and courses that help you manage the business side of writing. (Full disclosure: Alexis is Founder and Managing Editor of The Write Life.)

    Post you’ll like: Why You’re Failing to Make a Living as a Writer

    37. Create as Folk

    In the past year, Laura Simms has given Create as Folk an awesome makeover. You’ll find resources for quitting your job, following your passion and making a living doing what you love. She has also taken on guest contributors who share their own perspectives and journeys to creating meaningful work.

    Post you’ll like: Can You Combine All Your Passions Into One Business?

    38. Men with Pens

    Since 2006, James Chartrand’s Men with Pens has helped writers, bloggers and businesses create engaging copy and market their writing to thousands of readers. If you want to achieve better results with your writing and earn more money as a freelance writer, check out the extensive archives.

    Post you’ll like: Why Some People Make Money Writing and Others Never Will

    39. Productive Flourishing

    Productive Flourishing is one of the top websites for creativity, organization and productivity for all types of creatives and entrepreneurs. Founder Charlie Gilkey, who also works as a business coach, offers valuable advice and free planners that are sure to help you get past any creative slump.

    Post you’ll like: 5 Ways to Get Through the Creative Red Zone

    40. Seth Godin

    Bestselling author Seth Godin never ceases to amaze the world with his ideas, advice and aha moments about business. Study his writing to learn how to build a loyal audience, market to your readers and hone your craft.

    Post you’ll like: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

    41. Side Hustle Nation

    Many freelance writers start their careers as side gigs, and Side Hustle Nation is all about empowering your side ventures to propel you to financial freedom. The popular podcast offers interviews with many of the creative entrepreneurs on this list and covers topics related to self-publishing, winning over clients, passive income, recurring revenue and more.

    Post you’ll like: The Self-Publishing Platform That Outsold Amazon

    42. The Art of Non-Conformity

    “You don’t have to live your life the way others expect” is the gist of founder Chris Guillebeau’s advice on his blog and in his books. His approach to business and creativity is unconventional, as he would say, and will have you questioning how you, too, can challenge the status quo.

    Post you’ll like: How to Write a Dozen Novels and Hundreds of Stories

    43. The Creative Penn 

    The Creative Penn is the place to find advice on writing, self-publishing and marketing your new book. In addition to her self-publishing and platform-building advice, Joanna Penn shares how she makes a living as a full-time author and entrepreneur. Her podcast is also popular, offering interviews with dozens of successful writers.

    Post you’ll like: How To Edit Your Book And The Different Kinds Of Professional Editors With Natasa Lekic

    44. Untamed Writing

    “Karen Marston’s no-BS approach is practical, funny and gutsy,” a TWL reader told us. Her blog helps writers develop their skills, pitch new clients with confidence and do great work. Whether she’s challenging common assumptions (“Do you need a blog to become a freelance writer?”) or explaining copywriting concepts, Marston’s advice is anything but generic.

    45. Warrior Writers

    Kristen Lamb is an author and coach who helps writers connect with their readers. She shares advice on topics like writing craft, building a following on social media, navigating the publishing process and making a living as a writer.

    Post you’ll like: 5 Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors

    Freelance writing

    46. About Freelance Writing 

    If you’re serious about making a living as a writer, this site will give you the information and resources you need. You’ll find a wealth of original articles about being a writer, marketing your craft, and the business of writing archives. The site has been around for more than a decade, and writers keep going back.

    47. Envato Studio and Tuts+

    Previously known as Freelance Switch, the Envato Studio and Tuts+ websites offer the same excellent content and resources for freelance writers, designers and developers. Their in-depth archives are a gold mine for anything freelancing-related, so you’re sure to find the solution to any problem you face.

    Post you’ll like: 5 Secrets to Freelancing Around Your Day Job

    48. Funds for Writers 

    If you’re serious about making a living as a freelance writer, you’ll be excited about C. Hope Clark’s goldmine of resources. She offers information on upcoming contests, freelance writing jobs, connections to publishers, and everything else you need to make money as a writer. Her most popular offering is her newsletter.

    49. Freelancers Union

    Freelancers are also business owners who worry about things like contracts, health insurance, saving for retirement and following up with clients who owe us money. Founded by Sara Horowitz in 2003, the Freelancers Union gives you access to a highly active community, valuable blog articles and local resource connections to tackle each of these challenges. 

    50. Leaving Work Behind

    While Leaving Work Behind has evolved over the past year,Tom Ewer’s blog still aims to help anyone interested in quitting the day job to build an online business. His honest, I’ve-been-there advice is specifically helpful for freelance bloggers, and the site boasts a tight-knit community. LWB is the place to be if you want to  make money as a freelancer.

    Post you’ll like: 15 Actionable Tips for Revamping Your Freelancer Website and Attracting More Clients

    51. LittleZotz Writing

    Freelance writer Lauren Tharp offers an impressive spread of resources for anyone looking to build a writing business. Her blog’s weekly posts, newsletters and two free ebooks help writers hone their skills, find clients and earn money from their work.

