BlogHer.com

Fact: 50% of your time as a professional freelancer should be spent working. The other 50% of your professional time should be spent networking and keeping on top of new trends in the industry.

Networking can be painful – root canal painful. Having to chat up a crowd of strangers can be a miserable and awkward experience. However, BlogHer10 is not your standard networking schmoozefest/snoozefest. It is two days of intensive seminars, hands-on learning and meeting the top female bloggers helping to drive the blogging industry. (Did I mention that this will be an all-women conference?)

What is BlogHer.com? It’s an online community of female bloggers who host, post, dish and share.

BlogHer10: As I write this, hundreds of female bloggers are preparing to descend upon New York City for two days of lectures, meet-ups, round-table discussions and Q&A sessions. I’ve rarely seen this much excitement surrounding a networking event. The buzz is immense on Twitter and Facebook and it makes me wish I was going! This year marks the sixth annual BlogHer conference, and as it has every year before, this year’s event is completely sold out.

This mega-conference, hosted and run by BlogHer.com, will focus on bringing the BlogHer community together to meet, greet, eat and learn together. Lectures this year range from general topics like “Usability Basics for Newbies” to hyper-focused topics like “Fashion Blogging” and how to handle your own blog photography and images.” Essentially, this is blogger bootcamp, designed to celebrate and foster growth within the female blogging community. Can I get a “heck yeah” from all the blogger ladies out there? Woot.

From newbies who need tips on working a Wordpress blog, to professional bloggers looking for better ways to utilize their metrics, this event has it all. Check out the agenda. It makes me salivate.

If you are lucky enough to be attending this year, you have LOADS of networking opps, educational opps and FREE SWAG to look forward to (my God…the swag….the beautiful, beautiful swag.) If you missed out this year, keep it in mind for next year. And if this isn’t up your alley (or if you are of the male gender…) you should be keeping tabs on the best networking events in your area. These events can be invaluable.

What does it take to get your resume taken seriously as a freelancer? It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance writer, an editor, even a freelance social media maven needs to be able to grab someone’s attention right off the bat.

The key to powerful freelance resumes and cover letters? There’s no SINGLE solution, but there are three areas you should concentrate on:

• Competing well–people lose when they forget that a cover letter and resume are in actual competition with other resumes and cover letters. This is a contest for attention. What do professional athletes do when they prep for a contest? They study the competition. Read other resumes, cover letters, etc. anywhere you can find them.
• Put yourself in the editor’s chair–read your own resume and cover letter with the notion that you have a stack of 20 to go through. What can you do better in both documents with that notion in mind?
• Cut the crap–eliminate anything in your resume or cover letter that’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for. Don’t mention your hobbies or interests unless they pertain somehow to the gig. This may sound like I’m telling you to come off like you’ve got a one-track mind, but remember that stack of 20 other resumes that still need to be gotten through. How much time do you want the reader to spend on material that won’t impress them to hire you for the gig?

–Joe Wallace

Whenever a company comes out with a new product, they usually do a lot of market research first. I recently read the findings of a company that identified several market segments it wanted to reach. I won’t go into all the demographic details. Instead I’ll skip right to the interesting part: the sweeping generalizations made about each segment.

One market segment is called the “Metro Mix.” This group is the most likely to eat at donut shops, have a window air conditioner and make purchases from the Home Shopping Network.

Next is the “Urban Up and Comers.” They are the most likely to bank by ATM card and drink imported beer and wine.

Then there are the “Rustic Homesteaders.” They are the most likely to own a rifle or shotgun, an outboard motor and shop at Wal-Mart.

I also heard about a segment that tends to eat at fast-food chicken restaurants, pays utility bills in person and likes to watch television shows about cops. Oh, this group is also more likely than average to have someone in the household change the oil on their car.

Another segment likes to purchase home furniture by mail or phone, read health magazines and listen to NPR. Yet another group was characterized as ranking first for eating at Red Lobster and watching soap operas.

