But I swear to you. I’m getting shit done.

It’s just that…

I’m always looking for new and fun ways to build my brand, and to build my word nerd community, and I’ve been seeing various small business to interesting things online lately.

My latest obsession?

Pinterest. (Yeah, you and everyone else, Steph.)

Would it up my cool factor to tell you I’ve already been using Pinterest for about a year now in order to collect photos of pretty kitchens? Or does that just make me seem even dorkier?

Either way, I’ve decided to create a Pinterest board for word nerds, on which I can pin fun word nerd quotes, letterpress prints, lust-worthy reading nooks, and more.

Are you on Pinterest, too? If you come across anything particularly word nerdy, pin it with the #wordnerd hash tag, so I can easily find it and share it with the rest of the word nerd community!

My blogging buddies, and other people across the web, have been going gaga over how Pinterest can be used to drive traffic to your blog or business.

Have any of you guys been using Pinterest in new and interesting ways as a part of your business model?

Related: Freelancing and Yoga Go Together Like… Nutella and Pound Cake, The LinkedIn Lowdown: How To Pump Up Your Social Media Campaign, How To Avoid Social Media Fatigue in 5 Easy Steps, Using Twitter to Achieve World Domination (in Your Field)

In fact, within 15 minutes, one of the agents responded to me, asking to see my full proposal. I thought I was going to pass out from excitement, but I pulled it together long enough to send him what I had. He responded almost immediately, saying he would try to get back to me either way by the end of the week.

This very well might mean I’m about to get the quickest rejection ever (well, okay… not ever) but, nevertheless, I’m ecstatic. I’m closer than I’ve ever been to making this happen.

And I never would have done it if I wasn’t being held accountable by my writing partner.

What my writing partner did for me:

• helped me choose one big project to focus on
• helped me set regular writing, querying, and business goals
• helped me set deadlines for the above goals
• read my weekly status reports, cheering me on when I was extra productive
• threatened my life when I slacked (or just generally emanated an aura of disapproval)
• marked up everything I sent her with edit marks and insightful comments and questions
• scheduled regular Skype chats with me to discuss those suggested edits (and to talk work gossip, sex, infertility, and Chicken McNuggets)
• held me accountable
• kept me on track
• made my book a possibility, rather than an elusive dream

The day after I sent out those queries, we had another Skype chat. At the end, we discussed what our next writing goals would be. I was feeling distracted by the thought of those book queries. How could I concentrate on anything else!? But I attempted to pull my weight. ”I still need to make revisions to that Freelance Awesome Starter Kit,” I said, “but I should really concentrate on developing magazine queries and drumming up new work.”

“Well, can’t you do both?”

Yes. Yes I could.

Lyz Lenz is a so-funny-she’ll-make-you-snort writer who blogs over at LyzLenz.com. She also writes for Babble, TruTV, NewParent, and other publications. We met when I was permalancing at YourTango. She manages the community there (among her many other responsibilities). She lives far, far away (Iowa), but she is my platonic life partner. I’m lucky to have her as my writing partner as well.

And since it’s Thanksgiving and all, I want to thank her. I want to thank her for forcing me to accomplish this despite myself.

Writing partners are one of the best things in the world. They’re up there with Candy Cane Kisses and cats and yoga and So You Think You Can Dance. They’re up there with episodes of Castle and The Sing-Off, and with pillow-top mattresses and coffee. If you need a reminder of why you should get one yourself… well, here.

Have you thanked your writing partner this Thanksgiving?

Related: Finding a Writing Partner Who Will Make Your Dreams Come True, Breakneck Book Report: Adair Lara’s Naked, Drunk, and Writing, Wanted: A Writing Partner Who Can Kick My Writing Ass

This image is 100% about partners, and 0% about the huge crush I used to have on Burt Ward.

This is an excerpt from a post I wrote for Brazen Careerist. It was written both to promote my upcoming Networking for Word Nerds event (register here) and to sing the praises of having a good writing partner. (I love my writing partner to bits.)

