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Many people offer PLR (Private Label Right) eBooks, reports, and more for rebranding to build lists and build a business.
As a writer, in my opinion, this is plagiarism and I never use it. I also don’t rewrite articles or use article spinning or submitting software of any kind.
I do use the program WordWeb Pro on occasion when writing. It’s a dictionary program where you can highlight any word on a page and get the definition and more. If the word isn’t in WordWeb Pro, the program allows Web search to find it. Not being the world’s best speller, when in doubt I check a dictionary. WordWeb Pro is handy since it’s on my computer.
Book cover (Dust jacket) for the 15th edition of the The Chicago Manual of Style (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Close by is a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style 15th Edition, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th Edition, and The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2011.
For further reference are copies of Writing for the Web, Managing Content Marketing, and various article writing guides. Being a writer means there is always homework required.
Writers have their own way of working; my philosophy is and shall remain 100 percent original quality over quantity. Each piece of copy must be better than previous copy. It is a contest against my other copy. All writers should strive to improve their writing with each new piece.
Although each writer is free to use any material they choose, ethically using PLR or rewriting articles is ultimately their choice. Personally doing this type of work isn’t work that follows ethical standards for a business offering 100 percent original copy to all clients.
This may be a limited view, as a freelance writer who signed a Business Ethics Pledge, quality over quantity, prohibits the use of PLR.
All businesses, which include writing, should operate based on honesty, integrity, and quality.
Robert Medak
Published Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader, and Reviewer learning Marketing
Screenshot of “Garys Social Media Count” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I wrote a post, Do You Use Social Media, for authors on the blog 4RV Reading, Writing, & Art News to which I contribute articles. I posted a definition of social media and mentioned network media.
That definition is Social Media is any online form of communicating, which individuals employ; including blogs, and microblogs like Twitter. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ are social networking sites, of which there are many, and are a demarcation to “industrial media,” refering to radio, Television, and film produced by professionals in these areas of media.
With many large corporations adopting social media, many small businesses wonder how they can compete on social media sites. Social media is an equal opportunity site; anyone from entrepreneur to small business can have the same presence as anyone else.
The problem with some accounts is that they spend time selling, and not building relationships. It’s called Social Media because it’s about being social, not a sales pitch site.
Who are you on social media? This is where your bio comes into play. Without a complete bio, or posts you’re not likely to get many followers, including me.
Social media is about engagement. People must get to know and trust any brand or individual before they are willing to purchase any product or service from you.
Social media sites are a place to share information your followers can use and share with their followers if it’s relevant to them.
When using micro-blogs where characters and spaces are limited, it doesn’t mean you should use internet language rather than using proper language. If you post on Twitter, you can use a program such as Twitlonger, which allows you to post more than 140 characters when using Twitter.
Using the Web is not a place to be lazy when writing. It can be a place to work on improving your writing. Your written communication skills are in front of the world and speak about the author.
Social Media and Networking sites are one way of many for people to learn about what you have to offer by being engaging and personable by sharing information. The main idea is to be available to help people and create relationships because word-of-mouth is still the best form of marketing, which every business, entrepreneur, and author needs to succeed.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader, Reviewer, Marketer
Find me at http://xeeme.com/RobertMedak
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You can optimize with keywords, use various plugins, and many types of software to attract traffic, but this is where content becomes the king of engagement with potential clients for your business.
SEO& SEM may help with incoming traffic, but once people find a website or blog, is it informational and relevant to the person’s search? How likely are they to tell others about the website because of the content and how engaged they were?
What about the tone of the content on the website?
Is the content academic or conversational? Does the website reflect the tone? You can offer information about a product or service in a conversational tone, information doesn’t need to be like a research report from a scientist.
I’m not saying that you should write down, but to write in plain English. Forget the jargon, and tech terms unless it is necessary, and there are no other way to express what you are saying. Not everyone is an engineer.
You are communicating with people searching quick concise and relevant to their search. A website is responsible for providing that information in an easy to read format without having to visit a specialized dictionary for terminology.
When someone visits a website, how user friendly is the site, is it easy to find contact information? Does the site have an FAQ page, an about page, easy to reach the business if they have additional questions? Is here a catalog, pricelist, or sales list that available for customers?
There should be the name or names that someone with any questions; or to schedule a meeting with knowledgeable people that have the authority to handle customer needs.
You’ve seen that all of the SEO, SEM, and marketing are much more than just old style marketing.
