Archive for February 6th, 2010

1. Choose your stories wisely. Obviously, you want your target audience to pay attention to your articles. This will only happen if you cover those stories that are recent, interesting, and newsworthy. Instead of writing tips and how-to’s, you should focus your attention on writing recent events in the economy, government, and in your local community.

2. Obtain complete data. Don’t start writing your articles until you gather all the information that your readers need to know. Interview all people who are involved in your stories and research your subjects thoroughly. This is the only way to make sure that you’ll effectively inform your audience.

3. Use killer headlines. Grab your readers by the throat by using eye-catching headlines. These should contain only few but powerful words. In here, you must communicate the gist of your content and the reason why people should read it.

4. Use the inverted pyramid technique. It’s important that you hook your readers early on so you can easily get them to read your articles until the end. This will happen if you use the inverted pyramid technique. Answer all their possible questions on your lead paragraph and present supporting details on your succeeding paragraphs.

5. Write to inform and not to impress. Write simply. Your readers will not appreciate it if you showcase your wide range of vocabulary so stick with common terms that they can easily understand. Also, avoid using complicated, lengthy sentences at all cost.

6. Check your data. It’s crucial for you to make sure that all your data are based on facts otherwise, you will run the risk of facing complaints or libel suits. You don’t want that to happen, do you?

Author: Sean R Mize
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty tariff

Letters of recommendation are routinely sought for employment and education situations. You may also find yourself asked to write a reference letter for someone seeking to adopt a child, get into college or be released on parole. Honestly, a person’s first internal response, no matter how highly they think of the person and want to help him or her out, is often, “What a hassle.”

But if you know a few of the “rules” of recommendation and reference letter writing, and have access to free recommendation letter templates, your task should go smoothly.

Whether you’re writing a job-related recommendation letter or acting as a character reference, the approach is pretty much the same. These letters actually follow a fairly predictable format, which means that if you start with a basic template, you can be sure to hit all the key points, resulting in a well-crafted letter that’s certain to be of use to the recipient as well as the person being vouched for.

Just because you’re starting with a template doesn’t mean your letter will be insincere or look like every other letter out there. You still have some work to do!

To write an effective, meaningful recommendation letter, first be sure you are the right person for the job. If you haven’t directly interacted with the person in a meaningful way, you’re really in no position to refer him or her. Managers and other supervisors carry more weight than a coworker, and professors and counselors are usually the best choices for academic reference letters. Similarly, don’t agree to act as a character reference for someone you don’t feel you know well. It will likely show in your letter and defeat the purpose altogether. If you don’t feel you can write an honest, helpful letter, it’s probably better to politely decline the request. (Although not all recommendation letters have to be full of glowing praise.) Also, if the time frame is too tight, be up front about that as well.

Start off by formatting the letter on a computer as a classic business letter, with the paragraphs in blocks and the full return address and recipient information included. The exception might be a more conversational personal reference letter such as a character reference for prospective adoptive parents.

Open the letter by making it clear why you’re writing the letter and why you’re in a good position to do so. (Establish your relationship with the person you’re recommending.) The body of the letter should be at least a couple of paragraphs, but probably no more than five. Describe the person and his or her traits and skills, using descriptive adjectives and concrete examples or anecdotes illustrating character and/or performance. Close by restating your opinion of the person and offering to provide further information if needed. Include a phone number and/or email and sign the letter.

A more recent request from job-seekers is for references on Linked In and social networking sites. These recommendations are much shorter than a formal letter (usually just one paragraph), but they should still have a professional tone and address specific traits and skills of the person.

After you complete the letter, be sure to proofread it for typographical and other errors. Get the letter back to the person by the agreed-upon time, or, if you’re submitting it directly to a college, court or potential employer, be sure to send it off promptly.

If you download a recommendation letter template and alter it to your specific needs, save it on your computer so you can access it again and again. Some people, such as supervisors or educators, write many letters of recommendation and simply “tweak” their own boilerplate form to reflect the candidate at hand.

Copyright 2009 by Kevin Savetz

Author: Kevin Savetz
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate

Let’s look at how you can tell if you’re already a technical writer. Or if you want to become a technical writer.

