Write perfectly

Don’t create everything — you’re correspondent, and the writer. Look for details and fascinating information. Do not waste power and report on moving info.

Information that is create, not estimates. Then don’t concentrate on just how to provide the precise estimate whenever your objective would be to gather info. The precise phrases aren’t essential, concentrate on information and details, that leads the loudspeaker.

Create noisy estimates. But to create along the precise estimates fascinating feeling or that Show somebody is respected viewpoint, require with quality that is careful. Search in your mind what of the loudspeaker before you create along it written down.

Quit the loudspeaker. Quit him if your supply provides you with info about wherever he got the information to inquire about and have, ask questions. How will you realize that? Are you certain? How will you mean that? This really is a precise number or a? You’ve it to be proven by the files? Did you state million or thousand? Feel liberated to quit the loudspeaker, in order to report issues precisely.

Paraphrasing. Not all the speaker’s fascinating views could be tailored for publishing. In this instance, ensure that they’d recognized the hero’s words properly and have ” are you understood by me? You stated that…?”. This can allow you provide and to verify sometime to create records. And which means you obtain an estimate that is more fascinating.

Rethink your documents. Soon after meeting or the function, evaluate your saving. If some phrases are created uncertain or uneven, then duplicate them to some good, while they’re still clean within the storage.

Verify through resources that are additional

Who else can know? Look for other people who might know something about the event. They can confirm or deny what you just said another source. They can shed light on some aspects. But, of course, ask them how they know it.

Look for the documents. Find the official data, reports and records that can confirm, deny or Supplement the information that you reported. Photos and videos will help confirm some details. If you write about the court in which you were not, find an official transcript.

Scour the Internet. Look for confirmation of the information (or its source) on the official website of the company about which you write or on the website of the organization that regulates or audit a certain sector. Expose this information the same question as any other. Be especially careful with sites like Wikipedia, where no one can vouch for the accuracy of the information.

Try to understand. Before you begin writing, make sure you understand the topic, Immerse yourself in the context. Search for explanations. Look at the story from the other side. Ask stupid questions, so you do not make the material a stupid mistake.

Check the facts

After you’ve finished a draft of the material, do some fact-checking.

Names. Check the spelling of each name. Please check the entries, please refer to public sources, look at the business card, official document, an address book or a company website. If you find an alternative spelling of the name, better ask the hero material. Similarly, check the post.

Figures. Double check every figure. Only your records are insufficient. Check documents, reports, databases, web sites. Do the math yourself. Then calculate again, especially if math is not your strong point. If you don’t understand numbers, not able to check. Ask for a source or someone who understands the numbers, to explain them to you or to count them.

Quotes. Check the citations on their records. Read the quotes out loud several times — this helps to notice a missing or misspelled word.

Ask if not sure. If your records show that you did not understand until the end or something, what you doubt, do not be lazy to call the speaker again. “I was sure you said, but just wanted to make sure”. The speaker may confirm, refute or correct information. In addition, the speaker may add something I wanted to tell you after the interview, but forgot.

Technical data. If you write about technology, science, or law, you might want to simplify this information for the reader. Indicate the material of the expert to ensure that you understood everything correctly and do not enter the reader astray.

Components. Modern material can be layered. It can include videos, text, tables, charts, recordings, callout quotes, and much more. Check out each of these layers — perhaps somewhere in the table lies a mistake.

Be open

You won’t always have the ability to check every fact. In this case, you may want to involve in check of the facts of living people — for example, your friends on Facebook. Once you posted the material, invite people openly to inform you about the inaccuracies and mistakes — if you work in online media, the error is easy to fix, thanking the attentive reader.

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Check the names

If you at least once make a mistake with the name of a famous ( or not) of a person, the credit of trust very quickly depleted — on the part of potential sources, and on the part of the reader, not to mention your editor. So here are some tips to help chance to goof with the name can be reduced to zero:

Ask the source to spell his/her name. Every time communicating with a source or a hero, whose name will be used in the material, ask them to spell their name. If you think this is too stupid or writing seems obvious, can laugh it off that you are too pedantic about the correct spelling of the words. If you record the conversation with the speaker on the recorder, duplicate the spelling of the name of the speaker in a notebook or phone — you never know won’t fail if you are recording in the wrong place.

