Welcome Guest Search | Active Topics | Members | Log In | Register

Introduce Yourself! Options
Steve-Admin
Posted: Thursday, March 7, 2013 2:48:28 PM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration , Member, Moderator

Joined: 2/20/2013
Posts: -129
Hi and welcome to Zerys! Thanks for joining our community of writers and editors from all around the world. 

I hope you'll take the time to introduce yourself and tell us something interesting about yourself.

I'll start:

I'm Steve Lazuka, Founder and President of Interact Media / Zerys.

I was born and raised in the country in Northeast Ohio, where I currently live with my wife, 3 boys, 1 daughter, and Rex (our split personality German Shepherd). 

I've also lived in Grand Junction, CO and Los Angeles, CA, where I got my fill of the exciting, fast-paced, but ultimately too-stressful-for-a-country-boy life in the big city. 

I now live a pretty simple, boring, country life, but that's the way I like it. I enjoy fishing with my young kids, working out with my big kids, watching my 6-yr old daughter dance to Taylor Swift, raising chickens, reading, hiking, and camping - all of which I don't do enough of since I'm usually too tired from work, so I just veg out and watch tv instead.

Courtney-11366
Posted: Monday, March 11, 2013 4:28:30 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/12/2013
Posts: 63
Location: Washington State
Hi everyone!
My name is Courtney, and I have been writing off and on for IM since 2011. I am making it more of a permanent thing now, because it is a great source of extra income.

Currently, I am enrolled in my local Community College's business program. My major is Administrative Assisting, which will help me to get a job as a receptionist or virtually any office position. Besides attending school, I have also begun the process of becoming an ordained pastor. Right now, I am an LMC (Local Ministerial Candidate) through my denomination's conference. This means that I have made it official that I feel the call to become ordained. This is a very long process that will take several years to complete, but it is a journey that I am willing to take, as God is my biggest passion. When I do eventually become ordained, I plan on being a Youth Pastor, because that is where my strongest passions reside.

I also really love horses. While I do not have a horse of my own, I plan on owning one some day. I am a girl who was raised in a big city, but really--I am a country girl at heart. :) Whenever I get the chance to ride a horse (which is rare), I cherish that moment.

Finally, one extra piece of information about me: I own and operate my own Christian blog. This blog has been operated since late 2011. I am the sole owner of the website, and I update the content on a monthly basis. My site has been viewed all over the world. In fact, it has even reached certain parts of Africa--specifically Zambia and Zimbabwe. If you would like to view this website, this is the URL: http://www.thewordoftruthblog.com

Writing is one of the biggest passions of mine, and I intend to do it for as long as I am able!

Thanks for reading,
Courtney S.
Abby-23627
Posted: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 4:05:17 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 9
Hi! my name is abby and i'm will be graduating with a general studies major in december of 2013. Interact Media is my first attempt at writing for income and i am loving it! I'd never really planned to write for work but have always been told i was good so i thought i'd give it a shot. 

This site has been a great introduction for me in the world of writing and hope to continue for a long time, though i admit a bit of disappointment with the fact that my name isn't associated with any of my work, which makes developing a portfolio quite the challenge. 

Aside from writing, i enjoy gardening, music (punk, folk, 90's rock and classic rock), and motherhood. I look forward to getting to know some of you!
Jacqueline-2646
Posted: Saturday, March 16, 2013 11:57:24 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: -2
Hi, I'm Jackie and stumbled on the Interact system a few years ago. So glad I did because it's the best writing platforms out there. 

My passion is in energy efficiency and cooking. My Phoenix location allows me to solar cook/bake almost all year long. The food is great and sunshine is free. Saving energy and eating good, healthy food drives my behavior and helping explain how we use energy, live a better life for ourselves and the planet are the hallmarks of my life. 

Oh, and tending to my extremely spoiled cat. She was born to have a good life, and constantly reminds me of that, too.
Susan-8529
Posted: Sunday, March 17, 2013 6:41:06 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2013
Posts: 1
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
My name is Susan Keeping. I lost my job almost 2 years ago now and I'm trying to support myself with freelance writing gigs. I love working for myself now.

I just discovered this site this year and haven't written many articles so far. I plan to start taking at least one job a day. I have been very happy with the site so far.

My background is in library science. I love my Kindle. I live with my cat Boo, who is blind and a real character. My favourite music is 80s, although I do like Adele and Rumer.
Tami-25632
Posted: Sunday, March 17, 2013 9:31:26 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/24/2013
Posts: 117
Location: Belleville, ON Canada
Hi Everyone!

I'm Tami McVey, and I've been a freelance writer for about four years now. Although I'm Mom to two sons, I'm a new empty-nester and trying to find some work/life balance that allows me to figure out who I am without a kiddo attached to my hip! LOL

I'm pretty active in social media, and I run a food blog for fun. I work for many private clients in the marketing industry, and run blogs for several of them as well.

I'm from Northern Ontario, Canada so when I'm not up to my eyeballs in content writing, and I'm not in the kitchen creating something new for my blog, I'm usually outdoors fishing, camping or just enjoying some fresh air.

I've been with Zerys for several months now, and after a couple of growing pains I'm finding my seat here very comfortable and enjoying it a lot. I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you better! :)
Zoe-22282
Posted: Monday, March 18, 2013 4:36:59 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/6/2013
Posts: 151
Location: London, United Kingdom
Hi!

I'm Zoe, and I can't remember a time that I didn't write. 

I'm an opera singer by day (and by night as well, I suppose!), and I've been looking for something that topped up my income and still gave me flexibility for rehearsals and auditions for a long time.  Until a friend prompted me to Google sites that would pay me to write, it had never even occurred to me that this would fit the bill. 

I've been here getting on for a year now, and this is the best model out there by far - I'm mostly writing DOs now, which was my plan from the start, and love the opportunity to write about things that interest me. 

I live in London, and am slave to three very spoiled pet rats.
Emerald-27025
Posted: Monday, April 29, 2013 5:34:12 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2013
Posts: 6
Location: Denver
Well, this is just adorable. I noticed from the beginning that Zerys admins are uncommonly friendly and personable, but it wasn't until cruising these forums for the first time last night and today that I realized how very community-oriented this site is and how legitimately involved with everything the admins really are!

I'm Emerald, and I dabbled in journalism throughout teenagerhood and during my first stint in community college, but then I went full-time into health care; I started in body art, then worked as an office manager and lead vet assistant for a tiny busy animal hospital for a couple of years, and now I run my own practice doing massage therapy (and the occasional body piercing to stay in practice -- it's like minor surgery! It rules!) but mostly subletting to other therapists. I'm returning to college this summer for a business degree, and plan to become an osteopathic physician and expand my health offices into a full-service interdisciplinary clinic.

I got back into writing because I'm heavily involved with Denver's local music scene, primarily heavy metal and punk. (My favorite band of all time is Bad Religion; my favorite metal band is Overkill. Thrash for life!) My friends in various bands started founding this-magazine-and-that-website-and-this-other-project, and I still know no reason why my new crowd of metal band friends just decided I must be a good writer, knowing none of my history with it, but a few months ago I got invited to participate with absolutely everything under the sun out of nowhere. The more concert or album reviews I wrote, the more people would ask for, and I accidentally tumbled into being invited to write a monthly newsletter for one of our local venues. Essentially, writing steamrollered itself back into my life -- and I must say, it goes very well with owning a new small business and needing to pad that early income. :P

I count myself very fortunate that Zerys was one of my first Google hits when I got desperate for paid work during the holiday season, which was excruciatingly slow for my practice. Establishing an account and getting initial approval was painless, and all but one of my first few jobs were for that enormous property management client with all the apartments and the 150-200 word pieces; they asked to add me as a favorite writer after just a few five-star ratings and now my work on here is almost exclusively for them. I've had five-star ratings from them for all but one of soon-to-be 100 articles, and they're friendly and accommodating and I love it. I have many friends who are talented writers and need a gig, and I've been recommending Zerys left and right. Thanks for the great concept and for treating writers so well!

(Oh yeah, and I am owned by a cattle dog mix who's perfect in every way, a pyrenees mix who's mostly perfect, and two Siamese/Himalayan-ish mixes who are perfect if you ask them.)
Lisa-14347
Posted: Monday, April 29, 2013 11:08:00 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/16/2013
Posts: 1
Hi!

I'm Lisa. My hats are varied and vast- I teach English at a high school in Brooklyn, freelance as a stage manager for Off-Broadway shows, babysit, cook, and sing at churches and cabarets. I will be starting grad school in the fall for my MFA in Creative Writing- I got my undergraduate degree at the Macaulay Honors College, where I had a double major in English Literature (Early Modern Focus) and Drama and a double minor in Secondary Educational Youth Services and Social Science writing.

I'm kind of a slacker. Hahaha.

