by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

When freelancing for a living, a business website to refer clients to is a must. This is a simple and professional way to let clients know what services and expertise you can provide. But what information is essential to share? As one who has been freelancing for years, here are 8 things I feel are absolute musts on a freelance web writer's website.

Bio
A bio describing some of your experiences, interests, and areas of expertise should be included in a prominent area. This lets potential clients know exactly what you are all about. You want them to know this because it helps them decide if you may be what they are looking for. Would you rather hire a construction contractor who was upfront with their skills and experience or one who simply stated he was a contractor with no additional information? Freelance writing is no different.

Experience
Experience is touched on briefly above, but you may be wondering what to include. Experience can refer to degrees and it also can refer to work or research that you've done. For instance, are there special clients or media agencies you have worked for? Do you have a degree that contributes to what you produce as a freelance writer? How many years have you been freelancing? These are just some of the things you can discuss on your website.

Writing Samples
Potential clients will need to see what type of work you are capable of. It also is a good way to show your professionalism and skills to more people. You can still email samples to potential clients, but it will be much easier for both of you (and provide a wider reach) if you make these easily available on your website. Some may choose to display these as files that can be downloaded. Others may choose to link to work they've done around the web for various clients and content sites like Associated Content.

Contact Form
A contact form is an easy way for potential clients, as well as readers, to communicate with you. These are easy to set up and can be customized to fit your purpose. These forms will forward directly to your email address. It makes contacting a simple and quick process for those who visit your website. They also can help to cut down on spam requests, as many can be customized to track IP addresses, ask for a captcha code, and other preventative measures.

Blog
This is where you can engage and interact with your audience. It's where you can talk about different aspects of the writing business, give writing tips, and also give updates on your business ventures. Don't be afraid to add some fun things in every now and then. Who you went out with last night and what you did may not be a good topic for a blog on your business website, but adding an appropriate personal touch is good. It helps followers and potential clients connect with you.

RSS and Email Subscriptions
Freelance web writers should always have a way for their audience to stay updated on their work. RSS feeds and email subscriptions can be extremely helpful here. Some content sites that freelancers may write for already have RSS feeds available to the writer. These can be placed in widgets that allow readers to view or subscribe to the content via email or feed readers. Each time a piece of content is published to the feed, those who are subscribed will be updated. Making this available on your website can be helpful in building a following.

Social Media Connections
If you are using social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) to increase your online presence or to make connections in the writing world, place those links on your business website. This will help people connect with you around the web and can be useful in creating a following. Not everyone is comfortable with every form of communication. Social media helps create a variety of ways to connect with your readership.

Interaction
Every freelance web writer should have some form of interaction on their website. RSS, blogs, and social media links are a few ways people can interact with you and the site. You may also want to have an advice page where readers can use a simple contact form to put in suggestions or ask advice that you can answer in upcoming articles. A forum is also a good source of interaction, but only create one if you have time to keep up with it. The main point is to have some way that readers can interact with you and/or your website. This will keep people coming back.


RELATED:
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Why All Web Writers Need a Website
Why All Web Writers Need an Online Resume Page

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

As a long-time web writer who now also helps fellow writers succeed, people often ask me how to make more money. What are the best ways to succeed in web writing and how does one apply them for the maximum reward?

Maximize your content. Keep the rights to your content as often as possible and re-purpose it when you can. Many publications will accept non-exclusive work, which means you can do the work once and get paid for it repeatedly. Just be sure that the information stays up to date and syncs well with each publication it's submitted to. Even if you have ti make a few changes now and then, it will be easier than writing new content every time. While new content has its place as well, there's no reason you can't re-purpose existing content when appropriate.

Be flexible. We all have our own habits and methods. However, sometimes it pays to bend personal rules if it makes a client happy to do so. You of course want to always let a client know when you feel what they want isn't what's best for them. However, you should also be flexible in some of the ways you work so that may better provide the service in the way clients expect. They each will expect something different. Therefore, it pays to listen, keep an open mind, and be able to adapt to varying situations.