I don’t know if I got much out of all that research, but I was able to identify another market segment. I’ll call this group the “Overzealous Demographers.” They spend too much time on the phone, haven’t seen sunlight in years and tend to make sweeping generalizations that are of little use to anybody. If you run into one of these people, take your window air conditioner and outboard motor and run!

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 14 topics, including an anthology titled “Cubicle Stories: Life in the Modern Workplace.”

Judy Lockhart DiGregorio has a knack for telling funny stories. When she realized that she could share her talent on paper, her career as an author began to take shape. Tenacity, creativity, and a special touch for lightness led her to numerous credits, awards, speaking gigs, and two books. Freelance-Zone caught up with the published author, humor columnist, actress, and speaker to find out more about her background and what led her to success as freelancer today.

Judy Lockhart DiGregorio

Judy Lockhart DiGregorio: I started writing stories and light verse in elementary school. . I always loved working with words and won my first writing contest in the eighth grade when the El Paso Times named me first place winner in an essay contest where we wrote about our feelings about being an American (or something like that). They took a photo of me and put it in the paper, and I was famous for one day. I always did well at essay writing in school. In college I majored in English and did quite a bit of writing on literary topics that didn’t really interest me. In hindsight, I should have majored in journalism but didn’t think about it at the time.

FZ: What are you doing now in the field?

JD: I am a monthly humor columnist for a local publication. In addition, I write about 50 press releases a year for the Oak Ridge Playhouse, where I frequently appear on stage. I teach non-credit workshops on getting publishing and writing humor, and frequently speak at writing conferences.

FZ: How did you begin publishing humorous writing? What are some tips for freelancers interested in breaking into this genre?

JD: I got into humor writing by accident. I’ve always told funny stories, and after I attended my first writing conference I realized I could write down those stories. I took several writing classes from a well-known writer to polish my technique. Then I began submitting the stories to a variety of publications and met with some success. Finally, I approached the local newspaper editor for a column. I brought him new material every couple of months trying to wear him down. After nine months, he finally hired me. (I think it was to stop my visits to his office!)

There are quite a few markets for humor writing out there if you can find one that matches your style. Lots of publications want humorous fillers; I subscribe to Writers’ Market online to keep up with these. I also subscribe to The Writer and Poets and Writers for market information.

FZ: What does your workspace look like?

JD: It has a large computer desk and chair, two bookcases, two files, a stand for my printer, a small desk and chair, and a sleeper sofa.

FZ: Can you share a special moment from your writing career?

JD: After about ten years of writing and submitting, I decided to try for a book. Having your own book gives you great credibility as an author. For several years, I submitted proposals. The first five publishers rejected my proposal, but the next one accepted it. I have never been as thrilled as I was the day Celtic Cat Publishing agreed to publish my book, Life Among the Lilliputians. They recently published my second collection of humor stories too, Memories of a Loose Woman.

FZ: What is the best advice you can give to other writers?

JD: Join writing organizations, attend conferences, and keep polishing your skills. I have been active in several writing organizations and have served on their board of directors—it’s a great way to network and meet writers and editors. Beginning writers should submit often and never give up. It took me ten years to get published in the Chicken Soup books. Then they published three of my stories all in the same year. Also, get your own website so you can market your writing there. My website has been a big help to me.

Judy Lockhart DiGregorio retired from the Oak Ridge Operations Office, Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, after 27 years as a training specialist. She is now a humor writer and speaker who has published more than 300 articles, including essays in The Army Times, The Writer, ByLine Magazine, and the Chicken Soup books. She is the author of two collections of humorous essays from Celtic Cat Publishing (Knoxville, TN) – Memories of a Loose Woman and Life Among the Lilliputians. Judy writes press releases for the Oak Ridge Playhouse, where she frequently appears on stage. She is the author of the ten-minute play, “Let There Be Light,” which was recently staged at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville.

To learn more about Judy, including video interviews and samples of her work, visit her website, www.judyjabber.com. She can be contacted at jdigregorio60(at)hotmail(dot)com.

