Write Now!
It is time for another article for beginners. If there is one question I get asked more than any other, it is “How do I get started as a writer?” The good news is that there is so much work out there it is often overwhelming, and that there does not seem to be any slowing in this area…you just need to be prepared, know where to look and how to approach people. Today I am going to talk about preparing to write professionally.
Step One: Preparation
Almost every business manager or owner that you might talk to, whether in person, on the phone, or over the Internet– will want to see some samples of your writing work. Your number one priority if you want to “write and get paid” is to put together at least five writing pieces that you can use for marketing. Make them about different topics to appeal to a wider audience and show your versatility.
What to write about?
Business issues, marketing, social media, travel, autos, home, design, making money, starting a business are always popular topics. Look around a little bit on the Internet, do a few searches and see what people are interested in that you know a lot about— and write about it. If you have a blog, you already have lots of articles written; look it over and pull out your best pieces, polishing them up if needed.
Everyone has something to tell others— maybe you can teach somebody how to make graphic design logos, bake a cheesecake, make a bedroom look fabulous or give them something interesting to think about. Whatever it is, make it interesting and something people want to read; we know from studies that readers decide in about a minute whether or not to finish reading something they started… so give them good reasons to do that!
Is your righting gud?
Make sure your writing is good, and error-free. It should flow from beginning to end, and have a purpose in mind from the outset. I still remember our basic English classes from middle school– your articles should follow an easy pattern. Introduction– tell your readers what you are going to tell them. Body– tell them! Give them the information. Conclusion–Tell them what you told them, reinforce the important points.
Check your Work
Edited Page
Have someone with good spelling and grammar knowledge that you trust look it over and suggest improvements if you are not sure of yourself. Use your software’s spell check tool and take note of any issues that it points out. You could also check it with a tool like Grammarly that will point out grammar or spelling issues you and the processor may have missed. Of course, nothing beats having someone read over your work. Have your work proofread by another writer; I do a lot of proofreading and editing and charge a nominal fee per page. ($5 per page, or each 500 words.) If you want my help and more personal feedback, you can email me at denise.gabbard@gmail.com.
Improve your Skills
There are lots of great websites on the Internet that can help with your writing. Grammar Girl is one of my favorites as they go over a lot of the common problems that we all have. If you have issues with spelling, try this quick quiz: Spelling Quiz . To enhance your vocabulary, check out a great site called Free Rice. The site tests your vocabulary in a fun way, while also contributing to world hunger the more you use it. Win-win!
If English is not your native language, you might have some additional challenges with your grammar. See this post I wrote for help: 15 Tips for Improvement for ESL Writers.
You can also review some of the articles here on the blog about improving your writing skills and getting started writing. Try to put together at least one or two full-page articles in the next day or so. Do not agonize over what to write about at this point— just find something interesting and get it down on paper.
Writer resources
There you have it– the first step to beginning to make money as a writer is to write! Put together some articles, check with software, have someone read them over and critique them, and polish them up. Improve your skills, and polish them some more till they are perfect. This might seem pretty simplistic, but the writing I am discussing here and that you will find most abundant is informational writing for businesses. This type of writing doesn’t need a plot, or character development…just the facts, Ma’am!
Tomorrow, I will post the next step– Marketing, or finding outlets for your writing skills that will pay you:) We will be using those polished gems that you put together to show people just what you can do!
15 Grammar Goofs that make you look silly
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Wonderful post Denise!
Yes indeed, this is a wonderful post for beginners because this is one question always asked by them.
Writing is easier said than done, especially if you aren’t a writer or blogger. You need to start from the very basics and be patient. I would also add that you should never stop your learning process – isn’t it?
Loved the links you shared, out of which I use most of them except for Free Rice that I would be checking soon after.
Thanks for sharing.
It sure is– I would bet you hear it a lot as well. I surely understand, because that was the one thing I wanted to know most until I started digging and found paying work and answers:)
I love the software suggestions you have here. I always find errors after I publish – usually from my smartphone. Something about looking at it differently helps to catch them.
Oh– so you are showing off, are you? I can barely type with those little teeny tiny keys…was just considering giving the Dragon Naturally Speaking software another try,,apparently I do not eat enough carrots and my eyes are telling me about it.
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Interested in starting as a writer? Valuable advice here…
Great points to consider. Obviously, a casual comment on Facebook may not need to be edited/reviewed. An article that you intend to publish should be reviewed…especially if you get paid for the article. And don’t write like you do on Facebook or in an email…like I just did. An article that you intend to publish should be treated like it was an English homework assignment in school. Explains why I don’t get paid to write.
Not sure my old English teacher would approve of smiley faces.
It’s funny— when I am in productive mode I can crank out lots of blog posts and paid articles. BUT— I always have to go back and read them over, even with spelling and grammar checks in place. I almost always catch something “OFF”– the computer does not catch it when the wrong word is used.
Would have been better to get the Smileys from the teachers:)