To do great writing, read great writing. Here’s the great writing I’ve been reading this week:
This week I’m dipping into the well of posts new and old to share links to a handful that offer timeless advice on writing and the writing business.
On writing:
How to: Optimize Your Content for Social Discovery (Mashable) – Thanks to social networks, the tide is turning away from keyword density and back to basics such as writing good headlines and giving people interesting, original information, online content expert David Sasson writes in this guest post.
Time Lost and Found (Sunset) – In this year-old column, essayist and author Anne Lamott says anybody can find enough time to write, it’s just a matter of wanting it badly enough, and then doing it. Inspiring – then again, she usually is.
10 Ways Twitter Makes You a Better Writer (Ask a Tech Teacher) – Nothing earth shaking here, but a good review anyway. Highlights: Twitter can help keep writing tight and bright; improves headline writing (and editors love writers who turn in headlines with their stories) and makes you think carefully about word choice.
On the writing business:
How Freelance Writers Can Make Conferences Pay (The Writing Coach Blog) – Freelancer Maya Smart shares tactics for making the most from attending professional conferences. Some of the keys, she says, are planning in advance what sessions you’ll attend, and volunteering and mingling to meet people who could potentially give you work. Good advice, especially with the 2011 American Society of Journalists and Authors conference coming up at the end of the month.
The paidContent 50: The 50 Most Successful Digital Media Companies in the U.S. (paidConent) – Wondering which online writing markets you should be tracking? This could help – though the names on it will surprise you. According to paidContent, “companies that make most of their money selling online content or subscriptions took only 13 of the 50 spots.” Moral of the story: when it comes to pitching, time to start thinking outside the box.
Robert Scobble on How to Build a Career in Media (PBS MediaShift) – MediaShift’s Roland Legrand does a video interview with Robert Scobble, the well-known tech blogger, on what it takes to jumpstart a journalism career today. Scobble’s tips in a nutshell: newspapers aren’t hiring, seek other opportunities; make yourself an expert in an under-served niche; get access to hard-to-access sources; learn how to do multimedia; learn how to promote your work on social networks.
I’m a huge fan of Anne Lamott, so thank you for sharing her essay. I just tweeted it, too.
I’m a big fan too. Loved “Operating Instructions,” “Plan B,” and the essays she used to write for Salon. Still haven’t read “Bird by Bird” but it’s on my list.
Michelle