Since I’m trotting out all my freelance projects this week and I was just talking about pet photography, I want to introduce you to a journal/book I worked on last summer that Sasquatch Books recently published. It’s called My Puppy’s First Journal, and it features the stunning pet photography of Emily Rieman, proprietress of Best Friend Photography in Seattle. There’s only one way to describe Emily’s work: so freaking gorgeous-adorable it makes you coo and goo and blubber like a baby, which I of course mean in the best possible way.
It probably won’t come as any shock that this goes down in history as my best freelance project ever. It wasn’t as high-paying as, say, my less-sexy mega-corporate high-tech work, but it was hardly work to sift through achingly cute puppy shot after achingly cute puppy shot and come up with accompanying text like, “the first time I humped my person’s leg,” “the first time I pooped on the carpet,” or “the thing I did in front of company that embarrassed my person so much they had to change their name and move to the next state.” (That last one’s not in the book, but I kind of wish it was.) Working on this project was one of those freelance high points where I almost felt guilty accepting money because I was having so much fun. And the fact that Emily was a blast to work with was just icing on the already delectable cake.
So… if you’re a pup fan or you have friends who recently adopted a four-legged bundle of joy, I highly recommend this one. And for the record, this is Emily’s book, not mine. As in, she earns the royalties. I was paid a flat fee by the publisher for my work on the project. So the only thing I get out of you buying the book is the satisfaction of knowing that more people will get to slobber over Emily’s scrumptious pup photos and that another freelancer’s doggone done good.
October 12th, 2007
Here’s my latest article on PayScale. Enjoy…
We’ve all been there. Sunday night rolls around and suddenly we’re covered with hives. Or we find ourselves frantically searching WebMD for some exotic new disease to call in sick with the next morning. Or we begin entertaining “kill the boss” fantasies that rival the pink-collar revenge scenes in the movie “Nine to Five.”
But suffering from a chronic case of the Mondays doesn’t necessarily mean you should dust off your resume and start looking for greener pastures. Some workplace woes are fixable. The trick is knowing which ones — and how to mend them.
The magic is gone
So you’ve been at your job a couple years and now you’re bored. Or frustrated. Or disgruntled. Sound familiar? It’s possible you’ve just fallen into the age-old workplace habit of griping for griping’s sake, says Cynthia Shapiro, author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know — And What to Do About Them.
Instead of pissing and moaning, Shapiro advises, try to tap into what you originally appreciated about your gig and company. If you come up empty, take a long, hard look at your job: Has it changed for the worse since you started? Has the company? Have you changed, perhaps outgrowing the work? If the answer’s yes to any of these, it’s indeed time fly like the wind.
“I hate my boss” syndrome
Sure, a lot of bosses are crummy managers, but only a small percentage of them are sociopathic misanthropes. “If your boss looks like he’s terrible, it’s probably just that you’re terrible at managing up,” says Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success.
The solution, says Trunk, is to tell your boss what you need to succeed in your job — be it more lead time on deadlines or more backup when the workload’s piled sky high. But remember, it’s not all about you. It’s about supporting your boss and doing a bang-up job so that she impresses her superiors. Keep your boss happy and you hold the keys to the kingdom.
“I think my boss hates me” syndrome
But what if you are doing a heckuva job, only to be snubbed when your boss hands out the plum projects, pay raises, and promotions? Maybe you’re constantly getting the difficult clients dumped in your lap. Or your job title’s changed so many times your coworkers have no idea what you do anymore. Or you just received a poor performance review, seemingly out of the blue.
If no matter how hard you shine, you’re ignored or sidelined by management, it’s time to wake up and smell the pink slip. “That is not just job ennui,” says Shapiro. “That is danger — you’re in the exit lane.” And while it may be tempting to sulk, your focus should on looking for a new employer. Pronto.
Want more? Read the rest of the article here.
October 12th, 2007
