Avoiding the temptation of easy to score but low paying gigs

Yesterday we looked at how to quit accepting low paying gigs and how to make a living wage as a writer. But what if you really can’t find a gig? Should you take a low paying job because it’s better than nothing?

As noted in the last post, a while ago I needed to pick up a couple new gigs. I applied for tons and didn’t hear back from any of them for a good long while. Frustration kicks in and those low paying gigs start to look better than nothing. Trust me, I do get the appeal of the low-pay, easy to score gig. However, when this happens the best thing you can do is hang in there and avoid temptation. It’s hard but you can do it. How do I avoid temptation?

I have great friends: For example, Deb in particular is handy when I’m frustrated because we think alike about wages. When I was whining about no jobs, she’d continually tell me, “Hang in there, you’ll score a good gig” and she was right. I can always count on Deb and a couple of other good pals to talk me out of a bad low paying job decision. Get some friends who think like you and who will hang in there with you when job hunting sucks. You’ll feel better.

Go back to your income goal: In the last post we looked at setting your income goal. You set your goal for a reason. Remind yourself that you’re worth it and keep on trucking.

Reassess your choices: If writing is never going to pay the bills, you may need to reassess your situation. When I was super frustrated at the lack of blogging and web writing jobs, I considered going back to print. In the back of my mind I knew that if print didn’t work out, my next step would have been to get a job in social work (what I used to do). Getting an out of the house job would make it hard to juggle my son’s schedule, but I’d do it before I’d accept low wages. It all goes back to what your time is worth and what you feel you’re worth. I love writing, but I’m not going to work for $10 an hour. It’s smart to realize that if you can’t live on your writing wages, then writing may not be your ideal career. It might be just a hobby.

How do you avoid the temptation of those super easy to score but low paying gigs?

Make living wages as a freelance writer – how to quit writing for low wages

Deb’s fabulous post last week, WAHMs: Make Sure the End Justifies the Means, was, as Deb noted, based on a thread or two from WAHM.com’s WAHMs Who Write board. Being a WAHM myself, I’ve been to the boards in the past but quit visiting a long time ago. I just got tired of some folks being so excited by monthly wages that wouldn’t even cover my monthly grocery bills. It’s too frustrating to read.

There are ups and downs big time in freelance writing, but one thing is always true, you never have to work for wages like the ones quoted in the WAHMs thread Deb references. Some of the income noted included 17 ehow articles worth $5.91 in three weeks and eight articles in one month worth $15. Right up front, I’ll grant that due to revenue, these folks could earn more in time, but personally, I don’t count possible revenue as income, not as a single mama with a son to support. It’s not just these boards either. If you hit up any of the major bid sites you’ll see all sorts of folks bidding a few bucks for pieces or projects that will take hours.

How not to work for low wages:

Well, of course the easiest answer is don’t. Don’t take a job that pays low and expects a lot in return. The more in-depth answer is…

Set an hourly income goal and stick to it. You can set a project income goal instead, but in most cases I think it’s smarter to calculate hourly earnings, because in the writing biz, time really is money. My own current low-end income goal for web writing and blogging is officially $18 an hour although if I see a job that really interests me I’ll go as low as $15. Of course, I have jobs that pay more than $18 an hour, this is just the number I use to keep myself in check. Your goal may be larger or smaller depending on where you live, your bills, and so on. Your goal also may be different if you do other sorts of writing. For example, I know that I can pay all my bills and support my son if I make $18 an hour and work 40 hours. When I lived in New Mexico my goal was lower because it cost less to live there. If I’m also taking print work, I pop my goal up to $25 an hour, because print pays more. If you’re not sure how to calculate your hourly income goal as a blogger click here.

