5 tips when writing articles.
I love to write; articles, short stories, poems, book reviews, novels or news reports. It’s great fun to see your own work in print and always a bonus if you can get some income from it.
In this short note I want to think about some key points that should be included if you want your article to be noticed.
Love it!
I believe this is an essential – have passion for what you’re writing. There are two reasons for this. Firstly is that it is so much easier to write when you’re writing abut something you enjoy. Do you have a blog? Is it filled with things that keep you happy? Second is that readers can generally tell if you’re writing from the heart – passion comes across! I believe that this is the core to all writing – love it and enjoy it. Even when you have an assigned piece of writing – remember you promised your friend you’d do a piece for him – do it from a point of enjoyment. This can mean putting humour into the article which can be successful if you know how to tell a joke; if you don’t then forget it!
Grab a snappy title.
Keep it short and have a biof mystery in it. Make people want to read it. When I was a research Physicist I had to read so many scientific papers that it made my eyes bleed! The content was often excellent but the titles… Having this experience led me to a fun way to get school students to write Science papers; I would get them to write up their report as though they were a sensationalist journalist! Great stuff – and it inspired them to study Science further.
Lists.
Everybody loves a list. How often do you click the link on a website when it says ’10 ways to see if you have the right partner’ or ‘7 ways to boost your sales’ or ‘5 ways to meet more girls/boys’; or ’50 ways to leave your lover’ as Paul Simon said. (Who is singing this in their head right now?)
What is hot?
Articles on current topics will get noticed. It could be about the latest fad in Food, Fashion, Music or Science! Be careful though as these articles generally have a short shelf life.
Paragraphs.
Keep it short – people skim read and it’s easier!
There are some ideas to work on.
Did I follow my own guidelines?
Let me know.
Write some more but enjoy it first!
5 Ideas for your online business
I recently attended a Webinar called 20 ways to make money online presented by Simon Coulson. I have attended some of Simons Online courses in the past and have access to many more, which will be another article later. I decided to filter the list down to 5 that could be a good starting point.
Selling your stuff online
Everybody has a house full of things they no longer need or want. Why not sell these things online. You can use ebay, gumtree, freecycle or Facebook Marketplace. There are probably dozens of other places to go too! This could be a starting point for your first venture online.
Then you could extend it and start selling for others while taking a commission. Help people to get rid of their unwanted items and take up to half the money yourself!
There are plenty of sources to help you get started. Use a search engine and look for free articles like these;
Affiliate Marketing
This is another way you can sell products or services for other people and take a commission. Amazon is a good place to start as they have a well structured training programme to help you get started. There are lots of online marketers making a good income from being Amazon Associates and some making £millions!
Search with Google to find many other sources such as Clickbank and OfferVault.com
Information Product Reseller
In an earlier post I mentioned using ebook written by other parties which you can edit and then sell as your own. This means using products that you can obtain for free or at a low cost, which have Private Label Rights (PLR).
PLR products come in many forms from books to articles to online courses and video series. The Licence that you acquire gives you different rights, again depending on the product. Generally a PLR licence will allow you to edit or change the product, add images, a new cover etc and then put your name to the product and sell it as though you created it.
I use a site called SureFire Wealth. There are three levels of membership – Free, Silver and Gold. The Free Membership you can literally download products for free. As an example, what about a free download on email Marketing?
There are many other sources of PLR products such as
Google Free PLR and you will get over 8 million hits!
Online teaching
Maybe something you have never considered though it can be rewarding, not just financially. I have spent many years of my life teaching in schools, though I have also taught First Aid, Rock Climbing, Sailing and Marketing! For some people, the desire to pass on skills to others is very strong – hence this blog.
A couple of site where you can earn £30 to £50 an hour as an online teacher;
For both of these you have to be UK based.
https://tutorhub.com/pages/for_tutors
Or what about teaching English to Chinese students?
Fiverr
This is not actually a ‘job’ , it is a site where you can monetise your skills to deliver products and services. Be creative! You can offer any service you wish as long as it’s legal and complies with their terms. There are over 200 categories you can browse to get ideas.
You can offer whatever you want from Logo Design, Website building, Voice Overs, Writing, Translation etc The best thing to do is explore their site and see if you match any of the skill sets that are in demand.
Testing websites
I know I said 5 but I have also just been exploring sites that will pay you for testing websites. I have a new blog on this coming up soon but just as a taster have a look at this site;
10 Authors who dealt with Rejection.
Continuing the theme of writing a book
You and I love to write. It’s a special gift and a privelege we have creating story’s, sometimes just for ourselves, for our famils and friends. But we all reach the point when we believe in what we write and we want to see it published – and we’d also like to make money from our writing too!
