Run, don’t walk, to listen to Inside Creative Writing

If you’d like, you can listen to this post.

I am a writer, but I am not yet the writer I want to be.

I have had very little in the way of formal training. I do not have a college degree or an MFA. I have taken a few, scattered writing courses (most recently a class on writing fantasy at the wonderful Grub Street in Boston), but mostly I’ve cobbled together random bits and pieces – like a magpie collecting shiny things to adorn its nest.

Though my journey has followed a somewhat circuitous path, I believe that I have made progress. From a seven-year-old scribbling in a notebook that I pilfered from the supply closet at the bank where my dad was a VP, I have evolved into someone who makes her living with words – crafting content for my marketing clients, writing a column for my local paper, and even occasionally penning a feature piece for a regional magazine.

But, I am still not the writer I want to be.

I ache to write fiction, but as a single mama workin’ this gig, I can’t easily afford time to play in the speculative and financially unstable world of fiction. The writing that pays my bills takes precedence. Making time to practice and study the craft of fiction is a challenge for me, to say the least.

Enter the power of the podcast.

Those of you who’ve been hanging around here awhile already know that I am a huge and unabashed fan of audio books. If it weren’t for audio books, I’d probably only manage to read a handful of novels each year. But with Audible in my pocket, I am able to “read” while I walk, drive, do the dishes, run the vacuum, etc. It’s a beautiful thing.

Podcasts are another audio format that allow me to connect with content while I’m doing something else. I have been listening to several marketing podcasts for a while, but only recently decided to investigate writing podcasts. Long story short, I struck gold with a brand new podcast called Inside Creative Writing.

Brad Reed is the writer and educator behind this podcast. As a frequent podcast listener, I can be a bit of a critic, but this guy is doing a fabulous job. His shows are highly informative, entertaining, and actionable. I frequently pause in my walk to jot down a note so I don’t forget what he’s said about a particular technique or insight. He has put a lot of thought into his format – alternating one-man shows with interviews and always including a couple of closing elements – “Wise Words” (inspirational and thought-provoking quotes) and a writing assignment (not a prompt, but an assignment on applying the techniques discussed in the show). His production quality is great, his show notes are thorough, and he even has a way for listeners to participate in the show by leaving him a voicemail with a quote for the Wise Words segment, which he then edits into the actual show. (You can hear my debut appearance in Show #8.)

Can you tell I’m a bit of a fan?

The thing is, we’re only eight shows into this podcast, and I have already learned SO much. Reed covers topics in a way that is clear and non-threatening. He makes great use of examples to bring each of the concepts and techniques to life. He isn’t afraid to take deep dives on a topic, making sure you – as the listener – really have a chance to fully absorb and process the idea. Also (and this counts in my book), he’s a really nice guy. I emailed him a quick note of appreciation and wound up having a very pleasant email chat. I can tell that Reed is doing this with his community firmly in mind.

I really can’t recommend the show enough. I was talking to a group of writer friends earlier this week about our favorite writing resources – the go-to books, blogs, and magazines that help us get a handle on what the hell we’re doing. All the usual suspects came up, but then the conversation took a turn as one of the writers sputtered, “They’re all great, but I never have time to read them!” Too true.

I subscribe to Poets & Writers. It’s an excellent magazine (probably one of the very best on the topic of writing). I always learn something when I read an issue, but – like my friend – I can’t always find time to read them. As a matter of fact, I have four unread issues sitting in a pile next to my desk right now. I feel guilty and frustrated and a little defeated when I think about how long those magazines have been sitting there, waiting for me to find a few minutes to crack their crisp covers. Alas, I don’t see that happening in the near future. However, the Inside Creative Writing podcast is filling that gap in my education quite nicely. I can honestly say that I am learning as much (if not more) about good story writing by listening to Reed as I would poring over the pages of Poets & Writers. (And, that’s saying something!)

I guess the most telling thing I can say about how much I like the show is this: I’m willing to pay for it.

In the most recent episode, Reed invited listeners to become supporters by making a voluntary donation to help offset show costs. He called it the “public broadcasting model.” I immediately went to www.insidecreativewriting.com and clicked the “Donate” button. I plunked down $36 – what I might pay for a year’s subscription to a quality, writing magazine – and was happy to do it.

