As a freelancer writer you work to your own schedule and I was fortunate enough to be able to take most of the summer off this year. My reason for this was of course to spend the time with my children and I have to admit that it was great. Many freelance writers quit their day jobs in order to be stay at home parents and this is great but sometimes what happens is that our freelance work can take over and we forget why we wanted to stay at home in the first place. This summer has been a real eye opener for me and it made realise that I had lost sight of my initial goals.

For the past week I have been re-evaluating my blog and website and their reason for existance. When I created the Ghostwriting Uncovered website back in 2007 it was to help others. I wanted this website to be a source of information for people wishing to take up freelance writing as a career. The Hidden Writer is an extension of this website and looking through the last year of posts I realised that I had lost sight of what was originally planned for this blog too.  I seem to have been following the crowd which is something that I am rather disappointed in.

In order to rectify this I am going back to my initial goals and ambitions for this website and blog. It is not about making money, it is about helping others.  There are a number of changes coming in the next week and I have detailed them below.

One of the things that a lot of readers seem to be asking about is the European Freelance Writing jobs which I used to post daily. Thanks to everyone for your questions and yes this feature will be returning from next week. The reason I stopped was that I didn’t think people were interested but going by the emails I receive this actually was a very popular feature.

The next thing that I plan on introducing is grammar Tip Wednesdays. Again this will start from next week so watch out for this. Every freelance writer needs to brush up on their grammar skills every now and then and it really is an important aspect of freelance writing. You might be able to write great content but if there are spelling and grammar mistakes that really won’t help your career.

On Fridays I will be having Freelance Writing Questions and Answers. I receive a lot of emails asking questions about freelance writing and ghostwriting and rather than just replying to one person I thought it might be fun to add this feature to the blog so that all my readers can benefit. If anyone has a question that they would like answered all they have to do is email me: admin at ghostwritinguncovered dot com. If you would prefer to have your question answered in private I am also an expert in the writing category over on Allexperts.com.

I will also be featuring some great articles for those new to freelance writing and of course guest writers are always welcome.

It’s going to be an exciting few weeks for me as I get the new blog format up and running and I hope that everyone will continue to show their support by sticking with me.

If there is anything that you would like to see featured all you have to do is add a comment to this post and I will take it from there.

Until next time,

Keep writing

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Today I have something special to share with you.  I am constantly getting emails from people who like me are fed up with the state of bidding websites.  I’m sure you are familiar with the scenario that seems to be invading the bididng websites – 500 words articles for $1.  It’s totally ridiculous and I personally feel like setting up a campaign against this.  I mean come on, even beginners should get no less than $2 per 100 words, that’s $10 for a 500 word article.  I reckon that if all us ghostwriters and freelancer writers including those just starting out joined together and refused to accept anything less than $2 per 100 words, then these buyers would soon realise that you have to pay to have content written.  That’s just my opinion but what do you think?

On to what I was saying before I rambled off topic.  I am constantly getting emails from people wondering how to find high paying and even average paying ghostwriting jobs.  I respond to each email I get but thought I should share the information with my readers too.

[ad#post-ads]So today I spent some time creating a free report for you.  This report is only 7 pages long but in it I have put one of the simple methods I use for finding more ghostwriting and freelance writing jobs.  I have also included screenshots to show exactly what I am talking about.

This report is my gift to you and a way to help you find more work.  I value your readership and if I can help you in anyway you only have to ask.  There is an abundance of work for ghostwriters and freelance writers a like and if sharing some of my methods for finding paid writing work with you helps then I am happy to do so.

So please go ahead and download your free gift.  If you find it useful pass it on to a friend, stumble or digg this post, or even tell your friends on facebook or twitter.  The more we can let others know that there is an alternative to those ridiculous $1 500 word articles the better.  I want to see the bidding websites return to what they were back in 2004.  When bidding on a job meant getting what you were worth.  I never got less than $2 per 100 words even when I was just starting out.

It’s time to take a stand, let all us writers unite, and let people know that our services are worth a lot more than $1.

Until next time,

Keep writing.

P.S.  Apologies for my little rant, I just get so frustrated when I hear of people being taken for granted.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s Sunday 1st February, the first day of Spring, and my 2nd weekly review.  This week wasn’t as hectic as last week but busy enough all the same:

Saturday 24th January

I received the next 2 pdf ebooks from my client that need to be proofread.  These are book 11 and 12 in the series.  I completed proofing books 10 and 11 today and sent them off for approval.

