The Writing Coach Blog

Guest Post: Getting Your Home Office Under Control

by Leah Ingram of SuddenlyFrugal.com

I’d tried many ways to get my home office organized. I’ve spent money on rolling carts that could hold hanging files. I’ve invested in desktop bins to hold my papers. But here was the problem with my mish-mosh approach to organizing: I started and stopped so many different organizational systems over time that I never quite knew where to actually put a piece of paper.

Was I using the vertical file system this week or the desktop bin one?

Had I cleared out a drawer in my cabinet for filing?

Was I back to putting things in file boxes to keep my papers organized?

Bottom line: I always ended up with a paper-covered desk, swearing that I knew where everything was in the mess. In reality, I spent way too much time looking for things that should have been at my fingertips.

While I'm still working on the ideal organizational system, what I have come up with is a surefire, approach to taming the paper tiger in my home office. And I think it can help you, too.

Besides promising yourself that you'll never bring the mail to your home office to open--open all mail over the recycling bin so that you can recycle immediately anything you don't really need to read--you have to tell yourself that you'll do one of these three things with each piece of paper you find (in piles in your office) or touch (going forward):

1. Keep it to file: Paper you keep to file is anything important that you need for work or home. This could be a contract for a job or receipts you need to keep for this year’s tax returns.

2. Reuse or recycle it: Paper you’ll reuse or recycle falls into one of two categories. Paper that has been used on both sides—and doesn’t contain any sensitive personal information (credit card numbers, social security information)—should go into your recycle bin. Paper that is printed on one side only and is still in good enough shape to be reused, should be set it aside to use in your printer. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of printing on both sides of a piece of paper before tossing it in the recycle bin, because this will save you money in the long run. Case in point: before I started using this trick, I was buying a case of paper every six months. These days, because I reuse paper by printing on both sides, I buy a case of paper every nine to twelve months.

3. Shred it: Paper you’ll shred includes the aforementioned paper with sensitive information on it. You don’t want to risk your personal security or increase chances for identify theft by just recycling this paper in your regular recycle bin. I simply lay this paper on top of my rollaway shredder, and once a week stop to shred everything that has accumulated there.

Copyright 2011 Leah Ingram

Reprinted with permission from Toss, Keep, Sell! The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In (Adams Media, 2010)

Eliminate Distractions to Increase Writing Income

As January comes to a close, I've been hearing from a lot of freelance writers who already feel overwhelmed. They set ambitious goals for 2011 and got fired up about achieving them, but just a few weeks into the new year their energy is flagging and their uncertainty about whether they can pull it all off is growing. Some say they've taken ill. Others say they are worn out from perpetual marketing and trying to stay afloat. Still others can't quite pinpoint the source of their fatigue, but say their pace has slowed since January 1.

I can empathize. I set my most ambitious business goals yet for 2011 and am working around the clock to forge ahead. But sick days, competing commitments and good old-fashioned sluggishness sometimes sidetrack me too. As our energy levels ebb and flow, the trick is to direct whatever energy we've got profitably. We have to dismiss distractions, from the obvious (ahem, Facebook and "Real Housewives") to the subtle (ever Googled something for an article only to emerge an hour later watching an unrelated YouTube video after a prolonged game of Click That Link?).

I am willing to bet that on any given day there are 100 different things distracting you from the business at hand. There are the obvious culprits, such as unnecessary phone calls and meetings that literally pull you away from your work. Then there are the work-related physical ailments like back strain and headaches that flare up and make it hard to concentrate. The never-ending influx of e-mail (and snail mail) places even more weight on your shoulders while weak cell phone signals and finicky computer programs up the irritation ante. Beyond that, even the work you are paid to do can drive you to distraction if you just can't seem to push projects to completion. The Client From Hell wants yet another revision. Your favorite cause-driven publication is on the brink of bankruptcy and you can't close the payment loop. The pitch you sent three weeks ago has fallen on deaf ears, but you're still holding out hope for an assignment. What's a freelancer to do?

1. Define your most important work.  In the last newsletter, I wrote about the importance of setting clear, measurable goals for the year. Refer back to those goals now, and go one step further: Identify what are the three most important actions you can take daily to move forward. Get very clear about what you need to do and then start each day doing those things. Before you check your e-mail, catch up on the news or do anything else, spend an hour doing something that will bring money into your business. Pitch a story idea, work on a book proposal, call a referral source--anything with a direct path to payment. Often, the profit-seeking momentum you create early will carry you through the day. And it's much easier to say no to low priority tasks when you're busy doing something worthwhile.

