Overcoming the Beautiful Little Fool

By My Web Writers

“I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”  ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Image courtesy of CNN and Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Fitzgerald’s line has been turning in my mind like a sweaty, little penny.  After all these years, does truth remain in what Daisy said about her daughter in the Great Gatsby?

No.  Of course not, the entrepreneur in me would say.

But then, I read a post by Jane Copland entitled, Women As Entertainment in the SEO Industry and was bothered enough to start a conversation with her on Twitter.  Jane is a speaker, but has had her share of remarks from men who think it’s perfectly okay to be aggressively forward and inappropriate with an attractive, young woman.   Her post was written in 2011.  She says her personal experiences are better today, however, she actually had a guy on a conference floor yell at her for her stances.

A few days after my conversation with Jane, I saw a news story about two men who were recently fired from their jobs for making sexually inappropriate comments at a tech conference.  What seemed unusual was that the woman who called them out by tweeting their pictures to alert conference officials was fired, too.  Wanting to know more I read Courtney Stanton’s post, A Woman Walks Into a Tech Conference, which highlights a slew of recent, inappropriate gender-related incidents.  Stanton reviewed what happened and linked to Adria Richard’s conference story.  While it appears that Richard might have crossed the line with how she reported the incident, placing her as the focus of the problem is off-base. Look it over and read the eye-opening comments below the articles.

And so Fitzgerald remains relevant.  But, he doesn’t have to be.

I’m pulling out a soap box for a moment.  Please listen up.

If you’re a woman- especially feeling alone in a sector like tech, stand strong for yourself and other women.

You can do it.

Don’t let the remarks of the random knucklehead diminish the respect due to good and decent men.  The majority do what’s right or want to do what’s right. But, if something happens that’s illegal or against your company’s policy, call authorities.

Have the courage to look the guy who’s offended you in the eye and say, “I think you’re wrong here” and then seek the grace within yourself to forgive – if not for his sake then for yours.

If you’re a young man who hasn’t been taught that sexual, juvenile, or degrading jokes, comments, and gestures don’t belong in the work place or at conferences then as a piece of advice, from a Mom raising boys – stop.

Really.  You need to stop.

Find a male counselor or mentor to help you process the issues and your feelings.  You’re probably a good guy who’s lost his way, but the encouraging news is that you can change!

Channel your smart and witty thoughts into developing code, creating business solutions, and figuring out how to harness the intellectual and social talents of your female counterparts.  Then, you’ll be a hero.

Sometimes mistakes are made – on both sides.  Read Men vs. Women in the Workplace for a few insights into working with differences.

By the time you get a little older your perspective begins to change and you grow weary of gender tension.  You have a few kids and you realize how beautiful and precious your girls and your boys are and how you wouldn’t want someone hurting either.

I can only imagine how Malala Yousufzai’s mother and father felt when their little girl was shot in the head by the Taliban for writing blog posts about how girls in Pakistan should be educated.

Her $3 million book deal was just signed to educate the world about the importance of being educated.  Malala is not a beautiful, little fool.

Neither are you.

~Jean

How Do I Become a Writer?

By My Web Writers

Photo by Virginia Hammer

Ernest Hemingway allegedly quipped, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Writing is a hard, often frustrating processes. Nonetheless, for those with the talent and the desire to write, there isn’t much more rewarding. To become a writer, you’ll need more than talent and practice, you’ll also need to find your niche, join a community of writers, and train yourself in the craft of selling your writing to editors, publishers, and readers.

Finding Your Voice

If you study the lives of great writers, you’ll find that they all practiced their writing. A lot. Work on your writing every day, even if it’s only for a half an hour. As you produce more work, even if it’s not good, you’ll begin to notice the techniques you’re really good at and those that still need more practice. More importantly, you’ll begin to learn what your voice sounds like as a writer.

