I wouldn’t say writing book reviews is a lucrative business, by any means (well, unless you’re employed by a major magazine or newspaper and book reviews are like, your job – which could totally happen).

However, they are great ways to get published, a chance to do two of your favorite things (reading and writing!), and fun!

1. Get a Platform

So, you’re writing a book review. Where will it go once you’ve written it? How will people read it?

Consider:

• Your blog. You can publish anything you want on your blog. Why not publish a well-written book review to drive traffic, gain experience, and build up some clips?
• Others’ blogs. Maybe you write a blog for another company and ran across a book that fits the niche. Or, maybe you know of a blogger who’d be open to a guest post of your book review.
• Newspapers. Does your local newspaper have an entertainment section for book reviews? Are you feeling frisky and want to give querying a bigger, national newspaper a shot?
• Magazines. Consider local, state-, and nationwide magazines. Just keep in mind most magazines create their editorial calendars waaaaaaay in advance, so don’t query a magazine in October expecting to get published in November.
• Journals. Literary journals are a bit lower key, so no one’s going to laugh if you’re not familiar with any – I promise. Try googling “literary journal book review” and see what strikes your fancy.

2. Get a Book

Writers get books to review in a variety of ways:

• Buy the book. Starting out, some of you may have to go this route, especially if you’re trying to shop the review to a newspaper, magazine, or journal.
• Get offered the book. Once you gain some visibility as a writer (especially if you own or manage a blog in the niche), publishing and media companies will begin contacting you about review the book. You might even get interview offers. This is how I land most of my books for reviews and interviews, including my review of Vanity Fair contributing editor Ned Zeman’s memoir, The Rules of the Tunnel: My Brief Period of Madness, and my interview with former White House physician, Dr. Connie Mariano regarding her memoir The White House Doctor: My Patients Were Presidents.
• Ask for the book. There’s no shame in it. When a book catches your eye, shoot an e-mail to the publishing or media company and ask for an advance copy for review. (Introduce yourself, of course, and let the recipient know when and where the review will be published.) This is how I got my copy of Karen Gravano’s memoir, Mob Daughter: The Mafia, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and Me!, for an upcoming Celebrity Psychings review.

3. Write the Review

Check out some of these helpful sites for writing a book review:

• How To Write a Book Review (from e-notes.com).
• Writing A Book Review (from Purdue Online Writing Lab).
• Writing Book Reviews (from Indiana University’s Writing Tutorial Services)
• Tips For Successful Book Reviewing (from journalist, teacher, and author Rebecca Skloot).
• How To Write A Book Review (from writing-world.com…wait, didn’t we already have this title? ).

Before you begin writing the review, remember to:

• Give yourself plenty of time. It’s simple: Don’t start on your book review the night before you tell your readers or editor you’ll have it finished.
• Be honest. You might think you feel one way about the book, but discover you feel quite another way after you start writing the review. GO WITH IT. If you fight against that feeling in an attempt to stick to your original plan all neat-and-tidy like, you risk presenting an artificial- and forced-sounding review.
• Study book reviewers you admire. Read any book reviews that caught your eye lately? Perhaps one in the New York Times or Washington Post? Maybe one in a smaller literary journal or even favorite magazine’s monthly book review feature. Don’t be a copycat, by any means, but do figure out what it is about those reviews you like and make sure your review includes – or even makes better – those elements.
• Consider alternative formats. You don’t have to actually write a book review. You could record one. Consider a video book review, or even a podcast.
• Check out what others have to say about the book. Not only will it keep you from repeating the same ol’ same ol’, but reading (or listening to) what others have written (or said) about the book can give you a jumping off point, something you can challenge, or a point or two with which you can agree or disagree.

How about you, readers? Are any of you experienced with writing book reviews? Any tips or tricks you can offer?

See? She forgot to include the deadline. We'll just claim she took too long. MUAHAHAHA!

QUESTION:

Hi Alicia!

I love your Ask Alicia posts. So I have one for you I have my first face-to-face prospective meeting coming up. Should I have a contract for them to sign? Or are verbal agreements the way to go. If I should have them sign a contract, what should it indicate?

Thanks so much for your time!

Tania

ANSWER:

Hey Tania!

First, I advise always using a written contract and never relying on a verbal contract with any client – even if you’re friends with the potential client.

(The two times I’ve gone the verbal route were the only two times I got burned – the first time, I didn’t get paid for four months, and the second time I was only paid 20% of what the client owed me. I lost $1,200. NEVER AGAIN.)

Second, don’t sweat having a contract to give them during the meeting. Unless you’ve already hammered out the details with the prospective clients (and I’m guessing you haven’t – what else would you be discussing during this first meeting, after all?), you won’t have anything to put on a contract just yet.

