Sell Your Writing Checklist - Think Like a Writer by Angela Booth

Want to sell your writing? You need a writing checklist. Many writers, both new and experienced, get ideas and start writing, but then get stuck. When you have a checklist, you know exactly what you're writing, and you eliminate procrastination.

Here's a simple checklist of tasks which will help you to sell your writing:

1. Is there a market for this article/ book/ screenplay? List the markets

Start by asking yourself what the market is for this piece of writing. Who will buy it? Write down as many potential markets as you can think of.

2. Create a timeline for completion: enter the tasks into your calendar

This step is vital. Enter the tasks of the checklist into your calendar: schedule the time for them. Then, when the time you've blocked out for the task comes, sit down and write.

Training yourself to sit down and write when it's time to write is vital. Refuse to allow yourself to procrastinate, and within weeks, writing when you sit down to write will become a habit.

3. Pre-write - you can only keep five to nine pieces of information in your head at a time

Your next step is to "pre-write." Pre-writing can include brainstorming, free writing (when you write for five to ten minutes without lifting your pen from the page), and creating mind maps.

Don't skip or skimp on pre-writing. Memory theory holds that you can only keep five to nine pieces of information in your working memory at a time.

Pre-writing mines your memory for relevant thoughts and ideas. Not only does it make writing easier, it also helps you to write more effectively.

4. Question: what additional information do you need?

If you need additional information, now's the time to research. Never make your research open-ended. Write down what you need to know, and find the information, whether it's by researching online, or interviewing people.

5. Write a fast first draft

Write your first draft as fast as you can. Your aim here is just to write - forget about quality. If you need more information, just type "XXX" to mark the spot, and keep writing.

6. Write a query letter (if necessary)

If you're writing an article for a print publication or a book, you'll need to write a query letter (also known as a proposal.) Write it now.

7. Revision - slash and burn, rewrite

Revise. Cut material, add material. At this stage, you're not tinkering with word choices. Revision means to "re-view" to look at your material again.

8. Final draft

Write the final draft.

There you have it. An eight-point checklist which will help you both to think like a writer, and to sell your writing.

Want to learn more about writing? You can, with Angela Booth's new Writing Hacker Web site at http://writinghacker.com/ - watch Angela's "Make money Writing: Write and sell Web articles - they're in hot demand" video.

For even more writing information, subscribe to Angela's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html and receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report". It's 21 pages packed with information to help you to develop a six-figure writing career, and it's completely free. Angela's Fab Freelance Writing Blog at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/ brings you fresh writing tips several times a week.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Booth

So You Want to Become a Writer?

When I was a child I always used to dream of being a writer but I guess as you grow up dreams like that begin to seem unrealistic and so for a while I gave up and followed the usual practices of doing admin work for other companies, until I stumbled upon the most exciting thing of my life and followed my dreams to becoming a full-time writer. If this has been your dream then I want to help give you some advice on how you can go into writing full time.

How I Became a Full-Time Writer

My Dad had always been interested in finding a home-based business opportunity for the member's of his family and he would often come to me with this internet business idea and that and all of them I just seemed to be turning down, either feeling they were out-right scams or simply weren't for me. Then one day I decided that I would look for myself, mainly to please him, and immediately stumbled upon Elance.

I thought there was no harm in registering for Elance and trying to get a few writing jobs through them. Everybody had always told me I had talent in writing so I didn't think it would be too difficult and might be fun, and so my journey began.

I actually started as I was on my way to visit my sister in Germany for a holiday and that whole holiday I seemed to be trying to fit in time, in between site seeing to write for clients. I came back and immediately handed in my resignation and stopped working at the end of the month I returned (two months after starting Elance).

I think this is the best way to start -sign up and start doing work for clients, but if you find that you have a little extra time then don't let it stop there.

Create Your Own Websites

This is another area that I have explored as a full time writer and love. Most of what I write for clients is website articles and e-books so it seems to fit in well and I specialized in internet marketing and home-based business subjects so a natural progression was to start my own websites and write for them. This allows you to either have an avenue to sell other books you write or to sell other products such as affiliate products and use your articles or copywriting to promote them.

Why Not Write Your Own Book or E-Book?

Writing your own book or e-book takes time and that's why I have put it last. Start with the other two and make money from them but at the same time think about writing your own book or e-book that you can sell and that will, when it's finished, bring in good returns and passive income.

These are three methods that I recommend using for becoming a full-time writer and entering this exciting world. I am truly doing something I love and I recommend it for anyone else who loves writing.

