Archive for September, 2007
I’m writing my next PayScale story, and I need anecdotes about your worst workplace meeting ever! I’ve been in meetings where someone fell asleep (OK, it was me), the person who called the meeting had no idea why we were all there, the meeting went on so long we all had to work overtime to get our daily to-do lists done…but that’s nothing new. What nightmares have you experienced in the conference room? Did the batphone for those lucky enough to telecommute blow up? Did someone have a seizure and yet your manager continued to drone on as though nothing had happened? Was there a Jerry Springer-esque smackdown in which the attendees removed their earrings, shoes, ties, and shirts before beating each other to a bloody pulp with their laptops?
Send me your best TRUE meeting nightmare tales — either in the comments below or via this email address — by Monday, October 8. Let me know if I can use your first name, industry, and city, or if you prefer to remain anonymous (in which case, you will get a pseudonym if I use your horror story in the piece). I will snail mail the person with the craziest TRUE meeting nightmare tale a signed copy of my book. Okay? So start dishing… Thanks.
September 30th, 2007
Rachel Kramer Bussel, writer, editor, and cupcake connoisseur, put this question to me in a recent interview for mediabistro. (Here’s part one of the interview, which came out weeks ago, and here’s part two, which ran this week and focuses solely on freelancing. You may need a subscription to view one or both pages.)
Rachel says: You talk in the book about setting rates and “knowing your bottom line.” I was once offered a rate from a certain magazine, which sounded good to me, and I agreed, only to find that a friend had been offered the same rate, insisted that her usual fee was twice that, and got it on the spot. How early on in your freelance career should you start asking for more money and what’s the best approach to take?
I say: That’s an interesting tale because it sounds like you never would have thought to ask for more had your friend not spilled the beans. I think you should start asking for more money as soon as you find yourself in the position of being offered a rate below what other editors or publications are paying you. Because if publication A is paying you $1/word and publication B is paying you $.50/ word, you lose 50 percent of your potential earning power each time you write for publication B. That said, you should have an idea of what a publication pays before you do ask for more.
To ask for more money, couch your request in language like, “You know I love writing for you and think your publication rocks, but I’m in the tough position of being offered twice as much money to write for all my other editors [or clients]. Any chance you can come up in price? I’d like to keep working with you, but I have to wear my business hat, too.” Subtext: Eventually, dear editor, you’re going to lose me if you don’t show me the money.
Want more? Read the rest of this week’s mediabistro Q&A with me on the freelance life.
September 28th, 2007
Dolly writes: I’m currently reading your book and was inspired to try the freelance-writer cap on for size. I’ve just submitted — and got rejected from — my first query to a magazine and was wondering if there are concrete tips to getting published. I’m not ready to hurl my keyboard into traffic over my rejection just yet, as it was my first submission, but I want to appear professional and competent about “the biz.” If you could lead me to a few websites or offer me some tips, I’d be eternally grateful!
Dolly, first of all, don’t give up over one rejection. Even seasoned writers get rejected, and more often than you’d think. You’re wise to want to learn the tricks of the query submission trade, since half of getting published is playing by the rules. The information you’re asking for could fill an entire book or class, and since many exist, I thought I’d point you toward some of my favorites:
Mediabistro. Articles, blogs, and classes (online or face to face). Be sure to see the “How to Pitch” section (available by subscription only, which I believe is $50/year), which tells you how to approach a number of newsstand magazines.
The Renegade Writer. Blog, book, and classes. Also check out the authors’ new book, Query Letters That Rock. This may be all you need to get going.
The Writer’s Market. Website and book, though you’ll get more current info if you subscribe to the site. Outlines how to approach most major magazines and offers a few articles to boot. I do prefer Mediabistro’s “How to Pitch” section though. (See above.)
Writers.com. Online classes on everything writerly.
WriteHabit. This is my friend Angela’s site, and it’s a fine resource for fiction, short fiction, literary, and creative nonfiction writers. Loaded with lists of lit journals seeking submissions, contests, and writing programs.
How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead. I just picked up this fun, sassy, insanely informative book by Ariel Gore. Worth reading just for the pep talks and brazen self-promo tips.
