Life-Saving Advice Every Professional Writer Should Know

If you follow my blog on a regular basis, then you’ll know that I work as a professional writer and blogger. Each month I have articles published in a range of magazines. As a writer, I feel like I’ve learned a lot over the years and wanted to share some of the advice that has come in handy.

So without further ado, below is a list of life-saving advice every professional writer should know.

Photo source

Organization is everything

As a mom, life can be extremely busy - even if you’re not a parent life can be busy. This means that if you want to excel as a writer, you need to be organized about it. When you’ve got a million and one things to be getting on with, it’s far too easy to forget about an important deadline. So you need to have something in place that will ensure that you don’t ever miss a deadline. In most professional media outlets, there is a whiteboard with articles that need writing and deadline dates next to them. This is an organization method that you can easily adapt and use at home. You could also set reminders on your phone so that you’re alerted to any looming deadlines in plenty of time.

The more experience you can get, the better

Image from Flickr

When first breaking into the industry, things may well be slow. However, once you’ve built up a portfolio of work, you’ll find that you’ll become more and more sought after. The truth is the more experience you get, the more work you will be offered. So, if in the early days, you’re offered unpaid work, take it for the experience. It may be annoying having to work for free but the more experience you can get, the better.

Don’t undervalue yourself or your work

That being said, don’t make the mistake of undervaluing yourself or your work. While in the early days, you may need to work for experience instead of pay, once you’ve built up a portfolio, don’t undervalue yourself. Have a set price that you charge per word and stick to it no matter what. If you give work away for low prices, you’re making your pieces seem less valuable than they are. This can impact your future opportunities and mean that your work is always undervalued.

Look after your computer

Image credit

Computers have made professional writing much less time consuming. Thanks to programs like Grammarly, that make error checking easier, articles can be completed more quickly. They’re also fantastic for storing your work and keeping all of your old articles safe. That being said, a mistake that many writers make is failing to keep an online backup of their computer. The problem is that sometimes computers can crash, wiping everything off of them. This means that if you haven’t backed up, all of your previous work will be gone, including your portfolio of work. So it’s of the utmost importance that you backup your computer on a regular basis. It’s also wise to perform regular software updates and have suitable security software in place. That way, you can ensure that your computer is always kept in tip, top shape.

Proofreading is invaluable

There’s nothing that looks more unprofessional than sending an article over to a website or magazine with errors in it. Far too many writers fail to proofread their work and make silly mistakes. The problem is that by doing this, you make yourself and your work look unprofessional. You can also put publications off of using you for pieces in the future. It takes a couple of minutes to re-read your work and check for any errors, so make sure that you’re taking the time to do so. Don’t rely on Microsoft Word or Google Documents to highlight errors, take the time to check for them yourself. Check out these 17 techniques for business communication!

Good communication is crucial

Source for image

As a writer, it’s your job to communicate with the publication that you’re writing for. If you’ve got a question, you need to ask them. If you need to change the deadline, let them know. Just like you would tell your boss if a project was going to be completed late, it’s common courtesy to do the same when freelancing. Good communication is crucial when it comes to working as a writer. You need to be willing to not only email but also to discuss projects over the phone or via video chat. You might be a freelancer, but you still need to be a good communicator.

So there you have it, my life-saving advice for making it as a professional writer.

How To Look After Your Car

Pxhere Image Source: Photo of someone cleaning the interior of their car

A car isn't just a metal motor that takes you from A to B, it is so much more than that.
It's essentially your freedom. It gives you the power to go wherever you want to go,
whenever you want to, and that's something that plays a big part in your life. So the
least you can do is give back a little, and ensure that you're doing what you can to get
as much life out of your noble steed as you can.

Here's how to do just that.

Take it to the garage

So many people don't take their car to the garage until there's something visibly wrong with it,
but this isn't the way to do things. If you feel as if there was something not quite right within yourself,
you would go to the doctors - you wouldn't wait until it's too late. So the same thing applies to your
vehicle. It's important to take it into the garage for regular checks just to make sure that everything is
running as it should. These are professionals, so they may notice something that you would never
have even thought about, potentially saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Take the appropriate action

If ever you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in a car accident, it is so important that you do
what is necessary in order to get what you deserve. If the collision wasn't your fault, and yet you are
left with bills to pay, then you will want to think about finding yourself a car accident lawyer. A lot of
the time after an event like this, it's normal to want it to be over and done with. But if you can get
help, then you should. Having a lawyer on your side will allow you to have a case built, and as a
result, get all the compensation and care that you deserve, like the money to cover all damage costs.

Take care of it

When you first buy a new car, you make sure that you are always careful with it. You don't eat inside
it, you regularly check the tires to ensure they're full and safe, and you constantly clean both inside
and outside so that it glistens in the sun, and smells great on the inside. But after a certain amount of
time standards slip and you forget to do these things. You may not realize just how much it will affect
your vehicle though by neglecting it. Something as simple as leaving the dust to form inside can
damage your car, as a build-up can essentially clog up the filters and things will stop working.

So as you can see, it really isn't as difficult as you may have expected it to be, it's mostly just common
sense and paying attention to the little things. Sure, sometimes you'll get lazy, but just know that it will
all pay off in the end.

