Monthly Archives: December 2013

Great gifts for freelance writers

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By Denise Turney
Freelance writers love to receive gifts that make it easier for them to start and finish writing projects. A new laptop, a waterproof keyboard or a multi-functional printer are great gifts for freelance writers. It’s these types of gifts that save freelancer writers time. Because freelance writers put in long hours, cranking out one article, white paper, press release or website content project after another, little beats a comfortable, high-back leather chair as a gift.

Great gifts that freelance writers will love

You can warm freelance writers’ hearts by gifting them with scented candles, back warmers or a pair of comfortable socks, the kind of socks that have cartoon characters on them. Writers love inspirational and motivational quotes; add in cartoon characters and you have a winning combination. Speaking of motivation, you can encourage the freelancer writers in your life to step away from working and take a deep breath, by giving them an iPod as a gift.

An iPod will give freelance writers a reason to exercise their imagination. After all, who doesn’t love to daydream, imagining that he’s setting an Olympic record or creating the next New York Times bestselling novel? Depending on their lifestyle, freelance writers also might turn on their iPod and take off running, skateboarding or bicycling around the neighborhood.

Hard to beat that for staying in good physical condition and keeping the creative juices flowing. If you know someone who freelances who doesn’t have a smartphone, it might be time to upgrade them. Should the freelance writer argue that she’s doing just fine with her old cell phone, consider pointing out that she can search the Internet, completing writing research work, email her writing clients and stay in touch with family and friends — all while using a smartphone.

Laptop cases, ruled executive calendars, spa gift certificates and foreign language software are other great gifts for freelance writers. Bookends and a tall bookcase are other gifts freelance writers appreciate and use. You can’t go wrong when buying freelance writers felt or quill pens either. The creative types will definitely make good use of those gifts.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in my new book, Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

7 way to use social media to market books

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By Denise Turney
Authors published by traditional book publishers are learning what self-published authors have known all along. Book marketing is in the author’s hands. Fortunately, social media networks can be used to connect authors with thousands of loyal readers. Seven key steps writers can take to get the word out about their books at social media networks include:

  • Post free book excerpts at their social media accounts, being sure to include links to their book websites or book order pages.
  • Announcing dates, locations (i.e. street address, website URL) and times for upcoming author interviews at social media networks. For example, if authors are interviewing on online radio shows like Off The Shelf and Blake Radio, they can post flyers about the interviews at their social media accounts.
  • Share pictures of book covers at Pinterest. Again, to get the most out of the posts, it’s important that authors include links to their websites or book order pages with the pictures.
  • Publish links to book blog posts at social media networks.
  • Support other authors and book readers at social media networks by commenting on intriguing or interesting posts. Authors don’t even have to add their website URL to their comments. Social media networks automatically add linkable profile names or images to comments that visitors can click on.
  • Create a powerful social media profile. Book writers should do this for each social media account they have.
  • Add quotes about or made by book characters to social media network updates.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in my new book, Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

How to sustain a freelance writing career

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By Denise Turney
Freelance writing offers a range of rewards, including the chance to work from home, set your own hours, travel and give yourself salary increases two or more times a year. Salary increases come for freelance writers when they market their skills and land jobs with higher paying clients. Freelance writers can also give themselves salary increases by working longer hours or taking on more projects.

Developing a successful freelance writing career

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers, including freelance writers and authors, earned a median annual salary of $55,940 in 2012. Sustaining a successful freelance writing career calls for tenacity, resilience and assertiveness. Assertiveness is crucial because rare are the instances when corporations and small business reach out to freelance writers, especially new freelance writers, asking them to create content for them.

This means, writers have to build winning portfolios that highlight key projects (i.e. website content, headlines, product reviews, advertorials, white papers) they’ve worked on. In addition to publishing their portfolios on the Internet, to land more higher paying clients, freelance writers research the market and contact companies they’re interested in writing for. They do this at least one day a week. It helps to keep their name in front of quality employers.

Continuing to grow a freelance writing portfolio

To keep themselves honest, successful freelance writers may keep a spreadsheet or database that details the names of prospective clients they reach out to, the date they contacted a prospect and the results of the contact. Should initial contacts not prove fruitful, freelancers schedule a date to follow p with those prospects. That’s right. Earning a living as a freelance writer requires these creative workers to perform sales work, and regularly, again – at least once a week. Rather than getting comfortable working for one to two clients who provide them lots of writing work, successful freelancers continuously market themselves.

In fact, some freelance writers don’t rest until they land 10-12 writing clients. It goes without saying that successful writers value each word they use. They work to get out in front of a story. Rather than copying work from other writers, they’re original, innovative. To stay sharp, they also complete certifications and continue learning.

When work is low, successful freelance writers contact clients they haven’t received work from in several weeks, asking if they have content they need created. They value these relationships and keep in touch with all of their clients throughout the year.

Get your copy of “Love Pour Over Me” Now at – http://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001582/Love-Pour-Over-Me.html