Why?

1. Because some businesses are still in business and need writers to fill in.
2. Because downtime is a good excuse to get working on other areas of your business.

While the mice are playing, the cats shall be working. So what should you be doing now?

1. Market like a fiend. Tell everyone you’re looking for work. Tell it to your offline and online friends. Tell it to your neighbor, the guy you met at the market, the couple you networked with at an event.
2. If work is slow right now, use the time to hone your craft. Take a course on writing, join a new writing group, workshop yourself silly. Got time? Get off your butt and use it for shaping up your words. That’s where you’ll need it most, come fall.
3. Improve your business. Butter up your website to make it more enticing. Learn how to add all that sparkly doodads that you usually don’t have time to work on. Make business cards. Declutter your paperwork. Take an inventory of office supplies and get the ones you need. When business suddenly gets busy, you’ll be ready and open for business.
4. Catch up on your reading. Don’t just delve into those sugary summer reads, get your hands on magazines and newspapers too. You never know when something you read will spark a new idea and a new query.
5. Become a social networking whiz. What did you on 4th of July? I worked. And guess what? It was the best thing I ever did. I got paid more, had time to blog like a fiend and there was lots of room for my Facebook posts and Tweets. That means more eyes to catch my work and potential work for me.

So what about you? Are you working like crazy too over the summer? If so, what do you think is the number 1 benefit you’ve found doing so?

I’ve become enamored with Martha Beck’s book, “The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life.” Knee deep in chapter 4 (Creativity), I’ve been filled with mind blowing concepts that has thrilled me to no end. One of the titillating tidbits made me question my own freelance writing business skills and I thought I’d share the wealth with you.

I’m sure you already know that your thoughts control your actions. Saying to yourself hundred times of day, “I’m not good enough to make it as a freelancer,” for example, will inevitably help your thoughts become reality. But I know, I know. It’s hard to control the monkey mind.

But maybe it’s not about stopping or controlling your thoughts. Beck brought up the concept of dichotomous relationships that could be what’s blocking your creativity and unintentionally preventing you from being as successful as you want to be in freelancing.

Let me put it this way.

Have you ever thought, “I can either be happy or wealthy.” I admit I have. I grew up in a household where I was taught (spoken and unspoken) that to be wealthy you had to do something you hated. I subscribed to the belief and lived unhappily that way, first by working at a corporate job that did not fit, then quitting that and working as a freelancer with an unconscious ingrained belief that I could never financially support myself doing so.

In the end, I was right in both situations.

But who wants to be right about that?

If you’re like me, you may want to dig in deep to discover what may be holding you back. It’s not the competition, low pay, difficult clients or the economy. Maybe you need to shift the responsibility and look within. Of course, experience, hard work and talent helps a great deal, but if you’re not where you want to be, then it might be worth analyzing what you truly believe in and how it may be affecting your business and your writing.

So go ahead, try it.

I can either have ________ or __________.

Then change it to:

I can/will/intend to have both  _________  and  __________!

If you’re really feeling frisky, share it in the comments below.

I’ll go first.

I intend to have both money and happiness.

I can write full-time and be financially successful.

Now it’s your turn.

Here’s what I mean.

When you have a dream to work at home as a freelance writer, you basically start from nothing. You may have a handful of clients to begin with (and if you do kudos to you!), but in general you’re starting from scratch. When you blog, for example, all you have is a blinking white screen staring at you. You’ve got no fans on Facebook, zero tweeps following you on Twitter and no one reading your blogs. If you’re on a mission to see your name in print, it’s the same thing. You may not have any previous published articles or clips to your name.

And while you’re sitting there waiting, wondering if turning nothing into something is as likely as transforming sand into gold, your wallet’s getting lighter and everyone else and their neighbor are getting published.

So the question is this: What do you need to go from 0 to 100 in freelancing?

Time: First you need to become buddies with time. When you’re just starting out, it may seem like forever and a day until you reach the top of the mountain, but you need time on your side to reap the benefits of your work. I spent a year on my blog before things started happening, but this meant I needed faith and patience to get me through. What’s the most amazing thing to me is that I’m still getting positive responses now for posts I’ve written almost a year ago. You never know when things will start to happen, so you’ll need to flex your patient muscles and wait and see.

