• Learn to Write

    Not an award-winning writer? That's okay! As long as you can string words together in a fairly cohesive manner, you can find work as a web content writer. I'll show you how to improve your writing technique in the "Writing 101" section. Learn more

  • Grow Your Business

    Working as a web writer means more than slapping words on a page. You've got to prospect for new clients, get your applications approved and protect your legal and financial interests. Discover how in the "Grow Your Business" section. Learn more

  • Make More Money

    There's a big difference between earning a few pennies a word and finding work as a top-tier web content writer. In the "Make Money" section of this site, I'll show you the strategies I've used to make more money than ever before! Learn more

How the Cloud Puts the “Free” in “Freelance”

I have a confession to make: I’m a bit of a cheapskate.

It’s a leftover habit from college, where I squeaked by every day with just enough cash in my wallet for the bus home and a cheap meal. In fact, the first day they raised the bus fare, I had to bum change from one of my fellow passengers!

I’ve improved much since then, but old habits die hard. And it’s a good thing, because this habit was excellent preparation for the feast-or-famine life of a freelancer.

As a freelancer, you have to run a tight ship and be ruthless when handling expenses. Writers tend to have fewer than most, but that’s still not the same as none at all. Fortunately, there are loads of cloud services out there that let you run your freelance business without spending a cent on software. But these services are “free” in other ways, too!

When Plans Change

“The world my never notice if a snowdrop doesn’t bloom
Or even stop to wonder if the petals fall too soon
But every life that ever forms or ever comes to be
Touches the world in some small way for all eternity
The little one we longed for was swiftly here then gone
But the love that was then planted is a light that still shines on
For though our arms are empty, our hearts know what to do
Every beating of our hearts says that we love you”

Don’t Wait for the Job You Want – Create It!

As freelance writers, we have a special gift: we listen to our clients and transform their needs into engaging copy to enchant a wider audience and profit all of us. Hunting down these jobs takes time and attention to detail. Pinar Tarhan has a great post up on finding legit, paying web markets on this very blog, titled, “9 Simple Ways Writers Can Find Paying Web Markets.”

But there’s an alternative to hunting down vacancies posted by someone else.

Create your own job.

The 3-Step DIY Business Plan for Freelance Writers

I’m going to be honest with all of you – I suck at writing business plans.

In fact, despite operating four separate companies over the past seven years, I’ve only ever written a true, formal business plan as part of a Home Ec project in high school.

It’s not that I don’t think writers need to have business plans. Quite the contrary! Although it’s unlikely that most freelance writers will ever need to seek out bank loans or other types of financing (typically the impetus behind crafting traditional business plans), we do still need the structure of a plan to ensure that we’re meeting goals and growing our businesses in a sustainable, financially-savvy way.

So that said, here’s my “short cut,” DIY method for coming up with a viable business plan that doesn’t waste time on cheesy mission statements or unnecessary financial projections: