Words on the Page

Worth-inducing Wednesday

Posted on by lwidmer

Nice day yesterday. It was slower – not at a standstill, but slow enough I could take my time getting back from lunch. I’m working on articles, messaging, and a potential editing gig. I’m also working on what may be a flu. I’m aching and my skin hurts. No fever, but there’s definitely something going…

Things I Love About Freelancing

Posted on by lwidmer

Happy Valentine’s Day! You’re all my valentines this year. No better people in the world to share a virtual hug with. I finished a large article project, one that seemed to be getting longer instead of shorter as I wrote. I started on two others, and I got some marketing in before heading over to…

Guest Post: Your Freelancer Lifecycle

Posted on by lwidmer

Many thanks to good chum Jake Poinier (Dr. Freelance) for providing this example of blog post excellence. I had the distinct pleasure of sharing thoughts with Jake over some Starbucks swill back in December. He’s as congenial, professional, and downright fun to be around as he comes across. About three weeks ago, Jake intrigued me…

Removing Doubt

Posted on by lwidmer

Did you ever have one of those two-steps-forward, one-step-back days? Try four in a row. Yesterday proved to be as interrupted as the rest of this week. I finished a large project, but another one is due and every time I went near it, another must-do-now thing got in the way. I’m okay at juggling…

A “Sorry” State

Posted on by lwidmer

I had what I thought was plenty of time yesterday to get two projects completed or close to it. Alas, the best laid plans… Another client project with an even tighter deadline came rolling in, so I had to drop things with longer deadlines to sort it out. Turns out the project ended up being…

Random Smells

Posted on by lwidmer

I had a productive work day yesterday. Since all of Monday’s fires were out, I was able to concentrate on two projects instead of the twelve I was juggling the day before. When I say twelve, I don’t mean twelve clients. I mean twelve separate things that were either part of a larger piece or…

The Encore Juggling Act

Posted on by lwidmer

Some days are like turbo-charged freight trains. That was my day yesterday. Before noon, I’d handled eleven things on my to-do list and scheduled two more for that afternoon. I had a client call, three email updates, four newsletter articles, a press release, a huge file to coordinate and send, and a proofing project to…

When Looks Matter

Posted on by lwidmer

Great weekend again. Too short, of course, but we packed a lot into two and a half days. First the stepdaughter’s birthday party Friday night, which was a lot of fun. Then we spent Saturday going in different directions as he was tied up with her wedding planning and I was busy trying to sort…

Friday Fun and Frolick

Posted on by lwidmer

Let’s just say I’ve worked myself sick this week (and have the nasal congestion to prove it), so I think today’s a good day to slow it down a little. I have some projects to complete, but I’m waiting on a few return calls, so things are stalled until that happens. I fully intend to…

My Business, Your Business

Posted on by lwidmer

Yesterday was a bit of a blur. I was here, but I wasn’t here. I’m working like mad to finish up two rather large projects by tomorrow, so my day was end-to-end work. It felt good. I’ll be done in time, but I’m one who would rather get done early and have some wiggle room…

Wade Finnegan

The trust factor is a huge one for me. Many of these "experts" give advice in hopes of selling their product. If someone is asking me to buy constantly I ignore them. I understand that occasionally they will have a book or class to take, but if at the end of every blog post or email is a sales pitch I'm skeptical. I believe writers should be supportive of one another and not trying to make their living off the community. Find someone you trust, build a relationship with them, and help each other out when you can. That's what being a part of the writing community is all about.

I also agree that you need to find what works for you. Your 30k example illustrates that perfect. Realistically I need to make at least 70k in order to afford my home, health insurance and save for my son's college tuition. If I was single living in a condo my needed income would be way less. There is not one mold or plan that is perfect. Take some advice from a trusted professional and tailor it to what you need.

Cathy Miller

You and Wade have many great ideas on how you measure what is right for you and your business.

Wade's right, your example of the $30K is perfect. But, beyond the practical (paying the bills), there is another kind of need – your emotional need. For someone else living in the exact same place with the exact same bills might find $30K was not enough.

I find that in where I am right now in my life. I read the posts about How I made 6 figures and I think so what? Good for them, if that is their goal. And I mean that. But, for me, been there, done that, but it's not a goal for me now.

Don't get me wrong – if I could live my life the way I want – which means having a life – and happen to make 6 figures doing it, I won't turn it down. 🙂 There was a time in my corporate life where that was a goal. Years after achieving it, I left to start my own business.

I've rambled far too long. But, you are so right, Lori. Your goals may not be my goals and thank the Lord for our uniqueness. 🙂

Paula

I bet I'm not alone in saying I've had ham-handed sales pitches from a couple self-professed writing "experts" with far less professional experience than I have. There's one particularly pesky person, and the next time I get a sales pitch about his or her e-book/webinar/coaching my reply will me along the lines of, "We'll talk once you get a little more experience – unless you want to hire me as your writing coach."

These are often the same folks who regularly leave comments on writing blogs, clearly intending to lure readers to their own blog (often with a slap-dash post on the same topic). It's fine for commenters to include the occasional link to their own blogs – the people I'm talking about seldom make a post that doesn't try to poach readers. (I think Lori has discussed that here a time or two.)

My own measurement of what's right for me is probably more about balance than anything else: Balancing projects, balancing time, balancing my marketing efforts, and balancing the checkbook. (Right now the marketing efforts are out of balance, and if I don't correct those soon, the checkbook could be teetering next.)

Anne Wayman

Lori, I love you… you recognize when you're a bit off base, and you're never very far, and admit it for everyone to read. Trust you totally. And those are super-great questions.

Paula, love your response.

Love Wade and Cathy too.

Lori

Very well put, Wade. It's why I've never really pushed coaching or my e-books – it just feels weird. Probably a stupid thought on my part! LOL

You're right – single versus married, kids versus none, starting out versus caring for parents….we all have different life situations. One income level won't work for us all.

Leave it to you, Cathy Miller, to come up with the most important factor. 🙂 Thank you. I agree. I also agree that your goals are personal. Money doesn't necessarily measure success to everyone. To me, success is doing what I love every day and earning the living I expected to earn.

Balance – good one, Paula. Right now, my life feels balanced. I'm earning great money and loving what I do without stressing like crazy. That's my balance.

Lori

Love you right back, Anne. It was a discussion on our forum that made me think twice. 🙂

Cathy Miller

It's a love fest all around. 🙂

allena

love this post! found it from anne on twitter… It bothers me when other writers hint that you're doing something wrong if you don't x, y, z. Resume, for example. So you don't "need" one. Find. I don't understand that, because 90% of mine clients have seen mine. But, whatever. We approach people differently. It doesn't mean that my using a resume is "wrong."

I talked at About about what success means to me. If I work more than about 25 hours per week, I don't feel like I'm being a successful mother, wife, runner, volunteer and friend. Things like working out are important to me. If you make a million dollars but are unhealthy, I'm decidedly unimpressed. Those are my values… Others' are different. It's fine.

Lori

More to the point, do they have a healthy attitude, Allena? I see so many people – writers and otherwise – who are financially rich but so busy chasing that wealth that they forget to put the people in their lives as a priority.