May 17, 2012

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Open Thread: The Long and Short of It

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Another writer asked me about word counts last week at a networking event. “So, are most of your pieces 400, 500 words?” he asked.

“Actually, I tend to write articles around 600 to 800 words, sometimes twice that if the editor wants something more in-depth,” I said.

He’s so comfortable with short form articles that the idea of a 1,600-word piece blew his mind. And there was a time when it would have blown my mind, too. But as many writers will point out, it often takes more time to cull a piece down to 400 words than it does to write 800. And it takes even longer to cull a piece down to 200 words, because you’ll usually have many times that information in research to sort through.

Which brings me to this week’s open thread topic. What is your preferred word count? Do you feel most comfortable writing long, conversational pieces? More succinct news briefs? Or does it depend on the topic? Do tell!

Filed Under: open thread

10 Things You Should NOT Ask a Freelance Writer

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By now, Mr. Muse and most people in my immediate circle know better than to ask questions of the “why haven’t you published any books yet?” and “when are you getting a real job?” variety. But these types of questions come up frequently when I meet people who aren’t as familiar with the concept of freelancing.

As I suspected, I’m far from alone in this. An informal poll among my Twitter followers and Facebook fans turned up lots of questions we wish people would stop asking already. Here’s a roundup of questions and some (far too cheeky for actual use) answers.

  1. How come you never write for “real” magazines? Several years ago, I had a roommate ask this question, and it bugged the $%@& out of me. (We no longer live together.) She meant “how come you write for all these niche publications I’ve never heard of?” Newstand magazines are only a fraction of all the potential freelance markets, and they are highly competitive. Now that I’ve written for a few consumer magazines, I can say that while the clips are nice, they can take a lot more work for the same amount of money I can earn writing for a trade or custom magazine. I say there’s no shame in these under-the-radar markets!

  2. If you earn $1/word, shouldn’t you be a millionaire by now? If I had a dollar for every time someone asked that, I would be a millionaire. (Not really, but I thought it was a clever retort.) Some magazines pay $1/word, but word counts have shrunk and that per word rate hasn’t increased in decades. Plus, there’s a lot more that goes into an article than the actual writing. There’s also querying, researching, tracking down sources, following up with sources, locating images, fact-checking, rewriting, invoicing, and so on.

  3. How’s the job hunt? (via @tinahernandez) This is a common question, especially now with so many laid-off workers freelancing while they job hunt. But many freelancers (including @tinahernandez and yours truly) have no interest in returning to the 8-6 grind. I usually point out that since I can pick my own projects and make a comfortable living on my own, I don’t need a traditional job.

  4. My kid needs his speech written for school, can you help? (via @salmajafri) I’ve never gotten this one, but I’d be tempted to point out that hiring a professional writer might get the kid an A, but it won’t make him any smarter. (Yes, I know the parent is probably hoping for a freebie, but that’s not how I roll.) @salmajafri is far more generous and told me she might help out with bullet points.

  5. When does your book come out? (via @storyfella) I’ve had plenty of people suggest that writing a book is my golden ticket to success or ask if I have a novel in the works. But books represent only a sliver of opportunity for writers, and the combination of shrinking advances and rising competition make it hard for writers to support themselves solely on books. Sure, many of us have a novel in our heads or on our hard drives, but we also write articles, blog posts, press releases, and catalogues to pay the bills.

  6. Can you edit my _____ for me as a favor? (via @HeiddiZ) In a word: no. We have to support ourselves, too, and too many favors cuts into our bottom line. Sure, I’ve proofread my brother’s cover letters and helped my Mom revamp her resume, but these are close family members who understand that paying work has to be the priority and that they don’t get unlimited freebies.

  7. What are you doing? Why don’t you meet me for lunch? (via Diane Faulkner) Variations on this theme asking requests for rides to the airport, signatures on FedEx packages (that aren’t yours), or helping with other daytime chores. Sometimes it’s nice to get a change of scenery and meet a friend for lunch or help out when someone really needs it, but the presumption that freelancers have nothing better to than sit around waiting for the FedEx guy or meet you for lunch gets old. Fast.

  8. So do you go to the shops/cinema/for a walk/for lunch out all day? (via @HOHWWriter) Similar to #7 but no less annoying. I pointed out to @HOHWWriter that sometimes we do get to do these things during the work day if it’s for an assignment. But it’s far from the leisurely, two martini lunches that some people picture. While scoping out a new restaurant or store, I’m also furiously scribbling notes in the dressing room or coaxing the owner into letting me snap a few photos if she doesn’t have any. Believe me – there is a lot work involved.

