The Writing Coach Blog

Membership Pays: Tips for Turning Group Associations Into Writing Assignments

by Maya Payne Smart

Many writers pay to join professional organizations, yet never actively participate in the groups. Perhaps they just want the tax write-off — but why stop there? By simply seizing the opportunity to meet colleagues (think: potential clients) a modest investment in membership dues could bring a boon to your freelance business.

First, choose an organization that best suits your interests, needs and business pursuits. Groups operate on local, regional and national levels, and cater to different ethnicities, beats and experience levels. The American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers are good examples.

Next, get involved in the group's activities. Attend events, introduce yourself to other members, and volunteer your expertise. Use your membership to expand your knowledge, your presence, and your list of contacts. Work to make yourself stand out from the crowd, so that other members seek you out when opportunities arise.

I belong to two of the organizations that I mentioned above. I participate in each one differently. I began participating in SPJ by attending its national conference. Prior to that, I submitted a proposal to be a speaker, which was accepted. I gave a presentation titled "The Truth About Freelancing" that greatly increased my visibility among attendees. Afterward, numerous people approached me and said they'd learned a lot from what I had to say. In essence, my speech was a conversation starter that led to connections and opportunities I'd never anticipated. This October, I'll play a larger role at the national convention by presenting a half-day freelancing boot camp and hosting a booth in the exhibition hall. (I hope to see some of you there.)  

I also participate in local SPJ activities through the Virginia Pro chapter. At my very first local gathering, I made connections that led to freelance assignments with Virginia Business, a monthly magazine. Next month, I'll moderate a panel on writing for social change in conjunction with the chapter and James River Writers, another group I belong to.

My involvement with the Society of American Business Editors and Writers developed differently. I learned about SABEW when I was a graduate student at Medill, attending the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention in Atlanta. A couple of SABEW members gave a great presentation on finding the red flags in financial statements. I applied for membership the following year while I was the online reporter for Crain's Cleveland Business, but I didn't become active until I began freelancing full time. I signed up for SABEW's fall conference in 2007 and attended a business-reporting boot camp held beforehand at the University of North Carolina.

I stood out as one of the few freelancers at the fall conference. So, when SABEW board members began looking for people to help develop member services for that demographic, my name came to mind. By volunteering to create programming for freelancers within that organization, I gained visibility. Last year, I became the first freelancer to be elected to the board of governors. Through SABEW, my work caught the attention of editors who have since hired me for other projects, including writing for CNNMoney.com and BusinessJournalism.org.

You never know where the connections you make through a professional organization will lead, and — if you're willing to put in a little effort — it's hard to imagine a scenario in which your freelance business won't benefit from the investment.

Want to know more about how to get the most out of attending group events? Check out my recent post, "How Freelancers Can Make Conferences Pay."

Starting Your Own Freelance-Writing Web Site

by Maya Payne Smart

A letter of introduction, a resume and a few writing samples can certainly help editors get to know you and your work — but they rarely paint a full portrait of who you are or what you offer. That's where your Web site comes in.

A good Web site shows editors how well rounded you are and lets them take a deeper dive into your background.  If interested, they can read other articles you've written (beyond the clips you sent them), see how you present yourself to the public, and check out clients' comments about you.

Establish a Presence

Contrary to what some freelancers believe, you don't need to spend a fortune establishing a Web presence. You could hire a high-end professional designer. But why? Plenty of free or inexpensive do-it-yourself tools exist to help you get your site up and running quickly and inexpensively.

Free blog platforms, such as WordPress, offer various templates that look professional and are easy to update. You don't have to know how to format pages with HTML and CSS (although it's not a bad idea to learn a little of both, given today's demand for digitally savvy journalists and other content providers). Looking for an even more polished look? Google "blog skin" to locate other sites that provide different designs to overlay your content.

If you'd rather not go it alone, marketplace sites like 99designs will help you find the perfect designer for you — and your budget. You simply post what you need and want, plus the price you'd like pay. Designers around the world will compete to create the look of your site. That's actually how I came up with the logo and design for this site! The idea here is to get your Web site up right now, without further delay. You can always change it later, as your freelance business evolves.

Include All the Essentials

At the very least, your Web site should feature: a biography, work samples, and professional achievements.

