Comment for a Cure to MSA

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or commented to offer their condolences. It means a lot to me and my family to know that others have been there or just that they're thinking of us. My Dad has suffered from Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) for several years, so this wasn't entirely unexpected. But it's never easy to lose a close family member.

As a thank you and as a tribute to Dad, I'm going to support the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation by donating $1 for every comment this blog receives between August 23 and September 30 (up to $500). Instead of just writing a check, I hope to raise a little awareness, too.

Lack of knowledge about MSA poses a major challenge to patients and their families. We know that the disease causes hypotension, failure of muscle coordination, and other symptoms, but there's next to nothing known about why people get it or how to treat it.

MSA doesn't have a celebrity spokesperson, an awareness month, or a network TV special, so my understanding is that it's tough to get funding for research. All you can really do is try to make the patient as comfortable as possible, as they slowly wither away. We did our best with Netflix, BookSwim, and frequent visits.

My Dad was a Renaissance man who committed himself to science and philanthropy, so I know he would have wanted me to support scientific research on MSA. Thank you again for everyone's emotional support.

Death in the Family

My father passed away this afternoon. My mom didn't want to tell me on the phone, since I was alone in my apartment. But I knew from her deliberate lack of detail what had happened. I'd been expecting it, but not so soon. Please excuse the sporadic posts over the next few weeks, as I focus on family and healing.

Which Comes First: The Source or the Story?

It's a fine line. You don't want to get a source's hopes up by promising her coverage Big Name Month Mag (or waste your time doing tons of legwork on an article that may never see print), but you also don't want to disappoint an editor by pitching her an interview with a source you can't deliver.

I got into hot water once because I got my editor excited about a story, then couldn't get the source to return my emails. This was a profile piece, so we had to scrap it completely, but at least I'd worked with the editor on several other stories, so she knew I wasn't a total flake. Still, I did lose some face with that one and learned a tough lesson.

I've come to the conclusion that if the article is one where you could slot in any number of sources, then you can pitch it by saying "potential sources include Jane Doe, author of...." The phrase "potential sources" is key because it shows the editor that you're given it some thought, but you're flexible enough to consider alternate sources.

Jane might have written a killer book on DIY fashion or interracial dating, but chances are, you can find another expert if you have to. Since the article does not hinge on her opinions about a highly specific topic, you can wait until you have an official assignment before you email her publicist (some will happily forward you background information and others will give you the cold shoulder at this stage).

If, on the other hand, you hope to pitch a profile, then you should make sure that your source is receptive before you get an editor involved. Recently I had a slew of potential sources refuse interviews for reasons I never would have anticipated (fortunately, I didn't pitch the article and it didn't have super-specific requirements, so I was in the clear). You might assume that Jane Doe would be thrilled to do an interview and promote her book, but she might have her own reasons for not wanting her profile to appear in a certain publication. Or maybe she's so busy doing interviews with The New Yorker and Rolling Stone that she doesn't want to spend her precious time on a mid-sized magazine. If it's an article with a variety of sources, you can just find another one, but if it's a profile, well, you're kind of screwed.

During the query stage, it's important to emphasize to your source that you are hoping to write an article about her, but it's not a sure bet. If you can get away with saying "I'd like to pitch this to women's magazines" or "I'm going to shop this idea around to some travel websites" instead of dropping specific names like Cosmo or Concierge.com, so much the better. You don't want them to get their heart set on a certain publication, but some people will press you for details. This is something I still struggle with!

Another strategy is to reuse sources you've used in the past. It's (generally) a safe bet that if someone was willing to talk to you in the past, they will probably be receptive to doing another interview in the future. I wrote a profile about a young businessowner who was so excited to see her story published online that I had a hunch she'd be happy to do it over again for a feature article in a different pub. I was right. Plus, you can often include unused bits from your original interview to beef up your new query.

What do you think? Do you usually conduct a pre-interview when you're writing a query? How do you explain this to sources? Any other thoughts on the topic?

Get Your Monthly Fix of The Urban Muse

Several freelance writers I know swear by the marketing power of their monthly newsletter, so I've decided to give it a try. I write lots of email newsletters for clients, so why not write my own, too? Starting in September, I will be sending out The Urban Museletter once a month.

I anticipate including highlights from the blog, but there will be original content, too: writing tips, tidbits, and possibly a few interviews with other freelancers or book reviews thrown in.

To build up my subscriber list, I'm offering a little incentive to those who subscribe by next Monday, August 25. I will choose one reader at random to receive a free copy of MAP Boston (or the equivalent in Amazon.com dollars if you have no plans to visit Beantown). Though I can't promise freebies every month, I do hope to make them a semi-regular happening. Sign up here.

