Bag of Writing Tips

Here's a nicely mixed bag of tips for successful writing.  These links comprise some of the fundamental resources I've hoarded throughout this blog's life.  Before I delete them from the "Drafts" I will gather them into posts. Make note of these resources and mine them for yourself:

Ed 2010 is the place to go for, as Ed says, "your magazine dream job." The WhisperJobs is it's great feature, and now a message board is functioning. Ed's blog seems to have died out a couple of years ago, possibly around the time Ed joined Twitter as @Ed2010news. Do we see a what's what here? BLOG Twitter.

Allen & Unwin is an Australian book publisher with a very useful service called The Writing Center. I especially like the Writers on Writing section.  They currently feature a Q & A with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Committed and Eat, Pray, Love.

Chris Gobel's Writing Help Page displays his to ten list of "no-no" hints for writing in general.  Some of the links may be outdated, but the easily- understood guidance is evergreen.  This is part of his website, HUMDINGER LITERARY E-ZINE: All kinds of writing for all kinds of readers. This site is now an archive, nay, a treasure, to be plundered systematically for all it's worth.

Another deep, deep resource is the English Usage FAQ Home Page of http://www.yaelf.com/ -- also housing the FAQ page for the old alt.usage.english Usenet group (anybody here old enough to have belonged to Usenet groups?  Waaaay back, predating the World Wide Web.) It might be easier to use this huge website via its site map.

Just as the classics become references to have at hand, while experts and authorities take up more techy methods to communicate, A Writer's Edge Blog will remain right here, while I continue on Twitter. Also available via RSS.

GLHancock 4,801 tweets

Listen to this article

e-Reader Magazines Ahead

Magazine publishers are prepping for tiny formats. A lack of good e-readers for magazines isn't stopping them. They are trying to stay one step ahead by readying small format digital versions of their offerings. A digital newsstand just for magazines is coming out in a few weeks, according to MediaWeek.com's e-Reader Mania Hits Magazine Publishing:

Condé Nast last week showed off what an imagined e-reader version of its glossies would look like, starting with Wired. And Time Inc. is developing e-reader versions of such titles as Time and Sports Illustrated; it’s expected to introduce those iterations early next year.

The article mentions other upcoming editorial products that will soon arrive on small media readers, such as the iPhone.

I've read New York Times' stories on a friend's iPhone. It was surprisingly easy on the eyes, but what I'm wondering is how this will affect writers and editors? Are publishers just going to pour the digitized copy into the applications or will writers need to learn a new, more concise method of preparing stories. Or will editors regain their positions of actually working with words? Will this revolution create more employment or continue the trend of consolidation and layoffs?

Just when we're anguishing over languishing magazines, hope pokes over the horizon.

Listen to this article

Editing Importance

Fired for fancy fonts? According to the NZ Herald, "an Auckland accountant was sacked for sending 'confrontational' emails with words in red, in bold and in capital letters." Apparently, we need to add "courtesy" and good editing to the call for electronic etiquette.

All was not lost for Vicki Walker, for the country's Employment Relations Authority ruled against her employer, ProCare. An authority member explained: "ProCare did not have a style or etiquette guide for employees using email, so it was not clear what was regarded as unacceptable communication." Still, Walker spent thousands suing her former employer and was out of work for 13 weeks.

When you email co-workers DO NOT SHOUT at them. Or me.

Listen to this article

Magazine Freelancing

Every once in a while I visit Ed2010.com to check out the Helpful Links list. This time I puzzled over the first set of resources. What are these, scandal sheets? I'd only heard of Gawker:

• Jossip
• Gawker
• Gothamist
• iwantmedia
• The Kicker
• Romenesko

It was the magazine list I wanted to review. Just for fun, I looked at ones for which I'd written: Bon Appetit, Family Circle, Harper's, Redbook -- yes, still in business if having a website counts. Many others weren't even listed. It was when I reached YM that a jolt came. The link redirects to a site for Teen Vogue with this notice:

If you're on this page, you most likely came from one of our sister sites, YM.com or Flip.com. Unfortunately, both YM and Flip are no longer being published. In their place, we invite you to explore Teen Vogue magazine and TeenVogue.com.

Magazines have always come and gone like fashion fads, but it's sad to see some old standards MIA (or DOA). Of course, I have Reader's Digest and it's recent bankruptcy filing in mind. Yes, I sold a piece to them, too, in the late 1960s.

Magazine freelancing is a fast-paced kind of work. You must pay attention to all sorts of details, as well as the [cliché alert!] big picture. I recommend following sites/feeds/pubs like Publishers Weekly and Mediabistro to help keep up. Or better yet, set up Google and Yahoo alerts for news about changes in the magazine publishing world. Even Ed's on Twitter (and seems to have abandoned his blog). See http://twitter.com/ed2010news for the latest, and beware, he tweets a lot!

Twitter, a news source?

Listen to this article

Spell Checker Misses

Where must spelling be perfect--other than a dictionary, of course! How about on your resume and job application? On Wednesday, I discussed the importance of good grammar and spelling in your online profiles as aids to job searches. Today we buzz direct employment tools.

Consider these frequently confused words, courtesy the Pongo Resume site, which asks, Are You Smarter Than a Spell Checker? No spell checker is going to help when you're used the wrong word, which is akin to a spelling error. Do you know when to use:

manger vs. manager
precede vs. proceed
lead vs. led
diffuse vs. defuse
stationery vs. stationary
prospective vs. perspective

The Pongo blog post is actually a quiz you can take (no peeking, peaking or piquing at the answers first). Pongo warns:

Any error is a strike against you, and the hiring manager may have a one-strike-and-you're-out policy. Spell checkers are good at spotting real spelling errors, but they're no help if your typo happens to be a real word.