September 27th, 2007
Childless women “hostile to working mums” In the UK, with maternity leave lasting up to a year and “the right to ask for flex work” now an option, boardroom-bound non-moms see working moms as corporate enemies to be quashed like cockroaches. (I’m paraphrasing, people.) Furthermore, “the Working Mothers’ Report found that 52 percent thought it easier to blame a faulty alarm clock or heavy traffic than to admit that child-care problems had made them late.” (UK Telegraph)
Is she really going out with him? Now that women in their twenties who work full time in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis are bringing home more bacon than their male counterparts, they’re fraught with new dating dilemmas (says this article). Specifically, guys who make less and are intimidated by the fact that their girlfriend makes more, or guys who just can’t keep up financially (say, if she wants to go to a pricy restaurant and the opera but he wants to stay at home and swill beer). I dunno, even before researchers were announcing that women consistently made more than men in some age groups/cities, I developed this little dating tenet known as Don’t Date a Moocher, Slacker, Stoner, Agorophobe, or Drunkass Loser. At the same time, I’ve dated a number of respectful, respectable guys who said they’d be happy to be a stay-at-home househubby if we ever shacked up, an idea I rather like since I destest most domestic duties. And I know I’m not the only woman who feels this way. What I’m saying is, this smells like another BS “Style” section trend story. What do you think? (New York Times; now free online!)
Do working women need permission from their employers before getting knocked up? This is an older piece, but worth sharing: “The US has the most limited parental leave policies in the world; conservatives are furious about efforts to catch up.” Of course they are. Rat bastards. (AlterNet)
Too many tchochkes on your desk? Don’t expect a promotion any time soon. “If more than one in five items that adorn a worker’s office or cubicle is personal in nature, others may view that worker as unprofessional.” In case you were wondering, “this is largely an American phenomenon.” (Michigan Ross School of Business)
Mary-Kate (Needs A Steak) Olsen: I don’t just shop, I work hard. The life of a celebrity is haaa-aaard! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. (Fametastic)
September 26th, 2007
Last week I did a fun Q&A called “10 Money Questions” that Nina Smith of Queercents fame ran on BlogHer. (Nina also posted this fab review of my book.) Because Nina asked several provocative questions no other reporter has asked me, I thought I’d post a few highlights here:
Q: What is your most significant memory about money?
A: This is a bad one: In my late twenties, my credit card debt had come to eclipse my annual income, and I couldn’t afford the monthly minimum payments anymore. My interest rates went sky-high and the collectors started calling and calling. It was awful. I had this moment of truth where I realized I’d been in denial for the past couple years and was now going to have to pay the piper, so to speak. It wasn’t that I’d been hoarding shoes or jetsetting to Paris or anything; I was just living in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, working for myself, and too stubborn to downgrade to a studio or get a roommate (or perhaps, a day job, since my freelance salary wasn’t cutting it). Instead, I’d foolishly used my credit cards to make up the difference. I think I had about eight cards at the time.
The worst part was the shame, like I couldn’t take care of myself or something. My accountant advised me to declare bankruptcy and said I’d still be able to buy a home in a few years (in fact, he said, several of his other clients had!), but I was having none of that. I felt like, I made this mess, and I’m going to fix it myself. So I consolidated my debt through one of those nonprofit credit-card counseling services, moved to more affordable Seattle, went to work for the man for a year (at a large software company up here that you may have heard of), and paid off my debt in twelve months. It sucked big time, but in retrospect, I’m glad it happened. I felt proud about cleaning up my own mess — I don’t think I would have felt good about myself taking the easy way out. I have yet to live outside my means since, and it is such a huge load off.
Q: How does money play a role in your relationships, romantic or otherwise?
A: Other than ditching any date or “friend” who can’t pay their own way, I’m not sure how much it has. There is this though: I don’t expect my boyfriend to pick up every restaurant tab just because he has a penis, and frankly I don’t get women who still play this game when it comes to dating. (Hello, it’s not 1955!)
I’m also completely turned off by people who use the fact that they’re getting hitched or having a baby as an excuse to milk their friends for linens or onesies they could easily afford themselves. I’m not saying don’t register or don’t accept gifts (though I have the utmost respect for people who request that you instead make a donation to some noble cause or other). But don’t have a shower at which you rub your hands together like The Simpson’s Smithers* the entire time and repeatedly ask if it’s time to open the presents yet. Your friends who have already shelled out hundreds on hideous bridesmaid dresses and an insufferable bachelorette weekend will not find this behavior endearing.
[*Post-interview thought: This would probably make more sense if I had said The Simpson’s Mr. Burns. Ah well…]
Q: I read that you’ve given the baby thing a lot of thought lately. How would motherhood restrict your finances? Your career?