There are many famous writers, old and new, who have gone from the personal writing to looking for publication only to be rejected. I think many of you reading this will have a few rejection letters yourself – if not get ready for some! I have a few myself and each time I get one I either take on board the positive criticsm or I reject it if it is just negative criticism!
Below, in no particular order, are ten well known authors who suffered their fair share of rejection. However they didn’t let it stop them – they kept going an eventually found fame and fortune from their writing. We should take heart from these examples and remember – success is not just about what you do but about the attitude and determination you have to suucceed.
- C.S. Lewis. Author of the Chronicles of Narnia, the most famous being The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Lewis received more than 800 rejections before he sold anything. Next time you watch one of the movies just smile at his determination.
- Margaret Mitchell. Not an author that jumps into ones head easily – she wrote Gone With The Wind. An all time classic that was rejected by 25 publishers.
- Robert M. Pisig. The author of a modern classic much loved by undergraduate college students. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance took four years to write and was rejected 121 times!
- George Orwell. A personal favourite of mine as he worked at the local newspaper in my hometown and took his pen name from the River Orwell. His iconic book on Stalinist Russia, Animal Farm, was rejected repeatedly, one American publisher claiming that ‘animal stories don’t sell’.
- The Diary of Anne Frank was repeatedly rejected as many publishers felt it was of little interest to the general public. By 1998 this book had sold more than 25 million copies and remains a bestseller to this day.
- William Golding. The Lord of the Flies, an intriguing book about the lives and violence of young boys stranded on a tropical island, was rejected more than 20 times. The book has gone on to sell more than 14 million copies and the author received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
- James Joyce. Possibly one of the most famous Irish writers of the 20th Century saw his novel Ulysses rejected over and over for being obscene.
- Jasper Fforde. Again a personal favourite. I have all of his Thursday Next novels and love the Nursery Crime series. Jasper collected 76 rejections before The Eyre Affair was accepted for publication.
- J.K. Rowling. Probably the best known rejected author of modern times. The first Harry Potter book was turned down by 12 major publishing houses before being accepted by Bloomsbury one of the smaller London publishers. Now each of her books has been turned into a movie, there are the books, computer games, merchandise etc.
- Frank Herbert. The best selling Science Fiction novel of all time was rejected 20 times. When accepted Dune sold so well that Herbert was contracted to write five more in the series.
All great books – how many have you actually read? – the common thread being rejection and perseverance. I have just finished the first draft of the manuscript for my second novel and will soon be reviewing and editing. Then there will be the submissions and the rejections. Or maybe go straight to Kindle?
Meanwhile I keep my cash flowing by writing articles, short storys, poetry and tutoring. I feel priveleged, like I said at the start of this article, that I can spend time writing and helping others. I particularly like to write comedy – not one of the easiest genres but great fun. I sometimes burst out laughing when I read the things I’ve written.
Don’t ever get downhearted about your writing.
Write for yourself when you can.
Write articles to improve your skills (and get paid).
Write for your friends and family.
Just write!
Let’s get going!
3 Motivational Tips to see you through this lockdown
Staying in control during lockdown.
The headlines say it.
Unprecedented.
Stay at Home.
Lockdown.
Exit Strategy.
Meanwhile we are all at home watching our daily routine disappear like a Politicians promises. We no longer feel in control of our everyday lives.This is leading to a sense of loss, of purpose, of meaning. If you have ever been through one of lifes major traumas then maybe you already have ways to deal with these feelings – please share with us.
Make your bed.
I came across this one some years ago and it has inspired me as I have passed through a few personal trials in the last decade. Admiral William H. McRaven, a US Navy Seal gave an address at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. One of the points that really stood out for me was when he said, “If you want to change the World, start off by making your bed”.
I loved the points he then made. Making you bed should be the first task of the day and it is easy to do so you start the day having successfully completed your first task. That will lead to the next task and the next and the next, until your day is full of successfully completed tasks.
It is also a reminder that the little things in life are important.
And if you have a bad day, at least you will have a nice bed to sleep in!
His speech goes on to talk about facing up to lots of the other issues that can face you in life and he puts it all in the context of his military training.
You can watch the key points of the speech here
And remember – Make Your Bed.
Dream Big
Denzel Washington has given several inspirational speeches at Universities across America. Do not focus on the things you can fall back on, just be prepared to fail, and keep moving forward. Do what you feel passionate about. Think outside the box, Dream big and Fall Forward.
I love these next two quotes from him.
“If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”
“Dreams without Goals are just Dreams.”
Just before the corona virus hit, I invested in a new website called Days Out in Leeds. It advertises places to go, Movies, Bars, Restaurants, and places to Visit. Well you can imagine how that is going just now. I know it will work because I believe it will. It will just take longer to come to profit. I am falling forward.