Meet or exceed deadlines and expectations. Happy clients will often be repeat customers, which means there will be more money lining your pockets (or your PayPal funds). A big part of keeping clients happy is meeting the deadlines and guidelines laid out in the contract. When you can do this every time -- and exceed expectations when possible, clients are more likely to use you again or even recommend you to others. Just like any other business, word of mouth can be paramount to making more money in web writing.

Spread your talent. Some people will be content with just one client. I've been there before. However, no matter how well one client pays, it's always good to have more than one. That way, if something happens unexpectedly, you don't lose all of your income. Keeping a variety of clients also provides more experience writing upon request in varying styles and topics.

All web writers need a website. I've said this many times before. But I will say it again and again. All writers need a website. Your website is where clients can find more about what you do and contact you for services. A good writer's website should include at the bare minimum a contact form, an online resume, samples, and a blog. For more on what to include, please read "8 Musts on a Freelance Writer's Website." If you use your site correctly, you'll be making more money just by having an easy way for clients to interact with you.

Maintain a blog on your professional website. As mentioned above, a blog is an essential part of a writer's website. In addition to helping fellow web writers succeed, keeping an active blog helps showcase what you can do to clients, which can lead to more money. Some things successful web writers can blog about include writing tips, marketing tips, information for clients, book releases, tour/book signing dates, events, and special features of your work. The possibilities are endless. Just keep it active and keep it relevant. The more you blog, the more traffic your site will get if you do it right. This can lead to more clients. Active writers generally make more money than those who are simply waiting around without action.


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Web Writing Tips: Why You Need a Website

Why All Web Writers Need a Website

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How to Make the Most Money in Web Writing

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Web Content

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Try doing a Yahoo search on anything related to freelance writing jobs and you’ll pull up a multitude of opportunities, many of them scams. The simplest way to tell if one’s a scam is that it usually starts with “make easy money” just like any other scam. While it’s true that some aspects of a freelance writing career will become easy to an experienced writer over time, freelance writing as a whole is NOT an easy full time career path. But it’s worth it.

As a full time freelance writer, I used to spend countless sleepless nights thinking, researching, and typing out the results endlessly. Wait, “used to”? If I’m no longer a full time freelance writer, what do I know? The thing is, I spent years as a full time freelance writer and I slowed down, not because of the lack of money or interest, but because I wanted to help other freelance writers. That’s right. Now my full time job is helping others do what I did. But I still write almost full time as well. Therefore, I assure you, you can trust my experience.

Some people think “Oh, I can write. My poems from high school are great. I should be a writer.” And if that’s you, writing might be a good career choice for you. But just keep in mind that writing for the web and writing a poem here and there are two entirely different things. Freelance writing as a full time career path will involve writing for a considerable amount of time most days. Decide which you REALLY want to do and do that.

Writing for the web as a full time freelance writer is hard work. Yes, work. Forget all those scammers out there telling you it’s easy. Yes, it’s easy for them at first because they’re copying and pasting the text that I (or another talented writer) put real time and heart into in order to create it. But it no longer becomes easy for them when we decide to pursue it legally.

Ah yes, there’s another thing about freelance writing. You’re not JUST a writer. You’re a writer, researcher, marketer, CEO, manager, self-appointed attorney, and many other things.

The first part – the actual writing – may come easy to you sometimes and maybe even most of the time. But there will be days when you may not be able to form a complete sentence no matter how many deadlines you’re facing or how much money is on the line. Even for writers who seem to just sprout creative words in an instant, writing all day every day can become difficult. And you WILL need to write very often (among other things) in order to make the most money at web writing.

I know what you’re thinking because it’s me as well. I definitely said it too. You’re saying “but I love writing. I already write all day long, nonstop. I can do this.” If so, then you probably can, just like me. However, keep in mind that even you will likely have days where you just can’t. Also keep in mind that everything you write, though it may come from your heart, is for someone else. And, while you are in charge of yourself, you do still have to actually work. Otherwise, what are you getting paid for?

Up until this point, I may have turned some people off already because it sounds like a big complaint. But heck no! I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world. The thing is, if you’re going to be in the business, someone needs to tell you the real facts. Yes, I can spend more time with my kids (human and fur variety). Yes, I make a fairly decent income when I’m consistent with it. But it does take real work and effort and if you can’t commit to that, this is NOT the career for you because if you stop working, the money stops coming.