A Lesson in International Diplomacy

This summer my two roommates departed for India and Japan while I held down the homefront. A few weeks ago, the one in India announced that she was moving out at the end of August. I waited for the other roommate to return from Japan so we could post on Craig's List and host an open house.

We found someone who seems like a great roommate prospect, but the catch is that she's in Greece until early September. I've had roommates in the past who have been apartment hunting long-distance, so this didn't seem like a huge hurdle.

Until this week.

Between the emails to India and Greece and to my landlord trying to iron out the details, I'm starting to feel like I need an escape to somewhere sunny and exotic. Somewhere they don't use the terms "security deposit" or "rental agreement" or "could you tell so-and-so that I need her to..." I hear Mars is lovely this time of year...

5 Signs That This Isn't The Gig for You

Since freelance writers are usually paid by the word or the project instead of by the hour, it behooves us to choose our projects carefully. I've been writing  for several years, yet I still sometimes find myself slaving away on an assignment that takes twice as long as I'd expected or otherwise makes me crazy.

Often it's those assignments that editors dream up and graciously bestow upon one of their unsuspecting writers. It may be outside our comfort zone, but we accept it because we're so tickled to have an assignment that didn't require a query. Plus, it's good to stretch ourselves from time to time. But not every opportunity is a good one. Here are some of the signs I've learned to look out for:

1. Hard to find sources. If the leading expert on your topic is retired or deceased, then that may be a sign that the idea is not as juicy as your editor thinks it is. You will eat up precious hours tracking down secondary sources, none of whom will be able to provide the specific information your editor wants. Save yourself the heartache and say no, unless it's a topic that you're dying to research for personal reasons.
2. Mismatched scope and word count. Say your editor wants you to explain a complex concept that is totally new to your readers. She'd like you to include quotes from experts on both sides of the issue as well as examples and resources so that readers can find more information. Oh, yeah, did I mention that it's only 250 words and it's due by the end of the week? Run!
3. Unusual ways of quantifying the project. I once had a client who only wanted to pay me for words with at least three letters (has anyone else encountered this? it was bizarre!). That should have clued me in that something was amiss. It didn't. In case you're wondering, MS Word does not have an easy way to calculate this. I checked. In future, if clients don't want to pay for "a" and "of", they should simply adjust their rate per word and let me focus on writing, rather than bean counting.
4. Ethical dilemmas. There are enough writing gigs out there that you shouldn't have to resort to working for companies whose values do not align with yours. Say someone from Marlboro asks you to write ad copy and your best friend died of lung cancer after smoking Marlboros for years. Probably not the gig for you. There are more nuanced examples, but you get the gist.
5. Dread fills you when you get emails or calls from your contact. When I get emails from certain people, I know it's going to be a long, confusing road ahead. Often I put off opening the email or I screen my calls, only to discover that it was actually a very simple question. When this happens, I remind myself to weigh the income versus the emotional costs. In one case, I decided that I could put up with a lot of s--- for $XX per hour, but I was secretly relieved when the project fell through. With that much baggage, I never should have taken it on!

Yes, many of these go back to the person's work style and temperament. But that's another post. For further reading, FreelanceSwitch had an interesting post a awhile back about when to say no. Monica Valentinelli also posted suggestions on how to say no. Anything you'd like to add?

Note: I should mention that my current gig is going well, so this post has nothing to do with that project. These thoughts have been percolating for awhile and I finally had the chance to blog about them!

(Almost) Famous

I volunteered at a MediaBistro event a few weeks ago, and yesterday I spotted my photo among the party pics! Not gonna lie - I'm irrationally excited about this new development.

There is another photo of me meeting fellow blogger Schraepfer Harvey towards the bottom. It doesn't tell you this in the party recap, but I'd like to share that the "comfort food" mentioned was actually purchased by our host, the multi-talented Sam Baltrusis. This man somehow managed to run the show while greeting guests, taking photos, and downing Diet Cokes. Now that takes talent. Here's to you, Sam, and the other MB volunteers!

Turn Setbacks into Successes

One of my favorite parts of freelancing is writing about topics I'm passionate about. I often find myself getting really excited when I read about women who have the courage and the vision to start their own business. Interviewing these women is an even bigger privelege, as I often find little pearls of wisdom that relate to my own life and inspire me to become that much smarter or savvier.


