Use This Simple Numbers Tactic to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs

Have you ever experienced the frustration of crafting pitches for freelancing writing jobs, only to end up with a long list of rejections?

Even worse, have you suggested a topic for a piece of content, only to be met by deafening silence?

The fact of the matter is that supply outweighs demand when it comes to freelance writing. For all freelance writing jobs, there are an army of eager writers looking to fill it.

Thankfully, many writers are taking shots in the dark for those freelance writing jobs. A lot write in a haphazard, amateurish fashion. Furthermore, many suggest content which is unfocused, unpopular or downright unsuitable for the site they are pitching for.

If you take the time to harness the power of the secret weapon known as search engine optimization and keyword research, you stand the best chance of landing one of the many freelance writing jobs editors need to assign.

These ideas also work well for your own blog and driving traffic to it.

How to find in-demand article ideas

Blogs publish content in order to serve an audience with information that is likely to be informative and entertaining.

When you’re brainstorming article ideas to submit to a blog, it can be difficult for writers to know exactly what to pitch. It’s hard to get inside an editor’s head and imagine what freelance writing jobs they will assign.

As a result, writers often end up making one of the two following mistakes:

• Pitching something overly generic in the hope of acceptance, and getting rejected for being too general
• Pitching something unsuitable for the blog, or something too obscure and niche

Thankfully, there is a way around this dilemma. It’s possible to find blog ideas for writing jobs that are both relevant to the specific audience and based on what people are actively searching for.

Here’s the simple tactic to find a winning blog idea:

• Browse the blog you are thinking of pitching to. Make a note of its categories, topics, and the format of articles. Choose several that you think are a good fit for your own writing.
• Carry out keyword research using the process explained below to find the most relevant keywords.
• Combine these keywords with the format of the blog you identified during your research to make a series of topics/headlines to pitch to the editor.
• Narrow down your three best ideas
• Reach out to the editor in the way described below

This process does not guarantee you will land one of those freelance writing jobs that an editor needs to assign. However, it gives you a much higher chance of success, and stands to save you hours of frustration and wasted effort.

How to conduct keyword research

The basic objective of keyword research is to find the topics that people are searching for information about online. Then create content to meet that demand.

For example, let’s say you had a blog about freelance writing. If you carried out keyword research, and noticed that a lot of people were searching for the phrase ‘freelance writing motivation’, you would be able to produce an article on this topic with the confidence it would be in-demand.

How do you do this? Here are several options for carrying out keyword research, both free and paid, to help you find in-demand ideas to help you land more freelance writing jobs.

Free options

Google

This is the easiest and most basic way of carrying out keyword research.

There are two quick and simple ways to get article topic ideas by using Google.

The first option: Simply enter your basic topic idea into the Google search bar, for example, ‘Writing’. You then follow this by the letters of the alphabet, for example ‘writing a’, followed by ‘writing b’ and so on.

See the image below for an example.

Google will autocomplete a list of topics that people are actively searching for, starting with the letters of the alphabet you input. You can be sure that these topics are in-demand if they show up here, and have a better chance of helping you land freelance writing jobs.

The other option is to carry out a search and then see the ‘also searched for’ suggestions that come up at the bottom of the page, as seen below:

The advantage to using Google for keyword research is that it’s quick, easy, and free. The disadvantage is there is no way to quantify the level of demand for different ideas, and therefore to numerically assess which idea is better than another.

KWFinder

KWFinder is a powerful keyword research tool. Although it has a paid mode, its free option is more than enough for carrying out a small amount of keyword research.

To use KWFinder, you input your writing topic idea into the search bar. KWFinder then returns data on this keyword, and other similar keywords, as seen in the image below:

By using KWFinder, you can specify exactly how much demand there is for an article idea when you pitch it to an editor. This alone makes your pitch stand out from the others.

Paid options

Not every writer will need the level of keyword research offer from the premium services. However, if you think you would get enough value from them that they would end up paying for themselves, or you are serious about your own blog, you may wish to consider them. But before you do, check out the trial versions of these services.

How to get the most out of free trials for keyword research

If you are clever about this, it’s possible to carry out a large batch of keyword research with a free or reduced trial period for one of the following services. By systematically following the step by step process outlined above, you can produce solid topic ideas for freelance writing jobs to pitch to a wide range of blogs during your trial period.

Long Tail Pro

This is a keyword research tool originally created by Spencer Haws of Niche Pursuits.

Long Tail Pro is based around the concept of finding ‘long tail’ keywords, which tend to be more niche and easy to show up on Google for than others. So, for example, instead of ‘healthy recipes’, a long tail keyword would be ‘healthy recipes for vegan teens’. The searcher has more specific needs, which are easier to fulfill.

The user interface of Long Tail Pro is shown below.

This is a great choice if you have your own blog, and wish to generate a large amount of content for it that will attract search traffic organically. It can also help you identify keywords to help you land more freelance writing jobs.

Semrush

Semrush is a very high-powered service, and one which is probably outside the needs of most writers.

However, if you are looking to build a writer website which ranks highly on Google, the competitive research tools offered by Semrush may give you a serious advantage.

The Semrush user interface is shown below –

AHRefs

AHRefs is widely regarded as the most powerful keyword research tool, but also the hardest to learn.

It offers a massive amount of data, and the ability to track websites and the keywords sites are ranking for over a period of time.

This is another service which offers more than most writers will need, but is a great option if you are ready to create the best writer website imaginable, or dig deeper into keyword research to pitch ideas for freelance writing jobs.

