Tag Archives: freelance writing advice

advice

Editors: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Editors can be great bosses
Editors can be great bosses

By Amanda Smyth Connor

As a freelance writer, you will undoubtedly encounter different types of editors along your path to success; some good, some bad and some downright horrifying. I’ve taken it upon myself to put together a handy-dandy field guide to identifying these editorial personalities in the wild.

Great Editor: This editor is a dream to work with. Good for you for finding one. Do your best to maintain a solid relationship with this elusive type of editor.

How to Identify One: The best editors are equally as good at editing as they are at mediating, going effortlessly between the client and the writer, maintaining a clear and concise chain of communication. A great editor understands the difficulties and stress that can come with being a freelancer and carrying multiple tight deadlines and is able to sympathize with the life of a freelancer while keeping you motivated and on schedule regarding deadlines and revisions. A great editor will assess the quality of your work and will offer honest feedback on how to improve. A great editor will recognize your specific talents as a writer and will recommend you to future clients. This is a relationship that can turn into a great investment in your career. A great editor Continue reading Editors: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly →

freelance jobs, freelance money

Try This: Write a Greeting Card

Happy birthday! Although it’s more likely in this digital era that you’ll receive Facebook posts and texts acknowledging your day of birth rather than a hand-written greeting, the average American still receives more than 20 greeting cards each year, contributing to an industry that grosses an estimated $7.5 billion a year, according to the Greeting Card Association.

I venture that’s because there’s something special about giving or receiving the perfect birthday card. You know, the one that fits to a T the personality of the recipient, the birthday card you receive that makes you laugh out loud. But who writes those funny or sentimental messages? Who keeps them fresh?

OatmealStudiosLogoEnter Oatmeal Studios, a humorous greeting card company, and their pool of freelance writers and artists. Do you have what it takes to be a greeting card guru? Dawn Abraham, Editor at Oatmeal Studios tells all . . .

Freelance-Zone: Oatmeal Studios has been around for about 25 years. Can you tell writers a bit about the company?

Dawn Abraham: Actually, Oatmeal Studios has been around for more than 30 years. It started as a family-owned business with a few designs and grew into a large, alternative humorous card company with sales internationally.

FZ: How did you come to be involved with the company? 

DA: I started writing for Oatmeal in 1986 and because I lived nearby, it was a natural progression for me to start working in the company part-time as an assistant editor in 1987; I have been working here since then (with one break when my kids were little)…

Continue reading Try This: Write a Greeting Card →

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Avoiding the Paper Bin

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iStock_000009310130XSmallby Mike O’Mary

Dream of Things has a Fan Page on Facebook, and a while back, somebody left a message for me on the Dream of Things wall: “Ever time try write storys use go in paper bin because stoys not at good.”

At first, I didn’t know what to say. But I thought about it, and then I wrote back: “I think I understand. I have days like that, too.”

Actually, I have a lot of days like that, and recently I kind of hit a wall. Which is why this post is about taking care of yourself and making sure you get plenty of rest and relaxation.

I hit a wall mentally and physically after four months of working 70-80 hours a week. I launched a new publishing company and online bookstore, published two books, started soliciting submissions for 15 anthologies of creative nonfiction, recruited and retained seven editors to edit those 15 anthologies, started contributing to The Freelance Zone, and began editing two book-length manuscripts. And that was in my spare time because I also have a day job. This past weekend, I couldn’t think any more. So I took the weekend off. I went for a walk on Saturday, then spent the afternoon cleaning out my closets, trying on old pants (I had somehow accummulated about 40 pairs of pants) and setting aside anything that didn’t fit for donation to charity. Then Sunday afternoon, I went to the Green Mill in Chicago for some live jazz and to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday. It was a much-needed break.

When I was freelancing, one of the things I found most challenging was battling the feeling that I could never completely relax. I always felt I needed to be looking for the next assignment, and I never told a client “no” because I never knew when the client might call again. But relaxation is critical to your well-being. Otherwise, it is very difficult to do the very demanding work of writing and editing. So turn off that laptop, put on some music and try on some pants (or try on whatever you like to try on to relax), and live today so you can write again tomorrow.