During your meeting, you and the clients will discuss the project. Some of these things can be plugged into a master contract (such as the deadline, your hourly rate or the project’s flat fee, and by what date the client must pay you), but some of them aren’t so easily plugged in (such as project details and information about revisions).

So, go to the meeting with a pen and paper in hand (or laptop – whatever you prefer) and a readiness to discuss all these issues with the clients. Once you all discuss and agree on each aspect of the project (and you’ve taken ample notes), you can mail, e-mail, fax, or hand deliver the contract to them at a later date.

As for the particulars of the contract, I highly recommend bookmarking and referring back to the following pages as you begin navigating the world of contract preparations.

• Do You Need a Contract for Freelance Work?
• Freelance Contracts: Do’s & Don’ts
• Freelance Writing: How to Write a Contract
• 7 Tips for Negotiating a Freelance Contract
• Sample Freelance Writing Contract (I don’t know Lee, but I’ve loved this sample since I first found and bookmarked it.)
• Tips for Freelance Contracts (I do know Kristen, have consulted with her on other freelance writing projects before, and will vouch for her overall awesome know-how.)

Good luck with your meeting Tania, and thanks!

This post is part of the Ask Alicia series at WritingSpark.com. Learn more, check out some other columns, or shoot me an e-mail directly at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line to ask your own question.

It's that time of year again, so sharpen up your ol' pencils, writers! (Make sure you have erasers, too.)

Hiya Sparklings!

This is the last time you’ll hear from me in 2011, and by now you should know I’m just cliche practical enough to do a post about New Year’s resolutions.

Only, I’m not going to TELL you what your resolutions should be or give you examples of New Year’s resolutions for writers. There are plenty of awesome sites and writers out there who’ve already done that. (Check out LaToya Irby’s Making Plans For Next Year, Ginny Wiehardt’s Top 10 Resolutions For Writers, and Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen’s Writing Goals: 7 Ways To Be A Better Freelance Writer.)

Instead of helping you decide on goals, I’m going to help you STICK TO them.

1. Determine your writing goals.

Who are YOU as a writer? Do you want to write and sell your own e-book? Do you want to establish yourself as an expert in Web writing? Do you want to make money blogging? Determine the direction you want to take your freelance writing career before you begin writing your resolutions.

2. Write resolutions related to those goals.

Sometimes, writers get a few months into the year (or, a few months after they’ve set some goals for themselves) before they realize, “Um…these goals are NOT helping me get where I want to be.” (That’s why it’s so important to determine who you are – or who you want to be – as a writer before you write your New Year’s resolutions.)

Be sure to write goals that line up with your freelance writing career (or the writing career you want).

For example, if you do want to write and sell an e-book, you might create writing goals that involve learning how to format e-books, coming up with and sticking to a writing schedule, and developing a list of subscribers; if you want to make money blogging, some of your resolutions might involve planning and sticking to a blogging schedule and learning about and signing up for affiliate marketing.

3. Make sure you can outline specific steps for your goals.

Let’s say one of your writing goals is to build a list. It’s one thing to say, “This year, I’m going to build a list.” I mean, that’s specific, right? Right. It’s also most likely the answer you’ll give your friends.

However, YOU need an even more specific resolution – perhaps, more specific steps – in order to reach your goal.

So, instead of saying, “This year, I’m going to build a list,” try, “By the end of January, I will have a free opt-in product created and by the beginning of February, I will have an opt-in sign-up form on my front page and will start promoting the two on my social media networks.” By doing that, you can spend the rest of the year building your list.

4. Be realistic as you write your resolutions.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting New Year’s resolutions – or coming up with any goals, really – is to assume they’re going to make the changes or meet the goals immediately.

“This year I’m going to [quit smoking/lose weight/get organized]!”

Well, that’s great, but the cold hard reality is that a lot of people fail at those resolutions because they assume that once January 1 rolls around – THAT’S IT. One cigarette, one skipped day working out – only one pound lost in three weeks – and they throw in the towel.

What they forget to do is outline specific steps (sound familiar)? The smoker doesn’t spend any time preparing to quit; he assumed he’d just stop smoking. The dieter didn’t spend any time learning healthy recipes or reminding herself that she didn’t gain 30 pounds in one week, so she damn sure wasn’t going to lose that kind of weight in one week; she just assumed she’d cut back and voila! Become skinny.

Look, here’s the deal: $&@! takes time, okay? Time and planning. You’re not going to slap a few affiliate ads on your blog tonight and start making hundreds a day by tomorrow, nor are you going to churn out a quality e-book in three days.

(Hell, Copyblogger published How To Write A High-Quality eBook In 30 Days, and totally acknowledges the fact that 1) it takes steps, and 2) it takes bust-your-ass work.)

