Archives for August 2009

Self Editing Tip #3: Check if You’re Not Sure

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Picture 1Lay versus lie, awkward spellings, AP style versus Chicago – all can be difficult things for even the most accomplished writer to navigate. That’s why great writers check and double check their resources to make sure they are not relying on hunches when it comes to editing their articles.

Style guides are there for a reason – to guide writers to the correct usage of words and standards that the publication follows. Some publications have more than one guide – they may use a general one like AP Style and then another one that is specific to them.

The World Wide Web is at your fingertips so there is absolutely no reason why some writers continue to guess and use lay, lie and all of their forms incorrectly. It’s lazy and no one wants to hire a lazy writer.

When that little voice in the back of your head says “Hmm…” pay attention and use your resources.

Here are few sites I like to visit when I have a question or a “Hmm…”
Quick & Dirty Tips: Grammar Girl

AP Associated Press

Chicago Manual of Style Online

alphaDictionary.Com

Do you have a fav grammar site? Tell us below!

What Would You Do If You Became a Famous Writer

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Yesterday I shared a little video about the “Imaginary Publishing Process,” as well as an anecdote about how it was so relevant to my life because…um…I know someone going through the process.  Well, here’s another one by the same folks that is probably even less likely to pertain to me, but is still really funny.

I particularly like #4.

If I did become a famous author, though, I think my first order of business would be to attach that title directly to my name.  You know, like how once someone has won an Oscar, they are forever known as Academy Award Winner George Clooney/Gwenneth Paltrow/Denzel Washington/Christopher Rouse?  I would want to be known as Famous Author Lorna Doone Brewer. 

Do you think the DMV would put it on my driver’s license?

You Have a Full Plate: Do You Still Look for Work?

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The short answer to this question is “Yes.” Marketing your writing business should be an ongoing activity. Many freelancers have peaks and valleys in their work load. It goes with the territory.

If you want to keep the work coming in, you should be constantly doing activities that will grow your business. Even if you are at the point where your time is completely booked and you couldn’t possibly squeeze one more thing in, do it anyway. Find a few minutes to check out job boards, the job leads we post here at FWJ, to make a couple of cold calls, or approach a potential client by e-mail.

Don’t worry about how you are going to fit the next gig into your schedule. You haven’t got it yet. It may take time to hear back from your job searching efforts, and chances are that you will apply for many more gigs than you actually get. You can always discuss deadlines when you are negotiating fees with the client.

Part of being a freelancer is juggling the work we have in front of us with being on the lookout for our next project. Do you look for work constantly, or do you back off from these activities when you have a lot of work do do?

A Word About Plagiarism

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Picture 1Yes, we need to talk about it. Yes, many of you have heard this talk since the 6th grade, but it is worth revisiting. Plagiarism is serious and quite common, particularly on the web.

The OWL at Purdue University defines plagiarism as the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of someone else’s words or ideas. Many writers and not all of them are newbies, include information in their articles, blog posts, etc., that originally appeared somewhere else without giving credit to the originator of the information.

Look at the first sentence in the paragraph above, see how I gave credit for the definition of plagiarism to Purdue University? It’s just that easy. It is also a necessary and essential part of being a responsible writer. When I was a journalism student, one of my professors would issue an automatic fail for an article if a writer failed to cite their sources. As far as credibility goes, the public will institute their own “fail” to writers who steal work from others.

It sounds harsh, but it is stealing. Someone else did all the work and you used it without their permission and without giving credit. It’s a sucky thing to do to another writer and you shouldn’t allow it to happen to you either.

There are websites and programs that will track where your work appears and when it comes across a lifted quote, paragraph or whole article, you’ll be notified.  When it does happen you have every right to contact the site admin, author, etc. and let them know your work has been used without permission and you’d like it taken down immediately. You can also try to be a nice person and offer to allow them to use your information for credit AND compensation.  If you do make an offer, be sure it doesn’t violate the policy of the publication in which your article first appeared.

If you ever have a question about whether you should cite a source, then you most likely need to cite the source. So be a responsible writer and give credit where credit is due!