I have to say Zerys is by far the most forgiving and accommodating of the platforms out there, and I really enjoy the variety of work I get to engage in. 
Jeff-25305
Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:25:42 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 4/27/2013
Posts: 22
Hello,
My name is Jeff though on Zerys I usually use my initials, JG. I'm introducing myself primarily to rid myself of the newbie forum tag. I don't remember how long ago I joined Zerys but I've come to sorely regret the fact that I didn't really pay it much attention or start writing here until exactly one month ago. I've had 20 articles accepted with no rejections and one revision in that time, and right now 7 in queue. Of those only two were rated less than four stars and the majority are five's. The jobs are getting easier and the money is increasing so yes, I am kicking myself for not getting started sooner. As of this week I reached 5 star writer status and am looking forward to doing many more assignments for Zerys. I love the format and the structure and feel very comfortable here. With a few exceptions the clients seem to genuinely respect the writers and appreciate what we do for them, not true of many other freelance sites. Additionally, I've yet to find a site that offers the variety of assignments this one does and is capable of providing such a steady stream of income.

So now that I've posted, perhaps I'll be able to drop the newbie tag. All the best to you.
Johanna-13163
Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:01:41 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/27/2012
Posts: -3
Location: Rohnert Park, CA (Near Santa Rosa)
Hi I am Johanna and in many ways Zery's saved my day. I have some health issues creeping into my life, and transitions that have rocked my boat quite a bit - after experiencing frustration with several of the other content mill sites - I settled into Zery's at the end of 2011/beginning of 2012. I write mostly direct orders now which I love. I also love setting my own schedule and every week I set a new earning goal.

I am curious about what others are earning to see if my daily schedule garners a similar income to others with a five star rating... are we allowed to share our earnings so we can see how others fare with their writing schedule approaches?

I have worked for newspapers and weekly magazines in the past - have done a lot of educating of others in various fields and love that Zery's has a lot of variety. I have been sending friends to write for Zery's as well but forget every time to see how that benefits me - if any. Mostly I am posting because after almost two years here- this is my work community and I enjoy seeing and hearing about how others are doing. I have never before been so grateful to have been raised by an English teacher. Heh.

Thanks for listening - and a special thanks to Beth who is patient, understanding and very helpful - even when it is late at night and you are having a potential lost-income-you-already-spent issue to resolve... being older, I also find myself having to learn new things and re-comprehend stuff. Sigh.

Life is good, yet remains weird at times.
Michelle-26669
Posted: Thursday, June 6, 2013 5:39:09 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/16/2013
Posts: 0
Hey everyone!  I've been writing my whole life it seems.  I have primarily written stories as a means to express my writing and until this year never really pursued being a published writer.  Zerys has been a great outlet for me to keep my thoughts fresh and the writing flow steady.  It's also been nice to be able to not write when I am not able.  I have a 28 year old who has severe seizures and over the last year has deteriorated substantially.  There have been times when writing was just not possible and although I have taken some hits on some missed deadlines, I am grateful that I have had the ability to continue to write.  I just got my first book published and so appreciate all the work I am able to do as a writer.  

THANKS!!!!
Rebecca-29086
Posted: Monday, June 24, 2013 8:44:25 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/16/2013
Posts: 6
Heya!
My name is Rebecca and I'm brand spankin' new here. I'm just getting my feet wet with everything at the moment but hope to become a better (faster) writer day by day. This site is fantastic. I'm so in love with it. I've only written about 5 articles/blogs so far, but I've really enjoyed being able to do so. It has already taught me a lot about my current limitations and previously unknown abilities. I've been reading through a lot of the posts in the writer community and felt inclined to introduce myself.

Unfortunately, after my name, there isn't much to say about me! I haven't been writing all of my life... I'll stick to improving myself, here. Perhaps, one day, something great will come of it! =]
David-29261
Posted: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 3:04:19 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/24/2013
Posts: -1
Hi,

My name is David and I am brand new here. I am a writer and blogger in the publishing industry who felt that he wanted to take another step towards making writing his full time career. I am hoping to make some wonderful client - freelancer relationships as well as improve my writing and get to know a lot of other talented writing.

I hope everyone has a good day. :-)
Mike-21716
Posted: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 11:02:18 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/24/2013
Posts: -7
I'm Mike. I've been writing here since June, 2012. I'm a Canadian, but I've been living in China (teaching English) since 2004. I'm also a fiction writer, mostly sci/fi, fantasy and a touch of horror, but I like to dabble in cross-genre mash ups as well. In addition to my writing here and my teaching job, I recently started my own publishing company called Anthology Club that specializes in e-anthologies of short fiction. We are currently working on our first set of 6 anthologies which should be out sometime this fall.

In my spare time I'm a musician (drums, vocals, and currently learning guitar) and a chef/baker, although with a two year old in the house and three jobs I don't generally have much in the way of spare time.
Flora-29928
Posted: Sunday, July 28, 2013 5:35:24 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 7/28/2013
Posts: 2
Hello everybody, I'm Flora but you can call me Twinkle. I'm a freelance writer from the united states and I'm currently unemployed. I feel excited to start off in the competitive writing world and I hope I stick around for a long time. Lets see, I have a sister that I like to show my work too so she can spot any mistakes, I like to play the computer game Minecraft, I write for the sake of writing something awesome for others to see and I'm a competitive forum post-by-play roleplayer. : D

I love writing fictional stories and I'm currently in the middle of writing an EBook for an EBook download company for about 6.00 dollars. I would have sold it by now but I'm a perfectionist and I'm taking my time with it's publishing. I can't re-edit the manuscript when I submit it, so I want it to be as perfect as I can get it to be before I set it up for download.
Jennifer-28925
Posted: Monday, July 29, 2013 8:09:43 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/4/2013
Posts: 14
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Greetings, fellow writers...

My name is Jennifer and I live in Myrtle Beach (South Carolina).  I am originally from southwest Virginia where I spent my "growing up" years. I moved to Denver with my family when I was 16.  Fifteen years later, I relocated back to the Appalachian Mountains and moved to the beach a couple years ago.  I have traveled extensively throughout the United States and into Manitoba, Canada.

I have two grown daughters, two grandsons, and two cats (Thomas Brody and Poot).  My primary hobbies are online computer gaming (EverQuest, Wizard 101, Guild Wars, etc.), reading, writing (I am a published poet), watching movies, listening to music, and continuing my 25-year role as the family genealogist (I've traced my family back to around 400AD so far).  I am also a self-imposed hermit and very much prefer a reclusive lifestyle.

Some of my favorite movies are Man On Fire, the Harry Potter series, The Book of Eli, V for Vendetta, and the Lord of the Rings series.  As for music, I like country, 80's pop/rock, alternative, some classical, and some hip-hop.  I am a die-hard Metallica fan.  Favorite authors are Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Robin Cook, Patricia Cornwell, Iris Johansen (the Eve Duncan novels), James Patterson, George RR Martin, Terry Brooks, and Terry Goodkind.

I have been writing since I was first forced into the task in 6th grade English class.  Whether freelance or through various occupations, I have been involved in writing, editing, proofreading, and research for the past 20 years.
PADMANABHAN-30529
Posted: Thursday, August 29, 2013 11:14:22 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/23/2013
Posts: 0
Location: India
Hi,

I am Padmanabhan, a retired executive from a central government organization, Writing is my passion. I am a basic graduate in Mathematics and scored 97% in my major subject.I have coaching students of various levels in mathematics for the past 24 years. I have been writing for the past 10 years. I am a newbie to IM
Robert-29179
Posted: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 10:46:54 AM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/19/2013
Posts: 1
Location: Oklahoma City

Hello all,

My name is Robert Cole and I've been here at Zerys for nearly two months now. I absolutely love it. Aside from being a workaholic copywriter here, I'm the former fiction editor for Cease, Cows and Black Heart Magazine

My previously published poetry or fiction can be viewed at my blog (although I hardly ever update it) and I'm very excited to have a co-written a chapbook of poetry to be published by Hyacinth Girl Press next year. Here in a couple weeks two poems of mine will be published at Similar Peaks Poetry which is so exciting to me, I can hardly contain it. 

Aside from all that, I live in Norman, Oklahoma, have two cats and have a habit of taking three baths a day. I'm very happy to be a part of such an awesome community of writers here at Zerys and look forward to more work!
Kim-34271
Posted: Monday, January 6, 2014 2:48:49 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/5/2014
Posts: 3
Hello,

My name's Kim Walters and I'm brand new here...like hours new. :) I have high hopes for this board and I hope to see similar results to some of you I've been reading about in the forum. I'm started out at 3 though, with no jobs to see. However, after reading I see it can take a long time to see a job posted. I look forward to getting to know the other writers here in the forum. :)
Alexandrea-23206
Posted: Monday, January 6, 2014 5:14:53 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/4/2013
Posts: 12
Robert-29179 wrote:

Aside from all that, I live in Norman, Oklahoma, have two cats and have a habit of taking three baths a day.


