Recognizing Your Work Demons

1. IM. Satisfying friends’ “need it now” social voting requests via AIM.
2. Twitter. Getting distracted by incoming Twitter tweets (via the Twhirl client) and an even more addictive Twitter-like service, Plurk. (My addiction used to be Google’s MyMaps, or any kind of mapping mashup.)
3. Email. Being signed into GMail all day (tsk tsk), and obsessively checking for new messages, only to waste time mostly filtering spam.
4. Comments. Visiting sites where I write, to see if I need to respond to any comments. (I don’t always get an email alert, despite “subscribing” to the comments of a post.)
5. TV. Turning on the TV capture card on my computer, and telling myself I “need” to watch something in particular, to get ideas for blog posts.
6. Being indecisive. Fooling myself into believing I can start several projects for one client and not deciding which to finish for the week. This is anti-productivity (but is not the same as multi-tasking). It doesn’t work, and nothing done means no dinero.
7. Over-booking work. Taking on too much work because I don’t like to tell people “no.” As my online brand grew, the number of offers grew — though not being selective results in damaging to my reputation.
8. Attempting too much. Trying to cover way too much in a project. For example, trying to do a “31 and a half reasons” list instead of five, seven or maybe eleven good, well-thought out reasons that you can elaborate on. This over-reaching comes from an abject need to give that cliched “110%” on a project. The net result is performance anxiety and incomplete projects.
9. Working at home. This environment has its benefits, though there are many home-related distractions.

Ways to Fool the Anti-Muse

1. Use two computers/ laptops.
   Run email and chat clients on one computer, A, and do work on the other, B. If you have a few people that need to communicate with you daily, set up a secret IM username and make sure they don’t give it out. This has worked very well for me. (I still do social voting for other online friends who either ask via email or use a social site’s “shout” feature.) You can still turn on IM accounts on computer A less frequently in the day. It’s easier to adhere to an “I’m only available on IM at such and such times of the day” rule. (Using two computers is not an option for everyone, but if you freelance at a home, and web-work is how you earn your living, you should think about having a backup computer anyway.)
2. Tune out.
   If computer A is getting too distracting with all the incoming message/tweet sounds, turn off the audio. The Twitter client Twhirl, for example, is configurable so that only incoming direct messages will cause a “beep”. That’s far less distracting than beeps on every tweet, and will alert you to when you might need to respond. In extreme cases, turn things off.
3. Turn off.
   If tuning out doesn’t help, turn off computer A’s screen and only check back once every few hours, or when you complete an important task. If you’re only working on one computer, just shut down all communications applications for a few hours. I have successfully tried answering emails only at lunch and supper times. It’s not easy for the perpetually distracted, but it’s possible. Just ask yourself, will any truly urgent message ever come in via email, IM, or Twitter? Probably not. So turn them off for now.
4. Seek virtual company.
   TV is a terrible distraction, and even if I’m “researching” ideas for pop culture articles, the TV eventually needs to be turned off. This is difficult for a TV addict, and if you’re at home and feeling lonely, it’s even worse. Listening to music sometimes helps, though everyone has their own idea of what type of music is productive or not - I prefer Baroque music, some types of opera, and occasionally rock - unless I feel compelled to sing along to Pavarotti or Rage Against the Machine. Spoken-word podcasts, on the other hand, nearly always work for me.
   
   
   
   On the other hand, I find that the spoken voice is at least soothing and rarely counter-productive. (This does not work for TV by leaving on audio and turning off the video simply because there’s too much content transition.) Another option is to simply set aside a bit of TV watching time, or take a short break at the local cafe - though I haven’t the discipline to pull the latter off. (I think this is something that varies a lot between different people. For example, I can’t listen to music with lyrics or have the TV on when I’m writing because I can’t tune it out. — Ed.)
   
   
   
5. Choose your battles.
   If too many projects for one client inhabit my mind and I can’t decide which to work on, I’ll try to suss out which requires the least time to complete and pick that one. If that’s no help, maybe it’s time to work on another client’s project. Still not productive? Maybe it’s time for a break.
6. Consider outsourcing.
   If you’re taking on too much work, there are only a few possible outcomes:
   
   
   
   1. Say “yes” and lose more of your personal time to get the work done, possibly having to outsourcesome of your personal tasks. Downside: more work, less play time.
   2. Say “yes” and don’t finish the work. Downside: damage your reputation (even if your intentions were good).
   3. Say “no”. Downside: losing a potential client.
   4. Say “yes” and delegate some of the work to a colleague or other freelancer. Downside: you’re on the hook for the quality of the work.
   
   
7. Respect yourself.
   For those of us who had to be competitive in our early years, and lived with that stupid “put in 110% effort” motto, it’s time for some self-respect. You’re more valuable to your clients when you complete 100% of a project on time rather than trying to offer 110+% and not getting anything done. Striving for perfection is fine if you don’t get obsessed — especially on flat-rate projects. Respect yourself and your clients, and streamline your “100%” effort so that 110% isn’t necessary.
8. Resolve your distractions.
   Every home-based freelancer will have different distractions, but do what you must to resolve them. Where I work, there are birds, cats, dogs and occasionally young men driving by in their loud cars. I have a very small window for my podcast recording work each week, and I try to schedule everything around this, if I have the luxury.

Final Thoughts

Want to turn your personal interests into a booming career? That's what Ian MacKenzie had in mind when he started his career as a new media producer.

A jack-of-all-trades, Ian recently finished producing the web series OneWeekJob.com, where a friend worked one job a week for a year. He creates citizen journalism pieces for the new portal VancouverIAM.com, and completes freelance web development projects for companies as well.

The Vancouver resident also blended his love of travel into a profitable enterprise known as BraveNewTraveler.com. I found Ian's zest for making his passion profitable to be refreshing. He also works from home with his wife, which I know is something that many freelancer's grapple with.

Overall, I think you'll enjoy his perspective on things!

Tell us how you started freelancing. Did you ever work a corporate job 9-5?

I did work the 9-5 job for one year, just out of university, but it wasn’t quite a corporate environment. It was a small web company from Vancouver that was very open: I didn’t have to wear a collared shirt, sit in a cubicle, or have the boss breathing down my neck. But at the same time, I felt the restriction of a full-time job kept me from developing my own projects.

What made you decide to take the freelance leap? Did you work freelance on the side or just dive in? How did you manage the financial transition?

I always worked a variety of freelance projects on the side. It wasn’t until I actually took the leap that I realized it would be financially viable. I hoped, of course, but like other freelancers, you never know until you actually put in the time and effort to make it happen. Since taking the leap I’ve been fortunate to find steady work; sometimes I’ve even had to turn offers down to avoid taking on too much.

Do you think more people are starting to freelance at a younger age? Why?

I think the web has made it easier for people to turn their interests into viable contract work. For me, I started by building my own website, which then turned into creating websites for other people. As soon as a young person realizes there’s money to be made, they start to see it as a career (or non-career) option.

What is a typical day like for you?

I get up around 7 a.m., grab a cup of coffee my wife has already brewed (she’s also a home-office worker), stumble down the hall to our office and flip on my laptop. From there I do the basics: answer emails, surf my RSS feeds, fix any small emergencies for my web clients. Then I move on to bigger tasks like editing a video project, developing new websites, editing the next day’s article for my magazine BraveNewTraveler.com. Basically, I cobble together a day from the multitude of projects on my radar.

How’s it working with your spouse? Tell us a little about how you manage that!

While my wife and I both share a home office, we don’t usually work together (though I did recently do some consulting for her company ExpressITech.com). During work hours we’re often completely immersed in our own tasks. We break for lunch, take our dog for a walk, then usually hit the computers once again. In a perfect world, at the end of the day we would close the door to our office and forget about work—in reality, it’s hard to maintain a complete separation between work/home.

You’re pretty well versed in everything from SEO to video journalism. How have you managed to get proficient in so many arenas?

I credit that previous 9-5 job for versing me in SEO and copywriting. But other areas like video journalism and travel writing are based on my own personal interests, which I think is key for any freelancer—figuring how to turn the stuff you’d do for fun into paying gigs.

What your favorite thing about freelancing? Least favorite?

I love the variety of tasks and the control over my own time. But working primarily in a home-office can induce a bit of cabin fever (a phenomenon to which most freelancers would probably relate). It’s crucial to get out and maintain an active social life. It’s about balancing work with the times of day you feel most productive, and getting off the computer when you feel you’re wasting time.

What is your best tip for getting new clients?

Do excellent work. Satisfied clients will love to recommend you to others. I have never spent a dime advertising my services, as I get enough referrals through word-of-mouth alone. If you ever feel your client base is running dry, remember to tell people what you do—at parties, on the bus, wherever it makes sense. You’ll be remembered next time someone is looking for your services.

You also have an interest in human rights. How have you integrated that into your work?

I try to weave the issue of human rights into most of what I do, particularly at BraveNewTraveler.com. I publish articles exploring injustice in North America and overseas. I try to humanize large issues that are normally disconnected from our everyday reality, such as war, genocide, and poverty. The way to a more enlightened future is to open the minds of others in the here and now. I try to make sure everything I put out in the world contains the potential for good.

On that note, tell us about BraveNewTraveler.com. How did you found it, what keeps it running and what do you do for the site? How do you get content for the site? Do you employ a staff?

I created BraveNewTraveler.com in October 2006 because I felt there was a lack of critical discourse in the travel blogosphere. The mainstream was (and still is) mostly focused on “hot deals” and “cheap flights” or brochure-like descriptions about destinations. And personal travel blogs are just that…personal travel experiences. With BNT, I try to explore how travel changes us: our perspectives, our nature, and our planet.

I originally paid writers with the small amount the site made from advertisements. Then in January 2008, I joined up with a like-minded travel community Matador Travel, to create a number of new travel channels under one banner, MatadorNetwork.com. Most of the content is written by freelance writers, except for our core staff of about 5 to 8 members (who also have their own day-jobs).

How can people mesh their interests into your freelance work?

The web is such a vast playing field that anyone can turn their interests into freelance contracts if they know how. For instance, I like travel so I started a travel blog; others can blog about cars, video games, guacamole recipes, etc. If you put out quality content, no matter the topic, there’s an audience for it.

From there, you have to figure out who will pay for your skills. If you love cars, become a web designer/copywriter/SEO consultant who only works on car websites. Do the same if you love fashion, extreme sports, or anything other subject. Diversifying your skills and services (within a specific industry) ensures you’ll always have a steady stream of projects.

Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and the author of Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs. To learn more about her, visit www.kristenfischer.com.

We’ve all said yes to freelance gigs that, in retrospect, we wish we’d said no to. Bad clients, bad pay, bad projects. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

We've also had great projects that make us thank goodness we're freelancers: jobs that cause us to look upon the poor 9 to 5 lemmings with a mixture of pity and smugness.

But how do we tell the difference between the good projects and the bad projects? When the phone rings with a new gig our first instinct is to say yes, but how do we ensure that we're making a wise decision?

There is a simple rule of thumb you can use to determine which jobs to take, and which to turn down. Consider these three factors:

1. Will it advance your career/have networking benefit?
2. Will you earn decent money?
3. Will it be fun?

We all have our own definitions of what constitutes career advancement, decent money, or fun. I won't attempt to define those for you.

But I will tell you what you can do the next time a potential client calls with a job.

Keep these three factors in the back of your mind as you talk to your potential client. The more you learn, the more you'll see if the project actually does offer career advancement or decent money or fun.

And if a job looks like it will offer at least TWO of the above, it’s probably worth taking.

Career advancement and fun = probably worth taking.
Career advancement and decent money = probably worth taking.
Decent money and fun = probably worth taking.

If it offers only ONE of the above, it’s probably best to leave it for the next guy.

And of course, if it offers all THREE, then jump on it. Quickly!

Seems too simple to be effective? Try testing it against your own freelance experience.

Think back to some of the good, bad, and ugly projects in your freelancing past, and apply this rule of thumb to them.

You’ll probably find there is a correlation. The best jobs offered two or three benefits, and the worst offered one or (gasp) none.

Now, remember that this is only a rule of thumb. It is helpful as a starting point, but of course it is not the only thing to consider when making a decision.

Sometimes, one factor can outweigh all the others.

For example if you're just starting out in the film business and you get an offer:

Making coffee for $8 an hour: Decent money = No, Fun = No.

But you're making coffee for Stephen Spielberg: Career advancement/networking = YES!

Suddenly the rule of thumb does not apply. "Milk and sugar, Mr. Spielberg?"

