Freelance Writing Jobs

How to Differentiate Genuine Sincerity from Good P.R.

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:49:37 +0000

I talk about trust a lot. If you or my clients didn’t trust me, I’d be sucking it up in a cube farm somewhere. So being real is important to me. However, I realize how you see me and how I see me are two different things. Appearances are important. That’s why when I work on building traffic, I may have the occasional contest, but for the most part I rely on good content and the power of community. I hope I come across as sincere in my sharing with you. I think I do, otherwise you wouldn’t trust me and come back every day.

Yesterday, someone said to me, “Good P.R. is often disguised as sincerity.” I can’t tell how you how true this is. The problem is, with so many people being “sincere” online, how do you know when someone truly means well and when someone is making a move in order to get some good publicity or practice good public relations? There are some things that I use to gauge the b.s. factor, and I’m interested in your perspective as well.

Here’s how I differentiate genuine sincerity from good public relations:

Consider the source:

Who is the person who is hyping or giving out the information? Is it someone who is consistent about what he believes in, especially in his goals or visions, or is he someone who changes his tune every week to suit his perception of what people are looking for? Is he someone who is a chameleon and changes to different things for different people, or is he someone who remains true to himself and his product and his brand? The people who mean well always mean well and don’t only do nice things when it’s convenient.

Consider the record:

Why is this business or brand doing what they’re doing? Is it something they’ve always done, or are they just rolling it out for a reason. Look into past instances. Does this brand or person have a history of changing his tune or way of thinking every month or two? Is there a new promotion every other week? If he can’t stay true to form and true to his mission, sincerity probably isn’t a strong point. People who care stay true to themselves and the people who follow their brand or community. It’s one thing to evolve with the needs of the public, but changing format or opinions every few months is confusing and doesn’t help to build a following.

Why now?

Why is this promotion happening now? Why release this news now? Why the hype now? Why not quietly roll out new features or services? What is the motivation behind this business or individual’s decision? Why the major announcement? Has there been some bad press? Is it because a competitor is doing something similar – or a competitor is successful with the opposite model? Consider all these factors to determine if it’s P.R. hype or a desire to do good things for a community of people.

Everything happens for a reason. It’s up to us as users, consumers and community members to questions the things that seem a little off. Is someone being sincere in his desire to help someone? Is a brand sincere in their desire to give you the best quality for your money? Check the record, delve into the past. Ask yourself, “is this someone who has always been straight with me, or is this someone who has let me down in the past?”

How are some of the ways you can sniff out a P.R. attempt and what causes you to trust a business or a brand?

5 Reasons Online Relationships are Important for Freelance Writers

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:12:47 +0000

You probably see me on Twitter…a lot. The truth is, I like Twitter for many reasons. for example, it breaks up the monotony of the day when I’m home alone. There’s more to it than that, though. I find the networking to be invaluable. Twitter has enabled me to build on so many different types of relationships with clients, sponsors, community members and friends. In 2010, anyone wishing to be a success in business, needs to consider the various social networks as a way to meet others and build up buzz around a product and brand, even if the brand is a personal one. If you ever wonder why I’m on Twitter so much and not working, the truth is, I am working. I’m building community, relationships, friendships…and trust.

Why are online relationships important for freelancer writers?

1. Everyone you meet online has the potential to become a client

Every single person who is a Facebook friend, or who shares videos on YouTube or who follows on Twitter, is someone who may need a writer one day. If you’re the only writer one of these online friends know, you’re the one they will turn to for help should the need arise. Also, the people you meet online know people. They can make recommendations to others who need writers. They might also tell you about available job openings. By taking the time to know your online friends and followers, you’re letting them know you value their relationship. They’ll show their appreciation when it comes time to hire writers.

2. Online relationships build trust

There’s a reason I talk to people online, I mean, besides the fact that I truly enjoy being around people and sharing, learning and enjoying a good conversation. It’s because I like to surround myself with people I trust. It sounds silly coming from someone with almost 6,000 Twitter followers, right? How can you follow that many people and talk about trust? The truth is, I trust you until you give me a reason not to. If someone betrays my trust I don’t follow him or her anymore. I even block the people who do whatever they can to create drama or a negative experience. If I can’t trust someone, if I wouldn’t spend time with them in real life, I don’t want to spend time with that person online. I think other people feel the same. They follow the people whose advice and humor appeals to them, and who they like and can trust to steer them in the right direction. Once you have trust, everything builds from there. When you talk to the same people day in and day out, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with freelance writing, you’re building trust.

