What does your home office look like? Share the details with WorkingNaked.net and you can win a bunch of great prizes, including:

• Fellowes PS-79Ci Cross-Cut 100% Jam Proof Shredder
• Epson WorkForce 610
• Elfa products from The Container Store ($250 value)
• Library edition binders from Russell + Hazel
• Home Office Solutions: Creating a Space that Works for You book by Lisa Kanarek
• One-year subscription to Flexjobs
• “I’m working naked…are you?” t-shirt

I must admit, it’s the T-shirt that caught my interest. I had a good chuckle thinking about the kinds of comments that someone would get if they wore it out in public.

The contest starts on March 15, 2010 and runs until April 15. The winner will be announced April 30. You can get the details here. Please note that the site owner wants to see photos of an office, not people – whether they are working fully clothed or they have created a clothing-optional workspace for themselves. I’m all for whatever will help you to be happy and productive, BTW.

Have you ever been on the short list for a freelance writing job and the client decided to hire someone else? It’s happened to all of us. No one likes being rejected, especially when they have made the effort to update their freelance writing resume, choose relevant samples and craft a cover letter. When you add a bit of back and forth communication about the gig before the client makes a decision, it is disappointing to find out that you aren’t going to be working on it.

When you hear the words, “Sorry, we have decided not to hire you…” your next move is important. It’s human to want to retreat and lick your wounds for awhile, and probably the last thing you want to do is to talk to the client again. After all, they didn’t want to work with you….right now.

Notice the last two words that I added? Keeping in touch with the client means that you can put yourself in a situation where you still have a chance at being hired later on. The person who got the gig you were turned down for may not work out for whatever reason. An emergency could come up, they could get sick, or something else could happen that means the client is looking for someone else to do the work. If you have checked in periodically with the client, you have put yourself in a position where your name is on his or her radar when they are looking for a freelance writer.

If you have been turned down for a freelance writing job, respond politely and respectfully. Thank the client for having taken the time to consider your application and ask him or her to keep you in mind should their needs change in the future. The fact that you responded to the “thanks but no thanks” communication at all will set you apart from other applicants.

When you do get in touch again, don’t make the message about, “Will you hire me?” If you come across an interesting article or blog post that has something the client will find relevant to his or her business, pass it along. When you send the link or the clip, tell the client that you came across the item in your travels (you don’t have to share the fact that you were specifically looking for something to share with him or her) and that you thought they would find it interesting. Then include a link back to your web site or blog, or list your area of expertise in your e-mail signature. The client may not immediately remember that you are a content writer, technical writer, copy writer, or whatever. It doesn’t hurt to give his or her memory a nudge.

When a client needs to hire a writer, they are more likely to contact someone they have worked with in the past or who they have a relationship with. When you check in every so often, you are keeping your name in front of someone who can send work your way.

If working for an employer can be likened to a type of professional marriage (you work for one employer at a time, and if you decide to moonlight and take on another job, you probably want to keep that fact quiet or face consequences), working as a freelancer is more like living together. You are committed to that client as long as the arrangement meets both your needs, and you accept that it may not necessarily be a long-term thing (but there is a possibility that you will be working together indefinitely).

Each professional relationship has its advantages and disadvantages, of course. I’ve been an employee many times in the past and while I had those jobs I was committed to doing my best and I was loyal to the companies who hired me. Now I work for myself and I have the toughest boss I’ve ever had. I also have wonderful clients who I genuinely like and respect, and I truly enjoy the work that I do.

What if it Doesn’t Work Out?

We may feel more comfortable as freelancers getting hired for a specific project, as opposed to a long-term arrangement. The long-term thing can feel like a job as opposed to a different kind of project, and it can be tempting to consider how interested you are in the gig in light of the “What if it doesn’t work out?” angle.

There are many reasons why a gig may not work out. If you took a job as an employee, it may not work out the way you were hoping, either. You are saying yes to a gig or a job, not a marriage proposal. That may not work out either, but it’s a lot easier to say goodbye to a client or an employer than to get a divorce.

If you say yes to the gig, then commit to doing the best job you can, as long as you and the client have a workable arrangement. You can always make another decision later on and talk about changing the terms or give notice and move on to something that is a better fit. The idea that someone will get a job and stick with one employer throughout his or her working life is no longer the norm. Maybe freelancers are just being more honest about their professional commitment issues from the outset.

You can find the latest edition of Monday Markets here.

Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com

I like T-shirts with slogans on them. If I see a display of shirts at a store or a kiosk, I do stop to check them out. I usually find at least a couple with slogans that I find funny or interesting. The T-shirts we choose to wear give the person who sees them an idea of who we are without our having to say a word.