Ask the character to write your own name. Pull character of the material notebook and ask him to write his name independently. Then look at the record and make sure that you correctly read the name in the wording, when you sit behind the material. If a letter can be mistaken for another, ask again. But better ask for a hero card.

Again recheck the name. Don’t let yourself think that the name on the card is 100% written correctly. I had a roommate whose name tag made a mistake. And he noticed it only after I told him about it. My friend who is a reporter from Oregon once received a business card from a man who often works with Asian clients, therefore the card he wrote “simplified” version of their name to help its customers to pronounce it correctly. You may be a document, which purports to be written the correct name, but don’t believe it 100% — there’s always a chance of error.

Check public information. Browse through the different Internet sites, which may indicate the correct name of the source page in a social networking site of the company for which he works. But also allow that there can be wormed error.

Make. It’s more straightforward to look after acquiring the plan and listing of individuals ahead of time should you emphasize a meeting. Attempt to talk with crucial speakers and find out when their title is said by the plan. If somebody does anything fascinating or whose title that you don’t understand claims, its title is specified by you soon after the talk. Then request somebody who knows without a doubt if this isn’t feasible. Subsequently attempt to contact the individual by telephone or e-mail to double check his name’s punctuation and estimates you wish to employ.

Obtain connections for caution. Following the meeting, make sure to get in the loudspeaker — mobile around feasible the amount of connections and function telephone, email, balances in internet sites. Please designate whether you’ve properly created. This really is essential to later have the ability to seek advice from the loudspeaker numbers and the reality, when the quality will let along you.

Don’t wait to publish. Once you ensured that you simply have properly created the title, request other games, account in voluntary organizations, along with the loudspeaker his established placement. Examine whether you’ve them documented. Whenever you may again come up with this individual, permit that — individuals can vary are dismissed and marketed, careers alter, their agreements might be ended, individuals dropped and are chosen the selection. Therefore check always using the loudspeaker to his article that is present.

How will you realize that?

New York Times writer Judith Miller, based on unverified statement about guns of mass damage in Iraq, published: ” then you definitely also wrong in case your resources are wrong.” Never make use of the mistake supply as validation. Your title was closed by substance, you’re accountable for it. Do your absolute best cross-check and to confirm info.

Discover the primary supply. Once the idol provides for you some details within an appointment, get accustomed to request “Where did you receive this?”. This can give the response to you to the query concerning information’s primary source. Your story’s topic rest could be incorrect or simply do not remember the entire tale. Requesting about wherever the loudspeaker got the info, the query, gives the chance to locate a more dependable supply to you. Attempt to achieve primary idol of the tale should you notice a story within the retelling of the 2nd and third-parties. Request the statement where the idol noticed the information if somebody estimates you a. You can certainly double check the info, include framework and discover data that is much more fascinating.

Check the supply out. Don’t wait to be able to examine its stability like a supply of info to request the loudspeaker concerns. Have you got idol standard use of the info that is revealed? If the loudspeaker is information to dispute that info was acquired by the informally is proper? Was info established by the origin before? What’s the idol to reveal the information’s determination? Prepared loudspeaker to create one’s name’s tale like a supply? Who is aware of this? Who knows more?

Price info. Ask concerns that’ll permit you to examine information’s stability. Does the origin, if the numbers he provides of conjecture concept, gossip or reality? It’s related for nowadays when the info is reality, so far as?

Asked. Who’d have thought these details? Confirm data acquired from the supply that will oppose it. Then it might be correct if info can’t oppose, but this isn’t correct. I doubt equally when you have contrary information. Attempt to reach the reality. Within the substance of two other factors of watch, it’s possible to envision within the severe situation.

Check the social-network out. Request folks from your community to assist you obtain the info firsthand — understands somebody whose connections will comprehend the tale completely or possibly somebody was.

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We already told you about the most useful in our view the applications for journalists. But today, a little more specifics — talk about the most useful apps and programs that will help you simplify work with the materials of the interview.

Recorders

Today it is difficult to imagine a journalist who still goes to interview an old-school recorder. Increasingly in the course are apps for voice recording. About these and about some other apps we’ve written in our previous article about apps, so little need to repeat it.