Enjoy!

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post calling for a “writing partner who can kick my lazy, procrastinating writer’s ass.”

Now I have a writing partner I love, plus another partner I email my daily goals.

I’ve also left behind a low-paying permalance gig that had me feeling stuck. I’m well on my way to making more money this year than I’ve made previously, and I’m feeling more productive and successful than ever before.

Coincidence? I think not.

There are numerous benefits to having a writing partner. Here are my top five:

1. The no-holds-barred criticism

One typically pairs up with a writing partner in order to receive constructive criticism on one’s first (and second, and twenty-fifth) drafts. That way, by the time it gets sent off to an agent or editor, it’s damn near perfect. Despite being your own worst critic — and even if you’re an obsessive self-editor — it can be beneficial to get an objective opinion of your work. A good writing partner will rip apart your TOC, take you to task for overusing and mixing metaphors, and give you the kind of insight and feedback that could very well elevate your writing to pure awesomeness.

Click here to read the rest.

Related: Wanted: A Writing Partner Who Can Kick My Writing Ass, Introducing a Monthly Word Nerd Networking Event

Since leaving YourTango, I’ve used the past two months to take a really close look at my career coaching business, trying to figure out what I want to focus on, which products and services I want to take off the table, which I want to add (if any), and where I want this whole career coaching thing to go.

The first sentence of the bio I wrote for the YEC site was telling: “Steph Auteri is the founder of Career Coaching for Word Nerds, a company created with an eye toward building a community of fellow word nerds and publishing professionals who can share stories, experiences, tips, and resources with their peers, and also connect with established experts within the industry.”

It made me realize that — as much as I enjoy one-on-one coaching — I’d really like to make my coaching biz a community.

And so, the germ of a (possibly ridiculous) dream was born: To one day open up a coworking space / cafe that also holds regular literary and networking events.

I don’t use an established coworking space myself (though I sometimes pack up my laptop and head to the Fine Grind for some distraction-free work and a cup of coffee). But the idea does intrigue me. And no wonder. According to Coworking: How Freelancers Escape the Coffee Shop Office and Tales of Community from Independents Around the World — an ebook written by Angel Kwiatkowski and Beth Buczynski – 82 percent of coworkers in the U.S. feel more motivated and productive since joining a coworking space. Not only that, but most make seven vital connections within two months. Human contact and the possibility of collaboration? Sign me up!

The pretty pretty ebook!

Coworking was rich with info on the benefits of coworking, coworking etiquette, and the ways in which to find a coworking space that works for you. It also contained stories from happy coworkers around the world. Definitely worth a read.

But what I want to ask you is this: What does your fantasy coworking space look like?

Does it offer events? Coffee? Cubicles? Conference rooms? Scheduled dance breaks? (Now that’s an idea… ) Spill it!

Related: Coworking: The Cure for What Ails Me?

With any luck, you'll start seeing this smiling mug all OVER the damn place.

A few weeks ago, I told all of you my big, fat master plan since deciding to drop permalancing from the mix. Part of that plan consisted of joining up with the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), thanks to some urging from Ryan Paugh (a fantastic community leader who, several years ago, brought me on board at Brazen Careerist).

Then, yesterday, this went up.

Behold, my very first time participating in a YEC post (well, that and 24 pretty fantastic tips for those who suck at networking). It was also my very first time on the aol jobs site and, for that, I have the YEC to thank.

Greater visibility was only one of the reasons I was excited about joining up with YEC. I’m also looking forward to connecting with the other entrepreneurs within the group. A cursory glance through the list of members shows that I’m in some damn fine company. (Um. I am intimidated by everyone else’s awesomeness.)

So what does this have to do with you?

Some of you have already joined up with professional organizations like Freelance Success and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). (I know this because I’ve been jealously following your #ASJA2011 tweets all weekend long.) But there are others of you who have hesitated to join up with one of these groups.

