Tuesday, March 24, 2020

How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rate As a Newbie

Did you recently land a new freelance writing job? Ive been a freelance writer for a few years now, and Im at a good place right now with my workload and my freelance writing rate. But, I didnt start out like that. I had to figure out what my rate was as a new freelance writer. If you were like me when I first started out, I had no clue what were freelance writing rates. How do you decide what your writing is worth to prospects? I asked other freelance writers, but they couldnt tell me what MY writing was worth. So, the only thing I did was pick a number, and I thought $.04/word was a good freelance writing rate as a starting point. Boy, was I wrong! I quickly learned that any freelance writing jobs that came my way, were low-quality and low priced. Why was that happening? It was because I was telling everyone thats what I was worth!! To check out what you need to set your freelance writing rate, check out my YouTube video and make sure to subscribe to my channel! Freelance Writing Rates Some things to consider when setting your freelance writing rate are: What your niche is – some niches are more profitable than others The level of your writing skill – you need to have some basic understanding of the English language and forming engaging content How you define yourself online – you can do this easily by starting a service-based blog Your network – you can land some sweet gigs if you have a network to fall back on What others say about your writing – by guest posting you can find out what others are saying about your work Where you live Your ideal client With those in place, you can decide the value of your writing. For my course students, I suggest to start at around $.10/word. This is standard for blog posts of varying niches. How to Grow Your Freelance Writing Income You cant make a living at $.10/word. You have to grow your business so that you can start making a living as a writer. Typically, this is a progression of a freelance writer: 1. One Off Pieces In the beginning you might land a freelance writing job thats only one project or one blog post. This might even be a paid guest post. These types of gigs are fun and exciting and it helps you figure out your niche. 2. Specialize Once you have a handle on freelance writing, you soon start to realize where the money is. And that is with your niche. From the one-off pieces you learn which topics you enjoy writing about and which ones give you the most income. You also learn what type of clients you enjoy working with. At this point you can be a bit choosy on which freelance writing jobs you pick. 3. Recurring Work When youre in the thick of freelance writing, you will try to find ways to sustain this workflow. So that means finding recurring work. You also might explore other services to diversify your income. Some extra services you might offer are: Editing eBook writing Ghostwriting Copywriting Social media marketing Virtual asisting 4. Fine-Tuning At this point – probably a year into freelance writing – you start to really fine-tune your hustle strategy for marketing your freelance writing business. This might mean optimizing your pitch so that you land the right type of client. Or, it might mean using cold pitching as a new tactic for high-paying projects. As a more established freelance writer, you will learn what to do to land more projects and raise your freelance writing rate. Work From Home As a Freelance Writer Its up to you to set your freelance writing rate and learn how to negotiate a higher rate when the time comes. Its also up to you to pick the right jobs so that you can turn this into a livable income.

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Grassland Biome Habitat

The Grassland Biome Habitat The grassland biome includes terrestrial habitats that are dominated by grasses and have relatively few large trees or shrubs. There are three main types of grasslands- temperate grasslands, tropical grasslands (also known as savannas), and steppe grasslands. Sufficient Rainfall Most grasslands experience a dry season and a rainy season. During the dry season, grasslands can be susceptible to fires which often start as a result of lightning strikes. The annual rainfall in a grassland habitat is greater than the annual rainfall that occurs in desert habitats. Grasslands receive sufficient rainfall to support the growth of grasses and other plants, but not enough to support the growth of significant numbers of trees. The soils of grasslands also limit the vegetation structure that grows in them. In general, grassland soils are too shallow and dry to support tree growth. Variety of Wildlife Grasslands support a variety of wildlife including reptiles, mammals, amphibians, birds and many types of invertebrates. The dry grasslands of Africa are among the most ecologically diverse of all grasslands and support populations of animals such as giraffes, zebras, lions, hyenas, rhinoceroses, and elephants. The grasslands of Australia provide habitat for kangaroos, mice, snakes, and a variety of birds. The grasslands of North America and Europe support wolves, wild turkeys, coyotes, Canada geese, cranes, bison, bobcats, and eagles. Some common plant species that occur in North American grasslands include buffalo grass, asters, coneflowers, clover, goldenrods, and wild indigos. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of the grassland biome: Vegetation structure that is dominated by grassesSemi-arid climateRainfall and soils not sufficient to support significant tree growthMost common at mid-latitudes and near the interiors of continentsGrasslands are often exploited for agricultural use Classification The grassland biome is classified within the following habitat hierarchy: Biomes of the World Grassland Biome The grassland biome is divided into the following habitats: Temperate grasslands - Temperate grasslands are habitats that are dominated by grasses and have lack trees and large shrubs. Temperate grasslands include tall-grass prairies which are wet and humid and short-grass prairies which are dry and experience hot summers and cold winters. The soil of temperate grasslands has an upper layer that is nutrient-rich. Seasonal droughts are often accompanied by fires that prevent trees and shrubs from growing.Tropical grasslands - Tropical grasslands are grasslands that are located near the equator. They have warmer, wetter climates than temperate grasslands and experience more pronounced seasonal droughts. Tropical grasslands are dominated by grasses but also have some scattered trees. The soil of tropical grasslands are very porous and drain rapidly. Tropical grasslands occur in Africa, India, Australia, Nepal, and South America.Steppe grasslands - Steppe grasslands are dry grasslands that border on semi-arid deserts. The grasses found in steppe grasslands is much shorter than that of temperate and tropical grasslands. Steppe grasslands lack trees except along the banks of rivers and streams. Animals of the Grassland Biome Some of the animals that inhabit the grassland biome include: African elephant (Loxodonta africana) - African elephants have a large head, large ears, and a long muscular trunk. The two front incisors of African elephants grow into large tusks that curve forward.Lions (Panthera leo) - Lions are the largest of all African cats. Lions inhabit the savannas of Africa and the Gir Forest in northwest India.Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) - Spotted hyenas inhabit the grasslands, savannas, and semi-deserts of sub-Saharan Africa. Their population densities are highest in the Serengeti, a vast plains ecosystem that stretches from northern Tanzania to southwestern Kenya.American bison (Bison bison) - Millions of bison used to roam North Americas grasslands, boreal regions, and scrublands but the relentless slaughter of bison for meat, hides, and sport drove the species to the brink of extinction.