Archive for June, 2010

Google’s midlife crisis of design faith continues. This time Google news gets the treatment.
WebmasterWorld

Bing just published (and publicized) an extensive list of Advance Operators. What a look into their search technology this offers! For example, here’s a description of the advanced operator norelax:
WebmasterWorld

“Many webmasters are reporting huge swings in Google Webmaster Tools link reports. Is it a bug, or is there some other reason for such huge changes?”

Read more:
Much Improved Google Webmaster Tools Link Reports

“A simple search for “oil spill” brings up BP’s paid search ads from their crisis management campaign. The display URL shows the BP.com domain, but the ad sends you to to YouTube. Is this allowed now?”
WebmasterWorld

“Woot has signed an agreement with Amazon – yes, the Amazon – to become an independent subsidiary of the ecommerce colossus”
WebmasterWorld

As rare as a unicorn? “Oh, I need help in finding one way links, day after day, I’m after it and it’s a slow crawl, anybody have any advice, besides, keep at it?”
WebmasterWorld

Ed. Note: Earlier in the week we looked at articles around the web on promotion and marketing strategies. Today, we’ll be exploring tips from our very own Patrik Larsson.

Self promotion is something we all do in one way or another, some of us do it by blogging (like me), some do it via communities and some even do it while walking down the street. But is there a good way to self-promote or is it harder than it looks?  To promote yourself is one of the easiest and most difficult things you can do. Promotion tends to cost money but there are ways we can do it affordably yet effectively.

1. Make a print on an old t-shirt with your company name and what you do. People tend to try and read what it says, just keep in mind that you should keep it short. A lot of text is annoying to read on something that moves.

2. Hand out your business cards at a seminar, gathering, school event, or even at church. This way you get your name out there, though it may feel awkward at first.

3. Order a bunch of cheap pencils with your logo and service printed on them and give them out for free. People love free stuff.

4. Write for a blog! A tactic that I and so many others take advantage of. If your articles or posts are interesting enough, people will visit your site. Most of the blogs even pay you for writing for them.

5. Join a community and be active within the forums, if you’re active enough, people may visit your profile and check out your work.

There are so many ways you can market yourself easily and affordably. All you need to do is being a tad creative and make it simple. From my experience, people who read something on an object such as a pen or t-shirt, tends to actually visit the site to get an idea of what it is. Curiousity is something everyone has; you just need to make something that’s interesting enough.

For more tips and resources, check out my previous post highlighting five great blog posts on self promotion.

How do you do self promotion? Do you even bother to self promote, or are you one of the people spending a small fortune on advertising?

FreelanceSwitch

“… we’ve raised another round of capital. Today we closed on a m Series B round with Union Square Ventures, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures and our newest partner, Andreessen Horowitz. ”
WebmasterWorld

“I feel like I’ve been fired, while I’ve been working day and night for “my employer.”
WebmasterWorld

Finding good online markets to write for is like panning for gold. When you dip your pan in the waters of the Web, instead of gold, you often get lots of rocks. Not a great way to find leads.

So when The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets was published, I was intrigued, but skeptical. Not because of the author (seasoned freelance writer Susan Johnston) but because so many online markets pay so little.

I’m also fairly new to freelance writing. So besides leads, I needed advice. That’s why I bought the guide which promised both. It is .99 (USD) and easy to buy online. Here’s what I found.

Who’s it for?

The guide is appropriate for beginners and more experienced writers, who want to write articles, essays, blog posts, and other content for online markets. Print magazine writers and journalists who want to write for online markets will likely also find this guide useful.

What’s inside?

It’s a 61-page, easy-to-read PDF with distinct sections on:

• The why and how of writing for the web
• Samples of successful query emails
• A glossary of writing and web terms
• A directory of online markets
• Other places to find online markets

What markets are included?

There are just over 40 freelance markets listed, and they are diverse – business, parenting, writing, web development, personal finance, entertainment, and news, are just a few examples. There’s a lot to choose from. I was happy to see many writing markets that I’d never heard of. Each listing includes topics covered, a link to writer’s guidelines or general contact information, and pay rates (where available). Markets are listed alphabetically, and by pay level.

How helpful is the advice?

The advice is great because it’s based on Johnston’s considerable experience. She includes tips on how to query, what to do if you have zero clips, how to track submissions, how to negotiate better rates, and much more. Real-life samples of query letters and the articles they sold, show how the pitching process works. From a business perspective, Johnston also offers advice on writing strategically to increase revenue. Even experienced writers will find lots of tips here.

What about rates?

It’s difficult to choose the highest-paying gig in the guide because publications price differently (per word, per article, and so on). I also don’t want to steal Johnston’s thunder by revealing her research. I will say, based on my own research and what’s in this guide, that these are the highest-paying web markets I’ve seen. Rest assured, there are no content mills, bidding sites, and other low-paying markets in this guide.

What’s missing?

There’s so much in this guide, it’s tough to know what would improve it, except more markets. I’d love to see more science, technology, and culture markets, but that’s my preference. There’s plenty of other markets here to keep me going. You may not be interested in all of the 40 or so markets listed. I suspect though you’ll find exciting new niches to write for.

Conclusion

This guide is worth buying. Besides the solid leads and great query advice, here are the 3 major reasons why I recommend it:

• The writing markets are pre-tested
  Johnston has already written for many of these markets. You’re getting solid leads that have been test-driven by a professional writer with many online bylines. That says a lot.
• I’m building clips and being paid
  Has the guide helped me sell work? I’m very happy to say, “Yes!” Out of 4 pitches, I’ve sold 2 articles, and been invited to be a regular contributor to one market.
• It’s the guide that keeps on giving
  After buying you can sign up for guide updates by email, at no additional charge. So when new markets are added, you’ll hear about them. Also included are tips on sleuthing out new markets on your own.

If you’re a writer looking for listings of solid freelance writing markets and expert how-to-query advice, The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets is a must-have.

Learn more about The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets

FreelanceSwitch