2. Make a list of up to 100 things that distract you from your work. During your working hours, keep a running list of everything that pulls you away from your top goals--even if just for a moment. Everything from a messy desk or broken keyboard to a mean client or a backache are fair game. If you have difficulty identifying distractions, ask yourself what you tolerating in your business and what's less than ideal about the way you work.

3. Attack the physical clutter.  Like the canaries in the coal mines (which dropped dead to warn of poisonous carbon-monoxide levels), look to your surroundings for early indications of the productivity issues that ail you. For example, I have a client that knows she's in trouble when sticky notes start multiplying on her desk. They reveal that she's not consistently filing away phone numbers, resources and reminders in a helpful way. Long before she acknowledged that she had spread herself too thin with volunteer commitments, her office told the story. Perhaps for you it's stacks of unopened mail, piles of client work or broken technology strewn around your office that provide tell-tale signs. Make space for future achievement by discarding relics of old failures or incompletes. Get some large trash bags and storage boxes and start designating items to go to the dump, the library, Goodwill or anywhere but your office.

4. Go off the grid. Unless you are a 911 dispatcher, people do not need constant access to you. Turn off your phone and email for several hours a day to enjoy the peace of mind and focus that come from pursuing your goals without interruption. 

5. Be single-minded in the pursuit of your highest goal. Once you have decided that something is worth doing--whether its clearing clutter or pursuing new business--devote all of your energy to the task at hand and pursue it to completion. Stopping and starting can increase the time it takes to completion by up to five times, according to time management expert Brian Tracy. Work with discipline, purpose and perseverance.

You will be amazed by how much energy you have when you focus on your goals and delegate or eliminate the rest.

Tips for Getting Paid Regularly as a Freelance Writer

Freelance journalist Catherine Price has the kind of writing life that many people aspire to. Price, who graduated from Yale University and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, has racked up writing and multimedia credits in The New York Times, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Slate, Salon and other well-known publications. She’s also written two books, The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook and the recently published 101 Places Not to See Before You Die. Yet, according to her article in this month’s O, The Oprah Magazine, Price is hindered by two deep-seated insecurities: limp hair and erratic pay. Thoughts of either can trigger a downward spiral into a “vortex of self-loathing,” she confesses.

Publicly exposing one’s weaknesses in an article about cognitive-behavioral therapy is a gutsy move even for Price, a self-proclaimed specialist in “experiences that are uncomfortable in the moment but amusing afterwards.” The piece put two of her fears out there for others (including me) to see, scrutinize and comment on.

I’ll leave the hair-care advice to O’s beauty director Val Monroe, but I have some thoughts about Price’s inconsistent income conundrum. First, don’t forget the “behavior” in cognitive-behavioral therapy. According to the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do.” In Price’s story, the hair issue is resolved with a better cut, but she leaves us hanging when it comes to the freelance earnings challenge.

The way I see it, Price needs to change her own behavior. Thinking positively about the absence of a regular paycheck is a good start. The next step is actually doing something about it. For example, Price — and any other freelance writer who’s struggling with the same issue — could:

• Identify a broader array of prospective clients whose rates and payment schedules would better meet her financial needs. For example, perhaps she could expand into trade publications, ghostwriting, e-books or speaking engagements to boost her income.
• Get in the “deal flow” by building her network of contacts through professional organizations, alumni groups and relationships with other writers.
• Build a support team and put systems in place to handle more assignments effectively, bill more consistently and pay herself regularly.

This action-orientation is what I was getting at in my recent post about challenging the beliefs that hold freelance writers back. What I didn’t know at the time was that this practice is called cognitive restructuring — or that a whole cadre of psychotherapists specialize in it. Thank you, Catherine (and Oprah)!

4 Things Ted Williams Can Teach Freelance Writers

Ted Williams — the Ohio man who went from obscurity to national renown virtually overnight thanks to a YouTube video — has a lot to teach the world about homelessness, joblessness and addiction. His perseverance, which took him from panhandling on a Columbus highway to appearing on NBC, is impressive and may offer the greatest lesson for freelance writers.

Here's the backstory in case you missed it. Until recently Williams was indigent and for years he struggled with alcohol and drug dependency. He’d been estranged from his mother for a decade and prayed that one day he would make her proud. “I have a God given gift of voice,” read the cardboard sign Williams held up for motorists on Interstate 71. “I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be greatfully [sic] appreciated. Thank you and God Bless Your Happy New Year.” Despite his circumstances, the 53-year-old still had faith in his talent.

