Tips for Becoming a Freelance Writer

Blog! (Photo credit: solofotones)

Becoming a freelance writer may seem confusing, but it really isn’t. There is a lot that goes into building this type of career, yes, but you can take it slow, getting your feet wet before jumping in head first.

Build up to it.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

1. Write. Every day. Something. A blog post. An article. Something.
2. Write more. Two or three articles, plus a blog post or two, will get you even further.
3. Edit everything you write.
4. Create a blog. One about the topic you write the most about, or a writers’ blog about you and your business.
5. Monitor comments on your blog. There is a lot of spam that comes through on a blog. Set your controls to indicate you want to read comments first, then allow posts manually.
6. Edit the blog as well. Grammar and punctuation are so important.
7. Find the clients you need to keep yourself in business. Your blog is the first step, but you also have to actively search out writing opportunities. Make sure your query letters are also well written. So many are not these days.
8. Offer guest posts to other freelance writers, or to bloggers who cater to the audience you are looking for. Be sure these guest posts are well written and edited as well, as they are an example of your work.
9. Check your email. Limit the amount of time you do this, but check. Especially if you are waiting to hear from someone about a possible writing job.
10. Meet your deadlines.

Freelance writing is a worthy career choice, but you will have to work at it.

Shannon L. Buck

Related articles

• Do You Have What it Takes to Become a Freelance Writer? (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

My Most Recent Short Story: The Shack

THE WOODS AT DUSK 1 (Photo credit: A QUIVERFUL OF FOTOS)

You may remember that I joined the NaNoWriMo Challenge last November, and competed it! The entire book of short stories, a collection called Tales from the Woods, is not yet complete, but I have begun the editing process just the same. This keeps me working on the book while I wait for inspiration

The Shack is just one of the stories in this collection. The other two stories are titled Alone and The Woods.

Enjoy!

Shannon L. Buck

What is Your Specialty?

Writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

You may have noticed that I am posting questions for you to answer, coming after some goal setting and motivational posts. This is in an effort to get you thinking.

 

Thinking about what?

 

What you want to be doing. You might already be blogging on a nonfiction basis, but I want you to think about expanding your horizons.

 

Today, I want you to think about your specialty (or specialties!). For instance, I mainly write lifestyle pieces: Cooking, gardening, parenting, frugality, etc. I also write career pieces, and I love fiction.

 

What about you? Do you prefer to write about sports? Business? Economics? Politics?

 

Do you blog about your specialty? If so, what can you add to the blog to help others begin their career, or to offer some entertainment for your readers?

 

Here are some suggestions to get you started?

 

• eBooks
• Special Reports
• Webinars
• Article Collections

 

Sit down with a pen and paper, brainstorm some ideas, and get cracking! Spice up your writing career a little.

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

 

What do You Write?

MSI laptop computer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

This question might mean different things to different people. For instance, some may answer fiction, while other will answer non fiction. Some of you may even answer poetry.

 

The question also begs answers such as eBooks, eCourses and Special Reports. Scripts is another fine answer.

 

There are a wide variety of formats each person can write in.

 

Take advantage.

 

Write what you want.

 

I write many things. For this blog alone, I write:

 

• Blog Posts
• eBooks
• eCourses
• Special Reports
• A Challenge
• Tip Sheets
• Writing Prompts
• Worksheets

 

I also write eCookBooks and short stories, and am editing my first book of short stories. On top of all this, I am working on writing my second and third books of short stories. On top of all this, I also write two newsletters, have other blogs and write guest posts for other blogs.

 

I keep fairly busy.

 

What do you write?

 

What do you want to write?

 

What is your plan for getting it all done?

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

Related articles

 

• eCourse: Organizing Your Work Area: When You Don’t Have An Office (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)
• 2013 Writing Goals (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

 

Do You Have What it Takes to Become a Freelance Writer?

English: One example of a freelance writer authoring directly to the Web. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Becoming a freelance writer sounds easy enough. Getting to work from home, on your own time, and (maybe) even being there for your family.

However, this is not necessarily the case.

Freelancing takes time. You may still need to keep your day job, keep up with household and family responsibilities, and still find time to take care of yourself while you begin building this career.

Not exactly all peaches and cream.

Still, while the beginning steps of creating your freelance career are time consuming, leaving you with not much time for anything else, the career itself is a desirable one.

What will you need to succeed?

