The Independent Journalist

Got ideas?

Hi guys, how's everyone doing?

How are things going? Made a big sale recently? Would you like share how you did it? Perhaps you have a question or problem, and you'd like to share your experience and gain some feedback.

Ideally I'd like this site to become our site, a place where we can gather and exchange ideas on what's working and what's not.

If you've got a few minutes between calls and would like to pen a couple hundred words for the blog, please send me an e-mail at amybgreen@earthlink.net. If it's something that would help other freelancers, I'll put it up.

Thanks so much, guys.

Would you like to write for Quill?

I am looking for a columnist for the next issue of Quill, SPJ's magazine for members. The column would be for freelancers, giving quality how-to advice while sticking with the issue's theme, freedom of information. If you are a freelancer, have experience with public records and freedom of information issues and you have something to say that would help other freelancers, I'd like to hear from you.

I'd need 800 to 850 words, and you'd have a few weeks to work on it. If you're interested please e-mail me at amybgreen@earthlink.net.

Special thanks to David Wheeler, a freelancer in Kentucky, for contributing this month's Quill column for freelancers. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Calling all freelance medical writers

The Greater Chicago Area Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association will offer three workshops and one roundtable discussion at its 2008 conference on July 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Abbott Laboratories in Chicago. The workshops are open to both AMWA members and non-members. Courses include "Effective Paragraphing," "Basics of Human Anatomy and Physiology," "Launching a Freelance Medical Writer Career" and the advanced "Critical Appraisal for Writers and Editors of Biomedical Research Articles." The registration form and fees must be received by June 19 for the advanced class and by June 30 for the other course offerings. For more information, contact GCAC Education Chair, Sarah Duban.

Keeping busy when I'm not

A freelancer e-mailed recently for tips on how to avoid slow periods, in other words how to achieve a steady work load without wild highs and lows. When we're busy we don't want to waste time on pitches. When we're slow we've got no way to pay the bills.

It was a problem I struggled with when I first started out, and I still do. Business for me has been dreadfully slow in recent weeks. Here's how I deal with it.

• I rest. In May I went to Tampa about four times in three weeks. I worked six-day weeks and slept in hotels. I was tired. I try to rest up because I never know when someone will send me back to Tampa or anywhere else for that matter.
  
• I get organized. Usually I've got a stack of invoices to file or story ideas to pitch.
  
• I try to enjoy myself. When I'm not under financial pressure and when things are selling I enjoy pitching. I enjoy the creativity that goes into crafting ideas and finding markets for them. Sometimes I'll spend an afternoon at the Barnes & Noble magazine stand. Ideas flare, and that invigorates me. Immersing myself in magazines this way reminds me of why I got into this business in the first place. I toy around with my blog, a book idea or other things I never seem to have time for. I have fun with writing.
  
• Even when I'm busy I make time to pitch. Now that most publications accept queries by e-mail, when an idea is rejected it only takes a few minutes to send the idea to another publication. Some freelancers maintain a quota of queries they send every week. I've never done this because so much of my business comes from breaking news and "right-now" assignments, and sometimes when I'm busy I just go with it because I don't know when the next slow period will be. But I do keep an eye on my calendar and try to make sure I've got at least something lined up for the next week.
  
• I worry, stress and feel depressed. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit this. A few weeks into a slow stretch like this I'll start to feel frustrated and discouraged. By now I've sold three stories, and all have been put on hold at least until August. Yuck. I question my abilities as a journalist and my decisions in life.
  
• I try to remember all the other slow times. I remind myself that it's impossible to know when an astronaut will drive from Houston to Orlando with diapers to confront a romantic rival, generating months of work for me. In the news business we never know what's about to happen, what's about to pop up in our e-mail inbox. As long as I've pitched everything I can, as long as I've maintained my Web sites and done everything possible to get my name out, that's all I can do. All that's left is enjoying myself and my free time while I wait for the work to come to me. It always does.
  

So, Was It Worth It? Analyzing My Launch Into Cyberspace

Hello fellow freelancers! For those of you who remember me, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get my last post here on the blog. (For those of you who don’t remember me: never mind.)

When I last posted I had just launched my Web site, www.kathyehrichdowd.com, and promised to post one more time to let you know what I’d done to promote the site and to share my thoughts on my first foray into cyberspace.

