Articles archived for October 2009
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.‖Maya Angelou
In the first post in this series (Stay Sane While Multitasking–A MJSS Diagnosis), we talked about Multi-Job Stress Syndrome and why freelancers are prone to this disease.
I promised to follow-up with some natural, Zen solutions for coping with having to multitask as freelance writers and so… here we go!
Natural, Zen Remedies for MJSS:
- Herbal tea – a cup of hot herbal tea enjoyed while sitting outside on the front porch or deck can do wonders for your mind, body, and soul. Not only do herbal teas have medicinal benefits, it is truly relaxing to simply “zone out†for a few minutes as you sip a hot cup of bliss.
- Exercise – Prying yourself away from the computer long enough to get some fresh air and stretch and exercise your muscles is not only good for your body, it’s fabulous for your mind! Once you get those endorphins going, you’ll feel more mentally alert and will find inspiration and passion abounds. I’m amazed at how yoga has changed my freelance life. I feel more inspired than ever and am writing much more prolifically.  (Yoga Is Yummy is one of my favorite go-to yoga sites – especially for beginners.)
- Sleep – If we don’t get adequate sleep we can’t function properly. Life is chaotic enough – we don’t need to be starting each day like zombies. That will only aggravate MJSS and make our lives harder. I realize there are times when we’re on deadline and have no choice but to pull an all-nighter, or we have to drag ourselves out of bed to write down those out-of-this-world ideas that keep nagging us and won’t let us sleep, but the majority of the time we can make sleep a priority – and we should.
- Raw foods and juices – Of course, most of you know me as Raw Juice Girl. I love fresh, raw juices and, foods and have juice fasted extensively (52 days is the longest fasting journey I’ve experienced so far). You don’t have to juice fast to enjoy the health benefits of raw juices, though. Make yourself a fresh juice and incorporate more raw foods to your diet each day and make note of the changes you feel in your body and mind. Energy levels begin to rise, mental clarity and focus is enhanced – even eyesight has improved for some people. (Visit Healing With (Raw) Juices to learn more about raw food, juices, smoothies, and their healing benefits.) Living foods can make all the difference!
- Don’t forget to eat! – As multitasking freelancers with a gazillion things to do every day, we can sometimes go hours – or days! – without proper nutrition. Don’t starve your body. When you starve your body, you’re starving your mind and your creativity and putting your business – and your health! – in jeopardy. Make eating a priority. Make yourself a priority!
- Outsource or Barter – Have you been trying to manage your website(s)/blog(s) yourself but don’t really know what you’re doing? Are you lost in all the e-mails, phone calls, marketing, and paperwork? Have you considered hiring a Web Tech and/or Virtual Assistant to take care of the tasks you don’t have time for, or don’t enjoy doing? If your freelance business can’t afford one or both of these professionals I’ve mentioned, have you considered bartering? Trade the service you provide to them for the services they’ll provide for you! Just get it all in writing and be clear that all parties are completely understanding of the exchange of services – then you’ll have more time to do what you truly love each day!
Stay tuned… In the next post, I’ll share with you specific herbs (both teas and capsule form) that help relieve stress.
Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for The Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.
Do you have other natural ways to combat stress while dealing with MJSS? What have I forgotten? Do you have anything to add? Fill us in – share your natural solutions!
Photo Credit: by Gare and Kitty
Did you know, November is National Novel Writing Month? Over 100,000 people have signed up, each committed to writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
November is a crazy month for many writers, especially those who are taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge. Even those of us who aren’t beginning a new book, are working steadily through gigs for our clients, submitting articles, or completing existing projects. We are working harder than ever toward year’s end.
What do you do differently in November? Have you looked at the goals you set earlier this year and evaluated where you stand today? Now is the perfect time to look at what you need to do to make remarkable accomplishments for 2009.
With just 69 days until 2010, what goals are you committed to completing before the new year?
I mentioned before how important Social Media is, and that you can Ping Your Way to the Top, but how exactly do you do that? How do you find the courage to put yourself “out there” and what exactly, and how much, should you share?
I have some advice for you…
Wading out into the Social Media waters can seem scary. It almost feels like the first day as the new kid on the block, or like that haunting peer pressure we experienced in high school—and, for some of us, it was horrific!
If you’re caving under the pressure from Social Media invites, or have already jumped into the Social Media pool but aren’t sure exactly how to go about getting started, you might be wondering things like: What will people think of me? Will I say something stupid? What kind of things should I say in my updates? Why would anyone care about what I have to say?
The fear of fitting in seems to follow us throughout our lives, doesn’t it? From the first day of Kindergarten, we struggle to fit in—often worrying what others will think of our every move.