Listen to this article

Book Income Unlikely

Lit agent Donald Maas, Jon Talton, veteran Seattle journalist, are featured with me in the lead story at Jilted Journalists. Jim Gold's piece rounds up advice for laid-off news persons who might want to write books in their now abundant spare time. I suggest a focus on non-fiction, but Gold quotes successful author Jennifer Weiner from Poynter Online: "...I think the best thing for being a novelist is having been a reporter."

I turn journalists back toward their strengths in a time of need. It seems obvious to me that those who worked as reporters full-time to feed a family, are probably grabbing for an immediate source of income. Writing a novel does not provide a living wage, at least not until they become established authors knocking out best sellers--and that happens to a tiny fraction of all who make the attempt.

Gold estimates 20,000 reporters have lost their jobs in the last 12-18 months. Lookout freelancers, here they come!

Listen to this article

Will Write for Free

Will you write for food? How about for free? Freelancers are more likely to receive the latter offer. It's usually accompanied by visions of glory including great "visibility" to publishers and editors seeking material. Some solicitations cite high visitor rates for websites where they want to place your content, or large press runs for planned high priced volumes to include your chapter or "contribution" (latest jargon for writing for free). It's what freelancer Michelle Goodman calls PIE--Paid In Exposure. She writes in When to Work for Nothing:

It doesn’t matter if you’re a dog walker, a Web designer or a tax preparer. When you agree to work free, you reinforce people’s misguided ideas that the self-employed are independently wealthy hobbyists. Don’t degrade your profession by letting a cheap client take advantage of you.

Gordon explores the various venues notorious for such solicitations (Craigslist, post and bid boards, revenue sharing and working on spec), but also the three times when it might be to your benefit:

* as a charitable contribution
* to build a client list or portfolio
* client offers valuable benefits

Listen to this article

Social Profile Advice

To join a social site first you fill out a Profile. Before you see how the site works, how personal information is displayed, entering it is mandatory. It's scary, especially without a reassurance that you can change it later or delete the account at the worst. (I have a few empty profiles floating about in cyberspace, and one very frustrating important one I can't get changed, grr!)

Gloria Hess, writing in the Northwestern Alumni Association blog, offers tips for using a LinkedIn profile for job hunting. She says, "Professional networking sites work two ways: they make it easier to connect with new contacts and colleagues, and they increase your visibility to everyone online—including recruiters and hiring managers. With this in mind, you should polish your profile to ensure that your online image is the most professional and effective in promoting your 'brand.'"

You can read the details at Career Coach Offers Expert “LinkedIn” Profile Advice | Northwestern Alumni Association. Hess' suggestions include:

Have another set of eyes review it.
Be sure you are accurately representing yourself.
Double-check your spelling and grammar.
Make sure your branding is clear and targeted.
Be selective in what you choose to showcase and how you showcase it.

There's that word again, "branding". I hope I can coax Hess into contributing a piece on how to apply the "brand" concept to freelance work.

Listen to this article

Freelance in Troubled Times

Economic Downturn. Recession. Mini-depression. Bonanza! How can the self-employed be overworked? I haven't time to figure that out. I'm too busy juggling projects and fielding queries from new clients. Apparently I'm not alone. According to a poll at FreelanceSwitch that asked, "How Has Economic Downturn Affected Your Business?" visitors responded (as of this writing):

Business is slow, but I'm managing 35% (56 votes)

My freelance business has failed 10% (16 votes)

I'm doing as well as I was before 28% (45 votes)

Business is booming! 26% (42 votes)

Joel Falconer notes:

While it’s true that recent events have made making a living harder for many people who put themselves in the self-employed or freelance category, many freelancers are finding that business is as good as ever.

If you land in the first two categories, however, you might want to register with that site's directory and/or search through the job listings board.

A few musings on why some writers may be finding more work: as other people lose jobs, many turn to writing a book or have time to finish one (and need editing help or publishing guidance); companies that laid off writers must now outsource jobs to freelancers; former employees decide to strike out on their own with new businesses, new resumes and online businesses--all of which need copy written and edited; and already-established authors are anxious to expand or establish new websites to draw more customers.

Listen to this article

Frugal Freelancing

Cut expenses if you can't cut the layoffs, consolidations, foldings, staplings and mutilations of the writing world. In other words, no pay = no play. No income must mean no outgo. Don't be tempted to live on a charge card. That way leads not only to madness, Madam, but also to bankruptcy and/or a lousy credit rating.

The mainline surgery I performed was to give up cable TV. It was the only service I could not justify as being necessary for my work. A combination of the federal coupon and a sale at Fry's provided a DTV converter for only $10. I can still watch my NBC faves, Fox, and PBS. Now I have more time to attack that stack of books needing reading and reviewing.

Disengaging myself from cable TV provided the moment to consider devolving from using a top speed cable modem connection. I reduced bandwidth to the minimum, 1.5 Mbps, same as the lowest DSL or whatever it is that ATT now offers. Mmm. Problems. I could boot it up to 3 Mbps (theoretically) connection for the same cost with ATT. Isn't "U-Verse" really still DSL?

*shivers*

Another cost-holding measure is to continue using my 15-year-old HP LaserJet printer. I've always recycled paper (print on both sides). Most printing is for my own use these days. If I need something to look good, I email the doc to the UPS store a block away. By the time I walk across the boulevard, my pages are nicely printed.

