Regular readers know that I often preach the wisdom of finding conferences that “work” for you and what you’re hoping to achieve, and making the commitment not just to attend but to try to speak at those events periodically as well. It’s about networking, stretching your wings a little, and figuring out where you can best leverage your talents while best tapping into other resources.

And now that I typed that sentence I sort of want to punch myself in the face. Look; it’s about finding where you can do some learning, some leading, and a lot of finding your tribe amongst some folks you enjoy professionally and maybe even socially. Is that better?

This year I’m thinking about Savvy Blogging Summit, which is a conference I’ve never attended, but have heard really good things about from multiple people. The thing is, the next one isn’t for just over a year, so rather than my standard go-check-it-out method, I’m thinking I want to pitch a session. Even though I’ve never been, before.
Read the rest of this entry

The concept of a brilliant writer who holes up in a dark office, writing day and night, living the life of a recluse while society celebrates their literary accomplishments, is mostly a fairy tale. I mean, I’m sure there are a few writers like that. Maybe that was more common back when writers mostly did just have to write, and there wasn’t an expectation that those writers would also market themselves, read to crowds, participate in professional development, etc. In fact, if you think about it… most bygone “famous” writers who were known for their reclusive ways didn’t gain much fame to speak of until after they were deceased.

But maybe you—like me—really aren’t looking to become famous. Maybe you’re thinking that just working hard and being a good writer is enough to make a living, which is all you really want. Surely then all you need to do is write well, right?

Weeeeeeeell… no.

So I have some good news and some bad news.
Read the rest of this entry

There was a whole slew of articles this past year about how those of us who sit at a desk all day are going to drop dead at any minute. Oh, I kid. It’s not quite that bad, but the statistics, nonetheless, were pretty horrifying: Sit at a desk for six or more hours a day, and your risk of dying in the next fifteen years is 40% higher compared to those who spend the bulk of their time on their feet. That’s a sobering thought, no?

If you haven’t seen it yet, and you want the quick visual rundown, Mashable did a great infographic on the topic that kind of gives you the highlights. Basically, the human body is not designed to sit for long periods of time. Even exercising hasn’t been shown to mitigate the deleterious effects of long-term sitting.

And the cut-off point that I keep hearing is 6 hours. Truth? I probably sit at my desk for closer to 9 or 10 hours each day. And when I’m done, what do I do? I go sit at the table for dinner, and then I go sit on the couch for a few hours.
Read the rest of this entry

(Pictured here: My very own fancy-schmancy QR code to take you to my shopping blog, just in case typing “wantnot.net” is too onerous.)

Writing online for a living brings a certain level of expectation in terms of keeping up with technology trends. Sure, you could be a professional blogger and refuse to use Twitter, but it’s a great way to increase your readership. Similarly, you could opt not to utilize Facebook, but it’s an easy way to increase your visibility and audience interaction. Etc. Social media is now considered par for the course in its various incarnations for those of us who do our business online.

So when QR codes started appearing everywhere, I dutifully (okay, maybe I rolled my eyes a little) started looking into them. And I downloaded a QR scanner to my phone.

And then… I became seriously underwhelmed.
Read the rest of this entry

I’ve noticed more and more lately that freelance bloggers are becoming a scarcer species. And now you’re scratching your head, because isn’t everyone claiming to be a freelancer lately? Doesn’t everyone and their brother, cousin, and possibly poodle have a blog and a shingle out proclaiming themselves to be available for hire?

Well, yes. But also no.

What I’m seeing is a shift away from “I’m a freelance writer” to this weird sort of “I’m a social media expert.” I guess I shouldn’t say it’s weird; there likely are people who are social media “experts,” whatever that means, but the thing that feels weird to me is that… anyone can claim to be one. G’head, make yourself a Bingo card before you hit your next conference. Fill it in with “social media expert,” “social media guru,” “online strategist,” “engagement specialist” and the like. I’d wager you’ll have it filled in in no time flat.

So what does this mean for those of us who consider ourselves—first and foremost—writers? Are we expected to do more than write?
Read the rest of this entry

Longtime readers know that every now and then I go on a little rampage about so-called professional freelancers who are willing to work for way less than a viable living wage, and how that impacts the field as a whole and can make it more difficult for those of us charging real rates to find employment. The truth of the matter is that I do believe in two cliches when it comes to this matter: First, that you get what you pay for, and second, that the cream has a tendency to rise.

