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Writers are human beings. As such, we are fraught with insecurities just like anyone else. Imagine that. We’re human. While no one could fault us for having our fears and insecurities, it’s best that some of them we try to avoid broadcasting to editors and agents.

I’m not saying that we should be dishonest or try and be someone who we are not. I’m saying that discretion is warranted and it’s always best to cast a critical eye on anything we might send to an editor or prospective agent.

Here’s a good example:

You have your manuscript. You’ve cried over the thing. Heck you bled on it a few times. It is your baby, your life. Perhaps years of your heart wrenching soul is contained within. Therefore you don’t want anyone stealing it, right? To help ensure that does not happen you pull out your trump card. After all, you’re savvy. You know your rights. You’re going to slap the © symbol all over the thing. Big ol’ 20 point, bolded font. Right there on the manuscript cover page and for good measure at the bottom of each subsequent page. That oughta tell folks that you know how this game is played.

Unfortunately, what it is really telling folks is that you have no idea how the game is played. In fact, the other players at your table are now rounding up their winnings and seeking other tables.

We can be very possessive about our work and we would hate for someone to steal it. We are insecure about the security of our words. No one could really blame us for it. It’s okay to feel this way but the last thing you want to do when approaching an editor or an agent is to give them the impression that you think they may try and thieve your work. It’s akin to getting a hug from a friend then checking your coat pocket to see if your wallet is still there.

A majority – and I mean a vast majority – of editors fully understand the love you have for your baby. Believe it or not, most of them were writers before they got kicked up the food chain. While there may be some horror stories out there, the truth is that in most instances, thieving your work is the furthest thing from any editor’s or agent’s mind.

So relax.

Consider any negative vibes or insecure thoughts that may be coming through your query letters or other correspondence. Have a trusted friend read your queries before you send them on. When you sit down to write any correspondence, get yourself in a positive, friendly state of mind. Don’t think about all the bad things that could happen, think instead about all of the good things that will happen.

It’s okay to have insecurities about your writing. It’s not so okay to pass them on to others in the industry that may have the ability to affect your future.

Ahh, but there is always the other side to the coin, no? Thank goodness the ratios seem to favor the good guys, but there is always a stinker or two isn’t there? I remember all of my really good clients, but the really bad ones are branded in my memory. Fortunately, I’ve only had a few in the last two years.

One of my horror stories is partly my own doing. I was new to this and quoted a ridiculously low price for what I understood the project to be. Ugh. Folks, take my advice and outline all of the details for the project in writing. In advance, preferably. Hehe.

It seemed straightforward enough. The client had a blog and a website selling a particular line of products. She wanted regular blog updates and wanted me to figure out how to drive traffic to her sales product site. Well, the blog website was a free WP theme and it was a mess. The color scheme and fonts and layout were not conducive to much of anything. I did the extra work that was needed to bring things up to speed but she wasn’t interested in updating or changing the theme – she liked it as it was.

At first, she would send me sites that she had found relating to her products. The idea was for me to get permission for reprints on her blog and to try and arrange for reciprocal links. This would have been okay except she started sending anywhere from three to six of these every day. Before I knew it, I was swamped. Part of the problem was that the product website had this crazy, complicated method for linking and each one required several email exchanges. I’d say a good half hour of time was needed for each one.

The client’s stated goal was to drive traffic and boost sales for the product site. I tried to suggest several methods for making this happen and each method was flatly refused. She wanted things to change but wasn’t willing to make the changes to her system that would enable her goals to be reachable.

Oy. Like I said, part of this was my fault for not laying out the proper groundwork, but ultimately, the client’s rigidity was the primary factor in the project’s lack of success. When I finally cut the ties for that one, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Now, I know that you folks that would make this little client story pale in comparison. Let’s have it. Give us your worst. Do you have client stories that still cause you to boil over?

The Writer’s Market (Most Current Edition) – Every year you want to spend the money to update this most important book of your bookshelf. There is information for nearly any writing market and it is an excellent place to begin your search for folks to query about your writing project ideas.

The Elements of Style – Strunk and White’s is an absolute must have for any of the grammatical queries that do pop up from time to time. Know it. Live it.