Pitch the right way: Follow these 5 steps

The following are my top tips for including data and pitching in the right way, which I’ve learned through trial and error, both as a guest writer and as the owner of a popular blog.

1. Take the time to find the editor’s name. This makes a big difference, and can often be found by browsing around the ‘about’ section of any given site or blog.
2. Don’t use a template pitch. It’s easy to tell when something is copied and pasted. Take the time to write a custom pitch, as your results will be a lot better.
3. Focus on what you can offer the blog, and why your content will benefit their readers specifically.
4. Find other pieces of content on the blog you can link to within your own.
5. Be friendly, positive, and respectful. Busy blogs get endless pitches, so a little courtesy will often go a long way.

Also, many blogs and sites will have a specific set of guidelines to follow when writing a guest pitch. You can search on a specific site by using Google’s ‘site:’ search feature. So, for example, if you wanted to search only Make A Living Writing, you would search ‘site:makealivingwriting.com’ followed by your search query.

If you use the above site search feature followed by ‘guest post’ and ‘guest author’ you can make sure you don’t overlook any guest guidelines that need to be followed.

Use keyword research to get freelance writing jobs

We’ve now covered how to follow a step by step process to find in-demand topics to pitch to any specific blog, and the right way to use this information in a carefully crafted pitch.

In summary –

• Use free or paid tools to find the ideas people are demanding information about
• Use this data to craft a careful topic in the style and format used by a given blog
• Write a carefully customized pitch to reach out and suggest how your idea will benefit a blog’s audience

Questions about keyword research for freelance writers? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Dave Chesson is the creator of the e-book keyword research tool KDP Rocket (yes, Carol uses, recommends, and proudly affiliate sells it).

The post Use This Simple Numbers Tactic to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs appeared first on Make A Living Writing.

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Challenge #285 - Photo Inspiration

Welcome back to Wednesday everyone. We have a new challenge just for you starting right now. It is an awesome photo that we hope will inspire you to play along.

First, let's announce our winners for Challenge #283 Holiday

#29 Lynda

#6 Imke

#31Ginny

#14 Tenia Nelson

Congratulations everyone!

Ok, let's get onto our challenge -

Scroll back up for the inspiration photo. You can take any element from it that you like!

Here is our Design Team with their creations:

Monika

Carol S

Ina

Bobby

Carol M

Valentyna

Julie

Gwendolyn

Nandini

Ceal

Well, you can't complain that we don't give you HEAPS of inspiration!! Over to you now and have fun :)

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Bathroom Safety Tips to Keep in Mind

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Bathroom Safety Tips

 

Your bathroom is a workhorse in the house and it’s also a space where we can retreat for a relaxing spa-like session in the evening.  It can be one of the only quiet spaces in a household with few people!  It’s also a place where, for a variety of reasons, safety might be an issue.  It pays to be aware of hazards in your bathroom and how to prevent injuries.

1. Keep electrical grooming tools away from water. This is a big one, and we often see it ridiculed in comedies, but electrocution is no laughing matter.  Don’t use your hairdryer, electric razors, or other styling tools anywhere where there’s a chance you’ll drop them in water and find yourself at risk for a shock.
2. Make sure that bath mats are secure against the floor. Bath mats are wonderful to step out onto after you’ve showered or bathed, but they can also offer a slipping or tripping hazard.  The best mats have a rubberized bottom so that they won’t slip and end in a bad fall.
3. While showering you’ve no doubt noticed that the tub can become very slippery. A great idea is to invest in a rubberized anti-slip mat for inside the tub.  Some of them even come with suction cups on the bottom.  You can either leave it in place if everyone showers, or drape it over the tub to dry if there’s a chance someone will be having a bath instead.
4. Wall handles on the tub are also a great idea, especially if your household incorporates little ones or seniors. This can help not only to prevent a slip but also to help people with limited mobility in and out of the bathtub.  In serious cases of limited mobility, it’s also a great idea to have a handle installed by the toilet.
5. It’s not nice to think about anyone walking in on you when you’re using the bathroom, and most of them have locks on the doors. If you have children, however, you might want to rethink this when they’re small – especially before they’re school aged.  A small child can get into a lot of trouble behind a locked door and they might not be aware of how to unlock it.
6. Keep sharp objects tucked away in a high, safe location. This can include razors, nail clippers, or tweezers.  It’s best to keep these objects hidden from sight from young children who may hurt themselves trying to use them.
7. Keep your light bulbs changed. There are so many obstacles and hard surfaces in a bathroom that a fall can become disastrous.  Lighting is key, so you’ll want to ensure that burnt out bulbs are replaced quickly, and that the lighting you have is in a good location to light up any potential hazards.

The inevitable, of course, happens no matter how safety conscious we are. However, with a little foresight and a keen eye for potential hazards, your bathroom can be made a lot safer.

 

This article was written by Katie from Steam Shower Store. Katie has been writing articles for over 10 years and is a commanding voice in the health and fitness community with her articles high in demand.

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Writing Tips: 10 Productivity Secrets From the Author of 1,000 Blog Posts

I’ve got some writing tips for you today, on how to crank out volumes of useful posts that draw a crowd. What’s the occasion? Well, in the past month, this blog hit two milestones: We published our 1,000th blog post, and hit roughly 1 million annual readers.

I wrote the vast majority of these posts (for several years, at the rate of five posts a week).

