By Sarah Rexman

Many employees who work  for corporations  will get a raise or cost-of-living increase with their annual review. Some even get a bonus in addition to their raise. Yet as a freelance writer, you may toil away for many years without ever raising your rates — possibly because you want to remain competitive, partly because you don’t want to scare off your clients, and partly because you may not feel confident in your writing abilities.

If you don’t regularly raise your rates as a freelance writer, you could end up charging far less than what you’re worth for far too long. Why should you be working for entry-level wages when you have become an experienced and prolific writer?

You need not feel intimidated by raising your rates as a freelance writer, just keep the following in mind:

Be Confident

First, you must realize the value that you provide to clients. Have confidence in your writing talent. Don’t be intimidated by telling your clients that you are raising your rates. Your clients will likely recognize your talent, and they don’t want to have to start over with someone new. Most will happily pay your new rates, provided they represent a reasonable and justifiable raise.

Give Plenty of Notice

Once you have decided to raise your rates, you should let your clients know when they can expect those changes by giving them as much notice as possible. A month or two months is preferable. This gives you both time to talk about the changes and to negotiate if necessary.

Giving your clients notice is also professional courtesy. Announcing a rate change and demanding that it take effect immediately or within a few days or a week will only blindside your clients and make them feel bullied. Even if your clients don’t want to stay with you after your rate increase (or can’t afford to), you want to make sure that you can preserve the relationship in case they need you again in the future or can refer you to another client.

Also recognize that with some clients, you may not be able to announce your rates; rather, you may have to request an increase. Many magazines and newspapers work on a set fee schedule, and you cannot often command your rates. However, you can request an increase, and they may grant it.

Be Honest

Don’t apologize for raising your rates, and don’t make excuses. You are a professional, and raising your rates is a part of business.

When you announce your rate increase, you can offer an explanation if you think it’s necessary, or if your clients ask. Be honest: Explain that you have developed as a writer, and your rates no longer reflect your abilities. Or explain that you have acquired new skills through training or licensure. You can also tell them that all of your clients are now paying more, and you want to create parity.

Whatever the reason, never present it as an excuse. Always be honest and direct, and don’t apologize.

Keep It Modest

We’d all like to be paid $500 an hour, but few of us are — and few of us ever will be. Just because you can raise your rates doesn’t mean you should raise them as high as you’d like. Make sure the raise is appropriate in relation to your previous rate and for what the market will bear.  You can get an idea for going rates by checking out http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php.

If you made $40 an hour before, then a new rate of $80 an hour  — or a 100 percent raise — is likely inappropriate. Typically, a raise of 10 to 15 percent would be tolerated.

Accept that You May Lose Clients

Know before you announce your rate change that not all of your clients will stay with you. Some may not agree that your rates reflect the value of the work you provide for them (either because they feel the quality of your work does not meet the level or pay, or because they feel the simplicity of the work does not warrant the higher pay). Others may simply not be able to afford you.

Accept that losing a few clients is a typical, if not expected, part of the process. You will soon gain new clients to replace them.

Raising your freelance writing rates can be intimidating at first, but keeping these tips in mind can help. Just remember to be professional: Give your clients as much notice as you can, be honest about your reasons, and choose rates that are an appropriate increase over your previous wages.

Have you raised your freelance writing rates this year? What tips do you have for others who are considering raising their rates? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Sarah Rexman is the main researcher and writer for bedbugs.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Florida State, with a degree in environmental science.  Her current focus for the site involves researching how to kill bugs in bed and avoiding hotels with bed bugs.

Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Internet and the digital age have revamped almost everything about our world: The way we read books (good-bye, print), listen to music (adios, CDs), get our news (sayonara, newspapers), even changing our language. The Web has added so many new words to our vocabulary. But grammar pundits, who are rigorous about insisting that language rules be logical and consistent, seem to be at odds with the general public, which largely prefers ease and convenience.

So, is it email or e-mail? Web site or website? Online or on-line?

A handful of grammarians (picture a room full of nerds from The Big Bang Theory adjusting their spectacles) are in charge of defining formal standards, but the Internet is a medium of the people—and, often, common usage trumps formal standards. There is power in numbers after all. It will be interesting to see who will win the battle: grammarians or the masses. (Note: Our money’s on Joe Sixpack…and that digital hyphens are for the Angry Birds.)

