This post will explain exactly why it’s important to have a good writer–editor relationship and then give some tips on how to build one. At the end, we’ll even provide an opportunity for training so you can make sure you’re the best writer or editor you can be.

Why Is It Important to Have a Good Writer-Editor Relationship?

Working with an editor is an important part of being a professional writer. While it is possible to edit or proofread your own writing, it’s easy to miss mistakes when you’re looking at your own work. An editor can provide a fresh perspective and help take a piece of writing to the next level. They will correct errors, check factual information, help clarify intent or meaning, and suggest other improvements.

This relationship isn’t always an easy one. The editing process can be lengthy, and you might not always like or understand the changes the editor is making. You might even be concerned that revisions are being made without care for your unique style or voice. Similarly, as an editor, you might find that some writers are defensive and unwilling to take your advice. This can be tiresome and stressful.

However, if the writer and the editor take the time to understand and respect each other, these kinds of clashes can be avoided. When writers and editors work together harmoniously and efficiently, higher-quality writing will be produced. High-quality work means happy, satisfied clients!

Other benefits could include:

• Building your professional community – a bigger community can lead to more work opportunities
• Improving your skills – objective feedback shared between writers and editors can help them both get better
• Making communication easier – a good writer–editor relationship can help both people improve their communication skills
• Securing ongoing work – when a writer is working harmoniously with their editor, they can both provide more work (or referrals) for each other

How to Build a Good Writer-Editor Relationship

It’s clear how important a good writer–editor relationship can be. However, it can be hard to identify how to build one. There are a few simple things you can do to make working with an editor or writer as easy as possible.

Communicate Effectively

Communication is important in every type of relationship, both personal and professional. And it’s no different for writers and editors!

No matter how you choose to communicate (email, telephone, etc.), make sure you are polite and communicate clearly and honestly. If you don’t have a personal relationship with the other person, you don’t need to waste time with idle chit-chat. However, a pleasant greeting can help set the right mood for a productive conversation.

If the writer has a question about the edit, or the editor has a question about something that has been written, don’t make hasty assumptions or get defensive if you don’t agree. Ask questions about the other person’s work in a respectful way so you’re both on the same page.

Be careful not to overdo it. Communicating effectively does not always mean communicating constantly. Both writers and editors may have different assignments and clients, so you don’t want to bombard them with too many calls or emails. If this becomes an issue, consider setting up a scheduled time for catch-ups, Q&As, updates, etc.

Respect the Other Person’s Work

Whether or not you agree with everything your writer or editor has done, it is important to give them some credit. Keep in mind that you are both professionals. At the end of the day, you are working together to craft the best possible writing.

Writers don’t need to accept every revision their editor has made, but they should try to consider their editor’s perspective before rejecting something. Don’t assume you are being attacked if your editor has made changes you don’t like. Editors are trained to help you improve your work, and they normally won’t make a revision without a good reason.

As an editor, it can sometimes be tempting to make a lot of changes to something you don’t like, but this runs the risk of turning the writing into something it was not meant to be. You have to consider the writer’s vision and be very careful before making any edits based on stylistic preferences.

Editing requires a keen eye for detail, but you also need to keep the bigger picture in mind and have faith that your writer is working to achieve a certain goal. Make sure you explain your edits, and then you’ll both know you are working toward the same end.

Meet Your Deadlines 

This might seem quite obvious, but it’s very important in building a great writer–editor relationship. Making sure your work is done on time and is of sufficient quality will foster mutual respect.

Sometimes missing a deadline is unavoidable, and that is where good communication is important as well. So just in case you have to miss a deadline, you should know how to handle it.

Achieve the Best Writer-Editor Relationship

If you follow the advice given above, you’ll be on the right track for forging a strong partnership with your writer or editor. But without a doubt, the best way to do this is to be skilled in your chosen role.

If you want to become a great freelance writer or improve your skills if you already are one, consider taking our course. You could gain three professionally edited pieces of work to add to your portfolio on completion.

If Becoming A Proofreader or Becoming An Editor is more what you’re interested in, we can help you with that as well. We even offer a bundle deal if you’d like to learn more about both!

Start your free trial today and take your first step to being the best writer or editor you can be!

The post How to Navigate the Writer-Editor Relationship appeared first on Knowadays.

In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about ecommerce content writing, including the following:

1. What ecommerce content writing is
2. What an ecommerce content writer does
3. Practical ecommerce writing tips to help you get started in the industry
4. How to become an ecommerce content writer

Keep reading to get started!

What Is Ecommerce Content Writing?

Ecommerce content writing involves writing for online platforms that sell products or services. Most ecommerce content targets a specific audience with a primary objective in mind – such as making a sale or increasing website traffic. This means it often needs to be persuasive as well as informative. Some examples of ecommerce content include:

• Product descriptions
• Website content (e.g., landing pages)
• Blog posts
• Marketing copy
• Social media posts
• Emails and newsletters

These are just a few examples – essentially, any written material published or used by an online business would be considered ecommerce content writing.

What Does an Ecommerce Writer Do?

Ecommerce writers are crucial to the success of online businesses – the content they create plays a pivotal role in determining whether customers have a positive experience on a website or social media page. Therefore, ecommerce content must be not only informative but also attention-grabbing and engaging to pique the interest of potential customers.

Given the variety of ecommerce businesses, the day-to-day responsibilities of an ecommerce content writer can vary depending on the specific products or services offered by the company. However, most ecommerce writers typically:

• Optimize SEO content
• Write clear and compelling calls to action to encourage website visitors to take the desired actions
• Ensure a consistent brand voice
• Research relevant industry trends to ensure their content is up-to-date
• Follow the style guidelines for their specific ecommerce company
• Collaborate with marketing teams to align their writing with broader content marketing objectives

Ecommerce content writers are also expected to adjust their writing style or strategy based on feedback from team members or customers. They may use analytics tools like Google Analytics, particularly in smaller ecommerce businesses, to track the performance of their content.

5 Ecommerce Content Writing Tips

If you want to create memorable and informative ecommerce content, consider these essential tips:

Know Your Target Audience

Every online business serves a unique customer base. Understanding your specific target audience’s preferences, interests, and pain points is crucial when creating ecommerce content. Creating buyer personas can help tailor your content to specific demographics.