What type of writer you want to be will determine how you practice your writing. Different types of writing careers demand different conventions and styles. For example, if you want to write essays and articles for magazines, read the best magazines out there (The New Yorker, TIME, or major titles in your fields of interest) and study what makes a great article. Then practice. Do research, conduct interviews, and commit yourself to writing an article a week. That way you’ll train your voice and produce a solid portfolio of pieces to pitch to possible employers and editors.

If you want to write poems, books, or other literature, keep up with new titles and trends in contemporary publishing. Learn what is selling currently and consider how your unique voice fits in or fills a gap. Produce a poem, short story, or chapter a week and continue to revise.

Blogging can function as a way to practice and train these skills, too. Post new work to your blog at least on a weekly basis (the more frequently the better), network with other bloggers, and get feedback on your work. (Check out our tips about making your blog a brand.) Focus your blog on demonstrating your particular genre or style of writing. That way you can both work on your craft and on making a name for yourself.

Writers’ Communities

An essential part of developing a writing career is an active writers’ community. One of your most valuable resources is the feedback of other people. Other writers will be able to give you better insights than someone who isn’t thinking critically about writing (or someone who loves you, like your mom). Search your area for local workshop groups or find an online writing buddy. For those striving for a literary career, one of the best ways to really develop your writing is to enroll in an M.A. or M.F.A program in creative writing. These days many successful journalists also have a Master’s degree. Whether you’re already in school, or thinking about enrollment, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference is an excellent resource. Their annual conference draws thousands of writers from across the country to network, workshop, and have fun.

Find Your Audience: Writing is a Business Too

Though a lot about writing has changed since Hemingway sat down at his typewriter, the basic skills for turning your creative passion into a publication or a career continue to hinge on your ability to sell your writing. Writing is an art, but it’s also a business. In addition to daily practice of your writing, you’ll need to learn how to write a query letter in order to find an agent or a job. If your aim is a literary career, practice writing queries, synopsis, and sample chapters. Hand them out to writers in your workshop group and ask them if they’d buy the project you’re pitching. The Literary Marketplace is your guide to finding agents and places to publish. If your goal is a freelance or marketing career, check out our list of  Job Sites for Copy Writers. In the meantime, keep up with that blog to maintain your online presence.

To become a writer you’ll need to figure out how your voice contributes to the existing marketplace or field. What makes your writing worth reading? Continue to practice what makes your work unique as well as strengthening the areas where your writing is weak. Developing an awareness of what your writing offers is a key way to selling your writing in query letters and manuscripts. ~Kasey

Good luck!

Ten Organizations for Women with Careers in Writing

Photo by Ed Yourdon.

By My Web Writers

Historically, writing has been a popular career for women, providing both flexible commitments, creative expression, and financial benefit. Writing, however, can be a hard career to break into and writers often rely on community to help develop their careers and find support. Today, there are plenty of organizations for women with careers in writing. Check out these organizations to find a writing community that fits your field and aspirations.

National Organizations

The International Women’s Writing Guild “is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing and open to all regardless of portfolio.” Since 1976, the organization has worked to support women’s writing through conferences, connections to journals and agents, and writer’s retreats.

The Contemporary Women’s Writing Association supports both the creative efforts of women writers as well as the academic study of women’s writing. The association publishes a journal featuring articles about women writers since the 1970s and holds an annual conference of women’s writers and academics.

A Room of Her Own, inspired by the pivotal Virginia Woolf book, the organization strives to “ build a community of moral support and practical resources designed to inspire, facilitate, and encourage women writers and artists.” AROHO offers grants and awards for women writers as well as an annual retreat and conference for women writers to network and take a break to revive their creative energy.

Academic Societies

If you’re interested in the study of women writers, there are also many academic organizations that celebrate female authors and artists. You can visit conferences to learn more about the herstory of women’s writing and become involved by writing your own articles for presentation too. The British Women’s Writers Conference focuses on writers from across the pond while the Society for the Study of American Women Writers engages with the writing of women in the States. The conference meets annually, promotes new publications, and is “committed to diversity in the study of American women writers — racial, ethnic, gender, class, sexual orientation, region, and era — as well as of scholars participating in the Society.” Additionally, many other academic conferences have divisions for discussing the writing of women.

