Creative Writer. 27 years of age. Love writing. Enjoy going on vacations. Passionate about good food.Obsessed with books and the internet. Am a complete people's person.Friends call me a chatterbox. They are just jealous.
It is that time of the year again when festivities are in the air. As expected there is also a pitfall in the number of assignments up for grabs as probable clients in the US and Europe have virtually shut down their shops for the holidays. This left me with some good time on my hands to utilize on tasks which i felt had been kept neglected since long. To start with my website, i was since long wanting to update my portfolio as well as certain sections on the website. There was also the months old deliberation going in my head regarding putting up my prices on the website or not. Finally I did decide to do that. Results and effects on that change are highly awaited though! :)The work on the website was not all that much but yes the time was always a factor. Finally I got that sorted out and have the additions made to the website.
My reader too is about to burst to the seems with the huge number of unread blog entries that it is managing. I will be truthful when i say that in the recent months my reading time had reduced considerably owing to the number of assignments I was handling. So I am back with a vengeance to get back on my reading. I am also in the process of rearranging my list on the reader by removing some blogs and adding some new names to it.
I would also like to devote some time to my blog while I am free and try and pen down some good posts at regular intervals. I guess this is something that all of us should do when there is not enough work on our hands. I know so many individuals who utilize their free time writing down and creating a stock of blogs which they then go ahead and post later on at regular intervals. Smart move I say!
The other thing which i need to work on are my social networking networks. Connecting to new connections and getting back in touch with the old ones will help me get some conversations on! :)
But then i also advocate the fact that one surely needs some time to get out and spend some time doing things to fresh up and get back the energy. So it might be a day out with friends, or a night out at the club anything which you enjoy doing is something which you should try.
For me it will be adding some new books to my library, adding some new plants to my 'minuscule' garden up here on the first floor and of course catching up with old friends and the latest gossips doing the rounds now a days! Believe me it helps perk you help.. yes males and females both! :D
What about you? What do you do to spend your free time?
It was long due for me to get my portfolio on my website updated. Finally got it done last week. Have added to it my latest assignments which include web content generation for websites as well as content for a brochure.
The other changes in there is the content for the 'About Me' section. There is so much to Niha than what I thought I had in there previously! So thought of adding some more content to it.. naah no self promotion for sure!! You get me as I am.. straight from the heart! :)
I had been long contemplating and debating on the fact that should I or shouldn't go ahead and replace the standard and safe 'request a quote' web page on my website with my writing rates. The variable in consideration were plenty and so were the advices which came my way. I decided to take a fair perspective. So with a paper and pen I sat down and made 2 columns on the paper and started listing out the advantages and disadvantages which I could think of regarding posting my writing prices on my website.
Both the columns seemed to have equal number of points! But then deep inside i knew that it was the right time to bring out my writing rates. There was just one problem which was nagging me regarding it and that was the point that by posting my writing prices I would be reducing my chances of potential client interactions as they would now not be contacting me if they feel that my writing services prices are beyond their reach. But it did not take me long to realise that if these viewers did like my work and seeked quality work on their projects then they would by all means approach me!
The other factor that stood out was that now I would be able to concentrate my time only on a handful of clients who would be now knowing what price to expect for their project so that we could go ahead and straight away concentrate on the project. Believe me, when you work as a freelancer, the most time consuming task can be the one when you have to reply to queries regarding the prices charged and the ones which start a price negotiating cycle.
My profession of freelance web writing has many writers who provide content for as low as $1 per page. So by putting up my writing price list I wish to finally and once and for all declare it that no I am NOT one of them. I love my profession and I ensure that my work reflects the same passion and dedication. My writing price list is justified by the quality of my work that I deliver. So if you get what you want for your project I too have the right to charge logically for the same right?
After all, what I am bringing in is transparency and ease so that clients seeking a web content writer will know what to expect! You can check out the content writing rates at my website and let me know what you think!
