Sunday, July 29, 2007
Kudos to Statcounter!
I'm a fan of Statcounter. It's free, easy to use and gives me tons of data on who reads my blog, when, and for how long. Last week, when this blog passed 10,000 page loads, I became an even bigger fan of Statcounter. Then I read that the founder, Aodhan Cullen, is just 24 and has been named BusinessWeek's Young European Entrepreneur of the Year. I love hearing about young self-starters (in fact it's one of the topics that I cover the most), so I'm a huge fan and I'm happy to spread the word about such a cool web tool. Check it out...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Unplugged
Most days I come home from work and can't wait to start writing again. I'll plant myself in front of my laptop, crank up my iTunes, and before I know it its time for me to hit hit the sack. Yesterday was not one of those days.
Maybe it was the Chardonnay I drank at happy hour*, maybe it was the miserable case of insomnia I suffered the previous night, or maybe it was because I'd already spent nine hours in front of a computer cranking out web copy for work. Whatever it was, I wasn't feeling it.
So I turned off my computer and gave myself the evening off (aside from a few teeny tiny revisions I had to make). I justified it to myself because I'd just turned in an outline for a new project the previous night and these restless, uninspired feelings are so rare and all I wanted to do was lie in bed and read. Today I woke up refreshed and ready to write! What do you do when you're running low on motivation?
*Is it really ever just an hour?
Maybe it was the Chardonnay I drank at happy hour*, maybe it was the miserable case of insomnia I suffered the previous night, or maybe it was because I'd already spent nine hours in front of a computer cranking out web copy for work. Whatever it was, I wasn't feeling it.
So I turned off my computer and gave myself the evening off (aside from a few teeny tiny revisions I had to make). I justified it to myself because I'd just turned in an outline for a new project the previous night and these restless, uninspired feelings are so rare and all I wanted to do was lie in bed and read. Today I woke up refreshed and ready to write! What do you do when you're running low on motivation?
*Is it really ever just an hour?
5 Q's with Jody Mace
Jody Mace has written for the Christian Science Monitor, Skirt! Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and many more magazines. She has also contributed essays on parenting to the It's a Boy and It's a Girl anthologies. Read her tips on improving your writing…
Urban Muse: Tell us about the first essay you sold. How did you go from inspiration to publication?
Jody: I might have started freelancing in a sort of unusual way, because I sold the first two essays I wrote right away. I was a stay-at-home mom and had taken a poetry class at the local university because my brain needed a little bit of exercise. In the first two essays I wrote, I used phrasings and ideas from poetry I had written. Poetry is a great thing for essay writers to do, because each word has so much responsibility and power. It teaches you to write tight. One essay was about my daughter trying to fly, and I sold that to Mothering. The second essay was about seeing my kids’ abuse of their Barbies as a feminist statement (although I didn’t use those words.) That one was published in Brain, Child Magazine. I think I was just very lucky that the right editors at the right time read those essays. I knew very little about writing essays and absolutely nothing about the freelance business.
UM: Any tips on juggling family and writing?
J: Juggling family and writing can be a real challenge. For writers who have very young children there’s the physical aspect of it. You’ve got to get the kids fed and keep them from sticking their fingers in electrical outlets. My kids are older, 9 and 12, so I don’t have those issues quite as much. What I find challenging now is the mental aspect of it. I have trouble turning off my “writing mind” when I’m doing things with my family. Essay writing is often about finding the connections between everyday events, and I’m always thinking, “What’s the story here?” or “This could be part of an essay.” I’ve sometimes had to write down ideas on the backs of receipts in my jacket pocket and then say, “OK, now I’m really here.” Finding time to write is difficult too, because I spend a lot of time at my kids’ school, working in their library and teaching writing. So I end up writing late at night a lot. I probably don’t get enough sleep. Maybe that’s not a very good tip! But I do get my writing done. (The dishes are another matter.)
How have you dealt with people who provide excellent material for essays but don’t want to read about themselves in print? Has this ever caused tension with family or friends?
J: Many of my essays are about my kids and they’re definitely at an age where they know what I’m writing about and have an opinion about it. If they really don’t want me to write about something, I won’t do it, or at least won’t sell it. I did write about one fairly sensitive subject and used a pseudonym. But I have to admit that I’ve paid them off a couple of times. They came up with the idea that if I’m getting paid for an essay about them that they deserve a cut of it for being the subject of it. They’re quite shrewd, my kids (ed. note: no kidding, that's hilarious). Usually they like what I write about them. I think it’s because I make more fun of myself than I do of them.
As far as friends, I’ve asked them, “Hey, I want to mention you in this essay. It’s not too bad. It’s funny. Is it OK?” I’ve never had someone say no yet. It might be different if I wasn’t writing with humor.
I’m not really willing to sell an essay that makes someone (besides me) look bad, especially if that person is easily identifiable. It’s just not worth it. That means that there are some stories I’d really like to write that I don’t, at least for now. But I do take notes.
UM: Who gave you the best advice on writing? What was it?
