Alina Bradford 4/1/20 Alina Bradford 4/1/20

18 Tips for Taking Care of Your Mind and Body While Working at Home

If you’re new to working at home, or you’re an old pro looking for some tips, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve teamed up with award-winning career coach Neha O’Rourke, actress Amanda Steele, and International best-selling author Devri Walls to share how to mix a little self-care into working from home.

3 Ways to ease anxiety

Neha O’Rourke has three ways to mitigate anxiety or fear that may become leading characteristics of individuals’ emotional wellbeing:

Choose empowering thoughts: It’s really easy to get caught up in fear in these situations - and that’s not always a bad thing (think: fear is helping you buy soap or cleaning products). Just evaluate if your fears are empowering you and are constructive or if they are merely draining your energy. If they are draining your energy, try to reframe it to be an empowering thought. ⁣

Control what’s in your control and let go of the rest: You can’t control what’s going on around you, but you can control your thoughts, actions and choices: keep up your hygiene, choose where you interact, take preventative measure, etc. From there, recognize that other things are out of your hands and worrying about that will not serve you. You worrying will actually cause stress, which we know has negative effects on immunity. ⁣

⁣Get perspective and be mindful of your impact on others: Many of us are lucky enough to work at jobs that allow us to stay home or in a safe environment. There are many who do not have that luxury. Additionally, remind yourself that although you may not be in the highest risk category, your choices can affect someone’s parent, grandparent, brother, sister, mother, etc. Think about your privilege and make choices with your impact in mind . ⁣

Five Beauty & Fashion Tips for Keeping it Together While Working From Home

Once you have your head right, it’s time for the body. Digital influencer, model, and actress Amanda Steele offers these five tips:

The Glowdust Beauty After-Party CBD Sheet Mask is a MUST in my evening skincare routine. The all natural ingredients have really nursed my skin back to life by keeping it extra hydrated and glowing all day long.
I am OBSESSED with hair masks right now. The living proof intense moisture mask has restored so much health in my hair, and you only have to leave it in for 15 minutes.
As fun as it is to stay in sweats all day at the house, I don’t feel as productive if I don’t get ready for my day and put an outfit on that makes me feel good. You will always catch me wearing STEELE, as it's my own brand and in my opinion the best brand ;) My go to pieces will always be the Baby Tee and Vegan Leather Blazer. I can never go wrong with them.
Aquaphor is such an underrated product for literally everything! It is hands down the best moisturizer for my lips. My lips are always left extremely hydrated and plump. I apply this at all times of the day, almost as much as I can.
Last but not least, a good sleep schedule is critical to my day to day lifestyle. Good sleep is an essential to beauty and health. It’s very easy to get off track when you work from home, so it’s key for me to keep an eye on it and make sure I’m up and ready at the same time every day.

Make your day great

When the body and mind are taken care of, you can make sure your days go great with these tips from International best-selling author of the Venators Series, Devri Walls:

Get ready for the day. Hear me out. First of all, if you’re showered and dressed in decent clothes, you might actually do that job that has suddenly been moved to your home kitchen table office where your toddler is dripping milk across your very important documents. But equally as important, what if this quarantine finally spurs the ancient elven races to descend from their hiding places and retake Earth? All I’m saying is that if Legolas comes walking down my street with that long golden hair flowing out behind him, I’m going to want to look good.

Stop staring at your phone and reading everything you can find. Here’s the deal - I did it. I read all the things. I’m scared to look at my screen time count…IT WASN’T PRETTY! So, before you start leaving blubbering social media posts about how you’ll miss the society you once you knew while quoting Shakespeare in preparation for our return to days of yore, walk away.

Create something. Anything. It’s hard when it feels like things are falling apart around you. Take back an iota of control and start up those piano lessons online, build your website, read that book, redecorate the room that’s been driving you nuts, get a garden ready, teach your pet dragon not to set your beard on fire, build that meditation tree stand. You do you!

Find your quest mates. This life is a crazy adventure, and some of us have lost sight of that in our modern world. Well guess what? Life just demanded that you slow the heck down and look around for a second. Find those that are important to you and cling tight. Live alone? Losing your mind? Guess what? This is the easiest year ever to have a quarantine. You can live video chat with whoever, wherever. It’s like magic! The most amazing, socially-connecting magic ever! Trust me when I say that Arwin (one of my favorite wizards) would be most impressed.

Take your magic potions. A magic potion is critical! What? Why are you looking at me like that? All right fine, there’s no potion. It’s vitamins. I’m talking about vitamins. But it’s a fact that having a healthy body is important.

Read the books. If I had a dollar for every person who told me, “I’d like to read but I don’t have time,” I’d be a ka-billion-jillya-naire. And instead of writing this post, I’d be recording some uber-swanky video from my own personal island that I purchased just for this quarantine. Guess what we’ve all got now? Time. So hey, pull that old book off the shelves, order a new one from your favorite local bookstore for delivery, choose an eBook or download an audio book. The book world is so accommodating these days - take advantage.

Dance party in the living room. I have no fantastical basis for this suggestion; I just feel like it’s a good, solid plan. Music, exercise, fun, and laughter. With no one other than your immediate family to make you embarrassed. Now is your time to let those dancing shoes out of the box. Fine print: Cats and dogs are included as family. Also, goldfish. I’d add chinchillas but I have it on good authority that they get a little judgey.

Eat well. Look, we’ve all said that we’d love to cook this or that but we don’t have time. I made sweet and sour pork with fried rice last night. How long did that take me? Two hours. TWO HOURS, people! Think I have time for that on a normal weekday? No. (Nor would I have had time for the second degree burn on my thumb from frying said sweet and sour pork.) Maybe today is the day that you finally make that attempt at homemade bread. Will you ever want to do it again? I have no idea.

Find your Zen. Life these days moves at breakneck speed. Article after article has been written about how much stress the constant barrage of things that need attention creates. That includes cleaning the house and keeping your space from clutter. This means before you start your work week, getting all of the bigger and smaller jobs done will help you to keep a clean mind. The bigger, annual jobs like boiler checks and dryer vent cleaning can make all the difference when you know they’re booked in and ready to go. You’ve just been forced to slow down. No, you can’t attend the after-work get together, and little Johnny won’t be making it to that birthday party after all.

Even though many of us are working from home and trying to juggle new distractions, the fact is that your social calendar just cleared up. Let’s figure out how to live at a lower level for a while. Who knows what heroic things we can accomplish when our lives and minds are less cluttered?

Find your moments. Even in fiction we can’t write all bad all the time. It’s not sustainable. And what I mean by that is that YOU the reader cannot and will not sustain it. It’s too heavy, too depressing, you literally can’t handle it. So, we add breaks, moments of light. Sometimes it can be as small as a smile and a sarcastic comment. Living life in the darkness, even if it is dark, is not sustainable. You must find the light in the small moments throughout the day to hold onto. They are there if you look for them.

Alina Bradford 3/30/20 Alina Bradford 3/30/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: March 30, 2020

Hey, No-fluffers! We’re going through some hard times right now, but editors, businesses and publications still want us pitching. Don’t give up! Quality content is always needed, even in times of hardship. I’ve also listed some places where writers can go to potentially get financial help through funds and grants.

Here’s this weeks list of best paying gigs to help you find some new places to write for. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs). Be sure to check back each week for a new list.

Note: I don’t know anything about these positions other than what I post. I weed out the seedy looking ones, but it is your job to be diligent when applying. Also, please don’t message me with questions about the postings. If a link doesn’t work the posting has probably been taken down because the gig has been filled. If you have a gig for freelance writers that pays at least $50 a peice or over $20 an hour, please contact me and I will include your gig in next week’s post.

Freelance Remote Comic Book Features Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Scripted needs writers

Pay: 10 cents per word

More info: Scripted

Freelance Remote Gaming Features Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Freelance Remote Trending Tech Features Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Senior Medical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: ZipRecruiter

Nutrition Article Writers

Pay: $50 per article for word count of 3500-4500 words per article

More info: Nutrition Jobs

SEO Marketing Writer

Pay: $50 for (1500 words). Will pay more for experienced writers.