The first question, of course, has to be: What is a technical writer? There’s no universal definition that covers every situation, but generally speaking a technical writer – or technical communicator – is someone who:

- has the ability to assimilate and convey technical material in a concise, effective manner

- designs, creates, maintains, and updates technical documentation

A technical writer is a professional writer who designs, creates, maintains, and updates technical documentation-including online help, user guides, white papers, design specifications, and other documents. The technical writer’s primary responsibility is to gather information and produce documentation tailored to a particular audience.

So, how do you know if you’re already a technical writer? Or want to become one? If your response to these questions is either, “Yes, I do that now,” or “I’d like to learn how to do that,” there’s a good chance that you’re already a tech writer or should seriously think about becoming one.

The Technical Writer Identification Test

1. Do you like to do research and learn about “stuff?”

When you look for one piece of information, do you often find yourself going off on side trips to find out about other things because you like to know things just for the sake of knowing?

2. Do you work well both alone and as part of a team?

Are you comfortable working on your own, being your own boss, and being responsible for when you work and how? But when necessary, can you work as a productive member of a team?

3. Do you have good analytical skills?

Can you organize information coherently, analyze situations, and propose solutions?

4. Do you have good people skills?

Are you comfortable talking to people, asking questions and evaluating their responses?

5. Do you have basic computer skills?

Are you proficient in word processing, creating spread sheets, and building PowerPoint presentations?

6. Do you have a basic understanding of technology?

Are you either generally aware of how an internal combustion engine, a nuclear reactor, a light bulb, a computer program, or a jet plane works – or would like to find out?

7. Do you have good language skills?

You don’t need a master’s degree in English. But you should know how to construct clear, direct sentences.

8. Do people like your travel directions because they’re clear and actually get them where they want to go?

9. Do you often write business documentation?

Does your current work involve any of the following:

- Process or equipment instructions

- Cost and schedule estimating

- Project administration documentation

- Writing standards and procedures

- Information management

- Writing design documents that describe the workings of a system

- Creating control documents that communicate project standards

10. Do you want to move into a new and exciting position in a profession with substantial rewards and rapidly growing opportunities?

How about it? Do these questions describe who you are now or who you’d like to become? The field of technical writing is growing and needs writers who can turn raw data into simple to read documentation.

Author: Bryan S. Adar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

Women’s fiction and romance have similarities, but also distinct differences. While many of the publishers may be the same for both genres, editors are looking for the key elements that make for compelling women’s fiction. (Lisa Craig, Inkspot copyright 2000).

From the research I have completed, women’s fiction may have romance as a component, but it is not the complete plot, just a part. Women’s fiction revolves around a story-line that women (perhaps more than men) would enjoy reading. The issues involved should appeal to a woman, including the enpowerment of women.

Quoting Lisa Craig again: “Women’s fiction, however — like the women who read it — has evolved to include subjects and themes that range far beyond romance.”

In Craig’s article, she quotes Literary Agent Linda Hyatt of the Hyatt Literary Agency: “Good women’s commercial fiction usually touches the reader in ways other fiction cannot. Relationship stories, generational sagas, love stories and women’s commercial fiction must touch on subjects women can relate to in their real lives. Whether there is a happily ever after ending, or a bittersweet one, whether the reader laughs or cries, women love reading stories that touch their emotions – and tug at their hearts.”

I like the way author Eileen Goudge explains, first by quoting advice from her editor. “Think of your novel as a tapestry, woven with multicolored threads of various warps and wefts.” Then Goudge compares women’s fiction with that tapestry, saying the more intricate the tapestry of this genre, the richer it is. Each subplot starts as thread on the loom of imagination. The author’s job is to weave the threads together in a way that’s not only coherent but engrossing to the reader.

Her explanation actually applies to any writing, not just women’s fiction, but she does give the picture of a plot more entailed than a straight romance plot.

Goudge later in her article (Women’s fiction vs. romance, The Writer April 2007) states that the writing separates the two genre. Romance writers, she says, indulge in “verbiage that borders on purple prose.” In women’s fiction, flowery descriptive passages, unnecessary adverbs and love-scene metaphors are cut.

Although, differences may exist, the relationship between the genre is close, and they often overlap. Appealing to both audiences is possible and often desirable.

Author: Vivian Gilbert Zabel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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So you want to turn your movie into a novel.

Here are my thoughts on scripts vs. novels. These are by no means “rules”, merely my personal thoughts, but I hope you find them useful.

Movies are different from novels, so when novelizing a script, we should examine those differences.

