Networking Tips for Shy Writers: Three Steps to Success

If you're a writer, you likely want to make a living from your craft, but the idea of networking to market your skills or work may seem too intimidating for you.  As a shy writer, I've had to develop the skills to connect with others to promote my work.  Here are three quick tips to get you started.

Be No One Else But Yourself

Much of Western business culture is biased towards extroverts. It seems that you need to be outgoing, charming, and charismatic to really make it big.  For a shy writer, this belief is not only intimidating, it's repulsive.  It seems that we must become someone other than who we are to succeed.  That creates an understandable resistance to the whole idea of making a living from writing.

Writers thrive most whenever they express themselves authentically.  That's why it's important to walk into every networking event as yourself.  If you're shy, be shy. If you hate small talk, don't do small talk.  Simply be yourself in every interaction you have when meeting others to promote your work.

Of course, you may be asking "how can I be myself and still be sociable enough to succeed at networking?"  The best way to defeat your anxieties about networking for your writing is to actually go and do it, as yourself.   

Attend Two Networking Events a Month

In the same way that you didn't have to take a class in order to learn how to ride a bicycle, the best way to learn networking is to just do it.  Find two open networking events happening this month in your local area, and then go to them.  Ideally, space them two weeks apart so you can establish a rhythm to your routine.

A great resource for finding these events is Meetup.com.  This is a site designed to connect like-minded individuals, so if you're a writer, look for writer's guilds, book clubs, and marketing groups to start.

If this idea stirs up your anxiety, then this should calm you: when you go, you don't have to talk to anyone. What you're doing is learning through immersion. Show up without attachment to any particular outcome.  Your only goal is to get in the room.

At these events, you don't need to invent an icebreaker. Everyone is there for the same reason you are: to connect with others in business, so feel free to walk up to anyone and just say "hi". For that same reason, you may not have to do anything to have someone come up to you.  As with riding a bike, you'll get used to networking with practice.  Let your connections happen naturally, and be gentle with yourself. 

Learn From The Experts

As critical as learning by doing is, don't forget to read up on what the experts have to say about connecting with people. I recommend Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People, the cardinal guide on communication for business and pleasure.  Another great read is Nicholas Boothman's How to Make Someone Like You in 90 Seconds or Less, which uses an approach based on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).


Jody Aberdeen is a freelance writer and the author of the sci-fi romance Convergence.  You can visit his page at www.jodyaberdeen.com or his blog, Another Odd Place For A Hill.  
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Writer Dad Comes Clean

by Rob Hines

Friends, I have relapsed.  I tried.  I really did.  I even started drinking coffee to make it easier, but I still did it.

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I slept in.

At the beginning of November, I resolved to make a change.  It was a change that will be crucial to my writing success going forward, and I was so optimistic about my success, but I’m struggling.

Son of Writer Dad

Here’s my story.  I’m a dad, and a proud, excited dad at that.  I find it fascinating to watch my son grow up as he approaches his second birthday.  Unfortunately, being proud and excited and fascinated every day has made it incredibly difficult to write.  My days have steadily consisted of 8 hours of my day job, followed by 4-5 hours of kid/wife time, followed by sleep.

What to do?  What to do?

Well, I can’t lose the day job, or else I lose the family time, and half of my possessions.

I really don’t want to lose the family time, and I’d probably resent the writing if I did.

That leaves sleep.  Yeah, I can lose some sleep, right?  No sweat.  I’ll just get up earlier every day.

Easier said than done.

Being a very introspective person, I analyzed my tendency to stay in bed as long as possible in the morning.  Eventually, I realized my morning snoozefest was a habit, just like a morning smoke or a morning drink.  I was addicted to sleep.  I had previously tried to make some major changes to this along with my other habits of inactivity, but I failed miserably every time.  Why?  Because I was trying to change everything at once.  I forced myself to either get up early or stay up late and then I’d force any number of other ambitious activities into that time.  Whether I tried to write, exercise, or rearrange my comic book collection alphabetically, I was determined to change everything in my life at once.

That…was…stupid.  And it didn't work.

A few weeks ago, I did some research on changing habits because if I wanted to write and be productive, I had to make time to do it and that meant breaking my sleep habit.  I learned that the key to habit-changing is simple.  Change one thing at a time.  If I want to make more time to write and get in shape and be more organized, I have to get used to making more time first.  Once I’m accustomed to having those extra hours, VOILA, I’ll have writing time!  Maybe I can even do a few push-ups here and there too.