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, an independent book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 15 topics.

advice

Writing Goals for 2010

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writing advice

by Joe Wallace

Have you started setting goals for the new year? Catherine and I have started the brainstorming process and we’re hoping you’re doing the same. If there’s one thing new freelancers should learn early in the career, it’s to treat your writing like a business–and that means creating a business plan, setting goals and getting organized.

It’s a lot to consider, but there’s a way to break through the inertia you might feel when facing the sheer volume of work you need to do to make the new year as productive as it can be. Start by making a simple list of four areas you want to improve or build upon in 2010. For example:

Continue reading Writing Goals for 2010 →

advice

Getting Unstuck as a Writer

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delonghi-espresso-makerby Joe Wallace

Need some figurative caffeine? Are you feeling stuck on the page, unable to write another line because your brain hurts, the inspiration is gone, and chances are you’ve been slaving away on a project far too long?

Before you stick your head in a vise, try a few of these little tricks I use to get unstuck long enough to wrap up another segment of the writing project you’re slogging away on:

Turn your last idea inside out. Are you writing about trying to succeed at something? Turn your idea on its head and write about failure for a few paragraphs. If you’re writing history, try a flight of fancy–speculate about something that might have happened had things turned out differently.

Be negative. It doesn’t have to be negativity per se, actually. Invoke a strong emotion you haven’t used lately. Get worked up, put some energy into the piece.

Abuse some substances…slightly. Sugar, caffeine, peanut butter, a glass of Chardonnay in the middle of the morning, whatever it takes to get your brain moving in a slightly different direction. Don’t overdo it on any of these, just prod yourself a little.

Contradict your last paragraph. Take the devil’s advocate point of view for a few lines and see what happens.

Change the subject. Anytime you hit a creative roadblock, try just changing topics, locations, anything. Or ditch the section you’re on and start a section ahead and revisit the old one tomorrow.

Say something outrageous. Then either disprove it or back it up.

One of these tricks will grease the gears and get the old brainbox humming again. If not, I guarantee double your money back. What’s that? You haven’t paid? Step this way, please…

advice, editorial, lifestyle

Travel Writing? Let the Traveler Beware

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freelance-writing

So you want to take a stab at freelance travel writing? If you’re new to the business, here are a few things you should know before you get started. This advice isn’t about creating the finished product, this is more about protecting yourself when you’re on your way to and from the story:

  • Be very careful when booking your tickets online. These tickets are often non-refundable. If the name on your tickets doesn’t match your ID, you won’t fly that day OR you’ll fly after purchasing a second full-rate airline ticket.
  • Excess baggage fees are now $50 and higher. Pack lightly and take as much in your carry-on as possible.
  • You can write off your tickets as a travel expense, but what does your tax pro say about excess baggage fees, parking tickets and other hidden charges? Know before you go.
  • You don’t need the insurance on that rental car unless your auto insurance policy does not cover rental cars. Ask your insurance agent and save your money.
  • Read your car rental agreements CAREFULLY. Did you know rental agencies in some states have the right to charge huge fees for smoking on a non-smoking vehicle, taking the car across the border, or racking up too much mileage?
  • Hotel checkout times are firm. Don’t get charged extra for failing to check out on time. That’s a “no duh” bit of advice, but what’s not so obvious is that many hotels will be more lenient with you on checkout time IF you make arrangements in advance. If you need an extra hour or two, let the front desk know the night before and see what they say–you might get a break.
  • If you are traveling internationally with a Mac laptop, you may be surprised to discover that your Mac is compatible with the local power supply. In Germany, for example, you need a converter plug (an easy purchase at any Apple Store or online) but your Mac will run fine. That’s because of the nature of your Mac power cord. Beware though–if your plug has any defect at all the current could fry your laptop. You run a risk anytime you plug in to a non-USA power source without a voltage transformer, but that said, many people have used their Macs overseas without anything more than the converter plug.
  • If you need to send large images back to an editor, consider sending via YouSendIt or some other transfer service designed to handle large files with speed. Sending large images via e-mail, especially from overseas on borrowed bandwidth, is a right pain.