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Writer's Notes - August 2008

Blogging Job Sites

August 31st 2008 03:21


A Variety of Blogging Job Resources

Here's the list of blogging job sites I promised in my last post: Blogging Gigs: Are They For You? Some of these sites are job boards or forums which focus on blogging gigs, others are blog networks that offer varying amounts of compensation for posts and/or blogs, and one is actually a virtual agency that finds business blogging gigs for subscribers.


Blogging Job Boards

ProBlogger Job Board

BloggingJobs.Com

Performancing Blogger Job Board

BloggerJobs.Biz


Blogging Job Forums

Blogging Tips' Looking to Hire Room

AuthorityBlogger’s Want, Need, and Offer Forum

BlogHer (Women’s Blogging--and Writing--Opps)


Blog Networks

Today.Com

SPONSCORE

b5Media

Weblogs, Inc.


Blogging Job Agency

Onward Search Blogging Jobs (Business Blogging Jobs)


Other Sources of Blogging Gigs

Blogging gigs are also regularly featured, along with other types of literary jobs, on the writing (and other) job boards linked to in my two recent posts: Job Listing Sites for Writers and Most Popular Writing Job Sites. If you know of other websites that focus on blogging gigs--or offer a considerable number of them--I hope you'll consider sharing the links with us in comments. I'm sure all your fellow bloggers will thank you!


Happy hunting!

Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? Have any great blogging job resources to share? Any tips that have worked for you in landing--or keeping--blogging gigs? Any cautions that others seeking such gigs should be aware of? We'd be honored to receive the benefit of your experience!



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Blogging Gigs: Are They For You?

August 28th 2008 20:19


What's Your Pleasure: A Blogging Career or a Little Moonlighting?

Do you love blogging so much that you'd like to make a career of it? Perhaps you'd rather simply find a blogging gig or two that would allow you to express yourself in a more personal setting while picking up a few extra bucks to supplement your other freelance writing income. You might even hope to use your new-found blogging gig to underwrite or help promote your current AdSense-revenue-only blog. These are all great reasons for seeking work as a blogger.


Blogging Gigs: Regular--But Not Always Substantial--Income

One nice thing about blogging gigs is that they can provide a writer with regular income--a handy commodity in the uncertain, feast-or-famine world of freelance writing. But, though regular, often blogging income isn't very substantial. This is one of the realities of the Internet culture in which we ply our writing craft. Blogs are everywhere! Yet, there are companies that understand and want to capitalize on the booming popularity of blogs and are therefore willing to pay fairly decent to quite lucrative compensation amounts for regular blog posts on virtually unlimited topics--particularly from seasoned and/or popluar bloggers.


Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Paid Blogger?

If you enjoy blogging and have a fair amount of knowledge about one or more topics (or an area of personal interest, coupled with some great research skills), if you can express yourself clearly and explain your topic well, and if you have the ability to make your topic come alive via an engaging writing style, these elements can add up to opportunity for you. Every company requires a different level of expertise of its bloggers. In fact, some don't require anything more than the "gift of gab," a real interest in your topic, the ability to write about it in an engaging manner, and some proof that you have the ability to post consistently on your topic (i.e., a regularly-updated past or current blog).


Blogging Gigs: What Are You Looking For?

Every blogger is looking for something different in a blogging gig, and available opportunities vary widely. Some offer only a share of advertising revenues, some "pay" you by providing a forum whereby you can promote and link to your current website or blog, others pay token amounts, and still others offer reasonable to excellent compensation for your posts. You'll need to assess your own needs, wants, talents, experience, availability, temperament, and current financial situation and weigh these against the opportunities available if you hope to make professional blogging a realistic part of your writing business.


Caution: Blogging Gigs Can Raise Your Blood Pressure!

Before considering a blogging gig, be sure you're prepared to face the sometimes stressful requirement of providing fresh, new, interesting content on a recurring basis. Some companies require 3-5 posts a week, others, daily posting, and still others, multiple posts per day. Be sure you'll be up to the task and able to think clearly under the incessant pressure of daily or weekly blogging quotas and deadlines. If you have a tendency to experience a disproportionate amount of stress under deadline pressure or become excessively anxious over impending projects, paid blogging may not be the gig for you.

