Balancing the Buzz: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
We don't know about you, but as writers, coffee is a must-have part of our day! We can't help but wonder, though, if our morning caffeine ritual is doing more harm than good. In a recent blog post from The Takeout (shared by TWFH writer, Flori Meeks) the author, Lauren Harkawik, reflects on her long-standing caffeine consumption that routinely includes four cups of coff...
July 30, 2024 READ MORE
Four Ways to Recover an Unsaved Word File
One of the worst things that could ever happen to a writer is losing their work. The moments of sheer horror that follow the loss of an unsaved word file are unfathomable. Think about it. Imagine working hard on a nonfiction book project. Then, suddenly, the computer screen goes blank. All that hard work vaporized in a few seconds. Sadly, this situation is far mor...
May 7, 2024 READ MORE
Nine Delightful Gifts for Writers in Your Life
Would you like to see your favorite writer wordless, at least for a moment? This holiday season is your opportunity. Writers have their own special wishes. Make one or more of those come true this year, with gifts to equip and inspire them or enhance their workspaces. There’s something here for every budget, from the least to the most lavish. 1. “Caution” Door...
December 5, 2023 READ MORE
Nine Delightful Gifts for Writers in Your Life
Would you like to see your favorite writer wordless, at least for a moment? This holiday season is your opportunity. Writers have their own special wishes. Make one or more of those come true this year, with gifts to equip and inspire them or enhance their workspaces. There’s something here for every budget, from the least to the most lavish. 1. “Caution” door...
November 11, 2022 READ MORE
Celebrating 10 Years With TWFH’s Erin Larson
10 years ago, an online “want ad" grabbed the attention of Wisconsin-based writer and editor, Erin Larson. Little did she know, her decision to respond to the ad would eventually propel her into a fascinating new career with an up-and-coming writing agency. In celebration of her decade anniversary with The Writers For Hire, we sat down with Erin reflect on the past 10...
November 4, 2022 READ MORE
Affect or Effect: 5 Tricks to Never Use the Wrong One Again
“Grammar is to a writer what anatomy is to a sculptor or the scales to a musician. You may loathe it. It may bore you. But nothing will replace it, and once you’ve mastered it, it will support you like a rock.” — B.J. Chute The English language has its nuances. Well, some of those nuances can get quite tricky. In some cases, they can be downright frustrating. Ta...
October 7, 2022 READ MORE
Of all the world’s most dangerous professions, writer is probably not anywhere close to the top of the list. That being said, there are some pretty hazardous things that we writers do that can be harmful to our wellbeing. Our eyesight is a prime example of something that is greatly affected by our profession. According to this article from Craft Your Content, ...
September 16, 2022 READ MORE
The Great English Plurals Debate
The other day, I overheard my kids having a passionate debate about the plural of “octopus.” My son insisted that the correct word was “octopi,” while my daughter argued that it was actually “octopuses.” This debate brought to mind an article that TWFH’s Office Manager, Kathy Rinchuiso, recently shared with us about the general rules of pluralization in th...
August 1, 2022 READ MORE
The Writers For Hire’s Top Microsoft Word Tips
We at The Writers For Hire have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Microsoft Word. On one hand, it really is the best word processing software around. On the other hand, the formatting issues we sometimes run into are enough to drive even the most even-tempered of us mad. Luckily, though, we have each learned some great tricks to make Word much easier to work wit...
July 25, 2022 READ MORE
Fantastic Words That Are Their Own Autonyms
[block_imgwrap_per conper="70" content="It’s a well-known fact that English is a complicated language. To begin with, we have a bunch of words that have different meanings and spellings, but are pronounced the same, such as there, their, and they’re. We also have a ton of words with silent letters, like neighbor, sign, thought, and gnome. In addition, there ar...
July 20, 2022 READ MORE
3 Great Online Dictionaries for Writers
It’s no secret that we writers love good words. After all, putting words together in an elegant fashion is what we do. Given our affinity for the written language, it should come as no surprise that we frequently geek out over fun new dictionaries, thesauruses, and encyclopedias. Recently, a few of our writers shared some awesome online dictionaries that they stumbled...
May 27, 2022 READ MORE
The Power of Positivity in Our Writing
We’ve all likely heard the saying, “positivity breeds positivity.” And many of us have probably witnessed evidence of its truth in our own lives. But positivity does much more than just spreading positive thoughts. In fact, a study done by Harvard Business Review found that people with positive outlooks are overall more successful (and happy) than their pes...
