Freelance Writing Tips: Blogs

Before we begin, what is a blog? Let's look at the definition wikipedia.com provides:

"A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.

Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media.

The term "blog" is a portmanteau, or, in other words, a blend of the words web and log (Web log). "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

In November 2006, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 57 million blogs."

There are many blogs out there I enjoy, but there are only a handful I visit frequently (some daily, some weekly - it all depends). Here's a look at five blogs I won't stop visiting and why: (these are in no particular order of importance or priority)

1: The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource
Not only does this blog contain job leads, but it also provides many other resources important to a freelance writer's career. Ann Wayman provides job postings, links, tips, a newsletter, and a list of even more blogs. Make sure you have a notebook (like your writer's notebook, for example) next to you while working through this blog.

2: Freelance Writing Jobs: Deborah Ng
Keeping the work flow steady is a very important cog in the freelance writing machine. If the leads dry up (or if you don't know where to look for new ones), you're pretty much determining the fate of your business. Deborah Ng's efforts prevent any of this from becoming a reality. This blog is all about the jobs! Yes, she scours the "net for new leads and receives email from prospects looking to hire. To top it off, it's updated daily!