Why three baths? Just curious. I thought my twice-a-day bathing habit was already excessive!

~~~~~

I realized I haven't properly introduced myself here.

I'm Alexandrea, Lex for short. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I work as a social media specialist and copywriter for an international software company. In my free time, I write web content for more money (ha!) and travel for more experiences. I'm also back in college for my second degree, BA in Multimedia Studies. My first degree is Computer Science, though I never had a job involving programming.




Laura-24841
Posted: Friday, January 17, 2014 8:23:24 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/19/2012
Posts: 49
Can anyone log in on Zerys right now? I'm getting the message 'specified cast is not valid' and it won't let me in! Is anyone else having this trouble? Please help.

Thanks,

Laura
Laura-24841
Posted: Friday, January 17, 2014 8:28:37 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/19/2012
Posts: 49
Nevermind, I appear to be in now. How odd!
Anne-7358
Posted: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 12:08:06 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/6/2012
Posts: 9
Hello, my name is Anne, and I love to write. 

I've been here for a while now, and mainly have lurked since starting here on April 13th of 2011. I can't believe I will have been here for three years as a freelance writer. I also do editing jobs as often as possible, as well as working on getting my creative fiction published. I am, at heart, a writer of horror stories. I love to scare and be scared and think that's fun. 

My best news is that I will be published in October -- one of my first horror stories. I am happy to be published, but more so, I am happy to just be in a position where I can work at home and write. After a long journey of being a therapist, working in complementary and alternative therapies, I am thrilled to have discovered that writing is no longer a wistful dream. It's a reality I'm living daily, and I love it.

It's been fun reading these diverse backgrounds from other writers, and fascinating to know that we can all come together over our love for the written word.

I look forward to reading more of these as they come along. 
Lynne-26882
Posted: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 12:25:14 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/2/2013
Posts: 9
Location: Close to Detroit
Hello, I was just reviewing this thread and it's nice to read about some of the people that are behind the scenes! I have been writing for about a year now for Zerys and I have had nothing but great experiences with open orders, favorite author orders and direct orders and am looking forward to participating in the editing jobs when they become available. 

My name is Lynne and I live in Metro Detroit, Michigan and I have been writing content for just under two years and it has been so great to write about things that interest me (gardening, photography, technology) and also taking the plunge and learning about industries that previously I had no knowledge of and being able to craft an interesting article for other people to read! Amazing, really, when I think about it. I am a stickler for factual information and will not write about anything I can't verify. I love doing research, too. I majored in Journalism and minored in English in college and have always had my hand in writing, editing and proofreading in some way or another. I am an avid photographer, specializing in outdoor macro shots, but love nature and scenery as well. 

I am involved in a start-up community arts organization in Farmington that is growing steadily and I am writing a community arts blog for them, which I can thank Zerys articles for, because now can write a good 150-200 word special events piece in the blink of an eye!  


Roger-34774
Posted: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 2:06:23 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/16/2014
Posts: 57
Location: Florida
My turn, I suppose.

I'm Roger, but most of the Internet knows me as Illusnist. I've been a freelance writer since the bad news of 2007-2008 took away my decade-long career in commercial construction. Writing has always been my favorite pasttime, so it was the logical choice when I started looking for a way to make ends meet without being dependent on an unsteady job market.

I have been involved in several online writer's services, but only discovered Zerys at the first of this year. They were featured on a blog post from Freedom With Writing, on Facebook, and came with very high commendations. I have found that the post was true to its word, and Zerys is a great place for freelancers to freelance. Steve and Beth have both been friendly and helpful, even when my frustrations were taxing my patience and probably theirs as well.

I live an unusual lifestyle, and one that is not well suited for most people. Since June, 2011, I have wandered around the state of Florida as a digital nomad, working online and living an off-grid, home-free existence. I gave up the idea and associated cost of gasoline-powered vehicles in 2008, and my travels have been almost entirely on foot, pushing a bicycle (It's a mule, not a carriage!) loaded with a solar panel (and assorted support equipment) and assorted camping gear. My journey took me as far as a boat 1 mile past the end of US 1 in Key West, and all over the main part of Florida.

I have spent time on many volunteer projects to offset the tedium of staring at a laptop screen, and I am currently living in Jacksonville, where I am remodeling a rental home for an old friend who is not able to do the work herself. (After nearly three years on the road, living inside fixed walls is a bit uncomfortable!) My next adventure will be a month-long canoe trip on the St. Marys river, the FL/GA state line, beginning where the river flows out of the Okefenokee Swamp and following the full 150 mile course of the river to the Ocean at Fernandina. For 2015, I plan to visit the Northwest, possibly stopping off at the Rockies in Montana, but ostensibly headed to see a volcano in Washington. For a flatlander, the mountains are a different world entirely.

That's me, and more than you wanted to know.
My company name is ColGlobe Productions, and the motto is
"Doing it write since 2008"
Cynthia-34038
Posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 4:25:42 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 5/5/2014
Posts: 6
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Hello,
My name is Cynthia and I am new to this site for about a week I believe.  I am an adult on-line student at Ashford University.  I am a senior working towards my BA in Arts and my major is journalism and communications with a minor in social and criminal justice.

I live at the base of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado. I love to write and I roller skated competition in dance and figures for which I recieved about twenty trophies.  I love horseback riding in the mountains.
I have four dogs, a mom and three of her puppies I kept too long, and now I have four.

I have been an artist in hair for many years and I also have a hair color trophy.

I look forward to working here.  Good to meet all of you.

Cynthia





Barry-18772
Posted: Thursday, May 15, 2014 6:07:45 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/6/2012
Posts: 244
Location: South Florida

[/quote] Are those fun hippies still keeping the commune on Christmas Island? I heard they were being run off and a new bridge was going out there to accommodate more hotels and tourist income, but I'm not sure it was a reliable source. A few of the guys on the Trail, coming back up the East Coast after the Valentine's Day Gathering in Ocala, 3-4 years ago, maybe 5?[/quote]

 

Christmas Tree Island belongs to the feds, and always has. It’s managed under the auspices of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). All the companies that’ve believed they owned it at one time or another, that’ve attempted to develop it, that’ve attempted to have it annexed by the city, and that’ve paid property taxes, have all been wildly misinformed.

 

It is thus entirely different from adjacent spoil pile Tank Island, which was sold off -- as an anchorage -- by the government in the ’80s, and is now owned by Westin Key West Resort & Marina, through a number of shell entities.

 

Let’s not glamorize the trespassers who live out there, suggesting their lifestyles defend some Last Remaining Slice of Olde Key West, or whatever. More derelict and abandoned vessels than can be counted litter the mooring around Christmas Tree Island, which is owned by BLM. It’s a squalid, revolting disgrace. Most occupied boats are used by live-aboards who don’t contract with the pump-out boats, so they’re simply discharging their human waste into the channel. Loggerheads, which are threatened, and Green Turtles, which are endangered, have been documented as nesting on the beaches; they don’t exactly benefit from encountering raw sewage. Nor do they do well on beaches heaped with trash and derelict vessels.

 

The ghost ships also leak pollutants and scatter debris as they disintegrate, and they scar the sea grass when they drag their nasty little cinderblock anchors around during storms. Few of these trash boats even have lights, so they’re a hazard to navigation, too.

 

I know a number of people who work normal jobs in Key West, who ride their dinghies in every day and moor at Schooner Wharf, Harbor Walk and the Bight. They’re aware that, three or four years ago, yet another putative owner paid a work crew of almost 20 to haul away garbage and debris. The effort ended up taking three weeks. It produced several tons of trash, which took over 100 boat trips to remove. This did not please FWC, and it didn’t please responsible residents who use the mooring fields as affordable housing.

 

Robert-35983
Posted: Thursday, May 15, 2014 2:40:55 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/2/2014
Posts: 84
I am Robert.  I was a Unix System Administrator for 13 years for a University in the Mid-West before I moved to be with my wife and become a stay at home father to my 2 1/2 year old daughter.  I was told about Zerys by a playgroup mother who also writes here and have since been writing for some grocery money while my daughter naps.  I have a BS in Computer Science, a BA in English Literature, and a partial MA in English Literature.  Writing and language comes naturally to me so writing as a freelancer is a great way to use my skills.
Samantha-43633
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 10:49:21 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/27/2014
Posts: 1
Hey everyone,
        My name is Samantha, but most call me Sam. I do love ham and eggs without the green in them. :) I am a Sales Assistant for a local TV station in my hometown, but dream of the day whe I have my trilogy published. I am married to a wonderful man who is an artist and my illustrator for my stories. My goal is to be able to support my small (hopefully will grow soon) family and allow us the freedom to pursue other avenues of interests.
 I currently wanted to find a why to supplement my income while stretching my writing skills and found this site by chance. I did not realize how much knowledge  I have until I started looking through all the areas of expertise. I just submitted my first sample and hope that I provided a worthy piece to start my career on here. 

 


Mary-32172
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 11:27:38 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/3/2013
Posts: 92
I like reading these. Everyone is very talented. Hello, Samantha (and everyone else). Fair winds and following seas to you all.
Joyce-25564
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 10:33:02 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/27/2013
Posts: 9
