clear writing, editing, and seo
Clear writing
Blue Pencil India for plain language, crisp writing, and editing that’ll make text sparkle
Jan 4th
I have previously written about my work-from-home/freelance writing ventures. Blue Pencil India now seems to me to be the logical step forward. Of course, this took much convincing and all the persuasive powers of my husband, Lincoln, who is now a co-founder of BPI.
You need to believe a lot in yourself and have an unflagging positive spirit to start off on your own. And, to some extent, the lack of professional growth opportunities in Kolkata for a writer/editor did affect my confidence levels.
But thanks to the wonderful clients I have worked with and the diverse projects I have worked on in the last year or so, I now feel ready to work on my own.
At Blue Pencil India, I hope to get interesting and challenging assignments in the domains of writing, editing, and SEO content.
As a writer, there are some projects I do want to work on and I’ll soon have a wish list ready – they’re one of those ‘things to do before you die’. But, generally speaking, I’d like to work for clients who are keen on quality. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be able to do the article spinning kind of work. Just not made for that.
As an editor, there’s something I am raring to do: edit fiction. Till now, I have edited newspaper articles, tons of legalese and officialese, website copy, user manuals, and the like. But fiction is something I have not done yet and I look forward to it. It should be a welcome break after all the backbreaking editing I have had to do till date.
BPI will also be a space to campaign for plain language in India and continue the work of Jyoti Sanyal, my teacher and mentor. For now, it’s just me and Lincoln, but soon, we should be able to pull in more people and make ourselves heard to people in the administration and in industries like banking and insurance. They, more than anyone else, need to use plain language.
My years with Sir (Sanyal) have made me passionate about the use of clear, concise language in all communication. I will be using Sihikahi and Blue Pencil India to speak about this as much as possible.
Apart from the campaign part of plain English, I am interested in working with individuals or firms to translate their documents or website copy into plain language and help them communicate clearly and effectively.
Writing in plain language is really not rocket science, but it does require that you have a genuine wish to inform your reader.
I request all readers of Sihikahi to help spread the word about Blue Pencil India. What we have invested in BPI are our professional skills, time, a lot of hope, and positive attitude. My hunch is there’ll be a lot of takers for out-of-the-box writing and professional editing – something that’s not too common in the freelance world. Now, let’s prove my hunch right, shall we?
The new way to work: my new way to live
Jan 4th
I chose to work on my own from the comfort and distractions of my home a little less than two years ago.
This new way to work, for me, is an affirmation of faith in me, as a writer and editor who can make it on her own. My husband, Lincoln, propelled me towards this way of working. If not for his conviction in my abilities, I’d still be slogging it out for someone else.
I call it an affirmation of faith in myself because when I took the leap, and I must term it so, I had no definite plan, no potential jobs on the horizon… nothing.
Instead, what I did have for certain was a number of EMIs knocking at my door every month, and the reality of living in a city which didn’t have and doesn’t have too many good opportunities for a writer and editor.
I began bidding on Elance last June. I had almost run out of my connects quota and hope, when I got my first break. I actually ran around the house, called my mother, and was pretty much delirious with joy.
Later, I worked as a content manager for a Texas-based medical tourism company and cloud commuted for nearly a year. I am now active on Elance and in the process of setting up my firm. More about that here.
This post is about the way ahead: the new way. And I love it. But as with things/persons you love in life, there is a bit of a compromise, a bit of putting up with things you don’t like, and a lot of struggle. Some of the tough things about working on my own are:
No chatter at the water cooler: I work alone, so I have no colleagues to catch up with on office gossip. So, it gets boring sometimes, but, heck, there is no office politics to put up with either.
No paychecks: Freelancing , especially in India, is not for the weak-hearted. A few friends have told me they envy the fact that I can choose the day and time to go out and do my thing. I don’t have to look over my shoulder in fear of the boss. I can crank up the volume when they play my song on the radio, and so on. But, it’s not all milk and honey. Nothing is. I am working harder now than ever before. Of course, I am also enjoying my work than ever before. But I ask my friends who envy me, if they will venture out into the world of no paychecks. I have, so I get my privileges.
Discrimination, or the other end of being lowballed: On Elance discussion forums, I have come across many providers cribbing about how Indian providers’ lowballing affects their chances. The cost of living is comparatively low in India, hence our bids are going to be lower than, say, that of our American counterparts. You have to accept that. But there are all kinds of Indian providers, just as there are, I am sure, good, bad, and ugly from the First World. So, while there are Indian providers who will work at $2/per article or whatever, I don’t belong to that category. Yet, I regularly get invites for projects with ridiculous budgets and I regularly turn them down. Just because I am an Indian provider, I find it absurd that people accept me to work for a pittance. Obviously, they are not after quality, so, no thanks, I’d rather do without your business.
