Hope Writes

A Look At Writing as a Viable Home-Based Business Option

Posted by Hope

For many new stay-at-home-moms and -dads, earning a respectable income at home becomes of utmost importance. After all, just because you’re staying home with the kids, that doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of, or don’t desire to earn your own money to contribute to your family’s income. One at-home business venture many seek to capitalize upon is providing a writing service.

Here’s the big question: Is writing a feasible work-at-home business option? Let’s take a closer look at this, then you can make the decision for yourself.

Writing Is A Service-Based Business

The first thing to note about writing is that it is a service-based business for most. Every writer I know got his or her start in the writing world by offering certain writing services to other businesses.

The online world of marketing makes writing appear to be a tasty business venture for lots, especially those with natural writing talent and ability. With Internet Marketers creating a high demand for quality content, writing seems to be one of the best and most lucrative businesses for someone just starting out. But is it really?

Writing is first and foremost a service-based business. What this means is that you must constantly market yourself as someone who offers a service to another business owner.

Service by definition means work done by one person or group that benefits another. Building a writing business means you will be writing content that will benefit someone else–not you. You’ll be expected to produce content according to your clients’ specifications, receiving no fringe benefits from any profit gained through use of your written content.

Some writers don’t have any problems with this type of business model. They simply love writing and don’t mind being responsible for turning out endless content that they’ll be paid for up front.

Writing Is (Most Often) A Thankless Job

Very few writers hear a word of thanks for a job well done from their clients. Even the most loyal clients often forget to say, "Wow! You really outdid yourself on this piece!"

There are some exceptions to this rule. Jennifer Dize shares:

"I am lucky to have great clients that do thank me and appreciate my writing. There are some that don’t even let me know they’ve received it which makes me nervous (and requires more follow up), but for the most part they are courteous."

So for the most part, unless you’re one of the few lucky ones who receives frequent encouragement, you’ll be writing lots of content in return for very little interaction with your clients.

This is attractive to some writers who consider themselves introverts. Some would prefer to be left alone to simply write, without extra or unnecessary interaction. But if you’re a writer who needs to hear those encouraging comments from time to time, then you should seriously consider this before offering your services as a writer.

Another thing to keep in mind is that by offering writing services to other business owners, you are essentially ghostwriting, whether or not you word it that way on your website or in your contract. As a ghostwriter, you are the silent partner, who does all the work but gets zero credit. You should ask yourself if you are truly willing to be paid to write content that you will not get credit for.

Furthermore, the content you write can only be unique for your clients. It can’t be some rehashed or rewritten content from you or anyone else. In addition, your clients will most likely require you to sign an agreement that basically signs away all your rights. Meaning, you will never be able to use that content in any form or fashion again.

You May Not Always Be Paid What You’re Worth

This especially holds true in the beginning of your business start-up. For the first year, you’ll probably feel obligated to accept work that you loathe at rates that are well beneath what you are worth. Writers tend to do this, thinking that they must pay their dues. While in some sense this is true, it is equally untrue that you must work for nothing in order to make ends meet.

Lucinda Reynolds writes:

"If you price too low, you can get bombarded with work but you will never have any free time and you will be stressed trying to deliver all of the orders in a timely manner. But on the other end, if you price too high you will have a tough time finding the clients that are willing to pay for the service. People still have the mentality that writers are "poor" or shouldn’t be paid a reasonable sum for their work. It can be hard to find that middle ground that will make both you and the client happy."

Another big problem for freelance service writers is getting paid when the work is done. Way too many writers do work on "spec" which essentially means they’re giving their client (in most cases, a total stranger they don’t even know) a line of credit. The writer does the work, then contacts the client with an invoice. Far too often, the writer then ends up waiting for weeks, sometimes months even, to be paid.

Some freelancers today are starting to catch on though and are beginning to require at least half the total amount due up front before they begin the project. Still others, like myself, require the full amount in full before beginning the project, making very few exceptions to the rule.

When I started out, my rates were pretty low. Too low, in fact. I set rates according to the "standard" as set by other WAHM "authority" figures. Looking back now, I realize that I should have valued my worth then and simply set my rates according to my level of experience.