Hi Everyone!  My name is Joyce Anthony and I'm from Western Pennsylvania-right on the Lake. I can't remember a time when I didn't write.  I joined Zerys about a year ago.  Before that, I wrote here and there but never on a site specifically made for content writing.  I've published one book (fiction) and numerous personal essays and articles.  Once I went on disability, I needed to increase my income on a regular basis so thought I better get serious and sign on somewhere the work was steady.  

I have a 21-year-old daughter who has recently started doing freelance graphic design work and is working on the photography skills I taught her.  I homeschooled until she graduated and went to art school. I now share my home with a Lab-bull-dor (lab/pit mix), 3 old, ornery cats, a dove, 2 cockatiels and a chinchilla named Elvis.  You wouldn't think so, but the house is actually quite peaceful :)

I've always loved research, which is good considering I don't find many articles here on the subjects I know best.  I have a degree in Criminal Justice, with an emphasis on Forensic Psychology, have answered questions as an "expert" on bipolar disorder on AllExperts.com and wrote the section on children with emotional disorders for two different websites.  I'm not finding much on Psychology, Law or Animals here, but do occasionally come across homeschooling or childcare articles.  Photography has always been a hobby for me.  

My personal writing covers homeless animals and people, psychological subjects and areas where mental health and the law meet.  I had a very active blog of author interviews and book reviews for several years but felt it was time for a new direction and am currently working on a website that focuses on the areas I feel I can make a difference in.  I guess you can say I kind of reached the "adulthood" of my writing career.

I'm not one to "talk" a lot.  When I do start writing, however, I sometimes have an issue with shutting up :) As I do in life, I'm more likely to be in the background, watching the events going on and only popping in to speak if I feel I have something worth saying. I have really enjoyed this thread and the chance it has given me to get to know some of my fellow writers.

                                                          
Mary-32172
Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 10:47:10 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/3/2013
Posts: 92
Hello, Joyce. What lovely things you do, and then there are all those animals. Where would we be without them? Don't you just love cockatiels? Had Jerry, my funky cockatiel, for over 20 years. Losing him was like losing a member of the family. And we need more coverage of homeless animals and people. What very intriguing subjects to write about. 


Ronda-41052
Posted: Monday, July 21, 2014 10:39:55 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/4/2014
Posts: 3
Hi, everyone. I am Ronda. I live on a farm in central Missouri with my husband and our many animals. I am a retired library media specialist and my husband is a retired research specialist. We try to be as self reliant as possible. We raise chickens and turkeys for meat and eggs. We have 3 barn cats for rodent control. We keep a Jersey cow that I hand milk every morning. South Poll cattle provide grass fed and finished beef, which we raise without hormones or antibiotics. We have an orchard where we raise 28 varieties of peaches, sweet and sour cherries, several varieties of Asian pears, apples, blueberries and pecans. We sell at several local farmers' markets.
I started here the last of May 2014. I read everyday and enjoy writing about many different subjects. I like doing research and find myself jumping on the computer to find the answers to questions that come up in conversations. My favorite subject in school was English. I felt privileged to be invited to be a part of the advanced composition class in my high school. My husband thinks I am crazy because he always hated his English classes and could not wait for a time when he did not have to write. He sometimes sits and reads over my shoulder as I write here and just shakes his head.
I like to accept an assignment, read all the instructions, visit any websites listed and reread the instructions before starting to write. I write a first draft and then leave it for a while. I really like to have time to sleep on it before rereading the instructions, visiting the websites, proofreading and making any corrections before submitting.
Bobbi Jo-48350
Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2014 2:31:35 PM
Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/18/2014
Posts: 1
Good Day Zerys writers and service providers!

I am grateful to have been accepted as a writer for Zerys!

My pen name is Rosky. I have been writing on various sites for over 10 years on Movie reviews, life experiences, Canadian history, antiques and product reviews. During the day, my regular job I worked at included: creating and editing Newsletters, editing children’s books, edit and correct eBook publications and creating excel databases for an educational institution. 

A few challenges in life I face daily include a physical impairment as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as I was a victim of crime. Writing has provided me with a distinctive individual voice in the universe, where I felt I did not have one before. 

Currently my goal is to become a self-sustaining online-writer, as I am unable to go into the office and deal with difficult personalities. Discrimination is alive and well where I reside, it just lives in a closet and appears when no one is listening. 

The internet is a miraculous place providing all with an equal opportunity to demonstrate skills. 

My one regret was not supplying Zerys with my best work for the writing sample. As past negative experiences on the web have taught me: many will steal your work!

Hoping to learn from you all and develop meaningful dialogue as you are now wondrous team leaders at work!
Wolf-48295
Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2014 3:29:21 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/17/2014
Posts: 2
Location: Portland, Oregon 97202
Hello One and All! And since it is that time of the year, Merry Christmas to you and your family and may 2015 be the best year you have ever had.

A little about myself. First off, I am 1/2 Blackfoot Indian and 1/2 White.  I spent the first 13 years of my life living on the Blackfoot Reservation near Browning, MT. My mother (who was full blood Blackfoot) died giving birth to me and my biological father was white, but I never knew nor have I ever met the man. I was raised by my mother's parents. My Grandmother died when I was 11 and I continued to live with my Grandfather, Beryl Two Feathers, until his death when I was 13. I was given the name Wolf Running Trail by my grandfather and when I was adopted by a white family from Texas I was forced by school officials to adopt their name, However, I still go by the name of Wolf and if.some one calls me by my adopted name of James I do not even look around as I assume they are talking to someone else.I am very proud of my native background and go to Pow-Wows, Coming Home Day and of course make my vision quest,
After high school I joined the U.S. Air Force and after basic training, and technical schools I was stationed in Nam as a door gunner in a unit, Search and Rescue (known today as Air Force Parajumpers). Our job was to rescue downed American and South Vietnam pilots. This took us deep into North Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and once even into China. During my tour of duty my chopper was shot down twice, once in North Vietnam and once in Laos, 
After my discharge, I enrolled in a community college near Houston. After obtaining my Associate Degree I transfered to Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. My major was Law Enforcement/Police Science and a double minor - Creative Writing/Technical Writing and and Photography.
After graduation I became a Texas Peace Officer. During my years of duty I received three Letters of Merit and one Medal of Valor. I worked in law enforcement for 18 1/2 years and worked as a patrol officer, a motorcycle officer, crime scene photographer, and rose to the rank of Lt. in Homicide. Along the way I achieve and earned the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Master Peace Officer License. I also was the Director of Law Enforcement Training (police academy).
I am now self employed, having my own company, American Research & Grant Writing. I work with non-profit organizations and for profit companies assisting them by writing grant proposals.
Anyway, like the old country song says, That's My Story and I am sticking to it.
Georgette-20390
Posted: Monday, January 12, 2015 12:01:17 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2013
Posts: 198
Procrastination has been my best friend for days now, and having never read this thread it seemed like a splendid opportunity to learn more about my colleagues on this platform. 

Short Bio:
I currently home school our ten-year-old and manage a handful of rental properties, while working for a few private clients and earning a degree. After graduating high school almost twenty years ago, I pursued a career as a concrete finisher/stone setter traveling all over the Eastern US, and eventually came home to become the GM for a large construction manufacturing/distribution center in blessed, East Tennessee. I love living in the forest and spend most of my time reading or writing, either in our little cabin by the fireplace or on the screened-in back porch. 

Living in a tourist destination has it's moments of pique, but this is home, and you make do. Coexisting with the occasional bear, wild turkeys helping themselves to your garden, and constant spiders is often no worse than the presence of other, non-native, yet temporal, invasive species. Although our little 16 acres is totally secluded (especially in the summer when everything is crazy, luscious green), we're close enough to hear the hot rods twice a year and the steam engine from the amusement park next door--almost year round.  

I enjoy hiking and helping coach my daughter's softball team. I also love to crochet... anything. 

And Mr. Bailey, I'd just like to say I sincerely appreciate your dedicated, lifelong service to our country. Thank you, Sir.  
Brandon-49651
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2015 12:11:59 AM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/29/2015
Posts: 5
Location: Oregon
Hello, I'm new and got accepted in as a 4 star writer today! I've been writing content since 2011 and have a couple of websites going so I am not new to the game.

I really like the interface here and am looking forward to working with a few clients. I was able to snag 2 short articles today to start out with and I hope the clients enjoy what I wrote. Nothing too fancy but the topics were different for me which is always a good thing!

Hope to see ya'll around, I should be here and there learning the ropes each day a little. If I find that I'm a good fit and maintain a good rating I'm sure this will work out well for me.

Have a productive rest of your week!
Kristin-26658
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2015 3:37:28 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/25/2013
Posts: 546
Just on the short bit I read... your personality suits this family well! You'll do great here! Welcome to the fam. If you have questions, you should definitely reach out to us here on the forums. I've delved in a few other forums, and the majority of your colleagues have, too. I think you'll find that this is one of the friendlier places to gain advice and vent your frustrations.
Brandon-49651
Posted: Sunday, February 1, 2015 10:51:40 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/29/2015
Posts: 5
Location: Oregon
Kristin-26658 wrote:
Just on the short bit I read... your personality suits this family well! You'll do great here! Welcome to the fam. If you have questions, you should definitely reach out to us here on the forums. I've delved in a few other forums, and the majority of your colleagues have, too. I think you'll find that this is one of the friendlier places to gain advice and vent your frustrations.

