Freelance Writing Jobs

The Get Well Liz Strauss Fund

Deb — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:58:33 +0000

Friend of the blogosphere, and my idol and inspiration, Liz Strauss, has been under the weather lately and was just released from a hospital in Chicago. While we all want to send positive vibes and good wishes to Liz so she makes a speedy recover, we’re also asking Liz’s friends to do just a little more than that. You see, the claim for her hospital stay was rejected. The amount of debt Liz is facing is more than most bloggers earn in several years. We can help defray the cost to someone who has always been there for us.

Healthcare reform hasn’t happened. An uninsured hospital stay for a blogger is a nightmare none of us wants to face-but our friend Liz didn’t have a choice. In lieu of flowers we hope you will chip in to defray the cost of her hospital stay. If everyone donated the price of a Latte we could set her back on the track to financial health as well a physical health.

Thanks for thinking of Liz.

–Deb Ng, Lucretia Pruitt, Jenn Fowler

About Hub Pages: An Interview with Ryan “Hup” Hupfer

Deb — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:14 +0000

Deb’s note: This interview is part two in a series featuring content sites. As there have been much speculation and a few rather lopsided “investigations” regarding content sites, I thought it would be fair to talk to the people behind the content sites and let them tell the FWJ community a little about what they do, the benefits to their writers and why their sites are unique. Please note, these interviews aren’t endorsements, freelancers are always encouraged to make the decisions that work out best for them.

Please see Part 1: About Suite101: An Interview with Editor in Chief Colin Smith

I met “Hup” Hupfer at BlogWorld last month and we instantly connected. In fact, it was my discussion with Hup that is the inspiration behind this series. After seeing his genuine passion for HubPages, and sharing some feedback about what I know about HubPages, I felt some interviews with the folks behind the content sites would help to balance out a few of the negative, one-sided reports we’re finding online lately. Some of us read “web content” and run screaming for the hills. The truth is, most of the people I talk to aren’t smarmy content purveyors. They have a love for writing and care for the people who write for them. Hup isn’t looking to collect low paying content, he’s interested in giving writers (of all levels) a voice.

I give you…the other side of the story.

What is HubPages?
If you would like to know how me and the rest of the HubPages team officially defines it internally, HubPages is the most rewarding online content-based community that allows anyone to easily share the topics they’re interested in with the rest of the world. A more people-friendly version would be something like HubPages is a place where all types of people can hang out, write and generate earnings based upon the content that they create. I’m not sure if there’s really much of a difference between those two definitions, but there ya go.

How is HubPages different from other writing and blogging sites?
I’m a big fan of reading lists when I am reading an interview like this, so I’m going to take that approach if you don’t mind. Here are some of the main differences that I would say make HubPages stand out from the rest of the writing and blogging sites out there (and yes, there are a lot of them).

You own all of the content that you publish in HubPages – Yep, it’s true — our Hubbers (members of the HubPages community) retain all ownership and rights to all of the Hubs (articles on HubPages) that they publish. So, if for some reason you get mad at us and want to delete your account, pack your suitcase with all of your content and take the first train out of HubPages town, that’s cool with us. It’s all yours, so please feel free to take it all with you (although we’ll probably miss you).

We have a rockin’ (and very helpful) community of awesome Hubbers – Not only are we a great place to write online, but we’re also a great place to learn, interact and hang out with other writers who are all about helping each other become successful. We have over 100,000 Hubbers who have published something on HubPages and that number is growing every single day.

We are very transparent and open with our Hubbers – Something that several Hubbers have told me over the past year or so when I ask them what they really like about HubPages versus other places is that our platform and our staff are both very open and transparent with the community. Want to know how many Hubs we have written and how many users we have? Easy, check out our stats page when you get a chance. Want to know how much money you’re going to make this month? There’s never any question how much you’ve made due to the fact that you are paid directly from the various networks that you sign up for (Google AdSense, Amazon Associate, eBay Partner Network, etc.). Oh, and if you have any questions beyond these, we’re always willing to actually answer your emails or posts in our forums. I know…crazy, huh?

We have one of the best views per published content ratios of any other writing, blog or any other content site, which you can read more about over here in this blog post. We work very hard at keeping the content on HubPages as high-quality as possible and I think that this ratio shows us that it’s worth it.

One final thing is that unlike most blogs and other content sites, on HubPages you aren’t at all limited to writing about any particular topic or niche, which gives you a lot of freedom to write about what you want.

