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Guest Post: (Un)measuring Success: Setting goals to become a happier, more fulfilled writer

September 8, 2010 — 10 Comments

Written By: Alyssa Martino

I experienced a writing revelation. No, I didn’t overcome an artistic block, weeding through grocery lists and deadlines to craft the perfect transition. I didn’t visit the alps or the slums, and, stunned by intense beauty or poverty, commit to capturing these moments on paper.

Ruler with background. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®My epiphany was founded on one simple and significant fact: we, as human beings, have control.

In any profession, but particularly writing, it’s easy to get caught up in the number game. How many hits did my blog get today? How many pieces did I publish this year? How much money does X publication pay per word?

Quantifying our work can consume us. I believe in marketing and analytics to find best practices, but I also believe in writing as an end, not a means.

When I say human beings have control, I don’t mean we can magically stop the clouds from breaking open or snap our fingers and secure a New York Times byline (Sigh. If only…).

What we can do is self-determine our own attitude, thoughts and actions. To me, this means plotting out goals towards success not measured in financial gains or readership. After all, without a higher sense of personal achievement and worth, aren’t these numbers devoid of any real meaning?

By tactfully integrating non-quantifiable goals within our professional frameworks, we can become happier, more fulfilled writers. Here are a couple things to keep in mind while designing your new objectives:

1.) Reward yourself. Memorize this mantra. Pick a couple milestones for which you’ll pat yourself on the back accordingly. Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing is a fan of this method. Did you edit a section you’ve been dreading? Did you find the perfect place to pitch that stewing topic? If so, you like totally deserve a double fudge brownie.

2.) Make investments…in YOU. One of the first things I did after my first freelance gig was ask blog readers how I should invest in myself. The result was a new website, which hugely boosted my confidence. Think about what you want, not what you need, when purchasing. It’s just as important to have muses–brightly colored pens or a rich, mahogany desk–as it is practical supplies. What’s more, these investments are a great reminder that you believe in yourself.

3.) Think long term. Another excellent piece of encouragement is implementing steps to improve your skills. Think about what will help you in the long run, while still being fun to pick up. Learning something new might involve buying “How To” books, signing up for an e-course, or even returning to school. Either way, looking down the road shows you’re committed for the long haul–an empowering notion in and of itself.

4.) Give yourself a break. This isn’t an easy climb. So, if you’re struggling to get published or even to finish a pitch, don’t be too hard on yourself. If you’re experiencing more rejection than acceptance, you’re not alone. Jane Friedman recently wrote on There Are No Rules that only 10% of writers keep plugging, and it’s they who, regardless of skills, flourish. The fact that so many writers quit is all the more reason not to get discouraged: it will only bring you further down.

5.) Have fun! Isn’t that why you began writing in the first place? You thought it’d be exciting, maybe even therapeutic? It should be! Just stop worrying so much about numbers. Make your goals work for you instead of against you. Set small, reachable benchmarks in addition to larger dreams–ones that allow you to enjoy the art of writing as much as the payoffs. Free write every morning. Start a food blog. Experiment with feng shui. Hell, buy a snuggie! Sometimes, we have to stop measuring to find success that’s truly immeasurable.

Alyssa Martino is a copywriter, editor, and freelancer. She loves stories that connect people, place and possibility. Go ahead and visit her site.

Guest Post: Eating My Words

August 30, 2010 — 54 Comments

Written By: Stephanie Dickison

30_second_commute_by_stephanie_dickisonMhm00fmkld.

Oh, sorry.  I was trying to type one-handed.  See, I was eating.

Being a food writer, I’m either writing, eating, shopping for ingredients or cooking.  It sounds glamourous, but truthfully, it’s goddamn messy.

Early on, I tried to compartmentalize things so everything would stay neat and tidy.  I would do a restaurant review one night, cook up something for a piece the next, and so on.  As much as I would like my day – and deadlines – as ordered as a bento box, my work life looks more like shucked corn cob leaves piled on the floor.