Yes, Carrie, you're right.
I will never doubt you or coffee again.

On November 1, I started consciously getting out of bed no later than 6:30 am, with only one “free day” when I slept in on purpose as a reward for my efforts (rewards are important to reinforcing new habits, by the way).  It was working.  With the help of my new affection for coffee (excessively flavored, creamed and sugared coffee, but coffee nonetheless), I was getting up early and feeling very heroic.  I didn't force myself to do anything except meet a specific wake-up time and I let that be my success.  I created the opportunity to feel good about doing something right without letting negative thoughts creep in about the many things I still need to do.  I may have even patted myself on the back once or twice.

But Tuesday, November 13, I relapsed.  I couldn't drag myself out of bed.  I don’t even remember how I rationalized it, but my evil, selfish brain convinced me to sleep in until I had to get ready for the day job.  I've written about the brain before and how it can conspire against writers, but I still get tricked from time to time.  My brain loves to talk me into all kinds of destructive behavior.  Nothing cool or even YouTube-worthy, but enough to sidetrack me from being productive.  That morning, it just wanted to sleep and “to hell with your little experiment!”  I was too weak to fight the urge.

At first, I was disgusted.  I was ashamed of my weakness.  But here’s the thing.  If changing a habit like this was easy, I wouldn't need to focus so much of my brainspace on it.  I wouldn't have gone out of my way to research better ways to wake up (coffee, for example).  If this was easy, I certainly wouldn't be writing a blog article about it.  Making a change like this is hard.  I accept that, and I want to assure any readers who are having similar problems finding time to write that you may have similar struggles.  It’s okay.  

Tomorrow morning, we get another chance.

Tomorrow, we all get another chance.  Those of you beating yourself up for not writing enough each day, you get another chance.  Those of you who don’t think you’re networking enough, you get another chance.

Wow, I feel like Oprah right now, but it’s true.  We all get another chance when we stumble.  I've picked probably one of the toughest life stages to become a writer.  I work full time with a school-teacher wife and a toddler son.  Am I insane?  Yeah, maybe.

But no matter what, tomorrow I get another chance to make the dream happen.

(Cue Annie theme song)

Freelance Writing Scam Alert!

As freelance writers, we come across scams every single day in the hopes to find a real writing job through all the icky scams. 

So occasionally, I'll look on Craigslist in the 'Writing' section. I know, I know, Craigslist is one of the worst places to find any kind of job, especially writing jobs. In bigger cities like New York and LA, you can find a gem or two, but it's usually rare to find anything worth applying for. 

I came across a job posting that stated they were looking for authors for eBooks. My 'THIS IS A SCAM' alert went off in my mind, but there was no harm in at least finding out the criteria. 

I clicked on the link in the posting and it sent me to one of those free survey sites where they had a few questions that needed answered. The questions seemed legit. Name, what type of book you're interested in writing, why you want to write for us, etc. I figured they were using the free survey site just because it was an easy submission tool for them. 

A few hours later, about 8PM CST, I got a reply back through email which did not label me by name, but simply said, "Hello" and then had a form letter underneath it. 

The first part sounded good. They were all stoked and excited to bring me aboard and said a bunch of jazz words to get ME excited as well!

And then they said this:

The first step is for you to order your Book Submission Kit. This kit has everything you'll need to submit your book for publication including: formatting guidelines, royalty payment info (print and digital sales), distribution info, cover design info, manuscript support, and instructions for uploading book files. To order your Book Submission Kit, Click here: http://circleyellowpages.com/booksubmissionkit (Note: A $35 processing fee applies for Book Submission Kit)

Oh gee, is that all? I just have to PAY YOU before I get royalties? 

I read on and it said:

Once you complete the instructions specified in Book Submission Kit, your book will be available for sale at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and several other leading bookstores typically within 2 - 4 weeks. You will start earning royalty payments immediately after your book goes on sale.

So basically, I'd need to pay $35 for some submission kit and then submit under their name. But...I could just not pay for the submission kit, write my own eBooks under my own name and self-publish myself...for free. Obviously I haven't jumped on the opportunity to pay them money to publish my book.

Anyway, the point is, it's a complete scam. No true company will EVER ask you to pay a red cent for your writing or submission. THEY pay YOU.

