Writers Unbound

In order to make more money and work less hours, I’ll need to be more efficient. This past week has been an experiment as such for me, and so far so good! So, I’m going to share with you, dear reader!

• Check your email once or twice a day- no more. I’m addicted to my email, and I really like having a clean and clear email box. But, that means that I will follow up on things if I think I can do so quickly. However, those quick follow up almost always get drawn out. Turning off my email notification has solved that.
• Speaking of notifications, I’m addicted to my Crackberry. I”m kind of a geek about it. At anytime of the day, it’ll make a little noise telling me I’ve got a call, an email or a text message. I love it. I love the connection, I love being “in the know.” Guess what else I like? Quiet. It’s been working out!
• I have more issues. I can’t transition well. When I finish one project, I take too much time to move on. I get up and move around, check email, etc. One solution to this is to restrict “transition time.” Instead of getting up and walking about after one project or piece of a project, I require myself to complete two or more pieces, thus avoiding transition time wasters.
• Another way to ease the transition between projects is to compile a to-do list at the beginning of the work day. This may seem obvious, but it tends to get lost in the shuffle of early morning email and phone calls.

Following are some questions I’ve ran into lately from various peers, online and etc.

• What the heck does FNASR mean? This stands for First North American Serial Rights. First of course indicates that this is the first time your piece has been published in North America. While well known as the U.S. and Canada, you should also be aware that Mexico is geographically and officially part of North America, meaning a publisher will not have to ask for International Rights for printing in Mexico. Of course, this will most likely only be an issue in academic works, or bilingual/Latino-targeted publications. Serial rights indicates that the rights apply to a serial (repeating) publication- such as a magazine. For information on managing and making decisions about rights for your work, I highly recommend joining the Freelance Writer’s Union.
• Should I query by phone? Very rarely is this an acceptable method of pitching an article or article idea to an editor. Instead, you should carefully investigate the preferences of an editor through their writer’s page or through the Writer’s Market.
• I haven’t got paid even though I submitted my article at the beginning of December! I saw that my article came out yesterday. Am I dealing with a scam? Actually, probably not. If you have a contract for your work, check the wording. Often magazines will pay after publication. You may be getting your check any day now.
• I notice you’re a full time freelancer. Do you like it? Is it a good fit for moms? Can one really get the bills paid? I do like my job and running my own business. The bills are getting paid, but I have to bust my butt just about every single day to do so. As far as being a good fit for moms, I would not recommend trying to make full time money if you have children who are not yet in school- at least not without some kind of childcare. I have a four year old who is in preschool 3x a week. I do try to get work done the other 2 days, but it’s just so very stressful.

Thanks for all the questions, and sorry about the comments issue. The boss man here at 451 Press is working on it as we speak. Meanwhile, keep emailing using the link to your right!

I go back and forth every day about the pros and cons of running my own business versus working for someone else’s bottom line.

Now, I do realize that this Work At Home freedom is very much sought after by many people, and I’d be mistaken to not appreciate it. But, at the same time, there are some things I miss about past jobs.

I read about one freelancer who went to work for only one company, which seems like a near-perfect balance. But, I do find myself avoiding jobs that are “full time” (even if they are telecommutes) because I think I like the “newness” of my varied projects. I tend to have a short attention span, and this feeds right into that.

So, I’m doing a pros and cons to help me get a grip on my recent feelings of burnout.

PROS:

• Freedom. All sorts of freedom
• Always beginning a new job, a new subject 
• Pursuing my writing dreams
• Working for my own bottom line, not someone else’s
• Setting my own hours
• Setting my own rates (to a point, not including magazines)
• Being able to work when inspiration hits
• Being more available to my family

CONS:

• Added responsibility
• Always being “on”
• No set vacation days
• No set end time
• Beating the pavement for jobs
• Getting stiffed!

I know the vast majority of writers out there are hobbyists. Do you all think I’m crazy and looking a gift horse in the mouth? And for those that work as writers full time or freelance full time— have you ever wavered? 

This morning I watched a CNN report on barrel pricing hitting $100 a piece and thought how nice it was that I don’t have to drive to my cube job anymore! When I do have to drive somewhere, for example to client meetings, interviews, etc, I get to keep tabs of my mileage and deduct it from taxes. In the same vein, last night I spent over an hour of my Verizon minutes on a conference call….but I get to deduct it! Yet another bonus of freelancing!

