We Get Letters…

October 14, 2007 by Deb
Filed under Freelance Writing

Dear Deborah,

Your lack of a college degree shows through every time you post. This isn’t a criticism just encouragement to look into continuing education courses at your local community college. I admire your passing yourself off as a writer, despite your lack of skills. Truly it’s an inspiration that someone so clueless can be so successful.

Yours Most Sincerely,

Bruce Lee

Hiya Bruce,

It’s equally inspiring that someone so dead can still access the Internet.

Thanks for caring,

Deb

Dear Ms. Ng,

Hello. Freelance writing is something I’ve never done but is something I very much want to do. There really is freedom in freelance writing. Not having been a freelance writer I know I have no experience to back up my statement but I believe the statement to be true nonetheless.

Since your site is the cleanest writing or home business site I’ve yet seen I applaud your efforts in maintaining the site. I very much appreciate your emphasis on the freelance writer’s not getting cheated in the marketplace. I believe that, in general, a writer should have money coming in, not going out.

Beg pardon for taking up your time but if there is anything helpful you can tell me about starting up a freelance writing career, I would be much obliged.
Thanks.

Sincerely,

Eugene L.

Dear Eugene,

First, thanks for your kind words. I credit my wonderful community for this blog’s success. It would take me volumes to tell you how to get stated as a freelance writer. My biggest piece of advice, the one thing I tell everyone who asks, is take a month and do some research. Visit the different blogs and websites about freelance writing and read everything you can. If, after that, you’re still interested in writing, visit the various job boards and start to submit your writing.

Good luck,

Deb

Whoa Deb,

Did I just read at Performancing that one of the reasons you left Writer’s Row is so you can sell your blog? First, say it isn’t so. Second, if it is so, how much and where do I bid?

Rochelle

Hi Rochelle,

It isn’t so. A few months ago I considered selling FWJ because I didn’t have enough time to troll for leads or make badly needed upgrades. Instead, I took a risk and hired Jodee and Ajay to help out around the house and it paid off. I moved FWJ from Writer’s Row for many reasons, most of them outlined in the Performancing piece. If I ever do one day decide to sell FWJ, I can now do so. No one wants to buy a subdomain. Don’t worry though, we’re not going anywhere for a long time.

Best,

Deb

Ms. Ng,

First a huge thank you to you for starting your blog. I quit my job and the market fell out on my telecommuting job in real estate. It is slowly turning around and I am their top writer but until then I am digging myself out.

I have been amazed at the fact that I have gotten three jobs so far thanks to your blog. I know my skills play a part in it, and a good cover letter and resume. But I can’t tell you the time I save by going to your blog. There are so many other blogs out there that do not deliver, or are not user friendly.

Additionally, your blog is upbeat and informative. It is a pleasure to read posts from others who get it. Get what this writing life is all about.

I wondered who Jodee is?

Thank you again for your hard work. I sincerely hope to be able to thank you with financial remuneration soon.

Sincerely,

Tina R.

Hi Tina,

Without Jodee’s help, I might have had to close or sell this blog. (See above) I hired her to collect leads from the various job boards. All of the advertising revenue collected here goes to paying Jodee to help out. Really, I can’t thank her enough for her help here.

Best,

Deb

Dear Deborah,

I don’t believe any of the letters you post. I don’t even believe half the comments you receive. I bet you make it all up to make yourself look popular. Won’t you be embarrassed when all of your blogging buddies find out you’re a sham?

Meatman72

I’d probably be more embarrassed to have people know me as meatman72

Hugs and kisses,

Deb

Tags:

Comments

33 Responses to “We Get Letters…”

Amy Ulibarri says:

October 14, 2007 at 10:09 pm

I wait anxiously all week for these letters! It was nice to see a few positive letters this week. I still love the ignorant ones the best though. Is Meatman72 serious? He can’t be, he goes by Meatman72!

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Michele says:

October 14, 2007 at 10:17 pm

Wow, I’m so shocked at how rude people are! Looks like they could find something better to do besides badmouth others.