Good to know. I've now done 3 articles, 2 got accepted and one I got on my first day is still sitting there. I got my first payment of $2.10 which isn't really that much of a payment but it proves to me this site is legit and that's enough to have me write as much as I can get work this coming couple of weeks. I have it set up to email me but I find that it's better to just have a tab open as I work on other sites and stuff so I can grab things right when they come up.

Should be fun to work here, I will definitely keep it on my list of sites to check frequently. Who knows, maybe I'll end up getting enough work to make this a large part of my content writing work. Content writing has paid my bills by doing it full time for 4 years, so I am always happy to add more!
Johnny-Admin
Posted: Monday, February 2, 2015 12:18:20 PM

Rank: Guest
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/9/2015
Posts: 455
Location: johnny@zerys.com
Brandon-49651 wrote:
Content writing has paid my bills by doing it full time for 4 years, so I am always happy to add more!

Well, that's impressive. Welcome and glad to have you, Brandon!

I just checked and my first two writing assignments here were for $2.66 and $1.36... and I think a lot of people can say about the same. Almost three years later, I'm still occasionally working for the client from that $1.36 assignment (on slightly bigger jobs, fortunately).
Kristin-26658
Posted: Monday, February 2, 2015 8:37:52 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/25/2013
Posts: 546
My first one was $1.40, I believe, and I totally peed a little with excitement. The site's legit... even better is that you've figured out much more quickly than most that the emails aren't worth nearly as much as that golden refresh button. :-)
Robin-30313
Posted: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 10:18:23 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/15/2013
Posts: 218
Location: Aurora, IL
This made me go check... and $2.66 was my first total as well.

I thought that it would buy me a fancy coffee and that was pretty cool.

Now, the things that I do with my money aren't nearly as cool. I do things like "pay bills" and "buy food"

All good things... all good things.
Barry-18772
Posted: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 10:48:00 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/6/2012
Posts: 244
Location: South Florida
$2.80. I bet we were all doing those apartment things, eh? My #2 job was an HVAC, though, and I don't think I ever got paid less than ten bucks per after that.

And, in checking this info, I see it's my Zerys birthday next month. eCake for all (well, nearly all)!
Carrie-14778
Posted: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 7:52:04 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 86
My first title was, "Boiler Maintenance- The Cost to Service a Boiler!" and I made a thrilling $2.76. I knew absolutely NOTHING about web content writing or SEO at that time. When I read what I wrote - - I feel very fortunate to have made the $2.76! Oh, how I have lived and learned over the course of my 3.5 years with Zerys. :-)
Jen-56599
Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2015 6:57:25 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 5/20/2015
Posts: 1
Location: New Jersey
Hello Everyone!

My name is Jennifer and I am new to the professional writing field. I have been writing most of my life, but this is my first step towards a career in it. I have worked in a variety of fields in the last fifteen years. I look forward to drawing upon my experience to create quality work. :-) I'm excited to be working with and learning from all of you.
Derrick-51837
Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2015 11:04:05 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 5/20/2015
Posts: 3
My name is Derrick. I just signed-up and haven't gotten any writing jobs yet.
I think this looks like a nice website and platform and am looking forward to learning more about it.
I have been writing online since 2009 for a few websites and blogs and as an affiliate of a white label dating provider. Working in a field like dating does teach a person a few things if they care to learn and so does running your own sites and blogs.
The sites and blogs I still have running are a dating advice blog and a website and blog for a book-shoppe.
Writing for these programs and sites has taught me article, post and social media types of writing along with the fact I decided to learn copy writing. I felt it was necessary for a successful online business and I find copy writing to be funner than most other forms of writing.
I educate myself as much as I can on the different types of copy writing. I have just learned more about white papers and am really looking forward to writing them for clients.
I really enjoy learning and writing about new things and like being versatile. I don't like the idea of being stuck classified as a romance writer for example.
Anyway, I have been spending a lot of time in S.E. Asia for the last few years and have learned a bunch while exploring. It is fun at times but a lot different than you may see on television.
I also am part-owner of a book and gift shop and enjoy that as well. I have noticed that many people are truly going away from printed material into electronic forms. In many ways I totally understand why but I still like a normal paper book or magazine.
Looking forward to connecting with new people and hopefully learning and sharing more!
FantasticallyRealWriter-61610
Posted: Saturday, October 3, 2015 7:47:15 AM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/17/2015
Posts: 5
Location: Does it matter for a freelancer?
Hi everyone!

I'm Waqas Khan from Islamabad, Pakistan. I have done BS in Engineering Sciences with specialization in Semiconductor Devices and Superconductors. I am a sportsman. Love playing soccer, cricket, and badminton. I can swim as well. Not underwater though. Learning!

I have been freelancing for about six years now. The best part of freelancing is when you're writing a 'how to buy a tie' kind of guide, knowing that you never have to wear one! The freedom, love it! 8)

- Buying Guide Writer for eBay Inc., a Fortune 500 company. I don't know why and how, but a single BG got 120k+ views, an achievement for me as a writer. :) Apparently, people like comparing juicers! What? Why? IDK.

- Technical Writer for Wagner Meters, World Leader in Moisture Measurement Technology. I think writing technical stuff is fun. Besides, it reminds me that I'm an engineer as well. So that knowledge should come in handy!

- Have co-owned an eCommerce store. It was good. Not awesome. Will do again in an year or so with the same friends.

- Have in-depth knowledge of eCommerce & SEO best practices. You, fellow writers, need any help? Let me know.

- PM/HRM for article writing campaigns. Have managed up to 75 articles a day.

Love freelancing!

Zerys, by far, has the best user experience and support. On the downside, I almost never see a job in the open job board. I got only one assignment, received 5 stars on it the same day, the client added me to the favorites list, but that's it! I hope I am not missing something. Or are there any HAWT categories or something that I don't know of?

Anyway, this was my introduction. Thank you for reading :)
Brooke-65047
Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2015 1:19:09 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/3/2015
Posts: 17
Hi chaps and chapettes

I'm a journalist from London. I graduated from my MA a year ago and I've been busy starting a small online business and writing fiction up until now. I'm still planning on doing those things, but mama needs gin money.

^^ I've never spoken like that in my life. Must be an over-eager forum thing.

This is one of the more promising freelance platforms I've been sniffing around, however I'm already a little concerned. When I got accepted as a 5 * writer right away I thought I'd have a chance at snagging a job or two, even it they were low paying.

Alas, I'm in the UK, and judging by some of the threads on here that's not the best place to be...?

In any case I hope I get to stick around, chat, and work with you all for a while.

Brooke x
Carrie-14778
Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2015 4:22:49 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 86
Well, mama, you  may not talk like that often but your comment about the "gin money" made me laugh out loud.

Don't we all....

Welcome to Zerys. I'm an American and, from previous forum perusing, I see that our UK friends have a tougher time here because the system is automatically slanted in favor of American writers. That being said, I took an article about "house extensions in Dublin" yesterday - after it was sitting on the open job board for a while - and am keeping my fingers crossed that they don't reject it as the result of my boorish, stateside approach.

Point being: there are UK-ish clients out there (ask Zoe for tips, she's a UK regular around here) and the Zerys peeps have been working hard to drum up more business from all parts of the globe.

There's hope for your Happy Hour yet...
Kristin-26658
Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2015 4:32:52 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/25/2013
Posts: 546
The Dublin fella is ***top notch***

And, for what it's worth, it's super rare for people to get accepted with 5ers. I was accepted with four stars, and built up to five shortly thereafter, but I seldom hear of folks being taken in at fives from the git, so that should bode well for you.

(and I, too, shot out a giggle at your gin money note, so thanks!)
Carrie-14778
Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2015 5:32:20 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 86
I agree that "The Dublin fella is ***top notch***" and that is for the completely unbiased reason that he just added me as a Favorite Writer ;-)
Brooke-65047
Posted: Sunday, November 8, 2015 12:44:37 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/3/2015
Posts: 17
Hooray for the Irish! My fingers are crossed the whole time they're not busy hitting the refresh button!
Lizzy-70774
Posted: Tuesday, August 2, 2016 1:22:56 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/2/2016
Posts: 0
Hello! (Hellooo) (Helloooo)*voice echos on the walls.

I am Lizzy and I have never been happier to be part of a forum like this. I really like the look of the whole platform and from the previous replies I have read on this post, I know I will get my first job .(Fingers tightly crossed).  In fact, my fingers are crossed the whole time I am not hitting the refresh button (Brooke, 2015)

Just reading the views gives a stranger the warmest of welcomes...Thank You guys. Write On!
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Wednesday, August 3, 2016 11:22:34 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Welcome, Lizzy. Look forward to hearing you're writing up a storm!
Carrie-14778
Posted: Friday, August 5, 2016 2:19:45 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 86
Yes! Welcome, Lizzy. And thank you for bringing this particular thread back on track as an 'Introduce Yourself" space - we're prone to tangents here.

Also, thank you for writing something. I was beginning to think the forum, like Nietzsche's God, was dead.

In almost five years of writing for Zerys, I don't think there has ever been such long, silent spells on the forum. I guess everyone had a really really amazing summer...?!?!?

Anyway, do continue to hit "refresh," and a really crappy paying job will come your way. And you'll write the work because you need it. And then you'll increase your star-rating...and then better and better paying jobs will come along - - and then you'll increase your star-rating and your earning rate even further...

And so it goes...
David-70951
Posted: Thursday, August 11, 2016 5:35:57 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/10/2016
Posts: 2
Location: Pinellas Park, Fllorida
Hello. I'm David Lewis and fit into the "mature" or "senior" category, enough so that my wife who is 15 years younger calls me her "walking coupon".

