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Content Writing Assistance for a young professional

by BudaBrit
13 replies
Hi guys.

I have been away from WF for a little while now. I got a bit fed up of it, to be honest, but I'm back because I feel I need some assistance and was hoping some of you might be able to help.

I joined WF about half way through this year to get some interesting ideas and exposure for my new business, which is writing. I studied at uni to write and I thought, hey, why not do in full time anyway. So, now I'm here. I have a few regular clients but not huge amounts of work and, truth be told, I've been rather lapse in my own business. I've sat on my laurels mainly and not published enough. I've been a bad article marketer...

So why would anyone want to hire me? I can write. I won't pretend I'm a superstar but I write content that is good for most potential clients out there. The technical side, however, has been a bit neglected and it's something I'm looking to change.

I'm looking for a few things. I'm going to relaunch my site in the new year with a new design and a lot of new content that I can post throughout the year. On top of that, I want to be able to spread this content around the web to generate those links. When it comes to article submission, I'm not the best (stick it on EZA...).

The other thing I want to do, and this is where you guys come in the most, is improving my writing. I'm looking for any good courses on content writing, good workshops in Europe and any good books or guidelines that actually tell me things I don't know. I don't need people telling me to keep my paragraphs shorter when writing content. I don't need people to tell me to inject pace or enthusiasm into the piece.

No, there is a simple rule of writing, you learn it right at the beginning: Show, don't tell. This is why I don't really like all those articles and books out there: they're nearly all rehashes of the same information and it's often telling me things I know and sometimes things I don't, it's not showing me much in practice.

I would love any webinars or seminars or workshops or courses that I can take part in early next year. In person would be best, but as I'm in Budapest I don't really get much opportunity here...so webinars are good too.

Any help is most appreciated and if anyone wants to know how it's going, drop me a message and I'll get back in touch.

Cheers and anything is much appreciated ,

Tom
#assistance #content #content writing #professional #writing #young
  • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
    Paul Myers - one of the doyens of the WF has put together some great material about writing for the internet. Take a look at Creating Killer Content.
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  • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
    Perhaps there should be a course: how to make WF titles...

    How do those ridiculous, spammy and scammy ones get so many replies?

    Does anyone know of anything interactive out there, anything that really gives you a good idea? For guidance, here's a direct link to a piece I've written. Where does it lack? Be brutal, I know it's not insanely good, but understanding exactly what I need to improve on would be a great help

    http://stomsolutions.com/quality_con...hy_it_pays.pdf
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

      Perhaps there should be a course: how to make WF titles...

      How do those ridiculous, spammy and scammy ones get so many replies?

      Does anyone know of anything interactive out there, anything that really gives you a good idea? For guidance, here's a direct link to a piece I've written. Where does it lack? Be brutal, I know it's not insanely good, but understanding exactly what I need to improve on would be a great help

      http://stomsolutions.com/quality_con...hy_it_pays.pdf
      Because they allow people to discuss ideas and have fun. You are just posting an ad here. And there is a section for it.

      Sorry, don´t mean to be rude... but that is how it is.
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      Coloring book niche? I have a proposal for you.
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      • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
        Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

        Because they allow people to discuss ideas and have fun. You are just posting an ad here. And there is a section for it.

        Sorry, don´t mean to be rude... but that is how it is.
        Rubbish.

        I don't want work from here, I want help. If I wanted to post an advert, I wouldn't choose here, either, where 80% want the cheapest anyway and the rest want exceptional writing...when there are a fair few writers who are my betters here.

        Truth is, I learnt (unless it's changed a bit recently) that WF is not the place for me to find work. That's why I stopped posting. It does, however, contain a fair few people whose opinion I would be interested in. People who may know a fair bit about my questions.

        I could PM them, but I'm sure they get so much crap in their inbox it would be more of an annoyance to them than I would want. So I posted instead.
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        • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
          Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

          Rubbish.

          I don't want work from here, I want help. If I wanted to post an advert, I wouldn't choose here, either, where 80% want the cheapest anyway and the rest want exceptional writing...when there are a fair few writers who are my betters here.

          Truth is, I learnt (unless it's changed a bit recently) that WF is not the place for me to find work. That's why I stopped posting. It does, however, contain a fair few people whose opinion I would be interested in. People who may know a fair bit about my questions.

          I could PM them, but I'm sure they get so much crap in their inbox it would be more of an annoyance to them than I would want. So I posted instead.
          Alrighty then... if you say so... then you might want to take out the ad in your signature as well? As it is a waste of time and all...

          Yes, the WF is not a good place to "find work", it is a place to do business. A slight different approach.