Back in India, working from home was not a lucrative position till recently. But I think that’s changing slowly. My Indian clients, though I don’t have too many of them, pay me, more or less, on par with my clients from abroad, and are quite easy to work with. I wouldn’t yet say the market for independent providers of content is mature in India. I think that’ll take some time.
And some of the challenges are:
Organizing yourself: This is the biggest challenge for anyone setting out independently. You are your own boss, your time is yours, and your time is your money. So, unless you plan well, stay organized and focused, the day will be gone before you know and you won’t have much done. Which means, a corresponding decrease in revenue. Ouch. The first couple of months, I used to do a little of this and a little of that. I ended up tired, out of breath. Now, if it’s two hours for a certain project, it’s two hours of focused work on that project and not a minute more. This has helped me stay in control.
Staying positive: That’s the second biggest challenge. Jobs pour in sometimes, and at other times there is a pause. Some clients are absolute dears, others are, well, let’s say they come in all shapes. And you’ve got to stay positive amidst everything. Initially, this was difficult. If a week went past without anything working out, I would start fretting. But with time and my pile-up of experience, I am more patient now and confident that it will work out.
Elance has a huge role to play in shaping up my new way to work, and live. I love its transparency and range of jobs to choose from. Tough as it is to survive on your own, it would be hundred times more difficult without an enabling platform such as Elance.
Till now, I have worked on content writing, editing, page layout, and SEO assignments via Elance. What I am now eager to explore is the fiction and travel domains, be it writing/ghostwriting or editing it.
A world of possibilities has opened up to me, thanks to the new way to work. And I am thankful to my family and Elance for being a part of this in such a positive way.
How to write search engine-friendly copy and keep it interesting for your readers?
Jul 20th
One of the ways to keep driving traffic to your site is by writing and publishing informative articles on your site or on article submission directories. While writing quality articles with the right keywords is important from the SEO perspective, keeping it informative and interesting to your readers is equally necesary.
The keywords are important so the search engines can pick you out among the zillions of sites clamouring to be noticed. And by writing on current industry trends, you become a source of information for people. Even a casual visitor to your site may then become an interested reader, and, if everything else works out, a customer.
Why should articles be optimized for search engines? And how do you do it?
Quite simply, to drive more traffic to your site and increase conversions. Of course, article writing is not the only SEO trick you can pull, but it’s definitely an important one. Content is king today, and you better bow down.
It’s not enough if you write well or know a lot in the specific area of your work. You need to put yourself in the shoes of your reader/potential customer and insert those keywords in the text which they may use when searching for a service you provide. A little bit of imagination and help from some tools like Keyword Tool by Google Adwords will get you a list of keywords you need to use for a particular article.
But be discerning and creative. Don’t go for all the keywords that are automatically generated or rely solely on such tools. You know your work best and you deal with your customers daily. You are in tune with what your customers are looking for. So, if you try, you can easily get capital keyword ideas.
The keywords then have to be weaved into the sales copy, travel writing, blog post or any other piece of online writing that you intend to use.
Avoid keyword stuffing
Using keywords can work both ways for you, unless you maintain the delicate balance between keyword-friendly and keyword stuffed copy. Remember, you are not writing ‘for’ search engines, but are just using them to get to real people.
I have my doubts about the purchasing power of a bot and bots are super-smart these days. They will not even sniff something that reeks of keywords.
Write articles to create value for your readers and be recognized as an authority in your domain. Genuine wisdom will find a lot of takers, who will eventually become believers/fans, and God willing, buyers.
Get professional help: outsource your content needs
If you feel you are getting more caught up with running your business or if writing is not your core area of expertise, you can always get professional ghostwriters to do the job for you. Give them a clear brief on what you expect, work out a production schedule, and make sure both of you understand each other’s terms perfectly well. If you can show the content writer examples of the kind of work you’re expecting, that will make it easier for both of you.
Article submission – how it helps
Submitting articles to directory sites will generate inbound links to your site. You can also cash in on the submission site’s traffic volume that your site may or may not enjoy. Thus, you get more eyeballs too.
But, again, select the article submission sites with care. Check if they link to spammy or adult sites. The top article directories that come to mind are EzineArticles and Buzzle. But there are many other quality sites you can choose from.
Keyword-rich and interesting articles will win you readers interested in your niche area. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the fruits are sweet.
