I have been working on developing relationships with fellow Montrealers. I met Mona Andrei through the LinkedIn platform. I was so intrigued by the helpful/motivational content she posts on a daily basis, and with her work as a stay at home entrepreneur, that I felt compelled to ask her for an interview.

Mona wears many hats at home. She is a writer, a copywriter, a blogger, she writes content for different corporations and she helps them develop a voice so that they can better communicate with their clients.

Mona has always been a writer. Since she was a little girl, she has been filling the drawers in her house with stories.

At a given moment she started submitting articles to different magazines which were accepted. Eventually, she discovered the world of copywriting, which led her to the work she does now.

How does one become a writer for a magazine?

• The first thing is to read the magazine. You want to know what’s the tone of the magazine. Who is the audience? Who are the advertisers?
• Read back issues to figure out what has been discussed and what could be lacking.
• Try to come up with a unique idea, or
• bring back an already mentioned idea, but from a different angle.
• The pitch the idea to the editor.

Should a writer write for free, to make themselves known?

Yes, with a lot of hesitation. Maybe a few articles to get your name out there, but get out of the “Free” as soon as possible.

What is preferable, is to write for your own blog, or for your own property, to showcase your work.

Can you tell us about how to do you write for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?

To write for SEO, you have to imagine that you are a customer looking for information. What are the kind of questions a client would type when looking for a product or a service? For example, “How to…” or “How do I…”

Another important thing is not to focus too much on keywords. Focus instead on writing interesting content with attention-grabbing headlines.

How do you use headlines?

The most important thing about headlines is that they have to be concise and inside enough curiosity to get the reader to open the article.

How long are the articles?

It depends on the industry. Some are 500 words, some 1,000, some1,500 words. Right now, the tendency is to write articles that are 2,000 words or longer.

How much does a content creator earn?

It’s like any business, you start small and then it starts growing. It takes time, so don’t quit your day job.

How does one become a writer?

Make writing a daily routine. Write a lot, read a lot, and reach out to people. Write to website owners and offer them your services. The more you do it, the higher your chances of getting a client. Once you find a client, you can leverage your work and relationship to find other clients.

How does a Canadian writer competes with Filipino writers who are willing to write 500 words for $5

Generally, when a client hires a Canadian, they are concerned about quality. When they hire a Filipino, they are concerned about quantity. They are different clients and different markets.

Can you tell us about the speaking side of your business

I had a background as an actress, so that helps a lot when speaking in front of people. I like to speak to single mothers and encourage them to continue having an active life, in spite of motherhood.

I started testing my ideas at the local toastmasters club and when I felt comfortable, I started approaching companies.

If some want to become a speaker, what should they do?

1. They should create a one-pager. It’s a PDF that describes you and has a photo of you, who your audience is, your topics of speaking, places where you have been featured.
2. A website or a speaker-only landing page.
3. Start contacting people; event organizers, companies that host lunch-and-learn, etc.

Mona as an author

Mona is the author of SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood (Cynren Press) is scheduled for release later this year. The book is a combination of humor, reflection, and despair because Mona is a single mom.

The book is written for single moms, and it’s a reminder that women don’t stop being persons just because they had a kid. That person, full of dreams, aspirations, and ambition, that person is still there, so go ahead and get reacquainted with that person.

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