May 18, 2022 READ MORE
The simple quotation mark has a surprisingly long and rich history. Its origin dates back a lot further than one might think. While the practice of using a written symbol to indicate an excerpt from another written work dates all the way back to Ancient Greece, documented history informs us that the ancestors of the double quotation mark that we use today first appea...
February 17, 2022 READ MORE
11 Great Organization Tools for Writers
Being a writer requires a combination of talent and discipline. Successful writers must develop routines and habits that allow them to harness their creative powers. In addition, writers must make time to conduct research, take notes, edit, and proofread their work. Indeed, the entire writing process demands a great deal of organization and careful attention to detail. ...
January 21, 2022 READ MORE
Five Great Holiday Gifts for Writers
If you know any writers, then you know they can be picky (some might even say pretentious). But it’s really not that hard buying gifts for the writers in your life – especially not with TWFH on your side. Here we’ve put together a list of five of our favorite gifts and gadgets for writers. #1: Moleskine Notebooks Moleskine notebooks will forever be the signature...
December 24, 2021 READ MORE
What Does “Show, Don’t Tell” Mean in Writing?
You’ve written a piece you adore. The language flows, and it’s wonderfully descriptive. Your editor (or teacher) then comes back with, “Show me, don’t tell me!” Seriously? You’ve heard that same critique a thousand times. Don’t worry. All writers have found those dreaded words on their drafts. What are they looking for? Let’s get to the bottom ...
February 16, 2021 READ MORE
Fantastic Words to Describe Obscure Emotions
Have you ever found yourself searching for a word to describe certain emotions or feelings, but just can’t put your finger on the right one? Well, believe it or not, there is actually a word for that. It’s called “lethologica.” But lethologica does not have to get you down. It turns out there is a whole collection of words to describe obscure emotions or feeling...
February 12, 2021 READ MORE
10+ (More) Great Books Every Aspiring Writer Should Read
Writers love to read about writing. From advice on mastering their craft, to memoirs of writers, and even straight-up grammar tips, books about writing are a major part of every aspiring writer’s library. The Writers For Hire writer, Jennifer Rizzo, told us about “5 Great Books Every Aspiring Writer Should Read,” and they were great suggestions, but there are a lo...
January 12, 2021 READ MORE
Writers’ Tips for Working from Home
Ever since COVID-19 lockdowns started in March of 2020 and forced many people to work from home, the internet has been full of hilarious memes. From jokes about doing Zoom calls in your pajamas, to cartoons depicting parents trying to work with kids in the house, it’s clear that the switch from the office to working remotely has been a challenge for many. There is on...
January 5, 2021 READ MORE
Understanding Active and Passive Voice in Writing
"TIME's spell-check always admonishes me whenever I compose a sentence in the passive voice, a warning that is often ignored by me." — Richard Corliss, film critic for TIME magazine There are certain writing tips or admonishments that writers hear so often that they’ve become almost cliché: “Show don’t tell.” “Write every day.” “Use the active, no...
December 1, 2020 READ MORE
Avoiding the Copyright Police: Ways to Find Free Images for Your Blog
Remember story time as a kid? While the story was great, you have to confess it was the pictures that drew you in, right? Looking at the pictures was the best part of the entire experience. The same applies to digital and printed communications. Visuals, including photography and infographics, play a significant role in helping people take action, become inspired, o...
October 30, 2020 READ MORE
20 Great Podcasts to Inspire and Improve Your Writing
As professional writers, we at The Writers For Hire (TWFH) are constantly looking to hone up on our skills while staying attuned to current trends and developments in the writing world. And we have found that listening to podcasts is a fantastic way to do just that! Whether you are tuning in while working out at the gym, or listening during your commute to work, pod...
October 23, 2020 READ MORE
Diving Headfirst Into Your Family Tree
Do you ever wonder about where your ancestors came from, and what struggles they had to endure in their life’s voyage? The journey of discovering your roots and your family history can be quite fascinating and exciting. It can also be a daunting and time-consuming task. A simple Google search will lead you to a vast array of websites, promising to give you the answers...
July 28, 2020 READ MORE
Coronavirus Response: How and Why to Ramp Up Your Blog Content Quickly
As more and more Americans self-quarantine or are asked to work from home, online activity is skyrocketing. In fact, from January 29 to April 8, usage rates rose 105 percent (from 22.6 million people to 46.2 million people in the U.S. using the internet during peak hours). While the circumstances aren’t ideal, most business owners are asking themselves how they ...
