By Cambridge Who’s Who Member and Contributing Author Shirley Patterson

Freelance writing – the act of submitting authored works to a company or individual on a per project basis – offers a lot of advantages, especially for people looking to shapetheir own schedules. There are endless possibilities for the freelance writer, depending on your ability to tackle a wide range of projects. Writers are needed at every level of business, from corporate to creative. Some companies may hire a freelancer for copywriting, which is the act of generating copy specifically for advertising campaigns and publicity projects. Other organizations will seek out freelance writers for more in-depth marketing materials, corporate communications and correspondence with shareholders, investors and/or clients. Magazines usually have a reserve of freelance writers who can tackle investigative stories, depending on their specialties and interests.

You don’t have to be a published journalist to become a professional freelance writer; people are constantly looking for articles on every topic. With the migration of newspapers and magazines to the Internet and the emergence of blogs as self-publishing tools, there are more outlets than ever to choose from. You just have to prove that you possess the knowledge and skills needed to contribute relevant articles that will reach the organization’s intended audience.

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career

At first the idea of beginning a career in freelance writing may seem daunting – even impossible. But all you need is commitment, dedication, some specific areas of interest/expertise and the ability to come up with creative ideas, or story angles, that you can pitch to editors. Constructing a winning pitch is a skill that every writer considering a career in freelancing should have. Think about the different points to your story as well as the story’s cultural and historical context. Figure out a unique way to approach the subject matter that will make it more interesting or intriguing to the reader.

Now that you know how to approach an editor, let’s figure out where to begin. To make a living out of writing for the Web can be challenging because a lot of online publications do not pay well and you will have a lot of competition. Nonetheless, the Internet is a good place to start looking for freelance writing gigs. You can begin by writing engaging articles, blogs and essays on popular topics and sending out some article proposals to magazines and websites. Even if you do not get compensated initially, by getting your name out there and building your online visibility, you will create a robust portfolio that you can present to potential employers. You should also diversify your writing abilities and the outlets you select to publish your work in order to make more money. Write e-zine articles, contribute newsletter content and become involved in a variety of projects – your work load will grow and so will your income. Start your own website, join forums and writers groups and cover various article topics for an online magazine of interest. If they are pleased with your work, some of these online publications may ask you to contribute content-for-pay, including features in their print properties. Be patient. This process will take a lot of hard work and determination, but it can be very rewarding.

Gaining Success as a Freelance Writer

Perseverance and dedication will help you to reach your professional goals. If you work diligently at writing and obtain the necessary exposure for your content, your dream to build a lucrative career as a freelancer will come true. And the harder you work at your craft, the more your skill set will develop and the easier you will be able to find inspiration for your work. Once you are focused, ideas will begin to appear out of nowhere. Your characters will whisper in your ear as you are standing in line at the check-out counter of a grocery store. You will come up with a series of fascinating article ideas while sitting in the waiting area of a doctor’s office. It will hit you like a bad habit, but this time it is for the good! Actively seek work, maintain a website, join online communities, network with other professionals, and write articles and submit them to article directories. Your hard work will ensure your success as a freelance writer.

Shirley Patterson’s Biography

Cambridge Who's Who Contributing Author Shirley Patterson

Cambridge Who’s Who member Shirley Patterson is a writer who uses her personal experiences to inspire the creation of fiction and non-fiction works. Ms. Patterson is currently studying journalism at The Writers Bureau . She is also nearing the completion of her first novel, titled “Canadaville: The Beginning.”

Shirley Patterson is open to sharing her life story with others, which centers on the devastation she witnessed due to Hurricane Katrina. Forced out of New Orleans by the engulfing flood waters, she relocated to an unfamiliar location in search of shelter and safety. “The looting was getting very dangerous for anyone to hang around,” she remembers, “and it became all about survival.” Once she was ready to leave the Big Easy behind, she ended up at the Baton Rouge River Center, a facility used to house 5,000 displaced hurricane victims. Packed in like sardines, she faced several obstacles before finally ending up in Canadaville – a self-sustaining community on 900 acres of land in Simmesport, Louisiana, designed specifically for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita evacuees.

After six months had passed, Ms. Patterson settled into Canadaville, but she began to feel restless and depressed. “There were no jobs here, and I had no transportation,” she recalls. “I asked God, what am I going to do here?” The next morning, she awoke, walked to the front door and opened it. She marveled at the beautiful setting before her. She stared at the trees and, without hesitation, picked up a pen and pad. She began writing nonstop until she had completed six pages. The next day, she repeated her steps and wrote 10 pages.

Ms. Patterson had found the answer to her important, burning question. “The trees sparked my imagination to put pen to paper and write,” she remembers. “I love Canadaville and I will never forget this place for as long as God gives me this will to live.” Aptly titled, “Canadaville: The Beginning” should be completed by the end of June. Additionally, Ms. Patterson is penning a short story called “Living Among the Trees.”

