Archives for January 2009

Link Love: January 16

January 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Whew! Friday already, and I am wiped. Though the week started out as a major time-suck (eight hours of the Game Show Network on Sunday…don’t ask), I ended up sending out multiple pitches and letters of interest, got myself another copy editing project and another article assignment, got new clips up at the Frisky and Nerve, and managed to be pretty consistent with the blogging. Go me!

Of course, all that productivity didn’t stop me from obsessively checking my Google Reader and Twitter feeds for updates. The best of what I’ve read lately:

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Why It Helps To Review the Basics

January 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment

work-it

Check out this book my husband bought me for Christmas!

(I decided not interpret it is as a commentary on the fact that he’s supporting me, as it was on my Amazon Wish List.)

Allison Hemming — founder of the Hired Guns — wrote Work It! as an antidote to the times…times in which an increasing amount of people are losing their jobs, or are at least worrying about the possibility.

While the majority of the content in her book is aimed at those in the full-time, corporate work force, I found that the lessons therein — especially as they pertained to resumes, networking, and correspondence — were applicable to anyone looking to make money.

And the number one lesson I learned from reading Work It!? It’s never too late to review the basics.

[Read more…]

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Take a Breath: How To Make the Most of a Slow Economy

January 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment

relax

Just the other day, Michelle Goodman posted about how people use their periods of unemployment. I commented thusly:

“The hours and days immediately following the loss of your income are incredibly fraught…filled with panic and desperation.

This is followed by the realization that you’ve been given a gift…the gift of time. Time to take for yourself. Time to be really really picky about the next job you choose.

As this period of time lengthens (and lengthens), you return to panic. And so it goes…”

The same holds true for those slow periods in a freelancer’s life, when the products seem to dry up and clients are suddenly MIA.

Do you panic and desperately grab at any old thing during these pauses in incoming work? Here are three ideas for more healthy and productive ways to utilize your newly empty hours. Feel free to add more in the comments!

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Product Placement: Monogrammed Stationery

January 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment

my-initials

Though we live an an Internet age, nothing beats the personal touch inherent in a snail mail-sent note.

And when running your own business, there’s no better way to show a client your appreciation. It’ll make you stand out from the pack like nothing else.

I’ve been looking into getting monogrammed or personalized stationery for just this reason, but I don’t want it to be blah.

My personali picks after the jump strike a nice balance between professionalism and personality:

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Writers Undermining Writers: Bidding Sites, Traffic-Based Compensation, and More

January 13, 2009 by 3 Comments

stockxpertcom_id21252001_jpg_fe274405d704be5e9ea109736aeaf735

Mags are folding. Newspapers are tightening their belts. Writers everywhere are freaking the eff out.

It’s only natural that — for many — desperation has set in.

But I worry about the effect it’s having on the industry at large…an industry that has not seen the per-word rate rise in years, despite inflation.

The biggest offenders? Bidding sites, like Elance and Guru, and blog malls like Examiner and Today.

After the jump, the seven things that bug me about these sites:

[Read more…]

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PSA: NJ Blogger/Web Designer Meetup

January 8, 2009 by Leave a Comment

For all you New Jerseyans out there, tonight is the first NJ Blogger/Web Designer Meetup of the New Year.

My husband has succeeded in convincing me to go with him. This is mostly because the meetup takes place at Panera Bread (in Fair Lawn, NJ), and I could really go for broccoli & cheddar soup in a bread bowl. And those chips.

If you’re in there area, I’d love to see you there!

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Link Love: January 8

January 8, 2009 by 1 Comment

two-hearts

I’ve been trying to read more freelance/career blogs lately, and I hit the jackpot last night when I found the blogroll over at Monster.com’s blog. In addition, I’ve been meeting some great people through both Twitter and Brazen Careerist.

I don’t want to hold out on you here so, in the interest of forging new connections, and spreading around some pretty awesome content, here’s some of what I’ve been reading since the start of the new year:

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Product Placement: Magazine Filing

January 6, 2009 by 2 Comments

[$21.95, Crate & Barrel]

On December 31, I posted a New Year’s resolution over at Modern Materialist, wherein I vowed to start pitching again. At the moment, my goal is to have 10 pitches out at any given moment (setting a specific goal is so helpful; Rachel Rose over at Notes on a Whim is doing the same thing).

I’m already up to five, so I’m feeling good about things. But I have to admit, my collection of magazine back issues has dwindled considerably, mostly because my filing system for them was crap, so I had to recycle, recycle, recycle.

I’d like to set up a new system for keeping the back issues I so often refer to when pitching. After the jump, some pretty-as-heck magazine files:

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PSA: Trying to Be More Sociable, Etc.

January 5, 2009 by 2 Comments

stockxpertcom_id295051_jpg_0d872cfc71dc633d866f368864bbac48

Now that the new year is here, it’s time to step things up here on Freelancedom. To that end, I’ve been researching forum software, social bookmarking plugins, and advertising programs.

Learn more, after the jump:

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Coffee Break: Building Community

January 2, 2009 by 5 Comments

In My So-Called Freelance Life, Michelle Goodman wrote that a good way of controlling your overwork tendencies is to “have somewhere to be ‘after work.'” It was this suggestion that made me think about starting up a regular happy hour for freelancers in my nabe.

Being a bit clueless about who actually lives near me, however (and by “near me,” I mean NJ rather than NY), I began to consider another means of connecting with my fellow freelancers: community bulletin boards.

[Read more…]

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