These May Be the Dumbest 4 Words a Freelance Writer Ever Heard

...and Mikey's about to Show You Why They're so Dumb!

I felt compelled to write this quick post in regards to a particularly irritating and utterly useless piece of advice many freelance writing experts use to answer a very important question. And you'd almost be convinced the experts actually helped struggling writers if the too often uttered phrase wasn't the most worthless, confusing and potentially damaging combination of 4 words a freelance writer trying to make money online could ever have the unfortunate luck to read and believe.

This freelance writing rate calculator will help you calculate figures.

It's used so much by so many experts in this industry that an individual (like me) may begin to question their own mental state.

Have I suddenly dropped to a 3rd grade reading comprehension level and am now unable to read between the lines?

Is this dumb-ass phrase actually hiding some profound secret that I am incapable of seeing?

Ferociously Fast Freelance Writing Site Reviews: Writer's Relief

Getting back into the game after an arduous couple months, I stumbled upon this beaut of a freelance writing site to help all of you'ns make money writing online.

This "Ferociously Fast Freelance Writing Site Reviews" is a new mini-series I am going to start. Essentially, whenever I find a new site, I'll write a quick review of it and link some of the material I receive after signing up. 

My purpose in doing this is so that you can decide for yourself whether or not it's worth your time to register. In the freelance writing business, time equals money, so you need to be as efficient as possible.

Writer's Relief is for those of you who're looking to get published, self-published or to access a plethora of other useful writing tools and resources. A lot of it is free, but there are paid versions for certain things as well as contests and something about becoming a client. The following is taken from the Writer's Relief freelance writing site and concerns the client status:

5 Tools That Will Help You Make More Money Writing Online

Before I took the leap into the freelance writing business, I worked as a
tradesman in the construction industry. Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none was my career focus, and I've carried many job titles over the years.

I spent the better part of a decade framing walls and setting trusses as a residential carpenter. Then several years came when I craved independence, so I decided to work as an independent contractor installing satellite television systems. While living in Hawaii, I tried my hand as a finisher on a drywall crew, worked as a maintenance man for an apartment complex and built cabinets at a shop by the beach.

Exciting New Additions to the Freelance Writing for Profit Blog and Some Emotional Stuff, Too

I am super stoked right now. I'm tired, greasy and a bit zombie-fied, but I am soaring through the clouds on a natural high of excitement that I haven't felt since the day's of GI Joe, Micro Machines and Skeletor. I feel giddy, like a kid on Christmas.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if the handful of announcements I have for you all warrant this feeling. It's not evident why I am so uplifted especially considering how many years that have went by since I last experienced such unbridled joy. I'll tell you this much though, I am definitely going to enjoy it while it lasts. Maybe I can pass a little bit on to you, too. Perhaps in relating these feelings to you, I will be able to put my finger on the nature of this wonderful mood I am in.

The Things I Learned About Freelance Writing While Working On My Truck

I own an old, beat-up pickup truck that’s seen better days. It’s got a ton of miles on it, rust spots and the interior smells like something from a high-school locker room, but it gets me from A to B. The other day, the thermostat went out, and it started overheating. I grabbed my tools and went to work on my rusted beauty, hoping to extend its life just a little longer. While I busted my knuckles and cussed liberally, I thought about how working on an old pickup truck kind of relates to freelance writing. These are the things I learned.

*UPDATE* The Perfect Freelance Writers Resume That'll Bring All The Clients To The Yard

*UPDATE* The FCCO Forum Discusses Freelance Writing Resumes

Hey freelancers! If you haven't joined the forum yet, get on over there and "Ask for an Invite". We're at about 40 members and the discussions are starting to update daily. With your input and questions, we'll be well on our way to becoming one of the best freelance writing forums on the Web. 

Here is a perfect example of the helpful things we're talking about over in the forum. This one was so relevant and useful, I had to update this freelance writer's resume post with the information. Check out the member advice and then don't forget to join the forum:

Iva Asked: "I have issues with resumes and maybe some of you can help. I have read from a few freelance writing gurus that you should never have to submit a resume when applying for a freelance writing gig but most of the jobs I come across ask for resumes. One of my issues is that I DON'T have a resume for writing as I am just breaking into the freelance writing field. How would I even make up a resume for these jobs? My other question is how many of you DO have resumes, what do they look like and can someone help??..:)~ Thanx guys!"

The community answers were just awesome. Here's a few:

Let's Do Freelance Writing Work: Job-board Sites

Taking the time to look for freelance writing jobs on ad sites like ProBlogger, BloggingPro or even Craigslist can sometimes lead to lucrative and long-lasting work relationships. Several of my most consistent clients have come from these types of freelance writing sites. The key to finding work on ad sites is to keep time-management in mind at all times. Also, approach each potential client as if you were querying a publication. In other words, bring you’re A-game as fast as possible.

 This can be tough, admittedly. Time-management and quality proposals aren’t always the most cohesive bed-fellows. It’s easy to get in a rush and slack-off on a sample or query letter for a potential client you may never hear from again. Let’s look at a few ways to work freelance writing ad sites so that you’ll get the most out of your time.

Let's Do Freelance Writing Work: Bid Sites

Lately, I’ve been trying to come up with some original advice to help ya’ll in your freelance writing endeavors. It’s harder than it looks. There are countless sites out there on the Internet that cover everything from pitch letters to site reviews and any obscure idea in between. I want to actually help. Regurgitating the same old blah blah blah ain’t gonna cut it. So, I thought I’d start a new Let’s Series about how to find success workingon a freelance writing site. Introductions made, let’s do work.

The first year or so of my freelance writing career was spent bidding day after day on projects at Freelancer. For those who do not know, Freelancer is a bid-for site like Elance, ODesk and others. I spent countless hours composing targeted bids for projects that paid pennies. I ended up getting a lot of jobs from these types of freelance writing sites over the years, and I’ve met clients that I still work with. However, you’ll spend a lot of time bidding on worthless projects. But there are a few simple things you can do as a freelance writer to cut down on the wasted time.

Renegade Freelance Writing Tactics: Be A Proxy

You'll never hear this advice from the more established freelance writing help sites. Keep this on the down-low. And I am not responsible for suspensions due to following this advice. Although, I never had any problems, but I wanted to give ya'll a heads up. Just read the sites ToS, and if it doesn't mention recruiting writers for off-site work is a no-no, you should be good to go. That's my unofficial disclaimer, so let's get on with what I'm talking about.

I started freelance writing in my free time years ago. The very first thing I realized is that there are many writers from non-English speaking countries who can write English better than most people I went to High school with. However, most of the more lucrative freelance writing sites exclude them from eligibility on the simple fact that they're not from America or England. The cartoonish light-bulb sparked above my head. What if I was to provide a proxy for these people, taking a small percentage for editing and submitting their articles to sites where they weren't allowed to write because of their nationality? It worked and here's how.

Freelance Tip Of The Day: Punch Fear Straight In The Mouth

Uncontrolled fear or a lack of confidence is the number one contributor to why people don't succeed as freelance writers. The ego part of everyone's mind will always say, "You can't", "You're not good enough", and "Others know more than you". But freelance writing is the antithesis of this limiting viewpoint. We're freelancers so that we're not constrained by normal conventions. Why limit ourselves because of fear when we're confident enough to display an entrepreneurial spirit? If you want to succeed online, the first thing you must do is punch fear straight in the mouth.

The thing is, I struggle with this every single day. I've achieved a modicum of success as a freelance writer, but still my brain is insistent that I am not good enough. When I attempt to step outside what I'm used to, I hear the inevitable doubt between my ears. Trying something new is difficult for everyone. We, as freelancers, are not alone in this.

Diversify Or Die: A Freelance Writing Mantra To Live By

Diversification is the key to freelance writing success. Getting established in the market is just part of the game. Once you have your foot in the door, it literally pays to keep pitching, querying and looking for new avenues for profit. The major point to remember is that your goal is to pay the bills. Whether that involves writing or not doesn’t truly matter in the long run.

Establish a Steady Income

Whether this is on job-board sites like Textbroker or MyAms or through E-books and guest posts, you need to have an income to fall back on. Look, the winds of change blow through the Internet on a daily basis, drying up once lucrative rivers of income. Having a fallback plan is essential when working as a freelance writer.

Be Open to Opportunities

You’re a freelance writer to make money, but don’t limit yourself to writing. If you can make money in video or podcasts, do it. Also, look for consulting jobs, website maintenance, forum moderation and the myriad other opportunities available on the Web.