3. People who trust you are more likely to do business with you

See: potential client, above. However, once you build trust the “potential” isn’t part of the equation anymore. People DO seek you out for projects. A potential client who is also a Twitter fried contacted me recently because he saw something I wrote two years ago and wanted writing along the same vein for his website. When I quoted my rate, he told me he wasn’t prepared to pay so much. Two weeks later he came back and told me I’m the only writer he trusts for the job. After reading my work and following me on the social networks he’s sure his money will be well spent. Trust won out over the need to go cheap.

4. People who trust you are more likely to collaborate with you

There are several writers and bloggers with whom I’m collaborating on projects. We have ebooks, traditional books and speaker proposals in the works. I met all my colleagues online through the various social networks. We met in person at various events and solified the relationship. Now we have some cool stuff coming up. Would we have gravitated to each other and brainstormed ideas if we didn’t trust each other? I’m guessing no.

5. People who trust you can also be trusted

Trust isn’t a one way street. The people who follow you and trust you are also people you can trust. You can trust their information, you can trust their friendship and you can trust them to be loyal – until you do something to betray that trust. You can trust them to recommend products, services and potential clients. With a large network of trusted friends, the possibilities are endless.

Talk to me…has networking online helped you professionally? Tell us about your online relationships…

3 Tips for Being a Truly Objective Freelance Writer

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:53:44 +0000

Back in the day, it was imperative to back up articles with facts, references and whos, whats, wheres, whys and hows. Nowadays it’s much different. On the web we can write what we want, when we want, and how we want. We can write the most unbelievable crap, if we want, and there will still always be someone who believes it.

As bloggers, we can offer a balanced opinion or a one-sided point of view. However, if a writer is continuously one-sided in his assessments, he can’t wake one day and decide he’s going to be fair and objective. It won’t fly among his readers. It’s sort of like Bill O’Reilly saying he’s going to give an objective assessment of the Obama Health Care Plan. If you continuously, and obviously, lean to one side of the other, you can’t claim to reside in the no spin zone.

A community counts on favorite bloggers to offer an honest point of view. However, it’s the same as with those who are watching the aforementioned Mr. O’Reilly. If you’re constantly blogging against a certain idea or entity, to come back and say, “well today I’m going to offer a balanced assessment of the idea or entity I’ve been railing against for the past year” it isn’t going to fly. Opinions are one thing, and readers value opinions, but if you want to be truly objective, you’re going to have to take a few things into consideration.

Being truly objective spans a career, it’s not a one off thing. To be objective in your writing:

1. Keep Your Emotions in Check

An objective writer has passion but keeps emotion and personal point of view in check. Anyone offering an honest or balanced point of view will always show all sides of a story. An objective report doesn’t have an angry tone, nor is it continuously rosy. A balanced point of view is exactly that, balanced. It’s hard to be fair when you’re mad at a company for a particular reason or if you don’t like one of the people behind the company. It’s also hard to be fair if you’re “objectively” pitching a product or service.

The above applies to past articles as well. For example if you regularly write about Evil Company X and discuss how they’re against everything you stand for and you will never recommend anyone work for them, you can’t turn around and say, “well today I’m goign to give an objective point of view about Evil Company X.” That doesn’t fly and your readers won’t buy it. Moreover, if you’re going to write a “balanced” negative piece in a magazine article and then a really one-sided angry piece on your blog about the same topic, you’re playing with your credibility.

2.Keep Your Agenda in Check

If you’re selling something, you’re probably not the right person to give a balanced point of view. If you hate something with a passion, you’re probably not the right person to give an objective point of view. Plus, if the only people you quote or interview are the people who share your point of view, your agenda is made obvious. If you stated your displeasure for Evil Topic Y on a regular basis, you can’t come back and say, “but today’s article is different because I’m going to be objective.” How can you possibly show objectivity about a topic you’re so negative about every other time? No one will buy it. Transparency is one thing, but no one can be objective after previously expressing dissatisfaction with a particular company, product, service or person.

3. Keep Your Bandwagon in the Parking Lot

Is this you, “Hey…this topic brings in mega-traffic. If I link to this blogger or piggy back on his topic not only will I get the traffic, but I’ll get the comments too. If I give it a really negative slant, we can have a really cool free for all.” Unfortunately, bandwagon traffic is short-lived and those 60 comment posts are few and far between. If you’re only jumping on negative topics for the traffic your community will get bored, especially if it’s not a topic you delve into on a regular basis anyway. Most readers can spot a bandwagon jumper right away. There’s no way you can expect to be fair and objective when your obvious goal is to bring in traffic with negativity.

