A guest post by Greg Minton

I was on the phone with a new client, and I couldn’t believe my luck.  This software entrepreneur was clearly excited about working with me.  He loved my style and indicated that our working relationship would be a long-term one.  He was happy with my rate and excited about the suggestions I was making for his landing page.

But there was a problem.

He wanted to work through oDesk.

oDesk is an online bidding site similar to Elance.  What sets oDesk apart is its time tracking software.  This software doesn’t just track time.  It also takes periodic screenshots of the freelancer’s screen, snaps webcam pictures of the freelancer, and keeps track of the freelancer’s typing rate.

I grudgingly agreed, since I had really enjoyed my interactions with this client so far.

My oDesk Experience

My client wasn’t worried about my work habits; he only wanted to work through oDesk because his marketing budget was in the oDesk escrow system.  To get paid, I still had to work through the oDesk software, so I loaded up the software and started writing.  He and I agreed on a set rate for the project, so we agreed that I’d just stop the clock when it reached that rate.

The first few times it took pictures and screenshots, I felt annoyed and noticed a shift in my behavior; I felt less relaxed than I usually do as I write.  For example, I felt tense about shifting over to iTunes to skip a song or opening my calendar to double check an appointment.

This kind of tension while doing creative work is never a good thing.

The last straw was when I received an e-mail, switched over to check it, and started to read an e-mail from another client.  At that moment, the screen flickered, indicating that oDesk was taking a screenshot.  While this e-mail contained no sensitive information, the very idea that sensitive client information could potentially be compromised through oDesk was unacceptable to me.

The Fundamental Problem With oDesk

My situation with oDesk was fairly innocuous.  I called my client to renegotiate a different payment method, and things worked out.

However, I learned from the oDesk experience and gleaned some potentially useful principles for both creative professionals and clients.

oDesk’s time tracking and monitoring software is increasing in popularity with clients, and this is not occurring in a vacuum.  I see oDesk’s growing popularity (and its mere existence) as an effect of particular client paradigm, not the sole or primary cause.

1. oDesk implies a lack of trust.

Clients who insist on monitoring their freelancers’ work behavior send a very clear message to the freelance professional: “I don’t trust you.”

Why else would they want to watch their freelancers’ computer screens, treating them as though they are eight years old?

Successful business relationships are built at the relationship level, not at the contractual level.  Yes, there is a necessary element of self-protection involved in any contractual relationship.

However, if a client-contractor relationship starts off from the standpoint of “I’m not so sure you’re going to do the work, so I’m going to stand over your back,” then the freelancer will have no reason to reciprocate trust.

2. oDesk ignores how freelancers actually work.

Freelance writers are creative professionals.  We’re not producing widgets.  I can understand a manager’s desire to supervise an assembly line of factory workers.  Freelancers work differently, though.  We need creative flow, and monitoring software just doesn’t allow this flow when it takes a picture every five minutes.

As another example of oDesk ignoring how freelancers work, I organize large projects with notecards.  I lay them out on my desk and organize the flow of the piece.  This is clearly billable time, as it is time solely devoted to the client’s project.  In this scenario, oDesk would snap pictures of iTunes and would show no keyboard typing.

oDesk ignores that there’s more to writing than typing into a Word document – most projects involve planning, preparation, and research.

3. oDesk can potentially harm confidential business relationships.

Most freelancers don’t just have one client.  As of the time of writing this article, I have about six active projects, and two more in the pipeline.  Sometimes, I open an e-mail from one client as I work on another clients’ project.  What happens if oDesk snaps a picture of confidential business information?  I absolutely refuse to compromise my clients’ confidential information for the sake of an untrusting client.

The issue isn’t fundamentally about oDesk.  It’s about the way that clients view their freelancers – and how freelancers view themselves.  oDesk’s rise in popularity is alarming, as it is an indication of an ever-increasing lack of trust towards freelance writers.

My plea to clients is this: If you don’t trust your freelance writer, ask for references.  If you still don’t trust him, don’t hire him.  Foster a relationship of trust from the very beginning, and you won’t have to keep tabs on your freelance writer.

Make time to market your services.

How many times have you read that bit of advice?

Well, it’s rock-solid.  If you aren’t making a point of marketing yourself, the risk of falling into that ugly feast/famine cycle is exceedingly high.  If you aren’t building marketing time into your schedule, it’s tough to move up the income ladder.

So, make time for promoting yourself.

But not too much time.

I’ve been working on redesigning my workflow lately in an effort to improve my efficiency, boost my bottom line, maintain something approximating sanity and to provide ample opportunity to catch a number of weekday afternoon Royals games this summer.  Following some good advice, I’ve been more conscious of what I do every day and I’ve made a discovery:  I spend too much time on the marketing and promotion side of things.

I know that many writers get good results by working through job listings, but I’ve responded to exactly two of those ads over the years I’ve been in the business.  I secure client work via repeat clients, word of mouth and rainmaking.  It keeps my busy.  Maybe too busy.  I’ve realized that I need to take my foot off the gas.

Yesterday, for instance, I saw a little Facebook status update from someone I’ve hired in the past to do some non-writing related work.  I couldn’t resist dropping him a line about the project he mentioned and discussing a content creation option that might be of interest to him.  We had a nice back-and-forth and it might lead to something.

Later, while doing some research on another project, I wandered into a fascinating website that was chock-full of great information.  It also looked like it was put together in 1995 (sparkly animated GIFs and the whole works), even though the business is still updating it.  I could immediately see how its over-long, rambling pages of almost-impossible-to-find text and images could be broken into individual pages and posts within a WordPress framework to produce a much better site.  Some good organization, a lot of rewriting, a little new material, some keyword research, some basic SEO and a few other bits of “this and that” and they’d have something really effective instead of being discoverable only by those staring at a business card or finding it via a link on an almost equally obscure site.