A: Honestly, I’ve never felt the ticking clock, baby lust, mommy gene, whatever you want to call it, and I still don’t. But biologically speaking, the window of opportunity is closing fast for me. (I just turned 40.) For that reason, I thought I’d better look long and hard at whether I’m really willing to close the door on conceiving. (I’m pretty sure I am.) And I felt like my beau and I had to get super-clear on where we both stood on this; guys don’t always realize that their sperm don’t have all the time in the world either. The upshot is, if I change my mind in five years, which seems unlikely at this point, I’m cool with adopting. I love my dog like my own, so why not a kid I didn’t hatch?
From a financial standpoint, I’d have to work the numbers if I ever got serious about being a mom to anything other than a four-legged child. When I was talking pros-cons with my boyfriend, I kept saying, “Yeah, but, how would I have the time to work, write, and be a mom?” I kind of neglected to look at the partnership part of the equation — like maybe one of us could work less and parent more, or maybe, with the power of freelancing, we both could. Maybe we could, like, live together, and get on the same health plan (duh). Maybe I could be the breadwinner and he could be my domestic diva. Stuff like that.
From a time management/balance standpoint, freelancing and telecommuting would be a boon, I’m sure. But I still worry about having to give up some writing time, and the quiet solitude I’ve come to rely on when working on a big writing project. I’m not sure I’ll ever be willing to let that go.
(You can read the rest of the interview here.)
September 24th, 2007
Because I’m drowning in deadlines at the moment and cannot cough up a proper post just yet, it’s time to play… What Deadlines Are You Working On This Week? I’ll go first:
- The next installment of a fun feature I do for the Seattle Times called “How’d You Land That Great Job?”
- My next PayScale.com story, about how to know when it’s time to give your day job the boot
- A rewrite for an article about pet psychics (I swear)
- A new NAFE piece on business trends
- Some tax stuff I’ve put off doing
- And of course, my temp gig, which happily has turned into a 75-percent telecommuting gig
Now, you… what’s on your freelance plate this week? Show us your stuff!
September 18th, 2007
OK, so now you know that I like to dabble in short-term contract work once every few years. Some call it temping, others call it permatemping, still others call it seasonal work. I call it Putting Myself Back In The 9-to-5 Marketplace Every So Often To See Just How Much Job Responsibility And Corporate Clout I Can Command, While Earning A Pretty Penny To Boot. Not only does this experience make me more marketable as a freelancer, it helps pad my savings account so that I can run off later and freelance for a slightly less lucrative industry — say, perhaps, maybe, oh, I dunno, book publishing.
Evidently one Amazon reviewer, who I believe is a lawyer and an accountant, considers my on-again-off-again romance with these short-lived temp stints proof that I’m a less-than-successful solo worker. This reviewer seems to think success equals nothing more than ensnaring a corner office (which I actually have at my contract job — and what a lovely view of the parking lot it is!), a company car (does a company laptop count? if so, check), and a fat salary (ahem; you don’t think I’m going to work for the man for peanuts, do you?).
I write this not to refute ESQ/CPA Guy’s review. That would be dumb. Without differences of opinion, reviews would be useless. I write this because this reviewer’s definition of success struck me as so narrow. What’s successful for me may not be successful for you (and clearly won’t be successful for ESQ/CPA Guy).
So after reading this lovely post on Boss Lady about succeeding on your own terms, I thought I’d list my own ingredients for a what I consider a “successful career” here:
- Having the flexibility and autonomy to work when, where, and how I want (in other words, at home, wearing this, listening to this, with my dog at my feet, and a midday break for a rousing game of fetch in the backyard)
- Asking for the rate I know I’m worth and getting it
- Knowing my bills will always be paid and that a fat vacation involving a 14-hour plane ride is not entirely out of the question
- Writing for household-name companies, publications, and websites
- Writing for the audience I want to write for
- Receiving high praise, referrals, and repeat business from clients and editors
- Receiving awards or grants for my work
- Working on the projects I believe in, with the people I want to work with
- Working on projects that are so enjoyable I forget I’m actually working
- Working on projects that make a difference in someone’s life and just might even help someone in need
Now how about you? How do you spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s?
September 14th, 2007
Lisa writes: Had hoped to flee the cube for good when my job got terminated (corporate restructuring and move out of state) 2.5 months ago. I am finding breaking into freelancing not quite feasible yet in order to pay the bills. That’s OK… I just know I need to make more connections and give it a go some other time in the future. Wondering, though, since I know you’ve done it, what working as a wage slave (contract worker) at A Big Corporation is like. I signed up with a contract agency and they lined up an interview for me at A Big Corporation. Job itself sounds interesting, but as I have never worked contract, I’d like to know the pros and cons.