Bloggers aren’t always known for their objectivity. Most of us make no bones about how we feel and that’s why our community visits us every day. However, if you’re going to claim to be fair and balanced, make sure you don’t leave a breadcrumb trail back to your agenda.

Updated to Add: Someone asked a little while ago on Twitter how one can be objective with when it’s known that person endorses a particular product or service. It’s a good, valid point. The truth is, you can’t. You have to be honest about your affiliation and let readers draw their own conclusions. However, if you built up a trust with your readers, such as I have over 4 1/2 years, hopefully they’ll trust your judgement. Especially if you’re not in the habit of accepting money to endorse anyone who comes along. It’s all about trust. I hope I can speak about my sponsors honestly without people thinking I’m a shill, but that’s not going to happen, people are going to say it anyway. So I won’t claim objectivity when talking about a sponsor.

The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Blogs and Blogging

Deb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:15:24 +0000

Deb’s note: This is part three in our “Freelance Writer’s Guide to Social Media Series.” Also see: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Twitter and a Freelance Writer’s Guide to Facebook…and stay tuned for the accompanying ebook.

It almost seems as if everyone who writes for a living has a blog about writing, doesn’t it? That’s not a bad thing as it gives us plenty of places to share ideas and learn. Even writers who don’t have blogs can benefit, though.

In this”guide” we’re going to take a look a the different ways blogs and blogging benefits freelance writers.

Blogs

You don’t have to be a blogger to take advantage of the benefits of blogging. Another writer’s blog still offers a terrific opportunity to market yourself and participate in discussion topics.

Visiting Freelance Writing Blogs

There are so many blogs about writing and freelancing and freelance writing that I lost count several years ago. Choosing a favorite blog can be tough – and really you shouldn’t have to. The beautiful thing about blogs is that you can read as many as you like and participate in as many communities as you like and it’s all good. Blogs are one of the best ways freelance writers can network, learn and share with other like-minded people.

Commenting at Blogs

Commenting at some of the blogs allows you to contribute your own point of view. You don’t even have to have the same point of view as the blogger as long as you’re respectful in your disagreement. When you comment, you might notice a spot where you can add a link to your own blog or website. This will encourage others in the community to visit you and see what you’re up to. (Please note: It’s considered spam to drop your links other than the requisite link line and most bloggers don’t appreciate the spam.) Commenting on blogs puts you on other people’s radar. If they’re intrigued they’ll want to learn more about you and your writing .

Widgets, Plugins and Community Builders

Many bloggers will add some fun bells and whistles to their blogs to help promote their commenters and built community.

Comment Luv

Comment luv is a plugin which will bring up your latest blog post every time you comment on a blog that has this plugin enabled. The beautiful thing about this plugin is that other commenters will see the title of your last post and stop by and check it out if there’s an interest. It’s a nice way to give something back to the community. (And I will be adding it here soon).

Top Commenters

The Top Commenter plugin allows the most productive and vocal members of a community to have their comment count highlighted in the sidebar. How does this benefit the commenter? If folks are interested in reading your comment, they might also be interested in reading your writing or following you on the various social networks.

Sharing Buttons

Sharing buttons allow the community to give back to the blogger by Tweeting, Digging, Stumbling and sharing individual blog posts with people outside the immediate community.

Blogs Beyond the Freelance Writing Niche

There are other reasons to visit blogs, beyond the usual freelance writing blogs. Say you’re working to build up your expertise regarding lawn mower repair. By participating in lawn mower repair communities and blogs, you’re helping to create awareness around your name (and brand), and build your reputation. If you’re helpful and productive others will respect your advice.

Finding a Favorite Blog

Each blogger offers brings something else to the table, so find the ones that share your point of view, but don’t discount the ones you don’t always agree with as they also offer good, solid advice. The important thing is to remember we all have our own way of thinking and no one is right or wrong. Read the blogs you like and make the choices that work best for you. You’re not wrong for not following a blogger’s advice.

