Words on the Page

Friday Bread Crumbs

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Jungle by Upton SinclairWhat’s on the iPod: Something Good by The Airborne Toxic Event Wow. Never say out loud how organized you are and how you’re going to finish your project. The minute I typed those words yesterday, I watched my day go from centered to scattered. Projects came rolling in,…

Maximizing the Impact

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Jungle by Upton SinclairWhat’s on the iPod: Unbelievable by Diamond Rio I managed to finish my large project edits yesterday, four blog posts for another client, and an edit of yet another client’s project. Productive and lucrative day. I don’t normally track my daily earnings (it’s too nerve-wracking), but I did…

Finding Good in the Bad

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Awake the Soul by Mumford & Sons Yesterday was a gift. Not that all days aren’t gifts, but this one was the gift of time. I had a large project I needed to put some polish to, and I was able to get through much of it yesterday. I was thankful…

Dude, Where’s My Check?

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazWhat’s on the iPod: Almost Famous by Eminem I wished for, and got, a slow day yesterday. It was nice to relax and settle in on a Monday. There were a few projects I could have done, but I concentrated instead on the…

Weekend Recoveries

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazWhat’s on the iPod: Keep Yourself Warm by Frightened Rabbit You know it’s been a good weekend when you come back to work to recover fully from it. We spent the weekend at the Scottish Irish Music Festival – literally. We showed up…

Things That Make My Head Explode

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan DoyleWhat’s on the iPod: I Feel Lucky by Mary Chapin Carpenter Busy day again yesterday. I think I’m just going to paste that as my disclaimer at the top of every post. God willing, it will always be true. I got up and running on…

Market Value and You

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan DoyleWhat’s on the iPod: Fell by Scott Blasey Yesterday was a day of new beginnings. Okay, they were small beginnings, but I managed to get some stuff lined up that will make March rock financially. Amen. I’m doing better this month, but the checks aren’t…

Easing Up on the Brakes

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Night Crawler by Diane ParkinWhat’s on the iPod: Restless Days by The Clarks Yesterday was nuts. The amount of work I finished by 3 pm was astounding. I was spent, but I had a handle on what had gone from a relatively easy workload to a massive, need-it-yesterday pile in a mere…

Shooting Your Own Foot

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Girls Lie Too by Terri Clark Last week was a bit of a marathon. I managed a lot of little things that add up to big projects. Two big projects will provide ongoing revenue streams. Plus I worked on article interviews. This week I get to put the story together, which…

Guest Post: Confessions of an Ex-mill Writer

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Cinderella Man by Eminem A week or so ago, I was reading through the comments when something our own Wendy Johnson’s comment about writing for mills. She said, ” I wish I could say that I never did it. On the other hand, though, it taught me some valuable lessons.” That’s…

Cathy

Wendy-one of the things freelancing requires is perseverance, and you have that in spades. You should be very proud of yourself for not giving up-many would have.

What that tells me is that deep in your heart, you know you are a good writer. And you won't let anyone tell you anything different. Way to go, Wendy!

Devon Ellington

I think Wendy is a success — and deserves a lot of credit for getting out. You'll note that she had to write new samples to use to land those better- paying jobs. Yet another example of how content mills CAN be a career-killer if you let it. I dismiss content mill writers as both lacking talent and motivation to land better paying jobs. Wendy obviously had the talent to create outside of the mill and the motivation to do whatever was necessary to get a better paying job. Good for her!

Do I consider myself a success? Depends on the day. Today, having just landed a year-long, decently paying gig that starts in fall, doing something I'm really excited about, yes. If I hit a dry patch with little coming in (summer looks that way right now), I may define myself differently.

Lillie Ammann

Wendy,

I'm glad Lori invited you to tell your story. I consider you a success for re-inventing yourself and persevering. You may not be where you want to be rate-wise yet, but you're headed in the right direction. Best wishes.

