If you’ve been reading Crayon Writer for a while, you know that my primary method of getting new clients is via cold emailing instead of cold calling.

I’ve never gone into much detail about how I do cold emailing, and I also wanted to discuss the anti-spam legislation as it relates to cold emailing.

Thanks to my Entrecard travels, I met a great blogger who asked me to be to his first guest blogger. I was honored, and the article I wrote is up and running. Of course, the guest post I wrote is about getting new clients using cold email.

A big thanks to Marcus Hochstadt from the Internet Business Guide for this wonderful opportunity. His blog has some very helpful information about building an Internet business, so definitely hang out there for a while. And enjoy my guest post too.

If you get a chance to check it out, please leave a comment here or on Marcus’ site (or both). We’d love to hear your thoughts!

I recently talked about writing for review sites, and PayPerPost is one of the best known. I just started seriously writing for them , and I think it’s a great deal.

Writing for review sites requires that you use sound blog ethics. For instance, I won’t claim I’ve used a product I haven’t, and I won’t say I love something I hate.

So why PayPerPost? With their new ranking system, I don’t have to worry about my Google rank in order to make money. In the past, a lot of the advertisers wanted blogs with a certain Google rank, but Google’s recent “slaps” works against this system in a drastic way. PayPerPost, whose parent company is called IZEA, came up with their own ranking system to alleviate this problem. This means I don’t have to write a bunch of $5 posts for companies I’m not interested in.

Right now my blog earns anywhere from $5 to $20 per review. Not too bad.

PayPerPost guidelines help keep people from littering their blogs with paid posts, which of course would be a disservice to the advertisers. You can’t write more than a few per day, and your blog has to have a balance between paid and non-paid posts. Fair enough, right?

If you haven’t tried it, and you’re looking for a way to monetize your blog, do your research and see if it’s for you. It’s free to sign up.

Interested? Just click on the logo above and you’re on your way!

Freelance writing is not just about huge, glamorous projects. While I’ve done work for mid-sized to large companies, most of my work lately is with smaller gigs.

For some time I thought it was a bad idea to blog for companies like Sponsored Reviews or PayPerPost, but I’ve had a change of heart. Blogging for profit is still freelance writing, and as long as I’m picky (I make sure not to spend more time than the pay deserves), why not do it?

Google PageRank is talked about a lot, but I’ve decided to ignore it. After “fixing” my blog to their standards, my PR of 3 was never restored. Besides, freelance writing means (to me anyway), that I get to write for whoever I choose. I get to decide how I make money. Google’s method wasn’t putting money in my pocket, so I’m moving on.

What does that mean for you, my loyal readers? Take a good look at my disclosure policy, and know that I will write honest reviews (whether or not I label them as sponsored posts). I’ll do my best to accept reviews that have some relevance to the theme of Crayon Writer, and I’ll try to keep them balanced with non-sponsored posts.

Does freelance writing include sponsored posts for your blog?

You’ve probably heard that Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo!, which recently rejected Microsoft’s unsolicited bid.

So maybe that’s why Yahoo! is making some moves. I’m not a financial person, and I don’t keep up with the goings-on of big companies, so if you have any insight on the matter, let me know.

But what I do know is that Yahoo! has launched its new Yahoo! Toolbar, and they want people to try it out (here’s a handy link if you want to download the Yahoo! Toolbar). Apparently Yahoo! has a lot of the same things that Google does (again, I haven’t kept up with these things, so maybe it’s not news to you ). They even have a hosting plan, which I’m going to have to try the next time I need a new provider.

I was actually a Yahoo! person until recently, and now I use Google for everything. So I’m willing to give Yahoo! a try again, starting with their toolbar. It gives me quick access to my Yahoo! Groups, Yellow Pages, Personals (dating online isn’t a bad idea), and their search engine.

What do you think about the Yahoo! Toolbar and the other products? Will Yahoo! be able to compete with Google again? Will there soon be Yahoo! pagerank too?

One of the perks of owning a home-based business is that you set your own hours. You can work late at night, early in the morning, or during “regular” hours. It’s up to you!

But when are you most productive? It probably depends on the task you have to complete, and also on your lifestyle.

For me, mornings are best for dealing with clients and for marketing. I work with clients all over the country, so I need to be able to contact people who live on the east coast. If I wait too late, they’re usually gone for the day. I’m most productive in the morning hours once I’ve woken up, eaten, and cleaned up.

My writing is best done late at night. I’m no good during the middle of the afternoon. That’s when I get overcome with sleepiness. So I’m kind of a night owl, and I get my second wind after 9 p.m. This might be because my daughter is blissfully asleep then, and I can’t write well when she’s up running around.

Blogging activities (replying to comments, dropping Entrecards, writing posts) are another story. When my daughter’s at home I can usually take care of most blogging tasks, but sometimes I wait until the wee hours of the night/morning.

What are your most productive times for the jobs you do at home?

Recently I mentioned that I was writing articles for blogs who “bought” my services with credits from Entrecard. I gave it some thought, and decided against it. Why?

While Entrecard is great, and while Entrecredits can be used to “buy” advertising space on other blogs, Entrecredits aren’t worth enough for me to sell my services in exchange for them.

Some people have started selling ECs on Ebay, getting as much as $20 for 1000 EC, but often much lower. And I don’t remember high school economics that well, but I do believe there’s a reason the government limits the amount of money in circulation. If money keeps being created, the value of a dollar decreases. With Entrecard, you earn 1 EC whenever you drop a card, and 1 EC whenever someone drops you a card, and the only limit so far is in the number of cards you can drop each day.

All I know for sure is that ECs are not legal tender.