Now, I am up early at my desk writing about how to ensure a moist pork tenderloin or how I didn’t have to cut my porterhouse with a knife because it was so tender.  My desk (at the end of the bed in our 1-bedroom apt I share with my fiance – a TV writer – and our cat) is often piled with stacks of cookbooks and food magazines, with overflow on our chest, (also at the end of our bed, but thankfully not also used as my desk – our place is small, but not that small) and then out to the living room and the kitchen.  I am often cooking in the middle of writing, so while I might be writing about Mexican tortas, I will have a capon roasting in the oven and be trying to successfully melt chocolate for a new tart recipe.

And though it matters little to anyone else, throughout the week, I carefully think about and weigh various options for my restaurant reviews. I try to cover a new area each week and not only not duplicate a cuisine until all others have been tried at least once, I also try to not order the same thing.

Ever.

My fella is patient and understanding. He listens to be blather on about the difference between Punjabi and Pakistani cuisine and on date nights, let’s me stop into a fine food store to ooh over hand-twirled pastas and imported canned beans.  He puts up with food and books everywhere and my constant search for the perfect recipe.

This kind of writing is messy though.  Starting the day hunched over my laptop searching for the perfect word to describe the creamy risotto dotted with truffles or the bison carpaccio that exuded minerals and the fresh grass it consumed causes a lot of drooling.

And then there’s the take-out containers from my buttermilk fried chicken review and dishes from last night’s attempt at Spicy Malaysian Beef Hot Pot, to deal with.

Writing with one hand and eating or stirring a pot with the other – this is most definitely the life.

Bio: Stephanie Dickison writes about food, travel, tech and other subjects full-time from her desk at the end of the bed.  She is the one in dress with the food stains on it.  Her book, The 30-Second Commute: A Non-Fiction Comedy About Writing & Working From Home, covers her wild adventures as a restaurant critic, as well as book and music critic.

Cognitive Connection, August 20: Growing Your Freelancing Biz, Driving Your Narrative & Reaching an Agent

August 20, 2010

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Several friends began new writing classes this week, kids in Denver started school and my niece got her first initiation into life as a high school freshman. All the signs—well, except for the ninety-degree weather—point to the end of summer. This month has been fantastic: busy with freelance copywriting and filled with outdoor adventures, especially with my nephews. But no writing. I’m hoping the time outdoors and doing new things will have secretly fueled my imagination when it’s time to get back to writing in the next few weeks.

Let’s get to the links and resources.

  • Freelance Folder What’s the Single Best Think You’ve Ever Done for Your Freelancing Biz? As back-to-school advertising peaks, I’m thinking about getting back to work. Not that it’s been a slow summer! But I know that clients usually kick off new projects in the fall and it’s time for me to invest extra energy in my copywriting business. This round-up is full of interesting and fresh ideas for doing just that.
  • Nathan Bransford How to Write a Query Letter Flag this post as a keeper. It is overflowing with links to fantastic resources from finding an agent to crafting a killer query. You’ll be glad you have this one when the time is right.
  • There Are No Rules How to Ensure 75% of Agents Will Request Your Material This post is a follow-up to an earlier piece Jane Friedman published while at the Midwest Writers Conference. This “how to” post is by Marcus Sakey, who made the statement that “query letters, if any good, would result in a 75% ‘send me something response.

Here are two from last week.

I didn’t get a chance to post them and, if you haven’t seen these already, I recommend adding these to your reading list.

  • She Writes What Do You Do All Day? Literary agent Erin Hosier shares a list of things she did (professionally) last week. Interesting insight into the types of things agents are juggling these days.

Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing and/or freelancing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!

Guest Post: 5 Time Management Tips for Those Writers & Freelancers Who Can

August 18, 2010 — 9 Comments

Written By Steph Auteri

hour glass_fresco. original mage courtesy of stock.xchng® When my now-husband and I first began dating about six years ago, I was unemployed. But I was still keeping myself busy. I was writing restaurant and bar reviews for one of Shecky’s nightlife guides. I was handing out samples at Dunkin’ Donuts and Acme to supplement my unemployment checks. I was interning at the Feminist Press. I was singing in my church choir. It was a dark time in my life, but I never stopped hustling. In fact, being unproductive made me uncomfortable. I told Michael: We can see each other on the weekends, but only if we’re working. We’d bring our laptops to Barnes & Noble. He’d type up music reviews while I did write-ups on the China Club and the Lakeside Lounge.