(Now and then, you'll actually find companies that require less-frequent posting--e.g., once per week. Periodically, you'll even run across ads seeking individual blog posts as contributions to already-existing blogs. This is a great way to take the pressure off and might prove the ideal answer for those who enjoy blogging yet prefer to avoid the stress of assuming the entire responsibility for administering a blog.)


Always Remember That a Blog Is a Community

Another factor to consider where blogging gigs are concerned is that, whereas most freelance writing simply requires writing an article or other type of copy and submitting/selling it to a publisher or website, a successful blog requires interaction with its readers. Be sure you're prepared to spend the time it takes to reply to comments and build a rapport with your readers before you accept a blogging gig. Figure in the time you'll inevitably spend in this activity when considering whether or not the compensation you'll receive will be sufficient for the time, energy, and effort expended.


Follow-Up Post: Blogging Job Sites

Stay tuned for my next post, in which I'll provide links to some websites that list blogging gigs. In the meantime, give a little thought to the question of whether these are the kinds of writing gigs you should focus on, whether you should simply consider them as an adjunct to other types of writing, or whether you should, perhaps, avoid them completely--except, possibly, for submitting an occasional post to an already active blog. Only you can answer that question--though it might take you a bit more time and experience to figure it out!


Happy blogging!
Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? Have any insights on paid blogging to share? Have you ever seriously considered focusing exclusively on blogging gigs? Perhaps you already do. If the only blog you currently write is your own, how different do you think it would be to write a blog for someone else? Would you consider it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!



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Two Big Moves: a Domain and a Domicile!

Confident Writing coach Joanna Young has been very busy of late. First, she moved her Confident Writing blog to WordPress--a big enough job in itself! Then, she took on the Herculean task of moving her residence, as well. Some Internet connection problems right before her move only added to the stress, but I'm happy to report that Joanna's move is complete, she's happily tucked away in her new home, her Internet connection issues have been resolved, and she's raring to resume her activities coaching wordsmiths like you to become "confident writers."


Confident Writing Coach Joanna Young



Confident Writing: A Blog You Don't Want to Miss!

If you're not familiar with Joanna's blog, you don't know what you've been missing! And if you've been looking for a place where you could learn the secrets of writing with confidence, you're in luck! Joanna's blog is chock-full of tips, techniques, encouragement, advice, and inspiration to help you become the writer you've always known you could be.

One Confident Writing post I think you'll love as much as I did is The Secret: 20 Ways To Attract More Comments On Your Blog. And this is just one of many, many excellent posts Joanna has written to help you become a more confident writer (and blogger). Do yourself a favor and mine her archives--after you've read all her recent posts, that is.


You'll Feel Right at Home at Joanna's New Home!

One of the best things about Confident Writing is that Joanna will welcome you with open arms! Please make it a point to visit and let her know you're glad she's back. (When you do, you'll see what a gracious hostess she is.) And while you're at it, why not bookmark her site? You'll be glad you did!


Welcome Back, Joanna!

You have many friends in the blogosphere, all of whom wish you well. Please accept our heartfelt wishes for a wonderful life in your brand new home, a prosperous season on your new domain, and a glorious sense of the warmth with which we welcome you back to your rightful place among those of us who care so much about you!


Many good wishes for the future!
Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts to share about writing with confidence--or about your visit to Confident Writing? I'd love to hear them!



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Win $500 for Writing One Line!

Zirdland.com is offering a $500 prize to the entrant who writes the best opening line for its twice-yearly That First Line writing contest. Deadline for the Spring/Summer contest is September 1st, so get creative and submit your best opening line before that date. The winning line from the last contest has been posted on the contest's submission page to give you an idea of the kind of writing Zirdland judges appreciate most. In fact, a number of winning lines from past contests can be found on the ZirdNEWS page.