THE BEGINNING

You’ve seen the movie trailer, and you’re seated comfortably in the theatre, popcorn in hand. The movie begins, and you lean back. What are the odds you’ll step out of the theatre now? Slim to none. You’ve already bought your ticket, and you’ll probably give the movie at least fifteen minutes to get interesting.

With novels we don’t have that luxury, especially if we’re not a household name. Editors and readers will often decide if to buy our book based on the first page. Therefore, we must grab their attention immediately, right from the first sentence. The opening must hook the reader, forcing him or her to keep reading. If the first sentence, paragraph, or page are slow, we might lose the sale.

Your script’s first scene might be slow and mood-setting, which could work great for a movie, but a novel should start with a bang.

SOUND EFFECTS

Sound is a major component in movies. Sound affects can be powerful, whether they’re the shrieks of aliens, the ringing of swords, or booming explosions.

Novels, obviously, do not emit sound. However, we can create “sound effects” with similes. We can write that “monsters screeched like nails on a blackboard” or that “the dragon’s flapping wings sounded like wobbling saws”. That way, we’re describing sounds that the reader already knows.

MUSIC

Music is a major component in most movies, helping to set the mood. Imagine “Star Wars” without John William’s epic score, or “Psycho” without the creepy violins.

We cannot, obviously, add music to novels. We can, however, add “music” by describing it. We can write, “As the Trog raised his sword, angels sang” or “The goblins marched down the hill, beating their drums and chanting deeply”. Not as effective as a Williams score, but it can help.

Ultimately, we must rely on our writing to set the mood, without the aid of a score. If we write powerfully enough, we won’t need music.

VISUALS

Visuals are another component that novels (unless they are graphic novels) lack. But visuals can be described. You already have your script, so you probably have an idea of how every scene looks.

I often think of my scenes cinematically. I imagine the way the scene might look in a movie, then describe it. I have to “see” the scene before writing it.

And hey, a movie studio would spend a million dollars to create a computer-generated dragon. In a novel, we can create one in a few sentences.

POINT OF VIEW

So far, I’ve described components movies have and novels lack. Novels, however, have a powerful tool unique to them. Novels can describe characters’ thoughts.

In a movie, we’re seeing everything. We’re passive observers. But as a novelist, I can place the reader into a character’s head. The reader will see through the character’s eyes, hear through his ears, even read his thoughts. This is powerful. It lets us explore characters’ hearts and minds in a way movies cannot.

Consider the following paragraph.

“Trog wandered the dungeon, hunger gnawing on his belly. The dungeon smelled like rotten leaves and wet fur. I wish I were home with my wife Molly, eating her apple pie, Trog thought.”

In a movie, we couldn’t show Trog’s hunger. We couldn’t describe the stench of the dungeon. We could perhaps see Trog holding his nose, but we still wouldn’t know that the place smelled like rotten leaves and wet fur. Finally, we wouldn’t know that Trog wishes he were home with Molly, eating apple pie.

LENGTH

Novels are longer than movies. A movie is over in two hours. A novel might take ten or twenty hours to read. That gives us more room to expand upon plot, setting, and characters.

I hope my humble thoughts on scripts vs. novels are useful. Best of luck with your script and novel.

Author: Daniel Arenson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital TV, HDTV, Satellite TV

On any given day there are thousands of magazines in circulation; writing for them can be very profitable for even beginning writers.

Despite the surge of information on the Internet in the past decade, magazines still sell in tremendous numbers and it takes quality writers to make them sell. In fact the competition among magazines is so fierce it has driven the amount of money you can make writing for magazines to unbelievable levels.

Because the market is so tough there are many things to take into consideration before you embark on your journey to become a freelance magazine writer. Most importantly you need to find a magazine that covers a subject that you have an interest in, after all if you surf then you probably would not be much good at writing articles about snow skiing. The same would follow that if you write articles about surfing you would not submit them to a skiing magazine for samples of your skills.

Never send a magazine a complete unsolicited article; most editors simply do not have enough time to wade through them and there is also the possibility they may publish it thinking it is from a prepaid source. Instead a very carefully worded cover letter describing the article you wish to write for them will work much better.

If you receive a rejection letter just put it aside and send out another cover letter, the more of them you can send out, the better your chances are at getting an offer. If you are really lucky you might find that you get more than one offer and you may suddenly find yourself with more articles to write and not enough time.