For me, the benefits of staying home with my kids, the satisfaction of knowing my words may help people, being able to finally start saving some money, and some of the other things directly related to being a freelance writer are worth the hard work. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Still want to be a freelance writer? If you said yes, I commend you. Feel free to reach out to me on my Facebook page for help getting started: facebook.com/LynLomasi

(No, I’m not going to charge you anything for advice, unlike those scammers out there looking for a quick buck. NEVER pay for work. You’re the one working. YOU should be the one getting paid.)

**Photo Credit/Copyright: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this here on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Oh no! You were just submitting an article or blog post and poof! Now your hard work is gone! What happened? That's right, you didn't back up your work and you typed it up online instead of on your computer. Online submission templates are awesome, but they aren't fool proof.

Save your work offline first. Before ever placing your work in any online template, you should be typing it in an office program first. If you're like me and either hate Word or their price, try OpenOffice.org instead. Whatever program you use, write and save it there and then copy/paste t into the online submission template. I learned this years ago – the hard way, of course. I lost an incredibly awesome post (because all of my work is amazing, right?). Never again.

Websites crash. Computers crash. Servers time out. Submission processes malfunction. Just because you've submitted fine by typing into the template for years doesn't mean it's foolproof. When I had my revelation, I was submitting my daily piece to a site I had been using for a couple years already. I always typed into the template directly. That day when I hit the submit button, the site went down at that exact moment and my article that I spent two hours researching was completely lost.

Trust me. Save the work offline or at the very least in an online office program. I personally triple save my work. I work in OpenOffice and save the work on my computer from there. Then, I also upload a copy to an online file database, as well as save it to a flash drive. This way, if anything happens to any of those copies, there's likely to be another one saved somewhere. I actually lost an article just yesterday because I hadn't made it to the other steps yet and my computer malfunctioned and had to be restarted. Always save in more than one place.

How do you submit and save your work? Tell us in the comment section.

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi
(my original artwork)

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Are your readers getting bored with your posts? Are you getting tired of writing them? The quality may be good but for some reason, no one is reading. Why? One reason may be lack of creativity.

You aren't writing a text book. Get creative! Make your content shine by showing off its style within the text. Obviously, it needs to be readable. But there is no need to be straight facts and no fun. Dress up your content as if you were dressing up yourself. Get glammy, glittery, and gluey -- if that's you.

No one wants to read the same thing they can read anywhere else on the web. people want something different. Don;t just report the facts. Talk about what you would do or have done in the same scenarios -- and don't be too mainstream in how you do it. Just be your creative self. You're an artist, correct? Remember, that is what we writers really are deep down? Use that to your advantage and show it off.

Have you been taking advantage of your creative side?

By Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Do you actually make money with your writing? It's just for fun or because you're bored, right? How do you pay your bills when you just play on the computer all day? These are the types of questions i get from people interested in learning how to make the most money in web writing. Often they are skeptical, thinking that a decent income is impossible in this business.

You need a website. Some will tell you this isn't necessary. But, I repeat: All web writers need a website. While you can definitely make money writing online without having your own website, you're likely to earn more money if you do. Sometimes my clients find me via the various companies I publish with but they tend to visit my website even if they find me elsewhere. Your website should be a place where clients can learn more about what you do, find out your rates, and contact you for services. Without a website, that's more questions they will need to ask you and some will skip over authors they can't research more readily.  You can even place an easy to reference online resume page on your website to save your potential clients more time.

Query, submit, query, submit.. To keep your name out there, you need to be actively querying new outlets, as well as submitting to existing clients. For instance, if you have signed up with two sites that allow freelancers to submit work, keep those sites active. But in addition, query for other work and sign up for additional sites as often as possible. It is always better to have an overload of opportunities you can pass on to your writer friends than to have none at all.

Publish, publish, publish. Like querying and submitting, do what you can to make sure you are publishing as often as possible. The more your name gets seen in writing, the more potential clients will see you. If one venue is not publishing your submissions as fast as they say they will, don't be afraid to pull them for publication elsewhere if beneficial.

