Writing - Inspired to Write

Are You A Journalist or a Blogger?

March 23, 2013 By Adarsh 7 Comments

News (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For some of you, every morning after you wake up and are done with what you need to do to feel fresh, reading a newspaper is inevitable. The advent of news channels and news websites does not take away the satisfaction of reading news in print.

Some people don’t believe a piece of news (even if it runs on channels the whole day) unless they see it in print.

Blogs, though relatively new and with seemingly similar content to that of a newspaper, carry writing styles that are very different from the ones seen in newspapers.

Journalism Vs Blogging: Showdown

1: Tone

Open any newspaper. You’ll never find a report that begins the way this post does (or all posts in any blog, for that matter).

Journalists are very formal in their writing. Blogs, on the other hand, carry content written in a very conversational tone. While reading a blog, you feel as if the writer is actually sitting in front of you and talking to you.

You do understand what I am saying, don’t you?

2: Language

In a newspaper, you will not typically find a reporter using casual language. That is a strict no-no. Newspaper is serious stuff.

Well, so are blogs. However, bloggers believe that irrespective of the language they use, serious stuff will be serious. That does not mean that they’ll crack jokes or use humor while writing serious stuff. But, they will address YOU.

3: Purpose

Consider this – a well-known actress and a married director were seen coming out of a hotel in a disheveled state.

This is news that gives rise to the purest form of gossip – one that gossipers don’t ask to be kept secret!

A newspaper will just report the story, with all the facts – the name of the hotel, the name of the manager of the hotel, the personal history of the actress, the state of the director’s marriage, the number of the room they stayed in, the name of the bus-boy who served them – everything.

But you can trust a blogger to turn this into a piece that will have you all guffawing upon reading. A blog’s purpose is to entertain while informing. A newspaper’s is to inform – and only inform.

4: Length (or breadth)

Ever seen a newspaper article that runs for more than 500 words? You might have, but they are rare. This is how it works – if it is not a special story (they are the ones that carry the reporter’s name and are always the brainchild of that reporter), then it is an assigned story. Assigned stories are events that are covered by every newspaper, thereby making it non-exclusive. In most cases, newspapers are told of events a few days prior. The bureau chief, or the assistant news editor, or the beat editor assigns reporters to cover that event.

The conversation goes something like this:

Editor: Listen, there is this event tomorrow. You got to cover it.

Reporter: Ok. Dated or not?

Editor: Dated

Reporter: OK

Editor: I want a 300 word report on it. Not a word more.

Reporter: OK

The reporter goes, covers, and files a 300-word story that gets edited (at least thrice) and comes as a 200-odd worded piece.

A blogger, on the other hand, can write a 4,583-word blog post and no one will say a word (pun intended).

5: Topic

A blogger can write about anything that suits his fancy. His next-door neighbor’s new dog, his wife’s/girlfriend’s new hairdo, the Greek economy, the strength of the US dollar – just about anything.

When a reporter wants to do a special story for a newspaper, he has to ensure that it has some news peg.

For example, if he wants to do an in-depth story about the increase in wife-swapping cases and how it is affecting the society, he can do it if some such instance comes into light. One reporter did such a story way back in 2010 when a new show about swapping mothers was to be televised.

6: Source

Ever seen some information in a newspaper that does not say where the information was received from?

Reporters, while stating facts and information, HAVE to credit the source. Like, police inspector so-and-so, with the so-and-so police station, said so-and-so. If they have gotten information from some report, they need to name the report.

Blog writing, on the other hand, does not require any such source. Most bloggers tend to link to the source while some don’t reveal where they got the information from. Either way, blog writing does not require presenting the source (citing source increases credibility of the post though).

Over to You:

Are there any more differences you can think of? What style of writing do you prefer? Let me know via comments.

On the journalists vs. bloggers debate

5 Ways to Self-Edit Your Writing

March 15, 2013 By Julie McElroy 7 Comments

Edit Ruthlessly (Photo credit: Dan Patterson)

Editing is such an important part of writing and one that we often skip. I know I have skipped this at times. For blog posts or smaller projects, it is not feasible to hire an editor unless you are making enough money to support that luxury. Most bloggers are a business of one and self-edit their posts and article writing.