But I'd be willing to bet that these sorts of situations are few and far between.

Most of the time, you'll talk to your potential client, compare the job against the three factors, and be able to make your decision quickly and easily.

Part of being successful is knowing when to say "No thanks". Saying no to some jobs keeps you available for better jobs, jobs that allow you to focus on what's right for you as you build your long-term freelance career.

Here's hoping all your jobs are threes…

Mark Dugas is a producer and editor of documentary films, the devoted father of two young boys, a decent snowboarder and mountain-biker, and one hell of a nice guy.

With the coming recession, I get a lot of questions about whether it will be increasingly difficult for freelancers to get new clients and, more importantly, projects that pay appropriately.

Over the past eight months, the following industries have proved extremely lucrative for freelancers. I categorize them into Spheres.

The Extreme Sphere

The industries in the extreme sphere are those that are currently crashing or booming. Why would a crashing industry be a good industry to find clients in?

If you're a freelancer, you're less expensive and easier to handle for a struggling entrepreneur or business than an employee would be. Additionally, if you provide marketing services or can help them secure a presence online, they need you.

A recent global study by McKinsey & Company demonstrated that online marketing drastically out-pulled traditional offline marketing in results. 62% of participants rated online marketing as very or extremely important to their company.

Struggling industries must invest in direct profit-producing services like marketing and online tools to survive.

Industry #1. Real Estate

Currently Crashing. Real Estate companies need to change their approach and develop additional streams of income outside of strictly selling houses. Innovative freelancers can ghost-write information products for them, gain tons of traffic by participating in social media conversations regarding the crashing housing market and how home sellers and buyers can survive, etc.

Industry #2. Pharmaceuticals

Consistently Booming. Very large budgets. But you must be highly experienced to compete. A particular niche of this industry that is also booming is drugs and medical tools targeting Baby Boomers.

Industry #3. Spirituality & Natural Medicine

Currently Booming. Eben Pagan, a leading authority on business trends, named two industries to look out for in 2008-2010. He named Spirituality and the next industry below.

Industry #4. Women-Specific Campaigns

Currently Booming. Women have been identified as the primary decision makers when it comes to major and minor purchases. Niches are developing around women, including female entrepreneurs and business owners, female readers and books targeting women, mothers (primarily "mommy bloggers" in the blogosphere), and more.

One of my clients recently cashed in on the women's niche by creating a series of "confession" websites where wives, mothers, and career women could post anonymous confessions about their day, how they're feeling, and what they think of their child, boss, or significant other at the moment.

Industry #5: Green & Eco-Conscious Campaigns

Currently Booming. You've seen the commercials and billboards. Global warming and "going green" is everywhere you turn. Major companies like UPS have launched massive "green" campaigns and tons of alternative eco-conscious companies are springing up in virtually every niche, including: clothing, building materials, housing, automotive, health foods, waste management, etc.

Industry #6: Baby-Boomer Campaigns

Currently Booming. Now that we have the largest Baby Boomer population in history, companies want to target this exceedingly large audience. This includes:

+ Retirement Communities
+ Retirement Plans & Financial Consulting
+ Insurance
+ Medical Tools & Drugs Specifically for Baby Boomers

The Luxury Sphere

This sphere includes those typically boutique firms that differentiate themselves by appealing to an elite or wealthy audience. Because they can charge a premium for their services, they often spend a large pretty penny on marketing, nice websites, effective copy, and sassy or classy advertising.

Industry #7: Luxury Services

+ Limousine Companies
+ Luxury Car Rental
+ Yacht Rental
+ Concierge Services

Industry #8: Lifestyle Companies

+ Elite Dating Services
+ Wealth or Beauty-Based Matchmaking Services (I know, perhaps morally questionable, but they fulfill a definite need that their target audience desires)
+ Lifestyle Adventure Companies (Expensive adventure travel like safaris and singles adventures)
+ Image Consultants & High-End Stylists

Industry #9: Elective Procedures

+ Plastic Surgeons
+ Hair Removal
+ Body Sculpting
+ Dermatology

The Venture Sphere

If you really want to target companies with enormous budgets and no current resources, go after companies that have just secured financing.

Industry #10: Companies Recently Financed

You can typically find a Venture Capital firm's partial portfolio online. Also search online news (set up a Google Alert for "financing") for press releases announcing that a company has been newly funded.

Industry #11: Venture Capitalist Firms

Partner with a Venture Capitalist or a VC Firm to service all companies in their portfolio. They will have the peace of mind that someone they know and trust is dialed into each of their companies, increasing the likelihood that their overall investment across their entire portfolio will outperform the typical odds.

To create such a partnership, you'll have to prove your worth. I suggest having solid client results and examples of your work and perhaps working for a significantly reduced fee on a pre-determined number of companies. Identify ahead of time what elements the VC will judge you on to determine if they will partner with you so you know exactly what you have to do to secure the partnership.

The Local Sphere

You don't have to stick to your local area, but companies in the Local Sphere are those that service their own local area. These are the people who service YOU, such as your dentist.

Industries #12-20

+ Lawyers (consider large firms that need to target multiple niches, i.e. different case-types)
+ Therapists & Psychologists
+ Carpet Cleaners (One brilliant marketer, Joe Polish, has built a multi-million dollar marketing empire helping carpet cleaners market themselves)
+ Massage Therapists (a great industry to start in. Not a lot of money in it, but tons of professionals in need of a way to differentiate themselves)
+ Landscaping Firms & Landscape Design
+ Restaurants, Clubs and Bars
+ Retail Boutiques
+ Doctors & Dentists
+ Weight Loss Clinics

Whatever service you offer, unless extremely specialized, should be applicable to several, if not all, of these industries. And, save for a few exceptions in the Local Sphere, these industries are proven to have meaty budgets. Best of all, they are very open to, and in many cases prefer, freelancers.

In June 2004, Jaime Mintun was homeless and broke and out of options. She flipped her luck around by moving her focus from starting her own business to helping other people's businesses grow. In less than 30 days, she had a $10k/mo income. Now she coaches over 100 freelancers to provide their marketing and web development skills to offline businesses. You can read her blog at www.WarWagonBlog.com.

When I decided to start my freelance copywriting career months ago, on

e of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome was my lack of experience in the field I wanted to get into.