Novel Competition Also Features a Generous Prize

Zirdland is also hosting a Novel Competition, which features a $1,000 prize. There's no entry fee for uploading/submitting your unpublished or self-published novel (plain text only), and the deadline for submissions is October 10th. So, if you've got a completed (or nearly completed) novel languishing on your hard drive, now's the time to pull it up, do a bit of editing, and place yourself in the running for this generous prize. (Your novel will not be posted to the website; its contents will remain private.)


New Arc Angel Story Analysis Tool Will Judge Entries

Zirdland has recently unveiled its Arc Angel Story Analysis Tool, currently in Beta testing, which will be used to judge entries in the Novel Competition. This marvel of modern software technology, according to Zirdland, "analyzes the sub-text of a literary work," detecting both rhetorical and plot strengths and weaknesses. The program "combines average rhetorical intensity...with (a) drama rating, and other metrics, to provide an overall story satisfaction rating," which is used to rank stories for both the site's contests and its eQuery service. (While many question whether a software program can truly assess a story's literary quality as well as a human judge, it's a fascinating concept and one that will certainly be interesting to watch.)


Free eQuery Service and Job Listings Also Offered by Zirdland

Zirdland also offers a free eQuery service for submitting your work via its automated system to publishers, agents, producers, etc. Its software will apparently generate your proposals, as well. (Is there anything this software can't do?) You'll find further information on the website. The site also offers a list of writing gigs, though at this point at least, the number of opportunities appears to be extremely limited.

You'll definitely want to check out Zirdland.com--particularly if fiction is your forte. This is one fascinating website with many uniquely interesting offerings!


Enjoy your visit!
Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? What do you think of Zirdland's offerings? Do you believe a software program can really assess the literary merit of a written work? Why or why not?



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Most Popular Writing Job Sites

August 18th 2008 17:41


Staple Sites Most Writers Visit for Job Leads

Earlier today, in my post, Job Listing Sites for Writers, I offered a few of the less-widely known websites that list writing jobs, assuming that most of you already know about the sites that are the mainstay of the freelance writing community. However, on considering it further, I realized that many writers--particularly those new to the craft (or new to the profession)--may not be aware of all these goldmines of paid writing opportunities. So I've decided to provide links to the sites most writers visit first when seeking writing jobs.


Four Favorite Freelance Job Sites

Freelance Writing Jobs at About Freelance Writing

Freelance Writing Jobs, Deb Ng

Writer’s Resource Center (Poewar) Writing Jobs

WritersWeekly Paying Markets and Jobs


A Super-Simple Job-Search Strategy

You can, in fact, check all four of the above sites with a minimum of hassle by visiting About Freelance Writing's job page first, since it provides links to all three of the other sites. This is the way I generally do it for the most convenient and productive job-search session. You can, of course, bookmark each of the above sites individually (along with those listed in my previous post)--which might be a good idea in case you should ever want to divide your job-hunting into more than one session. That way, you'd be able to go directly to the individual site you want to check at the time. About Freelance Writing has made it super-easy for you, though; so, in most cases, that's the only one of the four sites you'll need to visit via your bookmarks.

Many of the jobs listed on the above sites will, of course, be duplicates, since nearly all are gleaned from the same major job boards, such as Craigslist. The only exception here is Writer's Resource Center. (More on this below.) Such duplicate postings are generally fairly easy to spot, though; and I do recommend checking all these sites, anyway, if you have the time, because you'll always find at least a few jobs that are "exclusive" to one site or the other.


Writer's Resource Center: A Great Place for Technical Writing Jobs

The jobs at Writer's Resource Center come from Indeed.com, which collects them from virtually everywhere. The technical writer, in particular, will find a wealth of job leads at WRC, though many other writing-related jobs are represented there, as well.


Other Popular Job-Listing Sites

In addition to those above, several other sites are widely used by freelancers and other writing professionals to find gigs. A few follow:

JournalismJobs.com

Online Writing Jobs

Media Bistro


Freelance Writing: A Comprehensive Job-Search Site

Another site--one which provides links to jobs from each of the major job boards/bidding sites separately--serves as a convenient hub for a wide variety of writing job sites:

Freelance Writing.

