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Freebie Etiquette (Yes, There is Such a Thing!) When you are on the hunt for free stuff, it can be easy to be so blinded by the offers that your manners go flying out the window completely. You may also just not realize that when it comes to taking advantage of freebies there is a general code of conduct that it pays to follow. While you are racking up the free stuff, keep these common courtesy rules in mind so that you are doing your part to keep the hunt for freebies fun and enjoyable. Freebie etiquette rule number one is to remember that there is a face behind every freebie, no matter how distant it may seem. Since so many freebies come from websites and you don’t actually have interaction with a human being while you are getting them, it can be very easy to forget that someone (or very likely, a lot of someones) worked hard to bring you that website and that free deal. If you have a problem with a website or a form while trying to get some free stuff, deal with it as respectfully as you would if you had to approach a customer service rep in person. Leaving foul-mouthed posts on a message board or unloading a barrage of outrage on a customer reply form isn’t the way forward. Someone – a real person – will have to help you, and you’ll get a lot further by treating them with respect. Respect is also the name of the game when it comes to rules attached for freebie offers. There are often restrictions in place for taking advantage of free offers, such as the age you have to be to cash in on the offer or how many offers per household can be taken. Sure, there are plenty of ways to get around these rules and “trick” a company into giving you an offer for which you are not really eligible. However, when you try to simply bleed out as many free offers as you can, you’re only making it hard on companies to be able to keep bringing these offers to you. If this freebie isn’t for you, take a back seat and make room for the folks who can take advantage of it. Your time will come. Related to this last rule is the idea of not being too greedy when gobbling up the free stuff. Just because something is free doesn’t mean you should use a “smash and grab” approach and go for as much as you can get of anything you can get. Remember that there are a lot of other people out there who like to get in on the freebies, too, and think about how you would feel if you lost out on something you really wanted because someone came along and took them all. Don’t take more than your share of any free offer, and don’t take things you don’t want or need just because they’re free. Everyone loses when you do that. Last but not least, if you have an opportunity to say thanks for a freebie, grab it. Of course, this can be hard to do when the free offers you are taking advantage of are found on the Internet, but there are still ways. Look for the customer comment field in the request forms you fill out to get your free stuff and leave a quick thank you there. You can also write a thank you on message boards and chat rooms that are associated with the freebie websites. The good will generated by your gratitude will only help convince companies that freebie offers are useful tools for reeling in the customers.

The Many Faces of The Ghostwriting Professional (ghostwriting) Ghostwriting may seem distasteful to some writers, but it is the preferred profession for many writers. Some writers are more satisfied with the act of writing than have their name known by consumers. A ghostwriter is a writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, and reports that are credited to another person. Ghostwriters have been used by many professionals, including celebrities, executives, and political leader. The writers are usually hired to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, speeches, and other material. The ghostwriter is not always left out; they may sometimes be acknowledged by the author or publisher for assisting in creating the finished product. Ghostwriters have a very important role in the world, and there are many different types of ghostwriters, including nonfiction, fiction, political, medical, blog, and academic writers. Ghostwriters provide an important service to many of their clients. Some people hire ghostwriters to polish and edit a rough draft of their articles and books. If a ghostwriter is used to edit a book or article, most of the language in the finished product will be that of the credited author. Although, some books and articles could not be finished with the help provided by ghostwriting. Typically, ghostwriters are hired to write most of the work, using concepts and stories provided by the author who receives credit. A writer, who writes most or all of the work, will do extensive research on the client or their area of expertise. Ghostwriters always prepare a book or article with input from their client, and the credited authors may provide a basic framework of ideas at the outset, or may provide comments on the final draft of a project. Autobiographies are a common project offered to writers in the field of ghostwriting. When writing an autobiography, ghostwriters typically interview the client, their colleagues, their friends and family, and may also find interviews, articles and video footage relating to the client they are writing for. Ghostwriting may be needed for several reasons and may be needed by many types of people. In most