Thank goodness there were some positive folks that wrote in ;0)

Have a great day!
Michele

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Amy Derby says:

October 14, 2007 at 10:50 pm

Fellow Amy, I wait all week for the letters too. I was actually a little bit sad not to see them up this morning when I first checked, and I was very excited to see them up now! I guess I’m deprived of entertainment… Can you tell I don’t have cable?

Oh, and come on Deb. You know you spend twelve hours a day making up comments. That really cracked me up.

I once had someone named “Ablert Einstien” (no kidding) write to tell me my lack of education was shining through. All I can say is I’d bet we make more money than a lot of people with fancy degrees do.

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Carrie K. says:

October 14, 2007 at 11:23 pm

I admire you for posting these letters each week. The obviously jealous people who take the time to write nasty comments and e-mails end up looking mean and petty.

I don’t think I’ve commented before – but I wanted to say thank you. I’ve been hired for two different freelance gigs from leads I followed from this blog. Keep it up – and as for those people who haven’t succeeded in this business and therefore have so much time on their hands they feel the need to lash out – just keep laughing all the way to the bank.

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Brandon says:

October 14, 2007 at 11:36 pm

I wish it weren’t so, but experience has demonstrated to me time and again that anytime you put something out into the world, no matter how innocuous or rational, there will always be some a-hole who takes offense and feels the need to express their stupidity through rudeness. Several years ago, I had to get an unlisted number due to threats I received as a columnist for my college paper; what a wakeup call that was (literally, in my case). Anyway, as the previous commenters have mentioned, it’s a fine and useful blog, and it’s definitely one of the highlights of my daily work search. Thanks for the good work, Deb et al.

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Jenn says:

October 15, 2007 at 12:35 am

Your responses continue to crack me up! Especially the last one – I giggled out loud at that one. I’m glad to see some positive letters, too!

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Dahlia says:

October 15, 2007 at 1:26 am

All I have to say is…we need all kinds of people in this world, even the bad ones.

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Phil says:

October 15, 2007 at 4:38 am

I have a degree in a related field and think that education is important — though it can be through reading, classes (that may or may not end up in a degree), from experience or from some combination. Someone with the same degree as me became a priest, others are writers, others were somewhat successful in other endeavors.

Albert Einstein, who Amy mentioned above, didn’t graduate high school. Bill Gates dropped out of college. So for Bruce to suggest anything about someone’s skills or lack thereof because of a degree reflects his own knowledge deficiency.

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Mary says:

October 15, 2007 at 5:13 am

You know, the thing a lot of ignorant degree snobs seem to miss is that often writers are hired because they can write in plain English in a way a lot of people with degrees no longer can. After all, when you’re writing web content, you’re writing to the masses, not the CEO’s the majority of the time.

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Matthew K. Tabor says:

October 15, 2007 at 5:23 am

I enjoy this blog a lot – I consider it the finest freelance writing blog out there.

I do wish you hadn’t included the first and last letters, though. Humorous or not, justified or not, being defensive is unflattering. If it warrants being ignored, ignore it. Plus, I read 300+ blogs – the less trash content, the better.

Keep up the good work – as I said, this site’s the best.

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Lisa says:

October 15, 2007 at 6:26 am

Thanks for sharing! I loved your responses.

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L S says:

October 15, 2007 at 11:17 am

I think “Bruce Lee” is probably the same a-hole who wrote last week with the countless nasty emails. Ick.

And Mary, you’re so right- every single person with a degree is ignorant and snobby. They can ONLY write for CEOs and no one else. Thank God the world has you to provide all of the writing that people with degrees could never write. Learning is just evil.

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matt cheplic says:

October 15, 2007 at 12:49 pm

Wow! It’s as if I walked into a museum of riches on this site. There are countless delites and surprises and we have you to thank.

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Mary says:

October 15, 2007 at 3:16 pm

LS–
“And Mary, you’re so right- every single person with a degree is ignorant and snobby. They can ONLY write for CEOs and no one else….”