Don’t use “paying your dues” as an excuse to work for low pay. When it comes to new writers, I’ve heard, “BUT my portfolio is too small, I can’t get gigs that pay well yet.” It is easier to get gigs the longer you’ve been writing, but overall, paying your dues in this business is pretty much what you make it. You can spend years working lower paying gigs, or you can jump right in and get decent jobs. Actual writing experience is not the only way to score gigs. For folks with a small portfolio (or NO freelance portfolio) you can use the following:

• Start your own blog to showcase your skills.
• Use what you have. If you’ve written anything for a job – brochures, care plans, other copy, etc. use that to showcase your skills. Even if your job title wasn’t writer, you can still show off your work.
• Past job experiences. I got three high paying gigs almost immediately when I started freelancing FT because I applied for gigs that related to my work and college experience. I didn’t have a huge portfolio, so I knew I’d need to look appealing in other ways.
• Your pals. As a new writer, it’s smart to network often with other writers. You may become close with someone who can hook you up with a gig.

Use the law of averages: In that WAHM thread someone said something like, “Not all writers have time to apply for 100s of gigs so low paying gigs are better than nothing.” Ahhhhhhh! Ok, here’s the deal. If you’re going to freelance FT for a living wage, you have to apply for gigs and apply for gigs often. Although as a seasoned writer you sometimes are offered gigs without applying, it’s not an everyday thing so there’s really no way around applying. A while back I needed to pick up a couple new gigs. I’ve been writing for years but it’s not like I just sauntered in and got the first two gigs I applied for. I had to apply a lot, just like everyone else. I think I applied for 40 or so gigs and was eventually offered 6 of them. If you’re not willing to put in the time to search for decent gigs and apply, you won’t make a living wage.

Coming up next, how to avoid the temptation of low-paying gigs when you can’t find a job.

What tips do you have for making a living wage as a blogger or web writer?

Redefining Your Blogging Goals

The past year was an interesting one for me. After taking six years to build up a successful freelance writing career, I decided to take a full time job for an online company. I took the job for several reasons:

1. I was able to work at home
2. I would be doing what I love
3. I was looking to gain more social media experience

The job was a valuable and enlightening experience, but I missed working for myself, especially the flexibility. I decided to return to freelancing, but also to build up a business as a social media consultant. My biggest priority however, is returning this blog to it’s former glory.

Don’t get me wrong…

This blog does well, don’t get me wrong. Without being front and center to promote, write tons of content, toss out the link love and schmooze with advertisers, we were beginning to lose traffic and revenue.  I have a year’s worth of ground to make up. Which brings me to today’s topic…

Redefining my blogging goals

In the past my goal was to earn money as a blogger for hire, and keep this blog going as a lucrative side project. Now, I’m going to vice versa the whole thing. I have blogging and social media clients, thankfully, but my main goal is to build this blog to be my number one source of income, so I can rely on others less and less.  I will do so by posting more, networking more and working with advertisers more. It was a mistake to put this wonderful blog network on the back burner, but you can bet we’re cooking with gas now.

What are your blogging goals? How can you take it to the next level?

Are you too distracted at work?

If you work as a blogger / web writer, you may find yourself getting super distracted often when you come across fun stuff to see and read. It’s also easy to get distracted when networking; sure Twitter can help you score gigs, but if you’re on there all day chatting, you won’t get much real work done.

I’m not immune to distractions. In one sense I’m lucky because I get to write mostly topics I love, but since part of my gigs is finding news and cool new products related to said topics I love, it’s easy for me to waste time browsing cool gear and then I get off track and lose work time.

To stay on track try the following…

Schedule everything!: I schedule every single thing I do online during my workday, or I’d never get anything done. And by everything, I do mean everything. I blog and do social media networking for clients and I’ve got time slots on my work schedule for all my tasks related to both. My schedule has time slots for lead searches, actual posting, commenting at other blogs, stumbling, email management, answering blog comments, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other little tasks I do at my jobs. For example, I love reading and commenting at other blogs, but since most of my gigs only require a little of that, I have to plan it, or trust me, I might do it happily all day, and not get my posts done. I use a schedule that has little check-off boxes on it, because there’s something about little boxes that makes me work. If I see five little boxes that need to be filled in with tweets for a client, I’ll do it.

Time it all: I’m more a fan of check-off-boxes vs. timing, because I know in my head how long tasks take me, but some bloggers I know use a timing method vs. boxes. For example, set your timer, or watch the clock as you do tasks, which could look like the following….

