Avid Writer

You Ask Too Many Questions

2012-01-16T09:37:00.008-05:00

When I first started freelancing as a business writer, I used to troll Craigslist and other job boards regularly. My experience was pretty positive. I didn’t feel very confident in my ability to approach companies directly and offer my services back then. Responding to ads seeking help was easier.

Over time I’ve noticed the prospect of coming across decent paying opportunities has become pretty slim. My experience on Thursday is a good example. I still wonder over to Craigs List every blue moon (I know, I know). Although I don’t have time to dig around there regularly for clients, I can’t completely dismiss it because back in September I quite literally stumbled across an ad that was NOT your typical Craigs List gig that has so far provided a nice steady stream of well-paying projects. It appears that you can still find a jewel among the rubbish, though I’m not sure I’d recommend relying on it to build a solid client base.

Last Thursday I thought I might have come across another gem – a regular blog writing gig in my area of expertise offering pay that stuck out like a sore thumb among all the $10 and $15 per post blogging jobs you usually see littering the site.

I responded to the ad, and received a response pretty quickly; only it wasn’t at all what I expected. The respondent stated that he was very interested in working with me based on the information I’d provided, but listed a completely different rate for the project – one that was significantly lower than the advertised rate. I replied asking for clarification since the ad listed one rate while he’d responded with a lower rate. His response to that email: “Fine, I’ll pay you $x. When can we get started?” No other explanation of why he changed the rate.

Before you even ask, yes, red flags were popping up all over the place; but I was too curious and couldn’t resist asking a few more questions , namely:

How many blog posts will you need a week/month?
What payment terms are you proposing (e.g. weekly pay? Monthly Pay?)
Do you have a contract agreement? If not, are you willing to consider my terms of service agreement?
Do you require an image with each post?
How do you want the blog posts delivered? Do you want me to upload them myself into your blogging platform, or deliver them to you in a Word .doc?
Do you provide blog topics, or do I submit blog topics for your review?
Are keywords involved, and if so do you provide them?
Are there weekly or monthly deadlines?

Now I didn’t ask all these questions all at once. Initially I asked my contact if he would be providing project details. He had no idea what I was talking about. He just needed me to start cranking out posts, stat.

Eventually all my questions must have rattled him because he finally responded saying, “You ask too many questions. I like being able to tell a writer what I need and get it. This just isn’t going to work.”

Indeed. I receive no project details (other than the general topic of the blog and some bait and switch per post rate), and then get chastised for asking too many questions?

If you spend time searching for writing jobs on Craigs List or other job boards, scams aren’t the only thing you need to look out for. You must qualify each job opportunity carefully. Sometimes it takes responding to get the full gist of the offer. Lots of people use these platforms to find writers, yet have no idea how to work with a professional writer.

It IS possible to find good projects/clients on these sites, just make sure to do your due diligence when using them.

Identifying Patterns in Freelance Writing

2012-01-05T10:20:00.007-05:00

2011 was a very rough year for me emotionally. I was not at all sad to see it end. Ironically it was one my best years as a freelancer. I haven’t actually sat down to crunch any numbers yet, but I’m tempted to say it was my best.

What did I do differently this year from last year? I’ve been pondering this question since reading Lori Widmer’s post “Seeing Patterns.” I spent some time reflecting to see if I there were any patterns that jumped out at me. I spent a good part of the year traveling between two states to help care for my father. Then there was the stress of relocating, finding a house to rent and being forced to become a “reluctant landlord” and rent our own home. To say I spent the better part of 2011 in a state of stress is a serious understatement.

I did market, but not very consistently. I forced myself to continue working on some personal writing projects (which resulted in my extended absence here), and managed a steady flow of client projects while helping my family adjust to our new city. With my head and priorities so all over the place, how was it that I stayed busy through the end of the year, met all of my financial obligations and currently have work lined up through March 2012?

That’s when I recognized that there were two things I did repeatedly during this time:

I turned down projects. My energy level was not in a very good place while my father was sick and especially after he died. As an only child, my husband and I are now responsible for the care and well-being now of my mother as well as our four children. Any shred of patience I had left was primarily reserved for them. I had zero patience for dealing with prospects who didn’t want to pay my rates, wanted to haggle over contract terms, or bring any other work-related drama into my world. If I so much as sensed that a project was going to turn complicated, or require too much effort on my end, I simply said no to the job and kept it moving. This helped keep my sanity intact.

I followed up with clients I’d worked well with previously. I already knew how these clients worked and what they expected of me, and they trusted me and gave me the space I needed to complete their projects on time. Reconnecting with past clients resulted in more projects (a couple of long-term ones) than I would have expected. I’ll definitely continue doing this.

Even though this is what seemed to work for me in 2011, I know that I need to make so many more improvements in my business operations to meet my goals for 2012. I will commit to marketing consistently. This is usually my biggest challenge, but I can’t argue with facts: it’s what brings in business. I also need to get organized. I’m simultaneously working on various client projects as well as some personal projects. My personal projects are going well, I’m glad I stuck with them. I intend to commit time each week to working on them, so being organized is essential.

What patterns (good or bad) did you recognize in the way you operated your business in 2011?

Bounce Back from the Demand Media Studios Letdown

2011-10-10T08:37:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend I received an interesting newsletter update detailing Jenn Mattern’s latest blog post revealing the fact that Demand Media Studios’ “successful” business model is failing. It’s no surprise given the changes associated with Google Panda updates, and how similar content mills have been already affected. I hate that so many DS writers will now find themselves short a source of the income some have grown to rely on.

I’ve visited the topic of writers choosing to write for content mills before. From what I’d gathered from a few bloggers and community forums, many content mill writers simply wanted a way to earn an income working from home without the pressure of marketing. I worked with a California-based content mill when I first started freelancing. I took it on because I wanted secure, consistent income while I built up my client base. The workload was overwhelming with tight deadlines, and four months later all projects completely dried up. I learned that if I took on higher paying work, I didn’t need to work so many long days, and that I couldn’t afford not to market consistently if I wanted to maintain a steady income because the natural order of things in business is that clients will come and go.

Two things stood out about Jenn’s post: (1) she shared the news of Demand Media Studios’s failing business model honestly without putting down those who were affiliated with the company; (2) She was sympathetic to the plight of Demand Media Studios writers. She didn’t kick anyone while they were down, and she offered some real solutions (including some helpful links and books)which will be detailed in a week-long series dedicated to helping these blindsided writers create their own profitable freelance writing business model – she even offered to help the first five writers who contact her by posting information during the series relevant to their chosen specialty.

Part of why I’ve been so absent here is because I’ve been working on personal writing projects and reinventing my own freelance writing business. Yes, sometime reinvention is necessary. I wish all DS writers the best of luck in continuing and developing their freelance writing businesses, and I really look forward to following Jenn’s informative series this week.

Overcoming Lack of Motivation

2011-09-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

For the past month my freelance writing accountability partner has been struggling with the very serious issue of lack of motivation. She recognizes that she’s fallen into a potentially destructive cycle of inaction when it comes to follow ups and marketing her business, and the result is a significant reduction in client projects and income. She’s no newbie to freelance writing – she’s successfully worked as a freelance web copywriter for over 10 years. She’s experienced the expected highs and lows of entrepreneurship before, but is really having trouble pulling herself out of this slump. I know how she feels.

Last year around this time, I was experiencing my own struggle with lack of motivation and enthusiasm as I traveled back and for between states trying to balance caring for my dying father and my own four children. Thankfully I had a pretty steady flow of projects coming in, and could continue working rather seamlessly thanks to my trusty cell phone and laptop. Still, getting through each client project was a struggle as I fought for focus, and my waning motivation resulted in stalled personal writing projects and marketing fail. Thankfully I pulled myself out of that hole before things got too far gone.

When you first start freelancing, or any new venture, you’re all charged up and raring to go. You’re high on possibilities and can’t conceive that a day will come when you don’t feel the way you do in that moment. But it likely will, and to make sure you don’t suffer too many consequences (financially and otherwise), it’s always a good idea to be prepared. Running a business can at time be a stressful gig. Here’s a little of what I’ve learned about maintaining/reclaiming enthusiasm for your business:

Take five

Or take the weekend off. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from everything for a day or two to get your bearings and clear your head. Don’t fall into the all too common trap of saying you can’t afford to take time off. You really can’t afford not to if you’re not operating up to speed. Stepping away will give you a fresh perspective.

Surround yourself with positive people

And put some distance between yourself and any naysayers. The last thing you need when you’re down is someone kicking you or encouraging you to give up, turn away and get a “real job.” Positive people will give you the feedback and support you need, lift you up and help you get through challenging times.

Join a group of like-minded individuals

This great idea for networking, support, and constructive feedback from others in the profession. Forums and mastermind groups can provide valuable advice to help improve your business, marketing tips and innovative approaches to doing business.

Do you take any special measure to stay motivated and keep writing?

Getting Back to the Business of Freelancing

2011-08-22T10:10:00.002-04:00

I’m still here. The kids and I (finally!) relocated to our new home about three weeks ago – just in time for the first day of school. It also just happened to be during the first days of the month of Ramadhan, which was a bit stressful at first. My husband is still in Atlanta dealing with contractors and the property management company we'll be using to get our house in tip top shape to be rented (that man is truly a Godsend, I tell you). How I wish I could just put it on the market and sell it, but the Atlanta real estate market is beyond horrible, but that’s another story for another blog. Luckily our house is located intown, in a historic neighborhood, so we already have a few interested candidates. I figure we’ll at least break even and won’t have to struggle to pay both a mortgage AND rent.

The house we’re renting is meh, okay – for now. We need more space so we’ll be moving again next June when the kids are out of school for the summer. Yay… The unpacking is going slowly but surely. Although we are still living among boxes and my office is only semi-organized, I’ve been busy working (the self-employed can only take so many days away from work, right?) on client projects, personal writing projects and marketing here and there. I admit it - I need to step up the marketing. I’m feeling the pinch. I put more time into marketing and following up with past clients last week and it’s already brought me two new projects this week. That’s all the incentive I need to keep it up.

I’m behind on reading my favorite blogs, so I hope to begin catching up this week. Of course marketing to bring in more paying projects will be my priority. How’s business been going for you this summer?

Countdown to Moving Day

2011-07-25T09:26:00.005-04:00

If only you could see the boxes piling up in my house. We are in the last days of packing. On Wednesday my husband and I will travel to our new home a state away to unload furniture and and begin a new adventure in our lives - at least that's how we choose to think of it. We're moving to be closer to my mother - she needs help since my father died. If it weren't for freelancing I can't imagine how we would be able to do this.

I’ve been ghost around here because for the past months because my focus has been on packing, marketing and wrapping up client projects. Moving means I’ll be without Internet for at least 48 hours once we get there, and I can’t lie – I’m feeling a little bit of anxiety over that. Between my Blackberry and Starbucks Wi-Fi , I should be able to maintain communication if anything crucial pops up. My regular clients have all been informed that I’m unavailable to work this week.

I hope to be back to posting on a regular basis by August 1. Until then I leave you with some of my favorite posts written by some of my favorite bloggers. I'll just get back to packing now...

Writing Mistakes I See Too Often
3 Types of Savings Every Freelance Writer Needs
Avoiding Ethical Dilemmas
The One Where I Do a 180
Good Advice for Every Freelancer: Never Say Never

The Importance of Making Time for Your Personal Projects

2011-07-11T10:23:00.002-04:00

This year I’ve committed to making time for a couple of important personal writing projects. One has the potential to become a source of residual income, which has also been a long-term freelance writing goal of mine for some time. Finding time to devote to these projects while also keeping up with client projects and the marketing required to keep the lights on and food on the table can be a serious challenge.

These projects are a part of my business plan, so although I don’t rely on them (yet) to cover my living expenses, there will be a payoff in the future if I stick to my plan. Yes, I need to generate a consistent income, but I don’t want to cheat myself out of a promising long-term opportunity for short-term cash. Based on the research I’ve conducted, passive income can help stabilize and increase a freelance writer’s income which reduces those feast or famine cycles.

In the past I’ve been guilty of setting aside my personal writing projects for client projects, and the result was that my projects eventually fell to the wayside. Someday will never arrive unless I take active steps to make it happen. Whether you have dreams of writing a novel, creating information products, classes, webinars or some other project that could financially benefit your business, you’ll have to make time for it. Think of it this way : you are your most valuable client, so you deserve to be treated as such. I’ll share a few things I’m doing to meet my personal project goals:

Setting Aside Time Each Week

As you know I’m the mother of four children, and I freelance full-time. This requires me to create and work on a schedule. I make sure to also schedule time for working on my personal projects.

Setting Deadlines

Deadlines are serious business for me. If I set a deadline I do everything in my power to meet it. Setting deadlines forces me to move beyond the idea stage and start taking the actionable steps required to turn my dreams into reality.

Not Getting Caught Up In the Perfection Trap

I am sooo bad about this. I want everything to be perfect or I don’t want to do it. But it’s not so much about my project being absolutely perfect as much as it is about me on some level doubting my ability. I have to remind myself that I’m human, everything may not be perfect in the beginning, but I can’t allow self-doubt to hold me back from trying.

Have you been working on, or thinking about working on a personal project that could financially benefit your business? How do you keep yourself on task?

Freelance Writers: Uncover Your Profit Potential

2011-06-20T12:45:00.002-04:00

It’s my second week of summer break and I’m knee in a couple of client projects and a mass marketing frenzy while also trying to squeeze in a couple of personal writing projects and acting as referee to four hot, irritable kids. Good times…

Before I lose it completely, I wanted to give you a heads up on a new webinar: Writers Uncover Your Hidden Profit Potential. Today is the last day to receive an 11% discount so if you’re freelance writing business is stalled or you want to know how to kick off your freelancing career on the right foot, these are the ladies to learn from. Have a productive and profitable day!

Anticipate Lulls in Your Business and Plan Accordingly

2011-06-10T11:26:00.002-04:00

he summer months tend to be slow for my business. I’ve been marketing on a fairly steady basis, but that’ not good enough when I anticipate business slowing down, and I know it. I should have planned to increase my marketing efforts earlier. It’s not like the lulls my business experiences aren’t fairly predictable.

No use beating my head against a brick wall over it now – what’s done is done. Now I need to move ahead and ramp it up. I’m putting a few ideas into action.

Email queries

I’ve had some pretty good luck with email queries in the past. A couple of months ago I signed up for a paid webinar about email marketing. I felt the investment was worth it. I used the instructor’s tips to revise my standard email query letter (I use a standard format but tweak it as necessary). After doing this I got an immediate response from a California company asking if I’d consider working with them as an employee instead of freelancing, so I think the webinar instructor’s tips were pretty spot on. I’m going to commit to researching companies and sending out a certain number of queries every day.

Direct mail campaign

Earlier this year I came up with an idea to reach out to a certain local market here in Atlanta. My idea has profit potential, but I need to buckle down, get started and set a deadline. This is actually an ideal time for me to launch a direct mail campaign. I’m redesigning my brochures, drafting a sales letter, and choosing samples to mail as a package.

Utilize the local phone book

My family and I will soon be relocating to another state. I grew up in the city we’re moving to and know that the people there like dealing with other locals when it comes to business. I’ve been following Anne Wayman’s super duper marketing series for freelance writers and her post about using the phone book to find clients stood out. I’ve been spending some of my down time thumbing through it to find ripe markets to target.

Utilize Social Media

I’ve been using Twitter to get exposure for a new blog project I’m working on, but I’ve done very little my writing services. I need to participate and engage other in conversation more.

When you need to drum up business, what techniques do you employ?

Educating Difficult Clients

2011-06-01T09:53:00.004-04:00

A writer friend of mine has been having trouble with a new client. She was hired to write web copy and supporting marketing material (brochures, etc). The client is ready to send over the down payment and signed agreement, but my friend is having trouble getting the client to focus on a target market.

The client doesn’t understand why it’s so important and is annoyed with the writer’s insistence that they focus on this detail first. The client wants her web copy and other materials yesterday. My writer friend is beyond frustrated. “She just doesn’t get it, Kim. I feel like we keep having the same discussion over and over. I can’t get her to understand how important it is to focus her marketing message.”

I think most of us have worked with this type of client before. In my experience this client doesn’t really understand marketing. They just want you to write something amazing that will result in more business. It just doesn’t occur to them that there is a process involved. They over simplify the services and value we provide.

In my experience, getting a client to understand the importance of something like focusing their marketing message on a target audience involves quite a bit of education. In the past the time I spent educating and convincing a client to provide me with necessary information was much more than the time I’d allotted for research and writing.

My friend, however, is much smarter than I am. She asks lots and lots of questions in the very beginning – before she sends out her agreement or accepts down payment. She sends interested prospective clients a questionnaire to complete first, and they discuss it in detail by phone – because one question often leads to another. This gives her a much better idea of what she’s dealing with and she adjusts her contract and payment accordingly.

Thankfully she saw the signs early on that this client would require more time to help her understand the basics of marketing. She very wisely included a certain amount of consultation time and included it in her rate. And just like that I’ve learned something new from this writer that I will apply to my own freelance writing business.

Even though we are writers, we may from time to time be called upon to provide professional consultation. The knowledge we possess is valuable. Do you give it away freely, or offer fee-based consultation in addition to the writing services you provide?

Memorial Day Link Love

2011-05-30T10:34:00.003-04:00

I’m finally back in town (again...) and since most of my clients alerted me that they would but not be working today, that means a much needed day of rest for me. I plan to spend the day outside with the kids while hubby fires up the grill. Despite what many of our friends think, vegetarians can put together quite an impressive barbeque spread!

One thing I noticed while I was away – I stayed very busy and even had a couple of old clients suddenly contact me to start work on new projects. I really expected things to be slower than usual with the upcoming holiday. Instead I ended up with three new projects. I need to put forth a more consistent effort to keep in contact with past clients.

As usual, I enjoyed several great posts while I was out of town last week. Hope you enjoy them too.

How to Kill Writer’s Block and Become a Master Copywriter in Only 3 Hours a Day

30 Days of Writing Tips – Day 21 – Use the Phone Book to Find Clients

Cold Calling Tips

Where’s Your Sizzle?

Tools Every Freelance Medical Writer Needs

Parenting and Writing: Five Tips to Help Get More Writing In

Servicing Online Clients vs. Working with Clients in Person

2011-05-25T03:55:00.003-04:00

My accountability partner and I are in the midst of a (friendly) debate. She has been running a very successful freelance writing operation in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA for more than 11 years. Her business has flourished over the years. She belongs to a number of small business groups around town which also happens to be where she acquires most of her clients.

Now I’ve been freelancing full-time since 2007. When I first started I was servicing clients almost almost entirely online(my first two clients were from a craigs list ad). These days I may occasionally deal with clients locally who seem to be more comfortable meeting face-to-face once or twice. It’s not something I encourage as a mother with four kids under 11 because quite frankly time is not always on my side.

My writer friend has recently expressed an interest in working with clients on an exclusively virtual basis reducing the number of times she has to schedule in person meetings. Because she’s such a likable person and really knows her stuff, face-to-face meetings tend to work in her favor. She’s built an impressive business by taking time out for meetings in person, but they can be so time consuming – especially when she has to drive for over an hour into Los Angeles fighting insane traffic to meet with a client only to fight bumper-to-bumper traffic back home to Santa Barbara as well.