Three years later, we were on our honeymoon, and I could not relax. I was reading Naked Ambition and brainstorming how I could parlay my sex writing into something bigger. I was obsessively checking my e-mail inbox for my full-time book publishing job. I was g-chatting with colleagues. My publisher compared me to Miranda on Sex and the City, whose high-powered workaholic lawyer behaved in much the same way when she was on her own honeymoon.

Now, as a full-time freelancer, it’s even tougher to set boundaries between my work life and my personal life. When you work out of your bedroom, the lines are easily blurred. But I’ve been doing this for three years now, and I’ve learned a few simple truths:

1. An inability to place limits on your working hours can adversely affect your health. As someone who suffers from both depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, I’ve had to be especially careful with this. Exhaustion can really hit me hard.

2. On a somewhat related note, burnout can suck the fun out of a career you were once passionate about. So if you want to sustain that career, you have to give it room to breathe.

3. Your career is not life-or-death and, when it comes down to it, family is far more important.

Jesaka has been doing a really excellent job of giving her career room to breathe. She’s carved out time to do the writing she cares most about. She’s gone on a writing retreat (lucky girl!). She’s even taken a step back from her blog.

I am terrible with time management, and my husband is even worse. But my desire to strengthen that relationship has made me work even harder at finding balance. I don’t do vacations. I don’t do morning walks or afternoon yoga. Sometimes, I don’t even do lunch. But I do find time for the things that matter the most to me: my husband, my hobbies, and sweet, sweet sleep. How?

1. I prioritize my to-do list. I recently blogged about a friend who took one look at my to-do list and said: You’re doing it wrong. She then asked me: Where do you want to be in a year? After answering without hesitation, she reorganized my to-do list for me, even taking some items off my list completely. You should all do the same. You may have a ton of different interests, ideas, and master plans. And that’s okay. But if certain items on your to-do list and keeping you from achieving your ultimate goals — or not moving you closer to those goals — it’s time to consider cutting them… or at least putting them at the bottom of your list.

2. I set my work hours. Some people in my life assume that, as a freelancer, I loll about all day, watching reality television marathons and doing up the occasional blog post. Okay. You caught me. This is totally what I did when I was first starting out. But once I began to bring in more work, there was no time for America’s Next Top Model. Or meals. Or my husband. In fact, most evenings, I never stopped working. These days, I try to limit the time I spend on my work to normal business hours, so that I can make myself available to my husband in the evenings and on weekends. And even if I do have spillover, I make sure my husband takes precedence. After all, it’s my own damn fault for not finishing my work more efficiently.

3. I (try to) schedule out my day in blocks of time. I’m not always good about this but, when I am, it does wonders for my productivity levels. When I only allow myself a certain amount of time to edit that e-book or write up that blog post or work on my marketing plan, I’m less likely to waste time catching up on my Google Reader or Twitter feed. I work more quickly and efficiently. Which leaves more time for friends or family or the latest Netflix DVD.

4. I evaluate each project carefully before saying yes. Once upon a time, I was desperate for work… any work at all. Now, I know that an inability to say no can actually work against me. I take care not to burden myself with projects that take up too much time, but don’t offer enough money. Such projects only hold me back, keeping me away from the work that matters most to me. Here are some questions to ask yourself before saying yes.

5. I make time for date night. When you’re a workaholic, it’s so easy to let your relationships fall by the wayside. Which is why it’s important to schedule in your friends and family in much the same way you’d schedule in a business meeting or a project deadline. When my husband and I were going through a particularly rough patch, we instituted Date Nights. We went out once a week, and took turns planning the dates. It made a huge difference. What do you need to schedule in? Time to cook? Time to work out? Time to kick back with your friends or visit your family? Figure out what’s missing from your life, and take care to schedule it in. Seriously. Add it to your calendar. Your life will become richer for it.