• 9 am – Network for blog one.
• 10 am – Posts for blog two.
• 10:30 am – Answer emails.
• 11 am – Catch up on news feeds.
• 11:30 am – Posts for blog three.
• 1 am – fun / personal social networking stuff (your own tweets, forums, and stumbling).
• And so on.

Set a time limit: If I find a story I’m dying to blog about, I will sometimes research it to death. TIME waster. Once I find a lead, I give myself a set amount of research time. If, at the end of that time, I don’t have enough info, I set the story aside for later. Same with images. If I have an idea in my head about an image for a post, and can’t find it in a few minutes, I settle for something less perfect.

Know what you’re writing about today: I usually jot down what I’ll be posting about in the morning, and it helps to keep me more on track than deciding on the fly what I’ll be posting about.

Use a weekly schedule: Another way that some bloggers stay on track is to go by a weekly schedule vs. a daily. I.e they do all their posting at blog one on Monday, blog two on Tuesday, blog three on Wednesday, use Thursday for paper work and misc tasks, and break up networking a little each day. Weekly schedules are a total failure for me. I have to go by a daily schedule or I get distracted. Find what works for you.

Write offline: If you’re way too distracted, you can write your posts offline, then go online and in one swift swoop, post the pieces to your blogs, add links, and publish. In this case some discipline can be a virtue, because in my opinion it’s faster to simply write online and gather links as you go, but if you’re always getting distracted, you might save more time writing offline.

Plan for fun stuff last: One technique I use is planning the fun stuff that I know will distract me for last. My favorite part of my job is green product lead searches. I love finding breaking news about new items coming out, and I ALWAYS spend more time than I should doing it, so I make sure to plan this task last and usually on a slow day (for me a weekend day usually), so that my other tasks get done as well.

Turn Skype, IM, etc. on DO NOT DISTURB!: Self explanatory.

How do you keep from getting distracted from all the cool stuff going on in the virtual world?

[image via stock.xchng]

Do Your Blog Posts Gain Reader Attention?

Blog posts can be a little dry; excuse me, I meant, web writing can be a little dry overall. Blogs aren’t the only online medium to blame. One problem is that blogs and online articles have gotten so SEO friendly. Some bloggers are excellent at making their posts search friendly AND personable. However, if you’re just focused on SEO, it’s easy to spot, annoying, super boring to read, and won’t lead to long term readers.

Another problem is that there are so many darn blogs around. Anyone can offer information on say, coffee or computers (and tons of bloggers do) but when you’re competing for readers to stay and read your post on coffee vs.the other guy, you better inject some life into your post in order to gain reader attention and keep it.

What attracts readers can vary, but here are some good ideas (i.e. tactics that gain my attention and keep me reading your posts):

You’re funny – but not mean funny: I like smart and funny bloggers who tell it like it is without being overly mean. I can deal with a little mean, but if rude is always your means to funny, it gets old.

You write about what I’m looking for: Obviously people want to read what they’re looking for. If you write for a main stream topic blog (say cooking) and yet you ‘re always writing about obscure irrelevant topics like shoes, OR bizarre food tips, such as snails in homegrown basil, you likely won’t get too many long-term readers. If I hit a cooking blog it’s because I want tips I can use.

You write about an obscure topic: I KNOW I just said above not to do this, but in some cases writing about something new and cool or odd is a great way to gain come-back readers. Using the cooking blog example again, you could have an entire obscure cooking blog, and that’s what you’d be known for. This is using odd topics to your advantage. There’s a fine line between drawing folks in with weird topics and still giving them info they can use though, so be careful.

You are human: I hate blog posts that offer up fact after fact without ever getting personal. I don’t need to know everything about you, but some personality is nice. When I’m reading about a topic at a blog, sure, I’m interested in the topic, but what keeps me at your blog vs. the other guy’s blog is that you have an opinion about your topic.

Your posts are visually pleasing: You hit enter, add relevant well-placed images, use bold text when necessary, and keep the posts easy to scan. If I cringe when I look at a blog, I leave and look for info elsewhere. Maybe that makes me a visual snob, but I’m betting I’m not the only one.

