When applying to certain websites or clients, you may need to provide a portfolio. If you are a writer who has never created a portfolio before, then you might not know what type of works you should include. Here are some tips on how to create the writer’s portfolio that will help you land a job.

Consider the job you are applying for. This is the most important thing that you can do when creating a writer’s portfolio. If you are applying to write for a woman’s health website, you probably won’t want to send an article that you have written about football. Try to choose the content that you have which is the most relevant. This will help the person reviewing your portfolio get a better idea about what you can do for them.

Try to provide varying samples. Although you will want to choose information that is relevant, you will want to also choose samples that are very different from one another. If you are applying for a website about teens, you may provide one sample on teen health, another on teen relationships, and another on teen fashion. Providing samples that are different from one another will help the reviewer of the portfolio see that you can be versatile.

Only include your best samples in your writer’s portfolio. Try to choose samples which have been used by websites that are fairly well known. If you’re good enough to get accepted by a bigger publication, the person reviewing your portfolio will see less of a reason to hire you. Even more importantly than providing works that have been published by reputable sources, you should never EVER include an article that has a typo or grammatical error in the writer’s portfolio. Remember that the person who is hiring you is looking for reasons not to. Don’t provide them with the fuel to feed their fire.

Creating a writer’s portfolio doesn’t need to be as challenging as it may seem. With the right amount of planning, it is likely that your portfolio will be good enough for you to get a second glance from the person reviewing it. All that you need to do is make the wisest decisions when deciding what to include in your writer’s portfolio.

A very common misconception is that writers do not need to pay taxes. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. Just like any other American citizen, freelance writers do need to pay taxes too.

Why do people think that writers don’t need to pay taxes?

One of the reasons may be because a lot of the jobs that you find over the years will not require you to provide them with any tax information. If you are dealing with clients on a one-time or inconsistent basis, it is unlikely that they will request information from you. They may not even want to have to deal with the issue themselves. Unless you are working for a well known website or company, such as Associated Content or Demand Studios, you probably won’t have to send a thing.

In addition to the people who are misinformed about not having to pay taxes, there are also many people who also think that they can hide the money that they are earning. It may seem a lot easier to hide money from the government when you are a writer, and in many ways, it can be. This does not mean that you shouldn’t pay taxes, however. Sooner or later, the IRS is going to catch up with you and realize that you haven’t been paying taxes.

When do you need to pay taxes if you are a freelance writer?

If you have made at least $500 a year, then you need to report your earnings. There are many people who feel that you do not need to pay if you have only earned $100 from one client, $100 from another, and so on. This is not true. If you have earned $500 total, then you are required to pay taxes on this money. Your clients or the companies that you work for many not necessarily be required to report the amount of money that you have made, but you are going to need to.

Self-employed individuals are also recommended to pay taxes on a quarterly basis. If you have a business name, not doing this according to regulations can come back to haunt you. That said, reporting any earnings that you have made, even if it is only done once a year, can help prevent you from getting into trouble with Uncle Sam.

Since not paying taxes is a federal offense, it is important to make sure that you do so. The best thing that you can do is keep good records of your earnings as a writer. Check back tomorrow for some tips on how to keep track of the amount of money that you make each month.

If you are planning to work as a freelance writer, one of the things that you are going to need to worry about is keeping track of your monthly earnings. There are a number of different things that you can do in order to record how much you are earning per month. Here are a few tips.

Don’t Forget to Write in Bank Books

When you are doing a lot of online money transfers, it can often be difficult to remember to write how much money you are putting into your savings or checking account each week. Writing in books is the best thing that you can do. In order to make it go a lot smoother, try to write in your books on one specific day each week, such as Friday. It can also be whatever day you transfer money. Try to note where each transfer is coming from.

Keep a File Saved on Your Computer

Another easy way to keep track of your monthly earnings is to type it out each month and save it on a file on your computer. Just break it down according to each client or website that you are writing for. Write down the date and the amount of money that you have made. So, it should look something like this:

Client (Jane Smith) $20.00 2/12/2009
Associated Content: $25.00 2/14/2009
The Examiner $80.00 2/28/2009
Demand Studios $45.00 2/28/2009

(Please note that those numbers are entirely made up.)

Get Paper Versions of Your Monthly Earnings

Get a notebook or binder that you plan to write in. All that you need to do is write down the same exact things that you save on the computer. In fact, you can even print out the files from your computer with your monthly earnings. The reason that you will want to have it on paper is in case the computer gets a virus, or the file accidentally gets deleted.

Keeping track of your monthly earnings doesn’t need to be difficult. Since you will need to pay taxes on the money that you earn in the future, it is also something that is necessary for you to do.

Making the decision to write for a new client can be fairly difficult. With so many internet scams out there, you will want to know what to look out for. Here are some tips on how to know if a client is trying to scam you.

Extremely Low Pay

On the one hand, it is always good for a client to be upfront about their payment terms. However, if you are being offered an extremely low amount of pay that seems really unreasonable, then it is important to keep in mind that you are being scammed in a way. You should not get paid $1 per article if there is somewhere that you can write that same article and get paid a much higher amount of money. Most people will make much more money writing for Associated Content or Demand Studios. Consider how much you’re being paid and whether it seems like a good deal or not before deciding to take on a client full-time.

