Helpful Resources for Freelance Writers

Here are some of my favorite books and resources for the freelance writer.

Writer's Digest - This magazine is a staple for writers everywhere. I look forward to my issue each month, and the articles get devoured almost as soon as it's out of the mailbox! The magazine is not only a wonderful source of inspiration, but it motivates me as well. Whenever I finish reading it, I feel compelled to sit down and write. Not to mention the invaluable tips and insights from accomplished authors that are included in every issue. If you don't currently subscribe to this magazine, I highly recommend you do so!

Writer's Market - This is perhaps one of the most invaluable resource for writers everywhere. For the freelance writer hoping to break into print and online publications, it provides a listing of all the bigger open markets as well as submission guidelines, pay and tips on getting published. Be sure to get the current year's edition, as submission guidelines and markets are constantly changing.

The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters - For those new to the world of querying online and print publications, this book shows you how effectively write queries that grab the editor's attention and land you the job.

Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing - Learn how to write magazine articles. This guide gives tips and suggestions on how to write one from initial research to final copy.

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments - I love this author's down-to-earth writing style! Learn how to make it as a freelance writer in today's world, written by a seasoned pro with published clips in the 'Big Ones' like Good Housekeeping.

Review of Writer Gig's E-Book on Writing for eHow.com

When I first started writing for eHow.com, I can across Writer Gig (Maria)’s eBook, How to Earn Passive Income at eHow.com: Residual Income for Web Content Writers. I was intrigued and wanted to buy the book. Maria currently makes over $1500 a month from her eHow articles alone. She clearly has succeeded as a writer there and knows what she is talking about. I put off buying the book, however, thinking I could figure things out on my own. Recently, I caved in and bought the book with my monthly residual income. My only regret is not buying it sooner.

Maria’s eBook includes step by step instructions on how to effectively optimize eHow articles for maximum earnings. She includes screen shots of her monthly income as proof as well as resources and links to online tools that will help you in the research and writing process. She also has keyword and SEO tips which both beginners and veteran web writers can benefit from.

After reading her eBook, I am excited to begin implementing her techniques to help maximize and greatly enhance my eHow earnings. I highly recommend it to anyone who writes for eHow, as it is a timeless resource that will help you succeed in your writing efforts there. The price is totally worth is, especially since your monthly earnings will increase quite a bit with her technique.

Maria also has a money back guarantee. She states, “Your satisfaction is guaranteed. With dozens and dozens of customers, I have never had a single request for a refund! If you try my method for 30 days and don't see results, I'll refund your purchase! You have nothing to lose.”

***UPDATE: Due to the recent eHow rule banning all affiliate links in articles, Writer Gig will be updating her eBook with new information. When the new version is available, those who have purchased her eBook will receive the updated eBook at no cost to them.***

Tips on Staying a Productive Writer

I'd like to think that I'm back on the productivity boat again- the past few days have been a writing freenzy, and I've already exceeded my output from November. The beginning of the month leaves a lot of room for a lot of work to get done, but unless I am adament at it, it could easily get thrown to the wayside. I know a lot of writers struggle with getting enough work put in, and so I've come up with a list of tips to help keep you motivated to write and how you can become a more prolific writer.

1. Set goals and really mean them. I know that I've set goals in the past, only to half-heartedly attempt to acheive them. Intent is the issue here- so set goals you can reasonably see yourself fulfilling.
2. Chuck your writing time into blocks. Don't have an hour? Set a timer for fifteen minutes and write non-stop until it goes off. Do this 3 or 4 times throughout the day and before you know it, you have written for an hour.
3. Keep ideas handy. There are times where a wave of ideas for articles hit me, and I make sure to write them down. Theses lists have helped me countless of times when I just want to write instead of brainstorm.
4. Write often. It's true that the more practice you have, the easier it gets. I find when I am writing everyday that it is much easier and much quicker to churn out articles than it is when I am not writing often.

For more tips on the writing life, check out my eHow articles:

• How to Become a More Productive Writer
• How to Become a Better Researcher

Researching for eHow Article Topics and Keywords

The past two days I have been researching ideas for future eHow articles. I now have a goal to have over 50 articles published by the end of August on eHow. But since I have 11 articles that are no earning yet (some of which are brand new), I have been experimenting with different methods of research for topics and keywords.

One of my new best friends is the Google search bar. I type in 'how to' followed by a particular letter, such as 'a' and the suggestion tool comes up with the most searched phrases that begin with 'how to a' such as 'how to annotate'. With this list, I have been researching whether those articles have already been written on eHow (some haven't!) and what the competition is. My next phase will include using the Google Adwords keywoods tool, and I'll search for those phrases that have the highest PPC. It has made writing eHow articles much easier since I no longer have to come up with a topic- google does that for me!

I also recently found out that Suite 101 gives a bonus to its writers who reach the 50 article mark. I am still 46 articles away! But this gives me a lot of motivation to get there. Since Suite 101 articles take longer to write than others, I am not going to try and rush myself on those 46 articles just yet.

Here are some links to some helpful eHow articles regarding topic and niche research:

• How to get your eHow article into the top 10 Google search results
• How to get new ideas for your next money-making eHow article
• How to get your adsense ads to match your article content: the power of optimization

What's next on my resource list? Purchasing a copy of Writergig's eHow book. I've come across it many times and read great reviews from it. I need to write some extra DS articles, however, before I can buy it!

How Google AdWords Can Help Your Articles Make Money

I write for both Suite 101 and eHow, both of which are residual income earning sites. That means that I receive a portion of the ad click income incurred from each article. Therefore, most articles are dependent on the type of ads that appear beside them. Some ads are higher paying than others, while a few pay nearly nothing. In order to get the most money possible from an individual article, doing some research with Google Adwords can really help to improve earnings.

How do I do this? Whenever I think of a new idea, I simply go here, and insert the name of the title or phrase it revolves around. By clicking 'get keyword ideas' I am presented with a number of associated keywords with my phrase. On the right, under 'Choose Columns Display' I then click on 'Show Estimated Avg. CPC'. CPC stands for cost per click, which is the amount an advertiser is charged when someone clicks on that particular ad. By choosing to use the highest earning keywords in my article (I look for over $3.00 as a starting point), I increase my income whenever related ads show up next to my articles and someone clicks on them.

bedroom organization	1 - 3	$1.33		135,000	14,800		Jun	Add
bedroom furniture sets	1 - 3	$1.18		246,000	90,500		Jun	Add
metal bedroom furniture	1 - 3	$1.73		90,500	22,200		Jun	Add
fitted bedroom furniture	1 - 3	$3.38		3,600	22,200		May	Add
rustic bedroom furniture	1 - 3	$1.75		8,100	8,100		Oct	Add
cheap bedroom furniture	1 - 3	$1.46		49,500	49,500		Apr	Add
country bedroom furniture	1 - 3	$0.96		14,800	12,100		Sep	Add

On the articles I have done this with, I have experienced a higher income per article as well as more views. Some topics tend to be higher earners while others have CPC rating as low as $0.05! The key is understanding and learning what topics are bigger earners than others. Implement this system and you are sure to make more money by writing not only for eHow and Suite 101, but any other place on the web where adsense earnings is key.