April 17, 2020 READ MORE
Keys to Small Business Marketing
Kimberly Smith, University of Houston Small Business Development CenterEach year, about 400,000 new small businesses open their doors to the economic landscape in their communities. But according to www.bloomberg.com, a whopping 80 percent of these new ventures will fail within the first 18 months. What’s the difference between one energetic, inspired entrepreneur with a...
March 18, 2020 READ MORE
Capturing words—Tools writers use for recording interviews
If there is one thing guaranteed to improve a piece of writing and make it more interesting, it’s the addition of insights from others. Adding firsthand experience, professional perspectives, and touching personal stories about a topic helps to elevate writing in a way that nothing, not even seriously in-depth research, can. For as long as writers have been interview...
January 27, 2020 READ MORE
HOW TO KICK-OFF A WRITING PROJECT: PART THREE – GATHERING INFORMATION
The team is in place, and the kick-off meeting ( or kick-off call) is over. Now comes the content. You probably have a good idea of what you need from everyone. You’ll find, however, that different colleagues require different levels of engagement. Your main challenge may well be dealing with various comfort levels when it comes to writing or, as the old saying goes, ...
November 14, 2019 READ MORE
The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language
It's a long known fact that the secret to persuasive writing isn't in the adjectives, it's in the verbs. Copywriters know power verbs sell and convince. Internally, we have a list of 108 verbs that we've been using for a good decade, and we recently thought we should share it with proper credit to the original author. We found that although the list is being recirculated (...
November 12, 2019 READ MORE
HOW TO KICK-OFF A WRITING PROJECT: PART TWO- THE KICK-OFF CALL
In our previous blog, we discussed the importance of running a kick-off meeting when starting a new project. However, if it turns out that the meeting participants are in different locations, or working remotely like so many professionals are today, the kick-off meeting will have to be a call. While the concept of the kick-off call follows the same basic principals as ...
October 3, 2019 READ MORE
Amazing Foods That Help You Write Well
As writers, our greatest tools are our minds. And when our minds are not functioning properly, our ability to produce quality work is greatly affected. While things such as getting enough sleep and reducing stress are important for our brain function, equally important are the foods that we are eating. But, what foods are the best choices to help nourish both our bodies...
September 17, 2019 READ MORE
Time Zones Cheat Sheet For Writers
As a writer who works remotely, and occasionally travels for different genealogy and family history projects, calculating time zones is always an issue for me. I live in the Mountain time zone, but the majority of the writers I work with go by Central time. And with clients all over the world, scheduling conference calls can become quite challenging. Thanks to one o...
September 3, 2019 READ MORE
11 Weird Habits That Writers Can Relate To
We writers are a funny breed. I don’t know if it is the fact that a lot of us work from home, and spend most of our time in the sole company of our own imaginations (and a strong cup of coffee), or if it is because our livelihoods depend on our ability to find the inspiration to put words to paper (which is not always easy to do, when you’re staring at a computer sc...
August 29, 2019 READ MORE
Enhance Your Writing With These Great Descriptive Foreign Words
Language is a fascinating and beautiful thing. As a writer with a passion for learning foreign languages, I am always on the hunt for perfect descriptive words in any language. Throughout my many travels, and attempts to learn languages along the way, I have found that there are some great words and phrases in other languages that simply have no equivalent in English. ...
August 6, 2019 READ MORE
Unique Museums Writers Can Appreciate
As writers, we have a great appreciation for the arts. Be it the art of the written word, visual arts such as painting and photography, or musical arts and dancing—we just love creative expressions! But, is all art beautiful or good? The answer to that question can be found in the basement of the Somerville Theater in Sommerville, Massachusetts. Although currently ...
July 30, 2019 READ MORE
10 Ways for Writers to Avoid Distractions and Improve Productivity
Do you ever sit down to work, only to realize hours later that you have gotten very little done? You feel like you have been busy all day, yet you have not made much progress in the manuscript you are writing, and have not even started the newsletter you are supposed to send out. If you answered yes, you are not alone. With the ever growing and changing presence of ...
July 2, 2019 READ MORE
Is Screenless Internet the Future of Writing?
It’s hard to remember a time when computers were tied to dial-up land-lines, and cell phones were devices used solely for the purpose of making calls. In fact, it seems that nowadays, everywhere you look, people are shackled to their internet-enabled cell phones, tablets, or laptops. With ever-evolving technology, the dream of working remotely has become more and mor...
June 18, 2019 READ MORE
While the finale of the Game of Thrones left many fans feeling upset and disappointed, there is one thing that we can all agree on: Ser Davos being dubbed “Master of Grammar” by Bronn was pure magic! As writers who are frequently accused of being “grammar police,” we found this title to be perfectly fitting. And, it turns out we are not the only ones. Ever s...
