Stretch Out, Stay Flexible

Greetings Freelancers! I am an editor but I come in peace!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda and I’ve been a professional editor and a writer for seven years. I’ve run the spectrum when it comes to the writing and editing industry, from my early days as a music journalist to the more recent corporate world of B2B copy editing and I’ve lived to tell the tale. Currently, I spend my days as a Community Manager for RunMyErrand (a start-up based out of Boston) creating marketing strategies on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which is a fancy way of saying I screw around on-line all day and get paid. Woot!

But I digress. You, reader, come to this valuable blog site to learn how to make it in this tough and unforgiving industry, and to that I have but one piece of advice for you: Be flexible.

Within the writing and editing industry, the opportunities for job growth and change are constantly appearing, disappearing and reinventing themselves. Who knew when Facebook first popped up that there would be lucrative marketing opportunities on-line for nearly every company in the world? Who knew that Twitter would become such a powerful beast in terms of information sharing and driving website traffic? Who could have guessed that blogging would become the bread and butter for so many wonderful writers to launch careers?

… Continue Reading

Top 10 Freelance Job Tips

by Joe Wallace

It’s totally misleading to headline this post by pretending to offer you advice on landing a freelance job, because I’m not going to tell you what to do. I’m starting to develop an aversion to the Ten Commandments style of freelance advice posts–probably because I’m one of the worst offenders with that particular technique.

Instead, I’m just going to tell you what’s worked for me.  And by “worked” I mean these techniques have landed me everything from small writing jobs paying under $20 per assignment to gigs writing for Wal-Mart and Shopping.AOL.com. I’ve used the same strategies for five-dollar music review gigs and $70K + per year freelance editing jobs.

That’s not a typo.

Here’s what I do: … Continue Reading

Writing…See All The Possibilities

by Catherine L. Tully

There are many ways to develop your income stream as a freelance writer. You can do it all by writing…or you can share some of your knowledge with others. When you get to a certain point in your career, teaching and speaking become a possibility for those who would like to diversify a bit.

Both Joe and I have spoken at writing-related conferences and panels–and have been paid to do so. You have to have some decent “clout” to do it, but if you are able to, it’s a great way to pad out your income a bit. It’s also a great way to network. Plus, it’s fun–and sometimes you even get to travel!

Teaching is also a great opportunity. You can share what you know about freelancing with others–and make some money in the process. Joe and I recently taught a freelance writing seminar in the Chicagoland area and are scheduled to do another one this summer. We have also moved into the social media realm, and will be teaching a class on that as well in July.

The nice part about expanding your horizons a bit as you advance your career is that it keeps everything interesting. You are also able to give back to the writing community in a way that helps others move forward and take those first steps into the field. If you’ve been around a while, you may want to start exploring some of these options–they are really worth a look!

What Kind Of A Writer Are You?

by Catherine L. Tully

What kind of a writer are you? Most people who enter the freelance writing field have no idea when they begin what type of writer they will be. Some go in thinking they are going to pen the world’s best novel, only to find they have an aptitude for writing children’s books. Others start out hoping to write for something like Newsweek and find they are better suited to writing a blog about a subject that they love.

What about you?

If you aren’t sure, the only way to tell is to stretch a bit. Go out of your comfort zone and try some new things. Are you always pitching health and fitness articles? Try an essay or a short filler here and there as well. Or perhaps you are a fiction writer? Why not take a chance on a non-fiction piece too?

The only way to find your way is to experiment and see what feels right. So go ahead and take a chance on something new. You’ll be glad you did.

Writing About Dance

by Catherine L. Tully

 Many FZ readers already know that I got my start in writing by penning articles for dance publications such as Dance Teacher and Dance Spirit. I have a strong ballet background, so the advice “write what you know” rang true for me.

If you are interested in learning more about how to write for dance publications, check out an article on my dance blog, 4dancers, where another pro writer gives some good advice on how to pitch articles to publications in this particular field. It can be good to start with shorter pieces to prove to the editor that you have the chops for dance writing if you don’t have a background in this art form.

Print Or Web In 2010?

by Catherine L. Tully

So…the big question on everyone’s mind (or at least on the minds of many writers) is whether print or the web holds the future of writing…

The Kindle is not the only game in town these days. Now Sony has come out with their own version and other companies are joining in as well. Who will emerge victorious? Or will we wind up going another direction altogether?

Personally, from what I’ve seen, I don’t think anyone has it down just yet. But it will be interesting to see where things go from here.

What about you? Any thoughts on the direction things will take in 2010? And what do you think that will mean for writers?