As you're writing the biography, think in terms of your target reader. Ask yourself, "What can I do for the editors who are reading this?" and "What skills are my potential clients looking for?" Answer those questions and you're well on your way to creating a client-focused site.

Your Web site isn't an archive of everything you've ever done, so be selective and just post the best of your work to date.  Also, concentrate on displaying work in your area of specialization to position yourself as a go-to writer in that field.

Emphasize your niche but show some versatility of topic, style and medium if you can. For example, if you've historically focused on writing news articles, your Web site is the perfect place to demonstrate that you also do live broadcasts, podcasts and online video. Tout any new services that you offer.

You'll also want to call out a few of your biggest professional achievements and activities. Mention writing awards and other journalism honors, recent certificate/training programs completed, elected offices and memberships in writing-related organizations, volunteer work (such as adult literacy or public speaking), or mentoring activities. Remember, just hit the highlights here.  No one wants to wade through everything you've ever done.

Keep the Content Fresh

If you have the time, interest and commitment, devote a portion of your Web site to a blog. Regular posts will keep your content fresh and provide you with another forum for demonstrating your expertise. I particularly recommend blogging for newer freelancers who haven't yet amassed a diverse portfolio of published clips. Anyone can blog. So get out there and cover a few stories — or provide well-researched commentary on news of the day. It can help you build credibility and snag assignments.

How Freelance Writers Can Make Conferences Pay

by Maya Payne Smart

I’m sure I spend much more money than the average freelance writer does on conference registration and travel. Last year alone, I traveled to locales as far flung as Tampa, Denver and Indianapolis to get the pulse of the journalism community and to identify opportunities to profit from industry shifts. Although 2010 is still young, and I’ve already attended paidContent in New York, and today I’m headed to the Society of American Business Editors and Writers conference in Phoenix. Other freelance writers often ask me how I can afford to do so much travel, whether I get any work done while I’m gone, and why I bother, seeing as so many conferences seem to be more of the same.

My short answers: Conferences are a line item in my budget, and before I depart I have a plan for making the money back. I try not to take assignments with me. If you work conferences right, they can be a temporary full-time job. Each gathering presents different opportunities for networking, training and marketing. I’m never bored.

Take the SABEW conference this week. After all is said and done, I will have spent almost $2,000 on my registration, travel, accommodations and meals. Clearly, I’m betting that the information or connections I gain by going to Arizona will make that expense pay off. I have some evidence to support my belief: I left last year’s SABEW conference in Denver with two new clients, one of which has since paid me more than $5,000. Who knows what the lifetime value of that connection will be? 

My 5 top tips for profitable conference hopping

1. Have a plan. Review the conference agenda, speaker list and attendee profiles (often found in the advertising or exhibitor materials) and decide which sessions you want to attend, who you want to meet and what you hope to gain. At SABEW, I'm excited about:

• Brushing up on financial statements in the accounting workshop with Tom Contiliano, Bloomberg News CFO;
• Meeting business editors who are in the hunt for new freelance writers;
• Attending the entrepreneurial journalism and paid-content panels, which explore the new economics of our business in print and online; and
• Chatting with SABEW’s many authors about the ins and outs of drafting a book proposal, getting an agent and building a platform.

2. Be social. I’m an introverted only child who finds mingling exhausting, but when I’m at conferences I make a concerted effort to chitchat during receptions, sit with new people at meals and accept invitations to hang out with colleagues outside of formal conference events. On occasion, I’ve even organized outings to connect people I thought should know one another or to spend more time with a key contact. Casual conversations can lead to new clients, assignments and referral sources. But don’t force it: Take a genuine interest in the people you meet, be open to collaboration opportunities and see if any partnerships emerge organically. 

3. Speak up. It’s also a good idea to volunteer your time or insight to help conference organizers. I’ve put together panels, given keynote addresses, introduced speakers, manned exhibit-hall booths and facilitated panels. This endears you to the host organization, raises your profile at events and often attracts people and resources to you. In Never Eat Alone, networking guru Keith Ferrazzi cites studies showing a positive correlation between the number of speeches given and one’s income bracket. Hmm.

4. Pay attention. Listen actively to presentations, take notes and ask questions to reinforce your understanding of the information you hear. Then go a step further and ask yourself, “What do I need to start doing, stop doing or start doing differently as a result of what I’ve just heard?” In other words, vigilantly seek takeaways and connect the dots between conference insights and day-to-day tasks. 

