Starting out in freelance writing? Avoid the content mill trap

Breaking into the freelance writing business is tough; if you don't have a clue about what you are doing or any connections to speak of it can be like finding yourself stuck amid an epic sea and you don't even have the island of Lost to at least build a shack on. I know that was my experience, and still has been the case up until this point; the truth is that I am still new to this whole writing scene and while I've always loved words, how to get them in print and visible is no small feat.

Well, perhaps that is not wholly true especially in these times when anyone can have a blog (these very words are a testament to that) and the growing market for content mill articles is abundant. Because so much business has shifted to online venues and with page hits and rankings being more important sometimes than actual content, the work of keywords and SEO has run amok. That's why writing online for such outlets is a far cry from traditional print; there is a place and a reason for his content and it is still necessary but I am just pointing out that it is in fact different.

What is sad and what I will come out and say is bad is that what these kinds of articles or web content has bred is the perfect environment for all of these content mill sites dangling pitifully low wages in front of anyone who can write a coherent sentence and sprinkle in the right words here and there. The poor souls then are stuck in a similar situation to an overworked mule horse who never quite can reach that carrot; busting your but for $5 an article and netting an income on par with a high school senior working as a perky Jamba Juice pusher is not fun.

I think spreading the word that there are far greener pastures is the first thing to do and from there those that are comfortable working for those lower rates are more than welcomed to continue on that path. Yet for those that are striving to achieve something more they can have the information and then go on to break into the business. I think it is hard for anyone to dive into a new niche or market if they have no idea where to start, and if the first wave of information they get is telling them one thing and they don't know any differently that only perpetuates the cycle. I was completely overwhelmed with first trying to muddle my own way into writing and there are plenty of places and sites screaming to hire you but they are really only looking for someone to string together their specific words and aren't willing to pay for quality, even if what you end up writing is.

So hopefully if anyone reading this is new to freelance writing or are stuck in the content mill merry go round I hope this posts on how to break into freelance writing 'the old fashioned way' will help. Yes it still will take time and it won't be easy but the rewards will be better; here the author Carol Tice proves you don't have to have majored in journalism to make it and you can get your foot in the door by writing for local daily papers, the alternative press, and go out to nearby business and non profit organizations that need content. This can be newsletters as well as for their own websites; the fact that the online world is a burgeoning market can still work to our advantage and you can get some copywriting credits without having to work for beans. From there you can progress and move onto 'bigger' things; but like she says you are still going to be making more than $5 here and there.

Happy holidays...now back to finding writing leads!

A doodle of mine for your enjoyment!

Well, Christmas has come and passed and we are just about to enter a whole new year...yikes! Where does the time go?! I'm excited as Santa was quite good to this freelance writer and artist this year...hehe. Actually I was really happy to get a bunch of great new art supplies and such, but the best part was being able to spend some time with my younger siblings. If I have not stated to before they are AMAZING!! But here I am back at home getting back to the grind. It seems getting new leads and finding new freelance writing jobs around the holidays is obviously tougher being that many people are off enjoying vacations. So I've taken the time to getting ahead on some projects and then doing some work on the blogs, tying up loose ends, and organizing. Always the most fun, not really.

But in terms of my freelance writing career I've been doing some thinking about what I hope to achieve, what kind of work I want to do, and then where I hope to be a few years from now. I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions because I think that many of them fall flat after only a few weeks, but I think that with the New Year I do want to think about planning my writing and art career. I am happy that I am now at a stable point in finding freelance writing jobs that I am not so stressed out about constantly looking for leads and I want to start focusing on what I want to do next.

In terms of writing there are so many possibility and I think I'd like to get serious about finding an agent for my book, getting my blogs more traffic, and then doing more with my art. Don't get me wrong, I do love writing articles for my clients on various topics and will continue to do so, but I think it would be fun to decide what I want to write about. I'd also like to find higher paying article sources and do some magazine article queries. So I'm not setting resolutions but goals I guess. If anyone else cares to share some goals or thoughts (or resolutions are fine too don't let my bias sound like judgment!) for their freelance writing, freelance art, or anything else I'd love to hear them!

A Little of This and a Little of That

Just a quick one today as I'm actually happy to say I've been busy. :P I think that it can be tough sometimes finding freelance writing work around the holidays because people are just about to head off for vacation or are out of the office and aren't able to reply to a query. It can be hard when you are left with time to fill, and then when you do get a freelance writing job it seems they all come in at once and there just aren't enough hours in the day! It can be unpredictable at times, but that's the nature of the beat I guess.

