I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome Cathy Miller as a guest writer on Get Paid to Write Online. Her Simply Stated Business blog is one of my must-reads and you’re in for a treat as Cathy describes her writing journey.
There’s a freshness about a clean sheet of paper. It’s like newly fallen snow, silently waiting for the season’s first snow angel. For someone who spent most of her life creating snow angels on paper, the online world was a new universe. My name is Cathy Miller and I am an old business writer.
The Journey Online
The year 2008 signaled the winter of my discontent. After 30+ years in Corporate America, I packed up my pen and paper and headed online. Up to that point, I was free of all social media platforms.
- Twitter was something gossipy girls did
- And Facebook sounded like a student’s fate during finals
I started my own business writing company. Fortunately, there is still plenty for an old business writer to do. But, I have never been one for labels. Give me one and I’ll probably write all over it. I knew if I wanted to compete in this new world, I’d better find out about this online stuff.
Comedy Central
My first peek at online jobs had me looking for the hidden camera. Surely, this was some kind of joke.
- Ads for $5 per post
- Blogs devoted to Loosing Weight
- Rants about spam
To be fair, I never liked the taste of spam either, but why was everyone getting so worked up over it? Suddenly, the print world was looking pretty good.
Back to School
Believe it when they tell you, you are never too old to learn. Eventually, I found my way to the sunny side of online. Talented professionals, like Sharon Hurley Hall, showed me you can Get Paid to Write Onlineand still afford to eat. Your only limits are what you make them. There were lessons to learn – blogging and ghosting and WordPress – oh my. For all of its newness, the online world offered much of what I loved about the old world.
- The power of the written word
- Helping others express their dreams
- The rewards of communication
How could I not fall in love with a place where keeping it simple scores?
Lessons Learned
A Different Style
My last corporate boss told me that one thing she liked about my writing was its short sentences. I think I just blew that theory. Is it any wonder that my style took to online writing? Okay, don’t go running to my early blog posts. It did take me a while to adapt. A combination of my writing style and baby boomer eyes was a natural for the online world.
- Bulleted lists
- Bold headings
- Short sentences
Love it!
Calling All Writers
There is a tremendous need for good writers – emphasis on good. Think about it. The opportunities for writing online are endless.
- Web pages, press releases
- Professional bios
- Articles for online magazines
- Ghostwriting and blogging
- eBooks, newsletters
- Sales pages, ad copy, and much more
Why shouldn’t an old business writer join the fun?
Online and Loving It
You can make a good living online. You can also mix print and online writing and survive – no, thrive. In the end, it’s all about communication, and it doesn’t matter if you are new to the business or a 30+ year veteran. Emily Dickinson (someone even older than me) put it this way –
We turn not older with years, but newer every day.
Go online and enjoy the journey.
Cathy Miller is a freelance business writer with over 30 years of professional writing experience from small businesses to Fortune 500 customers. Cathy started her own business in 2008, providing all forms of online and print business writing. Cathy has a business writing blog at Simply stated business, a health care blog at Simply stated health care and her personal blog, millercathy: A Baby Boomer’s Second Life.
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