I beleive that people should get along and learn by each others mistakes as well as positive outcomes. If everyone works together for support and honesty, the world of freelance writing would be so much nicer.

My quote, “Do not criticize me for writing what I write and do not bad mouth me because you think you are superior to me. We are both people trying to make a living in this world. If you feel the need to say something bad about me, please keep it to yourself, I am happy with my work and myself.”

Everyone would be so much happier if people would practice this, don’t you think?

Pam

About the friends…you’re so right. I’ve made more friends in this line of work than any other. There have only been a couple of real stinkers, but the positive people have outweighed the negative by a hundredfold. It doesn’t really matter to me about the overflow/work help, just the adult human contact is the very best payoff of all. For work at home mothers, this advice concerning friendship is crucial. Thanks for a great post.

Please kiss those kitty faces for me and scruff their little heads.

About online friends etc, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of bloggers do use social networking to make contacts, rather than friends. Contacts can result in a one hand washes the other type of thing, even if not a friendship.

I mean, I don’t know anyone here well enough to call them a true friend (in the old fashioned sense of the word), but there are several people I’ve made contact with through this blog (Deb and Jodee included) who I would help out if they needed it, and they’ve helped me out.

As freelancers it pays to make contacts, not for leeching (or even friendship necessarily) but because it pays to expand our networks work-wise. I have a list of 20 or more people from this blog alone who I know what type of work they do and keep their info on hand for referring clients who approach me with work I don’t do (from press release writing to soccer blogging). That alone is a value to me, because I can save my clients time and keep them happy. I’ve also gotten several job offers from people who know me through this blog and others, so it goes both ways.

Thanks for the good post.

Jean

I don’t know any writer or blogger who gives of herself as much as Deb so no leeching there.

Thanks for stopping by and welcome to FWJ. I believer friendship is give and take. My friends (and we’re all friends here, I hope) know I would go to the ends of the earth for them.

While they do help with networking, they also help with moral support and just being there when you need your faith in humanity restored.

The good thing about friendship is that friends usually give without expecting anything in return. This community, and the blogosphere in general has taught me the value of friendship and community which is why I’m always looking for ways to pay it forward.

Hey, more power to you if it works. But maybe “leech buddies” would be a better term.

Oops. I guess that wasn’t nice. Oh well.