I completed some research today for the new blog that I am working on.  Found lots of excellent information that I can put to good use.  No launch date for the new blog as yet.

Sunday 25th January

Today was a busy day for me.  Yes I was working all weekend again but deadlines are deadlines and unfortunately this can happen when you work for yourself.

Completed book 12 in my proofing series today and forwarded to my client for approval.  So far everything is fine and there are now only 2 more books to complete in this project.

Received a rush project today from one of the websites I write for.  This was for 100 product descriptions at 50 words each.  The products in question were guitars not something that I am familiar with.  The deadline for these was Monday 26th.  Decided to get some help on this project and called in a favour from my friend Naoise.  I have been coaching her for a while now and it was time to see if I had done a good job.

Monday 26th January

Emma had school today and because it was a fine morning we actually walked to school.  This is part of my effort to get up to 10,000 steps each day.  Currently I do between 3,000 and 4,000.  I know I sit down too much but it comes with the job.

Finished the guitar descriptions today with the help of Naoise who completed 26 for me.  Sent these off and decided to take a break for the rest of the day.

Spent the evening catching up on twitter and finding some advertisers for my blog.

Tuesday 27th January

Both of my children were in school this morning so I got as much work done as possible.  Completed a new blog post today on the topic of ghostwriting rates which was something I had been meaning to do for a while.  It’s a very touchy subject and one that can generate a lot of interest.  I wrote tomorrows blog post also and did a paid blogging post for payperpost worth $15.

Spent the evening catching up on twitter and I read some more of the e-book I bought called “The Ultimate freelancer”.

Wednesday 28th January

Just Emma in school today.  We walked from our house to the school today which is a 25 minute walk.  It was enjoyable though and a great way to start the day.

Didn’t get much work done today as Conor was having one of those days where he just wanted me to play with him all day.  Did manage to write 1 article for the website I write for and do some rating on Helium.  I have earned over $15 this month and I have only submitted 2 articles.

Spent some time today looking for new plugins and themes for my website.  It really does need a facelift.  Downloaded the 125×125 advertising plugin and a number of different themes to try out.

Thursday 29th January

Thursday is my day off and today I went shopping with my Mom.  Ran a spyware check on both my PC and Laptop.

My proofing project came to a standstill as the last two books are not ready.  Did out the invoice for the completed books and sent them to my client.  The remaining two books will be proofed when they are ready and a seperate invoice will be created for them.

Finished reading The Ultimate freelancer and wrote a review of same for my blog.

Started looking for some project management and CRM software to help make things a little easier this year.

Friday 30th January

Both my children were in school again today so that meant I had a couple of hours to work today.  Did some articles for the website I work for, and continued looking for the right software for my business.  There are so many to choose from that I am completed baffled as to which one to go for.  I have decided to trial a few of them including Zoho Crm and Zoho Invoicing both of which are free for basic use.

Saturday 31st January

I had a complete day of rest today and I think it was well deserved don’t you.  Spend the day with Joe and the children and we even went shopping with my brother for new tiles for his house.  Watched a movie with the children and ordered in some food for dinner.  The perfect way to end the week.

Until next week,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s Saturday and the first of my weekly reviews.  I receive a large amount of emails every week from people who are curious about what it is a ghostwriter does.  To help satisfy those of you who are curious I have decided to start posting a weekly review that details all the work I have completed each week.

Sunday 18th January:
I know it was Sunday but deadlines are deadlines and so I had to work for an hour today.  I had three 500 word articles to complete for a website that I write for.  I hate working on Sunday’s because for me Sunday is a family day and normally involves cooking a large roast and sitting around the table reviewing our week.  Thankfully my soon to be husband Joe prepared the dinner and entertained our two children while I finished my articles.

Monday 19th January:
My daughter Emma who’s 5 was back in school today.  I still had Conor my 2 year old at home so getting work done during the day can be tough.  I did however manage to get on blog post completed this morning.  Monday night when my children were tucked up in bed provided me with the opportunity to get the outline for my new e-book completed and choose my latest writing assignment from the website I write for.  As a ghostwriter, I can’t post the website details here so I’m sorry about that.

Tuesday 20th January:
Emma has school today and Conor has pre-school from 9 to 1pm.  During this time I completed three 500 word articles on the subject of Getting Your Ex Boyfriend Back.  Quite entertaining and fun to write which makes a change from financial or marketing topics.  I also posted on my blog and did some rating on Helium.  I also logged into my Elance account to see if there was anything worth bidding on there.  Placed a couple of bids before catching up on Twitter and writing blogs.  I also added a new page to this blog titled Beginners Articles so be sure to check that out.