Online Communities

There are also many organizations online for women writers to find community and resources for continuing to work on their careers.

She Writes offers webinars, forums, and resources for women writers to network with one another and form writers’ communities to work on their writing and pursue publication. The organization also includes a press to support the self-publication of women writers. She writes is an especially strong platform for women from various careers and levels of achievement to connect with one another, making it a strong tool for networking and self-education.

Women Writers, Women, Books is an online literary journal dedicated to promoting the work of contemporary women writers. In addition to publishing the journal, the site also features new books by women writers and features about how to get published.

Wow! Women on Writing is an e-zine that focuses on writing careers and women writers. The site offers a plethora of articles about writing as well as on-line seminars about different writing careers and techniques.

The Smart Women’s Institute also offers courses on starting a writing career. The organization, touted by Woman Entrepreneur, NPR, CBS, and other national outlets, the site provides free tools, books, and coaching to help women launch successful careers in writing.

Look Locally

Many communities have workshops and associations for writers. Check your area for a writer’s community you could join. You might have a long-standing organization right in your back yard. For example, over the last thirty years, the Madwomen in the Attic workshop series has been providing a forum for women in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to share their writing and get feedback and support from one another. The workshop also provides opportunities for writers to do public readings of their work.

My Web Writers is a woman-owned company that features the work of many female writers. Use your local resources to find out what companies in your area might also promote the work of women in the field of writing.

If you’re a woman writer looking to start or continue to develop a career, you might also be interested in our tips on how to manage your writing career or information on different careers for word lovers. You can turn your hobby into a career while continuing to hone your craft. ~Kasey

How Do I Make Money Writing Online?

By My Web Writers

MacBook writing courtesy of Håkan Dahlström

In today’s job market, many people look to supplement their income with a second job. Writing online can provide wordsmiths a way to make money doing something they love from the comfort of their own home. Getting started making money writing online can be tricky, but you can do it with some persistence and awareness of the marketplace. First off, you have to be aware that many of the opportunities available are scams. If it seems too easy or too good to be true, it probably is. Even a post I found on LinkedIn lead me to a scam page. Be diligent in looking into the opportunity before you make contact. You’re trying to make money, not get scammed out of it.

Monetize Your Blog

A common way to make money on the internet is to make your blog a profit generator. Monetizing a blog works best if you already have a niche or an audience. (If you don’t, My Web Writers has plenty of tips to increase traffic to your blog.) You can generate revenue through your blog by supporting ads or becoming a member of an affiliate program. Google Affiliate Ads or AdSense are both easy to use ad programs that can generate a small commission for each link or ad clicked on your site. Be sure to check if your blogging platform supports ads, as not all do. An affiliate program such as Amazon Associates allows you to include product ideas in your blog posts or sidebars. You then earn a small commission if a reader buys the product. For example, if you blog about films, you could link to DVDs. A cooking blogger could link readers to the kitchen tools he or she uses. The trick is to make the products fit seamlessly into your posts so that they enhance the content, not dominate it. Often, bloggers are most successful when they are part of a popular blogging genre (mommy blogs, cooking blogs, etc.) or a blogging community such as Blogher. These support systems help you sustain traffic and determine which ads are best for your readers.

Web Content Writing

As SEO demands continue to evolve and influence e-commerce, may companies are hiring web content writers or outsourcing their writing to specialists outside their office—that could be you. According to InkWell Editorial, an experienced copywriter could earn between $30,000 and $50,000 a year. To get to that point you’ll have to build a pretty solid portfolio and client base. First you have to get your foot in the door. Keep track of the changes in SEO and web marketing so that you can use the techniques necessary to do a great job and talk to possible employers intelligently about what you have to offer. You can find web content writing work through credible job searches such as LinkedIn and JobTarget. Again, there are a lot of scam sites out there, so be aware of who you’re working with. Check out our list of credible SEO companies for places to start looking.

