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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
What's Your Pleasure: A Blogging Career or a Little Moonlighting?
Do you love blogging so much that you'd like to make a career of it? Perhaps you'd rather simply find a blogging gig or two that would allow you to express yourself in a more personal setting while picking up a few extra bucks to supplement your other freelance writing income. You might even hope to use your new-found blogging gig to underwrite or help promote your current AdSense-revenue-only blog. These are all great reasons for seeking work as a blogger.
Blogging Gigs: Regular--But Not Always Substantial--Income
One nice thing about blogging gigs is that they can provide a writer with regular income--a handy commodity in the uncertain, feast-or-famine world of freelance writing. But, though regular, often blogging income isn't very substantial. This is one of the realities of the Internet culture in which we ply our writing craft. Blogs are everywhere! Yet, there are companies that understand and want to capitalize on the booming popularity of blogs and are therefore willing to pay fairly decent to quite lucrative compensation amounts for regular blog posts on virtually unlimited topics--particularly from seasoned and/or popluar bloggers.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Paid Blogger?
If you enjoy blogging and have a fair amount of knowledge about one or more topics (or an area of personal interest, coupled with some great research skills), if you can express yourself clearly and explain your topic well, and if you have the ability to make your topic come alive via an engaging writing style, these elements can add up to opportunity for you. Every company requires a different level of expertise of its bloggers. In fact, some don't require anything more than the "gift of gab," a real interest in your topic, the ability to write about it in an engaging manner, and some proof that you have the ability to post consistently on your topic (i.e., a regularly-updated past or current blog).
Blogging Gigs: What Are You Looking For?
Every blogger is looking for something different in a blogging gig, and available opportunities vary widely. Some offer only a share of advertising revenues, some "pay" you by providing a forum whereby you can promote and link to your current website or blog, others pay token amounts, and still others offer reasonable to excellent compensation for your posts. You'll need to assess your own needs, wants, talents, experience, availability, temperament, and current financial situation and weigh these against the opportunities available if you hope to make professional blogging a realistic part of your writing business.
Caution: Blogging Gigs Can Raise Your Blood Pressure!
Before considering a blogging gig, be sure you're prepared to face the sometimes stressful requirement of providing fresh, new, interesting content on a recurring basis. Some companies require 3-5 posts a week, others, daily posting, and still others, multiple posts per day. Be sure you'll be up to the task and able to think clearly under the incessant pressure of daily or weekly blogging quotas and deadlines. If you have a tendency to experience a disproportionate amount of stress under deadline pressure or become excessively anxious over impending projects, paid blogging may not be the gig for you.
(Now and then, you'll actually find companies that require less-frequent posting--e.g., once per week. Periodically, you'll even run across ads seeking individual blog posts as contributions to already-existing blogs. This is a great way to take the pressure off and might prove the ideal answer for those who enjoy blogging yet prefer to avoid the stress of assuming the entire responsibility for administering a blog.)
Always Remember That a Blog Is a Community
Another factor to consider where blogging gigs are concerned is that, whereas most freelance writing simply requires writing an article or other type of copy and submitting/selling it to a publisher or website, a successful blog requires interaction with its readers. Be sure you're prepared to spend the time it takes to reply to comments and build a rapport with your readers before you accept a blogging gig. Figure in the time you'll inevitably spend in this activity when considering whether or not the compensation you'll receive will be sufficient for the time, energy, and effort expended.
Follow-Up Post: Blogging Job Sites
Stay tuned for my next post, in which I'll provide links to some websites that list blogging gigs. In the meantime, give a little thought to the question of whether these are the kinds of writing gigs you should focus on, whether you should simply consider them as an adjunct to other types of writing, or whether you should, perhaps, avoid them completely--except, possibly, for submitting an occasional post to an already active blog. Only you can answer that question--though it might take you a bit more time and experience to figure it out!