Maybe you’re wondering if the high membership fees are worth it. Maybe you just can’t figure out how to choose one organization over another. Which have active forums? Is their newsletter useful? Do they have an annual conference? What about continuing education, discounts, and health benefits?

I don’t have all the answers, but I can give you the rundown on some of the most popular organizations out there:

American Copy Editors Society / ACES:

Annual Membership Dues: $55

Benefits: quarterly newsletter, inclusion in annual directory of members, access to discussion board, reduced fees for conferences, access to job listings, etc.

Testimonial from a Member: ACES membership opened up the whole community of copy editors to me. Before I joined, I really just knew the copy editors I worked with (and a few I went to school with). Sharing ideas and gaining another perspective on problems has been beneficial. And it’s just great to know people who think like me. Plus we’re a fun group at conferences. But from the start, I benefited from the online group interaction and resources as well.For the sake of transparency, I am a member of the board. I decided to run because I believe in the organization. – Gerri Berendzen

American Society of Journalists and Authors / ASJA:

Annual Membership Dues: $195 (plus a one-time, $75 initiation fee)

Benefits: professional legitimacy, inclusion in a member directory, annual conference, mentoring program, monthly newsletter, the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund, access to health and other insurance products, discounts on Lexis-Nexis, Publishers Weekly, PR Newswire, etc.

Testimonial from a Member: “Joining ASJA definitely boosted my bottom line. Connections I made as a result of being a member have led to a surging income stream I continue to feed off of year after year. However, while assignments and networking with people who might hire me are valuable, one of the most invaluable aspects of joining ASJA is the collegial atmosphere. As writers, we tend to be isolated. That’s why being able to connect with like-minded people, who get the elation of breaking in and the dejection of being rejected (and all points in between) is crucial. Having a place to land when you’re stressed, a friendly place to toot your own horn, and a group behind you working to fight for writers’ rights is as comforting as it is good for your bottom line. I’ve made life-long friends and beneficial professional contacts thanks to being a member of ASJA. In fact, one connection has paid for a lifetime of dues!” – Gina Roberts-Grey

The Association for Women in Communications / AWC:

Annual Membership Dues: $114 (plus a $50 application fee)

Benefits: inclusion in online membership directory, bimonthly newsletter, access to job board, annual conference, discounts on conference calling service, office supplies, etc.

Editorial Freelancers Association / EFA:

Annual Membership Dues: $145 (plus a $35 processing fee)

Benefits: inclusion in online membership directory, reduced tuition to EFA courses, access to a members-only blog, subscription to job listings, inclusion on email discussion list, participation in EFA’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn discussions, bimonthly newsletter, meetings and activities for regional chapters and networking groups, group health insurance, etc.

Testimonial from a Member: ”I am a member of EFA and joined just because of the job board. There are frequent postings. I haven’t applied for many or landed one yet, but I joined just to access that and give it a thumbs up so far.” – Brette Sember

Freelance Success / FLX:

Annual Membership Dues: $99

Benefits: weekly newsletter, online forums, etc.

Testimonial from a Member: ”I keep my FLX subscription because it’s affordable, because it gets me access to ‘inside’ information, and because it provides such a nice community of pro writers at a certain level.” – Roxanne Hawn

National Conference of Editorial Writers / NCEW:

Annual Membership Dues: $75 – $180

Benefits: inclusion in online membership directory, access to email list, quarterly journal, annual convention, continuing education, job bank, etc.

National Writers Union / NWU:

Annual Membership Dues: $120 – $340

Benefits: contract advice, grievance assistance, advocacy, continuing education, access to job listings, access to email discussion lists and events, health insurance, press passes, etc.

Society of Professional Journalists / SPJ:

Annual Membership Dues: $72

Benefits: national and regional conferences, continuing education, access to job listings, regional chapters, advocacy, various newsletters and publications, etc.