So, I pitched them cold with an email.  They responded this morning.  Looks like another client.

I don’t keep stats on my rainmaking efforts.  However, they produce clients more often than you might think.  That’s great–until you find yourself looking at more work than you can handle without cutting other things out of your life.

There are at least four ways I might control the over-marketing problem.  I can bump rates to control my workload.  I can work on ways to better scale my business for increased growth by bringing in additional people and resources.  I can be less aggressive in the rainmaking department.  I can say “no” more often.  I’m dabbling in all four, but I know this will be a tough nut to crack.  Sometimes, I think I need a Twelve Step program on this front.

But fixing my personal issues isn’t really the point of this post.  I think the whole over-promotion thing stems from a common fear experienced by many freelancers–what will happen next?

Even those of us who’ve been doing this for a long time have a hard time fighting that nagging feeling that we could wake up tomorrow with nothing profitable to do.  The last few years have crushed the old idea of job security for just about everyone, but freelancers don’t just work with an economically ravaged safety net–we don’t have one at all.

We’ve all heard (or have survived) the famine side of the feast/famine cycle at least once and we don’t want to visit that territory again.

In an effort to build a more secure business, we’re always prospecting for work.  Some of us do it even when we really don’t need to do so.

So, I’m wondering…  Are you successfully managing a promotion addiction?  If so, how?  Do you consciously limit your business-building efforts or do you just “let ‘er rip” and then deal with the consequences?

Freelance Writing Jobs

Are you a member of the Freelance Writing Jobs Facebook Fan group? If not, consider joining us. Each day we discuss topics of interest to freelance writers and bring you updates from the Freelance Writing Jobs network.

Even if you already subscribe to our feed to receive updates, the Facebook group is another place to meet other freelance writers and clients, and discuss relevant topics.

We’re over 1,000 members strong, won’t you consider joining us today?

If you’re a newbie to freelance writing, you’re no doubt looking forward to getting down to the writing. I’m here to tell you most of running a successful freelance writing business has nothing to do with writing. We all spend a huge bulk of our day handling a bunch of time sucking tasks which doesn’t always make freelance writing seem like that attractive a career choice. Still, they’re necessary for success.

Here are my Top 10 Freelance Writing Time Suck Tasks.

1. Email

I’m sure I’m not the only blogger who receives hundreds of pieces of email each day. I enjoy answering questions from readers and nothing makes me happier than to find gig or advertising inquiries in my mailbox each day, but answering each and every piece of mail in a timely manner is next to impossible. It would take several hours at a time to respond to all the questions and comments coming in each day. Freelance writers who don’t blog also have to deal with email from clients, potential clients and others in their community. On Twitter, I asked freelance writers how much time they spend on email each day and most spend an average of an hour. Much of this is due to freelancers not wanting to deal with clients via phone or Skype. However, they would probably save more time with quick phone calls to clients rather than a bunch of back and forth emails.

2. Bookkeeping

Ah, yes. The money. Keeping track of what goes in and what goes out isn’t a favorite task of freelancers but it’s certainly one of the most necessary. Whether we’re invoicing, receiving funds or balancing the books, we’d much rather view the bottom line than take all the steps to get there.

3. Phone Calls

Many freelancers don’t like client phone calls because they’re such a time suck. Sometimes, it seems as if our phones are ringing all day. Phone calls can actually create more time for us as we can ask and receive answers to so many questions at once rather than via several back and forth emails. My clients tell me they trust freelancers more when they can speak to them on the phone. They like hearing voices, they can tell from tone whether or not a freelancer is down with a project, and they can also tell if the freelancer is a true professional or someone just going through the motions. Save time by setting aside a certain hour of each day specifically to respond to client phone calls.. Both you and your clients will find it to be more expeditious than email.

4. Social Media/Social Networking

Social media can be a huge time suck mostly because it’s so much fun chatting with others online. Many freelance writers set aside a certain amount of time each day for social media but end up going over despite good intentions.  Freelancers debate the necessity of social media. Those who use it often swear by its merits, the only down side is that it can be time consuming.  Social media isn’t only tweeting links. It can involve forum conversations, commenting on blogs, friending on Facebook, reaching out via LinkedIn and so much more. Most freelancers don’t spend everyday on all the social networks, but many spend time on at least a couple of these sites each day.

5. Job Search

Whether you search the job boards, cold call clients or use other methods to find freelance writing jobs, chances are you spend more than a few minutes a day at it. Search for jobs involves several different steps including isolating desirable clients, sending queries and cover letters and making appointments to speak. Many freelancers take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours each day to look for work.

6. Organization of Online and Offline Files

Filing. The bane of our existence. Clips, contracts, letters, invoices and more require some sort of organization. Our online files also require everything in its place. Not being able to locate key details or files can cause us to waste even more time. Spending time each week to get all our affairs in order is a time suck, for sure. If you procrastinate about those things like I do and they pile up, it even takes more time. It’s a necessity though. It takes less time to organize both online and offline files than it does to hunt around for stuff later.

7. Customer Service

When clients aren’t happy or they need some extra guidance, we have to get on Skype or the phone and make the situation right. Customer service is an important part of freelance writing. If our clients aren’t happy,  they won’t bring us their business or refer other business our way. Taking time to receive and respond to feedback bodes favorably but takes us away from our writing.