To record a telephone conversation, we personally recommend TapeACallPro for owners of iPhones and Call Recorder for Android lovers. There is a third, very popular option is Google Voice, which is used by many of our colleagues.

For recording interviews in noisy places (e.g. cafes) perfect Rev Voice Recorder, which boasts just great audio quality.

Very cool app Cogi helps you not only to record but also to highlight particularly important points of the interview. That is, if the speaker says too much about everything, then starts to say something, this is the most important to highlight in the record in a different color. You only need to slam your finger in a mug entry, and the app will give you this piece of speech. When the speaker will again begin to pour the water, you can return the entry to normal mode. The basic app is free, but you can buy additional options — for example, for the best sound quality.

If an interview occurs via Skype, you can record it — for example, using app Call Recorder for Skype. To record interviews in audio and video format and then even edit the video and upload it on YouTube. But we don’t need it, right? Here only one “but” — the app is currently available only for Mac users and will cost $29.95.

Transcript

For the good old transcripts of the audio files manually, great program Express Scribe. You will need to download the audio file, and using hot keys to control playback while typing the text in a text editor. The convenience of the program is that you don’t have to switch Windows and take your hands off the keyboard during the decryption. The program is available for Windows and Mac. The basic version is free, but for advanced options you will have to pay up to $ 60.

Almost all the same as in Express Scribe is available in the program Transcriber Pro. The only difference is that Transcriber Pro you can work not only with audio but with video. Otherwise nice pieces of the program — the ability to automatically insert in the transcript the names of the interlocutors. Program is available for Windows users.

Very nice Patriotic program for Windows Voco can help those who do not like to deal with the decoding of texts manually. The text in Voco you can tell a story alone or to include the transcript of a previously recorded audio file.

If you have a habit of making audio notes, which is very useful if you are on the go, then you can help useful apps for iOS Dragon Dictation. Despite the fact that the app is American, with a breakdown it is quite bearable, and besides allows you to edit the text and send it where necessary. The app is free, but only works when connected to the Internet.

The program RealSpeaker, in addition to automatic translation into text to audio, can decrypt and record with video cameras. Thanks to a special algorithm, the quality of the decoding is higher by about 20-30%, because the program analyzes not only audio, but the lip movement of the speaker. The program is running runs on Windows and detects almost all of the world’s most popular languages. For buying the basic version will have to pay $ 69.

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Well-known coach creative writing Daphne gray-Grant offers a few tips for those writers, journalists and copywriters who want to find and skillfully tell stories about their companies (or about an interesting social phenomenon).

By the way, this is not the first text of Daphne translated for our blog — its good advice on how to learn to write faster, many have been able to appreciate and even (we hope so) to apply in practice.

In my work, I encourage all writers — even those who write for big corporations to dilute their work interesting stories. If you are determined to do it, here are a few tips.

1. Find the best places to hunt for stories

If you are on duty only communicate with the top management of the company, a lot of stories you can collect. Here are the best, in my opinion, sources:

• contact staff (the people who communicate directly with clients — retailers, operators, call center, etc.)
• consumers of the product and the company’s customers,
• employees of the company retired,
• suppliers and your friendly company.

2. Be aware that the craftsmanship of the stories depends not so much on writing skills, how much from the ability to conduct interviews

To become a good storyteller, the first thing you need to learn how to get the history. A good story will tell all about themselves if you just find the right source and asking the right questions. Failed a mission to gather qualitative stories? You won’t have anything to tell.

3. Communicate with people, not interview them

People often ask me whether to carry to the interview a leaflet with questions. I say worth it, but with one caveat: do not look at the paper while the interview does not come to an end.

If you communicate with the sources of your questions should be based on what you said in the interview, not on the fact that there you wanted to ask when you haven’t even seen the person. This form of conversation is more natural and more conducive to a friend. Ultimately, with this approach, you will gather exactly the material for a story I was looking for.

4. React

During the conversation, don’t be a silent listener or a machine by asking questions. Take feedback on what he tells you.

If you hear something amazing, feel free to exclaim, “Really? How interesting!” and if the person shares with you some difficult experience, Express empathy (“I’m sorry that it happened. How do you manage it?”). Be in conversation with a person, not a machine, and the source will be more disposed to tell the real story.

