One Simple Step To Landing More Work

January 4, 2012 By 4 Comments

As mentioned previously, December always leaves me with a nasty case of Holiday Brain. I’m easily distracted. By twinkle lights. And Christmas cookies. And the DVR. My work output? Not optimal.

January 1 always has me eager to get back to work. At the same time, I’m so damn used to being lazy, I need to ease my way back in. Cautiously dip a toe into the water. In slow motion.

This past couple of weeks, I’ve definitely been working in slow motion. I’ve been sitting with stacks of magazines, flipping through for story idea inspiration. I’ve done up a couple of Freelancedom posts. I sat down with a directory of literary agents and planned my next moves for pitching my book proposal. I sang a funeral.

But the one low-key thing that’s led to tangible progress?

Reconnecting with others. [Read more...]

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How To Fish For (Those Completely Deserved) Compliments

December 14, 2011 By 6 Comments

Still trying to build up your freelance biz? There’s (probably) no need to drop your life savings on a slick advertising campaign, or on glossy, high-priced direct mail marketing. Over the years, time and experience have shown that word-of-mouth marketing is best.

Sure, I’ve broken into new markets by cold querying and social media marketing. But word-of-mouth marketing is still how I connect with the majority of my coaching clients. It led to my inclusion in the Young Entrepreneur Council’s inaugural group of members. It’s the primary reason I was asked to be a panelist on that ASJA sex writing panel in the spring. And it’s led to numerous writing and editing projects over the years.

You may believe that word-of-mouth marketing is out of your hands (and to some extent, it is). But if you’re looking to build legitimacy for your business, you can still use those satisfied clients to your advantage in a more deliberate way.

I’m talking testimonials, people. And all you have to do is ask for them. [Read more...]

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Want To Work Remotely? How To Ask The Tough Questions

November 16, 2010 By 15 Comments

Not my pretty face, but the cleavage is similar...

About a year ago, I accepted an on-site, part-time position at YourTango, despite misgivings about resuming the dreaded NJ-NYC commute I had left behind several years before.

I was desperate, though. I needed some regular income to supplement the other work I was doing, and I was also badly in need of some quasi-regular human contact. Happily, I ended up enjoying my work at YourTango so much that the commute didn’t seem so bad. Plus, I loved the people I was working with.

Still, it eventually began to wear me out. It ate up my time. It was expensive. And, after almost a year of doing it, I began to resent it.

So at the tail end of September, I requested a new, remote working arrangement and, several weeks later, they approved it. Now, I work with my three cats laying in a semicircle around me. I sleep in a little bit more. I dabble in yoga and take daily walks. I have extra time to work on my other projects and extra time to make plans with… well… other human beings. Once again, I feel like I’ve achieved a healthy balance.

Maybe some of you are a little bit like me. Maybe you have full-time jobs, and squeeze in your freelance work in the evenings and on weekends. Or perhaps, like me, you have a part-time gig, and have to commute in to an office. Maybe you often think to yourself, man, I could totally do this job from home, and it would totally free up some extra time for my personal projects! But you’re afraid to ask permission.

How do you go about proposing such a fan-flippin’-tastic work arrangement to your big-time scary boss?*

[Read more...]

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How To Pitch: The Basics

January 29, 2010 By 3 Comments

[Image via]

I don’t typically write about writing here. Or at least I try not to. Not directly.

I try to keep my content inclusive to all freelancers, despite how obvious it is that I’m a total booktard, and a slave to producing content.

But this past Monday marked the beginning of the FLX Query Challenge, a friendly, biannual competition in which teams rack up points depending upon how many queries they send out each week, and how many assignments they land. I’ve been on a pitching hiatus for awhile now — due to my new job at YourTango, my career coaching certification program, and an ongoing copywriting project — but I’m excited to start putting out feelers again … especially since I’m a team leader this time around.

So for all those writers out there — writers who are trying to get back into the pitching rhythm, writers who have been pitching all along (show-offs), and writers who are just starting out — I thought I’d put up a refresher on the pitch process.

[Read more...]

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This Is Not Goodbye: The Right Way To Say Sayonara

November 17, 2009 By 5 Comments

farewell letter

[Photo via]

We already know that I’m a raging commitment-phobe. As such, I’ve had a lot of practice saying goodbye.