8. Taxes

Quarterly taxes are a quarterly time suck. Estimating and paying take time.  Freelancers who can afford to do so hire accountants in order to save time and headaches. However, not every freelance writer can afford this. Quarterly tax filing can take anywhere from one to three hours to complete. Though it only happens once every few months, we feel it’s a big enough time suck to warrant  a place on this list.

9. Scheduling and Planning

Managing client projects takes time. Many times there’s planning, scheduling the editorial calendar, arranging interviews, research and more. Whether you use a whiteboard, your outlook calendar, or a Filofax, it takes time to plan, schedule and juggle. Freelancers with more than one client generally take a day at the beginning of the week or month to schedule in all projects and tasks. Time suck.

10. Marketing & Promotion

How will clients know about you if you don’t market your business? Today’s freelancers have so many options. However, attending networking events, speaking  at conferences, writing guest blog posts,  and cold calling all take time. Many freelancers allot a portion of each day to marketing tasks because without them there would be no clients. The marketing thing isn’t only a sit down and talk online thing, either. Many marketing and promotion events require freelancers to leave the home to meet with others. Marketing and promotional event can steal an entire day (or more)  from freelancers.

Now that you have my top 10 freelance writing time sucks, what are yours? What are some of the tasks taking up the most time, and what do you do to save time?

The content site discussion is getting old. Some freelance writing bloggers see the merits, others don’t, and neither the twain shall meet. What strikes me about the content site debate is that we focus on one or two evil sites as if they’re the only problem. If we’re going to be discussing the best places for freelance writers to work and caution them against certain other opportunities, I personally feel that there are worse places and those are the ones we should be discussing.

When we debate content, we generally focus on two main issues; pay and poorly written content. When it comes to both of these, I don’t necessarily feel web content sites are the worst offenders. There are other types of freelance writing sites that flood the web with crappy writing and the pay is a lot less or not at all. Yet, most of the time when we see blog posts or articles about these other types of sites they’re along the lines of “the benefits of…”

Today, I’d like to explore some of these sites and discuss why (I feel) they’re  bad idea. I’m really interested in your thoughts as well.

1. Article Directory Sites

Article submission sites are sites that pretty much accept any old article. They’re not listed on freelance writing jobs sites and we don’t discuss them as being a gig, because they’re not. They don’t pay writers and they don’t pretend to be anything but a place to submit writing. However, if we’re going to gripe about content sites not having high standards and flooding the web with bad content, it would behoove us to discuss article directory sites as well.

I never wrote for an article directory site for several reasons, the first is that they didn’t pay and the second is because I’ve seen so much truly bad writing coming from article directory sites that I didn’t want my name associated with them.

Here’s the thing, we hear from many people, even some freelance writers we know well, saying article directory sites are terrific marketing opportunities.

I don’t know about that…

I don’t think an article directory submission is any more terrific than having a bio at the bottom of a guest blog post, personal blog or even a content mill article. Lately all the content I see coming from article directory are marketed to sell products or drive traffic to a blog or website, which makes it all rather spammy. Moreover, more than half the content is poorly written, SEO articles. So how come we don’t see enough folks calling for higher standards on these sites?

Another issue with article directories is the same marketers are submitting the same articles on multiple sites, so the web is being inundated with the same “article” over and over. If the article isn’t well written, then we’re seeing the same really bad piece of writing more than once. Again, I don’t hear too many arguments about this in the “cheap” or “free” web content arguments.

Most people who use article directories are doing so to create links to blogs or websites, build up name and brand recognition and drive readers to a particular product or service. So we can argue that the purpose of the articles submitted to these sites isn’t necessarily to educate. Some folks who use article directory sites also hire writers to create content for them. Since the article directories don’t pay, many times the cheapest possible writers are hired, again flooding the Internet with questionable content. Not all article directory writing is bad, but I’m willing to bet there’s more bad than good.

I personally write off any article found on an article directory site as a marketing tool and don’t use them as resources or tools because I can’t count on the validity of the discussion.

2. Bidding Sites

I used to believe that bidding sites would lower the rates for all writers.  I no longer believe this. I feel there will always be high payers and there will always be low payers and neither has to worry about the other. However, if we’re going to throw out the argument that web content sites are low paying and promote poor writing, we have to go after the bidding sites too.

Disclaimer: Not all bidding site gigs pay .50 cents per article, nor are all bidding site writers of the amateur variety, but there are enough bad to overshadow the good. (Just like content sites)

Here’s the thing: I didn’t last long with bidding sites. The reason I didn’t stick with them is because I couldn’t get work at a decent rate of pay. When I quoted my usual rate I was told I had some nerve bidding so high when I wasn’t even rated. When I showed these potential clients my resume and long list of writing credits, they said it had no bearing. I had to be rated at that website which means I have to start very, very low and work my way up. I didn’t last long.

Another thing about the bidding sites is that they are a true global market place. A bidder in America might think $50 is a decent starting bid (and good luck getting that one), while a bidder in India or Romania might think $1 or $2 is a decent starting bid. No matter what you bid, there’s always someone willing to go lower. Granted, there are clients who are willing to go higher, but I don’t see clients paying over $10 or $15 as being the norm. Most bidding site clients are looking for the lowest bid possible. Moreover, there are plenty of unrealistic expectations. For example, 100 articles needed in a two week period. A person bidding $2 a pop on 100 articles about anti-freeze isn’t going to put in a best effort. I’d like to submit that bidding sites are a major contributor to poor content on the web, yet I don’t see many people raising torches or pitchforks in front of these castles.

(We”ll be exploring a popular bidding site a little later this week).

3. Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is another way of getting something for nothing. It’s sort of like a big hippie commune of everyone working together to produce a product because of the good vibes. You might see crowdsourcing in action on Twitter or Facebook without even knowing it. Rather than head to the library or even the closest search engine, someone might research by asking questions on the social network and gathering the answers. The problem with this is, many of the responses are long on opinion and not always factually correct. (Don’t come after me, I said, “not always” which is different from “never.)

Crowdsourcing is more than research. There are plenty of people who don’t want to spend money to hire freelancers for design or writing projects and crowdsource instead. The problem here is that the idea of crowdsourcing takes front and center over utilizing qualified people for campaigns and projects. Yeah, I’m all about the social media love, but sometimes I think we take it to the extreme. Not everything has to be so Up with People.

Crowdsourcing can be sort of an open audition. Big corporations are crowdsourcing projects where hundreds of people compete and maybe one person will land a paying (or non-paying) contract. It can also be a call for ideas. For example a business may ask for slogan or design ideas and open up a forum for discussion. They don’t have to hire a team for the creativity and brainstorming process, because folks from all over are offering thoughts for free. Eventually the winning idea will have cost nothing but a little time and web hosting space. With so many people willing to give away their ideas, why not do away with freelancing altogether?

PLR or Private Label Rights Articles

PLR or Private Label Rights articles are inexpensive article packages sold to webmasters and ebook compilers to use as often as they like. This means the same set of ten or twenty articles about dogs can be sold to 25 different people and spun as many ways as possible to produce completely new articles. PLR writers will tell you this is a lucrative package – selling the same ten articles to $25 people for $60 a package but that’s not always the case. Also, since the purchasers now own the rights to spin the content as often as they like, PLR articles are responsible for putting the same bad content out many times over.

Now, like all of the above, not everyone who writes for these sites are hacks producing poor work for little money.  My biggest problem is with the article spinning. Even if it’s the greatest writing in the world, do I want to see the same article posted over and over again on the web? Some webmasters only require enough changes for the writing to pass a CopyScape test. They’re looking for inexpensive content, not originality. If we’re going to discuss bland web writing, then why aren’t we talking more about PLR and article spinning?

Why am I talking about this?

I’m tired of the web content site debate. (I know I’m just as guilty as everyone else, but go with me until the end, please. I swear there’s a point to all this.)

Web content sites aren’t the only reason the web is polluted with garbage. Web content sites aren’t the only places that take advantage of writers. I’d like to submit that web content sites are a convenient scapegoat. There are other types of freelance writing sites that we should also discussing with our readers. There are plenty of places that use cheap, poorly written and even plagiarized content. There are plenty of places that don’t pay writers well at all.  If we’re going to show anger, let’s give it where it’s deserved.

Lots of places take advantage of writers and cheap content.

Why don’t we talk about them?

Reader feedback is a blogger’s most important tool. By reading comments, emails and survey results pertaining to our blog, we’re receiving valuable information. Stats also provide a gold mine of information.

For the most part, the feedback received regarding the Freelance Writing Jobs blog network is extremely positive. However, that doesn’t mean the negative feedback we receive isn’t treated with the same respect. Every comment, every criticism and every stat is given the same consideration.

It’s from our regular survey and from reading feedback regarding this and other blogs that inspired today’s list. If you’re struggling with traffic or you can’t seem to get a regular community together, it may be folks are turned off by something at your blog. Maybe you can learn by some of my mistakes.

Here are some things blog turnoffs I learned over five years of blogging for and running Freelance Writing Jobs.

Disclosure: There are a lot of “I’s” in this post.  I made it about me.That’s because I’m speaking about my experience as a blogger. I’m also sharing many personal anecdotes which I hope doesn’t turn into yet another turnoff. This blog has always been about sharing personal (rather than general) experiences.

I hope you’ll also share your experiences and let me know if you agree or disagree.

1. It has no defined purpose

Readers like to come to a blog and know what it’s about. They don’t want to have to search to see if there’s a theme and they don’t want to read a mishmash of ideas each day. They want to know a blog’s purpose. If it’s a personal blog, they expect varied thoughts. If there’s no indication of whether or not your blog is personal , or really what you’re going for, you’re going to lose some very confused readers. We can blog about anything we want. However, if your blog is just disorganized ramblings, it may not make it to the top of the rankings. I once had a blog that was supposed to be about the life of a work at home mom, but turned out to be anything but. It didn’t last long.

2. It doesn’t stay on topic

If your blog is about tomatoes but you spend too much time focusing on your two year old’s potty training, you’re going to lose some people. All bloggers go off topic now and again, and that’s kind of to be expected. When it happens on a regular basis your community might go to a competitor’s blog to learn all the stuff you’re not teaching. If you have trouble finding things to write about in your niche, it’s probably the wrong niche. If you write more about another topic, that’s probably the one you should be going for. All blogs have a niche. If you can’t stay true to your own, your readers won’t stick around.

3.It doesn’t teach

Sometimes blog posts hint at a point but never quite get to it. For example, if I’m going to write posts about freelance writing that talk about writing in a general way but never give you actual tips you can use, you really don’t have a reason to visit. If I wrote a post entitled “How to Land Your First Freelance Writing Job,” but gave a pep talk instead of actual practices to put into play, I’d be pandering to traffic, but I wouldn’t teach. My community would quickly realize that I didn’t have anything to offer. The people who come to this blog want me to help them to become successful freelance writers. They want to leave their office jobs and work at home full time. If I can’t share my methods, they’re going to call b.s. and move on.

4. It’s too negative

Rants are fun. They inspire discussion and bring in traffic. Ranty blog posts have dozens, if not hundreds of comments and everyone wants to weigh in. Who doesn’t love a good rant?

People who see them every day.

