She’s written hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines and websites, and now writing coach Maya Payne Smart is sharing her business know-how with other journalists—for free.

Smart knows it takes more than just writing talent to succeed as a freelancer in today’s competitive market. She’s teamed up with journalist Kate Eckman to create the free Breakthrough Freelancing Quick-Start Kit http://breakthroughfreelancing.com.

Eckman, a former TV news reporter, grills Smart about what it really takes to thrive as a freelancer in a challenging economy. Smart’s responses to the aspiring freelancer reveal tried and true methods for getting paid to write. She teaches listeners how to choose a niche, find and attract great clients, value themselves and their work, write once and sell multiple times, and stay motivated despite the odds.

This free kit includes a digital audio file of the 45-minute interview, a 32-page PDF transcript with links to key resources. Also included is a free subscription to Writing Coach — Smart’s bi-weekly newsletter full of insights and inspiration to help freelancers create wealth and enjoy the writing life.

“As print media scrambles to reinvent itself and online news organizations struggle to find profitable business models, many writers can no longer rely on employers for a steady paycheck or benefits, let alone any sort of professional development or long-term career path,” Smart said. “Given these trends, business skills must quickly assume their rightful place beside writing ability and reporting chops in the journalist’s toolbox. Freelancing, for many, will be the first step in moving in an entrepreneurial direction. I hope the Breakthrough Freelancing Quick-Start Kit inspires someone to get going already.”

Aspiring writers, current freelancers or journalism students won’t want to miss this limited time offer. Smart’s advice is not only informative, but uplifting and inspirational—something every journalist could use, especially in this economy.

“If you decide that this is what you want to do, be confident that you can do it,” she said. “It’s possible and you’re capable.”

To sign up for the free program, visit http://breakthroughfreelancing.com/.

I often get asked what the difference in blog posts and articles are? There are actually several things that make these two types of writing different and unique from one another.

A writer who can understand these differences and write accordingly will have much success in their efforts.

There are many different ways this is described, especially when it comes to article marketing and gaining an income. Simply put, articles are usually used to drive traffic to your site/blog and for backlinks. Your blog will answer specific questions and provide regular, unique content.

Articles often raise questions without fully answering them while blogs might answer specific questions in full detail. With blogs you have more creative freedom and fewer restrictions. You can use first person if you want and you can refer to times and dates as the blog will be dated.

Articles work best when they can stand alone and work for backlinks at any time of year or even many years down the road. A well written article can bring traffic to your sites/blogs for many years to come. Because of this, you need articles that will still be relevant even as time passes.

Blogs can generally be more personal and should sound more like a friend talking to a friend. Articles can be friendly in tone as well but they will be more informational-based. Basically, an article is a longer piece of writing, written from the expert’s point of view and intended to explain a topic in great detail.

A blog is a shorter piece of writing, typically in conversational style and intended to spark ideas, create interest in your business or update and educate your readers. When writing for the Internet, it’s very helpful to recognize and appreciate both types of writing and be aware of their differences in your own writing.

About the Author:
Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet as well as two poetry anthologies and a how-to poetry book. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content.

Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa’s blog from her website.

One of the biggest questions new freelance copywriters have is, “How do you get that first client when everyone wants to see a “portfolio” of your stuff and a list of people who will vouch for you?”

Well, besides trying some of the more “mainstream” ways — such as using auction-type services, sending offers around your home town, networking, etc — there is a little-known way to get started few people know about…or are willing to do.

And even though it takes a lot of guts and confidence in your abilities — and will stretch you way out of your “comfort zone” — it’ll improve your skills by leaps and bounds…and spare you the inconvenience and hassle of licking anyone’s boots to get those first few assignments.

Listen to this:
The way I got started — and you can do the same thing today — was joining an email group full of entrepreneurs and business owners.

These groups (which you can find ALL over the Web) are one of the best kept secrets on the Internet. Especially if you’re just starting out, looking for that first gig to “jump start” your career.

Here’s why: The one I joined was nothing more than a big email forum, where you’re encouraged to introduce yourself, tell everyone what you do…and even submit an offer to the entire list.

True, you could do this at any online forum, especially if they have a section for joint ventures and special offers. The only problem is…the majority of people reading those sections are submitting offers, not necessarily looking for offers.

