Are you submitting queries, finished articles for consideration to publications or manuscripts to publishers? Would you like an alternative to downloadable software to keep track of your efforts? There are submission tracking apps for that.
[Read more…]
Archives for September 2015
11 Tools Writers Will Love
Editor’s note: This post was written by Kenneth Waldman, a freelance writer and English tutor. You can get in touch with him on Linkedin.
It is usually a goal for every writer to earn recognition for their work. By providing interesting and high-quality content to readers, you will gain more clients and followers. Whether you are a blogger, copywriter, or content writer, when it comes to writing for the web, competition continues to increase. But with the right tools, you can help save yourself time, money and effort. Writing can be hard, but writing on a computer is even harder with the many websites, notifications and all the other distractions hindering you from working. [Read more…]
Freelance Business Tips You Might Not Know
Many of us started our freelance career by taking on odd jobs here and there while having a day job at the same time. Others may not have a day job but take on freelance writing work sporadically.
For some freelance writers, however, there comes a point when freelancing becomes a full-time business and not just some activity on the side. At this point, the story goes in a different direction. Suddenly, you have more responsibilities, potentially acting as CEO, CTO, CFO, and every other “C” you can think about. [Read more…]
12 Quotes From Children’s Books Every Author Should Know
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis
I may be biased since C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors, but when it comes to children’s books, no truer words have been spoken. I believe that if there is one thing children’s books authors should always remember, it is this quote.
While the children’s book market is shifting, with sales numbers going up and down, the market is still strong. Factors such as reading an eBook instead of a paperback, parents choosing a personalised children’s book instead of a mass-published one, and preferring hardcovers bought in brick-and-mortar bookstores all come together to continue boosting the children’s book industry. [Read more…]
The Best Blog Posts About Writing to Read This Week
Reading is essential to being a good writer, so here are the best blog posts I’ve seen this week, which I’d like to share with you.
Blog posts about writing you’ll enjoy
Five Must-see TED Talks for Writers!
TED Talks used to be the hottest thing online, and while that may not be the case anymore, it doesn’t mean TED Talks doesn’t have anything to offer. Today, check out this article which includes talks from Any Tan, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Tim Brown. Topics range from creativity (and where it hides) to success and failure and the drive to keep on going. [Read more…]
Security Tips for Freelance Writers
Editor’s note: This post was written by Cassie Phillips, a freelance writer and technology blogger with a passion for internet security. She enjoys sharing tech news and tips for online safety and data privacy with fellow freelance writers. Check out other articles by following Cassie on Twitter.
To start off, I’d like to express my gratitude to FWJ for allowing me to publish my article on their page. I’ve found their website to be an excellent resource for freelance writers and I would recommend you take a look at “5 Questions Freelance Writers Should Ask Prospective Clients,” as the information mentioned is both useful and important for every freelancer to know. [Read more…]
Do Freelance Writers Need Insurance?
You may run your freelance writing business from home and take care of all expenses yourself. Your focus is probably on sending pitches, getting clients, making sure your work is excellent, meeting deadlines, and cultivating repeat clients – among many other things a freelance writer has to deal with.
Have you ever thought of taking out insurance for yourself and/or your business? Maybe you haven’t because your spouse has insurance that covers the family to a certain degree, so why would you have the need for insurance as a freelance writer?
Here are some factors to think about, which may help you decide whether you need insurance as a freelance writer.
Liability Insurance
The first thing that may come to mind is that you work at home and you have no employees. Why should there be a need for liability insurance, which covers injuries that happen in your work premises?
While that is a valid point, Phoenix injury attorney Benjamin Wright brings up the scenario wherein you meet clients or contractors at your home office.
What if they get injured while at your home? A fall? A dog bite? Anything that results in a client getting injured.
This is a good case for the argument that freelancers need insurance – especially if the situation gets nasty and you have to go to court.
Indemnity Insurance
Indemnity insurance is usually associated with malpractice insurance for professionals, but it also covers “errors and omissions insurance“.
Do you need this type of insurance?
Perhaps more so than the first type.
