What I’m reading: Sweet Thursday (and loving it) by John Steinbeck
What’s on the iPod: Sad Song by The Cars
Yesterday went well. Lots done before noon, which meant I was able to take off in the car (roof down) and enjoy the only sun we’ve seen in weeks. Two hours of the glorious outdoors later, I headed back to the desk. There, I managed to pound out a few more newsletter items, start a third, outline a collaboration, and get some marketing done on Twitter.
I cruised a few of my haunts – writer blogs, forums, Twitter hash tags. For the most part the writers I follow on blogs and tweets are savvy professionals. But I will say the forums are disturbing. Everything we’ve hashed out here – low-paying jobs and how to improve your career and business – are still being lamented on several forums. I want to yank out my hair in frustration. But then I’d be bald and they’d still be making lousy choices and excuses, so….
And there’s the larger issue – I see the laments as valid. There are some really crappy gigs being pushed. What I can’t accept are the excuses. “This is all there is.” To which I say horse hockey.
In the past year, I’ve had not one instance where I thought the jobs available were lousy or the best I could get. I’m earning at the rate I’ve set, not at some basement-level insult of a rate that some moron with a big idea and a small wallet has determined.
The big difference – I don’t frequent job listing sites.
Those of you who also avoid Craig’s List and other similar sites know it’s true. Your mood lifts exponentially the minute you take the crap out of the equation. I tried explaining this on some of the forums, but there are times I feel like I’m shouting into a vacuum. So I’ll just repeat here what we already know in hopes that someone new to this blog may see it and learn from it.
It’s really not that bad because:
It’s not true. Hooray! The market doesn’t stink! Only…. why is it you’re only seeing this garbage? Maybe it’s because you aren’t really doing it right. Uh oh. Sounds like work. Well, it is. But you can do it. I do. So do most of the successful writers I know.
It just takes a little more determination. Sure, you’re trying. But you’re passively searching for work. When was the last time you built a real marketing plan – something that targets your ideal client and industry? Get a little more proactive – set your own rates and go after the clients yourself.
No professional writers I know compromise that much. So if pro writers are getting their rate and all you’re finding are these lousy offers, the problem isn’t really with the profession, is it? Leave these job offers behind you, file them under “not my problem” and teach yourself how to attract real clients.
Good jobs are out there for writers with good credentials. And you can be one of them. Much of my work last year was referral work. That came from building an online presence, satisfying a few customers, and creating a reputation of reliability and skill. Why can’t you do that? Oh wait – you can. So get busy.
Writers, what signs have you seen that tell you it’s not really that bad out there?
I think in some cases, they see the garbage because they already defeated themselves with the attitude of "That's all there is". It's hard to get motivated to do something more then.
Being told that I should be happy for $2 an article because I work from home was enough incentive to stop what I was doing and try a different path.
I'm sorry, but I just have to say this: "I was blind and now I see"
Wendy, you're a great success story. :))
I was at a similar place once – I was feeling that what I was seeing was all there was. It was after I'd had a few clients come my way that I realized that wasn't true. Once I'd finished their projects, I went back to the passive job listing search. That lasted ten minutes before I was fashioning my own noose. It was a lightbulb moment. 🙂
You received a great incentive – someone voicing an opinion you knew was bull.
The best indication that there's better is the money coming in. I work my butt off to get it, but it's there.
Even some of the forums that are supposedly for professionals have far too many people whining about low paying jobs — and taking them. And making the excuse that they don't have time to write.
I'm just OVER it.
Write or don't write. It's a choice. It is YOURS. But don't damn whine about it.
I think a lot of newbies skip over the research and planning phase of going into business for themselves, and that's unfortunate. Instead they read a blog that gets paid to promote some crap content mill or they see job listings and act like there's nothing beyond the ads.
Just do a quick search from the start, at a bare minimum. Look for others in your specialty area sharing rates on their websites. What are they able to charge? What kinds of projects and clients are showcased in their portfolios? Can you get a feel for how they're marketing themselves? If you find people who are now where you want to be a bit down the road, you might feel inspired and get a better idea of reality.
And Lori's absolutely right. That reality isn't $5 gigs. That's a hobbyist's game at best — not for those wanting to build a freelance career.
Test – apparently, Blogger is at it again.
Jenn hit on a very important point – people are skipping the research and hard work to get to where they want to be. I think that's a sign of the times; people are expecting instant gratification in so many areas of their lives, so why not their career too? I still work full time at a university, and I see these students expecting to get top jobs right out of school. Um, no? You have to work your way there, just as a freelance writer really needs to learn how to run a business before the money is just going to start pouring in. And it's a lot of work. But then again, most anything in life worth doing is a lot of work 🙂
Yes, yes and yes. Even if you haven't done enough work to feel like you can command a decent price (do it anyway, but, I know …) there's loads of places to look for legitimate work (I've got an acre of them).
When we decided to redo the kitchen (run away!) instead of taking a vacation this year, I knew we had to book a lot of extra work to pay for it. And, amazingly, the work was out there! It mean astoundingly packed deadlines for the next few months, but it's possible, and it proves that if you have a definite, very specific goal (I need to pay for the kitchen, I want to add the New Yorker to my resume, I'd like to eat this week) it is an amazing incentive.
The biggest sign I'm seeing is currently obscured by a massive pile of work.
Granted, only two assignments are in the $1/word neighborhood, but none are anywhere near mill prices.
I'd earn more money selling junk at a one-day garage sale than in a month's worth of mill work, and I have the reputation of always being the one who makes the least in garage sales.
Piggybacking on Jenn's comment, I just want to say I'm glad I started freelancing before everyone was online. I never expected good jobs to be waiting for me. I knew I had to seek them out. Frankly, when you're finding your own markets to approach, the competition isn't nearly as tough as being one of 1,000 people who reply to a job or market listing.
Isn't it true that most writers know very little about marketing? I believe many writers look at content mills because they are tangible. I feel overwhelmed with the marketing aspects of this job. I'm not making excuses, but I can empathize how writers feel that other alternatives don't exist.
Wade, I sympathize, too. That's why I've piled this blog with tons of marketing advice and help. I agree it seems like a tangible option, but it's more of a trap for new writers. They don't know anything better, so they try the mills. Then they're stuck. And let's be honest – there are scores of writers who stay in the mills because it's easier than actually working at a career.
Jenn, you've hit on it. There's a lot of that mentality – that the reality is $5 gigs. Not my reality. In fact, it's reality only if you accept it.
Ashley, I have one of those sitting at home. She's just wanting ANY job, but in the past five months she's been on a handful of interviews. Worse is the fact that many of these places are advertising one thing and when she shows up (even AFTER phone interviews), they suddenly pile on sales or the "Oh, but now we're going to work weekends, too" crap. I'm helping her target her own preferred employers, but they don't teach that in school, do they?
Work harder, Joseph. Then you can upgrade to that six-burner range. LOL You're right – incentives help a ton.
Paula, I started pre-Internet, too. It taught me how to dig and how to find mentors and connections locally.