More info: Craigslist

COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND FOR JOURNALISTS

Pay: Grant

More info: National Geographic

IWMF Emergency Fund

Pay: Grant

More info: International Women's Media Foundation

COVID-19 Related Funding

Pay: A list of places you can reach out to for funding

More info: Grant Station

AreWeEurope print magazine needs writers

Pay: 100 Euros

More info: Guidelines

Medical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Remote Copywriter

Pay: Full-time

More info: WebFX

Alina Bradford 3/27/20 Alina Bradford 3/27/20

5 Tips for Finding Remote Writing Gigs

Here’s how to find remote writing gigs that are perfect for you and your freelance lifestyle.

Guest Post by Desiree Villena

Of course, in order to flourish as a freelance writer, you need jobs. And to find jobs, you need to know how to optimize your presentation and communications with clients on sites like Indeed, Mediabistro, Upwork, and more. I’m here to give you five actionable tips on how to do just that, so you can find remote writing gigs that are perfect for you and your freelance lifestyle! Let’s get to work.

Tip #1: Construct a detailed, eloquent profile

The two main elements of any professional profile are a) the work you’ve done and skills you possess, and b) the manner in which you present this information. A strong freelance writing profile must excel in both areas. Sloppily listing off your achievements is a self-defeating exercise; likewise, a flowery mission statement is worth nothing if it lacks concrete details.

You’d be shocked how many online freelancer profiles fail at either detail or eloquence, and sometimes both. Fortunately, this means it’s easy to stand out from the crowd with just a bit of effort! If you’ve never constructed a thorough résumé, or haven’t revised your existing one in some time, now’s the time to see where you can improve.

Start with basic information. Have you mentioned your education and degree, if relevant? An English, journalism, or communications degree shows that you’ve invested in a writing career. Next, move onto work experience. Emphasize roles where you’ve done lots of writing, or even worked “writing-adjacent” (as a copyeditor, for example). Finally, if you can think of any other special skills or outstanding achievements, list those as well.

Once you’ve compiled all that, it’s time to make it look nice. Though you don’t want to go overboard, include a couple of descriptive bullet points per job title, and employ professional yet creative language to demonstrate that you are, in fact, a talented writer. And before you upload your profile anywhere, have someone else check it for errors. Nothing’s more embarrassing than having the wrong form of “they’re”/”their”/”there” on your writing-based résumé.

Tip #2: List your profile under multiple categories

Speaking of uploading your profile to job sites, not only should you take advantage of every freelance platform at your disposal, but you should also list yourself under as many categories within those platforms as possible. For example, on Upwork you can select multiple writing categories such as article and blog writing, copywriting, and technical writing. You can even create specialized profiles to appeal to different types of clients!

But besides that, consider listing your profile under semi-related categories (admin, marketing, SEO, etc.) in order to gain more prospects. It might seem counterproductive to target clients who aren’t necessarily looking for writers — yet in today’s hyper-competitive job market, it never hurts to cast a wider net. And in my experience, posting your profile outside of writing-related categories is one of the best ways to find hidden gems with minimal competition.

This is because just about every company needs writers for something, and competent writers are surprisingly hard to find. So if they happen upon your profile while looking to fill an admin role, they might be a bit confused, but mainly impressed by what you have to offer — and will likely contact you either for the job at hand (which may involve a small amount of writing), or for a higher-paying gig that involves more writing. Either way, you’ve made a valuable connection, not least because it provides an opportunity for the following…

Tip #3: Build a diverse portfolio of writing samples

Even the most silver-tongued profile can only do so much to convey your true writing prowess. To show clients you’ve got the skills to pay the bills, you’ll also need a strong collection of writing samples — ideally from several different projects. For example, in my portfolio I have listicles, how-to guides, a few “topical” articles, and even one technical piece that breaks down a complex process into manageable steps.

Needless to say, these writing samples should be as polished as possible, ready to submit at a moment’s notice. So if you wrote your most interesting pieces years ago, make sure they’re updated to your current standard of quality. And if you don’t have any quality writing samples, there’s no time like the present to create some; don’t wait until someone asks! Depending on the platform, you may be able to upload them as part of your profile.

Not only is it more professional to have samples ready right away, it’s also way less stressful than being forced to pull something out of thin air. And if a client does ask you to create a new sample based on a specific prompt, at least you’ll have some similar work to reference. Of course, not every client will do this, or even ask for writing samples at all — but writers hoping to secure long-term writing gigs (such as company content writing or ghostwriting jobs for authors) should always be prepared to offer them up.

Tip #4: Seek out clients yourself

Though there’s certainly something to be said for letting writing jobs come to you, this article is about how to find them yourself. This means that even after perfecting your profile, settings, and samples, you still need to proactively apply for gigs — especially if you’re just starting out.

The obvious way to do this is to search for them on your job site(s) of choice. Though each writer will have their own preferences, my recommendation is to stick to gig-based sites like Upwork and Textbroker if you’re still relatively new to the freelance writing game, and only consult job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed once you’ve got a few years of experience and you’re searching for a long-term, in-house writing or editing position.

In terms of the “newbie” sites, it’s easy to experiment with different keywords to discover gigs that suit you. Once you find one you’re interested in, submit a brief message or cover letter; this should be tailored to the gig, within reason. Consider creating a few cover letter templates, say for copywriting vs. technical writing vs. blogging, so you can quickly pick the most effective one, personalize the greeting, and shoot it off.
Again, today’s freelance job market is a numbers game, and on most platforms you have to send loads of messages just to get a single response. That said, once you’ve built up your portfolio and the job requests start rolling in, make sure to remember this next tip.

Tip #5: Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Perhaps it’s a bit premature to give this tip to readers who are just dipping their toes into the pool of freelance writing. But honestly, it’s never too early to learn the most crucial lesson of freelancing: don’t take on so much that you burn yourself out.

Almost every freelancer remembers a time when they had to work 50, 60, 70 hours a week or more to make ends meet. So even when they’re financially comfortable and can afford to take fewer jobs, there’s still that internal pressure to say yes to everything just in case.

From the bottom of my heart, I urge you not to do this. Not only is it mentally and physically taxing, but juggling too many jobs will almost inevitably result in one of them being dropped — either shoddily completed, or not completed at all. Clients will notice, they’ll give you negative feedback, and your job success rate/star rating/whatever metric will drop. The ironic result of taking on too many jobs is that you end up exactly where you feared: not being able to get any.

So know your limits and politely turn down work that pushes you beyond them, especially if it’s not part of your skill set — for example, marketing a book that you helped ghostwrite. And though most freelancers have to hustle when they’re just starting out, just keep in mind that there will come a time when you’ll be overwhelmed with job requests, and that it’s in both your personal and professional best interests to only take those you need.

Indeed, all these tips should help you balance those interests as you search for freelance writing jobs. It might take some perseverance, but if you work hard to stand out and follow through with high-quality writing, you’ll have your pick of the freelance litter in no time.

Alina Bradford 3/26/20 Alina Bradford 3/26/20

4 Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a Writer

Here are four easy ways to boost your confidence.

Everyone should feel confident, happy, and secure in their job roles, even if they are forging a new life as a freelance writer. Taking steps to improve your abilities and feel more confident will help to boost your overall satisfaction…and how much you make. Here are four easy ways to boost your confidence.

1. Complete online training courses

Modern technology means that it is now possible to complete a wide variety of online courses from the comfort of your home. These courses are designed to be flexible and can be completed at your own pace, alongside work and other commitments. Completing online training courses and qualifications can be an excellent way to develop your skills and improve your abilities at work. Taking the time to focus on your professional development will put you in a stronger position when applying for promotions or other advancement opportunities. Here are some courses to consider:

No-Fluff Freelance Writing Starter Pack - $29.97
3 Steps to $1,000 Freelance Writing in 45 Days or Less - Free
Freedom Machine - Free webinar then $2,000
Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting - $497

Other ways to broaden your knowledge include reading up on the latest research in your sector and attending webinars, workshops, and talks with industry experts.

2. Dress to impress

One study found that wearing formal business attire improves abstract thinking, creativity, and long-term strategizing. Another study found that doctors make fewer mistakes when wearing a white lab coat. Overall, there is a lot of research to suggest that what you wear at work is essential. The way you dress at work can have a significant impact on your performance and overall productivity, but it works for at-home workers, too. For that reason, you should dress in clothing that makes you feel comfortable and confident. For instance, a well-fitted tailored suit can make you feel powerful and instantly boost your self-confidence. You might consider getting a few “power pieces” of jewellery that make you feel powerful, even if you’re wearing jeans and a tee. Fjewellery.co.uk offers an excellent range of versatile pieces that can be used to complement any work outfit.