I have had a varied life including service in the US Navy (1967-71), work as a professional musician, an online musical instrument business, and 35 years in Christian based ministry. I've traveled quite a big both domestically and internationally.

In every case writing has been a significant part of my life. I've written songs, blogs, product descriptions, training materials, essays, short stories, and a couple of small books. I'm thankful for still being on this side of the grass after some health issues back a few years ago and endeavor to draw on my life experiences, promoting all things positive!

My favorite writers are Mark Twain, Robert Frost, and Garrison Keillor. I often take the same approaches in my writing and storytelling, just with Southern flavor.

Wishing success and all the best to each of you.
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Friday, August 12, 2016 9:09:09 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Welcome, David - nice to meet a fellow writer and traveler!
Georgette-20390
Posted: Thursday, August 18, 2016 10:43:30 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2013
Posts: 198
Thank you for your service to our country, David! I, too, love Samuel Clemens, and have recently been introducing my daughter to his timeless, wonderful wit. Many blessings, sir!
Joe-71219
Posted: Saturday, August 27, 2016 5:15:38 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/26/2016
Posts: 3
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
I'm Joe and I've been a writer since highschool. Now I'm on a really cool forum and ready to take whatever jobs I can get! (Student loans won't pay themselves, sadly!)
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2016 10:40:50 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Welcome, Joe. Best of luck - on the writing and reducing that student debt!
Joe-71219
Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2016 4:45:57 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/26/2016
Posts: 3
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Thanks! I'm still waiting for that first project to show up, but I know it can take some time!
Megan-74104
Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 6:50:27 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/24/2016
Posts: 3
Location: Benoni, South Africa
Hi there everyone,

As you have already guessed by the fact that I'm posting here, I am a brand new writer on Zerys. I have been a freelance copywriter for about 5 years now, although I have been putting words together in creative ways ever since I got my 'pen license' way back in Grade 1 (anybody else have to get a pen license?)!

Over the years I have worn many different hats in many different industries, and I would list them all but this is not my resume so I won't bore you with the details. I say it a lot, but one thing I am truly passionate about is words!! I'm an insatiable reader and can lose myself in words for hours - whether it's books or blogs!

But I used to think that the only way you could make money being a writer was to become a famous journalist or a best selling author - until one day my brother told me about this online writing thing he was doing in his spare time. He gave it up years ago, but I took the idea and turned it into a full time career. 

Some months I do really well, and others I do terribly - but so far I keep on surviving!  I haven't landed a job yet, but I suspect that may be because I'm in South Africa (Benoni). By the time I head online to check the job boards all the customers are asleep!! I'm not quite sure yet if I like this detailed category thing though. 

I love to learn so I literally write about anything and everything, and not every topic I'm an 'expert' in is covered by what's available! In any case, I am going to keep holding thumbs that Zerys turns into a steady income for me because I am extremely tired of trying to eke out a living from freelance platforms where the amount of work and effort that goes into copywriting is not valued or appreciated.

 But I have said enough for now though so I believe its time for me to bid everyone adieu!

Ciao for now,
Megan (Megz)

P.S. Say a little prayer to the writing gods on my behalf if you have time, because I need all the work I can get! Promise I'll return the favour!
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Thursday, October 27, 2016 4:57:10 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Ciao, Megan! The work will come, but I'll say some small prayers to the writing gods as well. I so want to do the Benoni Art Route one day. Some of the artists are amazing!
Megan-74104
Posted: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 4:04:27 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/24/2016
Posts: 3
Location: Benoni, South Africa
Nancy M-49020 wrote:
Ciao, Megan! The work will come, but I'll say some small prayers to the writing gods as well. I so want to do the Benoni Art Route one day. Some of the artists are amazing!

Well although I keep getting an alert saying 'there is one job available' (always at the same time so a little suspicious but oh well) I have yet to get any work despite trying out a variety of categories and sub categories, I think I'm going to need to pray a little harder. As I said in my intro though - I suppose all I can do is wait and see, and apparently keep hitting F12!!

In any case, the Art Route is amazing, especially for someone who dabbles in it like I do!! But I was sad to see that The Crucible (a glass blowing studio which used to be part of the route) had closed down recently. 

If you ever have the opportunity to try glass blowing you should go for it, because its probably the most unique, slightly dangerous, artsy fartsy fun you'll ever have! 

But so long for now,
Megan
Pamela-73845
Posted: Friday, November 4, 2016 5:42:49 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/15/2016
Posts: 1
Location: Germany
Hi Megan,

I thought I was the only one not getting any work!? I am living in Germany at the moment so maybe it's because I'm asleep when the jobs go up! I hadn't considered that before but it makes sense now!

I think some long nights may be ahead of me - I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

Nice to see that everyone is friendly here too. It's quite unique, I believe!

 Until next time, tschüss!




Megan-74104
Posted: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 1:29:24 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/24/2016
Posts: 3
Location: Benoni, South Africa
Pamela-73845 wrote:
I thought I was the only one not getting any work!? I am living in Germany at the moment so maybe it's because I'm asleep when the jobs go up! I hadn't considered that before but it makes sense now!

Hey Pamela,

Yup - I've yet to land any jobs but we'll see how it goes after I fiddle around with my categories tonight! There is a nice little feed on the Job Center page that shows you what jobs were accepted in the last 24 hours. Unfortunately it doesn't show what categories they were for, but it does show which job board they came from, what time it was accepted, the rate and the writer who accepted it. 

The most important thing is the time because it gives you an idea of when to hang around the New Clients Job Board. So far it seems like first thing in the morning (9am), lunch time (11-12pm) and around the end of the usual work day(4-6pm) is the best - although that's according to EST so 9am means 1pm for me!

Good luck though, and I hope we both get going soon!! 

Ciao,
Megan
Donna-75518
Posted: Monday, November 28, 2016 4:43:57 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/28/2016
Posts: 2
Hi my name is Donna. I just got accepted to Zerys this morning so I'm really excited and probably a bit confused. I live in Smyrna, GA. Other than the strange name, Julia Roberts is from here and the new stadium for the Atlanta Braves will be up and, unfortunately, dedicated in April. Due to the traffics we have now I have no clue how it's going to run smoothly. 😤 I am a proud mom to 5 adult kids. We're originally from NJ so the older ones still live there and the twins live in GA. All of them are over 21, I started when I was a kid myself. 😂 As I said, I'm excited but a bit confused with the jobs listed on my site. I'm happy they're there but, I have no knowledge of the topics and nor did I list them on topics I know about? I guess I'll figure it out as the days go by. As far as my profession, I'm a fine artist, interior designer, and write just about anything I can write about. I've written 3 short stories that were published and as most of us, I'm always writing drafts. It's good to be here, and I'd love to meet other newbies as well as long time writers who know this site very well. God Bless and thank you! Donna
georgia-29747
Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 8:48:51 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 7/17/2013
Posts: 1
Location: Laval, Quebec
Hi everyone,

I presently hold a degree in Pharmaceuticals and a degree in article writing. I am a content writer by day and a reader by night. I also enjoy working as a Pharmacy Lab Technician, helping people. I am presently writing my autobiography to help others out there like myself. When I am not writing or working in the Lab, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, traveling and outdoors activities. My big dream is to publish my book.
Christine-51757
Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 6:40:58 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/27/2015
Posts: 37
Location: Idaho
It slows down and then things get busy.... Hang in there!! Chris~~
Bruce-69033
Posted: Friday, December 2, 2016 6:10:18 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/1/2016
Posts: 4
Greetings :)

I am a philosopher, tutor, author, writer, web publisher and blogger from Sydney, Australia.

My alumni for my MPhil in English and my BA Honors and PhD in philosophy is The University of Sydney. 

I also spend time in China frequently, and teach English there in various provinces.

I like to write fiction also as a lark.

I am pleased to be on board for a bit more content writing, which always keeps one limber...


Bruce Long

[edited to remove personal information]


Nancy M-49020
Posted: Monday, December 5, 2016 10:37:51 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Hi Donna (I also grew up in NJ), Georgia, and Bruce. Nice to meet you. I wish you lots of luck here - I've enjoyed it, have great clients, and stay busy.
Donna-75518
Posted: Saturday, December 17, 2016 11:24:37 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 11/28/2016
Posts: 2
Hi Nancy M! I'm sorry I didn't see this until now. It's wonderful to meet you and we Northeners seem to be invading the South! LOL! I appreciate the good luck...the writing jobs here seem to be a lot in IT which I am not..but I'm sure it gets better. Please keep me and my family in all your prayers. We had an accident Wed Dec 14 which cost us all our Christmas money for a blow out in tires. It always seems things happen around the holidays doesn't it? Anyway it's great to be here! God Bless... Donna
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Thursday, December 22, 2016 8:17:01 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Hi Donna - Sorry for the accident, but hope everyone is alright. Yes, lots of IT jobs. I knew NOTHING about IT when I started here and now it's probably a quarter to a third of my work. Same for inbound marketing. If you're seeing those jobs, take one and give it a shot. The more you write them, the more you learn and unless they are super technical, the more proficient you become in the topic. I found that doing some on-my-dime research helped me get more work.
Galen-76137
Posted: Monday, January 9, 2017 6:33:53 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/9/2017
Posts: 1