While that story develops, here’s the policy that we at Writer’s Relief have adopted—and you’re welcome to steal our strategy (think of it as a free download!). Keep in mind that as the gap between proper grammar and common usage shrinks, it’s likely that our policy will shift too. With the Internet, nothing stays still for too long.

How to write “online” or “on-line”
We’re starting with this one because it’s the easiest. “Online” has been preferable to “on-line” for a while now, both formally and informally.

How to write “email” or “e-mail”
Should you use the word “email” with a hyphen or without? Informally, “email” with no hyphen is acceptable. “Email” is used much more often than “e-mail,” especially on the Internet.

However, if you’re submitting a short story or sending a formal letter, “e-mail” is still technically correct, so in formal creative writing, it may be a good idea to use the formal spelling. Only one thing’s really clear here: You don’t need to capitalize the “e” in “email.”

How to write “website” or “Web site”
The word “Web” comes from the phrase “World Wide Web.” Both “World Wide Web” and “Internet” are currently considered proper nouns and should be capitalized. So if you’re writing the phrase “Web server,” or if you’re saying, “Let’s surf the Web,” it’s better to capitalize “Web” the same way you would capitalize “Internet.”

Because “Web” and “Internet” are capitalized proper nouns, some grammarians argue that “website” should be written as “Web site.” That said, very few people except grammarians are using the spelling “Web site.” It’s awkward (one part of the phrase is capitalized, and the other isn’t, which makes many people uncomfortable).

“Web site” has been informally changed by the general population to “website,” no caps, no space between. More people are typing “website” into search engines than “Web site.” “Website” seems to have moved beyond slang and become a common usage. Dictionaries and style guides are only just beginning to catch up: “website” is currently acceptable according to the AP Stylebook.

(Note: In the future, “Internet” and “World Wide Web” might also lose their initial capital letters. But it’s too soon to tell for sure.)

When in doubt…

If you’re not sure about which phrasing to use in a given situation, it may be best to simply go with the formal standards. We recommend Merriam-Webster’s website for reference. You can’t go wrong following the rules.

However, bear in mind that many grammar pundits believe there’s a good chance that the informal usage will ultimately take precedence over formal usage. The rules are very slowly catching up with the times. Stay plugged in to Writer’s Relief, and we’ll keep you updated on grammar and usage rules.

Writer’s Relief was founded in 1994 to help creative writers make well-targeted, professional submissions to literary agents and editors. Lots of hot publishing leads and submissions strategy tips are included on their blog and website. If you love to write but you hate the paperwork, you need Writer’s Relief! Learn more on on the Writer’s Relief website. 

Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week was the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) annual conference. Being an over-achiever (or possibly a sadist), I moderated the session on LinkedIn Friday morning and spoke on a panel called secrets of successful freelancers that afternoon. My strategy as moderator has always been to choose really stellar speakers and get out of their way so they can impart their wisdom to attendees.

My speakers did not disappoint in that regard. In fact, they probably could have held the audience’s attention and continued giving awesome tips for the rest of the day. LinkedIn spokesperson Lindsey Pollak, author of Getting from College to Career, started the panel with her 15 LinkedIn tips in 15 minutes, then Allison Hemming, founder of NYC-based digital talent agency The Hired Guns, offered the client and recruiter perspective on LinkedIn.

I’m already familiar with the platform (after all, I wrote the ebook LinkedIn and Lovin’ It for Rockable Press last year), but I picked up several gems watching Lindsey and Allison’s presentations. Here are a few highlights:

• Use keywords throughout your profile. Improve your likelihood of showing up in searches by including relevant keywords in your headline, skills section, and the body of your profile. Your headline should be descriptive, but prospective clients probably aren’t searching for terms like “witty wordstress” or “SEO-savvy scribe,” so avoid getting too creative or cutesy with your headline.
• Update your profile with travel plans (even if they’re not business-related). This is an easy way to keep your profile current and potentially connect with users in other cities. Lindsey related a story about flying to Los Angeles for a baby shower and instead appearing on NBC Nightly News. She’d used the TripIt app to announce that she was flying to Los Angeles for “meetings” and a producer looking for a workplace expert asked if she was available that evening for an on-camera interview. Score!
• Include the formal name and domain name for online pubs. Allison explained that recruiters looking for digital talent with specific big-name credits might try a few different search terms starting with the name of the website. For instance, if her staff needed to locate a freelancer who’s contributed to the Wall Street Journal online, they’d like start by typing WSJ.com, then try terms like WSJ and Wall Street Journal. Including all of these terms in your profile ensures that you’re easy to find!

