I’ve been working as a content manager, freelance writer, and editor for the Barcelona-based digital marketing agency Vime Digital for over four years. In fact, there are dozens of agencies out there and they’re all eager to recruit new writers. Read on and learn how to make your bones in the agency world. Let’s quickly define what a digital marketing agency is, so we’re all on the same page. A digital agency is a business entity that provides online marketing services for external clients (they’re called “accounts” in the agency lingo). These services include blog and news-related content writing and publishing, with a major focus on search engine optimization (SEO). What do clients expect from an agency like this? They want higher levels of traffic on their websites and top positions for specific keywords in search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. How is this achieved with your help? You’ll need to write articles for a variety of blogs and news outlets, and link them up to your employing agency account’s website using a specific anchor text. This is called a “link building campaign” or “sponsored posts campaign,” and to be successful at it, you need to have a solid understanding of SEO, in More
What If You Were the First?
/ 2020-08-07Black authors’ work is surging, which is a great, great thing. Long overdue. Not long ago, LGBTQ authors made a comeback, and their work came into its own. Harry Potter taught the world that Young Adult was important for all, not just kids. All the books labeled with GIRL or WOMAN over the last three or four years have shown us that women can be incredible protagonists as well as remarkably deep antagonists. FIFTY SHADES brought erotica out from behind plain covers. In the publishing industry, each publisher or agent wants to discover the next best fill-in-the-blank, and usually it involves a cause or an underrepresented group. Then typically a myriad of up-and-coming writers shadow that great discovery because they want to be part of something bigger as well. Not just a story, but a piece of a cause. Why can’t we just write a story that gives a reader a chance to escape? I’m trying to say: 1) Not all black writers have to write about racism. 2) Not all LGBTQ authors have to write about their physical/sexual affiliation. 3) Not all YA authors have to write fantasy. 4) Not all female books have to have GIRL or WOMAN More
How to Get Two (or More) Assignments Out of One
/ 2020-08-01Building a career as a freelance writer takes more than talent and tenacity. While editors seek superbly written articles and essays, it’s what you do after publication that can make the most impression, leading additional assignments or acceptances. I have a strategy that has worked for me for the past year. These five easy steps have given me the opportunity to write more than one article for the same publication and have also opened doors to other publications. 1. Share published work with your social media network. While publications have built-in audiences, you should also do your part to reach readers in your own sphere. Make sure to tag the publication so they’ll know you actively promote what you’ve written. Additionally, if you have a website, you should also list your publications. I have been asked for a list of previously published articles and having it prepared came in handy. 2. Pay attention to social media comments. My most recent publication about having an invisible disability stirred up a hornet’s nest and brought out strong opinions on the topic. After studying the comments, I immediately pitched a follow-up article to the publication that would allow me to address the issues. The article More
When You Talk to People…
/ 2020-08-01When you open a discussion with someone, do you lead with “Once upon a time I lived in Michigan. I was twenty-four. I was working at the mall and was trying to figure out my life.” No. BIG YAWN. You don’t start with the backstory. Frankly, I’d bet you’d be embarrassed to start with the backstory, because you know before you spit out the words that nobody really cares. No. You start with some sort of energy, because after all, you want someone to listen to you. “On the way home from work, a car sideswiped the van in front of me, running us all off the road!” “In my first job I found myself in a room full of people twice my age, and without notice the boss asked me to sing because his wife heard me in the restroom.” What do you lead with? Do you lead with the action or the introduction that put you in that position? When figuring out how to write a story, imagine yourself telling it aloud at a party. Which do you think will work best? Same goes for the written word, whether you’re talking novel, nonfiction, or a magazine piece. People expect More
How to Create and Pitch a Television Show
/ 2020-07-17Series programming continues to be a desirable source of content for buyers around the world, even as the entertainment landscape shifts and evolves. And the proliferation of newer platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and others means more places for writers to pitch their shows. In the marketplace of ideas, a good one will rise to the top. The key is knowing how to develop and present that idea like a pro. For beginners out there with a million-dollar idea, here are the most important steps in the process: Work Out the Concept Flesh out your idea with a logline. This is a simple one- or two-sentence description of what your show is about. Consider whether the idea is truly original and what would make viewers want to tune in. Think about who the audience would be, the length of each episode (half or full hour?), which networks would air it and in what time slot. Then solicit feedback from people you trust. That could be members of a writers’ group, industry colleagues or really honest friends. Develop the Story If the idea passes muster with your test group, it’s time to jump into the development process. Come up with a More
12 Phrases NEVER to Use in Your Freelance Writing Pitch