The Chicago Manual – A bit on the thick side, but useful as cross reference for style questions. Some institutions live by this thing.

On Writing – Some say it’s the best thing Stephen King ever wrote. Perhaps. While it may not be particularly helpful in terms of writing long-tailed keyword articles, it certainly is inspirational and some of the writing hints may help you in your freelance work.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves – Punctuation on the lighter side. A #1 best seller that helps to put punctuation in a whole new perspective.

Roget’s Thesaurus – I know these kinds of reference books are available online, but hey, try and get a little unplugged now and then. I’ve found that thumbing through Roget’s looking for one word, leads me to others I never would have considered. Try THAT with a search box.

The Book of Excellence – You remember this one from a post I did last month. Snippets of wisdom that can inspire and motivate. Just the thing when the chips are down.

Quiet Mind – Okay, this one is optional but I would encourage you to open your mind a bit and let this one in. Subtitled “A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation”, it is an excellent, small book that will show you the benefits to be had by quieting your mind. I’ve found it to be useful in attaining focus.

How about you? What “must-have” books are on your shelf? Are there any titles in particular that help you in your daily freelancing? Also, which of these do you already have on your shelf?

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If you are reading this article, chances are you are already a freelance writer and you can relate to this list. There is also a chance that maybe you are sitting on the fence, trying to decide on which side you’d like to land. If that’s the case, maybe this list will help.

1. Your writing isn’t good enough. Hey, it could be. You do not need to be a grammarmagician to do this. Yes, some basic skill is needed but like anything else practice will go a long way towards making your writing sing.
2. Fear of failure. I promise that the world will still revolve if freelance writing doesn’t prove to be your thing. It would be worse to not even try.
3. Fear of success. This is kind of a toughie. There are folks who have this and don’t even know it so they sabotage most any project in order to ensure success doesn’t happen. If you think this may be you, get the necessary help before you begin.
4. There are already so many freelance writers. Pshaw. There are a lot of fair-to-partly-crappy writers out there, for sure. If you have even a smidgen of writing skill, you can edge out quite a few of the other freelancers.
5. No time. Oh, yes. If you decide to freelance you better be ready to sprout a few more hours into every day. Also, there is nothing that says you have to do this full time right away. You can ease into it. Tentatively hang your shingle on the web and see what happens. For me, inside of two months I needed to quit my day job to handle the incoming work.
6. I’m scared of quitting the security of my day job. Okay, I’ll confess that this one is not so silly. If you have a 9 to 5 that is paying you handsomely whilst taking care of your health insurance premiums you need to give jumping off the freelance cliff some serious consideration. Start slow and have a good plan in place prior to killing the golden egg-laying goose.
7. I don’t know where to find clients. Hmmm. That is why God (not Al Gore) invented the internet. A small investment in social networking and marketing has the potential of paying big freelancing rewards. All it really takes is that one gi-normous client and you are off and running. You can also get things moving with a few small clients whom you treat like the gold they are.
8. My real goal is being a published novelist. Okay, that’s a great goal. Writing is writing, be it fiction or non. Every chance to write is a chance to hone your skills. Also, the more your name is out on the web, the greater the chances of meeting someone who may help you in your novelistic endeavors.
9. You have to write what you know, and I don’t know anything. Hehe. Join the club. Do not be afraid of topics. The client will give you what you need to know. Otherwise, be prepared to do a bit of research. I came up with the names and product descriptions for a line of lip glosses aimed at teenaged girls. I’m fat, fifty and bald. Do the math.
10. I won’t make any money. Possible, and probable at first. Stick with it, apply yourself with integrity and the money will come.

What say you, gentle audience? Any other reasons to not be a freelance writer?

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Of course, freelance writers are concerned about the business of writing. It pays the bills, it provides us a sense of purpose, and deep in our hearts we know it is what we are meant to do. For a freelance writing business, writing is the foundation. A good foundation is layered with supporting materials as well.

I am a freelance writer. A good deal of my time is spent tapping the keys in order to complete an assignment. In other words, I write. If I am to be successful, then my writing should be good to excellent. Forty years ago, the only folks I really needed to rub elbows with were editors and other potential clients. Ahh, yes. The easy days before the internet. Now, in addition to having excellent writing skills, in order to be the most successful freelancer I can be I must also be somewhat of a social creature.

