Posted by Admin Team on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 10:00 AM
By Rebecca Smith Hurd
Q. How do I balance making money with fulfilling my passion as a writer?
A. “Balance” can be defined and achieved in so many ways that if you ask three veteran freelance writers this question, you’ll get three different answers. What works well for one scribe may fail miserably for another, because their talents, goals, interests, circumstances and financial needs vary. Some freelancers rely on non-writing jobs or supplementary income to help meet their bottom lines, while others earn a living exclusively as writers.
The beauty of freelancing is that you can choose to do whatever best suits you, your life and your business at any given time. The only universal truth seems to be that writers who are passionate about their work make putting words to the page a priority. After all, you can’t make money writing if you don’t write!
Writer #1: Passion Pays
Patrick Di Justo is a full-time writer whose work appears in Wired, Scientific American, and The New York Times. Prior to his freelance career, Di Justo programmed robots for the federal government and ran a planetarium in suburban New York. He says he “literally can’t remember” the last time he took a job he hated just for money.
“I am the luckiest writer on the planet, because I spend all my time writing articles I love,” says Di Justo, whose book The Science of Battlestar Galactica is due out in October from Wiley.
Di Justo, who last summer celebrated his 10-year anniversary of “Working With No Pants,” says that over the past decade he has occasionally done other paid work. This includes teaching science classes for the American Museum of Natural History and occasionally fixing computers for his neighbors. But the lion’s share of his income comes from writing.
“I have always lived a very simple lifestyle—I don’t feel the need to take extravagant vacations, or to have the latest cars and gadgets, or even to try every new restaurant,” he says. “Because of that, I can have a very enjoyable life on the money I make from writing.”
Writer #2: Stories on the Side
In contrast to Di Justo, children’s book author Chris Barton says he spends most of his working hours not writing. The Austin, Texas-based scribe, who supports a family of four, fits in bursts of creativity whenever he can.
“I’ve got a full-time office job, so that relegates my weekday writing time to an early-morning window (usually between 5 and 6:30 a.m.) and my lunch hours,” says Barton, a business analyst at Hoover’s. “I get in some additional hours on the weekends, mainly before my children wake up, and if I’m on deadline I can often summon the energy for a little more writing after my kids are in bed.”
All of those piecemeal hours can add up to some good work, says Barton, whose Shark vs. Train is on the New York Times best-seller list. “For me, the biggest benefit of the office job has been allowing my writing career to flourish without the pressure of having to provide for the mortgage and our health-care premiums.”
Barton also does paid visits to schools, which is not only financially rewarding but “a whole lot of fun.” Just as with his office job, though, there’s a trade-off: Time spent soliciting visits, preparing presentations, traveling to and from schools, and visiting the schools is time spent not writing, he says. It’s also time away from his office job, which means using his vacation time or making up the hours on other days.
Writer #3: Labor of Love
Meanwhile, Sue Fagalde Lick says she’s having difficulty balancing making money with writing, in part because she’s caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s. “I don’t mind if you mention my situation,” she says. “In fact, it is totally relevant, in that freelancers have no safety net when it comes to major family events such as illness or death. Such things make it hard to work, and there’s no paid time off.”
Lick, a former newspaper reporter and editor, is currently focused on writing her fifth book—and relies on other income to make ends meet. “Right now, my ‘day job’ is as a music director at our church. It’s hard work and definitely takes time from my writing, but it also gets me out of my office and around people and feeds my passion for music,” says Lick, who’s based in South Beach, Ore. “I also do some editing and teaching, and I have passive income from selling the books I have already published. If I didn’t have a portion of my husband’s pension to live on, I would have to get a full-time job.”
Lick doesn’t yet have a publisher, but she’s passionate about the topic and is confident that her efforts will pay off. “[The book] addresses the lives of women like me who do not have children because their mates were unwilling or unable to have children with them,” she explains. “If it doesn’t sell, I will definitely self-publish it because I know there’s a market out there: I get lots of hits at my website and my Childless by Marriage blog.”
Balancing making money and art is always a challenge, she adds. “Do you focus on the things that pay at the expense of those projects about which you feel passionate, or do you risk investing all your energy in something that might or might not pay off. I spent many years writing articles about whatever I could sell, but I have reached an age where I feel I can’t [spend] any more time on writing that doesn’t have long-term value. Life is too short.”
Do you have a question about freelancing? Ask Writing Coach.