Wendy

Cathy, thanks so much. You’re right about perserverance. It seems to be what I have a lot of. Without that, I don’t think I could’ve done any of it. I don’t use Step #1, #2, #3 formulas. Sometimes it’s just the ride that gets you there.

Devon, you said it better than me and in fewer words. Motivation. There is so much more to being a success than just making $xxx for projects. You’ve got to want it and be willing to handle some hard work along the way. I already know you’re a success. It’s hearing about it that helps others, like me, keep the motivation going, and personally, I thank you for that.

Lillie, thank you for the kind words. No, I’m not at the rate I want to be, but the challenge to get there is a whole lot of fun for me.

Lori

Cathy, you're right – Wendy's story shows her belief in her own capabilities. It's inspiring.

Devon, congrats on the contract! Glad to see the details are in order. 🙂

Lillie, it's wonderful seeing you again! I agree – Wendy's already building a strong foundation. The rate hike will come.

Wendy, Devon's right. You had the sense and the motivation to create new samples. I think that move cemented your career reinvention. I can't imagine how you'd still be struggling if you relied on those content-farm clips.

Irreverent Freelancer

I commend you, Wendy. I think experiences like your early ones would break most people. It shows you're cut out for freelancing. I see a very bright future in store for you.

Gabriella F.

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy!

Congrats for telling your story!

You're a tough woman, and I admire your perseverance. I really like that you've learned from the very difficult and frazzling start you had and are pushing forward. I think you're more successful than you realize.

My humble advice? Don't sound apologetic, which I see a little bit in your post. Stand up and say, "Yep, I'm making more and more money on writing as I learn more and gain more experience." That's all any of us can ask for in this business.

You go, girl!

Lori

Amen to that, Gabriella!

Kathy, you're right. She does have what it takes, doesn't she?

Wendy

Lori, the articles I was using back then wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere. Writing-wise all they really showed was that I could cram a bunch of keywords in a 450 word article. Impressive, huh? LOL!

Kathy, thanks for the kind words. In all honesty, I might have quit altogether, if it weren’t for the wonderful ad from Craigslist. The one that pi**ed me off so much and put some fire under my determination.

Gabriella, I can’t think of a better compliment than, ‘tough woman.’ That just made my day. It’s so nice to have the attitude of, “Sorry you don’t like it. NEXT!”

Paula

Wendy, while the others are right that you demonstrated how crucial perseverance is to any freelancer's success, you mentioned another key factor: Risk. You took the risk and trusted in yourself and your talent.

Someone afraid of risk will never cut it as a freelancer. Every day we work with the risk of not having an employer to prop us up or provide perks like health insurance or simply paying part of our income tax withholdings.

Of course, the longer you freelance the better you get at mitigating risk – as Lori reminds us every time she stresses the importance of spelling everything out in contracts.

Jessica Mason

Good for you, Wendy! I'm sure you'll get better and better jobs as time goes on.

One of the worst things about content mills, I think, is their ability to burn a good writer out before they've even started.

It's ridiculous to expect quality at $15 an hour when a professional writer may spend weeks perfecting an article.

Jennifer Mattern

Wendy, congratulations on moving away from mills and growing your freelance writing business. It takes courage to step away from what's easy (the status quo), and it sounds like you really made it work for you. Success often does involve risks. And your situation is a great illustration of how little people value the work of not only mill writers but anyone who works at home. For those who run mills, you're just a replaceable body there to churn out content. And that's not much different than the $1-5 webmaster clients who think you should be grateful for their peanuts because you get the "perks" of working at home. Congrats again on being a success story.

Jacqvern

Interesting story.

Knowing when to quit a way that is not working and try another way, requires a lot of insight, self-confidence and courage. 🙂 Congratulations and I agree, this is a success story 🙂

Thank you Wendy for sharing and thanks Lori for hosting the story 🙂

Anonymous

Jacqueline, I was thrilled that Wendy had suggested it. It's a story we all need to hear, digest, and learn from.

Thanks for commenting. I hope you make it a habit. 🙂

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