5. Refrain from superlatives

All questions that include the words “best, worst, most, hardest” and stuff like that, for a normal person will be very stressful and at best will make him a long time to think, and at worst to fall into this stupor.

Of course, for the person looking for history, to begin to ask such questions — it is a terrible temptation, because we hope that it will be able to find in the story of man the most interesting. The bad news for your sources such issues seem very complex and intimidating, in fact they have to go through the memory all his life, and somehow to choose the experience that may seem “most-most”.

Asking for specifics is not bad. But not necessarily to ask about the very. Enough to ask the person just to cite one memorable story from my experience.

6. Ask me to tell about examples and funny stories

You get nothing until you ask. Do not expect that the interviewee will read your thoughts. Ask the person to give an example, or tell a funny story related to the topic of the interview.

I once worked with a writer, who could not collect the material for his new book on business. I continued to advise her that you wish to include more stories in the fabric of the book, and every time she had failed. But one day, when we both have already given up and was ready to accept my fate, I asked, “What can’t you find any stories, funny or case example?”. She looked up at me with enlightened eyes and said, “Oh, I didn’t know that you need EXAMPLES!”.

The problem was only in a different interpretation of the concept “history”. Don’t let misunderstandings occur in your conversation with the source. Try different ways to explain exactly what you want to hear from a person. At least one of these explanations will help him to understand what you wanted to hear.

The post 6 helpful tips about storytelling appeared first on ALEXABRUNET.COM.

What about the length of lines of optical fiber, cables, wires, power, Railways, roads and other things?

Here are a few points (I am giving approximate figures, omitting the tens, units and fractional, as in this case, they interfere with the brightness of the picture):

• The distance between Moscow and new York – 7 510 kilometers. (approximate flight time 9 hours 30 minutes and this information is also useful).
• The length of any Meridian is 20 000 kilometers.
• Length of equator is 40 000 km.
• Distance from the earth to the moon is 384 400 kilometers.
• The distance from Earth to Sun – 150 million kilometers.

If we want to describe the speed of our object, you can also start from the known speeds.

• The speed of modern passenger aircraft, an average of 900 kilometers per hour.
• The speed of sound is 340.29 meters per second.
• The speed of light is 299 792 458 meters per second. We assume 300 000 000 for good measure, forgive us physics.

But to create vivid pictures you can use other images.

For example: our company ships its customers a 10 light bulbs every minute, 120 tons of paper every hour or 140 cars of products daily.

Not just “we have a lot of customers and we ship them with so many tons”, and translate the speed in packs per minute, pallets per hour, trains per day, and so on.

And, of course, need to learn to translate into human language with bird parameters such as gigahertz, terabytes, mA/hours and other pleasures technicians and system administrators.

The reader/listener/buyer it is unclear what to do with the amperes and mA, and how they should be to come happiness.

But he did not care how long the tablet will keep charging, if you look in the movie airplane during the flight from Moscow to new York, for example. And we remember that it is 9 and a half hours. So how much of the most milliamps to start to watch a movie on your tablet during takeoff in Moscow and turn it off when landing at JFK?

If offering your goods, you will be able to draw such a plot and to show the practical usefulness of complex units of measurement of physical phenomena that you believe.

Alas, often the authors of texts and speeches generously poured these same gigahertz confident that they give the text credibility and the author’s expertise and credibility.

Expertise – Yes, probably. Credibility – no.

If you bring the numbers– put them into an understandable context. When you write for example in a press release that the number of subscribers of your company – an Internet provider in the region has reached 10,000, I don’t know a lot or a little?

I have questions:

• How many lives in the region of people?
• How many of them use the Internet?
• How many subscribers from its competitors?
• As the market leader?

Without answers to these questions I do not understand what you boast.

We can write: the number of subscribers “service Provider” was 10 000, which is 12% of area residents and 30 percent of all Internet users in the region.

If you write only 12% of the inhabitants of the region – is also unconvincing. Looking for something to start from, look for a support that will show your figures in a favorable light.

For four years we sold 718 tours, hosted 94 of the delegation, has written 119 posts for this blog and attracted 20 000 subscribers.