Posted by Admin Team on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 10:00 PM
By Rebecca Smith Hurd
Yes, you read that headline right. There are, in fact, moments in every freelance writer's career that warrant working for free, at least according to panelists who spoke during the recent Future of Freelancing conference at Stanford University. Working for low or no wages can actually benefit your business, if you choose assignments and negotiate non-monetary compensation wisely.
Michelle Goodman, author of My So-Called Freelance Life, said that "a good exposure situation" can pay off in spades when it comes to activities like selling books, building your name recognition, and keeping up various platforms. Think: marketing. It's OK to take on the occasional non-lucrative project if it promises to boost a personal product or brand. "You really need to be discerning," she cautioned, clarifying that working for free "has nothing to do with volunteering. I'm talking about the people who don't want to pay you."
For example, I rarely volunteer my services. But I recently started a travel website, AllAboutPuebla.com, in an effort to provide people who don’t speak Spanish access to reliable information about the city of Puebla, Mexico. A colleague asked me to contribute to an e-book that he plans to publish this fall about Latin America. My 300-word essay about Mexico would be featured alongside contributions from scores of other writers/bloggers in the region. In exchange for my unpaid submission, the editor promised me free publicity. “Below your entry in the e-book will be your name and a short description of your [site] and a link,” he wrote. “You’ll receive a copy of the e-book and may you distribute it as you wish.”
Three hundred words seemed like small price to pay for a book with enormous potential to reach a very targeted audience. Rationale: Other contributors are bound to tout and distribute the book to their readers, too, which for me means that my entry could be read by hundreds or thousands of people who I may never otherwise reach. So I took on the assignment.
Before you accept an assignment for little or no money, try to negotiate other things to your advantage. Ask your editor questions like:
- Where, exactly, will my story appear on the publication's website?
- Will my story be featured or promoted anywhere?
- Where else do you plan to run the piece?
- Will you link to my website, blog, Amazon.com page, etc.?
When you turn in your story, gently remind the editor of the terms you agreed to — and provide the appropriate supplementary information, such as the URLs you'd like linked.
Be careful not to overload your schedule with pro bono commitments. Limit yourself every month to the number of free and non-monetary projects you're willing to take on, advised freelancer Matt Villano, whose clients include GQ, TravelChannel.com and The New York Times. Paid work should always be your top priority. "Writing at ten cents a word at some point is offensive to us," he said.
Indeed, working for free is not an effective long-term business model and should be entertained only when the anticipated benefits (e.g., free marketing) outweigh the costs (e.g., not meeting your bottom line).
"It's important that we don't devalue our work," said Damon Brown, who contributes to publications as diverse as Playboy, Family Circle and AARP. Brown says he always weighs how badly he wants a job versus coming in with a bid that's too cheap. "Err on the high side. If they want to hire somebody of Craigslist at a nickel a word, then [let them] go for it."
Posted by Admin Team on Tue, Jun 22, 2010 @ 09:00 AM
By Rebecca Smith Hurd
Forget all the "sky is falling" talk about the death of print media. Freelance writers working today have an opportunity to reinvent and re-create themselves with more independence and autonomy than we could before, Jim Bettinger, director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, said during his opening remarks at the first Future of Freelancing conference. "It feels like we're back on offense again," he said.
The gathering of mid-career professionals, held June 18 and 19 at Stanford University in Northern California, featured panel discussions about everything from entrepreneurship and investigative reporting to social media and the digital revolution. The general consensus among speakers, who represented newspapers, magazines, books, websites, blogs, and related businesses, was that now more than ever writers can control their own professional destinies.
After all, Bettinger noted, quoting either French playwright Molière or American computer scientist Alan Kay: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." Here are few tips gleaned from the conference on how to go about doing just that.
Collaborate for leverage Whether you're looking for office space, health insurance or new clients, joining forces with others can really pay off: Collective bargaining power tends to drive prices down and the odds up across the board. Brett Levy, a former L.A. Times editor who co-founded the Journalism Shop, helps experienced reporters and editors get freelance work. His site recently partnered with eByline, which connects news organizations with writers to buy, sell, and distribute stories. The service lets writers "hang their shingle" for free and then either pitch stories or wait to be contacted by participating publishers, many of which are mid-sized newspapers. Writers can negotiate exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, and groups like the Journalism Shop can shop around its writers. Levy believes content platforms like Ebyline, Publish2 and Seed "may become the hottest area" in freelancing-if enough writers and publishers get onboard.