But with an online group everyone on the list gets emailed your offer…and thus, sees it. And since they only send out about 4 or 5 offers and introductions at a time, there’s a good chance most people will see your offer.

Obviously, for someone just starting out as a copywriter, wanting to get their “feet wet”, it serves as an invaluable tool.

Now, here’s I used it to get started:
When I introduced myself, I included an offer to write copy in exchange for 5% of the gross sales. No upfront fees, no binding contracts and no strings attached. I was basically writing for “free” in a sense.

Did it work?

Well, let’s put it this way:
That very same day alone…I got over a dozen responses. And in the end, I managed to get 4 or 5 quality jobs out of the deal…gain a ton of “real world” experience…build a decent portfolio…and learn an awful lot about the business side of copywriting (i.e. dealing with clients).

And you know what?
You can do the exact same thing. Plus, if you deal with the right people…and work hard enough…you could very well end up collecting a few checks along the way.

About the Author:
Ben Settle is a direct response copywriter and author of “The Copywriting Grab Bag” and “Crackerjack Selling Secrets“. Although Ben almost never accepts clients anymore, he freely and generously shares his experiences and ideas at his website.

For more freelance copywriting secrets like this, check out the bonus CD that comes with “The Copywriting Grab Bag” at: http://copywritinggrabbag.com.

Imagine being able to work from your own home, doing a job you love, and getting paid handsomely for doing it. Wouldn’t that be great?

Well, the good news is that this is not just a fantasy. It is a prospect that is well within your reach.

Today, millions of people worldwide have established highly-successful careers as freelance professionals. Writers, designers, programmers and many other home-based consultants have discovered that freelancing offers the perfect combination of freedom, creativity, flexibility and profitability.

Of course, the biggest challenge for new freelancers is finding enough work to justify giving up a day job. How can you be sure that you will keep yourself busy with lucrative work? This used to be a concern, but thanks to the advent of the Internet, things are now much easier.

Go Freelance has been established for a number of years, and has a great record of matching freelancers with projects. Wherever you are in the world, you can apply for jobs and projects, most of which can be undertaken remotely from your home location.

So do you need years of experience and fantastic qualifications to join these lucky people? Not at all. You just need a skill that you can offer to potential clients, and the willingness to learn how to run a home-based business.

Here are just a few examples of the types of opportunities available:

Write for Discussion Boards: $1200 per week, plus bonus
A writer is needed for an ongoing writing project. You will need to write copy to stimulate others into joining the discussion board. The writer needs to actively encourage regular and meaningful debate on the relevant discussion board, with some moderating of the content. You must have solid writing skills and good ideas.

Administer a Web Business from Home: $4000 per month
A successful e-commerce venture is seeking a part-time virtual assistant to act as a home-based office manager. You will deal with email correspondence, update site content and deal with general admin issues. You should have your own computer and Internet access.

Transcribe Author’s Notes: $80 per hour, flexible working
A publishing company is seeking a freelance with an eye for detail to transcribe authors’ notes and recordings for a range of ongoing projects. You must have a good grasp of English, be able to edit content into readable form, and be able to submit work from home by email.

An Investment That Paid Off
Karyn Martin was cautious about launching her freelance career online, but she soon got results:

“I remember the days when I dreamed of being a freelancer,” she says. “The word seemed magical to me somehow. Romantic, almost. Now, after having actually been a freelancer for a while, the scales have been lifted from my eyes and I have seen the light. You pay for being able to manipulate your time. You pay by working more, working harder, and – hopefully – working smarter. But what you get in return is priceless. Now I can call the shots about when I work, for whom I work, and how much I make.”

One day, Karyn decided she was no longer willing to commute in smog-laden traffic to sit in a cubicle for eight hours, come home, eat, sleep, wake up, and then do it all over again. Going through the same routine, day after day, week after week , only to wake up one day old and tired – wondering how life might have been if she’d had the guts to go it alone.

So she decided to become a freelancer – but how would she find work? She had spent endless hours surfing the ‘net, signing up with one freelance site after another. Yet there was an incredible amount of competition. She never seemed to win any bids, and was adamant about not lowering her hourly rate.