May 31, 2019 READ MORE
In Writing, The Adverb Is Not Your Friend
If you ever played Mad Libs as a kid, you probably have a fond recollection of adverbs. They are the words (usually ending in -ly) that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs: slowly, contemptuously, angrily, mysteriously… Well, according to famous horror author, Stephen King, adverbs are NOT our friends. In fact, King believes that adverbs, like the passive voic...
May 21, 2019 READ MORE
A Flashback to 1993 and the Information Superhighway
I belong to that technologically in-between generation. The first half of my childhood I spent time locating library books using card catalogs, calling my friends using our home’s land line, and learning to type on an electric typewriter. By the time I reached middle school, though, computers had taken the place of typewriters. And by high school, most households had an ...
May 16, 2019 READ MORE
7 Unusual Ways To Improve Your Writing
As with every form of art, we writers are constantly working to improve our craft. From reading the works of great writers to attending writing workshops and checking out the latest and greatest grammar rules and regulations, we try very hard to stay at the top of our writing game. In our never-ending search for interesting new ways to help us grow as writers, we ca...
May 14, 2019 READ MORE
2019’s Best Productivity Tools For Writers
One of the biggest challenges that writers face is time management. We often have several projects going on at once, which can leave us feeling like we are running around like a chicken with its head cut off. While there are many different productivity tools out there that promise to help with time and task management, many of them end up being more time consuming and ...
May 9, 2019 READ MORE
33 of the Best Free Font Downloads for Writers
As writers, we are generally limited in the fonts that we can use. While a fancy font may seem more fun and exciting than the basic Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri, we have to be sure that the fonts we use can be easily read and understood. Every once in a while, though, we have the opportunity to color outside the lines and use a font that has a bit more pizzazz. O...
May 7, 2019 READ MORE
How Your Language Is Shaped By The Places You Have Lived
It’s common knowledge that if you are from New York or New Jersey, you have a particular accent or way of talking that’s stereotypical of the region. And if you are from Georgia or Alabama, your slow drawl is certain to give your southern roots away. But, did you know that the actual words you write or say (as well as the way you pronounce those words) can not only...
May 2, 2019 READ MORE
Words That Were Brought To Us By World War I
Language is a fascinating and ever-evolving thing. It has been said that the average person speaks upwards of 16,000 words per day. And the average book is somewhere between 50 and 100,000 words long. Yet, we rarely stop to think about the words we use and how they came to be. In honor of the 100th anniversary of World War I, CNN published this thought-provoking ...
April 24, 2019 READ MORE
How to Create a File-Naming System that Works
If you needed to find a specific document on your computer, in less than a minute, could you do it? Consider this scenario: You are sitting at your desk, hard at work on your team’s latest project, when the boss walks in with a panicked look on her face. She needs the final version of a new-business pitch for a former client that was written before you joined the comp...
April 18, 2019 READ MORE
What Have You Learned Today? How Learning New Things And Writing About Them Can Improve Your Health
It has been scientifically proven that learning something new every day can improve both your brain function and your overall well-being. After all, our brains are muscles, and just like all other muscles, they must constantly be used and strengthened. Whether it be through learning a new language or working on becoming a better writer, it is imperative that we keep ...
April 15, 2019 READ MORE
I Shot the Serif: Is Font Choice Important?
When I married a man with the very Italian surname of Iacullo, I had no illusions about the spelling and pronunciation mishaps that were likely to follow. I knew I’d have to endure a certain amount of ribbing about the surplus of vowels in the old country and make endless attempts to explain that yes, my new last name really did begin with the letter “I” followed by ...
April 4, 2019 READ MORE
As word enthusiasts, we constantly try to stay up-to-date on the evolution of language. After all, we found great delight in the list of 25 words that were added to Webster’s dictionary last year. But, as much as we love learning new words and discovering what they mean, we feel it is important to remember words of the past, that are no longer commonly used in today�...
March 28, 2019 READ MORE
If you spend any time on the internet or on social media, you are bound to notice that there is an ever-evolving plethora of new words being created all of the time. What you may not know, however, is that the editors at Miriam-Webster keep track of all of these words. In fact, just last year they added over 840 new words to their dictionary. From “adorbs”...
March 18, 2019 READ MORE
Are There Any Synonyms for Synonym?