The problem as she sees it is the town she lives in is a very close knit community of people who value knowing one another. Entrepreneurs and other businesses prefer doing business with one another face, but they are also good about passing along referrals. She’s not sure of how to transition her business to operating as (mostly) a virtual operation. She recently partnered with a couple of website development firms who send clients to her that are in need of copywriting services from time to time which is a start. I’ve been trying to brainstorm with her to come up with a strategy to make it happen.

I haven’t had a problem with this because it’s how I’ve always operated. I think part of what could be holding her back is apprehension. Sometimes the first steps to doing something different are hardest.

Do you work mainly with local clients in person, exclusively online or have a mix of virtual and local clients?

Keep Your Freelancing Skills Sharp

2011-05-23T08:50:00.003-04:00

I’ve been thinking of learning a new specialized skill that could appeal to the market I serve. It has the potential to bring in more customers and revenue. I know there’s a demand because I’ve already had a few clients ask about it. The challenge for me: committing the time to learning everything I need to know. Notice I didn’t say “finding” time. I believe that no matter how busy you are, if you want to do something bad enough, you’ll MAKE time to do it.

Honestly, I don’t think the learning curve is too steep. It’s more a matter of me setting aside the time to do what I need to do. The services I provide are different from when I first started freelancing. As my business evolved I learned which projects I like to do, which ones I don’t, which services increase my bottom line best, etc. I’ve also learned that industries change, emerging technology changes the way things are done sometimes and that longevity as a freelancer means staying abreast of these types of changes.

Learning this new writing skill involves me investing in a home-study course. I’m investing financially in my business much more than I did when I first got started. Since this is the career path I’ve chosen to make my living, it’s worth every penny. I think freelancers should automatically set aside a percentage of their earnings to invest in their business, and that includes continuing education (thank goodness it’s tax deductible!). I make a habit of sharpening my skills by reading books, attending webinars, investing in ecourses, and I’m even seriously thinking of working with a coach this year.

If you’re just starting out, you probably aren’t able to spend much. I recommend researching the web, spending time on writer forums, freelance writing blogs, attending free teleseminars/webinars and checking out books in your library to get you going. As your business grows, you can make a point of setting aside a percentage of your earnings for the sake of continued learning and other business expenses.

What are some things you do to stay on top of your game? Do you make a habit of investing financially to improve your freelance writing skills?

Happy Friday Everyone

2011-05-20T09:11:00.004-04:00

Although I plan to spend the majority of my lovely weekend packing (and convincing my hoarding husband to throw away items we don’t need because he forgot over time that they even existed) and working on personal writing projects, I’m oh so glad Friday is here.

I spent more time this week working on personal writing projects, which is great that I’ve got a fire raging in my belly to see them through, but a girl’s got to eat, so I’ll need to do A LOT more marketing for client projects next week. Gotta work on balancing the work that pays the bills NOW versus work that has the potential to pay off in the long run.

My cyber visits to Devon Ellington’s blog this week have me yearning to get out in the yard to do some planting. Might not be a bad idea to plant a few pretty flowers for curb appeal since we plan on renting our house out after the move. I enjoyed reading several other great posts this week as well. Happy reading, and enjoy your weekend. :~)

Two Problems – One Cause – Eleven Solutions

Now That I’ve Incorporated: What’s Next? The Most Frequently Asked Questions After Incorporation

5 Ways to Write High Quality Content Fast

The Ultimate Money Guide for Freelance Writers

Why I moved Back to the Print Version of the Writers Market

Re-examining Your Vision for Your Freelance Writing Business

2011-05-18T09:24:00.003-04:00

Devon Ellington responded to Lori Widmer’s guest post with a comment that really has me thinking about where my freelance writing business is headed. Devon left this comment:

“I'm in the process of gently disentangling myself from several clients I've grown to resent. For me, it's not just about money, but about where I want my career to go. They don't fit my vision any more.”

It’s taken me a long time, but I’d like to think I’m progressing to that point as well. There was a time early in my freelance writing business when rarely (if ever) said “no” to a client or turned away a project. Five years later I understand the importance of identifying which projects are right for me and the vision I have for my business. I also recognize that my vision has evolved over the years.

When I was first starting out, I just wanted to get paid for writing, by any means necessary. My early days were an experimental time as I learned how to run a business and learned about different types of writing and marketing methods clients were willing to pay for.

Last year I questioned briefly whether or not I still wanted to write for a living. I was trying to balance my responsibilities to my ill father, my immediate family and my freelance writing clients. While I appreciated the freedom of being able to earn a living in spite of a sometimes grueling travel schedule, I was feeling uninspired and unmotivated. At first I couldn’t understand why I felt that way. Very slowly I realized that I no longer enjoyed working on certain writing projects. I felt stuck and resentment was festering.

I had an idea that involved a different genre of writing I wanted to pursue. He idea of this personal project excited me, but I had created a situation that made it hard for me to even get started. Naturally being unable to work on the writing projects I wanted to caused resentment to grow. What was my problem? Making a living as a freelance writer is what I wanted, so why was I feeling so unmotivated? I‘ll tell you why: my vision for my business had changed but I was still operating the same as always.

I wanted to put more time into my personal writing projects. I also needed to start choosing projects better. One of the first things I did was end a working relationship with a long time client. This client supplied me with steady work, but was unable to pay my current rates and her projects were demanding more of my time. Saying “no” was both frightening and liberating. It was very necessary though; if I want to keep doing this and enjoying it, I have to recognize my new vision and take actionable steps to make it happen.

Few things in life are static. We are constantly evolving. My accountability partner in Santa Barbara, California has been freelancing for well over 10 years and assures me evolution is a big part of ensuring longevity as a freelance writer.

When is the last time you revisited our vision for your freelance writing business? Are you on the right path to realizing your objectives, or do you need to make changes?

Fallout from Google’s New Content Quality Standards

2011-05-16T06:11:00.006-04:00

While traveling back from my latest trip out of town, I came across an interesting article in Website Magazine discussing the now infamous Google Panda Update, and how content farms, such as Demand Studios, WiseGeek and Associated Content are currently ranking in the search engines following Google’s highly publicized new algorithm which is intended to improve the quality of content published on the web.

Content mills have long been accused of favoring quantity over quality when it comes to the typical, keyword dense, mass content they instruct their writers to generate. Now I’m not injecting my own opinions here about whether or not writing for content mills is worth a writer’s time. I think that dead horse has been kicked around enough. Besides, I assume that the readers of this blog are mature enough to decide for themselves what works in terms of freelancing and overall earning potential. The purpose of this post is to share facts about how these new changes are playing out.

For a long time content mills have enjoyed top ranking spots in Google’s search engine results, however Googles’ Farmer Update for February revealed that the mills serps have been “severely penalized.” In fact, Website Magazine reports that “Mahalo, another member of the content-farming community, was hit so hard that it had to eliminate 10-percent of its workforce shortly after the change” (Website Magazine, May, 2011).

These findings, based of the Organic Performance Index, are further evidence that the days of poorly written, shallow, useless content achieving premium search engine results appears to be coming to an end.

This is good news for freelance writers. If you’re a writer capable of delivering high-quality, valuable, original content for your clients, these changes could certainly reveal the true value of your freelance writing services.

Writer's Worth Week Guest Post:

2011-05-11T03:44:00.006-04:00

What Are You Worth?

By Lori Widmer

The news a few weeks back about the writers who worked for free suing Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington for $105 million of the $350 million she received when AOL bought HuffPo was shocking. Yet it wasn’t because the writers were suing – I think anyone could have predicted that given the amount of money involved. It was shocking because these writers were demanding fairness after the fact.

It’s issues like this that inspired me to start Writers Worth Week, my annual awareness campaign where hopefully another writer will be motivated to understand their market value. If one more writer makes one more smart business decision, then the movement is worth it.

But it’s not easy changing our business behavior. We get entrenched in doing things the same way because we’re getting by. But wouldn’t you like to do more than that?

You can, you know. You can shift your thinking right now and start seeing the results almost immediately. I did. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.

So writers, make today the day you change one thing about your business. If you need me to require it, let’s call it your homework.

Your homework: Start thinking of your writing as a business. It is. Changing your mindset to business mode makes it easier for you to stand firm in your rates and conduct business as a professional. Take control of your business. You're no longer apologizing for wanting to charge for doing something you love. Baseball players charge for doing what they love – why shouldn't you?

Okay, that was a pretty cake assignment, so you're getting two.

Second one:

Just for today, turn down one offer that doesn't meet with your income goals. Drop a low-paying client or renegotiate your current pay rate. Do something that says, "Thank you, but I'm worth more."

Second part of the assignment: this week, identify at least three more potential clients who will pay your rate without question.

Do you think of your writing as a business?

When was the last time you sought out higher-paying work?

Lori Widmer is a veteran writer and editor who is worth every penny her clients pay. She blogs about all things writing-related at Words on the Page.

The Challenge of Taking Time Off From Work to Unplug

2011-05-09T08:58:00.003-04:00

If you’ve read any of my past posts, you may already know that I’m facing a big count down to move my family to another state in just four weeks. And I’m literally sweating bullets over it.
I haven’t moved in 12 years. Before that, however, moving was a sort of beloved past time for me. I'm sure my loyal male friends hated seeing my name flash across their caller ID every six months. Eventually I grew up, married a man who insisted on stability as far as residences go, so we settled down and bought a house putting my wandering ways to rest.

Now we must move due to necessity and I’m not so sure I’m up for the task. I mean I’m a little out of practice. One thing I do remember from my nomadic days is that it helps to give yourself a couple of days to get the necessities unpacked so you can quickly establish some semblance of normalcy even though the reality of digging stuff out of boxes over the next year is just part of the relocation package. That means I will need to take a few days off from work and unplug.
Staying away from my computer and resisting the desire to constantly check my phone for emails, Tweets, updates and what not won’t be easy. I spend so much time scrolling through my phone and responding to emails while talking to my husband that he jokingly refers to me as a teenager.

So, back to unplugging… You may be thinking about this too if you’re planning to take some time off this summer. I work on completing projects currently in the pipeline and letting clients know that I’ll be unavailable for however long I need to be away.

How do you prepare to unplug and take time off from work?

Anchor Clients: Know Who's a Keeper and Who to Toss Overboard

2011-05-04T11:21:00.010-04:00

Last week one of the blogs I frequent stirred up an interesting conversation among the comments. One commenter coined a clever phrased to describe repeat clients – those clients you can expect to receive work from on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. She called them “anchor clients”, which is a clever moniker in my opinion, because sometimes these clients end up doing just as the name implies – They either provide your business with a consistent income, or anchor you in such a way that you can’t operate YOUR freelance writing business as you see fit.

Not all anchor client relationships are negative. When I first started freelancing I was fortunate to acquire three anchor clients that supplied me with enough work for the first year which resulted in my business pulling in more of an income than my previous corporate job. These clients easily accepted my terms of service and allowed me the freedom to complete their projects as long as I adhered to the established deadlines.

Unfortunately I’ve also worked with anchor clients that made me feel as if I’d been tossed overboard in the middle of the ocean with an anchor wrapped around my neck. One client operated under the assumption that his business was my only client. He hired me to interview and write monthly newsletters for his clients. He thought nothing of calling me up to conduct a client interview with sometimes only a couple hours notice – never considering the fact that I might also be working on another client project.

First of all, I’m a freelancer. I make it clear to my clients when scheduling their projects that I typically work on other client projects simultaneously. Like most freelancers taking on multiple projects is pretty much my thing. Second, I used to work as a journalist. Although I became pretty adept at conducting in-depth interviews quickly and efficiently in keeping with the deadline driven environment, in most cases interviewing requires a good bit of preparation to get the information you need. The final straw was when he set up a last minute interview to take place the next day (actually, he had me set it up-with a very busy doctor who was in the middle of seeing patients). I woke up the very next morning only to discover I’d lost my voice (it’s how my body sometimes responds to hay fever) without warning. Expect the unexpected.

Hopefully this client now realizes that two hours, or even one day’s notice to prepare for and conduct interviews, when we’ve been discussing this project for the past month and a half (not to mention the assurance that he would be the one to schedule the interviews ahead of time), might not work for most freelancers. The longer I do this, the more I appreciate the need to know when to just say “no.”

Thankfully I quickly recognized that type of anchor client relationship is lose-lose for each of us, so it was best to quickly, and professionally end things on an amicable note.

Right now I only have one anchor client I’ve been working with for a little over a year now. The relationship is great, and I do like knowing I can expect work from her on a pretty consistent basis. I’m currently negotiating terms with another potential client who needs a reliable web writer to handle several new projects in the pipeline throughout the rest of the year (fingers crossed that this turns out to be a good thing). Ideally I’d like to have three good anchor clients to produce a steady stream of income while I put more time into a couple of personal writing projects – that doesn’t mean I’ll stop marketing my services. We freelancers can’t afford to get THAT comfortable, you know.

Do you embrace anchor clients in your freelance writing business or avoid them? What’s your experience?

Freelance Writing Ebook Review: The Worthy Writer's Guide

2011-05-02T08:47:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I purchased Lori Widmer’s ebook, the “The Worthy Writer’s Guide." You should probably know that I’ve been on a self-imposed restriction from purchasing “how to” ebooks and other information products related to freelance writing for the past two years because the last product I purchased did not live up to its hype. At all. Since then I’ve chosen to focus on learning by doing, and conducting my own online research to learn what I need to about earning a living freelancing. So far so good.

Buying Lori’s book was a no brainer for me. First of all, I trust her advice. I’ve been following her blog for a while now and her advice is more often than not spot on. I’ve gotten so much good advice for free from her blog over the past three years, that I trust her. And at $11.95 it wasn’t exactly breaking the bank (believe me when I say I’d spent MUCH more than that on completely useless info products in the past).

Lori is a “tell you like it is” person (one of the reasons I so love her style). Her ebook is loosely based on advice you’ll find on her blog, but she does seem to dig deeper into topics like the importance and process of planning your freelance writing business, setting rates, defining your target clients, creating a marketing strategy and developing a simple script for cold calling and following up with potential clients. There’s a lot more good stuff in there newbies and experienced writers who need to step back and make changes in their operation. Her marketing tips have inspired me to design and order new brochures – something I haven’t done in over two years.

If you need a little guidance, but are ready to roll up your sleeves and do the work, you won’t be disappointed.

Friday Link Love

2011-04-29T09:04:00.002-04:00

Did Friday just sneak up on you like it did me? I mean this week just flew by! Normally I work a half day on Friday’s, but I still have a few things left on my to-do list from yesterday that didn’t get done and client project due today. I’m working on some personal projects over the weekend and of course more packing…

If any of you are located in Alabama or Georgia and were affected by the tornadoes, my thoughts and prayers are with you. My mother and a few other family members live in North Alabama, and thankfully are they are all doing okay. Lots of residents are currently without power, and I know how inconvenient that can be. Please hang in there.

As always I enjoyed some really great blog entries this week. Hope you enjoy them too.

Is It Smart Or Dumb to Follow Your Freelance Writing Dreams in This Economy?
What Have You Sacrificed to Become a Freelance Writer?
Print vs.Web Writers: Is There a Great Divide?
Become a More Confident Freelancer
Short-Term Money Is Killing Me

Can Your Freelance Writing Clients Depend on You?

2011-04-28T12:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I attended a free webinar courtesy of Copyblogger.com called “Engagement with a Purpose: How to Create Customers for Life - Authority Rules.” It’s part of an on-going series, so check it out if you can. Sonia Simone and Chris Garrett led the discussion. One thing really jumped out at me is when Chris said, " You don’t have to be the best writer, as long as you deliver what you promise –always do what you say because your reputation is your most valuable asset . "

A couple of years ago, after completing an extensive and rather exhausting project for a small business, the client thanked me graciously for my work and sticking with the project, even when it became difficult. He then made what was at the time a startling revelation. He said he was so glad to have found a reliable writer because he had been repeatedly burned in the past by writers not meeting deadlines.

This was surprising news to me, a writer who is always on the lookout for clients and paying projects. I can’t wrap my mind around why a writer would chance missing a deadline and thus getting paid (not to mention an opportunity for future work). I just don’t get it. Yesterday, during the webinar, Sonia and Chris confirmed that this is a big problem all around. They went on to explained that there are quite a few freelancers out there that don’t follow through, but if you can do that then you’re already ahead of the game.

Missing deadlines and not delivering the value that you promise a client is a big no-no in the freelancing world. When you hire someone to do something, you expect them to do it. If they don’t, you probably won’t bother contacting them in the future. You know that old saying: “Past behavior predicts future behavior.”

Sometimes things happen and deadlines can’t be met, or you realize it's best to end a client relationship. There’s a professional way to handle each scenario, starting with letting the client know as soon as possible. This is value your clients have every reason to expect from you. People like to work with people they like and can trust. Become the person your clients automatically turn to when they need top notch, dependable service. Set yourself apart from the freelancers that haven’t grasped this concept.

Local Businesses Need Online Marketing Advice

2011-04-26T08:33:00.006-04:00

As I was driving back home this morning after dropping the kids off at school, I noticed the neighborhood dry cleaning service had a new banner stretched across the top of the building that read: “Now on the Internet.”

Most of the clients I serve need help with creating and/or spreading their marketing message to a targeted audience online. I tend to automatically assume that “everyone” is already utilizing the Internet as part of their overall marketing strategy. That banner, however, is proof that this is not so. There are still plenty of small and mid-size local businesses out there in need of guidance when it comes to marketing online.

When I was visiting my hometown last month, I stopped to grab a quick lunch at a very popular mom and pop owned sub sandwich shop. The owner and I struck up a conversation about how they could effectively utilize Facebook or Twitter (they have a huge customer base consisting of college students) to bring in more business.

After a meeting with my father’s lawyer last month, the attorney asked if we could set aside extra time during our next meeting to discuss his website copy and whether or not establishing a blog would be beneficial.

Look around your own community at local businesses that may need help establishing a presence online. Call them up to find out who’s in charge of hiring contract/freelance services and send them a brochure. Then follow up within a couple of weeks to discuss how you may be of service.

Do you regularly market your services to local businesses?

Monday Morning Link Love

2011-04-18T09:24:00.004-04:00

Friday was complete and utter chaos here in my little home office. It’s bad enough that I have books, files and miscellaneous papers strewn all over the place as I attempt to simultaneously manage freelance writing client projects, the kids' school projects and keep my family on a packing schedule for the Big Move in June (It really is a sight to see. Maybe I’ll get brave enough to post a photo of all this madness).

On top of all that my oldest and youngest both got sick. My oldest has a chronic health condition resulting in a midnight ER visit Thursday night/Friday morning. The youngest decided to bring home the latest bug passing through his Pre-K class Thursday afternoon after school. Perfect.

Hubby and I immediately launched into team mode – he made the ER trip that night with our daughter while I stayed home to work on getting the little one’s fever down, and making sure the twins were up and ready for school on time Friday morning. Needless to say I took Friday off for some much needed rest. Not much packing got done this weekend, but I did take time out to enjoy a few of my favorite blogs. Hope you enjoy these links as much as I did.

Navigating the Pitfalls of a Client – Friend Relationship
3 New Twitter Apps I Can’t Live Without
How Freelance Writers Can Build Editor Relationships
Which Online Resources do You Utilize to Develop Your Freelance Writing Business?
The Trials and Triumphs of Freelancing of Freelancing Abroad

Optimize Your Freelance Writing Business Online for Local Search

2011-04-13T12:48:00.009-04:00

Thanks to the Internet, being a freelance writer means being able to work with clients all over the world. There are very few limits. Unfortunately, many writers totally ignore their local market’s need for professional writing services, especially when marketing their business online.