J: Soon after I sold my first two essays I came across an essay column in FamilyFun Magazine called “Family Ties.” The column doesn’t exist anymore, but it was a good read – about some aspect of family life that brought you close to your family. I decided I wanted to write an essay for it so I mailed one to the editor, Kathy Whittemore (now with Wondertime.) She emailed back a rejection but said that she’d like to read more of my writing. So I sent her one essay after another, for about a year and a half. With each one that she rejected she, incredibly generously, told me why. It was a crash course in essay writing. She told me about revelation – how you should end up in a “different place” than where you start. She talked about the balance of anecdote and reflection in essays and how there has to be a “payoff” for the reader – some universal point besides it being a funny story. My advice to beginning writers is to look at every personalized rejection you get from an editor as a gift.
UM: Could you recommend some summer reading books?
J: Jennifer Niesslein’s Practically Perfect In Every Way is a lot of fun. She writes about her journey through the world of self help. I’m too lazy to try any self-help programs (I tried FlyLady for about 3 days before her nagging e-mails made me feel guilty and I quit) so reading “Practically Perfect” is about as close as I’ll ever get to actual self improvement.
The next book on my nightstand is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. And I never pass up the opportunity to recommend my favorite novel ever, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
Urban Muse: Tell us about the first essay you sold. How did you go from inspiration to publication?
Jody: I might have started freelancing in a sort of unusual way, because I sold the first two essays I wrote right away. I was a stay-at-home mom and had taken a poetry class at the local university because my brain needed a little bit of exercise. In the first two essays I wrote, I used phrasings and ideas from poetry I had written. Poetry is a great thing for essay writers to do, because each word has so much responsibility and power. It teaches you to write tight. One essay was about my daughter trying to fly, and I sold that to Mothering. The second essay was about seeing my kids’ abuse of their Barbies as a feminist statement (although I didn’t use those words.) That one was published in Brain, Child Magazine. I think I was just very lucky that the right editors at the right time read those essays. I knew very little about writing essays and absolutely nothing about the freelance business.
UM: Any tips on juggling family and writing?
J: Juggling family and writing can be a real challenge. For writers who have very young children there’s the physical aspect of it. You’ve got to get the kids fed and keep them from sticking their fingers in electrical outlets. My kids are older, 9 and 12, so I don’t have those issues quite as much. What I find challenging now is the mental aspect of it. I have trouble turning off my “writing mind” when I’m doing things with my family. Essay writing is often about finding the connections between everyday events, and I’m always thinking, “What’s the story here?” or “This could be part of an essay.” I’ve sometimes had to write down ideas on the backs of receipts in my jacket pocket and then say, “OK, now I’m really here.” Finding time to write is difficult too, because I spend a lot of time at my kids’ school, working in their library and teaching writing. So I end up writing late at night a lot. I probably don’t get enough sleep. Maybe that’s not a very good tip! But I do get my writing done. (The dishes are another matter.)
How have you dealt with people who provide excellent material for essays but don’t want to read about themselves in print? Has this ever caused tension with family or friends?
J: Many of my essays are about my kids and they’re definitely at an age where they know what I’m writing about and have an opinion about it. If they really don’t want me to write about something, I won’t do it, or at least won’t sell it. I did write about one fairly sensitive subject and used a pseudonym. But I have to admit that I’ve paid them off a couple of times. They came up with the idea that if I’m getting paid for an essay about them that they deserve a cut of it for being the subject of it. They’re quite shrewd, my kids (ed. note: no kidding, that's hilarious). Usually they like what I write about them. I think it’s because I make more fun of myself than I do of them.
As far as friends, I’ve asked them, “Hey, I want to mention you in this essay. It’s not too bad. It’s funny. Is it OK?” I’ve never had someone say no yet. It might be different if I wasn’t writing with humor.
I’m not really willing to sell an essay that makes someone (besides me) look bad, especially if that person is easily identifiable. It’s just not worth it. That means that there are some stories I’d really like to write that I don’t, at least for now. But I do take notes.
UM: Who gave you the best advice on writing? What was it?
J: Soon after I sold my first two essays I came across an essay column in FamilyFun Magazine called “Family Ties.” The column doesn’t exist anymore, but it was a good read – about some aspect of family life that brought you close to your family. I decided I wanted to write an essay for it so I mailed one to the editor, Kathy Whittemore (now with Wondertime.) She emailed back a rejection but said that she’d like to read more of my writing. So I sent her one essay after another, for about a year and a half. With each one that she rejected she, incredibly generously, told me why. It was a crash course in essay writing. She told me about revelation – how you should end up in a “different place” than where you start. She talked about the balance of anecdote and reflection in essays and how there has to be a “payoff” for the reader – some universal point besides it being a funny story. My advice to beginning writers is to look at every personalized rejection you get from an editor as a gift.
UM: Could you recommend some summer reading books?
J: Jennifer Niesslein’s Practically Perfect In Every Way is a lot of fun. She writes about her journey through the world of self help. I’m too lazy to try any self-help programs (I tried FlyLady for about 3 days before her nagging e-mails made me feel guilty and I quit) so reading “Practically Perfect” is about as close as I’ll ever get to actual self improvement.
The next book on my nightstand is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. And I never pass up the opportunity to recommend my favorite novel ever, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
Monday, July 23, 2007
What would Jane Austen do?
I read GrokDotCom for my day job (gotta stay up on marketing trends, after all), but I thought this post would be interesting to other writers out there. Apparently someone sent thinly veiled excerpts from Jane Austen novels to 18 editors as an experiment and only one recognized the text as plagiarism. Which just goes to show that editors make mistakes, too.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Beach Reads
Just finished two books (that's right, I'm a multi-tasker, and I never want to be kept waiting without reading material).