I'm trying to be able to do more art and stuff between freelance writing jobs because I miss not being able to do that as much. I'm actually happy I found another place to sell some cards to which gives me an excuse to doodle away instead of keep looking for freelance writing leads. I usually feel guilty if I'm not 'working' and instead having fun drawing and creating, so I'm happy I can find some paying freelance art jobs when I can. I would like to be able to venture further into that line of work as well, but like freelance writing it's about getting your foot in the door and that can be tough!

Okay, well I'm off, but wanted to do a quick one. If anyone is out there reading and would like to share what they're doing around the holidays, in terms of freelance writing or art feel free to leave a note! Heck if you'd just like to say what you're doing for the holidays in general don't be shy either. ;)

Maddening rewrites from nit picky clients

I am still learning the ropes of freelance writing as a career myself, and while I have at least made it to the point where I do have a few reliable clients or freelance writing gigs, I still consider myself a newbie and a work in progress! I am still seeking out better paying freelance writing jobs an better opportunities while still working with what I've got. And so today I come to the point where I must do a bit of venting and see what others have to say who may have been in my same position or are still in my same boat!

When it comes to what a certain freelance writer employer demands of us writers, how much do you think they can expect when they aren't willing to pay us a substantial amount. For instance, I am doing quite a bit of writing for a certain company who will supply a list of articles they need, each 500 words minimum and they will then pay you $7 for each accepted article. Now I know this isn't a great amount, but it's not nothing, so I do submit an decent amount. Yet I am growing ever more frustrated in the fact that they not only frequently demand rewrites with nit picky reasons but that they also reject a lot too.

Case in point, I was told that I was writing with too many 'fancy' words, and one of which they cited was the word ORATE for an article about speech transcription. Throughout the freelance written article I had sentences like, "when the speaker...", "when the talker...", and then "when you are orating..." and I guess orate is now a two dollar word! I'm sorry but you do want some variety in the word choice, no? And now they are having a lot of system troubles in which they claim to not even being receiving my freelance writing articles and then don't pay out. Yet I forward them the previous email that I have showing up in my outbox! ARG!! So frustrating. I just think that if a certain freelance writing job or gig is going to demand a certain amount from their writers, then rewrites, and lengthy invoice procedures they should either pay as such or at least treat us a bit better.

As I'm still learning the ropes and working on getting more freelance writing business I guess it's all par for the course. But it is still annoying and maddening all the same! I'd love to hear anyone else's input, rants, raves, or experiences. At least we can all offer each other some shared commisery! HEHE!!

Keep writing!

Finally finishing what I set out to do...writing that first novel

I've always loved to write. Creating stories, fictional characters, spinning story lines and plots, and writing poems. Creative writing was an outlet for me that I always enjoyed and while I often had lapses in which I was focused on other things, I would usually come back to it in. Through many of my passing phases, my writing, artwork, and running were three things that held my interest. I had dreams of writing an award winning novel, would often start out on a creative writing venture, work away but get stuck somewhere along the way and either start a new writing project or push what I had already written aside as a project to be picked up again at some unknown later date should I ever choose to go back. There I would be left with lots of little unfinished written works, and I had almost resigned to the fact that a full book was outside of my capabilities. That I simply hadn't the patience or concentration to get down THAT many pages, and should stick to short fiction or poetry.

There's nothing wrong with that, in fact I love writing short stories, and poetry if I'm in the right mood, but there was the little part of me that still was remiss that I hadn't actually finished a creative writing piece that was long enough to constitute a novel length story. I do a lot of writing and blogging about fitness and exercise and I'm constantly saying how the mind is the biggest obstacle in our way to achieving our goals. The mind will tell your body you're too tired long before you are ever in danger of actually physically getting to a point where you have to quit. That's the case with long distance running, many people can't fathom the idea of running a certain amount of miles, but with proper training and perseverance you'd be surprised how far you can actually go.

So I thought I should apply this same logic to my writing. I had to stop gulping at the prospect of thousands or words, and instead just take it a day at a time; one sentence at a time. I set a daily goal for myself to write a certain amount of words each day, and found myself actually being able to exceed that amount more often than not. (My obsessive compulsive tendencies definitely started to come out, just as they do with my running!) Eventually I was becoming excited by the prospect that I would actually finish this written novel. As I continued to get the plot and story down onto the page I was growing more excited as I could see the end in sight.

I would get anxious and impatient, simply wanting to get it DONE, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy with the end result if I just rushed it. I did finally finish the project I set out to do. I have the rough draft of my first officially finished novel, and while it is still on the shorter side as far as books go, I do feel proud I finished it. I proved to myself that I could do it; although I still have the mundane task of editing and reworking to do and I by no means and DONE done. And although I may be a freelance writer and have article writing under my belt, I don't' have an agent and getting one's first book published is not an easy task by any stretch!