Happy blogging!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have any insights on paid blogging to share? Have you ever seriously considered focusing exclusively on blogging gigs? Perhaps you already do. If the only blog you currently write is your own, how different do you think it would be to write a blog for someone else? Would you consider it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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A Wealth of Writing Resources
Do you enjoy reading—or writing—about writing? If so, there are a number of writer’s e-zines and newsletters that offer helpful writing advice and themselves provide a handy market for your writing-related work. Many of these e-publications also list other markets for various styles and genres of writing, with some even conveniently linking to the submission guidelines for those markets. Others provide info on current or upcoming writing contests.
While each publication differs slightly in the exact resources it offers, all have one thing in common: they all contain helpful articles on the craft and business of writing. So, dig in, get your literary hands dirty, and reap the benefits of the collective experience of a wide variety of writers from many different disciplines and genres. And don't forget to check—and bookmark—each publication's own submission guidelines while you're there.
E-zines and Newsletters by Writers for Writers
Here’s the list, in no particular order:
Coffee Break for Writers E-zine
Write from Home E-zine *
Absolute Write Newsletter
Writing for Dollars Newsletter
The Writer Within Newsletter
Writer2Writer.com E-zine
WritersWeekly E-zine
Writing World Newsletter
FundsforWriters Newsletter
Women on Writing E-zine
T-zero Expandizine, The Writer’s E-Zine
Hopefully, these e-zines and newsletters for writers will help advance your writing career both creatively and financially!
Best wishes,
Jeanne
*UPDATE: Amy Derby has decided to make certain changes at Write-from-home for 2008, which include merging the main Write-from-home.com website with the Write from Home Blog. This effectively means that no new e-zine articles will be posted, though the article archives will continue to be available. Read about Amy's changes in this post: Write-from-home.com 2008.
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Know of any other e-zines or newsletters for writers? Please feel free to share them with us in comments!
September 26th 2007 08:36
The Writer Within Wants Your Articles on Writing
The Writer Within Newsletter publishes writing-related articles ranging in length from 400-700 words. Original and previously published pieces are acceptable. While this is a somewhat low-paying market, at $10 per article (paid on publication via PayPal), you're free to send along a bio, links, or promotional ads with your submission.
Don't Have an Article to Publish? Still Get Free Publicity!
You may also get free publicity, without submitting your work, by sending "a short brag or success story" to The Writer Within "Strut Your Stuff Section." Bios and links will be included here, as well. It's a good opportunity to let the cyber-world know about you and your accomplishments, your website, or your blog.
Further Information
For further information, follow this link to The Writer Within Submission Guidelines. Then start writing!
Till next time,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have anything to add? Please feel free to comment!
A Write-from-Home Reminder
Write-from-home.com is a website that I've written about before. In my May 11th, 2007 post, Write-from-Home.Com: A New Site for Freelance Writers, I introduced this site to my readers, as the excellent resource that it is for writers.
Recently, Amy Derby, who runs the site, purchased a reprint of one of my articles, which appeared on my blog back in June and which she has just published in her September online e-zine. And, although this isn't really the reason I'm bringing her site up again (since my blog's readers have likely already read the post in question), it's as good a reason as any to remind everyone of a great site where writers will find helpful writing-related articles, writing markets and contest listings, and even a blog with some really great content.
The Write-from-Home Blog
With all the other helpful info on the site, it would be easy to overlook the Write-from-Home blog--but don't, because it's loaded with helpful tips, information, advice, and resources that can help you succeed. One post even contains a warning about a possible scam currently being advertised on Craigslist. So, check it out. I know you'll get a great deal out of this blog, as well as the rest of the site.
Some topics covered on the blog, in addition to the possible Craigslist scam, are these: dealing with stress as a freelance writer, the freelance workload "rollercoaster," setting up a home office on a budget, getting published as a new freelance writer, and freelance writing terms explained (quite a long list of them, too).
The Write-from-Home Market
So, if you've never been to Write-from-Home.Com--or haven't been there lately--drop by for a visit. You'll find a great deal of helpful information there.
And, if your forte just happens to be writing about selling your writing, you might just be able to sell some of your writing right there--since Amy buys both original articles and reprints for her Write-from-Home e-zine. (She pays $75 for unpublished articles and $30 for reprints.) Check out her Guidelines to find out what she's looking for.
