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!

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.

This is me, pondering. Get it?

When I first started freelance writing and editing, I had thousands of questions.

(Hell, I still do. Lifelong learner right here.)

Fortunately, after some digging around and learning things the hard way (which, life undoubtedly still has a lot more of in store for me), I found fellow freelance writers who’ve become mentors and friends; people I’ve helped and people who’ve helped me along the freelance writing career path.

Now, I aim to do the same for you.

Do you have a question about:

• How to choose your freelance writing rates?
• Where to look for quality freelance writing jobs?
• Whether you should provide free writing samples to prospective clients?
• How do deal with a client who won’t pay you?
• What to do if a potential client won’t sign a writing contract?

This is why I’ve launched “Ask Alicia” (snazzy name, I know), a new WritingSpark.com question-and-answer column that will provide advice for writers dealing with everything from getting writing samples and crafting a freelance writer resume to setting freelance writing rates and knowing when to stick to those rates and when to get a little flexible.

We can even talk about the importance of taking a break, if you want, or ideas for inspiration.

First one with your hand up? Shoot me an e-mail at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line.

Will write for MONEY.

I’ve mentioned before (and plenty of other established freelancer writers will tell you the same thing) that I can’t tell you what to charge for your freelance writing services. I can help you figure out how to determine your freelance writing rates, but that’s about it.

Each week, I gobble up Angela Hoy’s WritersWeekly.com newsletter (go ahead – sign up). Among several other fantastic features, Hoy’s website and newsletter provide expert advice, success stories, and listings for paying writing markets and freelance jobs.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, one of Hoy’s readers wrote in to ask for her advice on how much to charge for ghostwriting a non-fiction book and, for the first time – ever, I think – I disagreed with Hoy, who advised the writer to charge by the hour:

These types of projects can go in all different directions and, if you’re not charging them by the hour, you may find, in the end, that you were earning pennies per hour. Whenever a lengthy project is being directed primarily by the client instead of the writer, you should charge by the hour.

Actually, I don’t entirely disagree; rather, I think the answer could be fleshed out a bit.

You see, to me, telling a client you charge by the hour for something as large and involved as a book is kind of like asking that client to write a blank check.

Don’t YOU feel more comfortable hiring contractors who give you a flat fee up front?

Of course, coming up with that flat fee can be challenging. Below are five steps I use to determine ghostwriting rates (and you can even use your regular hourly rates).

1. Get ALL The Ghostwriting Job Details

I’m serious: Find out EVERYTHING you possibly can about the project. For example:

• What IS the project? Not all ghostwriters write books. For example, some do article ghostwriting, and others provide ghostwriting services for businesses that need to send out regular newsletters to customers. Since those kinds of projects are a bit easier to set ghostwriting fees for, though, we’ll focus on the book ghostwriter for now.
• How much of the research will be in your hands? All? Some? None? Understanding this part of the job upfront will help you determine both how long the job might take and how much effort it will involve.
• How familiar is the topic? For instance, if you typically write about home improvement and the project is about the various methods for refinishing floors, you’ll probably be in your element; however, if it’s about the latest scientific research regarding the brain’s production of oxytocin, you might find the project requires more effort.
• Do you have to work with anyone else? Is there an illustrator you need to meet with periodically, or a researcher you need to hear from on a weekly basis? What about an editor? Find out whether your schedule will reflect interaction with others, too.
• What is the client’s deadline? (HINT: For big ghostwriting jobs like books, it’s unlikely you’ll complete and present the project in its entirety; you’ll most likely work on it in chunks and provide those chunks for approval at various intervals. The client might prefer this, or his editor might require it. Whatever the reason, if this is the case be sure to find out each of those deadlines, as well.)

Don’t forget to take a look at YOUR schedule. While it might not help you determine your ghostwriting fees, it can help you figure out whether taking on certain writing jobs is even possible – or worth your while.

2. Think About Your Regular Hourly Rate

Here’s where you can consider your hourly freelance writing rates.

Use the information you gathered above to determine (read: estimate) how many hours a day, week, or month (however you want to do it) you will need to complete the project to the client’s specifications and within the deadline. Tally up those hours and come up with a flat fee.

NOTE: That sounds ridiculously simple. It’s not always. Take your time on this. When I first started working as a freelance writer, a client advised me to “measure twice and cut once.” He saved me from charging a week’s worth of pay for what turned out to take a month to complete.

Thus, this is invaluable advice. Heed it.

3. Determine The CYA Fine Print

Now’s the time to work out the details that could, at some point during the project, cover (and save) your ass – both financially and work-wise. Think about factors like:

• The number of free revisions you’re willing to do before the client must pay extra.
• How involved those revisions can be.
• How much extra the client will have to pay.

Your flat fee can include the [X Number] of free revisions, and your contract can include the additional costs, should they arise.

Keep in mind these are just a few suggestions. Depending on the type of ghostwriting services you’re dealing with, you might have other CYA details in mind.

4. Create A Scope Of Work

If you aren’t sure what a scope of work is, don’t worry; I’m going to explain it next week. For now, note that a scope of work is document that outlines and explains:

• The project’s purpose and intended outcome.
• Your responsibilities.
• Your client’s responsibilities.
• Individual deadlines.
• Overall duration of the project.

Note: Some people use “scope of work” and “statement of work” interchangeably; that’s fine, if everyone within ear shot knows what they’re talking about, but typically a statement of work is much more involved (and actually includes a scope of work).

5. Write And Sign The Contract

Ewwww, contracts. The only things that ensure we get paid (most of the time), but they’re a bitch to write, yes?

Well, in the beginning. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it and probably develop your own file of various contracts for various projects that require only a little tweaking here and there.

