I received an interesting email a little while ago. With the author’s permission I’m repriting, but not mentioning names.
Dear Deb,
I wanted to participate in your discussion about if FWJ should have a forum but I didn’t want to post my answer in the comments. I’m not a fan of forums because I don’t want to be friends with my competition. I don’t believe in “communities” centered around one’s chosen profession because I don’t want to not apply for a job because I’m feeling the love for another writer. Community holds writers back from getting what they deserve because they’re so worried about upsetting friends. Communities like this also create more competition because we’re all applying for the same jobs. So no. No forum for me.
Just call me Cranky (name withheld by request)
Wow, Cranky. What an interesting point of view. Suffice it to say I respectfully disagree. I feel community creates a helpful atmosphere. We help each other to succeed and that’s a very good thing. I never look at my fellow writers or bloggers as competition because we have so much to offer each other, and if we both apply for the same job? Let the best person win!
I found your note to be a contradiction, however. First you say you don’t like to participate in online communities because being friendly makes it hard for you to apply to the same job as someone else, but then you also say it creates too much competition for the same job. So, it can’t be holding too many people back.
I do think the virtual world enables more people to apply for the same job, but is that a bad thing? It just means employers are now able to choose the best person for the job from a larger pool of writers. Since there are more freelance writing jobs available now than before this whole web writing thing took off, it’s also good news for you. Consider this, the Internet isn’t going anywhere. There will always be jobs for writers. If you’re a good writer, you have a good work ethic and do what it takes ensure your clients’ happiness, landing jobs shouldn’t be too much of a problem. My competitors are my friends. If I don’t get a job, it only means I’ll be happy for someone else.
What do you think? Is community a bad thing? Are we fraternizing with the competition?
We are fraternizing with the competition, but, like a union, it makes us more empowered in the end. A lone freelancer adrift in the internet has few legs to stand on, few resources, and little support. Freelancing communities provide that–not to mention, I’ve often comforted myself with the notion that if get screwed over by an employer (the inevitable “They haven’t paid me in six weeks…that’s not a good sign…”) I could warn every freelancer and freelancing community I know of, and that person or company wouldn’t be able to do it again.
Additionally, in a business where so much of your worth is measured by hits, traffic, diggs, bookmarks, etc, having a veritable army of freelancers at your side mutually promotes success.
A rising tide floats all boats, as they say.
I love FWJ and as much as I fear a forum for sheer distraction value, in my time as a freelancer it’s been an indispensable support and resource. Rock on guys!
Once again Deb, I agree with you. Competition exists everywhere and it’s up to the employer to decide what direction they want to go in. Just because I visit this page and read the postings, jobs, etc. doesn’t mean I’m alwways going to participate in a forum. However, I’m still here looking at the jobs, so Cranky would technically still be “competing” with me, right?
I don’t know if that ramble makes sense, but all I know is that I am learning so much from just reading the comments that people contribute. I’m just starting to look at freelance opportunities and any advice or direction someone is willing to give is most appreciated. I will have no problem sharing my own experiences with other when applicable. We’re all on the same “team,” technically, and each have our own unique talents to offer.
Why keep that to yourself?
What a juicy post – and thanks to Cranky for being the spark that started it!
Here’s my two cents (and for the record, I too respectfully disagree).
If I’m reluctant to share within community its because I’M AFRAID – and far as I can tell, same’s true for everyone: I’m a life coach, so I hear regularly how universal my own fear’s actually are (which, BTW, is another cool thing about transparent community).
Afraid of what?
Well, afraid I won’t know how to handle the inner challenge of learning how to take care of myself while loving and sharing with respected others (gotta really grow for this one).
Afraid I can’t handle spirited competition (olympians thrive on it cause it pushes them onto their best – and out of their comfort zone).
Afraid I’ll expose myself and won’t be able to handle whatever comes my way as a result so I shut myself up and hunker down (that one’s a real wowza – specially if your a communicator for a living).
In my humble opinion, the ‘community push-back’ is US pushing ourselves back and making it about community.