I decided to explore the idea of freelancing when several people from the office complimented my writing one after the other. My problem was that I had no idea what I wanted to do exactly. Yes, it was going to involve writing of some sorts. I discovered I had a knack for words (my boss even trusted me to write a press release about a new product we were launching — not bad for someone 6 months out of university!) but I had never been specifically hired and paid by others just to "write stuff."

The biggest question running in my head was: who the hell was I to be charging people for a bunch of words I put together?

Luckily, I managed to push through that hump. Within a month or so, I went from being clueless about freelance copywriting to consulting with my first client over Skype.

If I were to summarize what I learned during that period, I would narrow everything down to these 5 steps:

1. Learn

Let's face it — no matter what field you're in, you won't be able to get anywhere with your career if you don't actually have any idea what you're doing.

Although I never thought I'd do this again after college, I got my hands on books about copywriting and studied. I pumped as much material as I could into my brain about the topic. I trolled Amazon and hunted down the respected and credible books about the field. I bought them and read them during my free time. I subscribed to blogs, and most importantly, I practiced my craft.

Not enough free time, you say? I didn't have much either (I work a full-time job, and maintain a long-distance relationship). I can't read while I'm on the bus without getting dizzy, so I got my hands on a seminar conducted by a well-known copywriter. I took the audio and put it on my MP3 player. I listened during my commute and took my Zune to lunch. Voila; I just had 2-3 hours of study time everyday.

You might think you're pretty good at what you do, and you know what? I believe you. But you're not perfect. Every one of us can use more knowledge and improvement with our skills. Don't sell yourself short by choosing not to learn.

2. Research

We all know the importance of differentiation, and I'm a huge advocate of marketing something unique about your business. Copywriters are a dime a dozen — it wouldn't be good business sense to call myself a freelance copywriter and hope that clients came in droves.

How did I find my way around this? As I mentioned in the previous point, I studied. In addition to buying books and actually reading them, I went to tons of copywriter's websites and took detailed notes. I noted what services they were offering and how they were selling it. I paid attention to their website style and how they presented themselves online. I wanted to know their strengths, and more importantly their weaknesses, so I could make an educated decision on how to position myself against them.

At the end of it all, I decided to focus my services on website copywriting. My goal is to be the guy you run to when you need your website to sell your products and services. Instead of generalizing my services to include everybody, I decided to narrow down the field and focus on what my competitors weren't offering. Being someone who doesn't have a lot of experience, not having a lot of people to be compared with works to my advantage.

You can always add more services as you become more established. Don't worry about offering everything plus the kitchen sink right now. Besides, expanding your business is always a lot better than "downsizing" it.

3. Build

Some might say that building a website isn't necessary. I'm sure there's a success story or two out there by freelancers who until this day don't have a website (Dickie Adams is one, am I wrong?). And they may be right; if you have a large enough network offline, then you probably don't need a website to start your freelancing career.

But I didn't have a business network to leverage. I was completely green (and still am in some ways) and NEEDED a website to advertise my services; otherwise nobody would know I existed. I registered my domain name, signed up for a year's worth of hosting, and slapped a customized Wordpress template on it. I managed to find one that suited my needs (I didn't want it to look like a blog, but I wanted an easy content management system). Plus, with all the research I did on my competition, I knew exactly what to write on my website so I could stand out.

Although I am up for bootstrapping when starting out, one thing I would recommend is to outsource as much of your website as you can. I'm not a web designer by any means, so I probably spent 3 to 4 times longer than I would have if I simply left the coding to a professional.

4. Spread

While most freelancers hate marketing, this is the part I enjoyed the most. I love coming up with a marketing plan and executing it. It is critical that you spread the word about your new business. You never know who you will run into, so don't be shy about talking up your business.

You don't have to market your services to businesses alone. One alternative that not a lot of freelancers think of is partnering up with other freelancers. Programmers need designers, designers need copywriters, copywriters need illustrators, etc.

Talk to the people you know and tell them about your new venture (one of my clients is actually a good friend starting his new business). Participate and forums and put your URL in your signature. If you're comfortable, write an ebook and distribute it through social media. My first client was actually a referral from Shockboogiedesign who found me from the Freelance Switch forums. She contacted me, and we set up a partnership that works exceptionally well for both of us.

Ask yourself one thing: who would benefit from your services? Then figure out how you can use that to your advantage.

5. Act

Your ducks will never be all in a row, so you might as well get to it now. You will make mistakes along the way, and that's fine. A Kennedy once said, "Only those who dare to fail can ever achieve greatly." Airplanes don't travel in one constant direction — the pilots have to adjust and correct their paths every now and then. Your freelancing career should act in the same way. Ready, fire, then aim.

Avoid the curse of daydreaming. I can't count how much time I've wasted reading about freelancing as opposed to taking action and just doing it. Don't get me wrong; knowing how to do it right is great. But many people should concern themselves more with actually just doing it, period. Blogs and ebooks are a fantastic learning resource, but be sure you dedicate enough time to taking action, as opposed to learning how to take action. (Reading Freelance Switch is the exception, right? — Ed.)

Conclusion

If you're delaying starting a freelance career due to lack of experience, hopefully these tips helped you get your mind straight. Starting a freelance career is probably one of the most time-consuming activities I've ever done, but it's also been one of the more rewarding ones too.

Aside from his day job as a traffic marketing coordinator, Carlo sidelines as a website copywriter (http://www.carlofeliciano.com) and spends his time launching other entrepreneurial ventures.

Getting started in business with little or no funds isn’t easy, but Mike at Bootstrapping Blog has some great advice in ‘How to: 10 steps to bootstrap your freelance career‘.

A real quick one: Ian MacKenzie makes us chortle with ‘The Home Office Fiction vs. The Home Office Reality‘.

Amy Lillard of Quiet Rebel Writer gives us ‘How to Be a Freelancer (And Still Respect Yourself in the Morning)‘ and asks how's your writing esteem? And how do you protect it?

If you’re a freelance writer, have you thought of offering more than just text to your clients? Freelance Folder has a great post on the topic with loads of resources to check out.

The commenting King, James Chartrand wrote ‘When Do Bloggers Get a Break?‘. I’m sure if you’re a freelancer who blogs you’ll like that one! (and even if you don’t blog, there are some nice tips in there). James also wrote a post on CopyBlogger titled ‘Three Questions Your Copy Must Answer to Succeed‘.