You are passionate or can fake it: This sort of goes along with the human aspect noted above, but there’s a little more to it. Even if you inject personality, you may not keep my attention if I can tell you’re bored or uninformed about your topic. I’ve written on topics I’m not personally passionate about, but one, I always feel like people can tell (I hate trying to fake it) and two, I never last long. I get bored and quit OR worse the blog suffers. Blogs written by folks who aren’t passionate, or who can’t fake it well just seem like dead space trashing up the blogosphere.

All of the above gain my attention. What gains your attention?

What kind of jobs can blogging skills lead to?

Blogging for a career can be iffy. The pay can be good, but sometimes it’s beyond terrible. The hours on a cushy blogging gig may be easy but in many cases you put in long hours with few days off. Also, because of the popularity of blogs there are plenty of everyday Joes (or Sallys) who get it into their head that blogging is a snap and start a blog project which means in some cases you could end up applying for a gig where you know way more about blogs then the client who hires you (frustrating).

The good news is that blogging covers a wide range of skill-sets. Both my partner in crime Deb and me believe that your blogging skills can be used for not only blogging, but other cool gigs. It’s all about moving beyond blogging when you need to. If you’ve been blogging a while and have handled multiple projects you may have picked up enough skills to also tackle one of the following types of gigs.

Other sorts of short writing pieces: This is a given. If you blog it’s a good natural transition to magazine shorts, online content sites, and online magazines that are looking for shorter but still snappy pieces.

Longer writing pieces: Personally I transitioned from print to web, but there’s nothing to say you can’t do it the other way around. Even if you haven’t written for magazines, newspapers, or other print media before, you may have a better in at this point if you have an impressive blogging resume. Nowadays online pieces are considered a little more professional than they have been in the past, especially if you can score some gigs at major online sites, with big blog clients, or with blog networks that are well-known. It’s also useful if some of the posts you’ve done are interviews with well-known experts.

Social media gigs: If you’re a good blogger you’ve likely spent a lot of time on social networking. Currently companies are starting more and more to see the pros of having not only a company blog, but a forum, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and more, and of course companies need folks who are media and social networking savvy to run the show. Lately, if you look at the major job boards there almost always someone hiring for a social networking / community manager guru.

Business copy: Business copy such as brochures, snappy ads (both print and online), company newsletters, press releases, and more are all things you can try if you’ve been blogging posts such as reviews, recommendations, and breaking news. If you can say what you think, know how to promote, and can keep it short and interesting, then there’s many types of business writing that you might be good at. Bonus, business writing gigs tend to pay far above and beyond what typical blog gigs pay.

Web design and blog creation: Not all bloggers pick up HTML, coding, and design skills, but some do, and there are people who want to hire those folks to build a blog for them, set up a blog, design a website, and so on.

What other sorts of jobs do you think blogging skills naturally lead to?

Blogging & Online Writing Gigs for June 7, 2009

Oddly there are a semi-decent amount of jobs this weekend. No time for a job tip today though so how about you read up on how to take your blog to the next level with video.

Anywhere gigs:

Flyhub is looking for a Blogger for its travel related site – might be too much work for too little pay unless you’re quick with social networking.

Writter for Blog (Assisted Living) - (Phoenix, Arizona)

Freelance Blogger Wanted

Experienced Freelance Writers for Web Publishing Company

Online Freelance Writer – Conjecture Corporation

Location specific gigs:

CONTENT WRITER WANTED - (Atlanta)

Web Writer Needed - (Scottsdale, AZ)

Seeking “Mobile Journalist” in DC region – Bisnow Media

Community Manager – SunSentinel.com – Fort Lauderdale

Online Community Coordinator - (Seattle)

Staff Writer – online writing – (Houston, TX (Midtown))

SEO Copywriter Wanted! - (Montreal)

MANAGER, Online Marketing & Analytics – PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA – NY

Director of Communications - (oakland downtown)

Website Content Wrtiter – Gamer – (Bellevue)

Content Development Manager - (Washington, DC Area)

Seeking 2 Web/Editorial Interns – Teachermagazine.org- paid intern – Bethesda, Maryland

Social media blogger – Redwood City, CA

Benefits of choosing a niche you adore

At one of my green-minded blogs I’m coming up on my second year anniversary, which got me wondering just how many green-minded posts I’ve written. Being anal and knowing I’d sit around wondering if I didn’t check, I took five minutes, hit all my green blogs and made a count.