It’s hard to believe that a professional in today’s world would leave a THREE-MINUTE voicemail message. But that’s precisely what someone did to me yesterday. (I was bored out of my mind after 30 seconds and ready to jam an ice pick in my ear after Minute One. I don’t remember a single thing she said before I 7′ed her.)

As a freelancer and professional communicator, you need to do better than that or it will hurt your business. My co-Zoner Sigrid has done a bang-up job with her series on how freelancers can benefit from writing smashing e-mails, and the point she makes in #5—“Most e-mails can be summed up within one window pane”—has its aural equivalent with voicemails.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to recognize an awful voicemail message than it is to leave a good one. Sometimes you’re going to hang up the phone and think to yourself, “Dammit, I am a babbling idiot!” I know there’s a temptation to be thorough and tell the person exactly why you’re calling in excruciating detail.

Don’t. You’d be better served to leave only your name and number than to blab on for a minute or more. Here are the few of the rules I personally try to adhere to anytime I get sent to voicemail:

1. While the phone is ringing, rehearse in your mind what you’re going to say if you end up in VM. That way, you’re ready for it.
2. Be brief. (But you already knew that.)
3. Speak somewhat more slowly than usual and enunciate as clearly as possible. It’s sort of like public speaking.
4. Immediately after you say “hi” and who you are, say your phone number, so if the person repeats the message, it’s right there.
5. If you received the contact information from a third party, use that as leverage by stating that “Jim Johnson asked that I give you a call” or something to that effect.
6. State why you’re calling in a single sentence, and limit it to one topic. You can talk about the other stuff when they return your call.
7. If you’re on deadline, say so, politely. “I’m on deadline, so the sooner you can get back to me, the more I’d appreciate it” is what I generally say. Or, if you have a specific day/time that you absolutely must hear by, go ahead and mention it.
8. At the end of the call, state your phone number again.
9. Say thank you and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Keep in mind, this post took longer for you to read than an effective voicemail would take to leave. There’s no such thing as a perfect message, other than the one that gets you called back. I experiment all the time, and recommend that you do the same.

Do you have a killer voicemail message tactic that guarantees a return call? Please share your idea in the comments!

And if you’ve had a long week and need a laugh, check out my new YouTube short, “Freelance Writing Follies: Are You Done Yet?” or drop by DearDrFreelance.com for advice on how to deal with clients who miss their own deadlines.

This is a courtesy post for Marc Gunn of Celtic MP3s Music Magazine:

The Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is looking for people to write CD reviews for the magazine. Reviews need to be about three paragraphs long with about 200 words. Writers should have some familiarity with Wordpress to publish their reviews and should be good at self-editing.

This position is unpaid. However, writers will get a byline where they can promote themselves and a staff bio on the website. All music will be available as downloadable ZIP files through an FTP website, so you should be able to open ZIP files as well.

If you are interested in joining the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and reach over 20,000 subscribers, then please write a CD review (preferably Celtic) and email it to editor (at ) celticmp3s.com.

FYI–I have written for Marc for many years and it is an enjoyable experience which I highly recommend. It’s a great opportunity to get your feet wet writing music reviews (and get a published credit), and the exposure is excellent.

Personally, I love it because I get to hear all kinds of great Celtic music. Irish girl that I am!   -Catherine

If you talk to businessmen and entrepreneurs today, they are all busy trying to “add value” for their customers. So, in the spirit of helping you get your money’s worth, here is one man’s guide to finding good values in today’s world.

A plain cheeseburger at most restaurants is a “good value.” On the other hand, anything advertised as a “Value Meal” is probably a waste of money.

Merlots and cabernets from Washington state are usually a good value. Pinot noirs from Oregon, meanwhile, have gotten a bit pricey and still don’t come anywhere close to rivaling French burgundy.

