February 22, 2012

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May I Pick Your Brain? The Classic Freelance Quandary

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Last week, a Forbes.com article called No, You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much sparked a lively discussion on Twitter. I agree with the premise of the piece (that freelancers can’t be expected to hand off the farm for free), but I also see a few grey areas. See, in my world, there are two kinds of brain pickers: potential clients and newbie freelancers (of course, if you’re a writing coach then newbie writers could also be potential clients).

Oftentimes potential clients expect a taste of your brilliance before they’ll hire you, but you don’t want to give away so much that they no longer need you. I’ll consult with potential clients over the phone, but I rarely meet with them in person before they’ve signed a contact (and even then, in-person meetings are rare). Sorry, but I gotta draw the line somewhere with prospects.

This opinion may be unpopular, but I think there are times when a little brain-picking from newbies is acceptable. I owe much of my freelance success to the help of mentors who took me under their wing and received no money in return, so I try to pay it forward when I can. While a free coffee or lunch won’t cover my bills, it can break up an otherwise solitary day of working from home.

That’s not to say that I drop everything every time someone asks. Here’s how I decide when to help and how I ensure that it doesn’t turn into a time suck.

  • Have they done their homework?
    There are a ton of free resources out there for aspiring freelancers, so if someone can’t be bothered to check out a book from the library or Google for some freelance writing blogs, they probably lack the go-getter attitude needed to successfully freelance. Sorry, but if I’m helping up-and-comers, I want to help those who are going to succeed. It’s a lot more satisfying to watch someone break into their dream publication than disappear into cyberspace after a few half-hearted attempts. And who knows? Maybe that go-getter will offer a referral or an assignment in the future. (My intern from my last job is a now an editor who assigns me articles so it could happen.)
  • What’s the scope of the request?
    When someone sends a long list of questions about writing, I refer them to my blog or ebook or (if they’re local) my class. I don’t have time for a zillions questions, especially when they haven’t satisfied the criteria above. But when someone has an intelligent, tightly focused question, I try to answer it (doubly so if they mention reading my blog or following me on Twitter). Sometimes I’ll even turn that answer into a blog post (with their permission) so the time I spend on it doubles as time spent creating blog content. And the next time someone emails with the same question, I can send them the link instead of answering it again.
  • Do I have time? 
    Catch me on a slower week and I might accept your coffee invite (but only if you come to my neighborhood, I’m not burning gas to help an almost stranger who may or may not be appreciative). If I’m on deadline, you might get a curt email in response. It sounds arbitrary but it’s the reality of freelancing. Clients come before free-loaders. (And right now, I’m up to my ears in clients so now’s probably not the best time to hit me up for informational interviews.)
If you’re a newbie or up-and-coming freelancer, then there isa relatively fool-proof way to get veterans to answer your questions: interview them for publication. Pitch a story to an industry blog or magazine, then email those you most admire to see if they’ll give you a few minutes of their time in exchange for some marketing mojo. (I did this when I wanted to learn more about ebooks and it worked like a charm.) Or create a section of your blog where you publish interviews with people you admire. Either way, do your homework and keep your questions focused on the essentials. Don’t expect them to spend hours on the phone or email discussing every aspect of their career. Give them plenty of time to get back to you and throw in a little (sincere) flattery. Freelancers, what do you think? How do you handle these kinds of requests?

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: freelance writing

Top 11 Blog Posts from 2011

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New YearThe end of the year is a good time to reflect over the past 12 months and think about where you want to go in the coming year.

I’m still mulling over my goals for 2012 and how to achieve them, but in the meantime, here’s a look at my 11 most interesting (in my opinion and also judged by the number of comments) blog posts from 2011.