    Post you’ll like: What to Do When Writing Keeps You From Writing

    52. Make a Living Writing 

    Carol Tice is a successful freelance writer, and she shares her breadth of experience and knowledge on her blog. She suggests smart changes that will help you move beyond low-paying gigs and actually make a living from freelance writing. Carol also oversees the popular Freelance Writers Den community.

    Post you’ll like: How I Made 6 Figures as a Freelance Writer

    53. My Freelance Life 

    Williesha Morris discusses her entrepreneurial journey on My Freelance Life, helping other freelancers manage their worries and achieve financial success. She approaches freelance writing from a unique and captivating angle, while offering practical ideas.

    Post you’ll like: 12 Business and Blogging Lessons from My First Year

    54. Productive Writers

    John Soares has been a full-time freelance writer since 1994. On Productive Writers, he shares ideas for freelance writers about working  smarter, not harder — and landed higher-paying gigs. He focuses on earning a living without working around the clock. 

    Post you’ll like: When and How a Freelance Writer Should Hire Help

    55. Scratch

    Created by Jane Friedman and Manjula Martin, Scratch is a digital magazine for writers that features in-depth interviews, personal stories from other writers and ways to make a living as a writer. While much of the content is behind a paywall, its “Who Pays Writers?” resource, which is crowd-sourced from freelancers, is incredibly helpful for figuring out what you might earn from various publications.

    Post you’ll like: Who Pays Writers?

    56. The Freelancer

    Contently’s goal with The Freelancer is to help freelancers navigate what can be a confusing business. While it’s not solely focused on writing — photographers, designers and other freelancers will also value this information — the advice on negotiating rates, managing contracts and pitching clients is practical and actionable. Check out the weekly “Ask a Freelancer” column for answers to common questions, and the new Freelance Rates Database for pay information from various publications.

    Post you’ll like: Ask a Freelancer: How Do I Negotiate Higher Rates?

    57. The International Freelancer

    Living outside the U.S. sometimes means managing your freelance career differently than a stateside writer. Mridu Khullar Relph shares tips and strategies learned from her years of experience as a full-time journalist based in London, U.K., and New Delhi, India, making her blog an attractive destination for international writers.

    Post you’ll like: 4 Things You Must Do When Your Ideas Don’t Sell

    58. The Middle Finger Project

    Whether you like it or not, you’ll eventually have to deal with the business side of writing, and The Middle Finger Project is hell-bent on helping you. While creator Ash Ambirge originally focused on creative copywriting and marketing, the site has branched out to include tips for dealing with tough clients and getting paid what you deserve. At times the advice is NSFW (not safe for work), but it’s also fresh, entertaining and motivating. 

    Post you’ll like: Dear Friends: I Work From Home (And Yes It’s a Real Job)

    59. The Renegade Writer

    Linda Formichelli is a freelance writer who earns a living on her own terms. She’s written for publications like Inc., Redbook and Writer’s Digest and makes “a full-time income working part-time hours.” Her blog focuses on building a writing business that works for you, breaking the rules and overcoming your freelancing fears.

    Post you’ll like: Are You Missing Out On This Vital Freelancing Skill?

    60. Writers in Charge

    If you’re ready to start a career as a freelance writer, Writers in Charge is the site for you. Creator Bamidele Onibalusi shares resources to help you take control of your income, make more money and successfully navigate the freelance world.

    Post you’ll like: 110 Websites that Pay You to Contribute an Article, Instantly

    61. Writing Thoughts

    Freelance writer Laura Spencer doesn’t update her blog often, but each post offers gems of inspiration and information. With more than 24 years of writing experience — 13 of them as a freelancer — she shares proven advice on running a freelance business, soliciting feedback and working with clients.

    Post you’ll like: 21 Hard Decisions Freelance Writers Face

    Literary Agents

    62. Bent on Books

    The Bent Agency looks to turn new and aspiring authors into bestsellers. If you’re interested in traditional publishing, Jenny Bent’s blog could help you launch your publishing career and turn your dream of being a published author into reality.

    Post you’ll like: The 7 “Be”-Attitudes of Finding Your Agent

    63. Guide to Literary Agents (Writer’s Digest)

    One of the biggest blogs on publishing, Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents blog is a must-read if you’re looking to land a literary agent to represent your new book. The site features posts by guest authors, including industry professionals and literary agents. It also includes resources on queries, book marketing, creating an author platform and more.

    Post you’ll like: How I Got My Literary Agent (Series)

    64. Literary Rambles

    Created in 2008 by Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre, Literary Rambles covers topics related to children’s books, literary agents and publishing. The interviews and comprehensive profiles of industry experts give writers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to write a novel and become a published author.

