As a blog blogger and content writer, your writing will always be in the spotlight—and that is nothing new for you. It’s just how it should be. But, here are five things I’ve learned during my years as a freelance writer, so you can always tell when I write to hit publish because it’s done!
1.) Don’t let your ego interfere with your writing. Even if something makes sense, don’t forget the audience is watching. The first impression you give to someone who reads your work is vital to making any kind of difference in their life. If people like your article, they won’t want to put up with your lack of professionalism or your awful grammar, but they’ll definitely want to keep reading to see what else you have to say. This is called “clarity” and it’s very important. A great feeling of having reached your target audience. When we feel it, our heads also relax, giving us more time to think and create what we want to write. So please stop worrying about grammar and mechanics and just write whatever comes into your head. And try not to worry about the reader seeing your grammar mistakes. They make me laugh more often than I did before. (You’d never want anyone to know).
2.) Get ready with the most comprehensive outline possible. Nothing works better than getting everything on paper. I wish I could tell you I have this many pages of an extensive outline in all of them. But, no, I only have three. No matter how long you get this, you still need to keep editing until the final draft. Just grab pages one-by-one and double them up so there’s two in each page. In case you want to add anything from your past (such as a paragraph, idea, introduction, conclusion), just click the plus button (or minus) next to the section. There you go. Your entire outline made in just a few key areas is totally fine. At least that’s what I do. This gives my outline plenty of room to change and keep track of it. Yes, you need a lot of revisions, but remember to give yourself enough time and space to allow yourself as much freedom as you can muster. Take as many hours reviewing your material and tweaking your ideas as you can. After writing, take a break. Look at your completed piece and make some improvements. Then revise again until all the changes made fit your word count’s requirements. For example, if you add a few words but then don’t improve your formatting, rewrite the whole thing. Once you have that final, polished final, you should have a fully fledged outline containing every single detail of your writing. And yes, it looks amazing.
3.) Go back to basics. Think your readers already know what they’re looking for in an effective article and are likely to search for it. And the best way to start writing is by providing your readers a basic overview (a thesis statement). Keep your title short because you don’t have much room for filler. Remember too your main point isn’t what other people think of it, it’s what you think of it. Keep short sentences but long ones sometimes. Try using bold words so other people can understand what you mean. Most importantly, include details about what your topic is and why your target audience should care about it. Include keywords and phrases that would help your target audience find your piece. Add relevant topics that are related to your writing. Finally, don’t overuse passive language, such as phrases like “so and so wrote a piece about…” or “I believe…” instead of being more active and saying “I’m sure everyone has heard of…” or “I think…” or maybe even “I can’t guarantee what you are thinking because…” Just use them in moderation. More specifically, avoid hyperbole and fillers. Make sure your main points are as straightforward as possible. Don’t waste your valuable resources on unnecessary embellishments about something that doesn’t exist. That adds more information and meaning that could be useful in the real world.
4.) Show others who cares about what you say. By now you’ve probably realized the importance of showing others who cares about what you think. However, the point is not just to show them who wants to read your stuff, but also to show them who cares about what you like to write. Tell them you love to write, then share some examples of your work. Share your own style and work on different websites to improve your writing skills. Share how you do research to develop your articles before they are made. What kind of advice you’re willing to share? All that matters is your efforts. People are smart so don’t just tell them.
5.) Always strive for perfection. Writers are human beings, they’re not robots. When publishing your article, it will usually take a couple of days before you get the chance to edit it and proofread it. However, it’s good to correct typos and grammatical errors on your writing immediately, especially those that appear in the second half. Before you can proofread or edit, you must take a quick look at it and check what spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes don’t fit your story. Now you know where to start correcting those problems. If you don’t check your articles as soon as possible, you’ll end up with a lousy version that you’ll have to throw away or delete it from all social media to make up for. This is why, after the initial editing process, you should make sure to check your work several times, maybe before submitting it to bloggers. There, you’ll find lots of mistakes and you’ll realise exactly where you went wrong and also what you could improve. You can always send out corrections for rewrites. Or you can wait as long as you like. Whatever your approach, remember, perfection is hard to achieve. So stop worrying about the outcome. Focus on what you’ve done right, focus on improving your writing and finishing.
So that’s what you need to know about writing and self-publishing: Be careful about your grammar, pick the subject carefully and don’t put off corrections, check each paragraph by sentence as soon as they’re written, try rewording the parts you feel are lacking, and polish your work as soon as you can. If you follow these tips, you’ll have a finished product for yourself and it will be worth it to read. Happy crafting!