    1. 30 Writing Quotes to Kick Off 2011
      Blogger readers seem to love quotes, whether funny, inspirational, or both. I get a lot of retweets when I tweet quotes, but I recently saw a tweet that discouraged this practice, because “I want to know what you think, not what Ghandi or JFK thought.” I can see that point of view, but I also think quotes have their place … in moderation, of course.
    2. The Ultimate Money Guide for Freelance Writers
      Money (or the lack thereof) is a frequent source of stress for freelancers and other indie professionals, so I compiled a list of resources on paying taxes, setting fees, and managing irregular cash flow.
    3. 5 Lame Excuses from Late-Paying Clients–And How to Respond
      Few things rile freelancers more than late-paying clients. This post includes some of the sarcastic retorts I’ve been tempted to say, along with more mild-mannered responses.
    4. Looking for Freelance Gigs? 5 Groups to Tap Into
      This year I tested the waters of video blogging and this video about where to find decent-paying freelance clients was one of my early attempts.
    5. How Do You Know if a Website Pays? 
      It’s a valid question, especially when you’re looking at websites or other publications that use a lot of user-generated content. This post offers strategies to ensure that you aren’t wasting your time on non-paying markets.
    6. No Writing Clips? Here’s How to Land an Assignment Without Them
      Newbie writers offer agonize over their lack of clips, but it’s not as much of a road block as many of them think. In this post, I revealed some workarounds for this problem.
    7. The Freelance Writer’s Interview Checklist
      Whether you’re interviewing professors or “real people” sources, this checklist should help you remember to ask key questions like the spelling of the source’s name and whether it’s OK to record the interview.
    8. The Pros and Cons of Freelance Copywriting
      For readers curious about the freelance copywriting world, this post covers the highs (no more query letters!) and the lows (can you say scope creep?).
    9. In Defense of Passive Verbs
      English teachers hate passive verbs, but in this contrarian post, I explain why they have their place in many types of writing.
    10. 12 Places to Find Freelance Writing Gigs
      For those who are still trying to build their freelance networks and their portfolio, this post lists several websites offering freelance writing opportunities (and notice there’s not a content mill to be found!).
    11. 8 Ways Freelancers Can Show Gratitude
      Although this post was written in anticipation of Thanksgiving, it has relevance to other times of the year, too. After all, gratitude should be an ongoing (not a once year) thing, as one sage commenter points out.

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: freelance writing Tagged With: ,

5 Sources for Free Online Writing Training

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online trainingUsually we think of hitting the books in the fall, as students around the world head back to school. However, autumn can be a hectic time for freelancers as their editors and clients return to the office and ramp up holiday marketing efforts or plan content for the next several months.

If you have any downtime this holiday season, then it could be your chance to brush up on your reporting skills, learn a new tech tool, or otherwise boost your writing chops. Here’s a roundup of places that offer free training opportunities for writers, marketers, and journalists. I may write a follow up piece listing training opportunities that cost money, so if you have a favorite online class, be sure to leave a link in the comments section.

  1. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
    I’ve tuned into several Reynolds Center webinars and gotten tons of useful information on slanting stories or reporting on local businesses. If you cover business–even if you’ve been on the beat for awhile–I highly recommend these webinars. In fact, they’re offering one on Quick-Hit Business Investigations next week.
  2. Freelance Writer’s Den Open House Calls
    Den Mother Carol Tice has invited me to appear on her monthly open house calls, which cover a variety of freelance writing topics including social media marketing, idea generation, and various writing niches. If you listen in real-time, you might win a door prize or get your questions answered, but I often download the recordings to my iPhone so I can listen while I’m folding laundry or running errands. The next Open House Call is slated for December 8 and covers effective email prospecting with Ed Gandia of The Wealthy Freelancer. 
  3. iTunes U
    iTunes U includes recordings of journalism courses from several prestigious journalism programs including Oxford, Yale, and Poynter Institute. This platform’s course offerings are vast, so it’s also an opportunity to further your subject matter expertise, learning more about, for instance, international relations, the stock market, or healthcare policy. These are also handy for listening on long car trips, train rides, etc., if you’re traveling over the holidays.
  4. Internet Marketing for Smart People
    This 20-part, email-based course from the smartypants behind the popular blog Copyblogger covers the four pillars of online marketing success: relationships, direct response copywriting, content marketing, and having something worth selling. I have all the messages in my in-box, and I’m hoping to set aside some time later this month to read through them. (Such is the challenge with email courses, isn’t it?)
  5. The Knight Digital Media Center’s Multimedia Skill Tutorial
    In addition to their week-long boot camps at UC-Berkeley, the Knight Digital Media Center offers a free multimedia skill tutorial available online. These self-paced tutorial covers web design tools, audio recording, video editing, storyboarding, and more. I haven’t gone through all the tutorials yet, but it’s on my to-do list.
What about you? Is there an online training program for copywriters or journalists that you’d add to this list?