Stop by Write-from-Home.Com--and give your freelance writing career a boost!
Happy reading!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have any questions? Please don't hesitate to leave a comment!
If you're looking for a site with tons of valuable information for freelance writers, you'll want to check out Writers-Editors Network. This site is also the home of Cassell Network of Writers (CNW) and Florida Freelance Writers Association (FFWA).
While both of the aforementioned writers associations charge varying fees for membership, the Writers-Editors Network website contains a great deal of free information, in the form of articles filled with advice on writing, getting writing assignments, negotiating fees for your work, and many other aspects of freelancing.
In addition, the site offers a Contest Tip Sheet, with great advice that can help you become "a contender" in any writing contest you may decide to enter. They also offer a list of current writing contests, as well as info on their own contest, and an FAQ page which answers many questions that writers may have about the writing/marketing process. They also list a few job opportunities, as well as "Talks, Seminars, and Conferences of Interest" to writers and/or editors.
If you are serious about writing--and about selling your writing--there's a lot of great information here that would undoubtedly be worthy of your time. So, check it out, and see if you don't find something here that will help you along the road to writing success.
Here's to your success!
Jeanne
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Freelancing Journey, a blog which refers to itself as "The Road to Business Success for Writers & Bloggers," is literally loaded with info, tips, links, leads, techniques, advice, and other resources that can help you, the freelance writer, make the most of your own website or blog. Covering many different aspects of the freelance writer's creative, professional, practical, and even personal development, this site has something for everyone interested in any type of freelance writing.
One post, "Page Rank, Back Links and Blogging," posted June 22nd, 2007, explains why page rank is important and provides tips on how to obtain quality backlinks to your blog. Another, more recent post, titled "Definitive List of Paid to Blog Services," dated June 28th, 2007, links to a very comprehensive discussion of the subject found in a post on another helpful blog. In addition, Freelancing Journey's "Roll of Honour" includes a long list of links to other blogs about writing--and blogging--as well as numerous other writing resources, markets, and marketing blogs.
Freelance writers are busy people, whose time is often severely limited. But taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule today to pick up some timely tips and advantageous advice could just save you a great deal of time and trouble over the long term.
So, check out Freelancing Journey, and see if you don't agree that this blog contains some helpful literary and marketing signposts to guide you along your freelance writing travels.
Bon Voyage!
Jeanne
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Back in March, I penned a post called, A Salute to My Fellow Writers--With Links! One of the links I included in that post pointed to the Funds For Writers website, which I felt at the time--and still feel today--to be a very valuable resource for writers.
One of my blogging buddies has confirmed my belief in the significance of Funds for Writers in the freelance writing marketplace by including an article containing some info about the site in a recent post. So I felt this would be the perfect time to write a post centered solely around the site and what it has to offer the aspiring, developing, or practicing writer.
(For more info about Yvonne Russell's Freelance Writing Rates post, mentioned in the previous paragraph, see my June 14th post, entitled, Buzz from the BlogVine: WritersWeekly Raising Rates--or go directly to her post by using the recent post link, above.)
Funds for Writers, generously presented to you by Hope Clark, offers multiple resources that can help writers in a number of different ways. Some of the site's highlights:
-A list of grants for writers
-A list of writing contests (containing competitions both with and without entry fees)
-A (limited) list of writing markets, with more offered in the site's free newsletters
-Several free newsletters
-An annual writing contest
-A list of other beneficial links (including organizations that can help writers in various ways)
-Lists of books and e-books for reference and/or study
-Publication of--and payment for--your articles about the craft or business of writing
Check out the Funds for Writers site! You'll find a great deal there that can help you reach your writing goals!
Happy Reading!
Jeanne
PS. For your convenience, should you later return to my blog and desire to access the site, a link to Funds for Writers can always be found in my Helpful Sites for Writers list, located in the sidebar on the left side of this web page.
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I learned, a few days ago, from reading my friend Yvonne Russell's Grow Your Writing Business blog, that WritersWeekly.Com is raising the rates it pays writers for their work. According to an article, written by Angela Hoy and reproduced in its entirety (with permission) by Yvonne, WritersWeekly is raising its rates 20% for features and 33% for success stories. This is great news for freelancers!