Hear me out on this one, I promise this won’t be another kumbaya. If you read this blog for the past few years you’ll know I’ve spoken out against places that offer residual income such as Examiner, Associated Content and eHow. You know that I think residual gigs are not my favorite way to earn an income and very few can make it work. However, my community didn’t appreciate my strong thoughts regarding this and I alienated many.

My community told me they don’t want my venom, they want me to share my tips. No one wants me to tell them  I feel they’re making poor choices. So I stopped. I didn’t change my mind, instead I focused my passion on offering tips for success. Now, some of you might be thinking, “Why worry about those writers, they’re not who you’re speaking to anyway.” That’s where you’re wrong, they’re exactly who I’m reaching out to. This blog is for all freelance writers and if I can’t build a welcoming community for all, then I’m not achieving this blog’s goal. The negativity scared people away and that’s why I stopped.

5. It’s too positive

Too much positivity can also be a turnoff and I can speak from experience here too. After taking a vow of positivity this year, I received a flood of criticism. When you’re too positive people don’t feel you’re honestly presenting all sides of the issue. I totally get this. Being around a Perky Polly all day can get a little annoying. I’m not saying I’m going negative because I learned some very good lessons, but balance is always good. If I see something I don’t like, I’ll make it known but I’ll always try to be respectful about it. I don’t think that blogging is about being positive or negative, I think it’s about being human.

6. It’s misleading

Don’t you hate when a headline sucks you in but once you get to the blog post you realize it has no bearing on the headline? People don’t like to be misled. They want the drapes to match the carpet.

7. There’s no clear comment policy

Whenever I discuss a comment policy I receive cries of “censorship!” or “you don’t let people disagree!” Not true at all. I personally feel disagreement makes the world go ’round. However, I don’t believe in anarchy. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with a blogger as long as you’re respectful. When folks start attacking and cursing in the comments, I lose people. I hate “Oh you’re so wonderful and I agree” comments all the time. I enjoy lively discussion and I want comments with substance. “You’re a butthead and don’t know any better” isn’t a good rebuttal, though. If a blog’s comment section is a free for all with all sides hurtling insults, it keeps people away.

8. It’s sponsor driven

Whoa, Nellie. Just back the truck up. Where do I get off talking about sponsor driven blogs when I talk about my own sponsor every day?

Personally, I feel having an obvious sponsor kind of puts me in a perfect position to discuss it.

I can tell you from experience that having an prominent sponsor will turn some people off and drive them away. It can even cause rifts in the community. If you’re going to choose a sponsor make sure you really believe in said sponsor and it’s worth the loss in traffic. I make no bones about it, this blog is heavily monetized and until I can get more personal passive income projects off the ground, it’s going to be heavily monetized. Many other bloggers and community members don’t approve of or agree with this. Before you decide to heavily monetize your blog, remember what happened here.

9. It’s poorly written

I talk about my typos all the time, but a there’s more to a poorly written blog than typos. When words are constantly misspelled and sentences aren’t structured properly, folks notice. I’m called out all the time for not properly proofreading this blog. People notice. Trust me, they notice.

10. Every post is an attempt at link bait

I love writing lists. If you search around this blog, you’ll find tons of them. I don’t necessarily write them as linkbait, but more because I enjoy the list format and try to have a little fun with my writing. Because I make a lot of lists, I’ve been called out as a linkbait whore. I can totally see that. Now before I discuss why this is a turnoff, I want to say that I’m confused at why linkbait is such a terrible thing. I mean, don’t we want traffic and don’t we want other bloggers to link to us? I guess wanting it and being public about are two different things.

A blog’s community wants to feel intimate. They want to be like the small fan base that enjoyed a club band before landing a record contract and going Top 40. They want to feel as if we’re sharing tips and ideas, not looking for traffic and links. In all honesty, I do try and make every post here useful, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want others outside of this community to take notice, either.

Your thoughts?

I used to blog for me, but now I blog for the Freelance Writing Jobs community. Through their valuable feedback I know why they come here – and what keeps them away.

What  does your community tell you? What are some of your blog turnoffs? Do you agree with the above?

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I’m thinking back to the early days of freelance writing. I’m remembering a time when the possibility of landing freelance writing jobs was overwhelming, yet seemed very real. I’m remembering the days when I couldn’t wait to look for work, but was afraid to look for work. I’m remembering the time when fear and lack of confidence kept me from doing more than reading the freelance writing job ads.

Today, we’re going to talk to the folks who want to write in the worst way, but something is keeping them from taking that first step.

Today we’re going to discuss landing that first freelance writing job.

If you’re scanning the subheads below, you might think, “well that all looks easy enough, I can do that.” Yes, you can, but it’s not easy. I can tell you that you may not land the very first gig you apply to, and you will  make all sorts of mistakes. Just because you’re taking those first steps, doesn’t mean you’ll actually land the gig.

However, nothing will happen if you don’t try.

Step 1: Assess Your Skills

Passion Counts

I have an anecdote for you:

My friend Kurt wasn’t a writer, but he wrote well and his friends encouraged him to continue. He’s dabbled in novel writing, but never really sought out freelance writing jobs. When a friend with a car website approached me to ask if I knew anyone with a passion for cars,  Kurt was the first person to come to mind. Kurt wasn’t a writer in the traditional sense of the word, but I didn’t know anyone else with such a genuine passion and enthusiasm for cars and motorcycles who also wrote well. Now my friend Kurt is lead writer for RideLust and works as an automotive journalist. As I write this, there’s a long list of luxury cars waiting for Kurt to have a turn at driving  (for two weeks at a time) and reviewing them. Kurt is freelancing full time, talking about his passion.