Use Storytelling Techniques in Your Content

Effective ecommerce content does more than just state facts – it engages readers by weaving a narrative that connects to the brand’s mission and values. In a competitive online environment, standing out and creating a lasting impression through personal connections with customers is key.

Focus on Value

Your content should clearly communicate the value and unique benefits of your company’s products or services. Incorporating positive customer reviews and testimonials as “social proof” can also enhance credibility and authority.

Use Persuasive Language

A significant aspect of ecommerce content writing is encouraging readers to take beneficial actions, such as making a purchase or providing their email address. Use engaging and persuasive language, favoring an active voice over a passive one for a more direct tone and emphasizing the customer’s engagement with the content.

Include Descriptive Imagery 

Vivid imagery can be a powerful marketing tool, aiding potential customers in visualizing content. Employ detailed descriptions and robust, positive adjectives to bring your content to life.

How to Become an Ecommerce Content Writer

Becoming an ecommerce writer involves a combination of writing skills and marketing principles, as well as a supportive professional network. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in ecommerce content writing or adding it to your repertoire, consider the following steps:

1. Develop Your Writing Skills

The cornerstone of successful ecommerce content writing is strong writing ability. Hone your writing skills by starting a personal blog or enrolling in a freelance writing course.

2. Build a Portfolio

Create a freelance writing portfolio that showcases your writing, including samples of ecommerce-related content. If you lack paid experience, consider crafting mock ecommerce content, such as product descriptions or calls to action.

3. Learn SEO Basics

Since the primary objective of ecommerce content is to boost website traffic, learning the basics of SEO, such as integrating links and relevant keywords, can help attract potential clients.

4. Research Current Industry Trends

Stay abreast of the latest trends in ecommerce, such as evolving consumer behavior, popular products, and emerging technologies. Subscribe to industry blogs, participate in webinars, and follow established content writers on social media.

5. Network and Build Professional Relationships

Forge connections with other ecommerce industry professionals, including marketers and business owners, both in-person and on LinkedIn. Joining a freelance writing society can also provide networking opportunities with fellow writers and access to job openings.

6. Seek Freelance Opportunities

Freelancing is an excellent way to gain experience and establish connections when starting. Create profiles on online freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork, or reach out directly to ecommerce businesses (e.g., through cold emailing) to offer your services.

Becoming a Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to become a freelance writer? Or perhaps you’re looking to build upon your existing writing abilities and further develop your professional skill set? Explore our comprehensive Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It covers everything you need to know to find success as a freelance writer. Claim your free trial and start your journey today!

The post What Is Ecommerce Content Writing? appeared first on Knowadays.

What Is Scoping?

What indeed? As previously stated, you won’t find this type of scoping in the dictionary; the kind we’re discussing is a highly specialized form of editing.

Not to be confused with court transcript proofreading – the step that follows scoping – scoping involves editing raw transcripts produced by court reporters who type what is said in real time using stenography machines. The shorthand type produced by the machines is translated into English using Computer-Aided Transcription (CAT) software. The early forms of that software used minicomputers that looked like oscilloscopes. This led to the job of producing more understandable documents from those “scopes” being referred to as “scoping.” In turn, the person performing that vital job became known as – can you guess? – a scopist.

What Does a Scopist Do?

Now that you understand what kinds of documents a scopist works with, you probably have a taste of their responsibilities.

Courtroom dramas on TV and in film may involve some rapid-fire dialogue that is generally clear and, having been scripted, easy to follow. However, in real-life courtrooms, witnesses – and even their lawyers – can experience nervousness and sometimes mumble their words, talk over each other, or ramble. Accents can be difficult to understand as well. The court reporter’s typed shorthand may miss or mishear what is said. And the CAT software is only as good as the information it’s fed, so words can be mistranslated. The scopist’s job is to check the translation for those missing, misheard, or mistranslated words.

Scopists don’t sit in a courtroom to hear the dialogue. They are remote freelance professionals who perform their vital job by comparing the translation produced by the CAT software to an audio recording of the proceedings. They also format and edit the translation to ensure a readable document with an accurate record of what was said.

This leads us to another crucial scoping skill: striking a balance between readability and accuracy. The nature of court documents is that the words spoken by a witness or defendant – and their phrasing – can be important. And the consequences can be just as serious if what the judge orders is misheard.

How to Become a Scopist

Becoming a scopist may require specialized skills, but it doesn’t require a college degree. Working freelance and remotely can provide a great, flexible career since rigid business hours don’t control your schedule. This allows you to organize your life around family and other commitments. Scoping is such a vital and specialized job that it also tends to pay well.

As you’ll see, scoping is a good opportunity if you’re a proofreader or editor because you already possess many of the skills required. Let’s take a closer look at how you can become a scopist.

Skills

To clean up raw courtroom translations and turn them into a document that’s easy to read, a scopist must have:

• A good grasp of grammar, spelling, and punctuation – something as simple as a missed comma could misrepresent what was said
• A willingness to break, rather than enforce, grammar and punctuation rules in favor of accurately recording what was said
• An understanding of formatting requirements
• A keen awareness of homophones – a particular issue due to the nature of scoping
• Good listening skills – necessary for checking audio recordings
• Research skills and attention to detail – checking the spelling of names, acronyms, etc.
• Technology proficiency – scoping involves working with audio files and CAT software in addition to the editing and word processing software you might be used to
• Soft skills, such as the ability to work to a deadline

Furthermore, while not crucial to begin with, understanding legal terminology will greatly assist you and save you a lot of research time.

Qualifications

Although a college degree is not necessary to become a scopist – neither is certification – specialized training is essential to gain a number of the skills we have listed. Many institutes, such as the Internet Scoping School (ISS), provide online training. Alternatively, some court reporter schools run programs for scopists.

Equipment

Aside from a computer and access to the internet (for receiving and returning documents), you’ll need to invest in some specialized equipment:

• CAT software – likely the highest expense
• Headphones – for listening to audio recordings

And, while not essential, a foot pedal will also help you control the audio playback while you type and, therefore, speed up your work.