The first is Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, which is a food memoir written by a former NYT restaurant critic. Ruth Reichl eats her way through the New York restaurant scene, describing each meal in deliciously rich detail. The twist that adds the unexpected burst of flavor (sorry about the cheesy food metaphors) is that Ruth decides to throw off sycophant waiters by showing up in outrageous disguises, even setting up a new credit card for each one (can't be good for her credit rating, can it?). Her adventures and her insights into food and the rituals of dining make for an enjoyable read.
Before that I read The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette. A friend of mine gave her copy after she realized it wasn't actually the "Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette" but rather a work of historical fiction (I guess the line "a novel by Carolly Erickson" didn't tip her off). I can see how this novel parading as a diary might disappoint die-hard historians, but for me, it delivered the drama, romance and historical flourishes I expected, similar to The Other Bolyen Girl. Diary has the pretty pink cover similar to a chick lit novel, but the historical background gives it more meat.
The first is Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, which is a food memoir written by a former NYT restaurant critic. Ruth Reichl eats her way through the New York restaurant scene, describing each meal in deliciously rich detail. The twist that adds the unexpected burst of flavor (sorry about the cheesy food metaphors) is that Ruth decides to throw off sycophant waiters by showing up in outrageous disguises, even setting up a new credit card for each one (can't be good for her credit rating, can it?). Her adventures and her insights into food and the rituals of dining make for an enjoyable read.
Before that I read The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette. A friend of mine gave her copy after she realized it wasn't actually the "Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette" but rather a work of historical fiction (I guess the line "a novel by Carolly Erickson" didn't tip her off). I can see how this novel parading as a diary might disappoint die-hard historians, but for me, it delivered the drama, romance and historical flourishes I expected, similar to The Other Bolyen Girl. Diary has the pretty pink cover similar to a chick lit novel, but the historical background gives it more meat.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Use Them or Lose Them!
I think we all have a few low-paying magazines, websites, or other clients that we write for. We're tempted to drop them, but we know they'll be receptive to our ideas if things get dire, so we maintain the relationship, just in case... I've decided to take a different approach. Rather than dropping pubs that I've outgrown or keeping them around for a rainy day, I'm using them to get the kind of clips I want.
For instance, I'd like to write more on women's health, but with only one clip in that genre, it's hard to convince editors of bigger pubs that I can handle the research. So I'll cut my teeth writing about women's health for some smaller websites and see what happens... Of course, there's also merit to writing the topics that you know, because that doesn't require much research so you can churn out an article quickly, but then where's the opportunity for growth?
For instance, I'd like to write more on women's health, but with only one clip in that genre, it's hard to convince editors of bigger pubs that I can handle the research. So I'll cut my teeth writing about women's health for some smaller websites and see what happens... Of course, there's also merit to writing the topics that you know, because that doesn't require much research so you can churn out an article quickly, but then where's the opportunity for growth?
Rock On, Bloggers!
April at These Words named me a Rockin' Girl Blogger a few weeks ago!! April, sorry it's taken me so long to pass this on. It's been a crazy few weeks, but I'm honored to name these gals next (frankly I know so many rockin' girl bloggers, it was hard to choose):
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Mid-Summer Writing Frenzy
In the last 48 hours I've gone from one writing assignment to FOUR (plus I just sold a reprint of this article), and I just passed the 200 query mark. I also got two responses from editors asking for more info. Not bad... It really is feast or famine in the freelancing biz, isn't it? Still trying to crack some of my dream markets, but I'm feeling optimistic right now.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
5 Q's with Jessica Burkhart
Speaking of young writers, 20 year old Jessica Burkhart got her start writing for Teen Ink (I guess great minds...). Since then, her writing has appeared in numerous magazines including Girls Life and she recently landed a book deal with Simon and Schuster. Read about Jessica's writing projects below...
Urban Muse: Tell us about your upcoming novel.
Jessica: My upcoming tween novel, High Jumps at Collins Academy, will be published by Simon & Schuster as part of a four-book series starting in summer 2008. The book follows small-town girl Sasha Silver from her sleepy hometown to a prestigious boarding school where she competes with the equestrian elite.
UM: How do you brainstorm for ideas?
J: I read magazines, newspapers and books to get ideas. I also watch TV and movies and draw from stories or characters I find intriguing. For magazines, I keep a list of “evergreen” topics and recycle those each year while putting a fresh spin on the topics. Magazines often run articles such as sunscreen tips, winter skin care and other yearly topics so I pay attention to dates and query months in advance to stay ahead of publication schedules.
UM: Do you prefer writing for magazines or books? How do you adapt your writing for each?
J: Both are so different that I can’t compare them. I equally love each field and I’m lucky to be able to do both. When I want instant gratification, I write a magazine article in a couple of days. Or, if I feel like working on a longer project, I’ll switch to novel writing. Magazine articles are about getting the facts out fast and accurate. Novels are slower and there’s lots of simmering that goes on when writing a novel. When I’m writing a novel, I have to remember to slow down and describe each scene with the depth it requires.
UM: How have you dealt with editors who would rather work with someone older or more experienced? Has this been an issue for you?