You can be a generalist with your writing, this has worked for many people. In the beginning, I wrote about saving money and family finances. It wasn’t until I blogged for a few years that I began writing about writing and blogging. Think about all the things you love or the things you can do best and exploit your passion.

Passion alone won’t get the gig

So here’s the kicker – just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you can write about it. First of all, there may not be any gigs available in said niche, but also, you may not have the writing skills.  It’s easy to get writing gigs every day. For some clients it’s more about cheap labor than hiring the best writer for the job. However, if you’re not a very good writer you’ll only get the cheap gigs. Be realistic about your talent and skill. If you’re always having your writing corrected or don’t know basic rules of grammar, consider taking some writing courses or having your work critiqued.

We all think we’re good writers, but sometimes we’re in for a major reality check. I can tell you that I thought I was one great writer when I graduated from school because my family and teachers told me so. However, when I began working in publishing I learned from the editors there that certain things needed work and I went to school. There’s no shame in brushing up.

Step 2: Think About the Types of Writing You Would Like to Do

Ok, so now you know you have mad skills and something to offer to the world. Where are you going to write? Do you want to write a newspaper column or magazine articles? Do you want blog or write web articles? Would you rather explore business writing? There are so many possibilities available to you. Think about the types of writing that most appeal to you.

But wait…you’re not done yet….

These gigs don’t just fall into your lap. Now you have to figure out what is involved with each. You can say that writing white papers looks interesting, but unless you’ve done so, you’ll need to know a little about it.  No one is going to hire you if you don’t have a clue about white papers are and how to write them.  Think about your skills and the best way to profit from them. Research all the different ways to break into these gigs and markets.

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a freelance writer is not researching markets enough. I knew about magazine markets from publishing, but I thought all markets were the same. Though I landed the first job I applied for, the rest didn’t come so easy. Not knowing a thing about approaching the markets wasn’t a smart move. I did better after I took the time to research.

Step 3: Figure Out a Rate

What do you want to earn? No, seriously, what do you want to earn? Do you want someone to set your rate, or do you want to take charge from the very beginning? Knowing how much to charge will help to shape your career from the get-go.  What do you think your writing is worth? That’s not an easy questions as it encompasses several factors. You’ll want to consider the type of writing, the amount of research involved, whether or not you will conduct interviews, expenses, fees and taxes. So if you state off the bat you want to charge $50 per hour, also work out if you will be able to support yourself on that amount after all is said and done. (For help, try this freelance rate calculator at Freelance Switch.)

Now stick with those freelance writing rates

You may be tempted to fiddle with those freelance writing rates. You might want to bargain in order to get your foot in the door. Sure, you could try that. Consider this though, when you negotiate lower rates, clients catch on quickly. They know you won’t stand firm. They know they can talk you down. If you’re firm, you will land the clients who will respect your rates, but make no mistake, they will expect value in return.

Sure, there may be times when negotiating might be in order. For example, if you’re tackling a variety of projects or if you want to offer a trusted client a discount to reward customer loyalty. For the most part, your rate is your rate. Stand firm. It may be harder to find gigs with this rate at first, but once you land a few clients you’ll be happy you held your ground. Be the one to set your rate and clients will be less likely to lowball you.

Step 4: Press Send

It’s time. You know you have skills, you know what you want to do and you know what you want to charge. What else is there left to do but start querying and submitting. Notice I didn’t say “look for work?” That’s because if you’re like me, you spent a lot of time looking for work already. You know what’s out there. You can look for work until the cows come home, but unless you actually sit down and start typing those queries nothing’s going to happen. Stop looking and start taking action.

Create some samples

Notice how everyone wants samples of your writing? This shouldn’t be a deterrent. Unless a potential client specifically asks for “published” samples, you can create a few relevant samples to send with your query or application. Samples are meant to give potential clients an idea of your writing style. If you put your best effort into some samples, some clients will hire you, regardless of whether or not you have published work.

Research query examples

So, yeah…you’re going to have to send a cover letter or query and it’s going to have to be better than everyone else’s. Your query is your first impression. An editor or client should look at it and say, “That’s it! This is the person I want writing for me.”

We’re starting a query letter series here at Freelance Writing Jobs, and also, Linda Formicelli often features “query letters that worked” at her wonderful and helpful Renegade Writer blog. Do investigate successful query letters before submitting your own.

Editors are sticklers for details so proofread several times over before hitting “send.” If necessary, enlist another pair of eyes. As you gain more experience, the query and application process will get easier.

Step 5: Follow Up

When I worked in publishing, many of the editors had stacks and stacks of queries and submissions to go through. Many of them put it off as long as possible. I know one editor who only looked at queries once a month. When freelancers called to inquire about the status of their queries, we would unearth them from the pile and take a look. Not hearing from an editor or potential client is frustrating. Many times, they only respond to the person who landed the gig. Many times your query is lost in a pile somewhere. There’s nothing wrong with waiting a couple of weeks and sending a polite follow up.

Another story

A few years ago, there was a gig I really wanted. The pay was terrific and the subject matter was right up my alley. I sent in a cover letter and some of my best writing samples.

Nothing.

Three weeks later I sent the client a polite letter, only a few lines long, to follow up on my application. I told him I’d love to discuss the gig in detail more. The client sent me back a note telling me he already chose someone for the gig. However, two weeks later he contacted me again saying his first freelancer didn’t work out and since I seemed to really want the job he offered it to me. We still work together  from time to time.

Step 6: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Now that you sent out your first query, cover letter or completed your first application, what will you do? I hope you’re not going to rest on your laurels. You may not land your first gig. You also many not hear from a potential client right away. Continue querying. Use it for practice. Don’t stop after one try. The third time might be a charm or you it may take until your 20th try. Eventually your persistence will pay off, but only if you continue looking for work.