Tell us a little about the history of HubPages…
You can read all about the full history of HubPages over in these two Hubs that one of our founders, Paul Edmondson, wrote (he writes a lot of Hubs):

The Story Of HubPages

The Story Of HubPages Part 2

But, for those of you who aren’t big on clicking links, here’s a quick rundown of how HubPages started:

- HubPages was founded in 2006 by three guys who sold a startup called Mongo Music to Microsoft
- HubPages was created to be the best, easiest and most transparent place for writers to make money publishing online
- First Hub was published on June 28th, 2006
- 100,000th Hub was published on April 23rd, 2008 (20 months later)
- 200,000th Hub was published on October 30th, 2008 (8 months later)
- 300,000th Hub was published on April 23rd, 2009 (5 months later)
- 400,000th Hub was published on July 14th, 2009 (2.5 months later)
- 500,000th Hub was published on September 21st, 2009 (a little over 2 months later)
- We currently only have 7 full-time employees at HubPages, which means that we’re lean and mean (well, we’re not that mean)
- We acquired our first official mascot (my Pug, Frank ) in July 2009.

How many active writers are with HubPages now?
Nearly half of the 100,000+ Hubbers who have published at least one Hub have been active on HubPages sometime in the past 3 months. For all of you non-math people such as myself, that’s almost 50,000 active writers.

What does HubPages offer as incentive and pay for their freelance writers?
As far as incentives go, I like to break them up into 3 different categories:

1. Financial – This is probably our most well-known incentive and one that we feel gives our writers an awesome opportunity to generate earnings from their content. The way that our Hubbers get paid is simple, we offer up 60% of all Hub impressions to the author and we take the other 40%. This means that no matter if you’re getting an AdSense click, an Amazon sale or any other kind of revenue generating activity on your Hubs, if it happens during your 60% of your impressions you keep 100% of it. If the clicks occur on our 40% of your Hub’s impressions, then we keep 100% of it. Make sense? Here’s a great blog post that helps explain how earnings are generated and split on HubPages.

2. Social - Although some people are definitely out to generate some cash on HubPages, there are also many who see the social side of HubPages as the biggest benefit of our platform, with the revenue potential coming in a close second. These social incentives include getting your content read, commented on and recognized by other Hubbers as well as the benefit of some basic human-nature type of relationship building with the rest of the community. I think that it’s safe to say that not very many people like to write in a vacuum where there’s no opportunity for feedback from others and HubPages makes it easy to get this type of feedback from the community quickly.

3. Educational – For many traditional freelancers, beginners and other writers who are making the leap in to self-publishing online, the learning curve that’s associated with writing for the web’s ecosystem (getting search traffic with SEO, keywords, etc.) can be a tough one. HubPages helps these types of writers get up to speed thanks to the fact that we have some free, easy-to-use tools and a super-helpful online community that’s always willing to help out a fellow Hubber who has questions. So basically, for those out there who are wanting a free and easy way to learn about how to write for a search-based web, HubPages is one of the best places to do it.

What does the average Hubber earn in a given month?
This is a tricky question based upon how we pay our Hubbers, due to the fact that we don’t know exactly how much each Hubber is getting a check for each month. But, from our 40% of the impressions we are currently seeing that Hubbers are generating somewhere between $4.00 and $5.00 per 1,000 page views, which we feel is very competitive. Of course, since a majority of all Hubber’s earnings are generated from AdSense, this amount will vary quite a bit depending on what topics they choose to write about.

You can read about some of our most recent Hubbers who have hit their first $100 Google AdSense payouts over here on our blog’s Payout Chronicles section, and for a different look at how a Hubber earns money from eBay, be sure to check out this post, too.

What sort of traffic does HubPages receive on a regular basis?

Well, we’ve been growing quite a bit here lately and have just recently cracked the top 100 websites in the US (we’re #93 at the time of this writing ), but last month (October 2009) we had over 18 million unique visitors and over 85 million pageviews. This year’s numbers are over double the amount of visitors that we saw last year in October 2008, which is pretty awesome.

What are some of the more popular “Hubs?”
Well Deb, since I like you so much, I decided to take a trip in the ‘way back HubPages machine’ so that I could dig up a few of our more popular Hubs from the last year (October ‘08 – October ‘09) and here’s what I found. Each one of these six Hubs has received over 100,000 pageviews over the past year and after looking at them I think that you’ll start to realize the variety of content that can be successful on HubPages:

Also, one thing that everyone reading this needs to know is that getting a lot of traffic on HubPages doesn’t necessarily mean making a lot of money. Different topics (different ads) can pay out vastly different amounts.