Beyond contacting individual magazines for work there are other ways to find work, the most popular one is on the Internet, simply typing the words will yield you pages of places that hire freelance writers. Many of them offer a brokerage service whereby the client in need is connected with the writer. These places make their money through charging both parties involved a small fee for the service.

This can be a great way to get started in the freelance business as it allows you to find work through a reputable service and build your portfolio. You will find it much easier to land that really good job for the big name magazines once you have a proven track record of publications behind you.

Author: Serena Lewis
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

You might have through knowledge of the subject, but without adequate guidance or structure you will loose the basic idea of the essay. Hence a prompt is required which will remind you what you need to do in the paper. It can very well start with some significant experience of yours, some personal achievements or problems you might have faced. Analyzing them and how it has affected you will be a interesting prompt for your essay.

While writing the prompts be sure that you are original in your approach and do not consider any common problem to investigate in your essay. Use something different and unique. This will help you to be different from others. It is better to consider some point which are different, unique and will hold the reader’s attention for long. It has been proved that the essay will have more weight if the introduction is written properly. This is where the reader is intrigued and gets involved with the essay. The introduction will also involve you as a writer. You will have different opinions and ideas in your mind and it will keep on changing. With a predetermined introduction you will never loose sight of the main theme of the essay. The introduction is best written with some interesting facts or opinions. One can use jokes as well if it suits the purpose of the essay.

During scripting the essay the concentration must be given to the transitional phrase and words. It should be consistent and coherent throughout the essay. Linking the paragraphs with appropriate words and phrases will ensure a rhythmic flow in the essay. The main ideas are mentioned in the body of the essay. This will provide the reader the primary idea of your essay along with related facts and figures. The supporting information must be mentioned here. In the conclusion you need to make a summary of what you wanted to prove through the essay. All this should be in line with the prompts you have used.

When you are writing the college essay prompts you must be well aware of the language you are using. Sound professional and make sure that you do not loose out on the academic aspect of your essay. Formality is required when you writing the essay. Also do not think that your professor or teacher will be only audience, there will be many more readers in the future who might want to refer to your essay. Hence, it must be structured and well planned. Essay writing is a common phenomenon in your student years. But it can also continue during your years of research. Hence, if you learn the proper way of addressing the essay at an early age, it will help you in the future as well.

Author: Sarah Brodie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

Can Quick Grammar Guide & Checker solve our grammar writing problems once and for all? English writing is one of the most important forms of communication today, it is necessary to maintain it correct and professional. Let’s take a look and see how recent technological improvements can help us on improving our writing skills.

Quick introduction

What is Quick Grammar Guide & Checker all about? Well, it is one of these innovative solutions that technology keeps bringing in order to make our life easier – in our case it is about fixing our English writing. By simulating the human mind, this technology analyzes your writing by comparing it to a dynamic large database that contains proper variations of your text. Sophisticated language processing solutions usually offer the following: editing and proofreading, checking on spelling and typos, and most importantly – analyzing our grammar writing.

Important benefits

We can easily find several important advantages while using this technology:

* Significantly enhancing the capabilities of our existing text editors.

* Improving our self confidence with our writing.

* Improving the image we want to project through our writing.

Extra research on this solution would probably bring up additional benefits that aren’t mentioned here, as this important webmarketing technique keeps changing, bringing us fresh solutions that help us on improving our English writing and editing skills.

Quick summary

If we summarize the main benefit provided by this powerful Quick Grammar Guide & Checker – it is helping us on identifying possible writing errors before we deliver or publish our writing assignments. Everyone agrees that it cannot completely eliminate our writing problems; however, it can significantly help us on improving our writing skills. Undoubtedly we can expect this exciting technology to further develop itself, for one simple reason: writing is one of the most important tools that help us achieving many of our goals.

Author: Gil Lavitov
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Wordpress plugin expert

Productive sales letter writing can seem like a scary task for a lot of people. Every day we read sales letters from others, but when we have to do it ourselves it seems like a very different end product. However, there are a few techniques you should keep in mind for productive sales letter writing.

What you have to remember is AIDA–Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. You only have a short space to do it, and you dont have the luxury of vocal support, so use your words wisely. You want to grab attention in the line by offering them something or asking a question you know they will answer, yes to.

