Three Handy Tools No Textbroker Author Should Be Without
by Gabriella
In the two and a half years I've been with Textbroker, I've gotten hooked on three basic tools. Without them, my job would be unmanageable.
Dictionary.com
Is there an author out there who isn't already using this website? The Dictionary.com toolbar (http://dictionary.com/tools/toolbar1?trackid=gog-187) is easy to install and very convenient, but it's no longer compatible with Firefox, my browser of choice. Instead, the website is front and center on my “Recently Bookmarked” list, and I have the website up and running whenever I write.
Sometimes, I need to clarify the precise meaning of a word. I may think a word means one thing when it actually means something else. By checking when in doubt, I avoid using a word that confuses the meaning of my writing and makes me look unprofessional as an author.
There are also words like “silhouette” and “corduroy” for which I can never quite recall the correct spelling. If I check a word on Dictionary but spell it incorrectly, Dictionary will suggest other words, one of which is usually the correctly spelled version of the word I'm after .
Dictionary.com also has a Thesaurus tab. This tool provides tons of synonyms for any given word and is essential for avoiding repetition and for finding descriptive bons mots. Their Encyclopedia tab comes in handy for quick research.
As an aside, the Google toolbar can be set to automatically check spelling on any web form including Textbroker. This option is in the upper right-hand corner of the page between “Bookmarks” and “Translate.” With Google as my homepage and several open windows ready to go, I'm set to research anything.
Mobile Device
If you don't already own one, invest in a smart phone. I switched from an old-school flip phone to an LG Android last summer, and it was one of the most profitable investments I've ever made.
It gives me 24/7 access to Textbroker from any locale. Within the first week of using my device, I accessed enough Level 5 orders to pay for 6 months of data charges.
The Textbroker website is very mobile friendly. I can log in and monitor all open orders continuously without going near my PC. We all know how fast those coveted Level 5 articles can go, but with a mobile device, you'll be poised to pounce as soon as the orders come in.
My device also syncs with e-mail, so I can respond to client messages, acknowledge Direct Orders and provide turn-around times for my work. Should a text come back for revision, I'm alerted immediately.
EFTPS
As independent contractors, we're responsible for paying quarterly withholding taxes on that income. If you earn less than $400 per year as a freelancer, you can pay your entire self-employment tax annually. If you earn more than that, you're required to make quarterly estimated self-employment tax payments.
The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) makes this process as painless as possible. It's a secure website (www.eftps.gov) where you can link your bank account to your tax account and make or schedule estimated tax payments at any time. You can also see what you've paid in. The website has all the particulars, and it takes about two weeks to set up an account.
The beauty of EFTPS is that you can adjust your tax payments to reflect your earnings. I like to base my quarterly payments on what I've earned over the preceding three months. Paying as you go is much nicer than finding yourself with a staggering tax debt when April rolls around.
I wish I had a tool to share with you for jump-starting a sluggish and uncooperative writing muse. Sometimes, the only first-aid for writer's block is a lengthy and self-indulgent day at the mall. A healthy dose of retail therapy always awakens my creative spirit; it motivates me to earn enough at Textbroker to pay off what I've just spent.
posted on 06/03/2011 - 04.51 | authors | comments: 29
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Speaking of things for every writer to have, I have a question and hope this is the right place and time to ask it. I apologize if it isn't. I've been thinking about the grammar settings in Microsoft Word. Of course, a grammar checker can ultimately make your writing worse if you don't know how to use it. Nevertheless, I was wondering if I should set it to even more robust settings than I currently have it. I have it at the defaults for standard writing, and have adjusted it so it also checks to ensure 1 space between sentences, inspects sentence structure and checks for 'And, But, and Hopefully' as sentence starts. Should I have any of the others turned on?
Thank you very much!
