The Expat Freelancer

5 Essential Freelance Writing Resolutions

2012-01-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I love this time of year. We’ve got all the lovely blank pages of the calendar to fulfill our freelance dreams. I’m imagining them filled with new clients, exciting projects, and fantastic surprises that I haven’t dared to imagine but that I’m secretly longing for.

I’ve just returned from vacation, refreshed and excited to start consciously living my new year’s resolutions. I say ‘consciously’ because these aren’t really new resolutions for me. Over the past year, I’ve thought about these principles and tried to abide by them, but I never wrote them down.

Which was dumb.

Writing down your resolutions and goals is as important as defining them in the first place. Writing not only helps to shape your aims, but solidify them. It gives them body and weight. It gives them power. They become both engrained in your subconscious and inscribed in the stars. Even if you later forget about them, I believe that written words will continue to work for you.

(Example: last year, one of my goals was to have two editors contact me with assignments. I had no particular editors in mind. I didn’t even have any solid relationships with magazine editors at the time. But it was something that I wanted to happen, so I wrote it down. I completely forgot about it until last August when an editor contacted me with a story idea. And it happened again with a different editor just a few weeks ago in December. Goal met.)

Anyway, the point of this post isn’t just to discuss the importance of writing down your resolutions and goals, but to share my resolutions with you. Resolutions and goals are words that are often used interchangeably but they have different meanings. A goal is a specific objective to be attained. A resolution is the expression of your determination to do something. As freelancers, I think it’s important to write out both goals and resolutions. I have captured my goals for this year in the business plan I’ve written for myself, but I am recording my resolutions here with you now:

In 2012, I resolve to:

1. Be Fearless

It is impossible to get anywhere as a freelance writer without breaking through your fear. A week or so ago, I was dithering over a query that I wanted to send to a very high profile publication. I kept postponing hitting send because, well, I was afraid. Afraid that it wasn’t good enough. That it was too long. That I didn’t have the right editor, blah, blah, blah. Then I read an article in the New York Times about film director Dee Rees’s breakout hit “Pariah,” an amazing coming-of-age story about young black lesbian.

And I thought: Wow.

The director, herself a black lesbian, must have crashed through unimaginable fears, mental barriers and community disapproval to bring herself to write and create this film. What are my fears about sending out this simple pitch in comparison? Nothing. I hit send without delay.

This year, I resolve to keep my freelancing fears in perspective.

2. Learn

No one’s ever called me a tech genius, nor is anyone likely to. I’ve managed to set up simple blogs and have a very basic understanding of HMTL, and know how to apply SEO principles in my writing. Anything more tech-y than that, and I pretend that I don’t really need it or I pay someone to take care of it. But as a writer today, I need to have more than a fleeting knowledge of technology.

This year, I resolve to stare my technophobia in the face.

3. Invest

I’m always surprised when small businesses balk at paying professional rates for copywriting services. From my perspective it seems like such a sensible investment. And yet, how many times have I glanced at some intriguing course, book, or seminar on writing or freelancing and thought: nah, too expensive? Just as any entrepreneur must, we freelancers need to spend what it takes to stay on top of our game, market our services, and offer our clients first-rate work.

This year, I won’t hesitate to invest in my business as needed.

4. Press Some Flesh

How easy it is to sit in my little hidey hole (otherwise known as Starbucks) and conduct all my business networking via email or social media! I use the fact that I’m an expat – and a mother – as an excuse to stay glued to my computer instead of picking up the phone or going out to meet real people. Totally lame. Sure, I’m going to have to drink a lot of Red Bull (the energy drink, not the vodka) before hitting an evening networking event here in Paris, but why not? It’s high time that I spent more effort getting to know the faces of my online communities – wherever they may be. Really, there’s nothing stopping me from attending a writer’s conference in NYC if I plan it well.

This year, I resolve that people are going to see the face of the Expat Freelancer.

5. Believe
Is there a freelancer out there who hasn't yet read "The Wealthy Freelancer"? If you haven't, get thee to Amazon tout de suite. I've read this book literally to tatters and one of my favorite chapters is the very first, which is called: “Master the Mental Game.” Here the authors discuss developing the mental toughness every freelancer needs to survive the crests and valleys of our business. While they offer several practical tips and techniques, their number one message is this: Believe in yourself. Believe in your business. Believe in your success. You’ll never become a wealthy freelancer if you don’t believe that you can be.

I love this. It sounds new age and flighty, but it’s true. How can anyone live out a dream without first believing the dream to be achievable?

This year, I resolve to firmly believe that I will meet every goal on my New Year's list.

How about you? What resolutions would you add to this list?

Word Count Limit Got You Down? Try These 6 Editing Tricks

2011-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, I love being a writer. The brainstorming…the research…that moment when all those random phrases and concepts zinging around my head suddenly settle down and start flowing like a river of hot chocolate. Mmm….

But you know what I also like? Editing. I know that many writers don’t like to edit (and I agree that it’s hard to “kill your darlings,” as Papa Hemmingway says we must) but I find it strangely satisfying, especially if I’m editing to adhere to a word count limit. It’s like a game: how tight can I make this story without losing any of its original character or elements?

One of my proudest moments at this game was when I submitted a 400-word FOB article that had 5 major points (complete with three quotes from different experts), and the editor said – looks great, but can you make it 300 words? Yikes! But I did it. I nibbled away 100 words from an already-super tight article without slashing any of the points or deleting my quotes. Really, it’s kinda fun.

If you’re a writer who dreads whittling away at your beautiful prose ~~for the sake of~~ to satisfy some editorial limit, here are a ~~couple of~~ few tricks ~~that might~~ to make it ~~a bit~~ easier.

1. Eliminate prepositions. Okay, I sound really nerdy - but it thrills me to slash teeny, tiny words such as “of” “in” or “at” from my writing. It’s like cutting fat from a good piece of meat. Plus, since prepositions are everywhere, cutting them is an easy way of getting closer to your word count goal.

Examples:

Were you the victim of a car rental scam?

Were you a car rental scam victim?

After her husband left, she preferred to stay at home.

After her husband left, she preferred to stay home.

The wildfires in Texas cost the government billions.

The Texas wildfires cost the government billions.

2. Eliminate “that.” Most of the time, the word “that” can be deleted from your writing without impairing the sentence’s meaning. Even though it’s only a single word, you’ll be surprised by often you use it – and how getting rid of it tightens and shortens your piece.

Examples:

I think that his wealth made a difference to the jury.

I think his wealth made a difference to the jury.

Being stuck with a bill for damage that you didn’t cause is a nightmare.

Being stuck with a bill for damage you didn’t cause is a nightmare.

3. Avoid “helping verbs.” The primary helping verbs are “be” “do” and “have.” It’s so common to use them in speech that we insert them into our writing without thinking about it.

Examples:

First, you have to create an account.

First, create an account.

The customer is always trying to get a discount.

The customer always tries to get a discount.

The report was prepared by top scientists.

Top scientists prepared the report. **

** A writing bonus! Eliminating the helping verb also forces you to write actively, not passively!

4. Eliminate redundancies and unnecessary words. Don’t repeat things ~~needlessly~~. ‘Nuff said?

Examples:

He knelt down beside the sobbing child.

He knelt beside the sobbing child.

She couldn’t decide whether or not visit him.

She couldn’t decide whether to visit him.

Top with parmesan cheese.

Top with parmesan.

When shopping at a flea market, look for bargain prices.

When shopping at a flea market, look for bargains.

5. Ditch most adjectives and adverbs. We all know this one (well, we should) but it’s hard to obey. Some adjectives and adverbs are just so pretty. But it’s true that using a good strong verb in place of an adjective or adverb makes for much tighter writing. And chances are, when you re-word, you can get rid of a preposition or two as well.

Examples:

She looked extremely beautiful in that red dress.

She rocked that red dress.

The storm totally ruined our garden.

The storm devastated our garden.

6. Use contractions. This one might be difficult for those of you who had teachers like I had, who believed that contractions were for drunks, babies, and uneducated good-for-nothings. But these days, using contractions in most forms of writing isn’t a sin. Just look at the style of the publication you’re writing for – if the tone is easy-going or informal, go for it. You can cut dozens of words this way.

Example: I wouldn’t think you need an example here, but you never know.

What tricks do you use to shorten your writing?

Where to Self-Publish Your Book: A Round-Up

2011-09-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

As my book-in-progress inches closer to completion, I’m beginning to examine how I’m going to get the darn thing published. I’ve already decided that I want to go the self-publishing route, for reasons I’ve explained here. But whenever I started researching the various self-publishing services, I always ended up rocking back and forth in bed screwing my fists in my eyes, muttering too many, too many, too many.

But one must be brave. So, I turned to my writer’s group at LinkedIn, asking more experienced members to recommend good self-publishing services. The response was awesome. Though I haven’t quite decided which service I’ll go with, I think I’ve got the top options in hand and can make a good, informed decision when the time comes.

To help you narrow down your list, here’s a round-up of the "best" self-publishing services, according the International Writers group at LinkedIn. Of course, not everyone will be satisfied with every service, but this list provides a good starting point to find the right match for you.

(If you’ve had good experiences with others self-publishing services, please add your own in the comments!)

Booklocker.com
CreateSpace.com
Publicious.com
Lulu.com
SmashWords.com

Now, if you’ve been looking into self-publishing, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the name “AuthorHouse.” It’s one of considered the largest of the "big three" of self-publishing (the others being iUniverse and Xlibris, all three of whom have the same owner). Several members of the LinkedIn group were fiercely negative about their experiences with this service. Further research revealed a computer-crashing amount of negative opinions, not to mention some truly alarming reports. Complaints primarily centered around the company’s lack of integrity, inflated prices, control over the cover design, and a workmanship so shoddy that it almost seems intentional.

You might want to steer clear of that one.

5 Reason Why You Should Become an Expat Freelancer

2011-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there! Yes, I’m back after a 3-month hiatus. That’s right – I took 3 months off from posting and I’m walking right back in here, unashamed.

I know all the social media gurus say that taking such a break is to commit social media suicide. That I should at least arrange to throw some old content or some guest posts in my absence. And I daresay they’re right. But the Expat Freelancer blog isn’t Copyblogger. And while part of me wishes that I was mistress of all that brilliant content and had an audience that runs in the tens of thousands, the other part of me is happy that I can sneak away for a nice long summer break, lounging on the beaches of Corsica and Narragansett, without feeling guilty or stressed.

This is the beauty of being an expat freelancer. As an expat, I have adopted that French “give me vacation or give me death” mentality. As a freelancer, I can indulge it. (Not that I didn’t continue to work some while I was away. An expat freelancer at home has to take advantage of the situation, especially if you target American magazines and clients.) Okay, yes, my beach reading did the latest edition of Peter Bowerman’s “The Well-Fed Writer.” And yes, I did outline a novel. But none of that felt like work. Can I help that my work is also my passion?

At the moment, I’m feeling so satisfied with life as both an expat and a freelancer that I thought I’d kick of the new season of this blog with 5 reasons why being an expat freelancer totally rocks. If you’ve been dreaming about writing abroad, maybe this will spur you to make a change!

Reason # 1: You get a fresh perspective…on everything.

Good writers do more than turn an elegant phrase; they offer a new perspective or insight to their readers. As an expat freelancer, you get new perspectives and insights in spades. Everything from driving on a highway to standing at a bus stop can be a cultural revelation – and potential copy. Even now, I'm working on an essay about my trip to the local Stop & Shop when I was at home in the U.S. Did anything special happen there? Not really. But as I wandered the huge aisles, wide-eyed as a refugee, picking up tons of stuff didn't need, I suddenly had a perfect understanding of that mixture of awe and distaste that many Europeans have toward America. What an enormous, greedy, fabulous country.

Reason #2: You’ve got instant entry into travel writing

It’s easy to create a niche as a travel writer as an expat, even if you don’t actually travel much. Plenty of magazines and websites will pay good money for to know what’s happening in your backyard. This is how I got my first clips as a freelancer: writing 100-word reviews of Paris attractions and restaurants. No travel greater than a metro ride was required.

Reason #3: Wider Client Pool

Today’s freelancer can work with clients all over the world – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to tap into a client pool in another country. Unless you live there. As an expat, I can market my copywriting services with facility to both France-based business as well as those in the U.S. (particularly those in my hometown). In a sense, I’m a “local” in both locations – or at least, that’s how I spin it.

Reason #4: Cool Office

Expat freelancers have some of the most exotic offices in the world: tropical beaches, mountaintops, or, in my case, sweet little Parisian cafés. And if I chose to work at home? I’ve got a kick-ass view of the Seine and La Conciergerie, the tower in which Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. I admit, I often take the beauty and history of my adopted city for granted, but when I remember, it gives me a shiver of pleasure, privilege and gratitude. (But you know what? When I’m in the U.S., writing at my favorite Starbucks, I’m pretty thrilled too.)

Reason #5: Positive influence of local customs

As an American it’s hard to turn off that compulsion to always be productive, to never be caught slacking. But, as I noted in the intro to this post, living in France has been a good influence in that way. For better or worse, here, there’s no shame in just kicking back and enjoying life at the expense of productivity. I have no doubt that my work-life balance is more evenly distributed than it would be if I lived in the U.S. I guess you could say that being an expat helps puts the “free” in freelancer. (Sorry – couldn’t resist!) Just make sure you chose to reside in a country more laid-back than the one you live in!

Are you an expat freelancer? What do you love about your career/lifestyle choice?

Expat Freelance Writer for Hire!

2011-05-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new website! Check it out at www.barbaradiggs.com. Many thanks to Tanya Olander, who did an excellent job in designing the site.

Are These Habits Sabotaging Your Freelance Career?

2011-05-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: Michal Marcol; freeditigalphotos.net)

The last time I was at “home” (in the U.S.), a book at Barnes & Noble caught my eye. It was called “Why Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women make that Sabotage Their Careers,” by Lois P. Frankel, PhD.