Testimonial from a Member: “Programming. Continuing education for pros and new lessons for college journos. I love doing it. I see membership as what I make of it. Some hand over their hard-earned $72 as a rite of passage. I choose to invest it. ” – Dori Zinn, on what she sees as the primary benefit of her SPJ membership

For links to even more organizations, check out this list over at mediabistro.

Related: Motivational Trick: Fear (of Letting Others Down), How To Market Yourself: Getting Out More

Interested? For the love of god, please e-mail me. Like, right now.

Last week, I started reading Adair Lara’s Naked, Drunk, and Writing. (Note: I fell madly in love with this book after only a single paragraph, and have since resisted the urge to dog-ear just about every single by-god page. A review is obviously forthcoming.)

Not only did it remind me of what I was missing in my writing life (I need to be doing a lot less listicles and a lot more personal essays), but it also made me remember how good it once felt to have a writer’s group.

And it made me realize that even a single writing partner may just be the thing I need right now to revitalize my writing. Because if there’s one thing I’m lacking these days, it’s accountability.

I’ve written about accountability in the past, and the various places you can go to find it.

But just to review, accountability is magic. And glitter. And kittens. And (double) rainbows. It’s the type of thing that can get you writing every day, meeting deadlines, achieving dreams, and taking over the world.

It can also lead to you earning enough money to buy pretty dresses.

All without selling your soul. (See: black magic.)

Without accountability, it can be reeeaally easy to just spend your days watching DVR’d episodes of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, snacking on croutons (shut up; there was nothing else in the pantry), playing Zuma Blitz on Facebook, and ordering out-of-season Candy Cane Kisses on Amazon.

And accomplishing nothing.

If you have no trouble cranking out Pulitzer Prize-worthy sentences on a daily basis without anyone else’s help, kudos to you. I bow down before your greatness.

But if you’re struggling to get those words on the page… if you’re feeling stuck… if you’ve been procrastinating… consider a writing partner. In fact, consider me.

So…

Where do you find accountability?

Related: 6 Ways To Find Your Next Mentor, Motivational Trick: Fear (of Letting Others Down), Build Your Own: Writing Group

Michael is attempting to seduce me by rubbing his nipple. Obviously, it's not working. God we're a couple of weirdos.

That sexy photo to the left is about seven years old, and represents the beginning stages of my relationship with my now-husband.

Back then, people said that we were perfect for each other. They said we balanced each other out… pushed each other’s boundaries… calmed each other’s crazy. (Side note: When Michael finally asked my parents for permission to propose, they asked him: “Are you sure!?” Yeah. Thanks a lot, Mom and Dad.)

Some things (like that E.T. T-shirt and Michael’s seduction tactics) never change. Because we’re still balancing each other out beautifully, and in more ways than before. Not only does Michael expertly handle my meltdowns, but he’s also an asset to my business.

You heard me right. Without Michael, Freelancedom wouldn’t look this pretty. And neither would my professional site. And, come to think of it, I probably would have never even attempted hosting my own e-course. (This is why you marry a front end web developer, people.)

Actually, without Michael’s support, I might still be working in book publishing.

And not only does Michael build up my sites for me, but he also acts as my sounding board, provides me with advice, talks me up to other people, and… um… at my first Word Nerd Networking event, he even helped out by blowing a whistle every three flippin’ minutes.

In return, I pushed him to take more risks in his career and helped him out with resumes, cover letters, and job interviews. This led to him leaving a job he’d had for 7.5 years for a job in an entirely new industry… in the midst of the recession. We’re like a power couple!

Now I’m not telling you to choose your romantic partners with an eye toward your business. (Or am I??) Things just worked out well for us that way. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t feel that you have to do it all by yourself. While it can be difficult to let go of certain aspects of your business, partnering up with someone who has strengths where you have weaknesses — and vice versa — can work in both your favors.