Has your work ever been plagiarized? What did you do? Share!

Why Editors Are Worth their Weight in Gold

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I admitted recently to taking myself a bit too seriously.  I will go so far as to say that I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  (Simply typing that sentence has ensured that karma will insist on no less than three mistakes in this post, by the way.)

There’s no doubt that even the best writer can benefit from the expertise of a good editor.  Even Salman Rusdie has to heed the red pen, after all.  (And if you think his editor is tough…) 

Why is it then, that those who really, really need this expert guidance are the least likely to seek it?  I’m talking about graffiti artists like the one who professed his religious devotion in the most obvious way, by mispelling it on a mailbox in downtown Seattle:

The holy ghost supports dictionary usage

(Yes, I felt moved to take a picture of it.)

But, those who really should pay attention are the ones who are going to wear their grammatical error for the rest of their lives.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Horrible Tattoos.* 

*Just to be clear, I don’t actually give you horrible tattoos.  I don’t even give you good tattoos.  I get queasy at the sight of blood.

Listing Multiple Clients on Your Freelance Writing Resume

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Preparing a freelance writer’s resume is a little different from writing one where your goal is to find a job. A functional resume, where you focus on your skills and achievements, is a style option that you may want to consider. Can you make the more traditional chronological style work for you? Sure you can.

The Challenge With a Chronological Format for Freelancers

The challenge (notice I didn’t say problem) with preparing a chronological resume when you are a freelancer is that you may be juggling multiple clients at once, do a few one-time-only assignments, and have some dry spells in between. If this sounds like your professional life; relax, it’s not uncommon.

You may be reluctant to list everyone you have done work for in chronological order because of the gaps in the time, or (gasp) because you only worked with the client on one project. Working freelance and having a series of assignments of different lengths is not an indication that you “can’t hold a job.” It’s the way that freelancers roll.

Listing Your Writing Experience on Your Resume

What you want to do with your resume is to tell the person reading it about your experience so that they can determine whether you would be a good fit for their project. My suggestion for listing your experience looks something like this:

2002-Present
Self-Employed Freelance Writer, Blogger, etc.

Provided freelance writing services to several clients [including….]
[You can name names or choose not to – your preference]

Assignments included [SEO articles, web copy, ebooks, blog posts….] on the following topics [list them here]

I have used this strategy on my resume, since it also lists the work I did before I started freelancing. The point where I started my business is listed like another employer – except the employer is me.

If you use a chronological resume, how do you set out your freelance writing experience?

Overcoming Your Freelance Handicaps

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My New Oxford American Dictionary defines “handicap” as follows: “a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult.” When it comes to finding work or completing our assignments, freelance or otherwise, we all have them. It could be a fear of rejection that keeps us from applying for a freelance writing gig or making a pitch to someone we really want to work with. The barriers may be due to a health condition, family responsibilities, or a lack of support from our nearest and dearest.

In no way am I suggesting that we should all dump our respective baggage and find a desert island somewhere so that we can write in peace and amass huge fortunes. (Besides, if you’re on a desert island, why would you need money?) I’m just saying that we all have areas of strength and things that make it more challenging, but that doesn’t mean that anyone should give up on their dream of finding freelance writing work if that’s what they want to do.

I’ll use myself as an example. I’m not the fastest typist on the planet. Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and I was in high school, we took a battery of career aptitude tests. When I got my results, I was very surprised to find that I scored high in the area of Communications (I was struggling to keep a B average in English). The portion that I scored the lowest on was….Clerical Ability.

Fast forward a number of years and I decided to go back to school. My career choice at the time was governed by what course can I take where I would be virtually guaranteed a job on graduation. There was a big demand for Legal Assistants at the time and I was interested in law, so I signed up. I did well, except when it was time to learn how to type. No matter who often I practiced, when I heard the word “Begin” to do a typing test, I was all thumbs. I came in just under the minimum speed requirement to advance to the second year and one of my teachers adjusted my mark down by a grade but decided to let me pass so that I could complete my program.

