Tag: writing

Freelance Writing: How to Hone Your Craft and Build Your Client Base

Posted on by Carol J. Post

Ryan Goodchild of A Pupper’s Love has been on here several times sharing tips on doggie care. Today he’s back with another great post, this time on making money doing freelance writing. Take it away, Ryan!

Photo by William Fortunato from Pexels

Do you routinely notice grammatical and spelling errors? Do you often think about how a particular paragraph would benefit from rearranging the sentences or start spilling your thoughts out on a word processor in random moments of inspiration?

You might be well-suited for a career in writing. And you don’t have to become a best-selling fiction author to build a fulfilling writing career. You can take many different paths—from blog writing to technical writing to promotional copy. If you’re interested in forging a livelihood as a freelance writer, consider these tips.

Get Better

No matter the writing career you choose to pursue, you will need to be on your A-game to build success. In other words, never stop improving your craft. Constantly look for ways to deepen your knowledge of various writing styles and practices, whether that means returning to school for a degree, finding a program that trains you in writing and editing, or finding a mentor who can help you navigate day-to-day challenges.

Also, read as much as you can. Read books and articles on topics that interest you, read works by authors who have a reputation for their masterful use of grammar, and try to read something unrelated to your work for at least a few minutes each day.

As with any other skill, writers learn best by example. Furthermore, make sure you write every day, whether that means writing pieces for your job or jotting thoughts down in your daily journal.

Explore Your Options

These days, there are many different types of careers to pursue in writing, and a lot of them can allow you to live comfortably on a salary. For example, you could become a speechwriter for a business executive, politician, or celebrity. You could become a screenwriter for film and television shows or try your hand as a technical writer for product or software manuals, user guides, or technical specifications.

If you have a strategic mind, you may enjoy a career as a communications director, which would mean that you oversee various forms of communications on behalf of a business or organization.

You could also write informational blogs and promotional copy for various companies as a freelance writer, or carve a niche in proposal writing, resume writing, or grant writing. If you love to edit, you might find proofreading a fulfilling role, and you could eventually work your way up to being an in-demand editor!

Start a Business (Officially)           

Whatever type of writer you choose to become, you should consider starting your own freelance business and creating an entity. By applying for an employer registration number, the IRS would better track your payroll taxes and identify your business. Also, an EIN will make the process of filing your state and federal taxes much more straightforward, whether you do it every year or every quarter.

There are many steps to starting a business, and it can be difficult to track them all. Fortunately, a monthly planner template gives you a graphic representation of every task and deadline you need to meet. Benefits of an online calendar for planning include looping in other stakeholders and the ability to upload images.

Build Your Clientele  

Having the necessary writing skills is one thing, but putting yourself out there and getting jobs is another. To begin building your client base, make sure you have a writing portfolio that stands out from the crowd. Your portfolio should showcase your best work, and if possible, make sure to include pieces from a wide range of industries and topics. You should also reach out to past clients about providing you with testimonials to put on your website.

Other tactics to gain customers include writing an effective elevator pitch and author bio. When it comes to finding jobs, utilize social media platforms and online job boards to connect with potential clients, and remember to maintain good relations with everyone you work for so that you can develop a solid reputation.

If you love writing, you could become the next best-selling novelist. But that is by no means your only option for a fulfilling writing career. Consider the information and advice above as you start laying the foundation for a lucrative writing career, and remember never to stop improving at your craft!

For inspirational and unforgettable romance novels, visit Carol J. Post!

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Thank you, Ryan, for all the great info. (And thanks for the shout-out on my books!) For inspiring stories about man’s best friend, check out Ryan’s website, A Pupper’s Love.

My Latest Research Trip – The Appalachian Trail

Posted on by Carol J. Post

I just got back from a research/writing trip to North Carolina. I’m starting a new series of romantic suspense books set in the Murphy area. This is always an exciting phase of the writing process for me–checking out new locations.

This time my research took me to the Appalachian Trail. But it couldn’t be just anywhere on the Trail. It had to be where the Nantahala River runs close enough to the Trail for my kayaking hero to come across my Trail-hiking, unconscious heroine. Studying Google Maps, I found I had two possibilities: near Highway 64, between Hayesville and Franklin, and Highway 74 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

We tried 64 first, since it was the easiest drive from Murphy. There, I ran into two problems. First, there was nowhere for my hero to launch. A single-lane dirt road branched off 64 to run along the Nantahala River. It was narrow and steep, with the terrain on one side dropping sharply toward the water, and the ground on the other rising sharply upward. Anywhere that there was possible access to the river was marked “No Trespassing.” As soon as we turned onto the road, my sister (who was driving so I could take pictures) kept hoping we wouldn’t meet anyone. We didn’t. Instead, three law enforcement vehicles came up behind us, lights flashing. She moved as far to the right as she could, and they managed to squeeze past us without ending up in the river. A minute later, two more overtook us, these unmarked SUVs. I said, “Follow them. I might be able to get a story out of this!” In less than thirty seconds, they were out of sight. Now sure that this area wasn’t going to work for my story, and knowing our chances of witnessing anything exciting were nil, we did a 43-point turnaround and headed back toward the highway.

And thus problem number two presented itself. We’d crossed the river just after leaving 64. Right before the bridge, I asked my sister to stop so I could get out and take pictures of the water. The Nantahala is a big river. I’ve done whitewater rafting on it more than once. Not here. This stretch is little more than a mountain stream. It was really pretty, but as you can see, there’s no way someone would be able to canoe or kayak through there.

That meant it was time to check out the other location, about an hour away by car. This one was perfect. The Appalachian Trail crosses 74 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, which is right on the Nantahala River. A few miles upstream is a nice launch area, with another one a few miles further upstream. The next task was to check out this section of the Trail itself. Heading north from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, it’s a pretty steep climb. With lots of rocks and roots to trip us up, and steep dropoffs to the side, I kept my eyes on the Trail. At one point, we came upon a huge outcropping of rock that would make a great place to wait out a storm. I just had to climb up there and pose. Coming back down was scarier than climbing up.

We met seven serious hikers along the way, all but one headed north, planning to hike all the way to Maine. Two of them looked like they might actually make it. The rest…not so much. The last guy was really huffing and puffing. He’d just refilled his pack with supplies, which included lots of beer. He got a really good lesson in planning that day. Next time he loads up his pack with beer, it’s going to be before a nice long downhill stretch.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail has been a long-time dream of mine. I doubt that I will ever do the whole 2,200 miles, but I would love to do a decent portion of it. I haven’t found anyone willing to do it with me. Until then, I guess I’ll have to leave the real hard-core hiking to my heroine.