3. Maintain a positive mindset

Things will not always go to planned, and it’s important not to beat yourself up or respond negatively when you encounter issues. You can maintain a positive mindset by learning from your mistakes, surrounding yourself with supportive people, and taking regular breaks. Maintaining a positive outlook will help you feel more in control, which should help to boost your confidence levels.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Doing something incorrectly because you were too afraid to ask for help is not going to help your confidence in the workplace. You should keep in mind that you are never going to know all the answers, no matter what stage you are at in your career. For that reason, you should always ask questions and seek clarification if you are unsure about something. Never be afraid to ask your client for clarification. That way, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to complete your work tasks efficiently.

Alina Bradford 3/24/20 Alina Bradford 3/24/20

How to Organize Your Ideas for Better Web Content Writing

Here’s how to organize your website content ideas.

Guest post by Emily Lamp

Given that nearly all content begins with written words, it won’t matter what kind of web content you generate. But the truth is that you can benefit from observing how professional writers go about their work. The biggest struggle for many content marketers is finding a way to create enough content while at the same time ensuring its high-quality content.

This is something that all professional writers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. The following is a look at how to organize your website content ideas.

Begin with the Sitemap

We have already established that content writing isn’t a piece of cake. It’s the reason why you need to be organized. Failure to organize your writing will cause the writing task to feel overwhelming. For this reason, you need to take a step by step approach when writing content for your website.

You can start by opening a Word or Google document featuring an outline. Then take a step back and inhale deeply. You can simplify the whole process by using readily available tools. Look for tools that will enable you to set up a map as you continue to supplement the content that you will eventually want to display.

Create an Outline for Each Page

A good sitemap ought to have an outline for all the content to appear on the website. Garner a general idea of the kind of structure that you need. Start by organizing this first. You can use an excel spreadsheet to help you organize all the ideas that you have generated so far, and will continue to generate.

Go back to the sitemap created above and start jotting down the main points, which will include the top-level navigation for the website. Using a programming language like C# to read excel spreadsheet will make it easier for you to continue drilling down all the individual pages. For instance, in the Services section, you will need to have numerous pages about each service.

Ensure that the outline gets to capture all the key components of the pages you intend to write. This kind of organization enables you to not only organize words, but also determine the images that you have to start collecting, the CTAs to use, and any other items you may want to capture.

Start Writing the Copies

Having developed an outline, you can now start writing content for your website. Now put your thinking cap on, grab your thesaurus and start crafting your copies.

If you always find it hard for you to tackle the writing aspect, you are in luck, as the work that was done earlier will help smoothen things for you.

At this juncture, you have already done most of the work, and you can always opt to let another team member handle the creative aspect. All you need to do is hand them the notes you prepared in the second step.

Polish and Refine the Content Created for the Website

At this point, you have already created the content for the site, and all that is left is to refine it. Refining will involve checking the spacing, font size, adding images, and using a spell checker to look for grammar and spelling errors. Ensure that the work looks perfect before publishing it for the world to read and view.

Conclusion

It becomes easier to create content for your website when you are properly organized. The good news is that there are tools such as excel that have been designed specifically for this purpose. You need to utilize these tools whenever you’re writing new website content to ensure that you don’t get stuck midway. And always remember to proofread your work before publishing it.

About the Author

Emily Lamp is a professional writer, working closely with many aspiring thinkers and entrepreneurs from various companies. She is also interested in technology, business growth and self-improvement.

Alina Bradford 3/23/20 Alina Bradford 3/23/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: March 23, 2020

Hey, No-fluffers! The month is almost over so you need to ramp up your pitching. Here’s this weeks list of best paying gigs to help you find some new places to write for.

Hey, No-fluffers! The month is almost over so you need to ramp up your pitching. Here’s this weeks list of best paying gigs to help you find some new places to write for. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs). Be sure to check back each week for a new list.

Freelance Legal Marketing Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Content Editor/Content Marketing Manager

Pay: $65,000 - $90,000 a year

More information: Indeed

Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Writing short skits

Pay: $100 per page

More information: Craigslist

Home, Pets, Crafts Content Update Editor

Pay: $25 per hour

More information: Blogging Pro

Personal Finance Content Update Editor

Pay: $30 per hour

More information: Blogging Pro

Scriptwriter for Educational Math Videos

Pay: $.10 per word

More information: Indeed

The Drive is looking for writers

Pay: $500 an article and up

More information: Guidelines

Call for Submissions: Community Power in Times of Crisis

Pay: $0.35-0.50 per word

More information: Guidelines

Looking For Long Term Writer For Premium Music Website

Pay: $225 per week for (4) 1200 - 1700 word articles but is negotiable DOE

More info: Problogger

Alina Bradford 3/19/20 Alina Bradford 3/19/20

5 Easy Actions Writers Can Use to Prevent Back Pain

Sitting all day writing can really do a number on your back. To help, Blitz Results, an interactive educational website with focus on consumer topics & health, sent over some tips to help.

I tend to have a lot of back pain. Sitting all day writing can really do a number on your back. To help, Blitz Results, an interactive educational website with focus on consumer topics & health, sent over some tips to help.

1: Place your computer monitor at least one arm's length away. If it’s too close, you will create tension in your shoulders and neck.

2: The monitor should be set so that your eyes are at a downward angle. This helps to relieve strain on your neck and your eyes.

3: Sit with the pelvis tilted slightly forwards. Ergonomic chairs and seat cushions help to retain the backs’ natural posture, providing relief to the discs and muscles.

4: Move around. Drink a lot of water: it’s not only healthy, but it will keep you moving.

5: Important - Adjust the desk and chair to your height so that you are relaxed while sitting. How does that work? Use an online calculator for ergonomic sitting.

"Most people don’t realize how much damage prolonged sitting can do, but there are some simple remedies. In most cases, minimal adjustments to your desk and chair will help ensure proper posture,” says Tim Lilling, expert at blitzresults.com.

Here are some more great tips to prevent pain at your desk:

Alina Bradford 3/16/20 Alina Bradford 3/16/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: March 15, 2020

The Coronavirus has everyone staying home. Know what that means? More writing and more pitching. Many online publications will be pumping out new article just like they normally would, so there’s no excuse. Here’s this weeks list of best paying gigs to help you find some new places to write for. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs). Be sure to check back each week for a new list.

Technical Writer

Pay: $15 - $20 an hour

More information: Indeed

Business Content Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Staff Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Principal Medical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Are you looking for funding for your investigative reporting idea? Pitch us!

We’re offering $16k to fund one reporting project for an early/mid career journalist, and we want to hear your ideas. The more ambitious, the better.

Deadline - 29 Marchhttps://t.co/hcKuqHEj6P
— Coda Story (@CodaStory) March 10, 2020

Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: Indeed

Freelance Writers for Privacy-Focused Website

Pay: $1 per word

More information: JournalismJobs.com

Content Writer/Developer

Pay: Full-time

More information: LinkedIn

Monster Horror / The Blob Freelance Blogger

Pay: $100 per post

More information: Craigslist

Senior Writer, CIJ

Pay: Full-time

More information: LinkedIn

Sustainability Writer

Pay: Full-time

More information: LinkedIn

Freelance Finance Investment Writer

Pay: Between $50 and $500 per analysis

More info: FreelanceWriting.com

Policies and Procedures Writer

Pay: $3,000 per assignment

More info: FreelanceWriting.com

Blog Content Update Opportunity For A Leading Leadership/Employee Engagement Blog

Pay: $0.15 per word up to a maximum of $250 per post

More info: ProBlogger

Experienced Book Reviewer

Pay: $40-$45 per 350-400 word review

More info: ProBlogger

Freelance Writers for Positive News Email Newsletter

Pay: $25 for 250 word article

More info: Craigslist

The Slowdown is now accepting pitches

Pay: $1.50/word

More info: All Freelance Writing

Learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer! Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 3/14/20 Alina Bradford 3/14/20

The No-Fluff Guide to Creating a Home Office

f you’re just starting out at working from home, or you just need some tips on how to make things run smoother, here’s how to set up a home office that will fit your needs perfectly. Plus, I’m serving up tons of photos of home offices for inspiration.