Promote yourself (and your brand) Although writers are rarely obligated to maintain a blog, a Twitter account or a Facebook page, having a strong online presence is likely to increase your success as a freelancer exponentially. This particularly applies to aspiring authors. If you can show a literary agent, an editor or a book publisher that there's an existing market for your idea, that you already have an audience, they are more likely to consider buying your book, said Dawn Davis, editorial director of Amistad, a HarperCollins imprint. And, the more legwork you do to promote yourself, the easier it is for your editor to convince the publisher to spend more on doing even more. Writers should think of the marketing process as a collaboration, she said.
Publish yourself
Technology has made do-it-yourself an economic reality for freelance writers of all kinds. The costs of starting a blog or producing an e-book, or even a printed book, are relatively low. Many blogs, like Grammar Girl and Sh*t My Dad Says, have evolved into successful books-and self-published works sometimes get picked up for reprint by larger publishers. Various panelists also noted that a finished story, project or book is often just the beginning of a dialog with readers-and that a follow-up pieces, speaking engagements, consulting gigs, and various add-on services can drive up the value of your information.
Provide extras (for extra pay)Speaking of add-ons, some magazines now pay writers extra for supplying additional content to accompany their well-crafted prose. For example, Wired will occasionally pony up cash for everything from "deep captions" to voiceover scripts, says articles editor Mark Robinson. Audio and video recordings can prove valuable, too. What doesn't get used online can make the fact-checker's job easier and even help you, the writer, remember details for the narrative that aren't in your notes.
If all that sounds like a whole lot of extra work for freelance writers, well, maybe it is. But veterans in the field promise the effort will pay off. "There's more opportunity out there than there has been in years," said Scott Robson, vice president, new movie initiatives for MTV. "You can actually earn a decent amount of money if you're willing to put in time and energy. Not Vanity Fair or New Yorker rates, but you can put food on the table."
Posted by Admin Team on Wed, Apr 21, 2010 @ 10:00 AM
by Rebecca Smith Hurd
Q. Should I charge by the hour for freelancing or by project? What are the pros and cons?
A. Freelance writing fees are frequently non-negotiable. Many print publications and websites offer a fixed rate, either per-word or per-article, and contributors either take it or leave it. Sometimes, however, an editor will ask you what your rate is. This is when you'll need to decide whether to charge by the hour or the project. The best choice, seasoned professionals say, depends on you and the assignment in question.
"If I have a clear idea of the scope of something, I prefer a flat fee. I have a good idea of how much time it takes me to get things done and know roughly what I think my time is worth," says Mathew Honan, whose work has appeared in Mother Jones, Popular Science, Runner's World, Time and Wired. "However, if a project is really open-ended, or doesn't have fixed deliverables (such as copy to file at a certain word count by a certain date), it's probably smarter to be paid by the hour."
This is particularly true of research or consulting projects, Honan says. "I may not know exactly what I'm getting into until [I'm] knee-deep. For example, I helped a university edit a new catalog. There was no previous example for me to look at, nor did the client know what length the finish product was going to be, so I couldn't know in advance how much work it would require. In that case, I billed by the hour," he explains. "But if I'm doing something like reporting and writing a story, or editing a brochure, where I know more or less what the end result will be before I get started, I always want to know what my total take-home is going to be upfront."
Setting a fair rate — whether it's per word, hour or project — requires you to be realistic about your time, resources and overall ability to deliver quality material, to someone else's specification, on deadline. When determining your fees for any project, remember to factor in any expenses (phone calls, database fees, travel, etc.) you're likely to incur while completing the assignment. Ask the client to clarify any vague aspects of their request, to make sure you agree on the nature and scope of the work.
"When I'm offered a project I want, I do a happy dance, then get to figuring out how long I'll spend completing it," says Erika Stalder, who writes a teen advice column for ABCfamily.com
and has authored four works of nonfiction for Zest Books. "I consider research, writing, expenses, image sourcing and editing. Then I set a fee at my hourly rate, plus a built-in buffer."
For instance, if she estimates the work will take 40 hours, Stalder sets a rate at 40 hours plus a few additional hours "just in case I go over," she explains. "This prevents me from getting sucked into over-researching, overspending or overworking. The little buffer I create also gives me a challenge: If I meet my original hourly estimate, my overall hourly pay goes up, which can mean extra money for fun or my retirement (something we freelancers have to provide for ourselves). If I go over my estimate, the padding ensures I haven't overworked and screwed myself out of my hourly rate."
Project fees force Stalder to budget her time in advance, she says, which allows her to schedule new assignments without interfering with other projects she's already working on. It also helps her maintain work-life balance by preventing her from overbooking.
