Freelancing Goals for 2011

So it's that time of year again. Time to come up with my freelancing goals for next year. Usually I put it off until, like, January 20th or so, but this year I'm firm on getting them out of the way before the New Year's. It's one of my goals for 2010.

Freelancing Goals for 2011 List:

Add 3 new posts to each of my blogs every week Add 30 articles to my website DefrazzleMom.com Start a new website with a Military Wife I plan on working to get $200 more per month from Suite 101 in 2011 Hitting the 200 mark on List My 5 What are your goals?

Residual Income: Does it Really Work?

I read a post on another blog the other day declaring that a freelance writer should never write articles for a residual income site. The major reasoning here was that you can't predict how much you will earn and that you may not earn enough to justify the work.

Well, as a seasoned residual income writer I'd have to say just the opposite. I think every freelance writer should have at least one residual income account.

Here are my reasons:

An Article Depository

With a residual income site you'll always have somewhere to put articles that you can't find a buyer for. You'll also have a place to put article that you've already sold, but still have reprint rights to. These articles can keep earning instead of languishing on your hard drive.

Income that Keeps Going, Even if You Don't

How else can you make money without doing any more work?

For example, I joined up with eHow when they were still in infancy. Today, they're not accepting new articles unless you write them through Demand Media Studios. My time was wasted, right? Nope. I ended up making $15 on each article that took me 15 minutes to write. Plus, I'm still making over $100 a month, even though I haven't written a new article for them since March.

There are other reasons I like residual income sites, but this seems like the best reasons for other freelance writers to give them a try.

List My 5 Residual Income Site Review

I've heard a lot of good things about List My 5 residual income site from other writers, so I decided to give it a try.

This site focuses on articles that are in list form, like "Top 5 Best 2010 Movies." As you may have guessed, each article has to have five things in the list. Here are some more specifics about the site:

There is a 125 word count minimum to each article.  The site doesn't glitch like most residual income sites. You can add links to other residual income articles, even if they are on other sites. They have a $10.00 threshold, like most residual income sites and they pay around the 14th of each month by Paypal.  The best part is that you retain all of your rights to your articles. Sounds like a fun way to make some extra residual cash. I just added my first list, Top 5 Ways to Work at Home with Small Children, and it was incredibly simple. I'll let you know how my earnings go.

Cooks Source Magazine Update

Cook Source Magazine is still trying to get away with plagiarizing articles. It has switched to a new Facebook page, hoping that advertisers and new readers won't see all of the bad publicity on the old page. It still denies that it has really done anything wrong, even though writers all over the web have uncovered numerous plagiarized articles. Here is the new Cook Source Magazine Facebook page if you would like to leave a comment.

ETA Another Update: Cooks Source has finally apologized, but in a way that once again blames it all on the writer. Apparently the writer jumped the gun? Here's the Judith Griggs apology.

$100 Days for November...Then Another Vacation

If you read this blog with any regularity you'll know that I take a lot of vacations (see: How to Use Vacations to Make You a Wealthier Freelance Writer). This year my family and I have taken a vacation once every other month or so . Ah, the freelancing life.

Now, I'm not gloating. My point is if you're going to be a freelancer, make sure that you take advantage of one of the major perks: making your own hours.

I'm not able to take a vacation every other month because I don't work or because I make lots of money. I'm able to do it because I take full advantage of the days I do work. Here's how I do it:

I decide how much money I need to meet my financial goals. I divide that amount by how many days I want to work that month.The answer is how much money I need to make each day I work that month. Finally, I figure out how much client work will get me to my goal each day. This month I've decided I need to work 13 days at $100 per day.  That's easy enough. Here's how I broke it down:

At Suite I make around $200/month. To make my quota I need 4 articles. 2 articles/day = $100/day for 2 days. (I know Suite is residual income, but this is how I justify it in my head. Don't be hatin'. :p ) I get $1000 per month from one client. If I break the job down into 10 bite-sized bits that's 10 days @ $100 apiece. I get over a $100/month without doing anything for eHow, so that's a $100 free day. I'm not even counting the residual income I make from my blogs. $1300 for only a couple hours of work per day for 12 days? Sounds like a plan!

Stay Clear of Cooks Source Magazine

I often post reviews of publishers for my freelance writer friends reading this blog, so it may not come as a surprise to you that I have to pipe up about Cooks Source Magazine. This magazine regularly steals content from other websites and publishes in its online or print editions. According to one freelance writer, Cooks Source Magazine ripped off her article, and then when she complained about it the editor told her that the magazine should be paid for editing the article. DO WHAT? That's some steel balls right there.

