For parents—especially for full-time moms—blogging can be a a lifesaver.

It’s a way of communicating with the adult world when we’re surrounded all day by children. For some, it may be the only form of intellectual stimulation we get during the course of a week.

However, blogging can also be a big commitment if you aim to do it for more than just an emotional outlet.

If you’re a busy mom or dad who blogs, or you’re considering starting one, consider the following six dos and don’ts:

1. DO define your reasons for blogging.

Starting a blog just because you can won’t get you far. Think of how many millions of blogs there are out there—many of them abandoned after just a few posts once the novelty of blogging has worn off.

Why do you want to blog? Is it to promote yourself and your writing through social media? Are you looking to learn more about a specific topic and share your new knowledge with others, or keep up your professional skills by writing about your area of expertise?

If you can’t think of a good reason beyond creating an online diary, why not try something other than blogging? How about joining a support group or a moms-and-tots club, where you can meet other like-minded parents and get a little adult interaction? These options may require less time commitment and effort than blogging.

2. DON’T get yourself in over your head.

Maybe you start out posting twice a week. Soon, you think you’ll get more subscribers by posting three times a week. After you get a couple hundred followers, maybe you decide to start a newsletter. Soon you’re accepting articles from guest posters, doing book reviews, collaborating with other bloggers…and becoming a whole lot busier than you were to begin with.

Take on only the amount of responsibility you can safely commit to. It’s far better to have a blog you can easily take care of than one that eventually leads you to crash and burn.

3. DO focus on quality over quantity.

There’s no need to write long posts all the time. With so many blogs to choose from out there, shorter is often better. Likewise, posting one or two great articles per week is better than posting average ones every day.

Focus on quality. Fill your blog with short-but-powerful articles, and you’ll soon develop a loyal following.

4. DON’T be a no-show blogger.

Commit yourself to a reasonably regular blogging schedule. If you can only manage one post per week, that’s fine as long as you consistently post once per week.

When people subscribe to your articles, they want some sort of predictability. If you post twice a week for a month, and then go missing for a month, your readers may think you’ve given up on your blog and unsubscribe.

5. DO guest post to grow your subscriber list with less effort.

There are many different strategies for growing your subscriber list. Writing great content is the first step, and social media like Twitter and Facebook can help boost your numbers, too.

But one of the best strategies for growing your blog’s audience is guest posting for other blogs. In my first month of blogging, when I had just 23 subscribers to Write It Sideways, I wrote a guest post for Write to Done.

That one guest post more than doubled my subscribers over just a few days, and put me in contact with a published writer who then asked me to guest post on his site, as well. It wasn’t long before that handful of subscribers became hundreds.

For a busy parent, writing just a few guest posts can take your blog further, more quickly, than writing your heart out in your own little corner.

6. DON’T give up during the busiest times.

Life happens, and we all have moments when we’re completely snowed under. During those times, it can be tempting to say, “Right, I’m done with this blogging stuff!”

As a busy mom, myself, one key I’ve found to not giving up is to plan ahead for those times. I always have a long list of article ideas ready and waiting for days I feel uninspired, I ask for guest posts from other bloggers to help with the workload, and I try not to leave writing articles to the last minute, either.

You know you’re going to experience overload at some point, so have an action plan ahead of time to prevent going into give-up mode.

Are you a blogger who has young children to care for? How do you approach blogging so you reap its benefits without overcommitting yourself?

Today’s post is written by Krissy Brady, a semi-finalist in the Write It Sideways regular contributor search. Thanks, Krissy!

One fear many writers have when they begin building a freelance writing career is the fear of running out of ideas.

While I used to find thinking of salable ideas to be an intimidating process, I now embrace it and have a lot of fun with it.

The best part about searching for writing ideas is that you get to look at life in a whole new way: every detail of your life and those of the lives around you become important; your mind is open to entirely new experiences (including negative ones), and this openness enhances your creativity in a profound way.

Sometimes, you will struggle to think of new ideas, and others, you will be overwhelmed with creative bursts where you may think of 20 new ideas in one sitting.