Wednesday 21st January:
Conor and Emma were at home with me this morning so not much work done.  Emma received her vaccinations in school yesterday and had a slight reaction to them so I had to keep her at home today.  Throughout the day I managed to get three 500 word articles on removing moles completed.  I also started work on the free guide I am writing about using Helium as an additional stream of income.  I also had some re-writes to complete for a client today and I was accepted to write for another website called Content Current.  I’m not sure what this website will be like but I will keep you updated.

Thursday 22nd January:
Thursday is the day that my mother comes to visit and spend the day so work is usually put on hold until Thursday night.  My mother is an excellent writer and poet but unfortunately she has no confidence in herself.  I have been telling her for ages that she should start writing online and today I began coaching her on how to use Helium.  I thought that this would be a great way to get her started writing articles and she can also start earning a little money too.  Here’s the first article she wrote on Tree That Can Also Be Shrubs.  Now I should point out, that my mother is totally new to using a computer and has no idea how to use MS Word, how to copy and paste, or anything else.  She hand wrote the article and then typed it into Helium.  The article itself is very good but she didn’t know about the previewing the layout of the article before publishing so the format is a little off.  For her first attempt though I am really proud.

Friday 23rd January:
Both of my children were in school this morning so I had a couple of hours to work.  This morning I revised the sales page for my ghostwriting manual and added a coaching session as a bonus.  I have also decided to employ a marketing expert to promote my manual too.  As a writer, producing the content is easy for me, but when it comes to marketing I really do lack the experience needed.

Last week I completed an editing project through Elance and am happy to report that I have now added this client to my books.  I recieved another project from her today and there is plenty more to come.  This is one of the main reasons that I have kept my account with Elance.

Received an email from the owner of the website I write for today.  They have a new project that need to be completed before Monday.  I accepted and so once again I will be doing a couple of hours work over the weekend.  I don’t mind too much and I know that at the end of the month when I see my bank balance it will have been worth it.

So there you have it, that was my week, how was yours, would you like to share?

Until next time,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s Friday again and what a week it’s been.  My week has been hectic what with coaching and new client projects.  I’ve had deadlines coming out my ears but I know my bank will be thanking me at the end of the month.  That said, I am a bit behind in my reading so I don’t have as much link love to share with you this week, so if you have something you would like to share, maybe a blog post you wrote, or a writing post that you read, be sure to let me know.

The first post I want to share today is from Writing Inspiration and it’s titled Inspirational Affirmations To Uplift You.  I am a big believer in the law of attraction and this post has some great affirmations that you can use on a daily basis.  It’s worth reading even if you don’t follow the law of attraction.

Next up is 21 Quotes For Success from Shawn’s Marketing Solutions.  Again this is a great post and very appropriate for January.  Everyone is fired up and ready for the new year and what better way to start than reading about ways to make you successful.

Copyblogger also had a great post this week titled The Winnie the Pooh Guide to Blogging which I found thoroughly enjoyable and very true.  This is definitely worth reading if you have your own blog or if you’re thinking about setting one up.

Like I said, it’s been a really busy week for me and to make up for the lack of link love I want to share some great articles with you that I have really enjoyed writing and that will hopefully give you some valuable tips and advice when it comes to ghostwriting.

What it takes to be a Ghostwriter

Why Would Anyone Want To Be A freelance Writer

How To Write For Greeting Card Companies As A freelance Writer

Getting A Job On Craigslist

freelance Writers:  Handling Slow and Non-paying Clients

Internet Writing Terms Explained

Best Online Sites For Freelance Writing jobs

Sites For Freelance Writers To Earn Money

HOW TO WORK FOR FREELANCE ONLINE MARKETPLACES

BLOGGING AS A CAREER

HOW TO GET INTO GHOSTWRITING

Remember, if you have a blog you’d like to see featured here in the Friday link love spot all you have to do is post a comment and I’ll be sure to check it out.

Until next time,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you are one of the many people deciding to make the transitition into ghostwriting in 2009 then you are going to want to know where to start.  Now I could plug my ghostwriting Uncovered manual here but I’m not going to.  If you want to buy it you can

Today I want to list all the websites I know where you can bid on ghostwriting jobs.  I probably won’t be able to list them all so if I miss any that you recommend be sure to place them in the comments.  I would like to be able to compile a very comprehensive listing here on The Hidden Writer so that anyone looking for ghostwriting jobs will know where to start.  I would also like it if people would post their opinions and experiences with these websites in the comments section because that way we can help prevent time wasting.