5. Follow up. Marketing maven Alexandria Brown often says “the fortune is in the follow-up,” and I’ve found that sentiment to be true. Striking up a conversation at a conference is just the beginning. When you hear of a need that you can fill, be sure to follow-up after the event by sending an e-mail outlining your ideas. For example, a prospective client who I met at a conference last year asked me to send her a resume and 3 to 5 story ideas. I sent her three story ideas and a detailed proposal for a biweekly column. I didn’t get the column, but she was so impressed with the ideas I outlined that she hired me to develop and teach a course on the topic. You can’t always predict where your conference contacts will take you — and that’s the exciting part!

 

 

 

 

 

Expanding Your Horizons: How to Be a Freelance Editor

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.

How Stacy Hawkins Adams Stays Afloat Amid Media Sea Change

by Maya Payne Smart

“Typical” days don’t exist for writer Stacy Hawkins Adams — she has too much going on. Her sixth novel comes out this month, and her first nonfiction book is due in March. Then there’s her monthly column for SusieMag.com, her biweekly parenting column for The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, her weekly writing projects for local nonprofits and her numerous volunteer pursuits. And did I mention that she’s the mother of two very active children?

While the content of her days varies dramatically, she has a consistent start time daily—4:30 a.m. (Talk about motivation.) This gives her an hour and a half before the kids wake up to tackle her week’s goal with the hyper-intense focus of a metro reporter on deadline. Last week, she corresponded with Facebook fans to publicize the launch of her novel. This week, she’s using that time slot to get new book proposals to her agent. But no matter what disruptions may emerge during the day, she knows she’s pushed her business forward, bit by bit.

Brand-Building
The range and volume of material that Adams produces is staggering — and it’s also increasingly common among successful freelance writers. Those who are sailing ahead amid media industry sea changes understand that agility, variety and vigilance are essential.

“It’s wise to keep your hands in various things that work well together because of the ebb and flow of book sales and publishing trends,” Adams said.  “When I left my full-time newspaper job, I had my speaking and freelancing [gigs] solidified. I built the nonprofit marketing piece into it as I went along. Very few authors solely focus on just writing novels or just freelancing.”

As Adams notes, diversification doesn’t mean pursuing totally unrelated projects.  She produces high-quality work quickly by sticking with topics that she knows well and cares about. The social themes, familial issues and spiritual journeys she documents for periodicals also appear in her books. In her latest novel, “Dreams That Won’t Let Go,” she explores family members’ ability to love unconditionally and release one another to live their dreams. Her first nonfiction book, “Who Speaks to Your Heart,” explores how to connect more often and more deeply with God, a challenge her fictional characters often face. Adams has thus positioned herself as a heart and mind specialist of sorts — and, in doing so, created a very strong brand.

Transparency Rules
While a common thread runs through her patchwork of working relationships, the diversity of her work has ethical implications that she’s sensitive to as one who earned an undergraduate degree in journalism and spent 10 years as a staff newspaper reporter before going freelance. For example, she wondered if serving on community boards or helping nonprofits with marketing disqualified her from writing for newspapers. “When I was on staff at the newspaper, the lines were rigid,” she said, “and later I found that the rest of the world doesn’t work that way.”  Her policy is to disclose any relationships or affiliations that might be perceived as conflicts of interest — and to let her editor make the call about whether the topic is off-limits. “I go to my editor and say, ‘I know this person’ or ‘I serve on this board’ or ‘I’ve helped with this endeavor.’ ” So far, she said, nothing’s been deemed off limits.

Cross-Promotion
In addition to her professionalism, Adams’ visibility across many platforms — books, magazines, online, in the community — also makes her a valuable contributor, because she brings her followers with her wherever she goes. This is a bonus for any media outlet that’s struggling to hold onto readers.

In fact, Adams says she spends more time marketing her work to readers than she does writing it. “I thought you write the book, birth the book, hand it over and say, ‘Take care of my baby,’ ” she said.  “But the more time I put into trying to explore new marketing ideas and opportunities, the more willing my publisher is to put dollars and support behind the effort.”