          It is interesting, because writing is about communication, not vocabulary and structure alone.

          Maybe - just maybe - you can learn a lot about what you want to learn just by looking at what you posted and revisiting the emotional blueprint.

          You claim to be one of the best writers in the forum. If so... how come you can´t engage people to answer you? (except those worthless like me of course... )
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          Coloring book niche? I have a proposal for you.
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          • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
            Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

            Alrighty then... if you say so... then you might want to take out the ad in your signature as well? As it is a waste of time and all...

            Yes, the WF is not a good place to "find work", it is a place to do business. A slight different approach.

            It is interesting, because writing is about communication, not vocabulary and structure alone.

            Maybe - just maybe - you can learn a lot about what you want to learn just by looking at what you posted and revisiting the emotional blueprint.

            You claim to be one of the best writers in the forum. If so... how come you can´t engage people to answer you? (except those worthless like me of course... )
            Well, actually, I said there were a fair few I look up to...

            The simple fact is I want to get better.

            I had left my account the same way as it was when I last posted. I just logged on to ask questions. Yes, it's not a great post and yes my forum posting could do with some work if it's intended to boost my business.

            If you think it would be more helpful, I could always repost my question in a different manner. I am just looking for helpful suggestions and I got one above, which I duly thanked and will look to download when I next have disposable income (damn Christmas and end of tax year!) but I would also appreciate anything else coming from anyone.

            I've signed up for a couple of webinars, but I feel I want to explore as many ways as possible to improve my own writing and not just through practice.

            Perhaps I should send out the bat-signal...
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            • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
              Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

              Well, actually, I said there were a fair few I look up to...

              The simple fact is I want to get better.

              I had left my account the same way as it was when I last posted. I just logged on to ask questions. Yes, it's not a great post and yes my forum posting could do with some work if it's intended to boost my business.

              If you think it would be more helpful, I could always repost my question in a different manner. I am just looking for helpful suggestions and I got one above, which I duly thanked and will look to download when I next have disposable income (damn Christmas and end of tax year!) but I would also appreciate anything else coming from anyone.

              I've signed up for a couple of webinars, but I feel I want to explore as many ways as possible to improve my own writing and not just through practice.

              Perhaps I should send out the bat-signal...
              The problem with your post was not the writing, but the conflict you had. All that filters the writing, and hit people right in the gut. It hits me more than most.. but again, that is my niche.

              Now you are a bit more relaxed, and thoughtful. And it is easier to help you.

              How about some examples by people who are successful as writers? How about for free?

              Here is Tiff´s account in Squidoo... you can learn a thing or two from her lenses... her business goes a lot around plr and offers service building lenses for third parties among other things

              writertiff's Lensmaster Page

              Here is Erica´s account in squidoo, she is one of the ladies that know more about that platform and how to use it to bring revenue. She has a WSO about it

              Sojourn's Lensmaster Page

              (you can find great advice for free in the forum by her as well)

              If you are in the war room, then pick up Ryan´s report about Kindle, very good:

              http://www.warriorforum.com/war-room...s-30-days.html

              there is a wso too, I think.

              Thing is, writing for marketing is not writing books. You need to figure out what you really really want to do and go for it.
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              Coloring book niche? I have a proposal for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
    My main problem is on-site, I believe. Guest blogs and Press Releases seem good (feedback is good and I personally feel they hit the right tone for the clients) but the on-site content I feel a bit less confident about.

    Personal preference is for very short and to the point web pages but I know Google, for one, doesn't like too short pages. I also know that some people struggle to grasp some ideas more than others, which requires a different tone. Getting it all together in an end product, though, doesn't come about as easily. I feel there's something I'm missing technically and no amount of reading of others' sites seems to get this message through

    I'm not a member of the War Room - I have not seen the point as 90% of what I see on here does not concern me or my business at the moment. Perhaps in the future I may move onto Affiliate Marketing and other IM areas but for now I have no interest in pursuing that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

      My main problem is on-site, I believe. Guest blogs and Press Releases seem good (feedback is good and I personally feel they hit the right tone for the clients) but the on-site content I feel a bit less confident about.

      Personal preference is for very short and to the point web pages but I know Google, for one, doesn't like too short pages. I also know that some people struggle to grasp some ideas more than others, which requires a different tone. Getting it all together in an end product, though, doesn't come about as easily. I feel there's something I'm missing technically and no amount of reading of others' sites seems to get this message through

      I'm not a member of the War Room - I have not seen the point as 90% of what I see on here does not concern me or my business at the moment. Perhaps in the future I may move onto Affiliate Marketing and other IM areas but for now I have no interest in pursuing that.
      Short posts use a lot of entangled meaning when they are good. You can´t write that way for third parties with exceptions.