Where to Find Jobs

Once you’ve acquired the necessary skills and training, the next step is to find work as a scopist. As customary with most freelance editorial work, you have several options:

• Join an online community or registry – even while you’re waiting for work, the support from other scopists will be invaluable
• Search or advertise on job boards (e.g., stenosearch.com)
• Create a LinkedIn page to highlight your skills and mark yourself as available for work
• Seek out court reporters directly and inform them of your skills and availability

Proofreading and Editing Courses

As highlighted in this blog post, the work of a scopist is more specialized than that of an editor or proofreader; nevertheless, they have many common skills. If you’re intrigued by this seemingly overlooked yet vital career, you can start gaining the necessary skills with our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses. You can even try them out for free today!

The post What Is a Scopist? (And How to Become One) appeared first on Knowadays.

Why Is a Glossary of Writing Terms Helpful?

As a freelance writer, you must familiarize yourself with the key terms used in the writing industry. Being well-versed in writing terminology will help you communicate effectively with your clients and convince them of your ability to deliver high-quality work. Using the correct language shows that you take your craft seriously, understand the context in which you’ll be writing, and know what is required to meet the client’s needs.

Writing Terms Glossary

Here are our top writing terms for freelance writers.

• A/B Test
  A/B testing is a simple but powerful way of comparing two versions of something to determine which performs better. For instance, a client may request a writer to provide two titles for a blog post to decide which one resonates better with the target audience.
• Business-to-business (B2B)
  B2B marketing promotes products or services to other businesses rather than individual consumers. For example, a software company’s target audience would be other businesses that require software solutions to improve their operations rather than individual consumers who may not have a use for such software.
• Business-to-consumer (B2C)
  B2C marketing is directed at individual consumers. Tailor your writing to keep your target audience in mind, which will vary from product to product.
• Body Copy
  This is the central part of a blog post or article, where all the primary information is. Body copy often encourages the target audience to take a particular action, for example, buying a product or trying out a service. It will go into detail on the features and benefits of the product for the consumer.
• Branding
  Branding creates a distinct identity for a company, individual, product, or service. It’s the image you want your readers to consider when they think of a particular brand. There are lots of different aspects to branding, including:
  
  – A consistent use of visual elements like logos, color schemes, and typography across all platforms
  – A consistent communication style and personality (e.g., language and tone of voice) 
  – Establishing a mission statement and core values
  
  When writing for clients, keeping their brand identity in mind and maintaining consistency throughout the content is essential.
• Byline
  A byline is a line that tells readers who has written a piece of content. Sometimes, a byline is simply the author’s name, whereas, in others, it’s a more detailed bio. A byline is a great way for freelance writers to get their work noticed and establish credibility.
• Caption
  A caption is a brief description of what is shown in a photo.
• Call to Action (CTA)
  A CTA is a short line or phrase that encourages a reader to take a specific action, for example, buy a product, sign up for a newsletter, or contact a company for more information. CTAs can appear anywhere in a piece of content but are often found toward the end. They usually take the form of an embedded link or a clickable button. One example of a call to action is “Contact us today to learn more!”.
• Cold Email
  A cold email (or pitch) is a message you send to an individual or company with whom you have no prior relationship. It’s a form of marketing that writers can use to attract new clients. In contrast, a warm email is sent to someone with whom you have an existing relationship.
• Conflict of Interest
  Maintaining objectivity and avoiding conflicts of interest is essential when writing a blog post or article. If you have a personal or professional relationship with a source or the subject matter, it may be perceived as a conflict of interest. Therefore, it’s necessary to disclose any potential matches immediately. You can collaborate with your editor or client to find a solution to any conflicts that arise.
• Content Management System (CMS)
  A CMS is a computer program that enables you to write, edit, modify, and publish content. While WordPress is one of the most popular CMS, freelancers who work with content companies often use one created by the company itself.
• Conversion
  Copy that aims to motivate a reader to take a specific action – such as signing up for a mailing list, sharing information, or making a purchase – is known as conversion copy. Every time a reader takes a desired action, it’s a conversion. The effectiveness of any web content can be evaluated by its conversion rate. Clients often seek writers who can produce content with a high conversion rate.
• Copy
  This refers to the text in any article or blog post that you write.
• Copywriting
  Copywriting involves writing promotional copy designed to benefit a business (for example, by persuading a reader to buy a product).  Copywriters work on a wide range of content, including advertisements, slogans and taglines, social media posts, and email campaigns.
• Content Writing
  While copywriting aims to sell a product, content writing is more about delivering information to solve a problem or address a pain point. Its tone is educational and informative rather than sales-y. Like copywriters, content writers work on a wide range of content, including blog posts and articles, white papers, case studies, and ebooks.
• Content Brief
  A content brief is a document given to a writer at the start of a project, which should cover everything they need to know to get started. For example, it will usually include the objective of the content, the desired target audience, the preferred structure, the expected word count, etc. If a client doesn’t provide a content brief or provides an incomplete brief, the writer may need to reach out to clarify expectations and discuss any information gaps.
• Deliverable
  A deliverable is a quantifiable output you agree to produce by the end of a project (for example, a 1500-word blog post). Before starting work on a project, it’s essential to ensure that you and your client know exactly what you will be delivering. This can help avoid any confusion later on.
• Dummy Copy
  A dummy copy is placeholder text inserted into a space before the final copy is added. It’s often in Latin, starting with “Lorem Ipsum” to indicate that it’s not actual content.
• Evergreen
  Evergreen content is designed to stay relevant for an extended period. When clients request evergreen content, they ask for something that will remain useful to their audience today and in the future, possibly for months or years.
• Hook
  To keep readers engaged, you need a “hook” that captures their attention. A hook is a sentence found in the first sentence or two of a piece of content, designed to compel the reader to read until the end. There are lots of different types of hooks that you can use, depending on the goal of the content.
• Infographic
  Infographics are visually appealing and highly informative graphics that present complex information in a simple and engaging way. They often incorporate captions for various elements within the graphic, making it easy for the audience to understand the information at a glance.
• Invoice
  An invoice, or a bill, is a document a freelancer issues to their client to request payment for their completed work. It’s the first step in collecting payment from the client.
• “Kill” Fee
  When a writer is assigned to write an article for a publication, there is always a chance that the article may not be published. However, if this happens, some publications offer a small consolation fee to the writer for their efforts. This fee is usually 10–20% of the planned publication fee the writer would have received had the article been published.
• Landing Page
  A landing page is a web page that a reader “lands” on after clicking on a link – whether in search results, an email, or a social media post. Landing pages are usually designed with a specific goal and include CTAs to persuade readers to take a particular action. Examples include signing up for a free trial, completing a form to access gated content, enrolling in an event, or signing up for a newsletter.
• Long-Form Content
  While there is no strict definition, long-form content is typically considered to be over 1,200 words. Examples of long-form content include pillar pages, in-depth blog posts, guides, and tutorials. This type of content is designed to educate and inform the reader.
  
