Photo by: Wit

Freelance writing is kind of like fishing. There’s a lot of waiting involved. You throw out the bait, wait for a bite and then get ready for the fight.

However, instead of thumb twiddling or going to the opposite extreme and getting unnecessarily busy (online shopping or applying for jobs like crazy, for example), this may be a good time to get yourself organized and prepared for the next bite.

Here are a few productive things to do while you’re waiting for your next big project:

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Martha Stewart’s recent rant about FoodNetwork star and talk show host Raechel Ray got me thinking, “Is it better to be honest or keep your mouth shut?”

As a freelance writer, sometimes you work with people who are unprofessional or difficult. Is it ever a good idea to state honestly how you feel about the working relationship or is it better to cut ties cleanly and quietly?

What do you think?

Better to be honest and state what’s not working (e.g. low pay, unreliable client) or end things without saying a word?

photo by Lisa Norwood

Here’s what I’ve learned.  Tell me if you think I’m wrong or right.  It seems like in the digital world particularly in the area of freelance writing, there is a wave of what I like to call “lit cliques.”  It’s kind of like being in high school, you know which group you belong-the geeks, the oddballs and you know which group you’d like to belong-the jocks, the popular crowd.

Well social networking on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter is kind of like a big popularity contest where top freelancers are in one corner and others left feeling like odd man out.  While there are exceptions to the rule (Sherry and John of Young House Love are nice to everyone!), there does seem to be bit of a hierarchy.

My question is this: what does it take to be “in the know” with all of you talented writers out there?  I’d love to step in your corner and relinquish my role as odd woman out.  I think social networking should be about making contacts at all levels of writing business.  We have a lot to gain from each other.

So tell me? Is it just me or are there genuine cliques in the online world?  And if there are, send me an email and maybe we can start our own…

1.  That you need be thick-skinned to handle a mind-blowing number of rejections but be thin-skinned enough to be an observant, sensitive, intuitive and honest writer.

2.  Publishers can get away with a lot like promising to pay you and then suddenly disappearing into thin air.

3.  That you need to have an insane amount of faith (comparable to the number of rejections you receive).

4.  That this would be the best and yet the hardest job of my life.  I’m talking 10 hrs a night and weekends.

5.  That you need to be good at everything (marketing, accounting, managing on top of writing, editing and social networking). Read the rest of this entry