A New Routine

Once school has started again, there’s a different kind of routine, bounded by the limits of the school day, rather than whatever time you can carve out from parenting. At first, the time seems almost limitless, but it can ebb away if you don’t have an action plan. Knowing what you want to do when is half the battle in getting anything achieved.

Getting Organized

I’ve been doing a couple of things to improve my short term organisation and to help me reach my medium and long term goals. One key change is the way I handle email. I’ve been using a GTD (getting things done approach) and I’ll tell you more about that when I see if it makes a permanent difference to productivity.

Project Plans

Another project that I’m currently working on is using the nearly 500 blog posts I have here in a different way. You’ll be hearing about one way to do that some time in the next couple of weeks. I also plan to use some of the content to create ebooks. (I know I’ve said that before, but this time I plan to finish one of my own rather than simply writing for clients.) I am going to chase up recent clients for more testimonials about my writing and I’m also going to overhaul my rates.

Working For Clients

And those are just the tasks I’m handling for myself. I also have a couple of blogging and promotion gigs for clients which will lead to big things. What are your plans now that you have a bit more time?

(Photo: Gekreutzigt)

It all started with a blog. Seriously. And not even my blog. That was part of the process.

Nor did it hurt that I knew I could write. I knew that because a bit over a decade ago I sold more than enough sf/fantasy short stories to qualify for SFWA, and one had even sold a second time as a reprint. I had also sold a couple of articles on journal-keeping, and even one on e-learning

However, knowing how to write and knowing how to get work writing are two entirely different skills. In fact, the largest reason I didn’t get to find out I could cut it as a writer until shortly after my 40th birthday was that I had no idea about how to sell my work. I didn’t find out how to do that until I became friendly, through a now-defunct chat room, with some sf/fantasy writers, and they mentored me through my first few sales.

I learned a lot from them that still works for me as a writer, by the way. Gordon Dixon’s dictum about short story writing holds just as true for articles and blog posts:

Fan to Dixon: “What makes a short story work?”

Dixon to fan: “The time bomb you have set to go off on the last page.”

The Best Writing Advice

And there are no better rules for writing anywhere than Robert Heinlein’s:

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must never rewrite, except to the editor’s/publisher’s specs.
4. You must submit what you write a market.
5. You must keep submitting it until it sells.

Still, sf/fantasy is not where my heart was, so I knew that there was no way I would be able to make a living at it. I shelved that dream and turned back to what I had always done: being a super-capable administrative assistant. (This is not bragging…I really was good at pulling rabbits out of hats and making things happen with little or no warning.)

Based on promises of promotion into the non-support side of the firm I was working for, I went back to college – online – which was a beneficial experience, though expensive and ultimately fruitless, as the unit I was working in was pretty much disbanded via a reorganization. After being out of work for just under a year, I took the only thing I could get: school aide in an inner city high school that has had a bad reputation since I was in high school.

Book Talk

Don’t get me wrong…I love the job. Not only can I go to work in tee-shirts and jeans, but I basically get paid to yell at teenagers all day. The kids soon discovered that I was a bit different from the other aides: I talked to them about books, and decision-making, and learning to choose their battles. And when they told me about a book, I went and read it and got back to them about it, even if it was something I would never have picked up on my own. In turn, I found that when I recommended a book to them, I would find copies sticking out of backpacks, purses, etc. Once or twice, the kids (and some of the teachers) were startled by the fact that I would read what they would consider to be a black people’s book, but I just calmly pointed out that, as far as I could see, there were good books and not so good books, and the ethnicity of the author or protagonist was not what I used as criteria. I also learned that I no longer even wanted to be a part of corporate America.

Now, some of the above may look like wandering off to you, but it’s not. it’s all part of what has kept me learning new things and using, as Mom would have put it, “the brain that God gave me.” It kept me in contact with what is going on in the world outside my own little circle, and gave me lots of practice in talking about things I believed in.

Next Steps

At this point, the next crucial step happened. A friend of mine decided to clean up his finances. He was in nothing like the mess I was in, but his decision, and his keeping a small circle of friends updated on his progress via LiveJournal got me moving. I started working on my financial mess, and to keep myself encouraged when the going got tough, I started reading personal finance blogs. And, again, I got lucky. The blogs I stumbled on are some of the top blogs in the niche. And reading them, I realized that there were some gaps, and that I could fill them with things I had learned. So in March I took the first plunge. I started my own blog.

