March 2020 - Jenny Rose Spaudo - Freelance Copywriter and Content Marketer

Month: March 2020

Business
How to Make the Most of Working From Home
- March 31, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
If COVID-19 has forced you to start working from home, you’re not alone.

Employees across the United States are transitioning to the work-from-home life. Companies that would never have considered allowing their employees to work from home are now doing so for health and safety reasons.

Some are even saying that this migration to home could have lasting effects on the workforce—and I’m not just talking about the economy. The Guardian suggests that companies may find workers don’t want to come back to the office once the pandemic is over.

After all, a lot of us can naturally focus better while working from home. And the result is we get a lot more done.

But that’s not how everyone works. Some people find it really hard to be productive while working from home.

If that’s the position you find yourself in, I have a few tips for you today. This week has been a work-from-home week for me, and I’ve found that there are certain things that can make it super productive. (And certain things that try to sabotage my work day.)

Care to learn what those are? Keep reading!

1. Maintain your morning routine.

Don’t let the fact that you’re working from home make you lazy. Wake up at the same time you used to. OK, if you’re eliminating an hour-long drive, it doesn’t have to be the exact time you used to wake up. But you get my point.

I personally recommend a routine that includes reading the Bible, prayer, exercise, showering and getting dressed (in real clothes). If you’re a breakfast person, make sure you make time for that too.

2. Keep the distractions as few as possible.

If you have kids, this one can be hard. But you definitely need times in the day when you are free to focus and do deep work. Maybe that means keeping a strict nap time with your little ones and a set reading time with your older ones.

If you don’t have kids, try to make sure you put distractions out of your line of sight so they don’t pull you away from what you should be doing.

That might mean turning off your social media notifications, requesting the TV stay off the whole day and not working where the refrigerator is in your view. If your pet is a little too obsessed with you, you may need to keep it out of the room.

I promise that keeping the distractions to a minimum will help prevent unnecessary stress.

3. Keep the communication strong.

If you have co-workers, it’s crucial that working from does not mean going AWOL. Some great ways I’ve stayed connected with my bosses and co-workers is through texting, Gchat, Slack and email.

Stay attentive to the team’s needs and be as quick to respond as you can. Working from home can be an excellent opportunity to do deep, focused work. But don’t let that go so far that you’re ignoring messages.

Online meeting tools like GoToMeeting or Zoom are great ways to connect with your team as a group. All you need is a basic mic to plug into your computer and some headphones. You don’t have the benefit of being able to read other people’s faces and body language, but it’s still pretty effective.

4. Have a workstation.

This one, I’m a little flexible on, because I think it depends on your personality. Some people get a lot more done when they’re more relaxed. They may be able to crank out tasks like it’s no one’s business while lounging on the couch or in their bed.

But that’s just not me. I need to have my spot either at my computer desk or with my laptop at my dining room table. Sitting upright keeps me attentive and makes it much easier for me to focus on my tasks. With the many moving pieces of my job, I have to stay alert.

It’s important you know which style is most effective for you. Then go with it!

These four tips can make a huge difference in how effectively you work from home. Even if you already work from home regularly, these ideas will go a long way in making your daily work much more impactful.

Beyond these, a few more things I’ve learned are: Keep a list of all the passwords you need for your job, transfer your work extension to your cellphone if possible, and make sure you have the equipment and programs you need.

