It's All About Attitude: Being Grateful

As humans, we are all too often tempted to look at the negative side of things.  As writers, this type of thinking can be detrimental to our business.  In one particular writing forum I frequent, there is one poster who seems to never add anything but negative comments to a thread.  I often wonder how she can be successful when she thinks of her clients and fellow writers in such a bad way.

While we will all have bad clients, bad jobs or bad days, being a writer is such a blessing that the good should always outweigh the bad.  If you are writing because it is truly what you love, each day should be filled with something positive.  Sure, things happen that can really shake your confidence.  Sometimes work you think is nearly perfect is rejected by a client because they just can’t stand it.  Most of us have been there.

But how often do you think about the wonderful opportunity writing can be?  All my life, I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Once I discovered freelance writing, I knew I had found my calling.  Each day, despite the roller coaster this job can be, I wake up looking forward to my job and the way of life it represents.  I think this makes a big difference in how well I can write and serve my clients.

So when it starts to become overwhelming, and you feel yourself sliding into a slump, stop and think about why you began writing in the first place.  Think of what you gain from being a writer.  For me, it is spending time with my family, seeing my husband whenever I want to, and not being a slave to someone else’s greedy demands.

What are you grateful for in your writing career?

Bloggers Beware: Clients Reviewing Writers Blogs When Considering Applications

Freelance writing is growing more competitive as private clients, and content mills, offer fewer assignments during the holiday season.  With more writers competing for the same opportunities, it is more important than ever to make a good impression when applying for a writing job.  Unfortunately, many writers do not consider how links to their blogs in email signatures, or on resumes, can influence a potential client’s final decision.

Foul Language and Constant Complaints

Writers often use their blogs as a place to share their thoughts and opinions about events in their personal and professional lives.  However, some writers turn their blogs into virtual soapboxes writing post after post in the strongest language imaginable about bad clients, problems with children, and more.  Clients reviewing a blog filled with foul language, and complaints about other clients, might think twice about hiring a writer.  No client wants to become a target of the blogger if the professional relationship ends badly, and some clients simply do not approve of strong language of any kind.

Multiple Errors

Even though blogs are supposed to be informal and fun, a writer should spend time proofing the content placed on blogs that are seen by potential clients.  A client might worry about using a writer who seems to regularly make grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.  Potential clients may feel writers who do not seem to take pride in the content they create for their own use are not likely to take any more pride in the work they create for a client.

Know what clients look for when reviewing a writer’s blog can help you avoid a few errors that negatively affect your ability to land a writing gig.

Freelancer Careers = Good Writing Opportunity

"They clearly state the only thing their writers need to worry about is the quality of work they deliver. "

If you are seeking more writing ventures, check out freelancercareers.com. They are a company who are seeking three specific types of freelance writers. The first are essay writers. These are people who have extensive knowledge in a certain fields. They’re also very analytical and have the grammar skills and proficiency to do in depth research on requested topics.

They are also seeking resume writers. These are professionals who have extensive experience designing resume templates, finding the best way to present an applicants’ educational and work history and general skills relevant to the job to a potential employer.

Finally, they are seeking technical writers. These are people with significant knowledge in software and technology, perhaps possessing a degree in one or the other. These writers should be able to effectively troubleshoot software issues and provide technical support if necessary.

Baring these facts in mind, freelancer careers is striving to build a strong community of writers who can connect with each other and potential clients on a global level. Membership with the company is free. They will never request money to view project lists. They will never charge you for an extended view for information on documents or context necessary to complete a project.

They clearly state the only thing their writers need to worry about is the quality of work they deliver. They offer hundreds upon hundreds of projects that could potentially help even out the types of writing projects you contribute to. They encourage communication between support managers within the company and you, the writer. Sounds like an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

Fake Writing Jobs

Don't Be Conned

Today I want to talk about fake ads for nonexistent writing jobs. When you work as a freelance writer, every moment counts. Most writing jobs available in the internet age take a lot of time and don't pay all that well. At the same time, you can't afford to have only one stream of income if you can help it. So, you have to spend a certain amount of time every day checking out the ads for potential new writing jobs.

