Tips for Being a Successful Writer

Getting paid to write has become incredibly easy for almost anyone with access to a computer and the internet to do. The popularity and ease of use of the internet as an information source has opened opportunities for formerly unknown and unpublished writers to become known and for those who need to make a little extra money. The focus here will not be on the money-making aspect of writing articles online, but on a few tips concerning being an efficient writer. By following the suggestions that will be provided novice (and some experienced) writers will be able to better achieve their goals and meet or even surpass their standards of success. Don’t worry, there is no back-breaking work involved, only a little common sense and some perseverance.

In order to get any type of business off the ground and maintain the lowest stress level possible, there has to be some type of organization. When I began writing I never kept track of my assignments. I found recording my assignments to be very useful once I got a client whom I wrote for on a regular basis and when I started taking more assignments from freelance job board. I got a regular notebook and divided it among the three clients I wrote for. Every time I received a new assignment I first recorded the assignment name, word count, pay rate and additional instructions in the appropriate section of the notebook i.e. the section of the notebook dedicated to the client who assigned me the project. The possibilities for systems of organization are endless. Find a system that works for you. Not only will you probably find it easier to complete assignments and possibly be able to complete them more quickly because you are more organized, but you also are better able to keep track of how much you earn and how much work you do, which is beneficial for tax purposes and even legal purposes in the event of a dispute between you and a client.

Communication is important in any type of relationship, whether it is personal or professional. Poor communication in professional relationships, however, can result in lost jobs, lost wages and time wasted. Clients who hire freelance writers, especially those who are online, need to feel secure in their choice of hires. Much of that security and assurance will come from open communication. What exactly does that involve? You, the writer, will need to check your email on a daily basis and at least twice a day. If there is any communication over the phone, then answer the phone when it rings. If you miss an important call from a client, then return it immediately or as soon as possible. Oftentimes, poor communication is the cause of poor relationships between the writers, a.k.a the supply, and the clients, a.k.a the demand, which results in poor quality work, poor pay rates, articles submitted after deadlines, etc.

In my experience, many clients want a certain type of article or articles about one or a few specific topics. Even if you do not have a client, but write for, or intend to write for, yourself and publish your content online, you probably have certain topics that you feel most comfortable writing about. Either way, most quality content that is not solely fiction or opinion will require some research and note-taking. Keep all of the notes you take. Either use a notebook or keep all of your loose-leaf paper in a binder. I learned a lesson the hard way when it came to keeping all of my notes. I once wrote an article about Botox and about a week or two later, I had another assignment about the same topic. While trying to clear away some of the clutter of my desk I threw away several pages of notes from completed assignments, one of those assignments being the article on Botox. Fortunately, when I had the assignment again, this time from a different client who had similar guidelines as the previous client, I had not yet taken the trash out, which, luckily for me, consisted of mainly paper, so I didn’t have to get dirty. The moral of the story: do not throw away your notes and research. Keeping them will save you time and effort in the future when you write articles about similar topics. Keeping your notes will also help you become more educated in certain subjects because in writing projects about the same or similar topics, you will review over previous notes and add to them as you do more research.

You now have all of your notes crammed into a notebook or drawer, however, when you need them again you have difficulty finding them. Once again, organization is stressed because it is extremely important in freelancing. Sort all of your notes into separate piles according to subject matter and put them in a place where they can be easily found. By having a system in which you can quickly and easily access your previous notes on relevant topics, you will be able to complete your writing assignments much more quickly and efficiently.

Dictionaries, MLA Handbooks, AP Stylebooks and thesauri are a freelance writer’s best friends. Do not solely rely on your word processor’s spell and grammar check. Know how to use commas, periods and other punctuation marks correctly. Learn about sentence fragments and comma splices. Being an expert at comma placement (I admit it confuses me at times) or grammar in general is not necessary, but it is important to know the general rules. For the things you do not know, there are a plethora of books, study guides and websites to help you learn. Grammar rules evolve just as much as people, which is why MLA Handbooks and AP Stylebooks are updated either every year or every few years. The best way not to get paid for your writing is to use poor grammar and spelling in your articles.

Most writers, especially those of us who publish our own content online or elsewhere, tend to stick to what we know when we write. In other words, we write about subjects we are already familiar with or are experts about. If you write for a client and he/she asks you to write about a subject you know nothing about, do not turn it away so quickly. That’s what search engines and libraries are for. Find out how much you can learn about it. Open yourself up to new topics and expand your expertise into new horizons. The more you know, the more you could possibly get paid for.

One of the most important and beneficial things you can do as you venture into freelance writing is to not be afraid to learn. Life is a learning experience. In order to truly be good at what you do is to do it, stick to it and take criticism. Several websites say you can get paid to write and it is true that almost anyone can join one of these websites and publish a few articles, however, the best writing tip I can provide is to be persistent and be open to whatever information is thrown your way.