Interview With…Jason Demant

Today we have an interview to share with Freelance-Zone readers. Jason Demant is a writer and traveler who has recently founded UnAnchor, a travel itenerary site. Enjoy!                          - Catherine 

Jason Demant

1. What is your background in writing and travel?

My background in writing is little to none to be honest. It’s been an interesting experience the last year realizing how much time I now spend writing. To my surprise though, I’ve really enjoyed it. In addition to blogging, I’ve started writing occasionally for other blogs and writing travel itineraries as well.

In terms of travel, I’ve spent the last 10 months on the road across Asia. I’m starting to have a passport that I’m really proud of. Before this big trip though, I did the standard American corporate-life vacation thing. Once a year, I took off one to two weeks (two, only if I was lucky) and saw as many cities and countries as possible. Always returning more exhausted than when I left. I was able to visit the Middle East, South America and Europe twice.

2. What is UnAnchor and how did the idea for it come about?

UnAnchor is a site to find specific, do-it-yourself travel itineraries. I like to think of it as an “app store” for travel itineraries. However, UnAnchor is also quite new. So, while that’s the eventual goal, right now a lot of my focus with UnAnchor is finding the experts to write itineraries. All itinerary writers set their own price on the itinerary (starting at $0.99) and keep 75% from each one they sale. However, for the first 50 itineraries written, we’re jumping that to 90%.

The idea initially came from a previous co-worker, now friend, of mine and has been further refined through my own travel experiences. It’s been frustrating figuring out how to use public transportation, how to do an activity without joining an expensive tour, and choosing what to do in a city with hundreds of tourist options. The idea is that a detailed itinerary will solve all of these frustrations. It will explain how to use public transportation and give you a detailed map to show you how to drive or walk to a destination. If you only have 1, 2, or 3 days in a city, it will tell you the things you absolutely must see.

3. Can you share any savvy travel tips with readers? … Continue Reading

Mispelling Or Misspelling?

by Catherine L. Tully

How’s your spelling? While it’s true that these days we have spellcheck, there is really no substitute for knowing how to spell things correctly the first time. It is more efficient, and you don’t have to worry about catching things later. For those who struggle with certain words–you are not alone. Here is a list of the 100 Most Often Misspelled Words that you can work through at your leisure.

I have to confess that as I browsed the list, I found quite a few that I could work on!

Social Media With Chris Brogan

Chris Brogan

by Catherine L. Tully

 

If you are trying to get the hang of social media but are tired of all the same old information, check out Chris Brogan for some enlightenment. Well known as a social media guru, Brogan gives advice on his site in a “best of” section that hits some pretty good highlights. Learn “50 Ways To Take Your Blog To The Next Level” or read “Framing Your Social Media Efforts”.

Social media has pretty much become a must for the writer, so if you have yet to dip your toe in the pool, there is no time like the present. Brogan also offers advice for those who have been around a while and are looking to maximize their presence on the web.

You can also sign up for his newsletter.

Writers Groups By State On Freelance-Zone

by Catherine L. Tully

Well we’ve taken on a few ambitious projects lately–one of which we’d appreciate your help with. Freelance-Zone is attempting to put together the monster list of all the writers groups by state that we can find. Naturally, this is a bit of a challenge. There are tons of groups out there…some small, some large. We’d like to include them all!

That’s where you come in. If you have a minute to check out your state and let us know if we’ve missed a group — we’d really appreciate it! Just send an e-mail with the info (Group name, state, web addy and a short description) to editor (at) freelance-zone.com and we’ll load it up. If we haven’t gotten to your state yet–keep an eye out–we will soon…

In the coming months there will be some other new resources added to the site, so keep your eye out for fresh content. Aspiring travel writers might want to take a peek at our new “travel” tab, which will be updated frequently with information you can use to learn more, find work and get published.

