Some Resources for You (#5)

Wording Well's business card image
I’m too lazy too busy editing to put a lot of time into blogging these days.

But you are still on my mind… and that is why I have compiled this list of resources for you. 🙂

I am doing this from time to time. I’ve already published:

Some Resources for You (#1)

– Some Resources for You (#2)

– Some Resources for You (#3)

– Some Resources for You (#4)

For Bloggers

How to Write a Blog Post – The Ultimate Guide

For Freelancers

How to Cold-Pitch Freelance Writing Clients — This one is from Leaving Work Behind and it outlines the three main steps to cold-pitching.

For Authors

How to Market a Book Using Facebook

For Writers of all Kinds!

25 Writing Tips From Famous Writers

For Business Owners (Solopreneurs and Entrepreneurs)

How to Achieve Entrepreneurial Excellence – 3 Ways

Additional Resources (for Success)

How to Achieve a Good Work-Life Balance (+ a FREE Workbook/Planner)

FREE STUFF

All of these resources are fantastic!

Plus… as my way of thanking you for being a reader of Wording Well, I want to give you some free stuff. Find my freebies on my Resource Kit page!

Plus, there are many more (and I mean MANY MORE)  Resources for Writers, Authors, and Freelancers) here as well!

Enjoy… and let me know what you want MORE of… in the comments!

3 Essential Articles Every Website Needs to Make Money Online

3 Essential Articles Every Website Needs to Make Money Online

To make money online, there are 3 articles you should have on your website.

Are you making the most of your writer website or your blog? Do you even have your own site?

For many writers and bloggers, setting up a website is crucial. It allows you to brand your business, display your portfolio, and gives you a place to write that is all your own.

However, unlike social media pages (which help with the above), websites incur costs. The natural thing to do is attempt to generate revenue through your website. After all, if you can break even or (preferably) turn a profit, your website truly becomes an asset rather than a liability.

However, to many, this can cause a conflict. After all, you want to offer genuine value to your audience, but you need revenue.  So, how do you not only provide great content for your readers but also turn some revenue without losing credibility?

Today, I’ve invited Dave Chesson to share with you three types of posts which have been proven to generate revenue for writer websites while also providing genuine value to audiences. He will even include examples so you can put these to work on your own site.

Although I actually have multiple income streams, Dave says the three types of posts you should have on your site to make money online are:

1: Product Review Posts

2: Product Comparison Posts

3: Resource Master Lists

Take it away, Dave!

1: Product Reviews

One of the keys to successful revenue-generating blog posts is getting the right mixture of enthusiasm and likeability. One of the best ways to achieve this mix is by taking the time to review and share the products you truly use and care about.

When you review a product you genuinely use and love, your enthusiasm will be tangible. It will be clear from the level of knowledge you provide that you are a genuine fan of the product.

Product Review Posts – Best Practices

Some of the best practice tips to keep in mind when putting together a product review post include:

– Be sure to take pictures and even videos of you using the product. This not only shows that you genuinely own and use the product, but it also conveys your personality more than simply writing about it.

– Make sure that the products and services you review have an affiliate program available. Be sure to register for this in advance of putting your review together.

– Check out the other reviews that are ranking on Google for the same product you are looking at. Make sure your own review offers something extra.

– Be honest about the product. Highlight its flaws as well as its advantages. This adds credibility to your review and shows it’s a genuine analysis rather than a fluff piece.

Now that you know some of the best practice tips for putting together a review for your website, let’s consider some of the types of products you might wish to review.

– Software relevant to your audience. As a writer, this could include writing software, editing software, or anything else you think your audience might enjoy and find useful. Examples could include notebooks, pens, or anything else writers need to get by.

– Off-topic products. These might not relate directly to writing, but might be useful for writers, such as a special brand of coffee.

Basically, anything that you love, and that you think your audience might as well, is the perfect choice for a review post.

Product Review Posts – Examples & Lessons

Now that you know how to go about creating a review post, and the type of products you might review, let’s check out some examples from real websites for the final piece of the inspiration puzzle.

1: Wording Well’s Review of Meaning, Self, and the Human Potential

Wording Well posted a review of Meaning, Self, and the Human Potential. Some of the tips to take away from this review include:

Provide context. The relationship between the reviewer and the product being reviewed is clearly discussed and talked about.

Explain the implications of the product. Rather than just talking about what the book is, this review also explains why it matters.

Clear suggestion of who the book is for. Rather than just saying what’s good or bad in your review, suggest the right type of person for it.

