Why writers should blog: it’s not personal, it’s business
The house is a mess. The bills are overdue. I missed a deadline. I haven’t signed my son up for a single summer camp or planned the family’s summer vacation. I’ve been too busy blogging. For the past month I’ve posted here every day. 31 days, 31 blog posts – a couple more actually because [...]
Writer games Examiner.com to make a point about content aggregators
L. J. Williamson was frustrated with what she felt was a lack of editorial oversight on Examiner.com, the Denver-based content aggregator. So she gamed the system. Williamson, a Los Angeles freelancer with clips from big name publications like the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and Sunset magazine, wrote a series of Examiner.com pieces that she [...]
Freelance link love, for Friday, May 30
Here’s what I’ve been reading this week: The Editor Unleashed The Editor Unleashed Guide to Good Blogging – Good advice from the former editor of Writer’s Digest. The Huffington Post 13 tips for actually getting some writing done The Urban Muse I Said, He Said, We Said – Picking a point of view for your [...]
I don’t work for aggregators, but I am a Web writer
I have a confession to make. I am a Web content writer. Do I write for Web content aggregators? No. I write for magazines that publish stories in print and online. I write for business and trade magazines that publish some stories in print and some online. I write for e-zines, news sites and custom [...]
Who's who in digital media – 25 trendsetters you need to know
A funny thing happened on the way to compiling this list of digital media trendsetters. I’d put out a call to writers and editors on LinkedIn asking for names of industry folks I should include. But instead of news industry luminaries, I kept getting social media trailblazers. Wait a minute, I wanted to say, you [...]
Novice freelancers, instead of Helium, try hyperlocal
If you’re getting into freelancing these days, one option is writing for content aggregator sites like Helium, About.com, Associated Content or HubPages. These companies pay writers to create massive amounts of content to help the sites rise up to the top of Web searches and make more money on click throughs. But for freelancers, there’s [...]
Happy Memorial Day
There’s more to life than work, even for the self-employed. Go on a picnic. Take a bike ride. Hike through the woods. Enjoy the day. WordCount will be back tomorrow.
Freelance link love for week of May 24
Here’s what I’ve been reading about freelancing, writing and the online news business I’ve been reading this week: On writing: How do you learn to write – From a literary agent, writer and book editor. 5 tips for citizen journalism from ProPublica’s new ‘crowdsorcerer’ 16 things you learn in j-school – Journalism basics You don’t [...]
A WordCount blogroll update
I’m using the blogathon and the holiday weekend as motivation to do some blog housekeeping – all the better to avoid the real housekeeping I should be doing. I’ve been working on my blogroll, which has been neglected for too long. The great thing about a blogroll is you can make it anything you want [...]
Counterpoint: Yes, freelancers should write for Helium
Yesterday, long-time freelancers Tim Beyers wrote a guest post here explaining why freelancers shouldn’t write for content aggregators, and he singled out Helium as an example. His post prompted Barbara Whitlock, Helium’s new member outreach manager, to reply. Instead of burying what Whitlock had to say in the comments under Beyers’ post (where you can [...]
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