“I had always heard, “don’t pay to work!” repeatedly, and I was too poor to risk getting scammed, but I took a chance one day when I was flush and sent twenty bucks to gain access to the Go Freelance Professional Edition.

“Since then, I’ve edited a sales letter, a follow-up letter, an 11-page Web site, and a brochure. I’m ‘on call’ to do pinch-hit proofreading for a medical newsletter editor in Florida while he’s on vacation, sick, etc. And I’ve landed a gig editing a new Canadian magazine coming out this fall. All this from taking a $20 chance on Go Freelance.”

Of course, it helped to send prospects a few previous work samples she’d had the presence of mind to scan and save on disk. Also, since she has been ‘in the business’ for more than five years, she has a fairly good résumé with some experience to back up the claims, along with a strong list of references.

“For every one of you out there feeling a little discouraged, and especially for those of you on the verge of throwing in the towel, I’m here to tell you this. There may not be a Santa Claus, but there is a place to find work without paying some ridiculous “transaction fee” or never knowing whether or not the projects are ‘fresh’.”

You can sign up for a trial subscription for just $7.00, and get instant access to all the projects in the jobs database.

Be the next work-at-home success story.

We have talked a lot of times about the advantages of starting a freelance writing job. But only a few really tackle on the challenges of it. Perhaps you don’t know that there’s a huge chance that you may be spending countless nights trying to finish off a project. You may also be working with multiple revisions, especially if the client is too picky or demanding.

These things can definitely make the job all too stressful for you that you would wish that you can give up that easily. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to enjoy your freelance writing career and earn an income that you’ve been dreaming of:

1. Settle for a more productive time. Some writers tend to work well at night, while others at early in the morning. How about you? When are you most productive? Since you’re going to be working hard with your brain when you’re coming up with your copies, you should be greatly motivated or inspired. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to squeeze those creative juices.

2. Keep the distractions away. A phone call, a cry of a baby, the sounds of buses and cars passing by, and different kinds of noises may be too distracting for you, increasing the time you spend on finishing just one article. It may be ideal if you can remove all these distractions for a while. You can look for a space in your home where you can be alone. You can let your answering machine pick up the calls for you, or check the e-mails only at certain times of the day. You should also inform your friends and family members to best time to communicate with you.

3. Relieve yourself from the stress. Burnout is something you should avoid at all costs, as it may take a long time to get yourself motivated again. That’s why it’s important that you can squeeze in a “me” time in your daily freelance writing life. You can hit the gym, stroll the park, listen to feel-good music, dance-do anything that can keep your mind away from the work. It would not be long before you start missing writing again.

4. Stop working with hard-to-please clients. There are just some clients who can be so demanding and at times demeaning. They may just to get their copies for free, but whatever the reason would be, there’s no sense in working with them for a long time. It is ideal to end their relationship with them when they prevent you from taking care of your other clients, or when they no longer motivate you to become a better freelance writer.

5. Follow the Pareto principle. This idea is also called the 80/20 rule. You must obtain something at the least possible effort. Thus, if you have clients A and B, you get to earn the same amount for both of them, but you work less for the latter, then perhaps it’s high time that you concentrate on B than A.

Joey Papa is a full-time freelance writer in Tampa, FL. You can find more information at http://www.joeypapawriting.com.

Freelance writing for health publications will not only keep you on the edge of the latest trends and advice for maintaining a healthy mind and body – it can also be healthy for your bank account.

Freelance writers produce articles covering a range of diverse topics including nursing, disabilities, diseases, prevention and cure, health research and education, alternative treatments and more.

On the technical writing side medical writers also work in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, writing materials that include regulatory documents, investigative drug brochures, and clinical study protocols.

There is a good demand for health writing and this is a growing industry. Consider for a moment for 76 million baby boomers that have been entering their fifties. They are worrying more about their health. They want to lose weight. They are trying to get fit. They want to prevent disease and remain as healthy as possible.

It is not just the boomers, of course. Everyone wants to be healthy and avoid sickness in order to feel better and enjoy life.

Here Are A Few Examples of Health Publications:
The following are just a few examples of health publications that you could work for as a freelance writer.