According to Ms. Hoy's article, the 20% increase for feature articles figures to "$60 for around 600 words for non-exclusive electronic rights only," and she adds, "For freelance success stories, we now pay $40 for around 300 words."
Her article is exceptionally interesting reading for freelancers, as it also contains an explanation of the payment history of several other major online publishers of freelance material, as well as several print publishers, giving us a glimpse into their going rates, and letting us know just how long it's been since each has raised its own rates.
Check out this great article on Yvonne's site! You'll find it in her post, entitled, Freelance Writing Rates. The article, entitled, We're Raising Our Freelance Rates, by Angela Hoy, is also posted on the WritersWeekly website.
Thanks, Yvonne for this fascinating and thoroughly helpful info! We can only hope that all the other publishers of freelance material will follow WritersWeekly.Com's shining example of adopting fairer freelance payment rates and thereby engaging in more responsible business practices!
Happy writing!
Jeanne
P.S. You'll want to visit Yvonne's blog often! Through it, she provides lots of great info and many helpful resources for writers! For your convenience, a link to Grow Your Writing Business can always be found in my blog's sidebar in the Helpful Sites for Writers list.
You'll also want to visit WritersWeekly.Com. Their site is packed with articles, market listings, and other resources that will help you reach your writing goals!
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Write-from-Home.Com, a new site for writers that "just opened its web doors at the end of 2006," has some interesting info and resources for freelancers who want to learn more about the writing business, as well as find markets for their work.
Write-from-Home.Com, offers a free list of paying markets for freelance writers and also a free list of writing contests and awards, as well as a fair-sized selection of interesting new articles on getting paid to write. They also offer a free subscription to their ezine, which provides info on all the latest paying markets and contests, and perhaps best of all, they buy articles from freelancers! Since their focus is on the business end of freelance writing, these are the types of articles they purchase for posting to their site.
Here's a link to their Guidelines. They pay $75 for first-time non-exclusive rights (to previously unpublished articles) and $30 for reprints. Articles of 500-700 words are preferred, though articles up to 1500 words will be considered. They like articles on the following aspects of the writing business: "breaking into new markets, unique ways to make money freelance writing, and tips new freelance writers can use to be successful." They are not interested in articles on the writing craft or on specific categories of writing, such as poetry, fiction, etc., nor are they interested in personal success stories; and they don't publish fiction, poetry, columns, or "rants."
If this gig sounds like something you'd be interested in, or if you'd simply like to check out their market listings or read some of their articles to pick up some tips that might prove helpful to you in the advancement of your own freelance career, take a look at their site. (They have articles on grant writing, travel writing, writing book reviews, finding article ideas, writing for your local newspaper, not overlooking small jobs, staying inspired, tax issues, and health insurance for freelance writers.)
Take a look at Write-from-Home.Com. You might just find something helpful there--and maybe even sell an article or two in the process!
Your friend in the literary art,
Jeanne
Another Great Site for Freelancers
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If you're looking for a site that will help you master the writing craft and/or prepare you for your own personal journey on the path to publication, Writing-World.Com has a great deal to offer!
This site is chock full of great information for the aspiring--or practicing--writer! Some examples:
~An interesting variety of books on the writing craft itself and on marketing your writing, including volumes containing specific markets for your work. (Their book inventory also contains a few books on subjects other than writing.)
~An impressive list of more than 600 writing-related articles that can be read right on the site. These articles are all well catalogued and categorized for easy reference.
~A contest database featuring a wealth of info on entering--and not being scammed by--writing contests.
~A list of certain selected markets for your work.
~A long list of links to other online resources for writers.
~A call for articles on writing that they will purchase from you to add to their database, complete with Writer's Guidelines.
~A "Guide for Launching Your Writing Career," containing a wealth of great advice that can get you started on the road to a successful freelance writing business. (This section also includes a lot of great advice on the real nitty gritty, down-to-earth, seat-of-your-pants aspects of writing.)
~A great section on how to avoid writing scams, presented along with info on copyright issues, rights, and contracts.
