Hope Writes

Direction For Your Freelance Writing Career

If you are thinking about starting a freelance writing career, or if you are already a freelancer but need some serious motivation or encouragement, I’ve got a terrific resource for you.

ChrisBlogging.com is filled with endless advice for freelance writers. In his blog, Chris shares monthly income stats, goal setting tips for writers, and sage advice.

I highly suggest starting from the very beginning and working your way forward. It will take you some time to read through every post on this blog, but it’s well worth the time and effort.

Popularity: 56% [?]

Tags: blog, freelance, freelance writer, freelance writing career, write, Writing, writing career

New eBook In The Works

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: 23% [?]

ASK HOPE: Do You Do What You Love?

I’ve heard quite a few marketers say that in order to make money online you can’t do what you love, but rather what brings in the money. So today I’m wondering what your thoughts are on that. (Thanks to Becka for the great question!) Let me just give you my thoughts on the subject…

Doing What You Love
Perhaps the biggest argument for doing what you love is that you are happy with what you do. Does doing what you love mean that you won’t make as much money? Maybe. But if that’s a chance worth taking for you, you’ll probably find that you’ll be a lot happier than if you were making triple that, doing something you loathe.

I can tell you from personal experience that my husband, being the main bread-winner in our family for the better part of 10 years now, has had quite a diversity in well-paying jobs. The best-paying job he had lasted for several years with a large, well-known company in the United States. We both thought he would retire there. They paid very well and had excellent benefits. Yet, my husband didn’t “love” his job. That never stopped him from giving 110%, but deep down he just was unsatisfied.

When that job downsized, and eventually shut down the entire plant, my husband was left without a job. He started all over again with a local factory job. He took a big cut in pay, but they treated him well. Overall, he was okay working there, too, but still just not happy.

Every since I’ve known him, he has always wanted to be involved in law enforcement. He tried to get on every police and sheriff’s department, but even those who knew him couldn’t seem to pull the right strings to help him get a job. He eventually went back to school through the Army and earned his E.M.T. license. He never used them though, because taking an E.M.T. job meant he would have been cutting his pay nearly in half, and we just couldn’t afford that.

Fast forward to a year ago…

We moved two states away, to my home town. He didn’t know anyone, except for my family. He decided to apply for a job at the Sheriff’s office. Wonder of all wonders, he got hired! He just graduated from the Academy Friday morning, and is finally doing the work he’s always wanted to do.

I can definitely tell you that doing what he loves to do has made all the difference in the world. He’s so happy and content. He never says things like, “I wish I could…” anymore.

So the debate stands. Should you do what you love, even if it means you might not make as much money? Or should you do something that you don’t really enjoy in order to get a few steps up the ladder quicker? I suppose in the end, it’s all up to you. You have to decide what, if anything, you’re willing to give up. And if you’re not willing to concede, then do what you love and do it with all your heart.

What do you think?

[tags]doing what you love, do what you love, Ask Hope, writer[/tags]

Popularity: 16% [?]

Tags: Ask Hope

ASK HOPE: Blogging For Cash

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.

[tags]blogging, blogging for cash, blogging for money, make money blogging, PPP, make money with your blog, professional blog[/tags]

Popularity: 23% [?]

Tags: Ask Hope, blogging, blogging for cash, PPP, professional blog

ASK HOPE: Getting Recommendations From Clients

“How do you tastefully ask for a recommendation note from your clients?” - Courtney Ramirez

Thanks for this great question, Courtney! This is actually easier than you may think it is.

All working writers know that getting great recommendations from current or past clients can really help to boost your sales. However, some writers seem to be afraid to even try, or might not know how to do so. The answer is really simple. Ready?

ASK

That’s it. Plain and simple.

The best time to ask for a recommendation from a client is generally within a week after you’ve completed the job for her/him. A good rule of thumb is 2-4 days. You want to ask while your work is fresh on their desk. If you wait too long, you pose the risk of them having nearly forgotten you, especially if you’re working for a variety of Internet marketers, verses a few regular clients.

