Tips on How to Choose A Ghost Writer

photo not mine

Finding the "perfect" ghostwriter to hire is a dilemma that many bloggers, writers and authors experience. You want somebody who will understand you and express your words when you can't. This actually determine the success of an article, a book, or a novel in progress. Here's a few tips on how you can work things out with your potential "writer" and how you can ensure the success of each project.

Discuss your terms. When hiring a ghostwriter, you should be clear with your writer that you will retain exclusive rights to the article, book or song that will be produce. It is your idea in the first place and you have hired them to put into words your thoughts and ideas. 

Experience. A ghostwriter with ample experience writing on various genres should place highly on your list of potential providers. They should also specialize in a certain style or genre since nobody can be an expert at every type of writing or niche. Hiring a writer who specializes in a specific genre will give you better output compared with hiring a generic writer. It is okay to ask for sample articles or work so that you can assess the writer before you hire him or her.

Communication venues. Make sure that you can contact and communicate with your writer for hire. He or she must also provide updates and details about the task regularly through various communication modes.  There are instances when a writer takes up the work and then disappears without any effort to communicate. Updates, feedback and details will ensure that your project is on the right track and any problems will be easily corrected. 

Cost and Timelines. Assess the cost and the timeline of your project. It may also be necessary to pay premium to ensure that you get high quality work, but it rarely means that you have to hire the most expensive provider. Try to work in installments so both of you can adjust to each others needs and requirements. This way you also minimize potential risks and ensure the success of your project. 

Freelancing Tips: Ways to Deal with Freelance Funk

Having a regular job, a home to attend, a little boy to miss all the time, a long-distance love affair and topped with an online writing job that's  that  is a little overwhelming to  juggle. Yes juggle. A recent movie I've watched starring Sarah Jessica Parker shows a busy woman juggling her different roles and how she managed to do everything with grace is just amazing. She's right in one point, we women always have a list - a mental list, grocery lists, to-do lists, and a lot more. This can be quite helpful in helping us deal with out busy schedules and lessen our changes of developing stressful scenarios. Here is a list of ways to help you deal with the stress that comes with freelancing. 

Acknowledge Your Stressors

To help you balance your many roles out, specify them one by one. I am a mom, a partner, a loving daughter, a public servant, a writer, a friend and others. You must learn to set your priorities from here and when stressed out, recognize the source of it. Knowing your priorities and the source of the problems will help you find the best ways to deal with it. 

Have a Plan

This is where those "lists" come in really handy. Having a to-do list can help you make schedule and allot time for each of your roles and responsibilities. As a daughter you can do you errands for your mom and dad on lunchtime of Monday. As a mom, you can schedule a movie date with your kids on Friday as a reward for their good performance in school. As a long distance wife/gf/partner, you can also schedule movie dates once a week via skype or advance book for a vacation to visit one another. In between work, these fun stuff is really something that you and your loved ones can always look forward to.

Manage your Time

Assess your role and ask yourself if you've accomplished and how you've managed your time for the week. See where you've run short and follow up or tweak things a little bit. 

Learn to Prioritize Things

Determine the importance and urgency of your tasks and assignments. Act according to their importance and urgency. Urgent matters are those with deadlines and demand your attention. These things needs to be addressed immediately, while those not-so-urgent but important schedules such as dinner with the kid or are often neglected. Be sure to finish those urgent tasks over specific periods so that you can have more time with your loved ones. 

Take Care of Yourself

You can only balance everything you juggle when your mind, body and soul is also in top shape. Rest and sleep when you need to. Have some sort of an outlet and getaway once in awhile. Arrange vacation and fun activities with your loved ones to loosen up every now and then. 

Work on the Road: Choosing Hotels with Wi-fi Connection in Kota Kinabalu

I recently took a 4-day trip to Kota Kinabalu to spend time with Baba. I booked flights from Clark, Pampanga to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in after considering if I should grab cheap flights to Atlanta by using promo code FL15 on CheapOair instead. AfterwhichWhen travelling to another country, wi-fi availability of great importance especially if you carry with you online tasks and assignments. So this is my number 1 requirement when I looked up hotels for my first ever trip out of the country.