*UPDATE* Answers To Your Freelance Writing Questions

UPDATE:
So, I did a bit of research regarding Non-American authors on some of the most popular job board sites like TextBroker and MyAms. I was completely wrong in my earlier assumptions regarding TextBroker. They ONLY accept American authors. Which makes zero sense to me as some of the articles ask for Australian and British spellings and euphemisms. I guess an American can easily write in another countries slang, but it still seems weird to me. As far as MyAms is concerned, they accept writers from English speaking countries. The list is limited to the US, England, Canada, Australia and South Africa. There might be a few that I missed, but those are the major ones. The thing both of these sites have in common is that they will suspend or delete your account once they find out you're from a country not on their list. Short of writing through a proxy, I've yet to find a legitimate way around this. UPDATE END

A couple readers have commented recently asking questions regarding freelance writing. For some reason, I cannot reply on my own blog. It won't publish anything. So, I decided to answer the questions in a post because I feel it will benefit everyone.

Freelance Tip of the Day: Don't undervalue your skills

This is a hard one. I struggle with it everyday because it can be difficult to determine pricing as a freelance writer, especially when you're first starting out. There's a fine line between growing a client base by undercutting a competitor, and completely undervaluing your talents. Breaking out of the "I'm getting experience" or "I need more clients" phase can be tough, but essential if you want to turn this freelance writing thing into a career.

When you first start out as a freelance
writer, setting your rates low to gain clients can be the quickest way to bring in some cold, hard cash. Typically, it's important to find a niche, and establish yourself as an authority. You'll want to spend time learning trade nuances, gaining experience and clients, and honing your writing skills. These are all integral steps in starting a freelance writing career. However, once you've found the perfect niche, and researched and written numerous articles on the subject, raising your rates becomes necessary.

The First 5 Steps to Take as a Freelance Writer

There are a lot of elements that go into making a successful freelance writer.  Taking the first few steps into the world of internet content creation can be daunting. However, if you set out a definite plan and follow it, getting a foot in the door can be a lot easier than it seems.

Setup a Paypal account – Most sites and clients pay their employees through Paypal. It can take time to link Paypal to your bank account. Getting a head start on this means no lag in payments.

Keep printed and scanned W-9s – This is important because most legitimate freelance writing sites require authors to submit a W-9. They typically do this for tax purposes and to prove that you live in the United States. Having them on-hand can save time and ensure you get paid as soon as possible.

Write for “pay upfront sites” – These freelance writing sites typically have a job board from which you can pick and choose projects. They will show the price they’re paying per job upfront and pay for completed jobs either at the end of the week or when you request a payout. These sites usually pay pretty low but they can be the quickest and easiest method of jumpstarting a freelance writing career. Also, they will keep money in your account when other, higher paying jobs are scarce.

Freelance Tip of the Day: Determine your niche (or niches)

It’s important to write about what you know and love. This can be tough at first, as jobs tend to be few but as you gain momentum begin narrowing down the list of topics you find easy or enjoy freelance writing about.

Take stock of your background. Make a list of topics that are similar to your education or experience. Check each off the list until your left with 3-5 that seriously interest you. Remember, as you complete projects for clients you’ll begin to be associated with a certain area of expertise. Ensure this is something you can write about for years to come.

Don’t feel like you must limit yourself to similar niches. If you have a degree in psychology but also enjoy fashion as a hobby, write about both and anything else that seriously interests you as long as you're not overwhelmed. However, the more you already know about a subject, the less you’ll have to research and learn in the future. As we've discussed before, profiting from freelance writing is all about time management.

Freelance Tip of the Day: Organize your workspace

Organisation can help in many aspects of life. Freelance writing for profit is no different. Even if you don't have a dedicated home office, you should still designate and organize an area as your work-space.

Keep reference material, office supplies and hard-files handy and close to your computer and work area. Time management is a key aspect of freelance writing for profit and the ability to quickly grab a pen or a notepad will make creating content easy and efficient.

Be sure people in the household understand that freelance writing is a job like any other. Fortunately, working from home is more common than it was a few years ago. With that said, family and friends living in the house should respect your work-hours and treat your work-space as they would an office even if it's just the kitchen table.

Efficiency is important when freelance writing for profit. Set yourself up to be as efficient as possible everyday.