Blogging

Why would a freelance writer want to start a blog? There are plenty of benefits:

Build Your Name and Brand

Blogs help to build your brand, your name and your reputation. They start out slow at first but after time you’ll notice loyal readers are coming back for more and participating in the comments. Soon your name becomes synonymous with your niche. Your readers begin to your judgment and come to you for advice. Clients see and feel this trust as well and may inquire regarding your services.

Establish Your Expertise

Are you feeling niche-y? Use your blog to establish your expertise in said niche. You can discuss the finer points of journalism or resume writing. Argue copywriting techniques or discuss your trials and tribulations as a novelist. When you’re considered an expert, you’re contacted for interviews, speaking engagements and very lucrative gigs.

Blogging allows you to share what you know wish others – and it also allows others to share with you. Without trying to be too cliche, it really is a gift that gives and gives…to everyone.

Discuss Areas of Concern

Things like healthcare and pay rates are always of issue to freelance writers. Blogging gives you a bandwagon in which to discuss the issues you’re passionate about, and it also allows for some respectful round table discussions regarding many different topics. Blogging allows you to raise awareness and turn others on to your point of view – while seeing a few other sides of the coin yourself.

Building Community

When you blog, you’re building up a community. Whether it’s 10 readers and commenters or 10,000 these are the people who will buy your books, attend your classes and promote your stuff using social networks – and of course you’ll do the same for them. Blogging is also the best way to build up a community to create awareness around an issue or topic.

Do you prefer to blog or read blogs…or both? How has blogging or participating at another blog helped you as a freelance writer?

A Few More Words About this Whole Demand Studios Insurance Thing

Deb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:18:40 +0000

I was up for some time last night thinking about the reaction to the announcment that Demand Studios was offering affordable health care coverage to their freelance writers. To be honest, I’m perplexed by the reaction. I’ll always expect more than a few people to direct negativity in Demand Studios’ direction, but I didn’t expect a flat out rebellion. Call me delusional and naive (and I believe someone already did) but I felt more freelancers would see the gesture for what it was, a sincere desire to do something good to show their freelancers how appreciative they are for their efforts. Now, I’m not asking anyone to be grateful or insisting you have to love the plan, but I think a few points are in need of clarification.

I spend a lot of time with the Demand Studios people and spent several days working with them in Santa Monica and, also, Las Vegas. Some people might find this hard to believe, but they really do want to know what will make their freelancers happy and how they can make freelancing for them a better experience. Knowing how much time, energy and effort went into searching plans and negotiating with health care people, to say I’m disappointed by the reaction is an understatement. I’m not saying I don’t understand some of the reactions, just that I find it upsetting because I understand what went it this and the motivation behind it. I couldn’t wait to make the announcement because I couldn’t wait for all of the naysayers to see Demand Studios for the positive community and freelance client that it is.

That didn’t happen. Instead there was an uprising. Since so many people sent me notes and commented here expressing their negativity, I thought I might address some of those questions and concerns.

We were lied to. We were misled.

Honestly, you weren’t. No one at Demand Studios said “well let’s lie to them and tell them what they want to hear. They’ll never figure out the difference on their own anyway.” With all the recent negativity directed towards them, can you honestly say they wanted to mislead their writers? Now I know there are a couple of writers carrying pitchforks who have only been with Demand Studios for a few weeks, and they might not have yet experienced the generosity of the Demand Studios team, but those who have been with Demand for some time should know the team has your best interests at heart. No one lied. No one misled.

It’s not insurance.

It’s a very basic plan. It’s NOT comprehensive coverage. It’s not the catastrophic plan everyone was hoping for, but no one promised that in the first place. When health care was being discussed the DS community expressed some wants, for example, a low co pay, a low deductible and an affordable prescription plan. Well, the DS team negotiated all these things on their freelancers’ behalf. Now that the plan has been introduced everyone is saying, “well this isn’t going to help me if I get run over by a bus.” Probably not, but that was never promised in the first place. However, if you catch the flu and need a doctor and some meds, you’re covered. Again, no one lied to you. No one said, “Heh. Let’s call it insurance when it’s really a discount plan, they won’t know the difference.” If you worked with Demand Studios for any length of time, you will know that they’re very transparent and honest with their community. They wouldn’t pull the insurance card and not use it just to appease you.

You’re paid to say this.