By Greg Walker

Proofreading. The word alone is enough to bore the socks off most writers. After going through the whole creative process and editing your work down to a work of art bordering on the sublime, you’re presented with the wearisome process of taking a magnifying glass to your sentences and going on a hunt for misplaced commas.

And yet… misplaced commas can be very costly indeed. About as costly as futile full stops, pointless paragraph breaks, and using grandiose-sounding words in completely the wrong places (which can be spectacularly embarrassing—I speak from experience).

They are costly because mistakes get noticed, especially by eagle-eyed clients who are only too happy to point out each tiny error you make (you know the sort). That might lead to nothing more than a bruised ego but, egos aside, the cumulative effect of too many trivial errors can be devastating.

No matter how small the mistake, if the client decides that they would not have made the same error then they inevitably begin to question why they are paying someone to write for them in the first place.

But if you had any doubt about the seriousness of proofreading, here are some of my all-time favorite mistakes where even the most basic of final checks would have been enough to prevent monumental embarrassment.

1. It’s Welsh, But It Ain’t Right
   We’ll start with the best of the lot. This mistake occurred in Wales a few years ago, where road signs are written in both English and Welsh, meaning translations are a frequent requirement.

   After writing out the content of one particular sign, an anonymous official then sent it off to be translated. The email was returned soon after containing a sentence in Welsh. Job done.

   It was only when the sign was put up in full public view that the full extent of the mistake became apparent. The sign was split into two halves. The top half read: ‘No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only’. And below it, the Welsh translation.

   It looked all well and good… unless you could read Welsh. For although the translation was certainly Welsh, it was not exactly a faithful translation of the English above it.

   Instead, it read: “Am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated.”

   It has since become the most famous auto-reply in the world. Or in Wales, at least.

2. Bad Advice from the King James Bible
   The Bible. A source of inspiration and guidance to millions of people across the world. So here more than in any other book you’d think that careful proofreading was essential.

   Unfortunately, the 1631 version of The King James Bible ended up providing some particularly bad advice to the faithful.

   Most of it was fine, but if you happened to read Exodus 20:14, better known as the Seventh Commandment, you may have found the advice slightly conflicting with what you had been taught in church: “Thou shalt commit adultery.”

   The printers received a fine of £300 for their error, and the version, which became known as the ‘Sinners Bible’, was soon withdrawn. Eleven copies apparently still exist after nearly 400 years to remind us all of the potential perils of proofreading failure.

3. Red Faces on the Blue Side of Manchester
   I’ve got a friend who supports Manchester City, now one of the biggest soccer teams in England. They have a fierce rivalry with Manchester United, who have seen far more success over recent years. So when Manchester City made it to the FA Cup Final in 2011, it was their moment to shine.

   However, the event very nearly proved disastrous when some anonymous worker in the flag factory made a very bad mistake indeed.

   It is customary on such occasions for the Football Association to print out tens of thousands of flags to give away to supporters on the big day. But just days before the event, the flags were delivered only to reveal that they all bore the name ‘Manchester United’. Luckily they got changed in time, but heads had to roll over that blunder.

4. ‘Embarrassing’ Parker Pens Mistake
   Translation mistakes make for some of the funniest proofreading blunders, and sometimes you really do have to wonder how such obvious mistakes were never caught out.

   Parker Pens is one of those firms which is clearly not paying its proofreaders enough money, as was revealed so spectacularly when it decided to boldly enter the Mexican market.

   The mistake arose due to one of the most notorious ‘false friends’ in English and Spanish translation. False friends are words which sound the same but mean very different things. The verb ‘to embarrass’ sounds a lot like ‘embarazar’… but ‘embarazar’ means ‘to become pregnant’.

   So the company certainly made an impression, but perhaps for all the wrong reasons, when it made the surprising declaration that its pens ‘won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant’.

   Anyone who knows Spanish would have easily spotted the error, so it’s a wonder that this one managed to get through the net. Or maybe it was all just some elaborate marketing ploy to make headlines?