That has been an amazing experience. Among other things, I got to find where my writi9ng heart lies. I met some amazing folks online and found some wonderful mentors (and yes, Sharon IS one of them). One of my mentors suggested, after reading some of my posts, that it was time I started looking for opportunities to do guest posts. She also suggested I submit some posts to blog carnivals. Again, luck popped up…one of my favorite writers was going on vacation and put a call for guest posts on his blog. I emailed him, offering, and was accepted (even though I had honestly pointed out that I was just baby blogger). He liked my post and published it, and seconded the opinion that I should be applying to blog carnivals. Another mentor suggested that I become familiar with some of the social bookmarking and networking tools that are fast becoming one conduit for the kind of networking I needed to do to get my name out in the blogosphere. I started to learn a whole new skill set.

Getting A Rep

So I was slowly beginning to grow a reputation. My blog didn’t always get scads of comments, but the ones I did get were about how my articles made people think, and were well-written. And the social thing began to pay off. I was talking with other freelancers, who were very willing to share how they got started, how they found work, how they organized themselves, balanced their writing with their families and day jobs, and just about any other question a beginner could come up with. When a co-worker asked me how I was spending my summer, I told her I would be concentrating on my blog and on getting some paying writing work.

And luck reared its head again. Someone on one of my social networks was venting about something that had happened, and I offered to help out, if needed. It wasn’t needed, thankfully, but when something did come up that was entry-level, I was given the opportunity to try it. So I took my biggest plunge to date.

While I am nowhere near the level it would take to support myself, I am starting to have small successes. More importantly, I’m having fun again. Even when a challenge is frustrating, it’s great to be able to have something to pit my abilities against.

So, back to the beginning. In two years, my job is going away. The school, which I love, is one of the schools being phased out by the City, and the only thing that will remain is the building and – maybe – a name. It will be replaced by a number of the smaller schools that the City seems to favor these days. (It’s a shame, too. The folks who have been there for the four years that I have (or longer) are some of the most dedicated folks I have ever met. They really turned the school around from someplace parents fought to keep their kids out of to a place where parents were starting to fight to get kids into.)

It is my goal that, when my job is gone, I will be in a position to take the biggest plunge of my life. There is – no question about it – still a lot I have to learn before that point, both about the work and the business side of things. But, at the age of 55, I have hope of achieving one of my lifelong dreams, even if it’s not necessarily the way I envisioned doing it. It’s the way that is right for the me that is now, not the me that was thirty years ago. It’s the light in my eyes when I get up in the morning and turn the computer on. It’s how good I feel when I pull off a challenging assignment. It’s feeling alive, even when I am dog-tired from pulling an all-nighter to meet a deadline. And it is, without doubt, one of the best feelings in the world, and I intend to keep reaching for it.

Otherdeb (Deb Wunder) is a 55-year-old writer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to her writing (she is a published short story writer, and has a blog called The Dangling Conversation), she makes beaded jewelry and knits (and takes commissions for both), reads anything she can get her hands on, and gets paid to keep a high school cafeteria under control ten months a year. She is between half and three quarters of the way to becoming debt-free.

Photo: bluekdesign

This is a difficult area for many writers, especially those who are juggling multiple commitments. In the past, I’ve done the ‘work till you drop’ thing, but it’s not good for me personally, nor is it good for family life. To create the life that I want while keeping my writing career going, I’ve had to accept that I can’t do it all. So what does that mean in terms of getting organized?

Key Tasks For Writers

There are several key tasks that writers have to do to manage their writing careers successfully. Only one of these is the writing. However, getting work in and attracting new clients are also important, so it’s essential to set some time aside for these tasks. When you work at home, you may need to get some human interaction from time to time. That’s where social networking, forums and online chats come in. These are not timewasters, but essential parts of keeping yourself healthy and balanced.

Maxmising Productivity

One of the advantages of the freelance lifestyle is the ability to adapt to changing priorities. Generally, I take a disciplined approach to my work. I usually start writing by 8am. Before that, I have already checked and responded to urgent email and spent some time with my friends online. Ideally, the next task should be bidding for work, but since I write best in the morning, I usually leave any simple bids till the afternoon. This means that I use my time productively.