These are all legitimate worries but you’ll soon see that if you follow the tips I’m about to share, you’ll fall into a Social Media groove you’re comfortable with.
Five Tips for Social Media Success:
- Honesty is always the best policy.
I was raised by these words. I’m glad. There’s nothing worse than lies and falseness. The truth may hurt, it might be ugly sometimes, but it’s real. It’s who you are. No, you don’t have to tell 100% of every minute detail of your life, but you can approach your business and Social Media with honesty. You don’t want to end up with 20,000 followers all based on a lie. Start with a solid foundation, who you truly are. Be yourself. No, not everyone will like you, in fact, some people may despise you. But if you’re just YOU, you’ll end up networking with like-minded people and will be much happier with the direction your network takes. - Be sincere and genuine.
This is similar to being honest, but goes a little further than that. If you aren’t sincere in your Social Media updates and responses, people will eventually pick up on that. Just because you’re behind a computer screen, doesn’t mean that you should put up a false front and post fake responses. If you don’t care that someone’s in the hospital, or you don’t care about breast cancer awareness, don’t act like you do. - Learn the ropes.
It doesn’t take too long to pick up on how the various Social Media sites operate. Some pick up quicker than others but we can all learn new things—even if we only have small spurts of time to dedicate to learning, here and there. Give yourself some time and have an open mind for catching on to various techniques (such as #FollowFriday on Twitter, where you share people you enjoy following with others—on a Friday). - Figure out what is unique and different about you and your business, and use it to your advantage—in a positive way.
Do you have a unique product or a special talent? Do you provide services unlike other businesses out there? Is the name of your business different? Is your location odd? What’s your story? Once you realize what it is, if you don’t know already, share it with the world! Mesmerize them. Excite them. Make them crave more of your product, or your services. - Share your personality.
Without YOU, your business is nothing but an idea. You make your business happen. You’re a real person. So, don’t be a robot. You laugh, you cry, you get angry, you mess up, you have epiphanies, you forget things…. Show snippets of your personality. You don’t have to curse when you’re mad or tell the world you just went to the bathroom but you can share milestones, struggles, or a funny thought you just had. Be warm and inviting and people will want to friend/follow you!
Social Media is an amazing marketing tool. Used correctly, it can bring you business success beyond your wildest dreams–and friendships you’ll cherish, that can last a lifetime…
Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.
You can also find more tips in part one of Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s 3-part interview with me: On Social Networking Success.
What are you waiting for? Come on in, the water’s fine!
Are you active in Social Media? Have you been holding off because of fears I’ve mentioned today? Has anything I’ve said swayed your decision and prompted you to run and sign up for the Social Media sites you’ve avoided? Start the conversation, somebody, I’m itching to discuss!!!
And be sure to subscribe if you aren’t already. I’ll be sharing do’s and don’ts of Social Media in an upcoming post!
Photo Credit: lusi
Financial stress can be a motivator; or detrimental to a freelance writer…
Recently, my husband and I refinanced our family car. We were quite shocked at the difference in interest percents and the payments when all was said and done. I realized that the stress of a three-hundred dollar payment was huge in how I approached my writing.
In the back of my mind, I thought about all of our bills every time I applied for a gig or wrote an article. I quickly realized as I looked at our new loan terms that, finally, I had more freedom to truly follow my writing dreams and desires. I no longer had to be held hostage by the end figure of a project.
If financial stress is bogging you down, consider these options:
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Refinance.
Know the financial market and look at options that will reduce your overall cost without increasing the length of your term. Consider non-profit banking options such as Federal Credit Unions. Credit Unions are tax exempt and can offer you a much lower interest rate than the standard bank.
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Know your debt.
Create a detailed list of your debts. By knowing exactly where you stand financially, you will put yourself into a better position to make wise financial choices and eliminate stress.
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Budgeting.
Look at your complete budget. Find where you have steady income, moderately stable income and sporadic income. Focus on replacing the sporadic income with writing jobs that provide much more reliable income opportunities. (Hot Tip: Don’t forget to ask your editor if they have any additional work you could do!)
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Start small.
As you examine your debts, find the smallest amounts and pay them off first. Paying a $25 medical bill and wiping it off your list will reduce your stress. The smallest bills are the easiest to eliminate and generally won’t put you into a financial bind.
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Build savings.
If you have $500 – $1000 in savings, the stress of a family emergency, vehicle trouble or unexpected bill won’t increase your stress levels. There’s a great sense of security when you have a bit of financial padding.
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Bartering.