To listen to Denzel, go here.
Do not go to bed with a sink full of dishes!
This is a personal one of mine. Every night before going to bed I make sure the kitchen is clear of dirty dishes. Sometimes this means filling the Dishwasher and setting it going. Usually it means clearing up a few cups and plates. It takes five or ten minutes, but it makes getting up the next day so much more pleasant, especially once I have made my bed!
Happy Easter
Working from home
This is becoming an increasingly popular way of living and there are many advantages. It certainly cuts out the commute time, which for many people means saving a couple of hours every day. It can also take away that stress of commuting, the traffic hold-ups, train delays and overcrowding. Though it adds different stresses including a sense of isolation becoming distracted – there are a million ‘other tasks’ to do at home!
In the current climate many of us are constrained to work from home. When this is all over and things can go back to ‘normal’, I believe some of us will not want to go back!
This post is aimed at someone doing a traditional type of job which requires some sort of online presence. At the end I will add a link to a site suggesting alternative ways of working from home. If you are a Creative Artist, then just do your own thing!!!
Think about your work area
If possible make this a permanent fixture, preferably in a spare room. There are an increasing number of businesses offering Garden Offices which can be quite luxurious and expensive. When I first started out as a teacher, I lived in a small house without a spare room, so I converted the attic space into my office. My son is currently converting part of his basement into a work area. Whatever you choose, ensure it is a place that will not be disturbed easily – I’m thinking about children and pets.
Set Regular Work Hours
This is one of the hardest things to organise if you work independently. For people who are working from home as part of a regular job it is easier to set a schedule such as daily check-in times with the main Office. It can become too easy for breakfast to last until late morning and lunch becomes two very pleasant hours. This is fine if you know you can work into the evening; do you want to?
Plan your day with To Do Lists
This is a great way for keeping to a schedule. Set daily goals and targets, then review these at the end of the day. Timetable lunch, coffee breaks and exercise breaks. I split the day into four 4-hour blocks, starting at 8 a.m. A lot of people have said to me that the day is ‘just about over’ by 4 p.m. – to me that is the halfway mark. I’m not suggesting that you work a 16-hour day! Think of it in terms of what you need to achieve in those blocks of time.
When I was a full-time teacher the ‘normal’ school teaching day would be over by 4, though there were always clubs and meetings after that time. The block up to 8 p.m. was family time and as my sons go older this would stretch into the fourth block. Any extra schoolwork had to be fitted into the time available up to midnight. I kept with this idea during school holidays.
Dress for Work
I remember my first business when I worked mostly from home – I had a franchise selling Investment Properties in Florida. Some mornings I found I was still in my dressing gown a 11 a.m. On other days I went to networking meetings and potential clients; I was in a business suit and by 11 a.m. I felt I had achieved a lot.
So, if you work at home get up and get dressed! It changes your attitude and motivation and makes you far more productive. After all, you are running a business.
Exercise and Stretch Regularly
Many Office workers hit the gym in the evening and the place is always packed, hot and sweaty. The great advantage of working from home is that you can choose when to go to the gym. Avoid the early mornings as that is when all the crazy people go! If you like to start the day with Exercise than investigate routines that can be done with minimal equipment. A home gym can be built around using your furniture and maybe a couple of dumbbells.
I have a friend who said he used three gymnasiums for free – he used them as focal points on his cycle route! If you have a gym membership and you’re working from home, then 9 a.m. and Noon are great times to visit.
Take Short Breaks
Take 5 to 10 minutes every hour, away from your workplace. Stare out of the window; make a cup of tea; lift some weights; eat a banana; let your mind refocus before you start again.
Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks
This will depend very much on personal taste. I tend to cook breakfast and enjoy it with lots of tea. Although my sons are grown and left home, I still tend to cook family size meals, often at the weekend, and store portions in tubs in the freezer. Most days I can retrieve one of them for lunch or dinner. I enjoy cooking with fresh vegetables as often as possible. And always have fresh fruit available.
Further ideas
So, these are a few basic ideas to get started. If you want more details take at look at this site or this one.
If you are still looking for an idea on the type of business, you could run from home then carry on reading my blog and have a good look at this site for entrepreneurs.
Good luck.
How to get started on writing a book/ebook.
I recently participated in a Webinar which was aimed at ways to make money online. I decided to take some of the basic ideas and turn them into a series of blog posts. Although the original idea was based around writing an ebook I think the ideas could be just as useful for writing a Print book or Script Writing or Plays or Poetry or Journaling or Blogging or anything!
So, when it comes to our book/ebook we must ask several questions.