J: I’ve been lucky not to encounter any discrimination because of my age. I started freelancing when I was 15-years-old and if editors were wary about my age, they never said it to me. I often received complements and encouragement because editors liked my attitude and unflagging work ethic. A couple of weeks ago, an editor I’ve been working with for over a year gave a quote about me to a newspaper interviewer. The newspaper asked how responsible I was for a 20-year-old and she told them she had no idea I was twenty. She thought she was working with someone much older. That’s a high compliment!
UM: What tips would you like to pass onto other writers?
J: I would tell other writers desiring publication in magazines to pursue it relentlessly. Until I started writing my novel, I had up to 30 queries circulating at any given time. I rely heavily on my Power Tracker software to alert me when queries need follow-ups, if I have an upcoming deadline and other important reminders. Keeping great records is vital for any freelancer.
Thanks, Jessica. Check out the 5 Q's Archives.
Urban Muse: Tell us about your upcoming novel.
Jessica: My upcoming tween novel, High Jumps at Collins Academy, will be published by Simon & Schuster as part of a four-book series starting in summer 2008. The book follows small-town girl Sasha Silver from her sleepy hometown to a prestigious boarding school where she competes with the equestrian elite.
UM: How do you brainstorm for ideas?
J: I read magazines, newspapers and books to get ideas. I also watch TV and movies and draw from stories or characters I find intriguing. For magazines, I keep a list of “evergreen” topics and recycle those each year while putting a fresh spin on the topics. Magazines often run articles such as sunscreen tips, winter skin care and other yearly topics so I pay attention to dates and query months in advance to stay ahead of publication schedules.
UM: Do you prefer writing for magazines or books? How do you adapt your writing for each?
J: Both are so different that I can’t compare them. I equally love each field and I’m lucky to be able to do both. When I want instant gratification, I write a magazine article in a couple of days. Or, if I feel like working on a longer project, I’ll switch to novel writing. Magazine articles are about getting the facts out fast and accurate. Novels are slower and there’s lots of simmering that goes on when writing a novel. When I’m writing a novel, I have to remember to slow down and describe each scene with the depth it requires.
UM: How have you dealt with editors who would rather work with someone older or more experienced? Has this been an issue for you?
J: I’ve been lucky not to encounter any discrimination because of my age. I started freelancing when I was 15-years-old and if editors were wary about my age, they never said it to me. I often received complements and encouragement because editors liked my attitude and unflagging work ethic. A couple of weeks ago, an editor I’ve been working with for over a year gave a quote about me to a newspaper interviewer. The newspaper asked how responsible I was for a 20-year-old and she told them she had no idea I was twenty. She thought she was working with someone much older. That’s a high compliment!
UM: What tips would you like to pass onto other writers?
J: I would tell other writers desiring publication in magazines to pursue it relentlessly. Until I started writing my novel, I had up to 30 queries circulating at any given time. I rely heavily on my Power Tracker software to alert me when queries need follow-ups, if I have an upcoming deadline and other important reminders. Keeping great records is vital for any freelancer.
Thanks, Jessica. Check out the 5 Q's Archives.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Welcome to Urban Muse 2.0!
Last week I broke up with my boyfriend just after our one year anniversary (the irony is that I had just finished an article on "Couples Vacations" two days prior). This week I have a cool new template so I can reinvent myself as even sassier and more fabulous than before. I'm thrilled with the new look that Goofy Girl created!
On a more humorous note, there's this blog review site where I wanted to submit my blog after the redesign, but I couldn't find the link. I tried googling various phrases like "blog reviewers" and "woman reviewing blogs" until I got so frustrated that I googled "review my blog, darn it!" The correct link? ReviewMyBlog! As the ex used to say, "sometimes you're the dumbest smart person I know."
On a more humorous note, there's this blog review site where I wanted to submit my blog after the redesign, but I couldn't find the link. I tried googling various phrases like "blog reviewers" and "woman reviewing blogs" until I got so frustrated that I googled "review my blog, darn it!" The correct link? ReviewMyBlog! As the ex used to say, "sometimes you're the dumbest smart person I know."
Does Age Matter?
I saw this question posted on Renegade Writer a long time ago, and I wanted to throw in my two cents. One of the great things about freelance writing is that there’s not necessarily the same sort of “dues paying” as in other professions. A young lawyer spends years studying, learning the ropes, and proving herself before she makes partner (if she’s lucky). Unless it’s a family business, a restaurant manager gradually moves his way up the food chain. A professor struggles through a PhD program, pays her dues, and, in many cases, waits for someone else to retire before earning tenure.
Theoretically young writer with good clips can do just as well as an older one. But do they?
Case in point: a little over a year ago I submitted an essay to a women’s magazine. The editor wrote back right away, saying “I love your take on dating, but do you mind my asking your age? Our target audience is women ages xx-xx.” Knowing I was on the younger end of the spectrum but that other women would relate to my story, I rounded up to my next birthday still a few months away (yes, a white lie, so sue me!). I never heard from her again, and a few months later I learned that the magazine had folded. Still, part of me always wondered if she found my perspective “too young and cute” for her v. important and mature readers. Or maybe she somehow found out that I had fibbed.