Not what I said at all. I DO NOT think everyone with a degree is a limited snob, but there are a lot of them out there. It just so happens I have a college degree myself. But to be a successful freelance writer, you do not need to have an ENglish degree. I think if you take a look at the ads that do want someone with a degree, more often than not they want someone with a specific major for the matter of knowledgeable expertise in the subject field.

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Eugene Levitzky says:

October 15, 2007 at 6:01 pm

Now don’t Mr. Meatman72 beat all? Or is it Ms. Meatman72? Anyway, enough of the ad hominem attacks.
I wrote one of the letters to Ms. Ng, the letter signed Eugene L. Yep, that’s me. Who’s the phony now?
I wish you well Mr. Meatman72 – and all the little beeves too?

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Mariella says:

October 15, 2007 at 8:27 pm

I wonder if Bruce Lee and Camera Obscura are related…LOL

Meatman72 takes the cake any time, though. LOL!

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Hayli Morrison says:

October 15, 2007 at 8:42 pm

Dear Deborah:

U R so dum. How do you even get threw the day? How do u even raze a suN? I am amazed at UR lack of basic writting skills.
—
Just kidding! I love you. Did anyone notice Bruce Lee missed proper punctuation here:

“This isn’t a criticism just encouragement to look into continuing education”

BTW, my college degree looks really nice in a box somewhere in the attic. The best thing college did for me was offer real-world experience on the college newspaper. The degree wasn’t necessary and most of my fellow graduates ventured into something entirely unrelated to their major.

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Kathleen says:

October 15, 2007 at 8:51 pm

As much as I enjoy reading some of the emails, others really make me angry. I absolutely felt my blood pressure rise when I read Bruce Lee’s comment. Who does he think he is?

Goodness Deb, how do you deal with people like that? Other than your remarkably witty responses. Those always make me laugh.

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Phil says:

October 15, 2007 at 9:42 pm

Hayli

Let’s hear it for college newspapers. I have a degree (radio-TV), but it was work on two college newspapers (I transferred schools) that produced work. At the first one, we literally “pasted copy” using glue. But nothing can beat that experience, and a degree does open some doors, particularly at the start of a career.

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L S says:

October 15, 2007 at 9:48 pm

Lol, we did that too- cutting everything out with X-Acto knives and gluing it all onto boards. I had forgotten about that.

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Tish Davidson says:

October 15, 2007 at 9:50 pm

I have a question about the letters you publish. Do you get permission from the writers? My understanding of copyright is that the person who gets the letter owns the physical, or in this case digital, copy of the letter, but that the writer owns the words and controls their reproduction. For every letter to the editor I have ever had published in papers ranging from the New York Times to the local rag, someone from the paper has called to verify that I was the writer and that they had permission to publish it. Do the same conventions exist in the digital world, and why or why not?

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Michele L. Tune says:

October 15, 2007 at 9:55 pm

I can’t understand the need to insult someone, for any reason.

I’ve had editors email me a reply and tell me I’m the nicest person they’ve “talked to” all day. That makes me proud, because they realize I’m pleasant, and that keeps editors in contact.

Regardless of the circumstance, I believe we can act professional and kind, and not waste our time, or anyone else’s on being rude.

I think this is a great site, and commend your efforts to keep going. Ignore the rudeness, and keep up the great work!

Thank goodness for the positive letters ;0)

Smiles,
Michele

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Erik Hare says:

October 15, 2007 at 10:15 pm

We all love the nasty letters the best. Remember, it’s how we know ya made the bigtime!

But Meatman72 has a point – not all of the comments here are by real people. I am not a real person, for one. I’m merely a figment of his overactive imagination, a condition that may be curable by very powerful drugs. My advice is that if you are reading this, you should seek help.

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Jodee says:

October 15, 2007 at 11:17 pm

Those who can, write. Those who can’t, write nasty e-mails to Deb.

