Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Giggle of the Day: The People's Cube punted

Love the way Matt Cutts punted a site with delusions of importance. Great bite-me post:

Frankly, I could care less if your site is about neo-anti-Marxist disestablishmentarianism. I don’t care if your site is for cat people or dog people, or if you favor big-endian bytes or little-endian bytes. I don’t care whether your site is conservative, liberal, or Pastafarian.

Then Cutts goes on to reveal the silly search engine tricks on the site, performed by cuties thinking that Google wouldn't notice their search-spam.

Technorati Tags: search engines

Make money writing: write content, collect dollars from Google

Want to make money writing -- even as a beginner? You can. Just create a content site, and put Google AdSense ads on it, and collect the cash. (Web terminology: "content" = "information".)

Content sites are big with Google because they bring in revenue to the company and the Web publishers, as this NYT's article about Google's "Shadow Payroll" points out.

Many writers are hesitant to start writing for the Web because they're traditionalists at heart, and because technology makes them anxious. It's hard enough to get the words right without worrying about getting them online. :-) If this is you, my writing manual Writing For Online Cash can help.

Technorati Tags: Google, Web writing

Enjoy The New Boom In Writing for the Web

(Here's another article from my archives. If you're VERY interested in Web writing, my ebook Writing For Online Cash is a great investment in your career.)

If you're a selling writer, you're well aware of the new boom in writing for the Web. This boom won't end anytime soon. Competent writers have all the work that they can handle.

If you're looking for writing work, start now to pursue more Web copywriting work.

As a copywriter, what can you write for the Web? Anything and everything. Main pages to Web sites, sales pages, product descriptions, blogs (yes, companies do pay writers to write blogs, which are Web logs or journals, if you're not au courant), newsletters, ezines --- the list goes on and on.

If I were a new copywriter starting out today, I'd focus strictly on the Web. You get to work with companies worldwide, you work at your own pace, and you can see the results of your efforts almost instantly. What chiefly appeals to me is the wide variety of the work, and the terrific relationships you can make.

How much money can you make? If you're a complete beginner, you can estimate that you'll make $50,000 for the first year. If you're more experienced, you can easily double that amount.

How to get started as an online copywriter

How do you get started copywriting in the online world?

It's not a requirement to have your own Web site, but it helps. With your own site, you can point prospective clients to work samples, and can show them that you know how the Web operates. They can also get an idea of your writing style. The biggest benefit of a Web site is that it's painless marketing. After the site has been up for a year or so, clients will come to you, you don’t have to hunt for work.

You can find Web writing work in many ways. The best way is to approach companies directly, with a proposal.

You can also respond to online job ads. However, please be careful when responding to such ads. I've received several anguished yelps from writers who've been conned by rip-off artists. These characters get writers to write (and write and write), and when the writer sends an invoice, there's no payment.

If you have doubts about someone after Googling them (entering their company name into Google.com). You can also check out the Whispers and Warnings discussion.

Please get a retainer up-front

A further warning--- if you don't know the client, and haven't worked for the company before, get some money BEFORE you start working on a project. Copywriting is not speculative work. Please make sure that you get your writing services agreement signed, and that you get a retainer up front. You might not require a retainer for small projects if you know the client, but you should definitely get a retainer for any job over $200, and for all new clients. The retainer can be as low as ten per cent for a large project, with regular payments to be made at intervals, or half the total fee.

If you don’t have a writing services agreement, please create one. It's a simple form explaining the scope of the project, its deadline, the number of revisions, the payment, and how and when that payment is due.

If you enjoy writing, enjoy the Web writing boom. It's a chance for you to get started with a writing career if you're a beginning writer. If you're a pro, it's a great chance to increase your income.

Technorati Tags: copywriting, get started copywriting, Web writing

Get your instant free content now (and make money with it)

Words are worth money online -- they're called "content", and there are many ways to monetize content online. If you like writing, think "content" when you think "writing" and you could be on your way to making your Internet fortune.

In addition to monetizing your own content, you can also monetize the content of others. For example, a new site, InfoGoRound, gives you a slew of content that you can monetize.

Subscribe to my new (free) ezine Write for Cash if you're interested in monetizing your content.

Technorati Tags: Internet marketing