Since then, my rates have significantly increased. Not all at once, but over a period of a few years. I value my time and my writing much more now than I did back then. To get what you’re worth, you first have to understand and acknowledge how much your time and energy is worth to you. Then and only then will others begin to value it as well.

Writers Work Long Hours

I’ve talked to a lot of writers throughout the years. A lot of writers I know who offer their services to other business owners often reach burnout points, and quite frequently.

Such writers rarely take vacations. Their health begins to suffer because they are spending too much time in front of a computer screen. They neglect family time and don’t exercise anymore. They basically live at the computer, eating meals there, and writing at all hours of the day and night, trying to keep their heads above water.

The biggest reason why writers find themselves in this position is because their prices are too low. They end up taking on more and more work in an effort to meet their desired monthly or weekly income. And then at some point they realized they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Now they’ve got a boat-load of writing to be done and not nearly enough time to do it in. Frustration kicks in, and some writers even become depressed, seeing no end in sight.

Does this sound familiar? I’ve been through this myself and it’s not a pretty sight. You become so entangled with all the work on your desk that you feel like you can hardly breathe. It becomes unbearable and you have to keep burning the candle at both ends just to stay even.

The Bottom Line

Having read all this, you’re probably wondering why in the world I, a writer, am saying such things. I’m saying it because it’s the truth. I’m saying it because I want every person who is considering starting a writing business to go into it with eyes wide open.

Writing is a wonderful thing. But to start, run and manage a writing business, you have to have extremely thick skin, be able to put in many hours, and can market yourself more than you write. No matter how much work you manage to get, at some point it will all be finished. And unless you give marketing 65-85% of your time, you won’t keep work.

Lots of service-based writers find themselves at an impasse at some point. Burned out, frustrated, lonely, and tired they wonder if it’s even worth it anymore. Many will discover that it isn’t.

While some writers enjoy writing for others, they long to turn writing into a personal income venture, rather than a service based business. Yet they aren’t sure how to make the switch, or they can’t find the time to devote to their own personal writing projects.

Jenn Dize says:

"I enjoy it [being a service provider] for now, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found this opportunity to stay home with my son. But I’d like to get to a point where I write for myself and my personal projects. That is a leap I haven’t figured out how to make…it makes me nervous."

Lucinda Reynolds shared her aspirations with me, too, saying:

"While I do really enjoy being a service provider, I do have aspirations of creating my own information products to increase my income. I would love to eventually write mainly for myself and do two or three copywriting jobs a month.  My biggest dream has always been to write a novel."

While writing for others is one way you can definitely earn money at home, I’m not sure I can promote it as a business model that you should turn to for a long-term plan. Just take a few minutes to read through this thread on the Warrior Forum and you’ll see that writing for others as a business isn’t always fun and easy. It’s tough. It’s tiring. It’s nerve-wracking.

Do you think writing is a viable home-based business option? Why/why not?

Popularity: 48% [?]

New eBook In The Works

Posted by Hope

So I decided to put the classes here on hold for now while I work on a new eBook. Based on one of my online classes, it is tentatively titled Article Marketing For Writers.

While some writers understand the basics of article marketing and how it can be hugely beneficial to your writing career, many writers have never even heard of this concept. I decided to compile my thoughts and experience into an eBook that will (hopefully) help other writers learn more about article marketing and how to use it to build their writing career.

Be sure to subscribe to my free newsletter, as I’ll be sending updates while I work on this book.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Interview With Courtney Ramirez, Author of "The Content Chef"

Posted by Hope

When did you start writing full-time?

I started writing in November of 2005. I quit my job to be home with my daughter, who was 9 months old at the time. It was a big change of pace! I always knew I wanted to work from home and I just decided to take the plunge. I’d been writing forever, and once I realized I could do it only and get paid instantly…I was sold.

Why did you want to become a writer and work from home?

