www.dianabocco.net

1. Start at the bottom. Contrary to what many writers believe, this does not mean writing SEO articles for $1 or giving your work away in exchange for a byline. Instead, look for markets that welcome beginners, especially online, where the content is generally shorter and may not require interviews or expert backup. Or consider your alumni newsletter, a local newspaper or a regional publication. Not matter how small the publication, it will still be a credit in your name.

2. Write for content websites. Despite the bad reputation of some content websites for publishing bad quality writing, the truth is that you are the one that controls the quality of the final article. While you may not make a lot of money (think $15, not $1500) writing for content sites, they allow you to build up a portfolio that you can use every time an editor requests samples. Also, keep in mind that getting paid for your work, even if it's only $15, is a sign that your writing is good enough to sell. An editor will see that. Examples of content websites include Constant Content, JustArticles, eHow, and Associated Content.

3. Take advantage of your degree. If you have a background in a specific topic (doesn't matter if it is in medicine, law or economics), you can do well by writing and selling articles in that specific niche. While you are still starting from zero, with no credits in your name, you have the advantage of a good understanding of the topic. When writing query letters, don't leave your degree or any related experience out of them.

4. Set up your own website or blog. If you have nothing to showcase, starting a blog can be a good way to get your name out there and eventually use it as a platform (just make sure to keep your blog professional and not use it to talk about family or personal issues). If you already have some clips, consider getting a website. Not only are they extremely cheap and easy to set up, but they are now considered an essential part of any freelancer's portfolio.

5. Don't leave anything out. If you have no professional clips to showcase, take a look into your past and see if there's anything that you can use to showcase your writing ability. Did you have to write reports at your last work? Ever designed PR materials or had to write corporate papers? While these may not be the most interesting samples you can offer, they do showcase your writing skill and versatility.

Above all, be patient. All freelance writers have to start from zero, so ultimately it is only up to you whether you make it (and how big).

I’m on Unit 4 of my Associate Degree and it’s proving to be a headache. I knew I was going to be doing some serious reading for this degree, but the book for this unit is just massive. The book is divided into sections, each of which I’m supposed to read before I can work on a short assignment/test. Each section is about 150 pages long of tiny writing on an 8x11 page. By the time I’ve read 25 pages, I can’t –for the life of me— remember what the first five were about. I definitively need to come up with a new method for this. I keep thinking that if I’m having trouble with this unit (which is about a topic I’m really interested in, The Nature and Extent of Crime) once I reach Statistics or Music Appreciation (why are these in the program?!), things are going to get ugly.

I’m actually going through the lessons at a much slower pace than I thought I would. I’m hoping I’ll catch up during the summer, when I have no classes and I’ll only be working from home, writing.

I spent the weekend working on some articles that needed to go. Hopefully the next few assignments will be a little more stimulating because there were times I almost fell asleep on the keyboard.

I’ve been writing mind-boggling articles all day and I need a break. I’m not complaining about the amount of work I have this week, but boy do I wish it wasn’t always all-or-nothing! I’m behind in my studies too, just because my brain is so overworked that I can’t seem to concentrate enough to retain any kind of new information.

It was a holiday here in Russia today so all schools were closed. 9^th of May marks the end of the Great Patriotic War, as Russians like to call WWII. It’s a big deal here, since 11 million Russians died at the hands of the Germans. There was actually a big celebration, with live music and a show right in the center of the city, followed by some fireworks. I didn’t go, though. I appreciate the sentiment, but crowds of drunk people are really not my thing. I just stayed home and wrote like a madwoman all day long.

I wanted to venture to IKEA this weekend (I desperately need new sheets) but I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to do that on a holiday weekend. I don’t work next Monday, so maybe it would be smarter to hold on until then. I can always go shopping for something else tomorrow :)

By the way, I’m absolutely loving the Today.com gig. Blogging about budget on a daily basis is keeping my mind focused on my own savings, so that’s definitively a plus. The person who was spreading rumors about Today is actually a writer who wasn’t accepted by them, so I’m thinking everything will be ok.

There seems to be a lot of speculation regarding Today.com, the place where I just landed a blogging position. This came about because they seem to be hiring a lot of writers within a very short period of time and people are questioning their ability to pay. As far as I know, this is a new venture, but the writers who started blogging in April have already been paid, so that speaks well of the company.

I’m not too worried at this stage. The job is not really demanding (posts take me about 15 minutes to write, sometimes less), so if something happens I can always take my content and set up my own blog with AdSense. I do wish I didn’t have to question every new job I take on. It’s frustrating when you’re counting on the money.

I just learned that MyZip is closing its doors. This was only my second month blogging for them, so I’m sorry to see them go. It was a fun, easy gig, and I got to blog about Astoria, a place I called home for years. The email I got from MyZip was very general and made it sound like this was their plan all along, although it sounds a little strange, because their previous message went on and on about bonuses and payment increases. Weird. Anyway, it was good while it lasted. They should be sending April’s payment over the next couple of days. Hope everything goes smooth with that.

Just a couple of days ago, though, I was accepted to blog for Today.com (I guess that’s why I don’t feel so bad about losing the other gig). The pay is rather good and I get to blog about a topic I’m really interested in: budget living. You can stop by the new blog at CountingPennies.

My secret? I took lots of naps.

I’ve been stressing out so much over the last couple of weeks that my productivity has gone out the window. Can you blame me? It’s hard to sit down and write something coherent when your mind is obsessing about a million other things, from money to paperwork to health. So this weekend I took a different approach: I focused on sleeping. I actually took a sleeping pill on Friday night and (for the first time in at least a month) slept throughout the night without jumping out of my skin every 15 minutes. I woke up on Saturday feeling sooo much better. I spent a few hours just playing around in the internet, reading blogs, answering emails… Then I went back to bed for a nap. Repeat this 3 or 4 times and you get an idea of what my day was like. In the evening, when I sat down at the computer again for the 10^th time that day, I just felt like writing. And not writing some fun exciting fiction piece, but actually writing the articles I was supposed to. I ended up finishing 8 pieces (!) and planning a few more for the next day.

I don’t take a lot of days off, and maybe that’s part of the problem. Even when I’m on vacation, my mind is reeling with ideas about unfinished projects waiting for me back home (that is, if I don’t end up taking my laptop with me and working on them at bedtime).

I used to be able to relax so easily a few years ago… what happened?! Anyway, I’m doing much better after my sleeping marathon and looking forward to get back to work and get some money rolling.

(Oh, yeah, that's my dog sleeping)

I’ve had a headache for three days. I also haven’t been sleeping properly and my brain is all over the place. Welcome to my life.

Last week, I was complaining to anybody who would listen about how slow the last couple of months have been in the freelance world. While I was never without work, it certainly wasn’t the prosperous busy life I was used to in 2007. To try and get out of the rut, I actually spent most of last week marketing myself, sending queries out, applying for jobs… I now have so much work that I’m stressing out about how can I possibly finish all of it by the scheduled deadlines. I’m not exactly complaining, but I wish there was a way I could balance out these things so it’s not always feast or famine around here.

When it comes to finding work, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s important to look beyond the obvious. I get most of my work thanks to Deb’s blog but lately I’ve also been looking around the internet and finding gigs in unexpected places, such as other writers’ blogs. For example, I started writing for MyZipNetwork after Misti Sandefur mentioned it on her blog and I decided to take a look and see what the fuss was all about. And since I’m very active at the AbsoluteWriteForums, I often hear about new opportunities there as well. But the most ironic place I’ve found a job may be the Wahm Forums. Why? Because WAHM stands for work-at-home-moms and I’m not a mom… but love the forums.

Where do you find work?