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Freelance Writing Communities: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Join

Deb Ng — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:42:08 +0000

Many of us belong to at least one freelance writing community. We enjoy the camaraderie and look forward to sharing tips and asking questions. I credit much of my success to social networks and freelance writing communities. Thanks to the generosity of other freelancers I received tips on leads, referrals and there were even times when clients directly approached me after reading my contributions on writing forums and blog posts.

10 Tips for Choosing a Freelance Writing Community

Not all freelance writing communities are alike, however. Today, I’d like to offer some tips for choosing a community that best fits your vision.

Before signing up, consider these questions.

1. Do you have to pay to join this freelance writing community?

Because a freelance writing community requires a fee to join, doesn’t make it spammy or scammy. Most paying communities exist in order to deter spammers and ensure all members of the community are serious about freelance writing. Freelance writers in most paying communities are putting out the money because they want to learn and succeed and consider the mentoring to be a worthwhile investment.

Before investing in a community, learn as much as possible about it beforehand.

Do you know other successful freelancers who are members?
Does the community have a good reputation?
What do you get with your membership?

Now, there’s nothing wrong with free writing communities either. Not everyone wants to spend $100 per year to chat with other freelance writers. Plenty of free social networks and communities host discussions for serious writers. Make the choice that works best for you, and see which community’s mission, policies and members agree best with your vision.

2. How old are the Discussions?

If you’re going to participate in a community, be sure it’s worthy of your participation. If there are very few conversations happening and many discussions haven’t been commented on in months, you’ll probably want to find a livelier group. You’ll want to find a network with discussions that are updated daily with a variety of responses. One or two “ITAs” or noncommittal responses aren’t enough motivation to join a community. Look for lively discussions presenting all sides and points of view.

3. How does the community respond to questions and comments?

How does the community on a whole respond to the different conversations? Are they patient with their responses, even in disagreement? Do they tend to leave out newbies? Is it cliquish? A good freelance writing forum encourages conversation from all members, whether they agree or disagree. A good freelance writing community doesn’t have a “pile on” mentality towards those who don’t agree with the most popular members, nor does it allow members to be disrespectful or rude towards other members. By all means look for a spirited group, but they should be respectful in their rebuttal.

4. Are they covering a variety of topics?

The best writing communities cover topics of interest to all freelance writers, niches, genres and experience levels. There should be topics of interest to everyone and not a select few. Choosing a discussion forum that’s too “nichey” might mean you’re not going to learn about all aspects of the freelance writing business. Make sure to choose a community that serves all your needs. If you’re a beginner, you want to be sure there are more experienced writers to answer your questions. If you’re an experienced writer, you may want to share with others on your level in addition to mentoring newbies. The best forums run the gamut and talk about freelancing on the web, with corporate clients, book writing and so much more.

5. Is there a genuine interest in freelance writing success?

Do the owners and community members truly care about your freelance writing success? If the forum topics are mostly commiseration and community members are reluctant to share tips and ideas, they may not be what you’re looking for. The best communities are made up members who are genuinely happy to see each other succeed and don’t mind sharing their paths to success.

6. How will networking with this freelance writing community help you with your career?

In writing this post I’m assuming you’re scouting out a freelance writing community to help with your career, and also, so you can learn and share with other freelance writers. If this is the case, think about how each community can help you. Some writing communities take the subject matter seriously, while for others it’s a coffee shop atmosphere so they can break of the solitude of working from home. If there’s more coffee talk than career talk, you’ll have to decide if it’s the place for you.

7. Is there a clear comment policy?

Without a comment policy writing forums, blogs and other social networks can become virtual free-for-alls. No one likes censorship but if the members spend more time fighting with each other and launching personal attacks on those who don’t agree, it doesn’t make for productive atmosphere. Make sure a clear comment policy is in place. Usually the worse offenders claim it’s censorship not to allow all points of view but that’s not true at all. Most writing communities allow all sides of the story as long as they’re respectful and don’t attack other members.