If you visit the Cooks Source Magazine Facebook page you will find and endless mob of angry writers leaving comments on the wall. Feel free to join in after you read the blog from my first link above. We writers need to drive "publishers" like this out of business.

ETA: The Washington Post has now written about this, as well.  It has become a firestorm!

How to Use Vacations to Make You a Wealthier Freelance Writer

Well, I took another vacation last week. I seem to be taking vacations every couple of months now. It's one of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer, at least to me.

You may be surprised to learn that I often take my vacation time and use it to get wealthier while I relax and travel. How do I relax and make money at the same time? Simple. I pay attention.

For example, on a recent trip to Oklahoma City I noticed that there was an art show being held. Since I write art related articles, I just had to go. I packed up my best carry-on luggage and headed out. I talked to the artists and exchanged business cards. My little trip resulted in a $150 article assignment about one of the artists.

My Family, Minus Husband, On Vacation

You never know where your next article idea may come from and vacation time is one of the best times to gather ideas. You're relaxed, so your brain is going to be more receptive to new ideas. Plus, you are experiencing new things, which is also conducive to creative thinking.

Here's how I reap article ideas while still having fun:

Keep your eyes open. Watch people. Talk to them. You may find a great story. Take lots of photographs of new things. These may come in handy later. Always have a notebook on hand to jot down ideas. Don't writer everything down. Take a picture of plaques and signs that you need to remember. Gather brochures, free local magazines and pamphlets to get ideas for travel destination articles. Visit the Chamber of Commerce and talk with someone who works there for all the local dirt.

WanderWomen Write Contest: Win a 10-day Tour of Vietnam & Cambodia

I just got this press release and I thought you all may like to read it, too. Sounds like fun! Here it is:

SEATTLE, WA. October 1, 2010 - Wanderlust and Lipstick, the ultimate resource for women travelers, announces the third annual WanderWomen Write Contest for female travel writers. Participants may enter their original travel stories for a chance to win a spectacular 10-day tour for two through South Vietnam and Cambodia with Buffalo Tours.

The contest is open to women, whether they are newly-emerging or seasoned travel writers. Wanderlust and Lipstick founder, Beth Whitman, says, "The WanderWomen Write contest is now in its 3rd year and was created to encourage women to pursue their passions in both travel and writing. Last year, there were more than 300 entries from some very talented established, as well as budding, travel writers."

The contest runs October 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010, and the winning writers will be announced in mid-February. Entries may be submitted under one of the following categories: Adventure, Family Fun, Food & Drink, Off the Beaten Path or Spiritual.

The Prizes

Grand Prize: A 10-day tour for two of Vietnam & Cambodia with Buffalo Tours (value $3,550). Vietnam's Majestic Mekong and Amazing Cambodia provides the traveler with a chance to enjoy the preserved cultural treasures of this beautiful region while being immersed in its modern-day vibrancy. Highlights include visits to Saigon, the Mekong Delta by boat, Phnom Penh and the amazing Angkor Wat temple complex.

Category Winners: Each category winner will receive a Briggs & Riley BRX Explore 22" Upright carry-on bag (value $290). For the adventurer who takes packing light seriously, this bag is built to maximum carry-on dimensions, with a zippered expandable main compartment.

Contest Judges

Harriet Baskas - Travel Writer

Rosalind Cummings-Yeates - Travel and Culture Writer

Pam Mandel - Freelance Travel Writer

Anja Mutic - Travel Writer

Angela Nickerson - Writer, Photographer, Traveler

About Buffalo Tours

Buffalo Tours is an internationally renowned, award-winning travel company spanning Indochina. They offer a wide range of inspirational travel options in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, from adventure travel and voluntourism to luxury travel. For more information, visit www.BuffaloTours.com

About Wanderlust and Lipstick

Wanderlust and Lipstick is THE destination for women travelers. This growing media company includes a series of comprehensive travel guides for women, adventure tours and a website featuring tips and extensive information to ensure safe and enjoyable travel. Founder Beth Whitman, has more than 23 years of travel experience. For more information, visit www.WanderlustAndLipstick.com

Freelance Jobs: What is WorldStart.com

Finally! A freelance job that pays more than $15 per article! In a nutshell, WorldStart.com wants computer how-to articles aimed at a beginner audience. Here's the pay rate according to the site:

400 word article with screenshots= $45.00 or without $35.00 screenshots 800 word article with screenshots= $55.00 or $45.00 without screenshots 1200-1500 word article with screenshots= $65.00 or $55.00 without screenshots  The downside is that they buy all rights. They are open to negotiation, though.