For the times where you are feeling as if there is a wall between you and your creativity, here are just some of the ways you can open the vault again, and successfully fill your idea arsenal.

1. Job experience.

This is an especially great option for those writers who don’t have published writing clips yet. At the end of your query letter, where a writer is supposed to mention their previous experience, you can use your job experience as a way to show that you are perfect to write the article.

However, if your job is one that you don’t enjoy or simply find ‘okay’, regardless of how much writing material you can scoop from it, I recommend you run. Run away as fast as you can and only write about what you are most passionate about. There are reasons why you want to leave your current job and move on to your dream writing career, and these reasons should be left behind with your cubicle.

2. Personal experiences and challenges.

This is my absolute favorite way to think of new article ideas. Your personal experiences, both the positive experiences and new discoveries you can’t wait to share, as well as the not-so-positive experiences you’ve had to go through can make for fantastic material.

Especially in terms of negative experiences you’ve overcome or still need to overcome: you can use your writing to research and improve your life, while simultaneously improving the lives of your readers, connecting with them on a personal level, and fulfilling various needs in your niche.

3. Magazines and Newspapers

Reading magazines published from the niche market you are most interested in writing for serves three purposes:

1. It helps you familiarize yourself with the publication and its style/approach.
2. If you already have a few ideas compiled, you can check to make sure your idea or a similar one hasn’t already been published.
3. You can study what has already been written and create ‘spin-off’ ideas, writing articles that expand upon certain concepts that were mentioned but not looked into deeply. In the process, this exercise has the potential to spark completely new concepts for future articles.

Because publications are planned so far in advance, newspapers aren’t the greatest source for finding ideas that can be immediately used—by the time a magazine is able to publish the idea it wouldn’t be considered news anymore.

However, by reading and learning about what is going on in the news, you can create articles on generalized topics or on specific themes, and bookmark those people and businesses who have been in the news as interesting interview subjects for the future.

4. Social networking accounts.

Those you follow online via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be a treasure trove of information for you to find new writing ideas.

People tend to be an open book through their social networking accounts, so be sure to keep an eye on discussions that seem to blossom without warning; these could make very interesting human-interest pieces and feature articles.

5. Online forums you participate in.

The whole point to forums is to build online relationships, network and provide feedback to each other. If you were to follow online forums that cater to your target demographic, it is virtually impossible to visit and not find at least one viable idea to write about.

Once a week, I browse through the forums I participate in, and check to see if new questions or requests for advice have been posted. If one person has asked the question, there are almost certainly other people who want the answer too, but are unsure where to ask/look. You can provide the answers through your writing projects, and simultaneously build your publishing credits.

Ideas are everywhere, and these are just some of the places you can use to exercise your brainstorming skills. When you keep your mind open to any and all experiences (making sure to have some sort of note taking system on hand for when the ideas begin pouring out), you will end up with so many new ideas you won’t even know where to begin (which would call for an entirely new blog post).

Krissy Brady is a freelance writer located in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. She is a blogger dedicated to keeping the passion for writing alive, and is currently working on her first novel, poetry collection and screenplay. To learn more and keep in touch with Krissy, visit her blog at krissybrady.com, and follow her through RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest writing-related information.

The recent search for two paid contributors to Write It Sideways has yielded wonderful results. I received more applications than I could have imagined, and had the enormous challenge of narrowing down the list to just a handful of very talented writers. I look forward to sharing the most promising articles with you during November. 

Today’s post is written by Cindy Huff. Thanks, Cindy!

People-watching is an essential part of being a writer.

I love to people-watch. I find the way people walk and the clothing they wear—even how they carry their cell phones—fascinating. Because I don’t know them personally, I can imagine a whole life for them. My mind creates struggles and scenarios involving these strangers that pass through my life for an hour, a minute, or a nanosecond.