For niche/specialty writers, (writers specializing in a specific area such as medical/dental writing, insurance, legal(writing for attorneys, etc.) optimizing your website or blog for improved local search engine results makes it much easier for local businesses to find you. Some local organizations prefer working with vendors in their own neighborhood so it makes good business sense to take advantage of every opportunity, proximity included.

Rep Your City

Can you imagine how many writers out there are claiming common titles like “copywriter,” “online copywriter,” “web writer,” or “blogger?” There’s nothing wrong with this, but online you’re literally competing with thousands and thousands of other writers sporting the exact same title. So what can you do?

Try tweaking the keywords in your title. You’ll get a lot more attention calling yourself the “Austin Texas Real Estate Blogger” than simply going by the title “blogger” or even “real estate blogger” alone. If you serve a specific niche of localized businesses like attorneys, dentists or doctors, this can give you an online marketing advantage. When I added “Atlanta” to my web writer title on my business blog, I started getting contacted by more small and mid-size businesses within the city and even a couple of surrounding states.

Update All Profiles

All online profiles representing your business should be consistent and include information like your title (as stated in the previous section) and location.

List Your Business with Google Business Center

This isn’t for everyone. It’s free to list your business in Google’s Local Business Center, but the catch is you need a physical address. Many writers don’t list their local address for obvious reasons, but if you happen to share office space, or listing your location is not an issue, listing your business can give you a nice localized ranking boost in the search engines.

Keep All Online Business Information Consistent

Keep your business identity consistent. Your website address, mailing address (if you choose to include this information), phone/fax number and email should be the same in profiles and all other business sources where you list your business. This definitely impacts local search results.

Do You Need Permission to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates?

2011-04-11T10:55:00.005-04:00

Over the weekend a writer acquaintance and I were discussing rates. My writer friend was planning to raise her rates within the next couple of months. She asked whether or not I thought she should send her current clients an email explaining why she was making this decision.

I asked her to think of businesses she regularly patronizes – the local cable provider, grocery store or favorite restaurant. When they raise their rates, do they offer explanations? It’s a given in most businesses that as operation expenses increase, rates must increase as a result. I suggested she take this same stance with her rate increase.

Sending out an explanation for a rate increase can almost seem as if you’re seeking approval for a logical business decision. Your rates have to cover business and living expenses, and there’s absolutely no reason to apologize for that. I suggested sending out notices altering clients of the rate change giving them a chance to schedule projects at the current rate before the price change takes effect.

Do you let your clients know about rate increases?

Why I Choose Freelance Writing Over Employment

2011-04-08T11:40:00.005-04:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else break out in a cold sweat (or hives) at the thought of working a “nine to five?” Please don’t think I’m some self-employed snob. I worked in a corporate environment for eight years, and I‘ll admit that I’ve sometimes wondered whether it would be easier to get a guaranteed check every week, employer provided benefits and paid time off for vacations, there’s nothing more satisfying to me than being able to provide those things for myself.

Why am I even discussing this? Well, something interesting happened to me this week. I was doing some marketing late Tuesday evening, contacting prospects by email about my services, when I unexpectedly received a response email from a company’s Human Resource Manager. She asked whether or not I would consider employment status over working for her company as a contract writer.

Her question caught me off guard for a moment. On the one hand I was being offered the promise of reliable pay and work, but at what cost? I know we’re still dealing with financially troubled times right now, and some might be reading this wondering what kind of idiot stands around questioning a steady pay check? Well I’ll tell you what kind.

My background is in the newspaper industry. Although I left my job before the industry truly crumbled, my position provided a front row seat to the unpredictability of working for someone else. Some of my coworkers had worked for this publication for 20+ years. This publication had a well-earned reputation as a place where employees stuck around until retirement. Then came the Internet, and around 2000, it’s presence was felt as print’s biggest revenue source was threatened – advertising. I could see the writing on the wall as I left. Unfortunately, many of my coworkers continued to be lulled into a false sense of security and the mass layoffs caught them off guard. My inability to pay child care for my soon to be newborn twins and two year old was the catalyst that led me to resign, otherwise I may have ignored the signs and continued working along with everyone else hoping for the best.

I have a family, so naturally the idea of security appeals to me; but my life also requires a great deal of flexibility. Even though this Human Resource Manager was offering me an opportunity to work from home, a flexible work schedule wasn’t part of the deal. And maybe I’m spoiled now, but I don’t want to be obligated to work on projects that don’t work for me.

So in the end I politely explained to the HR manager that I prefer to maintain a freelance status, and am always open to other opportunities. She seemed okay with my response and offered to pass my name along to the person in charge of hiring freelancers and other vendors.

I’ve been freelancing for five years now. I’ve seen my share of financially tight months, but I’ve managed to stick with it and find a groove that provides a contentment and security my old job could not. Working for several clients feels more financially secure to me than relying on one job, so sticking to my freelance writer status works best for me.

What would you do? Would you choose a full-time or part-time position over freelancing?

It's Okay to Just Say "No"

2011-04-05T23:07:00.004-04:00

The first time I turned down a project, it felt really weird. I’ve written about this experience in a previous entry. Long story short: the client was extremely demanding, didn’t want to deal with service agreements and was constantly trying to nickel and dime me at every turn.

Fast forward to today; I’ve worked with enough clients to know that I most definitely made the right decision that day. Now I understand that the relationship between freelancers and client is just as complex as any other relationship. Sometimes there’s chemistry. Sometimes there’s not. Sometimes your personalities and approaches to working on a project are complementary. Sometimes they’re not.

In the past when I’d find myself in a difficult working situation (not too often, thankfully), I would resign myself to just grin and bear it thinking that’s just good customer service. Besides, who was I to turn away a paying gig?

It took another more seasoned freelancer to help me see the light. She explained that just because I’m a freelancer doesn’t mean every client, or project, is going to be a perfect fit. Freelancing means you have the freedom to do things like decide who you work with and who’s best to be avoided like bubonic plague. She assured me that with time I’d learn to recognize the signs of projects I should avoid early on – and she was right.

It chose to freelance because I wanted freedom and control over the way I worked. It wouldn’t make much sense for me to spend my career working on projects that make me miserable.
So how do I know when to turn down a project?

When a prospect keeps trying to convince me to lower my rate.
When there are too many decision makers working on the project.
When it’s too difficult to get the information I need to do my job.
When the scope of a project keeps changing.
When a client has a problem signing an agreement.
When there’s a personality conflict.
When I have so much on my plate that I know that I won't be able to give a project 100%.

What would make you turn down a potential project?

Are You Ready for Spring Break?

2011-04-04T08:25:00.004-04:00

It’s spring break around here. The challenge: meet my weekly/monthly freelance writing income goals in spite of four children under 11 engaging in constant combat and constantly complaining of boredom. Add the fact that we are packing to move out of state by June, and I’m leaving town on Wednesday, and you’ll understand exactly why I‘m praying for patience.

The good part about this spring break is we’re probably more prepared this year than we’ve ever been. Come to think of it, this is also a good time to start making summer plans for the kids. We’ll be in another state, so I’ll need to do some research now to find out what’s available. Making sure the kids have something to look forward to and do when we get to our new city will make it easier for me to unpack and transition more smoothly into my new office space (I hope).

In the mean time, I’ve planned my work schedule around a couple of fun activities, and have plenty of snacks and dvds on hand. I think we’ll survive.

What are your plans for spring break? Working (like me) or vacationing?

Should You Be Offering Your Clients a Money Back Guarantee?

2011-04-01T10:13:00.005-04:00

Today is April 1st – we are entering a new month and a new quarter. Can you believe it? Time to review the first quarter to see where you are in your business. Did you meet any short-term goals? Are you still on track with marketing and other objectives? Do you need to make any corrective changes to your plan (it’s okay if you do; I do it quite often)?

Earlier this week I was reading a post at Freelance Folder by Lexi Rodrigo about whether or not it’s good business to offer freelance clients guarantee. I think she did an excellent job of ultimately arguing the case against doing this.

As freelance writers, time is our most valuable commodity. When you spend x hours working on a project, you can never get that time back. And since every project is specific to the client being serviced, it’s not like you can just turn around and sell what you’ve done to someone else because the client doesn’t like the end result.

I do know some writers who offer a guarantee of project completion – meaning they offer clients money back if the project is not completed by the projected deadline. I’m assuming the occurrence of extenuating circumstances is somehow outlined in their agreements.

What do you think about offering client’s a money back guarantee?

Once again I enjoyed quite a few blog posts this week. I’ll leave you with a few of my favorites. Enjoy your weekend!

Why Your Own Blog is a Better Marketing Tool Than Cheap Client Content
Copyright Primer
5 Reasons to Write for Underrated Trades
How to Figure Out Which Editor to Query
Does Your Business Blog Need CPR?

The Trouble with Plagiarism

2011-03-30T17:01:00.001-04:00

A fellow freelance writer, Lori Widmer, has been dealing with a blatant content thief. This thief probably doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong. He’s pulling the content straight from her blog and uploading it onto his site. But he’s giving her credit for the posts (posting her name and the name of her blog) so that makes it okay. Right? Um, yeah, not so much.

This content thief is financially benefiting from her words and ideas. Sure he’s giving credit where it’s due recognizing her as the author of the posts, but he’s using those posts to drive traffic to his site in hopes that once visitors show up searching for information about freelance writing, they will click on the ads so he can get paid. So he gets paid, but what about Lori and the other bloggers he’s stealing from? Think he’s paying them for the use of their content? Yeah, that’s what makes him a thief.

Plagiarism is a major problem on the Internet. The web is such a vast space that it can be difficult to monitor and control the problem. Within the past two weeks I’ve heard of at least four other bloggers besides Lori dealing with content theft. It’s no secret that there are some clients who hire writers to “re-write” content so that it comes across as unique content when run through plagiarism detection services or software. Please be clear: rewording someone’s words and ideas IS plagiarism. Some writers are completely unaware of what actually constitutes plagiarism.

I recommend visiting Plagiarism.org for more clarification. This site specifically covers the problem as it relates to the theft of online content. The site also provides tips to help you avoid web content theft.

Are You a Freelance Writer or Business Owner?

2011-03-28T10:55:00.002-04:00

I’m so behind on administrative tasks that it’s scary. I thought about posting a picture of what my desk is looking like right now, but I’m just too embarrassed. I have a tendency to be a little messy (much to my much tidier better half’s chagrin), but the disorder going on over here has seriously reached another level.

Part of the problem is that in the midst of working on client projects, I’ve been traveling/working in another state two weeks out of every month for the past six months, and I’m also in charge of making sure my lovely family of six stays on schedule with packing up the house for the Big Move in June. Gah! Regardless of these challenges, I still have a business to run, and my clients expect a certain level of service.

I’ve notice that when I’m asked for advice about getting started with freelance writing for commercial clients, some inquirers seem surprised to find out just how much administrative tasks are a part of “living the dream.”

For those who think that all freelancers do is put up an “open for business” sign (or website), sit back and watch the projects/checks roll in, this is a bubble I must immediately burst. Whether you freelance for print publications, online publications, resume companies, or other private clients, it’s important to approach the services you provide as a business; and in any business administrative duties are part of the operation process. There are quite a few daily tasks that can negatively affect productivity and the quality of your work if you fail to stay on top of things. Every writer’s business operation is different so this is by no means a comprehensive list. I thought I’d share some common administrative tasks that typically require regular attention:

Email Management

I maintain four email accounts and I can’t allow my inboxes to become clogged with unread emails. Now, I’ve admitted to you about how unorganized I can be, so as you can imagine it’s really easy for me to let read and unread messages pile up.

I remain organized by creating folders in each of my accounts and dealing with emails immediately as they come in. I also utilize my smartphone to manage my email madness while I’m in the car waiting to pick my kids up from school or out running errands.

Marketing

If you’ve spent any time reading this or any other freelance writing blog, you already know that the best way to keep busy with projects is by constantly marketing your services. There are so many online and offline marketing methods to utilize that I couldn’t possibly name them all: email queries, cold calling, direct mail/post card mailings, attending networking events, blogging, participating on forums, etc. Make marketing a daily habit.

Following up with Clients and Project Inquiries

Sometimes communicating with clients while working on projects can be time consuming. Some projects are easier than others. I deal with clients who have preferred methods of maintaining communication: email, Skype messaging and phone calls are most common. I prefer email, but defer my own preferences to those of my clients. Sometimes communication via email and Skype is unclear and a phone call is the best way to cut through the confusion.

Communicating with clients is a necessity, but it can become dangerously time consuming if you don’t maintain control over the time you spend doing so. Depending on my work load, I may return non-urgent emails/calls in the morning, or I may wait and respond toward the end of the day. I work this around my writing schedule for the day. I respond to client emails as soon as I can within my designated work hours. On my website I state that I respond to all (new) email inquiries within 24 hours.

Social Media

Social media can fit into the marketing category of administrative tasks. I have gotten work from both Twitter and LinkedIn. These platforms provide writers with an excellent opportunity to form valuable networking relationships with other writers (the community is incredible), and make possible client contacts within a specific industry/niche. I haven’t been very consistent during the past few months, but I’m putting forth an effort now to show up at least once a day.

Maintaining Client Files

I’m transitioning from paper to electronic files for my clients. My goal is to eventually go paperless, and it’s a process…

It’s important to keep files up to date with vital information like contact information, contract agreements, NDAs, research information, etc. Client files make it easier to follow up periodically to remind them that you’re available for any projects that may come available.

Are there any administrative tasks you regularly tackle that weren’t included on my list?

Giving You the Good Stuff

2011-03-25T12:41:00.004-04:00

Well, it’s the end of the week, and I’m feeling the need to spread some good ole’ link lovin’ around. I came across some really good entries this week. Hope you enjoy and find them useful.

Just a quick reminder: If you are a new freelance writer, or struggling to find good paying projects right now, you should check out The Confident Freelancer webinar (again, this is NOT an affiliate link). It’s only $79 (check out the link to see what you get) and tody is the last day to register – the webinar is tomorrow. Y’all have a fantastic weekend. 

How to Charge More than $10 Per Article, Part 3
Freelance Writing: Turning No Into Yes
4am Doesn't Suck
How to Make the Most of Google Alerts
Getting Started: The First Steps to Freelance Freedom

Get Your Freelance Writing Business on Track: Attend The Confident Freelancer Webinar

2011-03-23T08:34:00.003-04:00

Let me just say upfront that I am NOT an affiliate for this webinar, so if you choose to sign up I don’t make one red cent. I’m just passing along what I sincerely believe to be invaluable information for new and struggling freelance writers.

Lori Widmer and Devon Ellington are successful freelance writers who are combining forces to bring newbie and struggling freelance writers an informative webinar called The Confident Freelancer.

I’m pretty confident that the $79 cost of this webinar will be well worth the investment in your professional development - especially if you are serious about making a living as a freelance writer. Participants will receive a boat load of valuable information in the form of nine course forums where you’ll benefit from interactive Q&A sessions, connections and networking opportunities with other freelancers, and an ebook detailing all of the course information covered during the webinar.

Both Lori and Devon regularly share their expertise and advice on their respective blogs. I’ve learned a lot from these ladies. If you are just getting started and need direction, or if you’re stuck in your freelance writing business and have no idea how to break out of a low paying rut, consider attending this webinar March 26, 2011.

Is an Online Portfolio Of Business Writing Samples Necessary?

2011-03-21T11:26:00.001-04:00

I still belong to a couple of freelance writer email groups. They continue to be a good source of information. Recently a writer posted a question asking whether or not business writing samples need to be posted on a website. This is an issue I wrestled around with a lot when I first started freelancing. I’ve done both: I’ve posted samples for public viewing, but currently do not have an online portfolio for public viewing.

I have plenty of samples available, and when a client requires one I choose one that seems most appropriate and send it. Now I’ll be completely honest – the reason I no longer have samples on my website is because when I made cosmetic changes to my site last year I just never bothered posting them.

The writer’s question caused me to really consider whether not having writing samples on my site has affected my business. Actually it really doesn’t seem to have made much difference. Several other writers in the group seemed to agree saying that they only provide samples of previous work upon client request.

In the end I suppose it’s a matter of opinion. Do you think posting an online portfolio is necessary?

Tips for Working While Traveling

2011-03-17T20:24:00.005-04:00

Until we make the big move in June, I’ll be splitting my time between two states two weeks out of each month. The things I do for my mother (I sure hope my daughter is paying attention.).

I spent yesterday morning traveling and the rest of my afternoon working on client projects. I find that as long as I have a plan and work it, the transition each month goes pretty smoothly; my clients have no idea. However, this week I had to inform a couple of regular clients I handle weekly projects for that I would not be available Thursday and Friday in order to handle some personal business. The client got a little panicked. I assured him that I would have everything for the week completed before I left (after all I was already preparing for the trip). It took turning in the project early as promised to ease his concerns.

I find that it’s best not to worry my client’s pretty little heads unnecessarily; I don’t bother telling them when I travel. I figure as long as I’m completing projects and meeting their quality standards, it’s best. I do make a few adjustments while traveling to reduce the chances of problems cropping up unexpectedly.

I Bought a New Laptop

I now work exclusively from my laptop. I invested in a new laptop last month and passed my beloved, but slower, desktop on to my children. Working from two different computers could get a little confusing for me. I installed and transferred everything I need to my laptop to keep things simple.

I Started Using Google Docs

I was initially introduced to Google Docs three years ago by a client. At the time he kept me quite busy with projects. In order to keep things organized (we’d often work on two to three projects at once) he gave me a crash course in Google Docs.

Google Docs is a very flexible online tool. You can create documents as you would in Microsoft Word or Open Office, spreadsheets, create pdf formats and PowerPoint presentations.
It’s also great when you’re collaborating with clients and other contract workers like web developers. It’s easy to share documents with others.

My favorite feature is the database. I can store store all of my documents so that I can access them from any computer. It’s the epitome of doing business in the cloud.

I Work Ahead

I work on a couple of personal projects in addition to handling client work. I try to work ahead on regular projects like blogs as much as possible. I also try to plan deadlines with enough cushion to handle any unexpected surprises.

I Don’t Overdo It

I don’t schedule an excessive amount of deadlines while traveling. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible, so the majority of the work I do while out of town consists of research and writing. I seem to handle deadlines better on my own turf - or maybe it’s just the security I get from being in my own home office with all my files and resource material.

I Use a Cell Phone for Business

I don’t do a lot of business by phone, but there are certainly times when it’s necessary. Sometimes people call after coming across my website, or a past client will contact me to discuss a project. A cell phone is just easier for me to manage and it goes where I go.
Do you have any tips for working while traveling to share?

Don’t Give Away the Milk for Free

2011-03-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

I work with a lot of small businesses. Every now and then a start-up, or existing business that’s just starting to create a presence online, will contact me about my services. It’s been a tricky balancing act for me learning to give enough information to get them interested without giving away all the goods.

I used to talk too much. I’d get so excited about sharing what I knew. I was pretty much an open book for anyone looking to pick my brain for ideas.

Maybe you’ve experienced this too. Most client inquiries are legitimate, but every so often a client supposedly looking for help will consider you a free consultant. Don’t fall for it – the information and experience you’ve acquired is valuable. Give just enough information so that your clients understand the objectives and feel confident in your ability.

