The 6th annual WordCount Blogathon takes place June 1-30. The Blogathon is a free, fun event that challenges participants to post every day for a month.  Every Tuesday until the event, Blogathon veterans are sharing their success stories. In this installment, Joan Bailey explains how to blogging helped her adjust to living in a new country — and land paid writing assignments. Register or read more about the event here: 2013 WordCount Blogathon. —Michelle Rafter

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It’s hard to believe my fourth year participating in the Blogathon is here. Since that first go, I’ve seen my writing and my writing career improve. Each year I gain new skills, meet someone new, and gain insight into how I want my writing and my blog, to work.

The Blogathon takes effort and time, but like any worthwhile endeavor, it’s paid off in multiple ways. Here’s how:

1. I learned to post regularly.

I started my blog, Japanese Farmers Markets, in 2007. It had a different name then, and I posted sporadically at best. Then, shortly before my first Blogathon, my husband and I moved to Japan. There was plenty to discover, but all of it was in a foreign language and culture. Because the Blogathon forced me to post regularly, I had to search for stories. This taught me to write fast and well, and to always carry my camera, notebook, two working pens, and a dictionary. Daily posts became easier and easier. I discovered a full month of posting wasn’t impossible.

2. I found my niche.

As I wrote and wrote and wrote about food and farming and gardening, I pushed my limits and explored new ideas. I created regular features, including a calendar of the monthly and weekly farmers markets in Tokyo, which made it easier for me to know what to write about and benefited my readers. Publishing the calendar every Friday increased my readership, got me a mention in The Japan Times, and turned me into something of a local expert.

3. I gained credibility.

As I continued posting regularly, people I met at seminars, networking events, and socially often added this tag line to my introduction: “And she’s quite active on her blog.” Creating regular, quality content said something about my ability, work ethic, and dedication to my subject matter. Regular posting led to invitations to lead workshops, land interviews, write guest posts, and, of course, get paid writing work.

I also gained credibility in my own mind. I’d nursed a dream of being a writer since childhood, through university, corporate and nonprofit jobs and a stint in the Peace Corps. When I finally made the leap, it took me a long time to be able to take myself seriously when I introduced myself as a writer. Seeing, reading, and critiquing my own work made me a better writer. I developed a body of work that I took pride in. I could do this. When invitations to guest post came in, I happily added those feathers to my cap. I silenced that internal snicker with each post, each connection, each new assignment.

4. I made connections.

Not only did the Blogathon let me read some great writing, but I got to know the authors. I met Van Waffle, a Canadian freelance writer who wrote a lovely homage to waterways in his hometown of Guelph for my blog as a result of our exchange. He makes a mean rose hip jam, too. I met Dona Bumgarner, a food and parenting writer whose recipes for chilled summer soups are still among the top 10 posts on my blog. Freelance literary translator Lisa Carter, who blogs at Intralingo, got me to think about translation and food, and introduced me to an international women’s writing group that I treasure. I could go on, but you get the idea: none of this would have happened if I hadn’t signed up for that first Blogathon.

5. I became a paid writer.

One major result is that I gained paid work as a writer. Learning to dig up stories, tell them well, post regularly, make connections, gain credibility and confidence has all led to achieving one of my ultimate goals: getting paid to write. In the past 4 years, I’ve written for Tokyo magazines and websites, and a growing number of British and the U.S. publications as well. I recently have been invited to work as editor for a small company, too.

The Blogathon takes effort, commitment, and time. But if you’re remotely serious about writing for any reason, sign up. It’s a great community waiting to cheer you on, write a guest post for you, and read your blog. You’ll gain skills, connections, readers, and stretch your literary wings. Go for it.

Joan Lambert Bailey currently lives and writes in Tokyo where she also has the pleasure of getting her hands dirty every day on a local organic farm. You can find her at Japan Farmers Markets or on Twitter. 

The post Joan Bailey: How the Blogathon changed my writing career appeared first on WordCount.

To do good writing, read good writing. Here’s the good writing I’ve been reading this week:

My advice for the weekend — read a book. I’m traveling this weekend and plan to bring a few along that I’m been meaning to tuck into, including “Wildwood,” part one of Colin Meloy’s two-part series that was partially inspired by Portland’s own Forest Park; and “The Savage City,” my friend T.J. English’s tale of  the New York City’s race wars and the 60s through early 1970s.