5. Always Proofread
   No one is foolproof. Writers will always make mistakes, and even careful proofreading is sometimes not enough to prevent errors from getting through. In fact, I’m almost certain someone will pick up on at least one mistake I’ve made in this article, even though I’ve proofed it twice.

   Some writers hire professional proofreaders to check over their work before handing it in. Personally, I don’t do this. But I have built up my own little system to help me catch the real humdingers.

   This involves writing and editing as early as possible, and then putting the work aside for a few days before proofreading it just before handing it in. I also have a list of the most common mistakes I make (‘their’ and ‘there’ seem to get mixed up on an embarrassingly frequent basis), and I do a quick check for these mistakes on every piece of work I deliver.

This catches most of the mistakes I make, and I’m certain that a few of my clients would not still be clients if I had regularly missed these errors.

So always proofread. It’s not fun, and there is no way to make it something that you look forward to doing. But it can prevent you making minor or major mistakes that can not only prove to be very embarrassing, but can also cost you clients.

Proofreading effectively is just one way to improve your writing and enjoy more success as a freelancer. For more information and tips on taking your writing even further and winning better clients, head to Pro Web Writing where Greg Walker has written a free ebook providing details of a few ways to make money from your writing.

Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.

Image: sj_sanders / Flickr

By Diane Stresing

Earth Day comes around every year on April 22. Here are seven ways writers can celebrate – and help save the planet – every day.

1. Commit to a pro-bono project for your local park system or a conservation organization. Get creative; your local APL or Goodwill also counts. I take photos and update the Facebook page for one of my favorite park organizations; since I took on the project, its fan base has more than quadrupled. Which makes me happy because, first, it’s a great organization and second, because it provides me with a great reference account.
2. Reuse your paper. Look, we’re writers – we use paper. If your printer has a duplex feature, learn to use it, and make sure used paper ends up in the recycle bin. If your printer doesn’t duplex, learn to edit onscreen as much as possible, and instead of just recycling the paper, consider creative re-use options for it. For example, I know of two local preschools that love to get white paper that’s unused on one side. The kids draw on it, and use it in other crafts. (Makes me smile just thinking about it!) Another feel-good, good-for-the-earth reuse: shredded paper in the compost bin.
3. Make “fast draft” a habit. Sometimes, you have to print. Use the “fast draft” setting as your printer’s default and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by using less ink and making fewer trips to the office supply store. Also, check into Ecofontsofware’s green printing applications.
4. Green up when you spruce up. Do you use long-lasting, energy efficient bulbs in your office lighting? You know you should. And the next time you paint, remember to use low-odor/low emission paint or save money (if you’re not super-picky about color) by buying paint and other building supplies and furniture from a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, local thrift store, or even garage sale.
5. Be a green techie. You know that familiar advice to writers, “always have a pad of paper with you?” It’s sage, but dated. Try keeping those endless lists in your phone or if you need more keyboard/screen space, use ‘green’ as an excuse to buy an iPad or tablet PC (you know you want one) and use that as your new pad to draft notes on while you wait at the dentist’s office or for that always-running-late client.
6. Balance out those new-tech purchases by re-using and recycling everything you can. Make it a point of pride to pull out your “old” phone (what? You’ve had it 18 months already?) and say, “I just can’t justify getting a new one when I know this one will end up in a landfill.” Speaking of landfills, ink cartridge refill options have improved tremendously in the past 3-5 years, and many schools have recycling-fundraiser collection bins for the ones you can’t refill. Reuse ‘em as many times as you can, then donate. When you finally do upgrade your phone, find a spot on the EPA’s list of placesto drop off the old one for recycling.
7. Be good to yourself while you’re good to the planet. Commit to some fresh air and exercise everyday. Your posture and posterior will thank you. How to squeeze it in? Instead of a lunch meeting, plan a working walk with a friend or colleague. Or, figure out how to do an errand or two on foot or by bike. Mother Earth will really appreciate it.

Diane Stresing recycles, composts, and gets fresh air and exercise (almost) every day. She writes health and technology articles for consumer publications, white papers and web copy for B2B clients, and is the author of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland.