I write until lunchtime, take a short break, and continue writing (including bidding for new work) till it’s time to pick my daughter up from school. Then it’s family time until she goes to bed at 7pm.  I usually do another email check and spend some time with my friends online. Depending on whether I’m expecting anything urgent, I may do another check before going to bed.

Marketing And Promotion

There are also lots of tasks that I slot in when I need a change of pace or have some down time. These include promotional tasks such as updating my online portfolio, doing some article marketing, changing profiles on sites, submitting blog posts through the social media, entering blog carnivals, writing guest posts for blogs and much more.

Achieving Balance

Is this the most efficient way of organising my time? Who knows? It allows me to write at my best writing time, slot other tasks around that and still spend time socialising online. I get to spend time with my family too. I’m not claiming to be the best organised writer in the world, far from it, but I think I’ve achieved a reasonable balance.

Photo: mconnors

What’s Inside

In fairness, the book is full of common sense advice, including links to places to look for jobs, advice on getting those first writing gigs under your belt and much more.  There are a couple of pages each on some of the important issues for freelancers, including finding writing markets, removing roadblocks to writing, looking beyond magazine work, copyright, tax, setting prices and marketing.

Sample Contracts

The book also includes a few sample letters, contracts and agreements which will be useful for the new freelance writer. There are handy reminders of the key points in a column alongside each chapter, as well as prompts to make you consider the main issues, so there are multiple opportunities to get the information while reading.

Bonus Ebooks

However, I couldn’t help thinking that the author was asking a lot to expect you to part with $49 (reduced from $140) of your hard earned cash. For that price, you do get several bonus ebooks, which may provide additional value.  At the time of writing these were:

• Writing For Fast Cash
• Breaking into Freelancing
• A Fickle Muse
• Writer’s Bootcamp
• Goals and Deadlines

The Verdict

I think Ultimate Guide To A Successful Freelancing Career works as an introduction to the issues that freelancers face, but I’d want to see more detail on almost every area for it to justify its name. If you’re new to freelancing, then check it out. If you’re not, you may already know much of what’s inside.

Konstantino: How did you decide on your career path?

After I left university, my first job was as a journalist, but I hadn’t decided on it as a career path then. It was just luck that that job came through before the tour rep job with Air Canada that I had been going for. It wasn’t till later, after doing something else for a while, that I realised that this was the career for me.

coqui2008: If you were not a writer what would you be?

It’s hard to imagine not writing now, but I’m a language buff, and when I was at school I thought seriously about studying to be an interpreter or translator.

Rammi: Do you prefer writing for British or American audiences?

I don’t have a preference. I’m British and British English and style of writing come naturally, but I write a lot of content for Americans, so I’m just as comfortable doing that.

beaman: Who first inspired you to write?

Hard to say, really. My mother tells me I had a vivid imagination as a child, but I don’t really remember making up stories till I was in high school. I wouldn’t say that my first high school English teacher encouraged me, but I learned a lot all the same. However, I have been an avid reader since I was very young, and I’m sure that has something to do with my love of writing.

DavidBridger: Pros and cons of living in the two places - what swung your decision to settle where you are - and do you think you’ll stay for good now?

Where I live now has a great climate and is a wonderful place for my daughter to grow up. Many of my relatives are here, too. However, I miss the choice you get in bigger places, though regular travel solves that issue. I never say never, David, so there’s always the possibility that somewhere else might tempt me one day. For now, though, I’m happy.

Rammi : Do you have cookies? If so, can I have them?

No cookies, sorry, though I love any cookies with chocolate.

danaprince: What has been your most difficult writing assignment so far?

It’s funny how you put those out of your head as soon as they are completed, Dana. I’ve had some tough assignments, such as creating a client’s fictional ebook out of thin air, and having to write hundreds of articles on an aspect of UK finance that I didn’t find that interesting. I do love the variety of freelancing, though. For every tough job, there are many others that are easy or fun.

kohuether: How long did it take to build up a steady income with writing?

Define steady. I started making money from writing within a few months of going freelance, though for the first four months I supplemented my income with teaching. It took about a year to replace my previous income. Freelancing income is never fixed, though, so I am always thinking of new ways to get a bit of security without sacrificing my freedom.