Earlier in the year, I dropped membership in an organization that just wasn't paying off in terms of providing jobs or clients or even contacts that provided leads. Prune your social/business activities to the most productive ones, even if it means taking a year off the fun ones. Take a similar path with any advertising you may have running. If it doesn't pay, don't you pay. Some tests are valid for a week, a month, and others for a year. Don't keep hanging on to the losers, even if it's supporting a favorite cause. Paying your expenses is usually more important than any movement.

A different tack from dropping out is to take up something new, especially if the cost is zip. This year I started producing a brief periodical and plunged into LinkedIn and Twitter. The year isn't half over and I have connections with many, many more potential opportunities. The cross-pollination between Twitter and LinkedIn is fabulous. With the Inspiration mailing, I'm slowly building a group of people who are exposed to my thinking, my help, and my advertising.

Will you share your best cost-cutting measures for freelancers?

Listen to this article

Huffpo Wants You to Pay

"Jumpstart Your Career in the Blogsphere With An Eye Opening Internship at The Huffington Post in New York or Washington"

After promoting Writers Worth Day yesterday, I couldn't resist a sadly amusing follow-up about the rich blogger wannabee who has bid $13,000 for an internship at the Huffington Post. I'm not kidding! The digipub, according to Nat Ives at the Silicon Alley:

features tons of content generated free by bloggers and celebrities just happy to have a platform. HuffPo did recently start a fund to employ some laid-off investigative reporters, but the company thrives primarily on "citizen" journalism and news that other outlets spend money reporting.

In a cogent comment at Bloggasm, Simon Owens opined:

I know that this is for a charity and so I’m perhaps being too cynical, but given that Huffington Post has raised over $25 million in seed money so that it can continue to profit off the work of thousands of unpaid “citizen journalists,” you would think they could afford to just write a check for the damn $13,000.

Interested in paying to be a writer? You have until May 28, 2009 at 1:16:00 PM EDT to place your bid. If you do -- SUX 2 B U!

Listen to this article

Writers Worth Day Pledge

Today is the second annual Writers Worth Day. This online event is the brainchild of Lori Widmer, a Philadelphia-based writer and editor, who blogs at Words on the Page. The campaign is designed to promote the fair market value of writers through education, awareness, and ongoing support.

The devaluation of writing in the last ten years is appalling. Payment of a penny a word (or even less!) is worth so much incredibly less than it was when I began freelancing around 1970 when it was the standard starting rate. At that time, one cent bought a piece of bubble gum, thirty of them, a pack of cigarettes for the day. You could probably get a cup of coffee for that amount, too. Just consider the expense now for a trip to Starbucks or even the McCafe, if you please.

Low-pay--or even no pay--writing jobs are an insult. Clients who offer those jobs are guilty of abusing struggling beginners and exploiting poor populations. Writers who continue supporting such clients are just as guilty, dragging down the average pay--and value--of us all. If you persist writing for less and less, what happens to the upper end of the scale? When will you ever be able to support yourself by writing?

Take the pledge with me:

I will respect the craft of writing and neither offer nor accept work with unreasonably low compensation.

Listen to this article

NY Times Eats National Press

Well why not? Most of the big stories in our local newspaper come from the New York Times News Service anyway. Smaller metropolitan papers are struggling, changing hands, folding, shrinking and in general deteriorating.

Last weekend, I bought a The New York Times instead of subjecting myself to the usual teeth-grinding ordeal of "reading" The San Diego Union-Tribune, recently sold to...someone whose name I didn't recognize. I'd almost forgotten how pleasurable it is to experience a good, nay, great newspaper. I haven't seen the L.A. paper for several years, probably since it closed its San Diego bureau.

Consider:

* the NY Times is international
* it is already distributed nationwide
* presses exist in all parts of the country
* markets for printed pubs still abide
* higher quality is in demand
* local reporters are in place

How difficult would it be for the Times to take over foundering metro medias' physical plants and human capital, leveraged by its existing news and advertising services, and plug in local "stuff"? We'd keep our area's coverage, vastly improve the quality of the product, and save some jobs. And just think of the Sunday books section!

Listen to this article

2 Rules for Starbucks

Hi. I'm Georganna, and I'm addicted to Starbucks. Hanging at the local coffee shop isn't a total time sink, and it can be the source of good in a writer's life. This morning, lacking a free newspaper to read, I noticed a couple of men talking business. One appeared to be a marketing consultant, advising the other on building up his online presence.

Hello? I thought I might learn something, so I scooted closer.

Here's what I discovered:

1. never visit Starbucks without business cards
2. always eavesdrop

By the time I finished my tall, brewed, hazelnut & room for milk, I'd overheard practically a plea for someone to fill a need with a writing job that I could easily perform. And me without a card! This isn't the first time I've had to let pass an opportunity overheard at Starbucks.

In addition to finding freelance (nonfiction) writing jobs, fiction writers can mine conversations for character studies, even plot lines. I must admit listening to the adolescents can be a painful experience, but if you're writing Y.A., you need to know the lingo and style. A friend (also at Starbucks) clued me in to the tidbit that Generation Text no longer posts notices at head height: they put them on the ground because their peer group is always looking downward at cell phones.

A third, more personal, lesson learned this morning is that if I had wanted to jump into the overheard conversation and offer my services, it would have been mighty handy to have had a laptop with wireless Internet connection with which to demonstrate my talents or abilities.