Freelancers have the most freedom when it comes to deciding what their work environment should be. No one is going to come by and tell them to take down whatever pictures they want to put up. It is their home after all.

One of the disadvantages of this, though, is that the freelancer has to procure all of their own office supplies. There is not a cupboard at the end of the hall that has everything that you could ever need. If you want it, you have to get it yourself. You also have to figure out how to decorate.

If you’re just starting out at working from home, or you just need some tips on how to make things run smoother, here’s how to set up a home office that will fit your needs perfectly. Plus, I’m serving up tons of photos of home offices for inspiration. If you need more ideas, check out this Pinterest board.

Make your work area separate

Working as a freelance writer can be psychologically odd. When you have a nine to five job, you get up in the morning, get washed and dressed and commute to work. When you arrive at the office, you are subconsciously aware that you should now be working. Your brain will start perceiving things differently, concentrating and responding in different ways. If you're good at your job, this change will be advantageous and will allow you to prosper.

With freelancers, they get up, get washed and dressed (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!) and then go into the room where they work. They are still at home, the place where they relax, so getting into the mindset for work is sometimes more of a conscious process. This can be difficult sometimes. One way of dealing is separating your home into zones where you work and zones where you relax.

This means you need a dedicated area just for your home office. Ideally, this would be a room, but you can get away with setting up an office in a corner of your living room. I had a home office in my dining room for years. Just be sure that you don’t use the kitchen table as your desk. That’s a prescription for disaster. Eventually someone will spill something on important papers or your laptop.

Adjustable Desk

My first recommendation on what to buy for your office is an adjustable desk. With an adjustable desk, you will be able to raise and lower the height of your workspace and you can decide whether you work standing up or sitting down in your chair.

Research has shown that sitting down for long periods can actually be bad for you, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, by standing up every so often and still being able to type can make your day a lot better for your health.

I have a full standing desk, like this Halter model, but there are units you can buy that fits on top of a normal desk and will just raise your laptop or keyboard. These are less expensive than buying a whole standing desk and is a great way to upgrade an old desk you found at a thrift store. For example, the SHW Height Adjustable Sit to Standing Desk Converter Riser Workstation is under $90 and the Wallniture Updesk Wood Height Adjustable Monitor Stand Riser is under $40.

Heighten Your Comfort

Bending your neck to look at a screen can give you neck pain or really hurt your back. The solution is to boost your screen so that it is right in front of your face.

Here’s an example of a homemade screen booster made from scrap wood.

The problem with this type of booster is that it makes the keyboard high, too, which can be misery on your wrists. The photo below is a better option. It puts the laptop keyboard at an angle so your wrists don’t hurt. I personally use this type of setup. You can get an inexpensive AmazonBasics stand to get started and then move on to something fancier later.

For a regular monitor, you can set it on a stack of books until it reaches the right height or buy something a little more snazzy, like this monitor stand with storage.

While you’re at it, be sure to get a mousepad with wrist support (I personally love rose gold, so the one below is my choice) to prevent strain that can lead to carpal tunnel and cushion to pad the edge of your keyboard so your hands stay in an ergonomic position.

Proper Filing

Next, we need to think about a great filing system for your home office. My favorite way to file items is digitally. You can scan documents or receipts, or take photos of them using your cell phone and keep the images in files on your computer. (This is only a good idea for paperwork where you won't need to keep the originals, btw.) There are some scanners out there that will scan and digitally file your paperwork automatically, like the Neat Company NeatConnect Scanner.

You might still have a lot of hard copies of important documents and data. Not everything has to be digital, and sometimes it’s useful to have a hard copy of a file that you can layout across the desk.

However, if you’re going to do this, you need to make sure that you can easily find and access files. This means you need a great storage system in place. I personally have cute little wooden filing cabinets, but I’ve also been known to stash hard copies in three-ring binders with clear pockets.

Also invest in a shredder to “file” documents you don’t need anymore safely. It doesn’t need to be an expensive one, either. The AmazonBasics 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper and Credit Card Home Office Shredder is just $35.

Office Chair

It’s easy to just pick an old chair for your office. Hey, it's cheap, right? There are several reasons why you should spring for a new chair, though.

For one thing, it may not be giving your back the support it needs for hours of sitting. Therefore, your back could end up in jeopardy if it’s not getting the cushioning it needs.

And not only is an old chair not good for your back, but it’s not good for the floor either. Old wheels or worn furniture pads on the legs could mark your office floor.

I personally have a Serta Executive office chair because it is fully adjustable and it was a great investment. I also keep a yoga ball chair in my office. Sometimes it's good to switch things up.

Hard Drive

There is nothing more frustrating than working all day only to have it all wiped out. That’s why it’s always a good idea to back everything up on an external hard drive. When I started out, these were huge, but now you can get tiny ones that can fit in your bag. I use the My Passport Ultra, but there are a lot of great ones out there on the market. I also back up my work into the cloud with Google Drive, which costs around $11 a month.

Add Some Light to the Room

A lot of people choose a particular room because it has the most privacy. After all, you need minimum noise to get on with your work. But you need to think carefully before choosing the room.

For one thing, you need to think about lighting. Low light can tire your eyes and force them to work harder if you are writing on the computer. Lack of natural light can also lead to depression, sleep problems and other crap you just don't need to deal with on top of running your own business.

I myself chose my home's sunroom as my office when I moved in (I’ve moved to a larger room since then). Half of the room is covered in windows and I have a nice view of my garden and pecan trees. Even if you don't have a sunroom, at least put your desk facing a window. Trust me, it will do wonders for your outlook on life after being cooped up inside all the time. (Plus, facing a window will prevent glare on your computer screen.)

Choose a room which enjoys a lot of light during the day. Then add some blinds so you can adjust the light accordingly. If you don’t have a room with a bunch of windows, add some extra lighting. Make sure it’s soft lighting overheard with bulbs that mimic natural sunlight, then add a lamp for task lighting on your desk. Some twinkle lights are nice, too.

Give the Desk Some Life

There’s nothing worse than sitting down at a boring desk. You need to give the desk a personal touch to boost your home office. You can do this by adding a beautiful vase of flowers or even a photo of your loved ones. I have like five plants on mine, some books, pretty rocks and crystals and a golden Buddha coin bank.

You might even want to give the desk some life by getting creative. For example, you could paint it a fun color which will make it stand out in the room. Or you could even skip the paint and decorate your desk by covering the whole thing in wrapping paper. That’s what I do to mine (see below). It will look fantastic and will give you a smile when you start your work.

Paint the Walls a Great Color

You should also color the whole room so it becomes somewhere you love to work. Choose a great paint color that will give the room a lift. It might be that you go for something bright like orange or yellow to lift your spirits. Calming green and blue have been found to improve efficiency and focus so you will have an office which will ensure you have a productive work day.

My office is purple has been purple and now it is pink. Both are colors that help with creativity.

And remember the walls in your office don’t have to be plain. Go for inspiring wall quotes and artwork which will give you a boost!

Why not print motivational work posters around your room to remind you of why you do this? This doesn’t need to be the infamous "office motivational posters" that were popular in the early 90’s. A picture of your family or intended long-term purchase can both be applicable here. Seeing what you're working for every day can keep you going.

Curious to see what my whole office looks like? Here’s a tour.

Alina Bradford 3/9/20 Alina Bradford 3/9/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: March 9, 2020

Here’s this week’s best paying freelance writing gigs.

Here’s this weeks list of best paying gigs. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs). Be sure to check back each week for a new list.

Content Writer (Medical)

Pay: $27 per hour

More info: LinkedIn

Remote Device CER Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Tech Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Content Marketing Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: JustRemote

Retweeting this thread because we pay minimum $200 and up to $500 to QTPOC writers. Send a pitch (a summary, not a draft); selected pitches go through several drafts with our EIC; pieces published in May/June. Unpublished writers are welcome! Browse the thread; more at the link!! https://t.co/mfb9BaP60Q
— Chief 💚🧸 (@saychieeef) March 5, 2020

Technical Writer

Pay: $40 per hour with weekly pay

More info: Indeed

Freelance Mobile Games Writer

Pay: $10 - $20 an hour

More info: Indeed

Copywriter at LadyBoss

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Copywriter, Direct Response

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Expert B2B Marketers and Copywriters for Solar Energy Co.