After all, I can certainly forego a few lattes in the name of becoming the writer I want to be.

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Jamie Lee Wallace is a writer who also happens to be a marketer. She helps her Suddenly Marketing clients discover their voice, connect with their audience, and find their marketing groove. She is also a mom, a prolific blogger, and a student of voice and trapeze (not at the same time). Introduce yourself on facebook or twitter. She doesn’t bite … usually.

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I Am My Own Boss, Part 2

          Even though I work alone, I’ve learned how to be my own best boss.

I have some managerial experience. For sixteen years I managed a medical office, and I took good care of my co-workers. It’s taking me about as long to learn how to take good care of myself.

Hands down, praise works best, so I try to appreciate any small step I take toward the larger task at hand – which is drafting a 100,000-word novel. One of the unintended consequences of this practice is that as I’m not just kinder and gentler toward myself, I’m kinder and gentler toward others. If I live long enough, I may actually become a genuinely nice person.

But I must admit that I still have days when I don’t want to sit down by myself to write a book that might never see the light of day. Some days, I’ll do anything to avoid writing, including putting off starting, going off on a tangent, or becoming paralyzed by doubt.

While I could try to turn these problems into an affirmation, “Hey Deb, you’re human!” I’ve found a more effective countermeasure to resistance.

Resistance is what keeps us from accomplishing our goals – from the little ones, like sitting down to write, to the big ones, like finishing a book.

According to nutritionist and writer Linda Spangle, it’s possible to defeat resistance by understanding its components and knowing what to do about them.. Resistance is manifested by Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Typically, we respond to Fear with Procrastination. (Solitaire, anyone?) The best countermeasure to Procrastination is to Start: open a new document and start typing.

We respond to Uncertainty with Distraction. Ever start writing a piece and decide you really need to read War and Peace before you can do a good job? But before you can turn the page, you need to clean the litter box, which reminds you to put laundry detergent on the grocery list and make a dentist appointment for a cleaning six months hence? You get the idea. The best way to counter Distraction is with Focus.

And then there’s Doubt. Three quarters of the way through a draft and you become paralyzed by a needling voice that whispers, “You really think this is any good? Who are you kidding?” Doubt is responsible for countless unfinished stories in untold files around the world. But even Doubt can be defeated. Just Finish.

I have a Post-It above my desk. It says: Start. Focus. Finish.

Essentially, this is another way of saying, “Single Task” – which I wrote about in Part One of this post. And sometimes, I have to go through NAMS before I can Start, Focus, Finish. The more I practice these techniques, the better I get at sitting down, writing, revising, rewriting and returning to my desk day after day in what can be the most satisfying job working for the best boss I’ve ever had: me.

photo: M. Shafer

   Deborah Lee Luskin is the author of Into the Wilderness, an award-winning novel set in Vermont in 1964.

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Celebrate when you hit business goals and milestones

As a small business owner, it’s easy to get caught up in keeping the business moving forward.

You can always:

• be looking for the next client
• want to keep the best clients coming back
• spend time marketing
• connect with your market on social media
• build a support network
• spend time analyzing results
• get ‘caught up’ in deadlines

As a small business owner, you wear all the hats, juggle all the balls, keep everything moving forward. When you complete a task, you check it off and move on to the next item.

Similarly, when you hit a deadline, it’s easy to check it off your list and move on to the next project, but I think it’s important to pause and celebrate.

And before you say, “I don’t have time,” I disagree. At a minimum, I hope you’ll note the successful deadline completion in your list of accomplishments for the year. Whether it’s a success/achievement journal or a list taped to your wall, list the date and a brief description of the accomplishment.

For example: 4/20 – met deadline for (brief description of project) for (client      name) ahead of schedule/on time.

That’s the first activity I recommend. The next is to step away from your desk. Yep, don’t just push the chair back, actually get away from the keyboard so you won’t be tempted to work.

Take a moment to think about how the project arrived at your desk.