Earlier this month, a videographer from the Columbus Dispatch captured Williams, his sign, and his golden voice on camera. The newspaper posted the footage on YouTube, and it quickly went viral. Within days, Williams had received job offers from the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers, The Today Show and Kraft. He’s now the voice of Kraft’s Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese.

Yes, it’s possible to do the seemingly impossible. Now lest you miss your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, here are four lessons freelance writers can learn from the Williams’ experience to make big things happen quickly:

1. Advertise your talent. Rather than using a generic slogan, such as “will work for food (or beer),” Williams made specific reference to his marketable talent — and then delivered the goods when asked for a sample of his work.
2. Believe in yourself, no matter what. Williams didn’t let his underdog circumstances or a lack of a support network discourage him. (His own mother repeatedly dismissed his talent; she’d heard his wishful tale too many times over the years.) But his self-confidence didn’t falter and ultimately paid off.
3. Ask for help when you need it. Williams knew that he had an extraordinary gift, and he was convinced that it could improve his financial situation. But he understood that he would need some help to get from point A to point B, and he wasn’t afraid to ask for it daily.
4. Treat success as an ongoing process. Even after being discovered, Williams continues to reach out for help. Despite receiving dozens of job offers, having a roof over his head and reuniting with his mother, Williams knows he needs more support to stay grounded—and employed. He’s already started his plan to lean on a psychologist he met backstage at his Today Show appearance to navigate challenges ahead.

What’s all that have to do with freelance writing? Aside from being encouraged by his rags-to-riches story, consider how his formula for success can be applied to your situation and business model. Figure out what you do best, believe in its power, share it with the world, ask for help on the journey — and don’t quit until you get what you want.

Challenging the Beliefs That Hold Freelance Writers Back

Entrepreneurial thinking begins by letting go of stereotypes and assumptions. Kathleen Gage knows this well. Gage, who runs Street Smarts Marketing, begins her course on teleseminar production  by challenging participants — including me — to consider how our deeply held convictions influence our success in life, in business and, to her point, in teleseminars.

When Gage asked what beliefs were preventing me from achieving my goals, I drew a blank. You see, that’s the thing about limiting beliefs: They are so deeply ingrained that we begin to think of them as verifiable truths, as opposed to assumptions or preconceived notions that we may choose to ignore.  Sometimes we need a friend, colleague, coach or mentor to help us tell the difference between fact and fiction.

Indeed, it was easier for me to reflect upon the limiting beliefs that I’ve observed among other freelance writers. Many clients come to me seeking effective business growth strategies, and it doesn’t take long during a coaching session to uncover a belief that’s holding them back.

I’m not good with technology.

I’m a dinosaur.

The web is driving pay rates down. 

As an experienced coach, I recognize these excuses quickly — and work to quickly dispel or reframe the challenges in a positive light so my client can progress. For example:

Technology isn’t your best friend? Hire someone to handle the geeky stuff for you, and put your time and energy into selling enough work to pay the both of you. I’ll help you put a plan in place to finance tech support.

You’re old enough to be your editor’s grandmother? Use it to your competitive advantage. Tout your experience, extensive network of sources, and the peace of mind that comes with working with a pro. Let’s develop a marketing strategy that plays to these strengths.

Web writing pays pennies? Not everywhere. A business publication recently paid me a $1 per word for an online-only article. Let me help you identify some higher paying markets for your work.

When examining your own limiting beliefs, take the same approach:

1. State the belief.
2. Challenge the belief.
3. Reframe the belief in positive terms.

Gage's exercise helped me realize that my limiting belief was, I don't have time to produce a teleseminar series amid my other commitments (i.e., freelance writing assignments, speaking engagements, newsletter and blog writing, and volunteer work). If left untested, this belief would have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

When I challenged my belief, I realized that I don’t have a teleseminar problem. I have a time-management problem. If launching a successful teleseminar series is truly a business priority for 2011, then I need to make time by eliminating or delegating other tasks.

I took action by beginning each day by working on my teleseminar series. That way, I build momentum before other work or distractions have a chance to interfere. In fact, the first teleseminar, How to Charge What Your Writing is Worth, will be held January 26.  Click here to register for the free event.

What beliefs are holding you back? What’s your plan for letting them go?

Writers Union Offers Health Insurance to Members Nationwide

The National Writers Union recently began offering members across the U.S. access to the “best available” individual major medical insurance coverage in each state. “Best available” will mean different things to different freelancers: States regulate health insurance, so individual plans and policies will vary.