Oh, and grab your favorite coffee mug. That’s essential. 😉

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Promotion
Practical Tips to Get Your Article Published in Major Magazines
- March 24, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
You probably already know that getting your name published in major magazines is important for building credibility for your brand.
But do you know how to make that happen?
If you’re like most authors, business owners and ministers, the answer is most likely no.
If you know me or have read many of my blogs, you already know that I used to work for a Chrisitian magazine. In my role as online news director, I received hundreds of submissions every week from people who want to get published in our online magazines.
But I couldn’t publish all of them.
So what separated those who got published from those who didn’t? The answer is multifaceted, but here are several tips to help you best position yourself to get published online.
Tip #1: Submit your articles to magazines that align with your niche.
This one is simple. If your article isn’t faith-focused, don’t submit it to a Christian magazine. If your primary target audience is believers in business, don’t submit it to a parenting magazine.
Make sure your article would contribute to the magazine’s main purpose before you submit it.
The reason for this is that magazine editors receive so many submissions that only the best ones get published. And if your content isn’t a great fit, your email may be quickly deleted.
Speaking of which, try to find the name and email address of the correct person you should submit your article to. If someone sends an article to our generic customer service email, I most likely won’t see it. It helps immensely when authors submit their articles directly to me.
(Hint: Start by asking your followers what magazines and online publications they read.)
Tip #2: Give the editor a little space.
OK, I might be saying this because I’ve lived it. But it’s still true.
Editors get so many submissions that they can’t possibly keep up if every author is demanding special treatment. That might include sending multiple emails in a row asking if the editor received your submission or requesting multiple changes to the article once it’s online.
Sometimes the editor can’t get back to you right away because they’re juggling so many priorities.
I have to be honest right now. When I see an author email me three times in a row about an article they’re submitting to me, and then email me again three hours later to see if I got their previous emails … it makes me not want to publish their stuff at all.
Also, keep in mind that the editor’s job is not to promote you—it’s to do what’s best for their magazine.
I really don’t mean that to sound harsh at all. It’s just how it is.
As an editor, I truly want what’s best for our writers. I want their names to get out there and for their businesses or ministries to grow.
But my first business priority has to be to protect and promote the magazine I work for. If your article doesn’t help me do those two things, please understand when I can’t use it.
Tip #3: Don’t send a million articles all at once.
I understand that sometimes writers get time to write in infrequent bursts. But if you submit five articles within a week’s span, don’t expect the editor to use all of them … or even more than one.
If you really want to be published in major magazines, space out your submissions. Unless you’re using the strategy of “Here are five submissions, so hopefully one of them works for you!”
But that sounds like a lot of energy for little return.
Tip #4: Be careful not to come across as pushy, entitled or “all that.”
Gross.
At risk of sounding negative, I do have to admit I have come across many ministry leaders who want to be published in our online magazine who acted entitled.
They write their emails as if they’re doing me a favor when I publish their article.
Nuh-uh.
Don’t do that. When your article gets published in major magazines, they’re helping you out. They’re promoting your name and brand to their audience. That’s huge.
Don’t let the size of your ministry or the number of your followers cause you to become entitled and treat others badly.
Always be a servant. Always be humble. I promise it will make editors actually want to publish your work.
Your character speaks volumes.
Tip #5: Edit, edit, edit!
This one is so huge.
If you want to submit an article to a major magazine, make sure it’s good!
Make sure you have a main point, solid takeaways, and an easy-to-follow structure. Pare your article down so it’s an ideal length.
Check your grammar and make sure your syntax, spelling and overall flow is clean.
I have received so many articles that matched our audience, but I couldn’t use them because the writing was so bad.
If you are a thought leader who can’t write to save your life, then hire someone. Ask them to edit an excerpt from your book or write an article based on one of your teachings or sermons.
But don’t turn in a half-baked article and expect the editor to publish it. Again, their job is to protect their magazine, and that includes from bad writing.
Tip #6: Make your article relevant and tell a story.
I’ve turned down countless press releases because all they did was promote the business, ministry or author.
But when I see a press release that actually tells a story or comments on a hot current event, I’m all over it.
Magazines publish stories. They publish commentary on relevant current events. Practical advice that pertains to their target audience.
They won’t publish your one-sheet or your promo piece. Give them a story that their readers will actually care about.
Here’s an example: When Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died in an unexpected helicopter crash, it broke the news. Everyone was talking about it because it was so tragic and so shocking.
For about two weeks after that horrible incident, I published multiple articles about it. Some of the writers were counselors or psychologists. Others were pastors. And still others were just cultural commentators.
But they all had something unique to say that I knew our readers would care about.
Keep your eye on the news and cultural trends. Be ready to write an article when something happens that you have the knowledge and expertise to comment on. Then submit it as soon as you can.
(Hint: Always remember that hot news items involve real human beings. Don’t trash someone after a tragedy. Be respectful and gracious in your writing, even when expressing a controversial opinion.)
And there you have it. Six practical tips to help you get your article published in major magazines.
Still have questions about this? Email me at jennyrosespaudo@gmail.com and let’s chat!