Pay: $20.00 to $120.00 /hour

More info: Indeed

Online News Editor

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Staff Writer for Freethink

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Email Marketing Coordinator/Copywriter

Pay: $20-$25 per hour

More info: Craigslist

Movie, TV, and Comics Feature/News writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Political Writer

Pay: $17 to $20 an hour

More info: Indeed

Writer for special needs law website

Pay: $25 an hour

More info: Indeed

ELA Curriculum Writer

Pay: $25 to $35 per hour

More info: Indeed

Technical Writer/Content Specialist

Pay: $17 to $22 per hour

More info: Indeed

Archer is looking for articles on about sexuality, gender and identity

Pay: $50 per article

More info: Guidelines

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 3/5/20 Alina Bradford 3/5/20

How To Choose the Keywords That Appeal to Your Target Audience

Finding keywords that will appeal to your target readership and answer their queries can be a challenge, which is why we’ve put together some tips to help beginners.

Guest post by Rosana Beechum

Creating a popular WordPress blog takes hard work and dedication, but this will pay off in the long run when you’re able to reach your target audience and develop a relationship with them. One of the main ways you can attract readers to your blog, and keep them coming back for more, is to use relevant keywords.

Finding keywords that will appeal to your target readership and answer their queries can be a challenge, which is why we’ve put together some tips to help beginners.

Choose Hot Topics

Creating relevant, inspiring content takes a lot of thought and market knowledge. You also need to know the most popular topics that readers want to know about. Check out this list of the most searched keyword topics on Google to get some inspiration and find a topic that will entice readers to your blog.

Use Google To Your Advantage

When you’re looking for relevant keywords, you might think that you need expensive SEO tools and an expert to help you use them, but there are many free techniques that a budding blogger can employ. One of them is to use Google to find the keywords, phrases and questions that readers are searching for. Simply type your topic, and some phrases related to it, into the Google search bar, then see what the search engine suggests. You can also use the ‘People also ask’ and ‘Searches related to’ sections to see what people are searching for in this subject area.

Read Existing Content On Your Chosen Topic

It might sound like an obvious step, but it’s surprising how many content creators neglect to read existing content on their topic when they’re searching for keywords. You should read the top-ranking content and explore the keywords it uses frequently, how it uses subheadings and the questions it answers for readers. Once you’ve read a few pieces, you’ll begin to see patterns in the way they use keywords, which you can replicate in your own content.

Check Out Keyword Research Tools

As well as Google, you can also use SEO keyword research tools to find out the keywords your readers want to know about. Many SEO reporting solutions, including Moz, SEMrush and AHrefs have keyword research tools. If you’re not paying to use these solutions already, then consider using free tools such as Answer The Public to find keywords that are related to your chosen topic.

Add A WordPress Plugin To Help You Research Keywords

If you want to integrate your keyword research into your blog writing process, you can use a WordPress plugin to quickly find relevant keywords. This solution will allow you to quickly find long-tail keywords that your readers want and add them to your content. As it’s already integrated into WordPress, you can use it as part of your blog writing process easily and efficiently.

Learn How To Use Keywords Correctly

Once you’ve gathered your keywords together, you need to learn how to distribute them throughout your content. You want to avoid ‘keyword stuffing’; an outdated practice involving repeated use of the same keywords to achieve a good ranking in search engines. Instead, you should try to distribute your keywords naturally throughout your content, so that they are noticeable but don’t look like they’ve been forced into your writing. This will help you to ensure that your blog posts reach and appeal to your target audience.

Finding trending keywords might seem like a laborious and time-consuming task, but it will be worth the effort when your blog is popular with readers. This list of tips isn’t exhaustive, but it should give you a good place to start in your journey to creating great content that’s relevant and engaging.

Alina Bradford 3/3/20 Alina Bradford 3/3/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: March 2, 2020

Ready to make March your highest paying month yet? Here’s some writing jobs that can get you on your way.

Ready to make March your highest paying month yet? Here’s some writing jobs that can get you on your way. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs).

Freelance Blogger

Pay: $250 per article

More info: Craigslist

Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: JustRemote

Staff Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: JustRemote

Staff Writer, Technology

Pay: Full-time

More info: JustRemote

Celeb Gossip Feature/News Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Politics contributor

From MediaBistro:

Heavy, a leading news and information site, is looking to partner with ambitious, entrepreneurial freelance contributors to cover American politics, with a focus on the 2020 Democratic primary and general election. The ideal candidate will be an election junkie with a high-level understanding of the landscape, coupled with the ability to convey that understanding to a broad audience. Qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate the following: Exceptional planning and organizational skills Deep knowledge of the United States political landscape Ability to distill election-related data and present it to a broad audience Ability and desire to react rapidly to breaking news Strong multi-tasking and communication skills Ability to quickly navigate social media — especially Twitter — to spot breaking news Ability to produce clean and polished copy Work autonomously and remotely. Compensation scales with performance.
Send cover letter, resume and three writing samples to News Editor Tom Cleary at tom.cleary@heavy.com with Politics contributor in the subject line.

Content Writer for the Hindu American Foundation

Pay: $60,000 - $65,000 a year

More info: Indeed

Marketing Writer / Producer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Framework

Technical Proposal Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Passage is looking for writers

Pay: $100 to $250 per article

More info: Guidelines

Logic is looking for writers

Pay: $150 for shorter essays of 1000-1200 words, and $400 for longer features of 2000-3000 words and up

More info: Guidelines

I’m looking for new freelance writers for @MONEY. Send me pitches with advice, trends, new ideas on college costs, student debt, paying/saving for college, college-to-career transition. Anything in the intersection of higher ed & personal finance.
— Kaitlin Mulhere (@KMulhere) February 24, 2020

Pay: $1 per word

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 2/28/20 Alina Bradford 2/28/20

6 Secrets for Becoming Professional SEO Content Writers

If you are looking forward to being the best SEO blog content writer, take a look at the following secrets.

Guest post by Emily Lamp

In the era of search engine optimizations, getting the right content is critical, whether you are writing blog posts, articles, or web pages. Ensure that the content is connected to the target audience's interests for search engine optimization. If you are looking forward to being the best SEO blog content writer, take a look at the following secrets.

1. Utilize your Keywords

Start by identifying a central keyword for your page that is highly relevant to your customers' interests. It would be best if you find a long-tail keyword, which helps to keep your posts concise and focused.

For any SEO content writing, the aim is to have your work show up in the search engine results. You, therefore, have to make a strategic essential word use, which should appear two to five times on a page. Try and use them naturally; avoid forcing them to fit in.

2. Develop a Compelling Introduction

The introduction is an essential part of your posts; note that if your readers don't read past your first few sentences, they will not get to your call of action. Make your introduction sentences short, sweet, and easy to understand so that you capture the curiosity of your reader. Continue building on their interest using compelling sentences that will coax them to learn more.

3. Write Useful Content

To offer the best SEO services, you must be good at research to gather as much information as possible to create the best content of your topic. Identify your target audience and create an audience-centric post that will cater to what they want to hear. Ensure that you offer some value or solutions to your readers' problems. Your content should also engage the audience and remain relevant even after publication to be shared widely or prompted by more readers, which improves the post's SEO.

4. Get Familiar with the Technical Aspects of SEO

You can't be a great writer if you aren't familiar with the basics of SEO. For instance, you should know how Google discovers websites and other pages so that you can come up with an interlinking strategy to make your content stand out from the rest. The ideal plan includes using well-researched content for a particular topic, appropriate sentence structure, spelling check, and grammar correction.

5. Give Detailed Information

Word count is an essential aspect of SEO as Google offers a better preference to longer pages; therefore, the longer the post, the more valuable it is, and the higher it ranks. Even though the longer form is recommended, it would be best if you avoid stuffing your blog with fluff. For digital marketing, researchers advise that search engine prefers excellent content that provides in-depth information on a given topic. Be on the safe side by ensuring that you have a proper word count, with a minimum of 600 words.

6. Proofread your work

It's advisable to have someone else go through your work and ensure that it's error-free, especially where some words have different meanings as nouns or verbs. Additionally, formatting requires equal attention. Even if your article is fully optimized for search engines, any grammatical errors will turn off your readers; thus, feel free to use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway.

