Good copywriting requires knowing the right words. But what are the right words, and how do you find them?

There are three main factors. Know your audience, don’t use the same words repeatedly, and understand the feelings behind your words and phrases.

Knowing your audience is key in good copywriting. That includes knowing how to talk to them.

I found a cute test for your blog’s readability. My blog was rated as elementary school level, and I was very pleased.

My blog’s audience is pretty much anyone. All ages, all nationalities.

I don’t want my readers to have to think too hard. After all, you’re looking at a computer screen. You want to get in and get out fast, or else you’d be reading a novel.

So I write in a straightforward, natural manner. Why use a complicated word when a simpler one will get the same point across?

Try not to be repetitive with your words. Often I’ll go back over a post to see if I used any word more than once. Sometimes it’s inevitable, but for adjectives you can almost always find different variations of the same word. I use this online thesaurus for my writing jobs.

Finally, remember that some words convey a feeling or connotation. For instance, you might ask people for hints, or you might ask for suggestions. They both mean pretty much the same thing, but a hint is kind of like a secret, while a suggestion is more sophisticated (I feel).

Also, consider other’s potential feelings about certain words or phrases.

Do you have any suggestions for making the right word choice?

I’m back to writing and blogging with a vengeance.

My day job as a call center representative didn’t last very long. Who knew that talking too much could be bad for your health? My throat is still recovering, even after having taken a two-month leave.

So that’s over, and I’m relieved. I’m back to being a work-at-home-mom. Kind of scary (I was enjoying a paycheck every couple of weeks), but great too (I missed being with my daughter).

I obviously think staying at home with my daughter is the best thing for her.

So I was pleased to accidentally find an inspiring, heartwarming post about WAHMs at Making Sales Making Money, a site about home based business opportunities. I found it on MyBlogLog (join my community)!

The author is also sponsoring a cool sweepstakes. So he recognizes the importance of WAHMs, and he’s trying to put money in folks’ pockets. What a find!

Part of marketing is letting people know you’re in business. So, listen up. I’m back in business! If you need a writer, I’m your gal. I have samples here on my blog, and also on my main website.

Spread the word!

If you are a blogger, you’re a published writer. But that doesn’t mean you’re a good writer.

But what is good writing?

Courtney Tuttle wrote a funny post today about how not to write a blog post. A lot of his points focused on readability online.

Good writing, online at least, includes how the copy looks, not just the grammar or spelling. Perfect textbook writing that is unappealing to readers’ eyes may as well be written by a two-year-old.

Take a look at his post for some humorous, absolutely accurate points about writing for blogs.

Freelance writers are the answer to the question, How am I going to find the time to do this, too?
Maybe you can write the copy, you can proofread, and you can do layout without any outside help.

But do you have the time? Can you do everything quickly and well?
A freelance writer can step in and take at least one thing off of your To Do list.

The advantages:
1. Don’t worry about benefits, vacation time, taxes, etc.

Freelance writers take care of their own taxes, vacations, and insurance needs. You only pay for the service you need.

2. Hire a writer as-needed, rather than pay for down time.

When you have employees, you have to pay them even when they talk to their co-workers, surf the internet, take bathroom breaks, or just dawdle. Freelancers are paid only for the time-on-task.

3. Freelance writers are customer oriented.

Employees are not necessarily loyal to the employer, but you can bet business owners are loyal to their own businesses. As business owners, freelancers have a strong desire to do their best work for their clients. Happy customers are essential to a prosperous business.

4. Freelancers are committed to your project.

Freelancers are able to accept assignments they want to do. There’s no boss telling them they must do a particular project. That means your job is important to the  freelance writer, hand-picked, rather than just another assignment from an employer.

A freelance writer’s job is caring about your business as much as her own.

The question is, why wouldn’t you hire a freelancer?

If you need a freelance writer to help with web content, articles, blog writing, proofeading, or more, hire me!

Laura Spencer, over on Writing Thoughts, began an interesting discussion about the profitability of writing for online ventures vs. offline ventures. She noticed that many commenters assumed offline writing involved querying magazines.

I have a different take on the definitions of offline and online writing.

I consider online writing to be:

• A business transaction that takes place almost entirely online, whether it’s magazine or blogging. You email the prospect, discuss rates and deliver materials via email, and rarely talk on the phone (if ever). You don’t meet in person. And pay is conducted via PayPal.

On the other hand, I consider offline writing to be:

• A transaction that is mostly offline. You cold-call the prospective client, snail-mail a query or whatever, and then talk to them on the phone, meet in person, and deliver the materials in person or via snail-mail. Pay is via check.

Personally, I’m finding I do a combination of both.

My latest client needed help rewriting a website, and I initially contacted them via cold email. But then we met in person to brainstorm, and I was paid via a snail-mailed check. I emailed the finished work.

I actually consider this an offline client. I was paid my standard rate.

I’ve found that when I apply for blogging jobs or situations where the client lives in another state (so it will likely be mostly online), the pay seems to be substantially lower (more than half as much).

What about you? What are your definitions of online and offline writing, and have you seen a difference in pay rates?

I’m so excited to announce that Crayon Writer was approached by an advertiser for the first time! Now, I’m not talking a big company (yet), but someone asked to place a short paragraph on a couple of my popular posts.

The best part? I’m getting paid for it!