So please be aware of CYP Publishing and Circle Yellow Pages.

Happy Writing!

--Morgan Barnhart

Diary of a Freelance Writer: Week One

by Carrie Bailey

This month I decided to commit more of my time to paid writing work. Unless the embassy of New Zealand thwarts my plans to begin graduate school next month at Victoria University of Wellington by losing my passport or coming up with a sorry excuse not to issue me a student visa (like I forgot to dot the "i" on my signature), I have nothing better to do than to attempt to freelance my.

I want to earn $500 during the month of January. This is my goal.

I currently write for two publications that pay me. One is a travel writing publication that focuses on mobility related needs. This one limits me to a predetermined format and pays $30 per article with a maximum of five submissions per month. However, I enjoy a number of media related benefits i.e. free tickets. The other is a book seller's publication that I at times supply with articles on book collecting, which is my hobby and passion. While they pay only $10 per article, I have complete freedom on the topic and find writing the articles to be effortless and highly enjoyable. And I love being considered an expert on the subject of dry old books... Each of these publications I found last summer online and applied to them directly. My work experience as a librarian and English instructor did not matter as much as the writing examples I supplied.

It seems unbelievable to me that people who want to write for a living often do not take advantage of publications that will accept their work without pay. It's not extortion...it's a foot in the door. I promise. I had been fortunate enough to have a few online publications accept my work last year so I had links to provide to people willing to pay me to write that a) demonstrated my writing and b) demonstrated that other people weren't ashamed of my work and even published it themselves. However, even with the two clients I have sold my writing to for the last six months, I will not meet my goal of $500. But they will assure that I make it half way.

Why am I writing about this? Because I want to document how a freelance writer's career might begin and convince some excellent writers I know that they can quit their day job....

I realize $500 is not enough for one person to support themselves in any English speaking country I am familiar with, but it is a goal I don't think I can lose at. Mothers who work from the home, people who are disabled, people who have retired, recent graduates, people between jobs, and people who need to supplement their work income can appreciate that $500 is more than $0, too. So, here we go:

Saturday January 1: I intended to finish an article about Corvallis, Oregon for the travel publication, but instead made very good cookies and tried to design a new banner for Peevish Penman. I love Peevish Penman. Why can't I just pay myself to run it? Because not enough people click on those obnoxious Google Ads...

Nothing achieved. Cookies gone. Calculated that I need to average $16 per day in order to reach my goal of earning $500 in a month.

Daily total: $0                          Hours worked: 0                   Cost of Coffee: $1.79

Sunday January 2: I submitted an article to the book seller's publication on small press authors and snickered inwardly about the fact that I had just published The Handbook of the Writer Secret Society and was now both a small press author and the owner of a small press.  Then, I laughed as I remembered my professor said it was difficult to break into the publishing industry. He was right, but his discouragement only delayed the inevitable for seven years...

Couldn't find my notes to construct the travel writing article I had planned. I wrote one article for a service that pays $15 per how-to articles. It was rejected due to a faulty reference. I must have spent four or five hours learning to write articles that I wasn't proud of, but finally when I resubmitted it, the article was rejected permanently. I stewed for a few moments, sent a few moan-y tweets on twitter, and tried again. In an hour, I had submitted another article, which was accepted. Applied to a service for writers wanting articles on personal finance.

Daily total: $25                          Hours worked: 5                   Cost of Coffee: $2.09

That's right. I earned what was the equivalent of minimum wage from the year I first obtained my work permit...you know, back when gasoline cost a dollar...and coffee was fifty cents.

Monday January 3: Opened up a copy of The Street-Smart Writer: Self-Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World by Jenna Glatzer aka @GhostwriterJG and came to the conclusion that she is awesome! Jenna had sent me the copy during the summer when I first toyed with the idea of working as a freelance author full-time. I liked the coffee drinking aspect of being a writer. I could write and drink coffee all day, but I feared isolation... I have always done library work, because believe it or not, it's a very social occupation (plus, you're surrounded by books).

Having read into the night, I woke up late and wrote two articles for the service that paid $15 per article. I couldn't find my notes for the travel writing article I had started. Drank coffee. Later, I wrote one more article for the $15 service. Read more of Jenna Glatzer's book. Started the article for the travel writing in vain, because I lacked all the information I needed. Banged head on laptop. Started working on a profile on the Elance website. Felt bored. Noticed that my writing started to sound like the many how-to articles I had been writing. Started to loathe how-to articles. Drank more coffee.