Always have multiple clients and venues available. It is perfectly valid to post the most often with the venue or client that will publish your writing most often. Just be sure you do still have some variety where possible, as variety keeps your name spread around and keeps you learning varied experiences. To make the most money in online writing, you need to be sure that if things are slow or undesirable with one venue or client, you still have other revenue possibilities.

Be yourself. When you see a successful writer, it is easy to fall into line and try to mimic what they are doing. There is only one of each individual. The better strategy is to use some of their techniques and apply them to yourself. Be smart, but also be original and unique. Be you. If you think about the people you look up to in web writing, most likely you will be able to say that there is no one quite like them. The writers that are honest with and about themselves -- and in their experience are most likely to succeed. Copycats will eventually show their true colors -- usually in their work.

Be flexible and choose appropriate work. Clients can sometimes be particular about what they want. It is normal to make suggestions you feel will be helpful. But the end result should always be something your clients are satisfied with. To avoid conflicts in this area, choose topics and workloads suited to your personal experience and preferences and leave the other work for someone else.

Be adaptable. The world of web writing can be largely unpredictable as far as what works at the moment. Smart web writers stay prepared for changes to occur and adapt with the changes instead of running from them. Because the world and the web are ever-changing, it is important to stay up to date with the best current strategies and marketable skills. Those writers who are willing to go the extra mile in preparation are the ones that will continue to succeed now and into the future. 

More from Lyn:

Web Writing Tips: Forming Ideas

Web Writing Tips: Risks are Necessary to Succeed

Simple, Effective Ways to Enhance Your Brand

Why would online article writers need a website if many article submission sites allow a professional profile? This is a question I get asked often when I mention the idea. Here are some of the many reasons I feel all freelance web writers need a website of their own.

Writer's Resume
When applying for online writing jobs and gigs, reference links and/or a resume are often required. This will be much simpler for those with a website. Some may create an area where a client can download their resume by requesting the link. Others may post links to samples. Yet others may do both or handle it another way. Online article writers need a website in order to reference their work all in one place.

Professionalism
Professionalism is key, even though you don't see your clients face-to-face when writing online. A freelance writer's website is like a virtual resume, meeting place, and office at the same time. This is where you can let your clientele know you are professional by including all of the right things. A bio, samples, and a contact page are just a few. Read "8 Musts on a Freelance Writer's Website" for more details on those and other must-include items for professionalism.

Info Source
Even if a client finds your work elsewhere, they may want to know more than they can find in a limited bio attached to your profile on a content site. This is where your website comes in handy. Many content sites allow article writers to place a link to their website in their profile or bio. Also, be sure to link to it from any blogs or other profiles you have. Giving clients (both potential and current) a place to find more information about you as a person and as a writer is very beneficial to them as well as to your writing career.

Announcements
If you have any big writing projects, off days, exciting news, etc it can be posted to your website. Of course you don't want to announce information that is too personal, but a web writer's website can serve as a great way to spread the word. Doing this has many benefits. Some include letting clients see that you are accomplishing things, engaging with your audience, and also depending on the announcement it might bring in more readers or clientele.

File Storage
Depending on how much bandwidth your site allows, this can be a great place to store certain files. Of course you still need a hard copy backup, but storing them in a secure, hidden location on your website can help you keep everything related to your online article writing all in one spot. This also can free up space on your computer if you'd rather not have the files there. Just be sure, as mentioned above to keep a hard copy if you go this route.

*originally published by Lyn Lomasi on Yahoo! Voices

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

But I have a LinkedIn profile, a facebook fan page, and a profile page where I write. Isn't that enough? No, I have to tell you that it doesn't quite make the grade. While those things are necessary as well, they are not all you need as web writer. You need a resume profile page on your own website. What?! You don't have a writer website? Read this first. Then come back.

You need a place to refer clients and fans to. Whether you are handing out business cards in-person, applying to gigs via email, or filing out online or paper applications, you need one main place to refer to clients to. If you're using a blog, facebook page, or LinkedIn profile for that, it's a good start. But you need to go above and beyond and have a full profile where potential clients as well as fans can find all (or most) of what you do.

