I want to help you if this is the year you decide to break into writing on the web. If you saw my post on Monday, then you know that when I got accepted years ago by Textbroker, I had no idea what I was doing. The first assignment that I took on was on casino party favors, and I was terrified that I wasn't going to do it right. All the writing that I did for school to earn my business degree was always specific on what I needed to achieve for the assignment. I was a bit lost on not having a specific question to answer, textbooks to reference, and a certain number of citations to aim for in the completed essay. Articles are a bit different, and it's taken me some time to find my stride. Let me help you with some of the sources that have helped me along the way.
Favorite Books and Websites
This first one is like a bible for copywriter's to follow in their quest to better writing. I've only recently purchased this, and love it. It's the guidebook that I wish I would've known about when I first gotten started with copywriting. Some of the things inside, I already know, but I'm still learning new things as I crack this book open. This is one book that's not going to my favorite book buyback program.
This book is another excellent choice as several of the writing opportunities I've come across requests that you use AP style to format your articles. Coming from an academic background gave me the mistaken impression that I'd be covered with different styles as I've been writing in APA style for two years and MLA style for two years before that. Now, I've had to start learning AP style, and this ability to switch between styles has been helpful for me. In this day and age, a good majority of the companies that will purchase your writing will want it formatted correctly by you. This means that often you need to have your work proofed before submission as well, which brings us to the next two sources.
Both of these are great sources for becoming a better writer. I'm not a perfect writer, and I try to rely on all the tools that I can for my writing projects. It doesn't matter if I'm writing this blog to help others reach their dream job of working at home or writing a highly paid article for a glossy magazine. I love writing, but English classes that focused on grammar was the bane of my existence. I've always had a difficult time with that portion of English, and am always looking to improve my writing skills.
Grammarly is my ace tool. I use it for everything from writing up emails to my highly paid articles. It's easy to use and works great. Of course, it's not perfect. There are going to be some suggested changes that don't make sense to you, and the great news is that you can override it. I also love that it runs the grammar checking as well as plagiarism. Being original is extremely importantly, and getting popped for plagiarism even if it's unintentional isn't good for your career. My new writing routine includes writing up my first draft, reading it out loud to make any changes and then running it through Grammarly. Does this make my writing perfect? No, but it does help me to catch mistakes I would've missed otherwise. If you want to give Grammarly a try, send me an email, and I can send you a link for a free week of the premium service. You get a free week, and I'll get a free week. Win-win for everyone.
I'm a huge fan of the Dummy and Kiss books. These two sources are both great reads if you're looking to either start your own business or self-publish your book. I recently read the self-publishing book, and I was really impressed. I'm hoping that I'll be able to use the knowledge that I learned shortly when I finally finish writing my book. This is my year, and it could be yours too.
Purchases and Saving Money
Each of these sources is linked to my affiliate accounts, and I would love it if you make a purchase using them as that will add to my coffers which allows me to keep posting here. Many of these are currently on sale as I'm writing this post. However, I completely understand if you can't make a purchase of the items I've linked you to in this post.
If you're looking to save money, there are some options for you. You can purchase the books listed secondhand. This can save you money on the list price, and still get you a copy to write in or highlight. You can also go for the Kindle versions as this often offers some savings. A final option is to request the books from your local library. I love the library, and this is a great place to take a look at these items firsthand.
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