Should you find yourself in need of new brakes or an emergency dental procedure, consider bartering or exchanging your services. Many companies will accept the offer for free advertising in lieu of the work they perform.
Take measures to reduce your debt and financial responsibility. As you begin seeing debts fall off your list, you will feel a greater creative flow. Following your writing dreams becomes a bit simpler and the writing process becomes much easier. You will have freedom to weed through writing opportunities more thoroughly, selecting those that best fit your writing goals and personal desires. Most of all, you can enjoy new-found reasons to express yourself through words!
“Here’s the wager: A year from now, 10/16/09, will you be leading a tribe of people? Will you be creating stories, connecting people, giving them a platform and making things better for people who care about each other? I’m betting you will.â€â€”Seth Godin
That was a year ago. I didn’t read it then. I just came across it today. But I love this question, the passion and opportunity to marvel and dream about the possibilities of where we’ll be a year from now if we market ourselves is awesome.
Seth Godin, Marketing Guru, should know.
Social Media Sites
Are you active in Social Media? If not, here’s just a few Social Media sites…
There are many others, and the list is growing all the time. With that many sites, you’ll end up with several accounts to update. Log in and out of those each day—or even a few times a week—and it becomes exhausting and eats into your time. And it’s pretty crazy trying to remember all that login information!
Time = Value = Networking
We all know time is valuable—but so is Social Media. Networking the online circuits can mean the difference in you getting new freelance work and building your client base.
Remember what Seth Godin asked? A year from now, will you be leading people? Will your business have grown? Will you be selling more of your products or services? Will your blog have more readers? Will your network expand?
Social Media is far more than goofing off on Twitter or wasting time on Plurk—it’s about showing the WORLD who you are, what your business is about, and that you’re a real, genuine person. It’s about letting your personality shine through and sparking engaging conversation with potential buyers, clients, co-workers.
You may think Social Media is for teens to keep in touch as they make their way through high school and college, but it’s a tool business owners can use to learn and grow and share and build.
And to make your life easier, I’ve saved the best for last! What could possibly be better than Social Media and dreams and booming business? Well, ping.fm, of course!
One Site, One Login
Ping.fm is the Social Media Networker’s ultimate tool. It’s (almost) everything wrapped into one site, one login, one post. Simply create an account and when you’re ready to update your status across the Social Media circuit (Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, MySpace, etc.) you just ping it. Awesome, huh?
I regret not signing up for a ping.fm account sooner – it saves so much time! The one downside to it is that you do have to log in to the other accounts to respond to people. It still saves so much time, though, it’s totally worth that little issue.
What are you waiting for? Ping your way to the top!!!
Oh, and I have to thank my friend, Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger, for giving me an extra, encouraging nudge to try ping.fm. Thank you, Mysti!
Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for The Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.
Is Social Media a part of your life? Do you use it for personal or business reasons? Do you use ping.fm, yet. If not, why? Spill the beans! What Social Media sites are you on? Drop your links in the comments and let’s network! Oh, and make sure you subscribe. Coming soon: tips for rocking your Social Media world!
How to Stay Sane While Multitasking—And Coping With MJSS
Ever feel like pulling your hair out like that gal in the photo? I can totally relate!
As freelancers, we suffer from MJSS “Multi-Job Stress Syndrome†– that’s right, our number one job is to multitask. We don’t have the option of clocking in at 9 a.m. and leaving our work in an office as we shut the light off, letting it sit on our desk as we close the door behind us and go home at 5 p.m. I’m not saying those who work 9-5 have an easy life – their lives are stressful and they have to go home to families, laundry, dishes, and the chaos this world brings as well.
Rewind!
Wait. I have to correct myself. There are freelancers who do keep 9-5 hours but from what I’ve experienced and witnessed, most of us are right the opposite. And, besides, most freelancers’ offices are on-site, in their homes or at best, in a guest cottage that’s on their property. ß Lucky them!
What I’m saying is that we literally live our jobs 24/7: We always have e-mail, we always have assignments, we always have ideas sitting in files, and we’re always juggling different projects and activities. Sometimes we can feel like we’re losing our sanity as it piles up and seems overwhelming—like the dirty dishes and laundry that’s always building and calling, that we hate to pull ourselves away from our work to tend to. But it never goes away. It only increases and if we don’t wade through it each day, continually, it becomes too much to fathom sorting through.
That’s what I’m talking about. Freelance work is a never-ending task. As long as we’re freelancers, we’re always going to be pulled a million different directions and, honestly, it can wear us down, affect our immune systems and, obviously, test our sanity until we’re a little more than frazzled and feel like pulling our hair out some days.