This article was written by Mandy Buchanan. Mandy is a full-time freelance writer through Elance, as well as running her own websites including Moms Working at Home and Crafty Content.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mandy_Buchanan

E-Commerce Solutions for Writers

A writing business changes and grows over time. Many writers find that most of their business is conducted via the Internet. Writing services or e-books can be offered through blogs or websites and many writers have found work using these methods, as well as selling material they have produced.

The virtual world makes all of this so much easier. You now have access to pre-designed websites with shopping cart software inclusive, which takes entrepreneurship to a whole new level.

Having a site with a shopping cart is the ultimate because visitors can proceed--on the spot--to purchase whatever product they are interested in. Often, that makes the difference between a sale and a look-through.

If you are considering making the move to e-commerce software, Ashop Commerce offers some attractive options. Ashop is a leading US provider of hosted shopping cart software, allowing you to create a store and accept credit cards online almost instantly.

Online stores offer compelling graphics to accompany descriptions of products. A simple click on the shopping cart icon takes visitors right to a shopping cart for sale completion.

You can visit Ashop and take a test drive of a demo store to see what your potential store would look like.

If you are making the move to the virtual environment, e-commerce solutions are the perfect fit.

Suite 101 Widget

I wrote in my previous post about writing for Suite 101 and I mentioned that writers have access to a site widget, which they can use to provide instant links to their articles at Suite 101, thereby increasing readership and traffic. I've included the widget below for your perusal.

If you have the necessary qualifications to write for Suite 101 and want to grow a readership base, you will also obtain a similar widget to put on your sites. The widget will point to your recent articles at Suite 101.

Become a freelance writer!

Latest Articles by Melody Rhodes

Writing for Suite 101

Suite 101 is a site with a respected 10-year history. If you can produce 10 articles in a 3-month period, Suite 101 may be just the fit for you.

How does the thought of mentoring, coupled with exposure, combined with compensation sound to you? Suite 101 provides all of that and more to its team of dedicated writers.

Suite 101: provides editorial reviews of your work, tutorials on writing for the Web, and earnings from ad revenue.

Become a Contributing Writer
Suite 101 is the Web's leading online publication for advice, opinion, and commentary, and is committed to building a network of trained, professional writers.You can start at the entry level and build your skills, SEO, and reputation by publishing articles on a diverse range of topics.

Becoming a Feature Writer
As a feature writer, you represent
one topic, are in line for increased earnings, and enjoy higher visibility.

Topics
From plants and animals, from politics to parents, from education to business--and everything in between--Suite 101 offers articles and insights into a wide range of topics. As a writer, you have a large number of topics and categories you can choose to write for.

Suite 101 Widget
Suite 101 also offers a great widget that you can place on your website or blog to increase interest in your articles. A site widget also helps to increase readership of articles you've published with Suite.

If you are serious about building a presence on the Internet, Suite 101 offers a comprehensive package: a chance to hone your writing skills, publish your work, and create an ongoing income stream.

Blogging With Smorty

Do you have a blog?

If you have a blog that has been around for awhile, you should consider signing up with Smorty. Smorty brings advertisers and bloggers together and for writing easy-to-complete blog posts, you are paid.

It makes sense to maximize your blog experience by earning money from your efforts. If you are used to posting your thoughts and insights anyway, why not review sites and give your opinion?

I highly recommend Smorty. The pay rate is good, blog post lengths aren't prohibitive, and payment is prompt.

You can also earn from others that you refer to Smorty by placing a referral button on your blog.

It really doesn't get simpler than this. Smorty gets my vote.

Writing What You Know

Writing doesn't have to be a complicated endeavor and ideas are all around us, when we look for them. Many times it's all in how we see.

For example, one person might look at a sunset over water and experience memories of sailing; another might feel the sun is in his or her eyes, an intrusion.

To the writer, however, the setting sun might evoke a feeling: "Ah . . end of day--when the sun in its downward course fastens dusk to the horizon, gentle on the heels of the darkling hour." A certain wistfulness or tranquility is felt and is mirrored in the words used to capture what the writer has experienced. Good writing often has expression as its stay and support.

When a reader relates and is stirred, he or she often comes back to experience again those feelings the writing has evoked.

We relate with what we know and should write what we know. If a feeling is attached, all the better.

Call to HubPage Poets

Poetry Contest

If you are a writer/poet who is also a "Hubber," here's heads-up on an opportunity that can increase your exposure, drive traffic to your HubPages, and enable you to see your poetry reach a wider audience.

