Showing posts with label infographics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infographics. Show all posts

An Easy Infographic Tool (Yep, It's Really Easy)

Wednesday, September 02, 2015
Every so often, I come across a resource and think, “Wow. Bet a lot of writers would love this!” And so today, I bring you Easel.ly, a website that can help you create fun and informative graphics fast.

For free.

Yep, free. (You can sign up for all the bells and whistles and get the pro version, but if you’re a cheap writer like me, the free version will do quite nicely.)

And because I believe in trying something before I pass it along to writer friends, I made my own infographic on…oh, this is so exciting! Bet you’ll never guess!

Yep, writing. (Surprise!)



I’m a big fan of anything that has templates where you can just plug in what you need, so right off the old template, I was ready to see what Easel.ly could do. And though the free version is limited, you can still get creative after you spend some time learning the ins and outs. Believe me, I’m not a big techno type—and I’ll admit that it took me an inordinate amount of tries to figure out that you need to double click to make changes or grab graphics and such—but still, once I grasped the system, it was easy-peasy.

If you read all about Easel.ly, you’ll see that the creators promote it as a great tool for educators and students, and for business owners, too, because infographics can get across a difficult concept quickly. But I can see plenty of applications for writers, too.

An infographic can add a spark to a blog post. Or how about including a graphic in your non-fiction magazine article? If you’re writing for children, you can make your own teacher resources to go along with your books. I’ll bet you can think of uses I haven’t considered yet.

As one who makes her living writing, I don’t always like that saying about a picture being worth a thousand words, but there’s truth to the old adage. Sometimes, a picture is exactly what you need to share a message. And Easel.ly makes that process pretty easy.

~Cathy C. Hall
Read More »

Spanning the Globe: Turning Local Ideas Into National and International Stories

Thursday, December 23, 2010

As I freelance writer, I devour the newspaper when it lands in my mailbox. Yes, I read the entire newspaper, but I pay special attention to the regional and business sections. Why? Because the local stories sometimes make great articles for national - and even international -publications.

What type of story works best? Unfortunately there's not a magic formula. It's a matter of hard work and thinking outside the box. For example, a business page story featured a short piece about a woman who makes fishing lures. I pitched the idea to a fishing magazine. Another regional story highlighted technology use at a local school. I took that idea and expanded it into a feature article. A book by an area author turned into a $400 paycheck from a Canadian publication.
Consider it an additional way to re-slant a story.
When approaching an editor, be sure you've done your homework. Plus, offer to supply photographs, illustrations or infographics, sidebars, and need-to-knows (recommended reading, expert websites, etc.).
Freelance writers need to always be on the lookout for great - and profitable - story ideas. Using regional or local newspapers adds another tool to a freelancer's toolbox.
by LuAnn Schindler. Visit LuAnn's website for more of her articles, columns, and ideas.


Read More »
Powered by Blogger.
Back to Top