- Johnadded by: author John R. on 06/04/2011 - 03.30
Thank you for the helpful tips. Although I am a level 4, having a smart phone is still a great idea. The IRS tip is the best and it was a concern for me because I want to avoid a huge tax debt at the end of the tax year. Another tool I found helpful is www.zuula.com - it searches the popular search engines simultaneously. When you put the information in the search box, results come back from Google, Bing, Yahoo, Giglablast, Exalead, Alexa, Mahalo and Mojeek. An entire web tab is also included.
Hope Zuula helps and thanks again for the tips.
All the best.
Kimadded by: author KYStanley on 06/04/2011 - 07.19
Thanks for the information-I always look forward to these blogs. Kathyadded by: author kshort49 on 06/04/2011 - 11.22
Thank you this is very helpful. I downloaded the Dictionary, and I am sure this is going to help tremendously. Is it not funny how something so simple as far as a dictionary download is overlooked in my work.
Thanks again, this will help greatly, I am sure.
B. Cookadded by: author LOVEWORK on 06/04/2011 - 11.54
Thank you for the information. I got the dictionary also and like you I had to bookmark it because I use Firefox. However, I am sure it will be well worth my time for doing that. Thank you again.added by: author A-049389 on 06/04/2011 - 12.56
Thanks for the great tips, especially the one about the estimated tax payments. I will have to check that out. =)added by: author tabbycat on 06/04/2011 - 01.03
I had no idea that freelance writers are to make quarterly estimated self-employment tax payments. It appears that my tax man last year should have told me such, but, since he did not, I am very grateful to you for sharing the info. THANKS!!added by: author whit1423 on 06/04/2011 - 01.09
The information about quarterly estimated tax payments is incorrect. I made over $3000 last year and the worksheet told me I did not have to make estimated tax payments this year. (I will next year, however.)
Matthewadded by: author Ahsumsauce on 06/04/2011 - 03.44
Gabriella,
I use Firefox as well and installed the toolbar from the link you provided, and it works just fine with Firefox. Maybe they've updated it since the last time you installed it. :)
Thanks for the great tips.
Spellboundadded by: author Spellbound on 06/04/2011 - 03.55
I also like After the Deadline. It checks your work within a web form. It can be used with Firefox or Google Chrome and is free to download. www.afterthedeadline.com.added by: author A-035844 on 06/04/2011 - 04.33
Good tips. I'd forgotten about the tax thing.
Re: Smart phones. I'm tech-geeky anyway and have had three different kinds of smart phones in 6 years. I'm a level 4 writer here and will be so indefinitely, I think, but even I've found being able to access TB's site and my email from anywhere I happen to be has greatly enhanced my ability to stay in contact with clients who've placed direct orders with me. I don't know that it's added to my bottom line, per se, but I like to think that the convenience of staying on top of my freelancing career is worth it.added by: author Alesia on 06/04/2011 - 05.26
RE: the tax info
Check with your tax professional. If you structure your business properly, you can deduct all of your expenses from your income BEFORE figuring your taxes - including self-employment taxes.
Since the self-employment tax for 2011 is 13.3% (10.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare), this could make a difference in how much you pay and how much stays in your pocket.added by: author StudioN on 06/04/2011 - 06.46
I am a dictionary.com junkie! I always have it as a reference tool when writing, so this particular post is definitely a validation for me. I feel no more guilt regarding my addiction. However, I never realized I could use my smart phone this way. I will definitely have to try this, as I find that the assignments are moving out quite quickly lately. Thanks Gabriella, for all the great advice.added by: author Jazz9 on 06/04/2011 - 08.04
I have Dictionary.com saved to my favorites. I have been thinking about upgrading to a smart phone within the next couple of months. I am not sure how much money I'll earn through Textbroker in 2011. Writing is always beneficial for me since it helps me pay my bills. Thanks Gabriella for the good tips.added by: author Suzie Q on 06/04/2011 - 09.39
On the subject of tools-I've never tried the Firefox browser, but when it comes to GOOGLE verses IE/Yahoo, Google is much more writer friendly. Google has an
endless amount of apps and extensions to choose from.
added by: author 0I812word on 06/04/2011 - 10.46
I have to say since the situation with Ask taking over Dictionary.com, I went to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary. Same kind of references at my fingertips.