Even though I do have a corner office, a nice little one in the corner of my dining room, I couldn’t help but pick up the book. After flipping through it for a few minutes, I knew I had to buy it. Because even though my corporate days are long behind me, I saw some terribly, familiar habits listed in that book – habits that could be dragging down my freelance career.

Ladies (and maybe some gents), I ask you: are you guilty of any of the following five career mistakes?

Mistake # 1 – Pretending it isn’t a Game.

Lois Frankel writes: “The workplace is exactly that – a game. It has rules, boundaries, winners and losers. Women tend to approach work more like an event (picnic, concert, fundraiser) where everyone comes together for the day to play nicely...Playing the game of business doesn’t mean you’re out to cause others to fail, but it is competitive. It means you are aware of the rules and develop strategies for making them work to your advantage.”

Does this “game” mentality apply to freelancing? It should. The game is different than in a corporate environment, but still it exists. Just because our workplace is our home and we’re working alone doesn’t mean that we’re not in the midst a giant, invisible chessboard. All those organizations and people who want us to work for free or a pittance while they're pulling down cash from our words...believe me, they know it's a game. (Let's just say that homegirl Ariana Huffington has not made this mistake.) Magazines, small businesses, corporations, newspapers: they're all in the game. And when you freelance for any of them, so are you. Better make sure you're not just a pawn.

And let's not forget our competitors. They're out there, sending queries to the same editor, bidding on the same projects. If we want to get the freelancing equivalent of the corner office (whatever that may be), we have to keep an eye on what our competitors/peers are doing, spot what we can do better or differently, and then do it, moving as quickly and skillfully as we can.

The great thing about freelancing is that pretty much all of us can get a "corner office." As freelancers, a corner office can be whatever we want it to be. But that doesn't mean there's no game involved. Play it, ladies.

Mistake #2 – Playing the Game Safely and Within Bounds.

Frankel writes: “Even when a woman knows the workplace is a game, she has the tendency to play safe rather than play smart. She obeys all the rules to the letter and expects others to as well.” As an analogy, she refers to her style of tennis play, how she always feared the ball going out of bounds, and so artificially narrowed her field of play. But once she started hitting the ball outside of her comfort zone, she says, she started to win more games.

I love this “mistake” and analogy. In the corporate world, I was forever seeing men play fast and loose with the rules…and moving swiftly ahead. Meanwhile, I only dared to follow the rules and hope that someone would appreciate it. (Ha! Why would they? It was the least I could do). In my freelance career, I try not to be such a “good little girl,” though it’s a struggle.

My role model is Linda Formichelli, co-author of the fabulous and inspirational book, “The Renegade Writer.” She, along with co-author Diana Burrell offer scores of valuable tips on how you can be a rule-breaker and still have a successful freelancing career. If playing the freelancing game too safely is a mistake you think you're making, definitely read this book.

Mistake # 13 – Failing to Capitalize on Relationships.

In this section, Frankel tells the story of a woman who was having trouble selling her idea for a new book to a publisher. It turns out that the woman’s father has a good relationship with an editor who could play an instrumental role in getting her idea before the right publisher. When Frankel asked the woman why in the world she didn’t ask her father for an introduction, she responded that she didn’t want to capitalize on her father’s name.

How many of you ladies out there see yourselves here? I know I do. I have an acquaintance who is an editor of a highly prestigious newspaper. I have another friend who used to be the deputy editor of a well-known women’s glossy. Have I ever tried to pitch an idea to either them? Nope. Why? Because I was afraid of being perceived as a “user” or complicating our relationship. Dumb, right?

Men use relationships to advance their interests and careers all. the. time. Frankel advises women to be unafraid to ask for introduction, referrals, or permission to use a colleague’s name when trying to get the attention of someone. Amen, sister.

(** Note- As a pat on the back to myself, let me just say that I recently asked my acquaintance at the newspaper to be a source for me on a buzz piece I’m writing. She answered my questions cheerfully and promptly. No sweat. And now I’m working on a pitch to throw her way. Yay me.)

Mistake #50 Being Modest.

Frankel writes: “Both boys and girls are taught in childhood to be modest – but women take the lesson way too far….When people fail to notice major accomplishments, it’s your job to illuminate them…Completely, totally and permanently erase the words, “Oh, it was nothing” from your vocabulary.

Sigh. Right again, Dr. Frankel. Ladies: are you downplaying your accomplishments? When you’ve done amazing back-flips for an editor or client, are you letting him or her know? Are you asking for testimonials? Are you displaying these testimonials in a prominent way? You don’t have to become a braggart or start boring people by endlessly recounting your successes, but when you have accomplished something brilliant, don’t be afraid to take credit for it – and let others know what you’ve done.

Mistake #59- Asking Permission.

Frankel writes: “Have you ever noticed that men don’t ask for permission? They ask for forgiveness. My hunch is that women ask permission more out of habit than from really needing someone to give them the green light….by seeking permission before acting, we are less likely to be accused of making a mistake – but we’re also less likely to be viewed as confident risk-takers.”

This is a variation or natural consequence of mistake #2 – playing the rules safely and within bounds. We women, I think, are particularly afraid of making a mistake. We often worry that any error we make could be attributed to our gender and reflect badly on others in that group. Time to get over this fear.

When you have the urge to ask permission of a client or editor, take a look at your motivations. Are you playing it safe? Or would you be genuinely acting out of bounds? Frankel advises women to inform others of your intentions, not ask. In other words, say, “I just wanted to let you know that….” instead of “Would it be all right with you if….” -- an important distinction.

***

I could just keep going here. Mistakes #36 “Ignoring Quid Pro Quo,” #39 “Letting People Waste Your Time,” and #55 “Being Invisible,” are other important mistakes I'd like to draw attention to. But I'll stop now. If this post speaks to you, I highly recommend buying the book. After all, with 101 tips, there’s bound to be several that will make you squirm uncomfortably, even if these don’t.

Readers: what mistakes/habits might be hindering your freelance career?

Finding Balance in Life

2011-04-13T00:57:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: Michelle Meiklejohn, freeditigalphotos.net)

I couldn't decide where to put this post because I think the advice is useful for both moms and freelancers. So, I'm doing something I've never done before and cross-posting it at my other blog, International Mama. Wherever you're reading it, I hope you find it helpful!

Last week, the Urban Muse posed the question: what is your biggest challenge as a freelance writer? Many of the responses, including my own, concerned finding a suitable work-life balance. Because we freelancers don’t have to punch the clock, it’s all too easy to allow one aspect of our life – usually work –to dominate the other.

But you know what? One day, last September, I did it. For about, oh, four hours, I understood my life to be in perfect balance. Don’t laugh! As far as I'm concerned feeling that the world is perfectly aligned for four hours is an amazing achievement. As an expat, I am perpetually seeking – consciously or not – to find a balance between my own culture with that of my adopted country. Because I’m married to someone of a different nationality, I have to do the same in my marriage. Throw a couple of young kids and a new career into the mix and you’ve got one off-kilter lady.

But last September, for that brief period, it all worked. More than worked – it flowed.

That day was no less busy than any other. I had to drop my three-year old off at school and then pick him up three hours later. I had two big assignments due that I hadn’t yet begun. The baby had a doctor’s appointment later. My husband was out of town for the week, so, I’d have to handle the exhausting evening rituals (dinner, bath, bed) by myself and then pray that the kids would stay asleep so that I could work as late as I could, then get some sleep myself. Normally on days such as this, my mind is constantly abuzz, skipping ahead to the next task on my list before I’ve completed the first one. But on this day, as I picked up my son from school, my mind grew quiet.

As we walked down the street, I noticed that the sky was a deep, pure blue and that the leaves on the trees were beginning to turn yellow-brown. I became aware of the pressure of my son’s hand in mine, of the sweet, singing quality of his voice, and of the rush of pleasure these things gave me. I enjoyed the way the autumn breeze made my open trench coat flap slightly as we walked, and the tapping sound my boots made on the pavement. With every step we took, I grew more and more connected with everything around me, as if I were beginning to see my place in part of an enormous, smoothly functioning machine. For once, I wasn’t borrowing time from the future or the past. Every moment belonged to itself. I was wholly – in New Age parlance – “in the moment.”

This sense of connectedness lasted until we got on the metro, and then slowly began to dissipate. But I didn’t feel any panic or depression as the feeling left me. Instead, I felt both relaxed and empowered. I suddenly understood the key to having a balanced life: being truly present.

Riding the metro home, I had no urge to check my cell phone, check my to-do list, make notes on an article, send out a tweet, dwell on my crammed schedule or engage in any of my usual multi-tasking habits. I was simply happy to sit and listen to my son tell me how he “drew a picture of my belly” at school (no, I wasn’t pregnant – thanks kid.)

When I got home and turned my son over to the babysitter, I sat down to work without guilt and without anxiety for the tasks ahead. Time felt different to me; both more precious and more plentiful. It occurred to me that we generally view time as something that is forever slipping away from us, not as something that we always have. But we do always have time. Maybe not time enough to achieve every task on our list, but time enough to fully appreciate the things we can accomplish.

Since this revelation, can I now claim to always have a perfectly balanced life? God, no! But now, whenever I feel overwhelmed with work or life, I take a moment to recognize that it’s not necessarily my work-life balance that needs adjusting – but my attitude. Multi-tasking, letting my mind wander, worrying about anything except the matters in front of me can make my whole world spin.

Taking a good look at the advantages, opportunities and beauty of the moment helps to set it right again.

How about you? What helps you to find balance?

7 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Freelance Writing Business

2011-03-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

(free-stock photos.com. Paulus Rusyanto)

As far as I'm concerned, no one needs a virtual assistant more than the expat freelancing mom. Man, do I want one. I’ve dreamed of having one long before I ever heard the term.

In my fantasies, I imagine this person to be sort of a doppelgänger: an alter ego who lives the freelancing life that I would if I were back in the U.S. While I’m here in Paris writing in various cafes with a café crème at my side, my virtual assistant would loiter at the magazine rack Barnes & Noble, sipping a Starbucks chai tea latte, checking out new magazines and potential markets. While I’m snoozing away or tending to a sick kid at 2am, she’d be listening to and taking notes at a freelancing webinar that takes place at 8pm EST. Between the two of us, we'd make one whole freelancer!

Now, I realize that this could happen, at least in theory. Even a quick perusal of the internet reveals a number of virtual assistants that specialize in assisting freelance writers. What’s more, there are even freelance writers that have a “virtual assistant” component to their business. These are the ones I’d hire. The most efficient virtual assistant would already be familiar with the freelance writing world and its networks, sources, terms, and perspective.

But, alas, I can’t afford a virtual assistant right now. Even though apparently prices can start as low as $25/hour (although I imagine that most cost more), I currently employ a real assistant without whom I could not do one. single. thing: a babysitter. In a couple of years, when the kids are both in school, I’ll definitely reconsider the matter.

If you’re short on time and have a few bucks to spare, here’s 7 ways a virtual assistant could help you be a more efficient business person -- and free up more time for you to write.

1. Find markets/jobs. God, wouldn’t I love this one. A virtual assistant could trawl job boards, review magazine databases, or otherwise search for publications that would be a good fit for your ideas. He could also help unearth writer’s guidelines and find out the names and email addresses of the appropriate editors for your pitches.

2. Create a database. As your VA does the above, she could (and should) create a database containing all this information so that it’s always at your fingertips. Make sure the database is a flexible one that can be easily updated with your own notes regarding each publication.

3. Fact-Check. The very idea of getting my facts wrong scares me silly. A VA could double-check your research, giving you a little extra comfort before hitting “send.” Your VA could also check out the background of someone you’re considering using as an expert.

4. Attend conferences or webinars. As I indicated above, I’m forever finding interesting webinars and conferences that are at hideously inconvenient hours or locations. Your VA could occasionally serve as your eyes and ears.

5. Research potential clients. You want to do a direct mail campaign but want to tweak each letter/email so that it’s tightly targeted? Your VA can help dig out key details and fact to flesh-out potential clients so that you can add that personal touch to each letter.

6. Interview Transcription. Got a recorded interview? No need to spend an hour or more transcribing it, when you’ve got a VA to take care of it!

7. Administrative Tasks. And of course, a VA can do the standard assistant type stuff: sending out invoices, contracts and other correspondence for you. He can also keep track of payment status, scheduling and even take phone messages. I imagine this last aspect can be particularly useful for an expat freelancer with clients in the U.S. – they get to hear a human voice even if they call at an inconvenient hour for you.

Freelancers: Have you used a VA? Care to share your experience?

Do You Really Want to Be a Freelance Writer?

2011-03-16T04:18:00.000-07:00

(freeditigalphotos.net)

Every few months or so, I receive an email from someone newly arrived to Paris (usually a mother with young kids) wanting to meet to discuss how to launch a career as a freelance writer. While I am always happy to talk about such matters, more often than not, our conversations aren't really about how to start a freelance career. Instead, we wind up talking about the reality of being a freelance writer and whether it’s a career she truly wants to pursue.

I figure we can all save time if I posted here five essential questions you should ask yourself before taking on a freelance writing career. That way, you can think about these issues on your own and determine whether you want to go forward. If you still want to talk after reading this, email me!

1. Are you looking for a career or a job? Consider whether you’re interested in having a career as a writer or simply would like to use writing as a means to earn a little extra cash (emphasis on the little). If you’re an expat mom, I can see why the latter option appears tempting. Freelance writing offers you a flexible schedule, you can work from home, and you don’t have to speak a foreign language to do it. But to be honest, there are more efficient ways to make money. Writing is often hard, time-consuming work and you rarely get paid the amount your time and effort is truly worth, especially at the beginning of your career. It can be done as “just a job” but I wouldn’t bother with it if making money were my only motivation (which brings me to my next question….).

2. Is writing your passion? Most writers don’t start a writing career because it’s convenient, and they certainly don’t do it for the money. We write because it is a compulsion. I cannot imagine a day passing without writing, even if it’s just longhand notes in my journal. I can’t walk down the street without turning everything I see into a story. To embark on a writing career, I think you must have that compulsion. There’s a lot of annoying crap to slog through as a writer and often you’ll have nothing but your urge to write to pull you through.

