Tag Archives: freelance writing advice

A Huge Ever-Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Center of the Underworld

I know EXACTLY what you are thinking. What does this UK dancefloor classic have to do with freelance writing? Funny you should ask…Alex Patterson is the mad genius behind The Orb, which releases trippy, quirk-laden music. Patterson never releases his musical projects without collaborating with someone else–I’m not sure why, but there just doesn’t seem to be a solo album in Patterson’s future, ever.

Fans of The Orb know what they are getting, more or less, every time they purchase a new CD. Naturally there are those who feel The Orb’s best days are behind them (after all, they’ve been at this game a long time now) but Patterson still keeps making music and much of it is still very, very good.

What in the WORLD can a freelancer learn from Alex Patterson? Continue reading A Huge Ever-Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Center of the Underworld

Freelance Writing Lie Number 99: Never Write For Free

Ready for some GREAT advice that runs counter to everything you read on every writing site that tells you not to write for free?

Not only should you write for free, if you run a blog you should HUNT for opportunities to write for no money.

Now you think I am crazy, right? Like I’ve gone off the deep end after constantly re-writing copy for people who drop their plurals?

Not…quite.

Let me introduce you to the concept of guest blogging. Guest bloggers get to pop in on someone else’s blog, throw around a few pearls of wisdom on the topics of the day, and get some nice linkbacks to their blog, resume page or MySpace site. Now you’re starting to see the light, I think.

Guest blogging is a practice that is used by savvy self-promoters to increase visibility and drive more traffic to their own pages. It cuts both ways–you post links promoting the other person’s blog where you guested, and they drive traffic back to you. Your readers and theirs start to cross pollenate.

You generally don’t get any money for this, but the traffic is definitely worth the effort. Let me give you a hint: always try to guest blog on a site that has a bit more clout than your own. This is good for your Google standings and will bring some of those higher profile readers over to you.

Write for free, folks. Don’t listen to those other writing websites that tell you anything different. Just remember to write for free in THE RIGHT WAY.