Listen to this article

Writers Time Binds

One major problem for freelance writers is uneven work flow. It's always feast or famine, to cop yet another cliche´. Either you're overloaded handling inquiries, ongoing projects, and rush jobs or your short of cash to pay bills and rushing around to scrounge up more moolah short term.

Today, it's the former for me. I've juggled three streams of communication about widely differing jobs. Just look how late it's caused me to post. I try to get something out early in the morning.

But today I began with a trip to Starbucks, knowing some of what the day held. Then back to the office promptly at 9 a.m. to balance a task vital to a client with setting up one important to my checking account. Inevitably other inquiries tumble into the inbox. When someone wants to know right now about a potential job, it is difficult to ignore. Ah, the curse of an always on, cable modem!

If I weren't aware of every email that arrives, I wouldn't see ones I feel need an immediate reply. But then, I was using email to handle the first two jobs, so how could I not see a new request?

After noon, I forced myself outside into the glorious California spring day, fragrant with mock orange blossoms, to shoehorn in the first of two daily perambulations for my weight and health. I suppose I could have skipped the soap opera hour, but I ate lunch while keeping abreast of my 40+ years of addiction to Days of Our Lives. And after several hours of combing someone's background, trying to create a resume that fits a job description, my eyes were crossing.

I know some of you only check email at fixed intervals or certain times. Others discipline themselves to work diligently on just one task at a time. That often doesn't suit my temperament. I enjoy variety. I need it, although after a point, multitasking lowers quality, I'll admit. Lists of tasks to do and schedulers (paper or software) help keep our lives manageable, but nothing can even out a freelancer's work load. Our only control is the ability to say, "No, thank you. I'm booked full right now."

You can stretch out the work to fit time, or a main dish to feed more, but I haven't found a way to stretch time. Have you?

Listen to this article

Writing Business Pitfalls

Pitfalls litter the way to success for any writing business, now more than ever. Why am I keenly suited to warn about them? Because I've fallen into just about every one, starting back in the 50s: I sent three weeks' allowances in response to an ad in a comic book for a kit of "Sea Monkeys". The fairy shrimp eggs that arrived didn't even hatch!


When I began, it was all print advertising and snail mail. Now we are bombarded with pitches via various electronic modes, and the level of sophistication in scams, frauds, and cons has reached an overwhelming pinnacle. The worst ones prey on the most desperate and vulnerable: job seekers.

Most people know by now to avoid Craigslist, so notorious that it warns viewers about its own postings. But you're not safe if you only patronize well-known job boards. They lack the resources to adequately verify all information and to screen postings. The greatest problem is that con methods constantly evolve and fraud practices escalate. Here are some more tips to help you to protect yourself:

* don't provide bank or Social Security data
* ensure you're dealing with a legitimate company
* use a "disposable" email address
* follow practices outlined in Avoid Scams
* never pay for job leads
* follow my "Three Steps Rule" *
* avoid blind postings (no company name)

How can a job offer be a con? When there is no job, only a sales presentation, pressure to buy more false promises. How about identity theft via collection of information? Or scummy recruiters just out to collect resumes to boost their inventory for promoting their services to employers rather than offering job opportunities to the unemployed?

* Three Step Rule: Never take more than three steps to discover the identity of the employer, e.g., three clicks, visits to three different websites, three separate actions. By the time you finish the third step, if you still don't know who posted the job ad, it's likely bogus or at the least, you're probably not qualified.

Listen to this article

Resume Writing & Critiques

Hard times. Hard times. All sorts of writers are affected by these hard times. For many, and always for beginners, it's hard times as far as employment and writing are concerned. Lacking a sugar daddy or mama, we still must pay our bills. Many writers are moonlighters, part-timers, or have a "day job" and write in spare time.

Writing a resume is like no other writing. Resume styles change from time to time. The way you learned may not be the currently expected presentation. Now we tailor resumes to specific jobs. Broadcasting a general resume is an utter waste. We must quantify every jot and tittle of experience that we can. Keep a focus on finance. Money saved. Span of management. Numbers supervised.

One key is discovering what a company really needs and fitting your skills and record to fill that need. Be specific. If ever a piece of writing needed every word to count, it is in a resume. Write tight. Tighter still. That's easy to do if your have no experience or skills or a special talent. Workers just starting out have the most difficulty with resumes, because they feel they have nothing to say. You have more experience than you know.

To cop yet another cliché in this post, "due to popular demand" I am temporarily offering resume critiques, edits and general assistance. Don't forget the February Valentine Discount of 14% off any editorial services, resumes included. Send a copy of the job description and your resume, I'll take a look, and we'll work out a plan to help you find employment to support your writing habit.

Listen to this article

Tough Words for Tough Times

Smart, Intelligent, and Broke... and what to do about it is Paul Krupkin's concentrate of advice for surviving recessionary times.

I am receiving a lot of questions about jobs and work and business because of the economic downturn. I wrote up my lessons learned. It has particular relevance to copywriters, freelancers, technical writers and all sorts of professional service providers.

Listen to this article

Writing Complaints

Taking potshots from behind rocks worked well in the Revolutionary War. In civil discourse, it's not such a good idea. Here are some of the problems:

• the complaint loses credibility, if it ever had any veracity
• the recipient might get vengeful
• you may lose job opportunities
• you kiss away any hope of receiving free help
  
• nothing changes for the better
• what goes around, comes around (karma)
  

You probably think I'm referring to political ads that plague us daily, but no! It's my email inbox that has produced two such experiences in the last month.

