Spelling is tricky all on it's own. When you throw in different languages and cultures it gets down right complicated.
First, consider English and American spelling. Then throw in Canadian spelling, which is some combination of the two. Same for other countries in the commonwealth.
Have you seen words spelt with an s instead of a z? You would if you were English or from South Africa. Do you see words with a u in them or without a u in them? You would see them with added u if you were English or Canadian.
Which is right? How do you know which spelling to use? Will people think you just don't know how to spell? Possibly.
But the world is a big place, if you were writing locally you would spell for your readers. But, when you are writing on the Internet, your readers come from all over the world. Which spelling should you choose?
First, talk to your publisher or editor. Find out what they use for a standard. They call those style guides. It's a good idea for publications to have one. Not just for different spelling issues. If you're more or less on your own as for style, go with what comes naturally to you. It's hard to remember to spell a different way. Likely you'll miss a few anyway. You may hear from the odd reader who thinks you don't know how to spell. But, that just gives you something to chat about in your reply to them.
Is spelling an art or a science? I think I'll leave that as thought fodder for you.
Members of the Media
In the columnist message boards at BackWash, someone said "Don't you just love the media." They meant it sarcastically in reference to how an interview was handled. But, what they didn't consider is that WE ARE the media.
I think a lot of writers take shots at 'the media' and forget to count themselves among them. Do you? Have you thought of yourself as a writer or publisher or member of the media in general today?
Well you are. Each time you put something out there for the masses to read you become the media. We may not all carry cards saying we are writers or publishers or editors, etc. But, that doesn't mean we aren't just one more member of the media.
Anyway, the discussion in the boards was about how someone was credited in an article. That is something to consider as you write an article using sources for information such as quotes or statistics. Always make sure you know how your contact sources want to be credited and then do your best to see that it comes out that way in print.
On the other hand, when you are the contact, make sure you tell the writer how you want to be credited. Make sure they have your URL along with your other information. Make sure they know it's important for your website to be included as part of identifying you as a source of information for the article.
If it comes out in print you can't do much to change it. You can get them to add it to a future issue but that's not very useful without the rest of the content of the article. However, if it's on the web you can get them to update the HTML or text quite easily, it just takes a moment of their time. So there is one more benefit to writing for online publications.
Well, members of the media, that's it for this week.
I think a lot of writers take shots at 'the media' and forget to count themselves among them. Do you? Have you thought of yourself as a writer or publisher or member of the media in general today?
Well you are. Each time you put something out there for the masses to read you become the media. We may not all carry cards saying we are writers or publishers or editors, etc. But, that doesn't mean we aren't just one more member of the media.
Anyway, the discussion in the boards was about how someone was credited in an article. That is something to consider as you write an article using sources for information such as quotes or statistics. Always make sure you know how your contact sources want to be credited and then do your best to see that it comes out that way in print.
On the other hand, when you are the contact, make sure you tell the writer how you want to be credited. Make sure they have your URL along with your other information. Make sure they know it's important for your website to be included as part of identifying you as a source of information for the article.
If it comes out in print you can't do much to change it. You can get them to add it to a future issue but that's not very useful without the rest of the content of the article. However, if it's on the web you can get them to update the HTML or text quite easily, it just takes a moment of their time. So there is one more benefit to writing for online publications.
Well, members of the media, that's it for this week.
Writing Content Contentedly
Being a freelance writer online is challenging. The biggest hurdles are copyrights and finding paying markets. Of course, that's subject to change depending on what I'm working on at the time.
If you are a self publisher you will know all about fair use and copyrights. You've carefully borrowed content. You've asked almost everyone you know for a contribution to your ezine or newsletter. You've left them notes on their car window when they keep forgetting you finally hounded them into saying yes, a month ago. Or is that just me? Luckily there are several sites which distribute free content. But, you have to find the content you need from the general stream of articles offered. Often it's all content you've run before, sometimes said in a new way or by another writer but still the same information.
Yes, ezine publishers can write all the content themselves, put up the site, create the graphics, the layout and all the little odds and ends. It is a lot to maintain and create a whole site though. If you have a life you can decide which pieces to discard such as pets, parents, jobs and kids. Friends might understand and give you some slack. Really, it's much better to find help, free up some of your time and keep having a life.
There are endless free places a writer can be published and I don't knock those, too much. A new writer can be published in some really good places and get their name seen in the markets they want to specialize in. But, at some point even the most timid new writer wants to see a cheque in the mail.
Also, make sure you are getting something out of the freebie work you do. Don't give your work away to a site that publishes poorly edited work. If you want this as a writing credit make sure it really is a credit to you.
Most of all, don't pay a site or publication to run your content. Never, for any reason. They are not doing you a favour.
If you are a self publisher you will know all about fair use and copyrights. You've carefully borrowed content. You've asked almost everyone you know for a contribution to your ezine or newsletter. You've left them notes on their car window when they keep forgetting you finally hounded them into saying yes, a month ago. Or is that just me? Luckily there are several sites which distribute free content. But, you have to find the content you need from the general stream of articles offered. Often it's all content you've run before, sometimes said in a new way or by another writer but still the same information.
Yes, ezine publishers can write all the content themselves, put up the site, create the graphics, the layout and all the little odds and ends. It is a lot to maintain and create a whole site though. If you have a life you can decide which pieces to discard such as pets, parents, jobs and kids. Friends might understand and give you some slack. Really, it's much better to find help, free up some of your time and keep having a life.
There are endless free places a writer can be published and I don't knock those, too much. A new writer can be published in some really good places and get their name seen in the markets they want to specialize in. But, at some point even the most timid new writer wants to see a cheque in the mail.