When you set a goal, consider factors like what you’ll need to learn, changes you’ll need to make, and the time it will actually take – the journey you’ll take – as you get from where you are now (not meeting your goal) to where you want to be (meeting your goal).

Plus, you need to consider your personal life. Do you have a day job? Kids? A body and mind that requires sleep?

Don’t set yourself up for failure: Keep all these factors in mind as you come up with your writing goals for the year.

5. Ask for help.

Whether you turn to your favorite blogger, a personal or writing coach, or your friends at the writing forum you frequent, don’t be too ashamed/shy/embarrassed/stubborn to ask others for help. If you don’t know something, ask. If you need help, ask. If you’re working on something you’re not entirely sure about or only have minimal experience with, getting assistance from someone who knows what’s going on can prevent you from giving up.

6. Reward yourself.

Sure, sure, the biggest reward will be when it all pays off. Until then, though, give yourself little rewards – little pats on the back – to keep yourself motivated and from burning out.

Have YOU set any New Year’s resolutions for your freelance writing career? What works for you when you’re trying to stick to your writing goals?

These look worthy of a second go round!

Oh, come on! You HAD to know you were getting a “Top Posts of 2011″ post!

10. Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Creating An Online Presence: Tips on creating a blog, building a website, and even getting your work out there with neither of those things.

9. When Fiction Meets Nonfiction: Wise Words From Albus Dumbledore: My response to Day 2 of the NAIWE Words Matter Week Blog Challenge. It features Albus Dumbledore, so, you can’t not read it.

8. Elevator Speeches: 3 Tips For Freelancers Writing Elevator Speeches: This ain’t your grandma’s elevator speech; don’t go into it thinking about a sell. All you have to do is learn to identify yourself and what you do, some typical clients, and a few things that point out you’re human.

7. Writers On Twitter: 7 Taboos You MUST Avoid: So, it’s all you, all the time, huh? I do not give a $&*#.

6. Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Article, Website, and Blog Images: EVERYBODY needs free article, website, and blog images.

5. Setting, Increasing, And Sticking To Your Freelance Writing Rates: I can’t tell you WHAT to charge, but I can give a solid outline for determining HOW to charge.

4. Writers Beware: Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket: One of the biggest mistakes any freelancer can make.

3. 9 Non-Writing Things Every Freelance Writer Should Do Daily: After all these years, numbers four and seven are still really hard for me.

2. Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Learning Tools: From finding writing classes online to learning more about keyword research and writing website content, I really wish I’d timed how long it took me to compile this list of learning tools for writers.

…aaaaaaaaaaan *drum roll*

1. Creating A Freelance Writer’s Resume: I have a feeling this might ALWAYS be the most popular post at WritingSpark.com.

Honorable Mention: 10 Websites For Finding Writing Contests

How about you, readers? Want to share one of your blog’s most popular posts from 2011? Feel free in the comments!

Unless you're on vacation, I can't fathom why your to-do list is blank.

QUESTION:

Alicia,

Theresa

ANSWER:

Hey Theresa,

My answer is sort of two-fold: First, yes, it is somewhat normal for freelance writers to experience a drop in business during the holiday season. (This is actually the first Christmas season since 2005 that I’ve been up to my eyeballs in work; in years past, I’ve had a certain level of “free time” during this time of year.)

Don’t get me wrong – there are still plenty of clients and work out there – but some businesses slow down during this time of year (to put final touches on projects you’re not affiliated with, set goals for the upcoming year, etc. – things they need in-house employees or other types of professionals for), which means they don’t always need as many – or any – contractors.

Second, there are plenty of things you can do during this “slow” time – productive things that will actually benefit your freelancing career.

List time!

1. Spruce up your resume.

2. Keep applying for jobs.

3. Keep your blog updated. You can also get that editorial calendar moving into the new year, as well as go ahead and write and pre-post a few blog posts.

4. Stay active on social media. Keep schmoozin’ it up on Facebook and Twitter (and Google+ if you’ve made that leap yet). First of all, you have friends on there who deserve it, and second of all, you never know when your networking is going to introduce you to a new client.

5. Send “touching base” e-mails to former clients. 2010 was one of the most lucrative years for me as a freelance writer, and it’s because of one – ONE – e-mail I sent out wishing a former client a Happy New Year and inquiring about upcoming projects. If I remember correctly, I wrote something along the lines of, “I have some availability coming up and was wondering if [The Company] has any projects in the works?” Seriously, that simple.

6. Scope out a few blogs you’d like to write guest posts for, and query the owners.

7. Write articles for your Ezine, Hub, or other article distribution sites.

8. Draft letters to local businesses you’d like to provide services for in the new year. I don’t recommend actually sending them until January’s had a little time to get underway and everyone’s on track again.

