Words on the Page

Freakishness and Weekends

Posted on by lwidmer

That was weird. I could smell it on Friday. Any of you who are used to impending snow storms coming know what I’m talking about. The air becomes heavy, static, and the sun has troubles cutting through…haze? What is that? It’s a storm coming, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll know about it a full…

Friday Link Love

Posted on by lwidmer

Thanks to everyone who participated in the LinkedIn Secrets & Success Webinar yesterday. It was a fantastic presentation – Susan Johnston walked us through both her presentation slide show and LinkedIn’s pages, giving us strategies all the way. Yesterday was also a great day in terms of marketing. I had sent out plenty of LOIs…

Event-ful Opportunities

Posted on by lwidmer

Today’s the day! If you’ve not signed up yet, please join us for the LinkedIn Secrets and Success Webinar with Susan Johnston today at 11 am PT/ 2 pm ET. If you join both the Webinar and the Five Buck Forum, you get the entire enchilada for $15 – ten bucks for the Webinar, five…

Clause for Trouble?

Posted on by lwidmer

Tomorrow’s the day! Please consider joining Anne Wayman and me along with our guest Susan Johnston, Urban Muse and author of LinkedIn and Lovin’ It, for our LinkedIn Secrets & Success Webinar. The price: $49. However, if you join the Five Buck Forum, you can get entry into the Webinar for $10, plus you get…

Why Marketing Isn’t All That

Posted on by lwidmer

Three more days until the LinkedIn Secrets & Success Webinar with Urban Muse Susan Johnston! Susan, author of LinkedIn and Lovin’ It, will answer questions on LinkedIn, social media, and e-publishing. If you join the Five Buck Forum, you can get the webinar for a mere $10. That’s $39 off the price for non-members. Plus…

Monday, Monday, Sniff, Sniff

Posted on by lwidmer

Just a reminder that the LinkedIn Secrets & Success webinar is this Thursday at 2 pm ET. Save $39 off the price by joining the Five Buck Forum – for $15, you get forum access and discounts, plus a place at the webinar and a chance to win Susan Johnston’s book, LinkedIn and Lovin’ It….

Link Love Friday

Posted on by lwidmer

It’s been quite a week. It started slowly, with little going on, but as the week progressed, the workload intensified, as did the contact with clients. I’m still trying to get to an agreement with one client, but in the meantime another contact from my magazine editor days got in touch. Seems I’ll be working…

More Bang-bang in Your Shoot-em-up

Posted on by lwidmer

Yesterday was a lesson in wheel-spinning. I got one article completed, then set out to get my new website put together. The one I have I really don’t like, so I’m revamping everything. Websites should show personality, not what you think clients want to read. So they’re getting me this time around. The copy is…

Committed

Posted on by lwidmer

Wow, yesterday was a struggle just to sit myself down in front of this computer screen. I remembered I wanted to get a hair appointment, called, and was in her chair instead of this one until lunchtime. In the afternoon I worked on an article, then on more marketing. I tutor my Vietnamese student Tuesdays,…

Diversifying

Posted on by lwidmer

There was an article posted last week about Demand Media’s move to shed itself of writers. What I find interesting wasn’t in the body of the story, but in the comments. There are a lot of angry people out there, but seeing a few of them virtually lynching other writers for offering help is, well,…

Devon Ellington

Lori, you've wasted enough time and energy on these morons. Good riddance to bad rubbish. The very few who are actually writers will find the mentors and situations that will make it possible for them to survive. Let the others drown in their bitterness and pettiness. The rest of us have actual work to do that earns us a living wage.

Those who spew anonymous spite do it INSTEAD of spending that time and energy landing and working viable gigs. That's their choice. Don't get sucked into their vampiric vitriol.

Lori

Devon, I agree on the anonymous nonsense. Own your words and you'll not need to waste time in these places chewing other people apart. It's the mature thing to do.

I do this for the ones who want to do better. The ones who don't are on their own. Like you've experienced yourself, too many expect it to be handed to them and expect other writers to push them through their careers. I'm too busy working to do that. I'll provide resources to those who are able to act like business people.

Kimberly Ben

I cautiously agree with Devon. I know what she's saying – advice like this has been repeated over and over and over, but there is always someone new who has finally gathered up enough courage to freelancing a shot. Plenty of people just want an easy way to make money writing which is what makes writing for content farms so appealing to them – even though in my opinion it's the equivalent of a sweat shop in many ways. However, someone out there is just getting started, and while searching for information found TONS of it by content farm writers claiming to be making a good living.

Eventually, the writer who's serious about making a living freelancing will get wise and realize what a waste of time, energy and talent writing for mills is (and we've also seen they's come to realize there's no loyalty to the writers, regardless of what the mills insinuate). They will want a better alternative and need a bit of guidance. For THOSE writers, blogs like this one, Jenn's, Anne's, Carol Tice's and others are PRICELESS. I'm talking from personal experience.

You can't save everyone of course. I've been lurking on a writers forum where the majority seem to favor content mill work. Most are scrambling around searching for new mills ignoring the clear warning signs that these companies will NOT sustain them. There are, however, a few who see the writing on the wall and are venturing out to focus on building an actual client base and creating a business. It's a very small group unfortunately.

This information may seem obvious, but hopefully it reaches someone who is not only looking for guidance, but is also willing to get online and find more information and put practical advice into action.

Kimberly Ben

Please excuse my misspellings and other errors. I was doing two things at once while posting.

Wendy

Can we meet these "long-time writers"? Apparently, your 15+ years isn't long enough, Lori, Geez! LOL!
Then again, trade pubs and other high-paying magazines prefer quality clips, not Ehow content churned out in 10-15 min.