      You are usually communicating with a public considered at tenth grade reading level. Use the typical structure for news whenever you can (when, where, who, how and why). First introductory paragraph, body and last paragraph revisiting the main points. Expand in terms of sub items to make the posts longer.
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      Coloring book niche? I have a proposal for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author catcat
    Hi BudaBrit,

    Take a look through the writers that have a good reputation and are asking higher prices for their work. Look at the examples they have posted on their websites and try to get a feel for what they are doing.

    Every writer has his own style and you can learn a lot just by looking at the presentation in the different examples. I think you'd get more out of doing that than you would by taking a course through one writer that is suggesting one style only.

    At the end it is going to be your own writing style that shines through and that is what you should ultimately be aiming for.

    Cathy
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  • Profile picture of the author Corey Geer
    Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

    Hi guys.

    I have been away from WF for a little while now. I got a bit fed up of it, to be honest, but I'm back because I feel I need some assistance and was hoping some of you might be able to help.

    I joined WF about half way through this year to get some interesting ideas and exposure for my new business, which is writing. I studied at uni to write and I thought, hey, why not do in full time anyway. So, now I'm here. I have a few regular clients but not huge amounts of work and, truth be told, I've been rather lapse in my own business. I've sat on my laurels mainly and not published enough. I've been a bad article marketer...

    So why would anyone want to hire me? I can write. I won't pretend I'm a superstar but I write content that is good for most potential clients out there. The technical side, however, has been a bit neglected and it's something I'm looking to change.

    I'm looking for a few things. I'm going to relaunch my site in the new year with a new design and a lot of new content that I can post throughout the year. On top of that, I want to be able to spread this content around the web to generate those links. When it comes to article submission, I'm not the best (stick it on EZA...).

    The other thing I want to do, and this is where you guys come in the most, is improving my writing. I'm looking for any good courses on content writing, good workshops in Europe and any good books or guidelines that actually tell me things I don't know. I don't need people telling me to keep my paragraphs shorter when writing content. I don't need people to tell me to inject pace or enthusiasm into the piece.

    No, there is a simple rule of writing, you learn it right at the beginning: Show, don't tell. This is why I don't really like all those articles and books out there: they're nearly all rehashes of the same information and it's often telling me things I know and sometimes things I don't, it's not showing me much in practice.

    I would love any webinars or seminars or workshops or courses that I can take part in early next year. In person would be best, but as I'm in Budapest I don't really get much opportunity here...so webinars are good too.

    Any help is most appreciated and if anyone wants to know how it's going, drop me a message and I'll get back in touch.

    Cheers and anything is much appreciated ,

    Tom
    Compared to the majority of the people who reply to "content" jobs I've seen on here so far, I would say your writing is "rockstar" material.

    Honestly, making a full time living solely writing for people on the Warrior Forum is an absolute nightmare. Not because of the writing, but because the clients are a pain to keep in touch with.

    1) People never answer their e-mails on a timely basis. It's not that they don't need work done and it's not that they don't want to hire you, but they simply refuse to answer their e-mails at least once every 24 hours.

    2) Everyone wants to be your friend rather than your employer. I wish I could count how many clients turned into "joint venture" potential partners rather than clients. They run out of money or don't want to pay for content so they propose a "joint venture".

    3) Some of the clients I've met have some of the most odd and stupid SEO requirements for their articles and content. Sure, you can advise them against it and try to offer them insight on proper search engine optimization tactics for content but they never take it and usually know better than you.

    The Warrior Forum is a great place to build up a portfolio and meet some quality clients (every once in a while) but I am so confused and perplexed at how people think it's acceptable to take days or even weeks to respond to an e-mail or to get back with their writers.

    From my experience and to my knowledge, the best place to obtain clients is through corporate websites and through companies found on Google because the atmosphere is completely different.

    1) They will not pay you peanuts. If you're a peanut writer, they'll look the other way.

    2) They usually respond at least once a day. No playing "chase clients down" every single day and trying to get people to answer their e-mails.

    3) They're usually open to your ideas and your advice since they're paying you to do work for them.

    Then you have another major marketing forum that I'm not going to name because it gives me a headache just thinking about it. This place is an absolute cesspool. People want writers for $1/500 words and sometimes slightly higher.
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    Skype: Coreygeer319

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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    Hi,

    And welcome back.

    I highlighted a couple of statements in your post below. No harm intended here, however, you need, to know with "attitude" like you portrayed in your Original Post a lot of very experienced members here, who could really help you, will just click away.

    I'm thinking you are really reaching out for help and wouldn't want to have ones who could help you exit because of things you said.