8. Do they post job leads?

If you’re joining a community to land more gigs and learn more about the business, consider whether or not the members or administrators post leads to freelance writing jobs each day, or on a regular basis. If you’re not looking for work, you’ll want to look for a community that isn’t necessarily focused on gigs but rather sharing other tips for success. For most writers, whether or not a freelance writing community posts leads isn’t a deal breaker, but whether or not they’re included might be a way for you to narrow down writing communities.

9. Does the freelance writing community cater only to beginners (or veterans?)

Some freelance writing communities are clearly for beginners, while others are only for vets. There’s nothing wrong with having an exclusive community. Keep in mind that if only beginners are offering advice to beginners, they may not necessarily be offering tips to break out of the beginner patterns. Groups that are only for established freelance writers might offer better guidance, but might also be too advanced for those just entering the business. A solution for new writers might be to first find a community catering to all writers and narrowing the focus once they receive more experience.

10. What are the other freelance writers talking about?

The best way to learn about a freelance writing community is to read the posts to see what the other freelance writers are talking about. Do all the discussion topics interest you? Is the community positive? Everyone’s needs are different, assess yours and find the community working best for your situation.

There are different types of writing communities such as blogs, social networking groups and forums. Think about the kind of group you like best and which types with which you’re most likely to participate. There are so many helpful communities available to freelance writers, you should have no problems finding one to accept you with open arms.

What do you look for in a freelance writing community?

The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Blogs and Blogging

Deb Ng — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:15:24 +0000

Deb’s note: This is part three in our “Freelance Writer’s Guide to Social Media Series.” Also see: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Twitter and a Freelance Writer’s Guide to Facebook…and stay tuned for the accompanying ebook.

It almost seems as if everyone who writes for a living has a blog about writing, doesn’t it? That’s not a bad thing as it gives us plenty of places to share ideas and learn. Even writers who don’t have blogs can benefit, though.

In this”guide” we’re going to take a look a the different ways blogs and blogging benefits freelance writers.

Blogs

You don’t have to be a blogger to take advantage of the benefits of blogging. Another writer’s blog still offers a terrific opportunity to market yourself and participate in discussion topics.

Visiting Freelance Writing Blogs

There are so many blogs about writing and freelancing and freelance writing that I lost count several years ago. Choosing a favorite blog can be tough – and really you shouldn’t have to. The beautiful thing about blogs is that you can read as many as you like and participate in as many communities as you like and it’s all good. Blogs are one of the best ways freelance writers can network, learn and share with other like-minded people.

Commenting at Blogs

Commenting at some of the blogs allows you to contribute your own point of view. You don’t even have to have the same point of view as the blogger as long as you’re respectful in your disagreement. When you comment, you might notice a spot where you can add a link to your own blog or website. This will encourage others in the community to visit you and see what you’re up to. (Please note: It’s considered spam to drop your links other than the requisite link line and most bloggers don’t appreciate the spam.) Commenting on blogs puts you on other people’s radar. If they’re intrigued they’ll want to learn more about you and your writing .

Widgets, Plugins and Community Builders

Many bloggers will add some fun bells and whistles to their blogs to help promote their commenters and built community.

Comment Luv

Comment luv is a plugin which will bring up your latest blog post every time you comment on a blog that has this plugin enabled. The beautiful thing about this plugin is that other commenters will see the title of your last post and stop by and check it out if there’s an interest. It’s a nice way to give something back to the community. (And I will be adding it here soon).

Top Commenters

The Top Commenter plugin allows the most productive and vocal members of a community to have their comment count highlighted in the sidebar. How does this benefit the commenter? If folks are interested in reading your comment, they might also be interested in reading your writing or following you on the various social networks.

Sharing Buttons

Sharing buttons allow the community to give back to the blogger by Tweeting, Digging, Stumbling and sharing individual blog posts with people outside the immediate community.

Blogs Beyond the Freelance Writing Niche

There are other reasons to visit blogs, beyond the usual freelance writing blogs. Say you’re working to build up your expertise regarding lawn mower repair. By participating in lawn mower repair communities and blogs, you’re helping to create awareness around your name (and brand), and build your reputation. If you’re helpful and productive others will respect your advice.

Finding a Favorite Blog

Each blogger offers brings something else to the table, so find the ones that share your point of view, but don’t discount the ones you don’t always agree with as they also offer good, solid advice. The important thing is to remember we all have our own way of thinking and no one is right or wrong. Read the blogs you like and make the choices that work best for you. You’re not wrong for not following a blogger’s advice.