Today’s marketing is about engaging in a relationship with customers.
This is marketing in the modern age.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader, Reviewer, Marketer
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English: The figure summarizes the main methods used in systems for computer-assisted plagiarism detection. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many people talk about using public domain works, private label rights (PLR), and master resale rights (MRR) branding it as your own and selling it to become an authority.
Personally, using any of the above or spinning software is plagiarism, plain and simple.
I call myself a writer. That means I am creative. Using a program WordWeb Pro™ the definition of creative is: “Someone who generates new ideas and sales materials for marketing a product”, that does not mean using other people’s work changing a few adverbs or nouns to pronouns and calling it your work.
When I write something, it is 100 percent original, will pass Copyscape™, or any other plagiarism checker. When writing reviews, they are honest and unbiased written about the content of the book. If the book reviewed is in need of editing, it will not receive a five star rating because I believe reads deserve an error free well-written book. It’s the author’s responsibility for creating an error free book.
Spelling, typos, grammar, and punctuation to name a few items that should be resolved before any book reaches the hands or e-reader of readers who’ve spent money for a book. In my opinion, errors such of these are one-reason self-published books have a less than stellar reputation.
Readers of this post are welcome to their opinion. I will listen with an open mind. I wish readers would do the same.
I’ve mentioned in other post about my signing of the Business Ethics Pledge. I recommend all businesses read the Business Ethics Pledge and agree to adopt it as part of general business activity. Your customers would appreciate it and might just remain loyal.
Follow me.
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Journal of Business Ethics (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Integrity: According to one dictionary, integrity means Moral soundness. This means that a business or entrepreneur is what they say and do in relation to their business.
A set of principles that a business is unwavering when it comes to a product or a service that clients seek from said business.
Personal and corporate integrity is part of being ethical. I believe in and have signed the Business Ethics Pledge, which all businesses and entrepreneurs should at least read and possibly incorporate into daily business activities, and interactions with customers.
Harvard Students Take Ethics Pledge. More schools should adopt a course in ethics. Corporations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs should adopt ethical behavior when it comes to customer interaction.
Treating customers ethically and honestly is good for your bottom line, customer retention, and word of mouth advertising.
What you are helping to create is a world where a moral code of business ethics in which honesty, integrity, and quality are normal for customers.
For freelancers, having a contract stating exactly what each party is bringing to the table and what steps are to be taken are spelled out between customer and supplier.
Failure to act in an ethical and responsible way is what brings bad thoughts when outsourcing for companies, and causing low rates for freelancers since potential customers are not aware of what is involved in creating a product or service the customer is requesting.
Part of being ethical is to maintain your principles, offering your product or service at a reasonable price and keeping the customer apprised of where their project is at any given time, and most important is to never miss a deadline unless there is a good reason and the customer receives notification well in advance as possible.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Proofreader/Reviewer/Marketer
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Commercial freelance writers have a set of ethics they should follow, and journalists have a code of ethics they must follow. Why should other writers who blog or write fiction not held to some standard code of ethics or conduct, even if it’s a personal code of conduct? Check out this article: The Ethics of Fiction Writing
To have someone create a set of standards is not what I’m talking about, I am talking about a personal code of ethics to check facts, not discuss what a freelancer may learn about a product or company, to remain unbiased used they are writing and op-ed piece where a stand is the usual.
A person writing about politics shouldn’t allow their personal point of view get in the way of a discussion, just as someone writing a product review should list both pro and con equally.
When doing a book review of a self-published book, I could tear it to shreds for poor formatting, typos, grammar, and more if I chose to, I will never give a book a five star rating for blatant error is editing because this is a point of my personal integrity.
I will not give five stars to a book that needs editing or been proofread by the author. The author’s ethics should be to give the reader the best book possible, and a reader spending money for a book should demand nothing less.
There should be no use of plagiarism, or spinning software used, my personal ethics only allow me to write 100 percent original plagiarism tested, fact checked, well researched copy for my clients as all freelance writers should you in my opinion. A writer’s best friend should be their local librarian.
Writer’s ethics should dictate never using PLR or MRR work no matter what they’re told otherwise, in my opinion. I am only a freelance writer, blogger, editor, and reviewer, who’s been at this for over six years, and consider myself still and always will as someone learning what I am doing.
