Just as you don’t want anyone to steal your work, you don’t want to steal anyone else’s work. Even if you’re already taking precautions against plagiarizing anyone, you might have wondered if you’re doing enough.

I answer this question in Episode 10 of Freelance FAQ. Check it out:

In short, unless you’re copying large portions of text without citing, you’ll be fine. In most cases, all you need to do is include a link to your source.

Specifically, the typical convention here is to hyperlink the relevant text. For example, if I wanted to reference our blog post on getting paid as a freelance writer, it would look something like this. It’s really that simple!

Of course, you’ll want to check the editorial guidelines of the publication or client you’re writing for. Virtually everyone uses this style, but it does still depend on the publication. It never hurts to go through the writer’s guidelines and check out other posts as well.

Your turn: Have you ever written for a publication or client who required extensive citations?