Jobs of a Freelancer
If you aren’t familiar with what freelancers face day in and day out, here’s a run-down:
- All Clerical (answering the phone, creating and maintaining a filing system, all paperwork, etc.)
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Web tech/learning technical areas (if we opt to save $$$ by building/maintaining websites/blogs ourselves, instead of outsourcing)
- Querying
- Researching
- Answering emails
- Designing/printing business cards
- Designing/printing brochures or fliers
- Setting up at festivals or events
- Organizing
- Scheduling
- And much more….
Reality of a Freelancer
Unless you can find it in your budget to hire a Virtual Assistant or in-house Assistant, you’re the proud owner of all of above jobs. Crazy, isn’t it. Oh, and I forgot to mention that on top of all those duties, you get to write (or design) or whatever it is you’re doing as a freelancer. Fun, huh?
Can you see how madness can ensue and chaos can overtake your very sanity?
Now that we’ve diagnosed our illness, we’ll discuss — and learn to recognize — the symptoms of MJSS and how to maintain our sanity and overall health as we trudge through the madness freelancing brings to our lives. I’ll be sharing natural, Zen ways to find peace amidst the freelance chaos!
Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for The Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.
What do you think? Are you losing your sanity while trying to multitask? Do you breeze right through multitasking without even losing your breath? Is it easy for you/hard for you? Did I leave anything out? Do you have any chaotic memories to share? Do tell!
Photo Credit: Leeni
Wow! September was an phenomenal month for Writer’s Round-About. We shared fantastic articles and a rocking interview sending our subscriber count to an all-time high of 104 readers.
Thank You for your part in this site’s growing success!
Did you miss out on Mysti’s 5-Part Series? Find it here: F-O-C-U-S on Writing (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5)
And don’t miss my 3-part interview with powerhouse writer, Michele Tune – Social Networking Success, The Business of Blogging, Habits & Courage.
Please share your favorite posts with your friends. You can post links to Twitter, Plurk, Digg, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and anywhere you love to hang out or find the greatest content. Let’s break the 104 record!
Stay tuned for more great posts by our talented contributors and don’t forget, if you have something to share you might consider becoming a WRA writer.
If you currently market your writing online, through sites such as Associated Content or Constant Content, you know there’s an enormous demand information of all types. One of the most powerful strategies for multiplying earnings from your writing is to recycle non-exclusive articles you’ve written for the various online submission sites into a larger scale work such as an ebook that can be sold online. It can be very exciting to be an ebook author and you’ve already done much of the work by writing your own original articles. Why not use your articles to write and sell an ebook to increase your online writing income?
While many people think the task of writing an ebook is a monumental undertaking, the truth is if you publish articles on a narrowly defined group of topics, you may already have the material for several ebooks on your computer just waiting to be organized and compiled. An ebook can be as simple as a group of articles grouped together with some added writing between articles to bridge the gaps and make the book flow better. To write and sell an ebook is not such an overwhelming endeavor after all.
For example, suppose you love to write articles about fly fishing techniques. You’ve written over twenty articles on that topic and consider yourself to be somewhat of an expert on fly fishing. Your articles get lots of page views so you know there’s significant interest in the topic. Since you wrote these articles as non-exclusives, you’re free to use the material you already have to write and sell an ebook.
Why not gather together those already completed articles and formulate them into groups based on subtopic? These could form the main topic headings for your first ebook. Once you have the articles grouped, you can outline your table of contents. Now that you have your table of contents and subject headings, it’s a simple matter of using your articles to fill in the body of each subject heading and manipulating the wording so it flows smoothly. An ebook will come together more quickly than you ever dreamed possible and you’ll have spent minimal time on additional writing.
Once you have your ebook organized, it’s time to come up with a compelling title. The title needs to solve a problem, be compelling, and arouse emotion in your reader. Which title would you rather read?:
The Online Guide to Fly Fishing
Conquering the Waters: The Complete Novice’s Guide to Fly Fishing Like a Pro
The second title packs more emotion punch and will probably compel your reader to want to purchase your ebook more than the first one. Remember, a title can make or break sales of an ebook.
Once you’ve completed your ebook it’s time to put it into ebook format. Most successful ebooks are published in pdf format which makes it capable of being read on both PCs and Macs which widens your potential customer base. There are a variety of free software programs that will convert your document to PDF format. Newer versions of Microsoft Word can save documents as pdf and Adobe Acrobat is an online service that will convert up to five PDF free or sign up for their premium features. You’ll also want to design an eye catching ebook cover to grab the potential reader’s attention. Once you’ve completed your book, there are a variety of ebook directories where you can promote and sell your book.