Such was the case when I began working on my first article for WomenEntrepreneur.com. I'm thrilled to share these women's strategies for turning setbacks into successes, and I hope that it helps you find a creative solution to whatever issues might be holding you back.

Introducing... MAP Boston

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to tell you about MAP Boston. Featuring original photography and descriptions of local restaurants, bars, stores, and others gems, this hybrid guidebook/planner is now available online or at these bookstores in the Boston area.

I'm not just a MAP Boston fan; I'm also a contributing writer!

Now that I got my shameless plug out of the way, I thought I'd also use this post to reiterate the value of networking. I first met MAP Boston's editor-in-chief, Morgan, through our mutual friend Shannon about a year ago (they went to college together, I used to work with Shannon). She told me about her company, and I remember thinking "wow, that's cool that she created a business out of exploring Boston's nooks and crannies!"

Then in May I saw her again at a women's entrepreneur event where she was speaking on the panel. Morgan was one of only two people I knew in the entire room, so I made a point of reintroducing myself and asking how things were going. We chatted about a piece I was working on for DailyCandy and how great it is to be your own boss. Morgan's not just her own boss, so I asked her how she manages the people under her and still manages to get her own work done (I've never been good at that).

We continued emailing after the event, and it just so happened that at the same time I was looking for more writing projects after leaving my job she needed a few last minute write-ups to round out the book. Talk about no-pain networking!

Working On-Site

Earlier this summer when I researched on-site gigs, the logistics never seemed right for me. These projects always required me to schlep out to the 'burbs or sign my life away for the next six months or write about sneakers and sportswear (sorry, Reebok, but I'm not the right gal for that job). Then, this week I was offered a short-term copywriting project for a shopping website right in downtown Boston. Sign me up!

No, this doesn't mean I'm renouncing the life of a renegade work-from-homer. Nor does it mean I will stop blogging or give up my other projects. On the contrary, I suspect that this will offer plenty of new ideas and blog fodder. It just might be a little more sporadic than usual.

The pay's not too shabby, so I will be able to afford some time off after to regroup and refocus (hopefully repainting the offensively orange hallway in my apartment, among other projects). I'm even looking forward to dusting off my cute young professional clothes for a few weeks and taking strolls through Boston Commons after work.

Jennifer over at CatalystBlogger wrote a post a few months ago about working on-site vs. working from home. I'll be sure to weigh in with my two cents later on!

Things I Wish I'd Known Before Buying a BlackBerry

Earlier this week, I became the proud owner of a BlackBerry Pearl. I researched it online beforehand, so I was aware of the potentially short battery life and possible issues synching with Microsof Outlook (which I don't use, so I don't care about). But when the Verizon guy mentioned that I can hook the BlackBerry up to my laptop and use it to get a wireless signal in places that otherwise wouldn't have wireless, I was in heaven. How did I miss this during my online research? That alone practically justifies the monthly data fee! (Thanks to a generous rebate, the phone was practically free.)

When I got home and managed to configure Gmail access by myself, I was feeling pretty good. Tech Godness Good. But wait... There's a catch. Somehow nobody told me (and I distinctly remember mentioning Gmail when I was in the store) that every time you send a Gmail message from your BlackBerry or your laptop, your BlackBerry will think it's an incoming message and will include it in your new messages. Which is très annoying if you're someone like me who sends fifty million emails a day.

A quick search uncovered a seemingly simple solution, but I couldn't log into the BlackBerry website because it thought there was an existing account attached to my phone (my guess is someone returned my BlackBerry to the store). An hour and a half call with tech support finally fixed this problem.

I spent the first hour on the phone convincing the tech support person that "yes, I did in fact purchase my phone from a Verizon store" and "no, I do not have an existing account with BlackBerry, at least not to my knowledge." Then I had to re-explain the Gmail issue and convince him that it IS a problem to get all of these emails I wrote showing up as duplicates in my inbox. Isn't the purpose of a BlackBerry so that you can keep up with email instead of spending more time wading through it? Fortunately, we were eventually able to establish that we needed to override the existing account to create a new one.

He was perfectly nice and patient (as I tried to be), but I'm almost positive he had never used a BlackBerry before either. The man did not know how to rearrange icons! "Gee, I don't think you can do that." Thirty minutes into our discussion, it finally clicked that this was actually a Gmail issue and not a figment of my overactive imagination.

This morning I discovered that the deleted and read items from Gmail box are not synching with my BlackBerry (yes, the box for synching messages is checked). That means that even after I delete an email from my mailbox, it still shows up in my BlackBerry. I followed all of the instructions on Gmail's BlackBerry help page, and it STILL doesn't work. Anyone have other suggestions so I can avoid another lengthy call with tech support?