Blogging

Why would a freelance writer want to start a blog? There are plenty of benefits:

Build Your Name and Brand

Blogs help to build your brand, your name and your reputation. They start out slow at first but after time you’ll notice loyal readers are coming back for more and participating in the comments. Soon your name becomes synonymous with your niche. Your readers begin to your judgment and come to you for advice. Clients see and feel this trust as well and may inquire regarding your services.

Establish Your Expertise

Are you feeling niche-y? Use your blog to establish your expertise in said niche. You can discuss the finer points of journalism or resume writing. Argue copywriting techniques or discuss your trials and tribulations as a novelist. When you’re considered an expert, you’re contacted for interviews, speaking engagements and very lucrative gigs.

Blogging allows you to share what you know wish others – and it also allows others to share with you. Without trying to be too cliche, it really is a gift that gives and gives…to everyone.

Discuss Areas of Concern

Things like healthcare and pay rates are always of issue to freelance writers. Blogging gives you a bandwagon in which to discuss the issues you’re passionate about, and it also allows for some respectful round table discussions regarding many different topics. Blogging allows you to raise awareness and turn others on to your point of view – while seeing a few other sides of the coin yourself.

Building Community

When you blog, you’re building up a community. Whether it’s 10 readers and commenters or 10,000 these are the people who will buy your books, attend your classes and promote your stuff using social networks – and of course you’ll do the same for them. Blogging is also the best way to build up a community to create awareness around an issue or topic.

Do you prefer to blog or read blogs…or both? How has blogging or participating at another blog helped you as a freelance writer?

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A Freelance Writer’s Guide to Twitter

Deb Ng — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:07:40 +0000

Twitter is an essential resource for freelance writers. At first considered a fun little social networking site, Twitter now reaches far beyond your average social networking forum. In fact, next to the blog, many feel Twitter to be the most important social networking/social media tool for freelance writers.

Knowing how to use Twitter to your benefit can mean more awareness of your brand, more traffic to your blog or website, and more interaction with other freelancer writers and potential clients.

Let’s explore some of the ways freelance writers can take advantage of Twitter’s potential.

There are hundreds of freelance writers on Twitter

If you ever wanted to join a writer’s group but didn’t have the time, money or inclination, Twitter is like one giant network for freelance writers. On a given day we:

Share links to informative blog posts and articles: Every blogger shares links to blog posts and most understand the rule about not being spammy. It’s how we’re turned on to new writing blogs and how other freelancers and writers learn about FWJ. Before you start sending out links, build up relationships with your followers. Once you’re enjoying each other’s company, send out periodic links to your blog posts. If your followers find the topic interesting they’ll be inclined to stop in for a visit.
Share job leads: Lots of folks share links to job lists and job leads. Keep in mind, many of these leads are for freelance bidding sites.There are also plenty of leads for decent non-bidding site opportunities. I keep my Seesmic (see “Twitter Tools” below) open to several search terms at once, many of them having to do with freelance writing jobs. Your favorite job search sites no doubt also have Twitter accounts and following them will enable you to see their job Tweets. You can also do a Twitter Search and Twitter Job Search to find freelance writing jobs.
Talk with potential clients: It’s funny how many potential clients are following you on Twitter and you may not even know about it. In fact, some of the people who I know on Twitter have contacted me to discuss freelance writing opportunities after our online chats. They may originally follow you because they find you interesting and may end up hiring you after getting to know you.
Build relationships: I have many good friend thanks to Twitter. Using social networks to meet and share with others led to some mutually beneficial relationships. Some of those relationships led to jobs, some led to joint projects, and some led to some wonderful, long-term friendships. Many of these relationships continue to grow offline as well.
Discuss issues pertaining to freelance writers: Do you have questions regarding freelance writing? Is there something sticking in your craw? Are you looking for information on a particular content site or client? Use Twitter for a lively discussion, an intelligent debate or to ask questions of your fellow freelance writers.

Twitter Search

Use Twitter Search to find other freelance writers, freelance writing work, check out upcoming events, meet folks in your genre, talk to interview subjects, gain a new perspective, learn the top stories and anything else you can think of.