People love numbers. People like specifics. Add specifics in his texts and public appearances, but help the reader and listener to understand the magnitude of numbers and the importance of the facts, and give them pictures.

The post How to write about facts and figures Part 2 appeared first on ALEXABRUNET.COM.

Facts and figures are very important for the credibility and visibility of our speech and texts. No one likes abstract reasoning and unsubstantiated claims.

• We have huge warehouses.
• Our distribution network is the largest in the region.
• We have many customers, and we ship them large quantities of goods.

Reading these arguments, I do not believe the author. I think he’s just showing off or exaggerating.

All this is nothing more than an abstraction, not born in reading almost no pictures in my head. And because pictures persuade and sell. Draw an interesting picture, and people will believe you.

How do you do it?

We need to tie abstract words to concrete concepts, and so that the reader saw the real picture.

• “We have huge warehouses.” The concept is huge. Suggests a specific figure.
• “The total area of our warehouses of 21,000 square meters.” Better.

Now let’s think, whether born in the mind of the reader the picture? Probably not. 21 000 square meters is just a number with lots of zeros. I can’t imagine a lot or a little. I don’t know what to start from, estimating this figure.

I don’t know what to compare it. Comparison is the key to clear the picture. If we help the reader to compare our figures with something it can understand, the picture will draw itself.

We can compare the area?

With something that the reader has seen in life or on TV, and at least roughly imagine how it looks and how big it was. For example, the football field. Certainly almost no men who have not seen the football field and do not represent even approximately his size. To the eye.

Let’s find out the size of a football field in meters.

The length of a football field usually 90-120 meters, and the width of 64-75 – tells us Wikipedia.

We take the average value, multiply and get the result of about 7 000 square meters.

A great standard for measuring large areas.

Now we can write:

“The total area of our warehouses of 21,000 square meters, equivalent to about three football fields”. Or: “The total area of our warehouses is three football fields”.

But if we write for women or other people, not really infatuated with football? What benchmark do we take?

Why not take it as a benchmark?

The length of red square is 330 meters. Width – 70 meters.

Square red square is 23, 100 square meters.

In the case of the warehouses, we can say that “the size of our warehouse space is slightly smaller than the red square.” And it sounds impressive.

Of course you can take and other landmarks. Most important to your target audience is well-imagined their sizes. If we need to show the diminutive size of the object, everything is a bit easier. Take items that are all familiar and easily come to mind in the form of pictures:

• a box of matches,
• apple,
• orange,
• mandarin,
• berry red,
• berry black,
• hand,
• fingers,
• pen,
• coins,
• bills,
• the needle,
• button stationery,
• eraser and so on.

Example: “Our listening device smaller than nickel coins, but is able to transmit a signal over a distance of two kilometers.”

The post How to write about facts and figures Part 1 appeared first on ALEXABRUNET.COM.

Today folks browse the wording about the displays, that are getting less and less, for example pcs that are pill, smartphones and e reader kind Kindle, producing reading progressively challenging. Study within internet usability area additionally display that after you first go to with a site customers usually study it or only check wording. Therefore, the text should be produced than text on additional concepts.

Obvious and brief writing design is essential for scrolls of any kind, however it is particularly very important to internet surfers who would like info quickly texts for that following factors and fairly slow-speed of reading online. Is most effective easy and primary design. Composing lines and brief sentences – optimum of three to five phrases that are brief. Areas between your sentences. Use verbs within current tense and the energetic speech. Because it reduces the suggestion steer clear of the inactive speech.

The smaller the greater – generally this guideline functions for scrolls created online. Even though that web-space is practically limitless, too much time background, usually, aren’t ideal for internet users. 800 words ought to not be no further than most of the scrolls.

The news are similarly related, in published scrolls – they express info and entice visitors as well as both online. But, unlike printing, scrolls that are online are more effective right-helpful games than the ones that are made on the play on phrases. Why?

Online users need info that is quick. Headers that’ll drive them to you know what the written text may entice visitors, they do not wish on the name to determine exactly what the wording is approximately to click.

Online users in many cases are searching for info. Games by which no phrases that are key associated with the text’s topic, don’t display anyone internet search engine.