Law of Attraction
Her willingness to experiment also means that when her fiction publisher has new promotional ideas, they often test them out on Adams.  Blog tours, hair salon signings and elaborate launch fetes, she’s tried them all — with great success.  Rather than do a signing at a chain bookstore that draws maybe 10 people, Adams has created elaborate events around her novels’ themes and gathered crowds that celebrated much more than the books.

She honored her mentor and a local community group during the launch of “Watercolored Pearls,” a novel about women coming into their own.  And when “The Someday List” was released, she invited two celebrities, an actress and a recently retired broadcaster, to share their someday lists with attendees. On Saturday she debuted her novel with an hourlong Facebook chat that included free giveaways and music releases—all tied to the latest book’s theme of dream fulfillment.

One would expect no less from an optimist who describes herself as “one who sees a brick wall and instead of giving up, prays about whether to climb it, walk around it or find a way to burrow through it to the blessings on the other side.”

 

How NOT to Win Freelance Assignments

As a freelance writer, a big part of my job is pitching myself to prospective clients via e-mail.  I send letters of introduction to editors seeking writers with expertise like mine and pitch story ideas to publications that I’d like to write for.  But recently I had a chance to see things from a new perspective when I put out this call for editors for WritingCoach.com:

“WritingCoach.com seeks freelance editors for its articles, newsletters, special reports and other content. Successful candidates may be located anywhere in the world as long as they have high-speed Internet connections, ~10 hours a month for editing projects and a strong command of grammar, punctuation and style.  If you're interested, please send your hourly rate and a summary of your editing experience to me at maya@writingcoach.com with "Editing Job" in the subject line.”


The flood of responses I received gave me an unexpected master class in how to pitch that will forever change how I respond to job postings.  The best responses came from people who wrote well, followed directions, communicated expertise and displayed a bit of personality.  

A little flattery went a long way with me as I ranked the 60+ respondents to the job posting.  Editors who demonstrated knowledge of the site’s content and enthusiasm for its mission gained an edge over those who discussed their credentials without reference to my needs.  Here are a few common missteps to avoid at all costs:

Not Following Directions

I asked job applicants to send responses to a specific e-mail address with a defined subject line.  A surprising number of people sent their applications to the wrong e-mail address or with a custom subject line.  In some cases, this may have been an intentional effort to stand out from the crowd.  But in all cases, it was annoying because it created extra work for me.  Instead of having all of the applications land in one place where I could efficiently read, rank and respond to them, I had to forward and filter them myself.  Additionally, it made me question the respondents’ competence; attention to detail is key for would-be editors.

Another variation of not following directions was to send me a list of questions instead of the information that I requested.  While I can understand the urge to learn more about a project before submitting a proposal, the reality is that most time-crunched hirers aren’t going to take the time to answer a battery of questions when they have an inbox full of great applicants (who follow directions) to consider.  You can immediately disqualify yourself by posing questions prematurely.

Not Showing Enthusiasm—or Personality

When time is short, I’ve certainly been guilty of firing off a rote response to freelance job postings, but being the recipient of self-centered job applications revealed what a turnoff this can be.  Here’s a particularly egregious example.

“I'm interested in editing for your organization. You asked for an hourly rate, but I'm not entirely sure what's fair. I am currently unemployed, looking for full-time work. I'd love to do some part-time editing while I search. I attached a resume, just in case.” 

Translation: I haven’t taken the time to find out what “your organization” does.  I’m too inexperienced to know typical industry rates.  I just want you to help me stay afloat while I look for something better.  I doubt I’m a good fit but here’s some more information about me, just in case.

Not Connecting the Dots

Here’s an example of a less depressing, but similarly generic, response that fails to excite.  The applicant focuses on his credentials but doesn’t build a bridge between what he offers and what I need.  

“I’m a long-time writer and editor interested in freelance editing work with WritingCoach.com.  My experience includes copy editing at newspapers, wire services, magazines and blogs.  My rate is $50/hour for editing, and I’m quick and thorough.  Thank you for your consideration of this request and if there is additional information I can provide, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Translation: This is the form letter that I send to everyone.  I don’t have the time or interest to write an additional sentence or two explaining how my background makes me a great fit to edit the particular kind of stories that you publish.

Remember, when you’re competing against dozens of other applicants (many with similar experience) it’s important to distinguish yourself by showing greater familiarity with the publication and real enthusiasm for the work.  