Characters in fiction come from real-life people. Our mental camera brings to mind that too-thin woman who moves like a gazelle as she washes her windows, the autumn wind almost blowing her over. Maybe another character is a compilation of a brother’s bullhorn laugh, an old math teacher’s comb-over hair style and a politician’s voice pattern. Real people make your characters more believable.

People-Watching in New Surroundings

I just returned from a trip to the Philippines, where my mind and my camera captured many interesting characters. I interacted with so many people the three weeks I was there. Some, I got to know intimately; others I noticed in passing.

Three of the images I captured on film come to my mind:

• The 3-year-old boy who can’t sit still for a minute. If he wasn’t pushing his toy car across the floor he was pushing a plastic chair across the church. Such energy could fuel a light bulb.
• The elderly man whose job it was to the cut the grass at the resort with hedge clippers. The gentlemen squatted with his backside inches from the ground. Moving his feet ever so slightly, he clipped the grass to look like golf course turf.
• The hotel security guard dressed in black, toting a large shotgun as he paces across the front of the building. The set of the guard’s face changing from deadly stern to a friendly smile as he opens the door for the hotel guests.

Each of these people could be the basis for a character in a story. All of them have unspoken thoughts and desires that I can bring to life as a writer. My mind pictures them in different places.

Perhaps the little boy is climbing up the cabinet in search of forbidden things. The elderly man stretches his aching body as he walks home to his bamboo hut, greeting his neighbors along the way. The security guard’s mind is full of fantasies about the girl at the front desk, as he counts his steps before pacing the other direction.

People-Watching Stimulates Creative Juices for Non-Fiction

People-watching can create metaphors and similes that drive a point home in an article or piece of non-fiction.

I remember watching my son’s neighborhood league baseball game. Sitting in the bleachers surrounded by Hispanic parents who cheered and chatted in Spanish was a new experience for me. Absorbing the sights and sounds around me as I watched the game, and feeling cut off from those around me because of the language barrier, led to my ponderings over how it felt to be an immigrant.

Watching a mother interact—or should I say not interact—with her child as he skated around Wal-Mart got my mind ruminating. That led to an editorial on respect.

Be Prepared to People-Watch

People-watching can be done anywhere, so have a notebook to jot down your observations.

If you happened to be sitting in a Wi-Fi hotspot, it’s easy to just type your observations, and no one is the wiser. Many phones have a note-taking application.

Jotting down your observations does two things:

1. When your mind has lost its creative edge, you can read over your notes for story ideas.
2. It gives you a storehouse of character components—a Mr. Potato Head of possible fiction characters.

*Editor’s Note: Has people-watching ever led you to write something you would never otherwise have dreamed-up? What are your favourite spots for people-watching? 

Cindy Huff is a writer and speaker, member of the Christian Writers Guild, and president of Word Weavers in Aurora, Illinois. She has been a guest columnist for the Beacon News, script writer for CBH, and has had articles and children’s stories published in various periodicals. Visit her blog Writer’s Patchwork  for more writing tips and author interviews.

A few weeks ago, I had a short story accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Grist: The Journal for Writers.

I just received the contract, and am now agonizing over my short author bio. Although I’ve written several versions in the past, none of them seem wholly appropriate for this particular journal.

A short bio usually appears at the end of a piece of writing (be it fiction or nonfiction), with the purpose of identifying the author and giving some key information about them. If you’re writing a query letter, you’ll also have to include a biographical paragraph to tell the editor or agent about yourself.

You don’t always have to use the same byline or bio, and in some cases you shouldn’t.

Before deciding what to put in your bio, consider:

1. The length of the bio. Sometimes you’ll be given a word or sentence limit. A ‘short’ bio can be anywhere from one sentence long, to one paragraph long—or even a few paragraphs in some rare cases. If you’re not sure of the expected length, check the publication to see what other writers have done. In a query letter, stick to one short paragraph.
2. The expected tone. Is the prevailing tone of the publication lighthearted and humorous, or spiritual and thoughtful, or serious and professional? Write your bio accordingly. For query letters, write a professional-sounding bio free of gimmicks.
3. The readership. Who will be reading your piece—and subsequently your bio? Is it an editor or literary agent? A casual blog audience? Readers of literary short stories? Picture your readership and write what feels appropriate for them.