/ 2020-07-10To help make the best impression, avoid this dirty dozen. ‘I hope you don’t mind me dropping you a line…’ / ‘Apologies for emailing out of the blue, but…’ Phrases like these have a defeated air. If you don’t sound like you believe in yourself, why will anyone else? Don’t brag but be confident. Say what you’re good at and back it up with facts and examples. ‘For as long as I can remember…’ This phrase will dismay editors and commissioners, who don’t have time for you to go through your life story. Instead get to the point, and show that you respect your recipient’s limited time. ‘I don’t know whether you remember me, but…’ So, you met an editor and they agreed to look at some of your ideas. This gives you an in, and there’s no need to agonize over how well they remember you, especially if you’re following up promptly, as you should. Just say: ‘We met at the BookBiz event last week and you offered to look at a few of my ideas, so here goes…’ ‘Are you looking for…?’ Starting a cold email with a closed question is a risky strategy, because the recipient is More
How to Deal with Your First Bad Review
/ 2020-06-12Amid all the euphoria of getting published for the first time, and all the good wishes from friends and family, it’s easy to forget that your book is now out there in the world, alone and unprotected, and must sink or swim on its merits. Soon enough, all that positivity will be challenged by your first negative review. It stings, of course, especially as it’s your first. But what happens next is up to you. Here are a few ideas. Feel what you feel. It’s perfectly natural to be upset by a first bad review, and to feel hurt or even angry about it. Don’t try and stifle the feelings, or they could become toxic or disproportionate. Just process them fast so they don’t take over your head space. Go for a walk or a swim, smash a few balls around, cry on the shoulder of a pal, whatever works for you. Then move on. Congratulate yourself. Why not? Getting published is a massive achievement, and only a fraction of those who claim that their ultimate ambition is to write a book ever manage to do it. A bad review is a milestone that many will never get to enjoy! More
When You Have an Editor’s Ear
/ 2020-06-12Editors juggle a lot of balls in finding literary material for publications. They have multiple deadlines for multiple editions and all the administrative nuts and bolts that come with putting a publication together. When finally obtaining the ear of an editor, keep your moment(s) brief, because others just like you are vying for that editor’s attention, too. A few words of advice. Although we are a small-time publication and only online, FundsforWriters’ editorial issues apply to most editors of any type of publication. 1. Send one version of your submission. An editor receives so many emails that say, “use this version” or “I forgot something so use this instead,” adds to an already hectic day. For all you know, the editor has already edited the original submission to their satisfaction. These subsequent versions also show you don’t proof properly. 2. Include all requested information with the submission. Sending one email with the article, then another with the bio makes for double work. Forgetting the method of payment (in our case PayPal) in the submission adds more work. Worse yet is not sending all the information and making the editor ask for it. Because the editor is easy to work with More
Four Important Lessons About Magazine Writing
/ 2020-06-05Having worked in the book industry my entire career, I decided that 2020 would be a great time to not only broaden my writing repertoire but also add another revenue stream by writing for magazines. So, in January, I pitched article ideas to a local magazine publisher. I felt confident about the topics and assumed it would be easy to obtain the requisite interviews and source material. Shortly after being assigned my first article, however, I learned several important lessons about writing for this genre. Lesson #1: Never assume and always confirm. I scheduled a meeting with the founder of a nonprofit I was to write about. On the dhe day of the interview, I arrived ten minutes early to discover the front door locked. Having noticed several cars in the rear parking lot, I assumed the founder was inside and had merely forgotten to unlock the front door. I reached for my cell phone and dialed her number. She informed me that the organization had experienced an emergency situation two days prior and that she and the volunteers had been working almost around the clock ever since. She was at home trying to catch up on some sleep and More
Use LinkedIn to Find Your Next Writing or Editing Job
/ 2020-05-29Undoubtedly, LinkedIn is the work world’s primary search engine and yet most job seekers do not maximize it. Instead, they copy and paste their resume thinking someone might reach out to them. As a former introvert, I needed to manipulate LinkedIn if I wanted to prove my marketability. I have gotten assignments, requests for interviews and networking meetings, invitations to do presentations, calls for pitches, paid tests all through LinkedIn. It’s a gem of a free resource, but only if you know how to use it. Typical writing and editing jobs (remote, contracted, freelance) include: • white paper writer • freelance (digital/content) writer/editor • brand writer/editor • junior/senior copywriter/editor • SEO (content) writer • web writer • copywriter • blogger • communication specialist • creative writer • technical writer Use these insider tips to leverage your job search using one of the work world’s most undervalued search engines. 1. First, continually expand your professional network. The more contacts, the higher your visibility and credibility. Using the “people filter” add people to your network by niche, location company, 1st, and 2nd tiered connections. After a while LinkedIn will begin to make suggestions based on your searching history. 2. Search jobs by position, More