9. Come up with a column for your local newspaper. Contact the editor with the idea, and maybe even a few samples.

10. Catch up on your reading. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: You need to keep studying your craft. (That “To Read” folder in your e-mail inbox counts, too.)

11. Work on your online presence. Tweak your website or blog to finally get it just the way you want it, or look for Web and graphic designers to create a logo for your freelance writing business. You might even find designers offering holiday specials or end-of-the-year discounts.

12. Think of a magazine article or two you’d like to write, or finally query that editor with that idea that’s been bouncing around in your head since last spring.

13. Re-evaluate your rates. Maybe now’s the time for a rate increase, or to create those product/service packages you’ve been thinking about.

14. Clean up and get organized. Your desk, your internal and external hard drives, your filing system – all of it.

15. Have some fun! Spend some time with your family and friends, playing with your new gifts, and just taking a break from it all. A fresh, rejuvenated brain is better than a tired, burnt out one any day.

FINANCIAL TIP:

If you already know the holiday months will be slow, set aside some money each month leading up to the season. Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing provides five solid ideas for solving freelance writing’s uncertain income.

How about you, readers? What ideas can you add? What do you do when “business” is slow, but there’s still plenty of work to be done?

This post is part of the Ask Alicia series at WritingSpark.com. Learn more, check out some other columns, or shoot me an e-mail directly at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line to ask your own question.

Did you know if your power goes out, YOU CAN WRITE WITH A PEN? Crazy, I know.

Last Monday, my electric company called to let me know that depending on my exact location, I may or may not be without power the next day (Tuesday) and if I am, it will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May or may not?! Right in the middle of the work day?!

Like, TOMORROW?!

Naturally, I freaked out for about 10 seconds. Then my Damage Control setting kicked itself into high gear and I started preparing for this possible black out of both light and work.

As I made my way through the day, I also started taking a few notes on how YOU can prevent a potentially epic productivity disaster. Most of these tips will apply to people who lose power (and trust me, this is a HUGE ISSUE for many of us living on the east coast during the winter months), but some of them can be applied to any potential productivity suck.

Except for Twitter, Facebook, and this. I can’t help you with any of that.

1. Notify your clients.

E-mail, Skype, phone – whatever. Let your clients know you are or will be experiencing “an issue” and won’t be available for a certain amount of time.

If your near-disaster strikes without warning, try to at least call your clients. (This is just one reason why it’s important to have your clients’ phone numbers on file.)

2. Keep your laptop charged.

You don’t need electricity to run a battery-powered laptop, and if you have some work you can do without the Internet, do it. For example, I ended up getting 4,000 words written on a no-research-required ghostwriting project.

3. Scout a new “office.”

If you MUST have access to the Internet, figure out where you can go to work until your access returns. Try your local library, coffee shop, bookstore – even McDonald’s has free WiFi these days. (BONUS! You might even find somewhere you’d like to visit and work two or three days out of the week – you know, just to shake things up.)

4. Write.

I mean, with an actual writing utensil.

5. Play catch up.

Whether you use your laptop or a pen and paper, you can work on:

• New blog posts.
• A free info product to get readers to subscribe to your newsletter.
• The outline of your next chapter.
• That short story you’re entering in next month’s writing contest.
• A query letter about the article idea that’s been bouncing around in your noggin since last summer.

Depending on how long your “disaster” lasts, you could actually get A LOT accomplished!

6. Study

Lots of freelance writers and editors have a book or seven on hand about their craft. (If you don’t, what are you waiting for? As a freelance writer, you MUST be a lifelong learner!)

Use this time to catch up on reading some of those.

7. Play clean up.

Messy desk? Files all over the place? Enough crumbs in your keyboard to build a whole ‘nother sandwich?

Clean it up, pig!

Studies show many people work more efficiently and calmly in a clean and organized environment. And by “studies” I mean me, though I did Google this article for those of you who require more reliable information.

8. Take a break.

Hey, maybe this unexpected roadblock is exactly what you need. When was the last time you took a break? Walked down the street? Visited your grandma? Read a book unrelated to work?

Remember, taking a break is GOOD for you.

Now, readers, tell me about a time when YOU faced – and defeated – a potentially epic productivity disaster. What tips would you offer that I’ve left out?

This is where you learn about marketing. Haha, just kidding.

As a freelance writer, content marketing is something you can use for yourself and your clients.

Actually, having a good handle on certain content marketing ideas can help you broaden your range of services and attract more clients (or, offer additional services to current clients).

So, what exactly is content marketing?

