Hi! I just wanted to let any readers know that I am alive, and I will be back to posting regularly. Right now I am working to try and get a website set up (finally), and it’s taking more time than I thought it would. I think that having a business website is important, but it sure isn’t easy!

Anyway, I’ve had several people contact me in the past while, asking questions about getting started as a freelance writer. I have several post ideas that I’d like to write in the next while that I hope will help those of you just starting out. Here are just some posts I’ll be writing in the near future:

• Finding writing jobs - a series of posts that shares several methods for finding the jobs
• Finding your niche
• PLR - a series covering the basics of what it is, how to do it, and the pros and cons of it
• Updating your resume
• Creating a business plan

Those are just a few of the articles I’m planning to share here in the near future. Is there anything else you’d like to see here? I truly want this blog to be useful to you, the reader. So if there’s something you’d like me to cover, speak up! I am absolutely not an expert, but I am happy to share what I know.

I talked to a friend today who wants to get me in contact with a woman who dreams of becoming a freelance writer but doesn’t know how to make it a reality. I can so relate to this woman, because that was me nine months ago.

When you’re on the outside of the freelance writing world looking in, it seems quite daunting and elite. I didn’t know how to break in or even know if I had the ability to do it. I had the sad thought that I’d probably die without ever realizing my writing dream.

But here I am, a *nearly* full-time freelance writer. And if I can do it, then you can do it, too. Here are my three main tips for getting there:

1. Get some writing samples and clips - immediately! This is probably the most important tip I can think of. Just about every job requests that you send samples. If you don’t have any, you can’t apply.
2. Learn from other writers who are successful. There are so many people out there who are willing to help you and can provide advice and tips. WAHM.com has a writing forum that I sometimes frequent. The people there are so nice and helpful. There are plenty of other forums and writing blogs, so start looking!
3. Start applying for the jobs. I’ll do a separate post on this next time. There are so many ways to find writing jobs that it really warrants its own topic.

So how do you get writing samples if you don’t yet have any writing gigs? These days, it’s fairly easy.

• You can simply write something. Fire up a word document and write an article on a topic you know about. Voila! You have a writing sample.
• You can create a blog. This is what I did. I chose a topic I was interested and wrote quality articles there as often as I could. I’ve used these blog posts as samples many times. If you plan on applying for blogging jobs, creating your own blog is a must.
• You can write for content companies. Associated Content, Helium, eHow, etc. are ways that you can write some articles and get published (and potentially make a little money as well.) I’ve heard that Helium doesn’t pay very well, and that Associated Content is paying less than they used to. I decided to try out eHow the other day, so I’ll let you know how that is.

I love being a freelance writer. I have always loved writing, and I’m happy I can make a living at it. I’ve discovered, however, that my real passion lies with blogging. Not only do I get the benefit of instantly seeing my words on the Internet, but I also get to use a more intimate, conversational tone than with other writing. Not to mention that I love interacting with blog readers and other bloggers. There is nothing like it.

There are downsides to blogging, don’t get me wrong! Blogging jobs can often come with a daily posting requirement, which can get tiring after a while. Also, a recent article in the NY Times compares the blogging industry with sweat shops. So it’s not always rainbows and roses. But so far, I’ve found that the benefits of blogging outweigh the drawbacks.

As of yet, I haven’t made the transition to earning the bulk of my income from blogging, but it’s something I’m working toward. If you find yourself in the same situation, wanting to make the transition to full-time freelance blogger, welcome! Here are some of the suggestions I have for making it a reality.

1. Create your own blog. If you don’t already have a blog, start one immediately. Potential employers will want to know what kind of blogging experience you have. You can showcase your blogging skills on your own blog. You can use free platforms like Blogger or WordPress, or take it a step further and blog on your own domain. Choose a blog topic you are passionate about!
2. Learn from the experts. There are many blogs out there on how to be successful at blogging, and you will find that some of them are well worth the time investment. Take some time and browse the following useful blogs: Problogger, Daily Blog Tips, Men with Pens, Network Blogging Tips
3. Network with other bloggers. Take time to read other blogs in your niche, making comments on their blogs where appropriate. Bloggers are usually a friendly bunch, and I’ve found that most of them are more than willing to support and friendship other bloggers. Networking is a good idea not only because it may help you professionally, but also, you get to “meet” many wonderful people who can become your friends.
4. Apply for blogging jobs. Once you have established your own blog, you can start applying for blogging jobs. It is best to apply only to jobs with a blog topic you are interested in (and preferably have experience in). Otherwise, you’ll burn yourself out writing about things you don’t really care about. Here are some of the job boards that list blogging jobs:

• Freelance Writing Jobs
• About Freelance Writing
• Problogger Job Board
• CopyBlogger Job Board
• Ghostblogging
• Blogger Jobs.BIZ
• Freelance Blogging Jobs

I can’t promise that breaking into full-time freelance blogging is easy, because it isn’t. It takes time and effort, just like anything else worthwhile. But if you truly want to become a full-time blogger, it can be done!

*Photo courtesy of Andrew

The month of March was pretty crazy around here. I worked hard at increasing my writing income, but like all things, it didn’t exactly go as planned. As I said before, my goal was to double my income in one month. Looking back on that goal, it was quite foolish! But that was the goal, so let’s see how I did.

One plan was to ask existing clients for more work, which I did. It worked quite well, for the most part. I greatly increased my writing income with some clients. However, I have one client who has so far supplied most of my monthly writing income. This client didn’t give me any projects at all this month, which means I had a huge deficit to overcome!

Another plan was to apply for more writing jobs. This is the area in which I missed the mark the most. I didn’t significantly increase my job applications, and as a result, got no new clients this way. I will work on this in April.

I did, however, advertise my writing services on craigslist. I received several e-mail inquiries, and one potential client from this. We’ll see how that plays out. I will be trying it again, though.

I looked into PLR income, but so far haven’t made that a reality yet. I’m not sure how lucrative it will be anyway, but I am going to give it a try and I’ll let you know how that goes.

So, did I double my income in one month? That’s the big question, isn’t it? Well, from the methods listed above, no. I actually greatly decreased in income because of the big client I mentioned. However, I did do something unexpected that I hadn’t counted on: I sold a blog.

I didn’t sell it for a ton of money (see Daily Blog Tips for that kind of thing), but I did sell it for a reasonable amount, considering that it doesn’t even have its own domain name. And because I made this sale, I can say that yes, I DID double my income in the month of March.

I have no more blogs to sell (or at least I think I don’t - I’d like to in the future though!), so it will be a bit trickier in the month of April to maintain my income goal. But I think I can do it.

I started my freelance writing career five months ago in October 2007. I had kind of a lucky, random start that came when I wasn’t really looking for it. I am proud of the fact that my income has been slowly increasing, though slower than I had hoped.

Despite the fact that my income is not what I’d like it to be, I got a bit complacent in my business. I applied to fewer writing gigs, and eased up on writing for current clients. Most of that was health related, but it didn’t bode well for my business.

In the last couple of months, a financial crisis of sorts caused me to reevaluate my business plan. My husband is a PhD student, so his income for the next couple of years is limited with no potential to increase. It’s really my income that has the possibility to keep us in the black every month.

For several reasons, it took almost two months to get a paycheck from my biggest client. Suddenly, we were out of money and in panic mode. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, and I understood a lot better why you should never put all your eggs into one client’s basket. Because of this experience, I have decided to kick my business (and my butt) into high gear.

What is my plan? Well, the monetary goal is to double my income by the end of March. Lofty goal? Yes. Achievable? I think so, but it requires a lot of work and dedication on my part. Here are some of the avenues I plan to pursue in order to reach my goal. If you have any other ideas, feel free to share them with me!

1. Ask existing clients for more work. My health over the past few months hasn’t been so great, so I haven’t worked as much as I could have. I plan to ask my clients for more work if they have it.
2. Secure new clients (especially higher paying clients). This involves searching websites and trying out bidding sites. Here are a few of the places I plan to search for jobs:

   Freelance Writing Gigs
   About Freelance Writing
   Sitepoint
   Digital Points Forum
   LinkedIn
   GetaFreelancer
   RentaCoder
   Scriptlance
3. Investigate PLR income. I know this method is somewhat controversial, with some writers heavily condemning it. I don’t personally have any objections to it, and mainly view PLR as a stepping stone to get to where I want to be.
4. Advertise my writing services. Any suggestions where? I’ve heard that craigslist, sitepoint, and digital points forum are options. Anyone know of better places?