In a nutshell, I can report that the site has not directly led to any new assignments. Editors have not discovered me on the Internet, tracked me down and handed me the assignment of my dreams on a silver platter. Not surprised? Neither am I. HOWEVER, I do feel the site has increased my street cred among publicists, fellow journalists and even interview subjects—and that alone makes me feel it is worthwhile.

I spread the word about the site in a few ways shortly after launching it late last year. First, I printed up new business cards to include my Web site address. Second, I added an email “signature” to my hotmail account, which includes the site’s address as well as my home office and cell numbers at the bottom of every email I send (unless I choose to delete it out). Doing these things took less than an hour out of my life and yet they continually pay dividends. Whether I’m trying to get in the good graces of a publicist or attempting to convince a possible interview subject to talk with me I know my Web site validates me as a journalist. I get a lot of compliments on the site and I can tell it legitimizes me a PROFESSIONAL and probably makes people think of me as more than just some fast-talking crazy lady with a hotmail address.

Not everything I did to promote the site and myself has paid off. For instance, I paid $14 for a listing on mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace for one month. (It would have been $19, but I’m an AvantGuild member so they knocked five bucks off.) I spent a lot of time crafting my listing and was proud I could provide a link to my site. Sadly, all the effort was for naught. I was contacted exactly once: by a scammer interested to involve me in an “enticing” overseas business deal.

Other than the things detailed above I have not promoted my site aggressively. Frankly, I ran out of ideas. Yahoo Small Business, the application I used to design my site, has a “promote your site” function I used shortly after it went live, but as far as I could tell it didn’t do much. It also took a month or two for my site to come up as the initial listing on Google when I’d search my name. (Yes, I am cringing while I write about Googling myself, but I know it needs to be done—though not to excess.) However, now that the site IS the first thing that comes in a Google search I am quite pleased.

So, as I wind down my final blog entry I sincerely hope some of you have benefited from my posts in some way. Also, I am currently scheduled to serve as a panelist at the SPJ national convention in September, so I hope to meet many of you in Atlanta shortly. (Also, profuse thanks to SPJ freelance committee chairwoman Amy Green, who is working hard to put together valuable panels and workshops for attending freelancers.) As always, feel free to drop me a note at kathy_ehrich@hotmail.com and I wish everyone else success and luck as you pursue your freelance careers. KATHY EHRICH DOWD

Wanted: freelancer for women's pubs

Hi, guys. I wanted to share this e-mail from Courtney Sandora at Courtney_Sandora@b-f.com. If you're interested please send her a note!

I work for Brown-Forman, a producer and marketer of wines and spirits. We're hosting a press trip to California for Bonterra (our wine made with organically grown grapes) and Fetzer (our wine produced in an earth-friendly manner).

The trip is August 5 - 7 and there are more details below,  but I was trying to track down freelancers who contribute to national consumer publications, particularly women's pubs (ie) Woman's World, Redbook, Martha Stewart Pubs, Real Simple, etc. . Obviously there would be a wine / culinary angle but there would also be an environmental angle as we are showcasing our two "green" wines.

Let me know if anyone comes to mind or if there is any way to put this request out. It would be an all-expense paid trip but the space is limited.

Any help would be much appreciated.

SPJ freelancer directory

Many of you know about SPJ's freelancer directory, which puts freelancers' information and work samples at the fingertips of editors. Today members who are part of the directory are getting the following message in their e-mails. I wanted to make the message available to those who are not members or who may not be aware of the service. Hope everyone is having a great day.

If someone told you that you could have unprecedented access to the world’s top editors and news directors, would you believe them? Thanks to the Society of Professional Journalists’ freelancer directory, this isn’t a far-fetched idea.

SPJ’s freelancer directory can put your work at the fingertips of the country’s top editors and news directors. The directory enables independent journalists, who are members of the Society, to post information and links to work samples online for free. This same list is viewable by editors and news directors from around the world. They can search by state, specialty or both. All you have to do is post your best work and wait for the calls to come.

To help ensure these decision makers are aware of your work, SPJ will send out regular announcements to more than 5,000 editors and news directors, explaining the benefits of using our directory.