If you're going to point out flaws in this writing, page, website, why not do so in a comment here? Let the world know I'm human. But for your sake (and mine) identify yourself. How can I take you seriously, if I don't know who you are and the basis for the condemnations. Certainly I value all viewers' opinions and often ask for feedback. But to out of the blue tell me the writing here is filled with errors and refuse to point them out is, well, pointless. I love it when Lillian, a sister editor, finds a mistake and teaches us all a grammar or punctuation lesson. I know who she is and where and how to find her if I want to follow up with her.

Yesterday some poor guy spammed me seeking work. He only hinted at his identity. No website. No resume. A writing sample maundered over his life. I suggested an improved approach. He punched back lambasting my error-filled writing and the appearance of this place. Funny, I had felt sorry for him and was going to hire him to proofread if the free edit he had originally offered revealed at least three mistakes that I agreed were errors on my part.

Needless to say, "John" will not be making any money from A Writer's Edge this year. Nor will I change a post on the basis of an anonymous message from a certain service in Spain. *wink*

The situation is quite similar to reviewing one's work in a critique group minus positive ego boosters. Just identify yourself enough to be reached, list the error, and explain why you think it is wrong. Educate me. Don't whine and bitch slap me!

Listen to this article

Freelance Writing Fees

One of the most difficult aspects of operating a freelance writing business is fielding the cold phone caller who immediately asks, "What do you charge for [fill in the blank]?" Just the other day, the phone rang. I go (to use the vernacular), "Hello!" with a smile to make my voice bright, alert, cheery, welcoming and friendly.

The caller responds, "Hi, I'm Seth. What would you charge to proofread brochures and copywriting?" First off, those are two quite different tasks.

Inside my mind, I go, "Huh?" Some writers have a fixed rate for all writing (the latest fad is about $70, but the web page that began that trend has disappeared, and I suspect the guy who put it up might be sorry. Or laughing up his sleeve. Who knows?) I'm probably shooting myself in the foot for not having fixed rates. I find each job is unique and requires different amounts of time, energy and knowledge. Proofreading is practically automatic and mindless for me. Writing copy, even for my own purposes, is like pulling teeth. Sometimes hen's teeth.

However, my frequent response of "it all depends on the specific job. What do you have in mind?" tends to discourage progress. The longer I talk with clients, the more distant they seem to become unless I offer to do something for free, like edit a few pages. When the job is writing, though, offering a freebie is more difficult. Maybe the best approach would be to quote a figure in the middle of my hourly rates and say that the cost is "around XX dollars an hour, depending."

I'm listening carefully to Peter Bowerman, author of the popular The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less discussing this topic with Deborah Ng on Freelance writing jobs and Copywriting Success Summit talk radio show | FWJRadio Welcomes Peter Bowrman at Blog Talk Radio.

Listen to this article

Get Writing Jobs

Quite often beginners ask, "How can I get a job writing? Must I have a college degree?" In a word, "yes". Staff positions on publications (including websites) usually require at least a general B.A. in Journalism or Communications. A "writing job" is very different from freelance writing where you're accountable only to yourself.

If your heart is set on working at a publication or writing regularly for one, you'd better go to school AND get all the internships you can handle. It is as an intern that you make the contacts which will likely land you a job after graduation. Not right away, but eventually. And your title won't be "Contributing Editor" but more likely "Editorial Assistant". At smaller publications a job with the title "Assistant Editor" might be an entry-level position, so don't hesitate to apply for those, too.

Another tack toward employment in the publishing industry is to ask for "informational interviews" at publications while you're still in school. You can also do this while job-hunting, but it is more effective to have made a connection with a staff member before you start tapping your network for a job. An informational interview is just what it sounds like, only you do the interviewing, asking questions about working at that particular publication, career paths, how the person arrived at her position.

At this point, freelancing may sound a lot more appealing, except for the lack of a regular paycheck and health benefits.

Everything I said about getting a job writing also applies to getting editing jobs, except the writing should come first. How can you edit if you haven't proven your skills writing? I don't know the answer to that one, but I've met some awfully young editors in recent years.

Listen to this article

Editing Jobs

We haven't talked about employment for a while, and I ran across a useful-looking job board for all things related to editorial work. The Copyediting - Job Board - Careers / Jobs / Resumes is provided by McMurry marketing communications as part of its copyediting division. Both employers and job seekers can use the service, and you can look at the positions available anonymously, but if you register for an account, many potentially powerful tools will help your job search. Some of these include posting an anonymous resume, creating your own searches and saving them and the results, creating job alerts, maintaining resumes and cover letters in a Career Profile for an automated active or passive job search.

And speaking of searching, that section allows you to refine a search with keywords, locations, and types of jobs. Or you can just peruse the whole database to get an idea of what kinds of opportunities are available where. Don't want to be a copy editor or any kind of an editor (editing comes after writing, you know)? You can still work in the industry in business development, production, or communications, as a consultant or speechwriter, or developing web content.

Listen to this article

Ask for Writing Help

"There are no stupid questions" admonishes the old adage [a redundancy to avoid], however, stupid approaches abound. Two popped up in my email this week at quite different ends of the continuum. One wanted me to quote a price for website writing, the other wanted me to critique her writing, apparently for free. Both were fairly anonymous, hiding behind screen names and using different websites' "personal messaging" systems (which send an email to my computer to go online and check my personal mailbox, in one case).

