25 Of The Best Guides For Online Writing Techniques And Writing Styles
Every writing style has its own set of rules and fine points that make it effective. To learn them, or just to brush up on your skills, you need quality guides that will help you discover what they are and what the finer points really are. For some of us, it’s purely the desire for information that causes us to follow, bookmark, and absorb the information contained in these posts. At the bottom, I included sites to complete courses you can take free of charge on almost anything you’d like to learn.
This collection only includes some of the best guides for beginner and expert online writers that I’ve come across so far. If you have any to add, feel free to add them in the comments, or write a response post and send the link.
Press Releases
1.The 7 Deadly Mistakes People Make When Submitting Press Releases ebook from Online PR News is excellent for writing and submitting releases.
2.How to Write an Effective Press Release from Quick Start SEO has a thorough guide that talks about style, mood, and other finer points as well as the SEO aspects.
3.How to Write an SEO Press Release from Green Doc is another you’ll want to browse through before getting started.
Web Copy
4.Web Copy Style from Provenance Unknown.com has great in-depth guide for anyone writing content specifically for web pages. It includes how to deal with style as well as the technical side of the style including capitalization, grammar, and punctuation.
5.How To Write Effective Web Copy from isitebuild.com has a great step by step guide through the process of actually using the style.
Email Marketing Copy
6. How To Write Effective Emails from PowerHomeBiz.com has lots of great tips for marketing style in general as well as email marketing copy.
7. 7 Steps to Effective Email Marketing from cd email solutions is an excellent guide as is the next source:
8. 10 Tips for Effective Email Sales Letters from the Street Directory.
SEO Style and Article Marketing
SEO Content Solutions has some great resources for beginner copywriters.
9. The Bare Bones Basics of Writing SEO Copy is a straightforward post on…well…the bare basics of SEO.
10.Article Marketing Writing Technique SEO Copywriters builds on the basics for those starting into article marketing.
11.Search Engine Copywriting: Comprehensive Guide For Beginners To Content Writing For Search Engine Optimization is an excellent guide for the actual writing process.
Blogging
12.How to Write the Perfect ‘About’ Page (by Numbers) by Skelliewag.org offers a step by step guide for a great about page.
13.How To Blog: A Beginner’s Blog Publishing Guide by Master New Media helped me start my first blog.
14.You Need a Blog Strategy from Problogger is one of many in this bible for bloggers.
Proofreading Tips And Hints
15.Can I get away with it? 12 common grammatical errors YOUR probably making! Recently published by Divine Write is a great grammar guide that won’t have you snoring after the first paragraph.
16.14 Foolproof Proofreading Tips for Bloggers from Copyblogger doesn’t get to the nitty grity of proof reading, but it definitely helps. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.
General Writing Style
17.Guide to AP style from Dr. Michael S Sweeney of Utah State University doesn’t contain all of the rules and guidelines, but it is certainly a good start and a great companion to the AP stylebook.
18.Cute Writing has an excellent series on punctuation use which includes great posts on using semicolons, brackets, capitalization, and much more.
19.Paramedic Method: A Lesson in Writing Concisely from Owl is great for those who want to brush up on the ‘concise’ area of their style.
20.Juicy Studio wins for an informative set of posts on writing style. It contains information on grammar, style, and ‘zero tolerance’ you will find interesting.
Miscellaneous Resources
21.50 of the Best Websites for Writers from EduChoices has one of the best collections of reference sites I’ve seen. If you fact check, are interested in general writing sites, fiction, non-fiction, or freelancing (which should basically cover everyone) you’ll want to bookmark and refer to this site. (They have free biology/science courses underneath that I plan to get to eventually.)
22.12 Free Online Class Sites from The Times They Are A Changing is an info addict’s paradise.
23.50+ Open Courseware Writing Classes from the World’s Leading Universities from College Degree.com will fill in where The Times They Are A Changing left off.
24.100+ Free Open Courseware Links for Writers from MatchACollege.com is fabulous.
25.Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet from Grokdotcom.com has a goldmine of various sources for writers including tips for headlines, email marketing, blogs and more.
The Wise And Twisted Games Writers Play — It’s What We Do
I was asked the other day what writers do for fun. That’s a good question. So many posts focus on writing for work and work/home balance, very few pieces focus on the fun areas of the writing mind. While I can come up with an extensive list, I thought it would be fun to provide you with a list of cool places writers can have fun with the English language.
Here’s a list of some fun places for writers to hang out:
1. One Million Monkeys Typing is a writing site of a different sort. When you arrive on the page, you have several stories presented to you. You read the story, and as soon as it takes a turn you dislike, or if you have a better idea, stop, write the section you would like to write, and publish your version of events. The makers of this beta site have created a community there for writers and readers to hang out.