Summary

Nowadays, SEO writing is proving to be a crucial part of digital marketing, as it's the reason behind the fluctuating traffic in various sites. You need to create well-organized content that entices and engages readers to attract high SEO ranking. Implement the above tips, and remember to link your work appropriately and also utilize the call to actions to encourage readers to read more from you.

About the Author

Emily Lamp is a professional writer, working closely with many aspiring thinkers and entrepreneurs from various companies. She is also interested in technology, business growth and self-improvement.

Alina Bradford 2/27/20 Alina Bradford 2/27/20

Content Marketing in 2020: 5 Tips to Boost Your Content Efforts

In pursuit of advanced content strategies, content creators need to look to the following principles of 2020 content creation in order to achieve all of the mentioned perks.

Guest post by Jacob Wilson

Clarity in presentation and simplicity in visual appeal have become the two pillars of quality content creation in the past several years. They’ve redefined how customers view brands, and they’ve been copiously used by content creators as key criteria for quality. The two, however, cannot compensate for a lack of strategy, consistency, as well as overall purpose. Content in 2020 will need to be about so much more than just following trends. It needs to be a brand’s most effective advocate when creating a basis for its customers to bond with the business in question – and content creators need to be able to inspire that bond.

From blog creation to video production, creators are going beyond their traditional content formats to dazzle their changing audiences and to make sure they have a noticeable presence. Content marketing is now the main resource for establishing authority and enabling better visibility, no matter the industry in question. In pursuit of advanced content strategies, content creators need to look to the following principles of 2020 content creation in order to achieve all of the mentioned perks.

Carefully select your content outlets

Is your audience primarily found on Facebook and Instagram, or do your most loyal followers keep up with your news on YouTube? Is your website active enough and do people regularly reach your content posts there? How about your email newsletter? All of these are valid content outlets that serve a purpose for some writers, as well as their clients, but not all of them are designed for every single entity out there.

That is why every writer needs to choose where they publish content, when they schedule each post, and where they can reap the most rewards from sharing their content. Although generally speaking, social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are considered a must for most companies to help your clients stand out, you should not post everywhere haphazardly, but rather research your clients’ target demographic and learn about their favorite channels to build your client’s presence there. This is where your content will resonate with their target audience the most.

Versatility in formats is a must

Some content experts find blogs to be the best for expressing their opinions and sharing their knowledge, while others enjoy setting up podcasts and posting rich imagery. The simple truth is, there’s no right or wrong format here, but there is such a thing as keeping your content dull and stuffy within the confines of a single, monotonous format. Blogs are still relevant, but visually rich formats such as infographics are even more engaging and they inspire shares more easily.

For that reason, the platform Infostarters provides branded content formats such as brochures, eBooks, and infographics, with a focus on visual appeal combined with informational value. Stepping beyond simple blogs and how-to articles has the potential to help you convey vital messages to your audience with more interactive formats and more engaging pieces. Add videos, social media stories, relevant hashtags, and AR-infused content, and you’ll have the perfect blend of diversity designed to inspire curiosity in your target audience and to make your content the talk of the industry.

Follow-up and KPIs for progress tracking

For too many companies, content is relevant only while it’s in the process of creation. For you as the writer, it makes sense to pour your heart and soul into the creative process while it’s in progress. As soon as something gets published or posted, it’s forgotten in favor of crafting the next blog piece or video ad to prepare your business for, let’s say, the holiday season. How you treat your content after publishing will make all the difference in how well it works in your favor.

Make sure that you regularly check up on all of your different tools such as Google Analytics that help you keep track of your content’s performance and engagement levels. Only then can you actually see what you need to change for your future strategies and what your audience responds to and relates to the most. Once you decide on your KPIs for each content strategy, you can monitor the effect of anything you publish, react in a timely manner if there are any comments and shares, and make the most of each content piece you create to boost engagement, and not just stick to a posting schedule.

Improve your content’s environment

As brilliant as your content may be in its essence, you need to remember that it’s not the only factor to shape how it will be perceived. Should your website visitors have any trouble opening up your latest infographic on their mobile phones, you’ll find that fewer people will share, engage, or stay on the page long enough for the content to actually leave a positive impression. That’s why you can never treat your content in isolation from your client’s entire business strategy and all of its moving parts.

If you need to revamp your website for faster loading, you should do so as soon as possible. Google and other search engines will appreciate and reward the effort, and your content will be granted more visibility due to that single step. The same applies to all other factors that, when combined, affect your online presence and your UX. Constantly look for ways to boost it, and your content will get more attention as a result.

Any piece of content isn’t meant to serve a temporary, short-lived purpose. When you treat your content as a constantly growing output of your client’s brand’s identity and a way to establish a connection with the brand’s audience, you have the chance to establish authenticity in the market. This year will require you to put your best foot forward and create memorable, versatile content pieces that will provide value every step of the way.

AUTHOR BIO

Jacob Wilson is a business consultant, and an organizational psychologist, based in Brisbane. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for Bizzmark blog.

Alina Bradford 2/24/20 Alina Bradford 2/24/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: February 24, 2020

Here’s some writing jobs that can get you towards your goals.

February seemed to go 100 times faster than January. Did you get as much done as you hoped? I didn’t, but I’m still working on it. Here’s some writing jobs that can get you towards your goals. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs).

Remote Contributing Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: CareerBuilder

Technical Editor

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Hey! Have a story idea you think would be perfect for Road & Track? Send us a pitch at pitches@roadandtrack.com. We’d love to hear about it!
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) February 5, 2020

Remote Technical Writer at Scion Staffing

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Content Marketing Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: ZipRecruiter

Technical Writer at Humio

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Technical Writer at GC Associates USA, LLC

Pay: $30 to $40 an hour

More info: Indeed

Epic Clarity/Workbench Report Writer

Pay: $70 an hour

More info: Indeed

Advertising Copywriter - Contract/Project Based

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Remote Proposal Writer at Bid Kinetics Private Limited

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Writer/Editor for Financial Firm

Pay: $25/hour

More info: BloggingPro

2020 Andrea Walker Memorial Prize for Feminist Health Journalism

Pay: $500 feminist health journalism prize

More info: Briarpatch Magazine

Coda Story’s Bruno Fellowship 2020

Pay: $16k reporting and travel grant

More info: .Coda

I'm looking for 1-2 writers to write 3-6 pieces about famous, impactful Black Americans, tied to a place that was significant in their lives, or significantly affected by them. 800-1200 words, $200 each, one-week turnaround. Send pitches/clips to jillian.anthony@culturetrip.com
— Jillian Anthony ✨ (@jillathrilla) February 10, 2020

In profesh news: I have officially started as a features editor at @Cosmopolitan, pitch me your ideas, and Hearst wins for best bathroom lighting pic.twitter.com/QP0zhXfBVa
— Elizabeth Kiefer (@lizabeth_kiefer) January 13, 2020

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 2/20/20 Alina Bradford 2/20/20

5 Tips to Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting for Startups

The search for a hosting services provider doesn’t necessarily have to be hectic or bothersome. Here are tips that will simplify the search process, help you find the best host, and ensure that you won’t regret your decision at a later date.

Guest Post by Emily Lamp

This guest post will help new writers with choosing domain names and web hosting for their new freelancing business.

The time you start choosing a web host and domain name provider is the time you realize just how many companies offer this type of service. In such instances, you soon come to realize that having too many options is not always the best thing. But the search for a hosting services provider doesn’t necessarily have to be hectic or bothersome. Below are tips that will simplify the search process, help you find the best host, and ensure that you won’t regret your decision at a later date.

On a separate note, if you ever want to get into the world of hosting, you should read this very useful article on web hosting business income.

1. Reputation

When you’re in the market for a domain name and website hosting company, you can’t afford to take any shortcuts. You have to perform due diligence which will involve checking into the reputation of all the companies that you have shortlisted, heard of, or which have been recommended to you.

Take your time to peruse web hosting review guides. This is the go-to place for website owners looking to view reviews and ratings from customers who have worked with some of the firms you could be considering. Generally, it’s best that you play it safe and opt to work with a company that has lots of expertise and prior experience. Such a company will have been well received by experts and customers.