Most of my freelance work is done through the web. I market, advertise, interact and write primarily for folks who have entered my world through the World Wide Web. My presence on the web gives me the chance to interact with other freelance writers. It also gives me the chance to meet folks who are considering entering the freelance writing world. Here is where the supporting materials for my writing foundation come into play.

I recently had the opportunity to answer some questions for someone who was thinking about freelancing. It never once occurred to me to not help this person. Any knowledge I have that is based on my experiences I am willing to give freely. There are no secrets and there is nothing to hide. After our conversations were done, this person has decided to make a go of freelancing. I’m proud that I may have played a part in his decision to move forward. Knowing what I do about this person, I suspect they will be very successful indeed.

We should all be willing to do the same. We should have integrity and the desire to help and inspire other writers. I do not see this new freelance writer as someone who will be my competition. I see them as someone who will be a colleague and someone who will remember our conversations as they grow and develop over the years.

Sometimes, these kinds of relationships blossom into writing partnerships. Other times they develop into support systems that both parties pull from when needed. The point is, in my mind it can never be a bad thing to help another writer.

So, in addition to our writing I think we need to have:

• Integrity
• Compassion
• Empathy
• A willingness to help others
• Commitment
• Patience
• Tolerance
• Enthusiasm.

By adding these supporting elements to your writing, you are ensuring a writing career worthy of the person you truly are.

A lot of folks are intimidated by writing for magazines. More often than not, this is because they think that Time or Wired would never accept an article from them. Well, maybe Time isn’t going to roll over with your first query. That’s okay. Set your sites a little lower and work your way up.

Here’s how to make it happen:

• Choose your market – Consider where your interests lay. If you’re clueless about all things techie, don’t beat your head against the Wired wall. Why make your life that tough? If you have expertise in a particular area, chart that course.
• Research the magazines that fit your interest and expertise. When I found out that my neighbor was building the first vodka distillery in Alaska, the idea came to me that this would make a great story. I didn’t query Gourmet, I queried Alaska Magazine. They accepted and the article was published six months later. Make a list of magazines that you would love to write for. Go out and buy the current issues of each of them and absorb as much as you can about editorial slant, typical topics and overall style.
• Go online – This is a crucial step. Most of these magazines will have submission guidelines on their site. Read, know, understand and print these. If you skip this step you are asking for trouble and you may make a mistake that will bar you from ever writing for that magazine. Often, they will tell you exactly the kind of articles they are looking for. If at all possible, try to tailor your article idea into one that fits what they are looking for.
• Send the query – If you did your homework and read the submission guidelines, you’ll know exactly how to send the query. Some places want email queries only. Some still prefer snail mail. Some don’t want attachments, some are okay with it. Your query needs to be one page and the very first sentence needs to have a significant hook. Include the anticipated word count, whether or not you have images and any ideas you might have for sidebars. Include a paragraph or a few sentences that make it obvious that you have read the guidelines. For the Alaska Magazine article, the submission guidelines said that they are seeking articles about “Ordinary Alaskans doing extraordinary things.” Plenty good. I included a sentence in the query that said something along the lines of Toby being an ordinary guy, just my Alaskan neighbor doing an extraordinary thing.
• Follow up – It’s okay to follow up with the editor, just don’t be a pest. Under no circumstances should you contact the editor prior to the timeframe the submission guidelines give. I’ve found that these days, I hear back pretty quick, especially for email queries. Patience, my friend. Patience.

These are the initial steps to breaking into the magazine market. There is a bit of work involved but it’s all worth it. It only takes a few successes to set you on your way to a lot of writing opportunity.

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For folks that are involved in sales, there is something known as being in the zone. Being in the zone means you are in a place where your focus is laser honed. Outside distractions are not a distraction at all and you can accomplish nearly anything. It’s almost as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. For us freelance writing types, being in the zone is what allows us to operate at our highest power. Being in the zone for us means that we pump out the writing with nary a care. We do our best stuff in the zone and we are completely inspired.

Getting into and staying in the zone is different for each of us, I suspect. Motivating factors differ from writer to writer and may involve, deadlines, money or credibility.