Daily total: $45                          Hours worked: 5                   Cost of Coffee: $3.58

Tuesday January 4: I wrote two articles for the service that pays $15 per article. I had to run some errands otherwise I might have completed more. Now, if I drank five pots of coffee...could I reach my goal in one week just by writing for this one service? Logged into the service..."database down" message pops up on screen. Errr...

Wrote an article on books and mailed it in for $10. Asked site owner about the limit for articles per month and he responded that it was four. I had two more I could submit. Wrote two more articles for the $15 per article service.

Visited my bank and got a cup of coffee for free! :D. Found my notes for travel writing articles! You know, all my black notebooks look the same....

Revised a story for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Collection. Thought about an email I sent about the personal finance writing work. I included my "F-word and the Nine Parts of Speech" article as an example of my humor writing...and remembered that not everyone has a sense of humor... (what was I thinking?) Spent hours and hours trying to bid for my first job on Elance, then discovered that I had not verified my telephone number in my profile. Submitted travel article for $30. Placed first bid on Elance.

Decided that I would start a profile on Guru tomorrow. Checked the book sales of The Handbook of the Writer Secret Society and nope...not able to retire from freelance writing yet. Wrote one more $15 article on Reading French... c'est la vie, no?

Daily total: $115                         Hours worked: 7                   Cost of Coffee: $0

Wednesday January 5: Got encouraging email from the NZ Consulate in LA that they were processing visas by date of departure. Spent the day running errands. Wrote another article for the $15 service. Called Quantas and New Zealand Air to ask about media rates for my travel. Even though I will be going to school, I will still be writing about the mobility related issues for the travel site...because I love them.

Could not post to my blog for five hours. Wrote one more $15 article.


Daily total: $30                         Hours worked: 3                   Cost of Coffee: $2.09


Thursday January 6: Started the day with a rewrite of one of the $15 articles, very simple change, just one sentence needed to be added. I got an email from the travel writing job and the coordinator is pregnant. So happy for her, but explains why she's preoccupied and won't be processing everything quickly or perfectly...at least she has a reason. Made a note to self: freelance writers need very large emergency savings to support a minimal peace of mind. I realize it just would not be safe or possible to freelance full time if I depended on every publication's timely payment in order meet basic needs. So far, no one seems to do too well at that part... While this would work for people on disability who do not want to loose their benefits, new college graduates would need to keep a day job until they had adequate savings AND clients...

Wrote two drafts for articles for the travel site at $30 each, but will let them sit overnight before editing them and sending them in. Finished one article started the previous night for the $15 service and wrote one more. Starting to think that if I really wanted to make a living as a freelance writer, I would have to keep a schedule and stop getting distracted, but how?

Bid for another job on Elance. I came to the conclusion that I would really enjoy writing medical articles... But also designing book covers... And why not finance? And more travel? And...

Daily total: $75                         Hours worked: 5                   Cost of Coffee: $2.09

Friday January 7: Started the day with a quick rewrite of one article; one sentence in total. Then wrote another article for the $15 service in 40 minutes. So far, I'm having to balance quality with quantity... Got some excellent advice about getting freelance jobs from Shirley Thomas aka @SmurfGalak about getting straight to the information people want when writing a proposal. Credentials and extraneous information is not as important as rates and terms...I'm going to try that on my next few bids after I finish one of the travel writing articles for $30.

For some reason, I feel like I could almost reach my $500 goal this week, but I'm also feeling a little burnt out, partially because this is my first week writing strictly for pay and I've had to learn a number of new systems. Then, I went and spent all the money I'd earned so far on clothes for my son's first high school formal...well, close to it anyway.

Daily total: $45                         Hours worked: 2                   Cost of Coffee: $2.09

That was my first week. I earned $330 dollars for 27 hours, which came out to slightly more than $12 dollars per hour. My goal to earn $500 with my writing during the month of January is clearly within my reach. I had two clients to start with and approval with an article writing service, however I had never actually worked for the service and had written less than ten articles for the other two clients.