    Post you’ll like: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books and Finding Success as an Author

    65. Nathan Bransford, Author

    As a published author and former literary agent, Nathan Bransford gives readers an insider’s look into what literary agents do, how to go about finding one, and tips for writing a good query letter. Whether you’re a newbie author or an experienced veteran, you’re sure to learn something new about the publishing industry. 

    Post you’ll like: How to Write a Query Letter

    66. Rachelle Gardner

    Rachelle Gardner’s blog is one of the most popular literary agent resources for a reason: she’s passionate about working with writers and stays updated on what’s happening on both sides of the desk. You’ll find advice about partnering with an agent who’s a good fit for you, what to include in your book proposal, writing a query letter, how book royalties work and more.

    Post you’ll like: Book Covers and My Experience With 99 Designs

    Marketing for writers

    67. Mirasee

    Running a successful writing career means embracing the business and marketing side of being a writer. With the help of Danny Iny’s site, you’ll tackle both with ease. His fantastic resources for guest blogging, advertising, SEO, branding, marketing and more are sure to give you an edge up when it comes to making sales. 

    Post you’ll like: 5 Proven Strategies to Encourage Clients to Pay More for Your Services (and Love It)

    68. Jessica Lawlor 

    Public relations professional and freelance writer Jessica Lawlor is all about getting gutsy: stepping outside your comfort zone to reach your goals and live a life that makes you truly happy. As the founder of the Get Gutsy blog and community, Jessica’s website and newsletter are filled with inspiration, ideas and action items to help you #GetGutsy and step outside your comfort zone.

    Post you’ll like: The 5 Things I Know For Sure About What It Means To Get Gutsy

    69. Kikolani 

    Kristi Hines is a blogging powerhouse, and her site documents her marketing strategies, guest blogging methods and social media tips for writers and professional bloggers. She also discusses the best digital tools for publishing, productivity and content marketing. 

    70. Michael Hyatt

    Marketing expert Michael Hyatt shares advice on everything from blogging to publishing, and his goal is “to help leaders leverage their influence” by managing their platforms. Read his blog for advice on productivity, goal setting, social media and traditional publishing.

    Post you’ll enjoy: Do You Make These 10 Mistakes When You Blog?

    71. Social Triggers

    Derek Halpern mixes psychology and social behavior to develop marketing and pricing ideas that will knock your socks off. His no-nonsense attitude will go a long way toward helping you make more sales, price products based on value and become a profitable freelancer.

    Post you’ll like: Struggling to Make More Sales? Follow These Two Simple Steps

    72. The Story of Telling

    Marketing does not come easily for many writers, but selling your work is all part of making a living as a writer. Bernadette Jiwa is a bestselling business author who shares how to create meaningful work, embrace marketing and tell your best story.

    Post you’ll like: Value Creation and Stories to Believe In

    73. Writing Happiness

    To sell books, novels and products, you have to build a readership of loyal followers, and that’s where Marya comes in. She’s in her fourth year of business and shares her personal experiences, tips and ideas for gaining blog subscribers who become buyers. 

    Post you’ll like: Make These 7 Blog Tweaks and Attract Your Perfect Reader Almost Instantly

    Publishing

    74. A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing

    Author Joe Konrath has published 24 novels and sold millions of books, giving him the experience to create a must-read blog. If you write mysteries, thrillers, horror or sci-fi, you’ll find a ton of helpful advice for writing, editing and publishing your novel.

    Post you’ll like: Agents Behaving Badly

    75. Better Novel Project 

    Have you ever wanted to deconstruct a popular novel to learn how authors create bestsellers? Christine Frazier explores common elements in popular novels, draws conclusions from her findings and creates a master outline for a “better novel.” She offers insights on plot analysis, creating excitement in your novels, word counts and character development.

    Post you’ll like: 6 Writing Rules That Even Bestselling Authors Break

    76. Blots & Plots

    Jenny Bravo, founder of Blots & Plots, focuses on writers and their stories. Through her personal anecdotes and writing advice, you’ll find encouraging ways to bring your story to life and publish your work. Readers love her #TATM series (These Are The Moments), where she details the journey of writing her novel. 

    Post you’ll like: How to Write a Novel With a Dual Timeline

    77. Dean Wesley Smith 

    A professional writer for more than 40 years, Dean Wesley Smith has published independently and traditionally. In addition to the valuable editing, craft and productivity advice in his blog posts, make sure to read the comments — they often offer even more helpful information.

    Post you’ll like: New World of Publishing: Failure Must Be an Option

    78. Diversity in YA

    Authors Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon founded Diversity in YA to celebrate young adult books about diverse characters and subject matter and “to bring attention to books and authors that might fall outside the mainstream.” Read their posts for conversational, nuanced takes on diversity in the publishing industry.