2. Free Rice uses a writer’s quest for knowledge for the benefit of those in need of food. On the game side of things, you will see a word and have to define it. When you give correct answers, you earn grains of rice, which are used to feed those in starving countries. This site builds your vocabulary while helping a charity. The way I see it, everyone wins.
3. Etymologic states it holds the title of the ‘Toughest Word Game On The Web.’ Well, the basic concept seems easy enough. They present you with a word and offer you a set of choices. You have to decide which country the word came from. Not as easy as you think It’s actually kind of addictive-aggravating.
4. Super Text Twist is available online, as a download, and through facebook. This game gives you a set of letters, and you need to make as many words out of the given letters as possible. It’s actually one of my favorite games to play. However, I play a slightly different version on the next site.
5. Filled with addictive games, Pogo has the best collection of word games I’ve seen in a long time. Honey Bees, Word Jong, and Word Craft are some I find myself playing on a regular basis. They do have a paid option, which is a must for me. I may or may not have guest passes for those interested 
6. FunTrivia has a section designed specifically for creative writing fanatics. Their quiz section on contemporary literature and fiction is great. You can choose from a whole host of authors there, or you can head to other sections, which include mystery and science fiction. Just pick your favorite genre and away you go.
7. Language is a Virus contains another list of games designed for writers and lovers of the English language. One called Magnetic Poetry takes famous poems and breaks them into chunks. You need to put them back together. This site also contains all kinds of helpful tools for everything from title generators to programs that help you name characters in your stories.
Fellow writers, feel free to enjoy the addiction!
What Is The True Definition Of ‘Quality Content’?
The concept of ‘quality content’ isn’t as clear cut as you think. Not everyone’s idea of quality content is the same, yet everyone uses that phrase for anything involving the written word. While there is a general consensus on the definition, the reality is that it could be any number of different things. Before you start shouting at the computer screen, let me explain.
Perfect Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
When asked what quality content is, well written is one of the first traits listed off. I agree. A well written piece reads better, and is more enjoyable. But, what if it has a few small spelling mistakes? Does this mean it isn’t ‘quality content?’
While every writer should aim for perfection, I honestly don’t think a misspelled word could destroy the entire piece. It depends on the situation, and the content itself.
Information
Quality content must contain good information. Regurgitating the same concepts and ideals repeatedly becomes monotonous. Fresh information maybe difficult in some subjects, but your piece needs a unique angle. If you only repeat what others have already stated, it would be easier to copy and paste it rather than writing it.
To present something fresh, write from an alternative perspective. This step often creates writer’s block, but the fight is worth it. For example, instead of using the topic ‘how to write a blog post,’ why not try ‘what makes a bad post.’
Two good reasons exist for this:
1- Not everyone learns the same way.
2- Sometimes, we need reminders of the basics.
Interestingly, I don’t think copy/paste work itself is poor. (Bare with me!) The piece itself is usually fantastic (that’s why it was copy/pasted right?). It’s the fact that it isn’t your own that becomes the issue.
Any time the sole purpose is to show your own voice, don’t copy and paste. If this doesn’t factor into it, then by all means spread the good cheer (by following the proper procedure according to the license, and with adequate credit of course.) A news feed site is a good example. Here, people want straight information.
The other issue is the concept of informative. Photography and creative writing blogs are wonderful, but not necessarily ‘informative.’
So, What Is Quality Content?
In my opinion, quality content needs to match your readers as well as yourself. This holds true regardless what medium you work in. Engage, entertain, inform, take action, but make them feel something! Even getting them to disagree with you can be a great thing. So long as it’s kept friendly, I love a good discussion or debate. The best ideas come from them. If you write on a topic you can’t take an interest in, it will certainly show.
Don’t fret over whether something is ‘quality content.’ Write to the best of your ability, present your ideas well, and bring out your own voice to produce your own quality content. That’s what will make all the difference.
A ‘Hidden’ Gem For Online Writers — Freelance Writing.Com
If you have started as a copywriter, but have never gone to Freelance Writing.com, you may just want to head over there and check it out. These guys have collected some of the finest resources on the web together in one place. Writer forums, freelance writing jobs, articles, guidelines, and more you want to bookmark this site.
I have yet to participate in the writers forums there. Honestly, it just isn’t something I have time for on top of all the other projects I have on the go, and another huge project on the horizon. I do recommend browsing through it though.
Their articles, free ebooks, white papers and other resources are filled with important information. I guarantee that if you need to know something about writing, you’ll find it or a link to it there. Spending time digging through this stuff is well worth the effort.
