Yahoo! Local Beta Announced in Limited Cities

Yahoo! Local a new opportunity for freelance writers.

Writers, are you ready to go hyper-local?

Yahoo! Local (beta) was officially announced Wednesday, on the Y! Yodel Anecdotal blog. The launch covers more than 30 locations, with more said to be added soon. All of which will need writers to provide local content.

This new site launch is a freelance writing opportunity waiting to be seized. It is also a chance for writers to carve out a niche in their own backyards. So how do we, as writers, put ourselves in a better position to take advantage of this new market?

Do your research/study the market. Peruse current content on Y! Local and take notes on

Are Yahoo! & AOL Tapping into Local Content Goldmines?

Small Town Saturday Night, by Malcolm MacGregor.

...and are some towns just too small to matter?

Local content. This buzz phrase has been building to a roar for the past year, or more. Savvy writers, such as Pam Gaulin, have been preaching it to fellow online writers for longer. 

Search engines turned content providers AOL and Yahoo! are banking on converting loyal readers into profits, with Yahoo! Local (beta) and Patch. But will these new hyper-local sites, both in infancy stages, be focusing on areas where reporting is needed most--small town America? Would it be worth it?

Both sites do cover cities with populations under 20,000. For example, both are testing the waters in Birmingham, Michigan, population 19,291. But what about towns with under 5,000 people? That will be the interesting part of the hyper-local experiments--if coverage is given to these rural areas.

Hot 100 for November aka an Excuse to Post

 

My page views for November 2010 on the Yahoo! Contributor  Network (Y!CN), formerly Associated Content, merited a nifty 'Hot 100' badge. This is only the second time I've won this badge--the first being in September 2010--which is given to the top 100 contributors with the most traffic.

It's cool. It means my Y!CN bonus is larger than normal, but it is not the reason I'm posting. The badge is an excuse to post. Not that I've had a lack of topics to discuss. I seem to have contracted blog paralysis--where the ideas flow, but the fingers refuse to type.

This is me getting over it. Now if I could only kick this cold...

Lazarus Update: Form App Resurrects Lost Writing

Firefox App Article Saver for Glitchy Submission Templates

In July, I wrote about a form data saving application for Firefox called Lazarus. It looked like the ultimate solution to bringing back writing snatched away by submission template snafus. I promised an update, so here's the lowdown: It works!

I first had the chance to use the app a couple months ago. Logged out in the middle of submitting a finished article, I got the dreaded session log out message. Holding my breath and muttering, "Please, please, please work," I logged back in. Eyes closed, fingers crossed, I hit the 'Back' button twice and arrived at the blank template. Right clicking on an empty field, Lazarus was

Freelancers Can Celebrate National Boss Day Too

Psst..Hey Boss, Thank Yourself Today!

National Boss Day may have been recognized yesterday, but as a freelancer you make your work week. October 16 is the actual designated date for Bosses Day, so give yourself a pat on the back.

Yes, you! As a freelance writer you are the boss. In the spirit oh the "holiday" be sure to reflect on everything you have done in that capacity to make your life as a writer easier.

Free International Freelancers Day Conference About to Start--Celebrate Your Career

Free Freelancing Conference Brings Back College Memories

International Freelancers Day is a free two-day online conference held September 24 and 25. Freelancers who wish to attend need to register--it's as simple as entering your email address and confirming the message.

The conference starts at 9 a.m. ET, on both days. Session video will be available at a later date, but you have to be registered to view it.

What's in it for you:

There will be 10-15 sessions each day, delving into topics that directly affect the modern freelance writer. SocialMediaExaminer.com founder Michael Stelzner will discuss

Bachelor Pad Premiere Commentary Published on Yahoo! Leads to a Suggestion on Google Alerts

Do You Know Where Your Articles Are Re-Posted?

My Bachelor Pad premiere article found its way onto Yahoo! News/Entertainment. It was published in August, but I just discovered the posting last night. That's more of a springboard for this post, so maybe more on that at a later time. But it's part of the journey, so here's a screen shot:

You can read the original article here.

I do have something related to say about Google Alerts. Many online writers utilize these to be notified when