• Did you meet the client at an event? Pat yourself on the back for having made the connection that led to work.
• Did the client contact you through a referral? Congratulate yourself for having someone recommend you so positively.
• Did the client find you online? Give yourself kudos for your online marketing and social media efforts

Now think about the process of landing the project. Celebrate your successes of:

• Connecting with the client in a personal and professional way that resonated with the client
• Having your pitch/proposal accepted
• Being able to work with their deadline and other project parameters

And now that you’ve submitted the final work to the client, you get to celebrate the accomplishment, which is not something that happened over night. Recognize that. Appreciate it.

A different kind of celebration, but still a celebration

You’ve put in the effort and time, so take a few minutes, at least, to celebrate that fact! The ‘work’ itself may be easy to you, but that alone doesn’t make your business successful. YOU make your business successful with a lot of effort, so appreciate that and recognize it. (I’m repetitive with important points).

Talk out loud to the empty room: “I just finished X’s 2-week project and it feels GREAT!” (give your best Tony the Tiger imitation) “I look forward to more projects from X, and from similar clients I haven’t met yet.”

–As a note, yes, I do these things. I even do a happy dance – sometimes with music, sometimes without – to celebrate. There’s an exaggerated fist pump and a loud “YES!”, too. And laughter, because it *is* funny to be doing these things in an empty room. But it’s good – it’s fun – it’s celebrating – it makes me smile. I love to smile.

I believe that the more you can appreciate what you have, the more you’ll have. Business goals and milestones are worth celebrating.

And there’s another bonus to the celebrating: when you sit back at your desk to get back to work, you’ll feel more energized and have a fresh mind for the next project.

Have you been taking the time to appreciate all that you do for your business?

Lisa J. Jackson partners with businesses seeking to express themselves with words. She loves New Hampshire and is completing several 5Ks in 2013 as a way to get off the couch and away from the screen. She wasn’t a runner until now, and is thinking that someday she wants to complete the Alcatraz Triathlon. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Friday Fun – Lost your mojo?

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, get-to-know-us question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION:  It happens to all of us. You’re working on a piece and it just isn’t going well. Last you knew, you were smarter, sharper, funnier or whatever-er than this miserable article, story, or blog post. What do you do to get back on track?

Lisa J. Jackson: Ah, yes, losing  Mojo, it happens. Mojo seems to run off when I have a lot of time to dedicate to my project. I look forward to my time to write on the project and tell Muse, show up, and then Muse is off on a carefree cross-country motorcycle trip with Mojo.

I get frustrated, probably curse a time or two, and then laugh at the absurdity of thinking I’m floundering. I mean, seriously, Muse and Mojo as a couple? Ha! No chance they’ll last longer than a few hours, and then both come racing back and want to be first in line with the apology.

It’s funny to see the imaginary expressions on their faces when they realize I’ve completed a brand new project that neither was privvy to, while they stepped out together.

Once Muse and Mojo are back at home, though, I can finish up the project they ran away from quickly enough, since they both go above and beyond to get back in my good graces.

Jamie Wallace: I smiled when I read this week’s question. The column I wrote for my local paper this week was a perfect example of losing my mojo. Ironically, it was on a topic that I thought would be a breeze: my cats. I had a mind mapped outline that sprawled up, down, and across a whole page in my notebook. I had plenty to say and passion for my subject matter, but try as I might I just couldn’t get the words to come out right. My column typically clocks in around 600 – 700 words. I think I wrote three times that over four false starts. I’d literally get 400 words into a draft and think to myself, “Nope. That’s not it.” It was exhausting. I eventually found my groove, but it was a grueling process.

When I find myself in this situation, it usually means that I haven’t prepared enough. I either don’t have enough reference material (often the case on client projects), or I just haven’t found the angle that makes everything clear for me. There are other reasons that come into play (I explored several of them in my series on writer’s block), but usually the underlying culprit is simply that I’m not ready – tactically, logistically, or emotionally.

What do I do? First, I keep writing – trying to pull something through that will give me the thread of an idea or perspective I’m looking for. If that fails me (and I haven’t backed myself into a corner by procrastinating right up to my deadline), I will walk away for a while – get outside, go for a walk, take a karate class – anything to get my head out of the work. Finally, I’ll read something – anything. Sometimes, reading someone else’s words can help me get mine flowing.