Let's take the latter example, which happens to be the person who wants help with her writing. She PM'd me, although my signature clearly states "No PMs -- email Writers-Edge@gmail.com". I had a free second or two, so I indulged this kid's whim. I presume it is a kid. Who else would be so rude? My signature also clearly indicates that I am a professional editor as well as a writer. I have had no previous communication with this person, however she feels free to ask:

I've read some of the other advice you've given other writers on their submissions, and I was wondering if you'd take a look at my short story. "XXX" in Literary fiction. I'd appreciate any advice you have.

No compliment. No sucking up. Not even a greeting or a signature! And not even the courtesy of an email asking if I'd do this favor and perhaps attaching the story in manuscript format. I have no idea who she is and wonder why she thinks she can presume.

Then, through a different website, came this gem of an inquiry:

HI
i am looking for a content writer (online) if you are interested please pop
me a email with your capacity and quotes.

Thanks
SAM
This message was sent to you by Nutrition Jobs.

Thanks, but I don't think I want to work for someone with such an inadequate grasp of grammar. A glance at this person's Profile gives no clue as to her real name or website. I did reply to her, asking for more information in detail, but I will be surprised to receive a response.

People, people, courtesy and common sense did not walk out the door when PCs were invented! Disguising your identity is a good method to encourage that you not be taken seriously. Whether or not an email message is a casual note between friends or a business letter depends on the intent. A job offer requires a formal approach. Asking a favor with no attention to first building a relationship is professional suicide.

Listen to this article

Writing for Money Online

At the beginning of the month, I offered some good reasons for writers to blog. One item that went unmentioned was "make money". I left it out because I don't think it is true. I don't believe that writers will make money blogging. Not an amount that will make more than a tiny ding in their debts. Perhaps dedicated bloggers can make money, but that is running an online business, not at all the business of writing poetry, articles, or books.

If you would like to explore the possibilities of making money online anyway, take a look at Employed Development. I'm not sure who writes it, or what the title means, but the blog appears to contain some useful posts (you have to dig for them) and a few articles that might help.

Getting started in a confusing welter of tools, plans and scams is eased by semi-anonymous Jennifer's Make Money Work Online. The straight-forward blog title is followed by a handful of useful "Tips, advice, and tidbits from my journey making money online" as she has subtitled the site. She also offers links to other similar websites:

* I Need Money
* Make Money Online
* Secret Money Blog
* The Freebie Blogger
* Ways to Make Money Online

Read the original post on "Blogging for Writing".

Listen to this article

Hunting Freelance Jobs

The FreelanceSwitch website offers a Monster List of Freelancing Job Sites which anyone can access for free. Other services on the site require subscriptions. Happy Hunting!

Listen to this article

Choosing Writing Jobs

Mark Dugas, producer and editor of documentary films, has an interesting take on how to decide whether or not to accept a freelance job. This might seem like the least important aspect among finding a job, making a pitch, setting your rates and securing an offer, but he says to consider these factors:

1. Will it advance your career/have networking benefit?
2. Will you earn decent money?
3. Will it be fun?

Fun? Fun! Who said anything about work being fun? Isn't that why they call it work?

Dugas says that if a job has two of these three, it's a go, and he dishes up a compelling example: a crummy job with low pay for an outstanding person might fly if the contact will further your career. Yep, I would make coffee for, say, Ray Bradbury, but only if he talked to me and I could learn something useful, quote him, or put his name down as a contact. (I've never been a "fan" or gone gaga over any celebrity or even one BIG NAME WRITER.)

When I think back and apply this rule of thumb to projects I worked on, or more aptly to the ones I turned down, it does seem to fit: writing high-priced political rhetoric for a candidate who called advertising placement fees "kickbacks" and told me I just needed "a good lay" -- negatory. The same type of job for low pay for the first woman to run for the state senate -- priceless!

Read Dugas' whole article, Learning When to Say No.

Listen to this article

Free Writing Mentors

This is for future or recent (last two years) undergrad or graduate students who want to freelance or work on publication staffs. How would you like to spend an hour talking with a mentor in the field you want to enter? How would you like it if the expenses were underwritten? Well, Ed2010, the website of seemingly infinite resources for budding journalists, offers such a service. If you're located in New York City, you might meet one-on-one. If you're outside the city, the communication would be via email or phone. To apply, copy the questions on the referenced page, answer them, and email them to ed@ed1020.com. Good luck!

Listen to this article

Freelance Writing Jobs

I've been monitoring a weekly, free freelance writing jobs newsletter, Morning Coffee Newsletter, from Janice Jacobs. You can get it by joining the Yahoo! Group Freelance Writing Jobs. This past week, at the end of dozens of jobs aggregated from various versions of Craigslist.com and other job posting sites, I noticed this information:

Find thousands of freelance writing and editing jobs...fresh jobs daily. Kickstart your writing career for just $2.95.... http://www.dailyfreelancejobs.com/

Find more daily freelance jobs at ONLINE WRITING JOBS
http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/, JOB FEEDS
http://www.freelancewriting.com/careercenter.php#jobfeeds.

Post your portfolio for free at FreelancePortfolios.com
http://www.freelanceportfolios.com/.

Find more freelance writing jobs
http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php at FreelanceWriting.com.

Usually such sources will bring you in contact with opportunities far from home. However, I discovered my own metropolitan daily newspaper searching for a writer to fill a major reporting position that was not advertised locally. That suggested to me that the person currently in the advertised position was about to vacate. Sometimes such staff shake-ups at publications result in other unadvertised openings worth pursuing if you''re interested in this type of work.