Delay in Payment

If your client is constantly giving you the run around, this is a good sign that you are being scammed. When you are told that you will be paid on a certain day, then your payment should come on that day. If it is delayed, then you should be given a specific time, and it should definitely come by then. It will be easier to trust a regular client over time, but keep in mind that they can scam you with payment delays as well. For first time clients, it is a good idea to ask for 10 or 25% of the total payment upfront.

Asking For Personal Information

Keep in mind that a client should never ask you for information that is personal. They should not ask for your SSN, unless it is because they want tax information. Although it is not all that common for identity theft scams to happen with writing clients, it is always a possibility that you should be aware of at all times. Any time that you asked for personal info on the internet, you should never provide it and know right away that someone is trying to scam you.

These are just a few signs that a client is trying to scam you. If one or more of these signs seem to happen, it is important to be cautious when making the decision to work for the client. When you begin to notice anything usual happening or if you do not get paid, it is time to take action. But what can you do if a client doesn’t pay you? Check back tomorrow to find out.

Many parents find that freelance writing can be challenging when there are children in the house. Although you never want to neglect the needs of your children, you still need to make money writing – especially if it is one of your primary sources of income. Here are some tips on how to cope with writing on a regular basis while there are children in the house.

1. Come Up With a Schedule For Yourself

A schedule is one of the best ways to stay on track with writing. If your child takes a nap at a certain time every day, you may be able to get more work done during this time, so you will want to plan for it. Writing in the morning before your child wakes up or at night after she has gone to sleep can also both be strategies to get as much work done as possible.

2. Write Down a List of Things to Do

Since you are going to be strapped for time when it comes to writing, one of the best things that you can do is write down a list of things to do. Figure out what needs to be done, and then try to figure out when you will be able to do them. Most parents who are freelance writers will find that a to-do list can be very advantageous.

3. Find Ways to Distract Your Child

One of the most important things that you can do is find ways to distract your child. Encouraging them to watch a video or television program, allowing them to play with one of the pets in the same room that you are in, or getting them to use crayons in their coloring book are all great ways to distract your child. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the more distracted your child is, the less distracted you will be due to him.

Freelance writing with a child can be very challenging. The most important thing is to determine what works the best for you. Coming up with a writing schedule, writing down a list of things to do, and finding ways to distract your child are just a few of the things that can be done to ensure that your writing goes a bit smoother.

Writing can get frustrating from time to time. Whether you are having a hard time finding paid writing gigs or you are working at home with a child, there is no doubt that this job can bring a lot of sweat and tears. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone. There are many other writers who have been in the same boat as you at some point. We all get frustrated. We all get writer’s block. Here are five inspirational quotes for writers.

1. “Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer” – Ray Bradbury

2. “Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must be cantankerous and objectionable in order to be bright; that ego is paramount over skill; that one can rise to a level from which one can tell the reader to go to hell. These myths, if believed, can ruin you. If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.” – David Brin

3. “The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home.” – John Campbell

4. “There is no satisfactory explanation of style, no infallible guide to good writing, no assurance that a person who thinks clearly will be able to write clearly, no key that unlocks the door, no inflexible rules by which the young writer may steer his course. He will often find himself steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion.” – E. B. White

5. “Occasionally, there arises a writing situation where you see an alternative to what you are doing, a mad, wild gamble of a way for handling something, which may leave you looking stupid, ridiculous or brilliant -you just don’t know which. You can play it safe there, too, and proceed along the route you’d mapped out for yourself. Or you can trust your personal demon who delivered that crazy idea in the first place.”
Trust your demon. – Roger Zelazny

Being an underpaid writer can be quite frustrating. Many writers consider asking their clients for more pay. Is this really something that you should do though? Here are some things to keep in mind when asking a client for a pay raise.

How Large of a Pay Increase Do You Want?

It is important to consider how much of a pay increase you want before asking. Ideally, you should ask for no more than 8-10%. About 5% is pretty harmless, depending on the amount that you are already making. Keep in mind that it can be a good idea to gradually increase the amount of pay that you want over periods over time. Asking for too much at once can be hurtful to your chances of actually getting it.

Can You Risk Losing the Client?

Another important question to ask yourself is whether you can risk losing this client. Depending on how much you depend on them for your monthly earnings, this can really go either way. As much as we would like to think that all clients will be agreeable to a pay increase, there are many who will become offended or will simply be annoyed by the fact that you have made such a request. This leads to another very important factor to consider.

What is Your Relationship With the Client?

Before making the decision to ask for a pay raise, it is important to consider the relationship that you have with your client. If it has been on a professional level, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If the client has sent you mostly warm and friendly vibes, then asking for a pay raise may be ideal. If your client is very strict and somewhat cold, then it may not be such a good idea to ask for a pay increase unless you are willing to risk losing this client.

There are many factors which determine whether it is a good idea to ask a client for a pay raise. Before requesting an increase in pay, it is important to think about all of these things. If your gut instinct says not to do so, it is important to remember that there is a possibility that your client may turn you down. If you are making too little on the work that you are providing the client with now, it is important to remember that you can always find a new client with a fairer pay scale.