The titles for sentences will help entice the customers’ focus on the text’s areas where you are able to begin to study. Subheadings must be made up of basically three to eight phrases, providing visitors a definite concept of what’ll function as the next bit of wording and brief. Additionally they help break wording up into portions that are manageable.

Lists are another efficient method to split up the sentences an extended background to attract interest because they help absorb the info and also to simplify the reading. They may be utilized in the text or at the start to stress the most crucial factors within the wording. CNN.com does all the full time to it.

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First, let’s say a few words about why it is important to the legality of the images, i.e. using images only in the possession of the corresponding rights. Though, it would seem that this is the absolute basics for journalists / PR, practice shows that even large and reputable companies happen annoying punctures.

In a strong simplification: images are subject to copyright, therefore their use is not free (with some exceptions), and requires permission of the copyright holder (the author or his representative). For violation of the rights of the copyright holder, that is, for using the pictures without his permission, threatened judicial proceedings which usually ends with the payment of compensation to months of headache and damage to reputation.

So, where to take an illustration, the usage rights of which are not hard to obtain?

Own images

If You are the author of the image or images are created within Your company / editorial situation is simplified. In this case, the registration of the transfer of rights is still needed, but this is, as they say, a trick.

Creating images for your project — custom photo shoot, the photographer / illustrator in the state — not a cheap decision: the cost of the photo shoot and the employee’s salary is hard to call minor damage. But this approach also has advantages — elasticity (created such pictures that are needed) and personality (self-image can help you create a individual style of company).

Public domain

Public domain — a set of creative works, intellectual property rights for which has expired or never existed. That is, images that have fallen into the public domain can be used in any way, freely without payment of royalties. How lovely, isn’t it?

But there are some nuances:

You need to make sure that the picture passed into the public domain. The timing and order of transition of works into the public domain vary from country to country, and were different in different periods. In the General case, the work enters the public domain, if year of death of the author 70 years have passed. Ie now in the public domain moving works whose author died before 1 January 1946 or works published anonymously before 1 January 1946.

As a rule, in the public domain are transmitted to the specific image, for example works of art or historical pictures, and these pictures will not be for everyone.

search and selection of such images is difficult, since no single database, and search provide non-commercial services, which are far from perfect from the point of view of the user (a vivid example of a Wikimedia website).

Creative Commons

Creative Commons license is standardized, simplified licenses on the basis of which the author can easily convey their works to be used. Conditions of transfer may be different, but usually it’s free use with certain restrictions. The main limitation is mandatory attribution, which is not very convenient in media projects, and quite unacceptable in marketing — it’s hard to imagine the company website link on the author of the picture used in the design. Creative Commons license may contain other restrictions — a ban on the use of a work for profit, the prohibition on creation of derivative works, etc. that is, the picture on Creative Commons licenses can be used for free, but you need to specify the author and to carefully read the terms of SS for this picture.

Photo Banks are services-aggregator of images, where you can download the desired image and to obtain the rights to use it. Photo Banks are free and paid.

Let’s start with free, as it is a more affordable option — the pictures from these websites can be downloaded entirely for free, even without registering for the service. Availability is the biggest advantage of this solution. But as they say, every Moon has a dark side, and free royalty-free has its disadvantages: the quality of the pictures leaves much to be desired.

To create high-quality images spent a lot of effort and photographers / illustrators working at a decent level in no hurry to send their work for free use. Therefore, as a rule, free stock photography fall casual image of low quality. This does not mean that the chances to find something worthwhile absolutely not, but you have to work hard. Legal complexity.

Free photo banks are not given the documents confirming the rights to use the downloaded images, and certainly no one does in paper form, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation. Therefore, the question of acquisition of rights to use the downloaded images is questionable.

In turn pay the banks are working to offer high-quality and popular content, as well as to make the transfer of all legal requirements with the provision of all necessary documents. Here transfer is made firmly.

Paid agencies are of two types: traditional (e.g. Getty Images) and micro stock. Traditional royalty-free license diverse content (including celebrities, historical photos, works of art) on complex licensing schemes, the cost of the license depends on the method of use and can be several thousand dollars. Micro stock photo banks (or micro stock) illustrative image licensed under a simplified scheme (onetime payment allows you to use the picture is very wide, and usually without the time and territorial limitations). There is a perception that agencies can be found only unnatural stereotyped image of girls, laughing at a salad or businessmen, everyone in the office is showing “OK”. Yes, of course, such images come from stock photography, but along with hackneyed plots photo stocks offer emotional and authentic frames and creative picture.