If you are a current member of SPJ, visit http://www.spj.org/fdb.asp with your username and password to complete the registration and submit your work samples. If you are not a current SPJ member, what are you waiting for? Join today by visiting http://www.spj.org/join.asp and let SPJ start working for you.

For more information about SPJ’s freelancer directory or SPJ membership, please contact National Freelance Committee Chairwoman Amy Green at amybgreen@earthlink.net.  

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

Sincerely,

Amy Green
National Freelance Committee Chairwoman
Society of Professional Journalists

A Writer's Worth

Hi guys. I wanted to share this post written by Allie Bullock Kagamaster, a freelancer in Southern California who has covered stories for CAT FANCY, OCMetro, 944 and Inland Empire Golfer. She is interested in the worlds of entertainment and science, and she would like to cover movie premieres and engineering feats.

Allie e-mailed me today to ask how to establish a freelancer rate. Our e-mail exchange produced this post by Allie, but I wanted to quickly weigh in myself.

Usually when I'm working with a new client I start by asking the client what the client's rate is. The publications I work with pay a broad spectrum of rates. If the rate is high usually I just go with it. If the rate is mediocre I might test the waters and try to nudge it up a bit. If it's just not doable I either try to negotiate or move on. When I negotiate I try to be friendly, and for leverage I draw on my experience and anything else I can think of. I might, for example, mention that the clients' competitors pay a higher rate. In other words, I have a plan.

I weigh what is valuable to me. I might accept a lower rate if the clip will be especially valuable in my portfolio. I've also asked established clients for pay raises. I feel it's only fair as the cost of living escalates, and my own worth rises with experience.

Here is Allie's perspective. She makes a good point, that when a client low-balls us we should point to resources such as Writer's Market because the client may be unaware of average industry rates. Thanks so much, Allie!

Sometimes freelancing can be hit or miss depending on the answer to: “What are your rates?” What if you’re in the process of building your business?

Freelancing is all about juggling assignments. And those assignments are two-fold: building clips from publications and seeking work that’s sustainable.

It’s those fill-ins and quasi-day jobs with new clients who wonder what your fees are for writing services that keep most of us afloat.

The way I see it, we’re building clips to garner more and more assignments from different publishers who mostly pay flat fees. In the meantime or in-between time, most of us seek more mundane projects like writing or editing business manuals, marketing materials, or Web content.

But it’s important to be honest to clients who don’t know what to pay writers by pointing the way to the “going rate,” which can be found in Writer’s Digest per type of writing project, and on the Journalism Jobs Web site under salaries.

This week after invoicing the editor of the annual magazine I write features for, I’m negotiating a deal with one company to write Web content and with another that needs a sales letter but who are printing my business cards for free because they like me so I’m giving them a discount and they’ve agreed to send clients my way. At first they were hands clasped over mouths when they saw the “going rate” for sales letters. It’s taken them six weeks to digest anything over the bartering system.

Going to the SPJ convention?

Question

I'd like to share this question from SPJ's discussion board about freelancing.

Having just heard the perils of libel cases at the Region 1 Conference this weekend, I'd gotten religion and want to get libel insurance. It would be very nice if the SPJ offered a group policy for freelancers. What do other people think?

Thanks for your comments.

Links

This month Writer's Digest publishes an annual list of 101 best Web sites for writers. On the list are a few that looked good for freelancers. Thanks, Writer's Digest!

• fundsforwriters.com. Freelancers on the prowl for jobs and cash need to look no futher. This site offers up the big four -- grants, contests, fellowships and markets -- that pay. Plus, C. Hope Clark's free e-newsletter is a must read for all who freelance.
  
• fwointl.com. With more than 11,000 registered members (membership is free), Freelance Writing Organization-Int'l offers thousands of online resources and job offerings. It also gives members a free blog listing (as long as the blog deals with writing).
• theurbanmuse.blogspot.com. The Urban Muse is populated with excellent tips on writing, marketing and staying creative. Don't miss the "5 Ways to Promote Your Blog" post; great advice.
  
• worldwidefreelance.com/writing.htm. Sign up for this site's e-newsletter and receive access to a list of more than 500 magazine market listings. There's also a European market listing available through a subscription.
  