The time I worked included learning the systems I was working with online and the time I was actively creating and updating profiles and searching for jobs. What I'm going to try next week:

• Set a timer while writing articles
• Set a schedule including breaks
• Bid on fifty or more new jobs

Anyway, I hope this inspires a few people to challenge themselves, too. I've heard back from the New Zealand consolate that they're sending my medical forms back to have the signatures re-done. I'm not kidding, seriously, I wrote this article as the week progressed and there I predicted it...my visa application was returned over a matter of signatures, more complicated that "i" dotting, but signatures none the less. Fortunately, this writing work is an excellent distraction...

Freelance Writer's Resolutions

by Carrie Bailey

Paid work has taken a backseat in my career over the last few months while I finished editing The Handbook of the Writer Secret Society, but now I am ready to return to freelance writing.

If you haven't heard the statistic about published writers, those fortunate enough to be picked up by publishing houses even, only 5% are able to make a decent living off their writing alone. What does that mean for the would be career writer? It means that unless you're independently wealthy or otherwise supported and employed, you need to write the content of other people's publications and have them pay you for it if you want to be a writer.


Note: If you believe you're going to sell your first nanowrimo book and make millions please do not read any further, because I don't want to be the person to spoil it for you.

To freelance, you need to find people to write for, write, get paid, and repeat the process. Truly, it is as simple as it sounds, but it is daunting for some writers, because it is the exact same process as writing a novel, selling it, and becoming a world famous author. The same obstacles exist for the reluctant writer no matter how much they are paid or where they are published. For that reason, I've taken a few secrets from the handbook and adapted them for new writers to help them get over those mental hurdles for 2011. After all, being altruistic and a dedicated artist are both beautiful qualities, but so is being able to accept compensation for your work. It's gorgeous.

Resolutions for New Writers 2011:

1) Stop fearing rejection. As blogger and YA writer, JJ McCommanchie would say, "rejection is gold." In fact, you should not fear it at all, but pursue it. This is quite logical. If you get used to rejection after it happens a number of times, it won't be an experience to fear as you'll be used to it. Even better, if you're actively seeking rejection, along the way, you'll find a few times, here and there, you won't be rejected even though you were expecting it. Strange but true.

2) Change your writing habits. Luck is something we create for ourselves and there are actually proven methods to achieve this. First of all, opportunity won't happen if you don't look for opportunity or try to see it in what is already available to you. But probably just as important is that luck happens when you change your routines and do things differently. If you look in new places, interact with new people, you're likely to find new opportunities for...freelance work.

3) Murder your inner critic. Probably, this should have been number one and it doesn't mean stop revising or editing your writing either. You have to put an end to the internal dialogue that tells you that your writing isn't worth paying for or that you are not a real writer. Turn around, look at that critic straight in the eye and reply in a gravely cowboy voice, "Says who?" Then, place your hand on your pistol holder and spit on the ground, because...that's intimidating.

No matter where you are in a writing career, you're the only one who can give yourself permission to seek compensation for your work. When you freelance, you don't have the benefit of meeting a hiring department, being tossed the keys to your office, and a name tag pinned to your chest on the day you begin. However, for the right person, it is a very liberating venture. And for the next month before I start school, it's what I'm going to be doing, because it's flexible like that. Here's a few links to start:

Elance: I've heard that between the various services for freelancers, these guys have the least problems, but do correct me if I am wrong.

Duotrope's Digest: I haven't used the online submission tracker, but it sounds good.

Here's an article on Places to Sell Your Writing

Write Jobs is a site that links to many of the usual suspects...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Of Authors and Bookshops:Aspiring Writer Opportunity

by Carrie E Bailey

The Bookshop Blog is an online publication that I personally write for because I have a passion for antiquarian books, but their primary focus is on all things related to bookshops. And while the compensation may be most appropriate for newer writers, the topic is what true bibliophiles dream about... being surrounded by what we love most...lots of books, endless halls of books.

The news today is that they're currently seeking new contributors. And I am pleased to give my personal recommendation as a writer to freelancers everywhere and encourage you to not only read The Bookshop Blog but consider writing for this publication... they indeed respect their writers and value the contributions they made.

Here's the post released today from Bruce K. Hollingdrake:

In the coming weeks The Bookshop Blog will be posting a lot more content. Whether you are considering selling books online, opening a B & M bookshop, are a seasoned veteran of the book trade or just love reading about books and the people that sell them, we’ll have something for you.