For those who prefer to check each listing service individually, this site would be the way to go. Most other sites combine jobs from all the major job boards into a single listing, whereas Freelance Writing divides these listings into separate sections, such as Craigslist, oDesk, Online Writing Jobs, etc. It also provides a helpful Magazine Guidelines Database.


Job-Search Sites Offer Multi-Talented Writers A Variety of Opportunities

The above website links, along with those provided in my previous post, should arm you well for the task of finding suitable writing jobs, regardless of your writing specialty. If you also happen to have editing, proofreading, or other similar experience, you'll find ample work on these sites, as well. For those who have additional, non-writing/publishing skills, such as art, graphic- or web-design, computer programming, sales, transcription, or virtual clerical skills, the above sites have numerous job leads to offer you, also (as do the sites mentioned in my Job Listing Sites for Writers post.)

So, what are you waiting for? Instead of pounding the pavement for job leads, as you may have had to in the past, you can now enjoy the unprecedented privilege of simply pounding your keyboard and opening a whole world of career possibilities. And the variety of available opportunities is "virtually" endless! So, why not take advantage of it?


Happy--and fruitful--job-hunting!
Jeanne



Did you enjoy this post? Have any job-search insights or resources to share? We'd love to hear your advice, experiences, ideas, or opinions!



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Job Listing Sites for Writers

August 18th 2008 01:08


Websites that List Writing Gigs

In my internet travels, I've run across various writing job sites (or sites that also list writing jobs), other than the more commonly used ones, and thought I'd share them. You've likely heard of some (or most); but there may just be a few here that you haven't seen before. Hopefully, they'll help make it a little easier for you to find your next paid writing gig!


Less-Common Writing Job Sites

GenuineJobs.com
You'll need to register for this site, so I'll provide a direct link to the jobs page in case you'd like to check it out first. The site lists all kinds of jobs, but provides a search option to narrow your search.

VirtualVocations.com
This site lists all types of telecommute jobs. There's a one-time charge for joining--one which seems a bit steep to me for simply enjoying the privilege of perusing job ads--but it's definitely worth browsing their job listings, anyway, because often you'll find website or other contact info for clients in their ads.

PostJobFree.com
This site provides a "Search Jobs" capability. From what I can see, it doesn't appear to provide an option for browsing job listings without performing a search first.

JustTechJobs.com
This site offers listings for all types of tech jobs, so you'll need to search specifically for writing jobs, which will bring up a variety of technical writing opportunities. It is, however, also a fantastic site for those who have additional technological skills (beyond technical writing) and might be interested in moonlighting--or even specializing--in "hands-on" tech work.

Sunoasis Jobs
This site focuses on writing and writing-related jobs, such as editing, proofreading, etc.


Best of luck finding your next gig!
Jeanne



Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Any questions? I'd certainly love to hear your thoughts--and maybe even your own job leads, if you wouldn't mind sharing them!



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Do You Have a HandPrints On My Heart Story?

Are you (or do you know) a female author with a story to tell about a special individual whose influence has been life-changing? If so, Marlene Moore Gordon would like to see your story and consider it for possible inclusion in her upcoming book, HandPrints On My Heart.

Marlene is seeking "personal real-life short stories written to acknowledge someone who has made a significant difference in the writer’s life," and her hope is that the "universal emotions" expressed in these stories "will touch the hearts of people worldwide who read, hear and see (them)."


My Own HandPrints Submission and Experience

A short time back, I contacted Marlene about her project, after discovering her call for submissions at LifeWriter's Market Watch. (You'll find other writing markets on this site, as well. Be aware that, as new projects are added, older ones move toward the bottom of the webpage. So, you may need to scroll down quite a bit to locate the HandPrints announcement.) I submitted an inspirational story I'd written about my paternal grandmother but had never published. She accepted my piece and we then went through a few rounds of editing to improve the piece and make it more suitable to the tone she had in mind for the stories. (I found her very pleasant to work with and quite receptive to my editorial input, which is always a plus for a writer whose work is undergoing the editing process.)