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: Yup. Happens all the time. My answer? A walk. A true, four-to-six-mile walk works best, but if I don’t have the time or weather for that, simply walking away from my desk and doing something else also does the trick. It’s a matter of time and space – giving my mind enough of both to freewheel through its mysterious processes. And just as mysteriously, it comes back. Learning patience and having faith that this is so has made my life as a writer much richer and more productive – and I’m a lot happier, as a result.

 

Diane MacKinnon: When I start to lose my oomph for my writing, I walk away and do something else, as Jamie and Deborah mentioned. I often plan for this–most of the time I write a blog post draft and then put it away, usually for a couple of days, occasionally only for a couple of hours. With my other writing, I am sometimes blind-sided by the sudden lack of enthusiasm for the project. When this happens, I do exercises to get back on track (since I’ve usually set aside only a specific period of time and I don’t want to squander it). Creative writing prompts, open-focus techniques, a short stint at meditating while sitting at my desk–all of these can work for me. In those moments, I just stay at my desk until I’m back into work mode (or my time is up!)

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Can You Write Too Much? Guest Post by Joyce Marcel

Joyce Marcel is an award-winning journalist and columnist who lives in southern Vermont. She writes about Vermont art, culture, politics, business and music. Her work has appeared in Vermont Business Magazine, Vermont Life, Vermont Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Globe Mazazine, The Springfield (MA) Republican, the Brattleboro (VT) Reformer, the Providence (RI) Journal, the New York Post and many other newspapers. She currently writes opinion pieces, news and arts stories for The Commons, the weekly newspaper of Windham County (VT).

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Can you write too much to write? That’s both my question and my problem.

A little history may be in order here. When I was already too old for it, I was lucky enough to get a journalism job on a small-town daily newspaper in Vermont. Before that, I knew I was a writer but I never thought I would ever see my name or my work in print. I just didn’t know how people accomplished something as amazing as that.

Since then, with a lot of ups and downs along the way, I’ve made a career out of freelance journalism. Sometimes my by-line appears three or four times a month. In my small way, I have readers. I have a voice. I have an outlet for my opinions. I can pay my bills — just barely, but still. I have been able, on occasion, to bring about small amounts of social change. If you’re as driven by curiosity as I am, journalism is a wonderful thing.

But journalists respond to the events around them, and I have always dreamed of writing other things. Currently, I’m in the middle of a passion project — a book about six generations of my family and the effects that the social, cultural, political and economic movements of our times have had on all our lives.

But just when I’m writing full-tilt about a beloved ancestor, a business magazine wants a story on an out-of-the-way Vermont beer-maker who was just named the best brewer in the world. I jump right on it and my ancestor gets shelved. Or an art magazine wants to know about an influx of high-end jewelers in my hometown. Or I’m asked to cover Town Meeting for my local daily. I love to poke my nose into other people’s business and write about what they’re doing. And let’s face it: I love receiving checks in the mail.

But it’s difficult to pick up the family book again, so it’s taking me a long time to make any progress. I deeply regret that. I feel like journalism is making me cheat on my family.

I wish I could say that I’m the kind of writer who wakes up at 5am and does my book writing before starting my work writing, but that’s not the case. Whatever I’m doing takes my full attention — that’s why I do it, to lose myself in the work.

Writing can be as fatiguing as laying bricks or painting houses. You really can’t put in too much overtime. Early on you learn what your best hours are — for me it’s between 8am and 2pm — and you schedule your life (dentist appointments, meals with friends) around that. After that, the brain gets weary. It’s a good time for paying bills, playing on Facebook and answering emails, but it’s not a good time for creativity. Maybe I should just wish to be smarter — maybe having a bigger brain would help.

It’s not a question of discipline. I write every day, Sunday through Sunday. Like most  writers, I can’t stop writing. Also, if I don’t have a current story firmly in my mind, I lose those flashes of insight that come when I’m doing something else, like raiding the refrigerator.

Putting a leash on my curiosity would help, but it’s like putting a leash on a wildcat; it has a life of its own. Sometimes I try to tell myself that going deep — writing my book — can be as satisfying as going wide — journalism. Then the phone rings and I’m off and running again.

