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Monday, February 21, 2011

Meet Fellow Writer Robert Medak

Hi, folks! Robert Medak is visiting with us today. Robert is a freelance writer, editor, book reviewer, aspiring marketer, and aspiring author. He spent 37 years in Telecommunications, upon retiring he decided to follow his dream of being a writer. Robert has written or ghost written over 350 articles and 80 book reviews. Welcome, Robert.

You can visit him online at:

https://kidsandanimals.wordpress.com/

http://rjmedak.wordpress.com/

http://rjmedak.blogspot.com/

http://rjmbookreviews.blogspot.com/

He can also be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and he has created a social network for freelance writers at http://freelancewriters.spruz.com/Default.asp?


Upon visiting his blog, Robert has written a wonderful article I'd like to share with you:

Can You Make a Living as a Full-Time Writer?

This is a simple yet complex question, with an answer to match.

Unless your name is Bob Bly or someone as well known, please don’t quit your day job.

It takes time, effort, marketing, quality work, and referrals to become a go to person for writing. It isn’t going to happen overnight no matter how often some people tell you. They will probably try to sell you some course, program, or get you involved with PLR articles or books that you can rebrand to call your own. Others will try to get you involved with affiliates.

I don’t do any of that since I offer 100 percent original work and test it with Copyscape for and possible plagiarism questions. I have also signed an ethics pledge.

I have gone so far as to turn down work due to ethical concerns. I realize individuals will make their own decision, but you still have to face yourself in the mirror each morning and have to live with your modus operandi of business; for writing is a business, have no fear about that.

If you choose to enter the realm of freelance writing, you will need to price your services and believe that you are an entrepreneur, because you are.

When the economy slows down so do writing jobs. With the diminishing number of magazines and newspapers, the number of places that would normally take a chance of new writers also diminishes. Along with this, many companies are looking to outsource to other countries where labor is cheaper than the United States.

It is still possible to make a living as a writer depending on how hard you are willing to work at finding jobs.

The best way to find jobs is to start out locally. Check in with your local Chamber of Commerce, Church, and Civic Groups.

Build a website, blog, guest blog, use social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) to let potential clients know you exist. If potential clients don’t know about you, they will not come to you. Build a portfolio of work that you can show to potential clients. Keep a CV/ Résumé up to date; some clients make ask for one.

Watch out for any signs of frustration that things are not happening according to the way you think they should when jobs do not come easy, you are not the only one trying for them.

Robert Medak

Freelance writer, editor, proofreader, book reviewer, marketer

Website: http://stormywriter.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RJ_Medak

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Robert-Medak-Writing-More/253442777522

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmedak


** Please visit The Dark Phantom Review tomorrow, February 22, for Mayra Calvani's talk with Martha Swirzinski. **

8 comments:

  1. Great advice, Robert. You have me beat on the reviews, but we're about tie on the ghostwritten articles. :)

    I also do 100% original work.

    The outsourcing to other countries is a problem. One affiliate marketer mentioned he paid $3 per rewritten article and distribution.

    He can't possibly be getting quality work, but for many affiliate niche marketers and spam marketers, it's not about quality, it's all about quantity and conversions rates.

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  2. Robert, great advice! I've sat on a few "teleseminars" that, in the end, only wanted to sell you some expensive "training" on how to make money fast as a writer. Your approach is a sound one!

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  3. Good point, Robert. I think a lot of people (judging from comments I often get) think that making a living from writing is as simple as deciding to do it, but like any profession it takes many years of practice and development to go from novice to professional. Thanks for the reminder!

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  4. Great post! I've done some ghost writing too. It's difficult finding a steady gig, but it's a great supplement when book sales are slow.

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  5. Lots of good advice here. With your background, experience, and self-promotional acumen, I'm sure you'll soon be taking the 'aspiring' out from in front of 'author' and replacing it with 'published' and then 'multi-pulbished'!

    <a href='http;//theoldsilly.com">Marvin D Wilson</a>

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  6. Very interesting article. You're right it takes time and hard work to become a full time writer. Good advice, Robert

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  7. Writing is a difficult field to make a living in, but I know there are successful people out there! Lots of hard work and PERSEVERANCE! Good advice, Robert.

    ReplyDelete