• A willingness to learn.
• A family who supports your efforts, if you are not living alone.
• A plan for keeping up with household tasks. Possibly people to delegate things to.
• Stubborness, to see you through the rough patches.
• The desire to succeed, to help you stay motivated.
• The funds to start the business and pay the bills until you start earning your way, or a day job.
• A good grasp on writing and grammar skills.
• The ability to spend long periods of time alone.
• A computer or laptop, with high speed internet access.

At the most basic level, these are what you need to get started. Everything will happen as you progress with your freelance career.

What do you think? Do you have what it takes to become a freelance writer?

Shannon L. Buck

 

5 Tips for Staying Positive

English: Think positive (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Staying positive is not always easy, but it is important. You do not want to get into a slump because you will feel down on yourself and your career, and then you will not be as productive as you need to be.

 

To begin, let’s look at some of the reasons negativity might sneak into your daily life:

 

• You are alone most of the day, with no real social interaction.
• You may be spending most of your day in an environment that is not conducive to happy feelings and thoughts.
• You may have had some (or many) of your proposals or queries rejected, and are therefore feeling down on yourself.
• You may not be keeping up with fitness goals.
• You may not be getting the appropriate nutrients.

 

These reasons are enough to leave a negative impact on anyone, so what can you do to combat these issues and stay positive?

 

1. Make it a point to get out and socialize. Talk with people in your community while at the store for your morning coffee, and while checking the mail. Make it a point to hang out with someone at least once a week, and set aside for daily family time.
2. Brighten up your office space. Keep the curtains open, and hang some plants in the window. Add some artwork or photographs to the wall, and place some flowers on your desk. Keep the air circulating, and light scented candles. Try working outside when the weather is good.
3. Don’t worry about rejection. Consider these practice runs, and keep learning more writing and marketing skills. Hold your head up and realize that your time will come.
4. Take a walk every day, or take two. Start a fitness program on your own, at a gym, or with friends.
5. Eat well. With the proper diet, supplements are not usually needed. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. Make healthy meals and snacks. Organic foods are the best way to go, when you can afford them.

 

If change is not your friend, then change one thing each week. This will give you a chance to get used to each step.

 

How do you stay positive while building your freelance career?

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

Write Now, Publish Later

My schedule is a hectic one. I do not have the opportunity to write every day, but I want to start keeping somewhat of a schedule for my blogs and Examiner.com channels.

Doing so will allow me to stay on track, and give my readers for each venue something to look forward to.

Each of my blogs has this feature.

English: Examiner.com official logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Each of my channels has this feature.

By using these feature, I am able to get as far ahead as I want with my writing, and have everything scheduled to post on specific dates and at specific time. I will be utilizing this feature much more this year than in previous years. Indeed, this is a new feature for Examiner.com.

During the on season at the inn (a period of time that lasts all but a few months out of the year) I do not have enough time to write regularly. In November (NaNoWriMo month!), I do not have time to blog much at all, and certainly no time to write articles.

By using this type of feature, I can keep everyone reading by doing all my work during the off season and scheduling it for later.

This means that, for the next two or three months, I am working triple time: At the inn, writing current posts and articles as well as doing marketing tasks, and writing for the on season.

Let’s see how it all works out for me.

How do you handle busy times?

Shannon L. Buck

2013 Writing Goals

writing (Photo credit: found_drama)

 

And we start a new year

 

I don’t know about you, but I am determined that my 2013 is going to be amazing! I know that I will be able to build my writing business, while learning new skills at the inn and living a productive life.

 

Each January 1, I sit down with my laptop and do a few things:

 

• Review my goals for the previous year.
• Think about my successes.
• Decide if there are any areas in my life that I need to improve.
• Set goals for the upcoming year.

 

I am sure that you do this as well, at some point during the end of December to mid January. It is an important step in furthering career goals.

 

My 2013 writing goals are as follows:

 

1. Perform 1 last edit on the first book of short stories. Even though I despise apostrophes!

2. Be prepared for the busy season at work by getting ahead on my freelance tasks while things are slow this winter.

3. Come up with a marketing/promotional plan for the first book of short stories.

4. Continue learning about marketing and promotion. I took a couple of short courses last year, grudgingly. I find the topic more interesting now. A step in the right direction!

5. Continue to work on my second book of short stories. 1) Write more stories, 2) edit at least a few stories, and 3) publish at least two of the short stories for others to read.

6. Continue to work on ideas for the third book of short stories.

7. Continue to build up my Examiner.com channels by adding more content and promoting each article. They are all geared toward helping others: Bangor Single Mom, Bangor Easy Meals, Bangor Frugal Living.