Sometimes I’m grateful that I don’t also have an imagination. What if I wanted to write fiction? Curiosity is more than enough of a beast to deal with.

So I write all the time, and it takes me away from my writing. Sometimes I think I should never have jumped on the journalism train. Maybe I would have had a bigger, better literary career. But as long as curiosity doesn’t kill this cat and the bills keep coming in, it’s too late to change.

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin is a novelist, essayist and educator who lives in Southern Vermont and has long admired Joyce Marcel’s work.

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Secrets of Successful Freelance Writers – Part 2 of 2

In the first part of Secrets of Successful Freelance Writers, we talked about the importance of finding the right work, learning to accurately price writing projects, and releasing your inner project manager. In today’s post, we tackle four more secrets that can help you build the freelance writing business of your dreams so you can make money from home … in your pajamas.

Here we go!

Study your craft.

You will never be done learning about writing. Whether your goal is to write feature articles or marketing copy, there is an infinite collection of resources and references that will help you hone your craft. From traditional books to blogs, online courses to community college courses, mentorships to internships, there are literally hundreds of ways to improve your skills and confidence.

In my case, I leaned heavily towards online sources. I became a voracious blog reader, devouring post after post, storing choice bits in my Evernote files, and putting my new skills to work as quickly as I could (lest I forget them). You can self-educate however you prefer, but don’t ever stop being hungry for more knowledge.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Do a search for blogs on your particular area of interest. Load a few into a reader (with Google Reader closing in July, I just switched to Feedly and I’m loving it!). Read them regularly.
• A great initial resource for anyone considering life as a freelance writer, Peter Bowerman’s Well-Fed Writer series are a perennial favorite – chock full of great advice and helpful templates.

Create your system.

There’s a reason that the assembly line had such an impact on the industrial revolution. Systems help you replicate and streamline a process so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you tackle a particular task.

In addition to being more efficient, systems give you and your clients a greater sense of confidence. You know how to break a project down so you can get it down. Your clients feel like they are in capable hands when you have a clear and defined plan to get them from Point A to Point B.

Like pricing, expertise with creating systems will come with time and practice; but you can get a good head start by studying other people’s systems and thinking consciously about what works well on your projects.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Keep a running log of the steps you take to manage a project. After only a few times doing this exercise, you’ll begin to see patterns for what works and what doesn’t.
• Formalize your system by giving each phase a name. Familiarize yourself with the optimal flow for a project and then share that with your client as you work through the process.

Pay attention to the details.

They say don’t sweat the small stuff. When it comes to writing, I disagree. In writing, you’re better off remembering that the devil is in the details.

In a perfect world, we’d each have our own private editor who would proof and polish our work for us before we release it to the client. However, this isn’t a perfect world, so that’s not usually possible. There are, however, two tricks you can use to help improve the quality of your work.

First, build “breathing room” into your development schedule. Too often, we are rushed. We write right up to the deadline and have to send our work out without giving ourselves time to walk away for a little while and then come back with a fresh eye. Whenever possible, make sure to give yourself enough wiggle room to let your copy “set” for twenty-four hours. You’ll be amazed at how many improvements you’ll be able to easily make even after that short a respite.

Second, read your work out loud. There are lots of things that look good on paper, but sound lousy when spoken aloud. Reading your work out loud makes it obvious when a certain word or phrase doesn’t work. Never skip this step.

ACTION ITEMS:

• To convince yourself of the efficacy of these tactics, go back to a piece you wrote a while ago. First, edit it just on paper and then read it aloud and edit it again.
• Adjust the list of tasks and template schedule you created to include “breathing room.”

Provide over-the-top service.

Finally, nothing strengthens your business like stellar service.

When you engage with clients, try to make the experience fun. Smile even if you’re meeting via conference call (people can hear smiles, you know). Keep a positive and upbeat mood. Be responsive to customer inquiries. Be a true collaborator. Be polite and helpful and respectful. Go the extra mile.

One of the best things you can do for any customer is make her life easier. Whether your clientele is made up of corporate marketing managers or solo entrepreneurs, everyone loves to work with someone who makes the work easy. Find little ways to take things off your customer’s plate. Become an irreplaceable resource.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Think about the types of customer service experiences that have wowed you. How can you incorporate some of those types of experiences into your own workflow?
• Then think about the worst service experiences you’ve had. How can you ensure that you never make those mistakes with your customers?