Whoever created the English language must have had a wicked sense of humor. Why else would they have used “monosyllabic” to describe a word with just one syllable? And why isn’t the word “long” actually long? Perhaps the most interesting of these questions is: Why are there no true synonyms for “synonym?” This great article from Mental Floss poses that...
February 28, 2019 READ MORE
Celebrating Ten Years with Kathy – A Woman of Many Hats
Ten years ago, Kathy agreed to help her best friend with some paperwork. She had no idea that the bag full of accounting receipts she tackled that day would turn into a full-time job that includes things like project management, accounting, and client interaction on a typical day. On top of all that, Kathy works on a range of projects, from Wikipedia to genealogy to web de...
February 27, 2019 READ MORE
Autological Words: Words That Describe Themselves
As writers, we are passionate about words and language. Oftentimes, when we come across a word that we have never heard before, we immediately want to know not only the meaning, but also the history of the word. In most cases, as with most words, the actual meaning of the word has nothing to do with the word itself. Words are generally just arbitrary sounds that are pu...
February 21, 2019 READ MORE
Coffee – The Key to Writers’ Survival
Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, the sun and the moon…writers and coffee! There are numerous possible reasons as to why coffee has become the “nectar of the writer” over the years. Perhaps it is the boost of energy and stimulation from the caffeine. Maybe it’s the flavor of the roasted beans that inspires creativity. Or, as...
February 19, 2019 READ MORE
How to Find the Right Tone and Voice in Writing
As writers, we are always trying to make sure that our work reflects our clients’ unique and authentic personalities. It’s important that the things we write do not sound “cookie cutter,” or too generic. At the same time, though, we want to make sure that our writing is relatable and entertaining. But, how do we go about finding the right tone and voice for our w...
February 12, 2019 READ MORE
Words of Wisdom from 10 Great Writers
Some people are naturally gifted writers. They don’t have a fancy education. They haven’t spent endless hours and money taking classes to learn how to write well. They are just good. They simply have an incredible talent for the written word that the rest of us can only sit back and envy. But have you ever wondered what those amazing writers would say if you had the c...
December 31, 2018 READ MORE
The 17th-Century Preposition Rule
If you are a stickler for correct grammar (or happen to know someone who is), then you have probably heard the rule about not ending a sentence with a preposition. But where did this rule come from? (Or, perhaps we should be asking, “from where did this rule come?”) And is it really a rule? Or is that just a myth? According to this article from Atlas Obscura, it all ...
December 3, 2018 READ MORE
I think we can all agree that it is important to stay up-to-date on what is going on in the world. From television newscasts, radio programs, and newspapers to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; there are endless ways to get real-time updates on local and international news. All of those news outlets tend to have one thing in common, though… Bad News. It’s not that ...
November 19, 2018 READ MORE
The Researcher’s Guide to Screenshots
As writers, we often need to capture information from sources: online, print, and interviews to name a few. When you are on the computer, you can record your findings in your favorite word processor; for print, you've got the good old copy machine, with OCR if you're lucky. And for interviews, of course, we have our trusty recorders. But when it comes to capturing resear...
November 19, 2018 READ MORE
Our Writers’ Favorite Word of the Week? Synesthesia!
Today we found a new word! Synesthesia! Synesthesia is a rare neurological sensory phenomenon that causes people to experience unique perceptual cross-overs. Do your numbers or days have colors or personalities? Do certain words taste sweet to you, while others are bitter or sour? Or do you see colors when you hear music, see abstract concepts like time projected in the ...
November 5, 2018 READ MORE
Etymology of Orange- What Came First, the Color or the Fruit?
Have you ever wondered where colors get their names? Why is yellow called yellow? And why is red called red? The answer is that they are just basic words. These words were given to each color, in order to describe a whole range of shades associated with them. And the different shades associated with each color generally get their names from things that are that particula...
November 5, 2018 READ MORE
It’s hard to believe that it has already been more than a year since Hurricane Harvey dropped more than 30 trillion gallons of water along the Texas Gulf Coast, causing immeasurable amounts of destruction and devastation. To those who experienced the disaster firsthand, memories of those days (and the months of recovery after) are burned forever in their minds. In an e...
October 23, 2018 READ MORE
MICROSOFT WORD TIPS FOR WRITERS … *Mac Edition*
A little while back, we compiled some “Word hacks” that our writers have learned over the years of working with Microsoft Word. But we realized that Microsoft Word is, like all things, different across platforms. So not to be left out, our Mac users piped up with tips and tricks of their own.[block_heading content="Take Control from A to Z" size="h2" color="black"][[/b...