8. Continue to update all blogs and add content to them regularly: Frugal Recipes, , How to Live the Freelance Life, The Fitness Journal. Living the Low-Income Life

9. Continue to build the writing business.

 

What are your freelance goal for 2013?

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

Review: 2012 Goals

The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Photo credit: dalcrose)

 

I may have previously mentioned that I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I make goals. I stick with things better if I deem them as goals.

 

My January 1, 2012 review and goal setting session led me to create the following goals. I did not meet them all, but I am pleased with what I have accomplished.

 

Goal 1: Finish edits on my first book of short stories and start the publishing process. 

 

I did another edit on the book, but I still need to edit for apostrophes. Have I ever mentioned that I hate apostrophes? No? Well, I do!

 

I have not even begun the publishing process.

 

Goal 2: Come up with a marketing/promotional plan for the first book of short stories.

 

Mainly, I have discussed the book with a few people and created a blog for it. I have a long way to go.

 

Goal 3: Learn more about the marketing/promotional process.

 

I can not very well make a plan if I do not even know the basics of marketing, I spent some of 2012 learning marketing techniques, but have only done a few things to market the upcoming book.

 

Goal 4: Complete the first draft of a second book of short stories.

 

I wrote most of the book during NaNoWrMo!! Still have a ways to go.

 

Goal 5: Work on ideas for a third book of short stories.

 

I have been working on this minimally. I do plan for this to be the manuscript I work on during NaNoWriMo this year, so I will be working on this goal more in the coming months.

 

Goal 6: Build up my Examiner.com channels by adding more content and promoting each. They are all geared toward helping others: Bangor Single Mom, Bangor Easy Meals, Bangor Frugal Living.

 

I worked on this some.

 

Goal 7: Continue to update all blogs and add content to them regularly: Frugal Recipes, , How to Live the Freelance Life, The Fitness Journal. Living the Low-Income Life

 

I could have done more with these, but I did manage to get out a couple good challenges. I also wrote other posts for the blogs.

 

Goal 8: Continue to build the writing business. 

 

Things did not progress as much as I would have liked. I did well in a few areas, but my income was drastically lower. I need better work/writing/life balance.

 

As you can see, I did better in some areas than in others. Overall,  I am not entirely unhappy with how things have gone. For example:

 

• I have learned a lot about marketing.
• I am almost done editing my first book of short stories!
• I finished the NaNoWriMo Challenge.
• And I did earn some extra money from the writing efforts that were put forth.

 

Not too bad.

 

Have you reviewed your goals from 2012? What did you accomplish? What do you still have to work on?

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

 

 

Related articles

• What is Your Theme Word? Mine is Prepare. (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

 

What is Your Theme Word? Mine is Prepare.

Freelancer Office – Panoramic (Photo credit: lastonein)

Recently, I was reading a post from Christine Gallagher over on she’sgotclients! The post, Refine: My Theme Word for 2013, got me thinking about what my own theme word should be.

I have decided that my theme word will be Prepare.

Why Prepare?

2012 was a difficult year for me:

1. I was still getting used to working at the inn while trying to build my freelance business, and I did not have internet access at home.
2. Also, winter starts out slow at the inn, and I was not ready for the busy season there as far as the writing business went. I accomplished almost nothing for my business during this period.
3. For 2012, I earned significantly less than what I was used to earning with the freelance work.

Very disappointing, indeed.

My 2013 theme word is Prepare because:

1. I need to be prepared for the busy season at the inn.
2. I need to begin preparing by making my freelancing plans for 2013 now.
3. I need to continue preparing by writing blog posts ahead of time (during the slow season at the inn) and scheduling them to post later (during the busy season).
4. I will also write articles ahead of time for my channels (Bangor Easy Meals, Bangor Single Moms and Bangor Frugal Living) and schedule them to post later.
5. I will even continue to learn more about marketing, and to put many of the new marketing tips that I  learned in 2012 into practice during 2013.
6. This blog, as my freelance base, will also be updated.

There are other things I can do to help me to Prepare as well, I am sure, and I will be writing about all of this here on my blog, as well as continuing to offer my  regular posts.

What is your 2013 theme word? Think about it. Act on it.

Shannon L. Buck

NaNoWriMo Winner!

The setup for NaNoWriMo at home, if I need to be portable. Long exposure lit by sweeping an LED flashlight over the scene. clickthing.blogspot.com/2008/10/tennish-anyone.html (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I won! I won, I won, I won!

How about you? Have you crossed the finish line yet? You still have time (at least in my part of the world), and I wish you much luck.