There are a few self-editing steps you can do as the first line of defense that will not cost you anything.

1. Read Writing Aloud

This is something I do often, especially with my paid writing projects. Actually, with my freelance writing projects, I use several of these steps. The last thing you want to do is send a client a writing piece filled with spelling and grammar errors. This may feel funny, but your brain can catch things when reading aloud that it overlooks when reading silently in your head.

2. Use Dragon Naturally Speaking or Speech Software

While the software does have editing features, Dragon Naturally Speaking is more of a dictation tool, but it can be helpful if you get tired of typing. The software will set you back about $50.00 on Amazon.

However, if you are a Mac user, Mac OS 10.8X, or Mountain Lion, offers a read aloud tool that will read any text on the screen when you assign a certain key combination. I LOVE this feature.

–Go to: Applications-> System Preferences-> Speech-> Spoken User Interface

–Under “other spoken items,” check “selected text when the key is pressed” and then select a key combination (I use Option+S).

3. Use ProWriting Aid

I use Pro Writing Aid occasionally for longer pieces or articles. It does more than just spell check and basic grammar mistakes. Here are a few additional writing checks the free software will look for:

Overused words;
Dull paragraph structure;
Repeated words and phrases;
Consistency of spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization;
Clichés and redundancies;
Vague, abstract, and complex words from your writing;
Sentiment, alliteration, and writing time-line.

4. Read Writing Backwards

I have not really used this method, but other writings add it to the self-editing process. Just like reading aloud, the brain will catch writing errors when read in different way. I would love to hear feedback on this method!

5. Have Friend or Family Member Read Your Writing

Sometimes, it is difficult to let someone else critique our writing. For longer or critical pieces of writing, I would recommend this. Find someone who is helpful and offer honest, useful advice. Constructive criticism. This person does not have to be a writer, but should have a firm grasp on spelling and grammar along with a fluency in the native text.

Editing should not be something that you overlook in any piece of writing. For long projects, like books, hire a professional. However, for blog posts and articles, you can apply these self-editing tips. Make it a habit.

Filed Under: Blogging, Writing, Writing Process Tagged With: edit, sefl-edit, writing, Writing and Editing

Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs (Infographic)

February 13, 2013 By Julie McElroy 5 Comments

Many people ask me where I find writing jobs. All over the place. Some resources are better than others, and once I find a few good clients, I do not look as often. But I have dry spells and clients come and go. So I have to hit the Internet again looking for new work.

I found this infographic from FreelanceWriting.com and thought I would share it with my readers. Personally, I do not use all of these websites. For instance, I rarely use the bidding sites since I believe most of the jobs are not worth my time and pay very little. However, I know some writers have had good luck with the bidding sites with a lot of persistence and time.

I hope you find this useful and discover new resources for freelance writing jobs!

Freelance Writing Jobs

Filed Under: Freelance, Making Money, Writing Tagged With: Freelance Writing Jobs, writing jobs

Need Innovative Topic Ideas? Just Ask!

February 11, 2013 By webbizideas 4 Comments

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jeff Foster. Please read more about Jeff and WebBizIdeas in the bio footer.

LinkedinAnswers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Developing good content ideas can be difficult, especially if you’re writing on a regular basis or for a consistent deadline. Whether you’re writing for your business or your own personal enjoyment, it’s important to know where to look for interesting, relevant and timely topics.

The many question-and-answer sites now available online are great resources for both current and future content ideas. If you know what information people are asking for, your blog or publication can become a go-to source for the answers.

Four Great Sites

Among the best of these sites are Yahoo Answers, Answers.com, LinkedIn Answers, and Quora.

Yahoo Answers

To create compelling content on current information, Yahoo Answers is a fantastic resource that’s very easy to use. Start by typing in a keyword or topic in the “Browse Categories” tab to see the questions folks are asking about this subject.

You can check general answers but can also click on the “Most Answers” tab to narrow down the results and organize them by popularity or by specific answers. It’s helpful to create a spreadsheet where you can copy and paste questions that you want to answer so you can organize your content ideas.

Answers.com

This particular site categorizes answers by popularity. Type in a keyword, or go to the bottom of the site to browse through the questions and answers related to that topic.