In short, content marketing (also known by names like branded content and custom publishing) is a marketing strategy that uses free content as a way to market a business or service.

Some of the most common content marketing examples include:

• Articles (such as those distributed on popular article marketing sites like Ezine Articles and Hub Pages)
• Blogs
• Newsletters
• Videos
• White papers
• Webinars or teleseminars
• Podcasts

Some marketers even go the extra mile and create larger pieces of content, such as free e-books.

If all this sounds pretty simple, it’s because it is – well, in theory.

In practice, you have to actually create consistent, quality content – the kind that helps your or your client’s branding and fosters customer loyalty.

Want more on content marketing? Check out:

• Content Marketing 101: How to Build Your Business With Content: This Copyblogger includes an easy-to-understand content marketing definition as well as five links to articles that’ll teach you things like the difference between content marketing and copywriting and how content can help you find customers.
• Content Marketing Institute: Yes, an actual institute dedicated to content marketing. These folks provide content marketing education and consulting resources and even host events, so if you’re serious about – or want to get serious about – content marketing, this might be the train to hitch a ride on.
• Content Marketing Today: Similar to the Content Marketing Institute, Content Marketing Today provides a smorgasbord of information about content marketing, and even explains how it all relates to mobile media and social media.
• B2B Content Marketing Trends: This 18-page report (in slide form, so don’t freak out) presents the survey results that highlight ideas related motivation to use content marketing, actually producing content for marketing, the most popular content marketing ideas.
• How 3 Companies Took Content Marketing To The Next Level: This Mashable article outlines how three well-known companies (Mint.com, HubSpot, and American Express) have successfully used content marketing.

How about you, readers? How have you used content marketing, for yourself or for clients? What have you learned works, or doesn’t work, for you?

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time. I actually have it framed, y'all.

Last November (2010), I hopped in my car and took off for Charlottesville, VA, to see Dave Matthews Band perform their last show of the 2010 tour schedule.

At the time, the band had already announced they wouldn’t be touring during 2011 (unless you count the Caravan they randomly sprung on us), and even though I’d already seen them twice that summer, it only made sense to cram in one last show before the God-Only-Knows-How-Long Break.

So I did.

I didn’t look at the days of the dates – I didn’t know whether it was in the middle of the week or on a Saturday night – I just ordered the tickets, booked a room (which was much more difficult than it sounds), and curled up like a fat cat.

Let’s get one thing clear: I don’t want this story to sound reckless. I am not reckless with my freelance writing career. I’ve worked too hard for that. I knew there would be preparations to make, and I knew I kept my ducks in such a row that I could fairly easily make those preparations.

However, I’m not reckless with my life, either. If I want to see DMB, damn it, I’m going to. God didn’t put me here to stare at a computer screen all day.

The day after the show, I took a detour and visited Dave Matthews’ vineyard, Blenheim Vineyards. I’d never been, and I couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful autumn day for it – as the picture above will attest.

The point to this little trip down memory lane? I probably couldn’t have planned and taken this impromptu trip had it not been for my freelance writing career.

So, without further ado, 11 Reasons I’m Thankful I’m A Freelance Writer:

1. I can almost always take time off whenever I want or need to. As the story above illustrated. Sure, there are plan and preparations to be made, maybe a little overtime on a few nights leading up to the time off – but if you run your freelance writing career in an organized and efficient manner, you can almost always take off whenever the urge hits you.
2. The commute is unbeatable. The longest distance is probably from the coffee pot to the computer. Maybe 50 feet, on foot. I think of it as my morning contribution to Mother Earth.
3. There’s an amazing amount of flexibility with this gig. It might sound a little silly at first, but I know from firsthand experience (I’ve worked traditional 9-5 jobs) things like scheduling dentist appointments, figuring out whether you can take off for a kid’s school play, or making it to the bank before it closes can freaking stress you out. As a freelance writer, though, I pretty much already know I can make all of these things, as long as I properly plan my schedule and workload beforehand.
4. I can choose my own workload. It’s a rare day when a client dumps a load of crap on me. Know why? Because he’s a client, and not a boss. And, because he’s a client, We’ve worked out the details before starting the project, so handing me a file at 4:55 p.m. on a Friday evening and asking me to “take a look” before closing time doesn’t happen. I can also choose how many clients, or how few, I want to take on based on nothing more than how much time I have to give and how much money I want to make.
5. Wherever I go, I can take my work with me – if necessary. Invest in a laptop and a cell phone, and you can, too.
6. Sleeping in is almost always an option. Look, I’m not saying you can sleep half the day away and then wake up at 3 p.m. and expect to make a decent go of it. I am saying that, as long as you’ve planned your workload and schedule properly, there are days when you can hit the snooze button a few extra times and not catch hell – or get fired – for it.
7. There’s a warm and inviting community out there. Fortunately, I’ve connected with many other freelance writers and editors via Facebook, Twitter, and other on- and offline venues. Some are acquaintances; others have become friends. We’ve learned from each other, shared gigs with each other, and even fostered beneficial connections for each other.
8. Rarely have I ever worried about having to work during a holiday. Honestly, I’ve never worked during a holiday unless it was my own choice. I’ve never even encountered a client who expected me to work during a holiday – whether he was a small business owner looking for content marketing or a big-name Web development firm looking for pages upon pages of research and copy.
9. I’m doing what I love. I might scream and cry and stomp my feet from time to time, but – for me – there is no job worth having if it doesn’t involve some kind of writing.
10. I’m always growing and learning. And these are both related and unrelated to writing.
11. I still get to explore other passions. Writing is a huge part of my life, but it’s not the only part. I have other passions, like music, animal rights, and mental health advocacy. As a freelance writer, I’ve been able to research and write about each one of those topics.