It isn’t just the posts here that I’ve written over the past decade, either. I also wrote posts daily for a year for BNET (remember them?), wrote 3-4 times a week for Entrepreneur.com for years, and contributed 165 posts to my Forbes channel, to name just a few of my paid blogging clients.

In all, I’ve written thousands of blog posts, since getting back into freelancing in 2005.

If you have trouble pushing ‘publish’ on your posts, and wonder how to produce volumes of quality work, here are my writing tips for maximum productivity:

1. Fill your calendar

Whether I’m writing for my own blog or for clients, I don’t wake up the morning of a publication date and start writing whatever pops into my head. Far from it.

Instead, I’m constantly compiling snippets of ideas and stashing them in my WordPress Editorial Calendar on proposed publish dates. Then, I try to write the post at least several days before the pub date.

Here’s a look at the most recent post schedule — just below here, we’ve got about 6 weeks’ more posts tentatively mapped out, plus a cache of 20-some backup ideas that haven’t gotten a pub-date yet.

You want to stockpile ideas and have tons of ’em, so that you can pick the hottest topic for each slot — and have more ideas ready, in case one idea doesn’t pan out as you’d hoped.

Be aware of holidays, anniversaries, trends, and emerging issues on your topic, so you can write about them, as I did here with tips on how to survive the looming recession, after the stock market took a dive.

Writing ahead also allows you to come back and polish your post ahead of the pub date, resulting in a stronger finished product.

2. Be an idea machine

Understand that a key part of your job is to have terrific ideas, and lots of ’em. Spend time on idea generation. It’ll really pay off. And not just for your blog. It’s one of those writing tips that can help you land more freelance work, too.

Eavesdrop on conversations, including ones on competing blogs. Ask your readers what they’d like to learn from you. See what questions are being asked (or maybe, are not being asked).

Look for where your unique slant would provide something fresh. Do new interviews and research. Keep an idea sheet. My team has told me they’ve never seen a blog with so many ideas in the germ stage, waiting to become posts.

That idea stockpile is the secret of making sure each post wows your audience — because you’re picking the best candidate from a long list of possibilities.

3. Spend 60% of your time here

Most new bloggers whose sites I’ve reviewed don’t understand the vital importance of their post headlines. Without writing a great headline, the rest of your work is a waste of time — because nobody’s going to read, share, or comment on that post.

We seriously sometimes spend the better part of an hour writing and rewriting the headline, here at Make a Living Writing. I propose a hed, my editor Evan Jensen challenges it, or vice versa — he writes one, and then I start poking holes in it.

Does it have key words to help readers find you? Is it fascinating and fresh-sounding? Is it too long or short? Keep massaging your headline until it sparkles.

From my bucket of writing tips, I’d say this process is the top reason why this blog gets roughly 4,000 readers for each new post, the day it goes up.

4. Double down

Writing blog posts one at a time isn’t efficient. That’s why I often sit down and write two or three posts back-to-back. In fact, I plan to write a second post right after I finish this one.

Once you’re in the vibe of your (or your client’s) blog, it’s easier to stay there and keep churning out the words — as opposed to coming back a day or week later and trying to get back in that head space.

5. Leave a trail

Here’s a big problem in blogging: You get an idea, but you don’t have time to write it to completion right when the light bulb goes off.

My solution is to free-write on the topic immediately. Take 5 minutes and jot down ideas. Get the gist written now, while you’re all fired up about this topic. When you come back, it’ll be easy to flesh it out from there.

My heart always sinks when I see a topic idea I’ve stored, but no notes below it. Half the time, I can’t remember what I wanted to say!

6. Use this fast-writing tool

Great blog posts aren’t written in a rambling, random, creative-writing exercise mode — not written quickly and effectively, anyway. Great, quick posts are written to outlines.

That’s why, when I do that free writing and am all fired up about an idea, I try to write subheads or bullets for the proposed post. I did that when we first realized we needed this post, about hitting 1,000 blog posts.

It’s so fast and easy to come back and simply fill in each subhed, compared with coming back later to map out the outline. With pre-outlining, all you need is an intro and conclusion and boom, done.

7. Write a spit draft

Here’s another one of my writing tips. I learned this after realizing I was wasting time on this constantly: I would try to make myself write from first word to completed, final draft in one sitting.

Nuts! Why? Because the next day, I would inevitably want to come back and polish it further. No matter how hard I worked on that first draft, I was never willing to accept it as my final. I’d put in another hour the next day, no matter what.

The moral here is to know your writing habits, and work with them. I finally gave up this hopeless quest. Knowing I always want to tinker the next day, I started writing ‘spit drafts’ — very rough first drafts I banged out quickly, usually in an hour or less.

8. Give it a rest

Coming back the day after you write a first draft to polish it up is super-efficient. It’s amazing how the break gives you fresh eyes on your draft, and you can easily see where to cut fat, add details, or embellish with a creative adjective or two.

Try to polish right after you write that first draft, and it’s a time-consuming agony. So write ahead, and give it a day!

9. Get an opinion

The single act that most commonly divides amateur blogs from pro ones is the presence of an editor. I don’t know how I did this without mine.

If you can’t afford to hire someone, do a swap with another blogger and edit each others’ posts. Getting outside eyes you trust on your post — and taking their suggestions to heart — will help you improve your writing quickly.

10. Keep innovating

I hear from many writers who get burned out on writing blog posts. They stop writing their blog, or move on to writing other types of work for clients.