I did get a job after graduation, and I know that if the hiring decision was made solely on typing speed, that I wouldn’t have been able to find work. I also live with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which means that some days I’m quite uncomfortable when I’m working.

When it comes to freelance writing jobs, my clients don’t care how fast I’m typing. They care about getting clean work submitted, on time. When I’m quoting for jobs, I prefer to do so by the word instead of by the hour. That way, the client pays for results, not the fact that it takes me a little longer to produce copy than someone who is more gifted in this area.

We all have things that make it difficult to reach our goals, in freelance writing and otherwise. They don’t have to make it impossible.

What kinds of things do you find especially challenging about freelance writing work? How have you overcome your own handicaps?

So, did I ever mention that I'm not Deb Ng?

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< First of all as noted before I've been moving, thus the lack of posts and job listings. I also missed the whole attack on Deb by this guy. From what I understand, Deb has a potential sponsorship with Demand Studios. The guy linked above, T.W. calls that irony, noting, “For months the owner of FWJ and her closest affiliates continued to call Demand Studios a “content mill”, and a “haven for low paying gigs”. Many writers from her side of the camp came on and verbally abused those of us writing for Demand Studios, claiming that we were “bastardizing” the industry by writing articles for 15 dollars a pop when we should be charging 50 or more per How To or About article.

Then, earlier this month, Demand Studios pops up as a sponsor of FWJ. Suddenly the owner, and her affiliates, are touting Demand Studios as one of the greatest content sites on the web, where writers can go make thousand of dollars.”

Then, maybe because he couldn’t find another post to link to, he showcased one of my posts as an example of said irony.

I’m not here to start some back and fourth debate, but what pisses me off about these shenanigans is that…

First of all, my post is not a good example of irony. I haven’t written one post here noting that writers can make thousands of dollars at Demand because that’s not part of my experience. I’ve also never said anyone who works for them sucks because I know some writers like them and do move up to higher paying assignments there (also not part of my personal experience).

I’m here because if you’re a writer or blogger trying to make a living, I support that, and want to help you do this. I’m here trying to help you actually make money, pay your rent, buy food, and so on. I blog about what I feel will help you do that to the best of your ability based on my own experiences and the experiences of writer friends of mine. Part of what it means to make a living as a writer means working for fair wages – which I post about all the time. If you can get living wages at a content site that’s fine, but that has not been part of my personal experience so I don’t blog about it. I make money writing in other venues and so I know personally that you have other options. Which options you choose are up to you. All I can do is offer ideas, you can take them or leave them.

Secondly, since I guess some people haven’t noticed, I’m not Deb. I support her search for sponsors because I know that’s what helps to keep FWJ going, and I believe this site is a valuable resource for writers. That said, we don’t share a brain. I don’t ask her what I can post about, and she doesn’t go in and edit my posts to make sure they appeal to sponsors or readers or her own viewpoints. When we started Blogging For A Living, it wasn’t here at FWJ, it was elsewhere as partners. We both agreed to move the blog here because we felt it would be more useful for readers when combined with other FWJ content.

T.W. notes, “Please note that while this post was not written by Deb personally, it was sponsored and featured as one of the premier Blog Tip posts.” He also says, “While Deb did not necessarily write this piece, it should be noted because it was a Premier piece of content written by a contributor as a Feature Article in the Blog Tips section of the website, therefore supported by Deb as “acceptable” content for the FWJ website.”

Um, ‘Deb did not necessarily’ nothing, she didn’t at all write that post. That would be me. AND as much as I adore Deb the second she starts telling me what’s ‘acceptable content’ or not, or says I MUST be totally on board with a sponsor, I’m outta here – mainly because while we do agree on a lot, we don’t agree on everything, and also I don’t work for her. She’s not a client – I work with her, not for her, and here at Blogging For A Living I write what I want.

In any case, I felt like responding because I was singled out based on one post I wrote here and it’s lame when someone pairs me with Deb’s brain as if I have no opinions of my own.