The Bookshop Blog is looking for bookshop owners, book hobbyists, collectors or those going through the initial stages of creating a bookselling business to join our writing team – these positions will be paid once an initial 2 posts are submitted and accepted (for quality control).

Some of the benefits of submitting with us are:

An audience for your writing and your business, currently approximately 21 000 page views per month from over 12 000 unique visitors, 900+ subscribed readers and over 2500 Twitter Followers.  All very targeted visitors.

Links  from an established and trusted domain (Google PR 5) to your site. You can include 2 links to your site per post.

Once you have been with us one month you will begin to share in the revenue generated by the site, converted to a per post amount (updated every few months).

There will never be any fees or charges at any time. You are free to leave the group at anytime without obligation.

Your commitment and investment is entirely up to you. Posts would be on the topic of Books, Book Collecting, online bookselling, operating a bookstore or any general book related stories. (450 words min. with 1 or more image(s) attached)

If you’d like to dive right in and have your articles appearing on the site – please register at:  http://bookshopblog.com/wp-login

Thanks for your time, if you have any questions at all  feel free to use the form below. If you are interested in knowing the payment amounts – they are posted in our Forum.

Bruce K. Hollingdrake

Journal Writing

by Morgan Barnhart

I am subscribed to an e-newsletter about freelance writing. I quite enjoy it since it's a very real account of the freelance world and how to better ourselves as a freelance writer.

However, today's email made me want to unsubscribe real quick. He was mocking people who write in journals simply because he did not understand why people had to write every detail of their life onto paper. He made fun of it repeatedly which really made me question this man's true ability to write.

Whether someone chooses to write in a journal about their daily lives or not is completely up to them. Personally I find it rather freeing. In one part he states, "You’d have to be pretty self-unaware to get your first inkling about your mental state from writing it down."

This statement is false on so many levels. It's not that we're self-unaware of what we're doing or how we're feeling, we just like to write it down because it helps us get our thoughts out on paper and focus instead of having it trapped inside our heads. Writing down your thoughts is a cleansing experience, one that most psychologists will tell their patients to perform.

Not only that, but sometimes I just want an account of my life, just so I can go back and read about it later, in case I had forgotten it, since my memory seems to be failing more and more these days (and I'm only 25! How bad is that?).

He also stated this, at the very end: "The danger is that you become so convinced that your writing is helping that you don’t actually take any steps to put things right. You think the simple physical act of writing will work the oracle on its own, when it doesn’t."

That coming from a man who hasn't even done it. He makes it seem like such a horrible thing to write down how you're feeling. I get the feeling he wasn't given many hugs as a child.

I don't know how many times I've come to a revelation by writing down my thoughts. Did I think the problem was fixed just because I wrote it down? Oh frick no. I would have to be crazy to think that. But I did act on the decision right then and there. That's how writing it out helped me; to act on a decision.

To be closed minded as a writer is a tragedy. As writers we need to be as open minded about every form of writing that there is. We don't have to understand it or do it ourselves, but we should at least be aware and understand that it works for some. But to blatantly make fun of people who write in this form makes me truly wonder about their own writing ability.

But hey, to each their own, right?

The Nasty Side of Unpaid Writing

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by Morgan Barnhart

I've been watching a lot of Californication lately. Californication is a television program on showtime with David Duchovny where he plays a writer who is having trouble writing. I heart David Duchovny.

Anyway, there was this one scene where he was talking to his daughters class at career day about being a writer. He said (and I'm summarizing because I can't remember exactly what he said) "Do not become a writer. If you've ever wanted to be anything else, do that. Being a writer blows."

And you know, I kind of agree with him.

I should clarify, I don't hate the act of writing, I hate the business of writing. For one thing, nobody feels like paying a writer what they're worth. They feel like writing is just soooooo easy and anyone can do it so there's no point in paying what the writing is worth.

I was commissioned to do 5 articles everyday for $1 an article where I would write 350-400 words per article. So basically I was being paid dirt. I only took the job because I was told there'd be more high paying jobs in the future. I delivered the 5 articles every single day. But every single day the person would hassle me in the morning about where the articles were. I had the entire day to get them in, there was no set time to get them in.

So here I was, writing for dirt and being hassled about getting the articles in which put stress on me and soon I began to hate writing.