I’ve written for most of my life…even since before I could write or type (I dictated stories to my dad). Even though I tried other things and tried out other majors in college, I think I always knew I wanted to be a writer in some form. I never liked the corporate world and felt trapped in an office environment. I like to be in control of my own stuff, and I like working by myself most of the time. It didn’t seem fair to me that if I finished my work at 11 am…I had to pretend to be busy for the rest of the day. I also knew that I wanted to travel the world, and that’s just not possible with a regular job.

What prompted you to write The Content Chef?

I got a lot of questions from new work at home moms, and also some people on the Internet marketing forums that I frequented, about writing for pay. I learned a lot in the past two years and I hoped that I could help some new writers get the kind of “leg up” advance that I wish I’d had when I first started the process. There are a lot of dead ends out there when it comes to writing online, and I knew some tips and tricks that could help newcomers.

What are some tips you could give other work-at-homers…

=> to be more productive?

Having a schedule is of the utmost importance. It can’t be rigid, especially when you have children, but if you have a range of time where you have to work it’s so much easier than just trying to fit it in wherever you can. Many people make the mistake of thinking that a flexible schedule is a good idea. I did too. When my husband came home to work, there was a transition period where I had to “school” him on getting into a schedule. To a lot of people, working at home means freedom…and it does, to a certain extent. Instead of being chained to the desk for 8 hours and pretending to work for five of those (like I used to), I can focus for three and be done for the day. But I still have to work. 

 => to market themselves more?

Market your name as much as possible. Make sure that your website or your profile or your Squidoo page is the first thing that people find when they look up your name. That way when people research you, they can find information about your writing services.

Also, networking in “customer” forums is a good place to start. Spending all of your time where writers hang out doesn’t get you new jobs.

=> to become more confident in themselves?

The best piece of advice I’ve gotten is to fire, then aim. Just get your profile page up there, send some samples out, apply for some jobs, set up your own websites, etc. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. The marketplace is very forgiving. If your samples aren’t up to par, you can always perfect them later. There will be fresh new clients out there who will hire you. Don’t worry about making it perfect…just do it and then perfect as you go.

Are you willing to reveal a figure of how much you made from writing in 2007?

I started out the year making about $300 per week, and at the close of the year I was up to an average of $1000 (most of that was in the last several months).

Any other thoughts or words of wisdom for new writers who want to earn a full-time income from writing at home?

If you’re going to be a web writer, take time to learn about the Internet, SEO and marketing online. Web writing is a different sphere with different rules and different rates. Some people take a look at the rates and don’t see the other benefits of writing on the web. You have a constant flow of work, you can build your own websites and develop your own income streams, you don’t have to spend months researching one topic, etc. I’m just as passionate about web writing as other people are about doing their first novel or writing for a magazine. If you aren’t interested in learning about how content is used online, or how to write for both search engines and people, then you are going to be very dissatisfied. This doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue other kinds of writing, but I think a lot of people get involved with writing for the web without really learning how it works and then end up throwing in the towel.

Thanks Courtney!

I give The Content Chef 4/4 Stars!

Click here to view more details about The Content Chef 

Popularity: 38% [?]

Can You Really Make Money Blogging?

Posted by Hope

I read a lot of blogs in a week’s time. Lately I’ve noticed more talk about blogging to make money. More specifically, there’s an interesting up-and-down trend of “yes, you can” and “no, you can’t.”

The “yes, you can” bloggers say that it is possible to make money blogging. But then there is a wide varying of opinion as to how to make money blogging. Some say Adsense is the way to go. But even more bloggers are saying to stay away from Adsense and try other things, like Widget Bucks, Kontera and Amazon context.

The “no, you can’t” bloggers say that it’s impossible to expect to earn a decent income solely from a blog. They suggest rather, to hire yourself out as a freelancer, or do something else to earn a living while you blog for a hobby.

And then there are the bloggers who say that it is possible to make money with a blog, but you have to be willing to put in lots of hard work and you can’t expect it to happen overnight.

I have found that the bloggers who say it is possible are most often those who began blogging solely as a hobby. They birthed an audience, who grew with them over an extended period of time (in most cases, years). They didn’t start out with hopes of making money, but just did it for fun. Because they carved out a name for themselves in a community of people who were also interested in the same things, they became popular and widely known across the Net. Slowly, they began to test and try new things–just to make a few bucks to pay for the regular upkeep of the blog–and discovered that they could monetize their passion after all.