  As it explores a topic in detail and provides much value, long-form content can boost audience engagement and conversions. Long-form content typically ranks better in search engines; it’s easier for Google and other search engines to understand and present more opportunities to incorporate keywords and links.
• Meta Description
  A meta description is a web page summary that appears under the page title in search engines. The meta description aims to inform the reader about the web page and convince them to click through. It’s usually 120–155 characters.
• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
  An NDA is a binding contract between a client and a freelancer. This agreement aims to safeguard confidential information and trade secrets that may be shared during a project. It protects both parties legally and ensures that the client’s sensitive information is kept secure and not disclosed to any third party without their explicit consent.
• On Spec
  Writing “on spec” (an abbreviation of “on speculation”) means creating content without a contract or guarantee of payment, with the hope of selling it later on. Freelance writers will write on spec to showcase their skills to potential clients and build their portfolios. Writing on spec is particularly useful for writers who don’t have many prior work samples to share.
• Portfolio
  A freelance writing portfolio is a compilation of writing samples that showcase your writing skills and expertise. It’s a professional representation of your work that clients or employers can view before hiring you.
• Proposal
  This is a document that describes your product or service. Freelance writers typically send a proposal to potential clients after conversing with them in person, over the phone, or via email.
• Query Letter
  If you want to get your work published in magazines or newspapers, you’ll need to be familiar with query letters. A query letter is a sales pitch designed to convince an editor that your article idea will interest their readers and that you are the best person to write it. It’s worth getting your query letter right; even if your idea isn’t the right fit for them, they may still be interested in working with you on a different assignment.
• Scope
  Scope refers to the work that must be done to complete a project (for example, the deliverables and the intended timeframe). It would be best to discuss a project’s scope with your client before you start work. If your client begins to request work that falls outside the project’s original scope, this is known as scope creep.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  SEO is the practice of optimizing web pages so that they rank highly on search engine results pages. The higher a webpage ranks, the more traffic (i.e., visitors) it will receive. More visitors can translate into better brand visibility, leads, and sales.
• Short-Form Content
  Short-form content is brief, concise, and straight to the point. It’s designed to be easily digestible in minutes or even seconds. Typically, any content that is less than 1,200 words is considered short-form. Examples of short-form content include infographics, social media posts, and short blog posts.
• Style Guide
  Some clients and web content companies will provide writers with a detailed style guide and standards for producing content. It may include detailed information regarding the intended audience, style specifications, and keywords. Adhering to it is of the utmost importance. If there is no style guide, writers can create their own.

Becoming a Freelance Writer

Our Becoming a Freelance Writer course is the perfect starting point if you want to become a freelance writer. Our comprehensive modules cover everything from finding clients, setting rates, and building your portfolio. With the valuable knowledge you’ll gain from this course, you’ll be well-equipped to succeed in your career path!

Don’t hesitate to sign up for our free trial today and take the first step toward a fulfilling and lucrative career as a freelance writer!

The post The Ultimate Glossary of Freelance Writing Terms appeared first on Knowadays.

It doesn’t have to be hard to get started as a freelancer. In our blog post How to Become a Freelancer: A Guide for Beginners, we explain how to take the first steps. In this post, we’ll focus specifically on freelance business ideas that you can do from home. While there are many options available, we will showcase seven different ideas to inspire you to freelance success.

7 Freelance Business Ideas

If it seems like there are too many freelance business ideas for you to choose from, we’ll narrow down your options for you. We’re going to focus on seven ideas that can be done from the comfort of your own home.

What might appeal to you will depend on your interests, skills, and experience.

1. Affiliate Sales and Marketing

People love to shop online. Affiliate marketing allows you to earn money selling or promoting other people’s products online. This will typically involve including affiliate links on your website, which track when one of your users makes a purchase. Every time they do, you’ll make a small commission from the company you are promoting.

This is an especially good option for people who already have a website or blog that has a lot of traffic. You can use your existing popularity so more people will see the products, and, in turn, you could earn more money. If you don’t have a website or blog already, there are lots of platforms that are great for beginners.

To be successful, you should be creative (you’ll need to generate persuasive, engaging content), have strong communication skills (to work with clients effectively), and have a good grasp on marketing fundamentals like brand identity and search engine optimization.

2. Voice Narration

A lot of people have products to sell or ideas to share, but if they’re not confident talking about them, they may not be successful. If you are a confident speaker, voice narration could be a great freelance business idea.

Audio books, video creators, and virtual receptionists are just a few of the services that require someone with an engaging voice. All you need is a quiet place and a good microphone to get started.

3. Tutor

If you have proficient knowledge in any given subject, you could consider becoming an online tutor.

Tutors for various languages are in high demand across the globe. Many countries are looking for ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers. It isn’t hard to find online teaching jobs.

All you need is to be fluent in the language you are going to teach and have a computer with a camera and microphone.

4. Video and Film Editor

Video and film editors work closely with directors and producers to edit footage into the desired, final product. There are many steps in this process, including:

• Sorting raw footage into a logical sequence
• Trimming excess footage
• Editing footage to the desired length
• Improving audio quality
• Adding color grading and special effects

Due to the technical nature of this role, video editors need to have experience with video-editing platforms and software. There are many online courses that can help you get to grips with popular tools like Adobe Premiere Pro.

This type of work also requires good communication skills. Editors need to communicate regularly with their clients – to establish their needs, answer questions, and share updates throughout a project.