The key is to keep evolving and changing your blog posts’ content, style, and approach. Vary the length. Make some posts include audio, screenshots, video, or infographics. Read widely, and bring in new influences and concepts.

Introduce new features. Hold contests. Do Q&As. Keep iterating what you write, and you won’t get bored. As a bonus, neither will your readers.

More writing tips every freelancer should follow

Even after publishing 1,000 blog posts on just this site, I don’t know everything about the business and craft of freelance writing. It’s a process of learning, taking action, and learning some more.  If you want to get more from your blog, study best practices in blogging in general, and amongst your competitors, and keep changing it up. You’ll enjoy your blog post writing more, and be able to get it done faster.

How do you quickly write blog posts? Let’s compare notes on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The post Writing Tips: 10 Productivity Secrets From the Author of 1,000 Blog Posts appeared first on Make A Living Writing.

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Essence at Windermere South

Building 2 has the perfect mix of condo residences to suit any homeowner. From efficient 536 sq.ft. studio suites to spacious 1245 sq.ft. corner units, Building 2’s condos have been meticulously designed to meet the needs and requirements of our buyers.

The post Essence at Windermere South appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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The Orchard

The Orchard is another exciting addition to the portfolio of towers launched nationally by Lamb Development Corporation (LDC) and Fortress Real Developments (FRDI). The project is planned to include two soaring 31-storey towers with a total of just under 500 units. Units range from about 500 sf to 2,000 sf and are priced from $250,000. Both phases include a ground floor retail component.

The project sits across from the Calgary Stampede grounds and will feature an apple orchard on the street level as a public space between two sleek towers. This is the 2nd collaboration in Calgary between LDC and FRDI; 6th and Tenth is now complete and occupied.

The post The Orchard appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Lyra Residences

The post Lyra Residences appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Curious Minds: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Freelance Journalist

Want to be a freelance journalist? It starts with one simple thing…curiosity.

It’s a skill that will help you get better at copywriting and content writing, not just hard-news reporting.

When you learn to think like a freelance journalist, you’ll also tap into skills to ask good questions, find fresh angles and ideas, understand your audience, and ultimately make more money from writing.

Can you really learn how to think like a freelance journalist? Or do you need a J-school degree, a stint as a cub reporter, and years of experience? Yes, you can. And no, you don’t.

It might take a little practice, but you can learn to think like a freelance journalist.

To help you out, we caught up two veteran journalists in a recent Freelance Writers Den podcast to talk about journalism skills and strategies for freelance writers.

Curious? Check out this Q&A to learn how to think like a journalist:

Freelance journalist skills: Learn from the pros

Whether you’re writing magazine articles, blog posts, or content for big corporate websites, being able to think like a journalist will help you tell compelling stories that keep your clients and readers coming back for more, says Allen Taylor and Emily Leidel.

• Taylor is an award-winning journalist who focuses on writing and content marketing in the financial technology (fintech) niche.
• Leidel is a B2B copywriter, world traveler, and graduate of two journalism schools (Columbia University in New York and Sciences Po in Paris)

Q: What does it mean to think like a journalist?

A: Taylor: It’s being curious enough to look beyond what is obvious and come up with deep, thought-provoking questions that get to the heart of a story.

A journalistic mindset makes you a better writer. You get into the habit of looking for the nonobvious things. Anyone else looking at the situation would say, “Okay, here’s the story.” If you get past that, into something other people don’t see, you can flesh out the main story more deeply.

Q: What are the top journalism skills all writers should learn?

A: Leidel: First: Ask who the story is about. For example, if you’re writing about flood insurance, don’t begin with, “59,000 people don’t have flood insurance.” Instead, write, “John and Sue live in a three-bedroom ranch house. They don’t have flood insurance. And now, they got flooded.” Then give statistics. But you want a character or two that anchors the story.

Second: Answer the question “Why now?” Businesses want a press-release hook that’s more than a product release announcement. “Hey, we released a product–AND it’s related to this other event.” Same with a blog post. It needs to be timely.

Third: Focus on the details. Details are important for storytelling and building characters. For the flood insurance story, mention that these characters have beige carpet. The water level got to 2 feet and 4 inches. You can see the mark on the yellow walls in their house. All these details transport readers into the story and help them visualize it.

Q: How do you come up with the best story angle?

A: Taylor: Before you write, brainstorm. Ask yourself, “What do I know about this topic? What do I want to know?” Come up with ideas for directions this story could go.

If I do that early on—write down as many ideas as I can, and think about how this story can play out—it sparks questions. I get more curious about the topic, and that leads me into the direction I need to go.

Q: How does the journalist’s skill of coming up with story ideas translate to other forms of writing?

A: Leidel: Sometimes my copywriting clients drag their feet about what they actually want me to write. I might send them a list saying, “Hey, I think you need these pages on your website.” It’s not exactly a story idea. But it still comes from imagining what information is going to be useful to readers.

Q: How do you speak to the concerns of your audience?

A: Taylor: Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Find out what they would want to know. And then, ask those questions.

One helpful resource is quora.com. It’s a question and answer website. You can go onto Quora and see what questions people are asking on your topic.

Q: What are your best interviewing tips?

A: Leidel: Don’t be worried about impressing the person you’re interviewing. That’s not your goal. In fact, sometimes you have to come off as kind of stupid. Your goal is to get the person to explain everything.

