03Aug 2014 by Philippa Willitts
Googling yourself

Googling yourself

Freelancing
As a freelancer, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on what people are saying about you. If you're being criticised somewhere online, you may want to address the issues head on or do some damage limitation. Or, if you find that someone has praised your work, you may want to publicise this, or even just quietly bask in the glory for a few minutes. Keeping an eye out for social media mentions is also important. If people are talking about you on Twitter, for instance, being aware of what is being said could help you to address concerns, improve your business practices, or - if it is glowing praise - enjoy a bit of a morale boost. Despite these benefits, I rarely remember to do it.…
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23Jul 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 76: Writing for Agencies

Podcast
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="292"] Don Draper of Mad Men works on Madison Avenue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] Many freelancers are curious about the idea of writing for agencies, which can be a great way to boost the stability and income of your freelance writing business but it doesn't suit everybody! In this podcast episode, Lorrie and I discuss how to decide whether writing for agencies is right for you and, if so, to how to find the best agencies to suit your needs and working style. Show Notes If you’re feeling unappreciated, give someone else credit 14 brilliant pieces of literature you can read in the time it takes to eat lunch Freelance writing: to specialise or not to specialise There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss…
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07Jul 2014 by Philippa Willitts
Twenty-seven essential books to boost a writer’s creativity

Twenty-seven essential books to boost a writer’s creativity

About Writing
It is a well-known fact that you can never have too much creativity or too many books. So I have gathered together the best of the best - an epic list of 27 books to provoke and inspire creativity for writers, artists and business people. The links below are for Amazon. If you would prefer to support independent bookshops, try Hive Books or Bookshop.org in the UK or Bookshop or IndieBound in the USA. For people in other countries, a quick Google should help you to find an independent alternative. [bctt tweet="You can never have too much creativity, or too many books..." username="PhilippaWrites"] Amazon.co.uk WidgetsMake Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day by SARK Discovering SARK's books, some ten years ago, was a revelation to…
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30Jun 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 75: Twitter Tools to Streamline Your Social Media Marketing

Podcast
Do you find that you waste time posting on Twitter and keeping track of your followers? Social media is an unavoidable part of marketing a freelance business, but there are tools available that can help freelancers to avoid wasting time and energy on their Twitter tasks. In this podcast episode, I talk you through a series of tools that can help you to streamline your Twitter marketing and make it a far more efficient process. Show Notes Tweetdeck Hootsuite Buffer ManageFlitter FollowerWonk Tweriod Tweepi Twitter is like… 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, please 'like' us on Facebook to be the first to hear our news and to…
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11Jun 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 74: How to Justify Higher Freelancing Rates

Podcast
Most people would love a pay rise but, when you're a freelancer, you have to negotiate changes in fees with every single client! To make it far more likely that one of your clients or publications will pay you more, you need to ensure that it is absolutely clear why you deserve a raise. What value do you provide to them? What are you doing that benefits their company? Why are you worth keeping, in favour of a cheaper competitor? In this podcast episode, Lorrie and I look at ways to make sure you justify the fees you want to charge. Enjoy! Show Notes Writing for different audiences - experts vs beginners Freelance writing: to specialise or not to specialise Why and how to charge more for your freelance writing The…
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15May 2014 by Philippa Willitts
Podcast Episode 73: Taking a non-linear approach to copy

Podcast Episode 73: Taking a non-linear approach to copy

Podcast
There's nothing worse than staring at a blank Word document and not knowing where to start. Do you find yourself faced with getting 500 words onto the page, incorporating SEO keywords, heading tags and a call to action, yet have no inspiration at all? In her solo episode, Lorrie goes through some non-linear ways to approach copywriting, where you don't necessarily start at the top and finish at the bottom. Show Notes Episode 19: How to proofread your own work 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…
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29Apr 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 72: Additional Income Streams for Freelance Writers

Podcast
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="320"] Graph With Stacks Of Coins (Photo credit: kenteegardin)[/caption] Freelancing can be a bit scary at times, and the lack of guaranteed income puts many people off even trying. Those who have already embarked on full-time self-employment will also find that their income can go up and down, and time off sick or a trip away can cause it all to grind to a dramatic halt. Because of this, it can be a good idea to have an extra income stream or two, but many writers have no idea what they could do to gain any kind of passive or residual income. Tune in to get some great ideas! Show Notes Amazon affiliates Google AdSense Clickbank E-Junkie Commission Junction Affiliate Window This is what petunias look like,…
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15Apr 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 71: Content inspiration – 19 top ideas for when you run out of steam

Podcast
Some days you will be bursting with ideas, ready to write about anything and everything. But we also all have those moments when the Word document is empty - and so is our internal bank of inspiration! This solo podcast episode is full of ways to get content inspiration, so have a listen, and enjoy! Show Notes Feedly Topsy Quora Google Trends Google Adwords Keyword Planner Ubersuggest Google Alerts StumbleUpon 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, please 'like' us on Facebook to be the first to hear our news and to talk with us about what you hear on the podcast! Transcript PW: Hello, and welcome to…
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30Mar 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Copy: new cloud storage alternative to Dropbox and Google Drive

Uncategorized
As a freelancer, making sure your work and records are backed up is vital. Losing valuable documents can get you in trouble with everybody from clients and editors to the tax man. I tend to double up my backing up, using both an external hard drive and online cloud services. This may seem like overkill, but you only need one massive hard drive failure to leave you in a real mess. The other great thing about cloud storage is that you can access your files from any computer, so wherever you are, you can find your work. Google Drive is great for volume and reliability, but the user interface leaves a lot to be desired. It is not at all intuitive, and things can be difficult to find. Dropbox is…
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25Mar 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 70: Google+ for Freelance Writers

Podcast
Despite its reputation as the geeky cousin of Facebook and Twitter, Google+ actually has a lot to offer a freelance writer. It has powerful features, smart personalisation options and an ideal B2B marketplace. In this episode of our freelance writing podcast, Lorrie and I go through how to get started, how to set up Google Authorship for writers, Google+ dos and don'ts, best practice and handy hacks. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="220"] Google Plus - Plus Icon (Photo credit: dolphinsdock)[/caption] Show Notes Top 20 stats to get you active on Google+ Better than Gmail for Android: Boomerang for Android Reviewed The 5-step editing process for a perfect resume There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told Me. Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via…
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