In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have given a number at all. Still, when you’re that age (and I’ll leave the number to your imagination), saying “this essay should speak for itself” is hard, especially if you’re trying to win an editorial’s approval. Of course, now that I have a website anyone can see my photos and guess (correctly) that I’m in my twenties. I choose to leave them up, because I think the photographer (my pal Rachel) did an excellent job of capturing my personality. Plus, as they say “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
I still sometimes feel that my relative youth can be a liability. I can’t write credible essays about getting married and having children (two favorite topics in women’s mags), because I don’t have those experiences yet. (When I was doing high school theatre I desperately wanted to fall in love so I could channel those feelings into my performance as the leading lady and make it more believable. Now I think I could have done without some of the offstage drama.)
Of course, it also means that I am qualified to write about the college-to-work transition, dating (do you think the IRS will let me write off those cocktails and bikini waxes as research materials?), and other mainstays of the twentysomething set. What do you think? Should writers deal strictly with words and dismiss age as a meaningless number?
Theoretically young writer with good clips can do just as well as an older one. But do they?
Case in point: a little over a year ago I submitted an essay to a women’s magazine. The editor wrote back right away, saying “I love your take on dating, but do you mind my asking your age? Our target audience is women ages xx-xx.” Knowing I was on the younger end of the spectrum but that other women would relate to my story, I rounded up to my next birthday still a few months away (yes, a white lie, so sue me!). I never heard from her again, and a few months later I learned that the magazine had folded. Still, part of me always wondered if she found my perspective “too young and cute” for her v. important and mature readers. Or maybe she somehow found out that I had fibbed.
In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have given a number at all. Still, when you’re that age (and I’ll leave the number to your imagination), saying “this essay should speak for itself” is hard, especially if you’re trying to win an editorial’s approval. Of course, now that I have a website anyone can see my photos and guess (correctly) that I’m in my twenties. I choose to leave them up, because I think the photographer (my pal Rachel) did an excellent job of capturing my personality. Plus, as they say “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
I still sometimes feel that my relative youth can be a liability. I can’t write credible essays about getting married and having children (two favorite topics in women’s mags), because I don’t have those experiences yet. (When I was doing high school theatre I desperately wanted to fall in love so I could channel those feelings into my performance as the leading lady and make it more believable. Now I think I could have done without some of the offstage drama.)
Of course, it also means that I am qualified to write about the college-to-work transition, dating (do you think the IRS will let me write off those cocktails and bikini waxes as research materials?), and other mainstays of the twentysomething set. What do you think? Should writers deal strictly with words and dismiss age as a meaningless number?
Saturday, July 14, 2007
An A"muse"ing Dialogue
When I was going through some old computer files at my parents' house a few weeks ago, I stumbled on this little dialogue I wrote during high school. Here's an excerpt...
It must have been around 2 a.m. when I heard The Voice. "Whispered words well up within."
"Excuse me?," I thought out loud.
"When wisdom comes, we ne'er ask why," she continued.
"What are you talking about and why won't you let me sleep?," I wondered.
"You dare question your muse?," the Voice asked, suddenly slipping into a sarcastic, edgy tone.
"My muse? It's 2 a.m. and you expect me to write poetry? This is so typical."
"Typical of what?"
"Typical like the days when I'm trying to take a Chemistry test and feel a sudden urge to write a sonnet. Like when I’m talking on the phone and start to rhyme. Like the time…"
"Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Maybe your timing is off, because I can never write when I have to, but when I don't, I suddenly feel like I've swallowed a thesaurus."
It continues for several more pages, but you get the gist...
It must have been around 2 a.m. when I heard The Voice. "Whispered words well up within."
"Excuse me?," I thought out loud.
"When wisdom comes, we ne'er ask why," she continued.
"What are you talking about and why won't you let me sleep?," I wondered.
"You dare question your muse?," the Voice asked, suddenly slipping into a sarcastic, edgy tone.
"My muse? It's 2 a.m. and you expect me to write poetry? This is so typical."
"Typical of what?"
"Typical like the days when I'm trying to take a Chemistry test and feel a sudden urge to write a sonnet. Like when I’m talking on the phone and start to rhyme. Like the time…"
"Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Maybe your timing is off, because I can never write when I have to, but when I don't, I suddenly feel like I've swallowed a thesaurus."
It continues for several more pages, but you get the gist...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
5 Q's with Michelle Goodman
For those who haven’t already read The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube, I highly recommend it. Author Michelle Goodman offers advice on everything from negotiating with bosses to building a support system and marketing yourself. (And there’s plenty of useful tips for those of us who haven’t quite fled the cube and want to balance creative and corporate work.) This week Michelle shares her wisdom on life outside the cubicle.
Urban Muse: What inspired The Anti 9-to-5 Guide? When did you sense that this kind of information was needed?
Michelle: I started working for myself 15 years ago and since that time there’s been a steady stream of questions on my voice mail or in my inbox from people—some friends, many strangers—on how to manage the self-employed and alternatively employed life. They want to know how to find clients, temp, and flex jobs. They’re wondering what it’s like to pay for your own benefits and what pitfalls they should watch out for. They’re curious about how I make the money last when the paychecks are sporadic, how I pay my taxes, if I have an accountant, what my mother thinks of my nontraditional career, and on and on and on.