Here’s what gets me in the zone:

• As much as I hate to admit it, I’m deadline oriented. I seem to do best and produce the most work when my back is against the wall. I have several clients that I write for and I always seem to find a way to put off those assignments until the end. I know, not a very wise way to operate. There are a thousand things that could go wrong and put me over deadline. So far, those times have been few and far between but I know that at any time they could be right around the corner.
• If I have a large chunk of similar articles that need to be written I get myself into the zone simply by writing the first one. When I have ten long-tail keyword articles that are due, I see each completed one as a step closer to being done with the damned things. I get in the zone and I don’t let anything distract me until I am finished. I use one article to feed into another and another until I’m close enough to see the finish line.
• I set up my environment to be conducive to the tasks I need to complete. The house gets cleaned (I find clutter to be distracting), I make sure I’ve completed any chores or tasks so that they are not tickling the back of me brain and I make a pitcher of tea or whatever. I close out my email and web browser so that those temptations are not quite as easy to get to. Finally, classical music seems to help me quite a bit so I set the mood with that radio station gently playing in the background.
• With my environment set, I work on my mindset a bit. Sometimes I’ll meditate to clear my mind and help me focus. Other times, I’ll sit and look at the assignment and go over the keywords to get some initial ideas for the articles.

All of these things help me to get into my zone. The zone is where the best of my writing takes place and it’s my own little shell in a great big world. For my writing projects that are of any size, being in the zone is just the ticket for getting them done.

How about you? Do you have a zone? What kinds of things motivate you to get into your zone?

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As I sit here on the cusp of two years worth of freelance writing, I’m thinking there sure are a lot of things I’d do different if I had known better. First, I think I would have Googled “smart, funny, take no prisoners, laser wit” so I could have gotten Mark Pepper’s email addy sooner. And that’s just the beginning, folks.

The genesis for this post is from reviewing an ebook for a good friend on some blogging strategies. I thought, “Man, I wish I’d known this stuff way back when.” Upon further reflection it occurred to me that time hasn’t passed me by. Why couldn’t I rewrite history? I could not come up with a good reason why.

In order to rewrite history, it seems to me I needed to know what my history was. Sure, I had an ethereal, gossamer notion of where I had been, but the history was contained in a lot of different places, a little bit here, a tad there. I had to put it all together in one place, for my own sanity if nothing else.

I started my story with a close examination of the decisions that led me to get into freelance writing. From there, I looked at my early decisions regarding the site name, my hosting provider and what I had envisioned for my brand. I looked at early documents and dates. I reviewed the files for my early clients and some of the companies I wrote for. I went back and found some of my first affiliate programs I joined. Finally, I reviewed my archived posts to try and get a feel for my development as a blogger and a writer.

When I had all of the pieces in one spot (well, sort of), I was able to put together my freelance writing story. As I went through, I highlighted the turning points where I made certain decisions. These were the points that I wanted to rewrite based on what I know now.

The reality is that you cannot change history. What happened, happened. The important thing is that that does not have to be the end of the story. I found plenty of things that I could do differently and while they may have been more effective if I had done them early on, they still had the ability to be effective if I took the time to implement them now.

So in front of me are two documents: My history and a list of things that I could do to help re-write my freelance writing history. It’s going to take a little time, but now I have a roadmap.

This little exercise of writing my history has been great. It was interesting to see what I had gathered in two short little years. It has also motivated me to make the necessary changes to stay fresh and to correct the mistakes of the past where ever I could.

Spend a weekend and write your freelance story. I’ll bet you’ll be glad you did.

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If you are new to freelance writing you may wonder where in the world(wide-web) you can you find freelance writing jobs.  It’s a good question, and you need to be prepared for a lot of trial and error.  If you find something that works for you, congratulations!  Don’t be afraid to look under a lot of rocks.