October 16, 2018 READ MORE
If you have ever interviewed someone for a book, you know that it is nearly impossible to take thorough enough notes to catch everything that is being said. Even if you are an ace on the keyboard, something is bound to be missed. For this reason, we always recommend recording all of your interviews, so that you can go back and re-visit key points of your interview later ...
September 24, 2018 READ MORE
The Dangers of Mixing Languages
I have always been anti-Spanglish. I don’t know exactly why, but mixing two languages at one time is a big pet-peeve of mine. And watching “Dora the Explorer” with my kids drives me completely nuts. Come on Dora, please just pick a language! Spanish or English! Well, it turns out that I am right! This fascinating article from the BBC explains how switching ...
September 24, 2018 READ MORE
What’s Different – and What’s the Same – in Today’s Job Search Game
You haven't looked in a job for 10 years. But for a variety of reasons, you’ve decided to get back into the job search game… and you’re noticing that things have changed. From LinkedIn profiles to targeted keywords, resume writing is a whole new ballgame – and a confusing one, at that. Our internet-centric world has made job searching trickier than in the past. S...
September 3, 2018 READ MORE
Auditory, Visual or Kinesthetic? Why You Should Tell Your Writer Your Learning Style
When starting a project with a writer – be it a book brochure, website or whitepaper – it’s common to focus on the end goal. How will it read when it’s done? Less focused on, but equally important, are the mechanics of creating the document. That is, a smooth journey from blank page to finished manuscript, can not only directly impact the quality of the final p...
May 1, 2018 READ MORE
Top 10 Microsoft Word Tips for Writers
When you use something every day for years, you start to think you’re getting pretty good at it.But if you’re like most writers, you’ve probably been using Microsoft Word to write a few pages, save them, and maybe print them out. If you’re working with an editor, clients, or other writers, then you likely use Track Changes or Comments all the time, too. You c...
April 24, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Create a Custom Toolbar
If you’re like most of us, you tend to use the same Word features all the time. And those features might not just be in the Home tab. If you find yourself switching tabs over and over, save yourself some clicks – and time – by customizing the ribbon. To customize the ribbon in Word: 1. Right-click on any tab. A menu will appear. 2. Choose Customize the Ribbon�...
April 17, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Compare Documents to See Revisions
When several people are working on a document, it’s almost inevitable that someone will eventually forget to use Track Changes. Luckily, Word includes another way to see the revisions between two versions of a document. Don’t comb through a document looking for changes! Instead, use the Compare feature: 1. Make sure both versions of the document are open in Word. 2...
April 10, 2018 READ MORE
Rounding Up With The Writers For Hire
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at The Writers For Hire? The details of our weekly meetings are usually top secret, reserved only for those with the highest level of security clearance. Sometimes, though, things are just too good not to share. So, here it is… some of the amazingly interesting things that we have discussed (and learned from each other) durin...
April 10, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Using Tables to Insert Images
Have you ever tried inserting a bunch of images into a document by just clicking on Pictures in the Insert tab? If so, you might have spent the next 30 minutes trying to drag them into place, then another 30 trying to fix your text formatting. Once everything looked like it was wrangled into place, you added a little more text….and BAM! Word went wild yet again. Fixin...
April 2, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Removing Mysterious, Unwanted Formatting
Recently, we had a long document that had several dotted lines running across the page. We had no idea how they got there. Several writers tried to remove them, but it wasn’t until months later that one of them succeeded. It turns out that fixing this issue is pretty simple. Just follow these steps below: 1. Copy the area surrounding the line, inclu...
March 19, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Use ‘Read Aloud’ for Proofreading
If you’re an audio learner, you’ve probably wished that you could listen to a Word document instead of reading it. Good news: there’s a Word feature that allows you to do just that. Activating the Read Aloud feature is also a great proofreading tool to use after Spell Check. To activate Read Aloud: Select the text that you want Word to read. Go to Review ->...
March 12, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Using the Readability Feature
Writing something for the general public? Then you’ll want to aim for about a 5th grade reading level. If you’re writing for an academic journal, on the other hand, you’ll probably want to aim for college level. How do you know if you’re close? There’s a handy feature tucked inside Word that will let you know if you’re in the right ballpark for your audienc...
March 5, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Format Painter
If you’ve ever copied content from one document and pasted it into another, you’ve probably had to go back to fix the formatting so that it matches. There are a couple ways to get everything uniform, but none of them are as good as Format Painter. This single button makes tedious formatting a breeze. To use Format Painter: 1. Highlight some text containing the form...
