As content writers, we are frequently told to avoid “filler or fluff” as part of the instructions in our content brief. But this is […]
Category: Content Writing
Tips for preparing your writing samples when applying for a freelance writing role with Topcontent
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a job that also happens to be their passion. For me, being a freelance writer is no […]
How to calculate your freelance writer hourly rate
“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates and a monthly salary.” Nicolas Taleb Being a freelance writer comes with many challenges. And, like […]
Getting started – The realities of being a freelance writer with Topcontent
Every writer has their own story. Each of us has our own style, type of creative expression and preferred medium for writing. The realities […]
English is English, right? Why speaking more than one language rocks
I was never a maths person. The very thought of numbers has my forehead breaking out in pimples and my armpits become suspiciously moist. […]
Why reading feeds your writing soul
Recently, a first-time novelist by the name of William Giraldi made a worrying observation about today’s culture: More and more modern-day writers exhibit a […]
How to Start as a Freelance Writer When you Have Never Written Anything Before in Your Life
So you’ve never written anything before, and now you’re staring at a blank screen, cursor blinking away, just waiting for that first brainwave to […]
Proofread your own writing — more than once!
Inspiration. That elusive creature that, like some ethereal fairy, often flutters just beyond reach – perhaps in those few dreamlike seconds just before waking, […]
How to set up a digital library of writing resources
Being a freelance writer may rock, but writing regularly also comes with a very particular set of challenges. Balancing work and home life is […]
Bad habits can be detrimental to your writing – here is how to break them
Bad habits… we all have them! Some of which are worse than others. Either way, they can seriously slow down your pace and prevent […]
How does content help people connect?
Good-quality content is more than just a way to fill your website. Premium content has a host of advantages both for owner and reader; […]
Grammar rules to follow when writing a blog post
As an aspiring writer, we endeavour to have consistent and interesting work to keep us busy. To reach this point takes dedication, after all, […]
Pronunciation: Why it’s important and what I can do to perfect it
Let’s take English as an example. Some say it’s a difficult language to learn, and others say it’s easy. I guess that’s something that […]
“Unnecessary” quotation marks
Grammar rules are an important part of being a writer. A particularly sore point for many writers can be punctuation, with quotation marks being […]
How to format your titles
If you have ever compared titles throughout several different articles, you may be wondering why there are differences in styles and most importantly, which […]
When to use a comma
The rules of punctuation can be befuddling for the best of us at times. A good content writer has to be very mindful about […]
Should you apologise or apologize?
How grammar impacts SEO and why knowing what your client wants is important In the modern world, that marvellous little tool in your back […]
An introduction to writing
Are you looking to become a writer and earn money with your writing online? I have good news; it is completely possible if you […]
How to write a blog
A blank canvas can be pretty daunting but if you flip it and look at it from the other side, it gives you the […]
Why Google Translate does not make you a writer
Google is by far the most formidable virtual entity on the planet. Omnipresent, all-powerful, and a constant sidekick to most of our phone-wielding generation, […]
The Top 5 Apps for Freelance Writers
Years ago, when it was still possible to spend lazy days by the beach, my husband bought me a Kindle. We were still kid-free, […]
Using Words to Trigger Emotions
Many of us take words for granted, using them purely as a basic means of communication. But they’re a lot more than that, especially […]
Grammar mistakes that will destroy your reputation as a writer
Nowadays, being a writer is heavily advertised as the easiest of easy jobs. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only is our […]
10 challenges only a writer can understand
It’s 6 am and, as the first rays of sunlight dispel the darkness of the night before, the whole world stirs sleepily. Coffee is […]
Can you start a sentence with ‘yet’?
Writers often find themselves with a number of issues when it comes to beginning a sentence. It shouldn’t be that hard to start a […]
Top tips for writing igaming content
The demand for quality content has never been greater and so is the demand for good content writers. If you’re new to the freelance […]
Can you start a sentence with also?
When it comes to our writing, we don’t often know all the rules. This is especially true when it comes to starting sentences with […]
10 signs that show you are a writer
Writers are a very particular type of people. Right up there with all the other artistic types of the world, such as painters and […]
Business Quality Writing: How great content is created
At Topcontent, we have two quality-levels: Standard Quality (SQ) and Business Quality (BQ). For BQ tasks, we only trust our highest quality freelancers to […]
Should you begin a sentence with ‘therefore’?