I am a believer that the only time I will ever quit learning is the day I begin pushing up Daisies. In this vain, I will continue to work at improving my skill set for writing and marketing. I does this from a point of personal ethics and integrity, because I feel I owe it to my clients and myself.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Reviewer/Marketer
A ghostwriter is someone that writes for another without credit for their work, only paid for the project with no royalties.
It’s the ghostwriters work, but they can’t tell anyone they wrote it because there is no place, listing the ghostwriter. This made me wonder if this is truly ethical as one writer commented on a blog.
If credit taken is the work of another, shouldn’t the one who actually wrote it get the credit and the royalties? A person should receive both credit and royalties for their work to be completely ethical in my opinion.
It is up to the individual writer, as to whether or not they would ghostwrite.
As a published writer of over 300 web content articles, and having a short story published, I have to think long and hard about ghostwriting. Is the money for a ghostwriting project the only reason for writing? I have turned down many writing assignments because they didn’t seem quite ethical as I see it. I have also turned down or skipped assignments because of low pay for what the person wanted.
Someone in a post coined the term “writing whore” as a person writing only for money. I know that I am not one. I write, edit, and review because I like what I do, and I like reading. I think I am a good writer and am improving as I write. People ask me to guest post about writing and editing. I have four blogs, Hub Pages, and contribute on two blogs about writing.
I receive compliments about the writing information on my main blog. In many ways, appreciation is worth more than money. I do wish payment for my writing and editing. Finding quality clients isn’t when working ethically. I signed a business ethics pledge that I live by.
Ghostwrite if you choose to, I am still on the fence about it, and need to think more about it.
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Image via CrunchBase
You can join numerous social media sites beside Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter. There are sites on Ning.com, Spruz, Scribd, Digg, and StumbleUpon to name just a few.
The question is, “Is quantity better than quality?”
The point should be to follow, also followed by individuals or businesses relevant to your business, and keep things professional. If you want something personal, get a second account and keep it for things about family and friends.
What Not to Post on Social Media Sites
If you have a personal non-business account, you also need to be aware of what you posted to your personal account.
In business, you are the brand and possible clients or HR people look online to check people out more than ever before. Imagine what someone sees when they look up your name or business online and see you with a beer in your hand, or talking negatively about a passed boss or some client.
If there are negative posts, and pictures that you would not want a prospective employer to see, don’t post them.
What Quality Brings that Quantity Doesn’t
As an entrepreneur, relevant quality followers are much better than following and followed by people who may never be clients because they don’t need my services. It is much better to connect with individuals and businesses that do need my services, or are in my niche.
As an entrepreneur, I would rather have 500 quality connections than 2,000 connections that means, I’m connected but my connections bring nothing to the business table.
The point of social media is to connect and market without being salesy. No one likes a pushy salesperson online at social media sites. The point is to be visible, let them check out what you have to offer, if you are running a special, have a freebie, running a contest, or have a limited time offer.
Social media is about entrepreneurs building relationships and trust for their business, also to let people know you exist. Only when a prospective client comes to you can you talk with them building trust can you make a sale at some time in the future.
The truth is most visitors to your site may make more than one contact before they decide to purchase your product or service. Take the time to build a relationship. Relationships sell, and so do referrals from people you’ve taken the time to build relationships with them.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Reviewer
What’s your opinion?
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Image via Wikipedia
Editing your own writing can be a huge mistake. You know what you meant to say; but did you say what you mean?
As Mark Twain said, “The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.”
Think about this quote for a few minutes or longer until it sinks in.
This is a quote I have on my outgoing e-mails. To me it means that I must let my writing percolate for a period before submitting it. If possible, have a second person read it also, someone I trust to make sure that my meaning is clear and they get the message.
If you don’t have anybody, find someone you trust to be honest and tell you what is wrong with your article, essay, story, or whatever you’ve written. I ask my wife to read my writing to see if she can get the point, I’m trying to make. I know she will be honest with me.
Never take criticism personally, look at it as an opportunity to improve your craft. Always look for opportunities for improving what you do no matter what it is. The old adage, practice makes perfect is true. The more you write the better writer you become; the same holds true for editing. The more you edit, the best editor you will become.
As with anything you do, the more you do it the more proficient you should become. All it takes is work, desire, and due diligence to improve your skills. I can attest to this from personal experience.
If or when, courses online or offline come along that meet with your schedule and pocketbook related to writing, editing, or some other part of being an entrepreneur, take it.
All it takes is to put your butt in the chair and keep it there.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Editor/Reviewer
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