Have you ever had a client contact you just to pick your brain for information? How did you handle it?

I Got My Mojo Back!

2011-03-11T09:07:00.005-05:00

I have to say it’s been an exhilarating week for me. For the past couple of months I haven’t been very motivated about my business. I know motivation tends to ebb and flow so I just push through those “meh” times still confident in the fact that working for myself is the best decision for me, and soon enough something will spark my enthusiasm once again.

Sure enough that burst of energy I’ve been waiting for hit me out of nowhere this week. I’ve been raring to go – ready to tackle tasks I’ve been dreading and putting off for the past few weeks. Even my accountability partner could hear the change in my voice during our Monday morning call. “You really sound different – better than I’ve heard you sound in a long time!” she said. I’m taking advantage of the rejuvenation I’m feeling about my business to follow through on my goals for this month.

Another great thing about this week – I actually carved out time for blog reading. I came across quite a few gems I’m only too happy to share with you - enjoy and have a great weekend!

The Low Paying Rut
How to Use (and not Use) Twitter to Find Freelance Jobs
Make Money as a White Paper Writer
This Writer's Landing a Ton of Work Doing What So Many Companies Need
13 Mistakes No Freelance Writer Should Ever Make

Do You Regularly Invest in Continued Learning?

2011-03-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I attended a webinar. I paid to attend. Now this is a big deal for me because when was first starting out I was looking for the elusive blueprint to freelance success. Once I realized there was no such animal, that I needed to put for the effort to find clients and actually take on projects, I vowed to stop buying information products for a while.

My California-based biz accountability partner was just telling me about a webinar teaching email marketing tips for getting more business that she was planning to participate in. I use email marketing regularly to query businesses and have had a decent amount of success, so I automatically shrugged it off. But she emailed the link detailing what the webinar would be covering, and I realized that there may be a lot more for me to learn so I can improve my strategy. Turns out it was money well spent. I honestly learned a few things that I can put into practice immediately.

As a blogger and business writer, I‘m a big believer in continuing with professional development. It can help keep you stay sharp, reveal emerging trends, and can teach you something new. Ebooks, e-courses, webinars and teleseminars are an excellent source of online learning. I also own several business writing and marketing resource books I often refer to. You’ll also find local colleges, SCORE, SBA and other small business organizations provide in person training and continued learning opportunities.

How do you invest in your continued professional development?

Are You an Expert?

2011-03-07T08:51:00.004-05:00

Before I get started with this post, I must sincerely apologize for not posting for so long. RL has really been kicking my behind. I’m happy to report that I’ve been as busy as ever with clients and marketing for new business (although I could be more consistent…). However my father’s battle with cancer over the past year was a priority that required me to split my time between two states for the past six months. Blogging was one of the many things that unfortunately ended up falling by the wayside for a while. Unfortunately he lost his battle two weeks ago. He was one of the biggest supporters of my online business efforts, and I simply do not have the words to express how much I’ll miss him.

Prior to my father’s passing, I began getting to know some of the staff at the rehabilitative care facility where he stayed following his latest hospital release. One day a young lady and I were chatting about everyday job stress. She explained that she was interested in finding another career path because although she loved her job, she had a tendency to become attached to the patients.

Since the majority of patients in the facility’s care were elderly and suffering from degenerative conditions, losing patients was quite common, and it was beginning to take its toll.
She explained to me that she had some previous writing experience and might be interested in pursuing freelance writing as a part-time gig to get started and see where it goes. She had on big concern: “How do I get companies to consider me an expert?”

This is legitimate concern for those just starting out. Clients want to know about a writer’s experience before hiring, and new writers are trying to figure out how to get the experience. Companies are always looking for writers who are experts at blogging, SEO, technology, sales content, or topics related to legal, medical, insurance or financial industries, etc.

Although I had a background in journalism and advertising sales, and I frequently found myself asking that very same question when I began freelancing in 2007. The fact of the matter is in order for businesses and entrepreneurs to trust your ability to effectively get the job done, they must have confidence in your expertise.

So what makes a writer an expert? Knowledge of a specific subject or industry can give a writer expert status. Here are a few points to consider:

Commitment to Continued Learning

Experts in their chosen field know the importance of staying on top of industry trends. For example, a writer who is an expert in mobile phone technology will seek opportunities to stay abreast of emerging trends.

An Area of Specialization

Some writers are sought for their expertise in blogging, SEO content development, sales letters, resumes, video scripts, professional bios, ebooks, whitepapers, etc. They carve out a niche for themselves by learning all they can about a specific area of writing and target clients I need of their services.

An Understanding of Industry Jargon

An expert I a particular subject or industry will be comfortable understanding and using language shared by others in the same field. They understand how to communicate with industry experts and their target market effectively.

Authenticity that Speaks for Itself

As the old saying goes: “Experience speaks for itself.” They have hands-on experience in the subject or industry they target, and builds a reputation as a “go to” resource within their chosen field.

Attempting to pin down an exact formula for what makes a freelance writer an expert isn’t so easy since expert status is largely dependent on a client’s interpretation. I advise emerging freelancers to discover a need, find a way to learn as much as you can about your area of interest and target clients who need your services.

Winter Storm 2011 Survival and Blog Shout Outs

2011-01-14T09:12:00.003-05:00

I’ve officially been snowed in for five days now. Well, I guess today doesn’t technically count since the ice on the streets has finally melted enough to make it possible to venture out by car without being labeled a reckless idiot. Those of us in the southern states just aren’t cut out for wintry mixes.

The fact that the six members of my immediate family have been crammed together in this tiny house for 96 hours (and counting…) so far and no one’s gone all Jack Nicholson yet is truly a testament of our love and devotion to one another.

Working from home for myself is the best thing ever most days, but trying to work on client projects while five people with nothing better to do complain all day, constantly demand food and force me into the role of full-time referee has certainly been challenging. One definite upside to this ice storm – I’ve started catching up on some of my favorite blogs again. Grab some hot chocolate, coffee, tea, chai - whatever warms and relaxes you - and enjoy!

Writerly Misconceptions
What’s Your Plan for 2011?
Freelancing from the Client’s Perspective
The Freelancer Workout
The ABC’s of Freelance Writing
Why You’ll Never Write Like the Greats…and Why You Shouldn’t Want to

The Power of Good Customer Service

2010-12-06T09:14:00.005-05:00

This morning was unseasonably cold for an early December morning in the southeast. Although I work from home, I still had to brave the freezing temps to get my little ones off to school. I absolutely abhor the cold so when I noticed my neighborhood Krispy Kreme sign alight with promises of hot coffee and hot, freshly baked doughnuts, I could think of no place I’d rather be in that moment.

The drive through line was long, but I had my heart (and taste buds) set on enjoying a steaming cup of coffee with a hot, sugary, melt-in-my-mouth doughnut. When I finally got to the window, the young lady working the window was so pleasant and effervescent, it blew me away. She seemed genuinely happy making sure each drive through customer was happily satisfied and I left the window happy and completely impressed with her friendly service.

As I drove back home I got to wondering why I was so affected by something as simple as receiving good customer service. Isn’t that something I should automatically expect when I spend good money on a product or service? Maybe so, but the fact is that’s seldom what you get these days. The phrase “customer service is dead” gets tossed around a lot, but I’m happy to say that it’s not and hopefully will never completely die away. There are certain businesses I am completely loyal to simply because of the service I receive. I’ve been fortunate enough to have clients complement the service I provide saying that they've had experiences working with writers who do not prioritize friendly, reliable service (Really? In THIS economy??).

Customer service is one area of your business that allows you to tip the scales in your favor. Statistics reveal that repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers, so clearly building solid relationships with existing clients is essential. Businesses that ignore the customer’s need to feel appreciated pay in the end.

Do you place emphasis on customer service when working with your clients?

5 Ways to Prescreen Clients

2010-11-29T15:40:00.001-05:00

Inevitably every freelance writer comes to realize the importance of prescreening new clients to avoid winding up with nightmare projects. Prescreening can help separate the tire kickers from those clients who are seriously ready to get down to business. Early in my business, before I understood the importance of separating serious clients from bargain hunters, saving me frustration, headaches and precious time.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. Some of my best clients sat on projects from months while checking me out, asking lots of important questions and comparing my skills with other writers before deciding to use my services. I am respectful and kind to anyone inquiring about my services, but I’ve learned how to recognize serious inquiries from the “not-so-serious” ones.

Discussions begin with “We’re on a Budget”

Honestly I assume that anyone who approaches me to handle a project is working with a budget of some sort; but when a prospect starts the conversation explaining budget limits, or keeps bring up the budget subject in conversation, nine times out of 10 I’m dealing with someone looking to get something for nothing.

Reluctant to Provide Needed Information

It’s very simple really – in order to provide a client with a final project that meets his/her expectations, the client has to supply the writer with information. As cut and dry as this may sound, there are many businesses out there that don’t see it that way.

I was hired to work on a project for a local mid0size business this past summer. During my initial phone conversations with my contact I explained how I work and the information I would need in order to complete the project. In the end I was unable to get the information I needed so we parted ways amicably. Although he said supplying the information wouldn’t be a problem, I found myself sending several unanswered emails requesting this important information. In the end I removed myself from the project.

Frequently Pulls Disappearing Acts

Hopefully you’ve never had the displeasure of dealing with this client. He/she is eager to get started on the project, but as soon as things get rolling you can never get in touch with them. For example, they take two weeks with not attempt at contact to return your agreement, make the down payment, or respond to a simple question about the project.

Expects You to Drop Everything When They Call

I’ve only dealt with this type of client once and believe me when I say once was enough! This type of client acts as if his/her projects are more important than anyone else’s. My one time experience involved a client who called at all hours of the night, on weekends and demanded instantaneous responses to emails (and I’m very diligent about responding to emails throughout the day). Trust me it’s no worth working your last nerve.

Insists on Face-to Face Meetings or Phone Conferences

I’ve talked with other writers about in person meetings and many of them prefer them so this might just be my own personal pet peeve. But many times when I’ve met with clients that insist on face-to-face or phone meetings nothing comes of it. This is why I began charging for my time (when meeting in person).

I don’t experience problems as much with clients who like to discuss everything over the phone, although phone conversations can become time sucks if you don’t control the call.

What red flags you watch out for when prescreening new clients?

Freelancing While Traveling

2010-11-18T04:27:00.005-05:00

As I write this I’m preparing to make an unexpected trip out of town. I’ll be working on a couple of projects while I’m away which means advance preparation is essential to making sure this trip doesn’t negatively effect my bottom line. My lovely children broke my laptop this summer (thanks again, kids…), but a relative was kind enough to donate her older model. It will do nicely until I buy the one of my dreams - hopefully within a couple of months. My main objectives when working while traveling:

Accessing the Internet for emailing and online research
Mobility
Easy access to files via Mozy.com

Having Internet access through a laptop or smart phone has certainly made freelancing on the go easier; but there are still ways to maintain momentum and connectivity with online clients:

Give Them Fair Warning

I contacted all of my regular clients to let them know I’d be out of town and not as available via email as usual. Clients can then decide whether or not to hold off on sending projects until you return from traveling. You may want to set an alert on your email that informs anyone sending email while you’re away.

Maintain Your Online Connection

How can you do this without a laptop? Easy. Find a public library for free Internet access (you may have to wait in line or be subjected to time limits depending on the library and demand for computer time). Take advantage of your hotel’s business center, or visit an Internet café (prices vary). You can use either of these places to quickly check and respond to emails or send shout outs to friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Let It Go

I’m sure you know that you don’t have to slip work in to every trip out of town. Believe me – I only do so when it absolutely can’t be avoided which thankfully is quite rare. Don’t be afraid to disconnect temporarily from your clients and the online world and enjoy real life uninterrupted.

If You Need Help Marketing Your Freelance Writing Services Look No Further…

2010-11-12T19:53:00.002-05:00

I know this post is late, but I couldn’t just sit on it – I had to share! Anne Wayman and Carol Tice are two very successful freelance writers who are collaborating to provide a marketing class just for writers: 40 Ways to Market Your Writing.

These ladies really do know their stuff. The interactive webinar is scheduled for December 7 at 9 a.m PST and they have kindly set a very affordable rate of $19.99 until November 24, 2010 (after that the cost will be $24.99). Participants can also receive other great gifts including a discount on Carol Tice’s latest ebook, Make a Living Writing: The 21st Century Guide, so jump on it while you still can! Enjoy your weekend everyone. :~)

Are You Really Committed to Working for Yourself?

2010-11-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

I received a surprise phone call Saturday from someone who approached me six months ago for advice about getting started as a freelance writer. I haven’t heard from this person since six months ago when I gave her some very basic steps to take. Long story short: she not only refused to take action, but also argued with me about whether or not the steps were necessary. FYI: the steps she questioned involved specific directions that a client I’ve been working with for two years requires of all inquiring, new writers interested in writing for his business so it wasn’t like I was just making this stuff up.

I immediately recognized the situation for what it was, wished her well and went on my merry way. Six months later she’s calling again to tell me she never heard back from said client about the writing opportunity (hmm…) and was wondering whether or not I thought it might be too late for her to try contacting him again. I quickly reminded her once more of the client’s application requirements suggesting she try contacting him again, following his instructions, to see whether or not an opportunity still exists. Although she wasn’t as vocal about not wanting to put forth the effort to make that move, her hesitation spoke volumes. She’s not really committed to putting forth the time and effort it takes to be self-employed. I suspected as much.

One thing I’ve learned in my four years of freelancing – as much as clients want a cracker jack writer that can bang out perfect copy every time, they appreciate good writers committed to their business and the job at hand even more. I’m just going to say it: there are a lot of people who get sucked into the “idea” of what it is to be a freelance writer without considering the work it takes to build (and maintain) a steady client base and income. Nine times out of 10, those guys either never get around to starting or completely give up too soon. My message to anyone getting started or struggling to hang in there is to remain committed if self-employment as a freelance writer is really what you really want. Commit to consistently spreading the word about your services. Commit to continuing to learn all about your niche, the latest marketing trends and improving your grammar and writing skills. Commit to being professional at all times, meeting established deadlines as promised and over-delivering on projects. Anything worth doing involves some form of commitment.

Refocusing My Efforts

2010-11-01T21:56:00.003-04:00

It’s hard to believe that there are only about 60 days left in 2010. Where did the year go?? This year has been an especially challenging one for me. I’ve been dealing with my father’s battle with cancer, and then last month my family buried our very dearly beloved matriarch – my 96 year old grandmother. The pressures of my real life have done a lot to stir up my recent bout of burnout. Although I’ve been very busy marketing my services and catering to new and existing clients, I’ve been very distracted and sometimes have difficulty concentrating on certain tasks (leftover remnants of said burnout no doubt).

I’m recovering slowly but surely, but my down time has caused me to reassess my business. I do this at the end of the year anyway, but recently I’ve become clearer about certain changes I’d like to make regarding the services I provide – renovation if you will. My goal: to spend less time working, but earn a comfortable living. As the pieces to this puzzle come together, I’ll be sharing this journey with you. Some of the changes I’m considering will affect the way I market new services so I need to revamp my business plan and establish a strategy that will help me get from point A to point B.

How about you - are you sticking to your current business model or are you planning to make changes (adding or removing a service(s)) in 2011?

How to Avoid Burnout

2010-10-04T10:31:00.006-04:00

I’m slowly but surely recovering from a nasty case of burnout. Challenges in my real life are the true catalyst. Unfortunately the effects have spilled over into the business side of things affecting my productivity. Although I have managed to stay pretty busy with current client projects, and even acquire a few new ones, staying focused hasn't been so easy. Operating my business in the midst of personal challenges has resulted in my dropping the ball in other areas of what I do for a living (i.e. personal writing projects). This blog and my social media networking relationships have suffered as a result of these distractions.

Whether burnout is the result of an overwhelming work schedule filled to the brim with client projects, or trying desperately to balance real life, personal challenges with non-stop business obligations, the results end up being pretty much the same: you feel like you’ve reached your limit and can’t possibly do one more thing. Burnout affects productivity which of course affects your bottom line. Prevention is most definitely the best cure in this case:

Try Setting Regular Office Hours

Before I decided to set regular office hours and established a daily work schedule, I felt like I was practically tethered to my computer 24/7 and quickly began resenting working from home. It was my own fault – since I wasn’t regulating my time, I spent a lot of it socializing on forums, and surfing the net while working here and there – it only FELT like I was working around the clock. Not very productive at all.

Everyone is different of course; but what works for me is setting aside a certain amount of time each day that’s strictly for work and setting aside specific times during the day for things like participating in social networking/commenting on blogs/forums and updates with my accountability partner. Personal errands and personal phone calls/visits occur at the end of my designated work day. I’m very easily distracted so I need these parameters in order to get the most out of my day, and these limits help keep me from feeling overwhelmed and becoming burned out.

Take at least One Day Off a Week

I highly suggest taking at least two days off away from work each week, but I know that when you first start building a business, long hours come with the territory. Still, you need to take time to do something you enjoy that’s completely unrelated to your work. Balance will keep you sane and help you avoid burn out. It’s important to have something fun to look forward to when you work hard.

Variety is the Spice of Life

It’s cliché, but true. I enjoy working on various projects – everything from web content, ebooks, resumes, professional bios, magazine articles, print marketing material, etc. The variety keeps things interesting and it’s much easier to come up with fresh ideas.

Don’t Spend Time on Clients/Projects You Don’t Enjoy

Yes, I’m advocating turning down work. Every job won’t be right for you; some clients aren’t on the up and up; as you become more experienced, you’ll find that some clients will no longer be able to afford your services. When I first started freelancing I took any and every job offer that came my way. That wasn’t always a smart move and there have been quite a few instances when the shrewdest business move would have been to politely and confidently decline the offer. When you work for yourself, you have the freedom and the right to work on what you want and work with who you want. Don’t feel guilty about it – I’d say it’s a fair trade for the work you put into becoming profitable.

Who's Afraid of the Client?

2010-09-20T12:38:00.006-04:00

Last week I was contacted by a freelance writer who is just getting started. She’s been providing commercial writing services on a part-time basis for about six months now. Her problem: she’s extremely intimidated by the clients she works with. I can definitely relate.

About four years ago, when I first started freelancing, the idea that someone was willing to pay me and trust me to write for their business, let alone pay me well to do so, was unreal, terrifying, unbelievable and utterly exciting. Hammering out mutually agreeable terms and explaining my services in a way that made me sound like a professional, confident writer who knew what she was talking about was a challenge.

Fear of interacting directly with clients is what makes some writers choose writing for content mills over finding clients on their own. They want to avoid stress and uncertainty at all costs.

As I told the writer who emailed me, take a deep breath and fake it. Some people are able to project confidence right out of the gate; but the rest of us had to fake it for a while before it seeped in that we are in fact capable and qualified to do this thing and do it well. Hear are some of the most stressful freelancer client scenarios, and tips on how to deal:

Fear of Talking with the Client

In the beginning, just the idea of interacting with clients can intimidate some writers. The good news is that today’s technology makes it easier than ever to avoid direct communication via in person meetings and phone calls. Email, IM, Skype and texting allow you to get the information you need easily. Some writers never interact with clients directly. It’s certainly possible. In some cases, however, you will need to have some direct contact with a client at some point.