No I’m not. I’m paid to post ads for Demand, post their news and represent them at agreed-upon events. I’m not paid to sooth ruffled feathers and write long drawn out posts for them. I’m not paid to comment at other blogs on their behalf or spread the joy on Twitter. No one tells me what to write and no where in my contract does it say I only have to say positive things about them. In fact, we agreed before I signed a thing that I would be open and honest, especially if there is something I don’t agree with. I worked very hard to build up this community, my reputation and the FWJ/Deb Ng brand. Do you all really believe I’d toss that away because a content site is paying me?

I’m not impressed.

The same people who are blogging or on Twitter about how unimpressed they are about Demand Studios have been blogging and Tweeting about how unimpressed they are for some time. I’m taking it for what it’s worth. The bottom line is that this is unprecedented. The folks behind a content site set out to see if they could allow their freelancers access to affordable health care. You may not appreciate the plan, but I hope you can appreciate the gesture.

It was a business decision.

It was for publicity

No. It wasn’t a business decision. If anything, negotiating these plans took the DS team away from their work, so if it was a business decision, it was a bad one. As for publicity, people write about Demand Studios every day, they don’t really need the publicity. They were on Fox News yesterday, they can do more of that stuff if they want the publicity.

I’m worried for the poor freelancers who will quit their regular coverage in favor for this plan.

As made clear in my previous posts about this, if you already have good, comprehensive coverage, you’ll want to stick with that. Demands Studios said this upfront as well. Also, I think freelancers are intelligent enough to figure it out on their own. We know enough to research and read all the fine print. It’s kind of insulting to have other people think we don’t know any better and that we’ll automatically give up a comprehensive plan for one that is very basic.

The Demand Studios team are monitoring your comments and hearing your concerns. I’m sure they’re taking everything into consideration so they can revisit this again and tweak their plans to make it more of what their community wants. However, to say they lied and misled their community is incorrect. They have the best of intentions and I’m happy to throw my support behind anyone who goes to these lengths for their freelancers.

Downsizing for the Holidays: Five Tips for Getting Back into the Freelance Groove on January 2

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:38:15 +0000

The impending holiday season means many freelancers are going to lighten their load for the next month and a half in order to handle obligations at home and spend time with family. However, does back burnering a client now mean you might lose that client to another freelancer before January? Will there still be plenty of opportunities after the holidays are over? Taking time off doesn’t always mean you’re going to achieve the same level of success two months later. If you play your cards right and plan ahead, you can come back in the beginning of the year as if nothing has changed

What follows are:

5 Tips for Getting Back into the Freelance Groove on January 2nd

Contact Your Clients

Always be upfront with your clients. If you’re going to take time off, give them a call. Tell them it’s the holidays and you want to be there for your family, but their business is important to you. Discuss how you can take time off while still being on their radar. Talk about any upcoming projects and promise to brainstorm ideas during your hiatus. Most clients understand the need to take time off for holidays and will try to work with you. Don’t assume you won’t be needed, however. Always take the time to call.

Offer Discounts

In January offer a “back in business” sale to your loyal clients. Reward them for sticking with you even after you took off for a month or two. Offer a package plan or 20% off for the month of January. This might also bring in new clients. You don’t have to make the discount a permanent thing, but your clients might offer you extra work making it a more lucrative month anyway.

Create a Backup Plan

What if your clients aren’t happy about losing you for six weeks? You’ll have to make some decisions. You can continue to work for them rather than take the time off, of you can let them find another freelancer to take over. Are you prepared for the possibility you might lose clients in your absence? If so, create a plan for finding new clients and making up the lost income.

Plan Ahead

It may be too late for it now, but if you know you’re going to be taking time off for the holidays, contact your clients early – like in August and September – and ask for an advanced editorial calendar. Put in some extra hours to meet their needs so you’re able to take time off later.

Recommend Temporary Help

If you’re taking time off and your clients still have projects, offer temporary help to a trusted freelancer. Let both the client and the freelancer know this is only temporary. It will enable the client to continue with business as usual and another freelancer will pick up some extra money and experience. Don’t outsource without discussing it with your client first though, they might feel betrayed if you snuck another writer in behind their backs. Always be honest.

How to do you jump back into the swing of things in January?

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Behind the Scenes of the Demand Health Care Announcement

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:42:51 +0000

I find these posts hard to write. Because of my partnership with Demand Studios, there are always some people who write off my positivity as being a shill or mouthpiece. So I can tell you about why I feel so positive about Demand Studios, but half of you will walk away thinking I’m paid to say all of this stuff anyway. I’ll editorialize a bit later on in this post, but don’t worry, I’ll announce it first so you can leave if you want to.