Should an Author Bio Be Written in First or Third-Person?

When writing a query, keep the biographical paragraph of your letter in first-person (unless you are asked to provide a separate bio, in which case you would write in third person).

Example: I am a graduate of the MFA program at Respected University. My short fiction has appeared in MyWritingRocks Magazine, The Awesome Writer Review, and PleaseSignMe Journal. In 2010, I was granted the Award for Emerging Writers from Well-Known Writing Organization.

When writing a short author bio for an online or print byline, write in third person.

Example: Joe Schmo is a graduate of the MFA program at Respected University. His short fiction has appeared in MyWritingRocks Magazine, The Awesome Writer Review, and PleaseSignMe Journal. In 2010, he was granted the Award for Emerging Writers from Well-Known Writing Organization.

Of course, first-person vs. third-person can get a bit fuzzy when it comes to blogging. I, for example, have a first-person bio on my About page, but I always write in third-person when submitting bylines to other blogs.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits writes his blog bio in first-person:

My name is Leo Babauta, and I’m the creator and writer here. I’m married with six kids, I live in San Francisco (just moved here from Guam), I’m a writer and a runner and a vegan.

But, Copyblogger creator Brian Clark presents himself in third-person:

Copyblogger was founded in January of 2006 by Brian Clark. Brian is CEO of Copyblogger Media, a serial entrepreneur, and a recovering attorney.

Both have amazingly successful blogs with huge readerships, so what’s the difference?

It comes down to image.

Leo Babauta wants to present himself as down-to-earth and very much just a regular guy. He writes most of his own content, and can afford to seem laid-back and approachable.

On the other hand, Brian Clark wants people to see him for the authority he is in his field. Although the blog is technically ‘his,’ he has a large stable of guest writers and regular contributors who write most of the content for him.

When writing your personal blog bio, take into account how you want to come across to your readers. There’s no right or wrong here, but one image may be more appropriate than the other for your particular blog.

Information to Include in Your Author Bio

When writing your bio, you’ll want to include some (not all) of these pieces of information:

• Name
• Education
• Previous publications (if you have a lot, list just your most prestigious 3-5 credits)
• Professional writing experience or other professional experience related to the piece
• Awards
• Writing fellowships
• Affiliations with writing organizations
• The state/province/territory or country in which you live (okay in a byline, but not relevant in a query letter)
• For online publications ONLY: links to your website, blog, Twitter account or Facebook fan page

What NOT to Include in an Author Bio

If you have no previous publications, education, or professional writing experience, it can be tempting to pad your bio with other stuff. Resist the urge! Here are some things to leave out of your byline:

• How long you’ve been writing
• How much you love writing
• Irrelevant personal details
• What others have liked about your piece
• Positive rejections from other publications (“MyWritingRocks Magazine said this piece had a lot of potential,” still means that it was ultimately rejected)
• That you have no previous publications, education, or professional writing experience

How to Write a Bio with No Previous Publications

You don’t need previous publications to write an effective byline. If you really don’t have much to say, short and sweet is best.

• Example: Joe Schmo is an American short story writer living in London.
• Example: Joe Schmo studied English Literature at Respected University. He is currently working on a novel/collection of short stories/poetry collection.
• Example: Joe Schmo is a writer of literary fiction and a member of TWAA.

Examples of Different Author Bios

Most of us here are beginning or emerging writers, so we won’t all have impressive credits to list. Here are some of my author bios from different venues, which may look similar to your own bio:

Bio A (Short story magazine, no other credits).

Suzannah Windsor was born and raised in the unforgiving Canadian north, but currently lives with her husband and children on a semi-tropical coast in Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from The University of Windsor, and a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University. Suzannah is the editor of Write It Sideways, an online community dedicated to helping aspiring writers hone their skills. She has contributed to other sites such as Writer Unboxed, Write to Done, Women on Writing, Men with Pens, and Storyfix, and she is currently working on her first novel.