It would be one thing if the jobs were all real, but the sad fact is that many of them are not. You go to apply for the job, and you get an email back telling you to sign up for a paid subscription website that will supposedly tell you about more writing jobs. In other words, it's not a real job ad at all- it just a scam to get you to sign up for their useless website.

 

Over time, I've gotten pretty good at spotting the fake ads, but one of them sometimes slips by me. The easiest way to spot them quickly is that the company's website is too slick, more like an ad than a professional site. It's more like an ad because it is an ad- and the ad is targeting gullible writers. The company doesn't have any other business.

 

Job ads like this are a waste of time, and a big disappointment if you talk yourself into thinking you might have found something good. The people who place ads like these should be ashamed of themselves.

 

Don't Give Away Free Samples

As new writers, many of us struggle with how to interact with potential clients.  When you first start out, it is hard to have the confidence to know when you are being taken advantage of and when a client is making a reasonable request.  One area that many writers struggle with is the free writing sample.  While there are certainly times when a free sample should be included, there are times when it should be avoided like the plague.

Legitimate sites whose business is bringing together clients and writers have every right to ask for a writing sample.  They need to know the type of quality you can provide before assigning you a rating or allowing you to write for them. 

When you are applying to write for an established company whose reputation you can usually gauge by the website, Google search results and word of mouth, you should submit a writing sample if they request it.

When you respond to an ad on Craigslist, however, you should absolutely not provide a free sample, unless you have enough information about the ad author to feel comfortable.  A popular way to score free articles for websites is to advertise on CL and request very specific articles as “samples”.  Unscrupulous businesses can take all of these samples, put them on their website, and not hire a single writer.  Not all companies operate this way, but on Craigslist you need to be very alert.

When possible, in any of these scenarios, submit work you have already written.  Some sites will not allow previous work, but when you can you will save yourself time and you won’t be out anything if you don’t get hired.

Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing

Advantages and Disadvantages

I've tried both self-publishing and traditional publishing, and they both have their ups and downs- especially when it comes to making a living as a writer. If your book is on a topic with a clear niche you can easily and inexpensively market to, you will almost certainly make more money by self-publishing. If your book needs a little more help with the marketing and you don't have the resources to do it yourself, you'd be better off with a traditional publisher.

A traditional publisher will probably give you an advance, which may not be more than several hundred dollars or so. What many authors don't realize is that the advance is a loan, so any future royalties will be diverted to pay back the advance before you ever receive a royalty check. Since only about ten percent of all books ever sell out their advance, the advance check may very well be the total amount of money you can ever expect to see from that book. So if they're offering you five hundred dollars, ask yourself if you think you could sell enough copies in the next five years to earn more than five hundred. Be honest with yourself, because you're the only one who'll get burned if you're wrong!

If the answer is yes, you'd be better off self-publishing.

If the answer is no, you might be better off having the publisher's marketing department behind you- and getting the money up front in the form of an advance check.

 

Wordpreneur is Worth a Look

Are you an aspiring writer hoping to turn your endeavors into some actual cash flow?

Are you a fellow KLAT blogging writer? You may want to take note of the blog: Wordpreneur. The subtext states “How to make money writing”. Mm… doesn’t that sound appealing?

This blog is run by Eldon Sarte. The blog was started as a hobby by Sarte in 2005 and was listed in Writer’s Digest, “101 Best Websites for Writers”. The blog is very easy to read and features a very aesthetically pleasing theme. Clean lines, fun text font and most importantly, good content that you can actually utilize as a writer.

Sarte has been a writer for well over twenty years. In the 80’s and 90’s he wrote for The New Republic and Friends of Wine magazines. He was also very active in I.T. development and wrote coursework based around web programming. He has also written numerous ebooks and has contributed for many widely acclaimed monthly e-mail digests and newsletters.

Once visiting the blog, on the left hand panel there is a link you can click to sign up for his weekly ezine: Wordpreneur News. When you sign up for the ezine, you’ll receive two free ebooks written by Sarte about how to market and promote yourself as a writer.