Other essential skills for video and film editors include project management and, of course, creativity.

5. Photographer

When you think of photographers, you may not think of them as people who can successfully work from home, but this is not the case. If you enjoy taking pictures, selling your photos as stock images can be a great freelance business idea.

You can work closely with clients to get the images they desire, or you can sell your photos to websites like Getty Images or Shutterstock.

There are other ways you can sell your photos online as well. If you don’t already have your own website, you can create a photography website to sell high-quality digital and print copies of your work.

Another option is to start your own print-on-demand business, where you can arrange to have your photos printed onto products like mugs, calendars, clothing, etc. When someone orders something from you, the company that makes the actual product can print your photo on it and arrange for shipping to your customer.

Advances in digital photography have made this type of work easier than ever before. All you need is a decent camera, a good eye, and a little inspiration.

6. Proofreader/Editor

Proofreading and editing are two great freelance business ideas. One of the best parts of these jobs is that you are constantly reading, so you have the opportunity to learn about a variety of different topics. If you already have passion or experience in a certain area, you can choose to specialize and focus on proofreading or editing in that specific niche.

All you need is a keen eye for detail, word processing software, and a thorough knowledge of language and grammar. There are always people looking to have their work checked over by a knowledgeable second set of eyes.

One of the best aspects of this freelance business idea is that you don’t need particular qualifications or previous experience to get started.

If you find yourself lacking the skills for this type of work, they are not hard to acquire. There are a lot of online courses available to help you feel more comfortable. If you really want to build an amazing resume, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accreditation can really help your freelance business stand out, especially if you don’t have much experience.

Read on to learn about exciting opportunities to help you get started as a freelance proofreader or editor.

7. Content Writer

There is no end to things you can get paid to write about. That is what makes freelance writing an excellent business idea that you can do from home.

Freelance writers work with clients to turn their brief into a finished piece of writing. This writing can promote products and services, connect with a target audience, provide instructional information, and so much more.

Technical, creative, and copywriting are a few popular writing jobs available. One of the best parts of being a freelance writer is that you have the freedom to pick a niche if you have specific knowledge or interests.

For those of you who are creative and have a way with words, good communication skills, and a computer with word processing software, all you need to do is connect to some of the many freelance writer sites and start finding jobs.

One of the most important steps in becoming a successful writer is to build a portfolio.

Keep reading if you want to find an easy way to become a freelance content writer.

Becoming a Freelancer

If you desire the freedom and flexibility that comes with starting a business that you can do from home, becoming a freelancer has never been simpler. We can offer you help in pursuing some of the freelance business ideas mentioned above.

Our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses can help you learn everything you need to be a success in those fields. If you pass our courses with a grade of 80% or higher, there’s even a guaranteed-work opportunity.

If Becoming A Freelance Writer sounds better to you, we can help with that, as well. You could gain three professionally edited pieces of work to add to your portfolio upon completion of our course.

Start your free trial today and see for yourself!

The post 7 Freelance Business Ideas (That You Can Do from Home) appeared first on Knowadays.

This post will tell you all you need to know about plagiarism: what it means, why you should avoid it, and how to make sure you never plagiarize someone else’s work.

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism happens when someone takes another person’s work or ideas and presents them as their own. It can be intentional or unintentional:

• Intentional plagiarism involves knowingly using someone else’s work without seeking permission or including proper citations. Intentional plagiarism is committed with the intent to mislead.
• Unintentional plagiarism, on the other hand, is not intended to mislead. It tends to occur when an individual has poor research and writing practices. For example, they might not have managed their references properly or sufficiently understood a particular citation style. It may therefore be unclear what work is theirs and what has been taken from an external source.

Unfortunately, plagiarism is common in many industries. And it’s not just freelance writers who have to avoid plagiarism. Any kind of material can be plagiarized – words, original ideas, designs, products, music, etc.

To help you avoid it in your writing, here are some examples of what constitutes plagiarism:

• Taking someone else’s writing (passage or full text) and publishing it under your own name
• Copying and pasting something from the internet without properly citing the author
• Not providing (or doing so incorrectly) references and citations
• Not using quotation marks correctly
• Incorrectly paraphrasing another author’s ideas
• Using another author’s exact words in your writing without proper acknowledgment

Why Should You Avoid Plagiarism?

It is extremely important to avoid plagiarism as a freelance writer.

As a freelancer, you’re responsible for developing your personal brand and finding work. Part of this involves building a portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise in a particular area. Your portfolio helps you build authority and credibility in your niche and secure clients. Even one occurrence of plagiarism in your portfolio can seriously damage your reputation. If a client agrees to work with you based on your portfolio and then discovers it contains plagiarized work, they are likely to end the working relationship.

Similarly, if you produce well-researched and original content, your clients are likely to give you positive reviews and testimonials. You may even secure repeat work with them. But if they find that your work has been plagiarized, they may leave you a negative review. Negative reviews can prevent potential clients from working with you, thus limiting your opportunities for new jobs. Not only can plagiarism damage your reputation, but it can also harm your client’s business.

Depending on how severe the plagiarism is, you can even face punishments or fines. In academia, plagiarism can be penalized by a failing grade, loss of funding for research, and even being fired or expelled.

In the professional world, plagiarism can negatively affect your reputation. You can lose money from canceled contracts, and your clients may take their business elsewhere. More severe cases of plagiarism can even lead to legal and financial consequences or charges for copyright infringement.

Even if you never get caught, it’s still wise to avoid plagiarism. You want to take pride in your work and grow your skills as a freelance writer, which is not possible if you are stealing someone else’s words and ideas.

How to Avoid Plagiarism in Content Writing

If plagiarism worries you, you can relax. Luckily, avoiding plagiarism is simple. All you need to do is correctly acknowledge any words, ideas, or data you’ve used when they belong to someone else. If you’re unsure how to do this, keep reading to learn some of the best practices you can implement as a freelance writer to make sure your work is plagiarism-free.

1. Do as Much of Your Own Research as Possible

When doing your research, make sure you write original notes and put everything into your own words before you start your actual writing.

Looking at as many sources as you can is better than only using a couple. Having notes written in your own words from many different sources will make it less likely that you will be stealing specific words or ideas from someone else.