Ask background questions. Be quiet and listen. Ask open-ended questions. Ask, “Why?” Do that even if you think you know the answer. Don’t be afraid to ask a question that might seem obvious.

Q: How do you keep content fresh when you’re writing about the same topic a lot?

A: Taylor: Question everything. Get in the habit of coming up with questions that lead to new, interesting angles. Some ideas include:

• What’s controversial? In business it’s not always prudent to talk about the controversies. But they do get people’s attention. Just don’t take it too far.
• Who’s the underdog? That’s another story people are interested in. Who’s got everything going against them?
• What’s different or has never been done before? Who’s doing those things? Who has set a new record?

These types of questions will lead you to search and find the answers.

Q: Was there anything you learned in J-school that doesn’t apply to other types of freelance writing?

A: Leidel: I think a lot of journalists have a nonprofit mentality. “We’re doing this to help people. It’s okay to get paid pennies to write this article with a thousand rounds of edits.”

As I’ve transitioned to do more business writing, I still want to have quality. But I also have to think about how much money I’m making and not agonize about whether every sentence is absolutely the best it can be.

Q: How important is tenacity to the journalistic mindset?

A: Taylor: You have to hang in there when you’re hitting a wall, and it happens to the best of us. You’re chasing down a trail of information, and you realize, “This is a dead end.” Now you’ve got to go back—brainstorm, research, look over your notes. I’ve often found holes of information I hadn’t noticed before. And that will spark more questions.

Be dogged in chasing down every trail of information that you can find, and don’t give up.

Develop skills to think like a journalist

Maybe you didn’t go to J-school or work at a newspaper. So what? You can still develop the skills to think like a journalist. Be curious. Ask lots of questions. Connect the dots. Follow up. And you’ll be able to use those skills to move up and earn more.

What journalism skills have helped you as a freelance writer? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn

Maria Veres is a freelance writer based in the Oklahoma City area. She contributes regular Q&A blog posts to Make A Living Writing.

The post Curious Minds: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Freelance Journalist appeared first on Make A Living Writing.

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Challenge #284 - Clean and Simple

Morning! Time for a brand new challenge here at Addicted to Stamps and More. This week we are concentrating on Clean and Simple creations.

Let's announce some winners first! These are our picks for Challenge #282 Make Your Mark.

#53 Janet Swanlady

#39 Ksenija

#94 Mimi

#50 Larissa

Congratulations everyone!

Back to business and let's inspire you for our new challenge -

Tanja

Asha

Meena Herale

Jelena Milovanović

Susan

Amy

Cathy

Željka

Monica

Shylaa

Over to you now and have fun!

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Red Maple Residences

Red Maple Residences is coming to soon to Lower Lonsdale.  This six-story concrete low-rise will feature fifty-seven, one, two and three bedroom condos and townhomes. Most homes feature large balconies, and the penthouses will have sky lounges.

Located on 3rd and St. Georges, Red Maple Residences is conveniently located in the heart of Lower Lonsdale, you are just blocks away with all that the neighbourhood offer

To be kept up to date with this development and many others like it, register with us today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not an offering for sale. No such offering can be made without a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.

The post Red Maple Residences appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Tatlow Homes

Spring Olive Developments is building Tatlow Homes, a small boutique building featuring 33 one, two and three bedroom homes. Each home will feature a spacious well laid out floor plans, expansive kitchens great for entertaining, open concept living and dining as well as large windows, and balconies maximize the light and views on all units.

Located along the Marine Drive Corridor in the heart of North Vancouver, you will enjoy the very best of what the North Shore has to offer. A short walk brings you to Park Royal with all its shop and services, Ambleside Beach, and the new up coming Lions Gate Village the hundreds of locations right at your doorstep. Tatlow is the perfect blend of North Shore living with the convenience of a modern city home.

For more information on Tatlow homes, register with us today.

The post Tatlow Homes appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Do This Right After You Get Your First Freelance Writing Job

I can still remember how excited I was to get my first freelance writing job. It was an essay for an alternative paper in Los Angeles that paid $200.

Over the moon! You know I ran right down to my nearest mini-mart, the hour those papers got delivered, to grab myself a few copies.

Then, I followed up on that by doing…nothing.

When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing your name in print, or getting that client check after your first freelance writing job. And to be a bit in the dark about what to do next, to keep building career momentum.

There are some key moves to make right after getting that first gig that can help you build your career faster — steps that most newbies don’t take. (I know I didn’t!)

Want to get some real mileage out of your first freelance writing jobs? Here’s what to do right after your work gets published:

Start a collection

It’s important to hang onto your published work samples. You never know which future client might be impressed by a particular piece you wrote in the past. Especially, when you’re starting out, it’s important to save them all.

I’ve still got a physical portfolio of my very first clips — and looking through those tiny articles I had in long-dead publications still brings me joy.

Now that we have the Internet, a big tip: Don’t just put up a link to the site where your work appears onto your LinkedIn, online portfolio, or writer website (or in a Word doc, if you don’t have an online presence yet).

Definitely do that, but don’t stop there. There’s more you can do to leverage your first freelance writing job.

Websites change their addresses, merge with other sites, and just plain vanish overnight. Then, your link goes dead, and poof! There goes your clip, into the ether. Speaking as someone who lost loads of great samples when Freelance Switch got folded into other Envato sites…ahem…preserve copies of your work.

How? If it’s a publication, you can contact their reprints department about getting a PDF copy. (I’ve also been known to use proof PDFs I’ve been sent during editing.) Otherwise, save a digital copy — here’s a good list of screenshot tools.