cases, a ghostwriter is needed for a celebrity or public figure who does not have the time, discipline, or writing skills required to write and research an autobiography or other types of books. Publishers to increase the number of books that can be published each year by a well-known author may also recruit the writers. There are many types of ghostwriters, including the nonfiction ghostwriter. In ghostwriting, the nonfiction writer is used by celebrities and public figures that want autobiographies or memoirs published. Nonfiction ghostwriters may also be used to write “how-to” books, or used to write books for professionals in a certain field. Fiction ghostwriters are another type of ghostwriter, which are usually employed by fiction publishers. Political ghostwriters provide their ghostwriting services to public officials and politicians. These political figures employ ghostwriters to respond to the large volume of correspondence they receive. The writers typically draft response letters for the correspondence that is received. Medical ghostwriters are often hired by pharmaceutical companies to produce papers in medical and scientific journals on the outcomes of medications. Some physicians and scientists from academia may also be paid for the use of their name, which enhances credibility of the study. Many professionals have criticized the use of medical ghostwriting, but it is a common practice that seems to have no decrease in action. A web log or blog ghostwriter is one of the newest types of ghostwriters. Many blog operators use ghostwriters to help generate interest in their blog site. These ghostwriters are hired to post comments to their blog, while posing as others by using pseudonyms. This practice is used to generate more traffic and encourage more real posts. Academic ghostwriters are often used by university and college students, and are hired through essay mills to write entrance essays, term paper, and theses and dissertations. Ghostwriting is not desirable for many writers, but ghostwriters seem to provide a much needed service to the writing community.

To Enter or Not to Enter Writing Contests (writing contests) If you are a freelance writer, it is because you love to write. Why not put those abilities to use and enter a writing contest? You have nothing to loose and a lot to gain. You can find writing contests by simply searching the Internet. Writing groups and message boards may also have listing for these contests. No matter what you writing genre maybe poetry, fiction, non fiction, there is a contest out there for you. Read about them and choose which ones are right for you. It is not necessarily about winning or loosing but about the experience and knowledge that you gain to get there. Whether you win or not there are still valuable things that can be learned or gained by entering into contests. Entering writing contests will help you hone the skills that you have. Try something new, you may choose to write in a niche that you normally wouldn’t. You get constructive criticism from someone new. Someone that doesn’t have to worry about hurting your feelings and that is unbiased can be a wonderful asset to your career. The feedback you receive can be invaluable to you. It will get your name out there and give you a place to showcase your work. Depending on how good your story, if you make it to the next round your writings could be in front of editors and agents. This feedback and criticism is even more important than the first. Do not your eggs all in one basket. Enter a couple contests to get multiple feedback sources. Not every editor or agent is going to agree. By entering multiple contests and find common points about your writing that need perfecting you will be able to concentrate on a general consensus about your abilities. There are some downsides to entering writing contests, too. Chances are that a simple contest is not going to launch your career into star status. Do your research just as if you were going to write an article about contests. For many contests you give up your rights to your entry whether it wins or not. You need to decide whether or not you are willing to give up all rights to your story. If you win it is not a big deal, but if you loose your giving your work away. Are you willing to do this? Research the contest. You can search the Internet for reports or opinions on contests run by the company. You can find valuable information on if the contest is legitimate, if entering has had any effect of previous entrant’s careers, and if it is really worth it in the long run. The bigger and well-established companies will give credibility to your work if you win. But the bigger and more well know the companies are will also bring in tougher competition with well know authors. Some companies offer contests as a disguise. Yes they will give away prizes and declare winners but their main goal with the contest is advertising. It can be in the form of offering you to buy obscure book featuring your contest submission. Sometimes it is an editing company that offers a discount for its services or a company that will offer you discounts on writing classes. A writing contest is just a possible stepping stone. Whether it helps you or not is the unknown, but it definitely won’t hurt you. It may help you reach the next level of your career. You and only you will be able to make the decision on whether or not writing contests are a good move for your career.