So, there you have them – my seven favorite tips for becoming a successful freelance writer. So far, they have served me well. I hope they will do the same for you.

Questions? Lay ‘em on me and I’ll do my best to answer them.

More tips? Don’t just sit there – share! 

Jamie Lee Wallace is a writer who also happens to be a marketer. She helps her Suddenly Marketing clients discover their voice, connect with their audience, and find their marketing groove. She is also a mom, a prolific blogger, and a student of voice and trapeze (not at the same time). Introduce yourself on facebook or twitter. She doesn’t bite … usually.

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Image Credit: seeveeaar

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Perspective, persistence, and patience help build your platform

Building an author (or writer) platform takes 3 things: perspective, persistence, and patience. And with commitment to each of these areas, you will see results in reaching your audience.

Let’s take a look at each category.

Perspective: Know the type of writing you (want to) do and the type of audience you want to reach.

• Start writing, write, and keep on writing. (Start, do, keep on.)
• Start finding ways to interact with the people who make up your target audience – online and in person. Interact with the people you find and keep on interacting with those people and others. (Start, do, keep on.)
• Start creating accounts on social media outlets that are relevant to your writing. Use social media to get your name seen (don’t hide behind a made up name like “iamawriter2″, use your real name (or the name you want people to recognize). Keep on using social media, and don’t be afraid to stop using one avenue if you find another that’s better. (Start, do, keep on.)
• Promote your website (or blog) link whenever appropriately possible. (Don’t just paste your link everywhere, let it have value by being associated with your name and a topic related to your platform).

Persistence: When you get that first follower, that first comment on a blog post, or that first inquiry from your web site, celebrate, but don’t sit back and think you’re all set. You’ve started, and you’re on your way, now keep at it! If you can reach 1 person, you can reach 2, and then 4, and so on.

It can be exciting at the start to want to get ‘the most’ followers, ‘the most’ comments, or ‘the most’ of everything. You’ll soon realize that quality is more important over quantity in many (not all) cases. The more you persist and build your platform and your audience, the more you’ll realize what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be adjusted. Keep at it. You’ll get there!

When you get writing credits, flaunt them, let your audience know about your successes. The more you write, the more credits you’ll get, and the more you can promote yourself.

Keep at it. (Yes, I’m being purposely repetitive). Be persistent in letting people know who you are and what you write about.

Patience: Building a platform doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you work at it. And you’ll only work at it if it’s something you truly want. So, dig deep and find out if you truly, really, honestly want to be an author (or writer), and if you do, and if you want an audience who reads your work, you’ll need to work on your platform! You can do it.

Today marks 7 years for me as a self-employed writer. *insert party hat and noise makers* I’ve been working on my platform and it has come a long way, but it remains organic. I know I can’t stop working on it now! I hope you have long years as an author (or writer), too.

Have you started to build your author (or writer) platform yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Lisa J. Jackson makes a living helping businesses express themselves with words. She also loves writing and talking about New Hampshire and plans to complete several 5Ks in 2013. She drinks iced coffee year-round, and needs a stash of Peppermint Patties in the fridge at all times to satisfy chocolate needs. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Writers and taxes

Self-employed/freelance writers, have you done your taxes yet? The correct answer is: “Of course!”

There are still a couple of weeks to get them done, if you haven’t. And if, by chance, you haven’t started them yet, I found a great post on this very topic by a certified public accountant (CPA) – not mine – that is worth sharing. The site itself is focused on several artistic types, including writers.

There are downloadable checklists and worksheets, and a wonderful (and brief) detailed outline that hits on the main topics that writers need to consider when doing taxes.