I knew I was really onto something though when the friends and family who once asked when I was going to get a “real job” started asking me for some of the aforementioned advice. So during the late 90s dotcom boom, I wrote a bunch of articles offering tips on self-employment, freelancing, and consulting. When all those companies went belly up, I started writing about alternative career paths for indie pubs like Bust and Bitch, as well as a women’s mag that the Seattle Times puts out quarterly (called Gender F).
The actual proposal for The Anti 9-to-5 Guide stemmed from an article I wrote for Bust while I was doing an onerous temp gig and lamenting the loss of creative writing time. (I took the gig to save up a down payment for my house.) The article was called Wage Slave: A Day Job Survival Guide for Arty Girls. My publisher, Seal Press, wanted me to expand the topic to include all forms of alt (i.e., non-corporate) employment: freelancing, flextime, telecommuting, temping, small business ownership, travel work, nonprofit work, working in the trades, and so on. So that’s what Anti is all about.
UM: Your book includes some good tips on handling financial ups and downs. Could you share a few here?
M: If you’re thinking about making a career change or starting your own business, the first thing you need to do is get real with your financial situation—as in, figure out how much you’re spending each month and see if and where you can cut back. All those cab rides, $10 lunches, and impulse buys do add up, and you have to be willing to take a step back and say, “Is buying a new dress each month really necessary, and is it really more important than my goal of heading down a new career path?”
Don’t strike out on your own as a freelancer or small business owner without paying down your credit cards and saving up some money first, both startup expenses and as many months of living expenses as you can cobble together. Many women I interviewed for the book worked overtime or took freelance work or a second job to save the cash they needed to launch their businesses. Some moved to less expensive cities or learned to love the bus rather than driving everywhere. One even moved her entire family (husband, kids, pets) in with her parents to seriously save money while getting her real estate staging business off the ground. (She also had a day job.)
If none of this is feasible for you (I’m certainly not suggesting we all move in with our parents!—the ultimate sacrifice, usually for our parents), make sure you have a steady source of income during your startup months. This can be a part-time job, temp work, or a fallback skill—something you do well and can get paid well to do, even if it isn’t your first choice of work. One woman I interviewed for the book calculated that she’d be able to flee the cube a year earlier to start her dogwalking business if she also offered overnight petsitting as a service. It wasn’t first choice because it meant several nights away from her sweetie and own dogs each week, but it allowed her to get her business off the ground faster. After a year, she was able to drop that service from her repertoire.
And here’s the writing-oriented example: I used to proofread legal documents during my early years as a freelancer while I built up my “more creative/fun” project base. The work was mind-numbing, but it kept me from having to get a day job. Hell, I still work the technical writing/editing thing on the side from time to time so I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay the bills. (In fact, see my answer to question 5!)
UM: Tell us about Single State of the Union and how you got involved with that project.
M: Single State is a new Seal Press anthology (edited by my friend Diane Mapes) of about three dozen essays by women writers on how being a single woman is so much more than being the hard-up, horny, frigid, picky, desperate, shoe-crazy, marriage-obsessed stereotypes you see on the newsstands and on reality TV. To me, the subtitle of the book, Single Women Speak Out on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness, says it all. Basically it’s a celebration of women’s solo achievements, from buying our own homes and traveling the globe to raising kids alone and lining our own retirement accounts. There’s also a bit of banter on getting some without getting hitched, lest you worry that this is a purely chaste affair.
Oh, and this book is funny. As in, snort your milk out your nose. Some of the kickass writers in it: Margaret Cho, Laurie Notaro, Lynn Harris, Susan Jane Gilman, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Judy McGuire, Susan Shapiro, Chelsea Handler… I could go on and on.
I guess you could say I got involved in the project by way of nepotism. When Diane was putting the proposal together, I told Diane about a weird phenomenon I’d experienced when buying a house on my own a couple years ago: Everyone—family, friends, mortgage broker, strangers—wanted to know why on earth, if I had a boyfriend I loved and considered myself deeply committed to, wasn’t on living with him? And why the heck was I buying solo? It was hard for people to wrap their brain around the concept of two people in love but not shacked up and not sure they’re even looking to get there. Diane wanted me to write about it for the book, so I wrote the essay “House Without a Spouse.”
UM: Any tips for other writers on dealing with rejection?
M: Submit more than one piece or pitch more than one article at a time. That way you’re not so focused on whether any one article gets the thumbs up from a publication or editor you’ve approached.
Savor any personalized rejection letters you get: If an editor takes the time to include a hand-written note, some constructive criticism, or an invitation to submit again, it’s a good thing. Sure, it’s not as good as getting an acceptance notice, but believe me, they wouldn’t go out of their way to groom you or invite you back to the party if they thought your work was without merit.
Get inspired by reading about the humble beginnings—and unwavering perseverance—of your writing heroes. All of them have reams of rejections in their closets, too. No one is an overnight sensation.
And finally, keep some sort of digital or physical scrapbook or cigar box of all your successes: your favorite published clips, letters of praise from editors, letters of praise from readers, notices of awards or grants, and the like. If you feel that dreaded self-doubt start to creep in, pay a visit to your scrapbook or keepsake box to remind yourself that you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. (!)
UM: And on a happier note, what are your next projects?
M: I have a couple of book proposals in the works. Hopefully I’ll have more to say about them in the coming weeks. One is a career book; the other is something completely different. (How’s that for vague?) I’m writing some web and print articles on career change and self-employment to keep the anti 9-to-5 love alive. I just wrote a piece for a newish site called WildlySophisticated.com and one for salary site PayScale.com, which I’ll link to on my blog when they’re live. I also regularly write for the Seattle Times and teach classes on freelancing. (For class info, see my site’s Events page.)