I managed to finish the challenge last night, with 50,068 words written, according to their word counter. My word counter tells me that I have actually written 51,011 words. I trust my word counter, because I have been using it consistently for a few years now.

The information about the book I started on November 1st:

Tales from the Woods

(Horror & Supernatural) (Not edited, so forgive any typos that may be there)

Synopsis

Tales from the woods deals specifically with the horror that can happen within a heavily wooded area, where small communities exist but cannot really be counted as towns. Horrific and, sometimes, supernatural events take place in the woods. Events that no one wants to witness.

Excerpt

Wooded areas are often beautiful to behold. The plant life. The animals. Even the scent. And what better way to unwind than by taking a walk along a wooded trail.Bear Woods is an enchanting site, by all outward appearances. People come to Maine from other states just to photograph the woods from the nearest access points. They walk the paths behind the city limits, taking pictures of all they see.

However, deep inside this seemingly magical forest are small communities where the inhabitants know the truth. These people know the dangers that reside deep within Bear Woods. Dangers that the outside world would never believe. How could it? Even the inhabitants second guess what goes on in the woods most of the time.

Is the manuscript done yet? Absolutely not. There are still more tales to be written, then a series of edits will be needed. But, I am ecstatic to have come so far with the manuscript this month.

I also enjoyed cheering my fellow Maine writers on during this month, and hearing when they won the challenge as well.

It has been a long month, and I am thankful to have a break from the manuscript, to allow myself to think up more tales.

Shannon L. Buck

Related articles

• NaNoWriMo Update (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)
• What I did on my Pre-NaNo Day (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

NaNoWriMo Update

OpenOffice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The home stretch.

 

A relief? Not so much, yet. No for me. I am behind, mainly because I missed a couple of extra days of writing during my vacation from, and the fact that I did not write on Thanksgiving. I am okay with this, however. I needed the break. I needed a little time to simply relax.

 

Today is Tuesday, and Friday is the last day of the challenge. Where am I with my 50,000 word goal? I am at 33,259 according to my OpenOffice software, 32,621 according to the word counter on the NaNoWriMo site.

 

Now, I know my OpenOffice is pretty much right on as far as word count goes, because I have been using it for a few years now on projects that need word counts matching what publishers want. I know nothing of whatever program NaNo uses.

 

So what does this mean for me? It means I have to write an extra 638 words (50,638 total) to meet my challenge goals for NaNo.

 

Am I going to bother? Most likely, yes. If I can get to the 50,000 mark, and if there is enough time, I will.

 

Just to be sure, I checked the NaNoWriMo site and tried taking the steps to fix the word count incompatibility between OpenOffice and NaNo, but it did not work.

 

Happy Writing!

 

So, I am wondering how everyone else is doing with the challenge. I will be checking the facebook groups later.

 

Shannon

 

Related articles

• NaNoWriMo Update (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

 

NaNoWriMo Update

NaNoWriMo Calendar 2012 Fresh Ribbon A (Photo credit: Monda@NoTelling)

 

Well, I am up to 28,163 words. I took a few days off from writing,  during my vacation from work at the inn, to go up north to visit my daughter, which cut into my progress. But all is not likely lost.

 

Just the other day, my landlord had wireless installed at the house. I have been enjoying this very much, and have been joining in on Word Sprints and Ward Wars on the NaNo Maine facebook group. It has been a lot of fun.

 

I do not usually join in on these types of things, but thought it might help me get get more words written. A 20 minute stint today netted me 900 words, and a 30 minute one a couple days ago netted me more than 1,000 words. I encourage you all to join your states’ NaNo group and see what they do for fun.

 

Still writing…

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

Related articles

• What I did on my Pre-NaNo Day (howtolivethefreelancelife.wordpress.com)

 

Ready for NaNoWriMo!

NaNoWriMo Hoodies Are Heaven (Photo credit: smittenkittenorig)

Well, I don’t know about you but I am ready for NaNoWriMo to begin! I have everything I need to get started, and am just waiting for the first.

And…

I have the first off from my day job, so I get to write all day! So excited.

Shannon L. Buck

Keep a Journal for Writing Ideas

I was going through some files yesterday, looking for story ideas. My file system was completely messed up during one (or both?) of my moves last year, and I cannot seem to find exactly what I am looking for.

 

English: Storex 3-Ring Binders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I have, however, decided that I am going to purchase a notebook or binder for each blog and writing venue, as well as one for story ideas. In these, I will combine all these loose notes into one general place for each topic. This way, I will more likely be able to find the notes that I am looking for when I need it.

