Ever Curious About Freelance Writers?

For the last year or so, I've followed Kimberly Ben at Avid Writer in her freelance writing journey.  Her posts are always informative and helpful for both established and novice writers alike.  The article she posted yesterday, 3 Answers to Curious Questions About How to Become a Freelance Writer, was one that I can relate to.  Over the years, many curious friends, family members and acquaintances have asked me lots of questions about what I do.


Here are three commonly asked questions about freelance writing and my responses to them.

(1)  What sort of writing do you do?  I have been very blessed with a variety of writing opportunities over the last ten years, including writing many articles of various topics, lots of press releases, brochures, newsletters, and I even ghost wrote a book on parenting.  My articles and press releases have been published all over the web.

A few things that I have not done are publish an article in print, technical writing, grant writing, nor have I published a book - yet.  These (with the exception of technical writing) are all things I'd like to do some day.

(2)  How do you get jobs?  I've acquired a lot of the work I've done simply by networking with other people who love to do what I do - write.  I've learned an incredible lot by visiting other freelancing blogs, getting to know these people, and by learning from their experiences.  I've both worked for some of these friends, or they have actually referred work to me because they are too busy to take on more themselves. I've also sought out opportunities by querying or sending manuscripts to publications and gotten jobs in that manner.  

I think everybody goes about it differently and that makes sense in light of the fact that there's so many different kinds of writing to do.  For those starting out, it's important to remember that it won't happen overnight.  It takes time to get enough clips and articles to make you a credible writer, one that people want to hire. But the more you get, the more your credibility grows and before you know it, you're getting more assignments.

(3) Can you make money at freelance writing?  Well, as Kimberly addressed in her post, whether or not they actually ask, people often wonder if you can make money at writing.  The answer is yes.  In fact, there's good money to be had.  People do it every single day.  You must realize that just about everything on the web involves writing - blogs, websites (business or otherwise), e-zines and the list goes on.  It seems as though there's an increased need for good writers now more than ever. Other than internet, there's also local business opportunities, contests, print, and there's even money to be made on re-prints of your own articles.

So yes, if you're willing to do your research and seek out jobs there is most definitely money to make in the world of freelance writing.  It's your own hard work, determination, and perseverance that determines your level of success.

I look forward to my future as a freelance writer.  I know that as my children grow and mature I will be able to invest more time into this career that's so exciting and rewarding to me.  In the mean time, if you're considering becoming a writer, go for it!!! If you have the passion and the drive to do it, success can be yours too!





photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton via photopin cc

Survival Tips for the Sane Freelancer

When some people think of the typical freelancer, they envision the carefree days of a writer sitting at home, clad in cozy fleece pajamas while sucking down expensive cups of Starbucks coffee.  But anyone who freelances knows that, although there are certainly advantages (like wearing the cozy fleece jammies all day), it can also be extremely frustrating at times.

The problem is you never know what a new day is going to bring.  Sometimes your day can be moving along right on course and seemingly perfectly when all of the sudden something goes wrong.  Terribly wrong.   Like for example, your internet connection dies or worse yet, your computer crashes along with all of your files - right before an important deadline.

We all hope nothing that drastic ever happens to us, but even minor setbacks can slow down the most efficient of freelancers.  Difficulty finding the proper resources for a project, minor technical difficulties or a bad case of writer's block might be enough to get your writing goals off course for the day.     

Fortunately, there are a couple things you can do as a freelancer that could save you hours of time and frustration in the event of all things unexpected.

Plan for unexpected inconveniences by not procrastinating

Some people really do work better under the gun, but in the professional world, and especially in a career that relies heavily on sometimes unpredictable technology, waiting until the last minute to complete a project is not an advisable thing to do.  Losing your internet or any other such unpredictable difficulties might prevent you from completing a project that wouldn't otherwise have taken you very long to do.
  

Plan completion of your projects ahead of time - before the deadlines you and your client agreed upon.  This way, you are not taking any chances with potential technology woes, or any of the other aforementioned little inconveniences that might pop up.  Your clients are your bread and butter.  They're counting on you to stick to your word and deliver when you said you would. 