As it turns out, I’ve written a lot of green-minded posts; almost 2,000 eco-blog posts in the last few years which is not counting all the random green I’ve blogged for clients, eco-guest posts, green articles I’ve done, or the eco-copy I’ve done for non-profits. That’s a lot of writing on the same topic.

Do I like this… Well, right now, about 85% of my work is green-related and to be honest, there are times I’d like to tell people to chop down trees and buy a hummer because I’m so darn tired of thinking about green day in and day out. Ok, not really, but the craziness around Earth Day really does get me tired. That said, of all the topics I write on, this is the only one I never run out of ideas for because I truly do love it.  That’s probably the best reason to choose a niche you honestly love and stick with it. There are other reasons too…

Because as noted above I adore my niche, I almost never have to stop and think about what to write about, which means I spend more time writing and less time researching. In blogging and online writing the saying that time is money really does apply. If I wrote mostly about celebrities (blah) because I know it pays well compared to other blog niches, it still wouldn’t make me much more money than green. I’d be researching all the time, pausing when I write, and trying to work it all out as I go. That’s called a big waste of time.

You can make a name for yourself. I wouldn’t say that I’m some sort of household name in green, but I’m known enough by now that I’ve been approached with multiple writing job offers in this niche. I’m also approached by more eco-companies and green authors now than I was back when I started writing about green. Once people start to know you by your niche you may earn some career perks.

My resume is packed with links and other pieces. If I see a green gig I want it’s way easier to confidentially apply. It’s easier to say, “I have hundreds of pieces available to view” vs. “10.”

I don’t mind the networking part. Part of blogging is networking but if I had to network with social networks related to topics I don’t enjoy, it might make me nuts. I like networking with other green folks vs. say when I blogged at a music blog it was a chore to network with other music blogger. I LOVE music, but that type of chit-chat just was not my bag.

If you adore a smart niche there are going to be more job opportunities. Green comes in and out of popularity, but I’d say it rests more on the in side than the out side. Because I enjoy a niche that people want to read about, there’s a better chance of me finding work. You can’t control what you love, but if you love two things, say um tech and snails, choose the better niche (hint it’s not snails).

I’m happy most of the time. I actually feel passionately about my niche. It makes me happy to write about it, think about it, and pass it on to others. When I first started out blogging professionally, I wrote more often on topics I didn’t enjoy and spent less time happy while working. You may as well be in a good mood – so choose a niche you like when you can.

Bonus link: Dosh Dosh has a good post about choosing a niche – How to Choose the Right Blog Niche: A Simple Three-Step Method

What about you? Do you like the niche you’re in, do you have multiple niches, or do you hate your current niche and want to split?

Have you updated your blog lately?

www.toothpastefordinner.com

In the last few months I’ve been neglecting my own projects in exchange for client projects. Not smart. I mean I have excuses; job cuts in the writers market, fewer jobs around, and just because I’ve been busy in general, but if you’ve got some personal projects going it’s not wise to ignore them. Why not?

If you pay for hosting for your own blogs, that’s money down the drain if you’re not making money with your blogs. While some of my blogs make a little money just sitting around, they could make a lot more if I actually worked at it.

Your blogs represent you to a point. I have my links to a couple of my own blogs in bios of mine online and in the sig line of my work email. If a potential client clicks on that link, they may not realize that it’s my blog, and mistake it for a client blog. No updates is a BAD sign of my productivity level.

It’s good practice. You can make mistakes on your own blog, play around, see what works best, and mess with ideas that you can’t screw with at client blogs. Why not use your own blogs as a learning experience?

Your blogs, when well done can drive traffic to your client’s blogs which one, clients like, and two, if you’re paid in any sort of page view revenue, can increase your paycheck.