~A free monthly newsletter, containing many great feature articles, as well as recurring topical columns that you might find helpful.
As far as payment for articles is concerned, here's what they themselves have to say: "We pay 5¢/word for original articles, to a maximum of $100 (regardless of word count; thus, a 2500-word article is still paid only $100). We pay a flat $25 for reprints, and we definitely welcome work that has appeared in other publications (especially print). Payment is on acceptance. For humor, we pay a flat $15 per item. We will also exchange advertising space for editorial."
That doesn't sound half bad for an online market! So, if you enjoy writing about your craft, check out their Writer's Guidelines and try submitting your work. But be sure to check their article database to be sure your topic hasn't already been covered. You can do this via their Topical Indexes or their Master Article Index.
Take a peek at what Writing-World.Com has to offer. I think you'll be impressed!
And good luck!
Jeanne
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During my time away, I came across the following site while browsing the web for opportunities for writers: The Market List. There are literally thousands of market listings here, organized by groups alphabetically! (All the "A's" are listed together, and so forth--and there are over 300 of the "A's" alone!) So, with a little patience and persistence, I would venture to say that any writer should be able to find something of interest to him or her here!
Each market listing, when clicked, takes the writer to a short listing of info about the market, containing contact info and, in many of the listings, specific info on the type of work they accept, as well as a link to the website, and a link to the site's submission guidelines page--very convenient! (A number of the markets included in this list are apparently more traditional markets that accept submissions by mail only, and some of these do not have websites listed.)
There appear to be book publishers and numerous types of magazines included in these listings. And while The Market List describes itself as "The Online Resource for Genre Fiction Writers," and a number of their markets are of this type, it's quite obvious that their market listings are in no way limited to that area of writing. There seem to be quite a few trade journals on the list, as well as magazines that accept everything from "gags to be illustrated by cartoonist," to "essays on the psychology of creativity."
In addition to the specific market listings, there are reviews of a select list of magazines and other fiction markets, as well as a group of articles on various subjects of interest to writers. (A few sample titles are "On Both Sides of the Slush Pile" and "The Only Bad Sale is the One You Didn't Make." ) The site also features a number of interviews (Q & A sessions) with editors, writers, and other important figures in the writing field that could prove helpful to you as you seek publication for your own work.
This is the kind of site you'll want to bookmark and visit again and again as you seek an ongoing flow of outlets for your work! And make no mistake about it: navigating this site will be a long-term project!
In my own perusal of the site, I've barely scratched the surface, due to my present time constraints. But you can bet that this is a site that I'll be returning to often! (Yes, I do have it bookmarked!) And I have the feeling that you will, too!
Happy browsing!
Jeanne
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I have always said, "A writer must write!" And I still believe this to be true, for this is a natural part of who the writer is. This almost obsessive desire--nay need--for self-expression via the written word is firmly embedded in the deepest recesses of the writer's being--insistently spurring each of us on to share our innermost thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and insights with the world around us. It's as natural as breathing.
Sometimes this may take the form of poetry, as in my own personal poetic glimpse into emotional growth:
Vistas
by Jeanne Dininni
Gazing down the corridor of time, I see a memory.
I strain to touch the innocence of youth, with fleeting ecstasy.
For lurking not so far beyond that realm of sweet naivety
The tears and pain wait silently...so patiently...majestically...
Hanging in my consciousness, like strains of haunting melody,
The image slowly dissipates and drifts into eternity.
And through the mists of joy and pain, the dawning of maturity
Breaks forth on near horizons in a blaze of gentle agony.
Or, it could take the form of prose--either lofty or utilitarian, fiction or fact. It could be mere musings, or it might be critically important concepts which could one day save the world! But, whatever it is, it is inherently ours--or rather inherently us! And this is what makes it special...unique...irreplaceable!
This post is dedicated to all my fellow writers, who pursue their craft with the fierce loyalty born of a passion for self-expression, who faithfully follow their life's calling, their heart's dream, with perseverance wherever it may lead--despite all odds, despite all disappointments, despite all setbacks--knowing deep in their hearts that out there somewhere, at the end of their rainbow, awaits a pot of gold.