Perseverance: Even if you write/blog/query every day/week/month without any positive response or feedback, you need to keep going. There will be moments when you feel like giving up and question why you’re doing it. I know because I’ve been to that dark place and still visit from time to time. In fact, there have been many times when I asked myself, “What’s the purpose of writing these blogs?” I really didn’t have the answer, but I kept doing it because I felt compelled to do so. If you are doing something you love, there’s a good chance it’s your life’s purpose and even if you can’t see any rewards right now, wait, keep trying and I can bet you’ll start to see some results. Give up and you’ve ended the game before it started.

Faith: The evidence of things unseen. That’s exactly what freelancing is like. Sometimes you’ll write, and write and write and nothing will happen. You’ll start to doubt yourself and your abilities. I know I have. But when fear and doubt really start to creep in, don’t take it as a sign that you should quit, take it as a sign that you need to call on your staff of positive peeps. Turn to your friends, family, books, or even quotes (your tools) that have helped you in the past keep the faith.

Your Best Shot: Here’s an embarrassing little tidbit I learned about myself. I seem to dance better in class when I think someone is watching me. Hope I didn’t lose you all to that, but there’s a real lesson in there. Imagine you have an audience even when you don’t and you’re more likely to do your best. And when trying to transform nothing into something, you’re going to have to give it all you got. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent writing blog entries after my regular full-time job and going to the gym in the evening. I would stay up until one in the morning just to get them done. If I obsessed over my 0 audience (well maybe 1-my husband), I might start letting things slide. If I let things slide, no one would read my blogs and then things would slide more, and well you know what would happen next.

Sharpen your craft: While you’re waiting for someone to accept a query or the world to embrace your blog, do everything you can to hone your skills. For me this means taking classes (online and in person), reading magazines/books/posts/articles, watching podcasts, listening to audio seminars, signing up for writing groups and newsletters, etc. I’ll do anything to get better at what I love to do. It’s my passion so the good thing is that I don’t mind spending a Saturday reading about grammar or writing about writing. I enjoy it and I only want to get better.

Don’t lose sight of your goals: During freelancing dry spells, desperation will start to set in. A low paying gig could start to look like a dream job. Stop right there. Take a deep breath and reorganize your thoughts. If you want to turn your dream of no business to your dream career, don’t lose sight of your goals. Remember why you quit your day job and sacrificed it all. It definitely can be tempting like a chocolate chip cookie to moi on a diet, but when you keep your goals in sight (I prefer an online inspiration board) it’ll be easy to say no to this and yes to what you really desire.

How about you? Any pearls of wisdom you’ve learned on your own mission to transform nothing into something?

This post will cover the five things you shouldn’t do (not including the basics like failing to do any work for a client or refusing to pay a freelancer) if you want a healthy, happy long-term and profitable business relationship.

Whether you’re a freelancer or a start-up looking to hire a freelancer, there are a few things you should know before you start something new. You wouldn’t marry the first person that you meet, so why jump blindly into a partnership with a client/freelancer you hardly know? To prevent lots of time wasted, money lost and bridges burned, read what not to do when beginning a new work relationship.

1. Jump in eyes closed. It might be a fun way to dive into the pool, but not so fun in business. I once had a potential client ask me, “What kind of education do you have anyway?” after he received my resume, samples and cover letter. His lack of research made me hesitant to work with him. It showed a lack of concern and care that I worried would lead to disaster down the road. This also works the other way around. Hire anyone without checking their samples and you’ll be in for a surprise. And not the good kind.
2. Be threatening. Never withhold money or copy, unless you want your relationship to crash and burn. Sometimes the fear of not getting paid or the fear of getting quality writing can cause people to act irrationally. Take a deep breath, have faith and let go. Trust that you’ll get what you want either way and you’ll have a better chance of restoring your relationship and getting what you need in the long-term.
3. React in anger. This goes alongside #2. Sometimes fear can make people erupt in anger. No matter what he or she says, it’s really not worth it to lose your cool and say something you’re going to regret. Take 5, walk around the block, meditate, do whatever it takes to let off steam without showing your anger to the other person. When you’re calm and collected, go back and see if you can work things out and salvage the relationship in a peaceful manner.
4. Be unclear. Give mixed messages about exactly what you want (e.g. “I want something good.” Or I think I can do this by that time, but I’m not sure.”) will get you down a path of miscommunication that will eventually lead to trouble. Get things in order in your mind first, then speak up and clearly about what you need. Make sure to communicate with one another as soon as misunderstanding starts to grow. Get it quick and you’ll prevent greater confusion and disappointment in the future.
5. Have unreachable and unreasonable expectations. Demand too much in a an unreasonable amount of time or expect clients to pay you more money without any legitimate reason to do so and you’re asking for disappointment and anger on both sides. If you’re not sure what to charge your client or what’s realistic to expect from your freelancer, then make sure to do your research beforehand. Network with other writers and business owners and find out what’s acceptable in the field.

