My Advice to Writers: Never Beg!

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received for getting writing assignments was this: Never ever act like you’re begging.

That came from a pretty savvy, super high-level editor friend of mine.

“Always make editors seem like you’re this very hot writer, even when you’re cold,” he said. “All editors, just like all movie directors, want to work with people who are hot, not cold. Heat in any industry is huge. So always act confident, even when you’re not. Just fake it for awhile. Eventually, if you’re good enough, you’ll catch up to your own hype.”

Mind you, this doesn’t mean that you’re acting like an arrogant diva, just someone sure of his or her talent and track record.

A couple of ways to accomplish this:

Get across to editors that there are time limits on your story pitches (be reasonable and give them 2-3 weeks max) and if they ultimately are willing to assign you to a story don’t jump at the first payment offer (be reasonable and gently ask, “Is there any way to get a little more for this?).

You’re establishing a line of respect. In the long run, this attitudinal shift will get you more work and money than merely begging for a shot.

Sara Horowitz, the Founder of the Freelancers Union, on How to be a Freelance Winner

Deb Ng's 45 Free Things for Writers

In these hard times, especially for writers, here's welcome relief, via the wonderful Deb Ng:

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/10/4-free-stuff-for-writers/
Click here

What a Freelance Writer Is

What a Freelance Writer Is
By Michael P. Geffner

A freelance writer is...

part thinker.

part idea catcher.

part hustler.

part email/letter sender.

part sit-around-and-wait-er

part negotiator.

part whore.

part researcher.

part paranoid.

part genius.

part fact checker.

part sell-promoter.

part worrier.

part interviewer.

part muller.

part bill collector.

And, if we're very, very lucky, part serious writer.

5 Myths about Freelance Writing

5 Myths about Freelance Writing
By Michael P. Geffner

Let me start with a pet peeve, something that continues to boggle my mind—and that’s how much misinformation there is all over the Net about freelance writing.

It makes me roll my eyes, shake my head, and even chuckle sometimes.

But mostly, it makes me terribly sad, because I keep thinking about all the aspiring freelance writers being led astray, thrown wildly off course, maybe forever.

During my weaker moments, it infuriates me enough to where I rant about it occasionally on here or Twitter, even though I know that ranting does little good.

So, what I promise you is this: that at least in this space, I will try to make up for all wrongs out there, replace the bad advice with sound advice.

To that end, I give you:

The Five Myths about Freelance Writing

Myth #1: It's all about query letters, pitching ideas, and resumes.

Fact: In my entire freelancing career, which has produced over 8,000 published stories in mostly big market publications, I've gotten less than a handful of assignments from this approach, as have most of my peers. It's really about having good contacts, a broad network of editors as allies (people you can easily chat up on the phone with an ideas or ideas), and ultimately a great reputation (a writing style that’s both vibrant and unique, an ability to work well with editors and always hit deadlines, etc.). Mind you, this DOESN’T mean you SHOULDN’T query, pitch, or send resumes. I’m a strong believer in throwing as many strands of spaghetti as possible against the wall to see what sticks. Just don’t build all your hopes around getting an assignment upon those approaches alone.

Myth #2: It's impossible to make a living at it.

Fact: I won't lie. It's not easy. I've seen depressing stats about 86% of freelancers earning less than $30,000 a year—and I’m sure that in this economy, the percentage is likely much worse. But if you're talented, work hard, network like crazy and keep building your rep into something sterling, you can definitely break through and beat the odds, making as much as $3 a word or as high as $5,000-10,000 a story. Believe me, it’s possible!

Myth #3: Once you make it, it's a glorious life.

Fact: I'll admit that when it's going well and you're hot, it can be a dream of an existence—prime assignments, awesome travel, no boss hanging over your shoulder, waking up and going to bed when you please. But...on the bad side, it has no 401K plan, no paid health benefits, and no guaranteed income. When things cool off (and, believe me, even for the best of freelancers, it occasionally does), you sweat out paying the phone bill and the rent. Not fun. If you don't have the stomach for that, you need to get a staff position or a day job outside of writing.

Myth #4: It's a constant hustle.

Fact: At the beginning, it most definitely is. But if you're really good, you can move within time into that exclusive realm of “contract freelancer”—or what’s known as GUARANTEED MONEY. If you look at the masthead of magazines, you'll see the categories of “Contributing Writers” or “Contributing Editors” or “Writer at Large.” Those are almost always the contract freelancers, and they're the divas of magazine publishing, getting the most money for the hours they put in. A typical contract guarantees the writer a certain amount of money (as much as six figures) for doing a certain amount of stories in a given year. This is the top of the top of the food chain for a freelance writer, and if freelancing is what you want, then this is the prize you should always have your eyes on. It takes the struggle out of it.

Myth #5: One of the best ways to get freelance work is through online freelance job sites.

Fact: I never did this once. Nor have any of the many major freelancers I know. But if you remember from above, I’m a spaghetti-against-the-wall man. So, please, with my blessings, go for it and good luck!

Mike's Freelance Writing Secrets

Mike's Freelance Writing Secrets
By Michael P. Geffner

Though I’ve spent more than half my career being a freelance writer, I often refer to myself as a “freelance cheater,” since most of those years I either had very steady gigs for USA Today and The Associated Press or was under contract to The Sporting News, Details Magazine, Maximum Golf, and The Village Voice.

Because of my success in this incredibly challenging end of the business, I’m constantly asked by novice freelancers: “What’s your secret?”

The following is a 10-point list of what I tell them:

1) Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride. Even if you're talented, the work sometimes comes in great waves, and then, often without reason, dries up suddenly. That’s the life. Deal with it—develop a tough mindset, keep pushing—or try something else.