This week has been a hectic one for sure.. For starters my regular wok too came not in cart loads but in truck fulls and then along came two new projects too. The first project was content writing for a consulting website.
Client: Castle Consultants
The client wanted content on specific guidelines to be used for their financial consulting section. Since the client was expecting some good contracts in a couple of days there fore the requirement of having the content and putting the same on the website as soon as possible was a necessity. Having said that, the complexity aggravated with the fact that the topics I had to write on were completely new to me! The client did provide me with a foot hold to start on but I knew that i had to get my basics clear before i attempted writing.
Clients brief: The content should be crisp, targeting to a niche of customers, should bring out genuineness and credibility as well as sound professional.
I had expected before hand that the assignment was going to be a bit tough and yes it surely was. Tough as in the fact that i needed to understand the topics, understand the requirement and deliver on the same in a span of 2 days. The client was patient enough to go through my drafts and suggest modifications. 2 rounds of modifications followed before the final content was settled for. Now when I look back at this particular assignment I can analyze that what took me the most time here was to get in the right customer targeting. I was blocking my usage to a couple of words only which when I rectified saw things falling in place.
Since I cannot post the entire content here I will copy a part of the content that the assignment for you have an idea...
Government Liaising & Product Launch Castle Consultants aspires to make your business dealing with various government agencies completely hassle free. We at Castle Consultants understand the difficulties that businesses encounter with government agencies for getting various approvals. We have the desired skills to understand government requirements, procedures, and paper work involved towards setting up new businesses and running them.
Our team of government liaison experts are very well equipped to provide you with government and business liaison services to your utmost satisfaction. The government liaison services at Castle Consulting are ideally crafted allowing us to take care of all the modalities and tasks involved while you can freely work towards meeting your strategic business goals and ensuring growth of your company. Adding another feather to its cap is the sound marketing management skills that you can avail from Castle consultants. Coupled with adequate and in depth marketing research the business strategy development offered by Castle consultants ensures that your business product is placed in the right market framework and it gets the perfect launch that it deserves. First hand market experience along with the essence of sophisticated market planning gives our experienced and qualifies marketing consultants the extra edge that they need in order to make your product launch a winning one!
The other assignment that i wrapped up was for an image consultancy firm called Indihues.
Situated in Mumbai, India, this company also provides personal styling services and as a part of the same they are going to organize a workshop on "Power Dressing" for employees of various big corporate houses. The requirement here was a bit unique. The client has the entire literature ready but wanted help to convert it into a script. A script that the presenter would present in front of the crowd in the workshop.
Client Brief: The script should be conversational. The language should not be heavy email type but rather the funky sms lingo type. There should be enough punches to make the entire script funny and therefore be able to keep the audience hooked. The principle of connect and disconnect using live situational example too should be incorporated.
Since it would be presented by a young presenter therefore the tone of the script had to be young and fresh. The task involved me having to go through various fashion blogs and websites dedicated to styling of men and have in hand some funky instances and quotes which i could use. The best way that i thought was to approach the project was to imagine myself speaking the entire thing in front of the crowd. This bought sentences into my head. Since I was new to scripting the client also suggested a wonderful idea that i take each topic as a scene and then work on it. Working on in part by part really helped.
Find below a part of the script that I have sent to the client for his feedback.
If you wish to adorn you shirt with a cuff link then first you need to have crisp white French cuffed shirt to qualify! Remember, cuff links just don’t work on any other shirt.
When it comes to handkerchiefs (or pocket squares) your best bet would be one in dark blue or gray. But when in doubt, swear by the white!
A watch too is a perfect accessory. But formal watches can only be leather band watches. PERIOD. Silver or steel-band timepieces just do not work for formal occasions.
Moving to ties, i am reminded of a joke which says that “Yesterday I got my tie stuck in the fax machine. Next thing I knew, I was in Los Angeles."! So you see a tie CAN take you places!
A garish tie will stand out like a bad haircut. A solid black, silver or blue tie in muted tones would be your safest bet. You can tie your tie in three basic ways; the four in hand knot, the half Windsor knot as well as the Windsor knot.
