Creative Ways For Writers to Earn Extra Cash

For months now we've been hearing how the economy is in the toilet. We've watched friends and neighbors lose their jobs. We've seen magazines and newspapers cutting back or completely disappearing. We've debated the pros and cons of various bailout plans.

I, for one, am a little sick of all this talk about a recession.

That's why I compiled a list of ways that writers can supplement their income and go beyond writing for glossy magazines or corporate clients. Some of these are from a MediaBistro article I wrote this summer (Boost Your Writing Business By Diversifying). Some of these were ideas I discovered more recently. Hopefully you'll find one or two that you can incorporate into your own business plan.

• Teach a class. Not everyone who is a good writer is also a good teacher. But if you're comfortable speaking in front of people and you have a desire to help others achieve their goals, then it's worth a shot. I'm teaching a writing course at Boston Center for Adult Education in the spring. It's not going to make me rich or famous, but it's another way to build my platform and connect with my local writing community.
• Moonlight as a copyeditor, proofreader, or fact-checker. Even if you don't earn money in these areas, they are important skills to know. With newsrooms slashing their staffs, some of them will have a need for freelance proofreaders or fact-checkers. Even though I haven't tapped into these skills and applied for separate gigs in these areas, I took a proofreading course over the summer, and I read an ebook on fact-checking to get an overview of the fact-checking process. Again, a good skill to have and one that can only boost your research and writing ability
• Sell photos or multimedia. Offering extras like photos, podcasts, and videos can boost your bottom line and make you more desirable as a writer, especially for online markets. Since I have a digital camera, I was able to include photos with one of the reported pieces I wrote earlier this year (not every editor will use writer's photos, but this one didn't want to send a photographer to Boston). Michelle Rafter has a great post on including interactive material with queries.
• Tap into seasonal opportunities. With the holidays coming up, there are several ways that writers can create extra income streams to pay for holiday travel, gifts, and other expenses. For instance (and feel to free to steal this idea, as I yet to put it into action), I've always thought there could be a market for writing other people's holiday letters. Some people are too busy, some doubt their writing abilities, some get easily overwhelmed with all the other holiday obligations. I also read about a writer who earns money by creating personalized letters from Santa.

Have you tried any of these strategies for supplementing your writing income? Are there any ideas I've missed?

Flickr photo by Steve Wampler

Happy Thanksgiving!

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope that you're able to take some time off and enjoy some the day with family and friends. Here's what I'm thankful for this year:

• Family and friends who encourage and inspire me (especially those who have a good sense of humor when they pop up in print)
• My new laptop
• The 24-hour CVS near my apartment
• Clients who pay on time and in full (the others will be getting coal in their stocking, I'd imagine)
• My health
• Coffeeshops that are open late and offer free wifi
• White chocolate
• My blog readers
• The fact that I can earn a living as a writer

Flickr photo by The Alienness GisellaGiardino

Penelope Trunk on Good Blogging

Back in September, I wrote about why writers should blog, and that post continues to be one of my most popular posts ever. It's a hot topic among writers, because so many of us feel the tension between writing for publication vs. writing for ourselves. Plus, as traditional publishing avenues dwindle, we're torn between clinging to the old way of doing things and embracing a new publishing model that few of us fully understand.

One of the writers who really seems to get blogging is Penelope Trunk. As mentioned in my earlier post, Penelope leveraged her blog to land a six figure book deal, plus tons of speaking and consulting gigs. Now she's expanded Brazen Careerist into a brand of its own with hundreds of bloggers (including yours truly). She recently published an interview excerpt in which she discusses how blogging helped her reach her goals and build a successful platform.

She makes an interesting point about monetization: that most bloggers shouldn't expect to get rich blogging, but that if you blog well it can open up more opportunities. I couldn't agree more.

Check out Penelope's interview.

Is it too much to ask...?

• To have an apartment where I can warm up with a space heater without worrying that the fuse will blow for the fourth time in a week? Seriously, I think I'm about to blow a fuse.