I remember the ’70s as being a time when T-shirts with messages were very popular. Customers could go into a store and look through a book of transfers to select the message they wanted to convey. The customer also got to choose the size, color and style of shirt they wanted and the order was completed while he or she waited.

At least one of my friends was sent home from school for showing up wearing a shirt that the administration felt was offensive, but for the most part the slogans were fun. I remember a friend of mine who was very tough and thankfully always had my back used to wear a shirt that read, “You Toucha Da Shirt, I Breaka You Face.” At least you always knew where you stood with her.

My sister adopted a different approach when she went out wearing one that said, “Improve Your Image; Be Seen With Me.” (She really needed to work in her low self-esteem issues.) I used to have a T-shirt that explained the process involved in competing in what could prove to be a popular Olympic sport: the Aluminum Man Triathlon. It involved using beer cans for the three events: Open, Chug and Crush.

What do messages on T-shirts have to do with being a freelance writer? Let me explain. Every time you write a blog post that is going out on your blog or under your own name, you are sending out a message to the reader. Your comments on blogs and discussion forums and your tweets do the same.

The reader may not remember your name at first, but they will remember the message you conveyed. If you are going to put something out there on your own version of an online T-shirt, make sure it’s an accurate reflection of who you are and what you want the reader to remember about you.

Case in point: I still remember working at a summer fair about 30 years ago and seeing a man walk by wearing a T-shirt that read, “I’m So Horny the Crack of Dawn Looks Good.” I have no recollection of how old he was or what he looked like, but I do remember the shirt…..and the fact that he had his wife with him. I’m sure she was very proud of her man’s fashion sense….not.

If your goal is to use your online communication to attract potential clients, make sure they are remembering you for the right reasons. What message do you want your online T-shirt to say to people?

If you’re not reading this through a feed reader it’s safe to assume the person who posted this is a slimy content thief who is too unoriginal to come up with his or her own ideas. Feel free to report this content theft to freelancewritinggigs(at)gmail(dot)com.

At first glance, this may seem like a bit of a silly question. Your answer may be something along the lines of, “I care if my clients are doing enough business to make sure I get paid, so yes….”, or some such thing. What I am getting at is something that is much deeper than that. Do you have an understanding of what your clients’ goals are and what they want to achieve through your writing?

Here’s the thing. There are a lot of people out there who are working (or at least trying to find work) as freelance writers. When a potential client puts up an ad looking for writers, they get a flood of applications. In some cases, hundreds of people throw their hat into the ring to be considered.

Just about every freelance writer is going to explain how they are reliable and can turn in clean copy every time. That’s a given. If you don’t take your work and your deadlines seriously, you aren’t going to get hired.

Pricing for the project can be negotiated to some extent, and clients know this. If a freelancer can show the client that they are getting value for their money, they may be prepared to go to the top of their budget range or even spend a bit more. The client and the freelancer both know that if money is the deal breaker, the client can always find someone else.

When someone is making a hiring decision about which freelance writer they want to work with, it’s as much a matter of chemistry as the freelancer’s technical abilities. The person who is making a decision is concerned about how much you know about their business and what they are trying to achieve. This is a clear case of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) from the client’s point of view.

If you present yourself as someone who understands your clients’ business and what they are trying to achieve, you are much more likely to get hired. You are not just someone who strings a bunch of words together; you are a problem solver. Figure out what your clients want to achieve from the project and explain how you can help them succeed. You are more likely to get hired if you care about your clients’ business, as well as your own.

One of the positive aspects of working as a freelance writer is that you have some control over the amount and type of work that you do. Unless you have an idea about what kind of work are looking for and what kinds of clients you want to target, you are going to end up spending a lot of your time on a shotgun type of approach to finding work. This is not the most effective way to find the kind of freelance writing jobs you really want.

You could come across some really great freelance writing jobs advertised in your travels, but if you aren’t a good fit for them, it’s not likely that you are going to get hired. A better approach before you apply for anything is to think about who you are as a writer and what your area of expertise is rather than chasing after jobs because a particular niche is hot right now or you’ve heard that X type of writing is where the money is.

That’s not to say that you can’t develop your skills so that you can try something new, or that you should stick to the same short list of topics you feel comfortable writing about. I’m all for saying yes to new opportunities or getting out there and making your own – it’s how we grow, after all.

What I am saying is that before you start applying for every freelance writing gig you see advertised or start pitching wildly to any potential client you can think of, it pays to have a plan. What do you bring to the table that your potential clients can benefit from? Once you have a clear idea about who you are and what you can offer, you can be more choosy about which ads you will respond to. You can also spend time making a highly targeted list of potential clients you want to contact and following through with it.