Solution: Write out your presentation – even if you’ll only be discussing it over the phone – so that you’ll be prepared. Preparation will increase your confidence. Also, attend networking events when you can. It’s a great opportunity to flex your in-person communication skills so that you become more comfortable expressing your thoughts and ideas verbally.

Fear of Pitching Your Ideas

Freelancing for newspapers and magazines helped me overcome this fear. I mainly do commercial writing so most of my assignments are to carry out the specific instructions of my clients. However, from time to time I am asked for my professional input and I feel that familiar stage fright slide into place. It’s a simple case of fearing rejection (nothing simple about that though…).

Solution: If you’re asked to pitch ideas for a client, preparation is key.
Learn as much as you can about the company, the client’s objectives, the market, competition, etc. This type of strategic preparation will help ease anxiety.

Fear of Negotiating Terms of Service

This was always a big one for me. I have clearly detailed terms of service. Every so often I’d come across a client that wanted to negotiate whether or not to pay a down payment, when to make the final payment, etc. I’m open to negotiation. Unfortunately, I allowed fear of losing a client to cause me to accept terms I wasn’t too crazy about on more than one occasion. Naturally it came back to bite me on the arse. I much prefer that all negotiations be mutually acceptable.

Solution: Don’t automatically become defensive when a client brooches the idea of negotiating certain terms. Try putting yourself in your client’s shoes to see if there is any merit to the request. For instance, is it an issue of trying to avoid internal politics? Are weekly in person meetings preferred over phone conferences because of upper management directions? Don’t be afraid to say no to negotiations. It’s business, so if you don’t benefit from the terms in the end, the project will end up being more trouble than it’s worth. Trust me.

Fear of Making Changes to the Project Schedule

Being able to meet deadlines is crucial to your success as a freelance writer. I’ve had more than one conversation with a client who declared they would rather work with an average writer that religiously meets deadlines and follows through on promises than the most talented commercial writer that consistently misses deadlines here and there. Time is money after all.

That said, sometimes life happens and anyone can suffer an unexpected setback. Most clients operate in the real world so they understand about rescheduling deadlines as long as you approach the situation professionally.

Solution: Let the client know about the situation right away. Don’t waste time hoping that everything will work out in the end. Be careful not to over apologize – confidently explain what happened and offer a solution. The goal is to maintain your client’s trust and confidence in you that the project will be completed.

Fear of Requesting More Research Information

Delivering a project that’s complete, meets the needs of your client’s target market depends on you getting the information you need. In some cases your client will need to provide information (e.g. past marketing materials, whitepapers, reports, statistical information, company bio, graphics, etc.). Most of the time you’ll get this information with no problems; but in some cases clients may not feel as urgent about getting you the information you need. The situation can become even more complicated if the client hires other contractors to work on the same project and you need

Solution: Compile a detailed list of all the information you need along with an explanation of how important getting the information you need is to the success of the project.

Good Bye Summertime...

2010-09-06T08:49:00.004-04:00

I haven’t spent much time online this summer for several reasons. I’ve been dealing with my father’s illness (he’s in another state), the month of August getting the kids back into school (if I have to fill out more stacks of school forms for all four kids this week I’ll scream!), and participating in the month of Ramadan praying, fasting and celebrating with family and friends. Honestly, it’s all I can do to keep up with client projects right now.

Hopefully, this month I’ll be getting back into the swing of things providing consistent blog postings, and setting aside some time each day for conversing with and becoming reacquainted with fellow writers on social sites like Twitter as well as some of my favorite, long neglected writer forums and blogs.

Yes, summer is officially over for me which means it’s time to ramp up the marketing to fill my work schedule with plenty of projects to carry me through the to the new year. Yes you heard right - I'm already thinking about my November/December work schedule. Now is the perfect time to think ahead to the holidays – after all there are only three more months left in 2010! Thankfully, work generally picks up for freelance writers after a summer lull during September, so now's the time to start planning your marketing strategy to keep busy through the end of the year now.

As usual, Yuwanda Black has generously provided helpful marketing resources; and since I’m not one to reinvent the wheel, I’m happy to share her Fall Marketing Tutorial. It covers a variety of solutions ranging from price negotiation to avoiding writer burn out (something I’m sooo intimately familiar with…) so be sure to check it out.

Know When to Stick to Your Guns

2010-08-30T10:43:00.002-04:00

Recently I made a big mistake with a new client. It’s one I used to make a lot when I first started freelancing and I’m sharing my experience hoping that you’ll be able to avoid making the same mistake with your own clients. I compromised one of my business policies even thought I knew in my gut I was making a mistake and of course I paid for it in the end.

It all started when a local company contacted me about doing some freelance writing for them. We spoke over the phone a couple of times, I sent them a proposal and a couple of weeks later they asked me to draw up a contract for the project. Things were going great until we started talking payment terms (big surprise).

My terms require full payment upfront for projects under a certain dollar amount, and a 50% down payment for projects over that rate plus scheduled payments thereafter depending on the duration of the project. Naturally that was going to be a problem for this client because they only invoice monthly. I’ve dealt with mid-size businesses that invoice monthly before and that wasn’t a problem per se. I told him that he could pay the down payment and I’d be happy to invoice the remaining balance at the end of the month. Another problem: since the company invoices monthly, they are unable to make an advance payment (Yes, it just kept getting better).

I honestly didn’t feel comfortable with the arrangement, but stupidly agreed to it anyway. The next day the situation still didn’t sit right with me so I discussed it with my accountability partner. She gave it to me straight with her most charming, lilting, Irish accent saying, “Oh, you shouldn’t have done that. You’ve worked in a corporate environment before. You know as well as I do that if a company needs to cut a check for something important they can do so the same day. You should not compromise your own policies so easily assuming that they wouldn’t want to do business with you." (The Irish are so wise)

I ended up getting paid, but it took much longer than the 30 days outlined in the signed agreement. In the past I’ve offered discounts and made special payment arrangements with returning customers; but it sets a bad precedence to dismiss your own policies too often, too easily or too soon. Policies are put in place for a reason – usually to protect you and your business, and anyone who’s hiring your services will respect that if you insist. Clients will test your resolve, but you don’t have to automatically give in, especially when it’s not in your best interest. That’s just business.

Jennifer Mattern approached a similar issue and discussed it on her blog recently. I agree with her stance on this topic and encourage you to check it out for yourself.

Finding a Freelance Writing Mentor

2010-08-16T10:06:00.002-04:00

I’ve been making a living as a freelance writer for four years now. It’s taken a lot of tenacity

If you’re just getting started as a freelance writer and your goal is to earn enough to cover your living expenses, consider finding an experienced writer to serve as your mentor. Finding someone who is already successfully doing what you aspire to do provides guidance, inspires you and pushes you to persevere - even during the inevitable tough times.

Here’s the thing though – most writers making a living doing what they do work hard at it. Time is a valuable commodity when working for yourself, and they don’t have time to waste. They are often approached by people asking advice about how to get started freelancing. The problem is the majority of inquiries are from people unwilling to consider all of the work freelance writing involves. Unfortunately many inquiring minds aren’t willing to expend enough energy to conduct to research to get an idea of how to get started. It can make these writers much less receptive to helping someone just getting started which is unfortunate because a mentor can cut the learning curve significantly.

You’re sure to come across helpful, experienced writers via freelance writer blogs, social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) and writer forums. These are great places to get to not only get valuable information that can help you kick off your business; it’s also an opportunity to get to know these writers on a more personal level while exchanging ideas and engaging in conversation. Another bonus: they get to see that you are serious about the business of freelancing so if you approach them for help they are more likely to oblige.

When you find someone willing to serve as your freelancing mentor, don’t blow the opportunity. Take advantage of their willingness to show you the ropes and show your appreciation of the time they are investing by doing the following:

Participate in the process - put forth some effort
Be willing to take action
Provide updates on your progress
Be committed

Summer Relaxation, Books and Link Love

2010-08-02T10:01:00.001-04:00

This summer my presence online interacting on my favorite writer’s blogs, Twitter, Facebook and forums has been pretty scarce. Not only have I managed to stay busy throughout the summer months (more so than last year), I’ve also spent a good deal of time worrying about a sick parent, keeping four kids busy during the imposed summer break, and most recently I’ve rediscovered my passion for books.

I spent the entire month of July reading books almost obsessively. There are so many I’ve missed over the past year that I find myself quite gluttonous with glee each time I discover a new title or author that captures my attention. It’s a diversion, a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle that is my reality. Hope you’re taking time out to relax and enjoy this summer as well. I’ll leave you with a few interesting blog entries from last week:

Why Writing is Sometimes Like Spaghetti Squash
Coping and Prioritizing Your Freelance Life
Why Having a Freelance Writing Business is Better Than Working
Twitter: Writers Use Twitter for Business Connections and Job Leads
Demand Media Strikes Back at PBS and Writers Everywhere-Yawn

Learning Something New

2010-07-26T10:06:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago a prospective client contacted me to find out if I had experience doing a certain type of writing I’d never tried before. Most writers have had this experience (or will) at one time or another. Your confidence in your writing ability will usually determine whether or not you decide to take on such an assignment. Is it dishonest to allude to the fact that you can handle a project you’ve never done before?

If it weren’t for pushing myself beyond the limiting force field of my comfort zone I would never have had the pleasure of taking on many of the writing projects I’ve received. I can remember the first time I was asked to create web content for someone’s website, blog posts, magazine/newspaper articles, sales letters, brochures, whitepapers, email marketing campaigns, resumes, etc. In some cases it never even occurred to me that I couldn’t write what my client needed. The confidence in my ability to give them what they wanted was automatic. But there have also been times where I’ve felt something along the lines of stage fright when asked to take on something that was completely new to me.

For me honestly is the best policy. If a client asks me about a project outside of the realm of work I’ve normally produced, I carefully assess the situation before agreeing to move forward. I’m trying to learn all that I can as a writer and the best way for me to learn something is to jump in and just do it. If a client asks whether or not I can handle it, I tell them “yes” with confidence and do the necessary research required to deliver what they expect.

Now, If they ask me whether or not I have actual experience doing a specific type of writing, I keep it honest. Depending on other factors (i.e. how much work is piled up on my desk or my own confidence in my abilities) I admit my inexperience in that area, but explain how I plan to approach the project in question to deliver the desired result. This usually provides both the client and myself with enough confidence to allow me to confidently explore a new writing opportunity.

I’ve learned that being open to accepting different writing projects has given me a much better sense of what I like and what I don’t like as far as writing projects go. I can put more effort into finding the kinds of projects I enjoy. This type of exploration has also revealed my writing strengths and weaknesses, giving me an opportunity to make improvements where necessary.

Have you ever agreed to take on writing projects you’ve never done before? How did it work out for you and your client?

Are Email Messages Enough???

2010-07-19T11:25:00.003-04:00

Last week another writer and I were discussing the legalities of client agreements. We are located in different states – she’s on the west coast and I’m in the south east – so I know that in some cases state laws take precedence. She asked how I handle client agreements and I explained that I usually email the agreement and have the client sign it and fax or email it back. My writer friend explained that after 12 years of working as a freelance copywriter, she had loosened the reigns a bit relying mainly on email correspondence instead of submitting a formal document each time (like I do).

I know quite a few writers who rely on email messages only to cement project agreements with clients because there is an obvious communication trail they can refer to if things ever get too hairy. But is it really enough from a legal standpoint? My writer friend and I spent a good 30 minutes chewing this over. I kind of like the way she handles her email correspondence: she pastes the full agreement into an email and asks the client to simply respond that they agree with the terms. But near the end of our conversation we were both wondering, would it be enough?

My friend contacted a lawyer who stated that it should be okay. The lawyer informed her that although using her email method for securing client agreements “should” be “fine,” there is the possibility that if things ever went to court my writer friend “might” have difficulty proving that the client understood what they were signing. Was this typical lawyer-speak meant to scare her into setting up an appointment for a more in-depth (e.g. PAID) consultation? I don’t know. Maybe. But my writer friend felt a lot more confident about handling her agreements by email after their conversation - especially since she has never had a situation in 12 years where suing a client for non-payment was an issue.

What do you think? Do you submit formal contracts that require a client’s signature, or do you simply rely on email correspondence?

Taking Back the Weekend

2010-07-05T09:58:00.001-04:00

I am coming off a much needed four day break from working. It just so happened to coincide with the Fourth of July Holiday even though I didn’t plan it that way. I just really needed some time to rest and recover.

Lately I’ve been allowing client work to invade my weekends (something I try never to do unless I’m working on my own personal projects). This is a dangerous precedent I can’t afford to establish if I value my free time and my health. I’ve visited blogs where other writers regularly discuss how they work seven full days a week. I can see how easy it might be to slip into that pattern if you’re not careful.

Stop being available on the weekends. I got sucked back into working weekends when I took on a very large ebook project and unthinkingly responded to a weekend email message which turned into a series of back and forth messages. From that moment on, my client assumed nothing in my life was more important than her ebook. To some degree I want my clients to feel that way, but within reason. It’s my job to establish professional boundaries. Even though flexibility allows me to work when I please, I’ve learn from past experience that making myself too available to some clients has backfired giving them the impression that all I do 24/7 is write web content, ebooks, sales letters, etc.

Pursue higher paying clients. This is a no brainer – it allows me to earn the income I need without feeling as if I need to work 10 hours a day seven days a week. This means putting forth time to search out clients who value your writing services and are therefore prepared to pay your rate.

Establish passive income sources. I’ve discussed my desire to establish a few passive income sources in addition to my freelance writing. It’s a part of the multiple streams of income I’m working to develop. Knowing that I still have the ability to earn money, even when I take time off. I’ve actually started a couple of side projects I’ll continue working on to build and monitor the residual income.

Hopefully these objectives will keep me from slipping into constant work mode so that I can go back to enjoying my much needed time off with my family.

Proposal Writing Basics

2010-06-28T10:18:00.004-04:00

Recently I’ve been talking with a potential client from a local mid-size business about providing some writing services. I’m learning that the process can be a long one. There are so many layers of approval required in order to get a contract signed and get started.

Early on this prospect requested that I send a proposal for the intended project. I’d drafted proposals before, but I wanted to make sure that I covered everything they would be looking for. A proposal for a corporation has to contain enough information to meet the requirements of each decision maker. After a little over two weeks of deliberation, the client contacted me to inform me that they wanted me to handle the on going project. Here is the very simple step-by-step process I followed:

Ask lots of questions. This is so important because you want to show in your proposal that you understand what the client needs. If there is anything you are unsure about, it’s best to ask as many questions as possible before drafting and submitting the proposal.

Summarize the project. This is important because it is basically revealing exactly what you are charging for. Take all of the information you have received from the prospect and write a summary detailing the project expectations. When you create the summary, it will help you clarify whether or not you have a clear understanding of what’s expected. Your client can review the summary and contact you if there is any information missing.

I’ve found that not having all of the necessary information for a project is what typically leads to frustration on both sides.

Provide a break down of how you plan to handle the project. Make a list of everything the client has requested as well as your standard work procedure. Be as thorough as possible. This information shows the prospect that you know what you’re doing and that you’re thorough.

Depending on the size or length of the project, you may need to divide the project into several phases, or milestones. You can request payment for each phase completed.

Establish a timeline. If you need to divide the project into phases, assign delivery and payment dates accordingly. If the client is looking to speed the process along, be as realistically as possible about what is expected. You should also be completely clear about what will be expected from the client in order to honor their rush request.

Estimating the time needed to complete a project can be difficult when you are first starting out a s a freelancer. Eventually estimating the time needed to complete projects becomes much easier, especially if you become a specialist.

Establish the rate. Keep in mind that all of the details provided in your proposal support the rate you charge. I calculate the time that will be spent working on the project with my hourly rate to provide a flat rate. Depending on the conversations you’ve had with the prospect about pricing, you can offer alternative rates. For instance, if the client is dealing with a limited budget, you can offer a more basic service (e.g. editing and proofreading website content instead of writing all new content) as a lower rate option. This can be a good strategy because it shows flexibility and a willingness to negotiate without actually having to lower your rates.

End with a call to action. Wrap up the project by letting the client know what will happen next if they decide to go forward. Let them know what they will need to do to get started including any upfront payments and how the payment and contract agreements should be sent.

Proofread and edit before you send. Your proposal should be proofread thoroughly so that it has no misspelled words or grammatical errors. Think of it as a representation of the service you plan to provide.

How's Your Freelance Writing Business Going?

2010-06-21T10:24:00.007-04:00

Recently someone in an email writer’s group I belong to posted a survey inquiring about how business was going for everyone these days. A couple of writers responded that they were busier than ever, while the majority of respondents reported that business was at an all time low.

These survey results could have easily scared an aspiring freelancer away from the prospect of going it alone; however, the survey asked some very specific questions to get to the heart of the matter of why some writer businesses are thriving while others are barely breathing. I have to say that those who responded where very honest.

Here are some of the questions that were asked:

1. How is your writing business going this year?
2. If you have set goals, how are you doing on them at this point in your business?
3. How do you feel about the future?
4. Will you stick with working freelance for the long haul? Will you stick with writing for the long haul?
5. What kind of supportive people or groups do you have around you?
6.What do you think you need to do next? (charge more, market more, sell more, network more, soul-search more)

Big surprise: most of the people who responded saying their business was essentially in the toilet admitted that they were (1) Not setting goals, (2) Not willing to stick with freelancing as a long-term choice (or preferred to use it as a side income “taking work as it comes”) and (3) were taking NO active steps to generate more business (marketing, networking, etc.).

Clearly the responses to this survey revealed that the problem is not a lack of available work, it’s more a lack of planning and putting action into finding those opportunities that are out there. Your ability to stick it out through the highs and lows, create a plan, follow it closely and put forth effort to network and promote your business is necessary. Otherwise how will clients know who you are and what you do?

I’m having the busiest summer I’ve had since I began freelancing full-time during the summer of 2007. Much of this is because I’ve been networking and marketing my services. I can always be doing better on the marketing end of things because I tend to slack off when things get too hectic. Although there is no magic freelance writing blueprint (everyone’s journey is different), but the previous bulleted list is a good place to start evaluating the way you run your business.

So I’m curious – how is your freelance writing business going so far this year?

Freelance Writing, Security & Freedom

2010-06-15T10:07:00.005-04:00

My husband and I have been seriously tossing around the idea of relocating our family from Georgia to Alabama this week. My father has not been well so I will be traveling to and fro all summer. A big relocating pro is the fact that I can easily do so without missing a beat since most of my business is conducted remotely. The cost of living is significantly cheaper, so living off my income for a while wouldn’t be a problem. It’s still just an idea being tossed around, but the idea is certainly growing on us all.

Funny, I noticed that the moment I stopped equating security with working full-time for someone else is when I found true security. When one of my children or a relative is sick and needs my help, I can be there for however long I need to and still take care of my family. Sometimes it requires a lot of schedule shifting, but it’s MY time.

I remember nine years ago when my 15 month old daughter had to be rushed to the hospital. As with most unexpected illnesses, there was no real way of telling when everything would get back to normal. I was so offended at the many hoops of office protocol I had to jump through just to be there for her. I couldn’t fully concentrate on being there for her because I had to remain mindful of checking in with my office manager every day in order to make sure I still had a job to return to when everything was over. I can’t imagine jumping through any those hoops now as I prepare to do what I can to help my parents and be there for my own immediate family. Thankfully it’s not necessary.