Hope Wilbanks: What motivates you to continue on your path as a writer every day?

I love the freedom of freelancing and the variety of topics I’m able to cover. I don’t need much more motivation than that.

Becca L-Smith: What influences have ‘mentors’ had as you’ve developed your career and who do you think you’re most influential mentors have been?

Mentors and inspiration come in all sorts of guises. My mother is a strong woman who made me believe that I could achieve anything if I was prepared to put some effort in. My last high school English teacher loved the written word and made sure that we did too. My husband has worked for himself for years and provided advice on going out on my own. My friend, Suzanne James, taught me a lot about online writing and SEO, and all of my writer friends inspire me every day. All of these people have had an influence on me at different times, and have provided advice and support when I’ve needed it.

deafmom: What are you most proud of accomplishing?

Developing my freelancing career into a viable business. As my sister puts it: ‘You said you were going to work from home as a writer, and you just went and did it.’ Although it looks simple, creating an online presence and a client base took work - and still does.

Anklebuster: What would you do if you could no longer write?

Arrrggghhh! I find it hard to imagine not being able to write, but let me try. My second love is teaching, so perhaps I would focus on inspiring others to write.

If you have questions to add, feel free to add them in the comments section. I’ll answer truthfully, but reserve the right to keep personal info to myself.

What do you want me to do?

Getting the right information from the client is the key to getting the job done right. I always ask questions until I’m sure I understand what’s needed. That means that I don’t have to spend time on rewrites later in the process. Asking questions saves time and effort, so it’s worth clarifying the brief before you start writing.

What’s the deadline?

Every client has a deadline in mind. As the writer you need to meet that deadline, but it’s also important to find out if there’s flexibility if you need it. Some of my clients want everything yesterday, while others would rather wait a bit longer to get a good job done. Knowing which is which helps me to plan my work and keep everyone happy.

When will I get paid?

This is the eternal question for freelancers. It’s nice to have clients who pay a deposit and the rest on completion, but not every client will do this. I always request a deposit from new clients. Established ones have a little more leeway. However, some clients pay every two or four weeks, and you need to be aware of this so that you can manage your cash flow.

What other services can I offer?

Don’t be content with simply doing the job that the client has paid for. You have other skills, so see how they can add value for the client and offer to do another job. At best, you will get more money coming in. At worst, you will have let the client know that you have a wide range of skills so the client can consider you for future work.

Will you recommend me to others?

When your client is happy, ask for a testimonial. You can even offer to write it (after all, that’s your skill) so that the client can approve it. The more testimonials you have, the more appealing you are to other clients.

(Photo: ppdigital)

There is a saying that goes: A group of people that numbers in the millions, upon hearing the word ‘9 to 5′, develop grotesque facial tics. We call them freelancers.

Balance is the name of the game with a freelance career. Discipline will always be necessary as will the ability to manage burnout. There are many resources for freelancers to help them learn handy ways to operate their business since many of these individuals work from home. Anyone who has been in the profession for any length of time has a story about when it can be extremely difficult to separate the two; especially for those individuals that have small children about. Still, there are few who can manage to leave the freelance world once they have worked it.

Learning From Freelancing

The experience of wading into freelance writing will always be as different as the person venturing forth. Projects often start small and evolve into larger more complicated assignments as a person’s comfort level evolves. There are those that prefer to write about a single subject, while others write about a vast array of subjects. Some even specialize in a certain type of writing that is especially useful on websites or in research magazines. Nonetheless, freelance writing is a vocation where one can expect to pick up new bits and pieces of information at every turn that makes them better at their craft.

Shaping Your Own Career

With freelance writing, an individual always has the opportunity to take their career as far as they see fit. While some prefer to bid for work through Guru.com and Elance and sit at the keyboard, others take their talents and experience to start a mini empire by bidding multiple projects and keeping a small army of writers to get the job done.

I’d like to think I’m an example of success in this area – type Julie-Ann Amos into Google and you’ll see some 62,000 hits that are virtually all work-related. My site, Exquisite Writing, is one place clients come to get work, which is then allocated fairly amongst my writing team, without competition. Writers can earn a decent living without having to spend time bidding or chasing clients, or competing with each other. Individuals and companies looking for website content, feature or keyword articles, instructional manuals or ebooks or a combination thereof can find just what they need in one spot.