Twitter Groups

TwittGroups and Twibes are two ways to find groups of Twitterers who share your same interests. These don’t have to be related to your niche, either. There are Twitter groups for your favorite television shows, movies, current events, recipes and everything else under the sun. If you’re writing about a particular topic, using a Twitter group can help to find people to talk to and interview.

Twitter Job Search

Twitter Job Search aggregates all the job listings on Twitter enabling you to search for specifics. Even if you’re not looking for a freelance writing or social media job, Twitter search has all the bases covered. Mr. Ng has even used it to look for available accounting opportunities. It’s not precise though, so if you plug in “freelance writing jobs” you might receive results with that phrase in the title but not actually linking to any gigs.

Twitter Lists

Twitter lists are a new feature enabling Twitterers to pull together lists of their favorite Tweeters in various topics. For example, yesterday I put together a list of folks who are always worth a ReTweet. I found out yesterday I’m listed on about 85 lists mostly having to do with freelance writing, blogging and social media. What I like about Twitter Lists is the ability to check out new Twitterers who are isolated in these groups, which I may not have been able to do otherwise. If I like what I see I might follow them and read their stuff. They might also follow me in return and read my stuff. Some folks feel it might be a little exclusionary, and while I can see that happening, I also feel social networks on a whole are exclusionary.

Twitter Tools

There are a variety of Twitter Tools of use to freelance writers, far too many for me to list here. My favorite tool is my Seesmic application which enables me to have one window open showing Tweets from the people I follow, @replies directed at me, my direct messages, and a few search terms that interest me. Seesmic is similar to TweetDeck but I find it to be a better option, I especially like how I can view and respond to my FaceBook news feed.

Some other cool Twitter tools for freelance writers (and others!):

Twittonary - The Twitter dictionary.
Is Twitter Down? - OK, maybe this isn’t for freelance writers really but if you’re an addict like me and you get the Fail Whale, Is Twitter Down will let you know if it’s you or if it’s Twitter.
Twilert - Type in your search word and tomorrow you’ll have a note in your in box listing all the Tweets on that topic from the day before.
TweetMeme – Allow others to retweet your blog posts.
TweetBurner: Allows you to track links posted to Twitter.
TwitterLocal – Allows you to find Twitters in your area. This is especially helpful if you want to learn more about local businesses who might want to hire your services.

Twitter Feed

Use Twitter Feed to automaticall post your blog posts to Twitter. Set it and forget it.

Twitter Hashtags

Want to learn what other freelance writers are talking about? Try using the #freelance or #writer hashtags to follow the conversation. Use the Twitter search function in your Seesmic, TweetDeck or your Twitter web page or use the Twitter search page to follow your favorite hashtags.

As you can see, Twitter is very useful to freelance writers. From searching to networking to landing actual clients it’s a must have tool for your arsenal. How are you using Twitter.

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Building a Blog vs. Building Trust

Deb Ng — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:47:49 +0000

I spent a lot of time between last night and now thinking about trust and how we trust certain authors, bloggers, writers and online personalities. It’s easy to build a blog, it’s not easy to build trust. When someone you trust to present accurate information edits information to serve her puproses or otherwise does something to betray that trust, it’s like a knife in the back to that blog’s community.

As bloggers we can write anything we want, really. Sure now we have to throw in some disclaimers, but the sky is the limit. We can trash people on our blogs. We can offer glowing reviews of products we’re paid to talk about. We can be “experts” and “gurus” and say anything even if it’s rather…embellished. The good bloggers, the ones who truly get it, talk from the heart but also present an accurate assessment. Not an edited assessment but an accurate assessment. How do blog readers know this is happening? How do you know teachings and online reports are accurate?

What if an online personality who I trust to be fair and balanced writes an extremely unbalanced piece – because balance wouldn’t suit his purpose? Will that mean I have been following bad advice all along? Do I trust this person as an authority now that I know he leaves out key details and facts? What about all his other reports and bits of news, how can I trust that information? You see, when I find interesting research from another blogger, I like to share it here with you. Now I wonder, what if I’m sharing bad information? Now this other blogger who caused me not to trust him, also may cause my readers not to trust me because I recommend him so often.When trust breaks it’s like a domino effect.