If you take the time to consider who your target market is first, your freelance writing job search strategy will be more effective. How do you target your search for freelance writing gigs?

I’ve been spending some time watching the Winter Olympics and I have really enjoyed seeing the action unfold. I like the variety of sports on offer and I have a deep appreciation for the athletes’ dedication and persistence. I’ve been thinking about what we can learn from the participants at the Vancouver Olympics and would like to offer up these thoughts for your consideration:

There are no short cuts to success.

The athletes that make it to the level required to qualify for the Olympics have been preparing for years. Most of them found a passion for their sport from a very young age and have been working hard to develop their abilities since that time.

Many writers also found themselves attracted to the power of words early in life, even if they couldn’t picture a way to get paid for their work at that point. Every time they put pen to paper or touched a keyboard they were practicing their skills. Raw talent is the starting point for world-class athletes and world-class writers, but it takes time to develop that natural ability, and the individual has to be prepared to do the work.

Hard work will eventually pay off.

When an athlete reaches his or her goal of being selected for the Olympic team, they know that the many hours of training and practice have paid off. To get to this level, a person must not only love their sport but they have to be dedicated to it. Training is not something they do when they happen to feel like it. They keep training, even when they are tired, discouraged or just don’t feel like it.

If you want to improve your writing skills, keep writing. Do it every day, even when you are struggling with writer’s block or you are having trouble finding the perfect approach to your project. Getting something down is the first step, and you can always edit later. Write for yourself if you don’t have any client projects to work on. Update your blog. Just keep writing.

You can bring your “A” game and still not win.

Part of what has made the Olympics so interesting is that not everyone who was expected to make it to the podium did so. All the preparation and work led up to having everything fall into place at the event, but there are any number of things that could get in the way of a top three finish. It comes down to which athlete or team was better on that day.

When you are looking for freelance writing gigs, you can do all the right things. Your resume can be all fresh and recently updated, your samples can be on topic and error free, and the client may choose someone else. It doesn’t mean that you lack talent or you couldn’t rock the gig. It means that on that day, someone else got the nod.

Being talented doesn’t give you a license to behave badly.

In the world of athletics and freelance writing, your reputation is something you should guard carefully. It takes to build up a positive one where you are someone who is well respected and sought after, and one bad decision can damage it. Unfortunately, once a person gets some negative buzz going around them, their accomplishments pale in comparison.

Once something gets out online, it is there forever. Anyone who takes the time to Google your name is going to find out about it, and even the stuff you share on Twitter gets indexed by search engines. It is a good idea to remember this and practice some CYA (Cover Your A$$) before you put something up for public consumption. I’m just saying……

What have you learned about freelance writing by watching the Olympics?

You can find the latest edition of Monday Markets on the Freelance Writing Jobs Web and Print blog.

For a freelance writer, the actual gig starts once you have been officially hired, the contract signed, and the deposit for the work has been received. The time leading up to those events is just as important. If you want to get hired for the gig, the job of showing the client that you are the right person starts with your initial communication.

The little things matter when you are interacting with a potential client. Once you get in the mind set that your “interview” starts as soon as you start talking, you can take steps to ensure that you are presenting yourself in the best possible way. The idea here is to show the client what he or she can expect from you once you are hired.

You want to show the prospective client that you will respond to their questions or concerns promptly, so be sure to do so. If the main method of communication is by e-mail, be sure that you are checking yours regularly. Even if you don’t have time to send back a full reply, you can send back a one-liner acknowledging receipt of the message and letting the person know that you will get back to them in more detail shortly, by the end of the day, or whatever.

Once you have been hired, make a point of acknowledging receipt of your client’s communication. Even a simple “Got it” lets the client know that you have received their instructions or the assignment. If something about the assignment has changed, repeat the new instructions back to the client to make sure that both of you are on the same page.

If you have read the instructions twice and they still don’t make sense, ask for clarification. Your time is valuable, and you want to spend it giving your clients what they ask for – preferably the first time. Going back to make major changes because you weren’t clear about what the client wanted isn’t the best use of your time. A better policy is to ask questions to lower the risk of a misunderstanding from the outset.

The people you work with are not an interruption of your business. They are the reason you have a business. The decision to hire one freelancer over another is as much a matter of who the client thinks they would rather work with as your education and experience. If you take care in the small details of establishing a good working relationship from the start, you are well on your way to landing a great freelance writing gig and being the freelancer the client contacts for future projects.

What strategies do you use to look after the little things as a freelance writer?