You’ve retained an editor’s services and have received the edited version of your manuscript or article, or you are reviewing the work of a staff or freelance editor working for a publication you have submitted your content to. If you haven’t worked with an editor before, you may be disconcerted by the amount of editing … Read more
Do you have a desire to write, but perhaps you find yourself frustrated by an inability to develop or organize your writing, or perhaps you’re getting bogged down in the process? Maybe a writing coach can help you. This post discusses what a writing coach can do for you. What is a writing coach? He … Read more
Once upon a time, a writer was created in a complex process of teaching and mentoring. To the detriment of the worlds of publishing and journalism, this system has broken down, and it will never be the same again. But as is true of any skill set, it is still possible to make the journey … Read more
Whether you’re trying to develop the topic of an essay or the plot of a short story, or you and some of your colleagues have been assigned to propose an idea for a product or a project, a brainstorming session is a means to a successful outcome. Here are some tips for the brainstorming session’s … Read more
People read online for the same reasons that they read print documents: to obtain information or knowledge, to complete forms and applications, or to be entertained. The key difference, however, between habits of print readers and online readers is that online readers are more likely than print readers to be researching, not reading. Here are … Read more
I was painfully amused to find in a recent job listing the perpetuation of the absurd notion that a degree in English — or literature, for God’s sake — is the ideal preparation for work as a writer or editor. The listing required candidates to have a degree in English or literature. Now, there can … Read more
A recent Craigslist job posting invites readers to apply to write twenty or more 1,000-word online-marketing articles per week. The pay rate? Twenty dollars per article to start, thirty dollars each after the first ten articles, and forty or fifty dollars apiece after a couple of weeks. The compensation for this work, after the initial … Read more
Do you have something in writing you’d like to share with the world? Not a complete book manuscript, perhaps, but musings of a concise nature? Perhaps you like to explain things, or share your opinion, or tell a story or write humorous pieces. There’s plenty of advice online about pitching, or seeking an invitation, to … Read more
If you contribute to production of a print or online publication that includes photographs or illustrations, you’re likely, at some point, to write captions. Here’s some advice about how to write good ones. 1. Caption copy must match the tone of the running text (the general written content, as opposed to display type such as … Read more
If you, or the business or organization you work for, want people to visit your (or its) website, you should know the most important factor in search engine optimization. As you probably know, SEO is any set of strategies designed to improve your website’s ranking in an online search. Various sources ascribe varying values to … Read more
Today is your last chance to join the DWT Freelance Writing Course. Enrollment will remain open until midnight (GMT). The next edition of the course will take place only in mid-2013. Below, you’ll find what some of the past students had to say about the course: “What you supplied has far exceeded my expectations, both … Read more
A recent report about the pluses and perils of online searching by students has lessons for all writers, regardless of age, who use the Internet for research. A survey found that though most schoolteachers believe that digital search technology is beneficial, it also encourages more superficial searching, and that conundrum applies to the populace in … Read more