Dealing With Competition

The fact that there are a vast number of freelance writers all competing against each other for work can be rather intimidating at times. However, this is just one aspect of the job that eventually becomes second nature to the routine. For the most part, freelancers are good at riding the wave and going with the flow. Though consistency is a necessary facet, there are times when not only rates fluctuate but the flow of work rises and falls as well. For the average individual who does a forty hour work week, this could seem very nervewracking; yet the freelancer with experience will barely raise an eyebrow.

Whether one decides to venture into freelance writing as a career or as a hobby, the gift of being able to string words together to offer information to others remains a valuable asset. Though times, formats, writing styles and mediums change, the written word will always be in demand.

Julie-Ann Amos runs an international copywriting agency, Exquisite Writing, based in the UK. Julie-Ann has written for a wide range of publications and has 14 books in print.

Most freelance writing businesses fail not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of organization.

So here is a suggestion for you: Focus on performance.

Good performance can make the difference between constantly struggling to attract new clients, and sitting on a cushy monthly retainer from a client that is satisfied with your deliverables. So once your services have been retained, remember these three rules:

• Deliver on time.
• Deliver what was agreed.
• Deliver above expectations.

Today we will focus on the first bullet: Deliver on time.

To deliver your projects on time you need to assess your workload and establish production priorities. Having done that, your next step is very simple:

Start early.

Here’s why:

Starting early increases your free time—and your bottom line. It gives you time to develop your ideas fully, which results in stronger copy. Stronger copy means happier clients, more repeat business and a fatter bank account. Which ultimately means more time sipping mai tais, and less time slogging away in front of your laptop. What’s not to love about that?

Starting early improves your writing—and cures insomnia. It helps you avoid the 4:00 a.m. all-nighter—and the gritty-eyed, foul-tempered, cotton-brained gremlin it can turn you into. Writing when you are not at your usual prolific and witty best can result in off-target, error-filled, painfully soggy copy.  Soggy copy means unhappy clients. And unhappy clients mean…you fill in the blanks.

Starting early gives you time for review and revision. This is the phase during which you tighten up any trailing ideas and correctly position those often annoyingly misplaced modifiers. You can also use this period to shoot the copy to your own personal review board and get feedback. So if Mom tentatively whispers “It looks interesting, dear, but what does it mean?” realize that your message might not be as clear as you thought. And if your BFF snarks “I see that Remedial Spelling didn’t do you any good, lol. That should be “sore”, not “soar,” just revise—and thank goodness that it was not your client that caught that snafu.

In short:

Starting early helps you deliver accurate, effective, error-free copy ON TIME. And that is one of the easiest ways to keep your clients happy, encourage them to hire you again and improve your bottom line. Mai tai, anyone?

Lisa Hurley is a poet and copywriter. She is currently working on a new book.

The other day I asked whether you were invisible as a freelance writer. While invisibility is undesirable, being too visible is also a problem. What do I mean by that? Deb Ng explained it best when she said that online is forever.  It’s great to participate on blogs, forums and social networking sites, but your comments on those sites get indexed, just as your web pages and blog posts do. So it’s wise to think about the image that you’re presenting and the information that you share.

How Much Should You Reveal?

One of my friends on Plurk said the other day that she was restricting the information that she shared online. In the future, she won’t be sharing personal information about family members. After all, they are not members of the site and may not want that information on public display. I see where she’s coming from. Although I am happy to share some personal information (I’m A British freelancer with a lovely husband and a five year old daughter), it’s just not sensible to put identifying information out there when you know you can’t ever take it back.

Censoring Yourself

Similarly, although anyone who reads my comments on any site can tell that I am the person who’s speaking, I don’t express myself in the same way online - or at least, I think more about what I write. If I offend someone, I don’t get to take it back. In fact, it will probably be out there forever, waiting to be found by a prospective client who will make assumptions about me based on that remark.

My Approach To Visibility

Some people solve the issue by keeping different usernames and profiles for their business and social interactions online. For me, that’s too much like hard work. I prefer to be myself, even if that means taking a bit of care about what I say. The people who meet me online will find that I am consistent whether we talk by email, IM, on blogs, forums or on social sites. I don’t mind being visible, but I want to be sure that people don’t get the wrong impression, based on a chance remark. How do you handle your online interactions?