In addition to the agreements set forth in the scope of work, your ghostwriter contract also will cover issues like:

• Ownership, copyright, and credit.
• Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.
• Payment (include methods and schedules) and royalties.
• Termination terms and an escape clause.

Need help drafting a contract? I recommend checking out:

• Anne Wayman’s The Ghostwriting Contract (which also provides a sample contract) and Ghostwriting – 9 Elements Of My Contracts Or Letters Of Agreement.
• Ivan Hoffman’s The Ghostwriter Agreement. (He’s an attorney who has been practicing law for 35+ years, so…yeah.)
• PrintableContracts.com’s Writer/Ghostwriter Agreement. This is a nice template you can use to plug in all the details and legal information specific to you, your client, and the project.

There you have it Of course, this method won’t work for ALL ghostwriting jobs, but it will work for most. Too, there are times when charging straight up hourly rates IS best (say, you’re a full-time freelancer for a Web development company who dumps about eight hours of work a day in your lap, would rather pay you by the hour, and quotes you a high hourly rate before you can even think about an awkward negotiation period – it happens, trust me).

How have you determined what to charge for ghostwriting jobs?

Do you need a witty caption? Really? I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

One of my goals for 2010 is to stop working so much on the weekends. I was fairly good about that during the first few years of my freelance writing career – when I did work on the weekends, it was generally because I either A) took a day off during the week, or B) just wanted to. Over the last year or so, though, life got in the way and I found myself working almost every weekend.

It stops in 2010.

However, before it stops (I’m such a junkie), I’ve decided to spend the first few weekends of 2010 doing some housekeeping – of the writing career variety – and this past weekend, my task was to tackle my freelance writing rates.

I knew I was going to have to do it sooner or later, and the beginning of the year seemed like a much better time than, say, mid-June. Plus, Deb Ng’s recent blog post about making a profit with your freelance writing business provides some solid information about setting and raising rates and proved to be just the kick in the tail I needed.

Setting Your Freelance Writing Rates

I’m not going to pretend I’m qualified enough to advise you on how to set your freelance writing rates. I’m not. When it comes to setting your writing and editing rates, you have to think about things like flat rates and hourly rates; how to use your hourly rates to come up with projects that require flat rates; your rates and how they line up with your expenses, your cost of living, and your profit goal; how your rates compare to the rates of others in your business; and how it all relates to the ever-tricky “How much are you worth?”

However, I’m not saying there aren’t veteran freelancers out there who are in a position to help you do this. There definitely are. If you’re just getting started and haven’t set your rates yet, or if you have but think it’s time to reevaluate them, check out these resources:

• Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing has an entire blog category dedicated to Dealing With Money. Also be sure to check out her Setting Freelance Rates series and guest post by John Carpenter, How Much Should I Charge?
• The Money Matters section within the Business Tips for Writers part of the FWJ Network includes posts about setting fees, getting paid, and managing your money.
• Allena Tapia’s How Much Should I Charge looks offers several tips for setting your freelance writing rates and includes resources like FreelanceSwitch’s Hourly Rate Calculator and the Editorial Freelancers Association’s rates page.
• Jennifer Mattern’s Guide to Setting Freelance Writing Fees breaks down the difference between writing goals and salaries, working and billable hours, and how to diversify writing income streams. Also take a look at Mattern’s Setting Freelance Writing Rates: Working Hours vs. Billable Hours which, in addition to explaining the difference between working and billable hours, offers a good explanation about setting hourly rates to achieve your desired yearly salaries.

Increasing Your Freelance Writing Rates

How have your skills sharpened since you started freelance writing and editing? How has your cost of living and expenses increased? Do your current rates allow for the profit you want, or are you just making ends meet? Once you’ve brushed up on the rates you’ve been charging, it’s time to think about whether you need to increase those rates.

The thought of increasing rates usually brings about two reactions from freelancers: Excitement about potentially making more money, which is easily handled, and fear of losing clients, which is not-so-easily handled.

Deb Ng’s article I linked to above about making a profit with your freelance writing business is a good resource for those freelancers who wonder if it’s time for a rate increase but afraid of losing clients; so are financial writer Yolander Prinzel’s Associated Content article How to Increase Your Freelance Writing Rates for Existing Clients and Jennifer Mattern’s Raising Freelance Writing Rates: Demand Isn’t Enough.

Sticking To Your Freelance Writing Rates

You might think that sticking to your freelance writing rates is an easy thing to do. Admittedly, for many freelance writers and editors, it is. However, no matter how new or seasoned you are, situations arise when you might be tempted to lower your rates or offer a discount that’s not exactly conducive to your financial goals or representative of the quality and quantity of your services. A nonprofit or charity approaches you, your friend is starting her own business and needs some help, you’re in a bind and really want to land a gig you just read the advertisement for but don’t usually charge what the advertiser wants to pay – you know the situations.

While pro bono work or discounts can be good for your business (and morale), there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too, although there are times when accepting a figure less than what you normally charge is okay overall, constantly doing it doesn’t help you get to where you want to be financially.

Consider these tips to help you stick to your freelance writing rates as well as make adjustments when you see fit:

• Put it in writing. Some freelance writers post their rates on their websites; some don’t. Regardless of where you write (or, type) them, make sure you have them somewhere so you can quickly refer to them when you’re replying to job advertisements or clients requesting rates. (Having your current rates in black and white right in front of you will also help you determine your rates for a project that might be new to you.)
• Predetermine your discounts. While you’re “putting it in writing” is a good time to go ahead and figure out – and also put in writing – any discounts special to nonprofits and charities.
• Consider offering packages. Some services lend themselves to being fit into packages. Blog posts and marketing articles, for example, are services you can group into packages and offer at prices slightly less than if the client ordered that many separately.

Do you have any other tips or resources to share for setting, increasing, and sticking to freelance writing rates?