To this end, I promise to do my very best to provide you, over the coming months, with all the resources at my disposal to help make your dream come true! While these resources may, at times, be somewhat limited, or possibly somewhat inadequate or inappropriate to your particular needs, I hope you'll bear with me, as I seek the widest range of information possible.
Whatever may at any particular time be lacking in the hard data I am able to amass on your behalf will be more than compensated for by my firm belief in you and your ability to succeed at your craft if you are determined enough to do what it takes to follow your dream. And through encouragement, camaraderie, and a spirit of supportiveness, I hope to help you keep your belief in yourself alive and growing!
Fellow Writers, I salute you! Though as different from one another as night is from day, you are, every one, a special breed!
May many 'Vistas' open before you, and may the inner growth of which my poem speaks come to you gently, softly, providing a shining entry into everything that you can be!
And as you gaze out over the horizon of life, may your future break forth before you in a blaze of radiant glory!
Your friend in the writing art,
Jeanne
P.S. Here's a link to a website with many helps for freelance writers, including grant and contest info, a newsletter, links, and other resources. It also pays $35 per article ($10 for reprints) for work which helps other writers earn money writing. The site is called Funds for Writers...
And here's a link to a site seeking articles about writing and paying $15 per article. If you have any interest in this type of writing, check out Misti Sandefur's Call for Articles to find out what she's looking for. You'll also find some interesting writing-related info and resources on her site, as well.
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Recently, I told you about four websites that accept poetry (as well as other forms of writing): AssociatedContent.com, Helium.com, Creative-Poems.com, and MoonTownCafe.com.
In an earlier post, I discussed Creative-Poems.com in greater detail--so you would have the info you need to more effectively utilize that site. Today, I'll do the same for MoonTownCafe.
MoonTownCafe is a great site, where you can post your work and receive feedback in the form of ratings (via a five-star rating system) and reviews (written by other members.) (This, of course, implies that you must join to post your poetry to the site, and this is true. However, membership is free--unless you choose premium membership. All you need to do is register to become part of the MoonTownCafe writing community.)
At MoonTownCafe, posting of your work is based on a points system, which determines how many posts you may make at any given time. All new members start out with 800 points, which are given to them at the time they join. These points are, as you might imagine, used up as poems are posted to the site.
The cost of posting one poem is 100 points for regular members or 50 points for premium (paid) members. Though points are used up when posting poems, they are also gained by reading and/or rating other members' work. This is the way your points are replenished--and you'd be surprised at how easy it is to gain back all your original points--and more!
This points system is the way MoonTownCafe encourages its members to read, rate, and review one another's work. Reading the work of another member will gain you 2 points each time if you're a basic member, or 5 points if you're a premium member. And if you rate another member's work, you'll gain 20 points (basic) or 40 (premium.) In addition, if you're the first member to rate a poem, you'll double your rating points, receiving either 20 or 40 bonus points, based on your membership type.
This system actually works quite well and is in no way cumbersome to use. Besides which, you'll have the opportunity to read a great deal of excellent work which you might normally tend to overlook!
One nice thing about this site is that you may go back and edit your poems as often as you like after posting by simply clicking on the 'edit' icon which is perpetually located above your posted works. Seeing that tiny pencil above each post is very reassuring, since there always seem to be those times when we've made a typo or a formatting error that went unnoticed prior to posting--or even, occasionally, those times when we've later thought of a change in wording that would immensely improve our poem!
Though this site offers no payment for your work, MoonTownCafe is a wonderful site where you'll have the opportunity to showcase your work to an appreciative audience of fellow poets, receive valuable feedback--as well as recognition for work well-done--and even enter periodic poetry contests.
What more could you ask of a non-paying market? Check out MoonTownCafe! I think you'll be glad you did!
Thanks for reading!
Jeanne
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Here are just a few examples of the types of articles the people at Associated Content accept for publication on their website--and pay the author for*--though they accept articles on many other subjects, as well. With the wide variety of content featured on their site, the opportunities for publication at AC are virtually endless!