(Photo: markermark)

Self Promotion

I know I say this a lot, but you have to market yourself as a freelance writer if you are going to get work. You need to have somewhere where potential clients can find you (either through a website, blog, Squidoo lens or social profile). You have to have a way for them to contact you (email or contact form). You need examples of your work (or links) and you need references or testimonials from your clients.

Socialize

That’s just the starting point, though. Some of the best recommendations come from word of mouth, so make it easy for people to talk about you by interacting with them on blogs, forums and social networking sites. I’ll give you an example of how this can pay off. I talk to a lot of other writers, not for promotion, but basically because all of us need to feel connected with others. I found out a few weeks ago that one of those writers had recommended me to someone looking for a backup writer. She didn’t even tell me. She did this because she had met me online, had talked to me and thought I could be trusted. (Thanks, Karen).  So I’m no longer invisible.

What have you used/will you use to become visible to potential clients?

(Photo: juanarreo)

A recurring issue with freelance writers is how much to charge for writing services. Even if you get that worked out, you still have the tricky issue of deciding when it’s time to up your rates. However, there are four good reasons why you should charge more for the work that you do.

Experience And Expertise

If you have specialist knowledge of a subject, then you will write a better informed and researched article than someone who has none. Promote your experience and expertise in writing about certain topics, add a couple of examples and clients will see why they should pay you a bit more rather than cheaping out on someone with less experience.

Degree Of Difficulty

OK, so you don’t have specialist knowledge, but you’re an excellent researcher who will tackle any topic. Make that work for you. Some topics are difficult to research, so if you have to go the extra mile, build that into your project costings. Provided the final product is what the client wants, your fee will be justified.

Speed

Some clients want their writing job yesterday. If you need to change your schedule or work unusually long hours to accommodate their request, then you have the right to charge more. Most clients I have worked with are happy to pay a bit extra to get the job when they want it. Let me make it clear that I always try to fit the job into my normal schedule so that the client pays the usual rate, but occasionally a client asks me to work through the night to finish a job and is happy to pay more.

Cost Of Living

Inflation affects work at home writers as much as anyone else. If you were drawing a paycheque, every so often you would get more money so you could manage the rising cost of everyday items. When you freelance, you have to provide that cost of living increase yourself, by increasing your prices from time to time. Printer ink, paper products and items in your home office all cost more today than they did two years ago, and the same goes for the food you eat. Raising your rates is not only advisable, but essential, and provided you’re reasonable, no-one will object.

What other reasons can you think of for raising your rates?

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As freelance writers, we often have times when there’s so much work that we have to sub some out to other writers. I work with a small team of writers and get a lot of requests from people wanting to know how they can work with me and get paid to write. Unfortunately, most of the emails I get go straight into the trash folder because they don’t help me to know why I should add you to my writing team. Here are some ways to improve your chances of getting on that list.

1. Write Like A Writer

I’m sorry, but if you send me a message in text-speak I won’t get in touch with you. Your message to me is your first chance to make a good impression. Use whole sentences, spell correctly and show me that you can write. If you can do that, then I’ll be willing to consider you.

2. Include Links To Your Work

Telling me that you want to get paid to write is not enough. I need to know what you can do for me. When you write to me, include a link to your site or examples of your writing. If you don’t, how will I know if you’re a good fit for my writing team? (Note: Please don’t include whole articles in the comments or contact form.)

3. Include Your Full Name

Treat your contact with me like a first interview and make it easy for me to know who you are. Don’t put your first name in lowercase letters. For all I know that could be an alias. Include your full name and where I can find you, so I can Google you and make sure you’re legit.

4. Don’t Assume I’m Desperate

I may have work to sub out, but every writer who works with me affects my reputation with my clients. That means it’s not enough to send in your name and assume that I will be happy to have you. If you can’t give me proof of your credentials and evidence that you can write, then don’t bother. I’m not so desperate that I’ll sub out to you.

5. Do Your Research

Take the time to browse my site and find my name. It’s on the About page where you can’t miss it. Don’t address me as Dear Sir/Madam or forget the salutation altogether. It’s just rude and will get our potential relationship off to a bad start.