Does Your Query Letter Look Like This?

Look at this spam e-mail I got in my inbox today and ask yourself if your query letters & other communication with new editors looks anything like it. There are many things wrong with this e-mail. When you read it, you’ll see that the sender didn’t bother to get the editor’s name or even LOOK at the website to see if our subject areas are compatible.

Many new writers make this mistake–they don’t research their target publications to see if their articles, style or tone fits the audience.

Another thing you’ll notice is that there’s a high degree of B.S. here. The writer says he and the site have “years of experience” but fail in the most basic noob pitch tactics. Here’s a hint for you, new writer; if you are new to this game, your query letter will reveal that in some way.

That’s NOT a BAD thing–but don’t try to pass yourself off as an old hand at the writing business. Your style and tone give you away. Instead, just get down to the business of selling your article idea. … Continue Reading

Working Ahead Pays Off

by Catherine L. Tully

I hope that everyone enjoyed the time off for the holiday. Another one is around the bend, and I don’t know about you, but I intend to work ahead so that I can really spend the time relaxing with family. At least that is my plan.

Working ahead is really a form of delayed gratification. Doing my blog posts ahead of time means more on my plate now. But…it also means that I won’t have them staring me in the face right when I should be winding down to spend quality time with those I love. 

Since I’ll be traveling again soon (which means more plane time, airport time and general down time), I plan on taking advantage of those days by preparing queries to send out when I return. In the meantime, I’ll be wrapping up what I can here at home before I hit the friendly skies.

So here goes…my top five tips for working ahead this holiday season… … Continue Reading

Frank Deford on Language

If you don’t know Frank Deford, you probably don’t listen to NPR. Deford is NPR’s sports guy, but Deford is sports with a difference. The sports industry is populated by, and let’s be real here, more than its fair share of nyuk-nyuks and chowderheads. Deford brings a much needed level of class and intelligence to the whole thing. GQ called him “the world’s greatest sports writer.” No argument here.

That’s why I was practically standing on my leather couch this morning cheering to hear Frank Deford decrying the sorry, lazy state of reportage in sports. He did it as an aside, but the message is clear. The communicators don’t communicate very well. Exhibit A:

“Have you ever noticed how most people say Brett Favre’s name in its entirety? He is usually referred to as not Brett, not Favre, but Brett Favre.” Deford wrote this in the November 11 edition of his NPR sports column, Sweetness and Light.

“This is nice at this dreadful time when most modern athletes are known by their initials or their number. Most times now, athletes say things like, “23 threw it to R.K., and then J-Broom scored.” … Continue Reading

MacBook Reviews

by Catherine L. Tully

Recently I went back and forth between a Mac and a PC and finally settled on a Dell XPS (which I love) as my writing machine. Still, the Mac has an appeal for many, and today I’d like to share with you a page from CNET where you can find some great reviews on a few of the Apple laptops that are out there. CNET does product reviews well, so be sure and browse their site any time you are looking to make a big purchase on gear for your office.

Win A Free Trip To Japan!

by Catherine L. Tully

No…this isn’t some kind of a cruel joke. You actually can use your writing skills to win a free trip to Japan, courtesy of the Japanese National Tourism Organization. 

JNTO is running a contest beginning September 1st, and all you have to do to enter is describe “where your dreams take you” in 2010 letters or less. If your entry is chosen, you’ll be packing your bags. Sign up for the newsletter for more information as it is available or visit the constest site. Isn’t it time you did a little travel writing? The contest runs until November 30, 2009, so put your thinking cap on…

Please note that this campaign is for US residents.

(As a brief aside…I lived in Japan for three years. It is truly an amazing place to go. If you win, contact me and I’ll give you some pointers!)

Writing Restaurant Reviews: Observe The Details

by Catherine L. Tully

When I read restaurant reviews, I look for two things…information about the menu, and a description of the atmosphere of the place. Both details are important. Many reviews focus on the food to the exclusion of the surroundings, and I would argue that this is the sign of an amateur. To write a good restaurant review, you will want to capture a sense of place in addition to communicating about the food. Check out these tips for help: … Continue Reading

Writing Research: It Pays To Scrutinize

by Joe Wallace

I was doing some research for a finance article I’m writing on consumer fraud when I ran across Fraud.org, a site that looks full of promise and great advice. Fraud.org is part of the official-sounding National Consumers League, and I was all set to write up a glowing review of the site.

But a few things caught my editorial eye that bugged me.