What would you like to say to the people who criticize HubPages for being a low-paying content mill?
Wow Deb, this one came out of nowhere like a dagger to the throat in the middle of the night! ouch! haha

Honestly, thanks for the honest question as I know this is how many of your readers currently think about us, which makes me whimper like a little school girl (really, it does) because I think of HubPages as much, much more than a low-paying place to pump out low-quality crap. Of course, if you do plan on pumping out low-quality crap, odds are that we will be very low paying, so I guess there actually is some truth to that.

The first thing that that I would say after being asked this question is that HubPages isn’t for everyone and we don’t pretend to be. If you’re already getting paid $100 an article doing your freelance thing and can’t seem to write enough due to the current demand that you’re seeing, then obviously the amount of money that you make on HubPages might seem a little small, at least initially. But, if you’re someone who would love to earn some extra residual income, have enough patience/motivation to stick with us and enjoy a free and fun writing environment, then we are definitely a place that you should be checking out.

Also, it seems to me that some writers have trouble shifting their focus to writing for search traffic because of how much different it can be from traditionally writing an article that is going to be placed in a magazine, newspaper or on a more traditional, magazine-esque website. This is because there is a lot to learn when it comes to SEO, keyword research and finding great topics to write on, but I guarantee that after giving HubPages a shot for a couple of months nearly anyone will pick up the skills that they need to be successful on HubPages or any other site, blog, etc.

One of the other things that some writers get turned off by about HubPages is the fact that we pay strictly on performance, which means that their content needs to actually generate revenue before they see any earnings. Although this can seem like an unfair situation so some, there are a couple things that everyone who is thinking about writing on HubPages needs to realize:

1. HubPages wants to help you make more money because that’s how we make money, so it’s in our best interests to help you be as successful as possible.
2. Writing for residual income might not give you instant gratification, but if you write about evergreen topics that continue to get search traffic, you’re going to make at least the same amount of money this month as you did the last (and most likely more), even if you stopped writing altogether. I have made over $100 the past 3 months and I haven’t written a Hub since May, which is really nice.

What are your thoughts about all the other content sites? Room for everyone? Too much competition?
I have met and talked with many of the other content sites out there and as far as I can tell, we’re all doing something that’s a little bit different, which I think is pretty cool. Also, I’m well aware that many of the Hubbers that are writing on HubPages are also writing on some of these other sites as well, which we have absolutely no problem with. I actually think that all of the content sites and other ‘user-generated revenue’ sites should all get together and have a big conference or something — that would be a lot of fun and could help educate the masses on all of the opportunities that are out there as far as earning from your expertise and knowledge

What are some of the things we can expect from HubPages in the future?
First and foremost you can always expect a continued focus on making our publishing process simple. straight-forward and fast — that’s always our top priority. Besides that we are always looking to make HubPages a little more social and we also have some plans for reaching to more enthusiasts and ‘non-writers’ here in the future, which will be an ongoing challenge for us, I’m sure. Besides that, you can keep up with us through our blog or on our Facebook page and hear about any news as soon as we announce it.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Well, I guess first of all I would like to tell of your readers is that if after reading this interview they still have some questions regarding HubPages, that they can feel free to ask them below in the comments and I’ll answer them as quickly as I can. Secondly, for any of your readers that feel like HubPages might be worth trying out they can join our community by clicking here now.

Thanks, Hup!

Incidentally, Hup and I traded interviews. Look for an interview with me at HubPages shortly. As soon as it’s up, I’ll post the link here.

So what do you think? Do you have any questions for Hup regarding HubPages?

3 Tips for Applying for Location Specific Gigs – When You Live Outside the Area

Deb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:26:01 +0000

Have you ever come across a location specific freelance writing gig that sounded perfect, but you didn’t live anywhere near the requested area? That’s not necessarily a reason to skip the gig. Some clients are more than open to the idea of hiring freelancers outside the area, they just don’t know it yet.