  9. Do I get to read/approve the article before it runs? (via @roxannehawn) This is a question that I get from more sources than acquaintances. But it comes up often enough that it deserves a mention. When you show a story to a source, it can turn into a runaway buggy where they’re trying take the reins and rewrite your article to reflect their company agenda. This blog post from Jake Poinier offer a tactful explanation of why sources and PR folks don’t need to see the article in advance. (But as he points out in the comments, asking to confirm quotes is totally acceptable.)

  10. You’re a freelance writer. So does that mean you work for free? (via @JoanneMasonESL) File under: “are you freaking kidding me?!” Enough said.

Anything else you would add? How would you respond to these questions?

Flickr photo courtesy of carolyntiry

Filed Under: freelance life, humor

Guest Post: One Freelancer’s Life and Times

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By Nancy Monson

I’ve been lucky enough to make a good living as a freelance writer for over 20 years. Part of that is because I’ve pursued a dual-track career: I’m both a consumer magazine writer and author and a medical writer/editor (meaning I write and edit continuing education materials for healthcare providers). This has given me a steady income and a nice variety of work. Plus, one project informs another: Often, while I’m researching a medical project I’ll find a study or trend that will make a good news hook for a consumer magazine article.

Lately, I’ve been trying to meld my career as a health writer and my love of quilting, collaging, and other crafts into a new career path. Like most crafters, I’ve long recognized how therapeutic crafting is for me, so I’ve written a book called Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes about it. I also blog about the links between crafting/hobbies and health as well as on psychological and pop culture topics.

Most recently, I’ve been writing a book about how to be a medical writer with my sister, Linda Peckel, called Just What the Doctor Ordered: An Insider’s Guide to Medical Writing. For years, writer friends have been asking us how they can break into the field, so we decided to take the plunge and will be publishing an e-book in April 2010. It’s been an eye-opening exercise writing the book—we’ve been pleasantly surprised by all of the knowledge we have to share—and crafting it into an e-book rather than trying to find a publisher for it. The work is all ours and we get to create the manuscript, the cover, the website, the publicity materials, everything. It’s all hands on, all the time, which means it’s hard work but it’s also really freeing and makes for a pretty positive experience.

How I write today hasn’t changed much over the years. I write best in the morning and save editing and administrative tasks for the afternoon. I usually don’t procrastinate too much—although Mondays are hard (and Mondays in January harder still) and social media and e-mail are real timesucks. I can’t concentrate with the TV or radio on, so I listen to classical music during the day and it creates a wonderful ambiance. (Right now I’m listening to violinist Hilary Hahn play Bach. Lovely!)

I find the qualities that have allowed me to be most successful as a freelance nonfiction writer are:

  1. I am very dependable. I make my deadlines or beat them. (I can count on one hand how many times in my career I’ve asked for an extension on a deadline and my clients tell me how much they appreciate that.)
  2. I am careful. I re-read and proof my work multiple times. I guess this is due in part to being a medical writer—you can’t make a lot of mistakes or you could hurt someone. It’s also due to the fact that I’m called on to be an editor a lot of the time, too, as a medical writer, so I know what happens after I submit an article and how frustrating it is to get sloppy or incomplete copy!
  3. I approach writing as a business as well as a craft, and I expect to be compensated fairly for it.

How do you approach writing? What projects are you juggling?

Nancy Monson is the author of Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes and co-author of the soon-to-be released e-book Just What the Doctor Ordered: An Insider’s Guide to Medical Writing. She has written for Glamour, More, Redbook, Shape, and Woman’s Day, among many other magazines, and blogs about creativity at Craft to Heal.

If you’d like to contribute a guest post to The Urban Muse, please check out the guidelines for guest bloggers.

Filed Under: freelance life, guest post

Open Thread: What Do Bloggers Owe Readers?

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Earlier this month, BlogHer had a lively debate about whether bigger bloggers are obligated to help newbies. I’m not going to comment on what constitutes a “bigger blogger,” but I think it’s an issue worth considering, especially since I often get so many emails from aspiring writers and bloggers asking for advice.

Personally, I try to help up-and-coming writers and bloggers whenever I can. I answer questions via email. I teach blogging at two local adult education centers (and yes, I get paid for that, but the hourly rate is much lower than what I earn from other gigs). I pass along contacts as I deem appropriate. It’s good for karma and it builds goodwill so that these writers and bloggers will (hopefully) follow my blog.

But I have to draw the line somewhere or I wouldn’t have any time for my paying projects. When I get super open-ended questions like “How do I start a blog?” or “Where can I find freelance clients?”, I’ll refer the asker to appropriate resources, like my blogging class or one of these books on writing. There are tons of resources available for those just starting out, so I think it’s best to avail yourself of those resources before asking busy freelancers questions that can easily be answered elsewhere.

When someone has clearly done a little homework first and asks a specific question that can be answered in a few sentences, I’m much more inclined to help them out. Asking a quick question is fine. But expecting someone to put their work aside and hold your hand? Not so much.

What’s your take on this topic?

Filed Under: open thread
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