NWU President Larry Goldbetter touts the new program as “the most comprehensive health insurance package available to freelance writers in this country.” But no insurance company or broker was willing to cover NWU with a group plan, so members will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Anyone with a pre-existing condition may have difficulty purchasing coverage (insurers can reject applicants for pre-existing conditions under federal law until 2014).

Nonetheless, NWU First Vice President Ann Hoffman is proud of the health-care package the union has assembled. “Because of their self-employed status, it is extremely difficult for [freelance writers] to find insurance on their own,” she explains. “Politically, we believe that people in the U.S. have — or rather, should have — a right to quality, affordable, comprehensive health insurance for themselves and their families. Until we are able to achieve single payer or Medicare for all coverage, we want to provide the best health insurance we can for our members.”

NWU’s announcement was greeted with some skepticism from veteran freelance writers who recall the union’s failed attempt at providing coverage several years back. (See this Village Voice story on the 2002 insurance debacle.)

Hoffman confirmed that NWU provided insurance through Employers Mutual in the past and that the company didn’t fulfill its commitments. But this time, she says, the union is connecting members to various providers that are licensed in the states in which they offer insurance. Members claims against Employers Mutual are due to be paid in full “soon,” Hoffman says.

As with any major business decision, freelance writers should proceed with caution and take the time to thoroughly research their options before choosing a plan or provider. See our previous post on health insurance help for freelancers for more options to explore.

The Freelance Writer’s Best Resource: Strategy Groups

In the digital age, it’s instinctive to seek out online resources for business help. After all, Google, social media and webinar searches can provide fast, cheap and accessible means of gathering information. Yet some freelancers are finding that the best professional support comes from the personal networking they do with other writers through strategy groups. 

Randy Hecht, a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and World Bank consultant, created a strategy group for veteran business reporters to formalize the exchange of business leads. All of the participants were familiar with one another from a writers forum online, but Hecht saw an opportunity to forge personal connections in a smaller setting using monthly teleconferences.

The calls give group members a chance to step away from their computers, pick one another’s brains, get advice on pressing challenges and trade business leads. “If you are a good, talented, productive reporter, you are probably getting repeat business from your key clients, which is great,” Hecht says. “But it can sometimes prompt you to lose touch with what else is going on and opportunities to diversify your client portfolio.”

Alliances like Hecht’s are all about giving. “Thanks to those referrals, each of us is doing better than if we were so tight about the idea of competition that we were trying to hoard all of our best clients,” she explains. “Karma is something you can definitely make for yourself in this business — you can make good karma or you can make bad karma.”

If that sounds pie-in-the-sky, it isn’t: Hecht says that referrals from other writers have added more than $100,000 to her earnings so far.

Of course, not all freelance writers are created equal. Anyone thinking about forming a strategy group should take care to invite colleagues who are similarly well-connected, generous and personable — or even more so. “Someone who is introverted and coming in hoping that everyone else is going to give her leads so she doesn’t have to hustle isn’t a good fit,” Hecht says. “You have to know how to research, pitch, look for story ideas and look for sources. If you have a group of inexperienced people who don’t know how to do any of those things, I don’t think the group will be all that productive.”

Freelancer Camille Noe Pagan has reaped similar benefits from her writers collaborative. After reading Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project,” which mentions a career strategy group, she brought six novelists, journalists and authors together for bi-monthly meetings in New York. (She’s since relocated to Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Noe Pagan, a health and nutrition writer who frequently contributes to Women’s Health, Glamour, Forbes.com and Arthritis Today, says her group’s face-to-face meetings gave her a boost that Twitter, message boards and other online outlets could never match. “I walked away from our sessions feeling inspired by the other members’ accomplishments and ideas. And if I had a problem — for example, trying to figure out if I should hire an outside publicist to promote my novel — I would bring it up at our group meeting and often leave with an answer or new ideas on how to approach the issue.”

Having members with diverse writing specialties works when each person is ambitious and generous. Whereas other types of writers groups critique members’ work, strategy groups openly discuss career moves and share helpful resources. “I was one of two novelists in our group, and the other novelist and I compared notes about everything from publicity strategies to negotiating rights. I think all of us believe that there’s room enough for everyone to be successful.” Noe Pagan’s first novel, “The Art of Forgetting,” is due from Dutton in June.