Offer visual proof

In a decade of reviewing writer websites, I’ve discovered there’s one thing that lands new clients like nothing else. It’s called a proof bar — a set of visual logos of clients you’ve worked for. With your first gig, you’re ready to start your proof bar.

As soon as you’re published, add the logo of the company or publication you wrote for to your online presence — ideal is right up in the header of your LinkedIn or writer site. Say “As seen on” or “Clients include” and then put up the logo.

Is that legal? Yes, it is. As long as it’s true that you wrote for them, that’s considered Fair Use of their logo — and trust me, companies never complain about it. That’s free publicity for them, right?

Posting company logos gives you instant credibility, that new prospects can spot in seconds. Trust me, no fascinating copy you can write on your home page will get new clients to pick up the phone like those logos will. So put ’em up!

Document the reaction

If you got published and your client is happy, your next step is to collect a testimonial.

Right away, you ask? Yes.

Do it before you forget. Before that editor leaves the magazine. Before time goes by and then you feel all awkward about asking.

The ideal place to do this is on LinkedIn. Then, you can screenshot that recommendation (which helps you get gigs off LinkedIn) and put it on your writer website, too.

Form a friendship

When you get published, it shouldn’t be a one-off situation. It should be, as they say in Casablanca, the start of a beautiful friendship.

When you turn in that invoice, turn it in with a couple of other article ideas. Or a note about the next piece of content marketing you think would help the company. Maybe it’s time to propose an ongoing retainer, to keep doing what you just did on a regular monthly basis.

Pro writers look to turn every first assignment into an ongoing relationship that provides a steady stream of assignments. That’s how the freelance life gets easier.

Keep going after your first freelance writing job

Once you’ve got a clip in hand, it’s time to ramp up your marketing. Be sure to mention your recent work whenever you write or speak to prospective clients.

You want to strike while that clip is fresh. It makes you sound professional and busy when you mention that you just completed a project.

With luck, soon you’ve got another writing job. Lather, rinse, repeat, and you’re building a freelance writing business.

How do you leverage your freelance writing jobs? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Jumar in Downtown Squamish

Jumar in Squamish is a new mixed-use development located in the heart of downtown Squamish. This project will offer 101 mixture of 1- to 3-bedroom condominiums and townhouses. Imagine stepping out your door this morning to world-class mountain biking, kiteboarding, running, climbing and hiking. Or, for that matter, to fantastic dining, and great shops. Adventure on your terms, 7 days a week. That’s Squamish living. That’s Jumar.

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Davie & Nicola in downtown Vancouver

Davie & Nicola in the West End by VivaGrand Developments is a new 22-storey high-rise with 4-storey podium development. This project will offer 104 market strata condominiums, 51 market rental units, 3 market townhomes and 9 rental townhouses. Davie & Nicola is ideally suited to those with an active lifestyle. Enjoy excellent access to the beach, park, seawall, watersports, and numerous community events, ranging from the annual Polar Bear Swim in winter to the Celebration of Light in summer.

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The Sentinel by Darwin in West Vancouver

The Sentinel by Darwin Construction is a new 26-storey residential development located at the most eastern point of West Vancouver. This project will offer 93 market condominiums and 4 three-storey detached townhouses. The Sentinel will be architecturally distinctive with an integrated approach to public art. LED lighting along the side and top of the tower, representing the image of a tree in the forest, will change colours with the seasons and for special events.

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485 Commercial in Vancouver

485 Commercial by Cressey is a new 4-storey mixed-use development located at the northwest corner of Commercial Drive & East Pender. This project will offer ten studios, 21 3-bedroom townhomes, and ten rental apartments. The site is well-served by several public transit lines along Commercial Drive and Hastings Street and is within walking distance to shops and restaurants along both of those arteries.

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Humor Writing: 15 Markets That Pay You to Make People Laugh

Need a good laugh? Humor writing can serve up just the right dose of feel-good vibes to put a smile on your face.

If you’ve got a knack for telling funny stories, humor writing can also be a great way to make money as a freelancer.

Heard any good stories or had any crazy experiences that you could use to land a humor writing assignment? Or maybe you have a way of seeing the ordinary a little differently than others.

That’s usually where great story ideas in this niche begin.

Some consumer magazines still have a place carved out for humor writing, like the Reader’s Digest and The Saturday Evening Post.

A few markets like Cracked and The Funny Times, still exist that exclusively publish satirical and humor writing.

And there’s plenty of other markets that expect a mix of humor writing in every story to please their readers.

Have a funny story to tell? Or want to take a crack at humor writing?

Check out these 15 humor writing markets:

A healthy dose of humor writing

Can you write for a market that expects a sense of humor in a reported article?

How do you know if you’ve got what it takes to tackle a humor writing assignment?

Start by studying the market, past humor pieces, voice, style, the target audience, etc.

When I’m looking for a laugh or a little inspiration, I go back to some unforgettable humor pieces I’ve read over the years like:

• Some poor guy’s vacation from hell that included falling boulders, crash-landing a plane in a river and other madness
• The time a super-flush toilet sucked a wrap-around skirt right off a woman just before she was about to board a flight
• And a long list of parenting blunder pieces  about things like the joys of poop-flinging toddlers and the similarities between an exorcism and combing the hair of a 5-year-old girl

Ready for some humor writing assignments? Check out these markets, study the guidelines, and start pitching:

1. Alaska Beyond

This in-flight magazine for Alaska Airlines doesn’t have a dedicated humor column, but that doesn’t mean editor Michele Andrus Dill isn’t interested in humor writing.

