Freelance Writing

A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a self-employed person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any particular employer. The term "freelance" was first coined by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in his well-known historical romance Ivanhoe to describe a "medieval mercenary warrior" (or "free-lance"). The phrase later transitioned to a figurative noun around the 1860s and was then officially recognized as a verb in 1903 by various authorities in etymology such as the Oxford English Dictionary. Only in modern times has the term morphed from a noun (a freelance) into an adjective (a freelance journalist), various verb forms (a journalist who freelances) and an adverb (she worked freelance), and then from the verb into the derived, now commonly-used, noun form "freelancer".

1. Simplicity: use small words. The more simply an idea is presented, the easier it is to understand – and, therefore, the more credible it will be.

2. Brevity: use short sentences. This is less about self-restraint than it is a matter of finding exactly the right piece of the language jigsaw puzzle to fit the precise space you’re trying to fill.

3. Credibility is as important as philosophy. If your words lack sincerity, if they contradict accepted facts, circumstances or perceptions, they will lack impact. Tell people who you are or what you do. Then be that person, and do what you have said you would do.

4. Consistency matters. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Remember, you may be making yourself sick by saying the same exact thing for the umpteenth time, but many in your audience will be hearing it for the first time.
5But offer something new. If something doesn’t shock us or bores us, we move on to something else. If what you say generates an ‘I didn’t know that’ response, you have succeeded.

6. Sound and texture matter. The sounds and textures of words should be just as memorable as the words themselves. The rhythm of language is in itself musical.

7. Speak aspirationally. Messages need to say what people want to hear, to touch people at the most fundamental, primal level, by speaking to their deepest hopes, fears and dreams. The best speeches make idealists of us all.

8. Visualise. Paint a vivid picture. Take M&M’s: ‘Melts in your mouth, not in your hand’. The slogans we remember for a lifetime almost always have a strong visual component, something we can see and almost feel.

9. Ask a question. A customer complaining to the shop manager that her meat has too much fat in it is less effective than if she asked: ‘Does this look lean to you?’. Similarly, asking ‘What would you do if you were in my shoes?’, puts direct pressure on the recipient of your complaint to see things your way. Making a statement in the form of a rhetorical question makes the reaction personal.

10. Provide context. You have to give people the ‘why’ of a message before you tell them the ‘therefore’ and the ‘so that’.

To have an idea on how Elance works and what kind of projects people are posting. Visit this link:

Elance.com

There are plenty of great resources to hire a freelancer. These are:

• http://www.rentacoder.com/
• http://www.guru.com/
• http://www.ebookhelper.com/GhostWriting.html/
• http://thewritetouch.no-frills.net/
• http://www.theghostwriter.net/

To post your project on Elance.com or any other freelance site you should first open a free account with them, and then open a bid request. Your bid request should include:

• A clear description of your project without giving a lot of details.
• Maximum Bid. This is the highest bid offer you will accept. Freelancer can bid lower to gain your business, but not higher.
• Bidding Close Date. This is the date (in U.S format--mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss) you want to close bidding and not accept any more bids.
• The number of days the freelancer have to work on the project and deliver the final work. If you omit a deadline, then the he is under no time obligation to deliver!

Before accepting any bid you should verify that the person you are selecting is apt to handle the project effectively. You can do this by:

• Asking the ghostwriter for his references.
• Asking for a sample of his work.
• Visiting his profile page, where you can find more information about him and also what people who worked with him have to say about his work.

Who could be a Ghost Writer?. Well anyone who likes and has a passion to write. Those who may have the flair to bring across the text wold alive into the mind of the reader.

There are various categories for a Ghost Writer. It could be blog writing, novel writing, autobiography etc.

Here is what a ghostwriter / freelancer can do for you:

• Research on the internet and other sources
• Compilation of all the information you provide them
• Professional writing that makes your ideas sound really great
• Write a compelling book that rivets a reader's interest
• Usage of language that is apt according to the topic
• Delivering the complete packaged product version ready to sell.

All you have to do is provide them with your ideas, research, and information about your ebook then let them do the work for you.

Here are some of the advantages of letting a ghostwriter write for you:

• All the writing work and designing is easily outsourced to ghostwriters. They do all the work you get the benefit (and the profits)!
• Save time and energy that could be used efficiently in other directions.
• You keep 100% of the copyright.
• They can do the research for you.

The procedure is as follows. You have to post your project on the website. The freelancer who is interested in your project will place a bid. The cost of this work depends on the expertise required, the nature of the project and the volume of work. You are free to negotiate. Ghostwriters work mostly for themselves. If you generate repeat business for them a business relationship gets established. The ghostwriters or freelancer may then charge a lower fee for the returning client as it helps generate higher business volumes. The investment you make in hiring a ghostwriter is returned many times over and gives beneficial results. You get an excellent product made and the readers get their value for money through high quality material. This is definitely a win-win situation where you, the freelancer and the client, all are benefited.

So, happy being a Ghost!