So then, this poses the question as to when and how to ask for a recommendation from a regular client. This situation is a little different, in that you are building a positive, long-lasting (hopefully!) relationship with this client. In this case, you both learn more about each other with every project that you complete. Therefore, it would probably be safe to request a letter of recommendation at just about any time.

If you’ve done a great job at completing your assignments and turning them in on time, you should have absolutely no problem getting a rave review from any of your clients.

Here’s an example of how to request a recommendation:

=========

Dear XXXXX,

It’s been XX days since I emailed you [INSERT PROJECT NAME HERE]. Now that you’ve had a couple of days to review the content, what do you think about it

In the interest of making my writing business the best it can be, I’d appreciate your genuine feedback on the following:

- Were you pleased with the writing I provided you?
- Did it meet your expectations? If not, in what ways might I improve?

If you are happy with my work, would you consider writing an honest recommendation for me? Please include things like: the project specifics, my timeliness in completing the project, how well I work with my clients, etc. I’d appreciate any genuine feedback you can send me and will enclose this [INSERT WHERE YOU'LL DISPLAY THE RECOMMENDATION].

I look forward to working with you again,

[YOUR NAME HERE]

==========

You get the basic idea. It’s merely a short letter that is straight to the point. Don’t waste your time or theirs. Just get right to the heart of the email: Getting that recommendation.

[tags]Ask Hope, how to get recommendations from clients, clients, working with clients, writer, ghostwriter[/tags]

Popularity: 16% [?]

Tags: Ask Hope, Business Builders, Hire A Ghostwriter

Business Blog Tip: Do Ads On Your Blog Erode Your Content?

The frequency with which I visit blogs is based on specific things:

1) Blogs I enjoy reading.
2) Blogs I read for personal/business development.
3) Friends’ blogs.

There are some blogs that I have bookmarked, but may only visit once a month or two. These are usually the ones that don’t update frequently, yet when they are updated have some great thoughts on them. So I’ll visit every now and again, and catch up on a month’s or two worth of posts.

Then there are blogs that I am compelled to read on a daily-to-weekly basis. These are my favorites, or blogs that I enjoy reading and glean helpful or useful information from for personal and business development. I read these more often because they are more “informational” for me, rather than recreational reading.

I don’t read blogs nearly as much as I used to. At one time, I could sit for 3-4 hours and read blogs. What a time killer! Of course, I wasn’t a work at home mom then, either. Even though I still enjoy reading them, blogs have evolved to a whole new level, just in the last 4-6 years. So I am extra careful about where I spend my time. Which brings me to the reason for this blog entry…

I’m noticing a growing trend on a few blogs that used to be personal faves. While the blog posts are rich with great information, it’s almost as if the blogs are being taken over with advertisements. This is beginning to irritate me. When I have to scroll through a few ads before I can even read a blog post, something’s wrong.

Maybe it’s just me, and if it is, then so be it. It just feels like some of my favorite blogs are being taken over by weeds, so to speak. This saddens me because I’m not enjoying my visits nearly as much as I once did.

So where do we draw the line? Do we allow advertisements to take over the bulk of our blogs, in hopes of making a few extra bucks every month? Do we sacrifice faithful and loyal readers for the hope of earning some sort of income from all the ads? Are over-advertised blogs to be expected now?

What’s your opinion?

[tags]blogs, business blog, business blog tip, blog ads, advertising on blogs[/tags]

Popularity: 12% [?]

Tags: blogging, Business Builders, professional blog

The Rain Is Gone

Pshew! What a nightmare of a couple of days I’ve been through. If you tried to visit me since the weekend, you got…NOTHING. Well, sit back and let me tell you about it…

When I first started dabbling in Internet marketing and acquiring domain names, I searched far and wide for a host that offered unlimited domain hosting at a reasonable (read: CHEAP) price. I didn’t even know much about IM and certainly didn’t know very many IMers either, so I dug around and found a host on my own.

At first, I truly loved my host. When I had an issue, I’d email and within a few short hours they’d return my email and help me out. Not excellent customer service, but at least they were helpful and did answer in less than 24 hours. Over the last several months though, that service started getting stinkier and stinkier.