Save, save, save

It sounds a little silly to mention, but save your work on a regular basis.  I know I'm really harping on the technology aggravations, but if you've ever lost all your work at a crucial moment, or after spending hours on a project, then you understand why.  All it takes is a click of a button...er, of a mouse, or a tap on the finger pad...to save yourself a lot of frustration and heartache.  

If simply saving to your hard drive doesn't offer enough security for those extra special projects, then you might want to consider free online backup sites like Dropbox, or Mozy.  Most offer 2GB of free storage with an option to purchase more if necessary.  Plus, for those who have Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail, you can always attach your files to an email and send it to yourself.  A lot of times, I even do this instead of file sharing when I'm going from laptop to PC or vice versa.   

A little extra planning and a few extra precautions with your work might literally save your projects, your business, and quite possibly even your sanity.

What little things do you do as a freelancer that helps keep your sanity intact?

The Latest Update

Once again I’ve been gone for a while. I was very excited about achieving all those goals I set back in August. I planned on going full force into freelancing again, blogging regularly, networking, and even working on my website. Right away I managed to land a couple writing jobs – both from previous connections. As often happens in life though, everything did not go exactly as planned. Yes, I did get those wonderful jobs for which I am very thankful, but I also got something I wasn’t exactly bargaining for –I got pregnant too!

Tomorrow I will be 16 weeks pregnant and unfortunately it hasn’t been my best pregnancy ever. I have been low on energy and sick a good portion of the time. Finally, the last week or so I have been feeling better and I am so thankful for that. Other than that, I have been busy trying to figure out how to balance parenting three girls, homemaking, and writing at the same time.

So I didn’t exactly accomplish all those goals a couple months ago, but the best part about goals is that just because you don’t reach them right away doesn’t mean all is lost. I am hoping to spend this next trimester accomplishing all those goals I originally set out to do. Hopefully, it will be a very productive time for me and more importantly for those I am working with and for.

For now I am happy to be able to contribute a quick post to my blog, and hope to be able to do so more regularly. I hope everyone is having a blessed holiday season, and I will try to be back soon!

Why "Blog Surfing" Makes Me a Better Writer

Since returning to the world of blogging and freelance writing, I have been taking the time to visit and catch up with some of my favorite blogs. I have even added and visited several great new ones. I used to think that "blog surfing" was leisure activity and that this was nonproductive to my writing career. I have decided that was the wrong sort of thinking. Here are a few reasons why:

(1) Reading other writing blogs helps you learn more about your trade. Just visit Matt Keegan's The Article Writer, or Lillie Ammann's A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, and you will find out just how much you stand to learn from reading the blogs of other professionals. They have spent hours upon hours creating posts that will help you find success in the freelancing community. These people, and many others just like them, care about what they do and they care about your success.

(2) Reading other blogs exposes great resources-- whether its a potential job or a website to increase exposure. Michele Tune of Writing the Cyber Highway recently invited me to join ChicksWhoClick, a private network for women in media, creative arts and girls' & women's advocacy. What a great resource for meeting fellow writers and finding (as well as sharing) information to make the writing journey a little easier for others.

(3) It's a fantastic way to meet awesome and amazing people. I cannot tell you how many inspirational stories I have read on other people's blogs. Stories of overcoming abuse, beating cancer, raising children with disabilities, and fighting online internet pedophilia touch my heart and remind me that bloggers are real people who care about real life issues. What an honor to be acquainted with such people.

(4) Reading these same blogs inspires me to write more, and most importantly, to be a better woman. I read what others have gone through. I see what causes they stand for and support, and all the good they are doing in the world. Reading these blogs inspires me to use my writing gift to do the same. I want to write more, get involved in community causes, and grow as a woman and a human being.

Yes, I have decided that taking the time to visit other blogs can only enhance my writing career, and encourage the kind of growth as a human being that will make me a better writer. So don't feel guilty. There's something to learn from everybody. Take the time to visit some great blogs, and get connected with some wonderful people--I guarantee that remarkable things will come of it!