In addition, I’m working on stockpiling my bank account this summer and fall: Recently a part-time, temporary, ultra-flex job that was too good to refuse landed in my lap, and I started yesterday (gulp!). It’s partly from the client’s office, partly from home. Once I get settled into that routine, I’m planning to pitch some new articles and work on a couple of humor essays. I’m also fixing to build a fence along the length of my backyard later this month (with the help of a friend who actually has a clue about building fences). And I’m hoping to clean my bathtub this summer and paint at least one room of my house. And maybe get a good night’s sleep.
UM: Thanks so much, Michelle!
M: Thank you. It’s been a blast!
Urban Muse: What inspired The Anti 9-to-5 Guide? When did you sense that this kind of information was needed?
Michelle: I started working for myself 15 years ago and since that time there’s been a steady stream of questions on my voice mail or in my inbox from people—some friends, many strangers—on how to manage the self-employed and alternatively employed life. They want to know how to find clients, temp, and flex jobs. They’re wondering what it’s like to pay for your own benefits and what pitfalls they should watch out for. They’re curious about how I make the money last when the paychecks are sporadic, how I pay my taxes, if I have an accountant, what my mother thinks of my nontraditional career, and on and on and on.
I knew I was really onto something though when the friends and family who once asked when I was going to get a “real job” started asking me for some of the aforementioned advice. So during the late 90s dotcom boom, I wrote a bunch of articles offering tips on self-employment, freelancing, and consulting. When all those companies went belly up, I started writing about alternative career paths for indie pubs like Bust and Bitch, as well as a women’s mag that the Seattle Times puts out quarterly (called Gender F).
The actual proposal for The Anti 9-to-5 Guide stemmed from an article I wrote for Bust while I was doing an onerous temp gig and lamenting the loss of creative writing time. (I took the gig to save up a down payment for my house.) The article was called Wage Slave: A Day Job Survival Guide for Arty Girls. My publisher, Seal Press, wanted me to expand the topic to include all forms of alt (i.e., non-corporate) employment: freelancing, flextime, telecommuting, temping, small business ownership, travel work, nonprofit work, working in the trades, and so on. So that’s what Anti is all about.
UM: Your book includes some good tips on handling financial ups and downs. Could you share a few here?
M: If you’re thinking about making a career change or starting your own business, the first thing you need to do is get real with your financial situation—as in, figure out how much you’re spending each month and see if and where you can cut back. All those cab rides, $10 lunches, and impulse buys do add up, and you have to be willing to take a step back and say, “Is buying a new dress each month really necessary, and is it really more important than my goal of heading down a new career path?”
Don’t strike out on your own as a freelancer or small business owner without paying down your credit cards and saving up some money first, both startup expenses and as many months of living expenses as you can cobble together. Many women I interviewed for the book worked overtime or took freelance work or a second job to save the cash they needed to launch their businesses. Some moved to less expensive cities or learned to love the bus rather than driving everywhere. One even moved her entire family (husband, kids, pets) in with her parents to seriously save money while getting her real estate staging business off the ground. (She also had a day job.)
If none of this is feasible for you (I’m certainly not suggesting we all move in with our parents!—the ultimate sacrifice, usually for our parents), make sure you have a steady source of income during your startup months. This can be a part-time job, temp work, or a fallback skill—something you do well and can get paid well to do, even if it isn’t your first choice of work. One woman I interviewed for the book calculated that she’d be able to flee the cube a year earlier to start her dogwalking business if she also offered overnight petsitting as a service. It wasn’t first choice because it meant several nights away from her sweetie and own dogs each week, but it allowed her to get her business off the ground faster. After a year, she was able to drop that service from her repertoire.
And here’s the writing-oriented example: I used to proofread legal documents during my early years as a freelancer while I built up my “more creative/fun” project base. The work was mind-numbing, but it kept me from having to get a day job. Hell, I still work the technical writing/editing thing on the side from time to time so I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay the bills. (In fact, see my answer to question 5!)
UM: Tell us about Single State of the Union and how you got involved with that project.
M: Single State is a new Seal Press anthology (edited by my friend Diane Mapes) of about three dozen essays by women writers on how being a single woman is so much more than being the hard-up, horny, frigid, picky, desperate, shoe-crazy, marriage-obsessed stereotypes you see on the newsstands and on reality TV. To me, the subtitle of the book, Single Women Speak Out on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness, says it all. Basically it’s a celebration of women’s solo achievements, from buying our own homes and traveling the globe to raising kids alone and lining our own retirement accounts. There’s also a bit of banter on getting some without getting hitched, lest you worry that this is a purely chaste affair.
Oh, and this book is funny. As in, snort your milk out your nose. Some of the kickass writers in it: Margaret Cho, Laurie Notaro, Lynn Harris, Susan Jane Gilman, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Judy McGuire, Susan Shapiro, Chelsea Handler… I could go on and on.