Feeling poor and lonely? Internet Service Deals lays out ‘40+ Networking Tools for Freelancers‘. I usually like to find a filler link in these long lists and make fun of it, but I couldn’t. So enjoy.

Ever wondered why writers fail? Bob Younce over at the Writing Journey has some answers for you.

What would you say is the worst thing about being a freelance writer? Deb decided to go back to a full-time job, for various reasons, can you relate?

Nick Cernis gives us ‘Happiness and the End of the Working Week. A great read!

Do you write for the web or for print? Does it really make a difference? Jennifer Mattern asks these questions and tells us why she prefers web writing in ‘Why I Prefer Freelance Writing for the Web‘

We’re pretty global here at FSw, so we don’t often get the chance to talk about freelancing on your local scene. Luckily, other people are filling the gap for us, with this guide on ‘Being a Freelancer in New York‘.

Say you’re writing a book, or an ebook, how do you identify your target market? Check out ‘Identifying the Target Market for Your Book‘ from All Book Marketing Blog.

Are you trading hours for dollars? Being a freelancer means you’re able to make money at any hour of the day (as opposed to someone working a 9-5 job), but is that a good thing? Check out Michael Kwan’s post: Trading Dollars For Hours.

I’ve always wanted to quote a Eurovision presenter, so here goes: “Hullo Europe!” Web working without U.S. only tools is tricky for Europe-based freelancers, but it doesn’t have to be.

A few days ago, Marie Baca wrote a wonderful and well-intentioned post called The Five Most Common Mistakes of Female Freelancers that turned out to be somewhat controversial in t

he comments.

So, why don't we even the imbalance up a bit with the five most common mistakes that male freelancers make?

1. Your desk is not your home

"You men," my wife once said, as I slaved over some copy late at night, "are so prone to workaholism."

There's no denying that women do this too, but for every workaholic female I've met, there have been five guys burning the midnight oil. Women are better at this thing called "having rational boundaries."

That groove in your chair? That's not meant to be there. Just because you work from home does not mean you have to check your email within five minutes of waking up, or stick around until midnight because your clients in other countries are only just waking up. Email exists for a reason.

Make sure you spend no longer than eight hours a day at the desk, unless you're on a deadline. If you're pulling more than one or two long deadline-driven days a week, it's time to raise your rates and take advantage of the increased demand.

Similarly, five-and-a-half-days a week is a good maximum ceiling for work time, and frequent breaks –- away from the desk –- should be taken throughout the day. To those who are working seven days a week, twelve hours a day: this is not helping you. You will be more productive on eight hours, five days a week. I guarantee it.

2. Freelancing is no excuse for poor hygiene

One day you're going to wind up with a client who decides to drop around your house unexpectedly to see how their project is coming along. This is called karma, because nature is so offended at your smell that it's delivering a wake up call.

Not only should you avoid checking your email upon waking, you should avoid working before showering. No deadline could be that bad.

3. Counter-Strike is not a billable activity

It's important to take breaks, but not only should they be taken away from the screen, they should not last for hours at a time. Us guys all know how tempting it is to prove our masculinity to ourselves by kicking terrorist backside for "just one more round" so if you do opt for the gaming (or web-surfing, for that matter) mode of relaxation during your break, have the nearest human being come and slap you back into work mode after a pre-specified amount of time.

4. Don't let ego destroy good work

Guys have egos. Sometimes guys let that ego dominate their relationships, their work, and hence, their reputation. It's one thing to self-promote and build a good brand. It's another to be known as the guy who needs surgery in order to remove his head from its current location and have it placed back atop his neck.

5. Follow this advice

While this post was written for the benefit of female freelancers, there are of course men who suffer from the same problems. For instance, I often find it difficult to charge the rate I know I should or need to charge. Give it a read and apply the advice (and then, perhaps, take a shower).

Joel Falconer is a freelance writer who blogs on content generation best practices and new media at JoelFalconer.com, and shares practical productivity advice and insight at Lifehack.

The father of Freelance Switch, Collis Ta’eed, 

has just added VECTORTUTS to his line up of quality websites, joining PSDTUTS, NETTUTS, FaveUp, Flashden, AudioJungle and, of course, Freelance Switch.

If you work with Adobe Illustrator or otherwise eat vectors for breakfast, VECTORTUTS promises to take your skills to a whole new level. You can already learn the secret to creating a cool water-ripple effect in Illustrator, or create a gorgeous watercolor vector flower illustration. There’ll no doubt be more top-notch tutorials arriving in the coming days.

If you fancy yourself a vector ninja, you can share knowledge and make cashola by contributing to VECTORTUTS.

In other news, Collis and I are busily preparing for the launch of AUDIOTUTS, which will feature high-quality production, composition, DJing, mixing, recording and mastering tutorials. We’ve got an impressive host of writers signed up to drive the site, including contributors to Computer Music Magazine, Future Music Magazine and Music Tech Magazine. It’s going to be awesome.

The quality of design sites around has just been escalating and escalating. Last year we published two articles on finding design inspiration - 34 Places to Get Design Inspiration On and Off and the follow up 60 More Places to Get Design Inspiration. Since then I’ve been collecting new sites that didn’t make those two lists, and today I’m happy to deliver 33 New Places to Get Design Inspiration! Without further ado:

1. Depthcore

Visit Site

2. Rasterized

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3. DesignFlavr

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4. Before & After Magazine

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5. SmashingMagazine’s Inspiration Category

Visit Site

6. YouTheDesigner

Visit Site

7. PSDTUTS Inspiration Category

Visit Site

8. Abduzeedo’s Inspiration Category

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9. Most Inspired

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10. LogoLounge

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11. Outlaw Design Blog Inspiration Category

Visit Site

12. SpoonGraphics Inspiration Category

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13. DesignYouTrust

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14. AllTop - Design

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15. TypeSites

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16. Fuel Your Creativity

Visit Site

17. Just Creative Design

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18. QBN

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19. FormFiftyFive

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20. Muse

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21. AIGA’s Design Archives

Visit Site

22. Fawnt

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23. CarbonMade Portfolios

Visit Site

24. Coroflot’s Portfolios

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25. Behance’s Portfolios

Visit Site

26. Flickr Groups

Vandelay’s Best Flickr Groups for Designers

27. Vandelay Design

Visit Site

28. Fubiz

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29. Inspiration Folder

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30. WeHeartIt

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31. AisleOne

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32. CoolBoom

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33. VisualizeUs

Visit Site

You’ve heard it before: “live within your means,” “a penny saved is a penny earned,” “don’t break the bank.” But do you actually put those ideas into practice? Or do you just pull out your plastic, figuring you can write it off at the end of the year anyway?