To summarize: the use of legal images requires a certain time and/or financial costs. Moreover, it also confirms the principle that quickly, cheaply and efficiently at the same time does not happen, you need to choose one or the other: either free but will need to work hard at finding legal home page, or qualitatively with the documents, but for the money. But the options are there for any queries that you wish to go.

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We have put together some tips from the blogs of Western journalists, where they share their secrets of successful stay-at-journalistic freelancing. I hope at least some of these tips will be useful to you.

1. Always be ready for failure

Famous Australian war correspondent, a newspaper and television journalist Simon Townsend said in his blog about the main fear of the journalist — the fear of failure. But the freelance journalist should be prepared for it more than anyone else:

“Journalists who work freelance, even in a serious age, but even I — we all live in constant fear that our child, our creation will be rejected by the editor. You will never be able to hide from that fear. It is not far-fetched. It can happen and probably happen to you sooner or later. And no matter how many years you work and how much time spent on the material. But if you will be able to cope with this fear, you will become a more successful author freelance.

Freelancer is better to think in advance about how he will react to potential failure. You can get ready and try to send to the editor other material that was kept for such a case. Or will you rewrite your draft to the bitter end, adding photos, quotes, examples — that’s your business. But a ready answer to such a reaction you should have.

The editor is not obliged to explain why he rejected your material. Be bold and self-critical. Compare your stuff with all those that were in the latest release. You might find the answer there.”

2. As early as possible to establish your bid for the work on the material

The sooner you know how much your work, the sooner will your freelance business, — says the British music journalist Kate Hutchinson:

“The money is in freelancing are the point, without which there can be no second, third and fourth paragraphs. Some journals apply equally to all rate based on number of characters or words of the final material. Others will buy you for the material at the price at which you offer it. Never be afraid to discuss a final price for the final material. Just ask “How much you’ll pay for this?” and if the editor will name a price that would seem too small, try to bargain. If you ask about how much will you charge for the material, you should know exactly what to say and know the price of their work.”

3. Refuse — OK

A novice freelancer is often obsessed with finding new customers, successful as his brother usually on the ears are overworked. The question of finding customers is probably to honor a separate post, but if the second case is just about you, it is a well-known British freelance journalist Josh Jones (his track record of working with Esquire, Interview and many other magazines), says do not be afraid to tell customers “no” if you are overworked:

“Usually people understand that if you work freelance, then you usually have other work to do. But there are those that think you’re a lifetime spent waiting for a call from them. Learn to deal with both categories.

At the same time should take only as many projects as you are comfortable in the moment to take on. If you’re a freelancer, sometimes it’s perfectly normal to sit all night on an urgent work. But if you’re at the load level close to having to go and drown in a nearby river, it is sometimes reasonable to refuse a new customer.

Beautiful refuse: say that at the moment you can’t commit 100% of your attention, and not accustomed to do anything without bringing the project to their own high standards. This usually works. Please don’t reply to the customer that you can do something, if you mean this one free hour on Sunday. This is the road to a quick end the freelance career.”

4. And contacts with other journalists, freelancers

No list of recommendations and tips will give you a comprehensive view about what problems are usually faced freelancer, doing your work for you. But sooner or later you encounter a question that no one will answer. Get in this case a friendship with other freelancers working on the same job as you, — advises the Farr Mohammed in his column.

“The image of the freelancer as a person in pajamas, leading a carefree life, faithful still, only partially. Often, however, the freelancer raises many uncomfortable, and sometimes even minor technical issues. How to negotiate a price for the material? How long to wait for the payment before to remind myself? Where is the best place to find customers and sources? What to do with the material that refused to take? All of it can be great to disappoint the beginner in the freelance life.

Familiarity with other freelancers will help you meet all obstacles with the pleasant feeling that this happened not only with you. If you are an introvert and irrevocable to meet in person is too much for you, then there are plenty of freelance groups in social networks — you can always ask for advice, learn about new and interesting projects and just complain about your new life.”