I’ll be back Monday with new jobs and posts (moving has taken much more time then I thought it would – sorry folks).

5 Tips for Finding Work Between Freelance Writing Gigs

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When it comes to making money, we’re only as good as our paying clients. Whether we’re providing content for websites or copy for a brochure, we rely on these projects to keep us from going into debt. What happens when the projects dry up or we’re between clients?

How do we work when there is no work? By finding more work, of course!

  1. Troll the job boards: If your existing clients don’t have work for you, it’s time to find some new clients. Go back to your favorite job boards to find new people to work for, or one off gigs to keep busy. Some job boards such as Craigslist get a bum rap, the truth is, all job boards have their share of scammers and Craigslist has more legitimate, high paying opportunities than it does scammy people.
  2. Find some online writing work to supplement your income: Demand Studios, WiseGeek and LoveToKnow are just a few content sites with good reputations. Use these to keep the money flowing between clients.
  3. Do some cold calling: Clients don’t always come to us, we also have to find clients. Cold calling is not a freelance writer’s favorite thing to do, but it can yield some very lucrative results.
  4. Touch base with former clients: Just because your clients aren’t calling, doesn’t mean they don’t have projects. They might have several jobs piling up but haven’t had a chance to reach out. Call or email clients just to “touch base.” Even if they don’t have work, it will keep you fresh in their minds for future projects.
  5. Network: Meeting people at conferences, professional organizations and via online social networks can lead to opportunities. Don’t rule out the face to face just because it’s so much easier to network online.

What are some of the ways you find work when you’re between gigs?

obsessedobsessedobsessedobsessedobsessed

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I’ve mentioned before that I’m often up late at night working on projects. While I generally don’t like to have any distractions when I write, there are other aspects of running a freelance agency that require time, but let’s just say I they’re not rocket surgery. In other words, they don’t take 100% concentration. These tasks are often accompanied by a phone call to my mom in Florida, some Facebook browsing, or late-night viewings of whatever’s been stored up on the DVR.

Lately, I’ve been getting caught up on the A&E show Obsessed. While I’ve watched nearly every episode in the last couple of nights, I will refrain from making the obvious joke.

If you’ve not seen this show, then let me catch you up. They follow around two people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder so you can see how screwed up these two patients’ lives are, and then by forcing them to put themselves in horrifying situations, they wrap up the end of the hour hugging the therapist and proclaiming themselves cured.*

That’s really, really oversimplifying it, just so you know. The participants actually go through 12 weeks of counseling, part of which is “exposure therapy.” It’s actually pretty neat to see what happens when the therapy is successful, but that’s really not what keeps you coming back for more. For most of us, I think it’s pure voyeurism where we can look at someone else and say, “You know, I think I’m actually doing OK.”

I’ve discovered that Obsessed affects me in several ways, both good and bad; and because everything that goes through my mind must obviously be published on the Internet to prove that I am a unique and beautiful snowflake, I thought I’d share.

Good: The hoarders make me feel way better about the craft supplies in my basement.

Bad: I’m now pretty sure that I’m no more than one traumatic experience and a few irrational thoughts away from verbally punctuating all of my sentences when I speak.

Good: When I’m up at in the middle of the night banging away at the keyboard, I can always think, “Well, at least I don’t pull my eyelashes out!”

Bad: While I understand that obsessive-compulsive behavior is nothing to envy, I sometimes get a little wistful when I see how clean some of the patients’ houses are.

Good: The fact that I don’t like my foods to touch each other looks pretty benign all of a sudden.

Bad: The twins from that eating disorder episode haunt me.

So, what have we learned here? Let’s see…if you want to feel better about yourself when you’re cramming for a deadline, Obsessed may or may not be the ticket. Of course, if you really want to cultivate a sense of normalcy about your own life, catch a couple of back-to-back episodes of Intervention. I feel practically Amish after an evening with that show.

*For the record, I’d like to say that I’m actually a big fan of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the people on this show who work it really are inspiring and amazing…but that’s not funny, so I opted for snark.

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