If you’re currently working as a freelance writer, share some of the reasons you’re thankful for your career. If you haven’t yet started but want a career as a freelance writer, share some of the “perks” you hope to achieve!

Sure, a simple clock will suffice - but can it do what an entire time management system can do?!

Welcome to Day 7 – and the final day! – of the 7-Day Mini Course, “Free Tools for Freelance Writers: Save BIG While Starting Your Writing Business.”

Today’s lesson doesn’t present a focused set of free tools so much as it offers a hodgepodge of free tools you can use at various intervals during your freelance writing career.

For example, you’ll find free invoice programs, free time management tools, free writing tools – you’ll even find free SEO help and keyword list generators.

Money and Invoicing

• FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator: This calculator helps you figure out your business costs, personal costs, your billable hours, and your intended savings or profit to come up with your ideal freelance hourly rate.
• instacalc: If, for some reason, you need to do some un-Godly-esque calculating.
• Invoice Journal: Fairly basic invoicing system that is both clean- and professional-looking and includes features such as adding custom fees, taxes, and discounts – all completely free.
• CurdBee: CurdBee has several paid plans, but the free one allows you options like unlimited invoices to unlimited clients, acceptance of online payments in multiple currencies, and use of your own logo.
• Mint: Mint is an absolutely free personal finance tool. It allows online money management, acts as a free budget planner, and provides numerous budgeting tools. An account with this site is a must-have for any freelancer in need of financial planning software.
• xe: This currency converter can help you when you have clients who live in different countries.

NOTE: If you send only one or a few invoices a month, you might be interested in the free plans from invoiceplace, simplybill, Zoho Invoice, or Winkbill.

Time Management

You WON’T find free to-do list creation and management programs, but that’s only because I’ve already told you all about those.

Now, check out these free time management systems to help you stay on track and get projects completed and those lists marked off.

NOTE: These aren’t simply timers; they’re programs designed to help you manage time as it affects your deadlines, billable hours, etc.

• Vertabase Timer: Features a time long, graphing capabilities, task notes, time reminders, and export options. Works with Windows and MAC.
• Toggl: Offers a free plan for up to five users; limited features.
• Tick: Also offers a free plan; unlimited number of users, clients, and tasks, but limited to one open project.
• Klok: Create and manage main projects and sub-projects with a familiar “calendar” look and feel.
• Manic Time: This free Windows time management software tracking your computer usage and work hours to data storage and statistics.
• SlimTimer: This Web-based platform helps you create tasks, time your work, and run reports.
• RescueTime: RescueTime for Windows and MAC monitors your websites and applications, helps you set goals, and analyzes computer usage.
• Project Hamster: This program seems extremely lightweight and streamlined, but it’s for Linux only.
• Monkey On Your Back: Need someone else to finish what s/he said s/he would? Send a little “reminder e-mail.”

Writing and Documents

The first day of this course brought you options for word processing. Now you can look at these tools for handling special kinds of writing or documents:

• yWriter: Novel-writing software that breaks novels into scenes and chapters.
• Storybook: Another novel-writing software, though this one offers a bit more in terms of organizing and keeping up with elements like characters and multiple plots.
• cutePDF Writer: This freeware will turn virtually any printable document into a PDF.
• MobiPocket Creator: Convert PDF, Word, and text files to the Mobi format, which is readable on an Amazon Kindle.
• Calibre: Helps manage and convert different e-book formats.
• 7-Zip: A free zipping program that will allow you to bundle and send multiple documents.
• Wufoo: An online form builder (think contact forms, satisfaction surveys, online order forms, etc.) that provides a free account, allowing one user to create three forms, three reports, 10 fields, and 100 entries per month.