Are there easier ways to find freelance writing jobs?

As a freelance writing blogger I’m not supposed to tell you this. I’m not supposed to encourage this type of writing, but if we’re going to talk about the ways to find freelance writing jobs, not mentioning web content sites would be a glaring omission. In 2010 plenty of freelancers are earning a living this way. Keep in mind that “easy” doesn’t always equal “lucrative.”

There are plenty of easier ways to find work, for example you can work for content sites. However, most content sites are not high paying opportunities. You’ll have to see how they fit into your game plan. Is this the type of writing you want to do? Is this the rate you want to earn? If so, by all means start out writing for content sites. After a little while, take that experience and your new found confidence and look for higher paying gigs.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with writing for content sites, I did. Be careful though. You can find yourself getting caught up in the “easy” lifestyle. Content sites can be a terrific springboard to more lucrative gigs, but the easy way isn’t always the realistic way. Sometimes writers start with content sites to get their feet wet and that’s all they’re  doing three years later. Make a game plan if you’re going to take on content site work. Use it to start out or supplement your work. Use it full time, if that’s what you want to do, but make sure it fits in with your vision.

Freelance writing is work. It’s not a fun “bon bon and bunny slippers” gig. We work hard to find work, we take pride in what we do, and we work hard to give our clients the best writing possible. Before you embark upon a freelance writing career, be sure you can deliver. Take it seriously as you would any other job and you’ll do fine.

Do you have any questions about finding or landing freelance writing jobs?

I have a confession to make. I’m used to engage in multiple blogging. When Freelance Writing Jobs began to become successful, I figured blogging for myself was the way to go and approached it the wrong way. Instead of working my hardest to cultivate one blog, I began several different types of blogs. Only one achieved a smaller level of success and that’s because it’s a joint project with another blogger.

I found that by focusing on too many different personal projects, I wasn’t devoting enough time to one individual blog and they all suffered.

I also made the mistake of taking on several blogs for one client, a very popular blog network. The problem is, they all require quotas. When you’re blogging for six different blogs, all requiring two posts per day, plus trying to get your own stuff off the ground it’s not going to happen. In the past couple of years I’ve come to the conclusion that multiple blogging didn’t work for me, not if I wanted to give my best effort to my readers. The blogging became mechanical. I figured because one blog was a success, multiple blogs would mean multiple success. It was impossible. I just couldn’t give each blog the attention it needed. Even when I began hiring bloggers for FWJ, it suffered. Blogging is more than writing and I wasn’t being realistic.

Here’s why I’m not into building up multiple blogs at the same time:

Can’t give my undivided attention to each blog: My blogs deserve better than a cursory update and my readers deserve more than just going through the motions blogging. If folks are going to take some time out each day to see what we’re talking about, we owe it to them to put 100% effort into what we do. It’s hard to put 100% into ten different things. I tried it and (for me) it doesn’t work.

It’s easy to burnout: Two posts per day times twelve blogs equals a lot of writing. It’s not always easy to keep fresh with one topic, let alone a dozen. I love what I do and I’m passionate about what I do, but I don’t want it to consume me. I don’t want to hate it or not want to do it because I can’t get it under control.

Blogging isn’t just writing: Blogs require a lot more than writing. When you blog for someone else, that person generally takes care of most of the advertising and promotion. The blog’s owner handles technical issues and server outages. When you blog for yourself you have to deal with all of the little issues, whether you’re up for it or not. This is hard enough to do for one popular blog, let alone three or four or more. Multiple bloggers have multiple issues.

I can’t feed my addiction anymore: My passion for blogging is more like an addiction. As soon as I finish one post I want to write more. When I’m doing other things, my mind comes back to my blogs. When I’m watching a movie, I think about blog posts. When I’m at a school event, I wonder how my traffic is doing. When I’m shopping in the supermarket, I’m making a mental list of advertisers to contact. Having multiple blogs would give me more voices in my head than Sybil.

I want to do other things: I have ebooks in the works, an accompanying webinar, a book proposal to write up, and more. The research on how to do all of these things is consuming enough, but if all I did each day was blog for five different blogs, I wouldn’t get these non blogging projects off the ground.

Here’s a question for you:

Take a  look at the most successful bloggers in the field. Not bloggers who work for someone else, but bloggers who own their own profitable blog. Now tell me how many of these bloggers spend a full time effort on several blogs at once? I know of one or two bloggers with two successful blogs, but I don’t know of any with more than one or two amazingly successful blogs. They spend their time cultivating their blog and their brand. They work on their flagship blogs and use the rest of the time to develop accompanying revenue boosters, but they don’t have ten different blogs.

I think one of my biggest mistakes was in thinking I could manage multiple blogs at once. I would either give one blog my full focus or get so confused at where to start, they’d all languish. I know multiple blogging can be done, but can they all be successful?

Are you a multiple blogger? How’s that working for you?

"The Spirit of '76" was originally titled "Yankee Doodle."

“Yankee Doodle went to town,

riding on a pony,

stuck a feather in his cap

and called it macaroni.”

I must have sang “Yankee Doodle” at least a thousand times over the past 45 years and never really gave  a second thought to its meaning. Today, while attending a second grade social studies presentation about the beginnings of our wonderful country, we learned the true meaning of this song.

You see, it was written by the British in order to cast Americans in a negative light. The British soldiers sang “Yankee Doodle” to boost morale and feel superior towards “the enemy.”