2009 List Of Bidding Websites For Ghostwriters

1. Elance – This is probably the most common place for ghostwriters to bid on writing jobs.  A paid membership can cost from $9.95 with 20 connects (bids) per month.  You can also become a free member with 3 connects per month.  Elance has to be my favourite, it’s where I started out and whenever I am short on work this is the place I always return.  I have secured many of my full time clients from this website.
2. Guru - Guru is next in line after Elance and is a paid membership website.  I have to admit, that I don’t have much experience with Guru.  When I was starting out Guru’s membership fees were too much for me.  I have heard some good reports about this website though so hopefully someone will be able to provide some more details.
   
3. Get A freelancer - Get a freelancer is an extremely busy freelance website with plenty of jobs to bid on.  You can join for free and your get 15 bids per month.  You can also upgrade your membership to Gold status for $12 and if you do you don’t have to pay fees on the jobs you win.  My only complaint about this website is that all the jobs that are posted are really low paying.  I have seen people bid $30 for up to 40 articles.  I don’t know if anyone gets high paying or even reasonably paying work from here.  Anyone any comments?
   
4. Rent A Coder - Again I am not really familiar with this website.  Membership is free. 
   
5. Odesk - This is another website that I am not familiar with so any input would be appreciated.
   
6. Direct Freelance - I am a free member of this website and receive daily emails when jobs are posted.  Most of the jobs look very promising but I haven’t as yet bid on one because you need to be a paying member to do so.   It is worth joining as a free member and subscribing to their email alerts so that you can see for yourself the type of ghostwriting jobs on offer.
   
7. Biz Reef - I am also a member of this website.  What appealed to me about this website was the fact that you could bid in your own currency.  I subscribe to their email alerts and receive frequent emails  about new jobs that have been posted.  The jobs look promising but there are also jobs with very low pay so I am still undecided about this one.
8. EU Freelance - This website is linked to GetAFreelancer and is relatively new.  Bids are placed in Euro but like Get A Freelancer I have a feeling they are from people looking to have work carried out for nothing.
9. Writerlance - Don’t have very much information on this website.  As far as I know it’s free to join but again somewhere low bids can be expected.
   
10. Pclance - This is totally new to me and one I never heard of until I started researching this post.  Hopefully someone will be able to provide more information.
    
11. Ifreelance - This is a website that I joined as a free member back in 2007.  It was very promising and had some excellent ghostwriting jobs.  After a couple of months they changed to a fee paying site and because I have an Elance membership and my client base was growing I didn’t upgrade.  Anyone have experiene with this website that they can share?
    
12. Project4hire - This is another website I discovered when researching for this post.  Any information would be great.
    
13. Writing Bids - Another new one to me, looks very similar to all the other free websites.  Hopefully someone can provide more information.
    
14. Gofreelance - Another one that I have yet to experience but again probably very similar to the free websites that are out there.

I think the main problem with websites free websites such as Get A Freelancer is the members.  There are people who are bidding next to nothing to complete the projects and that is why more and more  people are becoming convinced that they can get work done for nothing.  What do you think?  Have I hit the nail on the head here?

Until next time,

Keep writing.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I was reading a very interesting post over on Tumblemoose yesterday that got me to thinking, “what is my blog really about?”  When I first started this blog my aim was to teach other people out there how to become successful ghostwriters and hopefully that is what I have managed to do.  You can answer that for me in the comments section below if you like

So I wanted my blog to be all about ghostwriting, how to find ghostwriting jobs, and how to be a successful ghostwriter.  Looking back over the last 6 months blog posts I have come to realise that my blog doesn’t just deal with these three things.  My blog has taken on a more personal feel and I now like to report on much more than just getting ghostwriting jobs.  I want to incorporate more, give more advice, and cover more writing ground.  I want my blog to be a place where readers come to be inspired about ghostwriting, to learn the good and the bad aspects of ghostwriting, and feel free to ask questions or make suggestions.  The only way that I know how to do this is to become more personal with my readers.  To share more tales about my working life and to provide more information than I have been doing.

If you had a question about ghostwriting that you would like to know, would you feel comfortable posting it here in my comments section?  Do you think that I possess enough knowledge about ghostwriting to answer your question?  Do you trust that I would answer your question honestly?