2. Establish Your Needs

Website owners have to determine their hosting needs. If you use a WordPress website for your business, fully managed Wordpress hosting may fit your needs. If planning on hosting video content, do you intend to make it possible for your users to register on the site and start uploading their own content? Do you intend to host top-quality multimedia content such as images and infographics? Try and estimate the kind of traffic that you will receive on a daily basis before settling on a hosting company. Failure to do so could see you paying for services that don’t meet your needs or which are unnecessary.

3. Cybersecurity Requirements

Your search for the best web hosting for startups should also involve looking into the cybersecurity measures that have been put into place by your prospective host. Do a deep dive into their track record to establish whether the host has experienced any intrusions or data leaks in the past few months or years.

Confirm that the host does indeed provide its clients with encryption, distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection, as well as a web application firewall. Many firms, both new and established have in the past lost business and money due to loss of reputation and downtime occasioned by a cyber-attack.

4. Infrastructure

The infrastructure put in place by the VPS hosting company is crucial. Your research at this point will involve looking into the number of uplink carriers that are present at each and every hosting location.

Take a closer look at the network topology to confirm whether or not the host has diverse carriers. In addition, be sure to check the number of peers that the VPS host currently has. Normally, more peers translate to reduced IP transit expenses.

The presence of many peers also means that the network is bound to be more resilient. While you may want to inquire about the physical location of the data center operated by the host, this is not usually very relevant.

5. Scalability

Often, the hosting requirements will start to change as the company changes or expand its operations. As such, it will be wise of you to consider factoring in the provider’s scalability into your decision making process. You have no option but to work with a company that is in a position to accommodate growth.

Accepting that your needs are bound to change is the best way to protect yourself from unwanted headaches later. It will be better to do this from the first day, as opposed to having to make the switch at a later date. Keep in mind that switching because a provider isn’t scalable will also come with its own issues.

Summary

It’s advisable to take your time to carefully weigh all the available options when trying to choose between different hosting companies. It’s better to spend more money at this moment and save yourself a ton of trouble in the future. Place priority on reputation, pricing, scalability, and cybersecurity measures.

Guest Author Bio

Alina Bradford 2/18/20 Alina Bradford 2/18/20

How to Stay at the Top of Your Game as a Content Marketer

Here are a couple of tips that will help you step up your content marketing game.

Guest post by Michael Deane

Content still rules in the world of digital marketing.

70 million new blog posts that are published every month prove this.

However, such immense popularity of this strategy means that you should go out of your way in order to attract and build a steady readership, as well as to survive in a competitive content marketing landscape.

Here are a couple of tips that will help you step up your content marketing game.

Create Evergreen Content

Content marketers who are trying to jumpstart their careers sometimes don’t know what to focus on in order to grow their reade

And while this can be a challenging task, it’s all about laying the proper foundation.

Evergreen content is the lifeblood of your content marketing strategy.

These pieces are well-researched, packed with valuable information, optimized for search engines, and they stay fresh without losing relevance over a long period of time.

It’s like creating a capsule collection - items that never go out of fashion that can be easily updated.

There are some formats that age exceptionally well and never lose their edge, including:

How-to guides
Ultimate, comprehensive guides that cover a particular topic in detail
Best practices
Lists
Tips.

Of course, choosing to write in one of these formats won’t automatically make your content evergreen.

Some of the best ways to create evergreen content are:

Answering your target readership’s frequently asked questions and addressing their common pain points
Offering explanations of different industry concepts or useful advice in an understandable manner.

Finally, check out these do’s and don’ts and stick to them:

Use longtail keywords as they’re more likely to bring you visitors genuinely interested in the topic you’re covering
Write for beginners as experts aren’t an audience that is attracted to broad topics
Stay away from industry jargon and technical terms as your readers won’t understand what you’re trying to say
Repurpose your content - update it occasionally with the latest information or reuse your blog post, for example, to create a video.

Focus on Your Headlines

Five times as many people read the headline as read the copy.

This quote by David Ogilvy, the man who revolutionized marketing, should be taken seriously.

In order to capture your audience’s attention and get them to actually read your content, you need compelling headlines.

While it’s a good idea to make your headlines funny and catchy, there’s no need to rack your brains every time you need to come up with one.

Instead of that, you should be absolutely in the know regarding what your readers want and make a promise. Just don’t get carried away and forget to fulfill it.

Here are a couple of formulas that can come in handy when you’re crafting irresistible headlines:

[how to] [verb] your [noun] How to Grow Your Business From Scratch
[benefit] [timeframe] [primary objection] Build a Website in Two Weeks Without Knowing How to Code
[number] [power word] [topic] Top 12 Tips to Boost Your Online Presence

Make Your Content Actionable

Now that you’ve made a promise to help your readers solve a certain problem, you need to deliver. Otherwise, they will be disappointed and will bounce off your website never to come back.

When people land on your website, from the search results page, they expect that your content will be relevant and provide them with a solution to their pain points. If your blog post or video doesn’t do that, it will be flagged as deceptive and misleading.

That’s why it’s essential to make sure to provide actionable tips throughout your content, that your readers will be able to implement. Don’t drag on and discuss theory – get to the point and list concrete steps, together with an explanation about how to complete them.

In other words, the process of creating your content should boil down to:

Picking the right topic, relevant to your audience
Crafting an enticing subject line that will get them to click
Pulling your visitors in with an interesting and intriguing introduction
Building trust by providing well-researched and documented facts and tips
Producing high-quality actionable content that can be used for solving a particular pain point.

Include Visuals

According to a frequently disputed Microsoft Corp. study, our attention span dropped to just 8 seconds.

In a nutshell, your readers are more keen on visually-oriented content that can be easily consumed.

As a result of this trend, it’s crucial to:

Create infographics, which present data in a colorful and graspable way, while being easy on the eyes
Add relevant images to break large chunks of text and make them more scannable
Include videos, as this format allows people to consume your content while they’re commuting or doing something else without the need to look into their mobile device.

Such versatility will make your content more interesting and engaging and help you not only keep your audience but also expand your reach – visuals receive more shares and likes on social media than regular posts.

Follow these simple tips and take your content to the next level in no time.

Alina Bradford 2/17/20 Alina Bradford 2/17/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: February 17, 2020

It’s time to get back to work and send out some pitches.

I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day weekend, but now it’s time to get back to work and send out some pitches. These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs).

Feature/News Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Writer for Inside

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Senior Writer, CIJ

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is seeking a reporter

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Immigration law writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: MediaBistro

Technical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Product Management Curriculum Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Medical Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Creative Marketing Copywriter That Knows How To Sell

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

BryteBox is looking to add a Writer to its growing team

Pay: $25.00 to $45.00 /hour

More info: Indeed

Writer and blogger

Pay: $15.00 to $30.00 /hour

More info: Indeed

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 2/11/20 Alina Bradford 2/11/20

The best high-paying freelance gigs of the week: February 10, 2020

Are you pitching? If you’re looking for some good leads, I’ve got them!

I pitched four article ideas and two gigs today, so I’m feeling like I’m on fire right now. Ha! How about you? Are you pitching? If you’re looking for some good leads, I’ve got them! These gigs pay at least $50 an article, offer a full-time salary, or pay more than $20 an hour. They are also all remote (also known as virtual jobs or work-from-home jobs).