Afterward, you want to hold interest. You do this by giving the reader information that he or she will think is interesting. Afterward, the reader will be considering options or possibly wanting to do something about the interest you have created. This is a perfect opportunity to boost desire by offering discounts, free additional products, etc.

Immediately afterward, you want them to act on their desires. Here, you simply tell them what to do. Call this 800 number for your free report, or To order your book with bonus booklight today, send in the enclosed….

Remember that this is probably not the only sales letter you will need to send out. You usually have to have your name in front of people six times before they will buy from you, so be patient. Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action are the four cornerstones to productive sales letter writing. Skip one to your peril.

Author: Sean R Mize
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Information

If youve read any of my work before, you probably know that I’ve been in publishing since 1987, have been a freelancer since 1993 and ran an editorial staffing agency in New York City from 1996 through 2004.

Some lessons Ive learned from this crazy journey are as follows:

1. Staying abreast of technology is crucial: Back in 1998, I was pushed to get a website for my company because clients and candidates were asking questions like, Can I apply online? Can I download the contract from your site? Can I post a job to your website?

Well, as we didnt even have a website, I would embarrassingly say no. The loud silence, especially from clients, on the other end of the phone line got to be too much.

Going through the process of getting a website taught me the value of staying on top of technology. I learned that while I dont need to be a hard-nosed techie, to stay competitive, I had to know enough to be able to stay competitive. This meant not only getting a site, but learning how to update it myself.

One of the wonderful things about technology is that new tools are constantly being developed for those of us who are NOT tech-savvy, eg, FrontPage software for building websites, autoresponder software, listserv software for building mailing lists, etc.

2. Writing is a skill: Obviously, you mutter. However, many writers dont treat their craft like it. I single out writers because, in my experience, proofreaders, copy editors, indexers, editors, graphic designers, illustrators, etc. all seem to see intrinsic value and take pride in their work.

Many writers take their craft for granted. Maybe its because society views writing as just words on paper. After all, once you know your ABCs, you can write, right? Well, editorial professionals know better than anyone that this is not so.

One thing I advise all professional writers to do to combat this lackadaisical attitude is to treat their writing like a business skill. Just like being a professional coder, artist or web designer when you put yourself out there, market and treat your skill like the highly valued commodity it is.

Let it be reflected in your perfectly prepared marketing materials eg, your website, brochure, postcard, etc. Also, when you speak with potential clients, be sure to use a professional tone. No one is going to believe that you write professionally if you dont talk like it as well.

3. Freelancing full-time is not hard: Its not easy, to be sure. But, building a successful, full-time freelance career is not terribly difficult, if:

a. You have experience within your discipline. Most successful freelancers Ive encountered have worked full-time within their discipline at some point.

b. You are willing to work fulltime and freelance on the side for a period of time. Many freelancers leave their jobs once they got too burned out doing both, or secure a big project that allows them to make the leap.

c. You plan for it. Some freelancers (the most successful ones I might add) are more calculating about their careers.

What I mean by this is that they plan a year or two out knowing that they are going to leave their jobs. So, they save 6 months or a years expenses, pay off credit card bills, buy equipment while working full-time, etc.; then, they make the leap.

The ones I know who followed this path are, not surprisingly, the most successful meaning, they have gone on to hire employees. A few even opened offices and became official businesses because their client load demanded it.

Can you build a freelance business if you dont have these three things? Absolutely! However, it is even more critical that you devise a plan of how youre going to go about it. Having experience and industry contacts makes it easier, but the web makes it easier than ever today to start a freelance business.

4. Marketing is a skill that must be developed: When most freelancers start out, they may have two or three clients who keep them pretty busy. BUT, the day comes when the projects dry up (it always happens) and you have to scrounge for business.

Its at this point that many panic and start looking for a full-time job again. When I was recruiting, I received more than a few panicked calls, eg, I have to find something — quick!

Invariably, I was unable to help them (see Point #5 below). It usually was a moot point though because within a month or so, some project would come along and they would no longer be interested or available for a full-time job.

It was during this time that I got interested in the whole topic of freelancing as a business. Most freelancers focus on their craft and not the business of freelancing. However, as I preach ad nauseam on InkwellEditorial.com, to be successful as a freelancer, you must, must, must learn how to market if you want a full-time, sustainable career as a freelancer.