What are you reading?

Other good reads from this week:

Hilary Mantel – By the Book (New York Times) – The “Wolf Hall” and “Bringing Up the Bodies” author talks about books, reading and writing. My favorite quotes from this: ”I do like a bit of action. I get impatient with love,” and also “It’s fine to give up books even after a page; there’s so much to read in the world that will delight you.” Inspiring.

2013-2014 Portland Arts & Lectures Series (Literary Arts) – Talk about inspiration. The line up for this Portland author lecture series has never been better – and I don’t say that lightly since in recent years I’ve had series tickets to see the likes of Barbara Kingsolver, Abraham Verghese and Annie Proulx. The series kicks off with Salman Rushdie (Oct. 8) and continues with Ann Patchett (Nov. 20), Lawrene Wright (Jan. 14, 2014), Chris Ware (Feb. 18, 2014) and Julia Alvarez (April 3, 2014). If you’re planning a visit to the city, schedule it around one of these dates and order tickets soon. And if you’re wondering what to get a certain freelance writer/editor for a late birthday present, well, now you know.

Famous authors’ handwritten outlines for great works of literature (Flavorwire) – “Outlining” means different things to different writers, as evidenced by examples from writers including William Faulkner, Slyvia Path, Joseph Heller and J.K. Rowling.

My medical choice (New York Times) – Such an innocent-sounding headline for such an explosive op-ed, the one in which actress/activist Angelina Jolie announced to the world she’d had a preventative double mastectomy, showing that in some situations, the truth is all you need to make a difference.

Writing News

Use these secret NSA Google search tips to become your own spy agency (Wired) - The super secret spy agency released Untangling the Web: A Guide to Internet Research, a 643-page .pdf based on a Freedom of Information Act request “filed by MuckRock, a site that charges fees to process public records for activists and others.”

Start-up hopes to help freelancers (New York Times) - Add Assignmint to the ranks of online freelance marketplaces, cloud-based project management tools and other startups looking to match publishers with freelancers.

10 questions to ask before naming your business (Entrepreneur.com) – Good advice for naming a business, or a blog.

Industry News

The U.S. government spies on rep0rters all too frequently (Slate) – Fallout continues from the week’s revelation that the Justice Department secretly obtained Associated Press journalists’ phone records.

Free the press, buy the Tribune Co. (Kickstarter) - The nonprofit group The Other 98% launches funny – but serious – Indigogo campaign to raise $660 million to buy Tribune Co. One day in, they’ve collected more than $61,000.

PBSMediaShift starts publishing ebooks (paidContent) – Mark Glaser, head of the PBS media website, is starting an ebook line and plans to release 10 to 20 books in 2013, “depending on how well the first titles do.”

New Yorker introduces Aaron Swartz-developed privacy tool Strongbox (Poynter) – The electronic tip line “ostensibly allows people to submit letters, documents, emails or any other files to the New Yorker anonymously.”

The post What I’m reading, Hilary Mantel, Angelina Jolie, freelance apps, and more appeared first on WordCount.

Dear WordCount: Can I enter the Blogathon if I don’t currently have a blog?  For the last couple of years, I have wanted to start a blog, and I figured this would be the best way for me to get over my fear of failure and jump in. One other question: Is there a recommended length for a daily blog?– Lydia

Dear Lydia:

Congratulations on wanting to start a blog. Rumors of blogging’s demise have circulated for years, but blogs and bloggers are still going strong, despite competition from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other online distractions. In fact, given all the new tools for creating websites, blogs and other online content, it’s never been easier to get into blogging. It’s still one of the best ways for a freelance writer, author or other individual to build a platform for their work, keep their technological skills current and share their writing and opinions with fans.

To answer your question, no, you don’t have to have an existing blog to be part of the WordCount Blogathon annual community blogging event, which this year starts on June 1 (find out more or register here: 2013 WordCount Blogathon).

If you’re creating a new blog for the event, just make sure that you’ve picked a platform, name and design before the first day so you’re ready to start posting right away.

Starting a Blog

Here’s how to get started:

1. Pick a blogging platform or software.

Two popular free blogging platforms are Blogger.com and WordPress.com. These days, people refer to them as “content management systems,” because they offer so much more than the simple blog software of 10 years ago. But they’re essentially the same — use them to create an online presence for yourself where you can share posts, videos, your resume, a portfolio of your work and other good stuff.