Organize and Share

• bubble.us: Create mindmaps you can store as images. (HINT: If you don’t print them, you save EVEN MORE paper – woohoo!
• box: You can share files online with co-workers and clients with this tool. The personal account, which is good for one user, up to 50GB of storage, and a file size limit of up to 1GB might be ideal for an individual freelancer.
• YouSendIt: This tool lets you send files, share folders, and sign documents. If you get YouSentIt Lite, you get 2GB of storage, five e-mail signatures, and a maximum file size of 50MB.
• FaxZero: Fax isn’t dead – yet. Until it is, you can use this site to send faxes for free (it’s WAY easier than you might imagine). The paid version ($1.99 per fax) offers a couple more perks, but depending on your needs, those perks might not be worth it.
• ProjectStat.us: How awesome is this tool? Create project status updates for your clients to keep up with.
• Writeboard: This web-based tool lets you document and store ideas, share with others, and even roll back to previous versions.

SEO Help

Sure, you already know where you can learn more about SEO writing, but these tools can help you come up with the keywords and phrases to use:

• Google Adwords Keyword Tool: Search by word, phrase, website, or category.
• Wordpot.com: The free plan allows 25 searches a day.
• SEO Book: Use this keyword list generator to create a list of keywords based on your original keywords. SEO Book will also analyze keyword density.
• WordStream: WordStream offers a free option, allowing users to search up to 10 times up front, and then once a day every day after.

Website Help

Remember when I told you how to find free blog images? Well, these sites will help you even more:

• Textalyzer: This tool allows you to insert a piece of text (from your website, blog, or even an article you’re writing) and have factors such as keyword density and word groups analyzed.
• Website Grader: Enter your website’s URL and this tool will give it a grade based on factors like content, links, and even promotion.
• Headline Analyzer: Another tool you can use for your own website and blog, or for articles you write for others or distribute elsewhere. The Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer takes your proposed headline and gives it an Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) score to help you determine the impact your headline will have on readers.
• ColorSchemer: The free ColorPix program (downloadable) helps you determine color schemes for your website or blog. You can also download pre-made color schemes to take the guess work out of it.
• Kuler: Similarly, Kuler helps you come up with color schemes and shows you new and popular color schemes developed by others. You’ll need an Adobe username and password, but registering is free.

Cover Your Ass (or, CYA)

• U.S. Copyright Law: This can help you with everything from selling short stories to drafting contracts.
• Creative Commons: Learn how to license your work (and determine how much of it, and under what conditions, others can use); what the licenses of others’ work means, and just exactly what a Creative Commons License is.
• Legal Guide for Bloggers: By the Electronic Frontier Foundation, this guide provides information about legal liability, intellectual property, online defamation, and much more.
• CPA Directory: Many, many freelancers, sole proprietors, small business owners – you get the idea – solicit the help of certified public accountants (CPAs). On top of about a gazillion other things, this website lets you search a CPA directory to find one in your area. You can even search by services provided and industries serviced.
• Starting and Managing a Business: Pretty much everything you need to know about turning your freelancing services into a business; provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

What Now?

Like a few of the other classes, this one presents A LOT of information. Spend some time browsing these free tools, bookmark the ones you like, and give those a whirl the next time you need them. Keep what works; delete what doesn’t. It’s that simple.

Missed last week’s class? Head over to Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Learning Tools.

Chalkboards are better. Period.

Welcome to Day 6 of the 7-Day Mini Course, “Free Tools for Freelance Writers: Save BIG While Starting Your Writing Business.”

Today’s focus is on how you can find free learning tools to help you sharpen your writing and editing skills, learn how to create a new-to-you product, or even learn a new service to offer your clients.

Before you launch into this list, note that as you become familiar with other writers, and experts in your field or area of interest, you’ll run across free courses, webinars, teleseminars, ebooks, and other learning tools fairly regularly. You’ll also learn what you like, what you don’t, and who is and isn’t providing what you need.

(For example, over the last year or so I’ve discovered I really benefit from Karon Thackston’s Marketing Words Copywriting Blog, and she often provides free webinars and teleseminars. I haven’t caught them all, but the ones I have listened in on have been great.)

For now, though, you can jump start your writing training with these learning tools.