Lessons we can learn from this…

Are You Passionate About The Topic?

If you’re thinking about blogging just to make money, forget about it. It’s definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme. If you aren’t passionate about the topic, you’ll run out of things to say–and fast!

If you’re going to start a blog, be confident that you can talk about the topic extensively and often. Most blogs update daily; three times per week minimum. To build a readership, you have to be able to post content regularly, or else nobody will want to come back. If you aren’t very interested in the topic, it’s going to be difficult to keep producing content as often as you need to.

Can You Devote Time To It?

Blogging requires more time and effort than you think. Professional bloggers don’t just whip out articles and post them on a whim, then leave until it’s time to blog again.

Blogging requires things like research, networking, and traffic building. Not only are you the author, but you have to manage comments, respond to your readers, and generate an overall interest in your blog. If you can’t devote the time required to build an audience, it’s pointless to blog (unless you just enjoy reading your own thoughts ).

Are You Willing To Test And Tweak To Discover What Works Best?

When your blog grows to the point that you are ready to monetize it, how will you go about doing this? You can’t just slap a few blocks of Adsense on your blog and walk away. You have to ask yourself questions like:

• What are my readers interested in?
• What products can I recommend to my readers that will provide them with quality, helpful information they need?
• Is paid advertising more conducive than placing Adsense on my website?
• Do I want my readers to stay on my website, or is it okay for them to click away (Adsense)?

Those are just a few things you have to consider.

Can You Build A “Sticky” Blog?

Believe it or not, blogging requires more thought than just throwing together a few paragraphs and posting it for people to read. You have to consider your audience, and what they want or expect to read when they return.

A sticky blog is one that keeps the reader there for a long period of time. How do you know if your blog is sticky? Take a look at your site stats. If it shows that the majority of your readers click away after being on your blog for less than a minute or two, it’s pretty safe to say your blog isn’t sticky.

A few examples of my favorite sticky blogs are:

• ProBlogger.net
• LifeHack.org
• SelfMadeChick.com
• Copy Blogger
• DoshDosh
• StevePavlina’s Blog

Go check them out and see if you can figure out the “stickiness” of each blog.

Can you make money blogging?

Some say you can; some say you can’t. I say…it’s all up to YOU. Can you make money blogging? You tell me….can you?

I Recommend:

Popularity: 100% [?]

Article Aces Is Open And Ready For Your Articles!

Posted by Hope

EXTRA! EXTRA!

I’m proud to announce the launch of my new article directory, Article Aces. We’re open and ready to accept new authors and articles. Come on over and sign up for your free account and start submitting.

Don’t forget to blog about it!

Technorati Tags: article directory, free article directory, article aces, writers, writing, articles, article marketing, writing articles

Popularity: 44% [?]

ASK HOPE: Blogging For Cash

Posted by Hope

Earlier this month, I blogged about how extreme advertising on a blog can erode and detract from you actual blog content.

Pattie posted in response and asked the question as quoted above. I thought her question brought about a valid point, so I wanted to clarify my earlier position, just in case you misunderstood what I meant.

In this earlier post, I was not bashing anyone who blogs for an income. Far from it. The main point I was trying to make was that there’s a difference between blogging for money and blogging for fun, then suddenly splashing advertising all over the place.

For example, let’s say I have three blogs bookmarked, all related to puppy training issues (I don’t even have a dog, this is just an example). The first blog (Blog A) is a personal blog of someone who got a new puppy for her family and loves animals so much that she decided to start a blog to write about her experience as she trains her puppy. Blog A contains no advertising, mostly likely because the owner hasn’t discovered Google Adsense, or the like. The second blog (Blog B) is also a personal blog that is very much like Blog A, except that it contains minimal advertising, and the blogger posts more in-depth information as well as product reviews. The third blog (Blog C) is what could be referred to as a “professional” blogger. He also writes terrific posts about training puppies, product reviews, and is a puppy training expert (has some type of formal training, maybe is a Veterinarian).

