Best Articles for Writers 2011

When you do a monthly best-articles post for freelance writers, there’s only one place that can lead.

That’s right — I’ve rounded up all my monthly best picks and then culled through over 100 nominees, to find my picks for the very best articles on writing and blogging for the whole year.

In case you’re wondering, this was hard! I decided to suspend my usual rule of not allowing any one site to have more than one entry.

But no one writer was allowed more than one entry. As is my habit, I also went for a mix of writing and blogging topics for both beginners and more seasoned scribes.

Boiled it all down..and these are my must-reads.

Enjoy!

• 5 Crippling Beliefs That Keep Writers Penniless and Mired in Mediocrity by Jon Morrow on Copyblogger. Two words: Jon Morrow. I was hard-pressed not to break my rule and include more than one of his posts, but think this was my recent fave.
• 7 Deadly Freelance Sins by Lori Widmer at Words on the Page. A concise how-not-to-earn-well guide. [NOTE: As of 11/2016, this blog no longer exists.]
• The 8 Most Greatest Tips to Write Unstoppably Killer Headlines Guide Ever by Eric Cummings and Michael Cummings of On Violence, on Problogger. Regular readers know headlines are sort of an obsession with me…and I loved the case-study examples they give here.
• 14 Ways to Create Multiple Articles on a Topic by David Arthur Smith on Writer on Fire. Writers are always asking me how I come up with so many story ideas. Here’s a primer on how you can get more pitches out of one idea. [NOTE: As of 12/31/18 this post is gone.]
• 17 Ways to Get Inside Your Client’s Mind So You’ll Always Hit Your Target Audience by John Wood on AWAI. I love to learn about the psychology behind effective writing — here’s a primer on applying how we think to effective ad writing.
• Everything Will Conspire to Stop You…So What? by Robert Bruce on Copyblogger. The ultimate excuse-ending post.
• How to Easily Write Brilliant Blog Posts by Stanford Smith on Pushing Social. More fun reader-psychology learnings, this time applied to blogging.
• How to Pitch an Editor and Win the Gig, by Susan Finch on Men With Pens. The whole process, beginning to end, and packed with tips on overcoming rejection and carrying on.
• How to Plan Ahead to Write a Blog Post To Go Viral by Francisco Rosales at SocialMouths. Great case study on designing a post to draw huge traffic. Post no longer live.
• Not Getting Enough Traffic? Here’s Why by Corbett Barr of Think Traffic on DIYThemes. A good primer on the rules of blogging success.
• The Number One Thing Holding You Back From Freelance Writing Success by Linda Formichelli on The Renegade Writer. I find myself talking to writers about this a lot lately…and this post sums up the problem. NOTE: The Renegade Writer blog is no longer live.
• One Big Reason Why Commercial Writing Pays Better and Resists “Off-Shoring” (and Why this Other Kind of Writing Doesn’t…) by Peter Bowerman on The Well-Fed Writer. This post explains exactly which kinds of writing will continue to pay well, and why. If you’re getting paid peanuts, you need to read this.
• Putting a Price on Your Capabilities: Setting Your Fees as a Freelance Copywriter by Debra Jason on The Write Direction. After you read this detailed post, I never want to hear you ask, “But what’s the going rate?” again.
• Think Twice About Writing for Revenue Share by Jenn Mattern on All Freelance Writing. A complete examination of all the pitfalls to this payment scheme.

Have a wonderful New Year’s weekend, all. May better writing income be yours in 2012!

What were your favorite online articles this year, writers? Feel free to add to my list.