And you thought it would be hard to write and sell an ebook? Nothing could be further from the truth. Why not gather together those non-exclusive articles and get started today?
Dr. Kristie is a medical doctor with a concentration in family practice. She also has an undergraduate degree in both Biology and Psychology as well a master’s in Clinical Pathology. Dr.Kristie has been a published writer for the last two years and was named one of Associated Content’s top 1,000 writers for 2007.
Every person has a style of writing that is completely unique. The education received and language heard while growing up plays an important roll in the structure of sentences and construction of paragraphs. Knowing your personal style will offer an edge in marketing yourself to the right publications.
Humor
Are you able to turn a serious subject into an easy reading and roll on the floor laughing piece? Do you find politics the root of all jokes? If you can answer yes to either of those questions, anthologies or politically geared websites and magazines makes a great starting point!
Sales
Have you noticed a trend in your writing that leaves the reader wanting to know more about the subject? Are you able to entice a person with a small number of words? It’s high time to be looking into product descriptions and copy writing! There are numerous companies in need of your skills.
Descriptions
Do you describe scenery so vivid the mind can see? Are you quick with flowing analogies and find writing lengthy stories a piece of cake? Fiction magazines and short story compilations are one way to go. Shortening your word count considerably while providing an amazing story could be an option too! Flash fiction is fun and pays decently, too!
Emotional
Are the words you share connected with powerful emotions? Are you able to describe physical reactions to difficult situations by showing your readers? (Tom faced the firing squad. As the blindfold was placed over his eyes, he wiped his hands along side his ragged pants. Showing nervousness by the sweating palms.) Looking into life-story websites and columns for a steady income is wise.
Analytical
Do you understand pie charts, graphs, figures and instructions? Are you up to date in medical or scientific terminology? Are you able to work through a project step by step and accurately explain how to make it work? Writing instruction manuals doesn’t typically offer a by line, but the pay as a technical writer is nice.
Conversational
When writing, do you feel as though you are carrying on a conversation with your intended audience? Are your paragraphs short and concise? The art of web logging or blogging is right up your alley. The ability to carry forward with conversational pieces draws in a reader and keeps them hooked. Some of the popular bloggers maintain this same style of writing.
Know Your Style!
Knowing your style and understanding the types of publications geared towards brand you will help eliminate the guess work of which direction to take. Eliminating certain genres will help narrow the type of writing gigs to search. You are left with a solid beginning for your writing career and brand.
Is your writing style a combination of these? If so, you will probably be one of the many who is able to bridge the gap between different markets and truly persevere with your writing goals! Now to ask, what is your favorite style of writing to read?
Can you think of other writing styles? In what other markets could each of these styles excel? Which writing style dominates your own writing?
Are you a person who’s skilled at creating witty quotes and sayings? If so, you can make money with your talents. The internet has opened up a variety of ways to make money from short quips and quotes that inspire people or cause them to smile. If you want to make money selling sayings, consider these options:
Sell sayings: Sell your quotes on Café Press
CaféPress is an online site where you can sell your original sayings or artwork to be placed on t-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, and a variety of other items. You simply upload your saying or artwork to the CaféPress site and it will be displayed on their marketplace or you can set up your own CaféPress store selling your pithy quotes and sayings. Each time an item sells, you get a percentage of the profits without having to do a thing except make up more clever sayings.
Sell sayings: Publish an online saying of the day
Why not build up an email list of people who want to receive your witty saying of the day? You can profit by including a link to a related affiliate program with each email. A certain percentage of the people who read your daily mail will click on the link and purchase the product. When they do, you’ll receive a percentage of the sale. To have the best chance for success, design your quotes for a niche audience such as witty sayings about bulldogs or motivational sayings for sales people. Choose your affiliate products carefully and you can build up a nice business using this method for selling sayings.
Sell sayings: Publish your sayings on greeting cards
Greeting card companies are always looking for interesting sayings and poems to print onto greeting cards. In fact, most of these companies use freelancers in some form or other. Why not gather together your best sayings and turn them into greeting card material? It’s best to start your submissions by approaching small to medium sized greeting card companies where the competition is less. Write to each company and determine what their submission guidelines are and what they’re looking for. There’s no point in submitting religious sayings to a greeting card company focused on humor. Buff up your sayings and quotes to correspond to what each particular greeting card company wants. Expect rejections at first until you better understand the market, but if you persist and adapt to the market, you can find success selling saying to the greeting card market.
As you can see, something as simple as a witty saying can be marketable. Selling sayings can be a fun way to exercise your creativity and make money at the same time.