2) You must be disciplined. If you can't force yourself to put in at least five hours a day either writing or researching or pitching ideas to editors or interviewing people or studying the craft as well as the business, forget about it. To this day, I’ll sometimes put in 10-hour days.

3) While you're doing one story, you must be securing the next one. You have to continue hustling and keeping the stories—and money—coming in. I’m often working on two things simultaneously, writing one, researching and interviewing for the other.

4) You must get paid by the word, NOT the STORY. Fight as best you can for more money per word (you should never settle for less than 50 cents unless you have little or no talent or little or no experience) and pose to do stories for as many words as possible. I’d rather do a 10,000-word piece for 50 cents a word than a 500-word piece for a dollar a word.

5) You must get chummy with editors. Establish a network of them that you can call on the phone easily. Editors control your fate. Love them—at least for the time you’re dealing with them.

6) Develop an expertise, but also try to be versatile at the same time. This broadens your marketability to the max.

7) Shoot high (or as high as your experience allows at the time). Don't keep trying to publish stories in obscure places that pay little or no money. Go for newspapers/magazines/websites that even your friends outside of writing know. No matter what, keep moving higher and higher. This will, in the process, pressure you into stretching your writing chops more and more.

8) Brainstorm ideas constantly. Your lifeblood is great ideas. You should always have more great ideas than the competition. Editors LOVE writers with great ideas; it takes the pressure off them.

9) Don't be another begging freelancer for too long, but a “contract” freelancer. There’s a big difference. A contract freelancer is considered within the industry the cream of the crop and, pound for pound, they get paid way higher than staff writers. Once you've published around four, five stories with one publication and have been met with rave reviews by the editor, you should press for a “contributing” deal (which is a guaranteed amount of money per story for a set amount of stories). I won’t mislead you. These deals aren’t easy to get, especially in this economy, but it should be on your to-do list down the road. These deals will separate you from the rest of the starving freelancer pack.

10) Don't be discouraged. Everybody gets rejected. Just keep moving forward, leaping over all obstacles to the next editor or publication. I truly believe this is my ultimate secret to success. I’ve never let any rejection, any unkind words, or any mean-spirited editor stop me.

What a Thriving Freelance Writing Career Really Looks Like

1) Writing for places that people have actually heard of, preferably national outlets.

2) Making $1 to $3 a word, or between $2,000-$10,000 a story, or between $50,000-$100,000 a year.

3) Developing a name and reputation in the business - known as someone who's a pro and who consistently delivers dazzling work.

4) Getting called regularly by top editors, asking you to do a story, rather than the other way around.

5) Securing a "contributing contract" with a publication or publications, meaning you're guaranteed money whether you write or not. This type of contract is most often a "piece deal," meaning you're scheduled to write a certain amount of pieces over a given year for a certain amount of money - and almost always at a much higher per-word rate than other freelancers.

This is what the career of freelance writer looks at the highest level. But don't let it scare or intimidate you. Simply aspire to get there.

The Freelance Writer

Please check out Debbie Ridpath Ohi's wonderful site:

http://www.inkygirl.com/
Click here

10 Tips for Kicking Ass as a Freelance Writer

10 Tips for Kicking Ass as a Freelance Writer
by James Chartrand

Want to be the greatest, most in-demand, kick-ass freelance copywriter ever? It’s not about the basics, like knowing how your spellcheck works or being a grammar god. You do need those, but being really good at the basics only gets you to “competent.”
Not great. Not kick-ass. Just competent.

So what’ll take you to the next level? What’s going to make you fantastic? What tricks help you hook your readers, get clients clamoring, and bring you the success you want?

Here are ten tips to steal from top kick-ass writers — so you can give them a swift kick and be a contender.

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.copyblogger.com/kick-ass-freelance-writer/
Click here

Book Writing Basics : How to Become a Freelance Writer

Guest Post: A Freelancer’s Four Most Profitable Words

A Freelancer’s Four Most Profitable Words
By Dawn Allcot
http://allcotmedia.blogspot.com
Click here

Most of the freelance writing and editing work I receive comes through word-of-mouth and personal connections. Every few months, I’ll hit pot luck with a gig through Craig’s List or another job Web site and really hit it off with the client. But most of the time, I get to know my clients before they become my clients.

The four most profitable words in my freelance career:

“Do you hire freelancers?”

Who do I ask?

1. Since I often do marketing work as well as writing magazine articles, blogging and writing Web content, I often ask people at PR firms who pitch stories to me if they ever hire freelancers. Many do.

2. If I hit it off with an interview subject who owns their own business and has their own Web site, I ask if they are looking for anyone to write for them.

3. And of course, I sometimes make cold-calls or e-mails to interesting trade magazines asking: “Do you hire freelancers?” Trade magazines often don’t have their writers’ guidelines posted online or listed in writer’s markets and sometimes you can’t tell by studying the masthead if they ever work with freelancers.

By asking this question in a cold call, I save myself the trouble of constructing a query, or even outlining my qualifications, only to hear, “Sorry, we do all our writing in-house.”

By asking interview subjects, I am targeting specific clients based on a rapport we’ve already developed. Since my gut instincts about people are pretty spot-on, this minimizes my chances of getting one of those “problem clients” we all dread.

If a PR agent is pitching me a story, chances are they are already familiar with my work and they like what they see. I have nothing to lose by asking if they’d like to work with me in a different capacity.

Sometimes, the people I ask aren’t hiring right now, but they will keep it in the back of their minds. Other times, they didn’t know they were looking for freelance help, but when I plant the idea in their mind, they grab it! Sometimes, you achieve that serendipitous moment when, indeed, a person is seeking freelance help, and there you appear, right in front of them!

Like so much freelancing advice, this, too, boils down to the JHS (Just Hit Send) philosophy.

“Do you hire freelancers?” Just. Ask.