If you’re ambitious and know your way around HTML and websites, you might want to consider creating a self-hosted blog or website, which means you buy a domain name, pay an Internet service provider to host your website and have complete control over the look and feel of your pages. Popular ISPs for self-hosted blogs include BlueHost (that’s what I use), GoDaddy, and HostGator.

2. Pick a name.

Lucky you – you get to decide what you want to call your blog. Choose something memorable that’s related to what you plan to blog about. Use a domain name registry such as WHOIS to see if the names you’re interested in are  already taken, and if they’re not, to buy the rights. Whatever name you pick, register it in multiple forms (.com, .biz, etc.), with and without hyphens, and with any common misspellings. That will keep anyone else from getting similar names and then holding them hostage for you to pay big bucks to get. I have about 6 domain names registered for this blog though I only use one; domain names are relatively cheap to register, I pay less than $100 a year for mine.

Familiarize yourself with search engine optimization (SEO) to see the terms people search on when they’re looking for the types of information you’re considering offering, and taking the results into account when choosing a name. Ideally, when people search on the subject you blog about, you want your website to appear near the top of the list of search results (Google likes that).

3. Pick a design or theme.

If you use a free blogging site like Blogger or WordPress, you can choose from design templates they offer. If you go with a self-hosted site, you’ll have multiple other designs to choose from, some free, some that you pay for.

Where do you find blog design templates? A Tripwire Magazine post lists 20+ Blogger.com designs. WordPress.org — the self-hosted version of WordPress blogging software — has a directory of free WordPress themes. To find other designs, do a Google or Bing search on “blog design themes” or “blog design templates.”

4. Pre-plan posts.

Regardless of which blogging platform you use, relieve some of the pressure of writing every day by pre-writing posts at least 24 hours in advance. That way, you’re writing Tuesday’s post on Monday, Wednesday’s post on Tuesday, etc., and you’ll never be panicked about getting a post done before midnight (trust me, it happens!). Most blogging software lets you write a post and then schedule it to go live at a later date.

5. Add images and links.

For a post to stand out, you need a few things:

• A photo or other image, because a post without an image is like cereal without milk. And these days, posts need some kind of visual if you want to share them on Pinterest.
• Links, which readers can follow to find out more about a subject, or see what else you’ve written on a topic.
• Subheads, for visual interest, and also because they’re good for SEO.

6. Stick to a word count.

Post lengths are all over the place. For the Blogathon, I recommend sticking to 300 to 500 words so posting every doesn’t start to feel like a burden, and so readers don’t feel like there’s so much to read they can’t keep up. Bullet lists are a good way to say a lot in a few words. Read more: A few words about writing short.

You can also vary the types of posts you create, mixing in written posts with lists, videos and photo essays and other types of material.

Here’s more on getting started blogging:

• 6 simple steps to starting a blog
• 8 essential reasons to put links in blog posts
• 8 ways to make blog content search engine friendly
• A 10-step guide to making time to blog

The post Dear WordCount: How do I start a blog? appeared first on WordCount.

The 6th annual WordCount Blogathon takes place June 1-30. The Blogathon is a free, fun event that challenges participants to post every day for a month.  Every Tuesday leading up to the event, blogathon veterans are sharing their success stories. In this installment, Jan Udlock explains how to she overcame the fear of daily blogging and used last year’s event to launch her virtual assistant business. Register or read more about the event here: 2013 WordCount Blogathon. —Michelle Rafter

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“Just do it, Jan.”

Those crisp words startled me, but I knew I needed to take my colleague’s advice. Two years ago, I needed to learn Twitter because I’d signed up for the Blogathon and there was going to be a Twitter chat – whatever THAT was – and I needed to be part of it. But how could I participate in the Twitter chat if I didn’t know what a hashtag was and what did RT mean? And where do you put the @ sign?

I didn’t want to be left out because I was scared to learn something new. I needed to suck it up. I wanted to be part of the party.

Well…fast forward the clock and my pride. I learned how to use Twitter, I did the chat, and now I love it!

I signed up for the Blogathon again last year, and even helped run it. I didn’t know it at the time, but the 2012 Blogathon was also the beginning of my virtual assistant business. I’ve been running Udlock Virtual ever since. Today, I use Twitter and other social media platforms for myself and my clients. I use HootSuite to schedule tweets. I even coach my clients about how to use Twitter — talking about coming full circle.