Other freelance writers prefer to charge hourly, especially when they suspect that a particular job may require multiple rounds of revisions or lead to additional requests. "If you've agreed on a set project fee, often the client will assume that additional work is included. So they get more work for no additional pay — and you get the short end of the stick," says Clare Kleinedler, a food and travel writer who's reported for Intermezzo, the Los Angeles Times and People and does copywriting work for eHarmony, MySpace and Zynga. "Hourly rates help avoid any confusion. It's much easier to convince a client that the extra hours were necessary (hence a higher invoice than what they may have expected) than it is to convince a client to renegotiate a set fee halfway through the project."
When taking on an assignment, Kleinedler specifies what her hourly rate will and will not cover. "Anything beyond the second round of revisions gets billed at our agreed hourly rate," she says. "'Additional work' means anything that wasn't covered in the project's scope at the beginning, because often clients will read my draft and then decide to go in a different direction — not because of anything I did wrong, but because they're working it out as they go — or request additional pages or sections."
As an example, she adds: "I once did five direct-mail post cards for a perfume company. They were happy with my work, but decided they wanted to change the subject matter of two of the cards, which meant I'd have to start them from scratch. I made it clear that I would bill them for the additional work, so that they wouldn't assume it was included in my original quote. Most clients have no problem with this, and the ones who do are just trying to take advantage of you!"
Whether you're charging by the hour or by the project, if you think an assignment will be more trouble than it's worth, your best course of action is to turn it down — and use the time to pursue another one that truly deserves your time and energy.
Do you have a question about freelancing? Ask Writing Coach.
Posted by Admin Team on Fri, Apr 02, 2010 @ 10:00 AM
by Rebecca Smith Hurd
Q: Is it unprofessional to pitch the same story to more than one publication at a time, or should you wait for a response before moving on?
A: With freelance pay rates on the decline, most writers can't afford not to have multiple pitches in the offing at any given time. After all, the more stories you pitch, the more likely you are to receive assignments and, ultimately, get paid. But sending duplicate pitch letters — or offering up a single story, told from the same angle — to two or more editors at once is generally frowned upon.
"I think a freelance writer would starve to death if he or she always sent pitches out one at a time, so I don't think it is unprofessional to send out multiple article pitches," says Catherine Craddock-Carrillo, a commissioning editor for Lonely Planet. "What is unprofessional, and a surefire way to either be ignored or rejected, is to send out identical letters to each place, not tailoring your pitch to the particular needs of each publication."
Before you send story ideas to an editor, Craddock-Carrillo adds, make sure you get to know the publication you're pitching. Familiarize yourself with its contents, voice, and audience by reading a few issues (or articles on its Web site). Check out its submission and editorial guidelines for insight into how its editors prefer to receive pitches. Try to find out what the publication's lead times and deadlines are, too. Most editors plan days, weeks, and even months in advance. Armed with this information, present yourself and your ideas accordingly.
Keep in mind that publishing is a competitive business. One reason you shouldn't pitch the same story to multiple editors is that many publications take pride in offering original content. Alex Heard, editorial director for Outside magazine, says that the only real excuse for submitting an article idea to multiple editors at the same time is when your idea is so timely that you can't afford to wait an extra moment. For example, perhaps your pitch involves breaking news or an exclusive interview with an elusive yet sought-after source.
"If you (the writer) really feel this is the case, go ahead and multi-submit, but announce that you're doing so. Reaction to this will vary, depending on your clout and the temperament of the editors you're dealing with," Heard says. "If you're a young writer on your way up, it's likely to irritate people. Editors don't like to be told they need to ‘hurry' and make a decision, so they're likely to just blow you off. If you're Michael Lewis, they may say, ‘Hey, we better hurry and give Michael an answer.'"
Heard stresses that, if you're going to two-time editors, never forgo telling them so and merely hope for the best. "If you get accepted by Magazine A today, and then Magazine B three days later, the editors at Magazine B are going to hate you forever, or at least until they're all laid off and there's a new regime at B who doesn't know about it. But journalism is a relatively small world. Word is likely to get around."
This fear has kept Jenna Wortham, a reporter for The New York Times, from ever attempting the practice. "I've never pitched the same piece to multiple publications, largely because I never worked out what I'd do if that piece was accepted by both places simultaneously," says Wortham, who freelanced for Bust, Frommer's and Wired before joining the NYT staff. "Would I withdraw a pitch and risk burning a freshly forged contact? Or hope I possessed enough creativity to spin the pieces in different enough directions that the stories would be fundamentally different? It always felt too risky to attempt."