I guess you could say I got involved in the project by way of nepotism. When Diane was putting the proposal together, I told Diane about a weird phenomenon I’d experienced when buying a house on my own a couple years ago: Everyone—family, friends, mortgage broker, strangers—wanted to know why on earth, if I had a boyfriend I loved and considered myself deeply committed to, wasn’t on living with him? And why the heck was I buying solo? It was hard for people to wrap their brain around the concept of two people in love but not shacked up and not sure they’re even looking to get there. Diane wanted me to write about it for the book, so I wrote the essay “House Without a Spouse.”
UM: Any tips for other writers on dealing with rejection?
M: Submit more than one piece or pitch more than one article at a time. That way you’re not so focused on whether any one article gets the thumbs up from a publication or editor you’ve approached.
Savor any personalized rejection letters you get: If an editor takes the time to include a hand-written note, some constructive criticism, or an invitation to submit again, it’s a good thing. Sure, it’s not as good as getting an acceptance notice, but believe me, they wouldn’t go out of their way to groom you or invite you back to the party if they thought your work was without merit.
Get inspired by reading about the humble beginnings—and unwavering perseverance—of your writing heroes. All of them have reams of rejections in their closets, too. No one is an overnight sensation.
And finally, keep some sort of digital or physical scrapbook or cigar box of all your successes: your favorite published clips, letters of praise from editors, letters of praise from readers, notices of awards or grants, and the like. If you feel that dreaded self-doubt start to creep in, pay a visit to your scrapbook or keepsake box to remind yourself that you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. (!)
UM: And on a happier note, what are your next projects?
M: I have a couple of book proposals in the works. Hopefully I’ll have more to say about them in the coming weeks. One is a career book; the other is something completely different. (How’s that for vague?) I’m writing some web and print articles on career change and self-employment to keep the anti 9-to-5 love alive. I just wrote a piece for a newish site called WildlySophisticated.com and one for salary site PayScale.com, which I’ll link to on my blog when they’re live. I also regularly write for the Seattle Times and teach classes on freelancing. (For class info, see my site’s Events page.)
In addition, I’m working on stockpiling my bank account this summer and fall: Recently a part-time, temporary, ultra-flex job that was too good to refuse landed in my lap, and I started yesterday (gulp!). It’s partly from the client’s office, partly from home. Once I get settled into that routine, I’m planning to pitch some new articles and work on a couple of humor essays. I’m also fixing to build a fence along the length of my backyard later this month (with the help of a friend who actually has a clue about building fences). And I’m hoping to clean my bathtub this summer and paint at least one room of my house. And maybe get a good night’s sleep.
UM: Thanks so much, Michelle!
M: Thank you. It’s been a blast!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Another One Bites the Dust
Today Conde Nast announced that the August issue of Jane magazine will be the last one printed. (It's a shame because I queried them not too long ago...) If you're looking for a fem-focused read to fill the void left by Jane, check out the Real Hot 100. I've found a few interview subjects by reading through the archives. Another must-read is Media Bistro's latest article, Blog Your Way to Writing Work, written by The Liquid Muse (no relation to The Urban Muse, but still a cool lady). Happy Reading!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Nineties Nostalgia
Those of you who came of age in the 1990’s probably remember the Scholastic book orders. Once a month, the teacher handed out those colorful little order forms that listed all of the books available to students that month (this was pre-Amazon, of course). I pored over all the options and saved up my allowance to buy Babysitter’s Club and American Girl books, most of which set me back $0.99 to $2.99.
If the desired book was more expensive, I could usually get Mom to write a check for the sake of literacy. Recently I found myself reminiscing about all the books I read back in the day (for those of you who have kids in school, do they still hand out book orders and if so, how much do Scholastic books cost nowadays?). Now if I usually hit up the library (and befriend book publicists) for reading material, because books have gotten very expensive. Yes, they last longer than a movie, but at the rate I plow through them, I rarely pay full price. What do you miss about your childhood?
If the desired book was more expensive, I could usually get Mom to write a check for the sake of literacy. Recently I found myself reminiscing about all the books I read back in the day (for those of you who have kids in school, do they still hand out book orders and if so, how much do Scholastic books cost nowadays?). Now if I usually hit up the library (and befriend book publicists) for reading material, because books have gotten very expensive. Yes, they last longer than a movie, but at the rate I plow through them, I rarely pay full price. What do you miss about your childhood?
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
No 5 Q's This Week
Due to the holiday tomorrow, there will be no Q & A posted this week. But if you're in need of a writing fix, check out the archives and come back next week for more interviews with fabulous freelancers. Happy 4th of July!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Things I Didn't Know About the Web
Last week I took a one night Media Bistro seminar on Writing and Editing for the Web. In spite of the stifflyingly hot temperature of the room, I managed to pick up several tips I hadn't already learned during my (very expensive) college communication career. Such as...
- The number of blogs doubles every month (wowzer!)
- Users look at a webpage in an F shape (not left to right like traditional print media)
- If you want people to comment, end with a provocative statement (OK, I kinda knew this already but it bears repeating)
- Simple, rather than cute navigation is more effective; don't make the user think too much because they'll go elsewhere (case in point - I changed some of the headers in my right column navigation)
- Most people understand how hyperlinks work so hyperlinking keyboards makes those points stand out (for example, Susan's fabulous website instead of click here to read Susan's fabulous website)
- Thanks to Google, users don't always start on the homepage (also bears repeating)
Any surprising facts you've learned about the web? Share the wealth!
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