However, I finished something I had always wanted to do; had set out upon and never fully achieved. I keep that in mind whenever I get frustrated with my own freelance writing, blogging, and articles in that I may not be where I want to be or earning as much as I would hope from my freelance writing career. I am still new to the whole world of freelance writing, but am learning and doing my best to improve upon my skills as best I can. Learning from other and reading tips and advice, I still keep plugging away at my goals because I know that writing makes me happy and that freelance writing as a career is something I want and worth working for!

Freelance writers unite to build a strong community

One of the great things about the freelance writing community is the willingness to help each other out. For the most part, other freelance writers are more than happy to pass on their advice, help, and experience to those writers just starting out. Whether it be guidance and offering the best places to find freelance writing jobs, strategies on how to most effectively utilize your time, or simply be sounding boards to listen to a rant. Because they know how difficult it can be just starting out on a freelance writing career, they are usually great people to turn to with all your questions.

I often found myself stuck with plenty of questions, confused about the whole freelance writing business and how to get writing jobs, and outside of reading books I found the the best place to go looking for answers was right on the web. Other freelance writers' blogs, forums, and online articles were a source of both tips, advice, and reassurance the the hardest part was sipmly starting out and getting established. Their kind words did much in the way to not only get me freelance writing jobs, but in keeping me inspired to keep at, keep going, and believe in my own abilities. After lots of rejection, many writers often begin to doubt themselves, but hearing that many freelance writers struggle can motivate you to keep plugging away.

There were many places that helped me and provided excellent insight into the freelance writing business, but perhaps the very best place was at the Freelance Writer's Network: http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/ , here was not only tons of articles and resources to get you started and help you along, but also freelance writing leads for you to look for jobs. I found my first gigs there, and continue to visit this site often, as there is always something new to learn because I am still learning and still consider myself a newbie to the whole freelance writing business. So, I hope that in pointing you to this site you too can find answers to your questions and that you take advantage of the generous and forthcoming freelance writing community!

Don't sell yourself short...

I recently finished up a freelance writing job with a site that was collecting educational craft projects and games for parents to do with their children. The contract was for a total of 25 craft projects, and I actually turned in the whole freelance writing job a few days early. I was happy with my work, felt that I provided what they were looking for, and in fact all of the projects were longer than the requirements. It looked like everything was going fine, until I got an email from one of the people stating that they wanted pictures for every craft!

Well, at this point, it was now a day or two before the deadline, I had already signed the freelance writing contract (and nothing mentioned a picture anywhere) and I was working on other deadlines as well. I simply had no time to put together 25 craft projects and then set up a photo shoot! I replied as much, and then they told me that because of this, they actually were going to reduce my pay by $10 for each written project. Well, now that is $250, and quite a chunk of change. I replied that because I hope to be able to work with then in the future for other freelance writing jobs I guess that is a compromise we must make, but I hope they can appreciate that on my end I lived up to my end up the bargain and turned in the work, and would hope that in the future there wouldn't be any amendments to the writing job contract after it is already signed and the articles submitted.

I was disappointed, but felt that at least I stuck up for myself. A few days later, I received an email stating that they can see my point, and will honor the freelance writing job contract as it stands. Yea, victory for me. :) I think the point I am trying to make is that I could have simply told them, okay, fine and left it at that and swallowed the loss. And actually that is something I probably would have done not too long ago, but I figured that I had nothing to lose it stating my point of view and sticking up for myself. I put a lot of time and energy into the freelance writing job and did what I was asked to do. I didn't send an irate or mean spirited email, I just stated exactly what happened and how I felt. In doing so I was rewarded not only in terms of getting the actual payment that was promised, but I feel good that I didn't sell myself short.

The thing is, as freelance writers, we do sometimes get a raw deal. Clients skip out on paying or you simply never hear from them again. In today's age, the anonymity of email correspondence makes it easier to do this. If someone is standing in your office and decides they don't want to pay, it can be trickier to skip the bill. Not so from the safety of a computer screen. So if you are met with differences in regards to getting paid for your freelance writing jobs, stick to your guns. You put in the work, and you should get compensated for it!

Going above and beyond

Generally when you first start out freelance writing for a career, you are met with admittedly less than to be desired amounts of payment for your freelance writing works. That's the nature of the beast, as in order to gain the higher paying freelance writing jobs you need to have clips, or previous works, to show your potential hirees. So in completing these early assignments, freelance writers may be tempted to simply muddle through and do what is being asked, but not too much more.