If you are scared to sign up for the Blogathon because there too many unknowns, or you don’t know how to use the software, Twitter or other social media tools, don’t freak out.

Face Your Daily Blogging Fears

Here’s how the Blogathon can help you face your fears:

1.  Have a plan.

For last year’s Blogathon, I chose to write about my fear of entertaining friends. It gave me a chance to look at the nit-picking demons in my head. I knew that if I faced my fear of entertaining publicly, I could overcome it or at least recognize my powerless thoughts of doubt. It also gave me a theme for my posts for the month. I wrote about planning and organizing. I shared pictures of the party I spent the month planning.

When the end of the month rolled around, my triumphant feelings of success were worth every bit of the hard work it took to scratch out the words in my posts.

There’s something about putting words in print that clarifies unspoken thoughts and brings life to your dreams. You can think about things forever but when you put your words down in print and take action, life seems to change.

2.  Give yourself space to learn.

If you’re blogging for a month straight, I guarantee you will be frustrated more than once. But it’s okay. If you don’t know how to load the Blogathon badge onto your blog’s front page, you’ll learn. If it takes you a few extra times, it’s okay. Been there, done that.

You’ll also learn to laugh at yourself a bit more as you realize you’re not the only one on the same journey during this adventure.

3.  Have fun.

It’s hard work to come up with different posts every day but there are some tricks that you’ll learn along the way. Brainstorm ideas. Put the various subjects you want to write about on a calendar – if you use the WordPress editorial calendar plug in, you can schedule posts right in your blog. You can also pre-write many of your posts to make it easier on yourself during the Blogathon.

4. Make friends.

As you read about successes and failures of other people in the Blogathon, leave comments on their posts and interact with them online, you’ll start to bond. I have a few online buds I met during the Blogathon who I feel close to even though we’ve never met in person

5. Use it to start something.

Thanks to the nagger who three years ago told me to learn to use Twitter, I now offer a wide variety of services to small businesses through my virtual assistant business. For this year’s Blogathon, I’ll be posting about the world of virtual assistants, offering information and hints about how I help small businesses with social media and email marketing and much more.

Are you still a bit scared? Take it from an old friend of mine, just do it!

Portland virtual assistant Jan Udlock is skilled in InfusionSoft, anal about “the details” and loves collaborating with small business owners to help them grow their businesses. Find out more at JanUdlock.com.

The post Jan Udlock: Getting over the Blogathon daily blogging fear factor appeared first on WordCount.

Whatever the reason, you’re behind and close to hitting the panic button.

That was me not long ago. An assignment took more time than I expected, and non-work obligations chewed into my available work time. On top of it all, I was committed to traveling to a conference out of town.

The confluence of circumstances created a time crunch that had me sweating how I was going to meet all my deadlines.

Over the years I’ve known writers and PR people who live in a constant state of crisis. I’m not one of them. I’m already a worrier, and there’s too much else in work and life to be concerned with – like where the next assignment is coming from, for example – to make myself freak out over things that I can control.

So here’s my recipe for avoiding panic mode. I kept it short in case you’re like me and reading it on borrowed time:

1. Cut out anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.

Random web browsing and hourly updates of my status on Twitter – ain’t gonna happen this week.

2. Make a to-do list.

Dump everything you need to do out of your head and onto a piece of paper, your Microsoft Outlook Task manager or whatever you use to keep track of work. Break projects done bit by bit and cross them off as you finish each part. It feels great and gives you an idea of how much you’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done.

3. Do one thing at a time.

Rather than work on each project a little bit at a time, plow through one, get it done and move onto the next.

4. Write fast.

Set a timer and don’t let yourself be distracted until you hear the buzzer. If you can, create a story outline before your research and interviews are finished to help you zero in on what you need to ask. Write during your “up” time of day to maximize productivity.

5. Work more hours. 

Set your clock for 5 a.m., or go back to work after dinner. It’s only for a few days (or weeks). You can always catch up on sleep once you’re off deadline.

6. Turn off distractions.

Use StayFocusd or another browser plug in that limits how many minutes you can spend on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other websites that you use to procrastinate.

7. Save marketing for next week.

I know this goes against other freelance writing bloggers who say you have to market day in and day out no matter what. But honestly, it can wait. If editors don’t see your stories when they’re due, they aren’t going to want to read your pitches.