Case in point: Because of all of my disparate interests — and because I’m constantly assuming I’ll fail — I have trouble following through on things. What do I need more than anything else? ACCOUNTABILITY. Which is why, when I heard that the oh-so-fabulous Marian Schembari was coming to town, I asked her to co-host something with me. And I asked her this immediately, before I could chicken out.

And it was awesome.

Not only did Marian provide accountability, but it was also great to be able to bounce ideas off each other, split up the event planning responsibilities, and run a double-pronged marketing campaign.

In addition to pairing up with people on events and other sorts of projects, there are other ways in which you can lean on others for the greater good:

1. Be a sponsor for someone else’s event or contest, or have them do the same for you. For example, at Word Nerd Networking, several of the experts donated books or services for a raffle drawing. Not only did this give attendees the opportunity to win something cool, but it also gave prize donors some additional exposure.

2. Create an affiliate program. Or sign up with someone else’s affiliate program. For example, many career coaches sign up for affiliate programs with resume writing experts, sending business their way and receiving a cut of the profits in return. I’m interested in doing something similar because — while I know a thing or two about resume writing — it’s not my greatest strength, and I’d love to be able to refer clients to someone even awesomer. For more info on affiliate marketing, check out these great posts by Thursday Bram and Darren Rowse.

3. Find a business partner. While my husband works full-time at KickApps, he also has a web business on the side. And while he used to run the whole shebang all by his lonesome, he now has a partner in crime, plus another guy who regularly sends work his way. It’s great, because he and his partner have different strengths, allowing them to take on a wider range of projects, and — because of this other dude — they also don’t have to spend a shit-ton of time drumming up new business. How could you make a similar arrangement work for you and your business?

4. Form or join a writer’s group. Or a freelance/entrepreneur group. Or any other group you think your business could benefit from. Your partnerships don’t have to be official. Building up your professional network in a more casual, organic way can have just as many benefits.

Anything I’ve missed? How have you successfully paired up with others in the past?

Related: 6 Ways To Find Your Next Mentor

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Oh my god, you guys. The other week, I asked for suggestions on what I should include in my Job Hopping for Word Nerds e-book. Heather of CraftLit provided me with a goldmine of great suggestions, some of which I deemed outside the scope of my book. Still, I thought they would make for some great blog post fodder. So today, I decided to address this one:

How can I use social media without being swallowed by it?

So I opened up my Freelancedom dashboard, typed in the title of this post, aaand… then proceeded to spend the next four hours on Twitter.

Oy.

So basically, this is a case of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do:

1. Find your audience. And by audience, I’m referring to anyone from blog readers to clients to anyone else who might pay you money or somehow further your career…the people you’re looking to reach with your work or your blog (or both). And for every one of you — depending upon your niche — the place where your audience hangs out will be different. I use Twitter because you’re my audience, and you guys seem to spend an awful lot of time there. But you may find that your particular audience spends more time on LinkedIn, or Brazen Careerist, or Facebook, or a professional forum or listserv. Check out this monster list on some of the social networking sites out there.

2. Become active within that particular community. A lot of people make the mistake of signing up for every damn social network that comes along. Hussy. You don’t have to do that. You shouldn’t worry that the tide is passing you by. If you’ve done your research right, the only place you need to be is the place where your primary audience is already hanging out. So sign up for that one social network, or those two social networks, but don’t go too crazy beyond that. You want to be able to put together that best possible profile you can, and then participate as fully as you can. And you won’t have the time to do that if you’re maintaining accounts on 15 different sites. Once you have a dynamite profile in place, start participating. Concentrate on adding value and having meaningful conversations. The magic (whatever magic you’re looking for) will naturally happen.