You’ll also find questions and answers grouped by specific categories, so you don’t have to comb through lots information that’s not related to your topic of interest.

LinkedIn Answers

If you’re writing blogs or articles to promote your business brand, LinkedIn Answers is a particularly good resource because it’s where businesses go to answer specific questions from their current and potential customers.

The information you find here can help you broaden your content ideas. Other industries or even similar businesses in your industry may approach topics in ways that will also work to expand your company’s exposure–if you’re willing to try them. Even unrelated content can help get your own thought processes flowing.

For example, a massage therapist might use the information she finds to develop a health survey for chiropractors or other holistic practitioners. This could get her exposure on other websites and potentially draw in new customers.

Quora

Much like Yahoo Answers, Quora’s information is very organized and informative. The beauty of this site is that it generally focuses on providing the one best answer to each question, so the answers here can be better than those provided by the other sites.

After you type in a question, category or keyword and run your search, you can find more detailed information by clicking on any of the answers that are provided. Or you can attack it the opposite way by selecting a category and drilling down to find specific questions and answers related to your topic.

Using What You Find

Now that you have all these content ideas, it’s time to create! While you can’t plagiarize, you can re-purpose the content and publish it in different ways and make it even better than the original.

Perhaps there could be more details or examples in your content. Maybe you’d draw more attention by using a different format.

For example, if you find great written content, you can turn that into an infographic, a poll, or a survey. Why not contact someone and re-create the information as an interview? Perhaps a case study or an e-book would be the best way to present a particular topic.

The point here is that content doesn’t just have to be a blog or an article. Expand your writing into other formats that will get your readers’ attention and make them want to follow you, comment on you, and recommend you to others.

Once you know how to find solid, on-going topic ideas, you’ll always be able to produce great content that puts you or your business above all the rest.

Filed Under: Blog Writing, Blogging, Guest Posts, Writing Inspiration, writing prompts, Writing Resources Tagged With: content ideas, find topic ideas, finding inspiration, writing inspiration, writing tips

The “Pay” Changes for Writers on Suite 101

January 11, 2013 By Julie McElroy 14 Comments

Okay, here’s a well-known secret. I started my online writing career on a content farm. Yes, I did. Suite 101. Of course, back then I was not aware of the term, “content farm.” I just thought it was exciting that I would have the opportunity to publish my work for a little bit of money. And it was a little bit. However since I began writing for them, many things have changed and the revenue has gotten progressively worse.

When I began this budding online writing career, I decided to focus all my writing on Suite 101 on travel articles. This is where my passion was and still is. The format was revenue share and each month, I would make a few dollars. It was passive income and even with only 30 articles at the time, I made about $15 a month. Not much, I know. But I enjoyed it and the articles did not take me very long.

I built up my articles and started making a little more. Then, things changed for the worse.

Google Changes the Playing Field

Bye-Bye Money (Credit: Images_of_Money)

Back in early 2011, the dreaded Google Panda update changed the online content scene with the swipe of its paw. Google insisted that Suite 101 and many other websites were just gathering poorly written content to impress the mega search engine. Google was not impressed.

Soon the term “content farm” was known across the land. And Suite 101 was a victim in this massacre. And they suffered, which means the revenue suffered, and writers were pissed.

My earnings significantly dropped to the point it seemed futile to even write for them anymore. In addition, by 2011 I already started my freelance career and was making far more money writing articles for other clients – non-content farm type web owners.

Until I started by own travel blog, I would still feel the urge to publish travel articles on Suite. I recently revisited this site to see if there was any great new advancements in pay. Not so much.

The Current Suite 101 Pay Model

Since Panda and the subsequent Google shenanigans, Suite has continuously tried to impress Google with major changes on the site. Suite 101 was screaming, “We are not a content farm! Look at our quality writers!” Yet while trying to impress Google and present itself in the best light, revenue suffered for the writers. Ridiculously.

Fast forward. Currently, you get paid on a point system. Yep, points. Oh, those points translate to money, but very little. How do you get points, you ask? Reach, quality, and engagement.

What does that mean?

Essentially, the powers to be at Suite decide if your content is worthy of points based on three factors (plus a little secret magical formula mixed in).

