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Jan. 21, 2010
Volume Two, Issue One
ISSN 2153-0246
Published every other Thursday. You are on our mailing list because you signed up for one or more programs at WritingCoach.com. To change your subscription, click on the link at the end of this e-mail.
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It's January 21, so undoubtedly many of us have already abandoned our New Year's resolutions in favor of old, less productive habits. Don't worry. That's life. Setting goals, falling short and bouncing back is a process we should embrace every day of the year.
Being a successful freelance writer is all about resilience. How are you going to respond when things don't go as planned? When editors or sources don't call you back? When ad rates plummet and bring writing fees down with them? When your motivation level isn't equal to the tasks before you?
You just keep plugging away. As avant-garde author Samuel Beckett once advised: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
But how? I found some fresh answers to this question in Lesley Alderman's recent article for Real Simple magazine, "9 Secrets of Motivated People: Real-Life Strategies That Will Help You to Actually Accomplish the Goals You've Set for Yourself This Year.". She put the best tip first: "When you make a plan, anticipate bumps." I scribbled "ding, ding, ding" in the margin next to it.
If you have been freelancing for even a short amount of time, you should have a feel for the obstacles you're likely to encounter going forward. (If you don't, you will soon.) But, as Alderman observes, it's your response, not the challenges, that will determine your success.
Take, for example, the case of freelancer Michelle Tillis Lederman. Lederman anticipated that disruptions and writer's block would be obstacles to completing a book, so she pre-empted them by installing window blinds in her home office and hiring an editor to nudge her along. The lesson: Imagine the snags you might hit when tackling your to-do list and plan your comeback -- before you need it.
While we're on the subject of getting things done, I'd like to introduce you to Stacy Hawkins Adams, the most prolific writer I know. Read her profile below for a glimpse into one successful working writer's routine.
Make every word count! |
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Business School for Writers
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Experienced freelancer and journalism instructor Maya Payne Smart has launched Writing Coach PRO, a new professional-development program, to give a select group of freelance writers an opportunity to take their business savvy to new heights. Sign up to hear why she's launching this six-month program and how it can help you develop and hone your business acumen. The program will focus on building project management, sales and marketing, financial decision-making, technology use and outsourcing skills.
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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 [projects] 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 to each, 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."
Michele Misiak, marketing manager for the Revell Division of Baker Publishing Group, says Adams is the rare author who understands how to write--and how to sell. "Stacy is one of the most determined people I know in terms of always rethinking things," Misiak said. "She's never satisfied with great; she pushes herself to be awesome."
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. Fans bought the book online, emailed Stacy their receipts and created some buzz that will likely fuel future sales.
"The book is all about people who are trying to find themselves and their purpose," Misiak said, "and Stacy used the launch to inspire people to chase their dreams this year."
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."
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Get Found on Mediabistro's Freelance Marketplace
A few years ago, I signed up for Mediabistro's Freelance Marketplace, a directory of freelancers who pay to advertise their media services to editors and others. Just by paying the annual subscription fee (now $145/year) and posting a professional profile with writing samples, I used to attract thousands of dollars worth of assignments. But as the site grew to include--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, if you're going to join this marketplace, you need a plan for maintaining a strong presence. Part One of that strategy is all about attracting editors' attention. Click here to find out how.
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