    Post you’ll like: Representing Diversity on 2014 YA Book Covers

    79. Goins, Writer

    Author Jeff Goins has written and published multiple books, and he’s on a mission to help writers tell better stories. Along with building his career as a successful writer, he’s established a community that helps answer questions like “What does it really take to get published?” and “How do successful writers make a living?” His free 31-day writing challenge is also popular.

    Post you’ll like: How to Get People to Care About What You Create

    80. Helping Writers Become Authors

    K.M. Weiland’s site features hundreds of posts about writing, publishing, marketing and other fiction-related topics. If you need help crafting a captivating story, exploring the psychology behind the inspiration, and following through till publication, this site is for you.

    Post you’ll like: What’s the Difference Between Your Story’s Theme and Its Message?

    81. How to Plan, Write and Develop a Book

    Mary Carroll Moore shares weekly tips and techniques on how to structure, create, write and sell your first manuscript — whether it’s a novel, memoir or nonfiction book. She also offers writing classes to help writers hone their craft and navigate the publishing process. 

    Post you’ll like: A Letter to Your Inner Critic: How to Stop the Invisible Sabotage to Your Creativity

    82. Indies Unlimited

    Created to help independent authors write, publish and promote their work, Indies Unlimited is run by a team of writers and publishing industry professionals. With a nearly overwhelming number of posts, tutorials, lists of low-cost books and writing prompts, there’s lots for writers to explore.

    Post you’ll like: How Indies Unlimited Works

    83. Jane Friedman 

    With more than 15 years of experience in publishing, including work with Writer’s Digest, Jane Friedman focuses on moving from writing as a hobby into creating a full-fledged digital publishing career. She shares tips on storytelling, writing techniques and finding your creative inspiration.

    Post you’ll like: How to Get Your Book Published

    84. Lisa Romeo Writes 

    While many TWL readers highlighted the wonderful Friday Fridge Clean Out features, Lisa Romeo also shares posts, interviews and writerly opinion pieces. She writes candidly about what it means to be a writer, from submissions and editing to getting published and dealing with rejection.

    Post you’ll like: Acceptance After Multiple Rejections: It Only Takes One Yes

    85. Live Write Thrive

    Author and editor C.S. Lakin’s blog provides valuable writing tips and editing advice for fiction writers. In addition to focusing on the craft of writing, Live Write Thrive helps writers with their publishing and marketing strategy. If you’re writing a novel in 2015, be sure to check out this site.

    Post you’ll like: 15 Tips for Aspiring Writers from 5 Successful Authors

    86. Novel Publicity 

    Regardless of whether you choose traditional or self-publishing, the Novel Publicity team’s blog offers helpful advice on craft, marketing and publishing. With posts offering writing tips, social media strategy, publishing techniques and more, you’re sure to learn something new each time you visit.

    Post you’ll like: Hey Authors: You’re Doing Twitter Wrong!

    87. Pub(lishing) Crawl

    Run by a group of authors and publishing industry professionals, this site shares advice on writing craft, publishing and marketing, as well as interviews with authors, illustrators and literary agents. The popular “Question of the Month” series is fun to follow as well.

    Post you’ll like: Writing Out of Order

    88. Steve Scott’s Site

    If you want practical ideas on how to sell your books on Amazon and make a living from your writing, you need to read Steve Scott’s blog. The successful Amazon Kindle publisher offers proven strategies and case studies of his publishing experiments to help other writers learn from his efforts. You’ll appreciate his transparent analysis and income reporting for the real numbers and results he shares. 

    Post you’ll like: Amazon Associates: The Best Way to Diversify Your Online Income?

    89. Terribleminds

    Although NSFW (not safe for work), Chuck Wendig’s blog is spot-on and funny. He writes about what it really means to be a writer, author and storyteller, without bothering to be politically correct. Having published both traditionally and on his own, he offers interesting, nuanced comments on publishing industry trends and debates.

    Post you’ll like: What the Hell’s Happening With Kindle Unlimited?

    90. The Book Deal 

    Alan Rinzler has worked in traditional publishing for more than 40 years. His blog is an in-depth look at how to write an attention-getting book proposal, land a literary agent, market your book and otherwise succeed in traditional publishing.

    Post you’ll like: How Authors Support Their Writing Dreams

    91. The Book Designer

    With a background in book design, advertising and layout, Joel Friedlander shares guidance on how to make sure your book looks its best. He touches upon marketing and writing, but readers flock for his advice on cover design and self-publishing, which is detailed and authoritative. Check out his Ebook Cover Design Awards for inspiration for your next ebook cover.

    Post you’ll like: 7 Email Marketing Secrets Every Fiction Writer Should Know

    92. The Passive Voice

    Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in self- and indie publishing from the perspective of a lawyer who specializes in these topics. Before diving into the world of being a published author, David Vandagriff (aka Passive Guy) will help you arm yourself with the information you’ll need to succeed. 

    93. The Review Review

    If you’re interested in literary magazines, check out The Review Review. It assists writers to better target their submissions to literary magazines by interviewing representatives and analyzing past issues of various publications. The site also offers a classifieds section of magazines looking for submissions. 