• To have adequately insulated windows so that it doesn't feel like a Nor'easter in my bedroom even with the heat cranking? Yes, I put up plastic on all the windows.


• To wake up in the morning and not get goosebumps as I hurriedly put on new layers of wool and fleece to stay warm? It's my least favorite part of the day.


• To have the thermostat located in a place where I don't have to climb over my roommate's bedroom furniture to adjust the temperature? Better yet, is it too much to ask to live alone?


• To have wireless access in my bedroom? Yes, we've called Comcast and they advised us that our apartment's layout makes it impossible to get a strong signal throughout.
• To have neighbors who understand that is just plain rude to play music on their balcony at 3 in the morning after their sleep-deprived neighbor (whose window faces the balcony) asks them to stop? Yeah, I called the cops and that worked for about 15 minutes.
• To have a pantry that stores food instead of mouse droppings? We have mousetraps and so far we've caught two of the little buggers, but I suspect there's an entire clan lurking behind the stove.

Apparently, it is. But maybe Santa will bring me a new apartment for Christmas (or at least cute pair of fingerless gloves as pictured above). And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Flickr photo by ashe-villain

When Pubs Don't Pay

In theory, freelance writing is a simple process. Send a query. Get an assignment. Turn in article. Collect payment. Listen to friends who marvel that "if I earned a $1/word, I'd be rich!" Rinse, wash, and repeat.

Well, unfortunately, things are seldom that smooth.

Articles get killed. Invoices mysteriously disappear. Editors leave. Sometimes publications fold. It seems like there is a new thread on the writer's forum I frequent every other day announcing the demise of another magazine or newspaper. Today it was Cottage Living. Several weeks ago it was The Christian Science Monitor (which will focus on web content instead of completely disappeaing, and don't worry, I got paid promptly).

Two years ago, a local publication I wrote for closed up shop. They did not officially file for bankruptcy, but I never got paid for my last article because the editor said she had cash flow problems. It was a small amount of money, so I just shrugged and move on. But it does concern me that, given the current economic client, it could happen on a grander scale now. Heck, even the New York Times is feeling the crunch! I'm certainly more skeptical of unknown magazines or websites than I was a year ago. Should you find yourself singing the bankruptcy blues, Erik Sherman has some sage advice on dealing with bankrupt clients.

Have you ever dealt a bankrupt client? Are you finding that publications are dragging their feet on paying invoices? What's your strategy? Let me know!

Flickr photo courtesy of Daniel Y. Go

Interview on The Golden Pencil

Jenny Cromie is the new blogger-in-chief over at The Golden Pencil and so far she's doing a great job of covering the current freelance climate. Of course, I may be a little biased, because today Jenny is featuring a Q & A with yours truly. We discussed making the transition to full time freelancing and surviving an economic downturn. Be sure to welcome Jenny to her new gig while you're over there!

10 Tips on Querying Magazines and Websites

Flickr photo courtesy of Darren Hester

Some people hate writing query letters. I happen to enjoy it, because it reminds me of a first date. There's no commitment and no baggage, just the potential for something great. And if it's a new-to-me editor, then I'll up my game (and pray that they like me). It's the waiting for a phone call or email afterwards that makes me a little neurotic. I try not too get too attached to one idea, so I just keep writing more queries to stay busy. Here are my tips on querying.