The name

“Yankee,” of course, referred to a name given (by the Dutch) to American settlers. “Doodle” was a derogatory term put on the end of Yankee in order to make Americans seem like bumbling idiots.

The macaroni part

The part about macaroni was probably the most confusing. I mean, what does a feather in a hat have to do with macaroni? It turns out back in the day, this made a lot of sense. The British were fond of curly, flamboyant wigs. These hair styles were called, “macaroni,” I guess because in some sad way they represented pasta. They poked fun at the American soldiers who adorned their hats with feathers, saying they were trying to emulate their hair styles but not coming close.

What really happened

Americans embraced “Yankee Doodle” and sang it every chance they got. A song that was supposed to be negative and derogatory turned out to be a rallying cry. Imagine fighting in the British army and a brigade of American soldiers marches by jauntily singing a song the British composed to be insulting?  Now, I can’t find anything to prove this one way or another, but I’m willing to bet the British didn’t spend too much time singing “Yankee Doodle” around their campfires. Not when the Americans were having so much fun with it.

So where am I going with this?

There’s always a story

Every song, every picture, every article, every blog post, every color and every design has a story behind it. Good writers not only dig deeper to learn origins, but they also dig a little deeper to see if there’s another side of the story they’re missing. Maybe you’re like me and you sang this silly song without wondering what a “Yankee Doodle” was or why it warranted a song. Now that I know a little background, I’ll not only sing it with pride, but I’ll have an amusing picture in my mind to accompany the music.

As a writer, Yankee Doodle reminds me that there’s a lot we take for granted and taking things at surface value isn’t enough. There’s always a story, how far are you willing to go to find it?

Negativity can backfire

So the British made up a lame little song to insult the American soldiers and what happened? The Americans not only made it their own, but they made it famous. They even added to it. You’d be surprised at how many verses there are to “Yankee Doodle” beyond what we sing at patriotic events. In this case, the negativity didn’t do much for the British morale. Negativity and insults sure feels good sometimes, but it doesn’t always have the intended results.

Make lemonade

The Americans could have been disheartened by the picture being painted of them as bumbling idiots who can’t tell the difference between a feather and a wig, but they weren’t. They made the most of the situation. They took something that was supposed to be a negative and turned it into an extremely positive situation. So much so that it’s still with us today.

The American soldiers were outnumbered, they were short on supplies and could have been short on morale. Every little bit of negativity directed that way could have caused them to lose their self esteem and make the situation seem even more dire. It wasn’t to be though. In true American fashion, our founding fathers made lemonade.

Finding inspiration

I was so impressed by this story, I couldn’t wait to come and work out a blog post. There’s more than three lessons here for sure, but the positivity message shines through.

Have you ever taken something at face value, only later to be surprised at the truth and beauty behind it?

If you’ve been a freelance writer for a while, you may be scratching your head and wondering about the title of this post. More specifically, you’re probably wondering why I’m contrasting freelancing and contracting.

Unless you’ve incorporated your own business you probably already know that in the United States, at least, most freelancers are treated as independent contractors. When tax time comes, U.S. based companies who paid a freelancer or an independent contractor over the specified amount (in 2009 it was $600) will send them a 1099 form for tax purposes.

It may seem to many that freelancing and contracting are two words for the same thing. In the eyes of the large corporation, however, what you call yourself can affect whether or not you get assigned to a writing project.

This is important because corporate writing projects can be large and ongoing. A corporate writing project could keep a freelance writer busy for months.

Large Corporations and Freelancers

In my experience, large corporations tend not to use the term “freelancer” to describe their non-employee workers. This is even truer for corporations in a technical industry (such as software companies, telecommunications companies, and so on).

If large corporations don’t use the term “freelancer” much when they hire writers specifically for projects, what do they call their short-term workers?

Large Corporations and Contractors

In every corporate technical writing department I ever worked in, we hired contractors for projects that ranged in duration from several months to close to a year. The contractors worked in-house right along with the corporate technical communications staff. Better yet, when the project was complete we often renewed their contract so that they could work on our next big project.

Right now you might be thinking, “That’s the gig for me. How do I sign up?”

Well, getting on board as a contractor with a large corporation is a great deal different than finding a writing gig with a small company. The fact is that most large corporations prefer to find contractors through agencies rather than hiring them directly.

Using an agency saves the technical communications director the trouble of sifting through what might be dozens of resumes to find a qualified writer for his or her project. The agency does all the screening and sends a couple of qualified candidates to the corporation. The manager picks the one that he or she likes best.

I personally worked as a technical writer through an agency three times, so I know that this is common practice in many companies. In fact, there was one time when I was actually recommended to a corporation by a colleague. But, before I could actually start working at the corporation as a contractor, I had to sign up with that company’s agency of choice.

Large Corporations and Consultants

Another way for freelance writers to break into corporate work is to act as a creative consultant. In this scenario, the writer acts as a professional advisor to the company. He or she doesn’t actually perform the writing tasks, but is called in to offer writing advice to a corporation. At the end of the consultation, the freelance consultant is paid for his or her time.

The freelancing consultant may be asked to evaluate existing materials that the corporation has, or the company may ask for advice on how to set up their own in-house writing department.

The use of freelance writing consultants is more common for creative areas of corporations such as marketing communication departments. However, I once worked in a technical writing department where we brought in a writing consultant to evaluate our existing writing processes and style guide.

If you have a lot of experience and an outstanding resume and portfolio, consulting with corporations can be quite lucrative.

Feedback Time

Have you worked as an independent contractor with a large corporation?

Have you been a freelance writing consultant?

Do you think using the word “contractor” to describe yourself as opposed to the word “freelancer” makes a difference? Why, or why not?