That’s my tentative plan for now. I’m getting a bit frustrated with my current income, but I know that with hard work, I can change things and make it better. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them! I’ll be posting my progress this month to let you know how it goes.

“The drudgery of being a professional writer comes in trying to make good days out of bad days and in squeezing out the words when they won’t just flow.”
-Benjamin Cavell

There are so many benefits to being a freelance writer - the ability to set your own hours, working at your own pace, working wherever you want, all with no boss looking over your shoulder. Sounds like a dream job to me! But sometimes the very things that make freelance writing such a wonderful life also makes it difficult. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut.

Some of the problems I’ve encountered while working as a freelance writer:

• Loss of motivation. With no boss to keep me in line, it can sometimes be difficult to stay focused on the task at hand.

• Writer’s block. Some people say this phenomenon doesn’t exist, but to them, I say “ha!” It’s not fun to feel stuck.

• Lonely. I sometimes feel left out from the rest of the human race (I escaped a cubicle for a reason, but still. A little human interaction once in a while would be nice.)

• In a rut. Working from home can make me feel stir-crazy and stuck in a routine.

These are just a few of the pitfalls I’ve encountered that make me feel that I’m stuck in a rut that I can’t get out of. However, there are some things that can help. I’ve tried a few of these (and need to try a few others) in order for my work to stay fresh and for me to feel energized instead of burned out by the end of the day.

• Create a schedule. If you set up your schedule in advance, it’s much easier to get up and get to work. You know what your hours are, so you stick to them. I’m guilty of getting up in the morning and planning to work “whenever.” You can imagine how well that works. Set a schedule and stick to it.

• Don’t overwork. It’s easy to be lazy when you work from home, but it’s also easy to have the opposite problem. When working from home it can sometimes be hard to separate work time from leisure time. Set a stopping time each day and try to stick to it.

• Define your work space. Are you working at home on the couch in front of the TV? That’s one perk of being a freelance writer, but it can also be counterproductive. Many experts suggest that you set aside a room or a desk just for work. I have not yet been able to bring myself to do this, but I can definitely see why I should.

• Write your top ‘to-dos’. I find it very helpful to write a daily to-do list. That way, I know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. Zen Habits suggests you limit yourself to your top 3 important tasks, but my list always varies.

• Plan for the kids. If you have children at home, your freelance writing business is even more tricky. Do you send your children to daycare, have in-home child care, or do you work around their schedules (working when they sleep, etc.)? I don’t yet deal with this issue (I will someday soon), but I know it is important. Make a plan for your child’s care.

• Alternate work sites. If you work at home every day, the scenery can get old really fast. You eat, sleep, relax AND work in one space. If you can, try writing somewhere new - the library, a coffee shop, your back porch, a park bench, etc. This change of scenery can help with productivity, boredom, and can even spark creativity.

• Leave the house daily. I can’t believe I have to write this one, but for my sake I do! I can be a hermit at times. Without a specific reason, I sometimes don’t even go outside at all during the day. Make yourself leave, even if it’s just for a walk around the block.

• Connect with others. Make it a priority to occasionally meet friends or colleagues for lunch. The use of time and money is well worth it. You get to feel like a regular member of the human race again!

• Join a professional organization. An organization can help you connect to others who are in your same situation. You can also network and get all kinds of business help, too.

• Find support online. An online group can be very helpful, especially if there are no local organizations in your area. You can find fellow writers in forums, networking sites (like Linkedin), and blogs. Though these places can become a time-waster if you let them, there are many benefits to networking online. Need to justify it to yourself? Ok, you can find friends, keep your sanity, learn new things, gain a network of contacts, and even find clients. It’s worth it! Just don’t go overboard.

There you have it. My top tips for staying happy and healthy as a freelance writer. What do you do to keep yourself from falling into a rut?