 

One of my notebooks/binders will be titled Writing Ideas Journal. This is where all my story ideas and notes will go.

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

My NaNoWriMo Survival Kit

I am currently putting together my NaNoWriMo survival kit, to be ready for November 1^st. It will include:

 

a slow cooker Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

• My laptop, with ,y folder and document already begun for writing my book.
• My NaNoWriMo Notebook, with character sketches, outlines, etc. (Minimal information only for ultimate creativity.) This also holds my research notes.
• Pens and pencils.
• Scrap paper.
• Tea. Lots of tea. And sugar.
• Snacks. Healthy and not.
• Easy foods to prepare for meals.
• My slow cooker.
• Library list: Hours and days for both.
• Candles and matches. Yes, I like to write by candlelight rather than using light bulbs at night.
• Television with assorted DVD’s. For background noise

 

I think that is all I should need

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

Autumn Writing Ideas

This time of year, we think about what to write about using an autumn theme. There are many options for the well-rounded writer. This list is meant to get you started. Feel free to expand on these ideas, or come up with your own.

 

English: Fall foliage autumn leaf colour Vermont Hogback Mountain one hundred mile lookout (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

1. Write a novella about coming home for Thanksgiving. Why were you away? Who, and/or what, do you bring with you? Is everyone happy to see you? Are you happy to see everyone?
2. Write a poem about an autumn full moon.
3. Write a poem about the changing nature scenes of autumn.
4. An article about fun autumn activities for families.
5. Or, one about fun autumn activities for lovers.
6. An erotica novelette taking place during the autumn months in Vermont.
7. If you are a horror writer, how about The Thanksgiving Massacre.
8. Articles about how to decorate for autumn in general, or Thanksgiving/Halloween.
9. A guide geared toward preparing for Halloween/Thanksgiving.
10. A short story about getting through a difficult Thanksgiving gathering.

 

What ideas can you come up with?

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

What I did on my Pre-NaNo Day

NaNoWriMo_3 (Photo credit: nataliesap)

Well, last Wednesday I managed to make my plan of attack for NaNoWriMo. I am steadily working on the steps on this list in order to prepare myself for the November NaNoWriMo challenge.

1. Create and post a mass facebook note letting people know what I am doing, and that I will not be available often for anything other than work and writing throughout the month of November.
2. Plan how I will use my vacation to further my word count. I will be away for a few days and will not be writing on those days, but I have a few days that I can set aside from that vacation to work on NaNoWriMo.
3. Updates on this blog, letting readers know what is going on, goals I have reached, etc.
4. Deciding exactly what I will be writing.
5. Creating a NaNoWriMo 2012 notebook: With minimal notes, character sketches, story ideas, research information – all on the most basic level to leave room for full creativity.
6. Plan and collect items for my Survival Kit.
7. Set up my workspace at the table, knowing full well that the bed is where I will be propping myself up to work most of the time.
8. Join the NaNoWriMo facebook page for Maine. I am already a member of the main page
9. Update my NaNoWriMo information.
10. Set up this years document on the laptop in a NaNoWriMo folder… without adding anything to it until the 1^st

There you go! My plan of attack LOL.

Shannon L. Buck

 

NaNoWriMo 2012

NaNoWriMo Day 3 (Photo credit: mpclemens)

 

I have previously took the NaNoWriMo challenge and completed it, and I am planning to take the challenge again this year for a work of fiction. November 2012 is NaNoWriMo! Will you join in?

 

Today is Pre-NanoPrep Day, and I am here at the library finding out what I am allowed to do in preparation for a month of writing in November. I want to be sure that I have all my ducks in a row before the 1^st.

 

Apparently, I need to come up with a Survival Kit for the month long challenge as well. I will update you on my preparation goals, as well as my writing goals for next month.

 

Shannon L. Buck

 

P.S. My first challenge got me very far into the start of my first fiction book, that is now in the editing stages.

 

Keep Track of Your Writing Ideas

 

Index cards (Photo credit: redspotted)

 

It is always a good idea to keep track of your writing ideas, whether you will use them now or not. By doing so, you will have a stock of topics to choose from the next time you need new ideas. These may prove fruitful later on.

 

There are a number of ways one might keep track of these ideas.

 

1. In a journal or notebook.

2. In a box, on index cards.

3. In a document on a computer.

4. On a recorder.

5. On a list, hung on the wall next to your desk.

 

Title the idea, and leave a little note about what the article, blog post or story is about.

 

Shannon L. Buck