• writergazette.com. In its fourth consecutive year on the list (sixth overall), this site lives up to its tagline: "Bringing you free writer-related articles, paying call for submission and freelance job postings, contests, resources, tips, and more to help induce, improve, and promote your writing career -- every week."
  

Don't forget gas mileage

A few weeks ago I made a huge mistake.

A new client called and asked whether I was available for an assignment that afternoon. Business was slow and the pay sounded fine, so with a deadline looming off I went. It wasn't until I filed my invoice a week later that I discovered my mistake.

I forgot to negotiate the pay rate for gas mileage.

With gas prices climbing this is an expense we can't afford to overlook. It often is a small expense, $5 for a drive across town for an interview, one that is tempting to let go during a busy week to save us the work of filing an invoice. But these small expenses add up, and if you're driving across the state for an interview you should be paid appropriately.

I've been paid anywhere from 38 cents to a dollar a mile. Fifty cents a mile feels about right. In 2007 the IRS increased its deduction for business-related miles to 48.5 cents a mile. But with gas prices expected to climb even higher in the coming months we need to remember to negotiate for rates that reflect the surge. This is only fair.

Make sure you talk this over with your editor at the start of an assignment. Don't make the same mistake I did and wait until you're filing your invoice. You may end up getting paid an appalling 28 cents a mile. Bleh.

Going to the SPJ convention?

This year's annual SPJ convention, in Atlanta Sept. 4-7, will offer a one-hour session and half-day workshop on freelancing. I need your ideas on what we should focus on.

An obvious idea for either the one-hour session or the workshop is an introduction to the business. How to get started, that sort of thing. But I need you to tell me whether more advanced freelancers will attend who will want something more. What do you want to learn about?

Other ideas. Trying to keep these broad since we have only two time slots.

• Pitching and query writing.
  
• Marketing and networking.
  
• Magazine writing.
  
• Book writing.
  
• Personal finance.
  
• Online writing and self-syndication.

I also am looking for panelists. I can't help with travel expenses, but of course the opportunity would give you exposure and satisfaction from helping other independent journalists like you. Please let me know if you're interested.

SPJ gets a new freelance chair

Hi, guys. My name is Amy Green, and I'd like to introduce myself as the new freelance committee chairwoman for the Society of Professional Journalists. I am eager to bring a fresh start to the committee, but I need your help.

In SPJ there is a place for every freelancer. Members undergo no selection process. And so whether you make a living or hobby out of freelancing, whether you're a pro or beginner you are welcome here. In this sometimes lonely line of work we are your team. Come here with questions and problems about how to get started, how to pitch and how to get paid. We want to learn from your triumphs and your mistakes. We are your coworkers. We are your community.

I'm a freelancer based in Orlando, Fla., for Newsweek, PEOPLE, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor and many others. I specialize in faith, ethics and social issues, and my work also has appeared in Christianity Today, Sojourners, Charisma and with Religion News Service. I've been in the business 10 years, starting as an intern at PEOPLE in Miami and then at The Associated Press in Nashville, Tenn. I am an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and SPJ. This spring I traveled to Taiwan with an SPJ delegation of working journalists to foster a professional exchange with journalists there. I am a journalism graduate of the University of Florida.

I need your help because I need to know how to make this committee work best for you. This is a tough business. It's important we freelancers stick together. Learn from each other. Support each other. Together we can strengthen our foothold in an industry that in a large measure depends on our work.

I look forward to hearing from you.

The Top 100 Freelancer Blogs

Bootstrapper has listed the Top 100 Freelancer Blogs. While detailing the Top 100 best sites for freelance journalists, the publishers have organized the blogs into various categories, including: Writing; Copywriting and Marketing; Design; Programming and Web Development; Finance and Business; Photography; Consulting; Freelancing and Parenting and General. The Independent Journalist was listed under the writing category in ninth place. The judges had this to say:

 "The freelance journalist will benefit from this respectable blog associated with the Society of Professional Journalists. The site has a freelancer directory, postings for jobs, and advice for freelancers all over the world."

Log on to Bootstrapper to read their recommendations and to discover a new site or two that could be helpful to you and your freelance career.

A special thanks to Bootstrapper for developing this comprehensive list.