Listen to this article

Get Business Writing Jobs

When the email arrived with the image and message below, I should have checked the calendar. It was March 31. Oblivious to the impending day for jokes, I read as serious:

LOS ANGELES - Apr. 1, 2008 - In an attempt to spark the economy through entrepreneurship and quell people's fears of unemployment, PerfectBusiness.com-a networking and resource Web site for entrepreneurs based in Los Angeles-is proposing an ordinance that will replace the numbers 9 and 5 with exclamation points.

Joking aside, I found the PerfectBusiness - The Entrepreneur Network Events page dovetailing nicely with some notions about how to use these gatherings to further a freelance business writing career. Look up all the events you can attend. Think of them as more than networking, as mass marketing opportunities for your writing/editing services. Here are some tips for success--suit up and show up with material that demonstrates your abilities:

• samples or copies of clips
• copies of your resume
• an ample supply of business cards
• specific practiced pitches
• comfortable shoes
• high energy

Many such gatherings publish maps and lists of participants in advance, so have targets selected and a strategy to maximize your time and energy. Go!

Listen to this article

Writing Local News

Many writers just starting out in their careers want to know how to write for local news organizations. Some even succeed in getting short fiction published there. The easiest place to start is with neighborhood freebies. I'm referring to the give-aways that appear on your doorstep, in the mail and sometimes stacked at business' doorways or even in their own vending machines (sans the need for coinage). The mainstay of such publications' editorial content are releases from other businesses and organizations.

This information provides another clue to the starting point to break into writing: preparing blurbs for local groups. This is usually pro bono work, for the good of the group. But you can consider it as for the good of your career and of the publications to which you submit. Hey, it gets you those first "clips" you need when submitting to paying pubs.

On an even more local level, yesterday's dwindling "Books" section of The San Diego Union-Tribune carried no masthead nor byline of Arthur Salm, the previous editor. I would have predicted that the pages will gradually disappear, and that still might happen. A check of the paper's online books section revealed this terse note dated March 10: The UT's art critic Robert L. Pincus will be taking over the responsibility for our Books coverage. Coming soon: his blog here. I should note that Salm got his start writing, for free I think, for local broadcast outlets, parlaying that into reviewing books and finally editing the review section at the paper.

Listen to this article

Dangerous Freelance Jobs

When most of us hear or see the word freelance, we think of an independent writer. Hark back to its medieval usage and recall that a lance is a pointy instrument of mayhem. Surgeons use lances to cut into bodies. Thus, a free lancer can be a dangerous person, like the one sought recently on Craigslist. When at least three respondents for a "freelance job" discovered the advertiser wanted a "hit man", they notified law enforcement.

When I sampled Craigslist writing/editing jobs, they gave no joy. I suspect the free web service is better suited to selling objects or hiring than to finding work. In the future I'll scan any jobs that mention "freelance" more carefully.

More efficient ways to find writing work is to use a consolidator, like Alexander Kohl's newly-minted "RSS feed (http://feeds.feedburner.com/FreelanceWritingCareer) with the latest freelance writing jobs that are available online. It compiles the opportunities from 25 different websites. Interested writers can also subscribe via email and receive a daily email with the newest available projects" he told me in an email message. The feed service is part of Kohl's website, Freelance-writing-careers.

Listen to this article

Magazine Writers' Salaries

Yelena Shuster, writing for Ed2010, recently revealed that the salaries for most magazine writers is $31,000-$39,000 a year--not bad for entry-level jobs of people who don't have a degree in journalism, either. The average age of the 300 respondents to a survey was 23. Tara Cox, Managing Editor for Everyday with Rachael Ray offered suggestions for salary negotiations when beginners take the next step (up):

1) Ask if there's overtime pay.
2) Know which company's benefits are flexible.
3) Get agreements in writing.
4) Make the most of the perks like free food.

I can say "Amen!" to number three, having had a couple of jobs where the workplace reality didn't match the job description, when more tasks piled on and benefits were slashed. How you force an employer to put it in writing, however, is another form of negotiation that might tag you as a potential trouble-maker.

Listen to this article

Writing for Book Packagers

Can't get an agent? Disappointed about recurring rejections of your novel? There's another way to write a book and perhaps attain a byline. Sneak in the back door by writing for book packagers. I personally know two novelists who write books that others conceive--one westerns, the other action thrillers--and receive authorship credits as well as pay. Sometimes they write under pen names and are prohibited from talking about their work. Often packagers fulfill publishers' intentions for a specialty book or a series, finding writers, editors, graphic artists and designers to assemble the final product and deliver it as a turnkey project to the publisher.

You can apply directly to the packagers for consideration, but I must admit they like people who bring some expertise (education, experience), especially for textbook writing. The writer must fit the book in consideration, so be prepared to market yourself with vigor. This is the time to apply the catch phrase "shameless self-promotion". Find packagers through Internet search engines or by reading publishing industry newsletters and magazines. The American Book Producers Association also maintains a directory.

Listen to this article

Get Journalism Jobs

One of my favorite resources for jobs in journalism has been Ed2010.com. The site does not limit itself to newspaper-type journalism, however. See Ed2010 | Next stop: Your magazine dream job for tips on dealing with all types of editors and job hunting. Writer's Digest editor Maria Schneider discovered the site and praised it in a blog post, saying:

Ed is a collective of young magazine editors (and wannabe magazine editors) who have created this website to help young journalists get jobs, mentors, and support, both emotional and financial....One of my favorite things on their site, though is their 60-minute mentor program, in which they attempt to match you (the just-starting-out journalist, job seeker) up with a working magazine editor for a 60-minute conversation.

I think the most useful section is the detailed job listings, called Whisper Jobs for a good reason. Most real and good employment opportunities aren't advertised. You hear about them by word-of-mouth and get them often by recommendation.