College and University Courses

• The Open University: The Open University, or OU, provides Open Learn, a section of the university’s website that offers more than 600 free online courses. Search the database for writing classes online like Start Writing Fiction, What Is Good Writing?, and Writing What You Know.
• MIT: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT, provides free online courses in a variety of subjects, including writing and humanistic studies.
• RMIT University: This school’s online learning lab provides writing skills tutorials related to topics like business writing, editing, and summarizing.
• Yale University: Via its Open Yale program, Yale University provides several free online courses in literature and poetry.
• Purdue University: Although not technically a course, Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is from Purdue and really is your one-stop shop for damn near all things writing related – and free.
• The University of Warwick: From its Podcast Browser, you can download numerous writing challenges presented by David Morley, Director of the Warwick Writing Programme.
• Poynter’s News University: NewsU offers several free writing classes online in formats like self-study and webinar. Search the site’s course section, making sure to check the topic and price (free) you want, and you’ll find courses like Multimedia Reporting: Covering Breaking News, Cleaning Up Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More, and The Writer’s Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use.
• University of Massachusetts Boston: UMass Boston’s OpenCourseWare offers courses in Critical and Creative Thinking and Critical Reading and Writing.
• Steven Barnes, UCLA: This UCLA instructor modified his Introduction to Screenwriting course so he could offer it for free from his website, lifewrite.com.
• Utah State University: USU’s OpenCourseWare provides a handful of free English courses.
• Wikiversity: Okay, I know a lot of you are iffy about anything beginning with “wiki,” but if you “shop” cautiously, you can find tons of valuable – and free information from these sites, like these technical writing courses, for example.
• E-Zine University: “E-Zine” might inspire the same kind of hesitance as “wiki,” but this school offers several free online writing training within its Content Development and Writing program, such as classes on conquering confusing writing, cleaning up your writing, and writing materials people understand and respond to.

Ebooks, Webinars, and Other Writing Courses

• copyblogger: Lately, I’ve been picking up all kinds of cool freebies from copyblogger. For example, right now you can get How to Create Compelling Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines, a 27-page ebook to learn about topics like why SEO matters, how search engines work, and areas to focus on when writing SEO copy, and Internet Marketing for Smart People, a 20-part Internet marketing course – both for free.
• Lousy Writer: Lousy Writer is a learning tool unto itself, but the website also publishes a number of free ebooks for learning skills like writing website content, writing with clarity, and even how to write sales letters.
• Freelance Writing: Visit Freelance Writing’s Free E-Books for Writers and find books on everything from creative writing to SEO.
• write it sideways: In 2010, write it sideways listed The Top 5 Free eBooks for Fiction Writers, and the books’ evergreen topics are sure to keep them high on the list for years to come.
• Writer’s Helper: This site provides several free online courses, including web writing training.
• Writer2Writer: Writer2Writer provides a nice round-up of free writing training courses covering topics like magazine writing, copywriting, and writing short stories.
• 1-language.com: This site aims to help people who speak English as a second language. Some of the real gems are the online English courses.
• free-ed.net: The Free Education Network provides numerous courses in subjects like journalism, media studies, and language and linguistics. You can search the database, or check out these writing training courses.

Educational Blogs and Websites

• Writer’s Digest: Sure, you can get a paid subscription, BUT you can also get tons of free writing articles and you can join the forum to get help from other writers.
• copyblogger: Yes, copyblogger makes the list twice. Subscribe to this blog and get daily tips on everything from email marketing and content marketing to keyword research and SEO copywriting.
• ProBlogger: ProBlogger’s Darren Rowse is THE go-to source for everything blogging. From using your blog to make money to finding freelance writing jobs with your blogs, Rowse covers it all.
• Freelance Writing Jobs: FWJ is SO much more than a site just for finding freelance writing gigs. Several freelance writers and editors work together to teach you a wide variety of aspects related to the freelance writing life – from grammar to taxes.
• FreelanceFolder: FreelanceFolder can stand on its own as a fantastic site for freelance writers to learn tips and skills, but its post 15 Sites for Learning and Mastering SEO is especially important to today’s Web writers.
• About Freelance Writing: I’ve been following Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing pretty much since I started my own freelance writing career. From her you can learn more about setting your freelance writing rates, dealing with money, and searching for freelance writing jobs.
• Freelance Switch: Freelance Switch is a great site for learning about finding and dealing with clients, pricing your services, and getting gigs.
• Men With Pens: Men With Pens offers a full range of services for people who need writing services – and tons of free info related to writing, blogging, and business for those who’re performing the services.
• The Renegade Writer: From this site you can find lots of for-pay educational tools – e-courses, e-books, phone mentoring – but you can also find free help in the form of teleclasses and information packets.
• The NextGen Writer: Ali Abbas left his career as an IT professional to become a freelance writer. He owns and manages The NextGen Writer, which features a regularly updated blog and a writing resources section.

What Now?

There are A LOT of opportunities here. I recommend bookmarking this post, or the links within this post that jump out at you, and visiting them at your leisure, deciding what to take on now (such as a blog subscription) and what to plan for (such as committing to a course).

Missed last week’s class? Head over to Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Reference And Research.