Writing with Jennifer

I recently had some content stolen.  So sadly, I'm writing a post about how to avoid this happening and what to do once it does happen. I'm currently in the process of dealing with it and would welcome advice.  One thing I've learned is that it makes sense to use a couple of tools.  1. Google Alerts Pop your content into Google Alerts to get reports when that content is picked up on the web. You should do this with any work you're posting for sale.  It can also let you know when work you've legitimately sold is published, so that's a good side benefit.  2. Plagiarism Checker Grammarly has one, and I love Grammarly but I'm all about free stuff. People like Scribbr, but they charge a fee too.  I found this one  and it seems to be okay.   I'm definitely open to (read begging for) recommendations.  I've also discovered that plagiarism is one of those words I never learned how to spell.  I still haven't heard back from the site that curr...

The world of fiction has always been a little bit less than rigid when it comes to distinguishing categories of books for non-adults.  Once there was only fiction for children and fiction for adults. And even this was a bit bewildering. Little Women , for example, was considered a work for children, but the length and some of the themes are more fit for adults. I would argue that one of my favorite children's books, Alice in Wonderland , is strictly for adults. What child could appreciate Lewis Carrol's trippy imagery or sharp humor?  In more modern times we have had children's books, which included picture books and slightly longer books with chapters ( Ramona the Pest ) and young adult books ( Jacob Have I Loved ) with YA being a genre targeted toward teens. Then YA absolutely exploded,, and plenty of adults started reading these too. I know many fully adult readers, including myself, who find young adult fiction as mesmerizing as work created for adults. The YA label use...

 Okay, so I was dumb. I mean, I know that things can easily be stolen online. But I didn't think it was going to happen to me.  And today it did. It didn't cost me much in terms of money, but it cost me something. And I'm pretty upset about the whole thing.  I had posted an article on Constant Content several years ago. I thought it was a damn good article, but no one bought it. So today I decided to take it off Constant Content and try it on Content Gather.  Big mistake.  It turned out that the article was stolen! Content Gather ran its plagiarism check, and there it was posted on some company's blog. I've contacted the owners of that blog to find out where they got my content, but I haven't had a response.  THIS IS THE CRAZY PART: Do you know that part of Content Gather's terms of use state that you aren't supposed to upload content that was written for ANY OTHER SITE OR ANY OTHER PURPOSE?  For me - and lots of other writers - Content Gather is a pla...

So who out there uses Friverr for freelance writing gigs?  I've seen Fiverr recommended so many times that I decided to give it a go. I'm trying to increase my presence on the great web - hence this blog - and set up a Fiverr account. But nothing.  I read some articles on making the most of your Fiverr account and tried some strategies like pricing some gigs very low.  Nothing.  This is Fiverr. This is me on Fiverr. Any ideas?  So far I'm finding far more clients on job boards and through previously made connections. I wonder if Friverr is just too saturated with writers and editors... or perhaps there's something about the site that clients don't trust? 

Weddings are one of my favorite things to write about. I'm already married and haven't had a wedding in a very long time, but I'm still addicted to bridal fashion and all things wedding planning.  This blog post  written for Southern Brides is an example of how to use experts in your work. It gives the work more legitimacy and offers a plug for the people who were quoted. It's a win-win (and a win for the blog or magazine lucky enough to get your work!).

Great writers need great tools. Here are some that I use often. Grammarly Proofreading for spelling and grammar is essential. No matter how much education you have in editing and no matter how many times you've looked over your own work, you are likely to miss something. That's where Grammarly comes in. No, it's not perfect and it doesn't replace a human proofreader. But it's a helpful tool.  Hemingway Editor Simply paste in your work, and you'll get instant feedback about passive voice, adverbs, and how hard your work is to read. You'll also get insight into the reading level of your writing. The site is free to use online, but you can also pay $19.99 to have it downloaded to your desktop.  Omni Writing Calculator If your writing goals are overwhelming you, a site like this can help. This calculator tracks how many words you need to write each day in order to meet your goals. You set the goal and the date, and the calculator will tell you what you need to d...

In my last post , I discussed content mills and why you might want to use one as a freelance writer. Here I'm going to list some popular content mills that are appropriate for writers beginning their freelance careers. These sites do require you to apply and may ask for samples of your work, but you don't need a publishing background to write for them.  Of course, information on these sites could change at any time. Content mills come and go on the regular. They've been known to disappear completely or suddenly shake up their platforms. So be sure to do your research on any of these sites that interest you.  Mills for Beginners Zerys This is a platform that is good for writers who want more experience. It doesn't pay much. Current reports are that most writers start at less than one cent per word but can work up to about 4 cents per word. Writers grab jobs from a list and are ranked with stars.  OneSpace This is another good option for those new to freelancing, but you ...

The phrase might sound a little bland, but content mills can be helpful to freelance writers. A content mill is basically a place where writers churn out content for the Internet. Clients go to these websites to buy articles, blog posts, and general online copy. When the content sells, the site gets a cut and so does the author.  The details vary from site to site, but contact mills do have some things in common. Here are some good reasons to write for a content mill.  You'll get paid... probably.  Content mills are infamous for not paying much. You're probably looking at a cent or two per word. Some offer more money as you build a reputation on the site. A few have areas where you can bid for projects or even set your own prices.  In general, you'll get paid if you are able to successfully complete assignments. Spend some time researching a content mill before you sign up to find out what others have experienced.  It's a way to get experience. Content mills can...