    94. Warner Coaching

    Brooke Warner, a publisher and author, is dedicated to demystifying the business of book publishing. She works to give writers the confidence and information they need to publish well and self-promote with confidence. 

    Post you’ll like: Writing When No One Is Listening

    Writing Communities

    95. A Writer’s Bucket List 

    A Writer’s Bucket List is a place for writers who think outside the box, have a sense of humor and enjoy connecting with quirky, like-minded peers. Created by author Dana Sitar, the site features articles from writers in the community, as well as experts who share topics on blogging, freelancing and storytelling. 

    Post you’ll like: Be Picky, Get Paid to Promote Yourself, and Build Your Dream Career

    96. Fantasy Faction

    Fantasy Faction’s discussion forums are invaluable for inspiration and discussion of every aspect of good fantasy writing. They also feature interviews and industry news for fantasy fans.

    Post you’ll like: Fantasy Makes History Cool

    97. Kboards

    Kboards is a site devoted to all things Kindle and has become a powerhouse community for Kindle authors and publishers. This all-inclusive site will keep you updated on the latest Amazon Kindle news, KDP changes and how you can make a living selling ebooks.

    98. She Writes

    Founded by author Kamy Wicoff, She Writes is a community for people who write — yes, men are welcome! With more than 20,000 active members from around the world, you’re bound to find interesting discussions of writing craft, marketing strategies, publishing advice and more.

    99. Wattpad 

    Wattpad is a community of more than 35 million users writing, reading and sharing stories — all for free. Want to share a short story that’s tangential to your novel? Or tempt readers with an excerpt from your upcoming book? This might be the platform for you.

    100. Writer’s Carnival

    Writer’s Carnival draws many novelists wanting to receive useful critiques through prompts and challenges. Explore poetry, flash fiction, short stories and writing contests in this community for writers.

    Which sites do you regularly read and find helpful as a writer? Are there any other sites you think should be on this list?

  • What Editors Look for in Freelance Writers: 8 Ways to Impress

    What Editors Look for in Freelance Writers: 8 Ways to Impress

    Being an editor is a highly personal job with a bizarrely impersonal structure.

    All day long, I slice and dice articles that writers have poured their hearts and souls into. Often, I go hours without speaking to anyone. I work with more than 30 writers whom I’ve never met, yet I feel as if I know them.

    On paper, the writers I work with have nothing in common. One’s a stay-at-home mom, another’s a whistleblower, and a third is a full-time backpacker who uses freelancing income to travel the world. But the quality of their writing binds them all together.

    After reading hundreds of articles from prospective writers, I’ve realized that there are a few things I look for every time:

    1. A distinct voice

    A unique voice is the number one thing that makes me scoot to the edge of my chair when I’m reading an article. I feel like I know my writers because their voices tell me about their personalities, what they find funny, how empathetic they are, and how much they love what they do.

    I wish I knew how to teach voice, but it’s not something you can force. You can read the greats and try to absorb their style, but the best you can hope for is a convincing imitation. A writer can only develop her own voice through experience.

    2.  Personality that leaps off the page

    My all-time favorite writers are those who make me want to read snippets of their articles out loud in the office to anyone who will listen. A writer with an infectious personality produces articles that demand to be read because they’re so entertaining. And if you’ve got my attention, you’re probably going to get the job.

    While it’s not appropriate for every article, I’m a sucker for witty pop culture references or masterful sarcasm. I once had a writer who sent me an article called “5 Ways to Run Your Startup Into the Ground.” It was fantastic because it presented actual advice by showing what not to do.

    3.  Clear, unpretentious prose

    This may earn a few gasps of outrage from the literary community, but nothing turns me off more quickly than flowery language. Some of the most overused $5 words I see include “plethora,” “germane,” and “onus.” (We keep a running list of most-hated words on the office whiteboard.)

    When writing for the web, it’s better to be understood than admired for an extensive vocabulary.

    4.  An “ear” for syntax

    Good writing doesn’t leave you looking for the seams; it makes you forget you’re reading altogether. A piece of writing should “sound” good in your head and feel like a one-on-one conversation with the writer.

    5.  Cliché-free expression

    George Orwell once wrote a list of rules for effective writing, and my favorite is, “Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.”

    Any writer who tells me to “think outside the box,” “jump on the bandwagon” or “get more bang for my buck” is going to get my darkest Grumpy Cat scowl.

    6.  Knowledge of AP style

    I won’t ever write someone off if he doesn’t stick to AP style, but at least a basic knowledge of style is a major plus. Most of our editors were trained as journalists, and most of the publications we work with favor AP over Chicago style. Regardless of which style you use, consistency and readability are key.