What a timely question! As I hinted at a while back, I’m doing one of these short-term contracts at A Big Corporation now (though the gig is part time, ultra-flex, heavy on telecommuting, and due to end in a matter of weeks). I’m happy to weigh the pros and cons of working for the man, however noncommittally, here.
Pros:
- Steady money
- Priceless experience that helps flesh out your resume
- Contacts you can use when you do go freelance later (or try to land a staff job with the company you’re temping at)
- Not having to attend most employee meetings or perform other maddening employee tasks (annual reviews, feigned enthusiasm for special projects)
- Being a short timer who gets unemployment when the contract’s over
Cons:
- Commuting
- Dealing with office politics
- Commuting
- Getting treated like a second-class citizen because you’re not a “real” employee
- Commuting
- Being expected to hit the ground running, sans training (because you’re not a “real” employee)
- Commuting
Temp’s little helpers:
- My first day on the “job,” I brought Summer Pierre’s awesome zine, The Artist in the Office, with me — the perfect lunch companion. She reminded me that every job, no matter how partially or wholly shitty, has its merits, even if those merits are nothing more than Keeps My Fridge Partially Stocked or Affords Me Access To Free Staples And Sticky Notes. (For the record, my job’s not shitty. Hi, Boss!)
- Ayun Halliday’s hilarious book Job Hopper: The Checkered Career of a Down-Market Dilettante is a nice reminder that you’re not the only one who’s so much more than her day job of fielding emails, ducking out of meetings, and dodging dodgy managers.
- You may think your boss, officemate, or job description is the worst, but they’re not. Just read TrueOfficeConfessions.com. You’ll feel better instantly.
Lest you worry that this has turned into a working stiff’s blog, here are a few freelance resources:
Have a question for the Cubicle Expat? Ask away.
September 12th, 2007
I usually regard blog tagging as a nuisance, kind of like those chain emails you get that tell you to pass some “inspirational” note on to 397 of your closest friends or little Molly who lives under a freeway ramp with only her three-legged ferret for company will meet a horrific fate, which will of course be all your fault. But last month I was tagged for an incredibly useful meme by Marci Alboher, author of One Person/Multiple Careers. Marci was working on a list of her fave female bloggers and kindly requested that I do the same. Easy!
As a bonus, also check out The Women Entrepreneurs Toolbox: 100 Networking Resources, Guides and Links. You won’t be disappointed. (And I’m not just saying this because I’m on the list.)
Rather than tag a few people to continue this meme madness, everyone reading this should consider themselves tagged. Add your top picks to the comments below, to your own blog, or anywhere that suits your fancy. I encourage you to suggest some of the lesser-known blogs you adore, too. Instead of just recommending the same top-read blogs time after time, let’s spread the link love around, shall we?
September 11th, 2007
Not sure how to beef up your freelance client list? Or how to find a freelance client in the first place? I can help. Starting Tuesday, October 16, I’ll be teaching a four-week online course through the Editorial Freelancers Association, called Cultivating Your Client List (scroll down to second class in list). I offered this class last fall, and now it’s back by popular demand.
Here’s the course description:
Most editorial freelancers will tell you they get their clients by word of mouth. But the savviest freelancers know that harvesting clients is the fastest route to success. In this class, we’ll discuss ways to develop a niche, target dream clients, weed out deadbeats, and shamelessly self-promote (even if you’re an introvert). Whether you’re a writer, editor, indexer, or designer, this course will show you how a little planning and chutzpah can go a long way toward growing your client list.
The lessons I’ll be posting online (in a nifty Yahoo! group, where students can ask questions at their leisure!), cover these points and then some:
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Exactly what makes a “good” client?
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And how do I go about finding them?
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How about weeding out the duds?
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What details should I stipulate in my contracts?
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How do I cold-call a company I want to freelance for?
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When should I follow up (and how can I do so without sounding like a stalker)?
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What should I do if a client changes the project parameters, or stiffs me, or goes out of business?
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How should I structure my freelancer or contractor resume?
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How else can I promote myself on the cheap?
Course logistics:
When: Tuesdays, October 16 through November 6 (four online sessions)
Where: Your computer
Fee: EFA Members $125 / Nonmembers $150
Register: Here
Questions? Contact me
September 10th, 2007
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