I hope I’m making sense. I’m jet lagged and exhausted and have lots of stuff running through my mind. I think about trust a lot. I work hard at not betraying this community’s trust.

Do you feel you, as blog readers, put too much trust into your favorite bloggers? For example, if I was to endorse a service or knock a certain group, would you take everything I said as the Gospel, or would you do your own research and make your own decisions? While I always do my best to present all sides of a story, how do you, the reader, know it’s true? Trust is an important responsibility. What happens if you learn a favorite writer or blogger abuses your trust – do you take it personally?

Discuss…

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Online Freelance Writing Communities: Why You Should Join and What to Avoid

Deb Ng — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:13:46 +0000

I’ve been a member of various online freelance writing communities for close to ten years now. They were especially helpful when I was learning about freelancing. The freelance writing community is so helpful and I learned so much. In return I was eventually able to share what I learned with the members of this community.

Why should you participate in online freelance writing communities?

Learn about the business of writing – Veteran freelance writers share business tips, tax tips and customer service advice.
Learn who is hiring – If a person or place is hiring, your fellow freelance writers are more than happy to share.
Learn who to avoid working for: Scammy people and unsavory types are often discussed on freelance writing forums and blogs.
Learn tips for getting the gigs: Freelance writers share tips for landing jobs.
Take a time out – Having a coffee break? There’s lots to talk about.
Turn others on – When you participate in discussions, folks will want to learn more about you. They’ll be encouraged to visit your blogs or buy your books.

Something I don’t like about certain freelance writing communities is the snippiness that ensues. I don’t understand how places that are supposed to be so helpful and for sharing are also so hostile.

What should you avoid at freelance writing communities:

Drama – Just steer clear. It’s not worth it.
Talking about drama: Expressing your disappointment with drama, saying you’re going away to avoid the drama, calling out the people who inflict drama only causes more drama. Just ignore it.
Know that disagreements aren’t attacks. It’s ok for people to not share the same point of view. As long as they’re respectful there’s no need to take it personally. Report personal attacks to the moderator. Avoid responding. However if it’s a respectful disagreement do your best to turn it into a positive conversation.
Don’t insist your way is the best way. Share ideas and advice, but superiority complexes don’t fly.

Which are your favorite online freelance writing communities? How do you benefit, and what do you avoid?

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Who’s Going to BlogWorld?

Deb Ng — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:34:14 +0000

I’m attending the BlogWorld and New Media Expo for the third year in a row. The first year I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I’m sort of shy when it comes to meeting people and BlogWorld ‘07 was the first time I traveled alone. I didn’t know what to expect or even if it was a good idea, I only knew that I wanted to meet other bloggers.

I needn’t have worried. BlogWorld turned out to be an important event and career boost. I met many of my bloggy idols, potential clients and people who I now call “friend.” I learned the importance of networking at BlogWorld and since have attended many other conferences.

Is anyone from the FWJ community attending BlogWorld next week? If so, I’d love to arrange some sort of meetup.

P.S. Did you know I’m a blogger for the BlogWorld blog? Stop by and say hey sometime.

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What is Your Purpose as a Freelance Writer

Deb Ng — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:09:31 +0000

If there’s one thing I learned from this blog, it’s that every single freelance writer has a different goal or purpose. Not everyone who does this set out to be a writer. For some it’s a way to survive in this economy. For other writers it’s a chance to be heard. For anyone to succeed in anything it’s important to figure out your purpose.

Is it to earn money?
Is it to do something you love?
Is it to teach?
Is it to share?
Is it to work from home?
Is it to become famous?
Is it to alleviate boredom?
Is it because you receive PayPal payments once a week?

What is your purpose?

Notice I’m not asking why you write. Whenever I ask folks why they write I get answers like “because I must!”That’s not what I’m looking for here. Share the real reasons you’re doing this – why you started and what you hope to accomplish as a result of your writing. Is it something you want to do or something you have to do? Would you be a writer if you didn’t find yourself without work or wanting to work at home? Would you be writing if there was no Internet?

Discuss…

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