I feel that if you are wearing a tie you should also go for a tie clip. It keeps your tie in place when you’re standing and out of your soup when you’re eating!
Most of us take on to freelancing with the thought that finally one would be able to regulate and control their work schedule and work at their own will. But it is seen that even this free at will work regime crumbles under the toll of stress if not managed properly. I too suffered from the same issue a few months after I started working as a freelance content writer. But then slowly i also realised means and ways to control it. It is important to find that 'perfect' stress buster that works the best for you. Not because it will help you increase your productivity at work but also because it will keep you happy and spirited. In my case I have found the following work best for me to help control/combat stress.
1. I limit the work which I take. For any freelancer the chance to work on multiple projects seems to be the best that could be possible but one does not realise the amount of stress it gets with it. when you have with you much more work than what you could easily handle then you are bound to feel the pressure of delivering on time. I have also realised that when I am working on several projects at one go it kind of decreases my work output and the results too could have been better. I have therefore made it a point to work only on a few projects at one go and deliver my best towards them.
2. I now make a schedule and most importantly STICK to it. It is important to have a rough time plan for everyday when one starts work. What is more important is that one stops work when the time is up. This will ensure that you get some quality time for yourself.
3. I find taking small breaks thought my work schedule very helpful. I make use of these breaks to read a book, cook a quick snack or listen to some music. I refrain from using this time doing something sitting at my work place. What is important for these breaks is that that you move away from your work place and feel fresh.
4. I also get stressed when i see myself moving behind deadlines. In my case the major culprit here are the distractions in the form twitter, face book and emails. To control this I have now slotted fixed time slots in my schedule when i go and attend to them and therefore do not spend my time checking for mails and notification randomly.
These tips work for me but might not for you. what is important is that you identify those for yourself and then stick to it. You yourself will be amazed by the positive results that you see for yourself in your routine.
Lately I have been occupied helping a friend with his essays for his MBA applications. With the list of institutes amounting to 4 there are good about 12 odd essays to tackle. Till now I had not worked on this kind of project because of 2 main reasons. Firstly, none came my way and secondly I was too scared to try looking for them! :) yeah.. i don't know why but the thought that the person's career depended on these essays was enough to scare me off! But when this my friend approached me for help I could not say no and therefore took it as a shot to scare the thought off.
Working with these essays there were some main things which stood out: 1. The word limit! This can turn out to be the most excruciating part of the entire exercise as it is very difficult to round up such elaborate topics within the said word limit. 2. The aim of grabbing the attention of the reader right from the first sentence. I thought of the fact that the aim here is to grab the attention of the reader in the midst of thousands of odd applications and for the same it was required that it have a good start. Also an impactful ending which can leave the reader curious will increase the probability of your application being selected. 3. Not making the essay sound drab and mechanical. It is very important to make it feel personal and something which is right from the heart. 4. Refraining from using too many big words. It is best to make use of simple words and short sentences in your essays. An overdose of too many big words will make it sound very artificial. 5. Never exaggerate and spin tales in your essays. You have to remember that your interview will very much be based on your essays so it is important to stick to true facts. 6. Keep in mind to keep all your essaysin the same flow and ensure that you do not end up disputing your own thoughts in your essays. They should all have a common theme revolving around them.
Since the essays have not been submitted I cannot show them here. So it is going to be some wait till I can put them here. It will be a great opportunity to showcase that rare "before" and "after" moment! :)
My last content writing assignment, the not for profit dance foundation is up and live. I was emailed the link last night. Thought I will put it on the blog for all to view and share their comments!
The academy is called Guiding Star Dance Foundation and the link for the same is www.gsdfonline.org.
A couple of changes( nothing major though) has been suggested by me to the client regarding the arrangement of the text on certain web pages. Apart from these web pages there will be the addition of 1 new page. It will have a membership form for willing guests to fill and become a member of this foundation.