If you did any one of the five on the list, all is not lost. You can still repair damages by either quickly and sincerely making amends with your partner. If things are really irreparable, keep things in mind for next time and be sure to do the opposite of items 1-5!

How about you? Any words of wisdom you’d like to share? Things you’ve done to repair a seemingly irreparable work relationship? I’d love to hear them!

Have you ever been stunned like a deer-caught-in-the headlights when someone asks you, “What you do for a living?” Well I have and I can’t plea ignorance on this one!

All over the web, articles on creating an elevator speech have been popping up. I’ve seen them, read them, but failed to do anything about it.

Let’s see there was:

1. 5 Tips for Creating an Elevator Speech on Freelance Writing Gigs.
2. How to Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Freelance Writing Business on All Freelance Writing.
3. Anne Wayman at About Freelance Writing also posted an article entitled,”The Writer’s Elevator Pitch.”
4. And Freelance Folder’s article, “Creating an Elevator Speech: How Looking in the Mirror Can Help Your Business” even sounded like me. (The baffled, stumbling part.)

So really, what excuse did I really have not to have the perfect pitch right off the bat?

None really. I can only plead insanity.

Maybe I thought to myself,”I already know what I do for a living. Why waste time practicing it? Who’s going to really ask me anyway? How hard can it be to tell others what I do for a living?”

Learn from my lesson. Prepare. Practice. Then, preach to others. Don’t make the same mistake as I did.

When I went to a recent networking gig, everyone asked me what I did for a living. Doh! There’s supposed to. I wish I had brilliantly said that I was a “full-time freelance writer specializing in both web and print articles.”  And that this includes, “blogging on a range of topics from wallet-friendly ideas to inspirational articles on following your dreams to posts for beginning freelance writers.”

But I think I said, “Um. I’m a full-time freelance writer.”

And then asked, “What do you write?”

“Uh, like um newspapers and magazines and blogs.”

“On what?”

“Inspiring stuff. Home decor. Writing stuff.”

Can you tell I was nervous with a capital N? As in, I was sweating like I it was 100 degrees or under hot lights in an interrogation.

The worse was how I kept sounding like I wasn’t quite sure I was a writer or maybe I was, but I didn’t exactly know what I wrote about. Ack!

Here’s what I learned: Make the effort because as a full-time freelance writer every person you interact with could be a possible friend, mentor, employer, and/or client. I might have costed myself a few potential job leads all because I wasn’t prepared. So…

Be prepared. Practice saying out loud what you do for a living until you sound confident and sure of yourself. Write it down if you have to. Say it in front of your friends and ask them how you sound.

Practice alone and with others. Sometimes I forget that even in social situations with friends and at my husband’s work events, I have the opportunity to show-off my elevator speech. I can also put myself in front of a mirror and talk myself silly.

Practice until you don’t blush anymore. I think for some of us, telling other people what we do for a living (especially when we’re proud of it) feels a bit like bragging. It doesn’t help that a lot of writers (moi included) are shy and introverted. But the more we do it, the easier it’ll get it.

The takeaway? Creating an excellent elevator speech and being able to deliver it effortlessly are important. It’s important to our business and our future as freelance writers.

So get over it already! We need to get over this hurdle so we can move on, meet new people and get new jobs.

Surprisingly, I got the job.

My one year stint as a PI was more than I bargained for. But one thing I learned from the book and the job was to follow my instincts.

Or so I thought.

Like Jesaka I’ve had to relearn the lesson time and time again.

As a P.I., not trusting my inner teacher (as I like to call it) was dangerous. And as a writer, it was bad business.

