Category Archives: podcast

Add Value with Video

CelesteHeiterFZBioIn case you haven’t noticed…video is everywhere! With the abundance of affordable recording devices, from smartphones to digital cameras and mini-camcorders, there’s no end to the possibilities. And these days, nearly every OS includes basic video editing software.

If you want to go pro…there are dozens of options, including Adobe Creative Suite, which now includes Adobe Premiere, a full-scale digital video editing program with all the bells and whistles to enhance your raw footage and even create some amazing special effects. Best of all, the web is loaded with tutorials to help minimize the learning curve.

And when it comes to venues for your video creations, they run the gamut, from the free-for-all known as YouTube…to the news reels embedded in the lead stories of nearly every media website. So if you want to up the ante on your web-based freelance assignments, think video and start offering clips to sweeten the pot…and your paycheck!

Celeste Heiter is the author of Turn Your PC into a Lean Mean Freelancing Machine, the creator of the LoveBites Cookbook Series for Kindle Fire, and the author of Potty Pals , a potty-training book for children. She has also written ten books published by ThingsAsian Press; and spent eight years posting her recipes, food photographs, and film reviews on ChopstickCinema .

Visit her website, and her Amazon Author Page.

Grammar, Grammar, Grammar!

This post is sposnored by FiledBy – where authors can claim their free website and build their online marketing platform.

grammarby Catherine L. Tully

I know I have mentioned this great resource before, but only in passing. Grammar Girl is a heavy-duty tool for the writer–new or experienced. Mignon Fogarty is the name behind this character, and her “Quick and Dirty Tips For Better Writing” include goodies such as:

  • Affect vs. Effect
  • Toward vs. Towards
  • All Right vs. Alright
  • Lay vs. Lie

These are excellent, bite-sized tips for the writer that can mean the difference between getting a query nod and having the editor hit delete. Let’s face it–in this business, you’ve got to know what you are doing when it comes to grammar and sentence structure.

filedby

It doesn’t really matter how you decide to keep up with Grammar Girl. She’s on Twitter and she even has her own podcast on iTunes. A little honesty? It’s the only podcast that I have actually downloaded and listened to on my iPhone.

Naturally, if you prefer a good, old-fashioned book you can go that route as well.

Why am I so excited about this? Well, grammar is huge, and it is usually presented in the most awful, boring format. Grammar Girl gives it to you straight, but in a palatable way, without taking too long to get the point across. I’m a serious fan.

This post was brought to you by FiledBy

YOU Bring the Snark

by Joe Wallace

It has been said that I am far too snarky for my own good. With that in mind, I ask YOU to give the feedback about this video presentation about freelance writing, titled Freelance Writing Business: 10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Sales in a Recession? Does this freelance writing video clip do the job well? Does it represent the website it advertises with skill or does it leave you wondering where the punchline is?

Take note–we did NOT produce this. We present this for your edification and commentary. You tell US what this video is up to and whether or not it makes the grade. I can’t be responsible for any accidents involving beverages squirting out your nose, so consider yourself warned.


Podcast: Questions Writers Ask/Selling Reprints

Welcome to our new podcast, titled “Questions Writers Ask”! Joe and I are going to select different questions and answer them so that you can get some input based on our experiences over the years. These are designed to be short and sweet so you don’t have to listen to a lot of talking before we get to the point!

Please feel free to send any questions you have to: editor@freelance-zone.com.
Enjoy–

[podcast]http://freelance-zone.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/qwac1.mp3[/podcast]

Introducing the Freelance-Zone.com Podcast

It’s official–Freelance-Zone.com has joined the podcasting fray. This is our first episode, so we thought we would introduce ourselves and give a bit of background on who we are and how we got into the biz. It’s a bit basic, but since it’s Episode #1, we wanted to keep it simple, iron out any bugs, and get a bit more elaborate over time. Eventually we’ll branch out into video episodes, since there actually are things we do better in the visual medium–especially when it comes to improving your work with photographs, troubleshooting computer problems, even some grammar and sentence construction issues. We’re excited about this next step, and we’re looking forward to longer and more entertaining episodes in the months to come.

Click the icon below (the “play” button, not the speaker icon) to listen to the Freelance-Zone.com Podcast, Episode One.

[podcast]http://www.freelance-zone.com/blog/wp-content/podcast/episode1.mp3[/podcast]