    You "Got fed up" with us, but came back because you need something. Under those conditions some parents don't even let their kids come back home.

    You "don't need people telling you?" OK, people won't...

    What I mean is. Don't put filters like that in your request for help. You might have to hear a few things you already know along with stuff you need to know. Filter on your own time, in your own mind, after the help starts rolling in.

    Again, Welcome Back and you have my best wishes on your success.

    George Wright

    Originally Posted by BudaBrit View Post

    Hi guys.

    I have been away from WF for a little while now. I got a bit fed up of it, to be honest, but I'm back because I feel I need some assistance and was hoping some of you might be able to help.

    I joined WF about half way through this year to get some interesting ideas and exposure for my new business, which is writing. I studied at uni to write and I thought, hey, why not do in full time anyway. So, now I'm here. I have a few regular clients but not huge amounts of work and, truth be told, I've been rather lapse in my own business. I've sat on my laurels mainly and not published enough. I've been a bad article marketer...

    So why would anyone want to hire me? I can write. I won't pretend I'm a superstar but I write content that is good for most potential clients out there. The technical side, however, has been a bit neglected and it's something I'm looking to change.

    I'm looking for a few things. I'm going to relaunch my site in the new year with a new design and a lot of new content that I can post throughout the year. On top of that, I want to be able to spread this content around the web to generate those links. When it comes to article submission, I'm not the best (stick it on EZA...).

    The other thing I want to do, and this is where you guys come in the most, is improving my writing. I'm looking for any good courses on content writing, good workshops in Europe and any good books or guidelines that actually tell me things I don't know. I don't need people telling me to keep my paragraphs shorter when writing content. I don't need people to tell me to inject pace or enthusiasm into the piece.

    No, there is a simple rule of writing, you learn it right at the beginning: Show, don't tell. This is why I don't really like all those articles and books out there: they're nearly all rehashes of the same information and it's often telling me things I know and sometimes things I don't, it's not showing me much in practice.

    I would love any webinars or seminars or workshops or courses that I can take part in early next year. In person would be best, but as I'm in Budapest I don't really get much opportunity here...so webinars are good too.

    Any help is most appreciated and if anyone wants to know how it's going, drop me a message and I'll get back in touch.

    Cheers and anything is much appreciated ,

    Tom
    Signature
    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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    • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
      Originally Posted by catcat View Post

      Hi BudaBrit,

      Take a look through the writers that have a good reputation and are asking higher prices for their work. Look at the examples they have posted on their websites and try to get a feel for what they are doing.

      Every writer has his own style and you can learn a lot just by looking at the presentation in the different examples. I think you'd get more out of doing that than you would by taking a course through one writer that is suggesting one style only.

      At the end it is going to be your own writing style that shines through and that is what you should ultimately be aiming for.

      Cathy
      Hi Cathy and thanks.

      I'm sure, however, that I'm missing some techniques that I could get from some of the courses, seminars, etc. already out there, it's just that there is no way for me to filter through them and know what is actually a good idea...


      Originally Posted by George Wright View Post

      Hi,

      And welcome back.

      I highlighted a couple of statements in your post below. No harm intended here, however, you need, to know with "attitude" like you portrayed in your Original Post a lot of very experienced members here, who could really help you, will just click away.

      I'm thinking you are really reaching out for help and wouldn't want to have ones who could help you exit because of things you said.

      You "Got fed up" with us, but came back because you need something. Under those conditions some parents don't even let their kids come back home.

      You "don't need people telling you?" OK, people won't...

      What I mean is. Don't put filters like that in your request for help. You might have to hear a few things you already know along with stuff you need to know. Filter on your own time, in your own mind, after the help starts rolling in.

      Again, Welcome Back and you have my best wishes on your success.

      George Wright
      Hi George.

      Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, you're right: the post was written from a different place than it should have been. It was written without any hidden agendas or additional thought and as such it came across a bit muddled.

      My truth is that I feel I am in a bit of a content rut. I know some of the problems have been from outside of my writing but, especially with the on-page stuff, some of it is definitely technical issues.

      I also, sometimes, struggle with some cultural differences. At the moment I write for one major client more than my others. They are UK based and as I am British it is easy for me to write with the correct cultural patterns. However, Americans do think differently and take up a large %age of the internet "population". Sometimes the suggestions I hear from writers sound like absolute madness for me and when I read stuff written as such it just does not work for me.

      I know I need to focus on my own style but should i also focus my attention on UK clients instead? Should I switch to a .co.uk domain and just work on upping my ranking there? It's a very narrow world as Brits are less likely to take this up in my experience.
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