“And The Plot Thickens” Weekend Novel Writing Workshop

Today we are excited to bring Freelance-Zone readers an up-close look at “And The Plot Thickens”, a novel writing workshop in Rhode Island taking place later this month…

1. How did the idea for the “And The Plot Thickens” workshop come about, and when is it?

‘And The Plot Thickens… How to develop a novel’ is held on August 28 & 29 2010.

The idea came about because we are passionate about the Arts. From the regular RISDA exhibitions we hold in our lobby, our series of arts inspired events and the local arts society we support, it shows in everything we do…We wanted to help people discover their own passion and writing their first novel is a dream that many of us have. We also realized that with people taking shorter weekends because of the economy, they wanted to do something more worthwhile with their time away – this workshop allows them to pursue their dream, share experiences and make new friends while spending the weekend in a wonderful hotel in a beautiful city.

2.  Who will be leading this workshop and what are that person’s qualifications?

Joanna Howard is a published author and holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Denver, and MFA in fiction writing from Bowling Green State University. She currently teaches fiction at Brown University. Joanna is the author of ‘On the Winding Stair’ (Boa Editions, 2009) a collection of short stories which Publisher’s Weekly described as “14 tales of startling description and beauty.”  She is also the author of ‘In the Colorless Round’ (Noemi, 2007), a short collection of prose with artwork by Rikki Ducornet . Her publications also include numerous book reviews in Review of Contemporary Fiction and American Book Review, and she has worked as a co-translator on Marcel Cohen’s Walls (Black Square 2009) and on Frederic Boyer’s Cows (forthcoming from Noemi Press). Her stories appear in anthologies and journals including Conjunctions, The Chicago Review, Quarterly West, and American Letters and Commentary. Howard is a fiction editor for Tarpaulin Sky magazine, She has also edited for Denver Quarterly and other journals.

3. What will be covered in these two days?

Each day will be structured by a series of morning and afternoon sessions, which will include a range of writing exercises, workshops, and seminar style discussions.

Budding writers will learn practical skills for how to shape their ideas into a novel, discover how to create memorable characters and compelling narratives. They will examine their favorite novels and dissect what makes them great pieces of fiction. Reading-out exercises will give them the opportunity for feedback on material they have already written and advice on how to develop and shape their drafts. Joanna will share her experience and advice on how to talk about and present ideas to an audience and how to get that first novel published. … Continue Reading

Interview With…Tim Leffel, Travel Writer And Editor

Tim Leffel

1. Can you tell readers about your writing journey and how you came to be involved with travel writing?

I worked at RCA Records for seven years in marketing and did a lot of writing there as a part of my job. When my now-wife and I started preparing to go backpacking around the world long-term, the obvious money-making paths for me seemed to be teaching English and travel writing. So I did both. The stories I got published were just a trickle at first, but over time I got more assignments and eventually I was able to dispatch stories and hotel reviews from five different continents. I worked part-time for many, many years before I made the leap to this being a full-time job. For me, things really started to take off when I put out a book that sold well and started a blog to go with it. 

2. You have a new book coming out soon…would you share a bit about that with Freelance-Zone readers? 

It’s hitting the virtual shelves now, so you can get it at the usual online shops, at Booklocker.com, and soon at the Apple iBookstore. It’s called Travel Writing 2.0: Earning money from your travels in the new media landscape. This is the first guide I know of to address how to actually earn money at this in this time of transition between print and digital media. Besides my own hard-won advice, the book has lots of nuggets from 52 other travel writers and a group of editors and publishers.

3. In your opinion, what are the biggest mistakes writers make when it comes to travel writing?

Trying to publish broad stories about places instead of spending time finding unique angles that have not been covered before. Sure, you read plenty of ho-hum destination stories in magazines that follow a similar script, but what editors really want from new freelancers are unique angles, especially ones that can fit onto a page or less in the print world. The same concept applies to blogging as well: if what you’re writing is not noticeably different from everything else out there, why do readers need you? We’re already drowning in average prose from average writers.