I guess the moral of the story is twofold:

1. Gmail and a BlackBerry is a clumsy combination.
2. Trouble-shooting BlackBerry issues with phone support is like trying to learn watercolor painting from audio tapes. You're better off learning by doing!

Hate Writing Query Letters? Try LOIs

Recently, I've heard from a few different writers wanting my opinion on LOIs (or letters of introduction). The great thing about LOIs is that you don't have to spend time finding a brilliant idea for an article only to discover that someone has already beat you to your epiphany and written a cover story for the latest issue. Nor do you have to start from scratch each time, searching for that eye-catching statistic or witty one-liner that will convince that editor that widgets are sexy enough to merit a 1,500 word feature.

In fact, LOIs are much simpler to write, and once you've got the formula down, you can adapt it to almost any market. The catch? To write an effective LOI, you should be semi-successful as a writer and/or have in-depth knowledge of the publication's topic area. Otherwise, you won't have much to say, and most editors can see right through fluff.

For instance, if you're a nurse who's trying to break into magazine writing, then you might be able to leverage your knowledge and experience into assignments with a healthcare trade publication. You may not have many clips, but if you can write a clear, coherent letter selling yourself as a healthcare expert, then you're well on your way. Often in the case of trade publications, the ideas are generated in-house and farmed out to freelancers, so writing a carefully crafted query might not get you very far with that market anyway.

However, I usually include a line about how "I'd love to tailor a query to your needs" or "I'm open to discussing ideas" to show that if they need/want writer input, I'm not going to just sit around and wait to be handed an assignment. Here's an example of a recent LOI that landed me an assignment with a new-to-me magazine market:

Dear [redacted]:

I am very interested in contributing to [redacted], and I understand that you sometimes work with freelancers. I would love to be considered for assignments or get a copy of your writer's guidelines so I can tailor a query to your needs.

My writing runs the gamut from business profiles to features on lifestyle and the arts. As a Boston-based freelance writer, I have contributed The Boston Globe, DailyCandy, and Self magazine. In addition to having a strong passion for the arts, I have also contributed to specialty publications including Making Music and Dramatics.

Here are some writing samples:
[Here's where I included some links to articles that are somewhat related to the magazine's topic area.]
I would love to discuss your editorial needs, so I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

Best,
Susan  

One last note about LOIs: sometimes you'll hear right away ("Yes, we have an assignment for you" or "thanks for writing, we'll keep you on file"), but sometimes it could be months before get a response. You can gently follow-up after a few weeks, but hang in there and trust that you offer something valuable to editors.

Why It Pays to "Have People"

I could blame my recent airline debacle for pushing me behind schedule. But really, it's more a case of my chronic tendency to overschedule myself. At one point, I had four articles due on Friday and another due on Monday (totalling, oh, like 4,000 words), but I've managed to shuffle deadlines a bit.

For one of the articles, I didn't start contacting expert sources until I was back in town. This was deliberate because I didn't want people to email me back during a week when I didn't have time to schedule interviews. But then I started emailing new-to-me sources in an attempt to broaden my network of sources and it was a collossal disaster. I don't blame these people (after all, this is prime vacation season) and I might try contacting them again in the future, but it's a major bummer when you're on deadline and need sources.

So, I went back to drawing board and decided to simplify. True, I could have used HARO or LinkedIn instead of selectively emailing people, but I knew that with this particular topic, I would be inundated with more responses than I could ever use. I wanted to be able to handpick people who had the right conversational style. So, I went through my email contacts and reconnected with sources I've used in the past for other publications. Both sources agreed to interviews within a few hours and were happy to help. It was so easy, it almost felt like cheating. But that's why it's a good idea to build your network NOW!

PS Once things calm down, I'll work on finding more new-to-me sources, but this time I was just glad to have any sources.

So Many Conferences, So Little Time...

After hearing glowing reports about BlogHer from Alyssa, Kristen, and Helen (not to mention Kara Jessella's coverage in the NY Times), I sort of wish I had caughed up the cash and headed to San Francisco a few weeks ago. It was on my list, but things got a little chaotic when I left my day job to focus on freelancing. Hopefully I'll make it to BlogHer's regional event near Boston this fall, and I'm already registered for the Freelance Success Conference in October.

But here's a question to ponder over the weekend... What do you look for when you're registering for a conference? How do you know it will be worthwhile? If you could plan your dream conference (choosing the speakers, the topic, the location, etc.), what would it be?