Tips for self-editing:

1.       Proofread! Please don’t ever, ever submit a tip without reading it first. Bonus: Read it out loud to be sure it sounds right.

2.       Spell check. Those little red squiggly lines mean you misspelled a word.

3.       Did you use the required keyword? Did you buffer it with a few additional keywords?

4.       Don’t forget to fill in the question, mobile and meta description fields.

5.       Did you give your tip a title? Did you capitalize all important non-prepositional words?

6.       And finally, are you considering a tattoo? Think before you ink.

Are you frustrated that you didn’t get a byline on an article you wrote for a client? What a bummer, I know.  You want to show your hard work to your mom, post links to it on your blog, and get some credit for your hard work. But think of it this way: no byline = more work and more $$ for you.

Your byline does not appear with your tip or article because when you signed up to work for LifeTips, you agreed to our terms and conditions: “Any tips or content I submit to LifeTips, in any form, for purposes of web publishing or book publishing, shall instantly become the property of LifeTips.” The client subsequently purchases the copyright from LifeTips. One of the reasons LifeTips appeals to our big-name, deep-pocketed clients is content ownership. The more prominent clientele we attract means more work and cash for you.

I have fantastic news for our writers! LifeTips got it right this time. Our hero April Berry made sure that September checks went out today … on schedule! In other news, I’d like to address a problem that a few of you have experienced.  

LifeTips editors edit and assign tip payment on a per-category basis. We read each tip, revise where necessary, and mark payment for every tip in the category. Then we hit “submit,” prompting an automatic email (think of it as a receipt) that serves as your record of what changes we’ve made and how much—up to $10—you earned per tip. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time we get this right. That means there is a fraction of a percentage point when we don’t. (By “we” I mean an intern.) That’s probably because we were working at 5:45 p.m. when the computer screen is as gentle on the eyeballs as a utility cheese grater on Parmesan (or a toddler, as this young boy is about to learn). That darned payment button gets overlooked and the default setting of “$0” kicks in. 

So how do we fix this? No one’s perfect. We are human and we make mistakes. And like Morrissey said, we need to be loved. All you have to do is be patient, follow through, and know that we are on your side: check your email-cum-receipt to make sure every payment is there, and let us know if we missed one. We will happily credit your account. File every email/receipt away in case there’s ever a discrepancy in your check. That way you have a record, and we all have peace of mind.

If you are a regular LifeTips writer, you have been checking your mailbox in vain for last month’s pay check. Did it get swept away by Hurricane Hannah? Did the nosey neighbor cash it? Did the mailman eat it?

While I’d like to blame it on one of these very likely possibilities, I must be honest and admit that we sent your August check out late this month. And I’d like to emphasize what our new accountant, April, has said in an email she sent all of you: We are sorry!

LifeTips underwent a personnel transition at the end of August. This bumped the immensely important task of paying writers a week behind schedule. I want you to know as the manager of the production department that we did our best to send checks out as soon as April was initiated to the payment process, and we also reached out to let you know about the delay in personal emails. Now that April is here full time, we don’t foresee this problem happening again in the future.

Thank you for your patience as we settle back into our normal end-of-month payment routine. And if your check still doesn’t arrive in the next day or two, we may need to alert the authorities of a peculiarly hungry mailman.

Anyone in the Boston area looking for a paid editorial internship? If so, I want your resume. In the coming weeks, LifeTips will be hiring two interns for the fall semester. For a detailed description of the position, check out our Craigslist posting.

And if you’re looking for paid freelance writing gigs, you know you came to the right spot. Next week we’ll be looking for writers in the following topics:

·         Luxury furnished apartments

·         Bachelorette parties

·         Car insurance

·         Pressure washers

·         Bras (now that's hot!)

Ever have trouble thinking of a name for a pet? Or a baby? Then I’m sorry, this might not be the project for you. We need a writer full of ideas on what to name pets and babies. From the traditional to the absurd, we want it all. We also have projects available related to gourmet teas, crock pot cooking, home & family, and staffing. I also need a web-marketing SEO writer to write some punchy tips for a demanding yet rewarding project. Email me for details if you’re interested.

LifeTips had record sales in July, and the sales team is gearing up for three trade shows in the month of August. The production department, thanks to a few new great hires, is ready for the challenge!

Many, many thanks to Bobby Pellegrino and Abbie Ruzicka, our two summer interns from BU. They were two enthusiastic, hard workers who brightened the office with their youth, personality and sense of humor. Best of luck as you start what I’m sure will be positively successful careers.

This week’s Job Pitch Board is meatier than usual. Our sales team just got back from a whopping SEO trade show, and with them they bring prospects galore. The editorial team is excited to get started on these projects, as the subject matter really is exciting. Who doesn’t love books and jewelry? Mona will be downward-dogging for yoga, and the wholesale purchasing project just screams “Mandy!” And while I’m a vegetarian and love all animals, I will have to pass the deer hunting project off to another colleague, but baseball will certainly broaden my horizons! 

So here they are, new projects for our writers to watch out for:

·         Books

·         Jewelry

·         Hunting (deer)

·         Interior Decorating (Asian and Danish styles)

·         Baseball

·         Wholesale purchasing

·         Teaching Degree, Business Degree sponsorship

·         Yoga Sponsorship Renewal

The month of June means warm weather in Boston as well as plenty of new writing assignments to keep our gurus busy! In the coming days, check out your job board and apply to these compelling topics:

·         Sunglasses

·         Christmas

·         Basketball

·         Online shopping

·         Hypnosis

·         Travel nursing

Don’t forget to join our writers’ conference call on Thursday, June 5 at 5:00 p.m. EDST. Mona and I will be discussing LifeTips editorial standards including the recipe for a great tip, payment, and how to break bad writing habits. Dial our conference line at 218-862-1115 and punch in 87631# when prompted.

“So, Carolyn, what’s cookin’ in the LifeTips kitchen? Any new projects I should keep my eye open for?”

What a great question. We do have some great projects available in the next week or two. Here is a list of topics for which we’ll be looking for writers:

·         Web domain name registration, web design and management services

·         Planning, organizing, and executing a fun-filled birthday party

·         How to live—and thrive—with a disability

·         Extended-stay housing

·         High-quality graphic design and custom printing

·         Eye health and wellness

·         Home theaters, big screen projectors, and surround-sound entertainment systems

·         Lockers and shelves

·         Pets (everyone’s favorite!)

Writers, check your job board regularly and apply to a topic that gets your creative juices flowing!