February 27, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Use Your CTRL Button
This week’s tip isn’t specific to Microsoft Word – but it sure makes typing in Word a lot faster. Learning a few control button commands will keep your fingers on the keyboard instead of drifting over your computer’s touchpad. Here are a few of our most-used CTRL button functions: • CTRL A to highlight all • CTRL C to copy to the clipboard anything yo...
February 20, 2018 READ MORE
Word Tip of the Week: Add Another Language to Spell Check
Are you tired of Word giving you a long errors list because you use languages other than English in your writing? If you’re a science writer who uses a lot of Latin words, or anyone else who uses dual languages in your writing, then you can speed up the spell-checking process with the Languages feature. This feature allows you to add languages to your spell checker so ...
February 12, 2018 READ MORE
The Finesse of Dealing With Difficult Clients
We all dread those emails. The ones where you can almost hear the client yelling at you through the computer screen. When those emails arrive, it’s hard not to immediately jump on the defensive and start to fight back. However, addressing those situations in a professional and polite way is imperative to maintaining good client relations. But how do you do that?!? [...
February 5, 2018 READ MORE
The Writers For Hire: A Look at 2017
Two-thousand seventeen was an exciting year at The Writers For Hire, Inc. We celebrated some big milestones and witnessed our community come together in amazing ways, during a time of crisis. [tweet_this tweet_text="As we reflect on the past year, we are ever grateful for the opportunities we have had to meet so many wonderful people who have greatly contributed to the g...
January 15, 2018 READ MORE
FINDING OLD COPIES OF PUBLICATIONS IN A DIGITAL AGE
So, you’re trying to find copies of old magazine and/or newspaper articles. Easy, right? Ha! That’s what you think. A few months ago, I was given the task of tracking down some old magazine and newspaper articles for a book project we were working on. Given that the articles were to be included in the book, they had to be original publications or copies with the pic...
January 4, 2018 READ MORE
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RFP WRITING
We’ve written quite a few blogs about how to craft a thoughtful, well-organized response to a request for proposal (RFP). If you’ve ever been tasked with responding to an RFP, you know that proposal writing takes a staggering amount of work, and just the right balance of art (writing and communication are definitely arts) and science (developing best practices, adheri...
December 11, 2017 READ MORE
How To Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
Since Hurricane Harvey brought record rains to greater Houston, people throughout the country have been looking for ways to help flood victims. During this special radio interview, Wintress Odom of The Writers For Hire suggests effective ways to do that. Wintress also describes the program that she and her husband, Sean Odom, started to buy and take supplies directl...
September 8, 2017 READ MORE
Celebrating 10 Years With Our Senior Editor Stephanie Hashagen
Since joining The Writers For Hire (TWFH) 10 years ago, Senior Editor Stephanie Hashagen has learned something important about herself. She can write about almost anything. Some of the weird and wonderful topics Stephanie has tackled during the last decade include the health benefits of beets, machines used to clean oil and gas pipelines, how to boost personal credit sco...
July 26, 2017 READ MORE
Is Traditional Publishing Still Worth It?
“Writing a novel is like driving at night in the fog,” E.L. Doctorow once said. “You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” But when you finish a book, those headlights may fade out. You face a question the muse can’t answer: Should I seek a traditional publisher or independently publish this myself? It’s a complex ...
March 30, 2017 READ MORE
By Jenny Higgons Companies and individuals often wonder how to get press coverage in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets. I’ve spent many years on both sides of that fence — as a freelance writer, and as a writer and editor at both national and regional magazines and a major daily newspaper. Here’s a primer. It all starts with “the pitch” to an edito...
January 6, 2017 READ MORE
Interview: A Look At Professional Writing Services
People sometimes ask Wintress Odom, “Can your firm help me with copywriting and content marketing, or is your company a technical writing business?” The answer, she says, is yes. And, she usually adds, the firm also helps clients write books and articles, speeches and scripts, and with myriad other writing and editing projects. During this radio interview on The Pri...
December 19, 2016 READ MORE
In today’s rapidly moving day and age, business arenas change and evolve all the time. And with all of those transformations and progressions come the want and need for the exchange of ideas, concepts and solutions. The oil and gas industry is no exception. That’s why many companies are incorporating, thought leadership into their business practices. They engage a targ...
August 28, 2015 READ MORE
So you’re considering a Wikipedia article for your company. But how do you know if you’re eligible? The first question is whether your organization been covered in-depth in the media. This media needs to be produced by a neutral, verifiable third party – not a press release, your own website, or social media that you control (like LinkedIn or Facebook). Blogs usuall...
