Writer Friendly

Since I’ve been reading a lot about writing and writer’s lives this week, I’ve noticed a shared theme. Some writers, me included, develop an anti-social disorder. Writing becomes so much of our lives that we fail to leave the computer, office or home. Since I’m a young writer starting my career, I thought that this anti-social thing would be just a phase. But I can’t be too sure. One thing is certain, even though I sometimes loose myself in the Carrie Bradshaw character of Sex and the City, I will never be a social butterfly like that. All I know is that if my social life suffers, I bet be producing darn good writing.

I’ve been quite the bookworm lately, which is refreshing for me, because I usually spend my time reading articles rather than books. I’ve started reading Stephen King’s On Writing. It’s actually very entertaining and nothing what I expected. It has writing tips woven into King’s memories of his early writing career as a child. All I have to say is that I wish I was submitting manuscripts at 14 years old. Maybe I would be farther along. When I was young, I used to write my own stories and illustrate them too. Most of them were about my cat Whiskers and others were about trips to the zoo. I guess I was more into nonfiction than fiction. I still have most of my stories, because my teacher had us laminate everything. So how did it start for you? When did you start writing?

Too often you might find that you need a little tough love to give you that push. One thing I cringe at is when potential employers ask me what I think I should be paid. It’s a sticky situation. For one, you don’t want the potential employer to think that you are undervaluing your work. People don’t want to hire a writer who doesn’t know what they are worth. Second, you don’t want to ask for too much, because they might not hire you for simply financial reasons. The way I deal with it is state an amount I think is reasonable for a 500 word article or whatever type of article they are asking I write. If I think money might be an issue, I state that my rate is negotiable. Others of you might just want to state your asking price without a disclaimer, which is fine…I commend you. If you want a book that discusses issues like this and how to be firm, read Robert Bly’s Getting Started as a Freelance Writer.

When trying to start your writing career, it’s important to know that you are a good writer and you deserve to be successful. Of course, you will walk down the road of doubt from time to time, but you have to remember to turn around before you go too far. Starting a writing business isn’t easy, but it isn’t hard either. Getting the main objectives accomplished is easy. The hard part is getting the gigs, but you will come to find that once you break through, more will come along. One thing about writing is that sometimes you can never tell what you will be writing next, but you can be sure that you will find a flow of writing jobs if you put forth all of your effort to scour any and all resources for opportunities.

Upon recently graduating from college, I still find myself broke, not completely happy with my career and searching for more. When people talk about going to college, they never seem to prepare you well for life after college. No one told me that I would have to remember to pay my student loans without receiving a statement every month. No one told me that most employers are more interested in experience rather than education. No one told me that I would most likely have to stay in a part-time dead end job since finding a desirable job is like mining for gold. Regardless of what I wasn’t told, I learned from experience, and I’m going to do something about it. I felt I needed time to reorganize my life and start fresh, and usually when this happens I find myself at the bookstore. One book I definitely suggest, if you’re in your 20s and 30s, is Suze Orman’s The Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke. It provides valuable information that is useful and easy to understand, which is helpful if you want to start your own writing business.

Are you ever at a loss for words? Your mind scrambles to find the words, but your brain is dark and empty. For a moment, there is a dim light that reveals part of the word you think you’re looking for. But you soon come to realize that the word is too fast for you, and there’s nothing left to do but remain stumped. This happens on occasion to me, and it can be so frustrating not to be able to recall the word you are looking for. You know it and you have used it or said it before, but it’s beyond your reach when you really need it. I recently got hooked back on crossword puzzles when I played a game of word search with my grandma. This used to be a pastime that my grandpa and I enjoyed. Crossword puzzles can help you enhance your vocabulary skills, which, for a writer, is important. The puzzles can be frustrating too, but have no fear because the answers are in the back.

Some of the most successful writers have developed quality pieces by writing from experience. It’s always easier to write about what you know, and it can definitely work to your advantage. Although you can’t always write from the first person perspective, you can still draw from your experiences when you’re trying to come up with story ideas. Keeping a diary can help you have extra story ideas on hand, and it can also provide you with valuable observations and emotions. Your experiences can help you write fiction or nonfiction so don’t be afraid to use the tools you already have. Or, who knows, you might want to write a memoir one day.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to writing in a niche. When you write in a niche, you dedicate your writing to a specific topic.

Advantages
Choosing a category to write in (health, environment, pets, politics, etc.) can help you become an expert in the field. The more experience you have, the more marketable you will be. Also you have the potential to become known as the person who writes on that particular category. This can make you popular or well known.

Disadvantages
Writing in a niche can cause you to limit your writing ability. You might get comfortable writing about certain things and not allow yourself to experience writing on other topics, which can hurt your career. Finally, it can make you less marketable if you are only willing to write in these categories. Many employers look for well-rounded writers.

Writing in a niche is okay as long as you don’t limit yourself and your experiences. Successful writers write outside their comfort zone in order to improve and find out their strengths and weaknesses.

Working from home or telecommuting can be difficult to achieve, so you have to have to be in the right mindset if you expect to get jobs. Below are some lessons that I have learned that might help you out.

Lesson One
Many jobs are out there, but many writers apply.

Lesson Two
Apply for online writing jobs on a daily basis so you increase your chances of getting one.

Lesson Three
Don’t quit your part-time/full-time job. Even if it has nothing to do with writing or even if you hate it, you have to keep in mind that it’s a steady paycheck.

Lesson Four
You will be rejected many times but don’t take it personally.

Lesson Five
Strive to write your best, because you never know who might read it.

Yes, of course, you can start doing business after you have established your writing company. However, if you have the funds, some extras can make your business more professional.

Business cards can be purchased inexpensively, and they are a handy thing to have when you are out and about-you never know who you will run into. Show them to friends and family too, so they know that you’re serious and they might know of someone who needs your services.

Create forms and save them onto your computer. You should have a cover letter, fax cover sheet and invoice setup so it’s prepared for you to use. Don’t waste money on a designer for your letterhead, because you can create your own by using Word’s header function.

Develop a simple yet informative website. If you are not a designer, use GoDaddy or another service, which makes it easy for you to create a site. Include a pay scale showing what services you offer and how much you charge.

These are a few things that can help you reach more consumers and make you more professional.