Ready to start your own writer strategy group? Here are a few pointers:

• Choose members wisely. For maximum results, all participants should be good communicators who are willing to share advice, leads and experiences helpfully, openly and honestly. Members should also be at or above your level of professional expertise, so they broaden your network.

• Encourage confidentiality. Strategy group discussions deepen as members build familiarity and trust. Set a respectful tone for meetings at the outset, and remind members that the group fosters a safe haven for discussing challenges and celebrating successes.

• Keep it small. Ideally, a strategy group should comprise six to 10 members. This size is intimate enough to allow members to become familiar with one another (and one another’s work), but large enough to remain productive even if a few people can’t make any given meeting.

• Emphasize accountability. Allow a couple of minutes during meetings for each group member to provide a personal update. Publicly sharing goals and tracking progress helps fuel success.

Do you have a writers strategy group? If so, what have been its greatest benefits? If you don’t have one, do you think it’s a strategy worth trying? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Best WritingCoach.com Posts of 2010

The WritingCoach.com blog launched last December to help new and veteran freelancers expand their businesses by providing a mix of professional tips, industry news, and inspirational profiles of successful freelance writers. In case you missed one or more of them, we’ve compiled our favorite posts of the year. May they help you gear up for a profitable 2011!

Be a Linchpin, Not a Cog, in the Content-Creation System 

The way forward as freelance writers is to avoid trying to become more productive, interchangeable parts of an insatiable content machine. We’ll never be fairly compensated in a system in which our primary value is compliance. So let’s not play that game. Here’s how expertise, ethics, and even quirks (ahem, style) can fuel greater success in the 21st-century economy.

How to Keep the Freelance Fire Going

Working alone, pitching stories at the risk of rejection, can take a lot out of a freelance writer. Throw marketing, invoicing, bill collecting and business planning into the mix and it’s easy to get burned out. Lighting a fire under yourself occasionally is one thing; stoking your efforts daily is another. Given the inevitable ups and downs, here’s how writers can keep their fire for storytelling alive.

How to Negotiate Better Freelance Writing Contracts

Don’t be surprised (or discouraged) if you’re asked to coordinate photography, collect links, write sidebars, and more—without being offered additional compensation. Try to think of this as a call to action rather than a slap in the face. Imagine a seesaw with your efforts weighing down one end and a skimpy assignment fee raised high on the other. To balance things out, here are our tips for lightening your workload, negotiating heftier compensation or getting off the seesaw altogether.

How to Create a Forward-Looking Freelance Writing Resume

Many freelance writers’ resumes read like work obituaries: They list all of the things they’ve done in the past with no regard for the future. But potential clients want to know not only what you’ve done for others, but also what you can do for them. To this end, present your employment history, experiences and accomplishments in the context of the assignments you hope to gain. If your resume reads like yesterday’s news, here’s how to push it forward.

How Michelle Leder Built (and Sold) the Footnoted Brand

Journalist and entrepreneur Michelle Leder began freelancing for Crain’s New York Business, The New York Times Sunday business section and other publications in the late 1990s, after losing her job as a business reporter with the Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal. A few years later, Leder wrote a book about digging into the financial footnotes of SEC filings and launched a blog, Footnoted.org, to promote it. Almost seven years to the day of the blog’s launch, global investment research firm Morningstar acquired the site for an undisclosed sum. Read Leder’s success story here.

Relocation Pays Off for Freelance Writer

Talk about a gutsy move: Freelance writer Manuela Zoninsein, who is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, decided to launch her writing career in China. She didn’t speak a word of Mandarin, but won fellowships for intensive language study and hustled to build relationships with U.S.-based editors with an appetite for China-based news and features. Here is her advice on pitching trade publications, choosing specialties, and demonstrating expertise.

How Stacy Hawkins Adams Stays Afloat Amid Media Sea Change 

Those who are sailing ahead amid sea change in the media industry understand that agility, variety and vigilance are essential. Author Stacy Hawkins Adams embodies this trend, producing a staggering volume of books, columns and nonprofit marketing pieces. She writes about social, familial and spiritual themes that she’s passionate about. Click here to read how this mother of two juggles writing, parenting and volunteer work effectively. (Virginia residents: Click here to learn about her Book Proposal Boot Camp.)

What were your favorite WritingCoach.com posts of 2010? What would you like to see more of in 2011? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments field below.  

Freelance biz journos must master the skills they write about

Freelance business journalists could use some more cash, according to this informal poll of 67 self-employed writers and editors conducted in October and November by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW). (Full disclosure: I serve on SABEW's board.)