Okay, so you may be thinking that's what you should be doing, because I said in a previous posting that you should dedicate an appropriate amount of effort and time to the amount you are getting paid for each freelance writing job. So you would think that if you are only getting $5 an article, then they should be happy to receive something that is at least legible and in English! Well, let me backtrack a bit in saying, you need to earn that right as a freelance writer. You can't simply crank out, well, crap, and expect to then have enough good quality freelance writing clips and satisfied clients who will recommend you in the future. So yes, early on you will be working harder on those lower paying freelance writing jobs, but you will be building your credentials, experience, and your brand.

And by being extra attentive and willing to provide your freelance writing clients with sometimes more than they would have expected, you can be they will be all the more willing to not only work with you on future projects, but then even give you better paying and more desirable freelance writing jobs. This is how I got my best client. I started out writing articles for $4 each, not too much money at all, but I always did my best and did them promptly. I was early on deadlines, and even helped her out when other freelance writers didn't get their own assignments to her on time. I busted by butt to get done a bunch of work she needed done that day, and she then began offering me better freelance writing articles and other projects much more often.

Staring out freelance writing is the hardest part, but once you get those first few clients and do those writing jobs to the best of your ability, the better projects will come. Then, you can earn the right to pass on the lower paying jobs!

Freelance Writing Articles vs. Blogging

In thinking about the differences between freelance writing articles and using a blog as the platform for the majority of your writing and making your money that way, I'm often left wondering how to best find the balance between the two. There is of course the potential of making a decent income in either of these freelance writing markets, but with article writing it seems that the writer is reliant on what the employer or magazine wants whereas with blogging you can take the content and topics into your own hands. Basically, it is with blogging that the freedom to write whatever you want to, whatever moves you, and whatever you are most passionate about. This of course is appealing to any freelance writer, or anyone in general.

In building a successful blog, however, any freelance writer or blogger needs to do a lot more than simply post. Getting a following through networking, building your brand, and getting your voice out there are all integral parts of the process. For if you have a kick butt blog, but no one is reading it, what does that get you? The fact is, making money off of blogging takes a lot of work, energy, networking, and times. The reward is of course being able to dictate what you write and post, but you have to be willing to put in the necessary work and energies.

As for freelance writing articles, the hard part is simply finding an interested party or a writing gig. Freelance writing jobs are wrought with competition, and you have to present an intriguing query or submission, or prove you are the best candidate for the job. The other aspect of freelance writing articles and assignments for others is that if freelance writing is you only source of income, you are reliant upon what they are willing to pay. And if you are just starting out, many of the freelance writing jobs don't pay as much as you hope or in relation to how much actual time and research the project entails.

It is here that I come to the question of: how much time do you invest in each of these freelance writing ventures so that you can build your brand and your blog while still freelance writing articles in order to make enough money. You need to write, sometimes less than desirable projects to earn a salary, but you still want to designate enough time to your own blog so that you can keep building it up and eventually one day make that your full time priority. Anyone is urged to weigh in with their thoughts!

Rising up Among the Masses

With much of what we read coming from online sources, the freelance writing market is fast becoming more internet based than solely in printed form. This can be great, as you can almost instantly reach a wider fan base, but at the same time, it gives everyone and anyone license to say virtually anything. Along with that, credible sources get lost in the shuffle of 'experts' and one never really knows where sources or articles are coming from. It seems that everyone and their dog has a blog of their own, and are more than willing to share with the world, from everything from what needs to change, to the move captivating revelations going on in their lives...did I mention that I switched toothpaste brands?! Freelance writing and blogging has been granted to the masses, and those hoping to make a successful writing career must push all that harder to get noticed.

With that, the online world is constantly being bombarded by articles, blurbs, and snippets, which can make it all the more difficult for those freelance writers to actually DO good work and get their services and articles out there. SEO keyword writing is a major player in getting your words picked up and noticed by search engines, but that is a difficult beast to master. It seems that with a wider availability allowing everyone to voice their thoughts, you no longer have to like or have a particular knack for writing to be success in any type of freelance writing or online marketing, as long as you cram enough keywords into the text and market like a fiend.

It makes it a bit unfair, I feel in my humble opinion, to those who are looking to write good quality works, but aren't quite as up to speed on the evolving internet techniques. Finding freelance writing work can be tricky, with tons of competition, and writers willing to work for pennies an article. If a potential job listing gets a hundred responses, and someone offers to do the work for $5 a piece, and another candidate's price is higher, who would you choose? Between competitive pricing, experience also comes into play; which puts freelance writers just starting out at a big disadvantage. Still, you have to hope that if you continue to produce good quality work, it will get noticed in the end. In the meant time, we must polish our SEO skills and cede to the fact that it's no longer enough to simply love to write and be willing to do your best on each assignment. Freelance writers need to think of themselves as marketers and actively sell their work. Good luck freelance writers of the world!