Here’s what I lost in the process:

• Precious time. I’ve gotten countless job offers and phone calls for potential opportunities (in fact I just received one yesterday) that made my stomach tie up in knots. Instead of turning down offers right away, I spent time returning calls and meeting with potential clients in person. In the end, I would regret all that time wasted on a job I knew wasn’t right for me from the beginning.
• Money. This is a big one! Not listening to my initial instinct that something just didn’t feel right about a new job ended up costing me not only time, but money. I’ve had a handful of clients who were wishy-washy from the start (e.g. not directly answering questions, unclear about what they wanted).Those were the ones who stiffed me in the end.
• Better opportunities.  The time I wasted with jobs that weren’t right for me ended up costing me better opportunities. When I think of all the time I spent working for jobs that didn’t fit me, I mourn the missed opportunities. I think about the better jobs that could have passed my way, if I hadn’t been occupied with the wrong one.

What have I gained in the process?

Hopefully, the courage to listen the next time a wrong job disguised as the right one makes my stomach turn.

The next time a high paying job comes your way that just doesn’t feel right, remember my story. No matter how much you think you need the job and how desperate you think you are, remember that taking it is the difference between finding “the right one” and the one for right now.

I’ll admit that I was one of the roamers, sticking my head and leaning my ears in between perusing books*, but what I got was pure gold. Here are a few snippets of their sometimes provocative and always apropos talk on being a writer:

“I often worry that I’m on a treadmill.  Running without doing anything meaningful.”

I love this for the simple fact that all writers feel this way.  We write to work and work to write. But sometimes it seems like we can’t ever catch up. If, for example, we’re ahead financially, we may feel we’re not living up to our writing dreams. Perhaps, the worst fear is that life will pass us by and we’ll still be an unpublished writer or author.

“What a great time it is to be a writer.”

This hopeful statement made me want to stand up and cheer! It is a great time to be a writer because there are more opportunities than ever. But then check out what they said next:

In response, someone from the audience made this comment, “There is less opportunity so my writer friends are making writing more of a hobby.”

“But was there ever a good time?”

Like the age old statement that “Life was much better when I was younger,” this topic got everyone split 50-50. Some felt that the economy and the internet has made competition crazy and pay insanely low. While a few on the panel felt that it has always been hard to be a writer regardless of circumstances. One of the writers said it’s all about working through it and writing no matter what. What do you think? You think it’s easier now or was it better “back in the good old days?”

“Blogging makes you a better writer.”

You can imagine how thrilled I was to hear this. Especially since I have three blogs! The arguments were that blogging gives you practice, makes you more vigilant because others will read it, and you have the option to go back and edit it.

“The good news is that now you are responsible for everything. The bad news is you kind of have to be.”

This couldn’t be more true. While we can now self-publish, self-market and essentially design our own publishing careers, we also can’t rely on or blame anyone else for our failures. The torch is really in our own hands. It’s just good or bad depending on how you perceive it.

“Words don’t lose its value once it’s online.”

Another gem for me since a lot of what I do is online. While the panel agreed that e-readers like Kindle and Nook will in no ways take away from print publications, they also debunked the myth that putting words on the internet didn’t necessarily take away its value.

All in all this talk made me 1. wish I brought a tape recorder (so I didn’t have to type everything on my cell phone) 2. want to attend more writing events. What a wealth of information the panel presented in an hour’s time!

How about you? Any presentations/talks you’ve attended lately that you can share here? I’d love to hear about it.

*That’s how I found this (I wish someone got me this as a gift) book, “You Know You’re a Writer When.” As in, “you know you’re a writer when writing is the only thing you do that doesn’t make you feel as if you should be doing something else.”

This is the reason why I used to wonder if I was born in the right family. If I didn’t look so much like my parents, I might really question where I came from.

Instead, I took on a different belief system. The belief that I could do anything and be anything, if only I asked. It still wasn’t easy, however, to get past this long-held belief. Every time I ask for something I need, I take a deep breath, grasp onto faith, cross my fingers, say a prayer, and do anything to deal with the anxiety that starts when I do anything contrary to what I was raised to believe.