I visit all three blogs for very different reasons. Blog A gives me a personal, been-there-done-that viewpoint of the topic I’m interested in: puppy training. Blog B also gives me this same type of personal experience, but takes it a step further by giving me even more researched information about puppy training. Blog C provides educated, scholarly information about puppy training–all the “why” and “what” info I need–from an “expert” viewpoint.

If I’ve visited all three blogs for several months, I automatically expect that I’ll never see advertising on Blog A; see some ads on Blog B; and expect ads on Blog C. One day I visit Blog A and find that not only does she have some Adsense in the sidebar, but she has three or four huge block ads stacked one on top of the other at the top of every post in her blog. Can you see how this is an automatic turn-off?

Like I said, I have absolutely nothing against monetizing your blog. (Look around here…! ) It’s just a shocking thing when you’ve visited a blog for a long time and enjoyed it, then suddenly there’s more ads than there is content. And that was the point I was trying to make earlier.

It’s not about having or not having advertising on your blog. It’s about working it into the big picture and figuring out how to make it fit in so that it’s not so obtrusive that you start losing your visitors.

Take PPP, for example. While this is another way to make money blogging, I’ve seen bloggers use it in a way that is so tactful I would have never known the blog entry was for PPP, if I hadn’t seen the disclaimer. Now that’s a way of making your advertising fit into your blog!

If you are a blogger, and are earning an income from your blogging, what do you think? Do you try to make everything fit? Or do you blog and not worry so much about how the advertising is seen and accepted (or not) by your visitors? I’m interested in hearing more perspectives on this topic.

Technorati Tags: blogging, blogging for cash, blogging for money, make money blogging, PPP, make money with your blog, professional blog

Popularity: 36% [?]

Why You Should Hire A Ghostwriter To Write Your Book

Posted by Hope

Have you been thinking about writing a book? Have you been able to commit the time and energy required to making that dream a reality? If not, you should seriously consider hiring a ghostwriter to write your book for you. Here are a few reasons why:

• A ghostwriter write your book for you in a reasonable amount of time. How long have you been procrastinating your book idea? Weeks? Months? Years? When you find and hire a competent ghostwriter, you can make your book a reality. No more waiting and hoping that one day you’ll have free time to write it on your own.
• A ghostwriter can take your thoughts, ideas, notes, and research and turn it into a saleable book for you. Maybe you’ve already started the writing process by gathering copious notes and ideas on paper, but you haven’t had time to get beyond the research point of the process. A ghostwriter can turn your hours of research into a real book.
• A ghostwriter gets paid once. You earn all additional profits and royalties. Generally speaking, ghostwriters get paid up front for writing the book. Once the book is written, all rights are reverted to you. You, in turn, collect all earnings, royalties, etc. from the book.
• A ghostwriter helps you see your name on the cover of a book a lot quicker. There’s nothing worse than having a great book idea but not being able to write it yourself. Hiring a ghostwriter means your book gets written within a specific time frame. You take the book into the publishing phase and VOILA! Your name is on the cover of your book in no time at all.

Technorati Tags: hire a ghostwriter, why you should hire a ghostwriter, ghostwriter, ghostwrite a book

Popularity: 16% [?]

Finding Work

Posted by Hope

One thing that has always irritated me is reading or hearing other accomplished writers refer fledgling newbies to these freelance writing job sites. It really bugs me.

I am sure there are plenty of writers out there who cut their teeth on sites like Guru.com and elance.com. While these sites were powerful in their day, times have rapidly changed. Such websites are stomping grounds for unscrupulous marketers to take full advantage of unsuspecting, unknowledgable writers who are looking for real writing jobs to earn an income from. Thus, these sites are quickly becoming places where such marketers are demanding “slave labor” in exchange for tiddly-winks. I think that stinks!

At the suggestion of a colleague a while back, I bit the bullet and gave Guru.com my hard-earned money for a subscription. Many months and bids later, I’ve yet to land a job there. I personally spoke with a few writers who said that was where they got their start at making money online. Obviously I’m not doing something right, or I would have landed at least one project there.