Here are some tips for applying to freelance writing gigs outside of your area:

Read the entire ad: If the client specifically requests area specific freelance writers and mentions this in the ad, don’t apply. Should the opportunity arise later to hire freelancers outside of the area, he may remember you as someone who didn’t follow directions. There are reasons a client wants a freelancer close by, usually to attend meetings or to come in to the area to give periodic progress reports. If they insist on hiring someone local, move on to the next gig.
Be honest: Let the potential client know where you live right off the bat. For example, you can say in your cover letter, “I’m a freelance writer residing in Baltimore, Maryland…” Your client might become frustrated if he finds you to be a terrific candidate yet calls and finds out you can’t come in for an interview. Once he reads about your location he can then decide on whether or not to read further. Mention it without making it a part of your pitch. You don’t have to discuss why he should hire someone outside the area, let your pitch decide for him.
Be convincing: Give a good pitch. Let this potential client know what you can do for him and his business. Show him how you’re perfect for the job. Make the location seem like an insignificant part of the job. Don’t bring up working at home or kids or personal stuff. Talk about why you’re the best person for the job, and you may just have a shot.

Do you ever apply for location specific gigs outside your area? If so, how did that work for you

10 Ways to Tell if You’re Really Cut Out for Full Time Freelance Writing

Deb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:02:30 +0000

So you think your ready to take the plunge from part time to full time freelance writing. Congratulations. Leaving the day job to work full time as a freelance writer is a big, no, a HUGE step. Before making any decision that will affect your livelihood, be sure you’re prepared for such a dramatic change in your career – and your lifestyle.

If you’re mulling it over, here are:

Ten Ways to Tell if You’re Really Cut Out for Full Time Freelance Writing

1. You have money in the bank

Nothing is guaranteed. Clients might promise work, but sometimes those promises fall through. Websites might also guarantee you a certain amount of work each month, but they go under. Are you prepared to go several weeks with earning any money? Will the lack of cash flow affect your family and home life? Every single freelancer has the best of intentions, but the truth is, it doesn’t always happen the way we wish. Spouses are laid off, clients lose funding and other factors can keep you from working. The recommendation is to save at least six months’ income before giving it all up to freelance.

2. You have clients

If you’re going to leave your job, don’t do so unless you already have some clients lined up. There are thousands of other freelancers looking for work at the same time as you and it’s naive to think you’ll land a gig immediately. Line up your clients first, build up trust and a good reputation, and then quit your day job

3. You’re squared away with healthcare

Healthcare is a major issue facing freelancers today, especially affordable healthcare. Hopefully your spouse is covered and this is one less thing to worry about, but what if she isn’t? Before you give up a good job with good bennies, understand that you will have to work harder to pay for healthcare. Family plans cost anywhere between $200 and $1000 per month. Can you afford the deduction?

4. You have a quiet space to work

Freelance writers are portable. We’re mobile. We can take our laptops everywhere. However, there are times we need to sit somewhere behind a closed door to do our work in peace and quiet. Designate a quiet space to work away from the hustle and bustle of your home life, it’ll make all the difference in the world.

5. You have the ability to work independently

In theory, being your own boss seems like a wonderful idea. Not everyone is cut out for this type of work though. Not everyone can work every day and meet deadlines without a supervisor standing behind them for motivation. It’s hard. It’s hard to stay focused and hard to keep away from all the distractions at home. It’s hard to stay offline and away from the television. It’s hard to not get up every five minutes to raid the fridge or get another cup of coffee. There will be projects you love and projects you hate but you have to do them all with equal passion. It’s not as glamorous as it looks, be sure you’re ready for it.

6. You’re OK without camaraderie

Working at home is lonely, even with kids. There are no grownups around to talk to. No co-workers to share gossip or go out to lunch with. Sometimes you want to be around people and can’t. Before you leave your job, ask yourself if you’ll really be OK working at home alone every single day.

7. Your family and friends respect your time

If you work at home, will your friends and family call you all the time? If you ask them not to bother you during working hours, will they listen? Will the people at home understand when you tell them you have a job or will they think that because you’re home your door is always open for coffee and babysitting? Be sure you can lay down the ground rules and people will listen.

8. You’re aware of all the rules regarding freelancers and taxes

So you know you have to save money from each pay check to pay taxes, right? And you know you might have to pay quarterly right? Do you know all the rules regarding freelance taxes? Be well versed on it all before leaving your job so you know because you’ll need to prepare right away.

9. You have drive

There’s more to freelance writing than writing. There’s marketing, customer service, bookkeeping and job hunting and you have to stay on top of most of it every single day. You have to have drive and ambition.

10. You understand what you’re getting into

Read all the above and understand everything involved with working independently from home. Read blog posts and articles and let it all sink in. We’re all saying the same things because it’s true. Working at home is lonely, it takes commitment and dedication, and it’s feast or famine. Think about it and prepare for all scenarios.

