New guy

[SamSimmons]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the site and new to freelance writing. I have been actively writing for a few years. Mostly short stories, but I enjoy writing informative articles as well. I have a passion for learning and a strong interest in writing. I am currently a student working towards a degree in engineering and I thought freelance writing would be good source of extra income and a way to improve my writing skills.

I'm looking forward to selling some articles, getting some good advice, and making some new friends.

Sam

[Celeste Stewart]

Welcome!

[SamSimmons]

Thank you Celeste. I know there are many topics related to this subject, and I plan to look through them, but do you have any advice for a newbie on CC?

Thanks,

Sam

[Celeste Stewart]

Tons of advice - where to begin? In a nutshell: Submit an article or two, read the forums/guidelines, ask questions, take it slow while also not being afraid to submit, write what you love, proofread, try a few public requests, ask some more questions, write some more, listen to Ed, listen to Ed some more, ask more questions, keep exploring the forums, submit more articles, listen to Ed (even if you don't want to hear what Ed has to say), ask more questions, the cycle continues. . . It's fun! We all love writing and helping each other out. CC's a great place. There's a bit of a learning curve as far as the guidelines, Web writing, and other strategies go, but it's worth doing and the people here are great. It's late where I am, so I'll check in with you later.

[SamSimmons]

Thanks for advice Celeste! Im happy to say my first article was approved today! It was written for a request, but rejected for erroneous use of commas. I'm glad it was. I never realized that I was, on occasion, using the commas in the wrong spots. No one ever pointed it out. Anyway, I revised the article and added a few things and it was approved. I missed the request deadline, however. I'm not worried; I think it is an article that will sell to someone else sooner or later. ( Proper use of semi-colon? )

I submitted another independent article and am working on two separate public requests. I'm looking forward to the first sale I make.

Sam

[jak]

Good luck Sam. You certainly have the right attitude.

[SamSimmons]

Thank you jak... Freelance writing is new to me, but freelancing in general is something I have been doing for many years now. Working as a freelance web developer for 5+ years taught me to handle rejection well. I try to stay open to criticism, at least when I feel it is constructive and objective. However, my feelings do get the best of me some times. lol

[Celeste Stewart]

Congrats on your accepted article. Feels good, huh? Plus, you've already learned something new from Ed and improved your writing. The journey has begun. . .

[SamSimmons]

That it has!