Just when I thought Crayon Writer might never make a dime (though that wasn’t why I started it).

If you’d like to see the placements, and even patronize the buyer, please check out these two posts. That will be a great way for me to show my appreciation.

Top Five Links I Liked

Toddler Holding on Tight? 5 Ways to Work Through the Tantrums

Are you interested in purchasing space on certain posts, or even on my main page? Let me know, and we’ll see what kind of deal we can work out.

At this early stage, I’m very flexible. But I fully expect Crayon Writer to continue to grow in popularity, so now would be a great time.

For you other bloggers, have you been approached by advertisers? Did you take the deal, negotiate, or turn it down? And why?

Potential advertisers, what do you look for in a blog? What kinds of deals do you prefer?

As a business owner, you have to allow yourself to be human also. When you make a mistake, as humans inevitably do, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it.

Here are some real-life examples.

Quoting too high on a project. This happened to me recently. I was offered a job I don’t often do, and quoted a rate way above what’s acceptable. After doing my homework, which I should have done in the first place, I realized my mistake. Even though I felt silly, I contacted the potential client and gave him a realistic, fair quote. Will I get the client? Maybe. Maybe not. But I definitely showed my human side.

Missing a deadline. While not a wise thing to do, it may happen despite your best efforts. Sometimes life gets in the way. Or perhaps you miscalculated the time necessary to complete the project. What’s important is that you communicate with your client. Let the client know what’s going on, and do your best work. Ultimately, the client may be lost. But you might have redeemed yourself to some extent by being honest.

Forgetting to return a call or email. I received an email from a potential client I wrote almost a year ago. Her kind note apologized for her late reply, which happened because she put the wrong email address in her reply. We never wound up working together, but her message reminded me that admitting a mistake isn’t the end of the world. What do you have to lose?

Basically, we’re all human first and business owners second (or third). Remember this, and don’t beat yourself up (and don’t let anyone else beat you up) when something goes wrong. Be yourself, handle the situation head on, and move on.

What are some other human moments you’ve encountered in your business? How did you handle the situation?

Whew! I never realized it would take me so long to adjust to working outside of the home. Then again, the last time I worked full-time was in May 2005, right before my daughter was born. Thanks for hanging in there with me, re-reading my old posts, and checking out the comments.

This week is also a special week for me. It’s my birthday this week! I won’t say my exact age, but suffice it to say that the picture of me you’ve been staring at is about 7-10 years old.

I’m going to be getting back into the writing business. My day job doesn’t allow any time for writing at work, but I’m beginning to carve out time at home. My daughter is as busy as ever, but she’s also getting into playing by herself.

For you other freelance writers who have regular day jobs too, any words of wisdom for making it all work?

One thing about my day job that is great: the steady income makes me feel more secure, so I’ll be able to work on my business soon without all the worries and pressure I had before. My advice for starting freelancers is to keep or get a day job while you grow your business.

Does anyone know how to make WordPress recognize multiple paragraph markings? I don’t feel I have enough spacing between paragraphs, and it’s driving me batty.

Until next time…

As professional freelance copywriters, we set rates that are comparable with other copywriters’ rates.

But family and friends often want a discount on your copywriting services.

How do you handle this sticky situation? I have a few ideas.

When you quote them a rate, tell them the lower end of your acceptable price range. Then be sure to let them know you usually charge clients the highest rate in your range. For example, let’s assume you won’t work for less than $50 an hour, but you usually charge your business clients $65 to $75 an hour. Give your family members the $50 rate, but tell them you usually charge $75.

Trade services. If your friend can knit, fix things, or the like, set up a bartering agreement with them.

Offer your family a discounted rate if they agree to a large job or a repeat project.

Tell your friend how busy you are, and agree to do the work for a lower rate, but it might take you a while to complete the project. This way you aren’t working for less and working a rush job too.

If all else fails, just say no, you’re just swamped, and you couldn’t possibly give their project the attention it deserves. Then refer them to a fellow copywriter. If you anticipate a headache when dealing with your loved one, this may be the only option to maintain a good relationship.

What tactics have you used for this situation?

I’m beginning to understand why it’s recommended that you blog for fun, rather than for profit or even for marketing.

Blogging for fun is natural. You write freely. You write often. You write because it feels…well…right.

I began this blog to write about my daily life as a work-at-home mother and entrepreneur, intending for it to be a minor marketing tool for my copywriting business. It’s a great way for potential clients to get a feel for my writing abilities. And it’s a good way to keep my website front and center.

But then I learned about professional blogging.

While making money from blogging is a great idea, and while it’s certainly a nice goal, I’m finding that it distracts me immensely from writing.

I start thinking too hard about what to write. I spend hours constructing wonderful articles.

But it’s not fun anymore. As a result, I’ve been writing less often (though that’s also due to my new job).

So how will I keep the blogging romance alive?

I’m going to go back to writing for the fun of it.

Even better, when I write a post, I’m going to post it when I’m done! (Rather than re-reading it and perfecting it for days.)

I’m also going to write shorter pillar articles. For instance, I want to keep writing the comma series, but writing those lengthy articles takes quite a while. I’ll be breaking up future lessons into shorter chunks.

So what can you expect from Crayon Writer in the near future? More short articles, work-life anecdotes, and suggested sites.

What about you other bloggers? Do you still find blogging fun, or has it become a chore? How do you keep the blogging romance alive?