[NOTE: To see a list of some of the article types Associated Content publishes, click the "Check Out My AC Content" tile below to be directed to my Content Producer page at AC, which lists all my work posted there. (I've removed the AC RSS feed, since it has not been functioning properly. My apologies!) If you check out the AC Home Page, you'll find many other topics, as well! Your choice of subject matter is limited only by your imagination and your knowledge of the topic!]
Why not join Associated Content? It's free. When you join, you'll be able to start writing immediately.
*AC generally doesn't pay for news items, poetry, or short stories (though they do publish them); nevertheless, their website is a great vehicle for your work to receive widespread internet exposure!
At this time, AC is unable to offer payment to writers outside the U.S. They will, however, publish their work. Their statement regarding this is, "We understand that PayPal facilitates international payments, but we cannot offer payment to non-citizens or non-legal residents of the United States due to the legal limitations of our Independent Contractor/License Agreement." Hopefully, this situation will change at some point in the near future! U.S. based writers must also be 18 years of age or older to receive payment for their work at AC.
UPDATE: Associated Content has just announced that, due to the success of their previous limited time offer of a payment of $5 for news stories, they have decided to continue it for the time being! Now that's good news! I'm not sure how long this payment offer will be in effect.
More info about Associated Content to come later!
Till next time,
Jeanne
Last time, I gave you four great websites where you can get your work published: Creative-Poems.com, MoonTownCafe.com, Helium.com, and AssociatedContent.com. A few helpful hints about each of these will make your experiences with them more pleasant, more productive, and less frustrating. In this post, we'll cover some of the idiosyncracies of Creative-Poems.com.
The Creative-Poems website is a wonderful site, where you can receive recognition for your work through member comments, weekly Featured Poetry Awards, and monthly Poetry Contests. They do not pay for the poems they post, though they do offer prizes in their monthly Poetry Contest.
At Creative-Poems, non-premium (free) members--as well as trial members--are allowed to place up to five posts on their site in a 24-hour period. (Premium members are allowed eight.) This is somewhat misleading, though, and requires a bit of clarification.
At first glance, it would appear that you'd be able to post up to five--or eight--poems to the site every 24 hours--and this can, indeed, be the case, provided you are very careful not to leave any typos or other errors in your poem, which might require its modification after it's been posted! The reason for this is that, should your poem require editing after posting, you will be resubmitting it after making your corrections--just as if it were a new poem--and thus you will be using another of the finite number of posts you are allowed daily. (This can be a bit frustrating.)
If you're anything like me, you could use an infinite number of posts to edit, modify, correct, and improve your poems to your satisfaction before final submission! But, alas, this is the real world, and every website is set up differently. So, always preview your work before submitting, to be sure your formatting is the way you want it and your work contains no typos. (Occasionally, you'll miss something and need to resubmit--we're all human--but at least you'll know that you aren't wasting most of your posts simply correcting errors!)
Another important point about formatting, while we're on the subject: At Creative-Poems, the default setting--for both poetry submissions and member comments--is centered. So, if you want your poem or comment to be left-margin justified (which is generally my personal preference) you'll need to select your text--if it's already been entered--and click the appropriate icon. (You can also simply click this icon before entering your text with the same effect.) Both regular and premium members may save, for later posting, up to five drafts in addition to the five--or eight--poems they may post in a 24-hour period, in case they aren't quite ready to post their work when they must leave the site.)
With a little prior knowledge of the workings of this great site and the obstacles you might encounter there, you can be well on your way to a long and fulfilling relationship with a dedicated group of site administrators and moderators who are friendly, helpful, responsive, and eager to showcase your work!
Creative-Poems.com is a fabulous forum for your work and a great community of friendly poets, who will help encourage you along the path of self-expression through that most magical of mediums: Poetry! (A very small word with a very big meaning!)*
If you are a poet and haven't yet visited this site, I would definitely--and without reservation--recommend that you check it out!
You'll be glad you did!
Till next time,
Jeanne
*I've written a short article on exactly this subject entitled "Why is Poetry So Difficult to Define?" Why not drop by AC and take a look?
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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