I said forget it. I love to write and this assignment was sucking the life out of me and my writing. I began to realize that no matter how long I wrote for this person that they would never pay me more than $1 for a 400 word article. My writing is worth far more than $1 per article, not to sound conceded or anything.

The moral of the story is, even if there's promise of higher paying gigs in the future, don't sell yourself short. It's just not worth it. I spoke in my previous article about selling your soul, this is the same concept; don't do it.

I know as writers we're all desperate to be rich and famous and be well known for our writing, but you can't do that when you're letting everyone walk all over you. Your writing is worth more than dirt. Don't be a victim. Stand up for your writing and maybe then we can all love to write again.

How to Write a Press Release

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by Cheryl Santa Maria

If you're a working writer, freelancing, chances are you'll have to write a press release at some point. If you're buckling under the fear of completing such a task, fear not. I've put together a press release template and included a sample below but first, a bit of background:

A press release is a short, news-style article, usually commissioned by a company or an organization. Its purpose is to attract positive attention towards a new product/event/company and the release, which sent out to various media outlets, is a simple and effective way to advertise. Promoting via press release is common practice among PR types who will often hire a writer (like you) to compose something succinct on their behalf.

Press releases are fairly easy to write because they're formulaic in structure. That being said, you must also possess basic writing skills. A successful press release contains captivating text that is grammatically correct.

Press Release Template

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Your name
Name of your organization
Phone and fax numbers
Email, address, website
Any other relevant contact information





Attention-Grabbing Headline

City, state/province, date - First paragraph - list the who, what, where when and why in a couple of short sentences.

Body – Give more detailed information about the product/company/event. This is where you will elaborate on the items mentioned in the opening paragraph. Bonus points if you include quotes of praise from relevant people and statistics in your favour.

Try to keep your press release under one page. If you need more space write

- more -

at the top of Page 1.

The beginning of Page 2 should have an Abbreviated Headline. Place the remainder of the text after the headline. In the last paragraph of your press release, include your contact information again.

(Optional) You can include a company history/bio after the press release. I don't normally add this section but when I do, I like to format it in italics - this helps separate the section from the rest of the text.

At the end of every press release, add three number signs at the bottom of the page, like this:





# # #

This signifies that the press release is finished.

If you're still scratching your head over what to do, read on for a (really bad) example, written by me.

Sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Little Bo Peep
LBP Detectives
123 Furry Sheep Lane
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(555) 555-5555
LBP@LBPDetectives.com





Little Bo Peep Brings Home Lost Sheep, Increases Productivity Among Farmers

Toronto, Ontario, October 6, 2009 - Tired of constantly losing her sheep and not knowing where to find them, Little Bo Peep has launched LBP Detectives, a private investigation service aimed at locating lost sheep.

The service was established last month after Little Bo Peep could not locate her flock for five consecutive days and it is proving to be a huge success, having rescued over a thousand sheep since mid-September.

"When I lose my sheep, I can't concentrate on anything else," said Old MacDonald, a farmer and satisfied customer. "Thanks to LBP Detectives I no longer have to waste time searching for my flock. If my sheep go missing, I know that they will be returned to me within the hour."

According to statistics, lost sheep are usually located and returned by LBP Detectives within forty-five minutes. This is far more efficient than standard police services, which normally take up to three days to locate lost sheep. The service, which handles an average of 125 sheep/day, has increased productivity among farmers and sheppards by 25% across the board. In addition to providing sheep owners with more time during the day LBP Detectives has also freed up time at the police station, where missing sheep reports have declined by a whopping 72%.

Little Bo Peep is looking to expand her business so that it can help all lost animals. "We're in the midst of a merger with Little Dog Gone, a service that locates lost dogs," Little Bo Peep said. "Our aim is to bring home as many lost animals as possible in a safe and efficient manner - to the betterment of all pet-owners and farm industry workers."

For more information on LBP Detective services or to file a missing sheeps report, contact Little Bo Peep at LBP Detectives at (555) 555-5555.

Unpaid Writing Jobs

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by Morgan Barnhart

As a freelance writer, sometimes we get a little desperate just to get our writing noticed. We want to get paid for every word that we write on the screen or on paper, but sometimes exposure is more important. Sometimes taking a writing internship or taking an unpaid assignment can lead to paying work in the future, sometimes it won't. If we're working for free, it can feel like we're selling our souls to whoever we're just giving our writing away to, so we have to be picky when choosing who to write for for free.