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” -Stephen A. Brennan

Do you have freelance writing goals for 2008? Goals can help you focus on what is important. If you know your priorities for your writing business, you can better decide how to use your time, and you’ll eventually see the results you’re aiming for.

Goals should be measurable, actionable, and achievable. Writing them down and reviewing them regularly is also important. If you haven’t yet chosen goals for yourself, now is the time to go for it!

My freelance writing business goals for this year:

Organize - I’m going to set work hours (and stick to them!), avoid procrastination, and get my personal life in order (laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.) so that these things don’t interfere with working from home. Getting organized is easier said than done, but I’m planning to do it.

Market myself - I haven’t done much marketing yet (okay, none besides starting this blog), but in 2008, that will change. I plan to:

• Build a business website and move this blog to my own domain
• Create business cards and other promotional materials so I can market locally
• Submit to article directories and network more with other writers and bloggers
• Advertise online

Educate myself - I’m going to research some of the writing classes out there and take a course in order to improve my writing skills.

Double my income - I started my writing business in October of 2007, so my income has a lot of room to grow! Some of the ways I plan to increase my writing income:

• Passive income - I plan to look into ebooks and PLR for starters.
• Find new clients - As I said, I plan to market myself locally as well as focus on applying for quality writing jobs online.
• Submit to print media - I’m sure the print market isn’t easy to break into, but these writing gigs can pay very well.

Did you know that celebrities have blogs too? I’m not talking about bloggers who achieved celebrity status - I mean people who achieved celebrity status through acting, music, or some other means and THEN started blogging.

Celebrity Cowboy lists 66 celebrities that blog. My favorites so far:

Wil Wheaton - I remember way back when Wil Wheaton guest-starred on Family Ties, and now he’s a writer and a blogger. Who knew?

David Byrne - Interesting, and he sure is prolific.

Jamie Lee Curtis - I’ve always liked her, and her blog doesn’t disappoint.

Check them out. As a word of caution, some of the blogs are strictly marketing tools. But there are gems among them.Celebrity or not, some of these blogs are good.

“Almost anyone can become an author;the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.”
-A.A. Milne

I‘ve seen several blog posts lately that talk about the fact that writing for a living is not for everyone. Deb Ng wrote that not everyone can do freelance writing. Freelance Parent posted a while back that the ability to type doesn’t make you a writer.

These posts are informative and true. Writing can be a difficult profession and the ability to string words together does not mean you can be a freelance writer. A writing business doesn’t take much overhead to start, so it’s often the default for someone looking to make extra cash or work from home. Posts like the above help dispel the myth that a writing career can be accomplished by anyone with an Internet connection.

But I think there is another side to the story. Chrisblogging wrote a post called Is a Freelance Writing Career Really a Possibility? Chris has managed to become very successful in his freelance writing career and has been brave enough to post his monthly writing income. His take is that if you have writing skills and a desire to succeed, it’s very possible to make it as a writer.

And I agree. If you truly have the drive to be a successful freelance writer, you can find success. I feel like a prime example of that. I used to think that I needed more knowledge or skills; I thought that writers knew some secret that I didn’t know. So I didn’t attempt to sell my writing or make a career of it.

Then I moved to Athens, Georgia where the job market is fairly anemic. Rather than continuing to apply for jobs that paid half of what I made in Arizona, I decided to pursue my dream of a freelance writing career. I started a blog which gave me writing samples to use to apply for writing jobs. I had no other clips or professional writing experience, but I started networking and applying for writing gigs.

My first paying gig came within a month through a friend who recommended me to a company that builds high school websites. They hired me as a copywriter, and to my amazement, I got paid to write! Then I found other writing gigs and opportunities, and even though I’m not yet at the salary level I’d like to be, my writing income has consistently increased every month. I feel amazed I didn’t pursue my writing dream sooner. The main thing holding me back from a writing career was me not starting because of fear.

So I guess what I’m saying is - if I can do it, you can too. If a writing career is what you truly want, and you’re willing to do what it takes to make it a reality, you will succeed. I plan to share more details of how I broke into the business, and share information I wish I had known when I started. But start now! You may make mistakes, and you probably won’t achieve instant fame. Don’t put off your dream to become a freelance writer - if you have the drive and desire, you can do it.