3. Can you handle rejection, criticism, ridicule or being ignored? Rocky Balboa should be the role model of every freelance writer. Rocky or the Energizer Bunny. ‘Cause as a freelancer you’re going to face some kind of “negative” feedback (or no feedback) on a regular basis. Even if makes you feel as if you’ve been hit by a truck, there’s nothing to do but pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep slugging away. You must have confidence in your writing ability and know how to keep perspective. It’s not personal.

4. Can you afford to be a freelance writer? Unless you get extremely lucky and find a regular gig straight off the bat, the money will come in waves. You’ll probably have to suffer some very thin periods, particularly at the beginning. For print magazine work, many magazines don’t pay until publication. This means that you won’t see a dime for your work until the article is published, which could be several months after you’ve written it. Payment goes much faster in the online world. Nonetheless, you constantly have to keep the wheel turning to keep money flowing.

5. Are you ready to run a business? If you really want to make a career out of freelance writing, better start thinking of yourself as a small business owner right. now. Because that’s what you are. As a freelancer, you’re responsible for finding clients, maintain clients, marketing yourself, handling the accounting, researching ideas, selling ideas, interviewing experts, keeping abreast of current trends…and, oh yeah, writing.

I’m not trying to turn anyone off of freelance writing – personally, I love it, warts and all. But it’s not a career to stumble into.

Freelancers with additional opinions,feel free to chime in!

Finding local freelance clients

2011-03-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

As an American living in France, I’m always translating. I walk down the street mumbling to myself in French, planning conversations way before I have them. When I need to call the plumber or go to the doctor, I thumb through a French-English dictionary first. And when I read a book on freelancing or the writing business, I translate the advice given to fit my expat life.

As I expand my freelance business to embrace copywriting I’m doing that last kind of translation more and more. For example, many freelance copywriting books advise you to start your business by contacting local clients. Now, of course, with the internet and social media, you don't really have to do that anymore, but it makes sense. With local clients you have the advantage of sitting down with them, seeing their operations first-hand and making a more vivid impression than clients you contact remotely.

Some books recommend finding prospective local clients by subscribing to a local business paper or magazine, or heading off to the library to peruse industry magazines and journals, or using online contact directories. But when you're an expat freelancer, these helpful items may not exist, or you can't get your hands on them, or they don't have contacts in your region.

So, how to tap into the local English-speaking market in your country? Here are a few ideas:

1. Join your local American Chamber of Commerce. The American Chamber of Commerce Abroad (called AmCham) is an organization affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The organization has 112 chapters in 102 countries and its purpose is to “advances the interests of Americans businesses overseas.” Members are composed of businesses and individuals with business interests, and there are plenty of social and networking opportunities. Get involved, find out who’s doing what and be ready to offer your services. (Americans in Paris - here's the link to our local AmCham).

2. Get involved in your Alumni Association. Both my undergraduate and law school have alumni chapters/networks here in Paris. Every month I get email notifying me of local events and parties. Check to see if your school has an association in your country. If not, find out from your alumni office if there are others grads in your area. Maybe it's time to start a chapter.

3. Plan a Tweet-up. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Tweet-Up is a tweet way (sorry!) of saying “Meet Up” for people who follow each other on Twitter. I met my first official copywriting client via Twitter - not because we followed each other, but because we attended a Tweet Up and happened to sit next to each other. Why not organize a tweet-up of people in your area so that you can meet, greet and network face-to-face?

4. Join a private organization. Churches, synagogues, parenting groups, entrepreneur groups, volunteer organizations are all great ways to meet other English-speakers and find out what’s going on in the Anglophone community – and possibly land a few clients.

Expats - How do you find freelance clients?

How to Be Your Own Client

2011-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

image provided by freedigitalphotos.com

Has this ever happened to you?: You’re writing a piece for a client or editor and that piece is singing to you. Your mind is fizzing with fresh ideas; the words are flowing, smooth as milk. Every time you meet an obstacle, you battle it like a knight and leave its steaming carcass in your wake. You almost hate to let the piece go, you’ve enjoyed working on it so much, but it’s done, finished. You look it over, hit send, and off it goes to the client/editor.

Now it's time for your personal writing projects!

But your creative well has abruptly gone dry. Composing every sentence feels like pulling a live tooth. Each obstacle you meet looms big and scary and it whispers really mean things about ability as a writer and the pointlessness of your task. Your mind starts to wander. You start tweeting random stuff. But then – you remember that there’s another assignment you could be working on! One for a paying client! You quickly abandon your own project and start working on the other assignment. Amazingly, your energy is restored, the words are flowing, and every challenge you face, bested.

If that’s never happened to you – respect. But I’m sure there are more than a few people out there who know what I’m talking about. I had one of those days last week. But as I put away my own stalled project to be fruitful with someone else’s, I sighed: I wish I could be my own client.

Cue the thunderclap, light bulb, choir of angels or whatever imagery you prefer to use when you have a revelation. Suddenly, I realized that there was absolutely no reason why I couldn’t offer myself the same attention and creative power than people who pay me. I just had to figure out how. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Don’t just set goals – set a deadline.

Write down every task you need to do for your personal project: research, writing, interviews, etc. and then set a firm deadline for each one. I have never missed a deadline for a client/editor. The very idea makes me feel ill. Meeting deadlines is the bare minimum of professional conduct, right? Why, then, are we so willing to push off personal deadlines? If you want to be your own client, you need to start holding yourself to the same professional standards.

2. Keep the “big picture” in mind as you work.

When you’re working for someone else, it’s easy to keep the “big picture” in mind. The big picture is usually a paycheck. Or exposure. Or building a portfolio and what have you. Once you’ve done the work, you know immediately what you’ve gained. It’s not so easy to see the big picture when you’re working on a personal project. You know what you hope to gain, but you also know that it may be a long while before you reap the fruits of your labor. Find some way of keeping the big picture in front of you as you work. It may be as simple as putting a big Post-It note on your computer screen saying: “Fame & Fortune” if that’s what you seek. Or “Financial Independence.” Or “I’m Quitting My Day Job.” You could also find a picture that embodies whatever it is you aspire to through your personal writing and put that on your desk. Whatever method you choose, make sure it’s something physical and in plain view so it can constantly remind you of your ultimate goal.

3. Obtain feedback on your work.

The nice thing about working for people other than yourself is that you usually receive feedback on your work. Of course, it’s always lovely to get positive feedback, but sometimes even critical feedback is welcome. When working on personal projects, you often get no feedback at all. This can make you feel as if you’re working in total darkness, groping and feeling your way forward. And who wants to work like that? Get some feedback on your work. Form a writer’s group. Join a writer’s forum. Get out there and let another writer you trust to shine some light on your project.

4. Praise yourself when you’ve done a good job.

Of course there will be plenty of times when you know you’ve done a good job without anyone telling you. And when that happens, don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back or publicly acknowledge the good work you’ve done. After all, you’re the client. And when you’ve made the client happy, you deserve to feel good.

What would you add to this list?

eBook Publishing or Traditional Publishing: How to Decide Which is Right for You

2011-02-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

image by freeditigal photos.net

There comes a time in every modern writer’s life when she asks the question: should I write an eBook or go the traditional publishing route? I am now at that crossroads.

I have been working on a book project for the past few – okay, several – years. In all this time, I have never once considered self-publishing the book. I have put so much effort and research and thought into the project, I want the validation that comes with traditional publishing. I gotta see that book on the bookshelf of Barnes & Noble one day.

But recently, I came up with an idea for another non-fiction book that is barking and nipping at my heels all day long. It isn’t going to take years to research and write this book. It’s a good idea. I want to start writing it now, not just labor over a proposal and wait with fingers crossed someone else’s approval. But at the same time, I don’t want to be hasty. It would be a lovely little feather in my cap to have this book published via the traditional route. So what to do?

Here's how I made my decision - might be useful for you, too.

1. Make a good old-fashioned pro/con list. I provide below my thoughts on the general advantages and disadvantages of eBook publishing. It’s not an exhaustive list - you may come up with more items of your own.

Pros for eBook publishing

Cons for eBook publishing

Can start writing immediately while creative energy for the project is high

Can publish and sell the book immediately when completed

Author has total creative control over content, design, title, etc.

Shorter publishing process.

Production and distribution costs are low

Retain all rights

Receive a significantly larger share of any profits

Potential for residual income

Most people don’t buy eBooks

Topic may not be suitable for/popular in eBook format.

Not as prestigious as print books with traditional publishers.

Author responsible for 100% of marketing

Can’t put the book on your shelf.

No free editorial assistance

May not earn a single penny

2. Assign a value to each item on the list. Using a scale of 1-10, I gave each item a numerical value with 10 being “very significant” and 1 being “not at all significant.” I liked this process very much as it gave me an opportunity to really examine my motivations. For this book, I am clearly motivated by having something wholly within my creative control as well as by the prospect of residual income. My final total was in favor of eBook publishing, 55 points to 43 points.

3. Listen to your gut. There’s still a little voice in me that says – go for it! Go for the traditional publisher! And wrapped up in that voice are fantasies of book signings, seeing my book on someone’s bookshelf, talking about the book on the Today Show…..

Whatever. That’s not my gut talking. It’s a few rogue cells in my brain who aren't taking into account my true objectives. When I take a look at that pro/con list with my assigned values, both my reason and my gut assures me that the eBook is the right way to go for this project. Plus, I kinda like the idea of all the new fantasies I can conjour: publishers begging me for the rights to my eBook, promising me vast sums, three-book deals, stays in luxury hotels…..

What have you decided for yourself: eBook or Traditional Publishing? Why?

Top 5 Online Research Sites

2011-01-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

I miss lots of things about living in the U.S., but whenever I sit down to research an article, one thing I really miss is the libraries. I practically get misty-eyed thinking of libraries of my past: the majestic staircase and dusty stacks of Olin Library at Wesleyan University; the noble, marble lions, Patience and Fortitude, outside of the New York Public Library; the gilded ceilings of Library of Congress. I remember with special affection the tiny, musty Southwest Library in Washington, D.C, where as I kid, I came to scoop up my favorite friends (The Little Princess, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, A Wrinkle in Time) and bring them home for a visit.

It’s hard to get so worked up about online libraries.

I do work in brick-and-mortar libraries here in France sometimes. We expats in Paris are lucky to have the wonderful American Library in Paris as a resource. And French libraries have a surprisingly large number of English-language books available as well as a digital system that makes these books easy to find. But the vast bulk of the research I do takes place online.

Here are 5 of my favorite resources:

1. Project Gutenberg. I just love this site for doing historical research. The scent of old parchment practically emanates from it. This digital collection has some 34,000 texts, many dating as far back as the 16th century. As a bonus, if it doesn’t have the book you’re looking for, it provides links to other free libraries that might. Awesome.

2. FindArticles.com (BNET). This site is as close as an expat freelancer can get to browsing the magazine racks at Barnes & Noble. Here you’ll find back issues of some 900 magazines. The site’s not only great for research, but it’s good for checking out whether and when a magazine has covered a particular topic.

3. Google Books. Using Google Books makes me feel slightly dirty. I didn’t like the broad, careless way the company interpreted copyright laws when they initiated the project, and it creeps me out to think of how they could restrict access to information, if they so chose. But, damn it, the resource is so freakin’ useful. I’ve turned to it many times when I couldn’t find a particular book in the American Library of Paris, or didn’t have two hours to wander the mammoth halls of the Bibliotèque Nationale. The expat freelancer’s job would be a hundred times more frustrating without it. So I can’t help but recommend it. I mean: 7 million digitized books. Holy cow.

4. Questia. Questia is an online library that requires a subscription for access to most of its books. But a portion of their library, particularly academic journals and periodicals, are free. It has nowhere near the number of digitized books as Google Books (only 1.5 million), but unlike with Google books, you can read the entire text of the books offered.

5. The Internet Public Library. This site, created by a group of graduate students at the University of Michigan, is a new millennium concept of a library. It not only provides you with access to countless newspapers, books, magazines and articles from all over the US and abroad, but it offers features of a brick-and-mortar library. For example, it has a “Reading Room”, presents special exhibits, has an online librarian, and houses a variety of collections. I’ve found good information on this site and it’s extremely easy to navigate. The only downside is that it offers the same dangers as a “real” library: it’s easy to get sucked into fascinating rooms that you didn’t mean to be in. I love it.

What are your favorite online sites for research?

Developing an Annual Business Plan for your Writing

2011-01-12T02:26:00.000-08:00

When I think about how little I knew about freelancing when I first started a few years ago, it takes my breath away. Amazing that I plunged head first into the business without every really thinking of it as a business! I thought – silly me – that being a freelance writer simply meant coming up with good ideas and writing about them well. I had no idea that being a freelance writer meant also being a salesperson, accountant, marketing expert, techie, researcher and more.

Well. Now I know better. Although ideas and good writing skills are definite prerequisites for becoming a freelance writer, having a directed plan for your career matters almost as much. A business plan isn’t just about writing down your goals. It’s about developing a strategy for a successful career. It’s about figuring out how to juggle all those hats you need to wear. It’s about knowing who you are as a writer and who you want to be. And when the year comes to a close, you’ll be able to look back and clearly track your successes and failures, and understand what tactics you need to keep, improve, or abandon.

So what does a writer’s business plan consist of? Here’s my take on it:

1. Mission Statement

Your plan should begin with a description of your mission as a writer. What kind of writer are you? Who are your clients and what kind of service are you providing to them? For example, if you’re a print or online magazine writer your mission statement may be: “To provide editors with a steady flow of original ideas and high-quality, well-researched articles that leave the reader with some new knowledge or insight.” If you’re a copywriter it may be: “To help my clients achieve their marketing objectives by providing clear, snappy, and informative copy.”

For those of us writers that have our fingers in several pies, from copywriting to blogging to ghostwriting, write a mission statement for each type of writing that you do. Having separate mission statements can help you transition your focus as you take off your magazine writing hat and put on your business writing hat. Finally, your mission statement should indicate the percentage of your business each type of writing should comprise.