So when should you take on/not take on unpaid work?

1. If they have a website. Do they have a website that looks professional and already has a following? Maybe they're a start-up, but their website at least looks fantastic and they have a lot of ideas to bring in views.

2. If they're organized. Sometimes in the posting you can just tell if they're well organized or not. Organization can be a key indication that they're serious about whatever it is they want you to do for them.

3. If their topic sounds legit. If they want you to write about writing or the environment or health and fitness or something that you're familiar with, then chances are it's a legit deal. If they want you to write about how orange juice fell from the sky...then, well, I wouldn't trust them, at least.

4. If they want you to pay them first. This is obviously a no-go sign for anything in life (except school). If they want you to pay to get into their website just to set up a profile, run away! No legit employer will ever ask you to pay them. They pay you.

5. If they leave a name. More often than not, legit employers will leave a name within the posting or at least a visible email address. They're not afraid to let you know their name or their email address. This can be tricky sometimes since some employers like to keep their company private to respect their work or their clients, so sometimes this rule can be broken if the post looks legit.

Even when following these guidelines, it can be tough to distinguish who to write for when it comes to unpaid employment. If worse comes to worse, follow your gut instincts.

The Freelance Work Schedule

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by Joanna Bettelheim

Working from home on various projects affords a great deal of flexibility. But sometimes, in my obsessively-planned world, flexibility isn't what I'm looking for.

I kept pretty regular hours even after high school. They were not atypical for a college student: up until about midnight or later, sleeping through to ten and getting ready for class at eleven. Your time is basically your own to decide whether to study or write or goof, but there are still the absolutes of class time providing a rigid backbone, and eventually you fall into a pattern of dividing the hours a certain way.

Of course office life is defined by the nine to five. You know when to wake up, and you know that during the day you will be working, leaving your personal activities for after the drive home. This of course does not apply to things like Facebook, which seem to have wormed their way into the workplace as the number one time waster, causing employers to shake their heads. But basically, there are allotted hours for you and allotted hours for your work.

Working from home is very different. I suppose if I had a regular position for which I was simply working remotely it would be easier to create a work day in my living room, tackling the same eight-hour workload from the comfort of my sofa. But with a myriad of things to do, writing, researching, watching old episodes of TV shows to log online, there's no set period of time I must devote to each activity. I do set my alarm in the morning, and generally wake up around 8:30 each day to start up the computer and brush my teeth, grabbing a yogurt as I open up all the windows of my browser (at two of which devoted to social networking) and get settled in for the day.

I work on my articles, adding links to whatever is going up today and adding content to others scheduled to go out later in the week. I also look up other things I could write about soon, to keep my calendar full. My goal at the moment is to publish an article every weekday, sometimes more if there's just an embarrassment of content riches. I'm also taking frequent, short breaks for walking, just a few laps around the house or the block, trying to keep a foundation of movement in my day. Then there's the job searching, which is regularly random, checking the usual sites for something new and exciting that will pay me. And of course, thinking up ideas for posts here! It's all very exciting.

Lunch takes as long as it takes, though I could probably keep that around 30 minutes if I really wanted to, and then it's the same again as the morning, only with some DVD-watching paired with furious note-taking. Plus planning for dinner, which I have taken responsibility for. My culinary skills would wow you. Did you know you have to take the plastic off of the cheese slices? Kidding.

Anyway, the mix of work and extraneous activity is relaxing, and everything gets done. The only problem comes at night, when I could be knitting (I knit!) or reading a magazine, but I still feel the urge to work, and if I'm not, I feel just a little bit guilty. Since I always can be working, it seems lazy to not be doing a little work all the time. I think this tendency is magnified just because I'm not making money, so I want to feel that I'm actually working, justifying myself and every hour of my day. Which doesn't seem very healthy. 

So I'm trying to keep regular hours for work and play. Of course I'm writing this in the evening (posting it in the morning), as I take notes on the latest Project Runway episode, which gets logged mostly on Saturdays when Lifetime deems it fit to put the episode online so I can time out the scenes. Maybe I can't schedule out my time as rigidly right now, and maybe that's a good thing. It means I can have a friend over to watch movies while I write, or nap away a headache and work later into the night. It's good to stretch my adaptability muscles every once in a while. I'll think of it as training. Wait-lifting (gotta end with a pun).