• Craigslist.org – Careful, Craigs can be scamalicious.
• Textbroker.com

Freelance Venue

Write Jobs

Writers Weekly

Poe War

About Freelance Writing :

AdAge Talent Works :

All Freelance Writing Jobs :

American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors (AASFE) :

Associated Press :

Association of Alternative Newsweeklies :

Berkeley Journalism Jobs :

Blog Her :

Blogger Jobs :

Blog Post for Sale :

Bookbuilders of Boston :

Book Jobs :

Brizcomm :

Broadcast Career Link :

CCNMA (California Chicano News Media Association) :

CMS Wire :

Content Central :

Constant Content :

CopyBlogger Jobs :

Creative Niche :

Cub Reporters :

ECPA :

Faculty of Information & Media Studies Jobs (FIMS) :

Freelance Success :

Freelance Writing :

Freelance Writing Gigs :

Fresh Web Jobs :

Gannett Jobs :

GigsList :

HireMinds :

Houghton Mifflin Jobs :

Inland Press :

Investigative Reporters and Editors :

Jeff Gaulin’s Job Board :

Journalism Jobs :

Journalism Next:

Journalism Now :

Journalism UK Jobs :

JournalistUSA :

Journalism & Women Symposium Jobs :

Lingo Tip :

Lost Remote Jobs :

Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) :

Mac Circ Jobs :

McMurry Copyediting Jobs :

Media Bistro :

Media Job Market :

Media Recruiter :

Media Week Jobs UK :

Min Online :

National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) :

National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) :

National Writers Union Writing Jobs Hotline :

News Jobs :

Newsroom Jobs :

New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) :

Newspaper Career Bank : .

NUJ Freelance Direct :

Online Writing Jobs :

Open Ad : 

Performancing :

Places for Writers :

Poe War :

Poynter :

ProBloggers - 

Project Pool :

Project4Hire :

Project Worm :

Pros to Go :

ProZ :

PR Week :

Publishers Weekly :

Publishers Marketplace

Religion Newswriters Association :

Search Web Jobs :

Smashing Magazine Jobs :

Sports Casting Jobs :

SunOasis :

TheBookseller :

The Golden Pencil :

Translators Cafe :

Trally :

Triond :

TVSpy Job Bank :

Variety :

Worldwide Freelance Writer :

Write Jobs :

Writing Career :

WriterFind :

WriterLance : 

Writers Row ( Now Called Freelance Writers Weekly) :

Writers Weekly :

Writing World :

A lot of folks are attracted to the idea of being their own boss and owning their own business. Lots of benefits to that for sure. The amount of benefit is directly proportional to the work and the risk involved. Those who have been doing it a while know that it is tough work. Tough work that requires as much attention as a new-born baby.

As much as we don’t like to think of it this way, freelance writing is a job. As such, it requires the same (if not more) dedication that you would put into a 9 – 5 gig for an employer. Bunny slippers and mid-day naps aside, if you worked for someone else, you could hardly perform your duties half-heartedly and expect to be successful. Checking your email every ten minutes, chatting online with your Facebook buddies and searching iTunes all day for the latest and greatest apps will not win over your employer.

Your success as a freelance writer requires you to look at this not as a hobby or as a distraction, but as a real live job that requires your attention, substantial effort and a strong work ethic. Anything less spells failure. If your mindset at the moment is one of seeing clients as a hassle, the writing as an impediment to your World of Warcraft time and the initial pay as stifling your dreams, then you need to seriously evaluate your dedication. If you find that you just do not have the heart to dedicate yourself full time to being a freelancer, that is 100% okay. Give yourself permission to back out and maybe just do a writing side job now and then to satisfy your writing moods. There is no reason at all for you to not do this as a hobby if that is where your comfort meter is pegged.

If you have decided that you really want to tear up the web, writing for anyone on any topic, then go for it. Your unwavering focus should be to make every day, every writing job an outstanding success. Dedicate yourself to starting each and every day fresh. Your ability to keep things fresh will depend on being dedicated to yourself, your clients and your writing. Think back to when this tiny seed of freelance writing first germinated in your mind. What did you envision for yourself?  Did you clearly see your goals? More than likely you did, and those things are what motivated you to make the leap of faith and jump right in with enthusiasm and dedication.

Sometimes we lose sight of why we started doing this. Our dedication to it slips bit by bit over time and before you know it, you’re not returning calls and you are hooked on daytime soaps.  If this happens, remember that all is not lost!  Get back to the dedication that you had when you first began and your batteries will charge up, ready to do battle all over again.