8. Ask for help.

Need to turn in file art for story? Email the PR department at the company, agency or government office you’re interviewing and ask if they can send something directly to your editor. Use Twitter, LinkedIn or HARO to round up sources. I you really don’t think you’ll make it, email or call your editor and ask for an extra day or two – just don’t make it a habit.

9. Keep a can-do mindset.

There’s a fine line between feeling overwhelmed and feeling on top of things. Sometimes just telling yourself you’re in control of the situation is the only different. Stay positive.

What’s your secret for not hitting the panic button?

The post Too many deadlines? Here’s how to avoid panic mode appeared first on WordCount.

Editor’s note: In this guest post, freelancer and author Paul Vachon explains what goes into writing a book of historic photographs. Don’t let the pictures fool you — compiling such a work takes careful planning and budgeting, and concise writing. — Michelle V. Rafter

The legendary editor Arthur Brisbane is credited with saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Despite continuous changes affecting journalism and publishing, the power of images remains constant. A well-composed photograph can enhance the impact of a story, allowing the narrative to become much more informative.

This strategy works especially well when writing about history. Quality images, which are often archival shots, can be an innovative way to bring the story to life.

I just completed my third book based on this concept, Legendary Locals of Detroit. The book is a series of profiles of select figures from the city’s past. The biographies vary from 100 to 350 words each, with at least one image accompanying each one.

Organizing a Photo-based Book

Although my publisher conceived of the general format, successfully producing a book of this type is a considerable challenge. It requires the author to use a wide array of skills, all of which can be useful in other areas of writing.

Paul Vachon

By their very nature, photographic histories are selective in what they cover. They may be organized chronologically or thematically. Either way, an astute author will choose material that represents the most significant portion of the subject. Some great examples of this are coffee table books that highlight the historic architecture of a particular area or natural wonders of the world.

Once you choose the book’s general arc, or even a specific list of planned subjects, the next step is researching potential sources for images. These sources can include historical archives, private collectors or public libraries.

Paying for Photo Rights

A vital step in the process of writing this type of book is assessing and minimizing how much it will cost to secure publication rights for images. Fees that various sources charge for the rights to publish their photographs vary, and depending on whom you’re dealing with, can be quite high. Right to a single picture can run anywhere from $15 to $100.

Sometimes publishers will assume these costs, but not always. In situations where a publisher isn’t paying, it’s essential to develop a workable production budget before signing a contact. That way, you can weigh the amount of your advance and potential royalties against the cost of securing image publishing rights.

In many cases, it’s possible to intermingle vintage images with photographs that you take, further reducing the overall cost. The pictures you take can include:

• A current view of a scene of a historic importance (which may appear the same as it did over 50 years ago)
• A monument erected in a community leader’s memory
• A building of special significance that is still standing

Don’t automatically assume that paying for publication rights will make the book financially untenable. Using some of the above strategies can make the difference between a money-losing project and one that makes good business sense.

Researching the Material

The next step, of course, is researching material to flesh out the book’s overall theme and write engaging text for both chapter introductions and captions for individual images. Usually text must fit within tight word limits, which adds to the challenge. While writing Legendary Locals, I constantly reworked each passage, eliminating superfluous articles and adjectives to sufficiently tighten the text.

The exercise paid off. The feedback I received from my editor and other writers during the proofing stage was very positive.

If you’re interested in writing a photographic history, here are several publishers that include the books in their portfolios:

• The Historic Photographs series, from Turner Publishing
• The History Press
• Arcadia Publishing

Paul Vachon is a Detroit based author and freelance writer, who covers local history, historical preservation, green living and business.  Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulrvachon. You can contact him by email: pr.vachon@hotmail.com. 

The post How I did it: Paul Vachon on writing a book of historic photographs appeared first on WordCount.

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for — registration for the 2013 WordCount Blogathon is now open. Register for the 2013 Blogathon here.

The 2013 Blogathon takes place June 1-30.

Whether you’re a veteran of Blogathons past or discovering us for the first time, you’re bound to have fun in this community event, where bloggers are challenged to post on their respective sites every day in June.