Instead of saying what I want to say about Demand Studios off the bat, I’m going to take you behind the scenes to a conference call I had today with of Demand Studios marketing people, Yury Polnar and Mike Cowan. Yury and Mike asked me if I’d like to get on a call with them to discuss the health care plan, since it’s hard to get the full picture from bullet points. The plan is pretty much as was covered by the points in my last post, and in everything you’ve seen on the web so far, but I felt our conversation worth discussing.

The decision to offer freelancers access to affordable health care is something the Demand Studios team tossed around at various meetings but didn’t really delve into until recently. The team knew from talking with their community that health care is a major issue for freelance writers. Finally, after one of these discussions, Mike called one of his top finance people and asked if health care for freelancers was possible. In his call with me, Mike said he considers it Demand’s duty to ensure their freelancers are happy and cared for. His goal was to find a “good, basic, solid plan” at an affordable level. So he started the ball in motion.

I’m not sure if you thought about this, but consider what it must be like to contact health care providers and say, “so we’re an online content provider and we want to offer health care to our freelancers at an affordable rate…” It’s not an easy sell and most providers consider it laughable. In fact, they said it was impossible if not handled through payroll deductions. Mike and his team encountered plenty of resistance. Without the help of a “middleman” the folks at Demand might not have been able to see this through to fruition.

In their negotiations they wanted to make the plan affordable for their freelancers, but also offer some attractive options. For example, with the Demand Studios plans, there’s discounted prescriptions, no co pay and no caps. Now, it was reported at Media Bistro that these health care discounts are “too good to be true” but I disagree. They’re not perfect, but they’re not “too good to be true.” Sure, we all want our costs covered 100%. I’m not going to lie and say, there are no situations where we may need more coverage and I’m not going to lie and say it’s the best plan in the world. However, it’s still an affordable option for freelancers who are looking for regular medical coverage. Mike makes it clear: This isn’t a plan to leave your existing health coverage for, it’s simply an affordable option for freelancers who aren’t covered.

Again, if your spouse or partner is covered through work, that’s your better option. If you’re uninsured, this is something to consider. Isn’t it nice to know you can visit a doctor if you’re not feeling well and it won’t cost an arm and leg?

So now I’m going to editorialize a little bit.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I think it’s important to stop and think for a second about the company who is putting all of this together. Why should they bother taking all this time and expense to negotiate with health care providers on our behalf? The Demand Studios writers appear to be happy. They enjoy what they do. Many claim to be working full time and earning a good salary. So why does Demand Studios need to get into the whole healthcare thing?

The truth is, they don’t.

I’m already seeing the grumbles from the usual suspects, and this plan isn’t for everyone, for sure. However, for a company to go to this level for their writers speaks volumes. When was the last time one of your freelance writing clients went to such lengths for you? It’s one thing for a freelancer’s union to negotiate a plan for writers, but for a company thato hires freelancers to show this level of commitment is unprecedented. Mike spent a lot time on the phone and working into the night to see this happen. You may not agree with web content or you might hate the Demand Studios model, but I can tell you without hesitation that not many of your freelance writing clients ever considered your health care coverage and if there’s something they can do to make it more affordable. This is more than a P.R. move. To quote Mike, “We didn’t do this so people would write about us. There are plenty of other ways to do that. We recognize that our freelancers are people and they have concerns.”

Mike also is reading all the complaints and concerns from freelancers and noted on the Demand Studios forum:

We spoke to many of you and consulted with health insurance experts to determine what our freelancers and what other independent contractors are typically purchasing. What we found was that many either have no insurance or have low cost insurance that covers you for very very little.

Based on what I found, the unfortunate reality right now is this: if you are an independent contractor with no affiliation to corporate or government health insurance, obtaining comprehensive, catastrophic health coverage for you and your family is prohibitively expensive for a great many.

Knowing this, we wanted to offer access to plans with a low monthly premium that offer more protection and benefits than plans you can get on your own. For example, we wanted to offer a low cost plan that didn’t make you pay a $2500 – 5000 deductible before you started getting coverage or force to you to answer health questions or disclose pre-existing conditions.

The purpose of this program was to offer a better solution for those who are fending for themselves. After sitting down with experts in the health industry I am confident that this package of benefits could be a really attractive option for many. If you already have fantastic insurance then these plans probably don’t look that earth shattering to you.