3. Set goals. I’ve heard a lot of people poo-poo social networks because they “don’t see the point.” Well, there won’t be much of a point if you don’t know why you’re there. To attain focus and efficiency on your social network of choice, draw up a brief plan. That way, you won’t be wasting your time wandering the Internet aimlessly. For example, my goals with Twitter are to a) promote my brand and my work, b) find and share relevant content, and c) build up a network of fellow freelancers. My tweets (for the most part) reflect that.

4. Severely limit your time on these sites. I am obviously bad at this. At least when it comes to Twitter. But I have become way more efficient simply by keeping my Google Reader closed throughout the day, checking it once at lunch time and once more in the evening. I suggest scheduling out blocks of time in which you’re allowed to do the social media thing, and keeping those sites closed for the rest of the day. You know. In order to avoid temptation. If you have absolutely no discipline (::coughcough::), read this post again. It contains some additional tips, and also some suggestions for apps you can use to lock yourself out of specific websites. Pure genius.

5. Keep everything in one place. If you are juggling multiple sites, there are several apps that will enable you to juggle them a bit more gracefully. Because I have no interest in competing with what Mashable already does so well, I’ll point you to a couple of their posts about the best apps to use when it comes to aggregating all of your online profiles:

• 20 Ways to Aggregate Your Social Networking Profiles
• HOW TO: Manage Multiple Social Media Profiles

Finally, in parting, I’d like to beg you: Please don’t sign up for Foursquare! My husband just signed up for the damn thing, and my Twitter feed is now cluttered with tweets from him going back and forth in the Lincoln Tunnel. (Maybe I should just ask that you not sign up for Foursquare if your life is as uneventful as my husband’s.)

Related: Getting It All Done: Your Master To-Do List, Resource Roundup: 4 Time Management Applications, Going Unplugged: Impossible?

So apparently, just about everyone in my Twitter feed was at South by Southwest (SXSW) this past week, a conference (and seemingly non-stop party) that somehow brings together “music, independent films, and emerging technologies.” It’s that last that is of greatest interest to me and, as the web developers, bloggers, content producers, and new media entrepreneurs in my feed live-tweeted talks and workshops, party-hopped, and networked, I started to feel that I was totally missing out.

Aside from the occasional press pass-enabled visit to BEA (book nerd heaven), and the mental health professional conferences I attended as a marketing representative when I was still working in academic book publishing, I’ve never attended a conference. I never wanted to shell out the money: I don’t have much of it, I wasn’t sure the workshops would be worth it, and my social anxiety makes me totally suck at in-person networking.

But then one of my Twitter followers contacted me last week, saying that she was going to be in town and would love to meet up for drinks. I was nervous but ended up having a great time! (Wine may have been involved.) And, suddenly, I was hungry for more.

So should I be putting next year’s SXSW into my calendar? What about the 140 Characters Conference, BlogHer, the BlogWorld New Media Expo, The New Yorker Festival, or TED?

I’d love your input. Which conferences are on your must-attend list, and why? How have they been valuable to you? Or, on the flip side, after you ever put out the big bucks for a conference and ended up feeling it just wasn’t worth it?

Related: Networking Events: Conquer Your Fears By Thinking Like a Journalist, How To Market Yourself: Getting Out More, How To Keep From Becoming a Recluse (and Why)

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Back in January, Betsy Lerner — brilliant author of The Forest for the Trees – wrote up a quick post in which she remembered two of her early mentors. And then, a week ago, Holly Hoffman brought up the topic again. All this mentor-talk got me thinking back on my own favorites, and how important they’ve been to my career success.

I myself have never had one single, larger-than-life figure playing the part of mentor (talk about pressure). Rather, I’ve approached mentorship in much the same way career expert Marci Alboher does: as an ever-shifting collection of people I surround myself with…people I feel I can learn from, no matter what stage they’re at in their career. I highly recommend this approach.

Why do you need a mentor? Because you shouldn’t be working in a vacuum, stumbling along your career path without outside inspiration or guidance. Why do you need multiple mentors? Because it’s silly to rely on a single person, when an entire community can provide much better support, and a greater diversity of insight and advice.