Listen to this article

Freelancing Takes Discipline

You gotta love the freelance writing life! No clock to punch. No dress code. No one telling you what to do. Freedom to goof off if you feel like it. Who wouldn't want the good life? And it is a good life, make no mistake. It can have all these bennies and more.

Just like all the other freedoms adults enjoy, freelancing has its flip side, where responsibilities rest. First, it is a business which means keeping track, keeping records, keeping financially afloat and paying taxes (if you earn enough). No one else is going to perform all these business-related tasks for you, unless you hire them. And then you have to pay them, and with what? Well, the fruits of your labors, of course, when you choose to work.

But where does the work come from when you have no boss? Another catch! You must promote yourself and market your skills, go out and find the jobs. They won't come to you, usually. Or you must sell your creations, and see to it that you are paid so you can pay your bills. When you develop the discipline to operate your freelance writing business effectively, you just might find yourself working more than ever before.

Listen to this article

Setting Freelance Rates

Copywriter Debra Jason provides guidance in Setting Your Fees As A Freelance Writer. The advice is applicable to any type of writing when you're working on your own, not as a company employee. The main considerations, she says:

* your location
* your expenses
* your experience

I would think that location is the least important, and maybe not at all, if you are obtaining work and transacting business via the Internet. In that event, your competition (which is what location is about, competitors' rates) is worldwide. The article elaborates on how to use these keys and also offers a formula method, a bibliography, and a list of questions to get yourself started. I echo Jason's sentiments when she says:

Remember, your knowledge and talent are valuable. Don't be afraid to ask for what you believe you are worth. Of course, every thing in life is negotiable, but don't sell yourself short.

Listen to this article

Writers Contracts Dangers

Even when you're writing for someone else and receiving no byline or credits, many sticky issues can rear up and bite you in the butt. What kind of writing carries no credit lines? Writing for businesses, work-for-hire jobs, and ghostwriting come to mind immediately. Because so many issues can arise around copyrights, use of your name and non-competition agreements, it's better to have these spelled out in the clauses of a contract before you start working. Even then, as the American Society of Journalists and Authors points out in a Contracts Watch article, you might not have a smooth relationship with the employer.

Melanie Votaw learned first hand about feeling (and being) violated when a book she wrote under a work-for-hire agreement was reissued using her name in a rewritten form that she did not authorize. "When I signed the WMFH contract, I gave away copyright of my original manuscript, and I received no royalties. The contract did not give the publisher permission to use my name in any way it saw fit, however. I potentially have a case for "misappropriation of name," but the attorneys for the Authors Guild have advised me that after having kissed my copyright goodbye, I would probably lose such a lawsuit."

Even more bizarre is the saga of the Penn Group suing ghostwriter Lauren Slater for breach of contract. Alex Beam of The Boston Globe presents a complex tale about Slater, this publishing company and it's proposed suit against a west coast ghost who didn't even work for it! A good admonition to find out all you can about any company before you work for them.

Listen to this article

Blogging for Jobs

Natalie Bovis-Nelsen claims her blog has lead to writing assignments and jobs she might have never obtained elsewise. She writes about the experience at Mediabistro in Blog Your Way Into Writing Work. If you want to try this approach, basically she advises:

* become an expert
* focus on quality
* post often
* get noticed
* give link-love

My mileage varies from hers. For example, my blog does make money. It pays for itself, my cable connection, and additional email services. I don't find writing jobs because of the blog, but it certainly helps establish the facts that I am reliable, dependable, and most importantly I kan spel rite. Most of my work comes from the website's pages on writers' services and editing. Most of my clients come to me from the results of a Google search, and it is the blog posts that bump the website up in the ranks of returns.

Listen to this article

Writers Resumes

A few days ago I wrote about finding writing jobs. But what do you do when the potential employer asks for a resume? You can refer them to your online version (you do have one on your website, don't you?) Or you can send one by snail mail. They shouldn't necessarily look alike, because the one on the Internet can contain links to your clips. It should also be written for reading on the screen. For tips, see my free article on writing for the web. You can view my example of an online writer's resume. I also direct potential employers to a page with more details and links. I can't tell you exactly how to design your paper resume, because the needs of a beginner differ greatly from those writers with credits or ones who specialize. Moira Allen offers comprehensive general guidance you can adapt to your individual situation in Creating a Writer's Resume on the Writing World website.

Listen to this article

Find Writing Jobs

Freelance nonfiction writers can find opportunities listed in the Craigs List online publication. You can search Writing/Editing jobs in general or by specific major city. Deborah Ng also specializes in freelance job listings, and David Eide does the same at Sunoasis Jobs. PoeWar and Writers Weekly are two other general sites where you can search.

Other smaller sites will have overlap with those above, often dipping their buckets in the same well, especially Craigs List. Nonetheless, it's worth a look at:

http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/jobbank/jobbank1.htm
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/index.php?cat=free&submit=Go
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/jobs/jobs_media/index.html
http://spj.org/blog/blogs/freelance/
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Search_Jobs_all.cfm
http://www.simplyhired.com/
http://www.indeed.com/
http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/

Some of these websites allow you to post a listing of your services (most notably Craigs List, which is free). Some contain useful job search information. Some clues for success that I can provide: limit your search to the most recently posted items because employers tend to post in multiple venues and jobs go fast; respond right away. Beware of scams--potential employers should give you a way to contact them other than email; most companies have a website; avoid jobs from abroad where collecting payment may be impossible.

Listen to this article