14 Free Things For Writers
If you like these articles and job links, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Write well and often, A
Do a little poking around and you’ll find good stuff for free for writers and editors. Here’s a list of stuff I like:
- The 3 Keys to Making Your Writing Pay! - free ebook by me and a free subscription to our newsletter.
- Freelance Writing Jobs – posted for free 3 times a week. Subscribe to the newsletter and/or subscribe to the RSS Feed. (You may also want to read RSS for Writers.)
- 30 Days to Better Business Writing – excellent!
- Free Online Classes for Writers
- 9-week screen writing class by Steven Barnes
- 50 Awesome Open Source Resources For Writers And Writing Majors – I’ve used NotePad+and like it.
- An annual eCalandar for Writers – nifty and useful – it’s a printable .pdf file.
- Free ebooks - really at FictionWise – and not just fiction for free. Free to join too, and yes, you can buy other ebooks there as well. This is a Barnes and Nobel company. Suspect it may be worth watching. When I figure out how to give a way an ebook there I’ll let you know.
- WordPress – the blogging software is totally free. I use it and their famous 10 or 15 minute install works – took me about 30 minutes the first time, but it works.
- PayPal – totally free to set up an account that lets you get paid from around the world and let’s you pay the same. Sure, there are some fees, but they are less than many places. Plus PayPal has shopping carts, and all sorts of other tools for selling online and off.
- Royalty Free Photos – most of the photos you see on this blog, including the Free tag here, come from Stock.xchng. Some require specific credit be given, many don’t.
- Image Program – GIMP has a great reputation for helping you create and work with images. Some say it works as a PhotoShop replacement. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will.
- Free Trade Magazines – order those that tickle your fancy and develop a new market. Some may require fairly detailed information about you and your work. Go for it.
- Implementing, Maintaining and Tweaking an Organized Archival System is an article by Jessie Haynes with three helpful, downloadable checklists.
Let me know if any links are broken and if you know about free stuff I should add.
As you might guess, this blog is all about either becoming a freelance writer or making more money as a freelance writer. I post freelance writing jobs.
Write well and often,
Image from http://www.sxc.hu
{ 4 trackbacks }
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
1. I love LibraryElf (http://www.libraryelf.com). It logs into your library account on your behalf and tracks holds and items you’ve checked out. When a book has come in for you or one of your books is due back, it’ll email you. I think there’s also an RSS feed too. I’ve used them for two years now, and recommend them highly.
2. Zap2It bookmarklet: A bookmarklet is a bookmark that acts on the page you are currently viewing. Zap2It removes background images and converts light text on a dark background to black text on white. Install it from: https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/zap.html#zap
#5.’s link is broken.
Thank you, Anne! Looks like some good stuff. I always appreciate FREE.
Thank you very much Anne! I will certainly be checking them out as well.
I truly love your emails that I receive alerting me to freelance writing opportunities. This has been SO very helpful and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate it and you!
Keep up the good work dear and make it an awesome day!
Deb
Golly, Anne! These are nifty! I’ve explored some of them; must spend an afternoon looking at all of them. Muchas gracias!
Thank you Anne, for the links!
Thanks for including my free online courses site Anne. Way to light a fire under me to remind me to update with more writing courses — have a new blogger starting on that site soon, so that’s where I’ll have him focus.
And thanks for the other great resources (wasn’t aware of a few of them!).
You’re welcome Jenn – they look like great courses… suspect I’ll take one or two.
Always appreciate free resources, thanks so much Anne!
You’re Welcome Deb… I like free too
There’s a free teleseminar for writers, Tax Tips for Freelancers. You can sign up here: http://www.writingcoach.com/taxes
It’s on Thursday… I don’t know the folks putting it on but it may be worth it.
Ben I really didn’t mean to set Laura up for questions… meant ask me… her websites/blogs indicate she does both http://www.NonfictionInk.com and http://www.AboutAScreenplay.com – but you’re comment will count in the drawing.
Nice List of Resources. Could also add Curdbee, which is basically a free invoice sending service.
Could also add Moneybookers, which is basically a option for PayPal. Talk to any Indian freelancer and you’d know why most Indians are opting for MoneyBookers.
Erm.. resources resources resources.. liked the free images link, using it right about now for my site.
Then.. uhmm.. if you are looking for Open Source software, there’s:
Open Office which is a option for Microsoft Word.
Google Docs that let you share documents with a gmail account to and fro clients.
Mozilla Thunderbird for your Mail Program, if you don’t want MS Outlook. Let’s see what else I’ve been using:
Jobsites: oDesk. Getafreelancer, Scriptlance. All free. You will never have to click that ‘$2569 will be transferred into your account email’ again – ever.
That’s about it Ma’am.
PS: The annual ecalender is in typonese as ecalandar.
Thanks Roy, I’ll add and I’ll also fix my spelling… which is always creative.
All of these look great, Anne! Thank you…
Toni
You’re welcome!
Someone I work with who’s in IT recommended GIMP instead of spending hundreds on Photoshop. I plan to download and play with it soon. I’ll post something on my blog when I do. It will be interesting to see how easy the program is for someone like me who doesn’t use a lot of fancy software.
I use photoimpact… a photoshop knockoff now owned by corel… $99 I think – I’ll give gimp a try
Years ago when I tried my hand at game designing, I learnt The Photoshops. I am hooked onto that as yet.
I’ve tried GIMP and love it. I actually got a new computer awhile back and didn’t need it and forgot to re-install it so now that I’ve been reminded I’ll have to do that today.
But yes, great program. And easy to use!
Thanks for the fab list Anne!
You’re welcome, Danielle… I’m using gimp part of the time now.
Great site, great content, simply great! I’m not into freelance writing but I’m very eager to improve what little I know. I write blog posts from time to time, but as you said, it’s an agony to squeeze those words from a tongue that’s only borrowed. Either way, I hope to at least get my thoughts and my message across intelligibly.
Kind regards,
Florante
Good to have you here Florante.