2. Objectives

Record your annual and monthly goals. Yes, do your monthly goals – to the extent possible – right now! Don’t wait until the beginning of each month. Writing topics are often seasonal. In January, you might already need to be thinking of tax-related articles. In June, you might need to start thinking of Christmas. Also, as expat freelancers, we need to think about when we might be next in our homeland and how we can work that to our advantage.

Be moderate with your goals. I’m not saying don’t reach for the stars, but if you give yourself a overwhelming number of goals or set goals that aren’t practicable given the amount of time you have available, you’re bound to become quickly frustrated. Make sure that your goals are commensurate with the percentage of time you’ve allotted to each aspect of your business in your mission statement. If you’ve said that you want your copywriting work to comprise 50% of your business, but 70% of your goals relate to another form of writing, you probably need to re-evaluate your mission.

3. Strategy

The heart of your business plan should consist of a step-by-step strategy for each annual goal. These strategies should be comprehensive, but not so detailed that your ultimate goal becomes lost in a sea of tasks – aim for five to seven clear, actionable steps. Your strategy is where most of your non-writing duties come in: marketing, networking, research and so forth. As you draft your strategy, think about all the hats that you can – or should be – wearing to achieve your goals. Also, consider which ones can be delegated to others.

4. Financial Plan

Now comes the sweat-inducing part of the plan: figuring out how much you can reasonably expect to make a year. Your financial plan should follow the same model as your overall business plan: annual goal + strategy.

When setting your annual goal, be realistic. Pick a figure that is challenging but also feasible. Consider the type of writing you do, the rates you can charge, the likelihood of obtaining the work, and the amount of time you have available to work.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a realistic annual figure, try setting a monthly, weekly or even daily financial goal. This approach has a couple of advantages. First, it can make your annual goal seem less daunting. Second, it can help you to determine your strategy. By knowing how much you want to earn each week, you’ll also know the type of work you need to seek, how much to charge, and the particular publications or clients you should to target to meet this goal. For example, if your goal is to make $500 a week, you’ll know that you’d have to write 10 articles worth at least $50 a piece, write 5 press releases at $100 a pop, or find some other combination that works. If you find that you’re not anywhere near meeting your goal of $500 a week, you need to make some changes to your rates, your clients, or to the goal itself.

***

Of course, there’s no single way to create a business plan that works. What does your elements does your business plan contain?

Are you being bold enough in your freelance career?

2010-12-08T05:53:00.001-08:00

So busy was I last month, that I forgot to link my post:"Cultivating Boldness: How to Be a Bold Freelancer" on FreelanceSwitch.com. Check it out!

Key Elements of a Freelance Writer's Business Card

2010-12-07T04:20:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I sat down to accomplish what I thought would be a simple and straightforward task: picking my business card. But instead of taking the one or two hours I thought it would, I agonized about it all weekend, dragging friends and my husband to peer at my designs; even, in a desperate moment, trying to get my preschooler to weigh in. In the end, I’m satisfied with the design and format I chose, but I can’t stop thinking about it.

What are the elements of a good business card for a freelance writer? Your name should be on it, of course, along with your email address, website address and telephone number. But beyond that? There are worlds of opinions. Most freelancers agree that today’s business card should be creative,. Forget about those standard white cards with your name, title and coordinates -- bright colors, patterns and designs are the way to go these days, as are cards with vertical orientation. After that, consensus goes awry. Here are some of the issues.

1. Your title. What should a freelance writer call his or herself? “Writer” isn’t specific enough, as it doesn’t tell people what kind of writing you do. For some, “freelance writer” is acceptable, but others say that it’s still not detailed enough – you need to say “business writer” or “travel writer” and so on. And if you’re an editor or proofreader in addition to writer? You need to have that on there too.

My take: If you can be specific as “travel writer” and “business writer” and those are the only markets you’re targeting, then go for it. But if you’re like me and can’t, or don’t, want to define yourself so narrowly, I say stick with “Freelance Writer” or “Writer & Editor” and so forth. There are other areas on your card to indicate what your business is about.

2. A description of services. Some writers swear that it is essential to list your areas of specialization on your card. For example, on the back of your card you might have a bullet point list noting that you specialize in press releases, brochures, white papers and other marketing materials.

My take: It’s a fine idea but it carries the risk of cluttering your card. My eyes glazed over at some of the examples I saw. The business cards were so crowded with information that I could barely find the name of the person whose card it was. In my view, the card should just be an initial enticement to get potential clients to look at your site. It doesn’t have to be a mini-version of your site.

3. A tagline. Many writers add a short text summing up their abilities or the service they offer.

My take: Again, it’s a great idea, if you have a gripping tagline. If you have a hum-drum tag, you might as well have none. But a really good tagline can make people sit up and take notice. One of the best taglines I've come across was that of freelance writer Susan Johnston, author of the Urban Muse blog. Her tag? Clear. Creative. Compelling. I loved that. Those three words gave me a nice little preview of Susan Johnston’s style and what she could offer a client. Of course, it completely ruined me for coming up with a brilliant tagline of my own. I kept thinking: “I know! Clear…Creative…oh, wait.” Rather than forcing the issue, I opted to go tag-less, for now. Business cards are fairly inexpensive. If a dazzling line comes to me, then I’ll simply order new ones.

4. Your address. For privacy reasons, some freelancers don’t put their address on their business cards, giving only email, phone numbers and the like. Others give only city and state (and country).

My take: I suppose it could be risky – but, for heaven’s sake, these days just giving your name to someone enables them to find out all kinds of personal information about you. Since I’m marketing my services internationally, I felt that having an address grounded my business…and explained why my telephone number is a foreign one. I could be persuaded of the folly of this.

There are countless other issues to consider: should you include a Twitter handle? Your Skype phone number? A photo of yourself? A logo? The list goes on…

Personally, I feel that less is more. As writers, it’s important to know how to deliver effective messages concisely – and our business cards should reflect that. If your budget allows, get a second business card that offers a slightly different slant, so that you don’t have to cover all your bases in one shot.

In the end, I don't know if my business card is perfect, but I do know this: having a less-than-perfect business card is better than having no card at all. If you don't yet have a business card, check out the following printing sites:

Vista Print – This site offers free business cards – you only pay for shipping. It must be popular with many freelance writers as several blogs that I've read mention it.

Zazzle – I ordered my cards at this site. I really liked that you can customize your own design. The cards haven’t been delivered yet, so I can’t speak to their quality.

What do you think a freelance writer’s business card should include?

5 Mistakes Every Freelance Writer Should Avoid

2010-11-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes...shame on me for not posting in so long. But be happy for me! Silence on the blog generally means that I've had lots of paying work to keep me busy. It's sad that the blog falls by the wayside during busy stretches, but hey - something's gotta give. And now that I'm entering a "famine" period, I have time to share with you some of the stuff that I've learned.

I've noticed recently that pretty much every freelance blog has an article titled something like: "5 Mistakes Freelance Writers Make" so I thought I'd go ahead and throw in my 2 centimes.

1. Failing to follow-up on queries, promising leads, etc. Always, always, always follow-up on queries that you've sent or any leads you've gotten. About 50% of the magazine work I've snagged has come from following-up on original queries that went unanswered. Most of the time, the editor has actually thanked me for sending a follow-up, saying that s/he was interested but lost track of the query, the time, etc. You may be letting potential work slip through your fingers if you don't follow up, so make sure that you do! Even if you get a rejection on the follow-up, you can take advantage of the contact by quickly throwing more ideas in the editor's path while your name is still fresh in his or her mind.

2. Being a Perfectionist. It sounds like a great answer to that classic job interview question "What is your greatest weakness?" but striving for perfection can hurt as much as it can help. It can make you less efficient, promotes procrastination, and keeps you from advancing. I am a recovering perfectionist. I used to spend weeks on a single query letter. I'd interview and sometimes even re-interview potential sources to find the perfect quote to include in the pitch. Or I would spend days and days immersing myself in background research, as if an editor was going to give me a pop quiz on the subject. And then, of course, I would write the query letter over and over, looking at it from every conceivable angle, until I felt assured of its brillance and perfection. But none of this saved me from receiving rejections and it wasted a lot of time.

These days, I avoid the trappings of perfectionism by setting a reasonable estimated time for completion of a project. If I find myself taking too long on a task, I step back and make an honest assessment of whether the extra time is justified. If not, I force myself to move on. Since becoming less of a perfectionist, my productivity has improved immensely --and I don't think the quality my work has suffered at all.

3. Failing to fully understand the terms of service and publication. Always make sure that you understand everything that is required of you and the circumstances of publication before starting to write. When is the article due? How many words should it be? What rights are you retaining? When will it be published? When will you be paid? Is there a kill fee? Does the editor expect you to provide photographs? All of this information should be clear - and in writing - before you lift a pen (or move your mouse).

4. Failing to Diversify. It's nice to have steady work with a client that always pays on-time. But it doesn't pay to get too comfortable with the gig, no matter how reliable it seems. What will you do if your client's business folds or no longer needs you? A freelance writer should always be looking for the next (or another) gig. It's exhausting, but it's the trade-off for being able to work in our pajamas. And this leads me to my final point....

5. Failing to Have a Plan for Your Career. You know, I thought I had a plan for my freelance career. But after having read the very excellent book, "The Wealthy Freelancer"
I have come to realize that all I really have is a bunch of goals. Naturally, having clear, written short-term and long-terms goals for your writing is essential, but it's not necessarily the same thing as having a plan. Goals tell you where you want to go; plans tell you how to get there. Freelancing is a business and without a proper business plan, you may find yourself career stalled.

Happy Writing!

The Only Book I Feel Like Reading

2010-10-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Man, it’s been forever since I updated, but September was a crazy month. My three-year old started school, my husband was all over the world, I had lots of freelancing work to do (yay!), and I had to adjust (am still adjusting) to a completely different work schedule.

Perhaps because September was so stressful, I experienced a sensation that I have only felt once or twice before in my life: I didn’t feel like reading.

For those who know me, this is a huge deal – perhaps even unthinkable. I’m someone who won’t buy a purse, no matter how fashionable, if I can’t fit a small paperback into it. I panic if I go on holiday and I think I haven’t brought along enough books. My husband says, not entirely with admiration, that I’m addicted to books.

I’m beginning to think he’s right because even though I didn’t feel like reading last month, I still craved it. I didn’t want to but I had to read. It was weird. I would climb into bed at night, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep, but instead of punching my pillow and turning the lights off, I’d find myself looking through the books on my nightstand (which is actually a full-sized bookcase), feeling distressed because absolutely nothing appealed to me and yet I knew I needed something.

The book that finally appeased my soul was this: Harry Potter. Any of ‘em. All of ‘em. (Well, except the last).

Why Harry Potter? After giving it some thought, here’s what I figured out: the reason I didn’t feel like reading was because reading had become work. I couldn’t read a magazine without thinking of topics that I might pitch. I couldn’t read a non-fiction book without thinking about my own non-fiction WIP that so desperately needs my attention. I couldn’t read a fiction book without analyzing sentence structure, character development, the author’s word choice, or fretting about when I will ever have time for fiction again.

But when reading Harry Potter, all of that fell away. Not only is Harry Potter’s world a wonderful place in which to spend time, the JK Rowling story is one that warms the heart of any writer. I’m sure you know the tale: a depressed single-mom, down on her luck, comes up with an idea about a boy wizard while stuck on a train, writes the book, is rejected 12 times, but eventually finds and publisher and goes on to become the first writer billionaire. I love it! Reading the books with this in mind, all I felt was pleasure and inspiration. Just the thing a tired mom needs.

October is shaping up to be just as busy as September and I’m probably going to finish re-re-re-reading the Harry Potter series in the next week or so. Does anyone have another suggestion for a good book to read when you really don’t feel like reading?

It's not for myself that I'm asking. It's for a....friend.

International Freelancer's Day

2010-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Were you aware that September 24th is International Freelancer's Day?

Me neither.

But it is. In honor of this day, there is going to be international online video conference exclusively for “the solo professional.” (Note that this isn’t just for freelance writers, but freelancers of all stripes, from copywriters to graphic designers to translators.)

According to the website, on September 24 and 25th, conference participants will have access to 10-15 video presentations per day featuring topics relevant to building a successful freelance business. Just as with a regular conference, the videos will play at a certain time and date. And best of all – it’s free! All you have to do is sign up.

I’ll definitely be watching at least a few of the videos. As I pointed out a few months ago, we expat freelancers often have to go through a lot of trouble to attend conferences, so it’s great to have one that we don’t even need shoes to attend. Moreover, I’m optimistic about the conference because it’s being organized by Steve Slaunwhite, Ed Gandia, and Pete Savage, the three authors of “The Wealthy Freelancer” – a book I’m currently reading. I’ll review the book on this blog in a few days, but I’ll say right now that I’m really enjoying it. These guys have something good - and new – to say.

If you’re still not convinced about the conference, watch the introductory video on the conference’s website. It’s not super-informative as to the actual events, but nevertheless gets you all jazzed up to participate and proud of being a freelancer. It makes us seem like we’re Gladiators or something.

A Post for la Rentree: What My Law Career Taught Me About Freelancing

2010-09-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Since everyone in France goes on summer vacation at roughly the same time, the return to normal life in September is called "la rentrée" (the re-entry). It's one of my favorite times of the year, not only because the weather tends to be at its best, but because Parisians are so unusually cheerful and I like the laid-back, almost careless way everyone eases into their regular routines. One is busy, returning phone calls, answering emails, getting kids ready for school -- but not stressed. It's as if the entire city has recently awoken, yawning and smiling, from a long, pleasant nap.

In the laid-back spirit la rentrée, I return to this blog simply by linking an article I recently wrote for FreelanceSwitch.com called "What My Law Career Taught Me about Freelance Writing." My life as lawyer definitely taught me a thing or two about how to run a freelance business.

Happy Autumn!