General Reach - how many people are looking at your articles.
Engagement - do readers stay on your article awhile, bounce rate, comments, etc.
Overall Quality - you are writing for real readers, not search engines (this I agree with).

They take all of these factors and tally up a score. This number tells you how much you will in turn get paid. Never mind if you have 20 articles or 200, pay is entirely based on this score. Yep. Until you reach a score of 10 (I assume out of 100), you get paid $1 a month. That’s it folks. Then, you move up to $10 a month. Woo Hoo! And the pay goes up in increments.

I am sure you are aware, but people don’t tend to dwell on articles very long on the Internet. (Are you still here?) Very different from print. Especially, easy reading, like say,… TRAVEL. Unless you are writing complex do-it-yourself, step by step articles, people are gonna bounce. And guess what? That means you do not get a high score. And that means, no money for you. Well, besides that dollar.

It is amazing writers still think this is a good idea. To write for free for someone else. Is your time not valuable? As a writer, I would like to get paid for the work I put in. Period. Unless I am generating really crappy work, I deserve to get paid. Don’t you think? Suite 101 doesn’t seem to think so.

I realize there are occasions I may write for free – on my own website, as a blog guest post, a non-profit, etc. But I wouldn’t spend hours creating articles for another website that is supposed to be an income source. A content farm.

For now, my articles remain on Suite 101, but I imagine I will start taking them down and publishing them somewhere else. Somewhere where they will pay me for my writing.

I’d love to hear different sides of this. Please feel free to comment.

Suite 101 Relationship

Filed Under: Article Writing, Making Money, suite 101, Writing Tagged With: content farms, paid writing gigs, revenue sharing, suite 101, writing online

Developing your Content Strategy for 2013

January 10, 2013 By Celina Conner 10 Comments

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Celina Connor. Please read more about Celina in the bio footer.

While preparing for the beginning of a new year, as a digital marketer and webmaster, you should note and plan for the strategies you will make in the coming year. From presentations and articles we have reviewed, we offer you one great advice: Develop compelling content. If you are successful at this, you can never go wrong. In this article, we will tackle five tips on how to develop your key content strategy in 2013.

5 tips in Developing an Effective Content Strategy:

1. Make a mission statement.

As our business professors say, a company or business without a mission is one that will fail. Your mission speaks largely on your target. Your target will be your inspiration on how you achieve your goals. Therefore, you need to write a mission statement on what you intend to achieve and work on your content marketing activities following this mission.

Make sure to make your statement clear and unambiguous. A pretty neat example is “achieve additional 1000 followers of my blog by Q2 2013 through Facebook and Twitter posts while spending $200 for promotional ads.”

2. Write cornerstone and original pieces of information.

How do you get unique information and not only reuse or recycle what’s found on the web? Other people can always turn to other websites for the same information. So one good strategy to catch is to interview the experts and formulate your questions for them to answer.

Another is to conduct surveys of user groups and make conclusions to form a white paper or report that you can publicize. These are interesting results that people are thirsty of knowing. By providing unique information, you will be regarded as a leading provider of content for your niche.

3. Be inspired.

You have to keep being creative and innovative in making articles. To do this, you have to have an inspiration to keep you going. You can go places and jot ideas down on a notebook. Highlight the things you want to explore more and research about them. Find if they are of any value or interest with a common mass and use this advantage to target a specific market.

4. Answer your customers’ questions.

The end in your mind is always to answer all hanging questions of your customers. When they cannot have the same satisfying and delightful answers to their questions from elsewhere, they would be in the habit of going to your site to dig for that golden information. Make them feel comfortable in posting their concerns and be persistent in getting them the right explanations for each of them.

5. Find a partner.

Partnership is a key tool in increasing your readership. This is not only done by guest blogging but having one great producer of content to become a permanent non-competitive partner working for your site. You can join a group of brands with similar niches and then present great content together. Your group will be known and trusted, and you can manage to create more compelling content for the same customers.

Conclusion

Writing great content may be challenging in most times but it is a strategic that will make you successful in your campaigns for 2013. Apart from the advice listed above, if you cannot come up with a new story, you can always tell one in a different perspective to set yours apart from others in the same industry.