That’s right — we’ll be blogging for 30 days straight. No, we’re not crazy. As the past five Blogathons have shown, blogging every day for a month is a great way to:

• Launch a new blog
• Take an existing blog to the next level
• Get back into the habit of posting regularly
• Get more comments
• Add widgets, plug-ins or other tech features
• Learn how to promote yourself on social networks

Details of the 2013 WordCount Blogathon

As in years past, we’ll get the ball rolling with a Blogathon kick-off chat on Twitter on Wednesday, May 29, at 10 a.m. Pacific time/1 p.m. Eastern time. Use #blo2013 to join us, and to follow the Blogathon on Twitter through the weeks before and during the event.

This year’s Blogathon will have theme days (that are 100% optional), a guest-post exchange and a wrap-party on July 1. As in years past, we’ll have a raffle drawing during the wrap party for everyone who made it all 30 days for fabulous writing and blogging related prizes.

How to Register for the Blogathon

Register for the 2013 Blogathon here.

When you sign up, you’ll receive the 2013 Blogathon badge to put on your blog. If you’re not a WordCount newsletter subscriber, you’ll be put on the mailing list to receive weekly newsletters during June and monthly updates the rest of the year.

NEW! This year, we’re adding a WordCount Facebook page, which replaces the Google Group we previously used for Blogathon participants to share links and cheer each other on.

Still Seeking Blogathon Sponsors

We’re still soliciting sponsors to donate writing and blogging-related prizes for the Blogathon raffle. The raffle will be held during the July 1 wrap party on Twitter. In the raffle, winners are randomly selected from bloggers who successfully posted 30 days straight.

Companies can choose from 2 sponsorship tiers. The deadline to sign up as a Blogathon sponsor is Monday, May 27.  Let us know if you’re interested so we can send you more information; contact WordCount Blogathon Manager Jan Udlock at fivejd@comcast.net.

The post Registration is open for the 2013 WordCount Blogathon appeared first on WordCount.

Van Waffle

Welcome to the first in a weekly series on why it pays to do the WordCount Blogathon, which starts June 1. Every Tuesday this month, bloggers who’ve taken the blogathon challenge before are sharing their success stories. The first is Canadian writer and blogger Van Waffle, who explains how last year’s event jump started his freelance career. For more information, see the 2013 WordCount Blogathon. — Michelle Rafter

* * *

For years I dreamed of making a living as a freelance journalist. Fresh out of school, I worked for several small magazines and a community newspaper, so technically I knew what it took. But anxiety held me back.

Some of the inner obstacles I put in front of myself might sound familiar to you:

• I do not have what it takes.
• Nobody will be interested in my ideas and stories.
• The industry has changed too much, I am way behind the game.

I have an annual June ritual at the family cottage: pacing the dock, testing the water with my toe, and reflecting on the meaning of existence before making my first summer plunge into cool, clear silver. It is a rebirth.

I felt the same mix of fear and excitement about writing for publication. Finally, in the spring of 2012, I let go of excuses and dove. The Blogathon was my first swim in a summer of possibilities.

Since then I have become a regular contributor to two consumer magazines and written for the website of one of my dream publications.

Blogging His Way to Paid Work

Here are four ways that participating in a blogging event can help writers find paid work:

1. It forces you to write daily for an audience.

As an introvert, I hesitate to put my words in front of people. Introversion may be viewed suspiciously within our culture, but many great writers are more comfortable expressing themselves in type.

It is the challenge of the creative spirit. We must all find how to balance social anxiety with fascination and empathy. The Blogathon provides a month to approach the world differently by going public every day.

2. You can use it to develop story ideas

I get a kick from interviewing people and turning their words into narrative. Story ideas provide  a freelance writer’s currency.

A blogging challenge like the Blogathon helps you look beyond daily routine to see what is remarkable and vital. Explore stories and ideas that interest you. Take a current event or article, respond and put your own words into a post. Share a personal experience so others can relate and learn.

Doing this every day for a month builds new pathways in the brain.

You can also save your best ideas and pitch them to editors.

3. You can use it to network with other writers.

For years I felt isolated. Other writers were out there doing it, getting their words published, while I was silent. The Blogathon brought me into the fold.

One of my favorite highlights of the month was the guest-post exchange, where bloggers trade writing posts for each other’s sites. I teamed up with Joan Lambert Bailey, who writes the Japan Farmers Markets blog, and traded stories about the rivers in our respective cities: Tokyo and Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

I learned what a generous tribe freelance writers are. The vast majority are eager to encourage and even share tips about publications they have written for. Other writers are a writer’s best reference manual.

