If I told you problogger’s Darren Rowse was a genius, you’d probably say, “Yeah so what else is new?” If you are super new to blogging and haven’t heard of him yet, I say, “What are you waiting for?” and get yourself to his site immediately. To prove just how helpful this blogging genius is (one of the few professional bloggers making six figures), in one short post, he’s taken me from FBML newbie to creating my own Facebook landing page. Talk about blogging genius!

Rather than try to explain how to make one of your own, I’m going to just hand the mic to Mr. Rowse himself via his awesome tutorial. I promise even the less savvy computer people out there will be able to follow his step-by-step guide.

Thanks so much Darren!

1. Want to create your own hashtag # on Twitter, but not sure if someone’s already got it covered? Go to http://search.twitter.com/ and double-check first.
2. Speaking of hashtags, see this great video for more info on the topic.
3. Want to know how you size up in the Twitter world? Analyze your account with Twitalyzer. Then, watch this video to decipher what it means.
4. To find top people in particular industries, go to TweetTop.com.
5. Want to get people to follow you and find new Tweeple to follow? Add yourself to WeFollow.
6. For more basic information on Twitter, read this post on how to build a Twitter community.

If you have any additional tips, feel free to share them below! You can follow me on Twitter here. Currently, I am doing social media for a website I work for and have about 453 followers on my own account. See you on Twitter!

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.

It could be a pen or pencil, but some prefer typewriter or computer. I’ll admit that I’ve had somewhat of a fetish of pens and vintage typewriters lately. Yet, everything goes from notes on notepaper to words on my computer. When it comes to shorter prose, like poetry or an essay, putting pen to thoughts is the only way inspiration flows.

It was a golden pen etched with a floral design that got me feeling mature and serious as a writer in junior high and a fun one that makes me feel like a kid again now.

So in honor of my favorite writing tool, I’ve rounded up a basketful of fun pens for all you writers:

This might not be your go-to for every writing project, but these novelty pens are an easy way to add a bit of playfulness to your day. With different ice-cream flavors like chocolate chip and mocha latte, they’ve inspired this sweet review.

My favorite pen right now is this one from the Walt Disney museum in San Francisco. I love a bit of whimsy and this one is full of it. I can’t help feeling like I’m a kid again or an animator painting my next great picture. Pretty fun way to add a feeling of fantasy on a Friday!

I love these pens from Etsy because it’s warm outside and they exude an air of spring. It satisfies both my desires for aesthetics and practicality.

I can see this gracing a modern office with an equally modern graphic desk and chair and with pops of orange. Is it just me? This one is from Paper-Source. It comes in black too.

Do you guys have any utensils that help get your inspiration flowing? If so, let me know, I’m always open to hearing the latest, coolest tools out there.

]]> http://brandi-annuyemura.com/resources/a-pen-for-your-thoughts/feed/ 2 http://brandi-annuyemura.com/freelance-writing/heres-what-you-should-do-to-protect-yourself-as-a-writer/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://brandi-annuyemura.com/freelance-writing/heres-what-you-should-do-to-protect-yourself-as-a-writer/#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:40:56 +0000 brandiwplogin http://brandi-annuyemura.com/?p=433 photo by Dunechaser

What’s one airline safety guideline we could all listen to as freelance writers? Take care of yourself first, then help others. It’s a rule that needs repeating especially since there are a ton of scams out there. It’s hard enough working as a freelancer, marketing your skills, and defeating your inner demons to write, without having to deal with deadbeat clients.

So what’s a freelance writer to do?

1. Make contacts with other writers. I started a weekly virtual meeting with a fellow freelancer. During this time, we chat about what’s working, what we need help on, and publishers/clients to be wary of. Not only is it great to meet people who are going through the same thing as you but there’s also safety in numbers. There are a bunch of great online networking groups such as the Writer’s Digest community that can help you meet fellow writers.
2. Get a contract. What’s one of my biggest freelance writing regrets? Not getting a contract out of fear I will lose a potential client. In the end, however, I found that having things in writing not only protects yourself and your client but also weeds out the shady characters who say they don’t want one.
3. Be cautious when writing on spec. As a beginning writer, you might have to write a few articles on spec. However, I’d advise not doing it unless you are writing for a reputable company or don’t mind potentially giving away your article for free.
4. Google them. Sometimes if I’m not too sure about a company, I’ll google their name just to see if anything good or bad’s been said about them. It’s a good place to start if you’re feeling skeptical about a company.
5. Check out WritersWeekly. Angela Hoy of WritersWeekly devotes her energy to helping writers. Go to Whispers and Warnings to check out any potentially deadbeat client.
6. Go to SFWA. The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s of America have a section that alerts writer to bad publishers. On their website they say, “Writer Beware’s mission is to track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.”

What about you? Any great tips or advice you can give to help other writers protect themselves?

1. Linda Formichelli & Diana Burrell’s rockstar book The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success was a huge success. Lucky for us, they’re giving away a free packet of their 12 successful query letters. Go here to find out how you can get yours.
2. Mary DeMuth is my new hero! Besides the fact that she’s an awesome writer, she actually has an entire page labelled as Free Stuff on her website. She has a pdf called, “Queries Now” that is so good that I’m amazed she’s offering it for free. Check it out here.
3. Writer’s Digest is also getting in the free spirit of things by offering a free webinar on marketing. It’s called, “Marketing in the Digital Age: Batteries Not Included” and is all about how to develop a brand and become a successful part of the social networking community. All things important to a freelance writer wanting to build up his or her business. It starts this Wednesday so register soon.
4. On a non-writing related note, but a reading one, Oprah is giving away a free chapter of bestselling novel Say You’re One of Them if you RSVP for her book club event happening tonight.

Do you know of any free resources that have been valuable to you and would help other writers out there?

I promised a list filled with books that have helped me get a jump start into the field of freelance writing. This is a short list but I will expand as I get more books in my arsenal.

• Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen. This book is one of my favorites. It’s fun to read, informative, and less textbooky in comparison to other how-to books. Great book to have on hand as you’re querying or writing your first draft.

Writer’s Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing edited by Michelle Ruberg. Chock full of expert information not only pertinent to beginning writers. While it’s less entertaining than others, it’s filled with really great information like things to do reduce risks when working with start-ups that I wish I had when I first started.

• The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner. Another one of my favorites. It’s less how-to and more how it is to be a writer. I pick this up when self-doubt creeps in and am instantly gratified by sayings like this, “…the degree of one’s perseverance is the best predictor of success. It is some combination of ability and ego, desire and discipline, that produces good work.”