I used to roll my eyes when my parents lectured about money. But now that I’m writing full time, I consider my Yankee upbringing to be a blessing. With a recession looming in the United States, it’s time to get serious about saving money in your personal and professional life.

Heres’s how to get started…

1. Cut unnecessary costs. Do you really need a cell phone and a landline if you’re spending most of the day at Starbucks? Or an all-inclusive membership to a gym you only see once a year? (Hint: some gyms will give you a discount if you agree to work out during the day when others are at work.) If you’re paying your web hosting service for twice as much storage as you’re actually using, then you might be able to negotiate for a cheaper plan that still meets your needs. You won’t miss what you don’t use.
2. Say no to pricey software, unless it’s essential. Nowadays you don’t even need to buy Microsoft Office, because you can create PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents using Google documents. You can also export the files as PDFs. For free (and unlimited) document online storage, check out Scribd. The website also allows you to embed your documents in a blog or Facebook profile or keep your documents private if you prefer. For simple photo edits, PhotoShop Express gives you a free alternative to paying for the full edition.
3. Pay ahead. Whether you’re renewing a membership or registering for a conference, you can often get a discount for paying in advance. Media Bistro gives a discount to Avant Guild members who pay for two years at once (by the way, Avant Guild rates go up on June 1), and many conferences offer a special rate for early registrants. Now, this only makes sense if you know that you’ll be happy with the membership or definitely want to attend the conference. But if you’ve been a member in the past or attended the conference the year before, you probably have a good idea of whether it’s a tradition you want to continue.
4. Volunteer at events you want to attend. Many organizations will let you attend networking events for free if you volunteer to help out before, after, or sometimes during the event. If you get to interact with lots of people by checking them off the guest list or taking photos and writing down names for captions, even better. You’ll be able to put names with faces and have a reason to talk to a lot of different people. The event planners will appreciate your help and the next time someone asks them “know any good designers?” you’ll be at the top of their list.
5. Swap your books and magazines. Obviously you want to stay current in your industry, but all those books and magazines add up. Quick. Some magazines offer free gift subscriptions to boost their numbers, so you and a friend could both subscribe and split the cost. Or you could swap books and magazines that you’ve already read. I swap my books on BookMooch and someone agreed to give me their used copy of The Chicago Manual of Style. Score!
6. Barter instead. Say the restaurant around the corner needs a website, but they can’t afford your design fee. You just earned free Pad Thai for the next year. Maybe you can teach a course in copywriting and pick up a new hobby by taking another class for free. I even know a writer who swapped her editing services for a clean apartment. Having someone else scrub her floors was priceless, as she told me afterwards.
7. Search for savings online. Before you complete your transaction, do a quick Google search and see if there are any coupon codes for that retailer. I once found a coupon code for Illinois AAA members that gave me a discount on transportation to the DC airport. I’m not a AAA member (at least not in Illinois), but the coupon code still worked! There are hundreds of coupon websites available, including CurrentCodes and RetailMeNot.

Any money-saving tips I’ve forgotten? Penny for your thoughts (figuratively speaking, of course).

Susan Johnston is a full time freelance writer who covers lifestyle and career articles for a number of print and online publications. She is a regular contributor to Brazen Careerist, and she enjoys being able to blast showtunes and eat Gold Fish crackers as she writes from her apartment in Cambridge, Mass. Susan’s blog can be found at http://www.UrbanMuseWriter.com.

I'm not a big fan of generalizations, but I'm also painfully aware that when it comes to freelancing, there are a number of women out there who aren't getting the gigs and compensation commensurate with their experience.

You can blame society, you can blame your clients—and who am I to tell you that you are wrong? —But at the end of the day, there's nothing you can really do except change the way you approach your business. In order to do that, you need to know the top five most common mistakes made by female freelancers and how to avoid them.

Of course, male freelancers make these mistakes as well, but in my experience these missteps are particularly detrimental for women.

1. Being afraid of self-promotion. What is it about self-promotion that freaks out so many of my female colleagues? You are your business, and you've got to market yourself just like any business would market its flagship product. Hand out business cards, attend networking events, create a personal website yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

Top-notch clients aren't going to come knocking on your door, begging for your services. Landing an assignment is a competition, and you've got to treat it as such, using every marketing tool you have in your favor.

2. Not separating work life and home life. The freelancers I know who make this mistake make it in one of two ways: either they work way too much and end up burning out, or they allow their home responsibilities to get in the way of their business obligations. Boundaries between one's career and personal life are important in any business situation, but when you work at home they become even more essential.

Be realistic about how much work you can do in a given day and don't take on projects that will require more than that amount. Conversely, once you agree to an assignment, you've got to meet your deadlines or risk ruining your reputation. Non-emergency excuses about kids, husbands, or pets just make you look unprofessional.

3. Getting bullied into a lower rate. I hate negotiating. I wish I was one of those people who could just put on their game face and haggle until I got what I wanted. But I am not one of those people, and on a number of occasions my good nature has been taken advantage of and I have been bullied into working for peanuts (or, and I hate to admit this, even for free with the promise of some reward that never materialized).

Now, there are plenty of female freelancers out there who are incredible negotiators, but if you aren't one of them, it is imperative that you set a minimum rate and NEVER EVER allow a client to talk you down. As a freelance writer, I find that a minimum hourly rate has worked best for me; that way, I can take per-article and per-word rates, divide them by the hours of work they will require, and easily compare projects.

4. Not re-investing in you and your business. As freelancers, our paychecks often don't arrive in a timely manner, and when you do finally get that envelope in the mail it's tempting to run to the bank to save the money for a rainy day.

Although saving for the slow times is an important activity, it's equally important to re-invest some of your income back into your business. The trick is to spend that money on things that will have the greatest impact on your work.

One of my freelancer friends used the money from a big assignment to hire an intern to take care of invoicing, looking for gigs on Craigslist, and keeping track of expenses—all the things that she hates to do herself and can now delegate to the intern while she focuses on her writing.