I was even awarded 100 more bids because I have been there for so long and placed bids and haven’t landed a job yet. It’s embarrassing, really, but at the same time, I know that my lack of employment from that website doesn’t have a single thing to do with my skills or experience. Rather, I believe it has everything to do with me not being willing to accept anything less than what I’m worth.

Every bid I’ve placed was a reasonable one. However, I refuse to place a low bid, just to get a job and have feedback posted (which is what more than one person told me I should do).

Like I said, I’m sure these types of freelance websites probably do work for some writers. I suppose you need to ask yourself if you are willing to take on a job for low payment, just so you can get your foot in the door. In my opinion, my time and writing is worth way too much to give it away.

If you are a writer wanting to start earning an income solely from writing, I want to tell you that it is possible. But please don’t waste your time or money on job sites that expect you to give it away for pennies on the dollar. Here are some tips to help you get started:

First, and most importantly, ask yourself how much you’re worth. If you are a new writer and you know you need lots more practice and learning, then you can’t charge the same as a seasoned writer and expect people to pay that. Take on a couple of pro-bono jobs in exchange for testimonials. This will help you cut your teeth and net you some great feedback, too.

If you have more experience, then set your rates accordingly and don’t be shy to ask for what you’re worth. You can always go down, but you can rarely go up.

Second, make a list of business owners you know. There are very few of us that don’t know someone who owns a business. Make a quick list of those you know, then contact them and offer them your services. Businesses who run newspaper ads often let the newspaper people write the ads, which doesn’t usually gain them many new prospects. Offer to write their next ad campaign for them and they can pay you after they see the results from the ad. You can also offer to write their brochures, fliers, sales papers, company newsletters, etc.

Third, start networking online. The Internet is hugely profitable, but you have to be willing to step out and start networking. Google ‘writing forums’ and see what you come up with. Better still, run a search for forums within your niche. If you are a technical writer, search for forums where people are talking about those things. More often than not, you’ll start making some great contact points and will often find business this way as well.

Fourth, look for unusual, out of the box ways to make money from writing. I know lots of writers who make money from writing articles and submitting them to article directories. This involves everything from selling their own short reports or ebooks, to promoting affiliate programs.

Fifth, sell your own writing online. There are tons of writers out there right now who are making a very nice living just by writing and selling their own ebooks. If you can write articles, then writing an ebook is as simple as expanding on an idea. With lengths varying from 15 to as much as 75 or 100 pages, ebooks are a popular way to get information out there to hungry people and make a hefty income in the meantime. (Check out The eBook $uccess Blueprint if you need a step-by-step guide on how to do this: http://ebooksuccess.hopewrites.com/.)

Finally, there are websites out there that will pay you for articles that you write and submit to them, too. One such website that I’ve submitted to before and some of my other colleagues like, is Associated Content. Granted, you won’t get rich doing this, but you’ll be able to pull in some extra cash every month from your articles.

Making money with your writing isn’t a hard thing to do. It does require patience and perseverance. If you want to write magazine articles for pay, go for it. This isn’t an area where you’ll receive payment as quickly as you might in other areas, but it’s still writing for money nonetheless.

My point is, don’t jump on a bandwagon just because somebody else says it worked for them. Find your own way and follow through with it.

I hope something I’ve given you here will help you out if you are wanting to make money from your writing!

Technorati Tags: writing, make money writing, how to write and make money, business of writing, writing business

Popularity: 24% [?]

Do You Use Article Marketing To Promote Your Business?

Posted by Hope

If you are a writer, I have a quick question for you today: Do you use articles to promote yourself/your business? If not, then why?

Did you know that article marketing is one of the easiest ways to get your name out there? It’s true! Article marketing is free advertisement. You already write on a daily basis, so why not use free articles to advertise.

With article marketing, you…

• Create a buzz
• Become an expert in your area of knowledge
• Share your experience with others

…and so much more.

The reality of it is that just about everybody you know that is doing business online, is probably using articles to promote themselves (and if they’re not, they’re losing out, too!).

Tomorrow…How to get started with article marketing

Technorati Tags: article marketing, articles, writing articles, writers, write

Popularity: 26% [?]