Senior Writer, CIJ

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Staff Author at Quimbee

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Freelance Yoga Blogger

Pay: $65 per blog post

More info: Craigslist

Grant Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Apollo Project - Product Description Writer

Pay: Full-time

More info: LinkedIn

Freelance Legal Marketing Copywriter

Pay: $40 to $60 per page

More info: MediaBistro

Lifestyle Writer for ULTRA (ultranyc.com)

Pay: $150 per three articles (each max 600 words)

More info: Indeed

Freelance Writer for RevenueZen

Pay: $20.00 to $30.00 /hour

More info: Indeed

Medical Writer with Docs Global

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Content Writer for Kitchen United

Pay: Articles (approximately 500 words) will be compensated at $25 Articles (approximately 1000 words) will be compensated at $50 Articles (approximately 1500 words) will be compensated at $75 Articles (approximately 2000 words) will be compensated at $100

More info: Indeed

Contract Technical Writer for Equus Software

Pay: Full-time

More info: Indeed

Technical Editor and Writer on Digital Payments (English / Spanish / French)

Pay: Full-time

More info: UNCDF

Experienced Content Freelancer

Pay: $200-$250

More info: Problogger

Globe is looking for writers

Pay: $200 per article

More info: Globe Guidelines

Passage is looking for writers

Pay: $100 to $200 per article

More info: Passage Guidelines

Hey! Have a story idea you think would be perfect for Road & Track? Send us a pitch at pitches@roadandtrack.com. We’d love to hear about it!
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) February 5, 2020

Rates for accepted pitches start at $400.
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) February 5, 2020

Contingent is looking for writers

Pay:

FEATURES are longer pieces, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 words. The base pay for a feature is $500. SHORTS are, well, shorter pieces, roughly 800 to 1,500 words. It can be more like an op-ed, or a close reading of a primary source, or a scrap of your research you don’t know what else to do with. The base pay for a short is $250.
FIELD TRIPS are pieces that demystify the work that historians do. These can include interviews, object studies, stories about chasing footnotes, behind-the-scenes videos—Mr. Rogers at the crayon factory, but it’s history instead of crayons. The base pay for a field trip is $250.
REVIEWS of books (especially books by non-tenure-track historians), films, museum exhibits, television shows, really anything reviewable. If there’s a book coming out soon you’d like to review, we can arrange to have an advance reader copy sent to you. Reviews are roughly 1,000 to 1,500 words; the base pay is $250.
MINI-ESSAYS, roughly 200 to 500 words. The base pay is $75.
POSTCARDS from a conference you’re attending. The base pay is $25; read the CFP here.

More info: Guidelines

BuzzFeed is looking for writers

Pay: “Competitive”

More info: BuzzFeed Guidelines

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

Alina Bradford 2/7/20 Alina Bradford 2/7/20

How Freelancers Can Protect Their Finances in 2020

Here’s how to make your finances as stable as possible so you can be less stressed.

Running a freelance business is a lot of flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants feast or famine. This can play havoc with your finances, especially if you aren’t prepared to handle emergencies when they arise. Here’s how to make your finances as stable as possible so you can be less stressed.

Insurance

Nothing can be worse than having a disaster strike your family – a costly one – that you’re unable to pay for. It’s a tragedy that all too often befalls freelancers that have neglected to get the right insurance. I know, I know, you don’t want another bill to pay, but insuring all areas of your life can literally be a lifesaver.

Look into getting insurance for:

Vehicles
Pets
Health
Home/Rental
Funeral (life insurance)
Business
Coverage for if you get hurt and aren’t able to work for a short amount of time (like Aflac)

Be sure to check the small print before you sign up and beware of companies that raise rates and deductibles without warning. Sometimes the company with the lowest price isn’t the right one for you. Check out a company’s reviews and talk to your friends and family to find an insurance company you can trust.

Budgeting

The current economic climate has millions of freelancers struggling to put food on the table and living from paycheck to paycheck every month. To make your money go a little further, create a stringent and all-encompassing budget so that you can see exactly where you’re spending cash unnecessarily, and where you could save on weekly purchases in the long-term.

To get started, write down all of your monthly expenses, including coffee, gas for your car, utilities, clothes, food, etc, for a month. Yes, I’m telling you to grab a notebook or journal and write down every single purchase for a whole month. You’d be shocked at how much you purchase in a month, even if you are already very budget contentious.

Then write down your monthly income. See how they match up and cut or scale back on any unnecessary expenses like cable or eating out.

Put the extra into a savings account that collects interest so you have something to fall back on during slow times. Those with the healthiest financial situations can save cash every month – to the point that they’re able to invest some of their wealth in new assets, like stocks or property, too.

Pro tip: Save money on your budget by switching to more affordable utility services. There are many tools online that can help with this. Simply search something like “electricity plans in Houston” to find a tool that will find you the best deal.

Avoid debt collectors and repo men

We’ve all been there. A client fails to pay and an emergency has wiped out your savings. Suddenly you don’t have enough money to pay your bills. This scenario can leave you hopelessly lost – unsure what to do. Whether you’re struggling to pay your rent, your mortgage, or your loan repayments, you need to find ways to avoid debt collectors and the late fees that can rack up, making your debt spiral out of control. Here are some tips for when you fall behind.

If you fall behind on your car payment, call your lender and ask if you can take the missed payment and add it to the end of your loan. Many companies will be happy to do this and it gives you some breathing room.

A lot of companies like banks, utilities and credit card companies will also let you break a missed payment up into chunks. Then, they will add a little to future payments until you’re caught up. This is much easier than trying to pay a missed payment and your current payment at the same time.

When you’re falling behind on student loans, ask for a forbearance. The interest will still build up, but your payment requirements will be paused until you get back on your feet.

By the way, be sure to watch out for illegal debt collecting practices. A lawsuit related to unfair debt practices can take on the debt collectors if they try to process your case wrongly or illegally.

Prevent the famine

Most freelance writers will tell you, you’ll have times of feast and famine. One month you’ll have work flooding in, and then the next month you’ll be sitting around, panicking that your freelance career is over. One of the best ways to prevent those lean months is to pitch consistently. 12 at play keeps the bills at bay! I explain the 12 rule and how to pitch properly here.

Another thing you need to do is to have a backup plan. When it looks like you’re going to have a slow month, don’t just sit around. Contact old clients and see if they need anything written. Work on your blog so that you can have an alternate source of income. Come up with a side-hustle that’s related to what you already do (here are some good side-hustles for writers). Keep the momentum going and you’ll pull through until more clients come along.

Want to learn how to make a successful living as a freelance writer? Get the No-Fluff Freelance Writer Starter Pack. Only $29.97.

Learn more

3 Ways to ease anxiety

Five Beauty & Fashion Tips for Keeping it Together While Working From Home

Make your day great

Freelance Remote Comic Book Features Writer

Scripted needs writers

Freelance Remote Gaming Features Writer

Freelance Remote Trending Tech Features Writer

Senior Medical Writer

Nutrition Article Writers

SEO Marketing Writer

COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND FOR JOURNALISTS

IWMF Emergency Fund

COVID-19 Related Funding

AreWeEurope print magazine needs writers

Medical Writer

Remote Copywriter

Tip #1: Construct a detailed, eloquent profile

Tip #2: List your profile under multiple categories

Tip #3: Build a diverse portfolio of writing samples

Tip #4: Seek out clients yourself

Tip #5: Don’t bite off more than you can chew

1. Complete online training courses

2. Dress to impress

3. Maintain a positive mindset

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Begin with the Sitemap

Create an Outline for Each Page

Start Writing the Copies

Polish and Refine the Content Created for the Website

Conclusion

About the Author﻿

Freelance Legal Marketing Writer

Content Editor/Content Marketing Manager

Technical Writer

Writing short skits

Home, Pets, Crafts Content Update Editor

Personal Finance Content Update Editor

Scriptwriter for Educational Math Videos

The Drive is looking for writers

Call for Submissions: Community Power in Times of Crisis

Looking For Long Term Writer For Premium Music Website

Technical Writer

Business Content Writer

Staff Writer

Principal Medical Writer

Technical Writer

Freelance Writers for Privacy-Focused Website

Content Writer/Developer

Monster Horror / The Blob Freelance Blogger

Senior Writer, CIJ

Sustainability Writer

Freelance Finance Investment Writer

Policies and Procedures Writer

Blog Content Update Opportunity For A Leading Leadership/Employee Engagement Blog

Experienced Book Reviewer

Freelance Writers for Positive News Email Newsletter

The Slowdown is now accepting pitches

Make your work area separate

Adjustable Desk

Heighten Your Comfort

Proper Filing

Office Chair

Hard Drive

Add Some Light to the Room

Give the Desk Some Life

Paint the Walls a Great Color

Content Writer (Medical)

Remote Device CER Technical Writer

Tech Writer

Content Marketing Writer

Technical Writer

Freelance Mobile Games Writer

Copywriter at LadyBoss

Copywriter, Direct Response

Expert B2B Marketers and Copywriters for Solar Energy Co.

Online News Editor

Staff Writer for Freethink

Email Marketing Coordinator/Copywriter

Movie, TV, and Comics Feature/News writer

Political Writer

About the Author

About the Author

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