Freelance Writing Jobs

The Inconvenience of Inspiration

Deb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:04:06 +0000

This morning inspiration struck while I was in the shower. I quickly dried off, threw on my robe and ran to the office where Mr. Ng was sitting at my laptop. “I have a thought!” I called out. “I need to write!” “I’m looking for work!” my husband called back, “work trumps thoughts. ” I rummaged around the office until I found a pen and Post It to write down my brilliant idea so I wouldn’t forget. Inspiration shouldn’t get in the way of an recently laid off man on a mission.

Have you ever noticed how you get the best ideas when you’re no where near a laptop or paper and pen? I have notepads in every bag and on almost every surface, but I don’t get ideas when tools are at the ready.

Plenty of ideas come when I’m sleeping, though. Yes, I have a notebook and pen on my nightstand, but to write down my thoughts is to turn on the light and wake Mr. Ng. I try to avoid this at all costs. Spending time with Captain Cranklypants isn’t conducive to a good brainstorming session. Instead I fumbled around and stumble around until I find a place where I can write without rousing the family, except by then it’s usually too late and I lose it. Sleepy inspiration is easily lost.

I’m not sure if you know this but the local police don’t take too kindly to side of the road brainstorming, even when showing good driving etiquette by putting on your hazard lights. I can tell you from experience, “Honestly Officer, I only pulled over on the side of this busy freeway because I needed to write down my ideas so I won’t forget,” won’t always fly. Inspiration is inconvenient and can cause tickets.

I remember riding home from a visit with the in laws in Queens one evening when inspiration hit. I had the perfect lead in to an article bouncing around in my head. I searched my purse, my son’s stash and the car to no avail. Not wanting to lose the sentence I repeated it over and over like a mantra. Soon my son was playing along. Mr. Ng in the driver’s seat wasn’t so amused. By the time I got home and wrote down my sentence I was over it. Inspiration is so inconvenient.

Then there was the time at a meeting of a local women’s group. It was the first meeting of the season and I, as the President, had door duty so I could greet our esteemed guests and members. On my drive over, a light bulb went off in my head and I wrote my idea on the palm of my hand during a traffic light stop. I planned on transferring my brilliant idea into a notebook when I got to the clubhouse, but I forgot. By the time I remembered, I had spent an hour shaking hands and the words were gone. To this day, I’m not sure the Mayor knows what happened to her hand. Inspiration causes blue handshakes.

I can tell you I’m always prepared for when the light bulbs go off. I can also tell you the light bulbs mostly go off during the rare occasions when they I’m not so prepared. I’ve talked into a tape recorder at the supermarket, wrote on a napkin in a restaurant and even sullied the blank last page of a paperback book I was reading on the subway, all in the name of inspiration.

Inspiration is so inconvenient, but it’s ever so rewarding.

Why I Still Post Freelance Writing Job Leads and Why I Know You Know Best

Deb — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:20:57 +0000

Yesterday my friend Anne Wayman sent a link to her post “Job Postings Here are the Tip of the Ice Berg.” Anne’s thoughtful post was inspired by another freelance writing blogger’s decision not to post freelance writing job leads. I know Anne wanted me to go to her blog and comment (and you should by all means do so, as Anne’s blog is a good one) but I had so many thoughts about this I felt it worthy of its own post.

Anne feels maybe her readers feel her blog is the only source for job leads and they don’t go looking elsewhere for jobs as they should.Not to other blogs and job boards, but to the markets that aren’t always advertised.

With respect to Anne, I’m not sure I agree with this. I don’t think Anne or I are enabling you by posting an assortment of job leads each day. I feel the majority of the FWJ (and AFW) community appreciates the convenience, but I also feel you know your options.

I harbor no illusions.

I know many of you come for the freelance writing jobs, and that’s OK. However, I also know most of you know there are other places to look. Not only job boards, but other markets and venues. Whether or not you choose to look in any those places is up to you, which is why I’ve never stopped posting leads. We’ve been about freedom of choice here since day one, and I’m not going to change a formula that works. I don’t think you feel there are only lower paying opportunities available to you though. I think the majority of this community, and maybe even Anne’s community, know your options and you’re comfortable with your choices. I can’t find fault with this.

Variety is the spice of life

Other than aesthetic changes and a few bells and whistles here and there, this blog’s mission and goal hasn’t changed. It’s about presenting you with all opportunities, discussing where to find all levels of opportunities and sharing tips and tricks for success. Again, it’s a formula that works for all of us, so I’m not about to change. From time to time I offer to elminate opportunities paying below $20, or bring in the really low paying stuff and you raise your voices loud and clear. You know what works for you and you know not to go too low. I respect that and it’s why I don’t cater to only high paying or only low paying jobs. Do I try to look for the best opportunities? Of course. Do I think you know the best opportunities aren’t always advertised? Yes, I do because we discuss it here often, and also, because you tell me. I also know many of you aren’t into querying and cold calling. I also feel you don’t have to be married to one form of writing over another. You can pitch to the $1 per worders and supplement that with a $20 blog post, there’s no right or wrong.