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Spiritual Growth
The Real Secret to Crushing Work Stress
- March 17, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
Has work stress ever made you feel so rushed all day long that you didn’t even stop to talk to Jesus until bedtime?
Yikes. That’s been me way more times than I feel comfortable admitting.
One week not too long ago, I felt pulled in so many different directions and felt so pressured to get everything done in time that by the end of each day, I was frazzled, drained and completely on edge.
(I don’t do stress well. And yes, I’m a 9 on the Enneagram.)
At the end of the day that week, when I finally finished all the million things on my plate, someone offered several minor critiques on some work I did.
It was just enough to push me over that edge I was on. I felt like crying all the way home.
But the real reason I was on the verge of tears wasn’t because of my colleague’s critiques. And it wasn’t because I didn’t get enough done.
It was because I forgot to invite Jesus into my cubicle. I allowed my schedule and work stress to dictate my inner atmosphere.
What a mistake.
Inside, I was going a billion miles an hour just to get some peace, some escape from my work stress. Another mistake.
Peace Comes Through Prayer, Not Getting Things Done
Yes, there’s a certain sense of relief that comes with ticking off all the items on your list.
But I promise you there will always be another hidden item you forgot. There will always be something you or someone else wants you to do.
Your peace cannot hinge on your to-do list.
Instead, true peace comes by sitting securely in the will of God. That peace is unshakable. It can’t be forced out. And it can’t be rushed or pressured into getting another thing done.
Peace isn’t stressed.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Philippians 4:6-7, which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV).
A great question to ask yourself when you’re feeling frazzled is “So what?”
Observe …
My brain: I need to get this done right away! Ack, and I need to do this and this before I leave! My life is such a mess! Oh-em-goodness, stress, stress, stress!
“So what?”
My brain: If I don’t get this done, then our numbers will go down and I’ll get in trouble for not doing my job well enough!
“So what?”
My brain: Well, that would be … bad.
“So what?”
My brain: Uh… I don’t think you’re understanding me.
Yes, there are things that we need to do or we will face consequences. But ultimately, the things of this life are temporal. If it doesn’t dictate your eternity, it’s really not the end of the world.
What truly matters is that you are abiding in Christ, obeying Him in faith and taking one step at a time.
Abiding in Jesus When the Chaos Starts and Work Stress Sinks In
Inviting Jesus into my chaos means pausing to refocus my mind on Him and consciously ask Him to step in and lead the way.
Sometimes it just means I stop and say: “Jesus, You are in charge here. I can’t do this. I feel so weak and overwhelmed. But You are good. You are strong. And You are enough for me. Step in, Jesus, and lead me right now. Your very presence is enough for me. Give me grace right now to see You and keep in step with You. Help me let go of what doesn’t give You glory and whatever hinders me from experiencing Your peace. … Also, give me patience for [name redacted].”
OK, I’m teasing about that last sentence. Maybe.
Jesus told His disciples that He was the vine and they were the branches (see John 15). That means that they can’t sustain their own vitality. They can’t produce their own fruit. All they can do is cling tightly to the vine.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5, ESV).
If you continue reading, you see that Jesus goes so far as to say that any branch that doesn’t abide in Him withers (John 15:6).
That branch shrivels up because it fell off of the source of life. A branch that remains shriveled and disconnected ends up in the furnace—and not in the cool “Shadrach-Meshach” kind of way.
Of course, the concept of abiding goes so much deeper than what you do at work. It’s a deep theological concept that impacts your eternity.
But it’s also a truth that is super simple. And it’s super practical.
When you’re in the midst of the chaos, abiding in Jesus is the only way to have peace. Yes, I said the only way.
In John 15 and in several parts of 1 John, it’s clear that abiding in Jesus is abiding in the Truth, because He is the Truth.
Work Stress Can’t Determine Who You Are
Your value as a child of God does not come from how much work you get done. It doesn’t come from how successful you are or how smart you are or how talented you are.
If you want to walk in peace in the midst of chaos, you have to become confident in the Truth.
So practice saying this with me the next time your to-do list tries to sabotage your self-worth: “So what?”
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Blogging
Top 17 Grammar Errors Christian Writers Make
- March 10, 2020
- 1 Comment
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
If you’re prone to making grammar errors, I promise you’re not alone.
In fact, that’s the very reason copy editors have jobs! Five years ago, I started my work at a Christian magazine as a copy editor. It was tedious, for sure, but I learned tons of great lessons along the way.
One of the perks of being a copy editor for a couple years was I had the privilege of seeing many of the grammar errors Christian writers tend to make.
And yes, some of them are distinct to Christian writers.
I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but I need to tell you something really important:
The success of your business—or at least of your content marketing—hinges on the quality of your writing.
One way to up the quality of your writing is to make your grammar as error-free as possible.
With that in mind, here’s a list of the most common or unusual grammar errors I’ve seen over the years. Some of them make me laugh—others make me want to cry.
I’ll let you choose how you want to respond (hopefully by avoiding them).
‘Welch Revival‘