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Ask a few journalists, how many words they can write per hour. In return you will get something not entirely distinct, based only on approximate estimates. I know, because I asked reporters this question. From a dozen of my friends, whom I know as very productive writers, nobody could clearly answer my question. The answers were very different: some have argued that write 200 words per hour, others 1500.

The amazing thing — many of them said that the editing takes them much more time than the actual writing. Some said that if you put the hard deadline in 1 hour, then the number of digits doesn’t matter — they write the text of virtually any length and complexity.

Each of us has their own reasons for wanting to write faster. For many freelancers it’s just a matter of money: the faster you write, the more you earn. Other employers expect you to do more work in a short period of time. Third, the main incentive will be the book they want to write as soon as possible, using only their free time.

In all these cases, as in many others, writers can use my seven tips on how to learn to write faster. Here they are:

1. Clearly know the goal before I start writing

If the customer does not give you a clear idea about the required length of the text, set a goal for yourself. The difference between writing 500 words, and 5,000 words is about the same as that between the scorching sun in the South and chilling cold in the Arctic. When traveling, you have to know what clothes to take with you? And with the texts — not knowing the purpose, it is difficult to optimize the time to achieve it.

2. Don’t text near the computer

Even if you are going to conduct a preliminary study of the topic. Start with thinking of the future text. Better to do this by doing some simple physical activity — walking, Jogging, Yes even cleaning the house. Don’t expect thoughts about the text will come is not a miracle! Consider a few points that you would like to develop in the text, and start thinking about a possible structure. For example, I consider the thesis to the texts on the road Bank, a bakery or mail.

3. Do your research

If you have thought about the structure of the text, you will know what information you need and in what quantity. It should not be too much, so you don’t drowned, or too little — when you don’t know what to write about.

4. Make a mind map

I’m a real fan of mind maps. To make a mind map as effective as possible, I suggest to put at the center of the sheet, and the question that is answered by your next text. If you write a text about a new product of the client and just put in the center the theme of “Product X”, then quickly realize that it’s a dead end. Place better in the center of the map the question “Why is product X so need you?”. Our brain loves questions, because they force him to seek answers.

5. Group similar tasks

Do not turn the text into a confusing lump of writing, information search, deliberation and editing. It is most effective to do these types of work separately from each other, otherwise your head will be chaos and you will write forever. Think about — study — writing draft — edit. And the only way.

6. Stop to edit while writing

It’s a bad habit so many people. This is a big mistake, because you can’t see the text in its entirety, and besides, still distracted by secondary tasks. There are a few useful tips that I usually give to my clients who are suffering from the temptation to constantly edit the text at the time of writing.

If you know how to touch-type, then just close the monitor paper. If you do not see what’s there and where it is written, you will not be able to edit.

Use the timer. Get it for 25 minutes and do one task. It will make you not be distracted by minor things and complete everything as quickly as possible. Write for 25 minutes, then changes written. But don’t do it at the same time.

When you write a text and I doubt the correct spelling of a word, name or any fact, just do it in brackets special notes. They will help you in further editing immediately see the points that you would like to clarify, but not to break away from the writing of the text.

Use the online service of Write or Die. Just set the time and number of words that you need to write, and click “Try”. If the program will notice that you far too long to write nothing, the screen starts turning pink — if you don’t keep writing, then very quickly the screen will turn completely red and start to utter a sound to annoy you — crying baby or a screaming car alarm, for example. It helps to be as productive as possible when writing material.

When your inner voice is screaming that something must be corrected, do not ignore it — just tell yourself that you will listen to all comments during the editing.

7. Keep stats

Frankly, I was shocked when I found out how little professional writers know how many words they can write per hour. Yes, of course — every new text is like another. But if you organize your creative process, you will quickly be able to tell the exact number depending on the complexity of the text. For example, the text I’m writing at a speed of 750 words per hour, and a complex — 300 words per hour. The actual figure doesn’t matter much, but it is very important to know and to observe it in dynamics. So I’m taking my statistics texts: take a piece of paper and write there the name of work, date, word count, writing time and time for editing.

A knowledge of statistics helps to evaluate the time in following orders and gradually improve your results.

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