Elements of a Good Press Release

Merely writing a press release does not guarantee that an editor will distribute it. As you go about crafting your press release, there are some important stylistic points to keep in mind if you don't want your press release to be rejected.

(1) I mentioned this the other day, but it bares repeating again: It is not an advertisement. Do not tell your readers what to do: "You should buy this product because..." or "You must go visit the new..." It is meant to convey important information relevant to the business, organization, or person it represents. Ask yourself if your topic is new, interesting, unusual, relevant, and important in some way.

(2) If you want someone to follow up on your press release after it has been distributed be sure to cover your bases. List a reliable contact person, their phone number, and email address. What good will a contact person be if he (a) is unfamiliar with the subject, or (b) is not around to be called?

(3) Be considerate and send the release on time. Give editors the time they need to distribute it - preferably at least a day prior to when you would like it released. Include the release date on the press release itself. Remember that these people are busy so respect them by not waiting until the last minute.

(4) Understand clearly the media's definition of news. Answer the who, what, where, why, when, and how within the body. Be clear, concise, and factual with your information. Sentence length should be about 20 words, avoid the passive, and write short paragraphs.

(5) Include a short headline to summarize the contents of the release.

(6) Avoid puffery like, "World renowned artist comes..." If an artist is world renowned it doesn't need to be stated. Your reader will know. Words like famous, prominent, wonderful etc should not be used.

(7) Proofread, proofread, proofread. This cannot be stressed enough. Nobody will take you seriously if you don't take the time to make sure it is error free.

There's a lot to remember when crafting your news release, but these are a few important points. Hope they help get yours distributed!

Have a great day!

Sometimes Life Takes Over

I apologize for my recent absence and lack of new posts. I'm just not accustomed to writing 50 page books in two weeks. My writing is usually much more relaxed with deadlines not usually quite so tight - although I realize that many of you are probably writing at least close to that amount in one or two weeks - if not more. Hmm...well, I'll find the balance.

My writing, on the other hand, usually consists of visiting all my favorite blogs (two or three times a day), leaving comments on the ones that particularly move me - whether it's to tears, laughter, or otherwise. I check my email. I move on to a writing project, but I'd be willing to bet that most of you know how much time the whole blogging thing and email can consume. So then I write for a while and it isn't long before I get distracted by something else. The internet is productivity's best friend or worst enemy.

I am almost done with my book now. It's been a fun project for me and I've learned a lot from it. Perhaps the most important lesson is that when it comes right down to it, I really can balance my family with writing quite successfully. In fact, with more to do, I've even found that I've managed to keep up on my household chores much more successfully than when I'm not as busy. I've just switched things up a bit. For example, instead of doing my laundry at the end of the day, I do it first thing in the morning. Then it's done and it's one less thing I have to do before getting my kiddos to bed at night.

Anyway, I will try and give you all a couple worth while posts this week, as well as in the weeks to come. Bear with me, though because we are possibly going to be buying a new home in the next few weeks. Then life will be really hectic again. For tonight though, in anticipation of the craziness that may soon be coming, I'm going to go enjoy a good book!

Enjoy your evening!

Four Reasons not to Procrastinate in Writing

Procrastinate vb to put off usually habitually doing something that should be done syn. Dawdle, delay
- as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

For some reason, this week I have been an expert at this most unfortunate condition called procrastination. At this very moment, as I sit here and write a post for my blog, I should be completing a writing assignment that is due today. I am dawdling and delaying until the very last moment. And it’s no good!

Fortunately, most of the time I am not one to procrastinate and that’s a good thing because when you wait until the last minute it usually shows in your writing. Here are four reasons not to do as I am doing right now.

(1) Rushed writing is not good writing. When you are in a hurry it makes it much more difficult to catch the little errors (spelling and punctuation) that can ruin your credibility as a writer.

(2) As a writer it is always good to let your writing “rest” for at least a day or two to enable you to read your paper with fresh eyes. Your mind is not set on reading it just the way you wrote it, allowing critical changes to be made that could make your article much better. When you put it off until the last moment, it’s much harder to do this.