    7.  Deep expertise in a specific industry

    Again, this is more of a “nice to have” trait than a requirement, but writers with a lot of knowledge about healthcare, tech, entrepreneurship or digital marketing are extremely valuable additions to our freelance roster.

    Right now, there’s a big demand for writers who know the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act, encryption, cloud technology, the Internet of Things, lean and agile methods, content marketing, social media and affiliate marketing. I pay special attention to writers who send links to articles they’ve written on specific topics relevant to their expertise.

    8.  The ability to follow directions

    Because we work with 700+ publications, the ability to follow directions is crucial. I’ve found that writers who can’t rein themselves in on word count or stay on topic are always difficult to work with.

    Of course, writing is incredibly subjective, and as a freelancer, trying to appeal to every client or editor’s sensibilities can be frustrating. It doesn’t help that what supposedly “works” for online content is constantly in flux. Some editors only publish listicles, while others won’t publish any. Some publications insist their readers won’t read anything over 500 words, while others are starved for long-form content.

    Call me optimistic, but I truly believe that readers know what’s good — even if they can’t articulate it — and that the thirst for fantastic writing isn’t going anywhere. Now more than ever, there’s a demand for writers who can inform, entertain and create a one-on-one connection with readers. I’m out there looking for them, and I know other editors are, too.

    How do you highlight these traits when you pitch an editor?

  • Tracking Freelance Earnings: A New Monthly Column From Nicole Dieker

    Tracking Freelance Earnings: A New Monthly Column From Nicole Dieker

    Hi, writers! My name is Nicole and I’m a full-time blogger and copywriter. This year, we’re going to take a monthly look at how much money I earn as a freelancer.

    I first began full-time freelancing in May 2012, as an independent musician and singer-songwriter. In July 2012, I started posting my weekly freelance earnings to my Tumblr. I started publicly sharing my income because I wanted to start a conversation about how much musicians actually make. That first week I posted my income, for example, I played two shows but only earned $141. Not great, right?

    By the end of 2012, I was pretty certain I couldn’t make a livable wage just as a singer-songwriter. I decided to see if I could pick up a few writing jobs to earn extra cash between gigs. Like the great Carol Tice, who was also a songwriter in Los Angeles before she transitioned into writing, I quickly learned that I loved the freelance writing life — and that I could earn a lot more money as a writer than I ever could as a musician.

    Tracking my freelance writing income

    So I kept tracking my income, week by week, and watching the numbers get bigger and bigger. I wrote for content mills, then entry-level copy agencies, and then I started to build my own portfolio of writing clients.

    Now I have regular bylines on sites like The Penny Hoarder, The Billfold, Boing Boing and The Freelancer, and make most of my income as a professional blogger with the occasional copywriting job. (I still play about one gig a month as a musician, too — can’t give it up!)

    Every month, I’m going to check in with all of you at The Write Life with a report of my previous month’s freelance earnings. I’ll write about how much work I was able to bill for the month, how many pieces I wrote, and share a little bit about how the month went for me, finance-wise. Let me know what you’re interested in discussing, and I can write specific columns about sending and tracking invoices, making budgets on a variable income, and other financial aspects of the freelance life.

    I love writing about money, and I promise I will share all the important details with you — down to the penny.

    2014 Earnings and 2015 Goals

    Here’s what you need to know to start out: I just finished totaling up my 2014 numbers, as I recorded on The Billfold. In 2014, I earned $40,966.48 as a freelance writer and $2,492.54 as a musician, for a grand total of $43,059.02.

    At the beginning of 2014, I was making most of my money through 3-cents-a-word content sites. I really wanted to expand my portfolio (and my income), so I set myself the goal of pitching one new blog, publication or copywriting client every week. A lot of my pitches were successful, and I began building my portfolio and adding new clients to my roster.

    I also learned that this type of success starts to snowball: once you get a byline in a high-profile publication, other editors start contacting you to ask if you’re interested in working for them, too.

    By the end of 2014, I was earning most of my income writing articles for various publications and blogs. Instead of 3 cents a word, I often get between $150 and $300 a piece. I still do some copywriting work, too — as I wrote in one of my recent Ask A Freelancer columns, it’s important to diversify your income with different types of writing. I don’t know what the blog landscape will look like in 10 years, but I do know businesses will probably still need copywriters, so I want to make sure I stay active in both fields.

    This year, I want to see how far I can take my monthly earnings. I’m earning around $4,500 a month now, and I’d like to push it to at least $5,000 a month by summer 2015. If I average $5,000 per month over 2015, I’ll earn $60,000 for the year, which would be incredible.

    To get that extra $500 every month, I’ll need at least one more really solid client. Or, I could increase my income by re-negotiating rates with my current clients. I’ll also need to figure out how to re-allocate my time, since I already have a pretty heavy writing load: each week, I turn in around 20 individual articles to various publications.

    Will I earn that $60,000? Will I get that new client? Stick with this column, and we’ll find out what happens together. See you back here in early February!