“We are interested in writers who can cover business with insight and style,” says Andrus Dill. “Local writers who can lend inside perspective to our destination and travel columns and journalists who write with a sense of humor.”

Check the editorial calendar for topics and themes in upcoming issues before pitching.

Rates: $150 to $700

2. Clubhouse

Clubhouse magazines is published by the Christian organization, Focus on the Family. It’s a children’s magazine aimed at 8- to 12-year-old kids, and publishes both fiction and non-fiction humor writing, says Editorial Director Jesse Florea. Examples include:

• Short, humorous how-to articles (e.g., how to get good grades, how to be a good friend)
• Fictional humorous stories with a point (around 500 words)

Rates: $150 to $200

3. Cracked

The print version of Cracked magazine died a slow and painful death in 2007, after a 50-year run as one of just a handful of markets dedicated to humor writing.

Fortunately, it lives on as Cracked.com, where Executive Editor Jason Pargin and his team work with writers to serve up laugh-out-loud satirical and humor writing in the form of articles, photo captions, list-posts and more.

Rates: $50 per assignment

4. Country

Do you live on a farm? Maybe you just live out of town in the country? Or maybe, you leave the city or the suburbs every chance you get for a taste of country life. If you’ve ever seen the city-boys-turned-ranch-hands movie City Slickers, you know some funny and crazy stuff is bound to happen.

And you can write about it for Country, a custom mag published by RDA Enthusiast Brands.

Have a funny story to tell, humorous essay about country life, or jokes about country living? Check the editorial calendar for topics and themes in upcoming issues, and pitch Copy Chief Deb Mulvey.

Rates: Up to $250 per assignment

5. enRoute

If you want to write for Air Canada’s magazine, enRoute, you won’t find a formal space dedicated to humor writing. Wait, that’s “humour” writing for Canadian pubs like enRoute. But humor still serves a purpose for educating and informing readers in this travel mag.

“We engage our audience through intelligent writing, insight, humour and spot-on service journalism,” says Editor-in-chief Jean-François Légaré. Study the guidelines and back issues before pitching a story idea to Senior Editor Caitlin Walsh Miller.

Rates: Pays $1/word CDN.

6. Funds for Writers

It’s no secret that being a freelance writer can have it’s ups and downs. Ever had one of those days where you just had to laugh it off, and move on? Making money writing isn’t always easy, but it’s possible when you learn the business and craft of freelancing and work hard.

Funds for Writers founder C. Hope Clark accepts guest posts for the site (although the guest post calendar is currently booked through June) about how to make money writing. Review the guidelines, and don’t overlook the last line for tips on what can help land you an assignment: “a dash of humor, if possible; a positive note and a happy ending.”

Rates: Pays $50 per assignment

7. The Funny Times

Self-described “publishers and troublemakers” Ray Lesser and Susan Wolpert laugh about this every day. They’ve been publishing The Funny Times for more than 30 years, and the magazine doesn’t include any advertising. Seriously, it’s not a joke.

“Our print publication pokes fun at politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion (yes, even religion) and the human condition in general,” says Lesser and Wolpert. “Not much is off limits, so do your best to make us laugh.”

Length for stories is typically 500 to 700 words.

Rates: Pays $60 per assignment.

8. Guide

In this Christian-focused magazine for tweens and teens (ages 10 to 14), a little humor can help teach a lesson and build confidence to manage those sometimes stormy years of adolescence.

“Stories in this category use a lighthearted story line that goes beyond one-liners to expose a character-building principle,” says Managing Editor Laura Samano.” The key is to write what’s funny to kids and keep it believable.”

Length for stories is typically 450 to 1,200 words.

Rates: Pays $0.07 to $0.10 per word.

9. The Imperfect Parent

If every kid came with a parenting manual, the world might be a different place. But that’s just not the case, according to The Imperfect Parent. Everybody knows “perfect parenting” is a funny business.

“The name Imperfect Parent came from the disgust of being constantly preached to on how to be the perfect parent, and what we were doing wrong,” says Editor Preston Carlson.

Instead of cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solutions to parenting, The Imperfect Parent publishes parenting articles to make you think and make you laugh about things like the euphoria of the school bus taking the kids away, managing an angry-cup-throwing toddler, strategic ways to embarrass your kids as a twisted form of discipline and control, and much more.

“Anything that deals with any aspect of the lighter side of parenting,” says Carlson. “Parody, humorous takes on parenting, satire, an ‘open letter.’ Take your pick. And if you are questioning if your humor crosses the line, then definitely send it in.”

Rates: Pays $25 and up

10. Minnesota Monthly

What do you know about life and culture in the Twin Cities, the North Start state, and the Upper Midwest? If it’s anything close to Garrison Keillor’s Minnesota Bucket List, you’re bound to have some laugh-out-loud stories to write about for Minnesota Monthly.

Editor Rachel Hutton says the best way to break into this magazine is to pitch stories for a First Person or True North feature. And if you’re going for humor, submit a full manuscript, instead of a query letter.

Rate: Depends on assignment.

11. The New Yorker

Want to combine humor writing and fiction, but not ready to commit to crafting a full-length novel? Check out Shouts & Murmurs in The New Yorker magazine.