What should have been my warning flag was when I emailed them a couple of months ago (maybe not even that long). I knew I would need to upgrade my account at some point, but I wasn’t really sure which package would be best for me to upgrade to. So in preparation I emailed support and asked them if they could take a look at my account and usage and offer me the best solution. (I think I may have had to email them twice at this point, too, just to receive a response.) I got an email back from support that basically said, “Dummy. Log into your cPanel and look at your stats and then you’ll know what account to upgrade to.” Gee thanks.

I’m no dummy, by a long shot. And I had already logged into my account and looked at my stats. All I was asking for was the best possible solution. If they’d suggested I upgrade to the largest hosting package they had, instead of just bumping to the next one up from what I already had, I would have done that. I needed an expert’s opinion. But from this response, I could tell they didn’t really give a flying flip.

Fast forward to last Thursday…..

Lately, as I’ve grown and learned more and more about Internet marketing, my domain list has been growing as well. I knew I was bulging at the seams, especially after the two websites I built last week, so I emailed my host and asked how much the upgrade would be. No response.

I sent email after email over the last couple of weeks. No response. I know, I know. You’re slapping your head saying, “Hope! Get a clue!” But I’ve been with these people for a long time, and when I’m with somebody for that long, I try to stay in it for the long-haul. I like to build last relationships with other business people. I try my best not to light then leave. I should have been listening to all those warning bells and whistles going off in my mind though.

I woke up a few days ago to discover that I was locked out of my cPanel. Hmmm….I click on one of my websites and guess what? I saw exactly what you saw–NOTHING. Great! Panic started setting in… I sent an email to my host, and all the while telling myself that I’d be lucky if they even answered me, given the cold shoulder I’d been receiving for weeks now (and yes, I do have proof of all these emails…I save a copy of every email I send).

That’s when I started asking around for hosting recommendations. If you’re hooked up with me on Twitter, then you probably saw my shout out. I did get some great recommendations, and after careful consideration I decided to go with HostGator, which Amy Bass pointed me to.

Wonder of all wonders, not even a solid day after I purchased hosting I got an email back from the host, telling me I couldn’t log into cPanel because I was over the limit on my account. NO! YA THINK?! I can’t even begin to tell you how irritated I was. I hit reply and typed a snarky response, then had to stop myself, hit “X” and start over.

I emailed back, told them that I’d been emailing them for two weeks to request an upgrade and never received a single response. I received an email right back within a few minutes. My account had been upgraded to the next package up for free. No charge. Well…WHOOPEEE.

At this point, I’ve got emails left and right coming in, from concerned patrons asking me if I know my websites are down. I’m losing subscribers left and right. I know these people think I took their money and ran. Not to mention all the awesome traffic that I’ve been working so hard at building…..not good.

By then, I was so done with that host. It was just a matter of backing up and packing up. I was outta there.

Here’s the funny/crazy part of this whole story…

I backed up my cPanel so I could transfer everything over to my new HostGator account. I decided to go ahead and email the “old” host and tell them to close my account, despite the fact that I had just paid for an entire year of hosting just a couple of months ago.

You ready for this….?

I had my cPanel open on the old account, just because I wanted to see how long it would take for me to be locked out. In less than 5 minutes after I sent that email, I was shut out of my account there altogether. I kid you not.

They didn’t even have the courtesy to send me an email thanking me for all the time I’d been with them, or ask me what the problem was, or if they could help me or change my mind. They just locked me out.

The moral to this story is that sometimes you do get what you paid for. In this case, I will be paying more with HostGator, but I can tell after just 2 short days that I will get excellent, quality customer service with them. There’s no here-we-go-round-the-mulberry-bush with HostGator. But I’ll save that for another post on another day…
Oh yeah, and if you’re wondering who that unreliable host was…it’s 299Host.net. I’m not even going to make that link clickable because I don’t want them making any sales off me. Stay away! Consider yourself warned.
[tags]hosting, website hosting, website hosting problems, website hosting issues, HostGator, good web host, cPanel[/tags]

Popularity: 6% [?]