The freelance writing jobs section pulls open jobs from all over the web including more prominent sites like Elance as well as many of the hidden ones. This eliminates having to bounce through 20 or 30 sites at once. This is a huge bonus for anyone needing to spend less time looking for work, and more time actually making money. Keep your eye out for the gems!
I won’t argue that writing online can certainly be profitable, but you shouldn’t overlook the traditional magazine industry either. With the economy on a harsh downward style, more and more of them are replacing journalists and in-house writers with freelancers. While I don’t necessarily agree with some of this, it does open that market up to those of us without formal training. If you get the right opportunity, it could mean great things in the long term once this crazy world straightens itself out.
Just like in-print media can be a good thing, submitting to printed media without doing your homework can devastate a career in an instant. Freelance Writing.Com has an extensive list of writer’s guidelines that you will want to check out.
Freelance Writing.Com knows that writing isn’t just about work, and they addressed that with their writing contest and events sections. It is definitely worth a peek if you have some time on your hands, or would like to connect with other writers.
Head over, and have a look. Let me know what you think!
Home Office Organization — Schedule Your Time Wisely
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
Back when I only wrote on the weekends, It was pretty easy to keep up. I’d take a project. Write the due date in my planner, and away I went. Soon, I started taking more projects, larger projects, and adding in additional services. Things got a little crazy, so I started a separate planner for work and another for personal. When I got super busy, I would leave the request sit in my email box on the idea that I would schedule it when I caught up. I will admit to you now that the days when you will be caught up perfectly are very few, far, and in between!
The Solution To Bad Scheduling
Once I started offering copywriting services, started preparing for niche marketing, and further expanded my services things went out of control. I needed help, and I needed help fast. Interestingly, I came across Dave Navarro’s program 30 Hours A Day.
I can’t tell you how many ‘duh’ and ‘aha’ and ‘crap’ moments I had. I won’t lie and tell you it was an easy course. It isn’t, but then, when you are changing your pattern of thinking, it never is. What it did was really sit down and decide what I wanted out of each day.
As I moved through the course, things slowly came together and I noticed things start to pull together. As soon as I was finished, I noticed a huge difference. I was getting things done faster, I wasn’t forgetting about a to-do item, and rushing to get it done.
As a result, I had less stress, produced a higher quality product, and increased the amount of incoming work. The additional work is great because I know I’ll always have money coming in. On the down side, I hate turning customers away. (I always try to recommend someone else if I can’t take the project. I know what it’s like to need the help, and unable to find it.) Sometimes, I think my hubby has the right idea when he tells me ‘the smartest man in the world is the one who knows nothing.’
How To Set Up Your Schedule
If there is one complaint I have out of all the different schedules and programs out there, it’s that they aren’t set up for copywriters. In fact, Dave includes one in his program, but I find it to needed some tweaking. It isn’t inferior. It just doesn’t fit the way I work mentally. So I’ll let you in on how I do it.
When I get a to-do item, I decide how long it will take me. Anything less than 10 minutes I do right away. Anything more than 10 and I enter it straight into Remember the Milk. (A fantastic, FREE to-do list. I couldn’t work without it!) Each morning, I open RTM, and I enter the day’s work into a schedule that is broke into 15 minute increments.
On this page, I enter the customer’s name, and the name of the main project (sometimes it is a project ID from the client). Then, I assign it an item number from the invoice and give its project number (2of3). The next two columns deal with money. The first is what I should make. I don’t enter the dollar amount into the second column until I’m finished. This allows me to identify how far ahead or behind I am. That gain or loss is entered into the next column. Finally, I include any links I need, and additional information for that part of the project.
Most important on the page is the ‘uh-oh’ column. When I lose time or do something other than what was scheduled, I enter it onto the table in this column. I add up the amount of time I ** lost ** and that goes at the bottom. Once a week, I look at them, and find the reasons I lost this time. I come up with a solution in the hopes that I can eliminate it. I have yet to have a waste-free day, but it is a utopian idea that keeps me motivated. Well, seeing the money I’m down or ahead for the day helps.
A few scheduling tips:
- Things are going to interrupt you, so plan for productivity loss by adding in empty time slots. If you have less interruption, you come out ahead.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Tomorrow is another day!
- If you have a habit of using Twitter, or checking your email, schedule it in. (I usually give myself 15 minutes at the completion of each project.)
- Don’t underestimate the time it takes to do a project. If you rush through it, you’ll be sorry.
- Try to bunch generic time together. In other words, make all your phone calls at once. Do the same with research, marketing, submissions, and other ‘chores.’
- When I do write, I use a program from Dr. Wicked labs called Write or Die. I absolutely love it albeit a little frustrating. Write it in the tool, and copy it into your word processor!
- If you would like to try my schedule, you can get a FREE copy of it here: Copywriting Schedule Template
