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John Lemke

How One Famous Author Tricks Herself Into Writing Wonderful Stories - 0 views

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    I always looked at it from the perspective of "I've fallen and it is my choice to get up" but this article offers a slightly different perspective.
John Lemke

David Foster Wallace's Best Productivity Tricks - 0 views

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    Some really good productivity tips along with a few videos.
John Lemke

Attention: You're Now a Storyteller - Get Used to It » SEO Copywriting - 0 views

  • You have to go above and beyond your keyword list to get a reaction. There has to be a general theme – or story – that runs through the entirety of your marketing. People are getting the story in pieces from different platforms so it has to be consistent.
    • John Lemke
       
      Have things changed?  What happened to the not-so-old-but-old-as-the-Internet saying "Content is King"?  All Google did was bring it back to what great authors have been saying since the beginning of stories.
  • You’re a storyteller now – whether you like it or not.
  • The “just the facts” approach to your website may cover all of the bullet points you need covered, but it’s not engaging enough to keep people around.
    • John Lemke
       
      This means finding your voice.
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  • Your role is to sell your products or services – but in order to do that you have to engage and encourage your audience. Your content can’t read like you’re in it for the sale. Your job is to be an advocate for your audience. You’re there to help. Learn how to engage on each platform you’re using for marketing, and then be present as a helpful, encouraging voice to guide your audience to the right decision.
  • Unlike the early days of SEO copywriting, you can’t keyword stuff and get great results. You can’t even rely on customers to visit your website before they make a decision about company.  They are connecting with you on Facebook, following you on Twitter or reading a landing page.
John Lemke

Why Should Freelance Writers Register for Freelance Writing Jobs through the Federal Go... - 0 views

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    A detailed guide on how to become a writer and/or editor for government work.
John Lemke

» Increase Your Freelance Writing Income in 5 Days : Freedom With Writing - 0 views

  • Spend a few minutes setting up an email system that you can use to contact potential clients. The ideal system will let you contact many people at once, based on a custom list that you create.
  • you need to spend the time to create a custom pitch to that matches your potential clients very closely. Once that is done, set your email system to send the email out at 8am on Tuesday
  • look for potential network possibilities. This should only take about 5 minutes of your time. You want to check Meetup.com for both freelance writing networking as well as networking opportunities within your writing specialties. Check for local community meetings such as School board and city/county council meetings. All of these are great places to meet potential clients.
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  • oday is the day for cold calling. Most people don’t particularly enjoy this aspect of marketing but it is extremely valuable. Use the list you made on Monday and call each company.
  • By now you are getting some serious responses to your quick burst activities. So today you want to focus on social media. If you don’t already have Facebook and Twitter accounts for your freelance writing business, this is the time to set them up. You should also have a LinkedIn account. If not, set one of those up as well. Then go into the settings of LinkedIn and Twitter and set them up to update whenever you post to the associated Facebook page. Properly setting up your social media pages is extremely important; you are selling yourself. Make it look good.
  • PLEASE do not use your personal Facebook page for this. You do not want clients and potential clients to see the funny faces you made during your best friends wedding reception! Use your professional Facebook page for this and close your personal page to anyone but friends. If you are thinking it doesn’t matter, look at your page as though you were the client. That should do it.
  • Ok we are at the end of the week. You have set up an email marketing blitz, found and attended networking opportunities, written a letter to your local paper, cold called potential clients and set up your social media sites (and are updating them!) The only thing left is to update your Freelance Writing Website.
John Lemke

Six Strategies That Have Quickly Improved My Writing - 0 views

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    In general, Lifehacker gives some good tips. These are for writing.
John Lemke

Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 1: Can You Structure Characters? - Helping Writer... - 0 views

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    Some very understandable tips on character development. There is also an audio version.
John Lemke

Why (and How) You Should Change Up Your Routine, Even if it's Working - 0 views

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    Some people have a hard time changing routines. Others seem to do it naturally. This Lifehacker post covers why it is a good idea to mix things up a little and how to do it.
John Lemke

A Day in the Life of Maggie Koerth-Baker | - 0 views

  • I’m a freelancer, but I have a couple of contract gigs that play a big role in my monthly and daily cycles. I’m the science editor at BoingBoing.net, a technology and culture blog with 6 million monthly readers. I also have a monthly column with The New York Times Magazine.
  • The rest of the day really varies a lot, depending on what I have on my plate at that given time. I have ADHD and it’s really easy for me to get distracted and be unproductive, so I have lots of little tricks I rely on to keep me focused throughout the day. I used to use a timer on my computer a lot, just to have something that, periodically, forced me to look up and think about what I was doing and what I had to do next. But I find now that the two hours between breast pump sessions actually does that job pretty well. I also jump back and forth between stuff on my to-do list, depending on what I feel motivated to do. If I just can’t get myself to write during a given two-hour block, I’m better off answering email or sending out interview requests than just sitting there, staring at a blank page.
  • Skype, Call Recorder, and Stickies.
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  • Word docs and/or Evernote
  • Livescribe pen. The Livescribe allows me to record audio and take notes, with the audio linked up to the notes, so that later I can find exactly the audio quotes and information I want quickly, just by tapping on the note that corresponds to what I’m looking for.
  • I’m experimenting with a new organizational system that I’m calling Just Put Everything in Evernote. All my research notes, papers, Livescribe notes and audio, everything … it all goes into Evernote, organized by story, and I can find it easily on my phone or my computer, even when I’m offline. The new Livescribe pen I got even uploads the audio and notes to Evernote automatically, whenever it has access to wifi.
  • I increasingly do my writing in Google Docs. Or Drive, or whatever they call it now. It’s been worth it for the couple of times I’ve already needed to access stuff when I’m away from my computer. And it helps with the nagging fear that I’m going to lose, damage, or destroy the laptop at some point, halfway through writing a story. On the same lines, I periodically save everything to Dropbox.
  • EasyCrop for quickly adjusting image
  • I do all my presentations in Prezi
  • Twitter and Facebook are both necessary for my work and a huge time suck
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    Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor for Boing! Boing!, a freelance writer and a columnist for The New Your Times Magazine. In this interview she discusses her life, motherhood and her work flow.
John Lemke

Why the Freelance Dream of Working in P.J.s is Total B.S. - 0 views

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    I couldn't agree more with the author. You do not get to "set your own schedule"... the work schedules your life and the sooner you accept that, the better off you will be.
John Lemke

You Got a Freelance Writing Assignment! Now What? - 0 views

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    This article offers writers tips on what to do once they get the gig. While they may seem obvious, I bet you have missed a few.
John Lemke

Use Hemingway's Advice to Rewrite Like a Pro - 0 views

  • Hemingway, like all experienced writers, showed a willingness to sacrifice each fresh layer of words in order to stay true to his overarching story.
  • Give yourself some distance Don’t confuse taking time away from a project with slacking off or quitting. A little distance may give you a new vantage point from which to look again. The word revise comes from the Latin revisere, “to look at again.” Tell your story aloud Share your story over coffee (or on the phone) with a friend or acquaintance. If you can, record yourself doing so, using free conference calling or pairing Skype with Audio Hijack or another program. Then listen back.
John Lemke

44 Things Bloggers Should Be Delegating to Virtual Staff to Catapult Their Online Growt... - 0 views

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    This is a nice round up of things an aspiring blogger should look to out source.
John Lemke

Seth's Blog: Meandering toward nowhere special - 0 views

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    A good list of things that lead you nowhere.
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