The other big mistake is not having the long-term vision and persistence required to succeed at what is a very competitive field. It can take years to get established as a travel writer, whether on the old print path or a new digital one, so choose opportunities based on what it will do for you long-term, not how big that single check may or may not be.

4. Would you share a career highlight with us?

I can’t pick one because the highlights are two-fold. First, I’ve taken some mind-blowing, amazing trips that either paid for themselves from articles sold or were covered by someone else paying the expenses and to me that’s the real payoff of this job. Writing assignments have taken me to the Galapagos, Peru, Panama, Iceland, Botswana, Hungary, Nepal—and plenty more places. Winning a Grand Prize from the North American Travel Journalists Association was nice. Selling Italian rights to The World’s Cheapest Destinations was pretty cool. But probably the greatest highlight was being able to reach the point where I could pay the bills and support my family as a writer/editor/blogger. I’m proud that I’ve accomplished this mostly because of websites and blogs I’ve created myself from scratch, not from pleading with rotating gatekeepers over and over.

5. What is the best piece of writing advice you have ever received?

One of my high school English teachers told me not to use 20 words when 10 will say it just as well—or better. What’s made me a good writer, more than anything I think, is being good at brutal self-editing.

BIO: Tim Leffel is a full-time freelance writer and the author of several books, including the new Travel Writing 2.0 and The World’s Cheapest Destinations, now in its third edition. He is the editor of the narrative webzine Perceptive Travel, the CheapestDestinations Blog, and the Practical Travel Gear Blog.

Video Conferencing With Tokbox

by Catherine L. Tully

Just a quick resource for you today–but a great one! Tokbox is perfect if you need a way to video chat, or want to hold a video conference of some kind online. Keep this site in mind for the next time you need to see someone face-to-face on the web.

A BigDif Book Sampler

by Catherine L. Tully

You may have noticed that BigDif is one of our sponsors over here at Freelance-Zone. Part of our committment to readers is that we provide you with more information about those who advertise on our site so that you can decide for yourself if the product or service is something that might be beneficial to you.

Today we have with us Tom Watson–head of BigDif. He’s going to share some of the types of books that they publish over at their company so that you can get a feel for if this might be a good route for you to go if you are a budding chidren’s book author…or if you know someone who is…

Here’s Tom–

One of the things I really like about what we’re trying to do at this newfangled publishing company is give authors a chance to publish stories that traditional publishers just would be too wary to give a shot.  We make the books available digitally in our on-line e-reader.  And they can be printed at home.  We have about 40 books available now and each one stands on its own in different ways.  Here are some of my personal favorites:

Stick Dog Wants a Hamburger is one of our favorite books. It’s written and illustrated by Melissa Phillips. It’s longer form, probably 6,000 or 7,000 words, has a clever voice and here’s what I like the best:  The author-illustrator makes a real point of telling the reader she can’t draw. The whole idea that she’s up-front about it is funny the way she pulls it off.  Stick Dog’s name comes from the drawing.  You know, like how kids – and adults – draw stick people?  She draws stick dogs and writes about them.

The Night Before is written and illustrated by Annie Harmon who lives in Texas…. … Continue Reading

Transferring Files With WeTransfer

by Catherine L. Tully

Today’s resource will help you out if you need to send big files and you don’t have a big budget. WeTransfer is free, and it’s also easy to use…a beautiful combination!

Your files are kept private and you will have them available for two weeks.

This is perfect for writers who have to send photo files to an editor to accompany an article. Bookmark it in case you need it down the line. Even if you don’t right now…you never know when this type of thing can come in handy.