In short: Yes, I wish everyone would work for reasonable pay, because it would make life easier for all of us, but I also believe that those of us who are true professionals justify our higher rates with quality work, and there will always be a market for that.

That said, there’s not too much of a problem as a seasoned professional when deciding whether or not to take a job that only pays $5/post (hint: hell no). But what about the job that pays just a little bit less than what you’re currently charging? What about the job that has the tendency to expand and fill more time, rendering the pay rate too low?

What about if you really need the money?
Read the rest of this entry

Last week I asked y’all if there was something you’d like to hear about that I’ve not yet discussed, or that you’d like covered in more detail. To my surprise, the very first request came from Liz, who asked: “could you write a little about how you got started in freelancing? Like, the nuts and bolts of it - where did you find jobs, how did you get people to hire you, that kind of thing?”

My surprise doesn’t come from Liz asking, exactly, but more from the fact that apparently I’ve not talked about this before (or haven’t talked about it for a very long time). The catch-22 in nearly any profession is that you need experience to get hired, but you can’t get experience without a job. For a freelancer, it’s even harder, because there’s not exactly a plethora of “entry level freelancer” gigs out there for folks who want to make a go of solo work.

The truth is that my career as a freelance writer was launched in two simultaneous—but very different—ways, both of which happened simply because I went to my personal blog and basically announced that I was going to try to make a go of it as a freelancer.
Read the rest of this entry

I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about what it means to live a pseudo-public life. I don’t truly live a public life, of course—unlike, say, movie stars, I can move about without being recognized or bothered by people I don’t know. I’m not really anyone important in the grand scheme of things. But because I write about my life online, I have a certain public window into my life which people who would never “tell the Internet all those private things!” don’t have.

I’m often asked how I do it by people who cannot imagine laying themselves bare in this way, always in a hushed tone as if I routinely strip naked for anyone who asks and don’t even have the good sense to be embarrassed. The answer is twofold: first, that the things I share online are just a small, carefully cultivated sliver of the private me; and second, I don’t know how not to. Writing down and sharing parts of my life—maybe even especially the hard parts—is a kind of living therapy for me. It makes me more whole. (If you are nodding, right now, you’re a fellow writer. If you are baffled, well, chances are you’re sane without writing. What’s that like?)
Read the rest of this entry

So, you’ve decided to make a go of it on your own. Whether you’ve just stepped off the corporate treadmill or you’ve been freelancing for years, the proverbial “hanging out your shingle” method of yore has long since been pushed aside in favor of your Social Media Presence, a rather ominous phrase if ever there was one.

You have to have this Social Media Presence in order to… what? Be considered? Look like you know what you’re doing? Present what would be considered a more complete portfolio of what you can offer a company? The answer is “all of the above,” even in cases where social media might not even be part of the job description. The landscape of the ‘net is changing, and freelancers are expected to keep up. This is about showing a potential client that you’re up on technology and you know how to conduct yourself online.

It used to be that if you were a writer, you had to have a blog. It made sense; you write? Fine—write! Put it out there so that any potential client can see that you write well and often. But this is about going beyond having a blog, and thoughtfully positioning yourself as a savvy user of social media.
Read the rest of this entry

One of the things I do sometimes is give talks to university classes about how to get started blogging, why it might be a good idea to blog, how to set goals, etc. And one of the things I always start with is how the Internet never forgets and there is no such thing as being anonymous, online. I think it’s very easy to believe that you can indulge in bad behavior online and no one will ever trace is back to you. Given how unlikely it is that that would be true, I remain astounded at how many people believe it. Repeat after me: I will conduct myself online in a way so as to best represent myself at all times.

I believe this to be true in general; that is, everyone should take to the Internet with caution, regardless of their field. But for writers, it’s even more important. We sell ourselves by marketing our words. Words are by their very nature rather personal, and so writing is one of those fields where separating the writer from the writing is nearly impossible. Maybe a commodities trader can be a colossal jerk and still get hired and make tons of money, but it is the very rare writer who can conduct themselves poorly and still succeed in this business. (Think about it: We all know “famous” writers known just as much for their abrasive ways as for their work. But they all gained fame before behaving badly, and I’d be surprised if you can think of more than a handful of misbehavers who managed success while treating others terribly.)
Read the rest of this entry