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many times, at the start of an important project, I find myself doing the following:

• Drinking cup after cup of tea
• Taking the dogs for an extra walk
• Napping
• Staring out the window
• Going to Facebook-yet again-to see if anything is new with anyone
• Eating cheese doodles

I’m good at justifying all of this, too, with the exception of the cheese doodles. The tea? It has caffeine in it and I need caffeine to think clearly. The walk? I get my best ideas while walking. Plus it tires out the dogs so they are less likely to distract me. The nap? Apparently I’m tired! What working mother isn’t? Staring? Similar to walking, this is often how I get ideas. Facebook? Everyone is always saying that social networking is important to career success.

In reality, though, what I’m doing is procrastinating. I’m hesitating. I’m holding back.

For many years, I thought that procrastination stemmed from three problems:

1. Fatigue. Sometimes I just can’t think straight.
2. Multitasking. My brain only seems capable of working on two to three big writing projects a day. If I try to add a fourth, I end up using up every tea bag in the house and noticing a lot of what takes place outside my window.
3. Not being ready. Ideas are like panning for gold. They don’t always show up when one is looking for them.

While, at times, all of those reasons are true, Manhattan therapist Jonathan Alpert recently suggested a fourth to me: fear. I worked with Alpert on his book Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days. Initially, I thought the project would result in a nice paycheck. It never occurred to me that I would learn something that would change the way I approach new projects.

Fear leads to procrastination, he says, especially when you focus too much on the end result: excellence. Suddenly little demons invade your brain, whispering demotivating thoughts like, “This editor is going to hate this,” “I’ll never get this done on time,” “I can’t believe I got this assignment. I’m in way over my head,” and, the ultimate, “I suck, and this sucks, too. I’m doomed. Why did I ever think a career in writing was possible for me? I should have become a waitress.”

Once I realized that fear was behind my inertia, I began approaching new projects differently. I broke them down into small tasks–tasks that I could easily finish in 15 minutes to an hour. For instance, an initial task might be, “Pick five people to interview for the Parents assignment.” Once I check that off, I might assign myself the task of contacting them and setting up interviews. Later on in the process, I might assign myself the task of “typing gibberish onto the screen.” After that is the task of organizing some of that gibberish.

I continue to approach the project in small chunks until, eventually, I reach a flow state where I no longer have to think about what I’m doing. I’m in the zone.

I learned so much from Alpert that I asked him to serve on a panel at the upcoming American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference called “Face Your Writing Fears.” For this panel, he and business coach Jonathan Fields, author of Uncertainty, will conduct an interactive workshop, helping writers overcome everything from procrastination to fear of pitching to writer’s block.

Below are tips for overcoming procrastination from Alpert and that panel’s moderator, Jen Singer, author of many parenting books and the creator of MommaSaid.net and ParentingWithCancer.com.

Set goals. “While the allure of Words with Friends is ever present, so is the appeal of a positive cash flow,” says Singer. “If you find yourself procrastinating often, set goals – daily, weekly, monthly and annually.” For instance, Singer sets goals to fix her router (a daily goal), finish interviews for an article by Friday (weekly), send out X number of pitches (monthly) and write book proposals and books (annually).  “That way, the nebulous goal of getting stuff done doesn’t get lost in a Triple Word Score,” she says.

Remind yourself of the dangers of putting things off. “Think about the amount of stress caused by putting off things and how much frustration will be caused if you continue not to take action,” says Alpert. “Imagine how good you’ll feel once you finally do act. Compare the cost of taking action to not taking it at all.”

Change your language. Alpert suggests you avoid phrases such as “I can’t” and “I have to” and replace them with “I will” and “I want to.”

Draw a line down the center of a page. “On the left side write down how life will be one year from now if you accomplish your goals,” says Alpert. “On the other side write how it will be in one year having not completed your goals. Both will yield powerful information that will drive your forward.”

Take a deep breath and jump. “I’m a soccer coach, and I have a soccer ball paperweight that reads ‘You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,’ and it’s true,” says Singer. “I would never had made it onto the Today show or in The New York Times if I had succumbed to fear. So I heed what Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘Do something every day that scares you.’ Even if you’re feeling weak, pitch as though you are your own client, and you’re trying to sell you and your talents to a golden market. Distance yourself from your product – your pitch – and do that thing that scares you even if it’s just once a day.”