Hi it is great meeting you all, even if it is through reading your posts. my name is Galen. I am from southern California, but currently live up in northern Utah. I have been divorced a couple of times and finally married the right woman. I recently earned my Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from Argosy University. In a couple of days I will be starting my Master's of Science in Organizational Leadership. I literally signed up for this service and another one just a couple of days ago. The other service basically told me to not quit my day job. This site approved me as a four star beginning writer. So, thanks for helping me to not give up. I have always wanted to be a fiction writer, but lack the skill. I wrote a piece of nonfiction work on picking the right cellphone and wireless carrier, back in 2013 on my smartphone during my National Guard Annual Training. It was good. That was when I decided that I had a much better chance of success at writing non-fiction than fiction. College got in the way, which is fine, because I became much better at writing articles and reports due to the nature of the Psychology degree. At length I studied economics for two and a half years and information Technology for a year and a half before ultimately deciding on Psychology, which has been a total blast. I would not trade it for any other degree. The skills one develops in Psychology while earning the degree are invaluable and not learned in too many other places or degrees. I look forward to getting to know people here better and hopefully making  a great part time income while pursuing my two Master's degrees, first Organizational Leadership and then Marriage and Family Therapy. I have a lot of knowledge and learning to offer. I also know how to research like nobody's business. I usually tell people that my areas of expertise are economics, technology(It, computers, and smartphones), and Psychology(communications, relationships, health, and wellness). For now CIAO!
Bruce-69033
Posted: Thursday, January 12, 2017 5:02:39 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/1/2016
Posts: 4
I have a Master of Philosophy in English (literary theory) and in my MPhil I coined the term informationist science fiction.

I am professionally published as an analytic philosopher of information (esoteric)

[edited to remove personal information]

Thanks for having a look.

Best Wishes,

Bruce


Sandra-11388
Posted: Friday, January 13, 2017 12:01:00 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 7/12/2013
Posts: 0
*groan* I hate this keyboard. I had a nice reply for Bruce, but of course now I have to remember what I said when I accidentally closed the window.

Let's see. Bruce, I really enjoyed taking a quick look at your different sites. You seem to have a nice broad range of topics to explore, but since I'm supposed to be working (and now am even further behind), going down those fascinating looking rabbit holes will have to wait. 

I enjoy writing about all kinds of things. Eventually, I usually see connections between them. Exotic cuisines logically leads to cooking. Cooking takes you to food science (lots of chemistry and don't tell me that you'll never use algebra past school!) and nutrition. Nutrition can take you to animal rights and animal husbandry. Of course, nutrition also naturally follows with human health, which takes you to fertility, pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Obviously parenting comes after that. Once you've been a stay home mom for a while, making the leap from writing about parenting to how to earn money from home is simple enough. Tying lunar veterinary care into that obvious progression is a little more complicated... but really, it was a dare at 3AM between 3 content writers who were also overtired moms. *grin*

I've also been known to call myself a "word wh*re" because I'll write about most things, though of course there are limits. I've written about the history of the Internet, the hcg diet, education, and camping, to name a few things.

My life is equally eclectic. In between raising four kids, I'm writing, selling Lularoe (clothing, usually sold online or at home events) and am currently working on lining up a commercial kitchen to make marshmallows. Hey, the profit margin is huge! They're mostly air.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting to know you and poking through your web sites when I have more time. I want to thank you for introducing me to scholar.google.com. I don't know how I'd never heard of it!!! It looks very useful.

Sandra
Colin-73866
Posted: Monday, February 6, 2017 5:07:32 AM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 10/11/2016
Posts: 6
Location: South Africa
Hi all

My name is Colin. I've enjoyed reading the posts on this forum. I'm also surprised and delighted to see a fellow South African. I joined Zerys in October last year - and I'm absolutely loving it. 

I've led quite an exciting and varied life. At school I was an avid writer, winning many literature awards. However the powers that be (my parents) wanted me to follow a career  in business and I ended up studying Management Accounting. Despite the fact that I was good at it, I really didn't enjoy it - though I must say I really enjoyed Economics which was not one of my majors. 

While I was a student I worked par-time at the State Theater in Pretoria as an assistant lighting technician. I loved it so much that it became my career for almost 20 years, ending up in production management. In 2009, when the economy became tougher I decided to go into business in order to try earn a better living. It was okay but my heart was never in it - I wanted to go into alternative energy, but the market led me into backup power supply. The business never did as well as could have, purely because I had no passion for it. This led me to freelance writing. I wanted a job that I really enjoyed and something that I could continue doing as I grow older. 

It's been an amazing experience and it's growing all the time. At first the work came in really slowly, but I'm building up a good group of regular clients. For all those non-US writers that have expressed their concerns about not getting enough work - keep trying, it's worth the effort. I log in several times through the evening and check the new clients board, because of the time zone difference. 

I now live with my 4 cats. My daughter Juliet is all grown up and completing her final year studying journalism.

I've spent many months travelling around Africa - mostly when I was in my twenties (that would be in the 90's). This and restoring cars have been among my favorite hobbies. I also really enjoy cooking and music - over the years I've written lyrics for quite a few South African musicians. 

My many experiences have given me an exciting life, with many challenges. Deciding to start an entirely new career in my mid-forties may seem crazy, but it's the best decision I've made in many years. After only 5 months of doing this, on several sites, I'm starting to make a decent amount of money every month. I think that within 3 months I may be able to shut down my electrical business for good and concentrate purely on writing. Zerys is by far my favorite site and I'm constantly working at gaining new clients on this site. 
Tracey-16046
Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2017 12:31:08 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/10/2013
Posts: -5
Location: Florida USA
Shout out to the South Africans here - I'm also from there originally, although I'm now a Canadian citizen living half the year in the US and half in Canada. 

Although I've never posted in this thread before, I've been writing for Zerys since 2011 and I guess I've made a sizeable chunk of cash here over the years. My first article was a $3 one, I got a 5 star rating for it and that enabled me to claim 5-star assignments from the second one on, so I was fortunate. I get mainly direct assignments from clients, although lately I've been having a bit of fun with writer auditions and landed a couple new clients as a result. I'm pleased to see there's more work available at the higher rates these days, and I guess Zerys is working hard to grow the business and bring in higher paying clients. Anyway, I really appreciate being able to earn my living from wherever I am and appreciate the awesome people who keep the machine running. 
Deb-Admin
Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2017 12:39:08 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Administration , Member, Moderator

Joined: 2/6/2013
Posts: 68
Hi Tracey,

Always nice to see our long-time writers pop up in the forums! We appreciate all of you writers, too!

Thanks for the kind words.
Darren-76828
Posted: Friday, February 17, 2017 4:09:34 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/15/2017
Posts: 2
Hi Everyone,

I am Darren, from Australia, and I am very new to this writing lark.

Having spent time in the Australian Navy (1997-2012), I finally left after a combat injury forced me out (nothing too serious). I am now almost finished my degree in Accounting (long story) and will be qualified mid-way through this year.

I learned through my studies that I enjoyed writing and so have decided to try and earn some extra pocket money by joining this community.

I joined three days ago and haven't seen a whisper of a job. But patience is a virtue that say.

Good luck to everyone and I'll see you all around.

Darren

p.s I have seen reference to 'other' job boards in some fo the forums. Right now I can only see 'New Client' job board on my dash. Is that normal and if not can someone point me in the direction for navigating to the other job boards.

cheers
Deb-Admin
Posted: Friday, February 17, 2017 4:37:41 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Administration , Member, Moderator

Joined: 2/6/2013
Posts: 68
Hi Darren,

Welcome!

As a new writer, you are correct that you will only see jobs on the New Clients Job Board. It can take a little while for new writers to see work that matches their profile, but I encourage you to take any that you do see that you feel capable of writing.

After you have completed work approved by clients, they can directly assign you more work, or put jobs on a Favorite Writers Job Board that you have access to. Those are the "other"jobs you see the writers talking about, and that is the goal - to get ongoing work from clients.

I recommend you click around the forums and especially check out the FAQ sections - there is a lot of great information there!

We have a great group of writers here - glad to have you aboard!
Darren-76828
Posted: Friday, February 17, 2017 4:49:34 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/15/2017
Posts: 2
Thanks Deb,

That helps. I also see that I need to be up and about for the US afternoon period.

Least I know where to begin now.

Thank you for you welcome and advice.

Darren
Monica-49679
Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2017 12:35:36 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/31/2015
Posts: 1
Hi! I am Monica and I joined the site a couple of years ago, did some articles and. . . life happened. I made a couple of posts back then, which were cleared out when the forum purge happened. So, I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself, as directed by the post title. ;)

My wonderful husband, teen and I are owned by a couple of cats. I mean, we own them. Nope, I was right the first time. I love writing online because I have PTSD and related boring stuff. It is great to use something I love to help support myself and my family.

From what I have seen, the forum here has some great people. I'm not comfortable being a forum lurker. So, hi!

I feel a bit awkward so, I will cut off here.

Have a great day!
Robert-79267
Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:39:54 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2017
Posts: 1
Hello all!

This is Robert from Long Island New York. Just got accepted as a writer here at Zerys! Feels great to join
a community of writers and creative folks. I hope to not only make some nice money and
build a base of clients I also hope to interact with my fellow writers and exchange ideas and thoughts about
anything and everything! I look forward to being inspired and hopefully inspiring.

Well met new friends!
Nancy M-49020
Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2017 3:05:03 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/7/2015
Posts: 58
Location: Los Angeles
Hi Monica and Robert - Nice to meet you!
Monica-49679
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017 12:34:32 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/31/2015
Posts: 1
Nancy, thank you! Nice to meet you as well. Also, hello to Robert. :)

Glad to be here!
Grace-57652
Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:47:23 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/16/2017
Posts: 0
Hi all,
It is great to be part of Zerys. I was dormant for a while, but I hope to start seeing jobs on my platform soon.
Hanging in there with the rest of the newbies.
Damien-79413
Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 2:08:36 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/21/2017
Posts: 1
Hello all! I got my shiny new acceptance email yesterday :) I am a personal trainer but also keep up my website with some current blogs. Although I do enjoy working with my clients writing is something I like doing too. I am looking forward to taking on some jobs here and meeting the veterans here on the forum. Have a great day all!

Robert-79267
Posted: Sunday, March 26, 2017 10:05:40 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/15/2017
Posts: 1
Hello back Nancy and Monica!
Eleanore-66344
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2017 12:28:03 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/2/2016
Posts: 2
Hello, I'm Eleanore and my writing career began as a tech writer for environmental engineering. I'm a published author of two suspense novels. I began writing SEO and copyediting in 2008. 

I can't say freelance writing was planned. It just happened along when I was asked to write environmental sales and marketing articles for industry magazines. Prior to that, I occasionally submitted articles to trade magazines. As my writing reputation grew for environmental, I wrote several Dept. of Energy proposals, contracts and technical white papers. 

I was the editor and president of our town's Historical Society and "TimePiece" Magazine. 

I usually choose articles in sales and marketing, business administration, electrical, plumbing, pest control and HVAC. 
Sean-79641
Posted: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 5:56:00 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 4/4/2017
Posts: 1
New to freelance writing but thought I might give it a go, not much on my job board at the moment but am hopeful that will change sooner than latter.
Seji-79589
Posted: Friday, April 7, 2017 4:48:29 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 4/3/2017
Posts: 1
Hello all, my name is Seji (pronounced Cg). I am a stay at home mother of 3 children, I also Home School. I have a unique sense of humor, you'll never meet anyone else like me. At times I ever refer to my children as The Children of The Corn!!! Which they are not, they take after me, so they are crazy... Just kidding. I love to write, I have a very creative mind. I like to add some humor in everything I write about. I hope to do well on this site. 
Ashley-81519
Posted: Monday, June 12, 2017 11:25:44 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/11/2017
Posts: 1
Location: Spooner, WI
Hello All,

My name is Ashley and I have been freelancing on and off for years. I work full time in a hospital in Wisconsin but needed something to do in my down time, and since I love researching this seemed like a good spot to start. I am a member of a few other freelance sites, and so far this one is one of my favorites. The layout is easy to use and from what I've seen from assignments, they vary which is a very nice change. I've only submitted one assignment for this site so far but here's hoping to many, many more. I love getting feedback on how to improve my writing as well. :)
Tracey-16046
Posted: Monday, June 12, 2017 6:03:40 PM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/10/2013
Posts: -5
Location: Florida USA
Deb-Admin wrote:
Hi Tracey,

Always nice to see our long-time writers pop up in the forums! We appreciate all of you writers, too!

Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks Deb :-)
florence-81397
Posted: Monday, June 26, 2017 11:05:51 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/26/2017
Posts: 0
hi people, am Flozy new here and i hope someone can show me how things go around.looking forward to learn and have great time with other writers......

Wasper-67070
Posted: Wednesday, June 28, 2017 5:23:21 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 2/20/2016
Posts: 1
Hi everyone,

My name is Alex. I'm from Kenya. I'm a freelance writer who enjoys challenging himself. I don't have any form of full time employment so freelance writing is pretty much what I do for a living. Its a great source of income least because of the earnings but more importantly, because I gain so much exposure and learn a lot about different cultures and practices. I really do enjoy this form of employment since I'm a geek and I really love spending time on my computer and on the internet.
Up till now, I have mainly been working through third-party clients so I guess am not particularly conversant on how to successfully engage a client and ensure they choose me to work on their orders. Any advice and tips are therefore very welcome.
Its nice to meet everyone here.
DEEPAK -83203
Posted: Thursday, July 13, 2017 10:10:48 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 7/13/2017
Posts: 1
hi sir
Marilyn-81876
Posted: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 9:44:15 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 9/8/2017
Posts: 1
Hey, All.

My name is Marilyn, Kenyan, and a Freelance Writer, Marketer, Editor... Above all I am happy to connect with this forum to learn the ropes and expand my network.

Freelancing writing, as I have come to learn, is an on-going learning platform. Am sure as we interact we learn from each other. Ice breakers can be awkward so l will this as it is for now. 
Gillian-85467
Posted: Thursday, February 1, 2018 8:16:23 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/29/2018
Posts: 1
Hi everyone,

My name is Gillian, and I hail from South Africa. I've spent my entire literate life dabbling with writing in various forms. For whatever reason I've worked in nearly every field except writing. But last year I was retrenched and had a long hard think about where I was and what I wanted my life to be, and came to some crucial realizations:
1. If I ever have to reconcile another month's worth of accounts again, I will probably go completely mad. ("Good with numbers" does not mean I enjoy bookkeeping!)
2. All I want to do is write stories and research weird and wonderful things.
3. People actually get paid to write stories and research weird and wonderful things.
4. What on earth have I been wasting my time for??

And so, I begin a new chapter in my life (pun definitely intended), where I attempt to raise my child, write all day, and try and earn enough money to pay my bills, and possibly even finish the eight or so novels that have been rattling around my head for the last fifteen years.
I suppose one silver lining of working in every other field except writing, is that I now have a huge database of experience to fall back on, whether in the fields of policing, security, or Law, all the way up to teaching, parenting, and the Arts.
Jacklyn-30391
Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 5:27:35 AM

Rank: Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/20/2013
Posts: 11
Location: Leesburg, FL
Welcome, Gillian!! I really enjoyed your intro and wish you all the luck in the world with your writing, especially the part about writing enough to pay the bills. That is a staggering goal considering the small amounts we are paid, but it is a worthy one, and if you spend a good part of your days on a consistent basis writing for pay, you can "reward" yourself by spending some time on your novels!! Please keep us updated as you go along and let us know about your progress. How old is your child? In school so that you will have uninterrupted time to write? The latter is very important.
Gillian-85467
Posted: Thursday, February 22, 2018 10:22:45 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/29/2018
Posts: 1
Hi Jacklyn,

Yes, it seems like an almost impossible task, though I have found several resources that are definitely teaching me to focus my time most productively.

My son is in second grade now, so I have at least a few hours every day. Thankfully he also has to do homework, so we work together when he gets home, and then he goes outside for the afternoon. All in all I much prefer this, to having him go to an after-care. 

Thanks for the warm welcome!
Meaghan-85599
Posted: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 4:34:30 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 4/17/2018
Posts: 1
Location: Pennsylvania, US
Hello there!

My name is Meaghan and I am admittedly new to the world of freelance writing. I have, however, worked in just about every industry across the board. I'm currently a wedding planner and the director of marketing and media for several small businesses in north-eastern US. 

I decided to add writing to my plate, because it's one of the things that I genuinely enjoy doing. I can't imagine anything more spectacular than getting paid for something I'm already passionate about. 

Since my schedule can be a bit tight at times, I will be a busy bee and may end up being unavailable during the height of my regular employment season. Has anyone else experienced how that affects their rankings and client relationships? 

Sayantan-27030
Posted: Sunday, October 28, 2018 2:55:46 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 5/9/2013
Posts: 0
Hi All,

I'm Sayantan. I started my career with a Big Four services firm, but left to pursue freelancing on a full-time basis. I'm new here and am looking forward to creating lasting relationship with clients and learning along the way.

I hope to start my blog soon and can't wait to get in the thick of things.

I look forward to interacting with all of you.

Thanks
Taylor-79688
Posted: Wednesday, January 9, 2019 5:30:14 AM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 4/7/2017
Posts: 1
Hello everyone!  I am Taylor and I have been on this platform for almost a year now. I have only done one order since I signed up on the platform. My account has been dormant for a while; however, I haven't seen any work during the few times that I logged in. Maybe someone can give me a few tips on how to access new orders on the New Clients Board?

I understand that if you have been inactive your activity score goes down and it affects the amount of work you can view on the boards. Is this true?

Also, are there any Australian writers here who are getting a constant flow of work on the New Clients Board? 

All in all, I am excited to be a part of this amazing community. I look forward to getting work and building my profile. I'm currently at level 4.

Thank you!
Deb-Admin
Posted: Monday, January 14, 2019 6:22:09 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Administration , Member, Moderator

Joined: 2/6/2013
Posts: 68
Hi Taylor,

Welcome back!

The New Clients board is where clients go to find new talent to add to their team. Work is taken very quickly from this board, so when you do see an assignment you are comfortable with, I recommend taking it right away.

You are right that your activity score impacts how quickly you see jobs, so it is important to keep it as high as possible. There are several things that contribute to this score, but even if you don't currently have any jobs, logging into the system and going to the Job Boards will help raise it.

We are excited that you have rejoined us and I hope that you will enjoy your time here.
Users browsing this topic
Guest


Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.

Main Forum RSS : RSS

ASPNET Theme created by Boskone (Dan Ferguson)
Powered by Yet Another Forum.net version 1.9.1.8 (NET v4.0) - 3/29/2008
Copyright © 2003-2008 Yet Another Forum.net. All rights reserved.