I have to admit that I haven’t found the perfect strategy for getting everything in order. I track income and expenses monthly on a paper ledger and use Quicken (am switching over to Quickbooks this year as it really is better tool for a small business), as a double-check to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

Here are a couple of recommendations if you’re new to doing taxes as a business:

• Tracking mileage for anything and everything job related needs to be a habit – if it’s travel to/from a business meeting, or to Staples to get supplies, or to the Post Office for stamps, track that mileage.
• If you haven’t already, get a separate business account and debit/credit card so that you don’t have to spend time sorting through household accounts for business expenses each month/year.
• And if you keep on top of your income and expenses at least quarterly (monthly is best), doing the taxes can be almost painless and you won’t feel the need to procrastinate.

Like writing stories and having the details matter, doing taxes definitely requires paying attention to the details and making sure nothing is overlooked.

What method do you find best for keeping track of expenses and income? A software tool? Paper ledger? Sticky notes attached to receipts?

Lisa J. Jackson makes a living helping businesses express themselves with words. She also loves writing and talking about New Hampshire and plans to complete several 5Ks in 2013. She drinks iced coffee year-round, and needs a stash of Peppermint Patties in the fridge at all times. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Secrets of Successful Freelance Writers – Part 1 of 2

So, you wanna be a freelance writer. You want to work from home, make money writing, build a business in your pajamas. You can write, but do you know – really know – what it takes to succeed as a freelance writer?

I’ve been freelancing for more than five years. It was something I’d always thought about, but was afraid to try until I found myself facing divorce and single motherhood. Adversity has a way of helping us find courage we didn’t know we had. Happily, in addition to my courage, I also discovered a few serendipitous connections that helped me get set up with a couple long-term contracts.

For the first eighteen months, I wasn’t writing. I was a freelance project manager who helped web development companies herd their proverbial cats. I handled budgets and schedules, corralled various resources, and managed client expectations. I wrote a lot of meeting notes and a lot of emails, but nothing more creative than that.

Then, a year-and-a-half into my freelance journey, I got my first chance at a writing project. One of my clients needed some web copy written. When he asked if I knew anyone we could hire for the project, I offered up my own services. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no samples to show. I did, however, have the trust of my client. They gave me the shot and I never looked back. About six months later, I had enough experience under my belt to confidently call myself a “freelance writer.” Six months after that, I joyfully turned down a project management gig saying, “I don’t do that any more.”

Over the course of my adventures in the land of freelancing, I have learned many things. I have been hired for a wide variety of writing jobs: professional blogger, ghost blogger, marketing writer. I have written all kinds of content: essays, website copy, emails, newsletters, corporate ebooks, case studies, award submissions, brand identities, messaging frameworks, and more. I wear a lot of hats, but no matter what role I’m in or which kind of content I’m working on, there are seven “secrets” that have consistently contributed to my success:

Learn where to find work.

When you’re first starting out, it’s tempting to take jobs that you find on sites like Craig’s List or oDesk. While I’m sure there are some viable gigs that you can find through these sources, my personal experience was depressing – the quality of the clients was low, the pay was low, my chances of landing the job against the many other applicants were low.

Instead of searching these sites as a stranger in a strange land, think about how you can use your personal and business networks to make connections with potential clients. Your chances of getting an introduction to the right person are much higher when you have a personal contact. Your chances of getting stiffed are much lower (assuming your friends aren’t jerks).

Don’t overlook the value of the relationships you already have.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Make a list of all your contacts and make a commitment to reach out to a few of them each day. Share what you’re doing and ask them to let you know of any opportunities that come up.
• One site that I did find helpful in the early years was Freelance Writing Jobs. Though I didn’t ever land a job through the site, perusing the daily job postings was a great way to begin getting a feel for what types of jobs were out there and even what people were paying for certain types of writing.

Learn to price projects properly.

One of the most common pitfalls awaiting new freelancers is inaccurate pricing. You land a new project, but you’re not sure what to charge. You end up throwing out a number that winds up being way off the mark. End result: you work your tail off, but your profits dwindle away to peanuts.

Knowing what to charge comes from experience. You need to know the market value of the work you’re doing as well as how long it will take you to do the work. When you’re just starting out, there are all kinds of unforeseen tasks that will eat away at your budgeted time like Uncle Ned at a Las Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Do some online research by searching phrases like “freelance writing rates” to see what kinds of pricing resources are out there.
• Make a list of all the tasks that go into a writing project: client intake, administration, research, writing, review meetings, revisions, formatting, editing. Create a template in Excel that you can use to help you price out projects.