These are all really important questions that any blog owner should ask themselves.  Do your readers trust you?  Do they feel comfortable asking you questions?

There are so many blogs out there and many of them I feel are just there to promote a product or service.  Do you want your blog to be like this or would you prefer to gain the trust and respect of your readers?  I know which one I prefer, I want my readers to enjoy coming here, to want to read what I write and to feel confident that they can ask questions and get honest answers.

My focus for 2009 is to meet these blogging goals.  What are yours?

Until next time,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Here’s a very useful tip for all ghostwriters and it deals with communication.

When you are working on a ghost writing assignment, you should remain in constant contact with your client.  I have highlighted the word “should” and I really mean this.  I am going to give you an example.

Say you have a batch of 50 articles to complete and your client wants them forwarded in batches of 10 as they are completed.  What do you do?  Do you just send an email to your client every time you complete 10 articles?

What I do in this situation is type the first article. I then forward this to my client for his/her comments and approval. What this does, is to allow me to make sure I am on the right track and it also lets the client see what my writing style is and the way I am tackling their project. If there are any problems they can let me know there and then instead of telling me when I have 10 articles completed.  Makes sense now doesn’t it?

This little ghostwriting tip can save you a lot of time and re-writes and it is especially advised if you are working with a new client.

Remember always think ahead. You need to be paid at the end of your ghostwriting assignment and not be forced to endure another couple of days revising what you have already completed.

Another tip regarding communication with clients is, try to update your client every couple of days. Don’t just take the ghostwriting assignment and then have no further contact with the client until you have finished. Most clients prefer to be updated throughout their project, even if it is just to inform them that you have completed all of your necessary research and that you will be typing the articles the following day.

Communication really is key when it comes to successful ghostwriting. It is one of the most valuable ghostwriting tips that I can give and one that will greatly advance your career.  How do you communicate with your clients?  Do you think daily communication is necessary or just a waste of your own time?

Until next time,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

On Wednesday last week I announced that I was going to give away three copies of my ghostwriting ebook as a christmas gift.  All you had to do was post a comment telling me why you should win a copy.

I have to admit, that I was extremely disappointed that only three people left a comment.  So nobody wants my book.  Am I sad?  Well maybe a little but not too much.  My ghostwriting ebook launched in 2007 and sales have been really successful, I guess anyone who wants it probably already has it.  If it had of been a brand new ebook then yes I probably would have been devestated.

Well I promised I’d give away three copies so to, Steve Simon, Jessie Ann Heekin, and Lynne, I want to say a big thank you for your comments and congratulations a copy of my ebook is now on its way to you.  I hope you find this ebook extremely useful and I look foward to hearing your great success stories.

Until next time,

Keep writing.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Submit Your Articles For The Price You Choose

When it comes to ghostwriters marketplaces the choice is now endless with so many new websites cropping up each week. For those of you that are looking for more than just a bidding field there is a website that can help. It’s called Constant Content and it has had some excellent reviews.

Every ghostwriter knows that in order to get yourself and your writing noticed you need to submit articles. You are probably familiar with article directories such as ezinearticles and article directory where you submit your articles and webmaster are free to place them on their websites once they include your resource box.

Now there’s a new website called constant content where you can actually submit your articles for free but you also get to name your price if site owners want to use them. With constant content you can choose to submit your articles as free content or you can name a price for usage licenses. Usage licenses are a great idea. This is where people pay a fee to use your article on their website or in their newsletter and that’s not all, the best thing about these usage licenses is that there is no limit to the number of people that can purchase the article you have for sale. It’s a great way for you to get link backs to your website along with payment for your work.

I think it’s great and what’s more it’s not just for Americans. I have come across some of these websites before but in order to quality for payment you had to be a resident of the United States so that ruled me out. I have been a member of Constant Content since it started and the payments just keep coming. You can set your membership so that you receive an e-mail every time new content is requested. Of course you don’t have to do this you can just submit your articles and see if someone buy’s them.

It really is a great way to get yourself and your writing skills known and best of all you get paid. Membership is free and payments are made directly into your paypal account once you’ve reached $50. It’s simple and effective and something I definitely recommend.

Submit your articles to constant content and choose your price. It’s what all ghostwriters have been waiting for. This website is the perfect ghostwriters marketplace, there is no bidding on jobs, and if the buyer likes your work they can request more. Give it a try today, you’ve nothing to lose.

Until next time,

Keep writing.

[ad#post-ads]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.