Grammarly feature comparison table

2: Kindlepreneur’s Review of Grammarly

In the above link, you can see my review of Grammarly. Some of the actionable tips you can take away from this when putting together your own review post include:

Include video content. This will capture your readers’ attention, cause them to spend more time on your page, and boost your Google rankings as a result.

Include graphic content. A large wall of text is unappealing and is likely to bore your audience. Mix things up with lists, bullet points, graphics, and tables.

Give a ‘good fit’ recommendation. Rather than include an overall verdict, suggest who the product is and isn’t right for. This makes it more likely that you will convert suitable traffic.

Read More

How to Write Your Way to Your First $1K (hint: let my good friend Elna help you!)

Lorraine and Elna in an image created for the post on Wording Well titled Write Your Way to Your First 1K

Calling all  freelancers, bloggers, and writer wannabes!

Do you need a helping hand earning more money with your writing?

Are you stuck, and don’t know what to do next?

Do you need a push in the right direction from someone who’s “been there, done that”?

Good news!

Innovative Ink’s very own Elna Cain can help you find your way!

Who the Heck is Elna Cain?

Elna is a freelance writer. She’s also my friend. In fact, we live in the same city! Some of you might already know we get together regularly at Starbucks to plot, plan, and devise ways of helping you succeed.

Yeah, we shoot the shit, too. 😉 And hang out. And have fun. And learn from one another. 

Then we get asked to leave by the staff… because we stay so late!

Elna sitting by the fire in Starbucks

Who Elna Really Is…

Elna Cain is an online super-freelancer. No kidding. She’s a superstar, for sure!

She runs her business and blog, too, where she gives away a free 6-day email course to new writers.

She runs Freelancer FAQs with Alicia Rades (another freelance writer whom you’ve met before).

And to top it all off, she is a mom to twins (a boy and a girl).

So… in her spare time (ha, right!), she runs TwinsMommy, where she dishes out all kinds of advice on not just raising kids, but how to multiply your productivity when you’re a WAHM (work-at-home-mom), and how to work from home when you’re sick!

Elna’s a true star, I’ll give her that!

She also introduced me to Gina Horkey, another freelancer. Gina created 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success.

Elna at Starbucks

How Elna Can Help YOU

Elna, the true genius that she is, has taken what she learned during her years as a freelance writer and put together a course just for you, so that YOU don’t make the same mistakes she did along the way.

The course is called Write Your Way to Your First #1K.

logo for Write Your Way to Your First 1K

Introducing Write Your Way to Your First $1k

This course is modeled after Elna’s journey from a stay-at-home mom to a professional writer who now gets paid $1200 per article!

It’s essentially a blueprint of the freelance writing success she has experienced, wherein she teaches YOU how to replicate her success (a success which I am jealous of, by the way!). 😉

It’s a course that is carried out over seven modules that include 41 lessons.

It spans 7 weeks.

In this course, you will learn how to go from a writer/blogger/freelancer who earns mere pennies to a successful person.

Seriously.

You all know me by now, and know that I don’t promote garbage.

Elna’s course works.

And to prove that Elna knows her stuff, here are a few links to some of her posts:

Read More

The Writing Process Blog Hop

This is my hand, holding a pen, one of my favourite writing tools!

The Writing Process Blog Hop is a great way for others to learn about the writing processes of authors, bloggers, and writers.

I actually have three different processes, depending on what I am writing! Today I am going to reveal them to you.

I am doing this for two reasons. The first is because I think this is an interesting topic. The second is because I have been asked to participate in a Writing Process Blog Hop. Actually, if truth be told, I volunteered! 😉

a screenshot of my conversation with Robert Price on Twitter

Writers are a great bunch of people, and I’ve met many online during the past year, including Robert Price, Robert is a poet and a storyteller. He’s got a way with words and with painting pictures in your head with his poetry. His blog, From a Clogged Mind, is where he shares his writing.

I’m not sure who started the Writing Process Blog Hop, but I can tell you that I like the “inside scoop” that is being shared by many across the web! Through our sharing, we can learn new tips from one another, from our individual experiences. I think that’s just great!

The Writing Process Blog Hop Rules

There are some rules to the Writing Process Blog Hop, which are:

1/ I must answer the four questions below.

2/ I must link back to the person who invited me to this Blog Hop.

3/ I must name four writers who will continue this Blog Hop and notify them. The questions are:

  1.  What are you working on?
  2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?
  3. Why do you write what you do?
  4. How does your writing process work? Read More