1. Read the writer’s guidelines if they are available (you’ll often find them under “About Us,” “FAQ,” or “Site map”), but don’t limit yourself to publications that have guidelines posted online. If you can’t find guidelines online, you can email the editor or contact person listed to find out if they work with freelance writers.
2. Do a quick search to make sure that the site hasn’t covered the topic recently. Many sites have a built in search function. You can also search within any domain using Google. Type in “article topic” site:domain.com and Google will pull up any pages on that site that include your article topic anywhere on the page. Try a few different variations of your topic’s keywords to cover your bases.
3. Research the publication and read previous articles. Know what types of topics they cover and where your idea might fit in. That way you’ve tipped off your editor that you know the publication and can (presumably) write in their format and style.
4. Write an interesting intro. “I’d like to write an article about X” probably won’t excite your editor. Craft your lead as if you were writing the actual article and want to grab your reader’s attention. Then explain why the topic is relevant those readers now.
5. Play up your expertise relating to your topic. If you don’t have any writing clips yet, don’t mention it in your query. You can find other ways to play up your background without admitting that you’re a newbie. For instance, “as a former nurse, I am well versed in healthcare issues such as...” Or, “Sibling rivalry is a topic that I’m intimately familiar with thanks to my three children.”
6. Use links to your writing samples instead of sending them as attachments (unless the guidelines specifically request attachments). Sometimes attachments get caught in spam filters, and many editors are leery of getting a virus from a writer they don’t know.
7. Always, always proofread before you hit send. Some editors will overlook a typo here or there if it’s a well-written, well thought out query, but major mistakes could send the message that you’re a sloppy writer (especially if you misspell the editor’s name!). Don’t rely on spell check.
8. Use an eye-catching subject line, but leave out words that scream SPAM! (For instance, “free” is a tip-off to a lot of spam filters and “I love you” was the subject line for a notorious email virus.) I often use this formula - Query: Name of Proposed Article. Then when I follow-up, I replace “query” with “follow-up.”
9. Follow-up. The timing of your follow-up will depend on the nature of the publication. If the writer’s guidelines say you should wait six weeks, then wait six weeks. If it’s a time-sensitive topic, you can follow-up sooner. When in doubt, I usually wait about three or four weeks, then resend with a short note reiterating my interest.
10. Send another pitch right away if the editor rejects your idea but encourages you to send more pitches. Persistence pays.

On Blogging and Building a Newsletter

Last night's Povo blogger panel sparked an interesting debate about monetizing blogs and Big Bad Media Companies vs. local bloggers. Sam and Jacqueline wrote excellent recaps of the event (complete with photos), so I won't rehash it here except to welcome any new readers I met last night! (Pssst! There's also a YouTube video of me discussing how I started my blog.)

This morning I sat in on a webinar about making email newsletters work. It was a joint effort between ConstantContact and Ladies Who Launch. Now, I'm very happy with MailChimp as my email vendor, but I did pick up some interesting tidbits that I'll share below.

• Building your list. Many of the participants have traditional brick and mortar stories, so it makes sense for them to include a guestbook for email signups in their store. Those of us who don't have a physical space can include a signup box or link on our websites, email signature lines, and in social networking profiles like Facebook or LinkedIn (hint: I've also used my status on LinkedIn to announce "I'm getting ready to send out The Urban Museletter. Sign up here...") There's also the strategy of asking people at networking events "Could I add you to my newsletter list?" (Then marking a y or yes on their business card.) They highly, HIGHLY discouraged marketers from buying lists to bump up your numbers, and I'd have to agree.
  
• The advantages of using an email service. I signed up with MailChimp, because I wanted to send out professional-looking HTML emails and didn't want to have manage my email list. Now, of course, the people leading the webinar want us to buy into the idea of paying for an email service, but they had other good reasons, too. For example, having a large number of emails in the BCC field is a red flag for spam in a lot of email programs. Using an email service can help ensure that your message reaches its intended recipient, because they've opted in. It also makes it easier to track open rates, clicks, and so on.
  
• Best practices. As the trainer, Heidi, pointed out, many businesspeople now read emails on a BlackBerry or iPhone, which means they may not see all the pretty graphics you've so nicely laid out for them. It also means that you only have a few words or characters to grab their attention. She suggested putting the most relevant information at the top (which many of us would do anyway), not relying too heavily on graphics, and using white space to make the email more readable.

Anyone have additional tips on email marketing? I'm all ears!