*Note: This one was a bit on the longish side. If I had it to do over, I’d shorten it.

Bio B (Short story magazine, one other credit). 

Suzannah Windsor is a Canadian writer currently living on the Australian coast with her husband and young children. Her short fiction appeared in the 2011 issue of The Sand Hill Review, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from The University of Windsor, and a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University.

Bio C (Blog contributor bio).

Suzannah Windsor Freeman is a K-12 teacher, and a writer of mainstream and literary fiction. She lives with her husband and two sons on the sunny shores of Australia, but dearly misses her home in the cold Canadian north. Check out her blog, Write It Sideways, for articles on writing and editing, productivity and publishing.

Bio D (Online freelance interview assignment).

Suzannah Windsor Freeman is the founder of Write It Sideways, a blog dedicated to helping aspiring authors learn new skills, define their goals, and write more productively. Her articles have been featured on Writer Unboxed, Write to Done, Men with Pens, Storyfix, and many others. Join the free 31-Day Better Writing Habits Challenge, or download a complimentary copy of Suzannah’s Read Better, Write Better Novel Study Workbook.

If you’re just starting out as a writer, you might wonder if you really need to worry about writing an author bio at the moment. After all, it’s not like you’re querying a novel or having pieces published in magazines.

But consider, a short bio can be used in social media such as Twitter or a Facebook fan page where you promote your writing. It can be added to the About page of your own blog or used when you start guest posting for other blogs.

Further Resources on Writing Author Bios

Need more information? Check out the following articles on writing short author bios or biographical paragraphs for query letters:

• What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph of Your Query Letter? Writer’s Digest
• How (and Whether) to List Your Publishing Credits, Nathan Bransford
• Bio Blurbing, Writers.com
• How to Write a Terrific Author Bio, Rachelle Gardner

Is the video missing? Try watching it on Youtube.

Note: The search is now closed to new applicants. Those who applied will hear back by November 3rd. Thanks!

I hope you were able to watch the video above, but for those of you who couldn’t view it, here’s the gist:

I’m holding a search for regular paid contributors to Write It Sideways because I’m four months pregnant with twins!

Being a busy mom of two boys already, things are likely to be quite hectic around my home for the first six months after the babies arrive (and probably beyond). Still, I’m not ready to give up on Write It Sideways, and I’ve been thinking about how to keep it running smoothly while I adjust to this huge blessing in my life.

I’m also finishing my eBook, The Busy Mom’s Guide to Writing: Maintain your mommy-groove and achieve your writing goals, and hope to have it available in the next couple of months.

This is where I need your help.

The Write It Sideways Regular Contributor Search

The regular posting schedule at Write It Sideways involves two posts per week, including two excerpt critique posts per month. Total: eight posts per average month.

What I propose is to bring on two regular paid contributors to write two posts each per month. Add to that two excerpt critiques per month, and two articles written by me per month. Total: eight posts per average month.

My vision is that Write It Sideways readers will continue to get quality content, while benefiting from the different points and view and personal experiences of other writers, all while giving me a chance to recuperate and enjoy spending time with my children.

Think you might be just the person to contribute? Keep reading.

Regular Contributor Search, Application Guidelines

Please read the following carefully as incomplete applications cannot be considered.

To be a regular contributor to Write It Sideways, you must have:

• the ability to commit to writing two articles per month between January and June 2012
• a love for writing and reading both fiction and nonfiction
• excellent language skills
• the ability to self-edit
• reliable access to the internet
• an understanding of how to write for internet audiences

While some previous writing experience is desirable, it’s not strictly necessary for the right candidate. Ideally, candidates will be familiar with writing in a WordPress website.

The first round of the application process includes a short online application and providing an unpaid guest post to be used on Write It Sideways. I’ll shortlist the most suitable writers who will then be required to provide a second unpaid guest post. The top two writers from the shortlist will then be offered a six-month paid contract, writing two posts each per month.