And sooner or later (especially if you’re a writer!) that’s gonna show up in your work, cramping your style and restricting your opportunities to show off your talents and get paid well for them.
In my experience, the benefits of writing communities far outweigh any potential pitfalls. Colleagues who know our strengths as a writer serve as matchmakers, steering us toward jobs that are a perfect fit for our skills and interests. When they’re overwhelmed with work, they send their “overflow” our way because they can trust us to do a good job and get it done on time. And, most important, they contribute to our mental health by warding off the sense of isolation we freelancers so often feel.
I say look at other industries that compete. Film is an excellent one. The film industry is very competitive, even cut throat at times. Spielberg is the top of his class. I don’t think he got there because he was worried about his friends, but instead he helped other directors, cinematographers, actors and so forth. There is no way he got there by squirreling away his scripts or leads. Many times I have read stories like how Spielberg showed Tom Hanks a script or recommended a model builder just by seeing his work.
Then, take a look at last year’s writer’s strike. The whole industry banded together, stood up and said “Writer’s deserve more.” Or, the decision makers met privately with the writers and worked out a deal that the union approved before the strike ended with the idea that the show must go on. Arbitration occurs where writer’s watch each other’s back. So she could have work, I have even seen where a writer referred another writer for a gig.
In a writer’s community like the Internet we are still young. It’s still a new medium without much regulation like the writer’s guild. We need to work together as a group (community.)
Believe me, it’s a lot easier for a writer to stand up to a deadbeat client with thousands of other writers behind him on the Internet than to stand alone with out recourse.
I’d wager that I’ve landed maybe over half my writing gigs due to writer and blogger friends who have sent me job postings, which contradicts the whole competition thing. While I very much respect that someone was cool enough to say what’s on their mind about this topic, I have to disagree. Plenty of friends have sent me gigs that I darn well know they’re also applying for. I don’t worry about that, I’m just thankful they sent me a gig that could be a fit for me. I send jobs that I’m applying for to good friends as well. Someone is going to get a job, and if it’s not me, I’d love it if one of my friends got it.
There are a lot of excuses in freelance writing and blogging that stop people from applying for gigs; not enough time, feeling inadequate, being nervous, etc. Saying that, “Community holds writers back from getting what they deserve because they’re so worried about upsetting friends.” is just one more excuse. I don’t care if my best friends do apply for a gig, if I want it, I’ll apply too, because that’s freelancing. If I know I’m right for the job, what does it matter who else applies? There are plenty of jobs, plenty of niches, plenty of ways to find work and still have friends. In my case time has held me back from applying, my mood has held me back, but never my friends. The only person in the world holding a person back, is that person; their own issues. If you’re confident about yourself and know where your abilities and strengths are, who you know only serves to help, not hinder you.
I’ve personally never ‘felt the love’ for another writer. I enjoy forums that are profession-based because it does help you to form a community, and I think that having a place to go on the Internet is helpful. I have found forums and writing communities to be helpful in landing gigs, discussing gigs and forming online friendships. The competition is out there whether I join in a community forum or not. If the hired writer happens to be someone I know, I’m happy for them.
I went through my first three years of college as an education major. I knew when I graduated that all of my college friends would be competing for the same jobs within the same district. That didn’t keep me from making friends, nor did I worry about getting a job instead of my friend. If someone doesn’t apply for a job just because a friend is, that’s a personal issue. If a friend becomes angry with you for getting a job they applied for, then you probably weren’t the best of friends to begin with.
Wow. I couldn’t disagree more with this sort of thinking. To me it smacks of low self confidence. Maybe that is going to get me smacked, but it truly sounds that way.
I have never been as happy as I am now, surrounded (online) by freinds who share the love of writing. Friends who share job links, contacts, and will go out of their way to help each other succeed.
Communities for writers, the good ones, are support networks, contacts, and networking at its’ very best. And yes, I have not applied for a job because of a fellow writer. Not because I felt threatened, but because I knew that person was more qualified or needed the job more than I at the time. I don’t worry about hurting someone by applying to a gig, though.