Also, make sure you are getting something out of the freebie work you do. Don't give your work away to a site that publishes poorly edited work. If you want this as a writing credit make sure it really is a credit to you.
Most of all, don't pay a site or publication to run your content. Never, for any reason. They are not doing you a favour.
Freely Contributed Content
I used to run a website for writers: HerCorner. The site included articles about writing, in fact those were the main content. So, I read a lot of what other people are writing about writing. Well, ok, I skim it. Anyway, most of the contributed content (free to reprint in ezines and newsletters) is full of the same thing over and over and over again: web promotion and selling.
I think it's great that people are writing articles and then contributing them to sites like mine in exchange for their own promotion, it's self syndication. It seems like such a great win - win situation. I just love those.
But, it's not working as well as it could be. Unless you can find a source for articles geared to the content you are looking for (writing, space travel, parenting, etc) you will end up wading through endless articles and only find one which you really, strongly feel you want to use. It's not that the articles are not well written, they just cover the same old stuff all too well.
Most of the articles I come across (on several email lists for contributing content) are geared to web promotion/ selling. I don't think many of the people looking for content are looking for that kind of content. There are so many sites covering that and each of them seem to write their own articles as a way of promoting themselves as an authority on the subject.
The original writer of the article isn't creating anything unique that could be used by most of the ezines and sites out here. I bet a lot of writers decide this form of promotion isn't workable. But, it is, if they would just look at the ezines out here. There are so many different topics covered with endless angles and styles. Look around, find a topic you really have an interest in or want to become known for writing about.
In a perfect world this self syndication would be one of the best things about the Internet for a writer. Until then, we just have to work with what we have or write our own content. Which I do.
However, I really like publishing another writer's work. Mainly because this way it's not just me talking. My readers get another point of view and my site looks healthier. A site with just one writer does lose something. To grow, a site manager needs to keep exploring, developing, creating and searching for fresh content and points of view. It really helps if you can find an article someone else wrote to reprint on your site.
So, that is my point in all this: writers looking for that self promotion/ syndication from contributing content need to work outside of the box. Find out what web publishers are really looking for. Take a chance and try something new, something uniquely you!
I think it's great that people are writing articles and then contributing them to sites like mine in exchange for their own promotion, it's self syndication. It seems like such a great win - win situation. I just love those.
But, it's not working as well as it could be. Unless you can find a source for articles geared to the content you are looking for (writing, space travel, parenting, etc) you will end up wading through endless articles and only find one which you really, strongly feel you want to use. It's not that the articles are not well written, they just cover the same old stuff all too well.
Most of the articles I come across (on several email lists for contributing content) are geared to web promotion/ selling. I don't think many of the people looking for content are looking for that kind of content. There are so many sites covering that and each of them seem to write their own articles as a way of promoting themselves as an authority on the subject.
The original writer of the article isn't creating anything unique that could be used by most of the ezines and sites out here. I bet a lot of writers decide this form of promotion isn't workable. But, it is, if they would just look at the ezines out here. There are so many different topics covered with endless angles and styles. Look around, find a topic you really have an interest in or want to become known for writing about.
In a perfect world this self syndication would be one of the best things about the Internet for a writer. Until then, we just have to work with what we have or write our own content. Which I do.
However, I really like publishing another writer's work. Mainly because this way it's not just me talking. My readers get another point of view and my site looks healthier. A site with just one writer does lose something. To grow, a site manager needs to keep exploring, developing, creating and searching for fresh content and points of view. It really helps if you can find an article someone else wrote to reprint on your site.
So, that is my point in all this: writers looking for that self promotion/ syndication from contributing content need to work outside of the box. Find out what web publishers are really looking for. Take a chance and try something new, something uniquely you!
Deadline
Did that scare you? Well, it scares me. Not to the extent that my hair is turning white... well, not all at once. But enough that I feel the pressure to procrastinate.
How do you procrastinate? I tend to play computer games. At least it keeps me in the right area, if not very focused. Sometimes I snap out of it, grab a hold and tell myself (sternly) that this is not a good thing. Most of the time I begin planning my article around then. Being stern with myself seems to give me inspiration.
I think most of us come to a point where we have to force ourselves to write. For whatever your own personal reasons, its not easy to create something out of an idea and a blank page. You aren't going to feel that orgasm of inspiration and lust to write for each and every article you work on. Or you might reach a point where you don't have more to say about a topic you write about frequently.
How do you get new ideas, new angles? Try procrastinating, but in a good way. Read the newspaper, take a walk outside and see what you come up with. Sometimes all it really takes in combining ideas. While you are outside you see a few birds and think about how birds often fly into buildings. Could that be a new article for your architecture column? Or a new fiction story about what drives birds or doesn't drive them? Its up to you to twist things around and put them into print. Just don't procrastinate too long, you've got that blood thirsty deadline, remember?
How do you procrastinate? I tend to play computer games. At least it keeps me in the right area, if not very focused. Sometimes I snap out of it, grab a hold and tell myself (sternly) that this is not a good thing. Most of the time I begin planning my article around then. Being stern with myself seems to give me inspiration.
I think most of us come to a point where we have to force ourselves to write. For whatever your own personal reasons, its not easy to create something out of an idea and a blank page. You aren't going to feel that orgasm of inspiration and lust to write for each and every article you work on. Or you might reach a point where you don't have more to say about a topic you write about frequently.
How do you get new ideas, new angles? Try procrastinating, but in a good way. Read the newspaper, take a walk outside and see what you come up with. Sometimes all it really takes in combining ideas. While you are outside you see a few birds and think about how birds often fly into buildings. Could that be a new article for your architecture column? Or a new fiction story about what drives birds or doesn't drive them? Its up to you to twist things around and put them into print. Just don't procrastinate too long, you've got that blood thirsty deadline, remember?
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