How To Apply

To be considered, please action the following by November 1, 2011 at 9 am EST.:

1. Complete the Contributor Application Form.
2. Send me a guest article to be used on Write It Sideways. Please do your best to follow the Write It Sideways Style Guide when writing and sending your article to me at suzannah [at] writeitsideways [dot] com.

Not all applicants will have their guest posts used on Write It Sideways. If your application and guest post are not used, you’re free to post your article on your own blog or offer it as a guest post to another blog.

Write It Sideways features only original content, which means guest articles must never have been used on your own blog or somewhere else on the internet.

The Successful Applicants

Those who make it through the first round of the application process will be sent further information about the second round.

Ultimately, the top two successful applicants will be reimbursed at a rate of $15 per article (payable monthly via PayPal), and will:

• write two original articles each month during the months of January to June 2012
• upload and schedule articles to Write It Sideways via a shared WordPress login
• follow the Write It Sideways Style Guide
• ensure work is generally free of errors
• be open to editorial direction
• respond to comments on their articles

Please keep in mind that regular contributor positions are rarely paid (I’ve acted as a regular contributor on three blogs and have written over 30 guest articles for various sites, and have never been paid), so this is a great opportunity for people looking to earn a bit of cash while expanding their writing portfolios.

Questions?

If you have questions regarding any of the guidelines, please feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email via my contact form. I look forward to seeing your applications over the next few weeks!

Again, to be considered, please action the following by November 1, 2011 at 9 am EST.:

1. Complete the Contributor Application Form
2. Send me a guest article to be used on Write It Sideways. Please do your best to follow the Write It Sideways Style Guide when writing and sending your article to me at suzannah [at] writeitsideways [dot] com.

Today’s post is written by Joe Bunting. Thanks, Joe!

I think most people have characterization backwards.

I realize that is quite a statement from a unpublished writer. However, it’s mostly unpublished authors like me dithering away their time reading (and sometimes writing) blog posts about the ten secrets of effective characterization on the internet. I just want to save people like me a lot of time.

We aspirants eat this characterization stuff up, and it’s pretty obvious why.

1. Because characterization is easy.

It’s not hard to sit down at your computer and think about Billy’s brown curls and how Suzy always sighs and bites her nails when she thinks about him.

2. Because we like creating people.

Good news, guys and gals. Did you hear the Sims is on Facebook? That’s right. Thirty-million people signed up for it in its first month (Can you imagine if that many people read your book in a month?).

The tag line of the game: “Build a home. Build a relationship. Build a life.” You get to dress little Suzy in her pre-faded jeans and yellow strapless top and send her to flirt with all the boys. It’s quite entertaining.

The Sims have tapped a nerve, and it’s the same nerve all those blog posts and writing books about characterization tap. Humans just like creating other humans. It’s why people have kids. We want to see what they look like, imagine what they’ll do, watch them realize their potential.

3. Because we want to fall in love.

More than anything, what draws us to characterization is the idea that we could find our soul mate, our best friend, or at least a great neighbor, and all we have to do is make them up.

Isn’t that great? All you have to do to escape your loneliness is sit down and create an interesting person in your head. Many people become writers for this very reason. It’s one reason I started writing.

Before You Characterize

However, characterization won’t write your book.

Before you fall in love with your character through the characterization process, I want you to do something.

I want you to ruin your characters’ lives.

I think you should create characters you (and your readers) would want to spend the rest of your life with.

First, though, your book needs conflict.

You have to light Billy’s metaphorical curls on fire. You need to beat Suzy over the head with the candlestick in the drawing room.

Otherwise, you will just have a drawer full of characters no one else wants to get to know.

Instead of brainstorming character traits, brainstorm disasters. Come up with the worst breakup imaginable. Do research on the most uncomfortable diseases. If you’re really twisted, think about how many paper-cuts it would take to cause a mental breakdown, and then use little Bobby as your test dummy.

Save the characterization for later because if you have to be mean, why not do it to a stranger?

Why not set fire to Billy’s curls before you’re too emotionally attached? Save yourself the heartache and wait to take Suzy on shopping dates until after you attempt to murder her.