You may have already guessed that it should be the Welsh Revival, indicating the awakening that occurred in Wales between 1904 and 1905.
The first time I saw this mistake, I thought it was just a fluke. The second time, I thought it was a weird coincidence. The third time, I began to wonder if people viewed an abundance of grape juice as a genuine spiritual awakening.
Thomas Bramwell Welch must be very pleased with himself from the grave. Or not.
‘The whole council of God‘
The correct word here is “counsel.”
A council is a group of people who help make decisions, often in the form of a legislative or advisory body.
Counsel is the advice your pastor gives you. (Hence the word “counselor” as someone who offers counsel.)
‘The Holy Spirt’ or ‘the Holy Sprit‘
Poor Holy Spirit—His name gets misspelled all the time.
Oddly enough, I see this one a lot. It’s most likely just a slip of the finger on the keyboard.
But every time it comes up in an article, I picture a stone fountain with a little cherub squirting water out of its mouth. I don’t know why.
Its vs. it’s
I know this one is confusing. That’s English for you. “Its” is possessive, as in “When Joe joined the company, he abided by its rules.”
“It’s,” on the other hand, is a contraction of “it is.” As in, “It’s cold outside.” Or “It’s time to stop using ‘it’s’ as possessive.”
Your vs. you’re
Another common one.
“Your” is possessive. “Your shoes, your car, your clothes, your grammar error.”
Meanwhile, “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” “You’re not coming in your ugly old boots, are you?”
Their, there, they’re
Glory hallelujah amen. This. One.
I can’t judge, though. I get it wrong sometimes, especially when I’m flying through a text.
“Their” is possessive. “Their land, their hearts, their awkward smile.”
“There” indicates position. “Put it over there.”
And “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.” “They’re not coming over again, are they?”
Em-dashes are not commas. Or periods. Or spaces.
Sorry, I just had to get that one off my chest. Em-dashes (this little guy: —) are very versatile and in some cases, they can take the place of commas, periods or spaces, but only for a very specific effect.
I remember one writer who must have been obsessed with em-dashes. He used them at least five times per paragraph (and his paragraphs were short). I dreaded editing his stuff.
Two em-dashes within a sentence close off information that isn’t vital to the sentence, like this:
“Jesus looked over at His disciples—who, despite hearing the same message three times, still didn’t get it—and smiled.”
You can also use an em-dash to give an abrupt halt in your sentence. For example:
“Stories like hers prove that Christ’s love truly is as strong as death, His jealousy unyielding as the grave—and not even addiction is strong enough to break it.”
Capitalizing everything
OK, why is this a Christian thing? I don’t understand.
Is it because of certain capitalization in the New King James version of the Bible, and that’s just been culturally passed down through Christian culture?
Or maybe we think we’re still in the 1700s.
I’m not really sure, but I know that for some reason Christian writers love to Capitalize random Words in the Sentence in a Way that doesn’t seem to Make Sense.
No shade here, though.
Ellipses after every other word
For a blog or email, ellipses (…) are OK every once in a while. But if you’re writing for a publication, ellipses aren’t the best way to try to get the feel of your content across.
The reason for that is ellipses aren’t a professional way to indicate a pause. Again, if you’re using them in your blog, go for it. But if you’re submitting an article to a magazine or online news medium, skip them. Let your words speak for themselves.
I will say this, though: Ellipses are the proper way to indicate that content has been removed from a quote. So in the following sentence, the ellipses indicates that I took part of the guy’s quote out because it wasn’t relevant or vital to get the point across.
“I wasn’t sure why he was so angry at me,” Charles said. “He didn’t seem like he was stressed or anything. … I guess I should’ve seen the signs.”
Changing tense in the middle of a sentence or paragraph
We all know that doing this is bad for your writing. 😉
But seriously, if you start out a paragraph addressing “you,” then keep using the second person. Don’t switch to we or they.
Stay consistent.
Not citing direct quotes or Bible verses
Y’all, this is a big no-no.
Cite your sources, and if possible, link directly to them (especially if it’s another person’s blog or a news article that you’re referencing for info).
Than vs. then
Again, another sneaky one. Tricksy hobbitses.
“Than” indicates a comparison. For instance: “She was taller than he was.” “I’m more of an extravert than an introvert.”
“Then” points to a moment in time. Example: “I gobbled my cereal, then ran upstairs to play video games.” “Then I heard a knock at the door.”
‘Publically’
The correct spelling is “publicly.” Full disclosure, I mess this one up every once in a while.
Prophecy vs prophesy
Prophecy is a noun. “Isaiah gave a stern prophecy to the people of Israel.”
Prophesy is a verb. “Isaiah prophesied judgment on God’s people if they didn’t repent.”
Run-on sentences
It’s one thing to have a super long sentence. It’s another thing to confuse commas with periods for four sentences in a row.
Angel vs. angle
This is an easy one to make. Again, it’s usually because your finger slips on the keyboard.
But, I have to warn you—people will get pretty confused if you try to talk about guardian angles.
Public
The king of all grammar errors.
I wrestled with whether or not to include this one because my heart is not to be inappropriate at all!
But since I see so many authors misspell this and forget the L, I thought it was important to remind you: Please spell this right. Please.
Again, I promise I’m not trying to be crude. Every time I catch this error while editing someone’s work, I breathe a prayer of gratitude to God that it didn’t slip past me.
I hope this list helps you next time you sit down to write your faith-based article. If you have seen any other common grammar errors we Christian writers make, share them in the comments below!