Indemnity insurance protects you if a client becomes unsatisfied with your work to the degree that he files a case against you (say for breach of contract) or demand monetary compensation from you (say because of sub-par work).
Health Insurance
Health insurance has been one of the most controversial topics in the US in recent times, and while everyone wants changes for the better, you can’t really wait till that happens. If there is one type of insurance that freelancers shouldn’t have second thoughts about, it’s health insurance.
You may be the healthiest and fittest person you know, but who’s to say you won’t fall over and get a heart attack for an unknown reason? Who’s to say you won’t get a serious illness that will keep you in the hospital for weeks or months? How do you pay for the medical bills then?
Health insurance may be an additional cost, but IF something does happen, you won’t regret having one.
Home Insurance
You probably already have this type of insurance, but have you thought about its coverage? Is your home office and its assets covered by your existing home insurance policy?
This may very well be the case, but what if it isn’t? What if – God forbid – your house burns down or you have a break-in? Are you sure that your current home insurance policy includes your home office?
This is a common oversight among freelancers, so it is a good idea to check your current home insurance policy. If your office is covered, then you have lost nothing but time. If it isn’t, then you do need to scout around for a policy that will make sure your home office and all your work-related tools are protected from any untoward incident.
Do freelance writers need insurance?
I think you know our answer to that now. The question that remains is which type you should get.
Do you have insurance? What kind?
Does this article make you think about taking out an insurance policy, or do you disagree with it?
Musicians – Make Ends Meet as a Music Industry Writer
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Christie Templeton, a freelance writer in Los Angeles California who also dabbles in music production and singing. Christie enjoys writing for the music industry when she is not busy writing copy and technical writing for her clients in the software development industry.
Many musicians must work an unrelated job to make ends meet until their music begins to become profitable enough to survive from. Jobs like bartending, waiting tables or retail work inside guitar stores are typical work resources used by a lot of musicians to supplement their income. While these can jobs be flexible to a degree, they usually require a lot of hard work that isn’t really related to the overall dream of being a musician and, in the long run, aren’t contributing towards building credibility in the community as a talented and knowledgeable performer. [Read more…]
The Pros and Cons of a Coworking Space
Working at home has tons of advantages, especially if you’re like me who doesn’t like going out much. While we may not literally wear pajamas while working, not having to always dress up is awesome in my book. There’s also the added advantage of a one-minute commute to work (depending on how far your “office” is from the bedroom).
But there is something to be said about a coworking space.
What is coworking?
A formal definition from Whatiscoworking.com: “coworking” or “co-working,” with a lower-case ‘c’, is a generic word that’s generally used to describe any situation in which two or more people are working in the same place together, but not for the same company.
In essence, you go to a building or office space to do your work with other people around you, whom you may or may not know. These people may be freelancers like you, or they can be people working for the same company renting out a room for a certain period.
With coworking spaces sprouting up all around the country – here’s a list of the top 100 coworking spaces in the US – you may want to consider coworking now and then.
The pros of coworking
- It’s less risky than renting an external office space. Some remote workers rent a small room in a commercial building so they have somewhere to go to when they want to get out of the home office. This can be a risky move – financial issues (rent) and legal issues (contracts and safety) being the foremost concerns.
- It hones your time management skills. You pay to spend time at the coworking space. That gives you an incentive to make the most of that time. One result is that you manage your time better. You focus more on your tasks.
- It gives you some social interaction. With other people around you, social interaction is inevitable. While some may see this as a negative (and indeed, it can be if there’s too much interaction that it takes away from your focus), we’ve already covered the topic of needing at least a bit of face-to-face interaction.
- It offers the opportunity to learn from others. Along with social interaction comes the benefit of learning from others. The chances are you’ll meet other freelancers from whom you can learn new ideas and practices.
- It provides chances to meet new clients. Freelance writers are not the only ones who use coworking spaces. You may meet designers, startup founders, and other professionals who may be in need of a writer.
The downsides of coworking
- It can be noisy. Depending on the setup of the coworking space, the area may be noisy, thus taking away from your focus.