Musings from 6 Months of Full Time Freelancing

I recently celebrated six months of being a full time freelancer. And by "celebrated" I mean announced to my boyfriend, who sweetly reminded me that he knew I could do it even before I knew. I get a lot of email from aspiring writers wanting to "what's it really like?" and "what do you wish you'd known then that you know now?" That should really be the subject of my first book, and frankly I'm still figuring some of this stuff out. But here's the shorter, blog-friendly version of what I've learned.

It IS possible to earn a living as a writer. It's tough if you only want to write poetry or the Great American Novel, but if you're willing to write press releases, product reviews, and the like, it's doable. With the right combination of talent and tenacity, you can find a way to make it work. I've learned to juggle copywriting projects with articles for magazines and websites. Frankly, not all of it is the type of stuff I pictured myself doing. Still, I'm happy to set my own hours and work on a variety of projects.

Most of your time is not spent writing. It's easy to get infatuated with the idea of spending all-day, every day writing. But the reality is that unless you're outsourcing the other stuff, you will have to be your own IT, marketing, benefits, admin, and bill collection departments. Linda estimates that she only spends 15% of her time actually writing! Don't quit your day job unless you're good at multi-tasking and problem solving.

It's OK to accept projects that are new to you. A couple of times early on I accepted projects that were slightly outside my comfort zone. One of them I had serious reservations about (not about the client, about my ability to meet the client's expectations), but it has developed into a steady source of income every month and resulted in referrals to other clients. I had to spend some time figuring out this new genre, and now it feels like second nature. Don't be afraid to stretch yourself as a writer. It will help you stay flexible as a writer and keep your client base diversified.

And it's equally OK to say no. Sometimes you just know that this isn't the project for you, but you're reluctant to turn down a paying gig, because who knows when the next one will come along? Veteran freelancers have told me that while that feeling never completely goes away, there's always another project around the bend. You could refer the project to someone else, but if you sense that it's too good to be true (for instance, a startup offering ridiculous sums of money with no indication of a legitimate funding source), then maybe it's better to just say no.

Interview on Freelancedom*

Steph over at Freelancedom* has a new weekly feature where she interviews freelancers, and this week the featured freelancer is yours truly! While you're over there, be sure to check out some of Steph's other posts on ways to set up your portfolio or find sources. Lots of good tips and anecdotes. Steph also tells me she's on the lookout for other freelancers to interview, so leave her a comment on her blog if you're interested.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

Pardon me for a minute while I rant. I'm in a foul mood, because I have been chasing after a check for several weeks now, and my contact's rationale for not paying me just boggles the mind. He's not saying the article wasn't delivered on time and according to my editor's specifications. He's not denying that I've written dozens of articles for this magazine and built a strong relationship over the past several years. He's just not going to pay my outstanding invoice (for one of the lame reasons below), although he "hopes we'll work together again the future."

Well, sir, you're messing with the wrong gal...

I know many of you have been there, done that, and got the lawyer fee to prove it. This list is for you. Though I cannot provide legal advice, I have compiled information from others who are familiar with media law.

"That article was assigned by an editor who no longer works here." That is regrettable, but it's not the writer's fault. If the editor assigns an article and accepts the completed the article, the publication is obligated to pay the writer even if the editor leaves thanks to something called Implied Authority of Contract.

"We're killing the article, but you did everything you were supposed to." When there is a legitimate reason to kill the article (say, the writer delivers the article, but it's not up to snuff), then the writer is owed a kill fee. But if the editor arbitrary decides to kill the story for reasons that have nothing to do with the writer (for instance, if the editor later changes her mind), then the writer should fight for the full fee. In cases where there is no formal contract, an email from an editor outlining the assignment is considered legally binding. Still, I'd recommend getting a formal contract to outline all the terms of the assignment.

"There was an issue with your invoice." Was there also an issue with your email and phone that you weren't able to contact the writer until her sixth follow-up message?! I've heard this several times, and frankly I don't buy it. I always try to put my mailing address, phone number, and email address on invoices so that it's easy to contact me with questions. Still, some people can't be bothered to send a quick email or pick up the phone. Instead, when you finally track them down two months later, they will stammer "there was a decimal error, so we just stuck in our special file (read: circular file) and hoped you wouldn't notice." This is why it pays to ask.