This would be a great site to build some tech writing clips with. It's a lot better than going with a site or magazine that pays you $5 an article.

Freelance Jobs: What is Antiques Republic?

I recently got an email from Sheena, an administrator of the Antiques Republic, that included writer's guidelines. I don't write about antiques, but I thought I'd share and excerpt of the letter for any of you guy that do. BTW, the I bolded areas for clarity.

"What do you get in submitting your articles?

•Your articles will be posted at our Ask the Expert section giving you a more reputable status.

(To view an example, check out https://www.antiquesrepublic.com/askdex.php)

•Links to your websites or your profile will be displayed on every article pages you have for FREE.

•Generate more traffic for your site for FREE as thousands of people get to read your articles.

•You'll get to have your own profile page containing your credentials giving the right publicity you want

Simply submit your articles at sheena @ antiquesrepublic.com. Just include details for your profile and attach your best photo. Topics are anything about antiques. No minimum words required.

There's more!

Sending your articles will automatically qualify you to our Share and Earn! program.

What is Share and Earn?

It is like a question and answer section. Customers post question and offer a certain amount for it. If you think you know the answer, just post your reply and if your answer's picked by the customer, you get paid instantly!

Your answer will be kept in our site and if it's picked again by another customer, you get paid once more. Think of it! You get to have constant source of income from a single answer posted."

I'm not sure I'd call this a freelance job, because you only get paid if your answer is chosen, not for your articles. Sounds too iffy for my tastes. Proceed with caution, and as always, feel to post your experience in the comments section.

Freelance Job: What is World.edu?

I was reading over at the Suite 101 forums that World.edu is looking for a few good writers. This freelancing site needs people who write on sustainability, innovation, social change and green technology. Many of the articles are in the how-to or top 10 list format.They pay with 60% of the ad revenue share and bonuses for popular pieces. The site doesn't say what rights they want, so be careful if you choose to give them a try. For more information see their Write for Us Page.

When You Screw Up on a Freelance Job

It's inevitable. Eventually you will screw up on a freelance job. You'll forget to spell check an article that you had to write last minute. You'll mess up the links your client needed embedded in a review. You miss a grammatical error on the second page. Sh*t happens.

What you do afterward is the important part. Here's the steps you should follow when this happens:

Suck it up. Yah, you screwed up. Don't pout. Fix the mistake ASAP. Apologize for your mistake. Don't promise it won't ever happen again. Hey, you're human. Make a checklist of things to double-check before you send a final draft so that you'll be better prepared to avoid mistakes next time. Forgive yourself. De-stress by taking a walk or calling your hubby, best friend or mom.

Why Content Writing Isn't Stealing Pay from "Journalists"

I was just over reading Felicia A. Williams' blog and her post about a scathing email she received from a reader. In the email the lady berated her for ever working at Demand Studios. Apparently this lady believes that working for DS and other sites drives down the rate for more "professional writers." I've gotten emails like this and have heard this complaint far and wide by "journalists."

I'm not buying it.

That's like saying if you work for McDonald's you're driving down the earnings of a fancy restaurant down the street. Umm. No. McDonald's serves to a different clientele than the fancy restaurant. The same goes for web writing and print. They're different dishes served to different types of people.

And just like some people can only find a job at McDonald in this bad economy, some writers can only find work with content sites. Do workers at McDonald's get scathing emails from people who work at that fancy restaurant? Umm. No. So what makes someone think that they can attack a content writers way to feed their family?

The mind boggles at the rudeness of people.

Granted, I work for a hire rate now, but my days writing for content sites saved my family from going hungry many times when the jobs were scarce. If you don't like content sites that's fine, but don't berate someone for just trying to feed their family.

Happy International Freelancer's Day

How did you celebrate International Freelancer's Day? I celebrated by being a freelance writer hard at work. LOL.

It makes me happy that so many people are now freelancing and living the life they choose to live instead of slogging off to work every day to a job they hate.

Happy International Freelancer's Day!

Freelance Jobs: What is Libeti?

FYI: I recently got an email from the owner of Libeti.com touting it as a great freelance job. Here's what the email had to say:

The site has a similar pay model to Suite101. So basically the site is a revenue share model. The article format is similar to eHow but with a supposedly stronger focus on quality.
I checked out the site and it looks very rough. It's not the clean-cut  style of Suite 101 or eHow. If you give it a try, let me know how you like it.