I, on the other hand, am going to use my next paycheck to buy an enormous computer monitor, which I hope will reduce eyestrain and allow me to work more efficiently. These expenditures can be as "practical" as a new desk chair, or a little more untraditional, like my friend who bought a Nintendo Wii to use during her breaks. She claims her stress has never been lower!

5. Being intimidated. The meek may inherit the earth, but they aren't going to become successful business owners. If you want to maximize your earning potential while being your own boss, you can't be intimidated by anyone or anything. If that sounds a little beyond what you can handle right now, just do what I did when I was first starting out: fake it.

No, don't lie—that will come back to bite you in the butt. I'm talking about pretending that you are more confident than you actually are. Create a work persona you can easily slip into once you close the office door. Eventually, that confidence won't feel so fake anymore and it will become one of your most valuable assets. What have you got to lose?

Marie is a San Francisco Bay Area-based freelance writer and editor. Visit her website at www.mariecbaca.com.

Picture this.

You’re at an interview for a project. Your potential client decides to select you for the job. Better still, they are willing to give you double the rate you had requested.

As you walk out of the meeting feeling confident about winning the project, you hear your inner voice start to nag you about a few small details. By the time you walk out of the building, you

 realize something: there’s a certain thing they asked you to do that requires a skill you haven’t mastered yet… and the project is due in 24 hours.

I’ve run into this problem a few times in my life. I accepted projects without really knowing if I could finish them. And yet, all of these projects helped pushed me to the next level. Nowadays, I understand why I was able to advance myself through that pressure: by using Parkinson’s Law.

According to Wikipedia, the law holds that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” This means that when given a limited amount of time, your focuses increases, and you’re forced to give attention only to what you need to do. By using this powerful law, you’ll be able to perform your best work.

You can also use this same law to increase your skill level.

Before we get started, I’m assuming that you want to improve your skills and you have a good idea of a skill that you want to tackle. Also, you must realize that this should be a skill that you need to have, not something you would “like to have”.

This practice can be applied not just to freelancing work, but to anything you need to learn very quickly. However, I’m not recommending that you deliberately take on projects above your skill-level in the hope that Parkinson’s Law will save your butt. While useful in emergency situations, it’s best applied carefully and deliberately, following the steps outlined below to increase your skill level in 24-hours:

• Give yourself a project that requires you to mix your old skills and at least two new skills.
  By mixing your old skills along with at least two new skills, your mind will retain this information faster than if you were to focus on just the new skills alone. Some people make the mistake of focusing on just the new items when you actually need to mix it up with your old skills. Hence why I call this an “upgrade”; you’re improving your old skills and “renewing them” so to speak, while also practicing new skills.
• Mark a day in your calender that you will dedicate to this project.
  It can be later in the week. It can be two weeks from now. It can even be a month from now. The more time you give yourself, the more likely you’ll forget about it. Make sure to schedule a day where you know you’ll be able to work on this project. A weekend day is probably best. Once you write down a date, stay committed to that project date. Select a time for when you’ll start work on the project and remember this well… 24 hours later, that project better be finished!
• Study for this project at your own pace.
  Now, study for your project… slowly. Do this at your own pace and only study a little bit at a time. Familiarize yourself with your materials. Search for tutorials and examples. Remember to study for at least 15-30 minutes each day until the project is completed.
• Remind yourself about the project every day.
  While you are studying and before you go to bed, remind yourself about the project. Tell yourself that you will finish it to the best of your ability.
• Once the day arrives, commit to finishing.
  Finally, the day is here. Now, you have 24 hours committed to the project and you’ve got to finish it or bust your gut trying.

Why have I setup guidelines like this? Here’s the secret behind my madness:

By writing down and confirming your project day, you are setting up a brain-trigger. Your mind will start to mentally prepare you for that day. By studying just a little each day, your mind will begin to organize itself.
When you give yourself reminders about the project, this adds more power to your studying. Right now, you may not understand the material. You may even half-understand it. But on the day of the project, your mind will give you a razor sharp focus, pushing aside all the minor things and bringing to the fore what it already knows about putting this project together.

And what if you didn’t study? The added stress will force you to study the rest of the material and you will retain the information better. This is where the magic of Parkinson’s Law comes into play, except it’s a “controlled stress”. It’s the type of stress that will help you focus better and within 24 hours, your current skill-level will be upgraded by the time you finish the project.

Would you like to improve your results? Try these fun suggestions in addition to the guidelines I’ve set:

• Make a bet with a friend. Have a friend assign you the project and place something for value up for grabs. Now, when I say “of value”, it has to be a value of you. For example, if you win the bet, he’ll take you out to dinner, but if you lose the bet, you’ll have to give him $300. Why does your friend get the lower end while you lose more? To add more of a “do or die” element to your mission.
• Make it a barter. Put up a barter ad on Craigslist and ask for an item in exchange for doing a project that will focus on the new skill you want to learn. Make sure that when you barter to explain what it is you are trying to do. 9 times out of 10, people will actually want to help you out with your mission to better yourself… especially if they get a high quality product out of it.

If you've been a solo freelancer for any significant stretch of time, you've probably learned the hard way that a work project can go horribly wrong. They turn out to be life lessons in the long run, but there are w

ays to protect yourself.

Working with bad projects or bad clients generally boils down to mismatched expectations and inadequate communication. Your best safeguard is to make sure you and your client are on the same page before any work has even begun using a Terms of Service Agreement, which essentially puts into clear, written language what you expect from your client and what they should expect from you.

By submitting a comprehensive Terms of Service Agreement to your client beforehand and having them return confirmation to agree to abide by your terms, you will be saving yourself (and your client) a lot of headaches down the road and avoiding the kind of surprises that can cause a project to get derailed.

1. Billing structure. What are your rates? Do you bill by the hour or by the project? This is important because it's usually one of the first three questions a new client will ask. Agree with the client what a final estimate includes and what will happen if changes are requested beyond the scope of the initial parameters of the project.

2. Late payment. Determine the grace period within which a client can submit their payment after the invoicing date. The standard practice is 30 days, but you can determine this according to your particular company. Also spell out late fees and/or interest rates for late payments. This will give incentive to your clients to pay their invoices sooner than later.