Though most of us wouldn’t trade our lifestyle for anything, there are plenty of times when it’s difficult to do what we do. Understand what it’s all about and what’s entailed, and then you can think about quitting your day job.

Writing Through Chaos: The REAL Truth About Working from Home

Deb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:27:58 +0000

Last week New Jersey schools closed in order for teachers and other educators to attend the NJEA convention. Mind you, this conference is only two days, but because parents usually take their kids out of school for the entire week anyway, the schools shut down for the entire week this year. Clearly, we have our priorities in order. My son is one of the handful of kids who usually attends school if it’s open during this time. He sits forlornly on the near-empty school bus and the sound of his footsteps echo as he walks down the quiet hallway to join the other classmates whose parents can’t afford a trip to Cozumel. By the way, they call the first week of November “New Jersey week” at Disney for this very reason. Now, I don’t understand why the teachers can’t have their convention in the summer when it won’t interrupt a child’s education, but that’s neither here nor there. There was no school last week and all of my son’s friends had traveling plans. I was prepared for a week of art projects and Phineas and Ferb marathons so I could get stuff done.

I needn’t have worried because …

…my son caught a virus compounded by a horrible cough and sinus infection and that kept both of us well occupied. Well, that is until halfway through the illness when boredom set in for The Boy who was bouncing off the walls. And the couch. And the Dog.

You might be thinking how fortunate I am to be a work at home mom so I can care for my family during their time of need.

The truth is, when a seven year old realizes a little whining will get him ginger ale and jello, Mom isn’t getting anything done. I spent most of last week fetching buckets, dispensing antibiotics and reading the entire collective works of Frog and Toad, over and over and over again.

You must be thinking I’m happy last week is over so I can get back to working in peace.

Did I mention Mr. Ng’s unemployment? My husband was laid off at the end of July. This means he’s been home every day since August 1st. That’s every day, people. Every. Day. Now I love my husband, but the 24/7 thing can wear thin. Whoever made up all that “til death do us part” stuff, never spent all day, every day with a spouse. He has decided to use this time wisely and renovate. During the day. Every day. When I’m home trying to work. Power tools, hammers, and cursing are now the soundtrack of my life.

After reading this you will probably suggest I take my show on the road.

Let me tell you about the quiet WiFi hotspots in my area…

Starbucks and the library are becoming a way of life. Except there are people around …always. So my option is to to work at home amid the sound of Dremels and drills or to go to the local Starbucks where five small tables are squeezed in between the counter and the wall to make a very narrow aisle where folks push by, knocking my elbows off the table on their way to ordering double triple mocha soy lattes with a twist. Since most of my neighbors stop by the coffee shop on their way to work or home from the supermarket, they all have to stop by my table to say hello. And they won’t leave.

Then there’s the library…

This isn’t your father’s library. There are no shushing librarians or quiet signs reminding us people are trying to read, work or study. This is the new library where patrons are encouraged to talk and share ideas. There’s a quiet section but there aren’t any power cords or tables, only bean bag chairs and these stuffed cube things that are suppose to pass for chairs. I’m 45. The last time I sunk myself into a bean bag chair, three people had to pull me out for fear I’d never be heard from again.

So I sit at the table with the plug for my power cord, which, by the way, is just outside of the room where “Mommy and Me” or “Music to Move By” classes are being held. “Hi Mrs. Ng!” My neighbors kids call out as they enter and leave the room. I wave back. “Oh good, you’re here. Now I have some one to talk to while I wait for story hour to end,” their moms tell me as they sit down next to me and fill me in on the day’s gossip.

Power tools and fetching the bucket for an influenza afflicted seven year old look mighty attractive after a day of silence at the coffee shop or library.

Oh yes, I’m so fortunate to be living the dream and working at home where I can spend all this quality time with my family. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

6 Tips for Asking for a Raise in Your Freelance Writing Pay Rates

Deb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:11:58 +0000

Many freelance writers use the beginning of the year as a time to give themselves a well-deserved pay raise. If you’re a good writer and your customers are pleased, there’s no reason you shouldn’t periodically raise your rates to reflect your status, and, also, to keep up with your cost of living. Most clients won’t balk at a reasonable pay raise if they’re getting bang for their buck. If you’re contemplating a rate increase in 2010, you might be interested in a few tips for approaching clients.