4. You can use it to create buzz.

One of my biggest thrills of the past year came when an expert I interviewed tweeted that my article about quinoa and the gluten-free diet was an important read for dietitians.

Buzz does not happen by magic. It takes dedication to generate interest in your ideas and how you write about them. Social media provide essential tools. The Blogathon can help you extend your audience beyond pal Bob and Great Aunt Helen.

Last year, it would take me several more months of working with a writing coach and hard effort pitching stories before I received my first paid assignment. The Blogathon turned my hopes into actions and introduced me to the community of freelance writers.

Van Waffle blogs about urban nature, gardening and local food at Speed River Journal. His work has appeared in Edible Toronto, Gluten-Free Living and CottageLife.com.

The post Van Waffle: The WordCount Blogathon helped launch my freelance career appeared first on WordCount.

I wrote a few slideshows in the past two months for the first time in ages. Here’s what I knew from doing these in the past but had forgotten until I started working on them again: writing slideshows is hard work.

Slideshows sound easy. There’s a tendency to think that because they’re not based on interviews or other primary research — many slideshows are not — they’ll be simple to pull together. They’re anything but. It takes time to comb through articles or studies on a subject, look up information on a company or organization’s website, or curate material from the archives of the publication you’re writing for.

Here my tips for taking some of the pain out of researching and writing slideshows, picked up from these and other slideshows I’ve created:

1. Give yourself extra time.

Whatever the amount of hours or day you think you’ll need, bump it up by at least 30 percent. Even if you’re not doing interviews, you may need to contact organizations to ask for screen shots or to verify product data or other facts. Getting all of that information pulled together takes more time than you anticipate.

2. Set up Google News alerts.

To take some of the legwork out of researching information to put in slide captions, I set up Google News alerts on the subjects of my slide shows. I also set up a Gmail folder for everything that comes in on the subject. When I am ready to start work in earnest, I can flip through the material that’s accumulate in the file to start my research.

3. Learn to love writing leads.

If you think about it, creating a slideshow comprised of an introduction and 10 slides means coming up with 11 leads. That’s a lot of leads. When the time comes to sit down and write, channel your inner editor and let those leads fly.

4. Include sources.

If you really want your copyeditor on your side, include sources of data you include in slideshow text that he or she can use for fact checking purposes. I use Word to write slideshows. In Word, I turn on Track Changes and then create a Comment when I need to add a link to documentation to back up facts in the copy.

5. Write tight.

When you don’t have much room for copy, every single word counts. Stick to facts. Cut out extraneous adverbs or adjectives. Don’t use quotes — unless they’re short, sweet and utterly amazing and on point. Read more: A few words on writing short.

6. Aim for the slideshow word-count sweet spot.

After doing two slideshows in as many months, I’ve discovered that a 75 to 100-word caption for a slide is a lot easier to write than a caption of 125 to 150 words. The former is two paragraphs, three max. The latter is usually four paragraphs. Since I try to include one source per paragraph, it’s the difference between two or three sources and three or four. Multiply that by 10 slides, and that’s a lot of sources, even if you’re just pulling data from reference works or articles rather than conducting interviews.

7. Find images.

Some publications require that writers submit images along with their slideshow text. Make sure you build that time into the number of hours you’re estimating it will take to get the project done. When I source images for slideshows or other projects, I give myself about 30 minutes per image, more if I have to handle securing rights to the image. For a 10-slide slideshow, that could mean spending up to five hours looking for images. Even if you aren’t required to provide images with your slideshow copy, it’s a good idea to include suggestions for images. Your editor or the publication’s art director will love you for it.

8. Use slideshows to land other work.

Compiling slideshows is a great way to give yourself a head start on research for other stories you’d like to pitch. If you stumble onto interesting material that’s not an exact fit for the slideshow you’re working, use it as the basis for a pitch on a separate story. Maybe the subject of one slide in the series is broad enough or timely enough to warrant exploring in more depth in a separate story. If you write for a publication on a regular basis, pitch them the follow-up story, and mention that’s you could link from it to the slideshow (editors love that).

What to see how I did? Here are links to my latest slideshows for MSN Money:

• 10 robots in the workforce
• How to watch TV without a 10

 What have you learned from writing slideshows? Share your experience by leaving a comment.

The post 8 ways to take the pain out of writing slideshows appeared first on WordCount.