Since discovering her newfound talents and abilities, Shirley Patterson acknowledges that she has found her true calling in life. She feels very enthusiastic about writing and does so in abundance. When she is not authoring her new book, she composes monthly newsletters for Canadaville, contributes to the local newspaper and writes gardening articles. While on her path to becoming a skillful wordsmith, she has learned the importance of meeting assignment deadlines. Her secret to success: “I devote all of my free time to the craft.” In five years, Shirley Patterson hopes to publish more novels and develop a career writing for newspapers and magazines.

In order to remain abreast of trends and new developments in the writing industry, Shirley Patterson reads a lot, subscribes to writers’ websites and reviews industry-related newsletters. She is a member of the Writers Guild of Acadiana. Aside from writing, Ms. Patterson loves gardening plants and flowers and is a member of her local garden club.

Cambridge Who’s Who Resource Center Article(s) by Shirley Patterson

• The Benefits of Freelance Writing New!
  

07/10/2008 – 7/12/2008 The GirlFriend Gathering Women’s Conference
West Palm Beach FL – The Girlfriend Gathering is a blend of experiences that empowers the inner-self— where women find support and creative confidence to achieve a more satisfying life.

The Cambridge Who’s Who Resource Center is a place for members to become updated on the latest trends in business, education, healthcare, science and technology, real estate, small business and philanthropy for executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. Cambridge Who’s Who Resource Center is filled with articles and news offering advice on popular topics such as starting your own business, networking, marketing and making yourself into a valuable contact.

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By Cambridge Who’s Who Contributing Author Chi Chi Okezie

Networking is becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs. It is an amazing means of allowing professionals to build relationships, grow their businesses, tap into resources, develop business skills and brand themselves within their industry or profession. Entrepreneurs can network within their jobs, clubs, organizations, associations and now online. Internet networking proves to be just as effective as in-person networking while adding several benefits for professional and social success.

Online networking is an excellent tool that entrepreneurs should invest in to develop their businesses. There are several advantages to online networking over traditional networking methods. Listed below are five key benefits of online networking that will open your mind to a host of endless opportunities for yourself and your business:

#1: Online networking increases and diversifies your network.
Online networking gives entrepreneurs a chance to develop relationships with several contacts at one time. Professionals can meet several people and communicate in a broader way than they are able to at face-to-face networking events. Business people are able to meet a wider variety of people through online networking. Usually, networking events will attract certain groups of people, depending on who is sponsoring the event. With online networking, many different industries are represented within the group.

#2: Online networking makes you more accessible to others.
Having a virtual business presence enables professionals to be contacted much faster than by phone or mail. Your ability to be accessible and reached easily allows you to conduct business in an efficient and productive manner. You are able to organize and execute projects and agendas in effectively, which can greatly affect your bottom line and give you a clear advantage over your competitors. It will also improve your credibility and image for your company, brand or service.

#3: Online networking shatters time and geographical boundaries.
By networking online, entrepreneurs are able to reach the world from their computer. Using the internet and email allows professionals to send messages to business counterparts during any time of the day from any location to be received anywhere around the world. The flexibility and practical aspects of connecting and building relationships online expands your target audiences and your network of clients, customers, colleagues, vendors, partners, investors and even employees.

#4: Online networking can be an excellent low-cost marketing tool.
One of the best advantages of online networking is the ability to showcase yourself and your company, products, services or brand. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly looking for ways to create awareness, and online networking offers that unique benefit. Many websites allow members to post pictures, profiles, articles, books and various marketing materials for advertisements and announcements. Entrepreneurs can then share their online content with their clients, customers and business colleagues.

#5: Online networking allows entrepreneurs to develop professional skills.
Many online networking groups and companies offer incentives and benefits to their members, which can be extremely valuable to business and personal development. Blogs, articles, book recommendations, online seminars, teleseminars, announcements of local and national business events and discounts on business publications or services are just a few resources that entrepreneurs can use for success.

Entrepreneurs should consider investing in online networking for their professional and social endeavors. Online networking creates many resources for businesses and gives entrepreneurs flexibility in their business dealings. It is one more effective tool that can be used to accomplish business and social goals.

Chi Chi Okezie joined Cambridge Who’s Who in June 2007. Using the resources and networking tools available to her via Cambridge Who’s Who membership, Chi Chi was able to receive additional exposure for her company on www.cambridgewhoswho.com, including a feature in the Cambridge Business (CamBizTM) Directory, Announcements, Who’s Who in the News and Cambridge Events sections. SIMPLEnetworking LLC will also be spotlighted in the Featured Business section of the upcoming Cambridge Who’s Who e-newsletter, “Who’s News.”

Cambridge Who’s Who applauds Ms. Okezie for taking full advantage of her Cambridge Who’s Who member benefits and thanks her for the kind words about our services and staff that she submitted for the Cambridge Who’s Who Success Stories website.

For more information on Chi Chi Okezie and SIMPLEnetworking, LLC, please view her contributing author profile.