Freedom of Choice

Every day we discuss tips for finding markets, rocking the customer service, networking and the different types of writing available, and I’m sure you find that useful. My stats tell me the majority of this community come here looking for work and I’m going to offer a wide variety of choices. Some of you love the choices and some of you aren’t happy with some of the offerings but you will always have choices.

I know FWJ isn’t the only job board or blog you visit. I know many of you have a long laundry list of places to search each day or week because you know I don’t find all the opportunities, and that’s fine. I would never say that you should only come to this blog, or that it’s the only blog with good leads as that’s silly. I’ll continuously present you with a variety of options and let you take it from there.

This blog is also getting a silly reputation for being a harbor for low paying jobs. That’s kind of silly because we’ve always posted a variety of leads. Moreover, we have discussions every day about the ways to find high paying opportunities and how to advance your career.

In the past we’ve discussed:

I know you know…

I know you know where to look for work and I know why you come here. I also know that every single writing blog brings something dfferent to the table. I may not always agree with your choices, but I’m not going to make you feel bad about your choices. Do I think maybe you feel the jobs posted here are the only jobs out there? No. I don’t think that at all.

Thanks, Anne

I want to thank Anne Wayman for giving me something to think about. I often wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if I should change the way we do things around here. After reading Anne’s post I know we’re both doing the right thing. We’re presenting you with the tools you need to succeed, no matter what type of job you wish to pursue. You send your success stories, so I know it’s working.

Tell us what you think…

Are the daily leads enabling? Do you feel that what’s presented here is all there is? Do you feel there should be only high, or only low or do you prefer the combination platter?

In Which Deb Shares Some of Her More Interesting Email

Deb — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:29:23 +0000

Dear Miss Deb,

I help you blog. I blog good to you. Yes?

Haito K.

Dear Haito,

No.

- Miss Deb

Dear Deb,

I think you’re only pretending to write so you can have traffic.

- Name withheld by request even though it was probably anonymous.

Dear Anonymous,

You got me. I’m faking it. Am I pulling it off?

- Deb

Dear Deb,

How much would could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck would?

- Kevin S.

Dear Kevin,

It’s “wood,” Kevin, not “would.” How much WOOD could a woodchuck chuck…see that’s what woodchucks do, they chuck wood. Except where I come from that means toss, so are woodchucks tossing wood? In any event, would or wood, I don’t know how much they’re chucking or really what chucking entails. Do keep me posted if you find out the answer.

Chuckingly yours,

Deb

Dear DebNg,

Someone said on Twitter you have too much email. This is your lucky day. My daughter is looking for an afterschool job an she can be your virtial assistant. We’re not sure how much virtial assitants make but realy assistants make $30 an hour. Since my daughter is only virtial you can pay her $25. I will only charge a $50 finder fee if you hire her. If you don’t like her I can be your virtial assistant and you don’t have to pay a finder fee.

- Name withheld by Deb

Dear Name,

Thanks but at the moment I’m not in need of an assitant, virtial or otherwise.

Good luck to your daughter!

- Deb

Dear Deb,

…I’m moving to New Jersey in the spring. My wife and I are born and bred East Coasters and know nothing of the area. Can you recommend a housekeeper?

- Name withheld

Dear Withheld,

Sure thing. While I’m at it, would you also like the names of my personal chef and limo driver?

Ta…

Deb

How to Differentiate Genuine Sincerity from Good P.R.

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:49:37 +0000

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

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

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

Consider the source:

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

Consider the record:

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

Why now?

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

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

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

5 Reasons Online Relationships are Important for Freelance Writers

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:12:47 +0000

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

Why are online relationships important for freelancer writers?

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

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

2. Online relationships build trust

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

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

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

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

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

5. People who trust you can also be trusted

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

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

3 Tips for Being a Truly Objective Freelance Writer

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:53:44 +0000

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

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

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

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

1. Keep Your Emotions in Check

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

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

2.Keep Your Agenda in Check

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

3. Keep Your Bandwagon in the Parking Lot

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

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

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

The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Blogs and Blogging

Deb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:15:24 +0000

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

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

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

Blogs

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

Visiting Freelance Writing Blogs

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

Commenting at Blogs

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

Widgets, Plugins and Community Builders

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

Comment Luv

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

Top Commenters

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

Sharing Buttons

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

Blogs Beyond the Freelance Writing Niche

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

Finding a Favorite Blog

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

Blogging

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

Build Your Name and Brand

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

Establish Your Expertise

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

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

Discuss Areas of Concern

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

Building Community

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

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

A Few More Words About this Whole Demand Studios Insurance Thing

Deb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:18:40 +0000

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

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

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

We were lied to. We were misled.

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

It’s not insurance.

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

You’re paid to say this.

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

I’m not impressed.

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

It was a business decision.

It was for publicity

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

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

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

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

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

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:38:15 +0000

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

What follows are:

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

Contact Your Clients

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

Offer Discounts

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

Create a Backup Plan

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

Plan Ahead

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

Recommend Temporary Help

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

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

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Behind the Scenes of the Demand Health Care Announcement

Deb — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:42:51 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why am I telling you all this?

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

The truth is, they don’t.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike also went on to say:

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

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