Someone sent me an email message today with an appropriate quote by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad: “If you choose security, you’ll never have freedom, but if you choose freedom, you’ll always have security.”

A Small Change Brings Unexpected Results

2010-06-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

On Monday I talked about my plans to port the content from this blog over to a self-hosted Wordpress site. I’ve been spending a lot of time getting to know Wordpress better because most (if not all) of my blogging clients use it. Although I hadn’t really expected it, I’ve found that it’s really growing on me.

This past weekend I decided to test out my very limited skills and redo my website (probably not the best idea since to use your website to experiment, but I’m known for making very spur of the moment decisions).

About a year ago, I hired a graphic designer to build a website for me using Wordpress. It was a very basic static site with a blog attached. I never got anyone commenting on the blog (to be fair, I didn’t really do much to promote it either). I was growing tired of the site's appearance, but after paying for summer school for four I couldn’t really afford to pay someone to do it over again right now, so I took a deep breath and just changed the whole thing myself.

Then a funny thing happened. I started getting comments on the blog posts even though I only had two (now three) posts up. Then yesterday, seemingly out of no where, a local mid-size company called me up saying they had found my blog doing a Google search and then set up an over-phone-meeting for today to discuss a possible three month trial project to start.

Considering my very rudimentary experience, I was surprised. I’ve been working on a couple of large ebook projects lately so I haven’t been marketing as much as I should (I know, bad girl!). Was it the change in my new site’s appearance or content? I don’t know. But it hammers home the importance of monitoring your marketing efforts so that you know what works and what doesn’t so that you can spend more time on methods that work.

Have you ever changed something about your business, or the way you promoted it, that resulted in an unexpected positive result?

A Change is Coming: Plans to Switch Over to Wordpress Soon

2010-06-07T08:47:00.005-04:00

I’ve been avoiding this decision for a very long time because just thinking about it makes me want to run and hide under the covers (and catch a quick nap), but I’ve finally decided to port the contents of this blog into a self-hosted Wordpress blogging platform. I imagine that it’s going to be a very tedious, and messy process.

The first time I dealt with this delima was when I first decided to blog a couple of years ago. I kept going back and forth between Blogger and Wordpress, and I’m not ashamed to say that the technophobe in me was intimidated by Wordpress, so I chose Blogger instead. I didn’t need yet another excuse to put off blogging, and I found the Blogger platform very easy to learn. I’d heard many expert bloggers refer to Wordpress as "the more professional option", but that’s not the reason for my decision.

I spent 10 weeks blogging over at ProfitableMommyBlogging.com. Those 10 weeks really forced me to get to know Wordpress better and I became much more comfortable using it, and you know what? I really do like it. The platform really is user friendly, and honestly, there's a plugin for just about everything. I won't bore you by discussing the SEO benefits.

TheBlogCoach.org and a couple of other interesting posts have been discussing the problem of Google deleting legitimate blogs as a result of an enthusiastic search to find and eliminate spam blogs. I’m honestly not too fearful that my blog will suddenly be deleted by the Google spam seeking bots. I don't want anyone else using Blogger to be uncessarily fearful of that either. That's not the point of this post. As usual I'm just passing along information that may be of interest.

I’ll continue blogging here, taking my time and aim to have this process completed by Fall. In the meanwhile, here are a couple of other posts on the topic you may find interesting:

The Blogger Status
WARNING: Reports of Legitimate Blogger/Blogspot Accounts Being Deleted Without Cause

A Message for Those in Search of a Blueprint to Freelance Writing Success

2010-06-02T10:57:00.005-04:00

There is no such thing. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s important that you realize that right away. Carson Brackney’s post goes into much more (and much better) detail than I’ll attempt to here because I’m not one to reinvent the wheel. If someone out there is doing it or saying it already, I’ll always point you in that direction. The intention of this blog, after all is to provide information that’s helpful as you build your writing business. I’m like you, working hard, building a business and sharing my personal experiences as I go.

One reason Carson’s post resonated so deeply is because I spent my first year as a freelance writer searching for that elusive blueprint – I hoped to find step-by-step instruction about how to put this thing together and make it work. I felt as if I kind of fell into it after getting my first couple of clients so quickly, and I worried my dumb luck could run out at any time.

Have you ever bought anything like oh, say a bunk bed from Ikea, and attempted to put it together with their sorry excuse for instructions? Well, that’s kind of how building a writing business was for me in the beginning. I had all the right parts and tools, but as far as instructions go I eventually came to realizeI'd have to put forth the effort to figure out how everything fit and operated.

I bought a lot of information products that were sold with big promises of unlocking the secrets of successful freelancing. Let me tell you, the Internet is completely saturated with “How to Earn a Living Freelance Writing” books and courses. Most of the information I got was very general information that’s constantly regurgitated on the Internet (although there were a couple of ebooks that I did actually find helpful when I was first starting out). I don't recommend that you go that route.

It's okay to keep right on listening to advice from the best writers out there – I recommend that you continue doing so because they do drop valuable nuggets of information. Apply the good stuff. Just keep in mind that they are not providing you with a blueprint that guarantees success.

Carson’s absolutely right when he says that at some point you have to shut out the virtual noise and figure out: 1) who YOU are as a writer; and I’ll add: 2) Know your customer. Know exactly who needs what you do and learn everything about that customer and the industry from the inside out. Find out what some of the issues are that they encounter and figure out how you can provide solutions. Make sure your message is intensely focused and speaks one-on-one with that customer – don’t try to be all things to everyone. (this is what I think Carson means when he talks about successful writers who “know the terrain”).

By all means, DON'T GIVE UP. Stick with it and when something fails to turn up the results you want, move on to another strategy. Build the business that works for YOU. You’ll find that doing things your way is much more satisfying.

Knowing When to Walk Away

2010-05-31T13:13:00.001-04:00

In my four years of relying on freelancing to earn a living, I’ve learned a lesson that ranks right up there with the importance of consistent marketing – you have to know when to walk away.

One of the biggest surprises of my freelancing career was learning that every client that comes your way is not necessarily a good fit. I so wanted to believe otherwise, and as a result I’ve been burned. Badly. I’ve posted entries detailing warning signs that you’re entering into a bad client situation, and I hope the information helps. But in my personal experience, time has been the best teacher. By now I’ve gotten myself caught up in enough nerve wracking situations that now when I get a certain feeling, I know it’s better to cut my losses and just walk away. The money is rarely ever worth the trouble.

I had an experience just this past weekend. I’d been communicating with a prospective client for a couple of weeks. The client contacted me last week to say that she was interested in having me write a 50+ page report for her company, but they were still deliberating between me and another writer. No biggie. I thanked them for their consideration and offered to provide additional information if necessary.

On Saturday morning I woke to find an email from the prospect. She had decided to go with me, even though the other writer had more experience and provided them with more examples of his work (I sent over one ebook sample I’d written and distributed to several of my clients a year ago). I responded by thanking her for offering me the project, and explained that I would be contacting her on Tuesday to discuss the details.

Thirty minutes later I received another message. This one explained how frustrated the company was because the other writer refused to answer one of the questions they posed, and although he provided more samples than I did (again this was mentioned), including one written on the topic they needed, this worried them a great deal.

An hour later I received two more messages; the first message continued on about the other writer avoiding their questions, and last one stated that if I lived up to their expectations I could expect more work in the pipeline. Just so you know I had already laced up my running shoes by the time I’d received that second email.

Clearly this client was still unsure about the choice she was making, and her constant need for reassurance indicated that I would be completely and utterly at her beck and call at all hours if I took this job. I don’t work well that way, I’m more of a “works well with minimal supervision” kind of girl. The money was good, but I can only imagine what I would have endured if I’d accepted.

I sent a brief message sincerely thanking her for the offer and declined the project. I explained that I’m unable to send her copies of ebooks and reports I’ve ghostwritten for other clients because of disclosure agreements – that’s why I only sent copies of documents I’d published on my own for distribution, after all she only needed a sample of my writing style.

There are several reasons you may find yourself having to walk away – money issues, a disrespectful client, a client who really doesn’t know what he wants, a controlling client. We all come face to face with these situations eventually. Trust me, walking away with your sanity intact is the best decision.

Summer Vacation: T Minus Three Days and Counting...

2010-05-25T12:23:00.003-04:00

I am riding out the final stretch before summer vacation kicks in. I’ve got plenty to do to prepare for the big change in my working schedule for the next two weeks until summer camp (day camp) rolls around to save the day. The Boy Scouts (and quite possibly the Girl Scouts) are known for their saying “always be prepared.” Well, last year I was anything but and my writing income dropped considerably as a result. Writing, marketing and keeping four kids under the age of nine entertained was a struggle. Big lesson learned.

This summer presents its own unique challenges which include traveling hither and thither periodically, but I’m feeling more confident this year since I'm armed with a plan. How are you planning to balance business and kids this summer?

Avoiding Deadbeat Clients

2010-05-19T13:09:00.003-04:00

I’ve been fortunate that I’ve only had one client to not pay after hiring me for a project. I was just starting out (this was my second online client), and I found the gig on a very well respected job board (I don’t blame the job board – there’s only so much screening they can do so they expect us writers to use our own common sense too). The pay was pretty good and I found the topics interesting enough.

I did everything right, I Googled the company and the websites they were seeking content for. Still, something was smelling a bit fishy for some reason so I only opted to write two short articles for their weddings ezine rather than be greedy (like I wanted to) and take on more. I submitted my articles to the client by the established deadline and followed her invoicing directions. A week later I’d heard nothing. A few more days passed. Still nothing. Finally, I just chalked it up to the game and moved on to better, more respectable clients.

About a month later the job board that listed the dud gig posted an apology to its readers saying several writers had gotten burned by the same non-paying client. Unfortunately some writers were out hundreds of dollars and desperate for answers. We never did recoup our money, and that was my first lesson revealing the dark side of freelancing.

Since then I’ve been doing a much better job of prequalifying clients before working with them. The majority of my clients are very professional and have also been good enough not to create circumstances that cause me to have to chase down my money. Since not all clients are created equal, here are a few tips to heed for BEFORE getting mixed up with a deadbeat client:

Always get an agreement – or use your own. I just won’t do business without a written agreement. That means different things to different people. Some are okay with email correspondence; while others prefer a formal document that clearly spells out the terms of service (you could do this through email too).

Investigate first. Check them out. Google the company or individual (use quotation marks) to find out more information and to see what’s being said about them. Do they have a prominent web presence? Visit their website/blog (although be warned - anyone can throw up and website or blog and declare themselves in business).

Make sure you understand what’s required to complete the project. I once experienced a big time headache with a client all because I thought I understood what they wanted, but didn’t. We were just not on the same page, and in the end the time I spent on the project was not worth the rate charged.

I’ve since learned my lesson and now send a questionnaire to clients that have trouble communicating their ideas (or I collect the information by phone if they’re really pressed for time).

Make sure you’re fairly compensated. If you’re dealing with a client offering impossible rates or turn around expectations, speak up and be sure to explain why you need more time or money, to produce a high-quality final product (e.g. need more time to research the market and target audience). You may just end up with much better terms.

Friday Mentionables

2010-05-14T17:07:00.003-04:00

This has been a rough week for me (my own doing, I know). I’m looking forward to completing my client’s project and getting back to my normal work flow next week. Heck, I’m even thinking of taking a day off (I sure need it!).

In the meantime, I enjoyed sneaking away from my work pile to read some really great posts last week. I’ll share them with you now. Enjoy – and have a fabulous weekend!

Blogging for Business, Part 1: Finding Clients and Setting Rates

Valuing My Freelance Worth

10 Things I’ve Learned While Freelancing

Writerly Tip: Know the Signs

Writing and My Way

Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Time Projects Correctly

2010-05-12T06:55:00.004-04:00

Last week after much negotiation, I landed a new client needing help with an extensive ebook project that really interests me. I’ve been doing the preliminary research in preparation for all of the writing required, which is a lot. The problem is I didn’t give myself a large enough window of time to comfortably complete it.

Figuring out how long it will take to complete a project was a big problem when I first started freelancing. I pulled quite a few all nighters as a result. It doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to, but on the rare occasion that I do take on a project and misjudge the amount of time it will take me to complete it without yanking every last strand of hair from my scalp, I find myself feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I know that I CAN complete this client’s project within the amount of time I’ve allotted, but I so hate that rushed feeling.

As you may have heard me mention before, I have an accountability partner, another writer who lives/works in Santa Barbara, California I speak with each morning to discuss our daily objectives. She once mentioned to me that she is not a fast turnaround writer. She tells all clients that their projects will typically be completed within 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer depending on the project) which gives her enough cushion to work at her own pace. Anything requiring immediate attention gets charged an appropriate rush fee (she considers anything due within one week a rush job).

Whenever clients contact her with crazy turn around expectations, she quickly lets them know she doesn’t work that way and thinks nothing of turning down the work because it’s not worth the stress. And yet she always has projects in the pipeline because she continuously networks and markets her business.

I’ve noticed that many web writing clients expect a quick turn around. Maybe it’s directly related to the nature of the web – instant gratification? I’m not sure.

In the meantime, I’ve carefully mapped out the time I’ll spend researching, writing, proofreading and editing this project so that I meet the established deadline. Personal projects will have to be placed on the backburner (which really makes me want to kick myself), because I have other client projects that will also require my attention during this time. Has anyone out there figured out a full-proof method of determining out how long a project will take to complete?

I'm Still Here!

2010-05-07T09:06:00.004-04:00

This past week had to be of my most challenging since I started freelancing. My plate has been overflowing with writing projects (that’s the good part) thanks to putting my nose to the grindstone and marketing my you-know-what off. I’m also trying to stay on top of my personal writing projects, make arrangements for my four kids to stay busy and productive this summer (school will be out in just 3 weeks! UGH!). Add to that an unexpected illness and suddenly having to shuffle my work schedule completely around to attend the funeral of a very dear loved one, help host traveling family members and meet client deadlines - I wound up completely exhausted, frazzled and wishing I could get three days of bereavement time off to pull it all back together.

But the show must go on. In hindsight I’m sure I could have delayed a couple of deadlines without much trouble. Thankfully it all worked out and everything’s returned to “normal.”

This summer I’ll be traveling periodically, so I’m in the market for a new laptop that will allow me to keep working without missing a beat. I’ll be looking to expert traveling writers like Yuwanda Black and Jennifer Williamson for much needed survival tips. When I tell friends and family that I’ll be spending some of my travel time working, they think I’m crazy. I have to gently remind them that this is how I pay the bills. Besides, I actually LOVE what I do so if it’s wrong I don’t wanna be right! :)

A Freelance Writing List of Job Boards

2010-04-21T07:51:00.004-04:00

I’ve been so busy for the past two months that I’ve pretty much neglected this blog. My plans were to finish up a couple long-term, time consuming client and personal projects so I could get back to my regular posting routine by May. Fortunately I received an email from a reader that prompted me to post today. This reader is just getting started and asked if I would share a list of job boards to get her started. I thought it might be a good idea to post it for others as well.

I know some writers don’t think much of job boards today because all too frequently there seems to be an increasing number of ridiculous offers being posted; but I don’t count them out completely. From time to time I keep the faith and visit them from time to time because amid all of the junk you’ll still find a gem or two. Here is a list of the job boards I visit. If you know of any others not mentioned in this list, please feel free to share.

Freelance Writing Gigs – Updated daily and there lots of great freelance writing articles and resources too.
Problogger – An up to date list of blogging jobs
Freelance Switch – if you go to the jobs feeds page you can choose the writing category and subscribe via email so that it comes straight to your in box
Media Bistro – There are some freelance jobs listed on this website and you can also create an account in the freelance marketplace section.
Poe War – Follow this blog and the homepage too as this seems to have some posts relating to freelance writing jobs too.
Sunoasis Jobs – you can also subscribe to get live updates via Twitter.
Telecommuting Jobs – This is the link for the writing jobs category.
Writer Find
Online Writing Jobs
About Freelance Writing – Daily blog listing of jobs.
Morning Coffee – Have this delivered to your in box as a reminder to check for jobs each day.
All Freelance Writing
Craigslist – choose your country, choose your area and then choose writing and editing on the jobs tab.

Is There a Negative Stigma Attached to being a WAHM?

2010-04-12T07:06:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I wrote a blog post for ProfitableMommyBlogging.com asking whether or not labeling yourself as a WAHM (work at home mom) is a bad thing. It was my response to a guest video blog post by Scott Stratten (@unmarketing on Twitter) that appeared on JessicaKnows.com last year.

I must say, Scott is a very brave man to take on a topic as touchy as WAHMs and business identity. Scott (a WAHD) explained in his post that there’s nothing wrong with being a WAHM, but it’s not a good idea to promote yourself as one to every market. If you’re mostly marketing to other WAHMs that’s one thing. That can actually be a strategy that seals your connection to other WAHMs. But you might run into problems marketing yourself that way to other markets. Some businesses seem to have preconceived notions of WAHMs, the biggest being that their project comes second to a WAHMs children and home responsibilities. I imagine that’s the case for any working professional with a family, but I digress…

I’ve always been aware of the negative labels some clients attach to WAHMs. My first negative experience came about three years ago while lurking around the writer’s forum at WAHM.com. Someone over at Warrior Forum released a report for Internet Marketers detailing how to get quality articles written for as low as $2 each from moms "looking to make a little money" over at WAHM.com. As you can imagine that report sold like hot cakes, and then big surprise - the forum was all of a sudden flooded with brand new clients seeking writers for $2 and $3 article jobs.

Long story short, the forum blazed with biting comments and hurled insults to those poor, innocent souls who’d come looking for the guaranteed, cheap WAHM labor mentioned in that report. Writers themselves even got caught up in the melee.

The writers who had blasted the Internet marketers were even more incensed with the writers who responded to the offers. Then of course the writers accepting the $2 and $3 article jobs became defensive saying it was their right to accept the work if they needed it. It went on like that for a couple of weeks until I think the Internet marketers decided that the cheap labor wasn’t worth all the trouble they’d have to endure on that forum to get it.

Situations like that are what made me shy away from the WAHM association when I first started freelancing. I did so because I needed to be taken seriously because I was seriously trying to make a living as a writer. My website includes no personal information, only information about my professional writing services and my professional credentials (I don’t discuss being married or the fact that my twins each lost a front tooth during the exact same week on my “About Us” page).

Just because I happen to have kids and work from a desk in my living room doesn’t mean that I won’t consider a client’s project top priority and deliver as expected. I happen to think my being a mom is irrelevant to my business identity. I know lots of other WAHMs with similar professional ethics. At the same time I am a WAHM and make no apology about it.

Scott's video clarified that it’s not at all about shunning the WAHM label; it’s understanding when it is, and isn’t, appropriate to market yourself that way. After all the whole point of marketing is to appeal to your target market. What are your thoughts?

Catching Up is Hard to Do

2010-04-05T11:50:00.002-04:00

There’s so much going on right now just thinking about it all makes my head spin. Today is the first day of Spring Break which for me means figuring out how to arrange my work schedule to accommodate my kids’ vacation schedule. Lucky for me I can set my own schedule.

I started planning for this last week to keep from feeling completely caught off guard. So between trips to the Children’s Museum, park and movies, I’ll still be working on client and personal projects. I don’t fool myself into thinking that I can continue on with my normal schedule this week. This realization alone will save me from a massive headache. I’ll be working later in the evenings.