Notes from the Motherland

2010-07-06T01:14:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...it's great to be in the Motherland. When I walk into the bookstore and see the array of magazines on display (so bountiful and so cheap, compared to the jacked up international prices) I bemoan my expat status. How easy freelancers have it here! I think. I would be churning out dozens of queries a week, if I lived here.

It's not true, of course. My two little monsters are the primary reason I don’t write more, not my diminished access to U.S. writing markets. But nonetheless, I am scrambling to take advantage of my time in the U.S. and accomplish a slew of freelancing tasks that are easier to do over here than over there.

For the expat freelancer that may be visiting his or her home country for a spell this summer, here are a few freelance-related duties you might want to take care of while there:

1. Pay a lengthy visit to the bookstore.

I’ve always adored books and bookstores, so it’s great to have a job that virtually demands that I spend a lot of time in one. When I’m at a bookstore for professional purposes, I spend about 60% of my time hanging out at the magazine stand, searching for new markets and staying updated on old ones. I spend 30% of the time checking out the latest nonfiction books to assess which topics are hot and might be relevant to articles or queries that I have in the pipeline. I jot down any titles and/or authors that might be a good future source. The remainder of the time, I loaf around in fiction.

2. Research at the library.
Expat freelancers based in Paris are lucky to have the American Library in Paris at their disposal. But the library is based upon donations and doesn’t always have the most recent books. Neither do online libraries. So, when I return to the U.S., I always bring a list of topics that I want to research in the library while I’m there.

3. Do some interviews

Most of the sources that I interview are based in the U.S. When possible, I schedule telephone interviews while I’m in the U.S. so that I don’t have to deal with huge time zone differences. Trying to schedule a phone interview with a person in Seattle while I’m in France just sucks.

4. Check out local markets

I am fiercely jealous of freelancers based in their home country because not only they (probably) have an easier time finding new markets, they also have access to plenty of local markets. While at home, I grab up every halfway interesting-looking local paper, magazine or rag. Most of the time they publish local news, but some of them have travel departments that may be worth looking into.

5. Take an Editor to Lunch

Two of my favorite freelance writing guidebooks recommend occasionally taking editors that you work for out for lunch to improve client relations and get an opportunity to present your ideas in person. Hmmph. None of the publications I write for are based in my home city and, even if there was one here, I’m not sure whether I’d actually have the gumption to ask an editor out for lunch. It sounds like a good idea, though, if you think the editor might be amenable to that sort of thing and you have the sort of personality that could pull a lunch like that off. Me, I’m not ready for that. Maybe next summer.

Don't. Stop. Me. Now! (I'm having such a good time... having a ball...)

2010-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t sure where to put this post – here or at my other blog, International Mama. But I guess it’s most appropriate here since maybe other expat freelancers can relate.

In my last post, I mentioned how living abroad means working around an unfamiliar vacation schedule. I was pretty cheery about it in that post, having just spent 10 days in the sunny climes of Biarritz. But now it’s the middle of June and my real summer vacation is looming in front of me like a black hole. I know that as much as I’ll fight it initially, come the start of July I’m going to get sucked into that hole and not fully emerge until the beginning of September. It’s making me sad.

People who don’t freelance don’t really get it: “Just enjoy!” they say. Or, if American they say, “I wish I had so much vacation.” And I respond: “I wish someone would continue to pay me during my vacations!”

But, you know what? It isn’t just missing out on a paycheck. I hate losing momentum. I’ve had some great breaks in the past two months and I want to keep riding on that high you get when people like – and pay for - your work. Vacations make me happy but so does getting an email that says: “love that story idea…will be sending you a contract shortly.” My husband thinks I’m a workaholic. But really I just love writing. I love building a career from scratch. I love feeling increasingly confident about my work and taking on bigger challenges.

Right about now, you might be saying: so, don’t take such a long vacation. Uh-huh, I hear through my computer. Well, the thing is, my other job requires me to go on vacation: my mom job. The tots need to spend time with my family in the U.S. They need to see their family in Germany. They need to spend time with me and my husband, when we’re not sneaking glances at our cell phones or “just quickly checking” something on the computer. To accomplish all this traveling takes time – and thank goodness for our kids – time is something we have.

I know that once vacation starts, I won’t be worrying too much about the work I’m missing. I’ll get a chance to do some personal journaling. I’ll get lots of article ideas. And I’ll get my writing groove back in September. Still, as vacation inches ever closer, I can’t help but feel as if I’m preparing to say goodbye to a good friend for awhile.

Readers - what about you? Are you reluctant to stop working? Is this an expat problem or a freelancer problem? Or maybe a mom problem?

5 More Ways to Make Money as a Freelancer

2010-06-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the radio silence! In France, May is packed with holidays and I – along with about a quarter of the population – was on vacation. One of the funny things about being an expat is that you adopt the customs of the country that you’re living in, which creates a culturally unfamiliar vacation schedule. A couple of years ago, an editor asked me to write a feature that required tons of research just before I was leaving for a month-long vacation in Italy. I recall being excited about breaking into this particular magazine, but shocked that he expected me to work in August! In France, pretty much nobody works in August! Only the essentials. I had to remind myself that in the U.S. I wouldn’t have blinked an eye at the timing of this assignment (I wouldn’t have been on vacation for four consecutive weeks anyway), and dragged several thick books to Italy with me.

Anyway. A while ago I wrote a post about 5 ways to make money as a freelancer and promised to come up with a few more ideas. Here they are!

1. Write an email newsletter

I am currently subscribed to some 15-20 email newsletters (no, I don’t read them all). Somehow it only dawned on me a few months ago that the authors of these newsletters aren’t merely writing these things for publicity or out of the goodness of their hearts – they’re getting cash money for them! Some make their money through advertising…others have sponsors…and a few, have readers willing to pay for the news.

Having never written for an email newsletter, I’m not sure how to begin. I do know that you can either start your own newsletter on a topic that interests you, or you can try to find a job as a newsletter writer for an organization that might like or need one. Bizymoms.com has some good information on how to start your own.

2. Teach writing

This is a variation on the standard “teach English” job that many of us expat have done (or thought about doing). I imagine that if you’re not in an English-speaking country, there are plenty of people in your adopted country who want to improve their written English as well as their spoken English. Think business people who have Anglophone clients, people who want to find a job in an Anglophone country, or those who are staying put, but want to make themselves more marketable. Students, too, might be willing to cough up a few Euros (yen, pesos, dinar, etc.) to receive instruction on a certain type of writing. You could even set up a one-day seminar, where you teach several students at once.

Even though we’re abroad, we’re not limited to teaching the locals. If you’re a reasonably established writer, you may be able to find a teaching job on the ‘net, or even at a local university. Non-expats: think about contacting a community college with an idea for a course.

3. Ghostwriting

This has been on my mind since seeing Roman Polanski’s “Ghostwriter.” How strange is it to write an entire book and never see your name on the cover? Not being able to admit that you wrote it? I don’t think I’d like that. But hey – not only books are ghost written. Articles, columns, and even some blogs are ghostwritten. And from what I understand, the pay can be quite good. Here’s a website by British ghostwriter Andrew Crofts about how and why he got started in the ghostwriting business.

4. E-books

E-books are the wave of the…present. They’re here. They’re now. They’re an excellent way to make a tidy residual income, if you pick the right topic and market it well. For more thoughts on why and how you should write an E-book, take a look at Remarkablogger’s post: How to Write an E-book that Doesn’t Suck. It's funny. And very true.

5. Translation Services
For you lucky expat freelancers that have mastered the language of your adopted country, you can make good money on the side by starting up a freelance translating business. My husband just had to have his birth certificate translated – and that single page cost 52 Euros! Of course, these translators are long-time pros recommended by the American Embassy for official business, but still. It’s an indicator of the kind of money you can make. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the American Translators Association. Even though it's for American residing in the U.S., it’s full of good tips on starting a translation career.

So there you go. I'll try to post more regularly now...well, until August.

WordHustler - A free magazine database!

2010-05-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hi folks - found another handy source for finding markets that I thought I'd share with you. It's called WordHustler and it's actually a submission platform for writers. Among its many features, it automatically sends out and tracks submissions for you, allowing you to review all your outstanding submissions at a glance and know their status (published, pending, rejected, etc.) instantly.

While it mostly appears to be designed for fiction writers (all of their examples seem related to novels and screenplays), but it is clearly mean for freelancers and non-fiction writers as well. It has a "markets" database that lists over 5,000 magazine publishers, literary agents, contests, etc. with proper contact information. You can search by a variety of categories, such as travel, health, essay markets and so forth. I spent about a half-hour browsing the markets and came up with several interesting publications I hadn't heard of before.

Searching the market listings is free but having the program send and track queries costs $2.99 per query letter. To me, this seems a bit steep considering I can do it myself for free. But for those who have the ability to churn out dozens of queries each week, maybe it's worth it. (Again, I think the service part is better geared to fiction writers or those with longer-length projects). Anyway, I think it's worth checking out, even if just for the market database.

If there's anyone out there who has tried WordHustler's other services, feel free to comment on this blog and tell us whether it's worth it!

30 ways to slant an article

2010-05-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was cleaning out my office when I came across a 2005 issue of Writers Journal. I wasn’t freelancing back then so I hadn’t paid much attention to the articles that related to freelancers. But yesterday, I re-read the issue with new eyes. Some of the articles were already quaint: one article talked about email submissions as if it were a new-fangled thing, another talked about how to use Microsoft Word, frequently encouraging readers to save their work on a floppy disk. But there was one article that, I think, will forever be useful.

The piece was on article slanting. The author, Dennis Hensley, told of his friendship with a reporter for the Associated Press, who was a master at taking one general topic and churning out dozens of different articles about it. Hensley said that the reporter got these ideas by running every topic through a grid that provided twenty-four ways to spin the subject. He then provided a sample grid and idea to show how it worked.

I thought it was a great exercise and promptly forgot about my office-cleaning project to try it out. I picked a subject that I only know a little about (gardening) and applied it to the grid. It worked great. In fact, I got so enthusiastic about the project that I enlarged the grid to 30 angles. The grid and my results are below.

Give it a whirl, keeping in mind that you won’t always get 24 (or 30) viable articles from the exercise. The grid is only a point of departure – some ideas won’t pan out on closer inspection. But even if you only find 12 or 15 potentially saleable angles, that’s still pretty good, no? Just think of the variety of potential writing markets!

Concept: Gardening
Angle: Article Idea Title

1. Regionalism: An expat’s guide to developing a French garden.

2. Humor: 5 plants even you can't kill.

3. Looking back/recalibration: Experienced gardeners weigh-in on what they would have done differently when starting their gardens.

4. Gender Differences: Tips on how to resolve differences when you and your mate have different visions for your garden.

5.Generational Differences: What your grandchild can teach you about gardening.

6. Contemporary Application: 5 ways technology can improve your garden.

7. Defusing Fear: Declare war on your weeds with these 3 homemade solutions.

8. Prosperity: How to make money from your herb garden

9. Back to Basics The ABC’s of Composting

10. Confidence-Building: It's not too late to change the theme of your garden.

11. Religious/Spiritual: Creating a spiritual space in your garden

12. The arts (poetry, music, painting, cinema) A stroll through famous gardens in poetry.

13. Insider Scoops: Six Things a Landscape Artist would never say to your face about your garden.

14. New Perspective: Yes, you can have a vegetable garden on your balcony!

15. Personal Trauma: Creating a Memorial Garden.

16. Controlling Emotions: How to deal when you hate your next-door neighbor’s garden.

17. Checklists and Procedures: Get the right pH balance for your soil in 5 simple steps.

18. Variation on the Traditional: What you need to start a rock garden.

19. Saving Money: 3 things you think you need a landscape architect for…but don’t.

20. Saving Time: 6 Gardening Tools that can cut your weeding time in half.

21. Mental and Physical Perspective: Tone your abs while pulling weeds!

22. Altruism and Self-sacrifice: How to Start a Community Garden

23. In-Depth Analysis: Book author/award-winning gardener explains the importance of drawing up sun/shade patterns before designing your garden.

24. Using Momentum: Your lawn is finally under control…time to decide on a theme!

25. Historical Perspective: The historical development of the English Garden.

26. Kids: What having a butterfly garden can teach your child.

27. Cuisine: A round-up of edible flowers for your garden (with recipes!)

28. Health: Seven herbs you should have in your garden for better health.

29. Pets: How to stop Rover from eating your petunias.

30. Travel: Five must-see botanical gardens in the world.

Do You Workshop? A Writer Conference/Workshop Round-up

2010-04-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is a fiction writer who is always attending this conference or that workshop. I’ve listened to her experiences enviously: she always seems to come away from these gathering enriched, refreshed and excited to continue with her work. Despite my envy, somehow it never really occurred to me to seek out conferences and workshops for freelancers or non-fiction writers. But after reading this post at the Writer Abroad blog, I decided that it was time to take action.

Even a cursory search on the web revealed scores of writer conferences all over the world for journalists and non-fiction writers. Though I have yet to attend a conference or workshop, from everything I’ve read, it’s clear that these gatherings can be especially valuable for expat freelancers. Here’s why:

1. Conferences provide opportunities to meet editors and agents. Many conferences have panels featuring editors and agents who discuss the latest trends and news in the publishing industry as well as describe the kind of articles and books for which they’re searching. Afterwards, writers have the opportunity to meet the panelists (in some instances, in an organized fashion) and get their ideas heard and names known. This is a special boon for us expat freelancers, whose far-flung life means we can’t do a lot of face-to-face networking with many of the editors for whom we write. (I don’t know about you, but it’s complicated for me to even schedule a phone call! But that’s mostly the kids’ fault.)

2. Conferences/workshops offer opportunities to meet other writers. It’s so easy to make connections with writers online that sometimes we may disregard the need to meet writers in real life. I know I’m guilty of this. But…call me crazy…seeing an avatar or photo of someone online just isn’t the same as meeting someone in the flesh. Conferences /workshops strike me as a great thrust into real life – and we can meet all kind of writers that maybe would have flown under our radar online. You never know where connections with other writers will lead you.