Conflict first. Characterization later.

Editor’s Note: Do you agree with the notion that conflict should come before characterization? Why or why not? Do you think ‘characterization is easy,’ or just simplistic characterization? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Joe Bunting ruins his characters’ lives all the time over at The Write Practice, where he writes and teaches others to write. He can also be found on Twitter.

We know that the vast majority of people old enough to hold a pencil dream of writing a novel one day. With self-publishing becoming increasingly popular and bringing even more writers into the game, how can we make ourselves stand out amongst the crowds?

Because authors these days are also marketers, we’re not only marketing our writing, but ourselves.

Here are some ways to make yourself and your writing stand out amongst millions of other aspiring authors:

Don’t be in a rush.

In a recent article called Why Are So Many Writers In Such a Hurry?, Author Jody Hedlund wrote: “With the ease of self-publishing, it’s all too tempting to rush the process of publication, to think that getting your first book out there will make you happy.”

At some point, most of us give in to the temptation to submit our writing too early—that is, before it’s polished. The result is almost always rejection, followed by a drop in the writer’s confidence.

Instead of being like everyone else and rushing your work out there, remember that there’s no time limit on getting published. Things in the industry may change, but your opportunity to be published isn’t going anywhere.

Forget about what other people write. Write what you’re good at.

Maybe there’s some author out there you’ve always looked up to. You might read their work and wish you could write just as well, or just as fast, or just as funny.

Stop trying to be someone else. Forget about what other people are writing, or how other people write, and focus on writing what you’re good at. Focus on writing like no one but yourself. Develop your writer’s voice or your personal style so others will see what makes your work different and special.

Act like a professional.

Present your writing-self in the same way you would present yourself to a potential employer. Be professional in all things—in communicating with readers, writers, agents and editors, in maintaining social networks, in blogging, and especially in accepting criticism.

There’s nothing more off-putting than an author who can’t accept feedback or who fails to acknowledge when they’ve made a mistake.

Although it’s never fun being criticized, accept others’ opinions with grace and humility. People will respect you for it.

Have a user-friendly website and blog.

A blog or website doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective, but it does need to be clean, user-friendly, and address the things people are looking for when they open your site.

Steer clear of dark backgrounds with light texts, unusual fonts, and colour schemes that can be hard on readers’ eyes. Ensure your sidebar contains links to everything your readers will need to find, but limit them to essentials to avoid clutter. Have a nice photo of yourself on your About page, and let readers know who you are and what you do.

And while it’s okay to talk about yourself and delve into certain aspects of your personal life on your blog, do be focused on why the reader is there and tie those personal tidbits into useful information for the reader at the same time.

Remember you’re always a student.

Every career path in life requires ongoing professional development, and even multi-published authors acknowledge that when it comes to writing, there’s always more to be learned.

Celebrate your successes as a writer, whether that be publishing a short story, winning a writing contest, publishing a novel, or completing and self-publishing a book—but always be looking for ways to improve yourself, too.

Read another book on craft. Take another writing course. Attend a conference. Join a critique group. Find a writing mentor. By cultivating an attitude of lifelong learning, you’ll show others just how committed you are to your writing career.

Do You Stand Out?

It might seem like these points are just common sense. Don’t all aspiring authors do these things?

Not by a long shot. There are plenty of writers out there who violate these points every day.

What makes you stand out from the writing crowd? What others ways can you set yourself apart from the masses of people who share your dream?

Today’s post is written by Cathy R of The Beginner’s Guide To Financial Literacy. Thanks, Cathy!

In this Internet-driven society, everyone is hoping to make some easy money working online.

With the ever-growing popularity of blogs and online magazines, more people are writing than ever before. The interesting thing is that many of them actually are making money writing online.

Padding the bank account while working from your sofa is certainly an appealing prospect, but if you want to earn money writing online, there are three key things to remember:

1. Write, and Write Well.

Many of the content farms out there are producing a crop of poorly-written, shallow, grammatically incorrect 500-word articles. Having a good grasp of the English language and an ability to write well are not prerequisites for becoming an online writer.