As a freelance writer, knowing how to research properly, take insightful notes, and manage your references are valuable skills.

2. Don’t Copy and Paste

While it’s tempting to copy and paste information while researching, this can be dangerous. If anything you’ve copied makes it into your final draft verbatim, you can be guilty of plagiarism. As mentioned above, write notes and make sure to put everything into your own words.

3. Reference/Cite All Your Sources

There is nothing wrong with including other people’s ideas in your work, as long as you acknowledge them.

Not only will citing sources avoid plagiarism, but it can also help legitimize your work. When your readers see the list of sources you have included, they will know you have taken the time to research thoroughly and are knowledgeable enough to speak on the given topic.

In-text, footnote, and endnote citations are all acceptable methods of recognizing your original sources. If you find that you can’t express your idea any better than the original author, it is acceptable to directly quote them as long as it is formatted properly.

4. Paraphrase

If you really want to avoid including references or quotations, you can always paraphrase the original. To paraphrase something, simply take the thought or idea you want to use and rewrite it in your own words. In this way, you have the opportunity to express the idea in a clearer way.

You do need to be careful, though. If you paraphrase incorrectly, you may be plagiarizing unintentionally. You must reword and format your writing in an original way and avoid using words or phrases that were included in the source. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, just include a citation as mentioned above to avoid plagiarism.

5. Use Plagiarism-Detection Software

As a last resort, you can always consider using a trusted plagiarism checker once you are nearly finished with your writing. There are free and subscription-based software available and lots of options. If you are especially concerned, you can even consider using more than one.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

If you want to become a freelance writer or improve your skills if you are one already, try signing up for our Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It will teach you how to write blog posts and articles from start to finish – including how to effectively carry out research and avoid plagiarism.

Start your free trial today and see for yourself!

The post How to Avoid Plagiarism as a Freelance Writer appeared first on Knowadays.

17 Online Writing Tools for Writers

With so many online writing tools to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here, we outline 17 of the best online writing tools for freelance writers.

Grammar and Formatting Tools

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that we stress the importance of good grammar and formatting in anything you write. And, while we always recommend hiring a professional editor or proofreader to help you with this, a good first step can be using one of the many grammar checkers or formatting tools available online.

Grammarly and ProWritingAid

Grammarly and ProWritingAid are online grammar checkers that can check a document for punctuation errors, clarity, concision, dialect, and other grammatical issues. They do essentially the same job, so it will be a matter of personal preference. Both have free and paid plans, with the paid plans allowing the user access to more features. Please be aware that neither of these apps can replace a human editor.

Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is another editor, but it focuses solely on passive voice, clarity, and readability. It uses different colored highlights to note issues in the text. Hemingway Editor is free to use.

Title Case Converter

Title Case Converter helps you capitalize your titles as per the conventions set out in style guides such as AP, CMoS, and APA. It’s free to use.

Thesaurus

Sometimes, as writers, we get a word stuck in our head that we use repeatedly throughout an article, which can make the writing feel repetitive and uninteresting. Thesaurus.com helps you find synonyms to vary your word choice. When you search for synonyms, Thesaurus.com will provide the closest matches (in orange) and other suggestions that might be useful to your query. It’s free to use and has a free dictionary attached.

Research Tools

Research is a vital step in creating engaging content, but it can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Luckily, there are plenty of tools that can help!

Google Scholar

One of the biggest challenges in researching using the internet is wading through the nonsense to find a credible source. Google Scholar hosts thousands of research papers, patents, case law, and citations. Most items listed on Google Scholar have been published in academic journals, meaning they have been peer-reviewed and are less likely to contain false information. Having said that, we still recommend you confirm any information in the article with another unrelated source. Google Scholar is free to use.

Zotero and EndNote

Keeping track of your references is essential as a freelance writer. While it’s perfectly acceptable to draw on the work of other writers or external sources, you must cite them correctly. Otherwise, it could amount to plagiarism. Reference management tools like Zotero and EndNote can help you keep track of the sources you are using so you don’t fall into that trap. Plus, they can save you time searching if there is something you need to come back to! Zotero is free to use. EndNote offers a 14-day free trial, followed by a one-time purchase for full access.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools

A basic knowledge of how to write an SEO-friendly blog is a must in today’s competitive online world, but that’s not to say that you shouldn’t use SEO tools to help you on the way.

AnswerThePublic

Content that solves a user’s pain points will likely perform better. AnswerThePublic is an SEO tool that analyzes keywords and search terms on Google, YouTube, and Bing so that authors can incorporate them into their copy. On the free plan, you have three searches a day. If you pay for one of the subscriptions, you can have upwards of 100 searches a day.

InLinks

InLinks is a content optimization tool that automatically generates an internal linking strategy, which can help boost your content’s visibility online. The tool works on a credit system. Every feature costs the user an assigned number of credits, which can be bought in bundles.

SEO Writing Assistant

Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant helps writers and editors optimize their copy for engagement and SEO. It provides feedback on SEO, readability, and tone/voice. You can access some of the features for free, but most of the features are part of its $130 to $500 subscriptions.

Headline Analyzer Tool

Capitalize My Title’s Headline Analyzer Tool can help you create click-worthy titles that are optimized for search engine results pages. It can also help you create better titles using AI. This tool is free to use.

Yoast

Like SEO Writing Assistant, Yoast provides feedback on your content’s SEO. It provides information about where best to include your keywords, best practices for image alt text, and the relevance of your internal and external links. Yoast Premium costs $99 per year, with different extras costing between $79 and $229.

Readable

Readable is an advanced readability tool that helps you assess how effectively your content conveys its message. It can help you with aspects of grammar and punctuation checking, but it also has an IELTS score (which tells you how proficient someone needs to be in English to be able to understand your content) and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (which determines how difficult writing is to understand). Readable is free to use; however, it does have paid membership levels with premium features.

Organization and Productivity Tools

Last but not least, we’re going to look at some organization and productivity tools that can help you stay on track (especially if you’re managing multiple projects).

