2014 | Philippa Writes

22Dec 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Escape from Content Mills: Tell Me What YOU Need to Know!

So many freelance writers feel trapped in the under-paying, soul-destroying 'race to the bottom' freelancing sites and content mills. I have escaped from that depressing hole, and I want to help other writers to do the same! But to do so really effectively, I need to know what the barriers are that you face so that I can guide you to smash them and thrive with your own, private clients! [tweetherder]What are the obstacles that trip you up when you try to escape from the content mill trap?[/tweetherder] Do me a favour and fill out this survey. You can also use it to sign up to the email list that I have set up for this purpose, specifically. And, if you have friends or colleagues in a similar situation, please…

19Dec 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Run, Don’t Walk, Away From Content Mills: Secret Sneak Peak!

About Writing, Freelance Self-Promotion, Freelancing

[caption id="attachment_1825" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo credit: Howtostartablogonline.net[/caption] One of the questions I get asked the most by fellow freelancers is how they can escape from writing for mass freelancing sites with low pay and a 'race to the bottom' mentality. The fact is that even if all your current work is underpaid and undervalued, even if you are doing some kind of ad-based revenue share that earns you 22 cents for an article you spent three hours writing, even if you are currently producing work that you know is under par because you need to write four articles an hour to break even, and even if you have never had a private client of your own, it is possible to escape from the content mill, but it takes some focused work to get your foot in…

10Dec 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Keyword Stuffing, Video Style

Language

Thanks to this post from Convince and Convert, I've discovered a video that made me laugh like a drain. If you ever wondered what the outdated practice of keyword stuffing would look like in video form, Mike can show you here and now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_zx7jPLmyk I get the distinct impression that he buys golf clubs. Legend.

21Nov 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Book Recommendation: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Making $1,000 More This Month

About Writing, Freelancing

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="338" class="zemanta-img"] Bookshelf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] You may remember Mridu Khullar Relph who I interviewed on the podcast recently. Well, she's written a book. And it's really good. Full disclosure: Mridu and I are friends and she gave me a free copy of the book. However, if I thought it was terrible I would simply have never mentioned it again. Instead, having read it and been inspired, I actually can't recommend it highly enough. Firstly, her credentials. Mridu has years of experience in journalism and counts the New York Times and TIME amongst her credits; this shows in her writing. The Freelance Writer's Guide to Making $1,000 More This Month is packed full of tips to get more work and improve your income and these tips are not vague, they are…

23Oct 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Sometimes you just need to hear something nice

About Proofreading

I read Show Your Work by Austin Kleon a few months ago but, despite my best intentions, I keep forgetting to actually show my work. I set up a Pinterest board for the purpose but it's sparse, to say the least. So today, as I was designing a flyer for my proofreading services, I remembered the concept and decided to show my work on Twitter. https://twitter.com/PhilippaWrites/status/525316396784558081 I was really pleased, then, to get the following tweets from a former proofreading client in response. https://twitter.com/_la_mysterieuse/status/525317236899459072 https://twitter.com/_la_mysterieuse/status/525317346958016512 I really like proofreading. I know a lot of freelance writers do it just because it's an extra skill they can offer, but they don't really value it much. However, I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to fix things and improve somebody's chances, so it's absolutely…

16Sep 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 79: Turn a drawback into a strength and boost your freelance career – an interview with Mridu Khullar Relph

Freelancing, Podcast

Many freelancers are in a situation that could work against them in the commercial or media market. Combining freelancing with caring responsibilities, living in a part of the world that has a poor reputation for the quality of its writers, or having health problems or being disabled (as I am), for example. In this episode of the podcast, I interview Mridu Khullar Relph, a freelance writer who has written for the likes of the New York Times, Time magazine, Ms magazine and more, and we discuss how you can turn something that is arguably a disadvantage into something that is undeniably a strength! Apologies for the inconsistent sound quality in parts of this interview. However, it's well worth tolerating it for the great content! Show notes Mridu's website (UK / US) The…

06Sep 2014 by Philippa Willitts

I was interviewed on the @CherishedIdeas podcast: freelancing, pricing and marketing yourself

Freelance Self-Promotion, Freelancing, Podcast

[caption id="attachment_1703" align="aligncenter" width="492"] "Often, I find, my most creative thinking has to come in my work that involves the most boring topics" - Philippa Willitts[/caption] [tweetherder]Listen to @PhilippaWrites talk to @CherishedIdeas about freelancing: [/tweetherder] A couple of months ago, I was really excited to get an interview request from the then-new Cherished Ideas podcast. It is a podcast for freelancers of all stripes and I chatted to Simon Knapp all about freelancing, how to make it work, how to stay up to date, and plenty more. [tweetherder]"Often, I find, my most creative thinking has to come in my work that involves the most boring topics"[/tweetherder] Have a listen below, enjoy, and let me know what you think! [tweetherder]"Guest blogging doesn't have to be for free. I guest blog and…

19Aug 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 78: How to self-publish without embarrassing yourself

Podcast

Self-published books have a bad reputation and, sadly, that is partly the fault of self-publishers themselves. If you want to publish your own work, it's time to up your game. In this podcast episode, Lorrie and I explain a series of self-publishing 'don'ts' and offer recommendations and tips to make sure your self-published work is the best it can be. Show Notes DIY: How to Understand Self-Publishing Acronyms Lousy Book Covers Fiverr Authors are a**holes Written? Kitten! There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told Me. Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Find us on Stitcher Smart Radio And finally, do 'like' us on Facebook to be the first to hear our news and to talk with us about what you hear on the…

18Aug 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Freelancing while offline: can we work without the web?

Freelancing

I currently have no broadband access at home. Just take a moment to absorb that: No. Broadband. Access. I know, it's a practically mediaeval state of affairs but, until Thursday, it's how it is. In a bid to be mature and not completely freak out, I spent the days before the outage gathering together apps, software, websites and tips on managing without WiFi while still trying to run a business. And stay sane(ish). So, in this post I will go through some of the best ideas and tools available for coping without a regular broadband connection. Preparation I was in the fortunate position of having a few days' notice of my impending broadband outage. This meant that I had the chance to do a degree of preparation for as many eventualities…

06Aug 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 77: What to do if a client won’t stop bugging you

Podcast

Sometimes, freelance writing clients cross the line. They might send text messages to check you got the email they sent moments earlier, call you at 7pm on a Saturday night, or email 12 times a day to check on progress. In this solo episode, Lorrie goes through some tricks and tips to return professional distance to a working relationship. Show Notes 35 tech terms translated into plain English There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told Me. Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Find us on Stitcher Smart Radio And finally, 'like' us on Facebook to be the first to hear our news and to talk with us about what you hear on the podcast!

Year: 2014