3. Conferences/workshops can introduce you to new genres and markets. I’m always bitching about the difficulty of finding new Anglophone markets/magazines as an expat. Conferences often offer seminars and sessions across all fields and genres and a variety of magazine editors attend. This makes for a great opportunity to develop new angles and interests for your writing.

If you’re concerned that the cost of travel might be an obstacle, consider this: your travel expenses, registration fees, and a few other related expenses are (most likely) tax-deductible! That’s a nice little perk that you can't ignore.

So, are you with me? Here are links to 12 conferences/workshops that take place all around the world. And as a bonus, here's an amusing (and helpful) link that offers seven ways to make the most of a conference.

If you can recommend any other good conferences for freelancers or non-fiction writers, please feel free to share!

Workshops & Conferences for Non-Fiction

1. The Paris Writers Workshop This 5-day workshop in Paris appears to be open to writers of all levels who have the requisite manuscript. Workshop sizes are limited 15 participants so register early!

2. The Geneva Writers' Group Conference In addition to an annual conference, the Geneva Writers' Group offers Saturday workshops for a variety of kinds of writing (including personal essay, opinion, travel, etc.) on the 3rd Saturday of every month.

3. Abroad Writers Conference Has multiple conferences a year, each in a different location in the world. Upcoming conferences/workshops are in France, Italy, Scotland and India.

4. Doha Writers Workshop Offers help to writers of all experience levels in Qatar.

5. San Miguel Writers Workshops Though at first glance this workshop (in Mexico) seems to be all fiction, it isn't. They offer workshops for a variety non-fiction writing, including memoir, travel, personal essays, and even blogging!

6. The International Writers' Workshop This workshop takes place in Ghana. Its non-fiction compenent mainly focuses on travel and memoirs.

Conferences & Workshops for Freelancers

7. Surrey International Writers Conference This Canadian conference can benefit writers of all stripes, fiction, non-fiction, freelance, poets. The conference provides an opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings with agents, editors, and other professional writers.

8. American Society of Journalists and Authors Writers Conference You have to be a member of ASJA to attend this intense NYC conference. To be apply to be a member, you must submit 6 articles of 1,000 words or more that have been published in major national magazines. If you are book-writer, you must have written at least two non-fiction books, or have written one and are under contract to write another. A committee will notify you if you have been accepted. A conference to aspire to, I guess!

9. Writers and Editors: One-on-One To attend this conference in Chicago, you must submit to a committee 3 recent clips from national or regional magazines. As the title of the conference suggests, you get one-on-one time with editors from a variety of publications.

10. Travel & Words Writers Conference A one-day conference in Tacoma, Washington that welcomes all travel writers and freelancers.

11. Travel Classics Writers' Conference Another twice-yearly conference for travel writers that offers one-on-one meetings with editors. If that's not incentive enough - the conferences take place at reaaaally luxurious-looking spa hotels.

12. Blog World & New Media Expo This looks like a conference useful for every freelancer or writer, no matter what your specialty. The conference isn't just about blogging, but how to use social media to maximum effect in your writing career.

EuroWriter - a new magazine database

2010-04-14T07:30:00.001-07:00

Drive-by post: Just wanted to alert all you expat freelancers (and regular freelancers) to a new magazine database that features English-language magazines published in Europe! EuroWriter is a site updated and maintained by Alistair Scott, a freelancer living in Switzerland. The site not only offers contact information and links to writers guidelines, it also features English-language writing competitions in Europe. Go check it out!

Interview with expat freelancer Heather Stimmler-Hall

2010-04-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

You'd be hard-pressed to find an Anglophone expatriate in Paris that hasn't heard of Heather Stimmler-Hall. For those newly arrived to Paris -- and even for many of us old-timers -- her Secrets of Paris website (and blog and newsletter) is a fantastic resource that covers all aspects of life in Paris, from where to find organic pet food to which grocery stores are open late. She is also author of the award-winning book Naughty Paris: A Lady's Guide to the Sexy City, and you'll inevitably find articles written by her in most English-language magazines about France.

I've been a subscriber to Heather's newsletter for many years, and I have admired her evident success as a freelancer abroad. So, I was delighted when she agreed to share details of her journey as writer with The Expat Freelancer.

EPF: What prompted you to move to (and stay in) Paris?

HSH: I came to Paris as a student in 1995, and eventually met and married my (now ex) husband, who was British and also living in Paris, in 1999. He's the reason I stayed initially, and after 10 years of living here I didn't want to leave, so I'm still here!

How established was your writing career when you moved here? How did you get your start?

I had taken four years of journalism classes in high school, where we produced a weekly newspaper. My senior year I worked at the daily Phoenix Gazette (now part of the AZ Republic) and did summer classes at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. In college I worked for the school's news bureau for four years, so I already had a lot of clips and formal journalism training when I arrived in Paris. I was an editor at ELLE.com in 1999, then went freelance in 2000. It was the dot com boom, so I started off with a lot of web clients, but the crash hit right after I went freelance, so it was a tough start to the millennium.

The majority of your writing work is travel-related. Did you become a travel writer because you were in Paris, or was travel writing the niche you always wanted to work within?

I never planned on doing travel writing. I was going to be a White House correspondent (I majored in political science in college). At ELLE.com I was in charge of the travel section, and when I went freelance it was the easiest topic to sell (I had moved to the French Riviera at that point, so there were only a few low-paying freelance news jobs for English-speaking journalists). Unfortunately it's a topic that many non-professional writers are willing to do for free, so it's hard to find well-paid freelance travel writing jobs. Guidebook writing is a thankless slog of a job for little pay, but if you make your deadlines and do a good job, you can find consistent work.

When you first started writing, were you worried about your ability to earn a sufficient income as a writer abroad? In your opinion, what’s the best way, writing-wise, to earn your keep?

Ha! I took journalism in school because I wanted to make a living and being a novelist didn't seem practical. But I've always known what the average income was for my line of work, so I had no illusions going freelance. It helped that I was married to a supportive husband when I started out. The first five years as a freelancer I didn't make enough to live off. I think I make enough now because I have a few editors who hire me over and over because they know I'm professional, make my deadlines, and turn in consistently good content. (I have friends who do technical writing or business writing. They make more, but they usually tell me they hate what they do. So there is a trade off, for sure.)

What was your biggest breakthrough as an expat writer? How did it shape your career?

I think getting the job at ELLE.com (when it was still based in Hachette's Paris HQ) opened a lot of doors for me, even though I only got the job because I knew HTML (back in 1999 Paris this was incredible); I knew nothing about fashion, which is why they had me editing the travel and decor sections. When I went freelance I could easily contact the editors of major magazines because I had the name recognition behind me. It probably moved me into feature/lifestyle/travel writing and away from news/political writing, which has obviously shaped my career. I probably only write one or two non-travel articles per year now. It also helps that I've been doing my Secrets of Paris newsletter (now a website and a blog) since 1999. Putting in your time shows you are a reliable, hard working writer. Most freelancers don't last that long! ;)

What has been the biggest disadvantage of being an expat writer and how have you worked around it?

My French isn't good enough to write in French, so I can't find many jobs that pay in Euros (99% of my writing jobs are in US dollars, ugh). But I also have a private tour company, so I make Euros from that work.

Your book Naughty Paris hit the bookshelves in 2008 and you’re always hard at work on uncovering the "Secrets of Paris" for your website. What else are you working on these days?

Naughty Paris second edition and Naughty New York. I'm also always trying to improve my websites and make them more useful for the people reading them.

Do you have any advice for other expat freelancers?

Although it's possible to pretend you aren't legally living in France if all of your clients are abroad, the benefits of being in the French system (I'm covered by AGESSA) outweigh the costs, and make your life soooooo much easier in the long run. If you're living in France and writing about France (basically, "making a living off France"), pay your taxes and contribute to society and the upkeep of this beautiful city like the rest of us. ;)

Heather Stimmler-Hall is an American freelance writer living in Paris. To learn more about Heather's writings and Paris tours, visit her website: www.secretsofparis.com.

The positive side of rejections

2010-04-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, I got a rejection email for a pitch that I sent to a national glossy a couple of months ago. Addressing me by my first name, the editor thanked me but said they’d decided to cover the topic in a different way. As far as rejections go, it was pretty neutral. There was nothing in it to make me hopeful about future pitches (though previous rejections from this editor had encouraged me to send more queries) nor did it make me want to curl up and cry. When I turned off my computer and went to bed for the night, I thought about the rejection again and felt strangely content.

I often feel this way about rejections.

I don’t know how it is for most of you freelancers out there, but I don’t receive a response of any kind for more than half of my pitches. This annoys the crap out of me. I put a lot of effort into each pitch, gathering expert quotes and sources, and make sure to suggest an appropriate department of the magazine for the story. I know editors are swamped, but how hard can it be to type a quick “no thanks” as a courteous nod to the work the pitch entailed? I could understand ignoring the query if it was topically off-base or full of misspelling and grammatical errors, but my queries aren’t.

As I lay in bed, I started thinking about why rejections bring a certain satisfaction to me and came up with the following:

1. Rejections bring closure. I dislike the tired word “closure” but it’s accurate here. I appreciate knowing when a query is officially off the table and I’m free to shop it to the next pub. Of course, since so many editors don’t bother with rejection letters, most of the time I don’t wait for a rejection to send a query off again. Still, it’s nice to know that I can send it elsewhere without any potential awkwardness.

2. Rejections are a form of acknowledgement. A rejection means that my email got to where it was supposed to go (I always fear that it is sitting unread in someone’s spam folder). It also means that someone read it and gave it at least a few seconds of thought, possibly much more.

3. Rejections bring opportunity. Rejections are a good opportunity to contact the editor again. After receiving last night’s rejection, I quickly sent an email to the editor thanking her for her response and promising her another query in the near future. I spent this morning researching other topics so that I can send her another pitch later this week. At the very least, this will help to keep me on her radar screen. Even if she rejects the next pitch, at least I’m taking steps towards becoming a familiar name to her. The more familiar I become to her, the more willing she might be to take a chance on one of my proposals…assuming, of course, that I’m presenting her with good work.

4. Rejections are part of the writing life. To me, rejection is the flip side of publishing an article –a kind of badge of courage. A few years ago several freelancers on the writer's forum that I frequent made goals to receive a certain number of rejections a year instead of acceptances. I thought that was pretty wise. If you’re getting rejections, it means you’re putting your ideas and work out there. It means you’re trying. It means you’re writing. Rejections are an inevitable part of a writer’s life. And somehow it’s the teensiest bit satisfying to receive this confirmation that a writer’s life is indeed mine.

How do you handle rejections? Have you ever had something positive arise out of a rejection?

Deductible Expenses and the Freelance Writer

2010-03-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

So, last week found me at my accountant’s office, proudly handing over all my W-2s and other evidence of my income earned for 2009. Although it amounted to less than two week’s salary from when I was a lawyer, he smiled approvingly. For the past couple of years, I’d shown up with a laughably meager income that he sort of waved away. But this time, I could tell that he thought I’d at last gotten serious about my writing. He was right. But evidently, not serious enough.

“Good, good,” he said, flipping through my papers. “And what are your expenses?”

Ah. Those.

While I meticulously kept proof of my income, I hadn’t given much thought to my expenses at all. This year (2010), I had saved the receipt from the computer I bought when my old one went on the fritz, and saved the receipts from expenses incurred from building my clips site, but I couldn’t think of one receipt I had saved from 2009.

“Uh, I didn’t have any.” I said, stupidly.

“You didn’t buy paper?” he asked. “Pens? Books for your research? A library membership? ”

Yes, to all of those things, but I didn’t think to save the receipt for such small fry. But I should have. These little things add up and can make a sizable dent in the amount of taxes owed.

Are you keeping track of the expenses associated with your writing?

Here are some other expenses that may be deductible:

1. Business-related fees. Are you a paying member of MediaBistro.com? Do you pay for the online Writer’s Market (or the book, for that matter)? Do you pay for the internet, your professional website, a research service (e.g., LEXIS/NEXIS), a premium PayPal account? Business cards? All of these things and more may be tax deductible. Oh, and you know what? Magazine subscriptions might be deductible as well – of course, you have to prove that you used them for business expenses. My accountant says that an emailed print out of a query letter to that magazine, and/or an acceptance or rejection email from the editor of that magazine can help validate your claim.

2. Professional advice. Have you paid professional advice related to freelancing over the past year? An accountant, for example? What about an agent, editor, web designer or lawyer? Their fees might all be able to be written off – and so can the lunches or coffees that you had with them while discussing business.

3. Your home office. This is a complicated deduction and my accountant has never tried to deduct it from my taxes because my office is in a corner of my dining room (my former office now being my kids’ room). But if your office is used purely for business purposes, you may be able to deduct a portion of your annual rent or mortgage (based upon the percentage of space your office takes up) from your taxes.

4. Equipment used in your work. Your computer, printer, fax machine, scanner, cell phone, computer software and even office furniture may be able to be deducted, although it’s rather complicated. Because these things have a long lifespan, some things can be deducted outright, while other items must be amortized or depreciated over a few years. Ask your accountant his or her opinion. My accountant told me that my new computer, for example, would be depreciated over three years.

5. Payments not received. I was happy to hear about this one – a magazine I worked for shut down last year and even though my article was published in its final issue, I never got paid. It wasn’t worth chasing down the former publishers of the magazine, so I just mentally wrote it off. It was very pleasing to learn that this expense could also be formally written off!

6. Travel expenses. Of course, you can’t go on a luxury vacation, write a blog post about it and expense the trip. But if you have an assignment that requires you to travel, you may be able to deduct the business aspects of the trip. Attending writer’s conferences, workshops and retreats may deductible as well.

7. Subcontracted work. Did you ever pay another writer to complete a job you’d contracted for? The fee you paid this writer may be tax deductible.

I’m sure there are plenty of other deductions, but these were the ones my accountant brought up. Of course, not all of these will be applicable to your situation – but start saving those receipts anyway. Not only might it help you save on your taxes, it will help you to think of freelancing as your business, and not just a cool job.