August 28, 2014 READ MORE
"Vigorous writing is concise." -William Strunk Jr. The writing tips resource section covers an abundant amount of information on clear and concise writing, but this "cheat sheet" proves useful when you need an answer quickly. The following guidelines serve as a concise-writing overview. Print out our printer friendly version to keep on your desk or carry in your b...
September 10, 2013 READ MORE
What is a Preposition? A preposition is a word or phrase typically placed before a noun and indicates the relation of that noun to a verb, adjective, or other noun. Richard Lanham's "Paramedic Method" consists of six steps to create clear and concise copy. The first step is to find and eradicate unnecessary prepositions. But, if you don't know how to spot a preposition, h...
September 10, 2013 READ MORE
Sales Emails: They’re Not About Selling (Really!)
Want to improve the click-through rate on your sales emails? Stop trying so hard. Well, there's a little more to it than that -- but the bottom line is, if you want to make sure that your sales emails don't end up in the spam folder, you need to make sure that you're not striking the wrong tone with an overly salesy email (studies show that people get more anxious and app...
March 1, 2013 READ MORE
First of all, we'd like to congratulate Chris for taking first place! We've emailed him his $50 Amazon.com gift certificate! Also, be sure to check out Chris' website, Part Time Writer. We'd also like to congratulate Ms. Very Married and Charlotte P. They're tied for second place ($25 gift certificate). We're kicking off a tiebreaker to determine the winner. Tiebreaker: ...
November 4, 2010 READ MORE
Our grammar-fail photo contest is officially closed, and we've selected our five finalists. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos! Voting will close on Thursday, October 28, and we'll notify first and second-prize winners on our blog and via email. The five finalists are: 1. "Your Sexy": College grammar fail from Kevin: 2. "Grils" wallet from Jere...
October 21, 2010 READ MORE
Congratulations to our first official (in other words, doesn't work for us and is therefore qualified to win free stuff) grammar-fail photo entry. Thanks to Very Married for this awesome example of unnecessary quotation marks. Very Married says: "Two reasons this is awful: First, if this is "water" then where is the real stuff? Second, I found this...
September 15, 2010 READ MORE
“Poring” vs. “Pouring”: What’s the Difference?
This question came up during a round of in-house editing this week, so – of course –I wanted to share: Complete this sentence: I spent hours _______ over the pages of the magazine. A.) poring B.) pouring The correct answer is A, “poring.” “Pore” means to study or read something with great care. You’d pore over a ...
September 6, 2010 READ MORE
Six Quick Tips for Better Conversion Rates: Direct Mail and Marketing Emails
Unsolicited marketing materials – direct mail and sales emails targeting new customers – generally have low conversion rates. Your artfully crafted letters may end up in the trash unopened, andyour emails might go ignored for weeks. Image via Wikipedia Before shelling out money on postage or spending time on an email to drum up new business, consider t...
July 15, 2010 READ MORE
Using Facebook as a Tool for Writers
It’s no secret that Facebook is a social networking tool that most of us use to keep up with personal contacts. And we’ve seen over and over again how businesses are using Facebook as a social media tool to successfully network with clients and customers. Which got me thinking – how can writers harness the power of Facebook? So I went searching for the best Facebook...
June 24, 2010 READ MORE
Find Acronyms in MS Word Documents
A great tip from our friends at Shae Writing: This is a quick and easy way to find all the acronyms in an MS Word document. Remember that this command searches for consecutive capital letters, so it cannot distinguish between 'SCBA' and 'DO NOT.' For Word 2003: 1. Open the 'Find' window (Ctrl + F). 2. Check the box labeled 'Use Wildcards.' 3. In the 'Find what' field, ...
June 16, 2010 READ MORE
Last week, we kicked off a mini-series of Associated Press Stylebook-themed blog posts. This week, we’re sharing a few more gems of wisdom from The AP Stylebook Online. Q: What’s the rule for capitalizing a person’s title? A: It’s complicated, but here are the basics: AP defines a formal title as “one that denotes a scope of authority, professional activity or ...
March 8, 2010 READ MORE
Screenwriters and Web 2.0: Talentville.com
Since the very beginning of blogging (I’m talking Livejournal and DiaryLand days), writers have been using the web to showcase their talent and get their names out into the world. Then came socialnetworking: The now-obsolete Makeout Club and Friendster. Myspace. And the most popular kid on the block, Facebook. Now entrepreneurs are extending social networks to writers. ...
March 2, 2010 READ MORE