Having your own domain looks professional. If you want to be considered a professional, you need to walk the walk. When you hire a professional plumber, are you going to hire the person who is borrowing someone else's tools and appears to be just learning the job? How about someone who can show you their license, has all the right tools of their own, and can provide you with referrals right away? Your online resume page is your most valuable tool. Build it and use it.

You cannot include all you need on someone else's domain. Blogs and social profiles are generally not set up to provide every item you might need, such as a clear bio, resume, picture, and links all on the same page. You may get close. But there will always be limitations on what you can do. With your own domain, the only limits are those you set for yourself.

You have easy access to keep it updated. When you have your own domain, you make the rules about how often it gets updated. Just log on and get it done. This is true of some social profiles as well, but not all of them. Some require submitting help tickets that are handled whenever that site admin is able to. Get your own domain so that you dictate when your own online writer resume is updated.

Ooh, shiny things! Customization is the key to standing out. But you can only do so much of that on someone else's website. When you have your own online writer's resume on your own domain, you can jazz it up or tone it down at your own discretion. Design your profile around the topics you write and how you would like clients to see you.

Don't know how to make an online resume page? I can help at a reasonable cost. Check out my Design Services.

More from Lyn:

Lyn's Online Resume Page

Why All Web Writers Need a Website

Web Writing Tips: Fan and Follower No-Nos

Why would online article writers need a website if many article submission sites allow a professional profile? This is a question I get asked often when I mention the idea. Learn some of the many reasons all freelance web writers need a website of their own.

Writer's Resume

When applying for online writing jobs and gigs, reference links and/or a resume are often required. This will be much simpler for those with a website. Some may create an area where a client can download their resume by requesting the link. Others may post links to samples. Yet others may do both or handle it another way. Online article writers need a website in order to reference their work all in one place.

Professionalism

Professionalism is key, even though you don't see your clients face-to-face when writing online. A freelance writer's website is like a virtual resume, meeting place, and office at the same time. This is where you can let your clientele know you are professional by including all of the right things. A bio, samples, and a contact page are just a few. Read "8 Musts on a Freelance Writer's Website" for more details on those and other must-include items for professionalism.

Info Source

Even if a client finds your work elsewhere, they may want to know more than they can find in a limited bio attached to your profile on a content site. This is where your website comes in handy. Many content sites allow article writers to place a link to their website in their profile or bio. Also, be sure to link to it from any blogs or other profiles you have. Giving clients (both potential and current) a place to find more information about you as a person and as a writer is very beneficial to them as well as to your writing career.

Announcements

If you have any big writing projects, off days, exciting news, etc it can be posted to your website. Of course you don't want to announce information that is too personal, but a web writer's website can serve as a great way to spread the word. Doing this has many benefits. Some include letting clients see that you are accomplishing things, engaging with your audience, and also depending on the announcement it might bring in more readers or clientele.

File Storage

Depending on how much bandwidth your site allows, this can be a great place to store certain files. Of course you still need a hard copy backup, but storing them in a secure, hidden location on your website can help you keep everything related to your online article writing all in one spot. This also can free up space on your computer if you'd rather not have the files there. Just be sure, as mentioned above to keep a hard copy if you go this route.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Do you have non-exclusive writing lying around collecting dust? If you write for a living, chances are that not everything you submit or publish is exclusive to one party. What are you doing with the work that you still hold publishing rights to? If you answered "Nothing" you are not making the most of your work.

Offer reprints.

What are reprints? Put simply, reprints are pieces that have been previously published but can be published again.

If you submit your work to someone non-exclusively, you still have publication rights. Always read the fine print everywhere that you publish your work to be sure who has the rights. Just because you still hold the copyright, does not always mean you still hold publication rights.

Once you have determined that you do hold publication rights, there are several ways you can offer reprints.

Here are some of my favorites:

• Get them published with online venues that accept non-exclusive content and customize the content to each venue.
• Have a reprints page  on your website or offer it on your regular services page.
  
• Republish them on your own website to draw traffic to your services and/or advertisements.
• Get them published in print publications that accept non-exclusive work, again customizing to fit the venue.