Writing web content and doing SEO work is usually on a by-contract basis. That means that your income may vary, as will the workload. These jobs are great for people who can diligently pace their work and self-motivate to meet a deadline, similar to a more traditional freelance job. Though the internet has created a larger variety of freelance writing opportunities, the basics of starting a writing career haven’t really changed. Brush up on writing query letters, update your resume, and prepare to contact many companies before you get a job offer.

E-Book Publishing

Finally, if your passion is writing books, the internet has made self-publishing easier and more cost-effective than ever. Through services such as the Kindle, or even a simple PDF, you can create an e-book and sell your novel, self-help book, or other manuscript online. Many popular blogs, such as Zen Habits,  have gone this route to taking their writing to the next level. ~Kasey

Be a Better Editor- Tips and Tricks for Managing People and Paper

by My Web Writers

In almost every line of work, there are two skill sets that are invaluable to have- knowing how to effectively write and edit and knowing how to effectively manage people. These two skills comprise the majority of a day’s work for most of us in some way or another. They determine how well we communicate with the world around us and how well we communicate with whom we work. If your line of work closely aligns with the work of an editor, then these skills are much more than “nice to haves,” they are the “must have” skills that enable you to successfully do your job. So how can you improve the way you manage both people and paper? Consider these following tips to help you become a better editor:

First, organize yourself.

Both when editing content or managing people, organization is key. But to approach either of these with organization, you must first organize yourself. Both writing and editing is very much centered on the organization of words and sentences. A clear mind and acute attention span will ensure that nothing is overlooked. Similarly when managing people, a clear mind and attention span will ensure all of your bases have been covered and there aren’t any conflicts or concerns you’ve overlooked. To get into this mindset, you must keep an organized schedule and task list for the week. The more you can anticipate and plan for your own projects, the less you’ll be frazzled by the unanticipated projects thrown your way by others. This will allow you to better allocate your time and the time of those you manage.

Slow down.

The old saying “haste makes waste” still holds true. As an editor and a manger, the more you rush through your daily task list, the more likely you are to make a mistake or have an oversight that will cause waste in the long run. It’s worth the few extra minutes it takes to slowly and carefully edit content. This could save much time and hassle correcting an error after it’s already been published.  Prevent tarnish to your reputation. Much the same as editing, it pays to also slow down when managing people. It’s worth the few extra minutes it takes to truly listen to a person’s problem or concern and work to correct it. You will build a stronger, happier work force and also gain some valuable input from those who experience such problems first-hand.

Not everything calls for a red pen.

It’s easy to lock in an editor’s mindset on life and start slashing red lines through everything you deem to be incorrect, but there are many instances in life where right and wrong aren’t applicable. When editing content, a sentence may be grammatically correct, but if it doesn’t state something the way in which you would, this doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be removed or revised. This same lesson can be applied toward managing people. Every single person is different and with this fact brings differences in the way we react to situations, handle conflicts and communicate with others. One person’s method is not wrong or right, it’s just different. Avoid using this “red pen” mentality when managing people and keep in mind that solutions aren’t always black and white…or red.

Celebrate accomplishments.

A stack of paper and a slew of problems can cause anyone to become run down or irritated. To keep your spirits high and your outlook positive, be sure to celebrate meaningful accomplishments. These little moments of celebration are the mile markers that make work less mundane and more enjoyable. As an editor, you may have a huge project to sift through line by line. Set a page number as a goal to reach and when you do, take a break and do something nice for yourself. Grab a treat, engage a friend in conversation or surf the web for 5 minutes. You’ll approach your work with a clearer mind and a re-energized mindset. When managing people, be sure to celebrate birthdays, promotions, marriages and births. They’re not paper afterall – they’re people. Be sure to take the time to make everyone in your life feel special and appreciated through a little celebration here and there!

The best tips for managing people and paper are almost one in the same. It’s important to approach every situation with organization, a calm mindset and to be open to the possibilities that your right answer may not be the only right answer. All in all a good editor and a good manager are simply good at staying calm and reasonable no matter what problems they face.

~Stephanie