6 Tips for Asking for an Raise in Your Freelance Writing Pay Rates

1. Be honest: If you have a good relationship with your clients, you’ll want to continue that level of trust. Without getting into personal issues or whining, be honest about the reasons you need to increase your rates. It’s essential for you to earn a profit and your clients shouldn’t have any trouble understanding this. If you’re only breaking even, or not earning enough to justify the work put into your projects, kindly explain this to your clients. If it’s important for them to continue working with you, they’ll find a way to do so.

2. Justify your rates: Why do you deserve this pay rate? What can you do for your client that will make him want to pay this extra amount of money for your work. Why are you worth it? Be prepared to justify your rates. Have a script or list available when speaking to your clients so you’re prepared to discuss specific points. If you have statistics to back up your request by all means, use it. For example if your client’s blog experienced a significant increase in traffic, or if your copy caused a product to sell very well, make sure you include the numbers in your discussion.

3. Everything is negotiable: Maybe a special client can’t afford your increase but can afford to pay a little more. There’s no shame in negotiatiating a bit. Use your best judgment but don’t late anyone manipulate you into going too low. Have a cut off point and don’t go any lower. You don’t necessarily have to quote the same rate for each client and each project. While it’s good to be firm, there’s also no harm in negotiating with clients with whom you enjoy a solid relationship.

4. Consider your client’s budget: Before quoting a raise to your client, consider his business and his budget. Clients with an unlimited budget will pay a higher rate than a startup with little funding.

5. Contact each client personally: Don’t send a form letter to clients advising them of an increase, especially if you have a long term relationship. Sending a form letter is so…impersonal. If you can, call and speak to each client in person, or, at the very least, send each one a personalized email. Briefly explain the reason for the increase and discuss options. Personal service yields better results than a form letter any day.

6. Know When to Walk Away: Certain clients are refusing to pay your increase, what do you do? If they’re being stubborn and not agreeing to the raise because they don’t feel you’re justified, or they don’t believe you’ll take your business elsewhere, you’ll have to decide whether or not to call their bluff. However, to continue to give in to your clients means they’ll have the upper hand in payment matters and you’ll never be paid the amount you feel you deserve. If they consistently talk you out of increasing your rates or if they’re flat out refusing to pay, it might mean they don’t respect you or your business. Decide whether or not this is a client you want to keep. This rate increase might be a good way to cut the dead weight.

What are your tips when asking for a raise? Do you find your clients to be accommodating when you request a pay increase?

Freelancers and Taxes Part 2: Introduction to Quarterly Taxes

Deb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:52 +0000

by Thursday Bram

The biggest difference between doing your taxes as an employee and doing them as a freelancer, at least in the U.S, is figuring out just what to do about quarterly estimated income tax. Since your clients pay you as a contractor, rather than an employee, they do not make sure that the IRS receives your payroll taxes. Instead, you’re responsible for sending in a check every quarter for a fourth of the amount you expect to owe at the end of the year.

Not Every Writer Has To Pay Quarterly Estimated Taxes

In general, it seems like every freelancer should be submitting a tax payment to the IRS every three months, but that isn’t actually the case. If you’re freelancing part-time and working for an employer the rest of the time, you don’t have to make quarterly payments. Instead, by adjusting your payroll taxes with your employer, you can make sure that you’re paying enough to cover your freelancing income as well.

There are other situations in which you may not need to make quarterly as well. If you’re just starting out, you may not reach the threshold for quarterly payments this year: if you expect to owe less than $1,000 in taxes for this year, you are not obligated to make quarterly payments.

Filing Quarterly Estimated Income Taxes

As long as you’ve got your most recent income tax return, getting your quarterly estimated tax payments ready is a fairly simple process. You can view the IRS’ instructions in Publication 505 and download Form 1040-ES (PDF). To sum up the instructions, though, you’ll need to check the total tax and your withholding on your last return. You’ll be paying a quarter of the difference between the two number in every payment. You can either file your paperwork and make your payment through the mail or you can pay online through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System.

If your income this year will be much higher than last year’s total, you may want to recalculate your quarterly payments based on how much you’re actually earning. There can be penalties if you pay significantly less than your total tax owed for the year through your quarterly payments.

While working with a CPA or tax preparer to get your quarterly payments ready to go is an especially good idea if you’re filing them for the first time, I’d recommend at least checking in with your tax professional. It’s impossible to give universal tax advice — everyone’s situation is different — and the variables that go along quarterly payments can make it important to get help with your specific situation.