This isn’t essay writing. It’s pure fiction and satire like “Shakespeare, Off the Cuff,” “Trump I.Q Test,” “Family Vacation Breakdown,” and many others.

Study published Shouts & Murmurs articles, and start thinking like the editors by following Daily Shouts, before submitting.

Rates: Depends on assignment.

12. Parent.co

Parenting isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Unless of course, you’re the parent of that perfect little angel who is exquisitely well-behaved, well-mannered, and has never thrown a single temper tantrum…ever. LOL. If you can serve up parenting advise with a dose of humor, pitch a personal narrative or essay to Parent.co Community Manager Sara Goldstein (sara@parent.co). Like it or not, this pub prefers writers pitch via Submittable. Check back for an open call for submissions.

Rates: $50 and up per assignment.

13. Sasee

Sasee is a women’s lifestyle magazine that features stories and art about fashion, food, travel, and family life near Charlotte, South Carolina. “Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are our primary editorial focus,” says Editor Leslie Moore.

Rates: Depends on assignment.

14. Saturday Evening Post

Only a few magazines in the U.S. have been around longer than the Saturday Evening Post, which was first published in 1897. And it includes a regular humor feature, called The Lighter Side. Recent submissions include a man’s complicated relationship with his wood stove, the trouble with raising cows, and spring break traditions that are about as fun as a prostate exam.

Study the guidelines and past articles for The Lighter Side, and pitch an idea to Editor Steven Slon.

Rates: Pays $25 and up, per assignment.

15. Reader’s Digest

If you haven’t looked at a copy of Reader’s Digest recently, it’s not the same magazine it was when it launched way back in 1920. It’s still half the size of the typical magazine, but it’s been redesigned to keep up with competing pubs in the general interest and lifestyle niche. One regular feature includes jokes, gags, quotes and funny stories written by freelancers.

Rates: Pays $25 to $100 per assignment.

Get paid for humor writing

If you want to write for magazines, blogs, and markets that appreciate humor, satire, and good jokes, here what to do:

• Read the guidelines. Every one of the sites listed here provide guidelines on humor writing, and the submission process. And the rules are slightly different for every market.
• Study back issues and site content. It’s really the only way to get to know your market’s style and start thinking like the editor.
• Write and proofread your pitch. You come up with a great idea and labor over writing a great pitch. But don’t fire it off before proofreading it. Take a break, and come back to read your work. Or ask a fellow writer to proofread your pitch before you send it out, to avoid less-than-funny mistakes.
• Accept feedback. If you hear back from an editor with a rejection, don’t give up. Study up on the publication, find out how to improve, and give it another shot.
• Keep going. Even pro writers get rejected or never hear back from an editor. Laugh it off, and keep going. It’s a numbers game. The more pitches you send out, the more likely you are to land an assignment.

Want to break into humor writing? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Evan Jensen is the blog editor for Make a Living Writing. When he’s not on a writing deadline, or catching up on emails, he’s training to run another 100-mile race.

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How to Choose the Best Plant for Your Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Decorating your bathroom with plants won’t just make it look prettier, it will also help freshen up the air inside. Find out which plant to buy as you continue reading below:

Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash

Lighting and Humidity
The bathroom’s moist environment is generally good for plants. But you should choose ones that can cope with the room’s wide temperature fluctuations — warm when someone is showering and cold when it’s left unused for several hours.

And since many bathrooms receive low levels of sunlight, plants should be able to cope with that too.

In fact, the most important thing is to pick plants that suit the level of natural light in your bathroom, Unsworth says. They should also suit the level of care you’re prepared to give them. Ferns, for example, require far more care to survive than succulents do.

Tropical plants are a good choice for bathrooms since they typically can deal with less direct sunlight than other plant species. They’re designed to grow in a rainforest, beneath a canopy of trees, which makes them ideal for indoor environments. Source: Houzz

Location
Bathrooms tend to be on the smaller side, so space for greenery is often limited. Large or tall plants don’t often work in bathrooms for this reason. A better option is to choose plants that can hang from the ceiling, or will trail down from a high shelf. The windowsill is another great location for bathroom plants, particularly as they can enjoy maximum light exposure here. Source: NaturalLivingIdeas

Plants for Low-Light Bathrooms:

• Aloe Vera
• Bamboo
• Begonia
• Boston Fern
• Cast Iron Plant
• Chinese Evergreen
• Ficus Benjamina
• Heart-Leafed Philodendron
• Orchid
• Peace Lily
• Spider Plant
• Dieffenbachia
• Snake Plant

Plants for Bright and Sunny Bathrooms:

• Asparagus Fern
• Azalea
• Gardenia
• Kimberly Fern
• Orchid

Low-Maintenance Plants:

• Aspidistra
• Philodendron
• Sanseveria
• Spider plants Source: ApartmentTherapy

Create a spa-like bathroom right in your home with the beauty of plants and the exquisite design of the fixtures that we offer. Call us for more information!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Challenge #283 - Holiday

Welcome back to another weekly challenge here at Addicted to Stamps and More. We want to see your holiday cards :)

Before we get started, we will announce the winners for Challenge #281 Anything Goes

#62 Denise P.

#35 Nance Salkeld

#145. Milka

#96 Pam Sparks

Congratulations!!

Ok onto our challenge -

Here is the Design Team with their creations and inspiration for you -

Valentyna

Monika

Carol S

Ina

Bobby

Carol

Julie

Gwendolyn

Such an awesome variety for you - over to you now :)

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