5. Employers dont like to hire freelancers for full-time jobs: It was my experience when I was recruiting that if you freelanced full-time for a year or more, employers were very hesitant to hire you as a full-time employee. Why?

Because most think that you are only seeking full-time work because you have hit a rough patch financially. Logically, it just makes sense. I mean, who gives up a successful freelance career to go back to the 9-5 grindstone? Most employers figured that as soon as the next big project came along, their new hire would be out the door.

I have seen it happen on many occasions so much so that when I was recruiting, I would screen out those with a significant freelance history because the chances that they would leave was just too great.

I once lost a $6,000 placement fee because the employee quit 10 days before the 90-day guarantee. [Most recruiting firms give employers a 60 or 90-day guarantee that the employee will stay put for at least this amount of time, or they dont have to pay.]

6. You cant change your rates every year: Charge enough that you dont have to change your rate for three years. I know some make take umbrage with this, but Ive found editorial (eg, writing, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, editing, etc.) to be a very static industry. It is not one where you can raise rates yearly.

Some of the companies I freelanced for back in 1993 still pay the same rates today Im not kidding! So, I advise all freelancers who are just starting out to start out charging enough so that they dont have to change their rates for three years.

Its been my experience that after this period, you can increase rates without worrying about losing even one of your clients. Putting forth the argument of, we havent raised rates in three years somehow seems to make it fair for them.

Working on this time schedule, I dont ever remember losing a client. I think its a combination of clients being comfortable with your work and them thinking, after three years, an increase is only fair.

7. You must develop a niche: Ive known a few freelancers who did several things successfully (eg, designed websites and wrote the copy for them), but this was the exception, not the norm.

Most successful freelancers niche it. What I mean is, they develop a niche and stick to it. In my opinion, it is far easier to become successful like this than being a generalist.

Trust me, those sites where you see freelancers touting that they do everything from writing to web design to illustration are not making that much money, or they are farming the work out to other freelancers.

Most clients like to know that they are getting a knowledgeable professional who has a history and body of work within the discipline they are being hired for. If it is a pharmaceutical company, they want a writer who has done this type of writing before.

So, develop a niche and market the hell out of it!

8. Patience is a virtue: Even after all of my years in the industry, Im amazed by how difficult it can be to be patient while I grow my business. I have lists and lists of ideas that I want to implement and there just never seems to be enough time.

This is easily a career where you can work nonstop all the time. An idea for an article pops in your head and instead of jotting down the idea, you find yourself writing the whole article; you go online to do some research, and before you know it you have spent two hours surfing the net on an unrelated matter; you log on to check email, and in an instant, you find yourself redesigning a section of your website; the list is endless.

This is an issue I still struggle with; although, I have gotten better about stopping. So, instead of browsing for 2 hours, it might be 30 minutes before I literally make myself stop and go back to my original task.

The best advice I can give to stop this kind of behavior is to think of your long-range goals and ask yourself if what youre doing this very minute is getting you closer to them. If not, stop and get back on track.

9. Retirement is not planned for: I can count the number of times on one hand that Ive had conversations with freelancers about retirement. Most small business owners (and thats what freelancing is, small business ownership) have an exit strategy, or a day where they envision doing something else.

For some reason, editorial and creative freelancers dont think this way. Well, while you may be able to write or design websites from anywhere at any age, whos to say youre going to want to when youre 70?

In my quest to get freelancers to think of themselves as businesses, one of the things I wish more would do is plan for retirement. This includes looking into 401K plans, buying investment real estate, building a sellable business, etc.

Again, just because you might be capable of churning out material long past retirement age does not mean that you are going to want to. So, plan for the day when you wont have to.

10. Longevity pays: The longer you freelance, the easier it gets. My business mentor said to me once, when you first start out, you are just greasing the pipes. After two or three years, clients will not be quite so hard to come by.

Its just like search engine positioning — the longer your site is on the web, the more frequently it is spidered by search engine bots, the more results it shows up in, the more popular it is, more people find it and voila! you have a popular site.

If you are constantly marketing and networking, eventually, it will seem effortless and referrals will flow in. Thats because you build traction just by being around. Many freelancers dont hang in there long enough to get this type of seamless recognition.

In conclusion, freelancing is a wonderful career — if, like anything other venture you enter, you take it seriously enough to work it like a business.

Author: Yuwanda Black
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News