Join Writing Organizations, Submit Often, and Never Give Up: An Interview with Judy Lockhart DiGregorio

by Erin Dalpini

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. … Continue Reading

Arts & Letters Daily

This is a don’t miss resource. Arts & Letters Daily is a compilation of news, reviews, articles, essays and new book announcements that makes for a great read. There are some great links here as well, such as a ”breaking news” section, a “newspapers” section and a very large “book reviews” section. Careful though–you could get lost sifting through all that this site has to offer…

Writers Groups By State

You might have noticed the little section in the upper right toolbar portion of our site titled Writers Groups By State. We’re nearly halfway done with the initial phase of this ambitious project, but we need your help to fill in the blanks. If you browse your state in the pulldown menu and don’t find your favorite writer’s group, we’d love to know about it. Please feel free to drop us a line and let us know what groups we missed! You can get in touch by writing editor (at) freelance (dash) zone (dotcom).

When the project is “finished” we’ll have all 50 states represented, but this work is truly never done as old groups retire and new ones spring up. Don’t miss the chance to promote yours here!

Free Online Books And More

by Catherine L. Tully

My latest discovery is Read Print, an online library. While I’m not a big fan of reading on the computer, this cool little resource is a fun thing to check out if you need a “brain break” when you are writing.

In addition to books, there are also plays, essays, poems and short stories that you can read.

And it’s all free.

It Ain’t Easy Bein’ a Freelancer

By Amanda Smyth Connor

The life of a freelancer. Oh sure, it sounds glamorous. Make your own hours! Be your own boss! Work from home in your footy pajamas with the funny butt-flap!

In reality, the life of a freelancer is tough, can lack stability and can really cramp your lifestyle if you don’t plan accordingly. Before you quit your job, burn your business suits and throw caution to the wind, be aware of what you are in for.

Freelance writing isn’t just a career path that you jump into. It’s no good saying “hello world! I’m a freelancer now! Hire me!” It takes hard work and dedication, as with any job, but it also takes intense self-motivation, self-discipline and a TON of networking. Not to mention that you also need to be an incredibly reliable and consistently solid writer.

Freelance-Zone has loads of wonderful posts devoted to how to become a freelancer, how to break into the biz and how to get better assignments, but this post serves as a warning to any timid newbies out there considering making the jump. This is not a career choice that is to be taken lightly. I would recommend holding down that stable day job while making this transition and getting your feet wet in the field of freelancing before making any serious life-changing decisions. I would also recommend having an healthy savings account and/or a spouse/partner with a great salary. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart. … Continue Reading

Getting things done

First, a confession: I tried the Franklin-Covey/7 Habits routine numerous times in my corporate days, and failed miserably. So, I wanted to bring Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity to Freelance-Zoners’ collective attention. To me, it is a far better solution for the creative freelancer and the sometimes-squirrelly creative brain that we need to harness on a daily basis—and it is rock-solid when it comes to preventing things from falling through the cracks.

I saw it recommended in the Wall Street Journal a few months back, and it truly changed my way of thinking about organization (no small feat at the age of 42). With the caveat that the best organizational system is the system that you actually use, I think it represents a much better approach than the aforementioned Franklin-Covey route. Here are a few of the reasons author David Allen’s philosophy works for me:

• He dispenses with the guilt-and-humiliation slant that plagues Franklin-Covey (i.e., forcing you transcribe into the next day what you didn’t do today).
• You don’t waste any time giving things a priority number or letter.
• He provides easy-to-employ steps that you can start using right away, and you don’t have to do everything at once. The startup procedure requires a good chunk of dedicated time, but it’s worth it.
• For list-based folks like me and Mike O’Mary (who wrote “Feeling Listless” earlier this week), he offers an improved method for organizing your to-dos. And you can customize it to your needs, rather than being boxed into a single way of getting things done.
• He makes no distinction between business stuff and personal stuff, which always seemed silly to me.

Your mileage may vary, but it’s the best $16 I’ve spent all year. Have you read/implemented Getting Things Done, or are you using an organizational system already that you love? Please share your thoughts with Freelance-Zone readers in the comments below!

When he’s not working on paying gigs for his editorial services company, Boomvang Creative, contributing blogger Jake Poinier can also be found dispensing freelance advice at DearDrFreelance.com or musing on entrepreneurial topics at Jake’s Take.