Ten Top Tips to Get Started in Online Writing

This article is just an overview. All of these ideas require much more reading before you carry them out. The tips are for a UK writer.

Here are my tips for getting started in online writing.

1. Read blogs. Most of them out there are American, but there is some great information out there. Here are some of the most helpful:

http://www.makealivingwriting.com/

http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/

http://allfreelancewriting.com/

http://www.nojobformom.com/

http://diaryofamadfreelancer.com/

http://loriwidmer.blogspot.com/

http://menwithpens.ca/

http://www.thefreelancertoday.com/

but there are many, many more!

2. Learn how to do it. I learned by joining Suite 101 which helps teach you about SEO and writing style. You write on topics that suit you, but you have to apply and please an editor. You get some revenue share from ads on the site. Please let me refer you if you would like to do this.

www.suite101.com

3. Check out www.guru.com and www.elance.com to see writing jobs and bid for them. Be warned - sometimes these sites are a bit low paying!

4. Sign up to newsletters containing good information.

5. Spread the word around your friends.

6. Decide how you're going to handle tax. The moment you're self-employed, you start owing National Insurance.

7. Join Linked-In at the very least. Twitter is good too.

8. Google 'copywriting jobs' and similar descriptions.

9. Set up your own website

10. To promote your website, leave appropriate comments on other similar blogs.

My First Guest Post

I have guest posted on the #customerlove website and it went live on 21 November. This is my first experience of guest posting and I enjoyed it. The site is a Wordpress site like my professional blog and so it was really easy to upload my work in drafts for LaVonne to check before it went out. Unfortunately I was on a two post day, so my post didn't really get the full 24 hours' exposure, but I was pleased that I managed to do it.

I had such writers' block when preparing the post! I don't normally struggle with writing, but somehow the right tone just would not come on this! I must have started the post three times before finding the right voice! What broke it for me? This brilliant post by James Chartrand of Men with Pens explaining how he writes a post. It was great to read how one of the great post writers of the Internet was able to write so succinctly. I took his advice and worked out my three points and from there it got easier.

So, if you're interested, here's the post for #customerlove: Customer Focus is King.

Enjoy and I hope it's the first of many.

How to Learn More About Sales

After telling you how not to do sales yesterday, it's time to share a link that will help you learn how to sell yourself.

I came across Peter Shallard while reading Men With Pens yesterday, followed the link and found a really great site.

He's a psychiatrist who helps entrepreneurs and some of his stuff looks like it's going to be really useful. Having not long started up myself, selling is one of the hardest bits of my job and I was glad to find some really interesting articles and a free Ebook.

I recommend that you go over and check it out if you are looking for some some useful information on how to keep your business going.

When you are trying to run your own business, then you are automatically going to need to market yourself. This blog might just help you do that.