For more help in overcoming writing fears, attend the ASJA Conference April 26 to 28 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. [Ed note: I'm moderating the LinkedIn for Journalists panel and speaking on the Secrets of Successful Freelancers panel, both on Friday, April 27.]

Alisa Bowman is the author of Project: Happily Ever After, which tells the story of how she went from the brink of divorce to falling back in love. She is also the creator of ProjectHappilyEverAfter.com, which is a gathering spot for recovering divorce daydreamers. She’s also co-chair of the 2012 ASJA Conference. 

Just as writing for the web requires different tactics than writing for print, writing for social media is different than writing for the web. Writers need to evaluate their style and approach when writing for social media in order to meet the unique needs of this medium.

Know Your Audience
One of the biggest ways in which social media writing differs from web writing is the fact that you are writing for specific people, not for algorithms. Even though web writing is generally crafted to appeal to people, it must also take into account how to best attract attention from search engines and how to stand out in search results. With social media, the emphasis is on building conversations and relationships, not page rank. Content has to appeal to specific individuals, not aggregate groups, and must be written in a way that encourages sharing.

So-Me Writing for Dummies
While talented writers can produce content for just about any medium, to be a successful social media writer, it helps if you’re a sociable person. The same qualities that make you successful in social settings will help you with social media. Below are some helpful tips.

• Be yourself. With social media, it’s best to be authentic. People generally respond most to those whom they perceive as being genuine. Regardless of whether they agree or disagree with you, by being yourself, you will at least reveal your personality which helps start conversation.
• Don’t worry about building a platform or a brand. People gravitate towards social media for interaction and connection, not to receive broadcast marketing messages or to simply follow carefully crafted statements. Make them feel that they have a personal connection with you.
• Participate in conversations. Social media is about listening and responding to others, not just talking about yourself. Building an audience is artificial; letting one gather around you is organic.
• Share what you love. Don’t limit yourself to posting content revolving around a limited subject matter. Share things across a variety of topics that entertain, engage, or excite you, but be sparing about sharing things that irritate or anger you.

Perfect Match
Writers are particularly suited to use social media because it relies on the ability to write compelling and interesting content. It’s all about the words. Most writers are also natural storytellers, a skill that meshes perfectly with this medium. Social media can also help relieve some of the isolation many writers face. Writing is a solitary occupation and social media can help connect you to potential clients, industry leaders, other writers, and readers.

Speaking of readers, most writers don’t have the opportunity to meet their readers, much less to find out what they like or don’t like, but they can do just that with social media. Engaging with readers can be fulfilling on a personal level, can increase audience retention, and can help you as the writer come up with new content ideas.

Victim of Your Own Success
Despite all of the positive aspects of social media, writers should be cautious about falling victim to common social media pitfalls, such as:

• Distraction. Social media should supplement and support your writing life, not supplant it. If you’re spending more time on social media than you are on your writing, you probably need to re-evaluate your priorities and goals.
• Over sharing. While you’re encouraged to share details of your personal and writing life, there is a line that you shouldn’t cross. Sharing uncomfortable personal details, the uninteresting minutiae of everyday life, or gloating about your successes (or rivals’ failures) can backfire and drive followers away.
• Arguments, sour grapes, and unbridled criticism. Social media is not the place to start or engage in public squabbles or to air your dissatisfactions with your career, fellow writers, the industry, or life in general. Similarly, you shouldn’t use it to blast other writers’ work. Just like in the offline world, you should strive to maintain your professionalism online.

Making the “Write” Connections
Social media can be an incredibly effective tool and rewarding experience for writers who are looking to not only market themselves and their work, but to establish genuine connections with other people. Social media can also help you stay informed on developing trends and monitor longer term trends. For writers, it also makes for an excellent research resource. By tapping into the collective knowledge and experience in your network, writers can quickly gain new perspectives, contacts, suggested reading, reviews on products, and an array of other information. It’s a great way to connect with other writers, creatives, readers, and industry insiders, helping you take your career to the next level while meeting people and making friends along the way.

This article was written by Kaity Nakagoshi and provided by University Alliance, on behalf of the University of San Francisco’s online program.  They offer a variety of professional certification opportunities, including a master certificate in internet marketing and a specialized certificate in advanced social media training. To find out additional information please visit: http://www.usanfranonline.com.

Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.