The three accommodation arrangement I made are:

1. City Park Lodge at Jalan Pantai

Among the three choices, I wasn't really sure about booking this because of the "Pleasant" rating it has on Agoda, but arriving here was really a "pleasant surprise." The place looked clean and well maintained. The staff were all friendly and the wi-fi connection is really good! They charge from RM 64-73 per night and wi-fi is available at the lobby/reception and public areas. I actually gave this hotel a very high rating (8.7)

2. Borneo Gaya Lodge

We were a bit disappointed with our stay here though the wi-fi connection is good enough to reach the rooms. I booked a double room from Agoda for RM 68, the pictures looked nice but we were given a room without a window and the hot shower wasn't working. If it's not located centrally in Jalan Gaya, I wouldn't give it a passing rate. Next time I visit Baba in KK, we won't be coming back to this hotel.

3. Cititel Express

For our last night in Kota Kinabalu, I choose a nicer hotel and though there are several complaints on the small-ish rooms, we were quite satisfied and really had a great stay here. I booked a sea-view room for RM 103 and we paid an extra RM10 for 1 day unlimited wi-fi connection. The hotel was a short walk to the waterfront and surrounded with shops and restos. Baba and I decided that this hotel was really a great choice, though we wish that wi-fi will be free next time!

Que Horror: A No-Internet Connection Horror Story

Recently, I took a vacation to my parent's hometown in the sleepy island of Ticao Masbate. With the crowd of people taking the time off as well, it was a rough ride going there. I looked into the possibilities of taking freelance online writing jobs but decided against it. I know how backward the island is, and reliable internet connection will only be wishful thinking.

I finished all my assignments before heading out and travelling all of 16 hours via ordinary bus plus 2 hours sea travel via an outrigger boat and 30 minutes of motorcycle ride to finally reached my destination.

I discovered there is some-sort-of-an-internet connection via my mobile phone and made do browsing facebook and messaging/chat through it. I had a few relaxing days with my son and explored the beach in the afternoon. I got a message from one of my clients on facebook a couple of days before I'm due to travel back. I thought it was an easy task and I only need a few sources to come up with the article required so I accepted it. I brought out my alternative broadband stick(Smartbro) and a bunch of patience for I know it's going to take some time for each page to load. I retrieved the tasks the night before I left the island and started my search. Started working on it, sent it out after finishing and turned of my lappy.

The next morning, I work up extra early for my trip starts at 5am. While on the boat I checked my facebook messages and surprised that I need do a couple of changes on one of my articles. I replied and promised my client the revised article after 2 hours because I was still on the boat. When I finally reached Bulan port in Sorsogon - I almost cried! No internet connection available! Que Horror! Really it was crazy and I don't know what to do.

These situations should be expected but I didn't expect it this time. I hastily send another facebook message using my mobile and informed the client of the situation and asked for a couple more hours extension. I hurriedly hopped on the next bus to Legazpi and after 3 hours, I was able to finally send the article to my client.

How about you, what freelance writing horror stories do you have? Did power shut down or unreliable internet connection also disrupted your schedule and your work?

Understanding the Role of the Ghostwriter for Blogs

I have recently been accepting on-demand ghostwriting jobs for several bloggers and I'm starting to like it. For one it pays really well and there's not much technicalities to the articles required.

The key to being a successful ghostwriter really is about understanding your role in the process. You are writing for someone else and you have to put yourself into their shoes most of the time. In most cases, I read about my client's blog first to understand how they write. I have to set aside my own ideas in approaching specific topics and learn to keep my ego in check. I may be the one writing it, but really the client still has the last say.

Collaboration with the client is also important as you need to regularly check whether your material really captures the voice and ideas of your client. You need to do researches and provide output that puts your client on the active voice. Being flexible helps a lot when you work as a ghostwriter, with this you can develop long, productive working relationship with your blogger clients.