To do good writing, read good writing. Here’s the good writing I’ve been reading this week:

I get asked a lot about how I find freelance work. The answer’s simple: most of my work comes from people I’ve worked with before. When you’ve been in the business for a while and you cover the same subject or subjects, you end up working with a lot of writers and editors. People move around in this business, and that’s been the case with editors and writers I’ve worked with. When an editor in a new gig needs a writer or editor for a freelance gig, it’s very likely the first calls they make are to people they’ve worked with before. The second is to people they’ve worked with before who could recommend people they’ve worked with (still following me?).

The interconnectedness of business relationships and freelance work hit home last weekend, when a bunch of writers and editors got together in San Francisco to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first issue of The Industry Standard (I was in New York at the ASJA conference). The tech industry magazine became an overnight sensation chronicling the dot-com era – and selling more ad pages than any other American magazine in 2000 – before flaming out like many of the Internet 1.0 companies it covered.

The Standard was around from 1998 to 2001 and I was a contributing editor for most of that time. More to the point, since the magazine shut down, I’ve worked for at least five former Standard editors, or hired former Standard editors or writers to work with me on the editing gigs I’ve done lately. I recently collaborated with one former editor for the third time, each one for a different publication or company. Work I did for another editor has led to tens of thousands of dollars in freelance income.

My experience isn’t limited to the Standard. I’ve followed multiple other editors from publication to publication.

This phenomenon of working with people you know and like is the subject of a Q&A on hiring the right people that SmartBrief’s SmartBlog on Leadership did this week with Portland tech star Amber Case. In it, Case shares her secret formula for finding people to work on her startups:

I ask each employee who the best person is that they’ve worked with in the past. Out of their entire career, who is the most incredible person that they wish they could work with again. They give me a name. I go out and find where that person is working and I hire them. … It helps avoid issues with work culture and conflict. You have people who are so excited because they get to work with the friends again.

What she said. The next time you’re in marketing mode to drum up new work, think about what editors and writers you’ve loved working with in the past. If you’ve lost touch, find them and invite them to connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or wherever else you hang out online. Share what you’re doing. If it feels right, ask if they’ve got work, or know someone who does.

Even the most grueling assignment doesn’t feel as bad if you’re working with your favorite people.

This Week’s Good Reads

Here’s other good writing, good reading and interesting industry news I came across this week:

2013 National Magazine Awards (American Society of Magazine Editor) – Winners include New York, National Geographic, Vogue, Time, Outside and Wired. Online entertainment magazinew Pitchfork won for general excellence in digital media. Last year no women were even nominated in commentaryor feature writing categories, so HuffPost, Jezebel and Poynter played up the fact that women won in both categories in 2012.

Faith in the baby (Salon) – Speaking of women writers, this beautifully crafted essay comes from fellow Portlander Kristin Ohlson, who wrote it in 2001. Ohlson shared a link this week to mark the occasion of her son’s move here from their previous hometown.

Catherine Conlan talks about news writing and content marketing (Reputation Capital) – In this Q&A, the journalist and newest staffer at this content marketing agency explains trends, doing business-to-business writing, and how writers can get into the field.

Spundge in 2 minutes (Spundge) – So many apps, so little time. If you’re not familiar with Spundge, it’s an online tool for organizing story or other research that lets users share what they save with other people. If Evernote and Yammer, the social collaboration tool, got married, their baby would look a lot like Spundge. Watch the video for more, or read my Q&A with Spundge Content Director Craig Silverman.

Facebook Developers Media (Facebook) – Facebook FAQ on how reporters and writers can use the social network to share their stories, grow their FB pages and “encourage more social actions” on their websites.

RapGenius may not have found the future of news, but it has about as much chance as anyone else (paidContent) – Netscape founder and venture capital big wig Marc Andressen recently invested $15 million in the company, which started with a service that lets people annotate rap lyrics, but now is developing a related tool called NewsGenius for annotating news stories. paidContent’s Matthew Ingram writes:

What would happen if the New York Times or Washington Post implemented something like RapGenius, and allowed annotations on top of the text? They might start with approved commenters or loyal readers, or those with some expertise in the topic, rather than encouraging a free-for-all. But the principle at work is the same as that driving any pursuit of “networked” or “open” journalism: namely, the idea that there are people out there who know more than you do.

The post Finding freelance work, Natl Magazine Awards, apps for writers, and more appeared first on WordCount.