3. Interim charge caps. I've known too many freelancers that have rung up large invoices for major projects adding up to thousands of dollars only to be shafted by deadbeat clients who walk away with your hard work. If you're working on a major project or are doing several smaller projects for one client that add up to major charges, put a cap on how much outstanding debt the client can carry.

I personally put a $500 cap on my clients so that when their total bill exceeds that amount, they will need to make an interim payment to bring it under or face work suspension. This will prevent clients from promising lots of high-paying business without delivering on their word. This is paramount when it comes to new clients, even those referred by people you trust.

You have the option to waive this cap if you have a long-standing relationship with a trusted client who pays on time and in full.

4. Scheduling. Can you service your clients twenty-four hours a day? Weekends? Holidays? You need to have a balanced life, which means you need to set hours that make sense with your lifestyle. Set appropriate hours when your clients can contact you and expect you to work. If you don't want to be woken by a panicking client at one in the morning, tell them specifically at what time your shop closes.

5. No spec work allowed. This is a controversial subject among many freelancers and prospective clients. The consensus for most is not to accept work on spec. Speculative work involves doing actual work with the hopes of impressing the client enough that they will provide further opportunities without any guarantee of payment or that you will retain rights over the work if it isn’t paid for. It is bad practice to allow for this type of work with the extremely rare exception of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Your time and talent are precious and shouldn't be doled out for free under any circumstance. Spell it out in the agreement: no spec work.

6. Termination of services by client. If you're a writer or a designer or another creative professional and you're submitting a first draft to a client and they are unsatisfied and want to end the project then and there saying something to the effect that your work does not meet their needs, they may be looking to get out of paying for the time you spent already, or worse, intending to steal your ideas for free. An honest client will pay for your time and move on to another freelancer. Otherwise, you've effectively just worked for spec and received a rejection. Set a minimum rate for work done that is immediately refused and where the client does not wish to allow you to continue.

It should be stipulated that work that is refused by the client cannot be used in whole or in part. This may or may not be respected, but can be actionable as long as the client has agreed to this term and then subsequently violated it.

7. Ownership rights. Establish who owns the work after it has been completed and what rights the owner has to use or modify the final product. You may also want to consider retaining rights to utilize the work in a repertoire or portfolio for future promotion while the client retains all other major usage rights.

8. Unforeseen or sudden termination of a project. Most freelancers work on their own, so if some mishap, illness or accident occurs that makes it impossible to continue a project in progress, the client needs to know what protections they have. You may have to associate yourself with a backup freelancer who will agree to take over. Otherwise, you can make a provision where files or assets for a project are turned over to the client to be continued by someone else and billed for the work done up to that point.

Whatever you decide, let the client understand that however unlikely, hiring a single freelancer has certain risks and that there will be some compensation or provision made in case of a stoppage.

Most clients will act in good faith, so keep an open mind and be willing to negotiate in instances where there is disagreement. But by explicitly setting the terms in advance, potential disputes can be avoided and you can focus on what's most important: doing great work.

Gary Horsman is a full-time Graphic Designer for a Canadian film distributor and part-time freelancer living and working in Montreal, Quebec.

One of the constant struggles of freelance writing is finding work, and gigs in the print world (and, increasingly, online) require writers to pitch their stories to editors.

As a freelance writer, your pitch is your greeting card, your foot in the door, and, hopefully, your meal ticket. Because editors don’t usually have time to review full articles, those queries will likely affect the bottom line more than your writing itself.

That said, it pays to know how to sell yourself and your ideas: in other words, how to quickly craft compelling pitches.

Step 1. Start out strong

Think about your proposed article. What is its driving force? Is there some intriguing question which the story is trying to address?

Distilling the article’s focus is essential, because this is how the most successful pitches begin. Hook your audience by stating the main thrust of your article in one or two irresistible sentences. You learned about the importance of capturing your reader while in middle school; only now your income—not just a grade—depends on it.

Step 2. Tell a story

All the work spent determining the essence of your article in step one will come in handy here. Briefly outline the proposed story while keeping the basics of narrative in mind; this is likely your only chance to sell this editor on the idea. As you flesh out the specifics, be sure to mention key points: central issues, what you already know as well as what you can figure out, and (when appropriate) if you have contacts who can lend their authority or add new dimension to your story.

Step 3. The 3 whys

a. Why here? If it’s not immediately apparent why your story belongs in the publication to which you’re pitching, clarify that now. Editors want to know you’ve thought about their audience. What makes your article interesting or useful to this publication’s readers? If your target is a smaller subset of the publication’s demographic, explain how the publication as a whole will benefit from running the article.

b. Why now? Just as many publications are aimed at specific groups of people, so too are many driven by time-sensitive content. Skiing articles should be kept for winter months (or whenever is appropriate due to editorial lead time—i.e. the delay from pitch to publication), while news-centric stories should be pitched as quickly as possible, while still allowing for a well-crafted query.

c. Why you? By now, just from your pitch, the editor should be able to see your ability to weave a story. But word-wrangling will only get you so far. In the Internet Age, when anyone with a computer can turn out content of dubious quality, credentials matter. What makes you uniquely qualified to write this article? Do you have certain school/job/life experience which makes you, if not an expert, at least credibly informed on the subject? Don’t be modest; here’s your chance to sell yourself as the guru you are.

Step 4. Back it up.

If all the self-flattery you did in the last step wasn’t enough, you’re in luck! Now it’s time to present the priors: the names of prior publications as well as prior published articles called “clips”. If the publication to which you are submitting has writers’ guidelines, check them to see if clips are preferred via URL links or as attachments. Also, keep your priors down to 2 or 3; listing too many publications for which you’ve written will make editors’ eyes glaze over, while any clips over 3 or so will at best go unread or at worst show off less than your top work. Remember, if you have good clips related to the article you’re pitching, by all means include them. However, quality clips always trump related ones, just as a few quality clips are better than a vast quantity of them.

A final tip: Know your buyer. Directing your query to “Whom it may concern” isn’t your best bet for making a good first impression. Then again, neither is sending material to the editor-in-chief when it should really be addressed to, say, the entertainment editor. Always verify which person at your target publication deals with the subject of your pitch, and then look up their name; “Dear Ms. Austen” sounds a whole lot better than “To the Entertainment Editor.” If your idea is strong and you follow the steps above, that editor may just call you back.

Haidn Ellis Foster is the editor for the general-interest web magazine The Hatchet.