Photo courtesy of Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: freelance writing, writing Tagged With: , , , ,

8 Ways Freelancers Can Show Gratitude

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Thank YouA few days ago, I received an unexpected package: a box of goodies from Good Karmal along with a note of thanks from a fellow freelancer. It was a very sweet way to show appreciation, and with Thanksgiving approaching, it got me thinking about how freelancers can express gratitude to our clients, our colleagues, and others in our lives. Here’s a list of eight ways

  1. Write a note.
    I’m a sucker for pretty stationery, so I’ll use almost any excuse to buy a card on Etsy or break out my collection of paper goods. I may not have the best handwriting in the world, but I always enjoy getting a handwritten note, so I’d imagine other people do as well, especially since so much of our communication is via email or text nowadays. I recently got a nice card from an author who interviewed me for her upcoming book. And sometimes I’ll find a handwritten notes sandwiched inside a galley or a review copy of a book. Hint: if you don’t have someone’s mailing address, you might be able to find it at the bottom of their email newsletter, since CAN-SPAM requires emailers to include a physical address. Or you could just ask.
  2. Send a small gift. 
    Who doesn’t enjoy caramels with inspirational sayings on the wrappers? The Good Karmels were a nice surprise, but other small gifts work, too. After a Twitter follower spent some time helping me with a technical glitch in my ebook, I sent him an Amazon gift card (bonus: you don’t need someone’s physical address to email them a gift card). Books also make great gifts for the literary-minded and they’re inexpensive to ship via media mail, so I’ll sometimes send a friend a book they might enjoy just because.
  3. Link liberally.
    Bloggers want links. Journalists want eyeballs on their articles. When I come across something worth sharing, I’ll link to it on my blog, post it on Facebook or Google +, or tweet it. Linking is good karma, but it’s also a great way for your friends or followers to discover interesting content. For instance, I recently saw an interesting post on successful mom bloggers and another on ways to find new freelance clients.
  4. Leave a comment.
    Comments make a blogger’s day! Although negative comments can show that the article or post sparked debate and attracted attention (and yes, some bloggers post controversial statements specifically for this reason), I prefer to play nice. You might disagree with someone, but keep it respectful.
  5. Offer a testimonial or referral.
    Testimonials offer social proof, while referrals keep many freelancers and small businesses afloat. If, for instance, you’re partnering with a graphic designer who does an awesome job on a brochure, you could write them a recommendation on LinkedIn or refer them to some of your other clients. Remember, though, just because some asks for a testimonial or referral doesn’t mean you have to give it. And if someone writes a lukewarm testimonial or refers you to a prospect who isn’t quite right, you can always graciously decline.
  6. Give a #FollowFriday shout out.
    If you’re on a Twitter, then you’ve probably noticed people using hashtags like #FollowFriday or #FF towards the end of the week. The idea is to make recommendations about who to follow on Twitter, but in my opinion, it’s turned into a whole lot of noise. That’s why I choose just one person to highlight each week and include a short tidbit about why they’re worth following.
  7. Buy a book.
    I’ve already posted about ways that readers can help their favorite authors, and #1 was (of course) buying their book. Buy copies for yourself, give them as gifts, donate them to your local library if you can. Books have gotten pricier, but if you think about them relative to other types of entertainment, they’re pretty affordable on an hourly basis. And once you’re done with it, you can keep it to reread, pass along to a friend, or swap it on a site like BookMooch.
  8. Post a review.
    I sometimes feel guilty for not buying the full-price, hardcover edition of all my colleagues’ latest books. So, for instance, when Amazon was offering a free Kindle download of a fellow freelancers’ new book, I downloaded the Kindle version and posted a review on Amazon (mentioning that I knew her, of course).
What do you think? Anything else you’d add to this list?

Flickr image courtesy of woodleywonderworks

Filed Under: freelance writing Tagged With: ,
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