Scrivener

Scrivener is a fantastic app for organizing and writing large projects. It’s most popular among fiction and non-fiction writers, but it also has templates for various academic projects, poetry collections, and even a recipe collector. You can store both your research and your writing in the same file and switch between pages without leaving the app, using the sidebar. This keeps everything you need in one location. Scrivener comes with a bit of a learning curve, but the beauty is that there are many videos that explain the features. You can decide which you want or need to use. Scrivener costs $59.99 for the full version and $50.99 for students and academics. 

ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one platform that allows teams to collaborate on projects within one platform. The platform allows teams to store important documents, create tasks and to-do lists, and design content for publication. ClickUp has several different membership levels that depend on the size of the organization: Free Forever (probably best for freelancers), Unlimited (for small teams, costing $7 per member per month), Business (for mid-sized teams, costing $12 per member per month), and Enterprise (for large teams, customized pricing).

Tomato Timer

Tomato Timer is based on the Pomodoro Technique of working solidly for 25 minute-blocks of time before taking a short break of 5 or 10 minutes. Freelancers often have to juggle multiple balls, and it can be easy to get distracted by the 20 other things on your to-do list. Focusing on one task for a block of time can help you be more productive. Tomato Timer is free.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

If you’ve ever considered freelance writing as a career but don’t know where to start, why not check out our Becoming a Freelance Writer course? It takes you through the process of writing a blog post from start to finish and setting up your freelance writing business. You can even try it for free before you buy.

The post 17 Useful Online Writing Tools for Freelance Writers appeared first on Knowadays.

Can You Make Money Blogging?

While it’s definitely possible to make money off the content you create, earnings from blogging can vary based on a variety of factors, such as the target audience and topic of the blog. The overall income earned by bloggers can range from less than a dollar a month to over $150 thousand a year. According to a recent survey by Productive Blogging, most professional bloggers at all levels are earning more overall income now than they were at this time last year.

However, the age of your blog can make a difference in how much money it brings in. According to the same survey by Productive Blogging, blogs under one year of age generate significantly less income than older, more established blogs.

You don’t have to write about one particular topic or have a certain number of readers to monetize your blog. In general, while having a larger audience can certainly increase a blog’s earning potential, it’s not strictly necessary to make money from your content. The key is writing high-quality blog posts that engage your target audience and keep them coming back for more.

How to Start a Blog

If you’re interested in starting a blog, here are some essential steps to consider before you begin publishing content:

• Choose a niche: If your blog addresses a specific niche or industry, even a smaller audience can be valuable if they are highly targeted and engaged. Advertisers and sponsors often prefer niche audiences over more general ones.
• Select a platform: Choose a platform to host your blog. Popular options include WordPress, Blogger, and Medium, but it’s a good idea to look at several platforms, and compare their features to find the one that’s right for you.
• Choose a domain name: Select a unique and memorable domain name that reflects your blog’s theme. Consider using a domain name registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap to purchase your domain.
• Study popular blogs: Learn all you can about common blog formats and features of successful articles so you get a better understanding of what works (and what doesn’t).

It can also help to learn the basics of SEO to make your blog more discoverable on search engines. Use relevant keywords, create descriptive meta titles/tags, and provide links to high-quality, credible sources.

How to Make Money with a Blog

There are many different strategies that you can employ to monetize a blog. You can choose the method that works best for you, or combine several methods to increase your chance of success. Remember that it often takes time to begin earning a substantial income from a blog, so it’s important to be patient and persistent throughout the process. Here are some options for monetizing a blog:

1. Offer Sponsored Content to Brands

Partner with brands or companies to create content promoting their products or services. This content often looks and reads similar to your typical blog content (known as native advertising). The type of income for offering sponsored content varies – some companies pay a flat fee, while some provide free products in exchange for the promotion.

2. Participate in Affiliate Marketing

When you sign up for an affiliate program, you receive a link that tracks the traffic and sales generated by your promotion of a specific product. When a reader clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase or takes a specified action (such as signing up for a free trial), you earn a commission. The commission structure varies among programs and can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale.

3. Seek Advertisers for Your Blog

Use ad networks like Google AdSense to display targeted ads on your blog. You can earn money when visitors click on or view these ads. You can also sell ad space directly to advertisers. This can be more lucrative but requires a substantial amount of effort to find and manage companies to work with.

4. Market Your Skills

If you have a niche, especially an in-demand niche like technology, finance, or healthcare, you can market your services and use your blog as a portfolio to attract clients. You can also use your platform to promote other services that you offer, such as consulting or coaching.

5. Charge for Content

Another way to monetize your blog is to host virtual events related to your specialization, such as webinars or workshops, for an admission fee. You can also implement a subscription model where readers pay a monthly fee to attend virtual events or access other premium content.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to launch a freelance writing business, including how to write professional blog posts and articles? Check out our comprehensive Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It teaches you everything you need to know about the competitive world of freelance writing. Sign up for your free trial to get started today!

The post How to Monetize a Blog (5 Proven Methods) appeared first on Knowadays.

What Does SaaS Mean?

SaaS is a cloud computing model that delivers software applications and services online. In the SaaS model, the software is hosted and maintained by a service provider (usually a company). Users can access and use the software through a web browser or app on a subscription basis.

Some examples of popular SaaS products are video conference platforms, document management systems, accounting tools, and graphic design software. Check out this list by HubSpot on leading and up-and-coming SaaS companies.

What Is SaaS Content Writing?

SaaS content writing is creating tailored content for companies that provide SaaS products. It involves producing various written materials to support these companies in their operations, meaning there is no single type of SaaS content writing.

Some SaaS content is meant to help users get the most out of the software. Content may include guides, tutorials, FAQs, and knowledge base articles. For instance, this detailed product guide shows customers how to get started using Adobe’s InDesign publishing software, and this tutorial covers how to use Microsoft’s PowerPoint.

Some SaaS content is aimed at promoting the company and marketing to potential customers. Content may include product announcements, blogs, and social media posts. This type of content will highlight the product’s core features and benefits and how it can solve the target audience’s problems. SaaS content typically includes data supporting claims about the product’s features and benefits. For example, this Salesforce website content describes the specific value their marketing intelligence tools can bring to organizations.

