Adventures In Freelancing

I've mentioned before that one of my all-time favorite books for freelancers is The Renegade Writer by Diana Burrell and Linda Formichelli. I've had the chance to interact with both of these women online, andI find them to be extremely knowledgeable and trusworthy sources of information on all things freelancing. They're just awesome!

Well, they're running a couple of great contests at The Renegade Writer Blog for a chance to win a seat in two of their popular classes. Magazine Writing Basics, taught by Elaine Grant, goes beyond the basics. You'll learn inside information about the publishing world as well as hands-on writing techniques for your feature articles. Also up for grabs is a chance to take Linda's class, Get Unstuck! for Freelancers, which is all about ways to organize your space and be productive so that you can put out more work in less time.

Good luck to you. I'll be entering as well! And thank you, Ami, from Writing My Life for the heads up on this contest.

I am so excited to announce that Adventures in Freelancing was ranked #20 in blogrank's list of Top 25 Freelance Blogs! What an amazing honor this is. Close to 20,000 blogs are tracked, using 16 different factors to evaluate them. Some of the factors include RSS subscribers, monthly page views, and Google Page Rank.

You can read more about the algorithm that was used and visit the other freelance blogs on the list. I know I've discovered some fabulous new resources and look forward to exploring the sites and to networking with some new folks. Thank you so much, blogrank. for taking the time to compile this list. I am very excited to be a part of it!

I recently read one of the most honest accounts of the freelancer's life I've ever come across. Dana Prince writes about how much freelance writing pays at her blog, The Writer's Blog. It's a post you'll want to read.

Dana talks about her early days of writing for the web when she was proud of doubling her income from earning .01 per word to .02 per words in her first year. I know that doesn't sound like much. I also know that many writers will say you're a fool to work for such pittance. Dana goes on to tell how these jobs taught her the skills she needed to learn for internet writing. Marketing herself was one of the lessons she learned.

She earns more today than in her first year of writing and says that her best paying jobs come from clients she obtains on her own, rather than those from content sites. But what I appreciate about Dana's post is her honesty and the fact that she doesn't condemn other writers for the path they take. Her words are encouraging, and she gives inspiration through the picture of where she is today.

I've learned in my past year of writing for the web that confidence comes with experience, and with that confidence come contacts and understanding. I've approached writing on my own terms, and there's been a lot of trial and error along the way. I'm just now beginning to see my path, and I feel comfortable with what the future holds for me and my writing career. I thank Dana and others like her who have provided inspiration, support, and encouragement through their direct words (through Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.) and through encouraging written posts such as this. I hope I can provide such encouragement to new writers that visit me here at Adventures in Freelancing. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have a question I may be able to answer. I'll sure do my best. At the very least, I'll give you a sympathetic ear because I've probably been there!

I'm @marybabysteps on Twitter, and you can find my contact information and links to my other social networking profiles in my sidebar.

If you've read books on freelance writing or taken classes, you've probably heard the phrase, "Write what you know." a million times. It makes sense. It's a good way to start. Writing what you know and what you're comfortable with is a great way to get your bearings when beginning your freelancing career.

I've read a lot about finding your niche as well. I've even taken a class on the subject from the awesome Lorna and Tamara over at Sparkplugging's Freelance Parent. I learned a lot in that class; though I still haven't nailed down my niche. I just have too many interests!

What I am learning, however, is that it does pay to take what you know and sell yourself with it. Since starting my college blog, And You Will Graduate, I've begun researching different areas of student life and higher education. I'm so happy to get back to the field I love, and I'm also discovering many publications out there for students and those working in the field that I wasn't aware of. And I've reached out to the editors of some of these publications with good results. I've gotten myself some leads on fabulous writing opportunities!

I would have missed out on these completely if I hadn't gotten back to my student affairs roots with this new blog. I don't know why I neglected to pursue these avenues. I guess I figured that part of my identity was behind me. It doesn't have to be. For me or for you. Do you have an area of expertise from a former career, through specialized training, or a hobby you're passionate about? Capitalize on that knowledge and look for publications or even corporations in that industry to pitch your services to.

Getting hired in any job requires setting yourself apart from the crowd, and the freelance world is no exception. Sit down and brainstorm your strengths. Search Google for publications or outlets that fit your interests. Then get in touch with the editorial staff or PR folks at the places you've targeted. You never know where it may lead!

Do you have any suggestions to add or experiences to share? Please let us know. I truly want to learn from each other!

Diana and Linda at The Renegade Writer clued their readers into a great article by Michelle Goodwin, author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube.  The article is called "When to Work for Nothing" and is featured on The New York Times "Shifting Careers" blog.

In the article, Goodwin discusses being approached by those hoping to garner her writing or consulting skills offering "great exposure" in exchange for her work.  She translates this exposure as writing for free.  She goes on to discuss when it may be a good idea for new freelancers to write for free.

Goodwin says you may want to write for free if you have no portfolio.  That makes sense for those writing copy for corporate purposes.  You want to show potential clients that you have the skills to do such work.  My focus is not in that area.  I am currently working to write articles for online or print publications and/or blogs.  Should I write for free?  I'll confess that I did do quite a bit of writing for free or next to nothing revenue shares as a way to garner clips and get exposure. My experience is that, while I may have enjoyed such writing, it ended up being rather time-consuming, keeping me from pursuing paid writing gigs. I did, however, form relationships with some of the folks I wrote for.  Which made it even more difficult for me to make the decision to stop writing for them.  Eventually I did decide to cut most of my non-paying gigs.  I felt a great sense of relief when I did so because, as a mom of three, my time is very limited.  I'm now able to work toward garnering paid work.

