Creating the Perfect Blog Post
There has been many articles written about how to write articles in terms of features. You probably have encountered advice on using pictures, bullet points and controversy to make your blog more readable and interesting.
Though there is validity in this approach, many fail to take into account the important person in the equation: The reader.
At all times and no matter what kind of writing you are doing, you should always keep the reader in mind. Blog tips such as pictures and bullet points, are just minor aspects in creating quality blog posts. Ultimately, your blog will be judged on its content and your writing style.
Before you start to write an article, think about the following :
Who your article is aimed at?
Through identifying and discovering who your readers are, you will discover the correct tone of voice for your blog, and in turn your style as a writer will develop and you will create better and more relevant writing.
Would a reader find the article you are planning to write interesting?
If not, there is no value to writing the article.
Identify what your readers want. The show business adage of giving the people what they want is true in the world of web writing. If they want more articles on one aspect of your blog but less on others, I would advise you succumb to their wishes. As writers, we feel we have a good idea of what people would like to read from our blogs. If you have been employed to write copy for someone else, then you will know that this is untrue. Take a look at what you are writing, put yourself in your readers shoes and see if the two match. If you have not done this before, I'll be surprised if they do. Write what readers want to read.
Would you like to read what you have just written?
If the answer is no, then alter it until you do. Try to get out of the habit of publishing something just because you have written it. It can harm your reputation as a writer if you publish poor quality work.
Don't be afraid.
If you are writing a potentially explosive piece do not be afraid to follow it through. This is what writing is all about and has been challenging views and perceptions since before Shakespeare. Be bold, be comprehensive, and explain your views well. There is a risk you could be wrong, but it is better to state how you feel rather then not to publish. You may well be right, and not publishing through fear just to learn you were right in the first place is worse than vise versa.
I will add this to post as and when the need takes me. For the time being, always think about the reader, and you will find everything else will fall into place.
Best of luck!
Freelance writing and the importance of doing something
Though planning, marketing, and long term goals are important and have their place. There can be no denying they pale into insignificance compared to the power of just getting on with the job.
At some point the work, the real work has to be carried out: This pays the bills, and puts beer or wine in the glass.
I have found that simply by typing the first twenty words of an article puts me into the right frame of mind to complete the work. This helps establish a good mindset, which is the all important factor for successful freelance writing.
If you find yourself struggling to find this mindset, then just write and the chances are it will happen naturally.
How do you find your writing gear?
Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Freelance Writing Scams
There seems to be a rise in scams aimed at freelance writers. I have been had twice, and the total cost to me stands at around £800. (This figure has been worked out through a combination of factors which include loss of promised money, loss of money that could have been spent working on legitimate projects, ant time spent tracking down scam artists). The last scam was a very professional operation. The perpetrator, Ralph Basinger, claimed to work for Mindsprout marketing, and furnished a contract to that effect which was written on Mindsprout Marketing headed paper.
Somewhat ironically, I did a search for his name on Google which showed nothing unusual. If I had searched a few days later, a search engine page full of results would have appeared warning me off the guy, and showing he was a fraud.
It is difficult to see what someone could hope to earn from the frauds, as material posted on a site could be easily tracked, and material sold to others would be peanuts in the grand scale of things. For this to be a truly profitable venture, new scams would have to be created, which ups the ante in terms of risk as writers like me become wise to the acts. Nonetheless, the scams do persist.
All I can add to what I have already been written before is to keep vigilant, check search engines regularly to see if there is any unpalitable news posted, and be sure to spread the word about the scam.
If you do get scammed, report it to this website, and keep your eyes peeled. Many scam artists have more than one going at a time, and have a tell tale style.
For info about Ralph Basinger visit http://mindsproutmarketing.com/blog/2010/04/alert-not-associated-with-ralph-basinger/.
The WC3 page for reporting scams visit https://complaint.ic3.gov
photo credit: aprillynn77
Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
