Welcome to our new series of blog posts, where we will spend some more time getting to know the writers on iNeedArticles. Each of the writers that chose to participate were asked to answer 21 questions (20 questions plus a bonus) that are designed to allow customers to get to know the background, writing styles, and personalities of our writers.
We hope you enjoy this interview series.
The Writers On INeedArticles | A Writer Interview Series
Interview Question
- What’s your professional background?
Prior to the Great Recession, I spent most of my time in food service, retail, and the printing industry. I did a variety of temp and seasonal projects during the recession to try new things out. Proofreading documents at a financial services firm lead me to rediscover my love writing, reading, and editing. I’ve been doing it ever since.
- Tell us about your writing experience
I started writing fiction as early as elementary school. I was on every newspaper staff of my junior and senior high schools and even early into college. I didn’t start off in this field originally, but the recession kind of forced me back to what I was naturally good at just to make a living when earnings were scarce.
- Tell us about the best book you’ve read recently
Mediterranean Diet for Dummies. The whole Dummies line of books is great for learning the fundamentals of any new subject in easy format, with intriguing information presented in a friendly tone with occasional humor sprinkled in.
- Which blogs do you read?
I follow some political news blogs and two about my favorite sports team.
- What do you enjoy most about writing?
Creating things. I wasted many years in jobs where it was just in and out, dealing with the same endless thing over and over. This is something that actually makes me feel like I’m contributing something.
- How would you describe your writing style?
Light-hearted. I try to have fun with my writing, and I seem to get my best client ratings when my passion and humor show.
- How do you perform research for writing assignments?
I have access to several article databases of tens of thousands of pieces not available to the public that I draw on when the subject is right. Google is my other go-to. The right keyword and three to five pages off the first page can deliver a staggering amount of information.
- How do you proofread or edit your own work?
Three read-throughs. The first is for spellchecking and Grammarly errors. While I love Grammarly, sometimes the errors are mine, and sometimes the errors belong to it! The second read-through should catch anything only human eyes can, and the final pass is to make sure it’s pure, while also making some minor improvements.
- What makes good content? How do you know if a piece of content will perform well?
For INA, it needs to be useful and coherent to the reader while also meeting the needs of the customer that orders it. Deciphering the keyword and intent of the piece are crucial.
- How do you talk about a dry or technical subject without relying on industry jargon?
If I can write in such a way that my niece would understand it, I take the assignment. If not, I leave it for another talented writer. The diversity of knowledge and skills on the team comforts me in knowing I don’t have to be able to write everything in the queue.
- What do you do to create SEO-friendly content?
Don’t overdo the keywords, and make it useful and distinct. Google’s business model relies on delivering not just accurate results to its crowd, but links they can use. So, content has to actually be useful to anyone who reads it, not just 500 random words about the title. I always assume a human will eventually read what I write, even if it’s probably just for a backlink.
- How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing?
I try to aim for a friendly and even light-hearted tone in many of my pieces, unless the subject matter is particularly serious.
- How do you determine whether a source is credible?
The About Us page is usually telling. Many sites are really vague and don’t even have one. I don’t trust such sources. It’s also crucial to learn the difference between genuine non-profits and educational institutions from not-for-profits funded as an industry promotional group.
- What experience do you have with non-text content (images, infographics, etc.)?
N/A
- Which style guide do you prefer to follow?
Associated Press is the one I’m familiar with more than any other. Another work provider has had me using it for 7 years.
- How did you find INA?
I was originally a member of Jonathan Leger’s Mturk crew and came over when he created the site for us so we could keep working for him.
- Why do you want to write for INA?
Being able to set my own hours and scale my workload are crucial to my lifestyle. I never miss a chance to travel, spend time with family, attend basketball games, or play video games with friends online just because I have to work. I still have to put in enough hours each week to pay the rent, and the discipline involved is hard, even after many years, but it’s worth it.
- What are your favorite writing assignments?
Anything that’s a personal passion of mine is something I can usually write well without research. Video games, yoga, and basketball are common ones I love catching. Cruise ships and the Carribbean are close to my heart too.
- What experience(s) do you have with ecommerce or internet marketing?
Writing for INA actually introduced me to internet marketing. I have experience doing ecommerce work at another provider, but I’m also signed up for the Prosperative coaching service that Jon Leger and his associates run. I hope to have my first website up soon.
Bonus: Are you a published author? How do we find your content?
I’ve ghost-written a few books for others anonymously. As yet, none of my own work is published, although I’ve done NaNoWriMo twice and gearing up to revise an earlier book.
Stay tuned to know more writers on INeedArticles!
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