Steph Auteri is a writer, editor, and career coach who happens to be juggling way too many things. But she still has time for Netflix, wine tastings, and the occasional happy hour, so I suppose she’s in pretty good shape. If you’d like to learn how you can do it all, sign up for her e-course, 5 Weeks To Freelance Awesome.

Cognitive Connection, August 6: Writers on Memoir, OpenSky and Helping Each Other

August 6, 2010 — 3 Comments

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®As I mentioned earlier, I am taking a brief blogging break in August. But I still plan to share great resources as time allows. With such fantastic reading this week, I had to get these links in front of you.  Happy reading!

  • Bookends, LLC  Mastering the elevator pitch Literary agent Jessica Faust offers surprising tips for authors hoping to connect with agents at conferences, retreats and festivals.
  • Erin Hosier on Betsy Lerner’s blog Coming Out of the Dark. Erin, a colleague of Betsy’s, originally wrote this post for She Writes and it’s re-published (in full) here. My fellow memoirists, this one is for you. Why? Because Betsy says, “I think it’s the best piece on memoir that I’ve seen a very long time.”
  • Mediabistro’s GalleyCat The woman who paid models to read her book Even if you’re not thinking about book publicity, you can still appreciate the ingenuity of this writer who hired people to read her book—and laugh—on the subway.
  • The Urban Muse Help, Don’t Hinder, Fellow Freelance Writers I love this post from Susan Johnston on competition. She’s a very generous, community-minded freelancer and this post shows you how, and why, she helps her fellow writers.

Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!

50/50 Post: How Are You Making Time to Write?

July 12, 2010 — 27 Comments

Blank Page. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Since fall of 2009, I’ve been especially focused on keeping my writing a priority and juggling it with freelance copywriting. I’ve tried several options, including:

Carving out one weekday per week to write. This seemed like a great idea, especially being a freelancer. The reality? It was too easy to give up that day for client projects. Or, I’d see that I couldn’t carve out an entire day and throw in the towel for that week. I approached it as all-or-nothing and, well, nothing won.

Taking an in-person workshop. While the workshop had me focused on my writing, but the weekly 500-word exercises weren’t quite what I needed at the time. I was used to online classes that drove students to the completion and polish of chapters, so I was looking to repeat that experience.

Writing 1,000 words per day. The best part about this was that a friend agreed to let me email him my daily word counts. Knowing that someone would read that number was a good motivator. However, I set my 1,000-word goal and then immediately had a surge of new copywriting work. While I hit the goal some days, I failed most. It was too many words per day when I was spending almost eight hours on copywriting.

I may try a words-per-day goal again, starting with a lower number. For the next few months, my goal is to complete one (draft) chapter per month. How I’ll get it done, I’m not sure. But I know I must to meet my goal.

Like all my 50/50 posts, this is where you share your experience. What’s worked for you in terms of balancing a day job (or other responsibilities) and writing? What have you tried that you’ll never do again? What are key elements that help you set—and meet—your writing goals? Please share in the comments. Thank you!

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Guest Post: Freelancers, It’s Time to Embrace Easy

June 25, 2010 — 1 Comment

Written by: Natalia M. Sylvester

Embrace Easy. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®We’re always hearing that freelancing is hard work. It’s hard to create a name for yourself when you’re just starting out. It takes a lot of work to keep a steady amount of assignments. It’s not always easy to find clients who will understand what a great writer is worth.

But there’s one very important part of it that shouldn’t be hard: knowing when a client is right for you.

When I think of my favorite clients, they all share one thing in common. Landing them was actually pretty easy. And I don’t mean that in an arrogant way, or even a lazy way. Yes, I marketed my butt off to catch their attention. Yes, I made sure to sell myself, as best I could, when they considered me for their project. But never, throughout the entire process, did they make me feel uneasy.

We need to give ourselves permission to embrace easy. It shouldn’t be difficult to know when you and a client are a good match. We shouldn’t be filled with doubt, or be unsure about whether we trust them. We need to think of it like dating: Mr. or Mrs. Right would never make you feel wrong.