- Are we writing fact or fiction?
- If fiction, what genre?
- If fact, do you need to do all the Research from scratch?
- Are you an expert in a field or a niche?
- Could you get hold of some PLR* and change it to fit your needs?
- What do people want to read about?
If you want to find the answer to that last one it is possible to just Google the question.
- What kind of answer would you get?
- And how many answers would you get?
I just did it and it came back with 7,850,000,000 results in 0.63 seconds!
That is a lot of information!
But some of it is amazing – https://www.getresponse.com/blog/8-tips-on-writing-content-that-people-want-to-read-right-now
Would it be useful to know the kinds of things that people regularly ask about online and then see if you could write something that will fulfil their needs?
This is a website that does just that!
In their own words “AnswerThePublic listens into autocomplete data from search engines like Google then quickly cranks out every useful phrase and question people are asking around your keyword.
It’s a goldmine of consumer insight you can use to create fresh, ultra-useful content, products and services. The kind your customers really want.” From their website.
Where can I get help and tips on writing.
Then, there are plenty of writing courses that can help. Google or Bing or whatever ‘Free Writing Courses’ and again there will be many millions of results. You can vary the search like ‘Free online Creative writing courses’ or ‘free online business writing course’ etc. You then end up with something like this
Be careful though as some of these ‘free’ courses end up costing a lot of money. There are also the professional paid writing courses such as https://prowritingaid.com/
There are also webinars and courses through many portals.
Software – Which package suits you best?
Most people will be working with Microsoft Word on a PC or Pages on a Mac, which are probably already installed on your machine. These are software packages designed to appeal to every type of word processing. However Scrivener was designed for writers by writers! All these packages come with a cost.
However there are also plenty of free word processors such as Google Docs, FocusWriter, FastPencil and Evernote. There are also many other writing aids such as Hemingway App – it’s a style checker that’s designed to help tighten up your prose and make your writing clear and bold. Open Office is a free Word Processor; it is Open Source so don’t ever be scammed into paying for it.
yWriter is a popular word processor (intended mainly for novelists) with some impressive features (especially for a program that’s completely free). And to help with Grammar – Grammarly –It has taken over as one of the most versatile simple editing software and for a good reason.
Other useful software to aid writing
Dropbox – save your files into a cloud folder. Any files that you save in this folder will be automatically backed up to Dropbox’s servers in the cloud, which will be automatically downloaded to any other computers that are synced to that same Dropbox account.
Freedom –It’s a productivity app designed to help eliminate distractions by blocking certain websites – something more than beneficial for those of us who get side-tracked easily. It carries a monthly fee.
Getting your things out there!
With any kind of business idea, and remember publishing is a business, you need three things.
- Something to sell – your book/ebook
- Somewhere to sell from – a shop or an online platform
- Someone to sell to – an audience
Most people think that the first is the toughest part – they are wrong. Every year millions of books are written, published in some format – and fail to sell. Trust me on this – my books are still mostly on my laptop apart from this Swords and Sorcery spoof – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strange-Things-Uranus-PP-Swifty-ebook/dp/B00D6BAFC8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=strange+things+from+uranus&qid=1586299289&sr=8-1
The obvious choice is to find a publisher!
That is a totally different story.
Self-publishing is the way forward and can in many cases lead to a publishing deal with an established Publishing House.
Amazon and Amazon Kindle are two ways forward with publishing. It is possible to Upload your book to both by creating an account with Kindle Direct Publishing. They will walk and talk you through every step of the process, from uploading your content to setting a price and making it available on the Amazon website.
There are other sites such as Youwriteon.com which encourages you to publish with them, either as a part novel or as a full novel. They run competitions and have links to many publishing houses such as Penguin, Random House, Orion, Harper Collins, Transworld, Hodder & Stoughton and Little Brown.
If you want your work critiqued as you write then use FastPencil as mentioned earlier. It is a writing and publishing platform which goes from a completely free do it yourself package to an expensive fully managed professional programme – check the prices.
Finding an audience.
Ok so Amazon and the others will help you put a book or ebook in front of the public. How do you make people find it and buy it or even just download it if you make it FREE! This is where Social Media comes into play and you must decide if you want your own Blog or Facebook Page or Facebook Group or Instagram or LinkedIn or whatever else is out there and trending. Whatever you choose there will be a course available of Blog Posts to help you. I will be writing more as I learn more about all these methods so stay tuned.
Moving forward.
There is an enormous amount more to this idea of writing, printing and publishing your book. I will cover more of these ideas in other posts.
Meanwhile, Enjoy Writing it’s good for you!!
*(PLR – Private Label Rights. I will write more about this in a later post.)
Phoenix Education 