So where can you find this army of advisers?

1. In the classroom.

It’s been 16 years since junior high, yet I still think of Mr. Meyers — my eighth grade history teacher — whenever I’m faced with the horrors of public speaking. He taught me the mantra “loud, clear, and slow.” Simplistic enough, but key in keeping me calm. And then there’s Burton Klein, an adjunct professor at TCNJ who, 11 years ago, happened to be the first to teach me about cover letters. Now, well, they’re sort of my thing. It’s been years since I’ve been in contact with either of these people, yet they still loom large in my mind. And then there’s Sue Shapiro, well-known in NYC media circles for her generosity and no-nonsense teaching methods. I took post-college classes with her at both the New School and through Mediabistro, and consider her to be one of my freelance writing gurus. Though I only e-mail her every once in a blue moon, it’s nice to know she’s there if I need her.

Still working toward a degree, or even just taking non-credit, post-college classes in order to hone your skills? Keep your eyes open for mentor options. If you find that you click with one of your profs, the relationship could be well worth cultivating beyond the end of the semester. Just remember that you’re not the only one vying for his or her attention.

2. At your internship.

Sure, you’re there to beef up your resume and gain some much-needed experience. But don’t miss out on the opportunity to also ask your internship adviser some hard-hitting questions about the industry. After proving yourself to be the super-intern, ask your adviser if they have time to chat, or offer to take them to lunch in exchange for the chance to pick their brain. If you prove your mettle at the very bottom of the ladder, they may be willing to help you move up a few rungs once your internship has come to an end.

3. Via informational interviews.

When exploring possible career paths, it can help to target those already in the industry for informational interviews. Draw up a list of your dream companies, and then utilize the company’s website, or perhaps even LinkedIn, to find people who might be willing to talk to you. If you land an interview, use your time together to gather information about their personal experiences within the industry, rather than acting on the assumption that they can — or want to — give you a job. If they’re impressed enough by your initiative, they might be willing and able to help you out in the future. But remember: You career success is not their responsibility.

4. On the job.

So you’re on staff somewhere. I’m going to assume you don’t plan on being there forever. Just as I suggested with internships, try to pick your superior’s brain. The best bosses will feel invested in helping you grow as a professional.

5. Among your peers.

You have just as much to learn from your freelance colleagues as you do from the editors and clients giving you work. Case in point: In running this blog, and in being active on Twitter, I’ve connected with so many fabulous freelancers. And in so doing, I have learned so much. Because, obviously, despite all the preparation, I didn’t jump into full-time freelancing knowing everything there is to know about it. Some things you can only learn by doing. And other things you can only learn from those who have already been toiling away in the trenches. Thank god for all the freelancers out there who were willing to share their experiences, tips, and contacts with me. The very first freelancer I met through Freelancedom was The Urban Muse’s Susan Johnston. I continue to be a bit in awe of her success as a freelancer, and most definitely consider her not only a colleague but a mentor.

6. On your bookshelf.

It was The Anti 9-to-5 Guide that led me to pursue full-time freelancing and, when author Michelle Goodman followed it up with My So-Called Freelance Life, I decided she was the She-Ra of Freelancing. Had I never come into contact with Goodman, I still would have considered her a mentor. Her books are dog-eared beyond belief and, in tandem, operate as my Official Freelance Bible. Still, it seems that not all author-heroes are out of reach, and I eventually connected with Goodman through an online writers’ group. I still feel all ridiculously fan-girl when I see a personal e-mail from her in my inbox. Like: Really? We’re peers now? It’s like receiving correspondence from Barbara Kingsolver (as if). So don’t discredit the possibility that the person behind your favorite how-to might be responsive to your questions. And even if they are out of reach, their books still have much wisdom to impart.

So who’s part of your mentor posse, and how did you first connect?

Related: My 5 Favorite Things In: Test-Drive Your Dream Job