You may also note that Sarte’s blog isn’t a one man show. He features guest contributors on Wordpreneur such as Dr. Liz Alexander, Amanda J. Evans, Shel Horowitz, Lior Levin, Katherine Ploeger and Sandra Stevens. Do you have information to share that would benefit your fellow writers? Sarte welcomes new contributors, but read the guidelines first, here!

Networking with LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the premiere networking site for business owners.  Some could call it the Facebook of the business world.  If you are willing to devote time to cultivating relationships on LinkedIn, you can garner important connections, business leads and fellowship with like-minded business owners who share the same goals and hurdles you do.

Learn from Your Peers
When you join LinkedIn, you have the ability to sign up for any of thousands of groups.  As a writer, you can find many niche-specific groups where you can talk about writing with fellow writers.  There are groups for book authors, freelance writers, internet marketers and everything in between.  As a member of some of these groups, I really enjoy the diverse topics.  There are questions asked and ideas proposed that I never would have thought of without those groups.

Develop Leads
By working to establish connections with former clients, colleagues and others, you expand your pool of potential clients.  Always providing high quality work will get you word of mouth referrals, and LinkedIn is the ideal medium to cultivate those referrals.  You can keep up with your connections through updates on the site or by feeding your blog right to your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is free to join, and well worth the effort if you want to devote any time to social networking.  Because we writers cater to other professionals, I think LinkedIn should be the first or second priority when you decide which social networks to pursue.  You have an almost unlimited potential client base by networking with other professionals there.

Dealing with Unhappy Clients

"many writers are turning to private clients in an attempt to keep their earnings stable."

As the number of articles available at content mills rapidly decreases, many writers are turning to private clients in an attempt to keep their earnings stable.  While private clients tend to pay more than the average large content mill, keeping multiple clients happy is not always possible.  One unhappy client can damage your reputation and negatively affect your ability to earn money as a freelance writer.  Fortunately, there are ways to manage an unhappy client.

Address the Problem Immediately

Most clients will contact you directly to voice their concerns.  The client might be unhappy about a delay in their order, a problem with writing quality, or a miscommunication regarding the instructions.  Whatever the problem is, you should always address their complaint immediately by responding to their emails or returning their phone call.  Do not put off dealing with the client since making the client wait will make the entire situation worse.

Offer a Compromise

Find a way to please your client without seriously inconveniencing yourself.  If the client is unhappy with the quality of the content you have provided, offer to make revisions on that order free of charge.  When clients are upset about a deadline change, consider giving them a “coupon” for discounted service in the future.  Work to keep your client happy without sacrificing too much of your time or potential income.

Stand Your Ground

There are times when clients are just difficult to please.  Even if you meet a deadline, follow all instructions, and communicate with your client; they might be unhappy with the end results.  When clients become unhappy for reasons that cannot immediately be addressed always stand your ground. Politely ask your client to tell you exactly what the problem with and encourage them to tell you what you can do to fix the problem.  If the client is vague, or making unreasonable demands, tell the client what you are willing to do and stand behind what you say.

The Book Every Writer Needs on Their Desk

We all have handy tools and tricks we use to get by in our daily writing grind.  One such tool is the book, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.  This book contains so much valuable information that even advanced writers will find themselves frequently flipping through the pages.

Along with the AP Style Guide, I keep this book by my desk at all times.  Between the two of them, I can find the answer to just about any question I have on grammar.  While searching the Internet may offer some results as well, none are as trusted and reliable as these two books.

The Elements of Style was actually the college textbook in Strunk's English class, and was later revised and expanded upon by E.B White, who first read the book while taking Strunk's class.  It is so incredibly concise, factual and to the point that it puts us wordy creative writers to shame.

With only 95 pages, including the glossary, The Elements of Style says it all without being verbose.  You can learn exactly how to handle commas, compound sentences and any other common English question, along with excellent examples to guide you through each section.

Comprised of just five major areas, Elements talks about such topics as usage, composition, form, misused words and expressions and style.

If you can choose only two books to guide you through your writing career, let The Elements of Style be one of them.  Your readers and your career will benefit from the valuable insights contained within.

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