On another note, I’ve been touching base with my accountability partner by phone five days a week for the past month now, and I must say this is one of the best business moves I’ve ever made. Since I know that when we speak she’ll be asking me whether or not I've accomplished the goals I set the day before, I’m much more conscious of my productivity during the day. I also make a list each night before closing up shop to remain focused. This might not work for everyone, but it sure works for me. The fact that she’s been a copywriter for well over 10 years and used to be a business coach certainly is an added benefit.

I've also noticed that I’m much busier this year than I was the same time last year. My income has increased substantially despite the fact that I ended a couple of steady lower-paying client relationships and even turned down a few projects. Call me crazy, but I think doing so made way for me to be available for better opportunities.

All in all, I’m grateful to be busy with client projects, and looking forward to getting caught up around here. How’s business going for you as we move into the second quarter of 2010?

TGIF Link Love

2010-03-26T10:00:00.002-04:00

I’m so happy that Friday is finally here. It really shouldn’t matter since I will be working on a couple of personal project deadlines at some point this weekend, but at least I get a break from the exhausting weekday hustle and bustle of meeting client deadlines, driving the kids to and from school, helping them finish up homework before bedtime, etc. I’m looking forward to some much needed relaxation.

As always, I came across some great posts this week that I’d love to share. Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

The Bobby McFerrin Plan for Creating a Remarkable Business
My Love Affair with Elance
Why Your Blog Needs a Niche
Jack Crabb and Revisiting the Great Freelance Writing Divide
Open Thread: What Do Bloggers Owe Readers?

Blaze Your Own Trail

2010-03-22T10:46:00.003-04:00

I’m not too proud to admit that when I was getting my freelancing business off the ground I didn’t really know what I was doing. I realized that I needed to do something; take some actual action steps; but I had no real direction or concept of where this whole writing thing would take me.

One of the worst mistakes I made early on was trying to emulate other writers who were having success. I’d look to them for ideas and direction on how to set up and run my own business, from my website to my marketing message.

Inspiration is one thing, but what works for one person is not necessarily the best thing for you. Even if you both offer similar services. In fact, it’s much more important that you learn how to stand out from the crowd and show potential clients the unique benefits of contracting your services.

They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Well, maybe there’s some truth to that, but it won’t do you a lot of good if you don’t know what makes you as a writer and the services you provide special. How will you effectively market that message to prospects if even you don’t know what you offer?

I’m fortunate to have many working writers to look toward when I need an inspiration or motivation boost. But I don’t want to come off as a carbon copy or poor imitation of someone else. I’d rather carve out my own success built on a steady foundation of my own hard work and individuality.

The Truth About Earning More as a Freelance Writer

2010-03-19T23:42:00.003-04:00

Last year I decided I wanted to make more money so I did something drastic. I decided to let most (if not all) of my lower paying clients go. I was spending a lot of time on these projects and I needed to make more, so I decided to invest more time prospecting for better pay. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make, but it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

The natural tendency of many writers just starting out is to take a “bird in the hand beats two in the bush” approach to building a list of clients. In many cases work may be steady and abundant, but the rates are too low. As a result, you spend more time working just to make ends meet. This can quickly lead to low quality, mistakes and burnout.

As tempting as it was to keep working as usual for steady pay, I needed to take steps toward my income goal. That meant scaling back so that I’d have more time and energy to put into finding better opportunities. I don’t live above my means, so although things were a little tight for a short while, I rode it out. I think the sacrifice was worth it.

Yesterday I came across a blog post written by Yuwanda Black addressing an email she’d received from a writer seeking advice to help her break free of low-paying work. Yuwanda’s answer:

“To break free of low-paying gigs and start making more money as a writer is simple – stop accepting low-paying gigs and start charging more for your services. “I know, I know,” you’re probably thinking, “It’s not that easy; I still have to pay my bills and those low-paying gigs are what’s doing it right now…My response is, sacrifice short-term in order to gain long-term.”

This is exactly what emerging freelancers need to hear. If you’re looking to make a change in your business – whether it’s to earn more money, create information products for sale, write a novel, etc. – you may need to make some sacrifices in order to reach your goal.

Is Success Possible When Your Business is Completely Virtual?

2010-03-17T15:15:00.002-04:00

The other day I was talking with a fellow copywriter about how she approaches networking, client projects and marketing in general. She lives in Santa Barbara and regularly makes an hour and a half commute to meet with clients and attend networking events. She mentioned that a writer friend on the East Coast conducts all business by email which is why my West Coast writer friend thinks her business is struggling.

But I don’t necessarily agree. I’m going to piggyback a bit off Lori Widmer’s post where she asks whether or not in-person client meetings are really necessary. While the West Coast copywriter says that in-person meetings and local networking events have been keys to her success, I have also encountered other copywriters/freelance writers operating strictly online who are doing pretty well for themselves.

For instance, Devon Ellington has stated that she only deals with clients by email because all instructions and expectations are clear and in writing. And when James Chartrand of Men with Pens revealed she was in fact a female, she stated that she was able to keep her identity a secret because she only conducted business by email and never spoke with clients by phone.

I do find that phone calls can become time sucks if you don’t remain in control of the conversation, but there are times I feel the need to speak directly with a client to get clarification. Some clients don’t communicate well in writing which is the reason they need a writer. I schedule all phone calls in advance.

Meeting clients in person when nothing solid is in the works just doesn’t work for me right now since I take care of a three year old all day. But if the offer is tempting enough, and the prospect is willing to pay me for the consultation, I won’t say no. I can find a sitter. Thankfully the Internet gives writers more options to set up a business model that meets specific, individual needs.

Increasing the Value of Your Freelance Writing Services

2010-03-15T09:29:00.001-04:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about Jennifer Chiat’s post over at FreelanceWritingJobs.com. She posted an interested article about how professional blogging jobs are changing.

According to Jennifer, more and more blogging clients are asking writers to expand their services. For example, a blogging client you once sent X number of blog posts to each month may start asking you to find images for each post, or to use some form of social bookmarking or social media to promote those posts.

This doesn’t have to be another case of scope creep. It could actually turn out to be a good opportunity if you handle things right from the start.

Searching for images, sending out messages about the latest blog post on Twitter or Facebook all take time and you should always be compensated for your time. If you find that you’re receiving more of these requests, you might consider this a springboard to increasing the value of your blogging services. Reach beyond simply supplying written posts and repackage your blogging service to include images, social bookmarking, social media, commenting on a predetermined list of related blogs, etc. and increase your rate accordingly.

Many clients will appreciate the fact that they can rely on you to deliver much more. If a client asks why your rates have increased, take time to educate him about the value of the upgraded service.

Have you repackaged and repriced any of your services to increase value? How have your clients responded?

Finding Online Support

2010-03-08T09:44:00.005-05:00

I learned the details about how to begin freelancing for living three years ago when I accidentally wondered into a writer’s forum. Although I was already writing for a couple of niche publications part-time, I’d always wondered how people were able to carve out a full-time living freelancing. Reading through past threads and engaging in topic discussions provided me with enough information to go for it myself.

Writers forums can be full of valuable information. New writers can seriously spend hours digging through older posts and find the answers to many of their questions about how to get started.

Writers forums are also a great way to network with writers of varying experience. You can get advice/business tips, get a heads up on community news, get feedback about an idea you’re considering or just enjoy some online socializing.

Freelancing, like any other business has its ups and downs. One day you’re on top of the world, flooded with assignments, and the next day you’re wondering whether or not you can really make this thing happen. Forums are filled with people in your shoes. They know what it’s like and can provide a unique, meaningful support and camaraderie.

One thing I like about forums is that you can find groups that cater to specific communities (e.g. fiction writers, freelancing moms, Christian writers, etc.). I’ve made a short list of forums I’ve had good experiences with.

WAHMS.com

Mediabistro.com

AbsoluteWrite.com

WritersWeekly.com

If you personally know of a forum not listed in today’s post, please share.

Blogosphere Shout Outs

2010-03-05T08:15:00.002-05:00

It's been crazy around here all week. New clients, new projects, dragging four kids to the dentist in one day - yeah, that kind of crazy.

Fortunately, there have been a lot of great blog posts written this week that I'm more than happy to share. Hope you enjoy my Friday favs and have a great weekend.

March 2010 Challenge: Get Off Your Butt!
Fridays, Dark Clouds, and Weekend Redemptions
Taking the "Free" Out of Freelance
Nine Time Management Tips for Busy Writers
Everything You Need to Know about LinkedIn
10 Greatest Writers Who Became Famous After Death

Elements of Business Agreement

2010-03-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday during a routine check-in with my accountability partner, the subject turned to contract agreements and what should be included. Whenever I visit another writer’s blog or a forum where the topic of discussion is contract agreements, I sit up and listen. It’s conversations like these that have helped me plug the leaky areas of my own agreement.

I use a formal agreement every time I take on an assignment, whereas another writer might be comfortable with casual email quotes. The reason I rely on a more formal agreement is to avoid unnecessary “unpleasantness.” These are just a few topics worth including:

Clearly state the start and end date

Don’t just establish the deadline/due date for the project. Sometimes clients don’t deliver project details until later than expected. If you’ve already lock into a deadline you could find yourself in a time crunch.

Establish Your Payment terms

Do you require a deposit to begin work? Will clients paying less that $X be required to pay for projects upfront in full? What form of payment do you accept? These are all important questions that need to be answered in your agreement.

You may also consider including clauses covering returned check fees (if you accept checks), how quickly the balance should be paid once the final project is submitted, and late payment fees.

Revisions Requests

They happen. Some writers offer their clients unlimited revisions until they say when. I really believe the majority of clients just want their projects done as specified and aren’t out to abuse unlimited revision policies. Still, I vote for capping the number of complementary revisions a clients receives. I’m willing to do more than two if necessary for an hourly fee. I’ve found that the key to reducing the number of revision requests lies in gathering all of the information you need for the project upfront.

I email a brief to my clients that gets to the heart of the project’s objective, target audience, etc. If a client prefers not to complete the form, we discuss it by phone instead. Taking time to do this saves me and my clients valuable time in the long run.

I also recommend stating the different between and a revision and a rewrite if you can.

Material Rights

You’ll definitely want to spell out what rights your client has to any materials you create. I also advise including a clause that states all rights to the materials you create belong to you until the final payment is received.

A Marketing Nudge If You Need It

2010-02-26T11:16:00.002-05:00

Because I sure could use one right now. I’ve been so busy this month that my marketing efforts kind of fell to the wayside. I promised myself this year that as soon as I saw that happening I would immediately acknowledge it and execute a plan to correct it.

Marketing is the cornerstone of any successful business and freelancing is no exception. Without it you will experience dry spells in business more often. Making marketing a priority means you increase your chances of having a steady flow of clients throughout the year.

Take a good look at your business and your marketing efforts, and ask yourself a few important questions:

Do you have a marketing plan?

I’ll be honest and let you know that I didn’t for my first year as a freelancer. I was busy, busy, busy from August 2007 through April 2008. Then came the lull. I was not expecting the number of projects I’d been receiving to slow down like that. Had I done my research I would have known that the summer months and holidays are typically slower times for freelancers. I could have planned for it by ramping up my marketing efforts during specific times.

Some freelancers get by okay without writing things down. I say go with what you know if it works. I work well by creating lists and writing things down. I write out a marketing plan to help me reach my short-term and long-term goals. I review it often to stay on track.

Mix it up

I used to rely on one or two marketing methods to get the word out about my services. My marketing plan this year includes a couple of new ideas. The main thing is to make sure that the method you choose will be interesting and assessable to your target audience. You can try blogging, article marketing, guest posting on popular blogs, posting at forums, social media, brochures, post cards, public speaking, etc.

The thing I love about working virtually is that you can market your services on a shoestring budget and still get incredible results.

Track your results

This is important. You need to figure out a way to track the results of each method to determine what works and which ones are a complete waste of time. Time is money when you’re a freelance writer.

Is Freelancing for You?

2010-02-24T09:35:00.002-05:00

To me this title is asking a basic question I’d imagine anyone would consider before just up and deciding that freelancing will become their primary source of income. From time to time I receive emails and inquiries from people in my “real life” asking me for more detailed advice about how to get started. I find that in most cases the inquirer is serious and ready to get in there – they just need to know what to expect or how to handle a specific situation. I’m more than happy to help. But sometimes people looking for an easy money solution approach me wanting to know how to become a freelance writer.

Two weeks ago I met a young lady who, after finding out what I do for a living, expressed an interest and asked if I could help her get started. I agreed and asked her to call me. When we finally spoke, she asked if I could meet with her in person a few times during the week to help her make this writing for a living thing happen.

Like most freelancers my time is very limited. I’m constantly balancing client projects, personal projects, my four kids and husband. I suggested instead that we set aside specified times during the week in the evening hours to talk instead. She agreed. The first night I called she was busy. The second night I called she was busy. After that I left it to her to make contact.

A week went by and suddenly during the weekend I get a frantic phone call from the inquirer. She needs help responding to a job board post that asks applicants to submit a resume. She doesn’t have a resume. What should she do?

You should know that I get really impatient with people who seemingly put forth no effort to handle simple tasks. I tell her to create a very simple resume highlighting her experience and send her to a couple of resume sample links via email (I mean there are tons of these available).

She starts questioning whether or not the resume is really all that important. I explain that a writer’s ability to follow a job poster’s application instructions is a tell-tell sign as to whether or not the writer will follow instructions when given an assignment. She continues to make excuses and finally decides to send the poster a note explaining why she doesn’t have a resume. By now, as you can imagine, I’m done advising.

I like helping people reach their freelancing goals. I feel committed because others helped me when I was just getting started. The difference is that serious freelancers will spend time searching for answers on their own. They’ll ask pertinent questions, take action instead of debating every issue and take sincere advice to heart. If they ask another writer for help, they respect their time by putting forth a sincere effort.

Being a freelance writer isn’t some simple financial solution for when you’re between jobs. You’ve got to be prepared and put in work. Lot’s of it in the beginning. Sometimes you make more than enough to pay the bills, and then there are times when you’re just scraping by. You figure out how to take vacations, holidays and save for retirement. You handle your own health insurance. Some people prefer not to deal with all this, and that’s okay. Freelancing isn't for everyone.

Accountability Works for Me

2010-02-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

This weekend I actually MADE time to work on my own projects. That’s all it takes you know; making the decision to take the time to do so. I say that more for my own benefit. When I have a lot of goals I want accomplished I sometimes freeze up like a deer caught in headlights and do nothing. Those tasks seem so overwhelming that I opt to do nothing instead. Not good.

I do know that when I’m accountable to someone, I break my neck to do what’s expected. I hate letting people down when they’re counting on me. I remember signing up to work out with a good friend who also happens to be a fitness trainer. She had organized a six week boot camp session and asked for my support. Every morning for the next six weeks I dreaded going to that class, but I hated the thought of letting her down even more. The end result was I completed the class more fit and toned than when I’d started.

I’m a natural as a service provider because I’ll do what it takes to get a client’s project complete. But I don’t always work like that when it comes to my own projects, even though I know I’ll benefit tremendously from the effort.

I’ve decided to partner with another freelancer with goals similar to mine so that we can encourage one another to stay on track and meet our goals – an accountability partner if you will. I’m so envious of writers who can focus on their personal goals without these crutches. I’m working on it. For now I’ll utilize the resources I need to follow through.

Testing Out a New Specialty

2010-02-15T11:15:00.004-05:00

I’m working on breaking into a new industry niche I’ve been researching for the past four months or so. A lot of experienced writers and other professionals say that specializing in a specific niche like legal, medical or financial content/copywriting makes it easier to earn a larger income. It makes it easier to become a big fish in a small pond.

Sometimes choosing a specialty is simple. Amy Derby once worked as a paralegal making her transition to a blogging expert for lawyers a natural one. Yolander Prinzel’s financial background seems to have paid off since establishing herself as a go-to financial writer. But there are times when you find a niche that interests you but you lack instant credibility and industry experience. So what then?

Breaking In

Some niches are much easier to break into than others. The real estate market is one example. Sure, you get instant credibility if you were an agent or broker, but if you've never worked in real estate yet understand the ins and outs of the industry (especially on a local level) and make the right connections, you can still make a name for yourself.

You can also specialize in certain “mediums.” Specialize in writing white papers like Michael Stelzner. You could do the same with ebooks, sales letters and squeeze pages.

Testing the Waters

One way to see if a specialty will work for you is to set up a blog aimed at your target audience and just go for it. If you’re targeting real estate agents, you could write about the latest web marketing strategies and how they can be used to reach more prospective home buyers.

If you’re specializing in writing ebooks, you could discuss the benefits of viral marketing with free ebooks, repurposing web content to create ebooks or how to develop a profitable how-to series. You can even ad a bi-weekly newsletter to help you create a list of leads.

You still need to do your research to find out if there’s a viable market for the specialty you plan to service. Setting up a blog with valuable information your audience can really use allows you to test drive the idea first.

Monday Favs

2010-02-08T10:50:00.002-05:00

I’m busy with a multitude of projects right now. Some writing related, some not.Maybe I should have done this on Friday, but any day’s a good day to share favorite blog posts. Right? Anyway, I hope you like them too. Enjoy your Monday.

Freelancers vs. Salaried Employees

When the Client Hates Your Writing

SEO Copywriting Advice: When to Turn Down SEO Writing Jobs

How to Create Better Clients: Getting More Money...

Copywriters are Not Mind Readers

Prepare Your Family for Your Freelance Writing Business

Some Businesses Just Don’t Get It

2010-02-01T08:38:00.005-05:00

On Saturday I met with my new accountant to begin making heads or tails of all the stuffed envelopes filled with receipts, copies of checks, banks statements and other miscellaneous 2009 tax paraphernalia.

**A word to the wise, new and aspiring freelancers: ALWAYS keep detailed records and keep everything organized. That way tax time will not become the paper strewn nightmare for you that it is for me…

As he and I discussed details of my business, he became curious and asked more questions about the services I provide. Out of nowhere he suggested that I consider outsourcing work to other writers and graphic/web designers in foreign countries. He specifically recommended going with India. He proudly stood behind this advice 100 % since that’s what he was doing.

He’s an older gentleman who’s been in the business for many years. I’ve been receiving newsletters and other direct mail from his establishment since we moved into this neighborhood 11 years ago. My old accountant is no longer offering her services, so I decided to begin working with this new accountant based on his years of experience, community reputation and familiarity working with solo professionals like myself.

When he suggested that I utilize the much cheaper services of foreign entrepreneurs, I immediately launched into an explanation of how language variances could compromise the quality of his marketing materials. He simply waved his hand at me as if to say, “Oh, you’re exaggerating,” and moved right along to his next tax question. ***Sigh***

I know that there are plenty of businesses out there that appreciate the services of a quality writer and aren’t looking to pay pennies for these services. The sad thing is here is a business in my own community choosing foreign writers for cheap rates over the many qualified copywriters in his community. Honestly, I have no problem with his choosing to work with foreign writers – his marketing materials are actually well-written and quite professional. It’s the fact that he devalues what it takes to create these materials and will do whatever it takes to avoid paying standard industry rates.

Ironically, here I am choosing to pay a qualified CPA more money to do my taxes instead of running to the nearest H and R Block. My husband passed him one of my business cards anyway, but I hope he loses it. I’m too busy marketing to businesses that can see the value in what I provide.