It doesn’t help that when I do ask, I sometimes get the reaction I fear. On one occasion, I asked an employer for $2/hr more per hour than she was offering for a permanent in-house position. The pay was still significantly lower than she was currently paying me as a freelancer and under the average rate for a copywriter. Instead of saying she simply couldn’t offer it. She looked at me with disdain and said she was “shocked” that I would ask her for more.

Another woman employer didn’t pay me, stopped contacting me and giving me writing jobs, all because I asked her about the bonus 1) listed on her website 2) she said she would pay after a period of time. The bonus was $1.

These experiences make me continually question myself and analyze my approach. Should I be asking for higher pay? Was my family somehow right in saying I should just accept things and “not stir the pot?”

Yet, I kept hearing from my male colleagues how they always ask for more money and always get it. So I kept pressing on.

Here’s what I learned:

Don’t stop asking for what you need. Sure there are situations where I felt guilty about asking for more pay or more time, but in the end I am responsible for myself and my work. There were definitely times when I got a less than favorable reaction, but there were also a ton of times I got exactly what I asked for and more.

Case point: I encountered two new clients recently (both men) that not only attempted to meet me where I was, but did not think it was “surprising” or “upsetting” that I asked for what I needed.

Sometimes it’s not about you. Money is power and a lot of people have issues with power. I’ve come to realize that some people have issues with money that have nothing to do with me. In the end, it’s all about finding the right fit and not compromising your worth of your values.

Because you’re worth it. I think L’oreal got it right when told women, “Because you’re worth it.” We are worth it. Don’t let any person bully you into thinking that you don’t deserve to be compensated for the hard work and sweat you put into your work. You do. Why? Because you’re worth it!

My husband and I hobbled on over to a used car lot recently. The reason for our less than enthusiastic attitude was our fear of encountering the dreaded stereotypical used car salesman. The man with a big persona (a.k.a. desperate man who talks too much).

You know the guy. The one who hunts you down and seems to pick up your scent even before he sees you. A swarm of salesman suddenly encircles you all in business suits, all waiting until fatigue and desperation gives way to a sale.

Okay it might not be THAT bad! But if used car salesman can smell fresh new meat a mile away, then I can tell desperation from afar as well. When a guy comes running towards me asking to show me his car without even knowing what I’m looking for, I run the other way. Desperation is not attractive when dating or when selling.

I felt sorry for the guy. He may have had the car of my dreams and I would never know it because his desperation to sell me anything made them all lackluster. Instead of giving us time to look at all his cars, he hovered over us. In the end, we really couldn’t get away fast enough.

It’s the same thing when selling your business. You may need the sale, but don’t let this on to your potential clients.

Some writers query publications mentioning how much they need this article or book proposal. That may be true but it won’t get you the deal of your dreams. In fact, it may have the opposite effect.

Think of this way. Would you rather date someone who was self-assured and confident or the other guy who calls, texts and emails you five times a day telling you how much they want to go out with you? It’s the same for your business. If you have something great to sell, let it sell itself.

The bottom line: Companies care about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Figure out what unique experience/skill you can bring to the table to help solve their greatest problem and you’ll win the sale.

The two guys who showed up were really nice and all and all I felt comfortable and supported, but it just wasn’t a good fit. The one thing that stayed with me was something one of the members said. He commented that a lot of poetry was “self-absorbed.” That stuck with me and made me question how much of my own writing was a form of narcissism.

The desire to be heard, the glory of the written word and the recognition that writing sometimes brings, all makes writing a self-indulgent gift. Yet, none of it has to do with making a living as a freelance writer or does it?

If you are just starting out, you may have to take a step back. Think about what you can provide for your client instead of what your writing can do for you. In one of my favorite books Steering by Starlight, Martha Beck says to think up 3 words to describe your perfect life (career, relationship, etc.). Then visualize bringing them into the worst parts of your life.

I think that also applies to your freelance writing career. If, for example, I want to provide a service, be inspirational and informative, I need to focus on writing for others instead of writing for myself. Visualizing being helpful, bringing something to the table and providing a service in an area where my career is lacking has definitely helped me to tackle new opportunities in a more positive, rewarding light.

That doesn’t mean I can’t write a self-indulgent poem here and there. I think writing for the sheer pleasure of it is an important part of keeping writing fresh and inspiring to you. But when you transform your life from writing as a hobby to writing as a career, you may need to give up your ego so that you can inspire and touch a bigger audience.