Top image: sixninepixels / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Before you start to build your following, though, ask yourself these questions:

Why do you want more Twitter followers? Plenty of successful authors aren’t on Twitter because they’re focused on writing books or other long-form pieces. If that’s your focus or you really don’t enjoy Twitter, maybe it’s not the right platform for you. Despite what some people tell you, not everyone has to be on Twitter. I resisted joining for quite awhile, but once I jumped in, I discovered that I love the short, fast-paced conversations that serve as a virtual water-cooler for me. In fact, I like Twitter a lot more than Facebook, because it’s simpler and the relationships can be asymmetrical.

What kind of followers are you looking for? Most likely, you want followers who are interested and engaged in the things you tweet about, so go for quality, not quantity. (If quantity was all you were after, you could buy followers on eBay, but that’s sketchy in my opinion.) Since I blog about writing and freelancing (as @UrbanMuseWriter), most of my 5k+ followers are fellow freelancers, writers, editors, and other creative pros. Since I sometimes crowdsource sources, PR pros and people I’ve interviewed in the past follow me as well.

Still want to boost your Twitter following and break the four-figure mark? Here’s what has worked for me:

1. Participate in Twitter chats. @MichelleRafter hosts a monthly Twitter chat for writers (#WCLW) so I participate when I can and I always find relevant followers through that, not to mention the camaraderie and tips I enjoy along the way. @EFAFreelancers also hosts a monthly chat called Freelance Fridays (#EFAchat) and I was the March “guest,” which again boosted my following.
2. Post retweetable content. I’ve found that interesting quotes, enticing headlines, and pithy tips tend to get shared and RT’ed, which exposes my Twitter handle to my followers’ followers. Make sure your tweets are short enough they can be RT’ed with your Twitter handle without shortening. Otherwise, it’s too much work for the RT’er. Using the phrase “please RT” sparingly also tends to get RTs (it sounds suspect but there are studies that back this up).
3. Livetweet events. I attended the Blog Better Boston Conference (#BBBos) a few weeks ago and tweeted up a storm. As fellow attendees follow the live feed of the conference hashtag, they tend to follow other attendees and RT interesting sound bytes, which again exposes me to their followers. I’ll also be tweeting at #ASJA2012 later this month.
4. Participate in #FollowFriday. Most people tweet a list of recommended follows each week, but I’ve found that I get more mileage out of highlighting one person and explaining why they’re worth following. For instance, “Happy #followfriday to @NikkiGroom. Just discovered her blog & am enjoying the sassy style & interesting topics.” When you send something personalized like that, the personis more apt to RT the #FollowFriday shout out or RT your other content in the future. Now I’m more focused on #FridayReads, where I mention the name of the book I’m currently, give a capsule summary in some cases, and include the author’s handle whenever I can.
5. RT others. When you RT other people in your niche, they’re more likely to follow you and/or RT you in the future. However, some people are turned off by too many RTs, because they want your point of view rather than you just repeating what others have said. That’s why you need a happy medium of original content and RTs.

Image courtesy of Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I spent Saturday at the first (and hopefully annual) Blog Better Boston Conference. Boston’s a fantastic city and all, but I admit I have a bit of conference envy, since we don’t have big ones like BlogHer, South by Southwest, or ASJA. When I heard about a one-day blogging conference at Google’s Cambridge offices, I jumped on the early bird registration page (and good thing, because tickets sold out).

The conference was a whirlwind of networking, livetweeting (I had two browsers open, tweeting to two different accounts), note-taking, business card-exchanging, and chatting with over a hundred super-friendly and enthusiastic bloggers. It was heartening to see that you don’t always have to travel to New York or San Fran (or pay hundreds of dollars) for that kind of immersive experience. And several of the panelists came from out-of-state, including an editor from RealSimple.com.

Here are some of the themes that emerged from the panels and discussions with attendees.