Somehow, however, I still end up singing at exes’ weddings (yes, I’m a church choir geek), and getting job leads and projects from former colleagues. How do I do it? By writing a killer resignation letter (and, um, being awesome).

While a post on resignation letters might be better suited for those embroiled in full-time office work, being able to master one of these babies is key for those who are a) making the leap into full-time freelancing, but who still want to continue doing work for their former employer on a freelance basis (or who, heck, want to avoid burning bridges), b) resigning from a regular freelance gig, or c) trying to shake a problem client without sullying their professional reputation. So please, read on for my resignation letter formula:

[Read more...]

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Step Up or Stand Down?

July 20, 2009 By 7 Comments

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I left publishing because I needed a creative outlet. I missed writing and, due to my full-time job — plus my long commute — I never seemed to have the energy at the end of the day to brainstorm and send out pitches, or even string together words coherently.

But that’s not the only reason I left.

I was also worn down by verbally abusive authors: those who thought they were my only responsibility, and who consistently treated me both rudely and unprofessionally. [Read more...]

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Resource Roundup: Sample Contracts

April 27, 2009 By 1 Comment

A week ago, I posted here about an invoicing error I had made, mentioning that I was lucky to have covered my ass in the service agreement I had drawn up.

Because I hate to bring up a problem without providing a concrete solution (and because my contract advice probably leaves much to be desired), here is a roundup of sites that offer sample contracts and contract-related advice:

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Guest Posting: Pitch Like It’s the Glossiest Glossy Mag Out There

February 4, 2009 By 3 Comments

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Earlier today, my first guest post ever went live at Darren Rowse’s Twitip, on taking Twitter-based networking from online to in-the-flesh. (Welcome tweeple!)

I’ve already mentioned in the past why guest posting is a good idea, so we won’t go into that again. What I would like to touch upon is how guest posting at someone else’s blog should be treated as seriously as if you were writing an article for New York (or, um, Marie Claire). More specifically, I’d like to focus on how to approach pitching a blog editor.

You already know that I worry about the deterioration of professional decorum due to Web 2.0 practices. I find that bad business practices run especially rampant when it comes to online correspondence.

Show that blog editor your pitching the same respect you would any major magazine or newspaper editor. After the jump, how to go about pitching your guest post:

[Read more...]

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Work 2.0: The Deterioration of Professional Decorum

December 30, 2008 By 3 Comments

I know. It’s nothing new. Work attire has been devolving for years now, in addition to office environments and professional communications.

In fact, I’m part of the problem. From the very moment I entered the corporate world 5 and 1/2 years ago, I was completely unable to keep up a sense of professional decorum. My business attire became business casual, before eventually becoming an odd mix of too much cleavage + too much frump. My work e-mails were breezy and flip. I couldn’t bring myself to wear dress pumps (I figured black sneakers were close enough…).

Still, those who have work to offer are still appreciators of traditional practices, and an adherence to these practices nowadays can make eager professionals stand out from the rumpled crowd.

After all, aren’t we supposed to be dressing for the job we want, and not just the one we already have? (she says, as her toes dig into the fleece lining of the boot slippers her brother bought her for Christmas…)

After the jump, how to retain your spunky sense of self (we’re freelancers for a reason, after all…) while still maintaining an air of professionalism:

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How To Write Your Way Into the Best Darn Jobs Ever

September 29, 2008 By 9 Comments

Back during my TCNJ days, I took this brilliant Advanced Writing class with the brilliant Burton Klein. The most important thing he taught me was that a unique and well-written cover letter could be my biggest asset. Since then, I’ve found myself called into interviews by people who were more intrigued by my cover letter than my credentials, and have had pitches given a second glance by mag editors who were intrigued by the tone of my pitch letter. Since then, I’ve tweaked my technique with the help of subsequent professors, but the lesson has remained the same: All resumes look alike. It’s the accompanying letter that will get you in the door.

Whether you’re applying to a staff job, pitching newspaper and magazine stories, or attempting to net new clients, the ability to write good letter is key. After the jump, all the building blocks of the perfect letter, plus all the eensy weensy details you should always double check:

[Read more...]

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