    What subjects would you like to see Nicole cover in her monthly freelance earnings column? What are your biggest questions about freelancing and finance? Let us know!

  • Don’t Wait for Inspiration: 3 Surefire Ways to Beat Writer’s Block

    Don’t Wait for Inspiration: 3 Surefire Ways to Beat Writer’s Block

    Inspiration. It’s an attractive concept for writers, but there’s a big problem with waiting for the muse.

    What would happen if a professional sprinter stopped training for a competition because she was tired of her sport? If she made a habit of it, she’d lose her next event.

    What would happen if an engineer stopped working on a construction project because he didn’t feel excited about plans for the project? He’d lose his job.

    What happens to the writer who waits for inspiration to arrive? She might not write today, or tomorrow, or the day after that.

    Professional writers can’t afford to skip several days because they don’t have a good idea. They know writing is a demanding craft, and they go to great lengths to prevent having nothing to write about.

    Here are three ways you can avoid having to wait on inspiration and trick yourself into making major writing progress.

    1. Build a swipe file

    A swipe file is a great tool for writers. It’s a place for recording facts, figures, sentences and ideas about your work. If this information isn’t relevant to your current writing project, it will help you the next time you’re devoid of ideas. All you have to do is review your swipe file, pull out your notes and use them as a jumping off point into the unknown.

    If you’re a copywriter, clip the headlines, words and sales hooks of other, more talented copywriters into your file.

    If you’re a nonfiction writer, store articles and notes about your research in your file.

    If you’re a blogger, clip the most popular articles by bloggers in your niche and review these before you write your next post.

    If you’re a fiction writer, keep reflections about stories you read and ideas for future work in your swipe file.

    I use Evernote for my swipe file. Other digital options include OneNote and Simplenote, both of which are multi-platform tools. However, you don’t need a digital tool to keep a swipe file. Author Ryan Holiday, for example, uses a paper-based system for his research. In the end, the tool is less important than the process.

    2. Practice writing by keeping a journal

    Writing a journal will foster your creativity and give you space to develop ideas that you don’t have room for elsewhere. Journaling can help you turn thoughts and feelings into words and ideas.

    Because it’s private, you’re less likely to censor yourself. This brutal honesty will expand the boundaries of your writing and if you keep a journal for several years, older journal entries serve as markers for your progress.

    Virginia Woolf was fastidious about keeping a journal or diary. In an entry from 1924 in A Writer’s Diary, she describes how journal writing gave her more ideas for fiction and nonfiction.

    Why not write about it? Truthfully? As I think, the diary writing has greatly helped my style; loosened the ligatures.

    My life isn’t much like Woolf’s, but I learned a lot about the art of journal writing from her. Keeping a journal doesn’t mean recording a daily summary of one’s life. Rather, it’s a way to expose your thoughts and feelings. This self-reflective writing will help you dig deeper into your thought processes.

    At the very least, journal writing is another form of practice, and disciplined practice is essential if you want to become a better writer.

    3. Record your experiences in a sense diary

    Keeping a sense diary is a useful practice for creative writers. In it, record one sensual experience per day, like how a meal tasted or what a person’s voice sounded like. Take notice of the stickiness of sweet tea, the coarseness of an unvarnished floor and the pain behind your eyes when you’re tired.

    The world is your source material.

    Now, see if you can remix your sense diary to describe how a smell tastes or what a sound looks like. No matter what type of writer you are, invoking at least one of the five senses will add character and authenticity to your work.

    It’s common practice for creative writers to remix and play on our perceptions of the five senses. In 1962, Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita, told the BBC he could hear colors in different languages. He explained how he used this ability to great effect in his writing:

    The long ‘a’ of the English alphabet has for me the tint of weathered wood, but a French ‘a’ evokes polished ebony.

    Keep a sense diary in a paper notebook, in a password-protected file on your computer or by using one of the many journal apps available for smartphones. Day One for iOS is particularly popular, and it supports multimedia content, which is useful for adding context to your descriptions.

    Creative writers who get into the habit of keeping a sense diary will find it’s more natural to describe the clack of an old keyboard or the spot of blue ink on the inside of their index fingers if they’re in the habit of recording these observations anyway.

    Nonfiction writers can use a sense diary too. Legendary copywriter and ad-man David Ogilvy regularly drew on the five senses, and he famously wrote about the Rolls-Royce: “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.”

    Still feeling stuck?

    The American short story writer and author John Updike wasn’t one for waiting around for inspiration. Updike published his first work, a collection of poetry called The Carpentered Hen, in 1958. Throughout his life, he wrote for several hours day, and he published a book almost every year. He said:

    I’ve never believed that one should wait until one is inspired, because I think that the pleasures of not writing are so great that if you ever start indulging them, you’ll never write again.

    The pleasures of not writing are great; don’t succumb to them. Force yourself into the chair and update your swipe file, your journal or your sense diary. On difficult days, these methods will serve as prompts that help you write. And on good days, they will support your best work.