(3) You risk disappointing your client. If you are waiting until the very last moment and your article is not the quality expected of you, your client is not going to be 100% satisfied with your work. You could even lose him as a client.

(4) You risk disappointing yourself. You feel anxious and apprehensive with deadlines looming over your head and you feel badly knowing that had you not put it off you could have done a much better job.

Wow! Four convincing reasons for me to end this post right now and go finish my article. What am I still doing here?

Take care and may you have a wonderful weekend!

Sunshine and Ramblings

It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is shining and it’s already 59 degrees. I’m feeling inspired so thought I better blog because it’s supposed to rain all afternoon—no telling how inspiring that may be!

Beyond the weather, I am also feeling motivated by the success of others. Yesterday, Harmony Cornwell of Writer in the Making blog posted about all that she has accomplished so far this month. Wow! Great job, Harmony. You’ve done excellent, and made me realize that I need to be pushing myself a little more.

About a month ago, I heard from a client in Texas (yes, I know this is off topic—hence the rambling part of the title). In December I wrote a press release for her that really helped increase her exposure in the media. In fact, an editor from Entrepreneur Magazine contacted her via email to do an interview for a potential future article. She was excited. So was I.

But being the skeptic that I can sometimes be, I decided to check out the legitimacy of the email she received. I went to the library to view the list of editors in Entrepreneur Mag to see if any were the one she had heard from. Sure enough, there was Kim Orr, the very editor who contacted her. So this really was great. It will be even greater if they do a write up about her. I really do care about her business, and I’d love to think that my press release may have helped her with some amount of success.

Of course, since I had the magazine in my hand I read it. I found it to be an excellent source of info! Right on the table of contents page—before even getting to the real meat and potatoes of the magazine—is a section called “Resources.” This is a list of useful websites, organizations, and events for all kinds of business owners, large and small alike.

Another section I enjoyed was called “Small-Business Answer Book.” This is a Q&A segment offering advice on topics such as marketing your business on a budget, improving customer service, and how to keep up with current technology trends. All of these are important topics for any business owner. I looked through a few recent issues and this seems to be in most of them.

If these resources aren’t for you, then maybe you may at least find the success stories inspirational to read. I think it’s great to read how others have made it and what they have done to find their success. For me, it makes me feel hopeful that I can apply what I have learned, follow the example of freelancers around me, and find my own success.

Finding My Writing Voice

Getting back into the business of writing is much more challenging than you would think. It sounds easy. Simply sit down at your computer, and type out your opinions or ideas and you've written something. Or do your research, find the facts, and write about whatever topic strikes your fancy and you have an article. Yes, that's great and all, but there's so much more to it than that and anyone who has ever sat down to write something--anything at all realizes that it is a craft. It is rewarding and exciting when the words and punctuation come together to form a beautifully written piece--even the topic athlete's foot can be interesting if written properly. But it isn't easy. Not a single part of it, from the simple act of sitting down to the new grammar and punctuation rules, to dealing with an overabundance of information and extreme competition in the world of writing. The idea of sitting down to write can be immobilizing.

I am immobilized. I think I need to read more "how to write" books, more great pieces of literature--I need to research more. I need to research my topic--whatever that is. I need to research how grammar has changed. The use of commas, spacing, other punctuation. All that seemed so simple in high school. College grammar was an easy "A". The rules were hard and fast. But now my understanding has changed. Grammar has changed. Times are changing. Still I am not writing. Who, what, where, why, when, and how. That hasn't changed has it?

My understanding on so many things seems so shallow. That's another block I have. I fear writing because I don't think I have anything worthwhile to say. I am not a deep thinker. Politics? What's that? Am I pitiful or what? But I am an emotional being. I have at least that going for me.

The other day I was reading about successful freelancers in my Writer's Market and Peter Bwerman, a commercial writer said, "...don't waste time looking for secrets. Instead, write." Good advise. Maybe I'll stop looking for the answers and do just that. I can look for the secrets in my "spare time."