Here’s a no-brainer: Your local public radio station is a good value. Meanwhile, any radio station that plays hours of prerecorded schlock interrupted only by long bursts of monster truck rally commercials has little of value to add to our lives.

Books and compact disks are good values. For $14, I can purchase a book that contains the 25 best essays of the past year. Or for about the same amount of money, I can own a recording of Duke Ellington performing live at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. Now that’s a good value.

Compared to books and CDs, most video games are a poor value. I’m sure the graphics have gotten better since I last played a video game, but what’s the point of enhancing something that remains a colossal waste of time?

And finally, for my money, a round-trip ticket to Paris is one of the best values on the market today. In comparison, paying 40 cents to drive on I-88 from DeKalb to Aurora is a waste of money. The road is in terrible shape, and then when you get there, you’re still only in Aurora! I suppose it could be worse. You could start in Aurora and end up in DeKalb. Either way, you’re better off forking over the extra money to get to France.

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 14 topics, including an anthology titled “Cubicle Stories: Life in the Modern Workplace.”

And try not to be cutesy unless you’re writing to your best friend. Stay away from font colors like pink and purple. The easiest font to read is black. Emoticons are individual. Some people use them all the time and others never use them. By and large, you don’t want to include emoticons in work-related notes; the same is true for acronyms like LOL or ROFL. Exceptions can always be made when you know your colleague or your boss well, and the situation seems to warrant a funny face.

Sigrid Macdonald is a book coach, an editor, and the author of three books, including the newly released Be Your Own Editor, available on Lulu or on Amazon in paperback, and on Kindle.

In the past, I’ve occasionally talked about how to get ahead in the workplace. I’ve also talked about the preponderance of clichés and buzzwords in the business world. So you can imagine my feelings of horror when I recently sat in on a meeting and heard people talking about “takeaways” and “deliverables.”

When it comes to buzzwords, I have one simple question: Talk to me in English!

Okay, that wasn’t a question. But can somebody explain to me why people are using the word “takeaway” when what they really mean is that they learned something useful? Or why people use the word “deliverable” when what they are really referring to is a product or a report?

You can talk about takeaways and deliverables if you want, but it would be a whole lot easier on the rest of us if you simply had the words “Recent MBA grad” tattooed on your forehead.

Life used to be so simple. I had an “in” basket and I had an “out” basket. In order to keep up with the times, I relabeled my baskets to say “takeaways” and “deliverables.” But that just seemed to confuse people. I was constantly finding deliverables in my takeaway basket and vice versa. To me, that was the real test. The buzzwords fell short. So I went back to the old in and out. Seems to work fine.

I still use the terms deliverable and takeaway though. “Deliverable” as in “I’d like a pepperoni pizza—and make that deliverable.” And “takeaway” as in “If Dick has three things in his in box and Jane takes away two, can Dick leave early and pick up the pizza on his way home?”

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 14 topics, including an anthology titled “Cubicle Stories: Life in the Modern Workplace.”

I’m not a big believer in writer’s block. I personally have found that I can always write about SOMETHING…maybe I’m just a loudmouth. But there are times when you feel at a loose end, like you don’t really know what to do next. You’re paralyzed by indecision, worry or some other trouble nagging at you. You know you need to do SOMETHING. Send a query, do a follow up, look for some new ways to earn money from your writing…but you can’t shake that feeling of not being able to start.

Sound familiar?

When I get into that sort of rut, I fall back on one of my oldest rules. “When in doubt, promote yourself.”

That could be as simple as posting a comment on someone else’s blog with a link back to your own (in a non-spammy way, naturally) or as elaborate as dropping a fellow blogger a line to ask about doing a guest blog post. My motivation for this is to spend as much time moving forward as possible, and no time standing still even in times of doubt, worry or indecision.

If you get stuck, just drop what you’re trying to do for a bit and work on some shameless self-promotion. You can always think of a new way to push your personal brand a bit further out into the marketplace, even if it’s just a quick update and tweak of your resume page or an e-mail to a potential client to say “I’m here.”