I don't regret that I wrote for free. I learned about networking and made connections.  I gained confidence from the positive feedback I received.  But I knew I couldn't continue writing for free forever.  I also knew that I could choose to put more time into my own blogs, establishing my brand and credibility.  I, ultimately, chose to work toward making my own exposure.

On a side note, I'm listening to a webinar on marketing your blog as I type this, with Lynn Terry from Self-Starters Weekly Tips.  Lynn mentions guest blogging as a great way to increase your exposure.  That's something I can agree with. If you guest post, you get exposed to another blog's readership.  By having a guest blogger on your site, you offer your readers new perspective and expertise.  It's a win-win, and, for me, it's more easily managed than commiting to regular posting gigs simply for exposure. What are your thoughts?  Have you had similar experience to mine?  What's your advice?

Are you just starting out as a freelance writer or maybe you're simply dreaming about the freelance life?  If either of these statements apply to you, you've come to the right place.  No, not because I'm an expert with tons of knowledge to pass along to you.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Actually, I'm quite new to the world of freelancing.  But I've learned quite a bit along my path, and I'm happy to share that knowledge with you.  All I ask is that you share what you know, as well.  I want to make this place a community, not just a platform for my ramblings.

Here's a bit about me and how I've come to begin my life as a freelancer.  I'm a mom to three kids - ages 9, 7, and 8 months.  Yep, there's quite a difference in age between the middle and the last.  I had it all worked out, as we often do in life.  Two kids, a boy and a girl, two years apart in age.  I'd finished my Master's degree in higher education and student affairs and was working in a job I loved as a college academic adviser.  Life was good.

Except I wasn't totally happy.  I ended my marriage, moved with my kids to the town where I worked, and soon after bought a home and got remarried.  To the love of my life, Bill.  Did I mention that Bill is 20 years older than I am?  And did I mention that, although I loved my job and my students, I didn't love my boss or co-workers?  Don't think I mentioned the fact that I was incredibly stressed out about my work environment or the fact that baby #3 was unexpected, to say the least.  Yeah, life happens that way.  But I'm a big believer of the philosophy that "things happen for a reason."

And so they did.  My out of control stress level, raging pregnancy hormones, and intense desire to slow down and enjoy my kids led me to quit that job at the community college a little over a year ago, with the resolve to act on the research I'd done regarding freelance writing.  I knew it could be done, but I didn't realize what it would take to do it.

This blog is a place to discuss just what it takes to make freelancing a reality.  Although it's been a year, I haven't come as far as I'd like.  But I'm well on my way.  Each person does things their own way, at their own pace.  Are you ready to start your journey toward a freelance career?  If so, join me as we begin our "Adventures in Freelancing" together!

By the way, you may want to head over to The Writing Journey to catch up on Bob's "How to Start Your Freelance Writing Business" series for starters.  We'll discuss lots of other great resources along our way.

I've spent the last few weeks brainstorming ideas for this blog and spreading the word to my friends.  I've also contacted some fabulous people, who've donated some amazing prizes to help the newbie freelancer begin or advance their career.  Here's a list of what I will be giving away in the first weeks of the launch of Adventures in Freelancing and a shout out to the wonderful people who donated the prizes.

A copy of The Renegade Writer and Query Letters that Rock from Linda Formichelli, one of the awesome authors of these books.  Check out the Renegade Writer blog for great information and insight.

and

Four copies of The Well-Fed Writer, generously donated by the author, Peter Bowerman.  Peter is the guru of commercial copywriting.  If you're interested in writing for business, corporations, or advertising, check out his site.

Thirty minutes of career counseling from Kristen King, a fantastic freelancer who's achieved success in a relatively short period of time.  You'll definitely benefit from her advice!  Check out her blog, InkThinker.

An e-book package from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, an award-winning author, known to many for her How To Do It Frugally Series.  Check out Carolyn's blog, too!

A copy of The Organized Writer: 30 Days to More Time, More Money, and Less Frustration by Julie Hood.  I will be doing a review of this book in the upcoming weeks.  I can't wait; from what I've seen from Julie's website, I'm going to learn so much!

A three- month subscription to Invotrak.  Invotrak is an incredibly valuable tool for sending and tracking your invoices.  It will save you so much time and headache once you start selling your work!

The e-book Stop Wishing and Start Earning: A Low-Risk Plan to Escape 9-5 and Launch a Profitable Copywriting Business from Ed Gandia of The Profitable Freelancer.

Four winners will receive their choice of online learning courses (up to a $66 value) from FamilyEden.  FamilyEden is a site dedicated to bringing families together.  Their goal is to "provide powerful tools that foster a spirit of Sharing, Encouragement, Learning and Success."  You absolutely must check out this site.

There you have it!  Quite a list, isn't it?  Come back each week for your chance to win one of these incredible prizes.  Thank you for visiting Adventures in Freelancing, and thanks to the generous folks who provided us with these great learning tools!