The HandPrints On My Heart Website and Guidelines

You'll find more information about this fascinating project at the HandPrints On My Heart website. Marlene's Submission Guidelines will give you all the information you'll need to submit your own story.


A Few HandPrints Business Details

While Marlene is still seeking a publisher for HandPrints On My Heart, she already has a literary agent. Monetary compensation for the project is still undetermined and will be presented to all accepted authors in writing for their approval once a publisher has been signed. Marlene expects compensation to be comparable to that offered by other similar anthologies, such as A Cup of Comfort and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Rights purchased will be non-exclusive, one-time rights.


Will You Help Spread the Word?

Marlene is interested in spreading the word about the HandPrints On My Heart book project. So, if you're a blogger whose niche is writing and/or publishing, you might want to consider writing a post about her project. Check out the details at her website and/or drop her a line -- and maybe a submission, too, while you're at it -- at the following e-mail address: MMG@handprintsonmyheart.com. (Even if you aren't a blogger, you can still spread the word to other writers you know -- and send in your own submission, as well.)


Know Any Celebrities Who Can Endorse the Project?

And, if you happen to know any celebrities who might be willing to contribute a story, along with an endorsement of the book, by all means, let them know about the project (and let Marlene know about them.) It's simply a fact of life that more publishers will sit up and take notice of a manuscript that has a celebrity's name attached.


Hope to see your story in HandPrints!
Jeanne


Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Thinking of writing a story for HandPrints? Have one already written? I'd love to hear about it!



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July '08 Comment Recognition

Once again it's time to recognize my valued readers who have left comments at Writer's Notes during the month of July, 2008. My apologies that my July posts were so sparse. Life has been especially hectic again this past month! And consequently, because I wrote so few posts, my list of July commenters will be correspondingly short. (Special thanks to this loyal group of die-hard Writer's Notes fans who decided to stick with me anyway! Thanks, too, to those of you who commented here for the first time last month! You, too, are greatly appreciated!)


Thanks So Much!

I appreciate all your thoughtful comments! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share your thoughts, opinions, ideas, experiences, and support at Writer's Notes! I truly enjoy reading your insights, experiences, and viewpoints! Thanks for making July another special month through your valuable input!


July '08 Commenters

The following is a list (in no particular order) of all the fantastic folks who have left comments at Writer's Notes during July, 2008:


Brad Shorr, at Word Sell, Inc.

Lillie Ammann, at A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye

Raven, at Alaska Chronicle

Cindy Nichols, at Kaleidoscope

Dan (dcr), at dcrBlogs

Cheryl Wright, at Cheryl Wright Writes

Dianna G., at I Wish This Was 42

Wild Bill, at Passionate Blogger

Lindsay, at Writing for Your Wealth

Wilson Pon, at Techno Stuffs

Chris Champion, at Vyoos


And Two Honorable Mentions

I'd like to also add two of my favorite blogging buddies to this month's comment recognition list, though neither was able to comment during July, for the reasons mentioned below.

Due to technical difficulties which were entirely beyond her control, Krissy Knox has been unable to comment at Orble lately but has contacted me more than once via MyBlogLog messages:

Krissy Knox, at Sometimes I Think

While Michele Tune's life has been extremely hectic during the past month and therefore she hasn't found the time to comment, she has communicated with me via e-mail and has also given one of my posts a Stumble:

Michele Tune, at Writing the Cyber Highway


Thanks, ladies!


I Really Appreciate Your Comments!

Thanks again, everyone, for making the Writer's Notes conversation so much richer this past month by visiting and sharing your thoughts, insights, opinions, advice, and personal experiences with us! You're the best!


Many, many thanks,
Jeanne


P.S. If you've commented at Writer's Notes during July, and I've somehow managed to overlook you, please let me know. I appreciate every commenter, and I want each of you to get the recognition you deserve!



Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add...any insights to share? I'd love to hear your thoughts! After all, your comments are what these monthly recognition posts are all about!



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