When you are writing, the flow can carry you off, and before you know it, you would have made some silly grammar mistakes. Surprisingly, […]
Turning the monsters loose — 13 writing lessons from author Stephen King
You needn’t be the most avid of bookworms for word of the literary genius that is Stephen King to have reached your ears. Most […]
Can you start a sentence with a number?
When writing, it is always important to be able to have a flowing and readable structure. One of the fastest and most noticeable ways […]
Can you start a sentence with or?
Many writers struggle with knowing whether a sentence can be started with the word or. For most of us, starting a sentence with a […]
Escaping the 9-5 job – Introducing our Finnish Content Manager, Elina
Name: Elina Özek (Pöyry) Role: Content Manager Location: Istanbul, Turkey Thank you, Elina for taking the time to have a chat with me. I’m […]
Starting out? How to write SEO-friendly content and why it’s an important skill to master
One of my favourite definitions of content is the one given by Business Dictionary, which compares content to the glue that sticks a website […]
Books on Writing and Living: What Every Aspiring Writer Should be Reading
There are a lot of books in the world, close to 130 million actually, with new ones being published every single day. Each book […]
Can you start a sentence with so?
Starting a sentence with a conjunction has long been a point of contention. Many of us have grown up with this grammatical style strongly […]
How to prepare for a job application with Topcontent
Let us help you become part of our team! Job roles are a dime a dozen and nowadays, all companies are using buzz words […]
19 grammar errors we HAVE to stop making
It’s one thing to love writing, and it’s quite another to be grammatically correct. Many of us love putting a few words down on […]
Can you start a sentence with ‘because’?
Avoiding starting a sentence with because is arguably one of the sillier grammar rules out there. Bizarrely, though, it is one of the ones […]
Can you start a sentence with ‘and’?
In a nutshell, yes! There are a number of confusing grammar rules in the English language, and whether or not it’s okay to start […]
Content Writing can help you Create your Fuck Off Fund and why having a Fuck Off Fund should be everyone’s goal
It is no secret that most of us do not save any money. In fact, several surveys show that most people do not save […]
Can you start a sentence with but?
For many of us, we were indoctrinated into the belief that starting a sentence with conjunction was, “A BAD THING!” This rule has haunted […]
Can you start a sentence with however?
One of the most common questions asked by writers, no matter their proficiency level, is whether or not however can be used at the […]
Getting to know Anita Fosen – Content Manager, Team Leader
Ok, let’s start with the basics. When did you join Topcontent and what do you do here? I joined Topcontent [previously known as Sidekick […]
Giving Feedback to Writers – 8 Benefits of Giving and Receiving Feedback
The misconception that content writing services is an “easy” job is certainly one of the most misplaced in modern times. Accomplished wordsmith or not, […]
Touch Typing – why it’s not as Fast as you Might Think
Even before the first computers were introduced, using the user-friendly – if not exactly noiseless – typewriter was blatantly obvious. Chief among these advantages […]
How to Boost Conversion by Tapping into your Readers’ Emotions
You’ve heard about how writing is good for the soul. It’s therapeutic, you might have read. Or, You can work through stuff by keeping […]
What Content Writers and Stand Up Comedians have in Common
“You don’t get much fun when you’re an adult, do you?” Michael McIntyre’s rhetorical question remains one of my most favourite one-liners to repeat […]
Spreading the joy…
why writing brings happiness to others
Even before the last crazily grinning pumpkin has shrivelled and died, December starts to stir. Come November, a couple of stores dedicate a half-hearted […]
Is Content Writing here to Stay? 5 reasons why we think so!
Every moment of our waking lives, we are bombarded by information. Colourful pictures, scrolling screens, rhythmic (and sometimes decidedly less so!) music and rapidly […]
Making the Transition from Writing jobs to Proofreading jobs
I did it and so can you! Riding a bike. Speaking in public. Playing an instrument. Eating 20 hamburgers in five minutes. What all […]
Tips and Tricks for Becoming a Good Content Writer
Everyone starts out with no experience! If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you already are, or are thinking, to start copywriting. Copywriting […]