Many writers for these content farms are paid in the vicinity of $0.01 per word—or about $5 per article. If you’re a writer, you know that most good articles of that length take between 30-60 minutes to write, depending on the amount of research required. A wage of $5 per hour seems pretty paltry, doesn’t it?

There are, however, many reputable business/website owners willing to pay good money for good content. An experienced content writer/re-writer can charge anywhere from $0.05 to $0.20 per word. The secret to making $25-$100 per article or landing page is very simple: write well. Your written work will speak for itself.

If you are not yet established as an online writer, and as such relegated to the realm of lower fees, the old adage is true: practice makes perfect.

You can grow as a writer by blogging, taking on lower paying writing contracts for a time, offering your writing services pro-bono as a guest poster on reputable websites and blogs, and by seeking constructive criticism of your work.

2. Build a Reputation

Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth.

There are few things that influence others as effectively as a good testimonial. If someone were to convince you to switch from your favourite brand of laundry detergent—the one you’ve used for twenty years—they would need to sell you on how well the new detergent works for them. How do you find a good hair stylist or physician? You ask for recommendations.

Whenever you offer your services to anyone, request a brief (one or two sentences) written reference. Use your best three or four testimonials as advertising. Post them on your website, paste them in your resume, attach them to your writing samples.

Speaking of websites, you do have a website, right?

Even a free Blogger or WordPress template, redesigned to highlight your skills as an online writer is better than nothing. While you can certainly find work on freelancing and copywriting job boards, the businesses that are seeking quality written work will often do their own searching.

Of course, being active on job boards for online writers can only help your reputation. It is worth the time to register, set up a profile, and search for contracts. If you don’t have a presence, those seeking writers simply won’t find you.

When you do find work on these types of job sites, be sure to ask that the person hiring you provides a rating for your work. On most sites, both freelance writers and employers are given star ratings (not unlike books, travel accommodations, and so on).

3. Don’t Compromise

Finding online writing work is not difficult, but finding legitimate work can take time. If your goal is to be a writer, as opposed to just banging on keys to make money, you’;l want to avoid illegitimate sources of online writing income.

What makes it illegitimate? Spammers.

We’ve all received a hoax email, a blog comment that isn’t at all related to the post, or a link on our Facebook wall that is clearly not from that friend. It’s spam, and not only is it annoying, it is becoming illegal in more and more countries. You don’t want your IP address traced back as someone who sends out spam messages all over the Internet, do you?

Spending a few hours filling in text for captchas seems like some quick and easy money. But helping those who send bots around the web, creeping and crawling into legitimate websites, is no way to make a name for yourself.

In the long run, no matter what they pay, helping out those spammers will cost you. (When a nasty virus makes its way onto your computer, you can bet that it got there because someone who fancied him or herself a writer spent their time making the lives of hackers and spammers easier.)

Want to sell yourself as an online writer?

Write well: your writing will speak for itself.

Build a reputation: your previous customers are a great testimonial.

Don’t compromise: helping spammers ruins your credibility and integrity, and in the long run it hurts all the good content writers everywhere.

Here are just 10 places to find online writing jobs:

1. Elance
2. Freelance Careers
3. Freelancer
4. Freelance Writing
5. Guru
6. iFreelance
7. ozLance
8. Problogger
9. ScriptLance
10. WebLens

This list is in no way comprehensive, nor does the author/owner promote any one of these sites over others. This is simply a sampling to get you started.

Have you managed to make money writing for the web? What advice do you have to share with others interested in doing the same? What are some common mistakes beginners should watch out for?

Cathy is part of the team that manages and maintains Australian Credit Cards, a personal finance blog about The Beginner’s Guide To Financial Literacy. You can follow ACC on Twitter to keep up with its latest development. Before she joined ACC, she was a staff nurse at Clark Airbase Hospital and conducted lectures on First Aid, Bio-terrorism and Disaster Management.