This month, I'm calling for HubPage authors to submit their poetry. The winning poems will be featured on my Poetry Blog with a bio and applicable links to authors' pages/sites or writing-related blogs.

Call to HubPage Poets: For submission guidelines and contact information, swing by my HubPage.

If you have a poem you feel has merit, why not share it with other poetry lovers?

Money from HubPages

Today I want to discuss potential income you can make from HubPages. Money-making opportunities are available to you, if you are willing to implement the necessary steps.

If you submit Hubs on a regular basis, with good content and equally good links, you stand to earn from ad revenue placed within your HubPages.

If you haven't done so already, first off, join Hubpages.

Learn how you can make money from your HubPages:

5 dollars a day in your Adsense through Hubpages.com

Making Money With Hubpages

Top social bookmark sites

If you submit Hubs on a regular basis and work at increasing traffic to your pages, you will net monthly earnings. This is a longer-term project but can add another welcome source of income.

PrintNPost Income

Well, I have to say that I'm impressed with PrintNPost.net I joined a short while ago and, as promised at the site, I'm starting to see my efforts pay off. I'm seeing an increase in Adsense income via my articles and the advertising revenue they are generating.

While I'm still in the early stages, and have submitted 9 articles and 11 blogs or blog posts, I can recommend PrintNPost, as it appears that this site is a viable writing opportunity for freelancers.

If you are looking to generate residual income, PrintNPost offers the chance to earn money, working from home. It takes time to build momentum, but over the longterm, your efforts will pay off, netting you earnings for the content you produce.

Word counts on articles are manageable and if you can produce 3-5 articles or shorter blogs weekly, you should generate ongoing residual income.

This looks to be a good income opportunity for writers to make money. It's relatively easy to get started on the road to earnings with PrintNPost.

What does an article look like at PrintNPost?

What does a blog look like?

What I like about PrintNPost is that you can link to your other articles, thereby increasing traffic. Check out this article that contains many links.

PrintNPost allows you to make money while promoting your writing and generating traffic. That's a winning mix in my books.

Taking a Tour of Hubpages

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you will be familiar with my mention of Hubpages. Hubpages offers writers the chance to publish their work and receive revenue for their efforts.

Today, I'm providing links so that you can take a tour of Hubpages and see what is offered.

Relevant Hubs - Search for "hubpages". See what Hubpages is all about.

What do Hot Hubs look like?

Who are some of the Best Hubbers? Read about these interesting folks. What a talented group!

What topics are others interested in? Check out the Popular Topics at Hubpages.

Income through Hubpages. Many people are very interested in learning how to make income from Hubpages How To Make Money With Hubpages is an excellent article that will get you started.

Another good article is: Making Money With Hubpages

If you join Hubpages and follow these tips, soon, you will net another income stream!

Writing Jobs and Free Offers at Write and Earn a Living

As my readership grows, I'm dedicated to helping writers/bloggers access writing resources and viable, paying writing work.

Write and Earn a Living Offers

* New Job Opportunities
Make sure to scroll down and look over to the right because I'm adding new job opportunity widgets all the time.

* Writing links
The writing links point you to writing-related information.

* Free offers
Free offers give you access to writing tools designed to streamline the writing process.

* Paid Blogging Information
Paid blogging is lucrative. Join through this site and get started earning income.

Using these tips and strategies, you will earn income as a writer.

Make sure you subscribe to receive the latest e-mail updates.

Keep up the good work and happy writing!

Using StumbleUpon to Improve Your Blog

Stumbleupon offers a great service to bloggers. If you have the Stumble button downloaded onto your browser's toolbar, here are some suggestions for boosting your blog's exposure.

* Hit the Stumble button and browse each site as it comes up. When you find a site you like, hit the Thumbs Up. This accomplishes two things, you help point to quality sites and your own StumbleUpon page is promoted in the network. This is especially helpful if you are including articles or blog posts at Stumble, because this is another way to promote your content.

* When you find a site that offers quality information, include the link in your blog's link list. This helps to boost your blog's standings with the search engines and helps your blog readers to find related information--and they may return or subscribe because of the good resources offered on your blog.

* Leave a comment at the site you like. Use your blog's name instead of your own (so that users get used to seeing the name), this boosts exposure and you leave a trackback to your blog, again increasing traffic.

* Finally bookmark any pages that include subject matter you would like to research and write about in future for content sites, magazines, or for your blogs. You'll have a ready source of information to reference.

It really doesn't get better than this and by using StumbleUpon to the fullest, you will
benefit, now and in the future.

Join StumbleUpon and quickly access information