Lori

Kim, I agree, too. Devon's right. She's been right about this from the start of the entire debacle and debate. Those who want to will put the effort into it. Those who don't will either give up or raise holy hell that others didn't help them enough. I'm opting to concentrate on the former. 🙂

It pains me to hear other writers saying this is the only work they can find. They're stuck in "search" mode instead of building a strategy for getting the work they want. It frustrates me no end to have them arguing and fuming about how they're looked down upon for their choices. That's in their heads much of the time and probably based on disagreement from others. If they argue that they love the way they do things, then I'm open to disagree. And I do.

Wendy, I'd like to meet them, too. 🙂 I hear a lot of frustration in that woman's post. She's looking for something and not finding it. My guess is she's not thought of her approach and her market as the problems. Just a hunch based on what I think she was trying to say, which is "Where is the good work?"

It's wherever you decide it is.

Paula

Maybe it's because I'm from a long line of self-employed (the real "job creators," if you will), but I don't understand people who somehow feel others are obligated to provide them with jobs or assignments.

I've never expected anyone to hand me work. I need to pitch ideas, send LOIs and actively seek out new markets and different clients. After I secure the clients, I need to do all I can to retain the best ones. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, but it's sure better than what happens when the gravy train goes dry and no one is waiting there to hand you more work.

One more point to add to your list, Lori: Multiple clients. Don't fall into the easy habit of letting one big client make up the bulk of your income. If they go under, they'll take you with them.

Jake P

The first rule I remember from taking a lifeguard course way back when is…if you're trying to rescue someone and they start to drown you, get the heck away from them.

I'm with Devon. No sense in trying to convert the unconvertible. (Why do I think that word should be unconvertable? Hmf.) Anyway, the wise ex-DSers will quickly disassociate themselves as ever having had anything to do with it, and devil take the hindmost.

Kimberly Ben

Devon is a straight shooter, and not afraid to tell it as she sees it. I feel her frustration -especially after reading some of the quotes you shared. Some people will continue to refuse to look beyond where they are, and that's unfortunate.

There is so much junk out there from mill writers claiming to be living "the writer's dream" writing for these low-paying companies that some people aren't looking beyond that to see ALL of the options available to writers. Another big problem is many writers who find themselves stuck writing for mills (and claiming they can't find anything else that pays) are operating with an employee mentality. They are not treating the services they provide as a business. Part of running a business means you have to market yourself to keep business flowing so you can earn a profit. Relying completely on someone else to do it for you just doesn't work.

I like that you're discussing diversification. That is certainly what's kept me afloat as a freelance writer for the past 6 years.

Lori

Jake, good point. As they say on airplanes, make sure your own air mask is secured before assisting others…. well, that's different, isn't it? 🙂

Kim, some of the quotes are unrepeatable. I won't, either. Stupid behavior doesn't get rewarded with my time or attention. I didn't mind responding about this woman because there's an underlying frustration there. She's not pointing fingers necessarily as she's wondering who's out there who can point her in the right direction. At least that's what I heard.

I can't imagine surviving without some form of diversification. Sure, there are writers who specialize in one area only, but maybe they diversify their client base. It's a good way to stay fresh and not feel the boredom that can creep into the job.

Kimberly Ben

Jake said: "The first rule I remember from taking a lifeguard course way back when is…if you're trying to rescue someone and they start to drown you, get the heck away from them."

LOL – you're right. That's "Survival 101." :~)

Jake P

Yes, secure your own mask first. *makes international flight attendant gesture over head*

At the risk of hyperextending similes, it's even more like buddy breathing in scuba, because they're alleging there's only one air source and we're hogging it. But guess what? Boo frickin hoo. I'm not the one whose tank is on "E" for lack of proper technique and/or preparation and/or because I was panicking.

Nicky Parry

It's highly frustrating, and also somewhat amusing, that people get so belligerent like this! As mentioned earlier, the anonymity of the internet does allow people to act like small children without any consequences – let's face it, if they'd acted like that in front of their grandmother, they'd have gotten what they deserved! I think you hit on a good point though – when you mentioned how many say it's "the only work they can find". When you don't go beyond the end of your nose, sure, you don't find much. Writing isn't really much different to any other business – the sweatshops are easy to come by, and they flourish because people continue to work there. Meantime, there are wonderful opportunities out there, but you have to seek them out and do your networking. I don't care whether you're a writer or a brain surgeon, you still have to get proactive and seek out the golden opportunities. There isn't just some magic website where the 6-figure salaries are overflowing and awaiting your appearance.

Lori

Nicky, I want to bottle you and sell you to all the writers who ask that very question. You hit it exactly. 🙂

Precisely, Jake. I'm not the one who forgot to fill her oxygen tank, so to speak. LOL

Anne Wayman

What Devon, Jake and Nicky said, and tons of others thought – the people who snipe at us are probably jealous.

And btw, Jake's right, that's what they teach in life guarding classes. (If you think there's a brag there you're right.)

Paula

Today I guess my comment was the one eaten by Blogger….

Lori

Again? Let me rescue it, Paula.

Lori

Paula, amen to all you said. I don't think I've ever expected anyone to hand me a thing. Even clients who contract with me – I don't assume anything until the check clears. 🙂

Having multiple clients is critical. I used to have four regular ones. Then within days of each other, two of them stopped with assignments. Ouch. That made up about $3K of my monthly income. I was lucky to have the other two, but I knew I had to keep looking for more regular work. Who's to say the remaining two wouldn't disappear, too?

Anne, I don't think it's jealousy as much as it's frustration. Yes, there probably are some writers who are jealous of others' successes, but I'd say a lot of them are just plain confused and frustrated on where to go. Maybe I give too much credit.