Learn to be a project manager.

A project manager is the person in charge of creating and managing project plans, budgets, schedules, and resources. It’s an unglamorous role, but an important one. When you can handle these details, you take a great deal of responsibility off your client’s shoulders – you make her job easier. (That is a good thing.)

In addition to accurately estimating your time (and the associated cost) on a project, learn to create a basic project schedule for your clients. Handle all the documentation tasks associated with a project: creating a scope of work (a topic which deserves a post of its own), capturing meeting notes, sending reminders about next steps and deadlines.

By helping to keep the team on track and on time, you will become a more valuable asset.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Think through the basic steps of a project and create a simple project calendar or schedule that you can provide for each of your projects.
• Get in the habit of providing clear, consistent communications (most usually in email) so you can help everyone stay on track.

These simple practices have played a big part in my success. They have kept my clients so happy that they don’t just come back for more, they refer their friends to me. I’ve seen these same principles at work in the successful writing businesses of my colleagues as well. Although creativity and writing excellence are important, you might be surprised at how qualities like responsiveness and reliability can influence your prospects.

Next time, we’ll cover four more secrets of successful freelance writers. Until then, what methods and tactics have you seen work well? How do you build your successful business?

Jamie Lee Wallace is a writer who also happens to be a marketer. She helps her Suddenly Marketing clients discover their voice, connect with their audience, and find their marketing groove. She is also a mom, a prolific blogger, and a student of voice and trapeze (not at the same time). Introduce yourself on facebook or twitter. She doesn’t bite … usually.

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Image Credit: Jan Willemsen

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Some resources for small business owners

When you’re starting a writing business, you’ll have a lot of questions. I’ve found some useful resources that are generally available in most (U.S.) areas. They are worth checking into. Many are free or low cost, too.

SCORE – The Service Corps Of Retired Executives is full of, well, retired executives from all industries, who volunteer their time to their communities and help individuals, like us, get on the right track when starting or maintaining our small business. The main site (www.score.org) has links to numerous resources, and if you find an office in your state, or near you, you’ll find even more resources including links to information, affordable workshops, networking events, and more.

Meetup.com – Meetup.com is an online tool to find groups of interest near you. It started out as a social networking site – sort of like a notice board – where people posted activities they were doing and local people could join if they wanted. Now the international site includes those activities as well as specific business, networking, and writing groups.

When I search on “small business” within “25 miles” of my current location, I find groups such as: Local Entrepreneurs, Let’s Get Networked, Let’s Have a Net Lunch, Businesses Supporting Businesses, and many more. You search on keywords and connect with like-minded individuals and have the opportunity to meet them in person.

LinkedIn – I’ve talked about LinkedIn before (specifically LinkedIn for Writers, and LinkedIn for Journalists) and I’ll talk more about it in upcoming posts. It’s a fantastic resource for businesses of all sizes. It takes a while to build up momentum on this site, but it has fantastic groups that you can join (free membership gets you a LOT), to help you build your business, find clients, and find like-minded individuals to talk to and learn from.

Local women-owned business organizations – There isn’t a specific link to this, but it’s worth doing a Google or Bing (or both) search on various keywords to see if there are organizations in your area that are focused on women only (if this pertains to you, of course!) In my state of New Hampshire, there is Women Inspiring Women, Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, and New Hampshire Women’s Initiative. There’s a national org, Women’s Business Development Center, that can be useful too. You can probably find a local resource, or at least online information to help you on your journey.

These are just a few examples. There’s also the Small Business Administration and Chamber of Commerce.

Bottom line is that it pays to look around to see what you can find in your neighborhood. If you haven’t been self-employed before, it’s hard to know what exists. I’ll bet you find a lot more than you expect.

Have you found any groups or organizations for self-employed individuals, or perhaps writers in general that can be useful? Please share in the comments.

Lisa J. Jackson specializes in writing solution briefs, case studies, white papers, other marketing collateral, e-books, and more. She also loves writing and talking about New Hampshire and plans to complete several 5Ks in 2013. She drinks iced coffee year-round, and needs a stash of Peppermint Patties in the fridge at all times. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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