    [bctt tweet=”The pleasures of not writing are great; don’t succumb to them, says @BryanJCollins”]

    Somedays I consider it enough to simply write in a journal or make observations in my swipe file, while on other days I concentrate on reaching a target word count or finishing a project. If you’re unsure, remember this simple rule:

    Do the work.

    The first few sentences may not make much sense but, several sentences in, you’ll realize you’re not as tired or devoid of ideas as you thought; you were just procrastinating.

    Do you rely on moments of inspiration? What tricks do you use to overcome writer’s block?

  • Freelance Writing Rates: 5 Resources for Figuring Out How Much to Charge

    Freelance Writing Rates: 5 Resources for Figuring Out How Much to Charge

    Building your business as a freelance writer often means offering an array of services. Even within a niche like copywriting, for example, you could provide various services, writing About pages, sales pages, product descriptions, even Kickstarter copy.

    The problem is, it’s often difficult to figure out how much to charge for different services. How do you know what rate to set for something like writing a wedding toast, crafting an online dating profile or writing a press release for a corporate client?

    While you’ll find a lot of differing opinions on how to set your rates, it’s also helpful to compare your planned rates to those of other writers. Knowing what other people charge helps you determine whether you’re on the right track and prevents you from undervaluing your skills.

    Researching pay rates can be tricky, but here’s a list of useful resources on rates for different writing gigs, projects and publications.

    1. Writer’s Digest’s Writers’ Market

    While online access to Writer’s Market will set you back $39.99 a year and the book version is $23 on Amazon, Writer’s Digest shares Lynn Wasnak’s “What Should I Charge?”. The chapter’s handy chart lists rates for 150+ writing gigs, including both per-hour and per-project options.

    Where did this information come from? Wasnak compiled the chart from responses to a survey of 23 professional writing and editing organizations, such as American Independent Writers, National Writers Union and Writer’s Guild of America. The survey was conducted in 2010, so rates may have changed slightly since then, but they’re still a great starting point.

    2. Editorial Freelancers Association’s Editorial Rates

    EFA, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, offers a membership directory, newsletter, job board and online education. Its members have also put together a list of rates for common writing- and editing-related tasks, such as PR writing, ghostwriting and fact-checking.

    The chart includes per-hour, per-page and per-word pay ranges, along with an estimated pace to give writers an idea of how long a project may take. For example, translators usually manage between 300 and 500 words per hour. The rates were last updated in 2012, and as the EFA notes, they “should only be used as a rough guideline.”

    3. Scratch Magazine’s Who Pays Writers

    Looking for an idea of potential payment before you pitch a magazine or online publication?

    Created by writer and Scratch cofounder Manjula Martin, Who Pays Writers is an incredible repository of information about which publications pay writers, how much they pay, and for what kind of work. Anyone can submit a rate, and it’s completely anonymous.

    You’ll likely find conflicting reports of different rates for the same publications; as Martin notes, different writers command different rates based on their levels of experience, relationship with the editor, background and qualifications, etc. Many entries include whether the writer had a contact at the outlet or it was a cold pitch.

    4. Write Jobs

    While Write Jobs is a job board, reviewing its postings can help you establish whether your planned rate is too low, too high or somewhere in the middle. Look for the “With Pay Rates” option in the top menu bar to see only jobs that include pay, then scroll down to review the options.

    Many of the freelance writing jobs are from anonymous companies or Craigslist, so take the rates here with a grain of salt; they’re likely toward the lower end of the spectrum. Definitely don’t price your services lower than these rates, and don’t be afraid to aim higher.

    5. Your favorite search engine

    Am I recommending you simply ask Google, “How much should I charge to write [insert project here]”? Yes!

    Many writers and editors share their rates upfront on their websites; James Chartrand suggests this is one mark of an experienced writer. Not only does this help master writers find their ideal clients — clients who know what they’re getting into and won’t try to negotiate the writer down — but it helps newbies figure out what to charge.

    For example, say you want to start helping authors create and polish query letters to submit to agents. Google serves up several results, including starting rates of $120 to write a query letter, or $25, $30 or $39.99 to critique one.

    This method is a bit more labor-intensive than the others, but it often yields good results. Try wording your search query a bit differently each time, and including words like “rate,” “charge” and “cost.”

    The bottom line

    Researching what other people charge doesn’t tell you exactly how to price your services — you’ll also have to consider your experience, qualifications and financial situation.

    However, it’s a good first step in the process of setting your rates. Knowing what other writers are earning for similar work also helps you identify what sets them apart — a certain skill or certification? A few guest posts on major blogs in your niche? — and include those elements in your business strategy.

    And then, once you’ve gained that experience or earned that recommendation, you can again turn to these resources for information to help you raise your rates.

    What’s your favorite source for freelance writing rate information?