Summary of Earnings for August

A Photo From My Trip to Colorado

August was a pretty good month for earnings considering I went on vacation and missed working half the month. I probably didn't work more than 15-20 hours. That's why I love residual earning from articles. They keep earning even when I'm living it up in another state. Here's my break-down:

Demand Media

$15.00

Suite 101.com

$195.74

Guru Client

$225.00

Demand Media

$45.00

MyLikes

$2.79

Demand Media

$45

eHow

$89.42

Private Client

$725

Total: $1,342.95

As you can see, I wrote a bunch of quick little articles for Demand when I had time for a little boost of income. This month will be a lot higher since I'm not planning on going out of town.

What's Your Internet Back-up Plan?

I was over at freelance writer Jennifer Mattern's blog and she was talking about how her internet will be out for several days. What would you do without internet and you had a big freelance project that needed to be done?

This has happened to me a few times. I either go low-tech, doing my research at the local library or I go to McDonalds, order a parfait for me and the kids, then let the kids go crazy in the indoor playground. They get a healthy snack, social interaction and some exercise and I get to work for an hour or two.

I'm dying to get the new Droid (I already have the old Droid with a free data plan) that makes your cell phone a mobile hot spot. That way I have internet access no matter where I am. We travel a lot so this would be fantastic.

Writing with Social Anxiety

I have social anxiety. I've had it in one incarnation or another since my early twenties and I'm not sure what triggered it. The anxiety attacks usually pop up when I'm doing something new alone or when there is a lot of pressure for me to preform.

You can understand why freelance writing became the perfect choice of career for me. If a anxiety attack pops up it is in the privacy of my own home. There's also the comfort of being in a controlled environment.

Sounds like I've got it all figured out, huh? Not so much. See, sometimes I need to interview experts for articles and the expert insists on a phone interview. This doesn't work for me. Phone calls of any type send me into a meltdown. In fact, my husband does most of our phone calls. I think this stems from the fact that ever since my eardrums burst a few years ago I can't really understand phone conversations.

Usually talk the person into doing email or IM interviews instead. Not only does this save my mental health, but I also feel like it gives the expert more time to give me thoughtful answers. Plus, there's no worry about accusations of misquoting. You have proof of what they said in black and white with a neat little time stamp.

Are you a writer that has social anxiety? How do you handle it?

Ahh...School Time Eases a Writer's Schedule

Today is the first day of school for my kids and boy am I relieved! I've gotten so much done today and it's only 10 a.m. In fact, I've already almost finished with my work for today.

Over the summer I barely had time to breath, let alone make money. There was vacations, Army prep for my husband, multiple trips to the DFW airport (which is 2 hours away), karate lessons for the kids...

Here's my schedule now:

6:30 a.m.- Wake up 7ish- Take the kids to school 7:30 a.m.- Exercise 8 a.m.- Get ready for the day 9 a.m.- Check emails and residual income  10 a.m.- Write 3:30 a.m.- Work day done

 Sigh. I am so loving my quiet for the next few hours.

Are you a frazzled mom loving you some school time or are you still in the trenches?

You know the number one thing that helped me stay organized when I was starting out as a freelance writer? The free newsletter and calendar from The Organized Writer site. I would print out the calendar and keep it in a binder.

Today I use a notebook-sized day planner and a legal pad to organize my writing projects and business to-do list. How do you stay organized as a writer?

What is a Writer's Platform?

With the competitiveness of web writing, a writer needs to really stick out from the pack. This is where a platform comes in handy. What is a platform? Well, it's your branding, your signature style, your niche. When people say, "Gee, I need a XYZ writer," the XYZ is the writer's platform. It's their specialty.

This is created by selling yourself with a certain label. This is going from writing about everything to something very specific.

Wait, doesn't limiting yourself give you less job opportunities? Well, yes, but you also make more money. For example, I used to sell myself as a writer that could write anything. As I started to slowly focus on more specialized niches and I made more money. I went from making $5-$10 an hour to $30-$150 per hour with my writing.

Since I hate reading articles that tells you what something is without giving you the steps to make it your own, here's how you start your brand:

Decide what your niche will be. Make sure it's something you love to write about. Trust me, there's someone willing to pay for your enthusiasm. Join forums and groups that cater to that type of niche. This keeps you informed on latest trends and helps you network. Put in your forum and email signatures that you are an XYZ writer. Make your personal website reflect the change in your specialization. Edit your resume to reflect your specialty Look for work that needs your specific niche by googling niche-specific keywords.