That being said, we are paying attention to all of these comments with an eye towards optimizing the offering down the road. This is new ground for us and for freelance writing sites in general and we’re not going to stop here.

Mike also went on to say:

these plans are insurance, not a discount plan. You are able to access discounted rates through the Beech Street plan and the coverage goes against those already discounted rates. Also, there is no cap on the payout of this insurance. If you are in the hospital for a long period of time you are covered at a specific level every day that you are there.

I asked Mike if he plans on topping the health care thing and he let me in on some of what’s coming up in the next few months. People, the bar is going to be raised even higher, so do stay tuned.

Demand Studios Announces Health Care Options for its Freelancers

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:37:45 +0000

Demand Studios made the announcement today that they are offering health insurance options to their freelancers. Though we touched upon this one month ago, the freelance writing community has been waiting with baited breath to learn the details. Some even wondered if it’s too good to be true. As this is unprecedented, I can understand why so many people are so skeptical. However, it is happening.

I’m about to get on a call with the Demand Studios team and will bring you any updates. This is what I know in the mean time:

Who is eligible?

Demand Studios freelancers who have worked for at least three months or more.

In an announcement sent to all Demand Studios contributors today, these plan highlights were introduced:

No deductible or co-pays
Guaranteed acceptance: There are no medical tests or requirements to disclose ailments or family history, etc.
Pre-existing conditions are covered. The only exception is if you know you are pregnant, you cannot join the plan for that purpose. (Other than in California where there is no such requirement).
Plans use the Beech Street network of providers, one of the largest PPO networks nationwide
Access to Nurseline, with on-demand, 24/7/365 access to experienced, registered nurses via phone or email
Access to a Patient Advocacy Service, which assists you in finding care and dealing with the complexities of the healthcare system
A prescription drug card, which may provide you with significant savings on your prescription drugs

Ok so what does that mean?

It means that Demand Studios Creators and Editors have access to several health care plans using the Beech Street Network of Providers. Beech Street is a PPO featuring over 500,000 providers. Because Demand Studios has such a large community of freelancers they were able to negotiate rates far below what the average freelancer would receive on his own. Now, this doesn’t mean you should drop your current plan without doing all your math first. If you or your spouse has health care insurance through your places of employment, you’ll probably want to stick with that. However, freelancers who aren’t covered may want to give it consideration.

How much will it cost?

Well first of all, there are no co-pays with these plans. Monthly rates vary from $91.16 per month for the lowest individual plan to $434.66 for the highest family plan – with several plans and levels in between.

Some of the bennies:

Access to Beech Street Medical Network Discount Pricing
Lower costs for prescription drugs
No network restrictions – See any doctor you likebut you’ll reap the biggest discounts by seeing a Beech Street recommended doctor
No primary care physician or required referrals
Coverage from the very first visit

Demand Studios freelancers are receiving a full run down of all the plans and what they entail. For more information, please contact the folks at Demand Studios or see this helpful PDF.

On Finding Time for Freelance Writing Work or Why I Don’t Wake at 4:00 A.M. Anymore

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:15:38 +0000

I credit much of my freelance writing success to being a morning person. If not for the ability to wake each morning at 4:00, I wouldn’t have been able to find quiet blocks of time to work undisturbed. I woke early almost every day for five years – until my son was in first grade and I had the house to myself full time to work on projects.

It looks good in theory, doesn’t it? “Wow, that Deb’s so disciplined she wakes every day at 4 and works for three or four hours straight through while it’s quiet.” The truth is, there’s no better way to emulate a zombie and alienate your family than to wake every morning at the most unGodly hour possible.

Mind you, I’m not discouraging the 4:00 AM wakeup call if that’s your thing, but if you’re considering trying this at home, at least let me spell out what you’re getting yourself into:

