Louis & Louis

Can anyone be a freelance writer?

As a freelance writer, I can tell you from experience that one of the questions freelance writers get asked the most is: could I be a freelance writer? This is almost always followed up by a statement along the lines of I’m sure it’s not that hard or It has to be easier than what I am doing right now…(that second one really irritates me actually).

Well, here’s a news-flash for you: it’s really very hard to make money by being a good freelance writer. And no, not everyone can do it. Like anything, there are a few specific character traits which one should have when diving head-first into this profession.

These are as follows and are, generally speaking, non-negotiable.

There’s a hell of a lot of rejection in this business, and the fledgling freelance writer is in line for a fair share of it!

1) You need to be diligent. It’s no good moaning when you miss your deadline either, because most editors do not suffer fools gladly.

2) You need to be able to write at anything at any time. That’s to say that if someone emails you one morning asking the question How do you feel about writing for skins compression uk ? You need to be able to say, with confidence, Yes, that’s not a problem. My skills are excellent. The following things are all skills you should have in your arsenal.

3) An unbelievable amount of patience. I mean supernatural amounts…for customers who test you constantly.

4) An ability to bounce back. There’s a hell of a lot of rejection in this business, and the fledgling freelance writer is in line for a fair share of it!

5) The ability to write anywhere at any time. Freelance writing is a job, like anything. It’s not about being in the mood or being in the right frame of mind. In the freelance writer’s world these two things are entirely mythical: they do not happen to them.

6) Finally: you need to be able to take instruction and listen. One of the most crucial – if not the most crucial – attributes of a freelance writer is adaptability. If you lack this then you are going to struggle to go from writing about football to writing about pets (something which happens constantly as your work-schedule takes you back and forward and every which place in-between).

7) OK, now this here is really the finally: a freelance writer must be as good a writer as a business person. In order to actually make a living from this kind of work, you need to have your finger on the pulse of emails, marketing, the latest media trends and also the money side of things of course. Where would you be without that?

Similar Posts:
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…
The Beginner’s Basics To Skiing : If you are new to skiing the…
The Hidden Human Nature :  We all have bizarre and disturbing…
Busy Moms Need to Accessorize : Moms are busy and are on their…

How to write a press release

Press releases are mythical things, aren’t they? Every so often someone asks me how to write one and I shudder and come over all cold. Not again, I think, I can’t be bothered to explain the whole tired process another flipping time!

So here, right now, is my guide on how to write a press release. It may not be the most conclusive guide in the world, and it may have a few holes in it, but trust me: it’s done me proud on a number of occasions and should work a treat for you if you follow it to the letter!

Mine them for info about what they want included; for example, what other products might be relevant

1. Who is your client? Let us assume that it is Red Diesel Kent . Now then, this company want you to write about their new fuel they have coming out for tractors. That’s really all they have given you, along with the bare facts, so the next step is to…

2. Ask questions. A lot of them. Mine them for info about what they want included; for example, what other products might be relevant to the target audience? Things like that. This ensures that later on they don’t say “but you didn’t ask me any questions” which is probably one of the most irritating things one human being can say to another.

3. Now, before you go ahead with a rough draft, you need to KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE and what style to write in. Should it be casual or formal? Fun or to-the-point? Whatever the case, don’t start until you have more than enough information. It saves asking questions later.

4. Now you need to know the structure. Without structure, the whole thing will look amateurish and people will laugh. Basic press release structure is this: an opening paragraph summarising what it is about. A main body of text explaining the benefits and the history and how it came about. Get to the point quickly on this. Make sure any keywords are also added and then…

5. Close with another brief summary – with maybe a couple of additional points that the reader hasn’t read yet. This will ensure that all the facts are there, and that the copy is very readable. All this should mean the press release works effectively and does its job.

6. Lastly, but not least, make sure you do a spell-check both manually AND with the computer. You’d be surprised how much it affects the final outcome…and more importantly: can you afford to give people an excuse not to use you?

Similar Posts:
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…
The Beginner’s Basics To Skiing : If you are new to skiing the…
The Hidden Human Nature :  We all have bizarre and disturbing…
Busy Moms Need to Accessorize : Moms are busy and are on their…