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Hayli Morrison says:

October 16, 2007 at 1:30 am

Ha ha! I used Quark Xpress! I think I just barely missed the X-Acto knife era. Newspapers are so desperate to hire people, a friend of mine went on to have quite a successful newspaper career without a degree. He just took various classes but never graduated. And I once worked at a daily with a guy who I’m pretty sure made up his degree, but we could never prove it… Anyway, I’m glad I finished college just because I wouldn’t be proud of quitting something I’d started, but I still think degrees are pretty overrated.

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MelissaO says:

October 16, 2007 at 1:57 am

Wow! Many people certainly get down on the degrees!

Am I the only one who thinks that it’s not the degree in and of itself that matters, but what one does to attain that degree? Just a couple of opportunities that I had at college that I couldn’t have had elswhere: doing field work, writing a thesis, working collaboratively in seminar classes on issues for organizations, an internship at a wonderful organizationm doing research that on a topic I loved, working in small groups on position papers that nonprofits actually used, and getting feedback and counsel from extremely dedicated people who are professionals in their fields.

Of course, many people will have these opportunities throughout the course of their careers and professional work, but those who don’t go to school most likely simply can’t do this all before their 22nd birthday.

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Dan says:

October 16, 2007 at 2:09 am

I am really glad I was able to keep this site going with the help of Jodee. I really appreciate all of the nice comments.

Deb

No, wait, wrong account…. NoooOOOOooOOOOoo

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Katharine Swan says:

October 16, 2007 at 2:15 am

Tish, you’re right that the writer of the email owns the copyright. My interpretation of why Deb feels comfortable posting the letters is this:

“Fair use” allows others to use the work for a number of reasons, one of which is for the purpose of commentary on the work. Parodies also fall under the protections of “fair use.” I believe Deb’s “We Get Letters” posts would qualify as commentary, and maybe even parody when she is making fun of people like meatman72.

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Erik Hare says:

October 16, 2007 at 5:30 am

MelissaO sed:
> Am I the only one who thinks that it’s not the degree in and of itself that matters, but what one does to attain that degree?

Well, my opinion is this:

It’s not the degree that matters, but what one does.

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Misti says:

October 16, 2007 at 7:04 am

I like the occasional negative one, myself. It’s heartening, since I often get verbally abused if I start using logic online.

…Bruce Lee actually struck me as potentially trying to be nice. At least, that would be a possibility if he were sadly misinformed about what “skills” are, or if he were one of those writers stuck in one writing style and entirely ignorant that he’s the one who don’t quite know what he’s talking about.

There are different mediums of writing that require different “skills”. Okay, so your blog writing obviously wouldn’t do in a formal setting, but this isn’t a formal setting. Your writing style in this blog also isn’t indicative of your writing style elsewhere.

I wonder how Meatman72 explains all these unique websites for all our comments. —Oh, I forgot. Children his age tend not to handle logic very well. (Hm… That looks like a RuneScape username.)

Sometimes, I think some kids just feel upset so they go diss someone else who looks happy and wealthy so they feel better. …And I think that vocabulary choice in the previous sentence just showed my age.

Anyway, degrees don’t matter. Skills do.

But some people insist that a degree’s needed to have the skills. Thus my current technical writing major.

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Katrina says:

October 16, 2007 at 6:48 pm

hahahaha MeatMan. That kills me.

I absolutely love reading these letters. They are the highlight in my day

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Kristen King says:

October 17, 2007 at 11:58 pm

Now now, let’s not lump the nice people with degrees into the same category as the buttheads who think it makes them somehow better than the rest of the world. ;] I prefer to just people’s stupidity based on their actions, not their level of education. And man, there are idiots at every level! I’m with Misti: Degrees matter WAY less than the skills. If you’ve got skills, who cares?

Kristen (who’s just 2 weeks away from her Master’s, FINALLY, and is SO over the school thing, holy crap)

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Phil says:

October 18, 2007 at 7:21 pm

Kristen,

Early congrats on the master’s.

Another advantage of a degree is that it shows hiring authorities commitment to a goal. Maybe that’s a little touchy-feely, but there are also hiring authorities who look for athletes because they know the dedication that even high school athletics requires.

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