This got me thinking about writer’s rates, and I wanted to pass on this useful resource that I found over at FreelanceSwitch. This rate calculator allows you to plug in your budget, the number of hours you work, the number of hours you can actually bill for, and comes back with your minimum hourly charge and your ideal hourly charge. Cha-ching! I found out that what I was billing was about right.

Here are some ways I’ve worked to set my rates. These methods have worked for me, but perhaps you have some additional suggestions for newbie freelancers out there?

• Since I used to work full time as an Editor, and also as a Marketing Writer, I knew I wanted to make at least what I made in the cube zone.

• However, one also needs to consider the fact that freelancers pay for their own health insurance, equipment and retirement (among other things). So you’d increase your hourly rate. 

• But, working from home also means that I save money. For one, my gas and auto use are reduced, as I mentioned above. If you’re a working parent, you may find childcare costs reduced, too. Office wardrobe is another consideration.

• Another tactic I used when considering my rates was the income goals I set. For example, let’s say I want to make $2000 a month. I am offered a project that I know will take a week. Since this project will take 1/4 of my available work time, in theory I should be able to charge 1/4 of my goal- or $500 for a one week project.

As you can see, setting your rate goals isn’t an exact science. I did a lot of this kind of figuring and flip flopping before I found my happy medium. You may have to put 6 months into freelancing before you find yours!

PS: I have heard some of the 451 blogs are having comment issues. If your comment gets eaten, I very much apologize!

freelance rates, rate calculators

Thank you kindly to those who followed our markets series that wrapped up yesterday. 

Moving on, I am currently reviewing “The Anti 9-5″ for my freelance writing site at About.com. It’s about leaving behind the cubicle farm for the “freedom” of freelancing.” Haha. While I adore the book, I do have a shot of reality I’d like to share!

For all those considering freelancing as a career, hoping for some of that “freedom,” I’ve decided to share with you a rundown of a day in the life of a full time freelancer:

• 7:30 Up and out the door. Since we’re down to one car for the next couple days, I have become the official chauffeur. Drop off child #1, drop off husband, drop off child #2.
• 9:00 Stop at Office Max and pick up ink for the printer that decided to suddenly die with no warning at 11:30 last night.
• 9:30 Back home. Let dog out, feed cats, print grad school applications and etc to get into the mail by 10a. Yeah, um, the deadline is Friday.
• 10 Time to “start work,” although I’m not sure what that means I’ve been doing since 7:30.
• 10 to 12 Work on editorial management of regional magazine. I have a meeting today at 4:30 with the magazine’s publisher. I showed up at the last meeting with not enough done, and the guy’s flying to Guatemala for a month on Thursday! Needless to say, he’s a bit antsy about the issue’s MLK print date.

So, this two hours of work consists of: managing his magazine, managing my email and other projects who are poking me for attention, researching for a subject interview for this afternoon, and researching for a client call also coming up this afternoon. In addition, I haven’t done any subject interview for over a year, so I have to cough up my recording equipment and digital camera.

• 12:30 Shower and prep for the interview
• 1:40 Leave
• 2:00 Realize I forgot my laptop, which I need for my 4:30 meeting with my publisher. Crap.
• 2:10 Arrive at interview. Early. Hoping he will be ready. Early.
• 2:40 Subject arrives…late.
• 3:10 I should leave the interview right now. We arranged a half hour, which should be enough for a half a page with the research already done and a stock bio covering the first paragraph.
• 3:15 Ok, I really should leave now.
• 3:30 Finally leave. Call my daughter’s school and let them know I am on my way to pick her up.
• 3:45 Pick kid up, 15 minutes late.
• 3:50 Coach kid not to make a peep during 4 pm phone interview.
• 4:00 Potential client calls. Did I mention I’m still in the car?
• 4:10 Arrive home, gather laptop, get back in car to head to next appointment. Yup, still on the phone interview with client.
• 4:30 Pick up hubby. Still on the phone interview. Yes, we still only have one car. But at least now he can drive while I talk.
• 4:34 Phone interview over.
• 4:35 Dropped off at meeting with publisher at local internet cafe.
• 5:15 Publisher has family emergency. Is called away. I eat dinner alone while waiting for my family to pick me up. They are finishing up their dinner down the street.
•  5:30-8 Family time.
• 8: Children to bed, back to work.
• 9: Conference call with About.com’s fellow channel guides.
• 10-11: Back to work (typing this post, among other things.)