Other types of SaaS content include informative blogs (like this one from famous financial software company Stripe), product descriptions, email newsletters, and in-house publications. High-quality, informative content is a great way for SaaS companies to establish themselves as authorities on a particular topic and build trust with their target audience.

What Does a SaaS Content Writer Do?

SaaS content writers can be freelance or work in-house directly for a software company. Their typical daily tasks and responsibilities vary depending on the company and product. But, in general, SaaS content writers may have the following duties:

• Research current and up-and-coming software and companies.
• Write and edit SaaS content for clients.
• Manage the social media presence for SaaS companies.
• Develop case studies highlighting real-world examples of how customers have successfully used the SaaS products (to illustrate the software’s practical benefits).

SaaS content writers also collaborate with marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) professionals to ensure their content ranks well in search engine results. This could involve keyword research, on-page optimization, and content editing to align with SEO best practices.

How to Become a SaaS Writer

If you’re interested in pursuing SaaS as a niche, start with the following steps:

1. Get Familiar with the Industry

If you want to become a SaaS content writer, it’s essential to steadily build your knowledge base by studying available software products to gain an understanding of their features and pricing. It can help to explore popular SaaS blogs, websites, and industry publications to familiarize yourself with the topics commonly covered in SaaS content. You can also analyze the tone and style used in the content published by successful SaaS companies.

2. Study SEO Strategies

Since much of SaaS content aims to attract and engage potential customers, it’s essential to develop your SEO skills and understand basic marketing principles. Get familiar with SEO techniques, such as conducting keyword research and integrating relevant keywords into your content.

3. Create a Portfolio

Begin building a portfolio of showpieces by starting your website or blog and writing about SaaS products and services. If possible, test the products and write informative reviews, mock case studies, or blog posts for potential clients.

4. Offer Freelance Services

Consider offering freelance SaaS content writing services on online marketplaces like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr. This is a great way to gain experience while searching for more steady jobs.

5. Network with Other Professionals

Networking with other SaaS content writers (or generalist writers) can be an excellent way to make contacts and learn about new opportunities. It can also help you find a freelance mentor who can advise you at the start of your career and offer you the benefit of their experience. You can boost your professional network by attending events, such as virtual or in-person workshops and conferences or joining online SaaS communities. In addition, follow leading SaaS content writers on LinkedIn, as they often post opportunities and advice for breaking into the industry.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about freelance writing niches? Want to find out how to launch a career as a freelance content writer? Check out our comprehensive Becoming A Freelance Writer course! It teaches you everything you need to know about how to stand out in the competitive world of freelance writing. Sign up for your free trial today!

The post What Is SaaS Content Writing? appeared first on Knowadays.

Why Is Freelance Writing a Good Side Hustle?

So what is a side hustle? It’s something that you do on the side (hence the term) – i.e., alongside your main occupation – to earn money (and this time, unlike the definition of the term hustle, it’s totally honest).

Writing is something that you can do wherever and whenever you have time and access to a laptop and the internet (or to a pen and paper). Working freelance enables you to take on the work that interests you when it suits your schedule. And with a growing demand for writing – blog posts, articles, emails, advertising copy – and the ability to set your own rates, freelance writing can be pretty profitable too.

How to Start a Freelance Writing Side Hustle

If you’re sold on the benefits of freelance writing as a side hustle, how do you get started? Here are our top tips:

1. Choose Your Niche

Even though you might enjoy writing, there may be subjects that don’t appeal to you or where you feel you lack expertise. Freelance writing, particularly as a side hustle, is your opportunity to focus on subjects and types of writing that interest you. This will be your niche, and finding it will help you to target your research, skills, résumé, portfolio, and marketing.

2. Do Your Research

As with most things in life, the better prepared you are, the more successful you’ll be. Doing some groundwork to find out what a career in freelance writing involves will help you to target the skills you’ll need, the rates you can charge, the amount of time you’ll need to set aside, and what sort of writing suits you best.

3. Brush Up Your Skills

However good your writing is, it never hurts to sharpen those skills. After all, if you’re being paid to write, you’ll want to offer the best service you can. The better the quality of your work, the more work you’ll get and the higher the rate you can charge.

4. Update Your Résumé

It may have been some time since you last applied for a job, and that job may have involved a different set of skills from those required for your writing side hustle. So that you are ready to provide your résumé to prospective clients, now is the time to give it a polish and highlight your writing skills and experience.

5. Write Some Samples

Most clients will want to see a sample of your work before hiring you to write for them. It doesn’t have to be anything you’ve been paid for, so start putting together examples of your work now.

Producing some new samples would be a good way to practice your skills in writing about your chosen subject using different content styles: blog posts, articles, website copy, etc.

6. Produce a Portfolio

As you produce or find samples of your writing, make sure to include them in a portfolio. Setting one up online with your own website or on a portfolio platform is pretty straightforward these days, and it’s a great way to showcase your skills to potential clients.

If you have already done some writing for others – maybe for your local community newsletter – you could ask them for a testimonial to include in your portfolio. This will be helpful in persuading others of the quality of your work.

Make sure to keep your portfolio updated with examples of your writing, and any testimonials as you receive them.

7. Promote Yourself

Work won’t simply turn up just because you’ve decided to do it. Producing your portfolio (even online) won’t guarantee that someone will see it and contact you with a writing job. You will need to promote yourself. It may sound scary – and a lot of work – but it doesn’t have to be.

If you’ve set up a website to house your portfolio, try including a blog and updating it regularly. You could also include a link to it on your social media to put the word out about the type of writing work you do. You could directly approach people or organizations, or if that doesn’t appeal, you could apply for freelance writing jobs advertised on job boards, such as ProBlogger and Peak Freelance, or advertise your services on work marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr.

8. Don’t Forget the Day Job

If you’re looking to write as a side hustle, remember to balance it with your main job – and don’t neglect your down time! Making some extra money on the side is all well and good, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your main income or time with your family and friends. Finding the right work–life balance will be key to any successful side hustle.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Does a freelance writing side hustle appeal to you? If you’re interested in exploring it further and brushing up the necessary skills, why not give our Becoming A Freelance Writer course a go? You can even try it out for free.

The post How to Start a Freelance Writing Side Hustle appeared first on Knowadays.