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Blogging
How Long Should My Blog Post Be?
- March 3, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
“So … how long should my blog post be?”
That was my primary question when I sat down to write my first blog for my new content marketing business.
In my time as an online editor and news director, I’ve written articles as short as 150 words and as long as 5,000. But what is the ideal length for a blog post?
Well, the answer is multifaceted depending on what your goal is. But with all the factors combined, I would say the length of your average blog post should be about 700 to 1,000 words long.
Why do I say that? Let’s dive in.
1. Shorter is usually better.
The trend is clear: People’s attention spans, especially online, are getting shorter.
We simply don’t have the patience to scroll through an endless sea of words on the screen. Even those who love their lengthy books will find they don’t have the same giddiness reading a blog post that has thousands and thousands of words.
I’ve seen this time and again in my job as a news director. People often don’t reach the end of articles before forming their opinions and moving on—gracious, they sometimes only read the headline before sharing it on their social media.
Because of this, when receiving submissions as a news director, I always encourage writers to try to keep their articles to 1,000 words or less.
Doing so increases the likelihood of readers actually consuming the bulk of the article.
2. Blogs should be at least 300 words long for SEO.
If you want your blog to be easy to find online, SEO is crucial to keep in mind when writing blog posts. Yoast recommends blogs being at least 300 words in order to rank better on search engines.
One of the first things I did when I started my blog was install the Yoast SEO plugin for my website. The basic plugin is free, although they do have a premium version you could purchase if you feel you need to. The free plugin allows you to optimize pages and blog posts for a single keyword and for readability. It also alerts you when there’s a major SEO error on your site.
Hint: Don’t forget to fill out your meta description at the bottom of the blog post. I’m not even going to say how long it took me to figure that one out. Embarrassing.
3. Have a few extra-long posts on your site to help with your organic traffic.
So… remember how I just told you that people’s attention spans won’t tolerate articles longer than 1,000 words?
Well, forget I said that. At least sometimes.
Although I’ve seen people overall have a shorter attention span when it comes to online articles, I’ve been shocked every once in a while when an extra-long article does fantastic numbers-wise.
I remember one instance in particular when a cultural commentator submitted an article for publication that was at least 4,000 words long. It was a bear to edit. The content was a good fit for our audience, but I thought the length would keep the article from really going anywhere.
I was dead wrong. It got tens of thousands of page views.
Did every one of those viewers read until the very end? Probably not. But I’ve seen this happen enough to form my own theory: Long posts build credibility with readers.
Someone may not read every single word of your super long blog post, but they will be able to tell if it’s packed with meaty insights and quality research.
On top of that, longer posts tend to rank better for SEO. By “long,” I mean about 2,000 words or more.
As long as they’re easy to read and broken up with enough white space and clear headings, long blog posts can provide a lot of rich content to make the search engine bots happy.
If you’re still not convinced, check out this Forbes article to learn how long posts can dramatically affect your blog’s SEO and validity online.
Do What Works for YOU
Every blog is different. Maybe your topic or audience lends itself to short and sweet blog posts. They want the info, they digest it easily and quickly, and they’re out.
Perfect. Do it.
Or maybe your niche requires a lot more explanation and research. Maybe people come to you because they want deep, meaty content they won’t find elsewhere.
Again, perfect. Go for it.
The real answer to “How long should my blog post be?” is simply to allow your blog—and its length—to be as unique as your business is.
And, for the record, this blog post is 810 words long. 😉
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