Looking for insight about the real world of online writing? You've found the spot. Join us as we shine a light on what it means to succeed as a writer online. Read on to find the notes in the margins - how writers get started, what they're reading, the best tips and tricks, and notes from writers at work...
Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh
Kelby Carr is a freelance writing veteran who is approaching her 3-year anniversary with Suite101. As Suite101's Feature Writer for Family Travel and the operator of numerous other sites, Carr epitomizes the freelance writer who diversifies her career opportunities, all while maintaining a busy household and taking care of three children.
Suite101: You’re a self professed “Mom 2.0 empire builder” with your own sites like Type-A Mom, Foodie Mama, and momShare; a social bookmarking site for moms, as well as being a full time mother of three, what’s your advice to other mom writers who are trying to strike a balance between family life and work life?
Kelby Carr: Striking a balance has been one of my biggest challenges. I have managed that best by learning when to walk away from jobs, gigs and sites when my time becomes too dominated. Sometimes it is hard. I have walked away from things I enjoy, things that pay well, and things I have done for years. Sometimes you have to prioritize. The other thing I have done is work time with the family, time away from the computer (OK, I do have an iPhone...). Get out and have some fun as often as possible. You will be more effective with your work when you return anyway.
You’ve got over 21,000 followers on Twitter - What role has social media played in your success as a freelance writer and website operator?
Social media has played a tremendous role. I do not have any sort of marketing budget for my sites or to promote myself. To be able to engage with so many people so easily has been the key to my success. I can interact with people who are fellow writers and bloggers so we can share advice and promote one another, I can find readers and writers for my sites, and I can connect with clients, all much more easily than in the pre-Twitter days. The most important thing is to use these tools to engage and to help others, not simply to broadcast links to your content or your services.
The first Type-A Mom Conference was held in September with much success. What is the value of hosting conferences and face-to-face meet-ups for online communities?
The face-to-face interactions solidify the relationships I have built online. I think for many years people have argued that the web and computers depersonalized us. I would argue the opposite. Online, we can connect with people who have so much more in common with us than we would randomly meeting people where we live (for example, on Suite101 I have met many fellow writers). When we take those online connections to the next level and meet in person; that is powerful.
You’re clearly very savvy about everything web related, from social media to SEO. What led you to write for Suite101?
I have always enjoyed writing for the web, and I also like the Suite101 pay model (in fact, I use a similar one on some of my sites) of sharing the revenue. For writers, it means that you can get paid forever for one article you write instead of getting paid once. I also was attracted to the idea of writing on a specific topic where I have so much interest and experience (family travel in my case). The timing of my starting at Suite101 was when I was on bed rest with my twins, and I wasn't able to do my day job as a newspaper reporter. It was wonderful to be able to continue to write, even lying in my bed with a laptop.
What’s your favourite article (that you’ve written) for Suite101?
This is my favorite because I think this is one of the most amazing and bonding experiences you can have. I would call it the ultimate family vacation. My husband and I did a family vacation sabbatical when our first child was one and we lived in Nice, France for a year. I also want people to understand it may not be as hard as they think.
Follow Kelby Carr on Twitter : @typeamom
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Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh
This week we feature a stand-out blog post from Quips And Tips For Successful Writers. Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen shows how writing evergreen articles can help a writer gain more readers over time and win bids for articles based on the timeless nature of their subject. This is an essential skill for successful freelance writers and an essential blog post to read.
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Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh
Here's another nugget of knowledge to ponder from Anne Wayman's About Freelance Writing blog, "Do You Expect More Or Better Writing Work Next Year?"
As more companies favor outsourcing over hiring full-time workers, will your freelance pockets be jingling?
Let us know what you think!
Posted by Marci Hotsenpiller
It’s been months in the making but we’re finally done! Today we unveil a new look and layout for Suite101! Our decision to create a fresh, modern interface was in direct response to reader feedback and requests from our writing community. We're accepted as a legitimate source of high quality information and we wanted to reflect this by adopting a clear, modern, straightforward design interface.
Why the change?
The state of the online publishing industry has evolved rapidly over the last few years. Suite101 has grown enormously in the same time. Readers’ and writers’ expectations have risen accordingly, so we wanted our site layout and design to match our reputation as one of the most respected freelance writing sites in the business.
Our principal design goal was to improve Suite101’s public image to mirror the professional stature of our writing community and draw more attention to well written, valuable articles.
The development team reviewed input from more than 500 writers and editors around the world over the course of several months. Feedback tools and surveys were used in combination with exhaustive analysis based on hard metrics.
What’s changed?
Here’s a quick summary. In short we…
- Created a new homepage to showcase professional writers and high quality content.
- Redesigned the Suite101.com article page to increase readers’ attention on article text and graphics.
- Reduced visual clutter throughout the site to make reading articles easier, more enjoyable.
- Upgraded images to an easier-to-view rectangular format to make it more appealing for readers.
- Modified site navigation so it’s more helpful for people searching for specific writers and articles.
- Created a new page framework to help writers earn more revenue through increased monetization opportunities.
- Launched a new brand image to better communicate Suite101.com’s mission to create opportunities for writers.
What do you think? Let us know! As part of launching a fresh new look, Suite101.com will be searching for a fresh new tagline. Details about a crowd-sourced tagline contest will be released soon right here…
Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh
Suite101 is known for having an increasingly supportive and collaborative community. Our forums are active with veteran and rookie writers sharing tips, exchanging ideas, and cheering each other on. We decided it was high time we took this community gathering offline.
On Thursday November 27th, 2009 five Vancouver-based Suite writers attended a meet & greet with Suite101's head office editorial staff. These writers were also fortunate to meet Editor-in-Chief of Suite101.de Dirk Westphal who joined us in our Vancouver office for several days. It was a great evening filled with warm laughs, cheerful anecdotes, and insightful writerly musings. We were also lucky to find out what Suite101 means to some of our writers.
Lori Henry, FW W Canada Travel, values the fact that Suite101 offers her a professional byline and an opportunity to be recognized as a legitimate member of the league of Canadian travel writers.
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, FW Psychology, is already an accomplished web writer. As the author of the "Quips And Tips" blog series, Laurie uses Suite101 to enhance her online writing presence and to connect to a larger community of web writers.
Nathan Stafford is relatively new to Suite101 but a veteran music writer with his work appearing in BC Musician Magazine, Gonzo Magazine, and The Skinny. For Nathan, Suite101 isn't just another place to write about music, it also serves as a great platform to host his writing portfolio and further promote his talents and his work.
James Hamilton, also a CW, has spent the majority of his adult life studying music with a specialization in Sitar music. Having lived in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and traveled to many more places, Suite101 offers James an international venue to share his expertise on this unique subject matter.
Clayton Worbeck uses Suite101 to further research and explore his numerous passions. Though Clayton is an audio engineer/producer by trade, his articles aren't limited to this field. Clayton also explores his love of hiking by contributing articles regularly about the best trails to hike in British Columbia and elsewhere.
The evening was a great success and we're so pleased that we were able to pull our writers away from their computers long enough to share their stories with us face-to-face. We look forward to engaging with more Suite writers in the future.
To see photos from this event, click on the slideshow or visit Suite101's Flickr page.