The upshot of all this is that you need to communicate like a professional. I am always happy to talk to other writers and provide advice, but if you are looking for work, then behave like it. Communicate professionally and you stand a good chance of getting to the next stage - and maybe making the list for some writing work.

One of the results of this is that you spend a lot of time juggling, with the result that when money comes in it may go straight into the household budget to handle any necessary expenses. You can feel good about making a contribution, but there are days when you might like to have some money to spend on yourself.

Just because your income is irregular, it doesn’t mean that you have to forego the treats you allowed yourself when payday rolled around. I remember that at the end of the month, my friends and I would go out for dinner and I would treat myself to a few new books. That was my way of reminding myself what I was working for - and I still need to do that now. I may not spend quite as lavishly as when I was a single woman without dependants, but I still need to pamper myself from time to time - and some of that pampering takes money.

Even if my income is irregular, I believe it’s essential to set aside a small percentage to pay for a couple of non-essentials - my gym membership (actually, that’s essential for health), lunch with the girls, the occasional massage and seeing a movie with my DH. Those things make life worth living. Sure, there will be months when you’ll be waiting for clients to pay up and may cut back on the treats, but when the payment comes in, pay yourself a small amount to do what YOU want to do.

When I opened up the software I was blown away by the number of icons, toolbars and buttons that appeared on the screen. And let’s not forget the sidebar where you input your queries. I could not hope to talk you through these any better than the manual, so let me just say that though the interface is cluttered, it contains a lot of useful features.

The top left of the screen has a few menu links, a date screen (with a couple of other functions and a search box. When you search, additional options appear in the left sidebar. The right of the screen has about five rows of buttons and links and a built in browser window in the bottom right. These allow you to conduct searches on specific engines, in specific countries and for specific types of content (there’s also some fine tuning in the left hand search box.)

So, on to the field test. I had three research projects for which I usually use Google: a real estate article, an article on energy efficient homes and a lesson on journalism ethics. I decided to try Research Wizard Pro on these to see how it performed.

Case Study 1: The Real Estate Article

When I write these articles, I need a map, an MLS search and a community profile. That’s it. So although using Research Wizard Pro helped me find those things, it wasn’t an improvement on plain old Google. I didn’t need any of the bells and whistles for that project, so they were a distraction.

Case Study 2: Energy Efficient Homes

This was when it started to get interesting. While the main window gave me the standard Google search result (and you can change the default search engine if you want to), the side window gave me the option to narrow my search. I could look only for PDFs or for tutorials or for buying guides or for manuals - or for about 15 other things. I clicked on buying guides and got some great guides to energy efficiency in homes.

Effectively the software adds the resource type to your search term to narrow the search. Sure, I could have searched for that myself, but I might not have. The software has given me some additional ideas for focusing my search terms - and I thought I was already a pretty savvy searcher.

Case Study 3: Journalism Ethics

When I did the third search, I was seriously impressed. I had started to research this topic a few weeks earlier so I was able to make an on the fly comparison of Research Wizard Pro. I found stuff that I didn’t know was out there. I was able to search for tutorials, which helped as that was what I was creating. I will be using the tool to research the rest of the lessons in the course I’m creating. It shaved hours off the time I spend looking for quality resources.

More About Menus

Having tried it a few times, I was ready to look at the huge bank of toolbar icons. This time, they didn’t seem quite as daunting. The related searches bar at the top led me to a new tool, KWMap, which connects keywords related to your search. The next row led to some drop down menus for searching other search engines, RSS feed, video and more. The row below included other search tools and the final row had an address bar and buttons for adding bookmarks.

That leads to one minor gripe. I would have liked to mark resources as favorites within the program, rather than having to add them to my browser. However, I’m told that this functionality is coming in the next release. I have no hesitation in recommending Research Wizard Pro. Once you get accustomed to the interface, it puts a range of search options at your fingertips.

A couple of years ago, I started working with a team of writers. I had good and bad experiences with that team, and the team continued to grow. Then I realised something. It wasn’t working for me. Here’s why.

I was spending more time chasing other writers for work than doing my own writing.

I was spending a lot of time checking work submitted  by people who had mislaid the writing brief.

I spent some time redoing work that was not submitted on time or had been plagiarized.

Don’t get me wrong. I also met and worked with some talented and reliable writers and I’m still in touch with them today, but I reached the conclusion that managing a large team of people wasn’t for me.