To learn winning strategies, tune in to the free "How to Find Freelance Writing Assignments Now" teleseminar.

 

 

Convert Mediabistro Freelance Marketplace Profile Views to Sales

In a previous post, “Get Found on Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace,” I outlined a strategy for pushing your profile higher in search results. But that’s just half the battle. Once you have prospective clients’ attention, you should reel them with winning clips and a professional demeanor.

Here’s how Elaine Pofeldt, a former FORTUNE Small Business editor, won work through the site after going freelance in October 2007. (Who better to offer advice than someone who has years of experience hiring freelance writers and being one?)

Select Clips with Care

The first order of business is to choose writing samples with editors’ needs—and wants—in mind. It may be your profile, but it should be all about the client. Pofeldt showed her range and distinctive voice by displaying long-form narrative features, investigative pieces, service stories and business briefs. “I made sure to select clips that showed what makes my writing unique,” she said. “Several of the clients who contacted me said they had noticed that I had a colorful, feature-y approach to writing about business topics that might otherwise be dry.”

Although the stories varied widely in form, she limited her choices’ subject matter to small business and careers to demonstrate expertise. “I find that many editors prefer to hire someone who can bring up-to-date knowledge about a given field to an assignment, as opposed to a generalist,” she said. 

Highlight Your Professionalism

If you’ve spent some time in a traditional newsroom, let editors know. “When I was an assigning editor, I liked working with freelance writers who had held staff jobs for a while, because I knew they would have a realistic understanding of how the editorial process works,” Pofeldt said.  

Don’t fret if you haven’t worked on staff—a long track record of freelance success can demonstrate the same thing. That’s why she adds new writing samples to the site every few weeks. The updates communicate that she’s a professional, not a hobbyist, and give prospective clients confidence that their projects would land in capable hands.

Elaine Pofeldt’s Four Tips for Freelance Success

1. Don't worry if you can't fill out your profile fully when you first post it. If you are serious about freelancing, you will have a lot more information to add as you move forward with your career. I built my profile gradually over two years.
 
2. If you get a small assignment from a client who has found you on the site, treat it as a tryout for steady work. Make it easy for the client to rehire you by pitching great ideas, doing the best reporting and writing you can, responding flexibly to queries, and being willing to help out with small related requests, such calling a source in a story to ask for a product shot.
 
I think I have gotten a lot of steady work from clients because I don't balk if, say, the top editor on a story suddenly has a last minute question on it before a holiday weekend...or if an editor suddenly realizes that a piece I've written has too much overlap with another one that was assigned by a different editor and wants to shift the focus a bit. I understand that editors want to make their publications as strong as possible, and that sometimes, accomplishing this requires writers to be flexible. Editors are under so much pressure today to do more with fewer resources that I am confident that most will remember anything a writer does to make their lives easier when it comes time to assign future stories.
 
3. Taking out an ad on Mediabistro can be a good way to put yourself on the radar screen of clients you might not have thought of approaching. However, advertising is only one step toward building a thriving freelance business. Most of the assignments I get come from editors who have worked with me in the past, so I try to stay on their radar screen by pitching stories to them regularly. It is also important to pitch editors at publications that are new markets for you, even if some of the queries you send out seem to disappear into a black hole. With many publications still folding, writers need to be very proactive about keeping work flowing.
 
4. Make sure to build a profile on LinkedIn, too. A couple of clients told me they had viewed my profile on both Mediabistro and LinkedIn before contacting me. LinkedIn gives you a place to provide details of your resume that would not fit into a Mediabistro ad but would still be relevant to an assigning editor or potential client. You can also display recommendations from clients there.

Get Found on Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace

A few years ago, I signed up for Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace, a directory where freelancers can pay to advertise their media services to editors and others. Just by paying the annual subscription fee (today, just $145/year) and loading a profile with my best writing samples, I attracted thousands of dollars worth of assignments. Within weeks, I started getting e-mails from editors of trade and custom publications I didn’t know existed, such as Auto Finance News, Black MBA, and Small Business Banking News. And they paid much more than the local publications on my client roster at the time.