To preface, let me say that I have no indicators whatsoever that Fraud.org or the National Consumers League could be anything but what they claim to be–a pro-consumer group. But there are things that ring my warning bells about sites like these, and I’ve learned to listen to those warnings until I get further clarification.

For starters, I got a bad first impression from this site because of the seriously outdated info on the front page–an ad for National Consumer Protection Week, which was in early March. Not a good way to begin a relationship with a new reader and potential financial supporter.

Fraud.org has a prominent place on the main page asking for donations. Not a bad thing to do when you’re a non-profit in need of public assistance to stay afloat.

But the website Fraud.org has no contact information on it that I could find aside from the donation form and a consumer complaint form. That’s a warning to me. I would never consider donating to a group that didn’t have a phone number I could call to speak to a real, live human.

You CAN find contact information on the parent site of Fraud.org, the National Consumers League. But that leads me to the thing that set off my other warning bells–a serious inconsistency in design across the sites. This doesn’t inspire trust. It tends to make cautious people wonder what you might be hiding or wonder why you haven’t bothered to make your site as professionally presented as possible.

It took me a bit of time–too much from my point of view– to learn that NCL is indeed a non-profit, has a rich and diverse history and is legitimately involved (from all appearances) in the community it claims to protect. In the end, I felt I could safely recommend this organization in spite of my earlier misgivings.

But let this be a lesson to both groups like NCL and writers alike. If you’re in too much of a hurry to post or go to press, you risk plenty on the credibily front. If I had just blindly recommended this website without looking more closely, I might have passed on a scam to my readers. If I had written this site off AS a scam based on my first impressions, I would have communicated what I now to believe to be bad information.

The truth of the matter seems to be that NCL has some design and presentation problems to correct, but that the agency is sound. By being persistent and looking hard enough, I feel I avoided two pitfalls for the price of one. That’s the payoff for spending the extra time vetting your sources. You maintain your credibility and you protect your readers.

5 Freelance Mistakes

by Catherine L. Tully

There is so much to know when you are freelancing, and while it is important to learn about the things you should be doing, it is just as vital to understand those things you should not be doing. Here’s 5 of them to keep in mind:

1. Manic follow-up. If the writer’s guidelines say 4 weeks, give them at least 5, preferably 6. If they tell you they haven’t had the chance to look at your query yet, wait a while before checking back. Don’t pester the editor–it can get your query deleted. Seriously.
2. Social networking. Ok, let me explain. Yes, you should be doing this. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are your friends. But not at the expense of your work. Remember that these social networking sites don’t do a thing for you if you aren’t actually working at writing. While you can get work there, you have to get that work done as well. Schedule time for it–then stick to your schedule.
3. Copying. Just because your friend got a query accepted by sending in a paragraph on a subject written in a snippy tone doesn’t mean you should do it. Find your own voice. It will get you more writing work than anything else. It takes time to cultivate this, so start now and let other people do their own thing.
4. Emphasizing quantity. Are you trying to get 20 queries out every week? Perhaps you are biting off more than you should. Instead, make sure that each one is meticulously researched and polished. Call to make sure you are sending it to the right person. Take the time to do it right and you will get much better results than if you send out a bunch hoping for a hit.
5. Sending in a first draft. Don’t do it. Just don’t. First drafts are never the best writing you can do. Make sure you take the time to hone a piece before sending it off. If you do this every time, your writing will improve.

Climbing That Freelance Ladder

In my humble opinion, it is crucial to keep moving forward in the freelance writing biz. It is all too easy to get caught up in low-paying projects that don’t get you any further as a professional. While I understand that one needs to pay the bills, this fact needs to be balanced with the idea that some time invested in moving up the ladder is well spent. It can be scary, but it’s worth the risk.

Now. I don’t advise this in some cases. If you are just starting out, it takes time to get your legs underneath you. Keep writing. Establish contacts. Work hard. When you feel comfortable, it’s a sign that you should push a bit harder. Don’t get complacent, but don’t risk too much either. If you are just starting out as a “full-timer,” you may want to be sure you can make the bills before reaching up for higher pay.

That said, I can say that I’ve known many freelance writers who underestimate themselves and stay in low-paying gigs when they could be making better money and getting published in bigger markets. These people are good writers and they just kind of get stuck in a rut. Don’t let this be you.

Resolve to do something each week that moves you forward in this game. Send out a query to a bigger market than you normally would. Put together a letter of introduction and start mailing it out to editors. Search for new markets and new work. If you can make the time to do this, you’ll be climbing that ladder in short order. Invest in yourself and stop treading water. It really works.