• You can’t do it all. The more ways there are to promote a blog or brand, the more overwhelmed we get. In addition to updating our blogs, now we have to stay active on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook, and keep up with other blogs in Google Reader. Or do we? Several panelists stressed that not all social media platforms work for all bloggers, so it’s smart to focus on what works for you and ignore the rest. Lillie of Around the World “L” compared each social media platform to rooms at a party where you can’t be everywhere at once. And as far as Google Reader goes, it’s just not realistic to read every post from every blogger you know. In fact, I find it cathartic to periodically declare “RSS bankruptcy,” mark all as read, and start over from scratch.
• Stay true to your voice and brand. This is especially important as bloggers start monetizing through affiliate links or partnerships with brands. Notice I said partnerships, not sponsorships, a distinction that the hilarious Nirasha of Mommy Niri was adamant about, because bloggers need to approach brands from a position of strength, not supplication. Niri also cautioned against pimping products for a brand. Instead, it should be about capturing the feelings behind a brand that you’re truly proud of and creating unique experiences for readers. I’m super-picky about affiliaties and brand partnerships because of journalistic ethics, but I’ve written about talent agencies working with bloggers for Portfolio.com and interviewed Jen Singer of Mama Said for a post about brand ambassadorships for Ebyline.
• Community matters more than stats. Bloggers tend to obsess over stats: Twitter followers, Facebook likes, page views, click rates, and so on. But the real measure of how you’re doing is how engaged your community is, a point that was driven home by the panels on Monetizing a Blog and Traffic and Community. Companies with affiliate programs want bloggers with a loyal following of readers who will actually buy the items they recommend. And when it comes to creating community, offline events and conversations can be powerful ways to build community. As Renee of Eat.Live.Blog put it, “If you can’t find the community you’re looking for, create it.”

Yes, I can work extra hours on the evenings and weekends to catch up, but most sources and clients want to schedule phone calls during business hours, and I can’t very well interview someone while the oral surgeon is poking around my mouth. And burning the candle at both ends isn’t good for my health either.

I realize I’m a wuss and that you could be dealing with weekly chemotherapy session or some chronic illnesses that I’m fortunate not to have. If you have experience in this area, please leave a comment below with any tips or wisdom! Here are the strategies I’m using.

• Combine appointments.
  Each individual appointment eats up travel time. Choosing a nearby provider can help but of course there are many other factors to consider: cost, expertise, comfort level, insurance, etc. I try to combine appointments when I can; for instance, seeing the dentist and his colleague the oral surgeon on the same day or having tests done while I’m there. Sometimes you can reduce copays this way, but other freelancers might prefer to space out appointment so they’re not away for a whole afternoon.
• Schedule strategically.
  Some people like to schedule appointments first thing in the morning to get it out of the way and hopefully avoid long wait times. I prefer the last appointment of the day when possible, because I’m not a morning person and I don’t want to start my day in a waiting room. Appointments often run late (even if you’re numero uno) or traffic causes delays so I can’t count on getting home by a certain time. I’ve also learned the hard way that if the eye doctor is involved, it’s smart to schedule for the end of the day so I’m not struggling to read my computer screen through dilated eyes.
• Calm yourself.
  Some people take a Xanax or Ibuprofen pre-emptively. I listen to piano music on Pandora through my headphones and wear an eye mask to distance myself from the dentist’s chair. This also signals that while I’m sure you’re wonderful conversationalists, I’d rather skip the small talk and just get it over with. (Oh, and I’m a redhead so could I get a little extra Novacaine over here? Thanks!) After a dental procedure, I like to catch up on Downton Abby and enjoy soft, comforting foods (pudding is a good ice cream alternative if you’re cold-sensitive).
• Bring reading material.
  Philippa Willitts reminded me on Twitter that sitting in a doctor’s office (which I hate) is a chance to do market research with the magazines in the waiting room. Amelia Ramstead told me she freelances around her autistic son’s appointments and always brings her network to squeeze in a little work. I’ve done both, and I also find that having an iPhone makes it easy to keep up with email while I wait. A friend told me she actually kept reading The Hunger Games while getting a shot to distract herself from the pain.
• Find a nearby coworking space.
  If I need to schedule an interview during what would normally be my travel time to or from an appointment, I go to a local coworking space on my way and do the interview in one of their conference rooms (the coworking space is walking distance from my dentist’s office). I’ve even rented a ZipCar in the parking lot of a client’s office so I’d have a quiet place to squeeze in an interview. If you have a cell phone and your own car, you could probably do this as well provided you have decent reception. Otherwise, I might hit a coffee spot after the appointment to enjoy a cake pop and answer emails before too much time elapses.

Fellow freelancers, what works for you?

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net