Taxes, death and smart phones I guess are now the inevitable things in this life.added by: author GratefulAl on 06/04/2011 - 11.04
BTW @ Kim: Thanks for that great tip. Another Search Engine that is geared towards articles is Joh Legers' Shablast: http://shablast.com/added by: author GratefulAl on 06/04/2011 - 11.07
Author Ahsumsauce (Matthew) is right. According to the IRS:
"You must pay self-employment tax and file Schedule SE (Form 1040) if your net earnings from self-employment (excluding church employee income) were $400 or more," but you can pay it at the end of the year.
As for quarterly estimated payments, the general IRS rule appears to be that they must be paid quarterly only when you expect to owe at least $1,000 in total taxes for that year after subtracting withholding and refundable credits.
I'm not a tax professional, so don't take my word for it. I've found that by paying the IRS estimated quarterly withholding payments of 15.3% on all my self-employment income, I have no additional tax liability come April.
Thanks, Matthew. I stand corrected!added by: author Gabriella on 06/04/2011 - 11.12
I like checking m-w.com in addition to dictionary.com. Variations can sometimes be found at one site, although not the other. Recently, a fellow writer turned me on to jspell.com which will spell check in other languages, including UK English. I've found this to be quite helpful as some textbroker clients specifically request UK English. Props to Gretchen B. for that.
As a newcomer, I haven't hit that $400 mark quite yet. But when I do, that EFTP website will come in handy. Thanks.added by: author G. Dunne on 06/05/2011 - 12.50
I'll take a thesaurus any day over a dictionary. Knowing how to spell the word and knowing a better word can make all the difference in quality of writing. I personally find most "Internet" English to be rather bland and lacking in colorful words. Just my two cents.added by: author A-073041 on 06/05/2011 - 05.41
The tax information is wrong. My sister is an accountant and does my taxes. There is an odd rule that decides whether you have to pay quarterly or not. To figure out whether you should pay quarterly, talk to an accountant or read the IRS code regarding self-employment. The last time I checked, the code stated something about it being in relation to your previous year's earnings. That was a while ago though. If you do not pay quarterly and pay annually instead and were supposed to pay quarterly, you will have to pay a penalty fee. However, this fee depends on your total earnings, so if you do not earn very much and are financially stable, the fee may be negligible. Also, if you invest the money wisely throughout the year, you may be able to earn more than the penalty fee itself, which will be well worth your while.
If you can, decrease your tax burden by investing in an IRA.added by: author A-053274 on 06/05/2011 - 07.42
@ author A-073041. I totally agree. I find myself on thesaurus.com all the time. Never dictionary.com. Plus, thesaurus.com not only gives you synonyms and antonyms, but also definitions and correct spellings. Everything you need in one place.added by: author A-076269 on 07/01/2011 - 06.58
I mainly use firefox so I tried to put dictionary on Chrome. It did not work, (the note said it was for firefox and IE so I put it on the IE I rarely use. When I opened firefox again; it was there too???
Thank You. I have been trying to use various online dictionaries, but this one does appear to be the best.added by: author A-076293 on 07/09/2011 - 08.35
Is there any chance that a Chrome extension or app will be made for those of us using Chromebooks? I think it could be of substantial use for getting more work done.
Thanks for offering such a great place to work. I'm truly thankful that your company exists.added by: author Branni on 09/03/2011 - 05.19
Thanks for the tip on quarterly taxes as I had no idea about this and pay my taxes yearly.added by: author SandyJames on 10/05/2011 - 12.48
Am I the only one who has trouble with plagairism checkers? I've always run my articles through 2 different ones, one which never catches anything and the other being the type you can set the level of sensitivity on. Perhaps I'm setting the latter too high, as I have a heck of a time getting my articles to pass! How do I know where to set it? For example, if I wanted to write "picturesque lakeside cottage", that will come back as plagairism. Wahhh....and Help! love you all, btw! :-)added by: author Ravensfly on 10/26/2011 - 02.01
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