360 Magazine
An ezine accepting articles on all topics related to the wheelchair community, including health, travel, sports and relationships. Payment ranges from $0.10 to $0.25 per word.

Arthritis Today
A national consumer health magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation. Contains information about arthritis research, treatment, self-care and emotional coping. This publication pays up to $2,000 for feature articles of up to 2,000 words.

Cure
A publication for those with cancer and their caregivers. Providing the latest cancer updates’ research, and education. Pays freelance writers $1.00 per word.

Diabetes Health
Providing patients, educators and healthcare professionals with practical advice and the latest information on new methods, technologies and research related to diabetes. Payment varies with experience and length of article.

Healthplan
This magazine of trends, insights, and best practices is published by the American Association of Health Plans. Pays freelance writers $0.65 per word.

In addition to specialty health magazines, remember that you can also write about health topics for hundreds of other magazines, such as family magazine or men’s and women’s interest publications.

There are also some good organizations and associations for medical writers. Here are several of them.

- American Medical Writers Association
– Australasian Medical Writers Association
– European Medical Writers Association
– Health Sciences Communications Association
– National Association of Medical Communicators
– World Association of Medical Editors

So be healthy. Be wise. And become a health writer. It’s a great niche for freelance writers.

Gary McLaren is the editor of Worldwide Freelance Writer, a freelance writing web site with a database of 2,200 writing markets. You can read writing guidelines for the publications above and find links to the medical writing associations listed in this article at http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/articles/healthmagazines.htm

Writers specializing in fillers and readers’ letters receive much high fees, word for word, than virtually any other writing genre. Fillers are small pieces, often just 100 words or so, and they can generate hundreds or even thousands of dollars in writing awards or for what editors pick as the week’s best letter or filler. But writers have to be constantly on the lookout for unusual subjects for their fillers and they must always be hot on market research. These tips will help grow your income from filler writing:

Keep your eyes and ears open for anything remotely interesting to use in your letters and fillers. Look for unusual household tips, try your hand at writing poems, look for press errors and other popular filler types.

Study other published fillers, especially those in magazines you’d like to write for. You can’t, of course, copy other people’s work but there is no copyright on ideas, so what you see in one magazine can be borrowed to form the basis of a filler you write for another. Other things to watch out for include recipes, jokes you can change a little, recipes you might alter slightly, crossword and puzzle grids you can adapt to use in your work.

Study at least a dozen or so publications of the type you would like to write for. Rank these in order of preference, according to filler types, payment, subject matter. Start writing and submitting material for those highest on your list.

Think pictures. Think illustrations. Instead of sending just words to your target publication, include a photograph, maybe a cartoon or line drawing. As always, careful study of your target magazine will establish editorial preferences.

Search your own experiences for material ready to be written up as it stands or amended to suit.

Always have a notepad and pen at hand, and preferably a pocket camera and mini recorder. It’s amazing where inspiration and ideas strike and how often there is nothing handy to record the incident. My best ideas come when I’m in the bath, ironing, gardening, or walking the dog! Those notepads pinned to every wall and popped into my handbag have repaid their cost many times over!

Once that’s done you can look forward to regular high rewards for just a few minutes’ easy work.

Avril Harper is a highly successful freelance writer and the author of How to Be a Five Minute Writer.

Making money at home by writing may sound appealing, but not everyone is suited for it. The following are some skills and personality traits that writers need. Do you have what it takes to write for pay?

First of all, you need to enjoy writing. If English was your least favorite subject in school, or the thought of writing an essay sends shivers up your spine, you should consider other ways to make money from home. On the other hand, if you do enjoy writing and have a good set of basic
grammar skills, writing from home could be a profitable venture for you. Simply enjoying the writing process may not be enough, though. Writers spend a lot of time at home working alone. Do you find it easy to work by yourself or do you prefer to work with a group of people? Are you able to stay focused, and meet deadlines? These are some other elements to consider if you are interested in writing for pay.

Writers need to be able to meet deadlines and they need to work well under pressure. You may get an assignment for a 500 word article that must be completed the same day.  Writers should also be excellent researchers. You may get an assignment to write an article on a topic for which you have little or no knowledge, a place you have never visited, or a hobby you have never tried. Do you know how to find quality information about a subject, and do you know how to take what you have read and articulate it in your own voice?

Many professions require a “thick skin,” and writing is no exception. How well do you handle criticism and rejection? As a writer for hire, you are being paid to write something for someone else. You may think you’ve created a Shakespearean masterpiece; but sadly, your opinion doesn’t count. The customer is always right and if your customer doesn’t like what you have written, you will need to start over or take the article in a new direction. Is that something you can accept?

If you are going to be working as a copywriter or ghostwriter, you may not receive credit for your work. While it is becoming more common in the “book world” to give credit to a ghostwriter, the general notion is that the ghostwriter goes unknown. The owner of a website may ask you to write
several articles or blog entries, without giving you credit for the material. Would it bother you to see them take credit for your words?

Three Ways to Break Into Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is known for being a tough industry to break into. However, with some hard work and determination, you can find success in this field.

The online market is booming for freelancers. Website owners need content. They know that the more fresh, quality content they have, the more visitors they will receive. Online markets will not pay as well or carry the same clout as a glossy, full-color magazine, but they are a great way to
get your feet wet. Plus, given the fact that the cyber world moves a lot faster than the traditional printing world, your articles will be published sooner. As you know, the more pieces you have published, the easier it will be to land bigger jobs in the future.

Don’t forget to target your local newspaper when looking for freelance writing jobs. Newspapers have strict deadlines, and can certainly use freelancers (often called ‘stringer reporters’). Writing for a newspaper can be hectic; as mentioned before, they do have strict deadlines, and you
may get an assignment on a moment’s notice. However, if you do a good job and complete your work on time, the editor at your local paper could open the doors to bigger newspapers and magazines.

While you may only be able to name a few magazines, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of small, regional, and trade magazines being published today. A great tool for writers is www.writersmarket.com. It is a database full of information on markets that buy freelance work
(“market” is a general term for a magazine or newspaper). The editors at smaller magazines are oftentimes more open to working with people that have little experience.

Contacting a market and offering to write for them is often called a “query.” Each market will have different guidelines they use to accept queries; for instance, some may accept queries via email whereas some will want them by snail mail. Always use the proper name of the person you are
sending the query to. You can find this information on the company’s website or through www.writersmarket.com. It is also important to know the market you want to write for. For example, if you want to write an article containing tips for traveling with pets for XYZ Magazine, make sure that
magazine hasn’t published a similar article in the last year.

Once you have written several pieces for smaller markets, you can take the leap into writing for larger, more well-known magazines and newspapers. However, you might find you enjoy and prefer working with smaller markets.

Regardless of which niche you elect to pursue, a lucrative career could await you as a writer.

How To Write For eHow is a guide created by Janet Ford, an Authority level writer who has cracked the eHow profit nut. eHow is a site that allows users to submit how-to articles on every subject under the sun, and pays revenue out to authors who create popular articles. Janet Ford shares the techniques and methods that have allowed her to earn thousands of dollars in ongoing residual revenue by mastering the art of eHow.

Janet teaches you how to choose what to write about, how to network on eHow, how to find royalty free photos to accent your articles, the details of how earnings are calculated, how to promote your articles, how to add video, how to add extra monetization and more.

eHow is an easy to start writing platform that allows any US resident to start earning money immediately, and How To Write For eHow (for Profit) will show you how to get the very best results, right from the beginning.

Visit the “How To Write For eHow (for Profit)” website here.

“25 Ways To Write For Money” is really a book on everything. Its author, David Goldsmith, tells of his initial struggle to get his fledgling writing business flying until he realized what the key to his success would be – diversification. David began to spread his time across multiple ways of earning money writing online, discovering which of all the methods available were the most effective. He eventually arrived at the 25 ways to write for money online that earned the highest amounts for the least work, including some methods that even create ongoing residual income. David tells of how he now makes more by using these methods than he did in the senior manager’s job he quit to start his online writing business.

Rather than focusing on just one kind of professional writing, this guide helps you dip your feet into 25 different writing pools. You’ll keep variety in your writing career, and increase the chances of finding the particular field that you personally excel in the most.

Visit the “25 Ways To Write For Money” website here.