Diversifying Income Flow

2010-01-29T14:06:00.009-05:00

Sometimes there‘s just so much I can do. I mean I’m just one person, and when a bunch of clients need projects done within the same deadline period, I panic a little. Sure it means more money coming in, but it can also mean less sleep, less time with the family and possibly putting some clients on hold (if they are willing to wait); or passing them along to another freelance writer while I struggle to get caught back up.

Now all of this could also be a sign of not charging enough for your services, but that’s a post for another day…

So what happens if you get really sick, or get in an accident, and can’t work for a few days/weeks? That could really affect your income – especially if you’re the breadwinner. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a significant savings stashed away to cushion you through life’s unexpected hurdles, you need a plan.

Is Creating Residual Income the Answer?

I’ve talked about my plans to create residual income here, which is just another way of saying “multiple streams of income.” I‘ve done a couple of small things that have brought in some additional income, but mostly this plan’s been placed on the back burner. Clients always come first. Right?

This economy has kicked the idea of security many of us have had for years to the curb. As I’ve said before, I feel much more secure freelancing for several clients as opposed to relying on one job right now, but I don’t think it’s enough. Even if I were lucky enough to get 20 clients a week seeking my services, the truth of the matter is there’s only so much of me to go around.

Productize

Which brings me back to the idea of creating other streams of income. I was reading a recent post over at Itty Biz where a guest post written by Dave Navarro discusses how many service providers find themselves stuck on a treadmill of sorts – unable to say no to the money coming in, and unable to find time to relax and enjoy life. Yeah, I’ve been there...

His answer is to create some sort of information product as another income stream. Ebooks, teleseminars, webinars, ecourses and membership sites are all examples of how you might productize an idea. I know of some freelance writers who are doing quite well pulling in an income from their writing services and info products.

It seems to me the key is filling a need within a specific niche. I’m seriously thinking about it. I wouldn’t create products to sell to new or aspiring freelance writers because (1) there are plenty of good writers out there who are already successfully offering products in this area. That means (2) it’s probably an oversaturated niche. I’m happy to go on sharing what I know and learn with you for free.:~) If I create a product, it would be something targeted to my clients that could for sure make their lives easier.

More Ways of Creating Income

Keep in mind info products are only one way to go about creating additional income. There’s also affiliate marketing, creating niche sites and probably a lot more ideas I haven’t mentioned.

Have you considered creating a product to sell? Does your business model involve residual income? If so, please share.

So, What Do You Do?

2010-01-26T10:10:00.001-05:00

This morning I was reading Melissa Ingold’s blog post at Internet Marketing Sweetie. She tackles a sometimes thorny issue many freelance writers and others of home businesses face – responding to the question, “What do you do?”

You know what I mean. You’re at some gathering having a wonderful time. You’re mixing, mingling, and inevitably someone asks, “What do you do?” Reactions to your answer may range from clueless to “That’s what I want to do! Can you help me get started?”

I have to tell you I haven’t had a very difficult time with this. Although in the beginning I think my parents and extended family thought I was crazy and may not have taken my endeavor seriously, they at least had the good manners to keep their opinions to themselves. The most I’ve had to deal with is drop in guests (during deadlines) and impromptu phone calls.

Sure, I’ve had strangers ask about my “job.” Some find it interesting and some think I’m making a little pocket change with a hobby while staying home with my kids. There are also times when I run into other entrepreneurs or business owners who are quite interested in what I do and request a business card (I recommend ALWAYS carrying business cards because you never know where you’ll meet a potential client).

My husband supports my entrepreneurial pursuits, and my family has come around. But some people don’t get that support, I’ve visited forums where posters were harassed by spouses, in-laws and others ridiculing them and accusing them of wasting time not working a “real job.” These forums were the only place they could get the support they needed. Building a business is such hard work. I can’t imagine how tough it must be when it seem like no one believes in or supports your vision and effort.

It really is amazing to me that in this day and age some people still cannot wrap their minds around the fact that people can, and do, make comfortable incomes from home. Why is that?

A good friend of mine has been telecommuting for her medical coding position with a prominent health care facility for about a year now. Even though she’s working for another company (she's worked with them for over 10 years), she encounters people who assume she's been demoted just because she now works from home instead of on site. So I wonder – is it the working from home part that people have a problem with?

Work at Home Weight Gain

2010-01-22T14:04:00.002-05:00

I have to confess that while building my writing business over the past two and a half years I have not been taking very good care of myself. I sit at a computer for several hours a day and have not engaged in an exercise routine in months. And I’m paying for it with some extra, “baggage.” Besides being unable to fit into my favorite jeans, I’m taking my health for granted, and I don’t think I’m alone.

I’ve noticed other writers confessing their own lack of exercise or healthy diet on blogs and forums. Add to that the sad fact that many freelance writers are without health coverage and problem reach another level of urgency.

The truth is that freelancing can lead many into a very sedentary lifestyle. You’re sitting in front of a computer for hours, you may miss regular meals and find yourself mindlessly snacking around the clock. You might switch things up every now and then and spend some time working at the local coffee house among the bagels and cream cheese-filled pastries. Before you know it there’s more of you to love.

We all know regular exercise can protect us from conditions like heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, non insulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain and osteoporosis; what you may not know is that it can also help improve sleep, concentration and energy – three things most freelance writers could use a lot more of.

I’m not big on resolutions, but I am vowing to make more time for exercise this year. I want to start running again, so that’s the goal I’m working toward. I’m a vegetarian and already enjoy a diet filled with vegetables, fruit and whole grains, so tweeking it a bit to reduce my sugar intake and portion sizes should help me shed a few pounds by Spring.

Has anyone else found themselves battling work from home weight gain? How do you prioritize fitness in your life?

How Far Do You Go to Provide Good Customer Service?

2010-01-18T12:29:00.001-05:00

Lately I’ve been talking a lot about setting boundaries with clients to protect yourself from being taken advantage of. It’s an important aspect of business, but it really is a two way street. I think that customer service is an important value you can add to your business. It’s what makes some clients return again and again to work with writers with average skills let alone writers who know how to get results.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t always work on improving your skills as a writer. If you don’t provide value and results you won’t have very many clients anyway. But being a pleasure to work with is important too. My mother always said having a good attitude can open a lot of doors.

Now don’t confuse providing your clients excellent customer service with being a rug to be walked on. I’m talking about common sense gestures - the same ones we appreciate when paying for a service:

1) Be reliable. When I’m paying good money for something I expect reliability. If something goes wrong, I expect some empathy and an offer to make things right when possible. Do what you say you will when you say you will.

2) Be positive. Even if you only communicate with clients by email, you can still present a positive persona. Nothing irks me more than having to deal with a negative attitude when I’ve been nothing but nice. If you’re dealing with a crabby client, being friendly might help turn things around. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true: a positive attitude is contagious.

3) Anticipate your client’s needs. Many times the clients seeking our services are confused. They may be unable to clearly communicate what they need, or you may be able to help them achieve better results by offering additional services. This is not only good customer service, it also make you indispensable.

Thanks, but No Thanks

2010-01-14T11:33:00.004-05:00

This week I did something that completely went against what I felt compelled to do. Even though it was was difficult, I know I did the right thing. I turned down a potential client because they refused to pay my quoted rate.

Okay, let me back up a bit – I HAVE turned clients away before for trying to convince me to practically do projects for nothing. I do have SOME pride. But I'll admit - I’ve been known to lower my rates because I believed a bird in the hand is better than no bird at all. Not any more.

I have taken a lot of time to set fair rates based on my experience, my knowledge, ability and desire to provide clients with real value. My services and skills are evolving as I continue to learn as much as I can about online marketing strategies, direct response, SEO and improve my writing skills. I have researched industry rates, the rates for my niche and settled on a very fair pricing structure for my services. And it has worth.

It’s tempting to cut your rates when you need work, but you send a message to your client that they shouldn’t be expected to pay well for response driven content that produces the results that will help them make more money. That doesn't make much sense.

There’s nothing wrong with giving out a special discount now and then, but you shouldn’t feel pressured into lowering your rates. I wouldn’t ask my ophthalmologist, dentist or local dry cleaning service to lower their prices. If I don’t believe I’m worth what I charge, who will?

Should You Sign a Non Compete?

2010-01-12T06:46:00.004-05:00

I acquired a new client this week and spent a good part of yesterday reading and filling out a variety of forms to scan and send back so that we could get started on the project. One of the forms I received was a non compete. If you don’t know, a non-compete can be a clause in an agreement or a full document (like what I received) designed to protect a business by stipulating certain limitations.

I once read a writer describe non competes as similar to a prenuptial agreement. That seems like a pretty fair comparison. These legal documents are meant to protect a client’s business interest (i.e. client relationships, trade secrets and other confidential information).

Restricted area

Non competes will typically involve one of three areas: defining the geographic scope of where you can and cannot conduct your freelance business while under an agreement with a client; the scope of the services you can provide others; or a duration clause (e.g. you must wait on year before doing business with a competitor, etc.).

Non competes can range from logical and uncomplicated to complex and full of ridiculous restrictions (believe me - I’ve passed on a few). I once had a small Internet marketing firm send me a non compete that would restrict me from working with any of their existing clients, or clients they were soliciting for business, for the next three years. That seems sort of extreme to me; especially considering I had no idea of knowing who they were marketing their services to. Usually clients requiring non competes are pretty hush-hush about that sort of thing.

Making the right choice

The non compete my new client asked me to sign was pretty harmless. I read it about four times just to be sure. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how important it is to read all documents before you sign on the line. I know that sounds like common sense, but it can be hard to think with a clear head when you’ve just skated through an extreme dry spell. Read the fine print. Think about how your business might be affected six months down the road based on the requested restrictions before signing a non compete. Sometimes the job’s just not worth it.

Have you ever been asked by a client to sign a non compete?

Does a College Degree Make it Easier to Get Work?

2010-01-08T10:18:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was listening to the radio while driving my kids to school. The show was discussing the rampant unemployment in the city of Atlanta – a big change from 10 yrs ago when you could quit a job and find a new one within only a day or so. He stated that Atlanta ranks number five for U.S. cities with the most jobs lost. Los Angeles is ranked number one.

The radio host asked the listening audience whether or not a college degree, or other advanced degree, gets applicants hired more quickly in this economy. Many called in to say that’s not the case.

This reminds me of a common discussion I’ve seen on freelance forums: do writers with college degrees (or other advanced degrees) get more work than writers without?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts, but I know quite a few writers without degrees who are doing quite well for themselves. Sure, I’ve gotten a couple of gigs off job boards that specifically asked that college degreed writers bid, but I think that when it comes down to it, experience and skill are what matter most. That’s why most clients want to see samples of your writing or ask for references to determine whether or not you can actually deliver compelling content.

In my opinion the lack of an advanced degree has nothing to do with freelance writing success. The ability to write, a willingness to work hard and deliver value to clients matters much more. What’s your experience?

Clean Slate Monday

2010-01-04T13:39:00.004-05:00

It’s the first Monday of the New Year and I feel as I have a clean slate. I know it shouldn’t matter that it’s January, but a fresh start feels good to me and gives me a motivational boost that can’t hurt.

One reason I’m so excited about this year is that I get to apply some solutions to hopefully fix some of the problems I encountered in 2009. I endured a few rough patches in 2009 that resulted in lower income than the previous year. A couple of my steady clients pulled way back on the business they were sending my way. Two just dried up completely.

Last summer I had big plans to send my three older kids to a camp program so that I could really focus on work, but an unexpected change of plans killed that dream. I had a difficult time establishing a consistent working schedule while they were home; and you can imagine how much marketing I was doing…

I also had more clients paying late than ever before – and when I say late I mean four to five months later. To top things off my daughter was unexpectedly hospitalized for one week in October (due to complications with her chronic condition) and one week during December as a result of a stomach virus gone wrong.

When I look back on this year, I realize that a big part of my problem was being caught unprepared. Because I’m self-employed, I rely heavily on writing projects to survive. If I’m not working consistently, or promoting my services to get more clients, eventually I’ll have an even bigger problem.

Life happens. There’s no way of knowing what’s coming around the corner, but if I’m prepared for unexpected obstacles, twists and turns, they’ll have less of an effect on my earned income. This year will be different. Here's to a new year, a fresh start and the chance to try a different approach.

Are You a Freelance Writer or Home-based Business?

2009-12-30T14:44:00.008-05:00

Last night I was reading a respected solo business coach’s report (courtesy of Twitter) about why working from home is the best thing EVAR (clearly I’m exaggerating, but the report did quite a nice job of pointing out the benefits) when I stumbled across a section that basically states home-based businesses have more potential than freelancing. What’s the difference you ask? I wondered the same thing. But as I continued reading she really broke it down.

Freelancing vs home-based business

In her view, freelancers operate completely on their own terms. TheY work when they want, and when they don’t want to they don’t. A home-based business on the other hand is considered an enterprise with a distinct identity. The main goal is to grow just like any other business does. The biggest difference between a home-based business and a brick and mortar business is that the majority of communication is conducted via phone, email or IM.

Accessing value from the client's point of view

She went on to say that the owners of home-based businesses have the very same advantages that freelancers enjoy, but provide better service because they don’t rely on just one person to get the job done. Clients will perceive a home-based business more as a company which makes them more willing to develop the relationship over time than with a freelancer.

What do you think?

Is Freelance Writing More Stable than a 9 to 5?

2009-12-28T10:25:00.004-05:00

Yuwanda Black shared an interesting post about how aspiring writers can begin taking steps to make their dreams of freelancing come true in 2010. Aside from my obvious jealousy that she’ll be flying off on yet another steamy adventure for five weeks in Jamaica (just, kidding, Yuwanda – have MUCH fun and be safe!), what really caught my attention was a bold headline further down in her post that reads, “Freelancing Provides More Job Security.” I’m inclined to cautiously agree.

What “working for the man” used to mean

My father has worked for the same company for over 35 years. Over the years his job has presented its employees with an absolutely awesome benefits and retirement package, turkeys and hams for every major holiday, bonuses, lavish gifts celebrating 10, 15, 20 and 30 years with the company, company car, beeper (back in the day) which was eventually upgraded to a company cell. You get the picture.

This is what my parents also wanted for me. It's what I was groomed as a little girl to want and go after, and so I did. Two months after graduating from college I hit the corporate jackpot and relocated to Atlanta to accept an advertising sales assistant position at the local paper. Four months into the job, I knew it wasn’t for me.

Leaving a “good job”

Even though I didn't care for my job I stayed because it provided "security." Eight years later when I told my dad that I was quitting what he affectionately referred to as my “good job,” He thought I was crazy. I had a two year old, newborn twins, a mortgage and car payments.

I completely understood his point of view. He had a “good job” that had been there through my mother’s untimely illness and inability to work again, financed my college tuition and allowed him to pay off his mortgage and cars. He wanted the same security for his only child.

But I could see the writing on the corporate wall early on. Even if I was cut out for the cubicle lifestyle, corporate America was no longer what it used to be. Now it’s plain for everyone to see: massive layoffs, cuts or no provision for benefits and furlough days have become the new norm.

The job security myth revealed

Last year many of my dear old coworkers at the paper became victims of a huge department layoff, as did many other newspaper workers across the nation. The Internet has done a lot to fragment advertising media. My “good job” turned out to be anything but. Which brings me back to the point of Yuwanda’s post…

The idea of job security is to a large degree a myth. High unemployment has forced many of us to become much more resourceful and depend on skills we developed in the corporate jungle to survive via freelancing and contract gigs. It’s a win-win situation for us and the big companies who no longer have the funds to maintain creative departments yet still require our services.

I also agree with Yuwanda’s idea that being a freelancer forces you to learn more. Although I worked on a computer eight hours a day for eight years at my old job, I was woefully computer illiterate when I left. Why should they bother teaching me more than they needed me to know to get the job done?

It wasn’t until I began working for myself that I forced myself out of my comfort zone to learn new skills. When you work for yourself, staying on top of small business, technological and Internet trends is a necessity.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

I think the success of working for yourself depends largely on not putting all of your eggs into one basket. This is certainly the case for freelance writers where you must constantly market your services to build up a roster of clients who will supply steady work.

Depending on just one client would be career suicide. When you have 10 or more clients sending you work, you won’t feel the sudden departure of one client as much. One might consider relying on a “good job” in this economy to be the same as putting your eggs in one basket. What will you do if suddenly that job is no longer there?

Start with a plan of action

Now I don't suggest that as an aspiring freelance writer you should just run out and quit your job. You have to have a plan for any business to work. Start freelancing for clients as a side gig, or work to set aside 12 months of savings before you make the leap. I recommend the information from these sites to help get you started:

Inkwell Editorial

All About Freelance Writing

Freelance Writing Jobs

About Freelance Writing

Friday Favs

2009-12-18T07:47:00.003-05:00

I’m recuperating from a nasty stomach bug courtesy of my kids (the germy little buggers). Since I was completely bedridden yesterday, today will be spent catching up on a couple of projects. It’s a good day to share some of my favorite blog posts from this week. Enjoy your weekend.:~)

On Being the Freelancer Your Client Calls in an Emergency

Worthy Tip: Give Yourself 15 Minutes

6 Essentials for Every Work at Home Parent

Why James Chartrand Wears Women's Underpants

James Chartrand's Constructed Masculinity Goes Far Beyond the Pen Name

James Chartrand is a Woman? It's Complicated Alright

2009-12-15T09:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the online freelance writing/blogging community learned on Copyblogger that Men with Pens James Chartrand is actually a woman. I have to tell you I never saw that one coming. In fact I was completely blindsided by the news. So much so that I spent the rest of the evening in a fog getting very little work done as I tried reconnecting the dots from the first time I discovered the Men with Pens blog; trying to figure out if I’d missed any signs.

This may sound crazy, but until James revealed the truth about herself, it simply never occurred to me that there was a glass ceiling for freelance writers. Crazy, huh?

Gender bias toward writers

Whether you’re an established freelance writer, just getting your writing career off the ground or somewhere in between, there is a reason why Jame’s story should matter to you.

In the beginning James was providing clients with high quality content and reliable service; yet she was unappreciated, put down and often subjected to clients questioning her ability. But as soon as she decided to start calling herself James, she found it easier to get gigs, client’s lapped up her advice and just basically found her more brilliant, capable and knowledgeable in general. Even though she was the exact same person. Now what’s wrong with this picture?

A new way of seeing things

I spent the evening reliving my own past client encounters. Those times when clients nickled and dimed me, resisted cooperating by providing the information needed to get the job done, trying to get more for less or putting me through revision hell – were those guys (and 90 percent of the time they were male clients) just jerks for the sake of being jerks or jerks because they were doing business with some random woman working from her home?

Like James I thought it better not to mention my kids or the fact that my office is set up in the corner of my dining room. Some clients could care less, but I couldn’t be too careful. I go to great pains not to be perceived as a hobby writer.

How far would you go?

James’ story resonated with so many writers as you can see from the many comments at the end of her guest post. We all came to choose freelancing for different reasons – a last resort effort to generate a much needed income, the need to escape a suffocating career or a flexible way to make money and care for a loved on with special needs. We expect for everything to be neat and professional and dare I say fair? But sometimes that’s not what we get. I guess I’m still a little shocked at the lengths some are forced to go to just to put food on the table and pay the bills. Personally, James’ story makes perfect sense to me. As she said in her post, she had some tough choices to make, so she made them. Such is life as a freelancer.