At this point I’ve decided it’s a better use of my time to write guest articles if the mood hits me, since guest blogging is a valuable form of advertising. But when I write in exchange for ECs I feel obligated to write, and I prefer to be paid real money for obligatory creativity.

One thing I learned from the Entrecard experience is that people are looking for great content. And they’re willing to pay something for it (of course, we all knew this anyway).

Let me direct your attention to my newest header tab: Article Writing Services. If you’re a blogger or website owner, and you simply don’t have the time to write lots of great articles, Crayon Writer is your new source for excellent web content.

Contact me so we can figure out your needs, and I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.

(Photo by Andrew Beierle)

In the beginning, Crayon Writer was intended to market my freelance writing business. It still is. But it’s become a bit more, and I now consider this blog to be a business itself.

Interested in joining this venture? There are several ways.

First, I’m adding a Satisfied Readers blogroll for people and companies who’d like to pay me for my “crayon writing.” Some call it a donation, but I figure that you should only donate if you think my words are worth paying for.

Or perhaps you feel strongly, like I do, that society benefits from mothers staying with their children as long as possible, and you’d like to support that cause.

Either way, if you send at least $10.00 using the convenient “Donation” button (found in the sidebar), your link will be added to the “Satisfied Readers” blogroll. Just so the list doesn’t get too long, I will have to remove links sometimes (first in, first out), but your link will be active for at least 24 hours (probably longer). I will only link to sites that are PG, though, so if it’s offensive to me I won’t post the link (no refunds for donations, though).

Email me the following information when you’ve donated $10:

1. Tell me what anchor text you want for your link
2. Tell me the URL for the link

Want to have a lengthier, more visually appealing advertisement on Crayon Writer?

You can buy advertising space or a review. The full details are on the Advertise page, complete with convenient buttons for you to make immediate purchases. Reviews are just $50, while 125×125 ads are just $40 per month. Click here to reserve your space or buy a review now.

Finally, take a look at some of the products in the sidebar. I have an affiliate partnership with the products I recommend, so if you’re in the market for them please buy them by clicking on them at Crayon Writer.

That’s it! Crayon Writer is officially open for business. If you’re ever in need of great writing for your business or blog, click on the tab for Copywriting Services. My freelance business is still accepting new clients too.

In my Entrecard sitehopping I’ve found a lot of gems. One of the great things about Entrecard is that the users let the company know when there are inappropriate or spam blogs. So I’ve found nothing but quality blogs so far.

If you’ve looked at any of my articles in the sidebar you know that I used to have pet rats. So when I found a blog that talked about the history of the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Rat (2008), I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only is a really interesting blog with a lot of useful information for entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.

The post about the Year of the Rat taught me how the rat came to be on the Chinese calendar, and gave some interesting predictions about the year 2008. Rats are fascinating creatures, known to be intelligent and tenacious. The Year of the Rat promises to be eventful with major political changes and a calm stock market.

Read more about the predictions for this year at For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only. While you’re there, take a look around. There’s something for everyone.

If you’re a blogger too, you’ve no doubt heard about the latest social networking tool, Entrecard. I was skeptical at first, and I guess I’m still a bit cautious, but I decided to jump in while it’s still hot. If it stays that way, so much the better.

At first I was just clicking my way through the “Drop Yours” widgets like the one you see in my sidebar.

But then I realized there’s a “Shop” on Entrecard that allows its members to sell things for Entrecard Credits (EC). Sure, EC isn’t a real form of money, but it does have value. You can use EC to get your own personal 125×125 ad (check out mine at the top of this post) placed on other people’s blogs. The trick of the system is to have enough EC to place a lot of ads that hopefully get clicked on by regular street traffic.

I’m a writer, right? So what better thing to sell than my writing? Besides getting EC to advertise on other blogs and increase Crayon Writer‘s exposure, I’m also letting others see my talent even if they don’t feel like reading here. I’m hoping to get clients that pay real live money for writing services.

I’ve already written for a few bloggers who paid me EC.

Here’s a big thanks to James from Total Web Review for buying an article from me and letting his readers know about my services.

The only problem I have with Entrecard right now is the amount of time it takes. But for now, I do think it’s worth it. I’ve met a lot of other bloggers already (I joined on January 26). Unlike MyBlogLog, you have to actually visit a person’s blog to get any benefit.

Anyway, expect to see me write a little sporadically as I figure out how to use Entrecard to market my business, continue to look for a day job, build my writing business, and, of course, my most important and demanding job, take care of my daughter. At two-and-a-half years old, I’m finding she is busier than ever!

Guess it’s time to get back to business and stop playing hooky.

I’ve written a few articles for Associated Content now, as I said I would in a previous post. I’m not thrilled, I must say. Sure, there’s a learning curve as to what they want, but I don’t know if I have the patience to figure it all out. Of the 7 or so articles I’ve submitted, two have been accepted for upfront payment for under $4.

Several others were declined for various reasons. One article was determined to be “humor,” which they don’t usually offer upfront payments for. Another had spelling “errors” (I disagree with their spellchecker, but I fixed the words their system “caught”), and another one or two just weren’t the types of articles they offer payments for (current events and articles that aren’t “in-depth” enough.

Luckily, I’ve been able to take some of the declined articles and sell them elsewhere instead. Otherwise I’m just leaving them as “Performance Paid” articles, and we’ll see what happens.

So check out my AC posts and my recent HubPages posts. Enjoy, and let me know what you think:

Training your cockatiel to whistle

Thinking of getting a pet cockatiel?

My first pet rat

Male or female rats?

Starting from scratch with a new laptop

Calming a toddler: Count to 20 method