Why Every Freelance Writer Needs A Website
Why Every Freelance Writer Needs A Website
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet? Websites these days aren't just for businesses and people who want to share their obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the world. These days, websites are one of the most important tools for writers...Why get a writer's website?First of all, ask yourself why you write in the first place. If you can honestly put your hand on your heart and say that you write only for yourself, and you don't care if no one ever reads your work, then I'll concede the point: you probably don't really need a website.If you're like the vast majority of aspiring writers, though, and you'd secretly (or even not-so-secretly) love to see your name in print, or to actually make a living from your writing, then I'll say it again: you need a website.But why?Well, if you're serious about carving out a career for yourself in writing, the first thing you need to know is that a successful writing career isn't just about writing. If you're really serious about selling your writing, you need to get serious about marketing it.Here's an interesting fact for you: the most successful freelance writers aren't necessarily the best writers. In fact, some of them aren't even all that great at writing in the first place. They're good at marketing. Selling themselves ? and their writing. And what's one of the easiest ways to start marketing your writing? By getting a website.Promoting your writing with your own writer's websiteLet's face it ? selling ourselves isn't always something that comes naturally. As writer's (and often just as people) we're used to self-effacement. Some of the best writer's I know are the most modest. They know how to write: they just don't know how to sell themselves.If you fall into this category, a website can be a fabulous work-around for the problem of how to sell yourself effectively. In simple terms, once you have your own writer's website, you don't have to worry about selling yourself ? your website will do it for you.A writer's website allows you to:* Post samples of your writing so that prospective clients can see for themselves how well equipped you are to write for them.* Give potential publishers, employers and fellow writers a means of contacting you to offer you work and ask for quotes.
* Position yourself as an expert in the field of writing, thus making it more likely that people will actually want to make use of your service.* Display testimonials from your satisfied clients.* Take advantage of the fact that the web is where employers are looking for their writers.It's the last of these points which is possibly the most significant. Let's look at why: The number one reason why writers need websitesWhen an employer is searching for a freelance writer, editor or proofreader, where do you think they look? Well, they may look in their local yellow pages or business directory, or they may go by word of mouth, but for most people, the very first place they'll look is online. Trust me, when you run an online agency for freelance writers, you find out very quickly just how many employers there are who use the internet to find a writer!If you don't have a presence on the internet (i.e. a website), how will these employers ever find you? Yes, you can rely on using an agency like my own, but with a little bit of hard work, and a well-designed website, you could be bringing in clients yourself.Still think you don't need a writer's website?Hot Igloo Productions Ltd., offers bespoke websites for writers starting at only
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza
If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicitywindfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to startworking in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reportersassigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sourcesof information:
1. Phone interviews with local store owners
- and -
2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.
Let's deal with Point 1. Here's a cool trick: In earlyNovember, write a letter to stores and major websites that carryyour product. Remind them that they may be hearing fromjournalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that theyconsider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out afew reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best orwhatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you acall if a story results that mentions your product.
Now, on to old-fashioned publicity. When to contact the mediadepends on the publication or program's lead time (how far inadvance of publication or airing the material is developed).Magazines like Woman's Day have a lead time up to six months, soget materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as shortas a week for feature material, so send materials in November. Inbetween are wire services, medium-lead magazines, "in-flight"magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particularmedia outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn'twork, try the advertising department.
What you send should be kept simple -- a press release about yourproduct/service, a pitch letter explaining why it's such a greatgift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos.See our articles "How to Write a Great Pitch Letter" http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp and "How to Write aGreat Press Release" http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.aspfor more details.
As you craft the materials, think about where yourproduct/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity orusefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Giftstories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts forTeenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts forExecutives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category foryour product, rather than simply stating "Here's a product thatwould make a nice holiday gift", you're making yourself stand out-- and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story anglethat he or she wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Eitherway, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades asone of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZineand subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter forPR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp , he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoringbig publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips andmuch, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:http://www.publicityInsider.com
Dealing with a Dog Food Allergy?
Dealing with a Dog Food Allergy?
Just as humans allergies can show up as a sneeze or rash, your dog's allergies can manifest as itchiness -- or even ear infections. In fact, if your dog's allergic to his food, it can cause him to scratch himself constantly, even with no obvious parasite problem.Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention. Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your dog's scratching habit.Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let them help "clean up" the kitchen after a meal. Little do they know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it's best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they clearly adore and want what we're eating!Narrowing Down the ProblemTo determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you'll notice the effects. And if you still haven't found the right (and wrong) ingredients, you'll have to repeat the process all over again.So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes -- give your dog a brand or type of food he's never eaten before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of protein source he hasn't been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog food that doesn't contain any of the ingredients you saw listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison -- great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common proteins.Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog's allergies is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you'll know exactly what he's getting and what he isn't -- something that's extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag. Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets. To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb -- so long as your dog isn't already eating lamb and possibly displaying a reaction to it.Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic reactions don't disappear overnight, you'll need lots of time and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem -- but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will probably make it all worth it.About the AuthorBlake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog.http://www.poodle-oo.com/