A time breakdown:

1. 4 hours family time
2.  7.5 hours work time
3. 3 hours ”other”- shower, travel time, pets

;-} So that’s my life…not that I’m complaining! Hope I’ve infused some reality into your view. Best of luck!

Well, this weekend we finally finished cleaning all the dust and detritus from the construction that’s been ongoing since the first week in June. Workers attacked every room in my house. My new home office–actually my re-tooled original home office–is finally ready. For the next two days, I’ll be purging old paperwork, looking over wannabe manuscripts, and deciding which books I’ll keep and which titles will head to charity. I have entirely too many books. I have entirely too many office gadgets, writing pens depleted of ink, and stick-it notes with phone numbers I cannot identify. I must have at least 10,000 business cards collected over the years at book festivals, trade shows and during interviews.

When we moved to Florida, my original home office was a small room off the back entry way. When I say small, I mean small. It’s a former spacious laundry room. In South Carolina, I had the grandaddy office–a huge downstairs room large enough to justify the moniker ‘library.’

Ironically, if I look at the work I’ve written that won awards, as well as the two books I completed, all of it was written in the unpretentious small room.

Two years ago, we moved my office from the small whatever room to a large room just off the backyard deck. I loved the space and I set out to fill up every inch of it. I loved the view–our backyard is lush green, filled with trees and all sorts of stalks that bloom. Hummingbirds and butterflies are common.

But I soon realized that gorgeous outside view was a complete distraction. In addition, the bright light really bothered my eyes. Besides all that, the family wanted that room–”a media room” they said.

So I agreed. That began a cycle of tiling the floor, building shelves, and moving all those supplies out of that small room.

This time I’m doing it right. I am clearing out every scrap of anything that isn’t essential to my business.

So I’ll be offline Tuesday, July 31, and Wednesday, August 1. Then I’ll return to share tales of my move and some news as well.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, home office, writing room, writing business, freelance, office supplies, office equipment

After moving to Florida, I set up my home office in our sunroom. My former home was an old one, with lots of nooks, crannies and excess space. I had a large room that was perfect for an at-home freelance writing business.

In our newer home here, there wasn’t a great place for a workroom. I didn’t think we had much of a choice.

Then we decided to do extensive remodeling. As the contractors ripped up old floor tile, I studied a room off our back entry way. Technically, it’s a supply room. Technically, it’s a former laundry room. But I realized it was plenty big enough for a home office, especially now that I work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer. With everything moved out of it, ‘everything’ being defined as an obscene collection of clutter and cleaning supplies and tools, I can tell the room is actually bigger than I realized.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

I’ve always joked to friends I have an office Stephen King might envy. There’s a view of our backyard and deck area. We have old oaks, Sago Palms and a big oleander that blooms dark pink slightly lethal blossoms each year. I catch glimpses of hawks, songbirds and an occasional turtle. Butterflies and hummingbirds feed on the Lantana right by my corner window. The sunroom has seven windows in all. Very inspiring. But there are also drawbacks.

I get distracted very easily. For one thing, we have this chicken that showed up two years ago and decided she’d stay. She flew over the back fence and adopted us. She’s still basically untamed; try to touch her and you will feel the wrath of her beak. But she likes attention. She’ll show up at the door and peck on the glass until I go out and talk to her.

Then there’s the glare. I end up closing all the blinds in the afternoon because the sun is so bright it drives my eyes straight to the nearest bottle of eyedrops.

There’s also the traffic. My daughters and their friends always use the sunroom door when they head to the pool, despite the availability of a very good exit door in the family room.

Things are topsy turvy here with all the house renovations—one fellow fell through our garage ceiling not long ago, sustaining no serious injuries—but I’m planning my new workspace with enthusiasm.

It’s a lot smaller than the space I have now. But what’s important is that it’s more private and there are no windows.

Every writer needs a place of her own. Whether it’s a corner or a full room doesn’t matter. It’s what you do with the space that counts.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, home office, writing, freelance, writing business, home remodeling