Sign Up for the Freelance Writing Jobs Newsletter

Deb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:02:54 +0000

I’m excited to tell you about a newsletter we’re launching for the Freelance Writing Jobs network. It’s something I’ve been toying with for a while, but wanted to make sure the FWJ community will receive value – even a free newsletter. I’ve never been a fan of blog newsletters that only feature the same exact things that are posted to the blog each week. Well, we will have that, but much more.

Coming soon, the FWJ newsletter will feature:

* Blog posts, news and gigs from around the FWJ network.
* Past gems from the FWJ archives.
* Columns and advice by veteran freelancers not found at FWJ
* Fun stuff.
* Q & A/Mentoring- We’ll answer your questions about freelance writing and freelance writing jobs.
* Essays about freelance writing from the FWJ community.

Subscription to the FWJ newsletter is absolutely free and we hope for it to be another way to help advance your freelance writing career. The first issue will launch within the next week or two.

This is your idea, FWJ community, I hope to continue to do you all proud.

If you’re not reading this blog post via an RSS Reader, this content is stolen. Please contact the site administrator at wegetletters@gmail.com.

5 Tips for Being a Freelancer and Dealing with the Holidays

Deb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:46:44 +0000

The holiday season is a busy time for freelancers. Not only because of a heavy work load, but also because of the all of the holiday preparations. Balancing work and home truly becomes a challenge. I don’t know what your life is like in November and December, but in addition to working full time I also bake, shop, shuffle The Boy around to parties and events, attend my own parties and events, bake, shop and clean. The holidays used to be overwhelming, but over the years I’ve figured out how to make them a little less stressful by reminding myself why I freelance in the first place. It’s to spend more time with my loved ones and to enjoy these times as much as possible.

Maybe what works for me will work for you? Here are my:

5 Tips for Being a Freelancer and Dealing with the Holidays

1. Streamline Your Work Load

Who says you have to work full time during the holiday season? As a freelancer you can make your own hours and work as much or as little as you want. Many freelance clients cut back on the amount of work they assign. Besides, there’s usually a drought during the holiday season, anyway. If you find yourself with less work, don’t stress yourself out finding more opportunities, use the extra time to shop, clean, bake and do whatever else you need to handle for the holidays. If you don’t find yourself experiencing a drought but can’t work as many hours as your normally do, let your clients know you’ll be lightening your load for the holiday. Most will understand and put off projects until January. If there’s an emergency project, they’ll probably offer you the first right of reply before moving on to another freelancer.

2. Adjust Your Schedule

If you find it difficult to work your regular hours because you want to run to the mall while the kids are at school or need to make gifts or decorate, adjust your schedule. While keeping regular hours is a good practice, there’s nothing set in stone. You can adjust your as you see fit. Get up earlier in the morning or work in to the evening if you’d rather handle your holiday obligations during the day. Work only on the weekends when the shops are the most crowded or cut your hours for the holidays. You can go back to your regularly scheduled programming in January.

3. Shop Online

Shopping online is a huge time saver, especially if you know what you want. You don’t have to drive anywhere or poke around the same old stores looking for sweaters and electronics. Shopping online also helps to keep holiday stress levels down as you don’t have to deal with standing in lines or finding places to park. Yes, you may have to pay some shipping charges, but for some, the cost of convenience is worth it.

4. Outsource

Can’t handle a project? Ask a friend to fill in. Since there’s less work over the holidays, plenty of freelancers don’t mind picking up extra, temporary opportunities. Get permission from your client and see if a trusted friend or colleague would like to help pick up the slack.

5. Work Ahead

If you know you’re going to have to take some time off, put in some extra time during the days and weeks prior to fulfill all your obligations ahead of time. Having free time to enjoy the holiday season and not have to worry about work or clients is worth its weight in gold.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all. You can say no once in a while and no one will think any less of you. It’s fine to volunteer, but don’t spread yourself too thin. You’re a freelancer because you want to enjoy life, you can’t do that when you’re stressed.

Holiday Gifts for Freelance Writers: 10 Book Recommendations for the Writers in Your Life

Deb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:08:23 +0000

Every year I put out a call for recommendations for gifts for freelance writers and every year a flurry of representatives send me recommendations for gifts having nothing to do with writers or writing at all. So this year, I’m taking matters into my own hands by recommending my favorite books for writers. Mind you, not every book here is a book about writing, but all of them benefit freelance writers.

Full disclosure: A couple of the books on this list were sent to me to review, and I give my honest review here. However, most of the books on this list come from my own library and the recommendations are unsolicited.