We’re all adults. If you (in general ‘you’), are a writer, it should be easy for the words to come to just say…”I feel hreatened by everyone.”
Darn the typos up there, sorry.
Community is beyond important – one of the most common tips I get at conferences, online and in life is to make connections. It might foster some competition and even some negative feelings at times but that is life after all. The truth is that I’m not always the most qualified for every job that I apply for BUT sometimes a right place connection can make me the most qualified because that editor, writers, or company has worked with me before or has gotten a reference from someone else that is respected in the industry.
Without the community that I have met and connected with over the last year I would not be making the money that I have been aiming before. It is much more likely that I would still be writing forum posts for just $.15 per post.
While I’m here I want to thank everyone who contributes to this blog and to the many other freelance blogs that are helping create better writers, better businesses and a secure future for me and many others.
Keep up the good work! And bring it on when it comes to competition for the best paying jobs!
All I’ve got to say for now is if it wasn’t for a forum, I never would have met James and we wouldn’t have the business we have today.
I think “Cranky” brings up an interesting point. I’ve participated in a bunch of communities. I’ve seen that some of them actually do get a little bit nasty and petty.
I have never seen that here.
I have learned to be careful about which sites I post comments on. Some sites don’t have a “we all learn from each other attitude”; it’s an extremely competitive thing.
“Cranky’s” attitude reflects a feeling of lack – as if there aren’t enough jobs to go around. There are plenty of wonderful writing gigs for EVERYONE and if I don’t get one I apply for today, I will get another tomorrow. I compete with my frends all the time. We wish one another well. Sometimes my writing style works for a client, another tie it is Allen, Kathleen, Mike or another writer friends. We are all in this world together and if I help someone today, somneone else will help me tomorrow.
I usually don’t paticipate in forums through lack of time – I’m too busy writing, editing and working!
I agree with a lot of the sentiments that have already been expressed here. I don’t think forming friendships, online or otherwise, will prevent people from competing with one another for jobs or make them feel guilty about doing so. It seems like there’s plenty of work to go around (even though none of it seems to have come way yet).
I never got around to commenting on the forum issue, but I do think it’s a good idea. I would like to have a place I can go to throw out random questions about freelancing, rather than leaving it in the comments of a post if it’s not related to the topic. I do worry about spending too much time on a forum, but that’s my problem.:-)
I think Cranky raises a point; I can’t say I have never been hesitant to share my knowledge to help those who, although they are part of the writing community, are (directly/indirectly/very much/not really/whatever) my competition. But ultimately, I put all my chips on talent, and I believe that skill is what ultimately determines who rises to the top in a competitive field.
Deb & jodee, I have another issue I would like to raise about forums, though:
I think it should be required that forum members/participants create usernames, rather than using their own names. We should be free to rave or rant, positively or negatively, without wondering if a former, [present, or future] client will find our comments. We should be able to be as specific or vague as we want, and that will require some degree of anonymity. and I would say that the “how to use this forum” information should advise writers to never be TOO specific if sharing a negative experience with an editor, publisher, or company.
On another note: I don’t know if you are planning on this, but it would also be nice to have a user page, so that writers who want to continue a discussion/conversation can send messages (with the option of having them forwarded to e-mail), or request each other’s e-mail addresses to keep in touch.
Also, @ Jennifer: I agree with you on this point, for sure:
“The only person in the world holding a person back, is that person; their own issues.”
And furthermore, I also agree with your elaboration of that point: “If you’re confident about yourself and know where your abilities and strengths are, who you know only serves to help, not hinder you.”
RCF has a point. I made some of the best friends I had in college and graduate school. Yes, we were “competing” for the same jobs, the same positions in schools and more. But I think the idea of “competing” is a negative idea. The focus is on the idea of lack as opposed to the idea of having.
I think a forum would be a great idea except for one thing – I would spend too much time in it! I know I could certainly use the feedback and community of others, as we all have something to learn from and teach to one another. I also like the idea of having “Pen names” to log into the forum…