Once you've crafted and submitted an original pitch to a publication, wait for a reply before taking your business elsewhere. How long you wait, however, is really up to you. Give editors at least a few days — and no more than three weeks — to respond. "Editors usually can't tell you right away if they can use your story, but I think they should acknowledge receipt of your pitch within a week, even less time," says Craddock-Carrillo. "Writers really need to play this by ear."
Of course, you may never get a response. "If three weeks go by and you don't hear anything, you have a right to assume that the answer is no and you're being blown off, which happens all the time," Heard says. "Obviously, it's OK to re-pitch then. If you want to be extra-courteous about it, let the editor you originally pitched know what's up, in a non-crabby way. ...In my opinion, you can also skip this step and not consider yourself a war criminal."
Do you have a question about freelancing? Ask Writing Coach.
Posted by Admin Team on Thu, Mar 11, 2010 @ 10:41 AM
by Rebecca Smith Hurd
Seasoned pros say that writers looking to branch out need to build a strong network and adapt to whatever technology clients use.
Q: Do you have any resources you’d recommend for freelance editors? As a journalist, I have always edited my own work, and I think I have the skills, but have not had the “editor” title. I’m not sure what computer programs are commonly used, especially when working remotely.
A: Breaking into freelance editing can be tough because, as one seasoned editor put it, “there’s more competition than there is meat.” Networking is usually the best resource for finding jobs, and any professional journalism experience — including writing — gives you a huge advantage: You already know people in the field.
“I don’t think of myself as a networker, a schmoozer or a people person, really, but that’s pretty much the only way I’ve ever gotten work,” says Hon Walker, a Portland, Ore.-based editor. “When I started out, it wasn’t about scouring Craigslist or reading classifieds or looking at job listings or sending out resumes. It was about people I had a personal connection to. I talked with them. And before long, I was working.” Over the past 13 years, Walker’s client list has included CNET, PC World,
Wired, Dwell, SFGate.com and O’Reilly Media.
Editorial managers tend to prefer “known quantities” because they often don’t have time to vet freelancers the way they would potential full-time hires. “It’s very rare that I would hire somebody completely cold, with no connection whatsoever, because I have no context for them,” says Karen Zuercher, associate managing editor at Via Magazine in Walnut Creek, Calif. “Sure, I can call their references, but only an idiot is going to provide one that isn’t glowing. So if there is any personal connection at all, I recommend it — schools, professors, whatever they can find.”
If you don’t have any connections, Zuercher, who freelanced for more than two years before accepting her current position last fall, suggests joining a networking or affinity group in your area to establish contacts. In many major U.S. cities, you can connect with other freelancers online through Yahoo or Meetup. You might also consider joining a national industry organization, such as Mediabistro or the Society of Professional Journalists, both of which hold periodic regional events.
In terms of computer programs, there really isn’t a definitive answer about which ones you’ll need to master. The tools of the editing trade vary wildly from job to job and across media — regardless of whether you’re working in-house or remotely. Generally, you should be adept at using a personal computer, email, a Web browser and search engine, and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). You’ll likely find yourself working with some sort of publishing software, too, either online or off.
If you’re editing online, be prepared to change software with each new client. “Web publishers have proprietary posting tools, and they all have quirks — weird, kooky things that you figure out through trial and error,” Walker says. “I’ve also worked remotely through a virtual desktop/private network. I was looking at a desktop in their office: I used their software and servers remotely through my machine.”
If you’re editing for print, get familiar with a desktop-publishing program like Adobe InDesign. Amanda Mitchell Henry, a Dublin, Calif.-based freelancer, says you don’t need to be an expert, but understanding what happens to the words on the page after you’re done editing them is beneficial. “I don’t have graphic-design capabilities, and I don’t have the layout skills, but I have paid enough attention to both that I’ve been able to do the best I can with, say, a PowerPoint presentation or blog posts … because now a lot of stuff is in our hands as editors,” says Henry, who’s freelanced for eight years for clients like InfoWorld, NetworkWorld and BWIA Airlines’ magazine, Caribbean Beat.
Zuercher says she doesn’t expect freelancers to be tech experts, but she looks for self-starting editors who feel comfortable with computers and software in general. “It’s more about adaptability than it is about any specific skill set,” she says. “You have to be able to step up and train quickly and figure out stuff on your own.”
Do you have a question about freelancing? Ask Writing Coach.