The independent journalists reported earning just $25,000 to $35,000 a year — or less than half the median salary earned by business journalists as a whole. A previous SABEW survey showed that the median annual salary of business journalists is $65,000 to $70,000.

To earn more, freelancers need a dose of optimism and a serious entrepreneurial education.

In theory, business journalists should be poised to forge a path toward profitable freelancing. After all, these are people who’ve been trained to read financial statements, ask tough questions and hold executives accountable. But, as the low freelancer salaries suggest, reporting on businesses and managing one are different stories.

A whopping 40 percent of SABEW’s freelance survey respondents had been laid off from staff positions. This suggests that they may be reeling from the loss of newsroom structure, competition and camaraderie while treading onto unplanned and uncharted freelance terrain.

Beyond writing, reporting and editing chops, thriving financially outside of a traditional newsroom requires one major skill that most journalists lack: salesmanship. Commerical considerations make many journalists squeamish because they are taught that their job is to inform the citizenry, tell compelling stories and bring truth to light.  News flash: all of these goals require money.

Freelancers must learn how to finance worthy projects, pay themselves a healthy wage, and maintain journalistic integrity. But how?

In my view, professionalism is the way forward. We all know (or have been) the kind of freelance writer who balances a staggering array of unrelated projects to pay the bills—covering technology for websites, teaching continuing education courses, writing press releases and brochures for neighbors, and penning young adult vampire romances on weekends. That’s fine on a short-term basis, but it’s not an effective long-term strategy.  

To build a sustainable, profitable business, you need to specialize, so you’re not spending inordinate amounts of time and energy chasing down unrelated information and clients.  And you need to hone your work habits and business systems so that you can deliver reliably for your clients.

Take Michelle Leder, a noted journalist entrepreneur. She began freelancing for Crain’s New York Business, The New York Times Sunday business section and other publications in the late 1990s after losing her job as a business reporter with the Poughkeepsie Journal. A few years later, Leder wrote a book about digging into the financial footnotes of SEC filings and launched a blog, Footnoted.org, to promote it. Posting to the blog daily raised her visibility among big media companies, which bolstered her freelance income, book sales and speaking calendar.

Leder built a two-pronged business, selling financial news and teaching others how to produce it. And almost seven years to the day of the blog’s launch, Morningstar, a global investment research firm, acquired the site for an undisclosed sum.

So, don’t be too discouraged by the low salaries cited by the SABEW survey—or any other. You can make a good living as a freelance business journalist if you behave like a small-business owner and consistently work to develop expertise in a content area that pays. This whole website is devoted to showing you how.

Related Articles Laid Off? Reassess Before You Start Fresh as a Freelancer How Michelle Leder Built the Footnoted Brand From Laid-off Journalist to Writer-Entrepreneur

Are you optimistic about freelancing in 2011? What do you think of the survey results and Leder’s success story?

Society of Professional Journalists Promotes Freelancers

The nation’s largest journalism organization aims to be a leading resource for freelance journalists, according to Dana Neuts, the group’s new freelance committee chair.

During a BlogTalkRadio show hosted today by SPJ Membership Chair Sarah Bauer, Neuts described a bevy of initiatives, from the online freelance directory and Independent Journalist blog to live local events and national conference workshops, all designed to help freelancers build business.

Here are some of the highlighted resources:

• Freelancer Directory: This searchable directory helps editors across the country find the freelance talent they seek by state or by specialty.  Neuts said she won work from a Homeland Security publication through the directory and a guest caller named Scott chimed in with his own testimonial.  He’s employed full time, but won side work with a broadcaster through his Freelance Directory listing. 
• The Independent Journalist: Updated weekly, this SPJ blog features a rotating cast of freelancers sharing insights on everything from how to write a resume for the Digital Age to how to find individual medical coverage. 
• Resource Lists: Need help deciphering an indemnification clause or finding a writing conference near you?  SPJ’s list of resources can point you in the right direction.
• Local Events: SPJ also has a strong network of local student and professional chapters that deliver helpful programs. Neuts lauded her pro chapter’s freelancing conference and Bauer described her pro chapter’s speed dating event, which made matches among local writers and assigning editors. 

SPJ membership costs $72/year for professionals, but Neuts says the investment pays for itself.  Plus, it’s tax deductible.

Listen to Your SPJ Membership: Focus on Freelance by visiting http://www.blogtalkradio.com/spj/2010/12/09/your-spj-membership. 

 

Full disclosure: I am an SPJ member and serve on its freelance committee.