When you don’t update you lose any traffic base you’ve built. It’s like starting all over from scratch – blah.

If you can learn to make money with your own blog, you’ve got some back-up for when client blogs go belly-up. It takes a long time to create some decent income with your own blogs. The only way to make it happen is to keep up with your blogs. While blog income is unstable there’s still a chance you’ll hit on a good niche and make some money. However, when you ignore said blogs you lose any shot at making some of your own blogging income.

So… when times get tough, are your own projects the first to lose your attention, or do you try to make time for them anyhow?

FYI – I may be back with some new blog and online writing gigs later today if time permits so stay tuned.

Online resume mistakes you may be making

Applying for online writing gigs is a writing talent all on its own. If you make a mistake you’re not kicking off this whole, “I can write for a living” deal very well. Because you’ll be sending your resume / work bio by email, you need to adjust it for the web. Following are some mistakes not to make when applying for an online writing gig – be it a blog or other website.

Mistakes when applying:

You cut and paste from Word or another doc. application: This can result in some funky formatting and make your email look unprofessional.

You attach your resume or bio: NEVER send attachments unless a potential client asks you to specifically do so. Most folks won’t open attachments, and some have them blocked. However, if you have pertinent clips what should you do? Cover it at the end with a quick, “Magazine clips are also available upon request.” Exchange “magazine clips” with business clips or what have you as needed.

You’re long-winded: Long winded isn’t even great on a paper resume, but it’s the kiss of death on a web resume. Web writing is partially about being succinct. If your resume / bio shows that you can’t be you’ve already gotten off on the wrong foot.

You make spelling, grammar, or other errors that ‘writers’ shouldn’t make: Come on now, I know you know this one. Don’t do it. Note though that web writing technique is different than other sorts of writing. Short blips in bullets are fine for a web resume.

You post the great resume wall of text: HIT ENTER! I’ll say it again… hit enter. I get emails from people who have questions about writing online, and that’s cool, but I don’t make it through half on them because my eyes don’t enjoy reading 60 lines+ of text in a row. Potential employers don’t want this either. Make your text skim-friendly. Note that some bold headings and bullets will help as well.

You leave the subject blank: In the subject should be the job title you’re applying for.

You use a lame-ass email: Sexy_writer@yahoo.com is NOT a good email. iwriteawesome@hotmail.com is also lame. If you can use an email with your name, or the name of your writing biz (if you have one).

You include too many irrelevant facts: No one cares about your ceramic dog collection or the fact that you like creating scrapbooks in your spare time. Keep to the facts which one, keeps it skim-friendly, and two, keeps it focused.

WHEN TO BREAK THE RULE ABOVE…

• You say where you’re from (quickly) – this has landed me jobs because where you’re from is a good conversation starter.
• The potential client ASKS for some personal info.
• Your personal info actually relates to the gig. When I applied for a pregnancy blog I write for I did mention that I’d worked as a doula, went to college for nursing/midwifery, and went through childbirth myself, because it made me look more credible.
• You can say it all in a few sentences. Something quick, like, “On a personal note, in my free time I like music, Frisbee, and have an insane addiction to chocolate” can add a bit of personality to an otherwise blah resume, but you need to add this at the end, and do so for gigs that seem a little more casual.

You add in your entire educational career: Fact, none of the clients I have right now asked me about my education ever, in fact, over the span of my writing career almost no clients have asked – good thing too since I’ve got degrees in math and science, not writing. Education is less highly rated in the online writing world than experience and your clips are. Sometimes a client will ask and by all means include it. OR the info may add to your credibility (like holding an RN degree when applying for a health site) but otherwise, education info only takes up space.

You don’t include links to clips: If you don’t have online clips, start a blog. If you don’t want to start a blog, start your own website and post your clips there. Clients want to see your clips.

For more tips on applying for blogging and online writing gigs read:

• Applying for Blogging Jobs – Do You Need A Resume?
• Sample introduction letter for blogging and online writing gigs
• Applying for a Blogging Job: When to Blow Off Directions

Coming soon we’ll look at mistakes not to make when posting your resume or bio on your personal website.

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