"Our accounts payable person is on maternity leave/sabbatical/vacation/
got laid off." Someone posted this on a writer's board, and I couldn't believe it. Are salaries employees going without pay for an indefinite period of time? I think not! Now, I'm understanding if my check is a week or so late as long as there's some evidence that payment is in process. If you can give me a check number or a date that the check was mailed, I'll back off. But this is just a cop out.

The key, in my opinion, is to keep a paper trail, and follow up politely but firmly at regular intervals. Hopefully polite persistence will pay off for me. But just in case... does anyone know a good lawyer?

Update: the person mentioned above has agreed to pay a large portion of my fee. Considering that he originally refused to pay any of it, I'll consider that a small triumph.

Writer's Websites: the good, the bad, the ugly

In preparation for updating my headshots (at the insistance of my fabulous photographer friend Rachel), I've been looking at other writer's websites for examples of what to do. And what not to do. Now, my website is hardly a masterpiece of modern web design, but these are some of my observations from other writer's websites.

Testimonials build credibility. A lot of writers had testimonials on their websites, and a lot didn't. If you're in the latter camp, then you're missing out on an easy marketing opportunity. Not sure how to get testimonials? Just ask your repeat clients or editors the next time you finish a project. Most will be happy to oblige.

Bad site navigation makes a bad impression. Make it easy on editors, clients, and readers by including site navigation (home, bio, news, etc.) on every single page and in a place that's obvious. One (professionally designed and otherwise gorgeous) website had the navigation buried at the bottom, so I had to scroll down to find it. A few self-made sites were either missing links back to the homepage or had links that didn't work. And by the way, underlining text that isn't hyperlinked is a big tease.

An approachable, personable photo adds personality. Headshots are not mandatory for writers, but a good one can give editors and clients a sense of who you are and what you're like. No one expects you to be a glamour girl (unless your niche is beauty), so choose a photo that is flattering but actually looks like you. A candid photo can work if it's not too blurry. If you'd rather not include a photo, then that's fine, too. Some writers choose to use a funny childhood photo, a cartoon, stock images, or magazine covers instead or in addition to a traditional headshot. Just remember, "a picture is worth a thousand words..."

Huge headers detract from your content. Yes, it is nice to have a jumbo-sized graphic of a typewriter or a globe or butterflies or rainbows, but it if takes up so much of the screen that you can't see anything else, that is a problem. The most important information should be "above the fold" so that the reader doesn't have to scroll to figure out your specialties or credentials. Plus, big beautiful graphics take more time to load and you don't want people to get impatient and leave your site, do you?

It would be mean to link to poorly executed examples, so instead I'll link to a few writer's websites that I really like:

Horizontal navigation, classy graphics

Sharp, stylish website, nontraditional navigation (I think it works!)

Horizontal navigation, playful colors and graphics

Clean, color graphics, combo navigation

Bonus! More resources on writer's websites:

Anatomy of a Writer's Website

Website Tips from Editor Unleashed

Online Portfolios that Work

News from the Muse

My essay, Finding the Right Fit, appears in the new anthology Chicken Soup for the Soul: Getting In... To College. Technically, the book comes out on Tuesday, but a little birdy at the publisher told me that Amazon.com is already shipping orders. I got my contributor's copies last week and will be doing a book giveaway later this month for those of you who subscribe to the Urban Museletter.

Secondly, Povo Boston is hosting a free blogging panel on Tuesday, November 11 at the Archstone Club Suite, 660 Washington Street in Boston. Yours truly wil be part of the panel discussion, which is moderated by Sam Baltrusis. We plan to discuss ways to build your blog's readership and keep readers engaged. If you're in the Boston area and would like to join us, then please RSVP. Hope to see some of you there!