Dealing With A Flooded Home When You Have Kids To Care For

When you become a parent, your whole world shifts and everything is about your children and their
happiness. That’s why whenever anything goes wrong, it is always your children who you think of
first. So should your home flood this winter, then the first thing that will probably cross your mind is
the impact that the flood will have on your children. If they are homeschooled, for instance, the impact
could be huge, as there is the concern of how they will learn while your home is being repaired.

The fact is that should anything happen to your home, from flooding to fire damage, it is always
going to have an impact on your children. However, the good news is that if you are smart about
how you deal with the issue, it doesn’t have to be a negative impact. The fact is that if you take
note of the steps below, you can make dealing with a flooded house when you have kids to care
for, that little bit easier and less stressful.

Image source

Find somewhere else to stay

The first step that it is important to take if your home has been flooded and you are not able to stay
there for a while is to find somewhere else to stay. Of course, this step may not be necessary, as it
may only be one room which is flooded. However, if the whole property or most of it is flooded, then
for your children’s sake, it may be worth finding somewhere else to stay. Whether that’s at a hotel,
in a rental property or at a family member’s house, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that your
family has somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep while your home is being repaired.

Take advantage of your insurance

If you have property insurance in place that covers issues such as flooding, now is the time to take
advantage of it. The fact is that if you are lucky enough to have insurance in place, then it is vital that
you use it to help make the restoration of your home after the flood, quicker, easier and more
affordable to complete. Whether you require specialist flood restoration knowledge or
emergency help, your insurance can help to make the repair and restoration process that little bit
easier. Make sure that you contact your insurance company within 48 hours of the flood occurring,
as many companies have policies that state they must be informed within this period of time,
otherwise they can reject the claim.

Get your home sorted as soon as possible

It is important that for your family’s sake so that you can restore things back to normal, that you
do everything that you can to get your home repaired as quickly as possible. Being away from home,
not in their own bedrooms, is never nice for children, which is why it is so important that you do
whatever you can to get your home repaired and restored to its former glory as quickly as possible.

The fact is that dealing with any damage to your home is never nice to have to do, but it is even
worse when you have little ones to worry about as well. For their sake, you want to get your home
repaired as quickly as possible, the only issue is that it can take a lot longer than you would like it to.
Just remember, whatever happens, remain positive about things and realize that the situation
cannot last forever, and will resolve over time.

Reasons To Hire A Professional Cleaning Service

 Cleaning the house is a necessary chore that can turn into a stressful task. You are constantly dusting and mopping to ensure your house is always spotless. When it becomes too stressful, it is time to look into professional cleaning services in Clarksburg, MD.

Here are several reasons to hire a professional cleaning service for your home.

You Have A Busy Schedule

It is not easy to give your home a good cleaning when you have a busy schedule. You may find yourself using your downtime to clean instead of relaxing. A professional cleaner can come in weekly, monthly or for special occasions. You can finish your other tasks and relax knowing the cleaning is going to get done.

Gives Your Home A Thorough Cleaning

There may be several areas you have trouble reaching when cleaning, such as the top of your upper cabinets. You may also overlook areas such as corners, nooks and crannies. A professional cleaner is ready to give your home a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. They have the supplies necessary for reaching all areas of the home.

Professionals Have Years of Experience

A professional has years of experience in cleaning different areas. They know what products and equipment to use on ceramic, granite and wood flooring. Professional cleaners also have their own techniques for cleaning without spreading bacteria.

They Bring Professional Equipment

You do not have to worry about stocking up on equipment when you hire a professional cleaner. A professional brings their own high-quality equipment to your home. If you prefer eco-friendly products, there are many cleaners who are open to using these products for the job.

You Are Saving Money

When you hire a professional for a regular cleaning, you are saving money on keeping your home clean. You do not have to spend money on too many cleaners, and you do not have to worry about spending more money to repair a filthy or damaged surface.

If you are ready to enlist in help for cleaning your home, look into professional cleaning services in Clarksburg, MD.
             

How to Take Reading to the Next Level

Whether you’re a teacher for the county or a home-schooling SAHM, you want to make sure that your kids are able to read. Some kids struggle with the concepts more than others. By attending reading programs for schools, you’re able to learn a number of new techniques.

Find the Right Workshop

It’s important to find the right workshop that will help you with new strategies to ensure that readers build the necessary foundations. A workshop should be built around the grade that you’re teaching. Further, they should focus on fluent reading with focuses on such things as letter-sound relationships, rhyming, encoding-decoding, and more.

Obtain New Resources

When you want to take reading to the next level, it’s important to have a wide array of resources available to you. This way, you can pick and choose the resources that will work best for the individual students. You may have an emerging reader, a struggling reader, or a reader that isn’t fluent in English. Regardless of what your situation is, you should work to obtain new resources that will help you.

Talk to Other Teachers

You should always look towards other teachers when you need help reaching your students. It can be beneficial to talk to readers within your district as well as out of your district to find out what is and is not working for them. It can provide you with the necessary support system so that you know you are not alone. You may find that there are ways to improve rates of accuracy with strategies you have never thought of before.
Teaching kids to read is a lifelong gift to them. However, some students need help understanding the concepts. When you want to take your teaching to the next level, finding a workshop that will provide you with the necessary resources can be the best way to reach your goals.