- It is not conducive to phone or Skype calls. Whether the space is noisy or not, an open coworking environment is not conducive to calls, and if you have to engage in calls with clients a lot, then this is a huge negative.
- It is an extra expense. It’s the stark reality – using a coworking space costs money. Some charge monthly, others charge per day. There are also others that offer both options. If you’re not in a financial position to spend extra for a coworking space but you want to work elsewhere, you’re better off at your local coffee shop.
- It offers less privacy. Open space. People all around you. Definitely less privacy.
- It often doesn’t offer fixed desks/spaces. A coworking space, by its core definition, doesn’t operate like a normal office. As such, most coworking spaces are set up in such a way that desks or working areas cannot be claimed by one person. You may have a preferred nook, but you can’t say it’s yours. If someone else is using it when you arrive, you can’t just hop over and say, “Hey, you’re in my seat.”
Have you tried out a coworking space? Are you using one now? Why not share your experiences?
Make sure you read this before heading out:
Preparing to Work at a Coffee Shop: The Essentials
Have You Assessed Your Work-Life Balance Lately?
The topic of work-life balance is a real problem, for both regular employees and freelancers. It is such a huge issue that countless studies have been done about it.
It’s easy enough to say that a freelancer can achieve a good work-life balance better than those who have day jobs, but that may not be the case. Due to the flexibility that freelancers have, the line between work and personal life becomes blurred. Some people may have problems working too much, while others become too lax when it comes to work.
Usually, however, the problem is that the imbalance is due to spending more time on work and neglecting personal life. As you may have experienced, this can have disastrous results.
What are some adverse effect of work-life imbalance?
- Health issues. You get more stressed as the workload piles up, and stress has been known to have negative effects on your body, your mind, and behavior. This will only lead to more problems.
- Absence. This can be physical and/or emotional. You may become the “flake” in your social and family circles, always being absent during get-togethers. Being disconnected may also result in relationship breakdowns. Many a psychologist or divorce attorney will tell you that absence is one of the most common reasons for serious relationship rifts.
- Financial problems. You may think that working longer and harder benefits your business, but if you get physically sick, then your finances will suffer. If you lose friends, you may go down the path of depression.
These three points are umbrella effects that can be broken down into so many other problems that point to one thing: there is nothing positive about having work-life imbalance.
How do you know if your work-life balance is askew?
Asking yourself a few questions can help you determine your situation.
- Do you have trouble sleeping at night because you keep thinking of the work that needs to be done?
- Do you wake up in the morning dreading the day because of your workload?
- Are you more irritable than usual, with little things ticking you off?
- Do you feel like you little or no control over your life?
- Do you see your life as “wash, rinse, repeat”?
If your answer to these questions is yes, then your work-life balance needs some fixing.
You can also ask the people closest to you what they think. They have an outsider’s point of view, which can discern behaviors that you may not realize.
What can you do?
Short answer: work less.
But it’s never that easy, is it? You need to come up with a plan with a specific goal and concrete actions to reach that goal.
Here are some ideas.
- Set boundaries. You can do this by:
- Tracking your time. Set how much time you spend on tasks and how much time you spend on personal activities.
- Take note of social activities. By this, I mean writing them down in you calendar and make sure you go. Clear your schedule ahead of time so you have no excuses not to go.
- Say no. It’s tempting to keep taking on work from your clients. It will make them happy. You’ll get more money. But that’s bound to lead to imbalance, so learn to say no.
- Love yourself. This means taking care of yourself by:
- Paying yourself. Set aside some money to do what you love, whether it’s going to a spa, getting your hair done, or buying something nice.
- Get enough sleep. Different people have different needs, but here’s a good resource from the National Sleep Foundation that will help you determine the best number of hours for you.
- Make more effort to connect. Whether it’s spending more time with your partner and children or going out once in a while with friends, engaging in face-to-face human interaction will do wonders for you.
- Seek help if necessary. Sometimes, we can reach a point where everything seems to be totally out of your control. If you think you cannot cope anymore, don’t hesitate to seek help – from a friend, a family member, or even a professional.
So, have you assessed your work-life balance lately? How is it?