You’re always tired: It doesn’t matter what time you go to bed at night, you’re always going to be tired. If you have kids, you don’t necessarily have the luxury of taking a nap in the afternoon. You’re ready to go gangbusters at 4:00 AM, but five hours later, you’re ready to call it a day. You fall asleep while reading, while watching TV and while carrying on a conversation with your significant other. Your neighbors think you’re rude because you yawn while chatting.
You miss out on the fun stuff: If you’re waking up at 4, you’re ready for bed at 6:00. You can’t stay up as late as you’d like, even with good intentions. You end up falling asleep soon after the kids. You miss your favorite shows and don’t always get to read a good book. Parties? You’re home by 10:00. If you have time for naps and TiVo, there’s probably no need for you to be waking at 4:00 in the first place. Those things don’t usually happen for very early risers.
You make mistakes: When you’re very tired you make mistakes. Sometimes your tired eye doesn’t catch things during the final proof. If you’re waking before dawn, proofread with a fine tooth comb. You’ll be surprised at some of the stuff you miss.
You become forgetful: When you’re tired you forget things – not just work but general day to day things. You can’t find your glasses, you put the ice cream in the fridge and things just slip your mind. Making sure to get enough rest is key.
You’re cranky: If you don’t get enough sleep you’re cranky and you take it out on everyone around you. Think about if you want to be in a perpetual bad mood every day before making the decision to rise before the rest of the world each day.
You’re unhealthy: When you’re not getting enough rest your resistance is lower. You get sick more often than when you get in a full eight hours each night.
You’re going to hit the snooze button. A lot.: Next thing you know, it’s 7:30.

Did I mention you’re always tired?

Now, at the moment I don’t have to wake at 4:00, but I’m still an early riser, usually about 6:00 or 6:30. I don’t know if I could have managed my career while my son was young if I didn’t wake early. However, if you’re thinking of rearranging your schedule to accommodate your career, keep the above in mind. Plan for eight hours of sleep and know that you may miss out on a few things.

Do I have any regrets? Absolutely not, I managed and you will too. Just know that waking hours before your family has its benefits. For example, it’s quiet, you can work undisturbed and you can still care for your family and build your career. If you don’t get enough rest it can backfire.

If you’re planning an early rise:

Get enough rest – If you’re waking early, you need to go to sleep early. If you’re waking at 4, you’ll have to go to bed no later than 8 or 9. You need your rest to be healthy and to adequately take care of your business and your family.
See if you can schedule in a nap – It’s easier said than done, but if you have the ability to take a nap, do so for your sanity and your health.
Take one or two days during the week when you can catch up on rest – If your spouse can wake up early and deal with the kids one day so you can catch up on your sleep, this can help you catch up on your rest. You’ll still need enough sleep each night, but having a sleep in one or two mornings each week does wonders for your demeanor…and your health.

How do you find blocks of time to work undisturbed? If you rise super early, how do keep from getting too tired and cranky? Share in the comments…

A Few Black Friday Deals for Freelance Writers

Deb — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:13:14 +0000

I am NOT a Black Friday shopper. There is in way in Hades you’ll get me out of bed before 7:30 on the day after Thanksgiving, especially if it’s to battle crowds and fight over big screen televisions and Barbie Dolls. I worked in a mall. I know what goes on there. It’s not pretty.

However, I do know there are some bargains to be found on Black Friday, many of them of interest to freelance writers. Here are few of the items I’ve come across that may appeal to you. Is it worth it to wake up at 3:00 a.m. and stand in a crowd to purchase one of these items?

I’ll let you decide.

Black Friday Deals for Freelance Writers

True Value

Paper Shredder – $9.99. When it’s time to get rid of old invoices, contracs, W-9’s and other personal business, you’ll want to run it through a paper shredder first.

Best Buy

Linksys Wireless Router – $20 off at $59.95
Logitech Cordless Mouse – $24.99 – A discount of over $17.00
A variety of discounted netbooks and notebooks – some with heavy discounts.

Radio Shack

Wireless Mouse at $12.99 (normally $19.99)
Blackberry Curve – free with two year T-Mobile contract
Gigaware Notebook Cooling pad for $14.99 (from $19.99( – If you have a large laptop this is will help to keep it from overheating.

Staples

HP Laptop at $299.98 (After rebate)
Dell Studio 15.6″ Core 2 Duo Laptop w/ 4GB, 500GB – $599.98
HP Core 2 Duo 17.3″ Laptop w/ 4GB, 320GB – $599.98 MIR
HP DeskJet F4280 All-in-One Printer – $39.99

Half Price Books

Offering a variety of options including discounts and gift cards.

Office Depot

D-Link Basic N Wireless Router – $19.99
D-Link Basic N Wireless USB Adapter – $19.99
Entire Stock of Cross Pens – 50% off
Compaq Presario Desktop w/ 2GB, 250GB, DVD+R – $229.99
Compaq Presario Desktop w/ 2GB, 250GB, DVD+R, 19″ LCD – $329.99

Dell

A variety of goodies

If you come across any deals you feel will benefit the writers in this community (and no fair spamming) please post them in the comments.