Instead, it’s better for me to work with a smaller group whom I can get to know. That gives me more time to spend on helping them to develop and much less stress. Three of the writers in my original team now have successful freelancing careers. A couple more people have other priorities, such as full time jobs. Then there are a few who have turned in shoddy work and whom I won’t be contacting again.

That leaves a core of about five writers whom I work with regularly, and five more whom I call upon for jobs they are specially qualified for.

I work better with a small team. How about you?

OK, I am peeved. Someone that I thought was reliable has let me down. Here’s the story. A client whom I’ve worked with for a couple of years (and who pays well and promptly) contacted me about a job. I explained that I couldn’t do it myself, but that I could sub it out. She agreed.

Since the articles required in-depth research, I divided them among two people. The first person delivered on time; the second is proving uncommunicative. This is unusual. About a week ago, she said she was getting straight onto them, but they haven’t arrived. I have chased and have had no answer - and now my client is chasing me.

So now I am peeved. In fact, I am annoyed. If this person couldn’t handle the work, all she had to do is say so. The other person would have done all of them and would have delivered on time. Now I am embarrassed because I am going to miss a client deadline that I haven’t renegotiated. This person is affecting my reputation. I am still hoping for a last minute miracle, but if it doesn’t happen I am going to have to call in some big favours this weekend.

The lesson is that even if you have worked with someone before, they can still let you down. There’s no way around that, so you have to plan how to handle it. In some cases, you do the work yourself. However, if you know someone who is better qualified, then you need to go cap in hand and ask for help, which is just what I have done. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

When I asked the other day for freelance writing questions on Plurk, AllenaTapia wanted to know about my schedule. It’s been some time since I wrote about my daily routine and a lot has changed in the last two years. My daughter is now in school and that has changed the shape of my work week. Instead of cramming my writing into two whole days and any spare time, I now work mostly Monday to Friday, doing a couple of hours only over the weekend. My day looks a bit like this:

6.30am - quick email check, especially for anything from the UK market

6.45-7.45 - get my daughter ready for school

7.45-8.00 - quick chat with my mum

8.00-8.30 - check out friends on social sites, check job ads

8.30-12.30 - write, write, write with occasional breaks

12.30-1.00 - lunch

1.00-school pickup (which can be anytime between 2 and 3.30) - write some more

school pickup - 7pm - supervise homework, play, get dinner

7.00-8.00pm - do anything urgent; check email

10.30pm - final email check.

During the school holidays, which have justed started, I cut my work day a bit or work out alternating schedules with my DH who also works at home. This year my daughter is going to gymnastics camp for a couple of weeks, which means that the workday will end at 2pm. That means I’ll probably do slightly fewer jobs, but it’s worth it to spend more time with my family. What’s your workday like?

Every writer has the problem of how to devote enough time to getting new work while not letting existing work suffer. I handle this simply, by planning time for looking for new work into my day.

I subscribe to several RSS feeds for job sites. I go through the job feeds in the morning as a way of easing into my day, opening any jobs that take my fancy in a Firefox tab. They stay there until I have dealt with them. I usually check again towards the end of the day. I also get some job leads by email or through my site. I try to start writing by 8.15, then when I reach a standstill, I look at the job feeds again in case anything new has come in.

When I get to the point where I can’t do much more, such as half an hour before pickup time or when DH is doing bedtime, I send out queries. I open my portfolio site in one tab, and quickly respond to all the job leads I have found that day. This takes no more than half an hour a day, and I manage to stick to this schedule most days.

I consider this time well spent. It still leaves me the best part of the day for writing, and it ensures that there is always the possibility of new work. And if I get more work than I can handle, I’ve got lots of freelancing friends who can help me.

I’m now doing the job that I want to do, but there are still things that I dream of achieving. Things like:

• finally publishing my children’s stories or poetry
• finishing a novel and becoming a bestselling author who remains in the background
• finishing my ebooks
• finding a way to keep writing income coming in while being semi-retired

What are your dreams for your writing career? What would you like to have achieved in the next year, five years or ten years?

writing skills aren’t all you need. In fact, a lack of secondary skills is what sets many freelance writers on the road to failure instead of success.

This is a must-read post, so what are you waiting for? Head over to Poewar and check it out!