And since none of this relates specifically to taxes for expatriates, here is some information about filing taxes that every expat should know: Foreign Tax Credit and Foreign Earned Income Exclusions. Good luck!

5 ways to make money as a freelancer

2010-03-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

A million years ago, when I had that extremely short-lived writers' group, I recall someone asking how one could make real money as a freelance writer. She said that writing for magazines couldn't possibly generate a substantial income.

I think that it's true: most freelance writers can't and don't rely solely on magazines or newspapers for income. If I've learned anything in this career, money from freelancing comes in fits and spurts. Many magazines only pay once the article has been written and "accepted." Others won't pay you until the article is published. And since a lot can happen between the time the article is written and publication (once a magazine folded after I wrote the article and I never got paid even though the piece was published in the final issue), it's hard to count on that money until you're holding it in your hand.

So, one must supplement one's income through other means. Here are 5 alternatives to consider:

1. Blogging

In case you hadn't noticed, these days everybody has a blog. Everyone. Newspapers, businesses, libraries, law firms, hospitals...just everyone. And, of course, people like you and me. But, of course, it takes a whole lotta time to keep blogs updated. So newspapers, businesses, libraries, hospital, law firms, hire people like you and me to keep the blogs updated. It can be fun and easy and can mean regular pay. Plus, for an expat freelancer, it means that you don't have to be in the same country as your employer. I have written for a couple of blogs on a regular basis, and have really enjoyed writing without having to be responsible for finding an audience, advertisers, or even pictures and formatting!

Look at Blogger Jobs and ProBlogger for blogging jobs.

You can also monetize your own blog but I think it takes a very specific idea, a huge following and an incredible amount of time to make it profitable. But I do know of people who receive a solid, steady income through advertisements on their blogs.

2. Copywriting/Commercial Writing

You know all those brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, and other marketing materials that cross our paths every day? People write them. Very often, freelancers write them. And these companies are willing to pay good money for quality writing. If you don’t believe me, check out Peter Bowerman’s classic book (and website): The Well-Fed Writer. According to him, you can achieve self-sufficiency as a freelance writer in 6 months or less. What does self-sufficiency mean? Well, according to him, a “comfortable, not-unusual week nets $2000.” Sounds pretty good. I have never attempted to break into business writing since the language of most of the business ‘round here are French, but I do keep my eyes out for opportunities. And I’m sure it’s possible to break into Anglophone business markets from abroad, but as I’ve never tried, I don’t know how. If anyone has any ideas on how to do this, feel free to share!

3. Editing/Proofing
Many freelance writers supplement their income by offering private editing/proofing services. Tons of businesses, students, and fellow writers will welcome you with open arms. If you know your way around Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style or cackled over Eats Shoots and Leaves, then maybe this is an option for you. If you’re an expat freelancer in a country that doesn’t speak English, I imagine that there would be a wealth of proofing/editing opportunities.

4. Résumé writing.

This is the classic job you can do from anywhere. Again, you’ll need to have stellar proofing skills and an eye for detail. You could either seek work through an already-established resume writing company or you could try to start your own resume writing business. This blog tells you how to get started. As expats, we’re well-placed to target people seeking jobs in our home countries. French CVs and American CVs are quite different. I feel confident that many French people seeking jobs in the U.S. would love to have an American eye assess their résumé.

5. Greeting cards.

If you’re always cracking people up with your witty quips or don’t mind getting really sentimental in your writing, consider writing for greeting card companies. You can make quite a tidy sum scribbling a few lines. According to this article, you can make $3 per line to $150 per verse. When you think about it in terms of "per word" payment that can amount to several dollars per word! Makes a nice break from those .10 per word magazines.

There are plenty of other writing options, but I think it’s dawning on my husband that I’m not actually running the kids’ bathwater. I’d better do a “5 more ways to make money as a freelancer” another time. G’nite!

Deconstructing magazines

2010-03-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed a recurrent theme in my posts: where to find Anglophone magazines while abroad. If you're new to freelancing, you might wonder why this is important: if you have access to a magazine name and its website, why is it so important to see the magazine itself?

Pretty much all books on freelancing agree that it is essential to take a good long look at a magazine before pitching to it. Editors hate with a burning white passion to receive pitches that clearly do not fit into their publication. I'm not just talking about sending a pitch about sports cars to a fishing magazine. I'm talking about sending a pitch about fly fishing in New Hampshire to a magazine that only writes about boat fishing in Wisconsin. A freelancer should deconstruct a magazine before pitching to it: she should know the exact kind of articles the magazine publishes, have an idea about which department the article would work well in, and understand the writing style of the publication. When you can, you should even look at several issues of the magazine to make sure your intended topic hasn’t been recently covered.

Of course, you can still land an assignment without having deconstructed or even seen the target magazine first. These days, you can get a lot of the information you need from the magazine’s website. But the more prestigious the magazine and the less experienced you are, the better it is to show the editor that you’ve done your homework. Even if the query is rejected, the editor may remember your professionalism. You definitely don’t want to send a pitch that stands out in the editor’s memory for its failure to adhere to the magazine’s concept – or because it details a story that was on the magazine’s cover last month.

As I’ve written previously, I often go to the American Library of Paris to check out the periodicals there. I also stock up on certain magazines whenever I’m in the U.S. Sometimes I ask friends who are in the U.S. to brings pubs to me when they visit. And of course there are a couple of magazines I subscribe to. I would subscribe to more, purely for research purposes, but that gets expensive. But recently I learned a way to make it a bit cheaper: sign up for free subscriptions.

Did you know that there are tons of free magazine subscriptions out there? Take a look at this site. And this one. All you need is a North American address and the pub is yours! Sure, that’s only part of the problem solved for us expat freelancers: the magazine still has to reach us. But it’s a lot cheaper to pay for postage rather than paying for postage and the magazine. I've gotten subscriptions to a few top parenting magazines this way, in addition to a couple of health magazines I'd like to write for.

Most of the time I don’t have the magazines sent to me: I just ask my mother to do a quick title check to make sure that the topic I’m pitching hasn’t been written about recently. If there’s an article of particular interest to me, I ask her to scan it and email it to me. So, okay, yes, you need an assistant in your home country. But personally, I feel more confident sending off a query knowing that, whatever the editor ultimately decides, I’ve done all that I could to fit my article into the magazine.

If anyone out there has a better way (or just a different way) of approaching this problem, please tell me because this is the aspect of expat freelancing that bugs me the most!

Still another way to find markets!

2010-03-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say that I found another great database: Mondo Times. They list over 25,000 media outlets in more than 200 countries. It's not just magazines and newspapers but television and radio, too. You'd think that with all that information it'd be confusing, but it's really easy to navigate. Outlets are divided by topic, country, and city. I'm seeing lots of regional and smaller pubs that don't make it onto other databases. Very cool!

3 Online Tools that an Expat Freelancer Needs

2010-03-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I conducted a very satisfying interview on Skype, which got me feeling all affectionate for the service. I do many interviews on Skype, either through their telephone service or IM chat (which I LOVE because your entire conversation is already perfectly preserved). Anyway, Skype got me thinking about the things that make life a bit easier for expat freelancers. Here are my top three.

1) Skype . I imagine most expats know about Skype, but if you don't, download it. Now. Skype is software that allows you to talk with other Skype users through your computer for free. Most of my sources have Skype and, in my view, there's nothing unprofessional about using it to conduct interviews. Did I mention that it's free?

2) eFax. eFax is another free service that is pretty great. When you register with eFax, you are assigned a U.S. fax number. As I mainly target American magazines, this number takes away the worry that editors will be annoyed by having to pay a premium fee when faxing documents (contracts, tax information, etc.) to me. And as it goes right to me my email, I don't need a heads-up about when the fax will arrive.

3) PayPal. Yet another free service! PayPal allows you to send and receive money online. (Actually, the service has dozens of features, but for freelancing purposes, I only use it to receive money). It is so easy. When you register, you provide your bank account information so that when you are paid, you can transfer the money from your PayPal account directly to your bank account. Many online pubs pay through PayPal, and its so much simpler than waiting to receive a paper check, and then going through the bother of taking it or sending it to your bank.

Of course, I'm talking about the basic level for all these services. For a fee you can get all the bells and whistles that these companies offer, but for me the free service works just fine. Check them out!

Markets for Personal Essays

2010-02-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

....and I'm back! My second child, Pup, was born goregeous and healthy less than a week after that last post. And the number of items I'm juggling immediately went from, say, 5 to 15. I don't know why one extra child would put so many more balls in the air, but it truly does. It's crazy! But getting easier and more fun everyday. Well, some days.

Part of the reason that I feel so knackered is that I have continued to write. My husband is annoyed with me for not taking a maternity leave, but frankly, it's a relief to have something else to do besides change diapers and get dissed by my toddler. I have researched, written and sent out several excellent queries (if I may say so myself), drafted dozens of articles for DS, whipped up a few articles for Venere.com, restarted work on my non-fiction book, and made a "clips site" which showcases samples of my work. I also tried to form another writer's group, this time seeking only one person to be my "writing buddy." But that fell apart after only two months - she was a mom of five working a full-time job. Guess there's no need to say more.

These days, as ever, the thing I find the most difficult about expat freelancing is finding publications for which I'd like to write. That's why, for the time being, I have turned my attention to writing essays. Essays are great for the expat because tons of online pubs seek them, which means you don't need to find samples in a bookstore. I also like them because they don't involve research, you don't need an expert to back up your opinion, and you can write in your own voice. A nice break from magazine writing! (Well, in my case, magazine querying).

Right now, I'm working on a couple of essays that I hope will be accepted in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. Here are several more pubs that accept essays - click the links for submission deadlines and writers guidelines. If you know of any other good ones, feel free to share!

Cup of Comfort

Skirt Magazine

The Public Sphere

Common Ties

Underwired Magazine

The Sun Magzine

Newsweek

Marriage Partnership

NPR: This, I believe

2009-07-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Two months since my last post, eh? Well, I guess in terms of blogging, I've gone on early maternity leave. I have been working my butt off on other things, trying to scrape together as much money as possible before #2 comes and I have to stop. I abandoned my previous policy of only working for Demand Studios when I didn't have babysitting help, and have been raking a fair bit of cash. I figured I might as well since getting a plum assignment from a magazine I've been chasing would stress me out beyond belief right now. With DS I can write or not write whenever I feel like it.

To be honest, I've also haven't posted because I've been rather frustrated with my progress in determining what makes for a successful expat freelancer. My "expat mom's writer's group" has not met since that first time. I have sent out emails trying to set up dates for meeting....and when I got no responses, I sent an email asking whether anyone was still interested and to (at least) confirm that they had received my emails! Only one person responded - she was still interested but was busy writing a novel and wouldn't be available to meet until fall. So...looks like I'll have to find new expat freelancers to meet with. Hopefully ones that aren't beginners and are serious about making a career of it. Where I'll find them I don't know....

Another frustration I've been dealing with is the lack of access to my target magazines. Any writing guidebook will tell you that you should know a magazine inside and out before querying - but for an expat, that's a tall order if you don't have regular access to magazines that you would like to write for. I got a "good" rejection for a magazine that I'd like to write for, wherein the editor gave me her personal email address (not just the general one for the magazine) and told me to send her more ideas. I have more ideas, but I don't know whether they've been covered recently in the magazine. It would be horribly embarrassing and unprofessional to pitch something that has recently appeared in the mag. How do other expat freelancers get around this dilemna? I would love to hear any suggestions.

Still, it's not all bad. I'm still receiving checks for articles written in the past year. And in addition to DS, I've been writing the occasional travel article for the blog at Venere.com , which has been good for making a little extra money and learning more about Paris. And most fun of all, since I've decided to not send out anymore queries until well after the baby is born (which should be next week, God willing), I've been working on a few fiction pieces. I just sent one in to the Write to Win! Contest with Writer's Journal. I guess some freelancers would say just focus on either fiction or nonfiction, but it felt great to do something different. Plus, I say that a freelancer has to be flexible about how she earns her dough! One day I think I'll do a blog post on the various ways a freelancer can earn money...but probably not until after the baby is born!

Wish us luck over here!

Making fast, easy money...a price.

2009-05-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

*Yawn* Oh boy, am I tired. I guess I haven't mentioned here that I am seven months pregnant. And being heavily pregnant, running after a toddler, trying to build/sustain a writing career, and doing all the other stuff that one must do, is really taking its toll on me. I used to be a monster of efficiency during the 12 hours of babysitting I have a week. Now, I find myself trying very hard not to spend most of that time napping.

Because I'm getting close (sort of) to my due date, I've slowed down on writing queries. Usually, I spend most of my time working on pitches for features for my dream magazines. Now, I am afraid that one of these magazines might actually pick up on my pitches. Wouldn't it figure if I get my first dream assignment right around the time my baby is due? Ugh, I get all tense and quivery at the very thought. So, instead of pitching feature ideas, I'm working on "front-of-the-book" pitches, articles which don't require as much research and have a low word counts.

But I've been working on something else lately that doesn't require much time and that I can stop and start whenever I want: writing articles for a website that funnels your content to other websites. I write for Demand Studios, which I think has one of the most reliable and well-paying programs of all the content sites I've looked into. You're not going to get rich writing for them - a 400 word article only pays $15 - but it has been great to have some spare cash, and to see my bank account increasing on a regular basis. Plus, the articles are easy to write and you don't have to spend much time thinking about what you're going to write, as DS provides the titles for you.

This is how it works: you apply by filling out an online application, providing a CV and three short writing samples. After your application is accepted, you are allowed check out the thousands of titles of the writing assignments available. There are about 15 broad categories, including subjects such Animals, Computers, Business, Health& Fitness, Sports & Recreation, Science, Weddings, Travel, and hundreds of subcategories for each topic. When you see a title you're interested in writing, you click on the assignment and it goes into your personal queue. Initially, you are allowed 10 assignments in your queue and have one week to complete them. Each article is reviewed by an editor after your turn it in, and either it is approved or you are required to do additional work.