The service’s nominal fee paid off many times over with repeat assignments from those early contacts. But as the site grew to display—and rank—many more profiles, my post-it-and-forget-it strategy began to prove less effective. As with other web endeavors, staying on top requires fresh content, keyword selection, and page optimization. So freelance writers need a plan for maintaining a strong presence in Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace. Part One of that strategy is all about attracting editors’ attention; here’s how:

Know Where You Stand

It’s important to think like an editor and be aware of the ways they’ll come across your online profile. Editors can follow a couple of paths to find writers in Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace—selecting predefined criteria from the site’s drop-down menus (e.g. expertise, specialties, and location) and typing custom keywords into the search box both yield results. So your profile improvement efforts must keep both approaches in mind.

The two search methods can yield vastly different results, even when searchers have the same idea in mind. Take the example of an editor who is looking for a writer in Virginia to cover a particular story. If the searcher selected “Virginia” and “editorial” from the Mediabistro menu categories, yours truly appears among the first freelancers on the results page. But until a few days ago, I didn’t show up at all if someone typed “Virginia” into the keyword search box. I had to add the phrase “based in Richmond, Virginia,” to my overview section to rank for “Virginia” searches.

Play around with the site to see where you rank—or don’t rank. This is the baseline of information that you’ll need to improve your standing.

Update Your Profile Regularly

One easy way to rise up the ranks is to breathe new life into your profile with a simple update or two. After months of neglect, I just updated my Freelance Marketplace presence to reflect a new specialty area and a professional membership. Within seconds, my profile rose dramatically in rankings using various search criteria. This revealed two things: Mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace listings update as soon as you hit “submit” (you have to love instant gratification), and you don’t have to do a major makeover or even upload new clips to improve your standing—simple text tweaks will do.

So mark your calendar or set up a recurring e-mail alert to remind you to change something on your profile every couple of weeks. Revise your overview wording, add new writing samples, update your assignment numbers, and watch your ranking rise.

Use Keywords Strategically

Writing specialties, story types, and publication names are all potentially good areas to optimize around. Seattle-based freelance writer Jane Hodges has made a habit of embedding words or phrases that editors might be searching for into her writing sample descriptions. As a result, the walking Mediabistro success story has won a number of assignments from custom, trade and airline magazines.

“When adding new work, make sure you choose intelligent keywords to associate with your stories, or choose keywords that play into the beat you are covering or want to cover,” she said. “Since hiring folks presumably run searches based on keywords or publications, this is another way to make sure that you’re targeted for projects you might actually want.”

Here’s an example of how I improved an article description based on Hodges’ recommendations.
•    Before: A young shoe designer creates a custom strategy.
•    After: Some say an entrepreneur zigs when others zag. This profile of a small business owner who bucked the mass production trend and catapulted her retail sales by selling custom handmade shoes is a good example.
The original description came straight from the subhead that ran with the magazine piece, but didn’t reveal much to the search engine--or reader. The rewrite shows some personality and includes keywords such as small business, entrepreneur, retail, and sales. I also added them and some others to the keyword field associated with the story.

Fill Your Tip Jar

Beyond search rankings, freelance writers should also understand Mediabistro’s Tip Jar ranking system, which aims to help hirers quickly identify the most experienced, consistently working freelancers on the list. It awards up to five coins (think: stars for movie reviews) for “currently available to work” status, frequency of work with given clients, and the number of years in a specialty, area of expertise, or industry. While Mediabistro.com explicitly states that the Tip Jar is not meant to “judge the merits of an individual freelancer’s work,” some employers may not see it that way, so it’s best to do what you can to improve your standing in this respect, as well.

This is as easy as 1-2-3:
1. Make sure employers know you’re available for work by selecting the appropriate option (e.g. I freelance full time).

2. List the media clients that you work for regularly and how many assignments you’ve completed for them in the past two years. Since the system values frequency of work, limit your client list to those you’ve worked with most consistently over time, and update the number of projects field often.

3. Each year make a point to update your experience numbers, and if you’ve held any staff jobs, be sure to check that box, too.

Follow this advice and your profile will find editors’ eyes in no time. But getting noticed is just half the battle—the next step is getting editors to actually call once they’ve landed on your profile. To learn proven strategies for sealing the deal, read “Convert Mediabistro Freelance Marketplace Profile Views to Sales.”

 

Also, be sure to sign up for our free teleseminar: 9 Ways to Find Writing Work Now.