10 Book Recommendations for the Writers in Your Life

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
by Lynne Truss

The most entertaining book ever written about punctuation, Truss discusses punctuation with humor so the reader is never bored. If you or someone is apostrophetically challenged and uses”your” in place of “you’re, or itses when she should be it’s’ing, do put a copy of this book under the tree.

On Writing
by Stephen King

I’ve read “On Writing” at least a half dozen times and it never fails to inspire me. Stephen King takes us through his early beginnings and writing career, and includes some dark periods of his life such as his struggles with addiction and the car crash that almost took his life. However, this is no mere autobiography. King only brings up these instances to discuss how they shaped him as a writer and made him who he is today. Though geared more towards fiction writers, writers of non-fiction will also appreciate giving “On Writing” a read.

Undress for Success: The Naked Truth about Making Money at Home

by Kate Lister and Tom Harnish

Don’t quit your day job before reading “Undress for Success.” This practical guide to working at home gives you all the tools you need to succeed and many things to consider before taking the plunge. Lister and Harnish don’t sugarcoat the work from home lifestyle. They’ve been doing it for several decades and take you through the pros and cons. From office essentials to navigating the job boards, “Undress for Success” is a must read for anyone looking to leave corporate America behind.

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion

by Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk uses his no nonsense style to discuss starting a business and rocking it to success. If there’s one thing that shines through in “Crush It!” it’s Vaynerchuk’s passion. The passion that took @garyvee from a being a simple video blogger and online wine merchant to a mega successful entrepreneur. He even offers some ideas he feel would be worthwhile to explore, but doesn’t have the time to do so himself. “Crush It!” isn’t a book about writing or becoming a successful writer, it’s about becoming a success with your own business, something all freelancers strive to do.

The New Writer’s Handbook: Volume 2: A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft and Career (New Writer’s Handbook: A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft & Career)

Friend of FWJ, Erik Hare, recommended I read both volumes of “The New Writer’s Handbook.” Though that review was lost in the Great Server Crash of 2009, I’m giving them another recommendation here because they’re that good. Both handbooks contain an essential collection of readings assembled to inspire and motivate. These aren’t mere essays, they’re required reading. With sections on querying, creativity and marketing, every single freelance writer can benefit from these useful guides.

Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web

by Jon Wuebben

To be honest, I was hesitant to review “Content Rich” because I thought it would be another spammy “make money with SEO” book. The truth is, Jon Wuebben knows his stuff and offers excellent, practical advice for anyone wishing to succeed as a web writer. Whether you’re copywriting, writing content for a site or looking to create your own blogs and websites, you’ll find “Content Rich” useful.

On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

by William Zinsser

An oldie but a goodie, by copy of “On Writing Well” was a Christmas gift from my mom over a decade ago. It’s dog eared, worn and still relevant today. Zinsser teaches without pontificating. His tone is informal and down to earth as he walks us through the non-fiction writing process. This isn’t a book about succeeding as a writer or finding work. It’s all about how to be a good writer. Every time I find myself slipping up and forgetting my rules, I turn bac to “On Writing Well.” There’s a reason this book sold millions of copies.

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett

I wanted to read “ProBlogger” because the authors are friends of mine. I keep it around as a reference because it’s the best book I’ve read thus far about blogging for a living. If you want to earn a successful living as a professional blogger, this is the one book you should read. Written by a couple of the best in the business, “ProBlogger” takes you through all the steps; from building a blog, to bringing in traffic, to monetizing your blog and much more.

The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less

by Peter Bowerman

I like to refer to the “Well Fed Writer” as the freelance writer’s Bible. Now in its second edition, “Well Fed Writer” discusses Bowerman’s success as a writer and how you can follow the same path. The book promises “financial self-sufficiency as a commerical freelancer in six months or left” and it’s up to you whether or not you wish to take Bowerman up on his challenge. Want to earn $125 an hour? Put this book on the top of your Santa list and learn how.

The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual 10th Anniversary Edition

by Ric Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls & David Weinberger

I read somewhere that the ” ‘Cluetrain Manifesto’ is a business book for people who don’t like business books,” and I think that sums it up nicely. This isn’t a book about writing, but a book about doing business at this point in time. It discusses how the Internet is bringing relationships and conversation back into business and anyone wishing to succeed as a freelance writer should be interested in learning how. Though ten years old, “The Cluetrain Manifesto” is still an interesting read for anyone starting a business, and yes, that includes a freelance writing business.