The problem with embracing easy is that, well, it’s hard. It really comes down to trusting our instincts, and instincts—being the sneaky little inklings that they are—never let us know the reasoning behind what they’re suggesting.

The reasoning is only revealed to us later. Like when a client isn’t communicating enough, but still expects your copy to be spot-on. Or when, three months after invoicing, the check has yet to arrive.

Having been through this far too many times, I came up with a list of questions that I always have at the back of my mind when talking to prospective clients. Here’s a big surprise—they’re easy.

  • Are you comfortable with the work and the direction the client wants to go in? Are you confident that it’ll result in work you’ll be proud of?
  • Does the work excite you in some way or another? (Maybe the subject matter isn’t your favorite, but the format is something you’ve been meaning to break into, for example.)
  • Do you see the fact that your brand will be associated with this client as a good thing?
  • If they’re a new company, do they seem to have their business in order? (Or do they say things like, their target audience is everyone and that they’ll be making a billion dollars in profits by next year?)
  • When you discuss their needs, does the client respect your point of view?
  • When you quote them, do they try to talk down your prices?

And finally, the most important question of all, vague as it might be…

Do you and the client click?

What about you? In what other ways do you think the process could be made easier?

Natalia M. Sylvester is a copywriter and editor based in Austin, Texas. She blogs about words and writing at http://www.inkyclean.com/soapbox_blog and gets even nerdier on Twitter: @InkyClean.

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Guest Post: Facebook Pages, and Why Every Business Should Have Them

June 23, 2010 — 4 Comments

Written by: Laura Espinosa

A while back, Jesaka wrote a post about Entrepreneurial marketing, and how using social sites like Facebook and Twitter can really grow your business.

I’m going to take it one step further and expand on the topic of Facebook fan pages for those of you who have them or are thinking of creating them.

Facebook LogoWhile you can do quite a bit of subtle promotion on your personal Facebook profile, there are some posts that you just cannot make. For instance, if you are running a discount sale for your services, it’d be considered a little spammy to your nearest and dearest to get status updates not on you, but on your business for the entire length of the promotion. Personal profiles should be for what it’s designed for: personal updates on what you’re doing right now.

That being said, a fan page is a perfect venue for the many things you can’t post on your profile (without annoying people). People who like your fan page are there because of one reason: they want to be kept up to date with your business. Sure they wouldn’t mind a personal post on yourself as the owner every now and then, and I encourage it to show off your personality. But they are mainly there to get updates on your products and your services. So you are free to promote to your heart’s content.

Some of the benefits of creating your own page are:

  • It’s public: You have to log in to facebook to view individual profiles, but fan pages are public and searchable. So non-Facebook users can still find your business.
  • You can send mass updates to all your fans: It’s almost like having an email list, but on Facebook. You can send out personal messages that are more in-depth than a wall post will allow, and you can even turn this into a regular newsletter to all your fans.
  • It’s extremely customizable: For something that’s entirely free, you can create almost a mini-website with Facebook’s custom FBML tabs. Check out what companies like Adidas and Victoria’s Secret have done with it. You don’t have to go nearly as over the top. But the point is that you could.If you’re tech savy, you can learn Facebook’s markup language and program some of the tabs yourself, or use some of the free apps available to customize your look. If you don’t want to deal with that, hire someone to do the programming for you.

Facebook fan pages are a great way to differentiate yourself and reach new people outside of your sphere of influence. As well as demonstrate your expertise by the quality of posts and links that you provide on your wall. You can even start discussions on your fan page and interact with your prospects, making your fan page a place people want to visit again and again.

How about you? Are you thinking of setting up a fan page for your business, or have one already?

Laura Espinosa is a freelance copywriter and WordPress website developer who recently joined forces with Holly Jackson over at CottageCopy.com, where she now blogs about how running your own business sometimes means foregoing clean clothes. You can follow her random musing on Twitter(@thecopycorner), or check out Cottage Copy’s fan page over on Facebook.

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