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Are You as Good as Your Word(s)?

December 20th, 2007

How do you get a potential client to trust that you are as good as your word?

You pay attention to detail. In Ideas and Opinions, Albert Einstein tells us, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” (1)

One of the small matters in freelance writing is mechanical correctness.

Paying attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling goes a long way to showing your expertise in writing. Part of the mechanics of writing is properly citing your research sources and that’s a “small matter” that is often overlooked in web freelance writing.

Because the web can be a very informal means of communication, freelance writers often view citation as an unnecessary, time-wasting extra that only serves to lead their readers to other domains by linking to researched content. However, the core principle of creating trust for the freelance writer is credibility. While your opinions may be valid, they are only your opinions unless you can back them up with solid facts. Citing your sources is that extra small matter that improves your credibility in both the originality of your content and as an authority on your topic.

Citing your sources gives your readers (sometimes potential clients) access to your research. Not only can they explore your topic as fully as you explored it, they can also see that while well-researched, your content is original… not just a copy-paste version of someone else’s idea.

The easiest way to cite Internet sources is to just leave a link under a “Resource” section at the bottom of your web page, but if you want to build trust and confidence in your writing expertise, easiest isn’t always the best. Properly citing sources takes a little more effort, but once you have the basics down, it becomes almost second nature.

Although different methods of citing sources apply to different types of content, the most often used traditional methods come from the Chicago Manual of Style, which offers acceptable solutions for citing most types of documents, online and off.

The following method of citation is also acceptable for most types of Internet content writing.

Author Name (if known)
Document Title
Content Date (if known)
“Site Name or Title”
Date Accessed
<http://domain.tld/directory/page.ext>

For instance, to cite this article, use:

Linda Jenkinson. Are You as Good as Your Word(s)? Dec 2007 “Older Space” 20 Dec. 2007.

If you have trouble getting the hang of correctly citing resources, you can get started with the Son of Citation Generator or explore the various methods of citing sources at Online’s Citation Styles.

Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for saying, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” In freelance writing, the combination of research and citation is a bat that turns soft opinion into hard-hitting content, which builds trust in your writing expertise and adds credibility to your content.

Albert Einstein. Ideas and Opinions. New York, NY: Wings Books, 1954. World Cat. 6 Dec. 2007 <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48862178&referer=one_hit>
Theodore Roosevelt. The Columbia World of Quotations. Ed. Robert Andrews, Mary Biggs, and Michael Seidel. Columbia University Press, 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 6 Dec, 2007 <http://www.enotes.com/famous-quotes/speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick>