Tuesday, 7 of February of 2012

Tag » freelancing

Book Review: Full Time Income in Part Time Hours, a Freelance Writing Book by Gretchen Roberts

I’m apparently on a reading kick and a time management kick, because I’ve got another book review focused on helping you make the most of your limited writing time.

Now, if you are a full-time writer, don’t stop reading. Chances are you could use a little help focusing your writing time on the most effective tasks, too.

Gretchen Roberts is a full-time mom and a part-time writer, yet she brings in a full-time income. I’ve heard of other writers who manage this, including Linda Formichelli. In Full-Time Income in Part-Time Hours, Roberts gives you quick tips you can implement to increase your income without increasing your work hours.

I read this book in one night, and in a lot of cases, I consider that a problem. For this book, though, it is a testament to its concise nature and focus on helping time-strapped writers.

In her 22 tips, Roberts offers some that go against the typical advice for writers. One that made me do a Scooby-Do-style “Huh?” was not to go after reprints. Typically, writers love to sell reprints to increase the amount of income they generate from a single article. Roberts argues, however, that the time spent on marketing reprints could instead be spent on generating higher-income assignments. Total income for the year is the most important factor.

Many freelance writers figure that they need to earn at least $100 per hour to make a living. For a part-time writer, that per hour rate is even higher. If you put in 20 hours a week, you need to net $200 per hour. If you are in the 15-hour range, even more. This means that you not only need to be fast, but that you also need to spend your time chasing big bucks and fast assignments rather than the pittance you can make on reprints.

Roberts has written a fast-reading book with easily implementable business advice for writers who have limited time to devote to writing or who just want to amp up their income without amping up their hours. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Buy your copy from Amazon: Full-Time Income in Part-Time Hours: 22 Secrets to Writing Success in Under 40 Hours a Week

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, July 22

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

Fiction

Freelancing

Platform

Money

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, June 24

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

  • Amanda Hocking, Storyseller: A nice profile of Hocking and her success.
  • Book Expo’s Sorry Turn: This person thinks book’s are dying. Do you agree?
  • A Literary Father’s Day Weekend: Stories from writers and their kids.
  • Can’t Shake the Devil’s Hand and Say You’re Only Kidding: Why one Seattle shop has said “no thank you” to books published under Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer mystery imprint.
  • Ebook Sales Down? Are you freaking out that there was a dip in ebook sales? JA Konrath isn’t, and neither should you. Unless you bet three year’s income that ebook sales would be up in June.
  • What If Those Pesky Agents Don’t Bite? First, I have to say how sad I am that I missed Randy Ingermanson’s talk at the Willamette Writer’s meeting this month. I would have to do much more finessing to be able to get baby home to daddy and get to the Old Church on time that I have been able to handle so far, but this one would have been so good! Anyway, here is Randy’s advice if agents aren’t jumping over each other to sign you after you present your novel.

Craft

  • Courage to Write: Tips from an Anxious Bestselling Author: If you are nervous about writing, print this post and keep it on your bulletin board to keep you motivated.
  • A Good Reviewer Sees Things in Your Writing That You Might Not Have: Kim Falconer shares her response to a review of her work. I am awaiting some reviewer feedback on one of my short stories, and I can’t wait to see what I can learn from it.
  • http://allfreelancewriting.com/2011/06/24/freelancing/making-money/think-twice-about-writing-for-revenue-share/

  • All Superheroes Know Their Strengths: A nice look at how self-assessment tools such as the Strengths Finder can help us improve as writers. I have done the Strengths Finder, and it has given me the power to focus my energy on what I am good at (Strategic, Intellection, Empathy, Ideation, Learner) and look for support for those I am less strong in. (See, “less strong” not “weak.” Our words have the power to life us or crush us. Use your words especially carefully when you are talking to or about yourself.)
  • Tricky Words: Past/Passed, Except/Accept: Straight from an English teacher, this advice will help you use the right words.

Fiction

  • On Character Authenticity: As part of their Pride Week series, Dear Author has interviewed some LGBT writers about creating true characters. Great advice here.
  • Five Openings to Avoid: Okay. I will be honest. My novel WIP currently opens with a wake up. But it works–I swear. Actually, I will probably kill the actual waking up. It is a crutch for me, and it is unnecessary.

Freelancing

Platform

Money

  • Mortgage Challenges for the Self-Employed: Jenn Mattern shares her concerns with mortgage shopping as a successful self-employed businessperson. Have you had successes or challenges getting financing without a full-time gig?
  • Think Twice about Writing for Revenue Share: Jenn Mattern gives a great list of why content writing for revenue share is a bad deal for writers. If you are being lured by a revenue share deal based on promises of unlimited earning potential, print this out and keep it posted where you can see it.
TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, June 10

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

Fiction

Freelancing

Platform

Money

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, May 9

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

Fiction

Freelancing

Platform

  • Paid versus Free Book Marketing Activities: This post helps you decide whether to commit financial resources to marketing by laying out the options you have and comparing them with those that cost you only time. Do make sure you adequately value your time, too!
  • How to Create a Free Author Website on WordPress: Good, easy step-by-step process. The process will be similar if you choose Blogger, you’ll just start at blogger.com.
  • To Blog or Not to Blog: Before you follow the steps in the previous post here, make sure you know what oyu want to accomplish and share by blogging.

Money

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

Welcome to May! Here are some of the best links of the past week to help motivate us as we begin our new writing week.

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

Fiction

Freelancing

  • Short-Term Money Is Killing Me: How do you balance your short-term client work with long-term projects and your own projects?
  • Shh, Mommy’s Working Now: A nice look at how to work while you are caring for your kids. Do you get up early? Stay up late? Or work while they entertain themselves?

Platform

Money

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Author Branding: Leave an Impression

How do you share your brand with potential clients? I’m sure you have business cards, bookmarks (if you have a published book), and other printed pieces that point people to your website or blog.

But you can leave a longer lasting impression and convey your level of professionalism with custom stationery and a few carefully selected promotional items. (Yes, these tips seem to make the most sense for business writers, but magazine writers can stay top of mind with their editors if they send out engraved pens or post-it pads.)

What do you need for a complete business system? Your basics are stationery/invoices, matching envelopes, and business cards. Freelance Folder has a nice free package that includes business cards and matching stationery. Download it here.

When deciding which pieces to print and which to keep as electronic only, think about the types of businesses you are working with. If you are a magazine writer, you will likely be fine going online only, but if you are a copy writer focusing on your local clientele, you will likely need a small amount of printed stationery and envelopes.

Once you have the essentials, you can really kick your marketing up with a few more purchases, if your budget allows:

  • Custom promotional pens. These are a low-cost tool you can send to editors, leave in local establishments such as banks and grocery stores, and drop off at client (and potential client) offices. Who doesn’t need an extra pen?
  • Customized post-it pads. Sticky notes fall into the same category as pens, and you can pass them out at local chamber of commerce events for a little extra marketing oomph.
  • Your own business T-shirt. Cafe Press lets you design your own items and offer them for sale. (I don’t have a Writer Mama T-shirt or hoodie, but I want one!) If you want to just have them as giveaways, just about any promotional product vendor can give you a custom designed shirt at a great price.

Do you have a professional business system? Do you have any success stories of using custom giveaway items to build your writing business?

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


2 comments

Go Beyond Craigslist to Find Writing Jobs

Craigslist can be a great source of writing jobs, but it can be littered with scam artists and postings for free content. Last time I checked, my mortgage company doesn’t care a thing about any exposure I get from writing for free–they prefer that I use actual money I have earned to make my monthly payment. I’m assuming you are all in the same situation, but if you have found a creditor who takes exposure in trade for payments, let me know!

Because making money doing what I love is my goal, I have learned to look beyond craigslist to find jobs.

  1. Network in person. Attend local networking events to meet people, hand out your business cards, and put a face to a name. That personal connection can help you be top of mind when the business owners you meet need a writer.
  2. Look at non-journalism job boards. There are a lot of non-specific job boards you can use to find writing work. For example, if you have expertise in a field that has a nonprofit associated with it, you can look at job boards specifically posting nonprofit jobs. Search for your field to find associations tied to that field or generalize a little with a search for “writer” or “freelance.”
  3. Use postings for full-time jobs to help you find markets to query. Typically, a person gives two weeks notice when they leave a job. Unless there is a succession plan in place, the company takes at least four weeks to replace the person. During that time, they may need a little extra contract help to get them through the hiring process and the first month or two of the new employee’s tenure. If you do a stellar job, you may be able to get regular work even from a company that didn’t plan to use contract help in the long term. You can find these opportunities in the local paper or local online classifieds.

Where do you go to find work?

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, April 18

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

  • 20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You: A little lesson in the difference between similes, metaphors, and analogies, followed by some examples from great literature. Do you have any faves from this list or from another written work?
  • Writers: Are We Always Honest with Each Other? A look at our ability to give feedback to our fellow writers.
  • A Foolish Consistency: If you have spent any time on the site Television without Pity, you know that fans of your work do not find consistency foolish–they find it essential. Of course, it is not just essential in fiction. Consistency helps all writing read better.

Fiction

Freelancing

Platform

Money

  • I Heart Tax Prep: Did you learn anything about your spending patterns when you did your taxes this year? Did you enact some changes for this year?
TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Writing Roundup, April 4

The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money

The Business of Writing

Craft

  • Grammar’s Dirty Little Secret: I love the Fake AP Stylebook Twitter feed. And they are right: grammar is simply a construct. Certain rules apply over multiple style guides, but many differ. This really makes grammar look like smoke and mirrors to those who don’t work in publishing in some way!
  • Does Pro Editing Pay Off: This is a nice look at when you should spend the money on an outside editor and when you should keep plugging away on your own.
  • When You Hate the Book You’re Writing, Part 1: Are you sick and tired of your book? If so, you can commiserate with Lynette Benton and, I hope, get some tips to help you fall back in love.

Fiction

  • Why You Need to Make Yourself Completely Unavailable: This post, which argues that sometimes we need to completely disconnect to enhance our creativity, makes me think of Stephen King’s suggestion of writing with the door closed for your first draft. The Internet, TV, even family members can distract us from our creative processes.
  • Just Write the Story: Quit tying yourself up in knots and just write. You know, back to writing with the door closed. Turn off your inner editor and get that first draft done.

Freelancing

Platform

Money
I’m going to send you to the entire money week discussion on Nathan Bransford’s blog (remember, I mentioned it in Friday’s post). He did a great job of looking at the different financial issues we need to think about for our futures.

TwitterFacebookLinkedInFarkDiggShare

Related Posts:


Easy AdSense by Unreal
WordPress SEO fine-tune by Meta SEO Pack from Poradnik Webmastera