Some articles pay a flat-fee of $5-15, others are valued through a revenue-sharing program. This means that you get paid a portion of the revenue that the article brings in, presumably from advertising. The idea is that the article will eventually earn more than the $15 flat-fee you would have been paid up front. But it’s definitely a gamble. Me, I prefer receiving the money upfront rather than getting it in dribs and drabs. (Then again, I’ve only been doing it for about six weeks. I’ll be watching my revenue-sharing articles closely to see how much they earn – so far, I’m not wildly impressed. )

I have always hesitated about writing for such websites - and now I see my hesitation was well-founded. First, writing for DS threatens to be a huge distraction from my “real” writing. It’s so nice to see cash flowing into my bank account on a weekly basis that I am tempted to write for them more and more and more. Writing queries gobbles up far more time and energy that writing these short, easy articles. And even as I write the queries, I know that I might get absolutely nothing in return from all my hard work. No money and not even a rejection letter from an editor. So, working for DS provides a certain satisfaction that my other writings don’t: I’m guaranteed to be paid for my work and words. But it’s not the writing that really thrills me. I write on topics like, “Urinary Tract Infections in Infants,” and “How to Establish Revocable Trust,” and “The Health Benefits of the Goji Berry.”

My second reservation is that writing for DS does not produce great writing. You write in an extremely stylized way (basically, you’re just plugging information into a prepared form)* and the work can’t be used as a writing sample for a reputable magazine. Sure, you have to be grammatical and interesting, but let’s just say that no one will win a Pulitzer for such content. The gig is only profitable if you write as fast as you can, and fast writing usually doesn’t equate quality writing.

On the whole, I can recommend Demand Studio as a solid way to earn money. And it’s a gig you can do it as an expat freelancer as long as you’re an American citizen, have an address to which they can send a tax earnings form at the year-end, and have a PayPal account. But be careful! Don’t let the money distract you from your larger writing goals.

As a compromise, I almost never write DS articles when I have a babysitter. I write them early in the morning before the kid wakes up, during his naps, or when he’s playing quietly by himself (ha!), or after he’s gone to bed. My babysitter time is reserved for complex, career-advancing work. And naps.

*I know there are other online content websites, such as Associated Content, where you have more flexibility in how you structure the articles you write. AC pays less up-front (from $2-15 an article, with most articles averaging around $7), but also pays you a share of revenue earned through the number of page views your articles receive. So, it’s in your interest to promote your AC articles heavily to make money. But I don’t have time for that. Moreover, it's still not a great writing sample since the editors accept pretty much anything that is grammatically correct. Magazine editors like to see writing samples that have met stringent standards.

Yet another way to find markets!

2009-05-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

For me, one of the most aggravating aspects of being an expat freelancer is not having ready access to most of the magazines for which I'd like to write. I'm always stocking up when I go home, or asking friends visiting Paris to smuggle some over when they come. But recently I had an experience that showed me a new, simpler way to find/obtain markets: ask your source.

Earlier this year, I sent a query to four popular pregnancy magazines - and got dinged from all of them. (Though I did receive a rather nice rejection from the editor Pregnancy magazine, who explained that they were already running an essay on my intended topic.) Anyway, I searched and searched on the internet for other appropriate magazines, but nothing seemed to fit the bill. Finally, I gave up. But a few days ago, I received an email from the secretary of one of the sources I'd interviewed for the query, wanting to know the status of the article. I told her that it had been passed over by four magazines, that I'd run out of ideas on where to submit it, and did she have any ideas?

Well, she did.

She gave me the name of three regional markets that clearly fly under the radar of most big magazine databases and offered to send me a copy of the magazines. So, now I'm working on revamping the query for these local markets. Fingers crossed that something comes of it. But even if these pubs don't work out either, I'm really pleased to discover that there's no shame in asking a source for ideas on where to submit a pitch. As a matter of fact, I've decided to ask all my sources for this query about pregnancy magazines in their regions!

Non-Fiction Writing Prompts

2009-05-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is just a drive-by post*: I wanted to share a really cool blog I recently discovered that offers non-fiction writing prompts. We've all had those days where we've had no idea what to write about - well, this clever person who runs All Writing Ideas offers writing prompts on a daily basis. Some are for fiction and poetry, but there are plenty for articles and blogs.

A great idea, no?

* This is a post is copied from a blog of mine that I abandoned for this one. Just so no one thinks I'm plagiarising my own work!

Travel Writing Markets Tips

2009-04-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ah, travel writing. The lifeblood of an expat freelancer – well, I guess. Travel writing hasn’t been my primary focus since I started freelancing. It would make sense if it had been, though. We who live abroad have tons of material right before our eyes. Even if we’re not actually travelling around our country of residence (haven’t done too much traveling since the birth of the kid), we can reveal all the cultural and social secrets of the place in which we live, plus offer practical tips: to the rest of the world, we’re travelers.

After reading an article in the Writers Weekly newsletter about not overlooking potential material in your own backyard, I decided that I need to spend more time developing stories about Paris and France. I culled together a couple of ideas and started looking around for places to submit manuscripts or queries. Writer’s Market was largely unhelpful and doing a random search on the internet was slow going, until I found this: it’s a list of travel magazines, and their writers guidelines. The list is ever so kindly provided by Transitions Abroad, itself a travel magazine.

So, if travel writing is your thing (or you want it to be), check it out!

Nine things to consider when forming a writers' group

2009-04-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today I had my first writers' group meeting. Oh, man....I wish I'd done this years ago. (OK - actually, I did do this years ago, but everyone in my group left France - yet another hazard of being an expat freelancer.) It felt so good to break away from my computer and actually talk to other struggling freelancers face to face. Within the first twenty minutes, I learned of three new English-language magazines in France, got several more ideas for relevant blog posts, and felt generally cheered by the fact I was in a circle of people who understood what I'm up against - being a mom, wanting to write, wanting to earn money, living in a foreign country. I really hope it works out. Not all writers’ groups do.

What does it take to form a successful writers’ group? My last writers’ group was great. But we were only four people and friends beforehand, which made a huge difference in how we communicated and the degree of trust we had in one another – key elements, I think, to having a successful group. We also knew what each of us wanted to gain from the group, and were equally comfortable discussing fiction and non-fiction. At the outset, we discussed some basic guidelines for how we wanted the sessions to be structured and how to handle critiques, but it was nothing formal (I know that many writers groups write down their rules).

This new writers' group will be quite different. I’d never met any of the women before and it’s almost twice the size of my previous group. We seem to be on the same page regarding what we wanted from the group, the type of work we wanted to do, and how often we wanted to meet. But, as I was walking home, it occurred to me that there are still some issues that are worth reflecting on at future sessions. Take a look below – these considerations are not particular to our group and will be useful for any freelancer wanting to form a successful writers’ group.

1. What is the ideal size of the group? Personally, I feel that a group of 7-10 would be an ideal size. Conversations are easier if the group isn’t too large, plus you can better understand each person’s writing objective, writing style, and weak spots. All of this will make for more thoughtful critiques. Today we were six people, although more than six expressed an interest in joining. We'll need to think about at what point we'll need to cut people off.

2. How long are most of the members sticking around? A key question for us expat freelancers. I was completely bereft when my previous writers’ group broke up because all the other members left France. My productivity plummeted and I really floundered for awhile. I would advise that a core number of your group will be around for at least 1-2 years. (Of course, if you're all leaving around the same time that would work too!)

3. What is the primary goal of the group? Is it a group that focuses mainly on critiquing work? Or will it be primarily about how to develop your freelancing career? Our group seemed to be more interested in the latter at this point, but it could change as our meetings become more regular. I, for one, would like a mixture of both.

4. How often will the group meet? For me, it is important to meet in person and in a perfect world, I'd love to meet twice a month. But I know that for most of us, myself included, that will be pretty much impossible. We're all moms and live in different parts of Paris, so it's really tough to find a time that's convenient for all of us. And how much work could realistically get done in the two intervening weeks? Not much. I think it'll be once a month for us, hopefully not much longer than that. We'll see...

5. How should each meeting be structured? We discussed having one person to lead each meeting and each meeting having a different theme. We didn't discuss how we'd work critiquing into this, but I supposed we could allot a certain amount of time for discussion of the theme, and then have the rest of the time be for critiquing. This is something we'll have to talk about further.

6. How should the group establish rules regarding the confidentiality of our work? No writers' group can be successful if its members fear having their work stolen or shown to/discussed with people outside of the group. It must be made clear at the outset that the work seen within the writers' group must stay within the writers' group. We agreed that confidentiality was important, but we should probably be explicit about what that means.

7. What kind of rules should the group have for the critiquing of work? (Both for the person offering a critique and the person receiving the critique). Again, the success of a writers' group depends upon the level of trust among its members. For some groups, no-holds-barred critiques may be welcomed. Other groups may insist upon a light touch. Before the first critique session, the group should discuss how the critiquing process should go -- both for the people giving the critique and the person receiving (after all, undue sensitivity and defensiveness will help no-one!)

8. Is there a place for between-meeting support? Maybe having an email list will suffice for some writers' groups, but I started a "Google Group" for ours. I've never belonged to one of these groups before, but I imagine that it's an easy way to keep in touch, immediately post relevant articles or leads, and discuss group-related things without cluttering up everyone's in-box. You can form groups with 'Yahoo' as well - I didn't use Google for any particular reason.

9. Do the rules of the group need to be written down? Seems like most serious writers groups put their rules and objectives in writing. But is that really necessary? At first, I thought it seemed too anal and extreme. But upon further reflection, I decided that it's probably a good thing. Having the rules decided and written at the outset can stave off potential in-fighting and disappointment. (Even though nobody likes to think of discord at the beginning of a relationship, the lawyer in me knows that we all probably should.) In addition, written rules would also be helpful for new or potential members. If they feel they can't adhere to the rules, they can bow out early before anyone's time is wasted.

So, those are my thoughts on this topic -- what are yours? Feel free to add comments in the box below!

How to Find Anglophone Markets

2009-04-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know what other expat freelancers moan about, as I don't yet know any. So, I'm going to write about the thing that bugs me the most about freelancing from abroad -- finding good markets to query.

I like writing about pregnancy and parenting since that those are the things on my mind these days. But as many pregnancy and parenting magazines as I know are out there, it can be tough to find anything beyond the big name glossies. I'm insanely jealous of those freelancers who can spend an hour or two browsing the magazine racks at B&N or who stumble across local or regional magazines in their dentist's office. Potential markets just rain from the skies for them! What's an expat freelancer to do? How can we tap into lesser-known Anglophone markets from abroad?

Here's the way I decided to go about it:

1. Subscribe to as many magazine databases as possible. Currently, I'm subscribed to Writer's Market, Wooden Horse Publishing, and Media Bistro. The three are quite different from one another, and I feel like I have many bases covered by checking-in at all three. I also check-in at Freelance Writing, which is free and not only lists magazines and their guidelines, but also articles, job postings, writing contests, and more.

2. Sign-up for as many newsletters as possible. I've lost track of how many newsletters I've signed up for. But among my favorites are: Writing For Dollars, Hope Clark's Funds for Writers, Writer Gazette , and WritersWeekly. Each of these has its own magazine database, and highlights new magazines and guidelines every week.

3. Persuse online magazines directories. These directories won't give you submission guidelines and the names of editors you'll need to contact. However, you will get the names of magazines as a point of departure. I check-in with www.amazon.com, Yahoo's Magazine Directory, and http://www.allyoucanread.com/.

4. Do Random Online Searches. I once read about a magazine called, "Chicago Parent." A few weeks later, I came across a magazine called "L.A. Parent." A lightbulb went off (came on?). I started doing searches for parenting magazines under titles like "D.C. Parent" and "New York Parent" and suddenly, I have a wealth of new magazines at my fingertips that I haven't ever seen in the magazine databases.

5. Pay attention to where other writers have published. Usually, when writers publish an article, they cite two or three publications where their work has appear in their bio. These days, I find myself studying bios as if they were articles themselves, and jotting down the names of magazines that interest me. In fact, that's how I came across "Chicago Parent" which was the magazine tipped me off to so many other parenting magazines.

6. Ask other writers for recommendations. We're all on the hunt for new, potential markets, and in a good online writing community, fellow writers are almost always willing to suggest potential markets when you're stuck for ideas about where to submit a query. I participate in Absolute Write and find the people there extremely helpful and supportive.

7. Ask your friends for recommendations. My poor friends. They are so involved in my writing career. I'm always pestering them to share their pregancy and parenting experiences to create more writing fodder for me -- and now I've begun to bug my U.S. friends to share with me their favorite local and/or regional magazines. I also ask my expat friends here which pubs they subscribe to and ask for their cast-offs when they're done with them.

8. Go to the Library. Okay, in Paris we're pretty lucky that we have an American Library that subscribes to many U.S. periodicals. Most of them are big-names, so it doesn't really help me in my search for smaller profile mags, but still, it's a great resource. I didn't even know about The American Library until I'd been living here for three years (of course, I wasn't freelancing then, so it wasn't on my radar screen, but still - you never know!). If you think that your adopted country doesn't have such a library, double check. And also check out American Universities and cultural centers - you might have luck there.

If there are any readers out there with additional ideas, let's hear 'em!

Hey

2009-04-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hey - I'm Barb, the expat freelancer. I've been freelancing for two or three years now, but I have to admit for most of the time, I was only dabbling. In the past year, I've gotten quite serious about it (the recession is a great motivator) and have been very diligent about researching, writing and sending out queries as often as my schedule will allow. But it's tough. For one thing, I have a 20-month old that needs lots of attention and love. And for another thing, I'm all the way over in France: that's hella-far from Barnes & Noble, NYC's 5th Avenue library, and all those other researching perks that U.S. freelancers have. But I know that other expat freelancers have made a living this way! I just don't know any personally... (heh).

I'm hoping that through this blog, we can develop a supportive community of expat freelancers who are willing to share their tips for success. Of course, non-expat writers are welcome as well. The tips and insight I intend to share here will be slanted toward those writing from abroad, but I'm betting that there'll be lots of overlap.

So, here we go!