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Zoho Writer: A Free Word Processor

February 23rd 2010 19:12

New freelancer writers can't afford to splash out lots of money on software, but using a powerful word processor is non-negotiable. Luckily, today writers don't have to buy apps like word processors anymore. They don't even need to install office applications on their machines - there are online applications that allow you to create and edit documents in your browser.

Zoho is a full online office suite with apps for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. There's also email, chat, a wiki, notes, a document management application and a whole suite of business apps - the invoicing application in particular might be worth a try. There are free versions of all Zoho products for individual use. The free version of Zoho Docs offers 1GB of storage space; the 5GB version is 3US$/month.

Zoho Writer is the word processor of this online office suite. It offers all the features you need to format a document. It is compatible with Word and Open Office documents and allows you to export your files as .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .swx, .odt, .html or .txt.

Zoho Writer has a few really useful features. It saves documents as versions, so if you need to revert to a previous version, you can do simply choose it in the history view. This view also allows you to compare two version with one another. You can post documents to your blog. If you collaborate with other people on a piece, you can share it with them. Instead of many people making changes in their local copies, you can find everybody's changes in your Zoho doc.

I find online word processing very useful. Not only can I access a file from any computer with an internet connection, online word processors are also a good way to back up your work.

I wrote this blog post with Zoho Writer. I haven't tried any of the other apps yet, so I can't say anything about them. I like Zoho Writer, though. The only down-side I could find is that Zoho doesn't support Safari. It works fine in Camino and Firefox, so it's no big deal.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with Google Docs - Zoho Writer is better.

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Posted By: Sonya 1 - Category: freelance tips, management

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The Importance of Writing Quality Content

February 12th 2010 23:56

I've noticed a trend recently: Writers who write for online content mills seem to be forgetting that they are not writing for the page impressions. Or at least they shouldn't, they should write for their readers.

Content mills can be a great way for new freelance writers to get started and build their confidence. Writing for a content mill means writers are free to choose their topics, how they present them and how polished the finished product is. Only in the minority of cases there's editorial support.

There's no need for proof or typographical and grammatical correctness. All that matters for the page views is how well articles rank in Bing or Google. The temptation to get anything out as long as it contains enough popular keywords is big. To me, it looks an increasing number of writers are succumbing to it. They sacrifice quality for the sake of a few quick bucks.

Bing and Google need their search results to be relevant for the people searching. They can't afford their search results becoming clogged up with useless content. Useless content results in high bounce rates and the search engines have ways to penalise high bounce rates. By writing poor content, writers may well shoot themselves in the foot in the long run.

The implication for writers is this: Respect the readers. Remember that at the end of a Google search, there is a human being looking for useful information or entertainment. Provide readers with what they want: quality content.

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Posted By: Sonya 1 - Category: freelance tips, new to freelance writing

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Finding Writing Jobs: Be Proactive

February 6th 2010 12:57

You don't have to prowl the job boards to land a new writing job. There are many job opportunities for good content writers and they aren't advertised anywhere. It may take you longer to find these opportunities, but when you spot one, chances are you don't have any competition.

So how do you spot these potential writing gigs? Easy: You keep your eyes and ears open.

Read fliers and adverts of local small businesses, identify the ones that might improve their marketing efforts by using a skilled copywriter and contact them with a proposal. You'll have to be diplomatic in your proposal: Don't tell them that their current copy is bad - show them how you can improve it.

As part of your online job hunt, read forums for small businesses. Many small business owners don't know anything about writing web content. Get active your favourite forum and offer basic writing advice. Questions about search engine optimisation are frequently discussed and many budding entrepreneurs ask for help with SEO. Contact them and explain how you can help with relevant, keyword-rich copy.

Do you live in an area with independent shops? Then talk to the owners when you shop there, find out if they might be interested in your services. Leaving your business card can't hurt.

As a freelance writer, you need to be resourceful and proactive. If you notice what's happening around you, you will identify many potential writing jobs nobody ever puts on the job sites.

Have you ever landed a writing gig by using a any of these methods? Do you have other tactics for sourcing writing gigs? Let the Freelance Tips readers know in the comments.

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Posted By: Sonya 1 - Category: finding freelance work, freelance tips, job leads

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New Freelance Writers: How to Stand Out

January 24th 2010 00:48

So you want to be a freelance writer? The good news is that thanks to the Internet, it is easier today to find freelance writing jobs. For the same reason, however, the competition is tougher than ever. To launch a successful freelance writing career, you must distinguish yourself from the competition.

These are our top tips for new freelance writers on how to stand out:

Start a blog in your niche and update it regularly. Even if you are writing for yourself in the beginning, treat your blog as a paid job. Research your posts before you start writing and edit them before you publish them. A well-written blog will help you demonstrate your writing skills.

Once your blog has gained a little traction, offer to write a guest post for a popular blog in your niche. This will help establish you as a expert in your niche and attract new readers for your own blog.

If you want to sign up for a content website, give Suite101 a shot. You have to apply as a writer and submit two samples of your writing. The big advantage of Suite101 is the editorial support you receive. Your articles must be written in the house style - a good experience for all writers who want to write for newspapers or magazines. You will learn a lot about writing for the web and search engine optimization, too.

While Suite101 is the best of the lot, there are more content websites you might want to join: Constant Content, Squidoo, HubPages, Triond and others. Anyone can sign up with these sites, therefore the quality of the content varies. If you join any of these sites, write quality articles.

Use Twitter to promote your blog and to network with writers and experts in your niche. Follow @FLTnet for job leads and other freelance-related tweets.

Consider writing for a charity. Not only will you have another clip for your writing portfolio, you will also help a worthy cause.

Remember: Starting out as a freelancer requires tenacity. You will have to put in a lot of work for little financial return. If you can't afford to work with little guarantee for payment, work part-time to cover the basics and spend your "free" time writing.

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Posted By: Sonya 1 - Category: finding freelance work, freelance tips, new to freelance writing

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Writing for Free?

January 21st 2010 22:27

As a website editor, I know how content decisions are made in companies. Here's the inside scoop: They want good content and are aware that poor copy does more harm than good. They also don't want to pay a lot for content, if they pay at all.

This can be frustrating for freelance writers. Why should you give away your services for free? You have bills to pay, and last time you checked the utility companies didn't accept words, not matter how well they were put together.

So does it make sense to write "for the byline"?

The answer is: There is no universal answer. Consider these questions:
If a company doesn't want to pay, what else do they offer in return?
Will they link to your blog or website?
Will they mention you in their newsletter?
Will working for them raise your profile as a specialist in your niche?

Find out what the deal is, what's in it for you. There are situations where some sort of barter deal might work out for you. It depends on the circumstances and, ultimately, on your bank balance.

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Posted By: Sonya 1 - Category: finding freelance work, freelance tips, new to freelance writing

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