However, as a writer becomes more and more established online it’s simply impossible to type out and send every single link to every single editor. For this reason, many writers are constantly updating a spreadsheet and hoping editors take the time to open the spreadsheet, click on the links, and read the article. This led me to wonder: Is there an easier way to get your writing in one place?

Using Google+ Contributor List Option

Freelance writers should use social sharing whenever possible, and Google+ is no different. In fact, Google+ could very well soon become the most important social media website for freelance writers because part of the “about” section of the network is set aside for “contributor to.” In other words, anyone who visits your Google+ profile has the option to see all of the websites you have contributed to; organized into a neat little column. Consider the following example from my Google+ “about” section:

As you can see above, Google+ has a section for occupation, employment, and education much like other networks such as Facebook, but it also offers a side bar showing which websites your work has been featured.

As if this wasn’t good enough, you can setup this section of your Google+ profile to link right back to articles you’ve written (as opposed to just the homepage of the site). This way, editors can find you on Google+, see where you’ve contributed, and click on whichever link they desire to see exactly what article you contributed to that site.

How to Get Started with Google+ Contributor List

It is extremely easy to add this list to your Google+ profile, but many writers don’t even know this exists because Google+ is so new. The first step is to, of course, sign up for a Google+ account. If you need more information, visit the Social Media Examiner Complete Guide.

Once you have an account, you’re ready to get started. Whether you’re a Google+ pro who missed this gem of information or new to the social site, consider the 6 easy steps to setting up the contributor list:

1. Go to your profile page. You can do this by clicking your name, your picture, or the icon up-top that looks like a person inside a circle.
2. Click “edit profile” located on the top right hand side of your screen.
3. Click “about” located right under your pictures
4. Click “contributor to” on the right hand side and click “add custom link”
5. Create a label for your link for people to see (generally the name of the site where you contributed) and then copy and paste the URL where your article appears.
6. Click “save” and then “done editing” and you’re all set!

It is also worth noting that your articles will be displayed in the order in which you input them onto the site. In other words, if you want your best articles up top, begin inputting those first!

You can continue typing in all of the sites where you have contributed and click “save” all at once to help the process go a little bit faster. It may take a while at first, but in the long run having your articles connected with you via social media is a great way to stay organized and keep the freelance gigs coming.

Why Google+ > Your Old Spreadsheet

Sometimes it can be hard for a writer to break an old habit. After all, sending spreadsheets to editors has probably worked great for a long time. However, the introduction of Google+ and the idea of sending just one link to your Google+ page has some advantages that creating a spreadsheet simply does not:

• Convenience – Many editors feel very comfortable using social networking sites. Although opening a spreadsheet is not difficult, it can sometimes be confusing in the way it’s setup for someone who didn’t set it up themselves.
• More Information – Editors will be able to see more information about you. Sometimes putting a face and a little bit of personality helps an editor find you and your writing appealing. This could also spark a conversation about something other than writing, which is always helpful when trying to find writing gigs. After all, it is almost like you’re on a job interview.
• Connection – Sending an editor to your Google+ profile could very well results in a follow. This will help you stay connected in the future and be impressive to other editors checking out your page. If you’re connected with a lot of great editors, your chances of getting hired will be greater.
• Logo Displayed – Google+ will display the logo of the website where you contributed (if that website has a Google+ profile page). If an editor recognizes a site or a logo, they may be more apt to give your pitch a listen.

The only problem that arises with the Google+ contributor list comes when you have written for a site more than once. You can put every article you’ve written for that site on your list, but then you will have that same logo and same label three times in a row. Consider the example to the right. Although each Business.com label links to a different article, your list will look a bit repetitive.

However, chances are an editor will not need to see more than one article per website that you write for.  You should have more than enough if you are writing for sites several times, so throw away that spreadsheet and start getting social with your pitches.

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to ip phone systems. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including telemarketing services to small businesses and entrepreneurs for Resource Nation.

Three months and several rejection letters later they sit alone in their basement home office muttering about being an under appreciated, true artist. Instead of writing for a living, they spend the majority of the day failing at freelancing. Fortunately, after spending a fair amount of time sucking at this job and talking with other writers who have also, at some point sucked, I have found five truisms that should keep you from flunking out of freelance writing:

Freelancing is a J-O-B.

The bunny slippers, the special hours, the inordinate amount of time spent checking email or taking photos of food may make this gig look like a cool excuse for tax write-offs. I assure you, whether you are wearing a bathrobe or a business suit, if you don’t commit to working you won’t eat. Internet currency/street cred/real estate cannot be printed off and used as cash to pay the gas bill. I’ve tried it already.

Real world client interactions rock.

It’s shocking I know, and if you need to take a few moments to compose yourself I understand. There are times where you’ll have to *deep breath* unplug from the Matrix and get out there to find clients. Networking events,

business events and conferences, etc. are places to find these clients. If you have a niche, go to events for that niche, then you can hit them up on Twitter, FB, LinkedIn, etc.

If you never leave the house, you will miss out on a lot of opportunities.

Embrace technology.

If you want to pick a low-budget, start-up business, freelance writing is the way to go. To start, all you really need is a computer, an internet connection and a printer. However, if you stop there, the freelance writing money wagon will not stop at your door.

Okay, I’m not sure about there being a wagon, it could be an internet rumor like Facebook shutting down. The truth is, if you are unable to communicate with an editor, don’t have a website with links to your work or refuse to get on that Tweety thing or Faceplant you are going to miss opportunities.

You don’t need a fancy website, but you do need a little slice of internet real estate where you can host your clips. The advantage is two fold: many editors don’t open files from people they don’t know which means your query with clips attached may be deleted or shunted to the spam file. Also, you cannot rely on a website to keep your clips live. Saving them as a PDF and uploading them to your website will keep you from losing clips to limited bandwith or upgrading tragedies.

While you’re setting up your site, grab yourself an email account, an IM (instant message) profile and a social media account. If you have to pick one I would start with Twitter. Facebook tends to be more personal, while Twitter allows you to follow people in the industry without being personally connected.

Avoid begging.

You don’t need a paying client immediately to pay the rent, you have an opening in your schedule. It’s the difference between “Please go out with me, I haven’t had a date in a year” and “I scored two tickets to the game on Saturday, would you like to go with me?” Desperation is a turn-off in both the public and private sector. So don’t announce to Twitter that you need a job. Approach clients/editors privately – dm, email, phone call and let them know you  are available.

Do Your Research.

Not a week goes by that I don’t get an email that says “I love/like/tolerate/skim your work on Freelance Writing Jobs, how do I become a freelance writer?” I always wonder why they left a site chock full of info, from a variety of industry professionals, to send me an email.

When I write back I always direct them back to FWJ and include a few of my favorite “Get started links.” I do this not to be an ass, but to give them the opportunity to use their own research skills to find the information that is important to them. Every writer has different goals, pathways and priorities when it comes to this profession. Putting in the time to research the industry boosts a writer’s confidence and affords them an opportunity to personalize their writing journey.

Being a freelance writer isn’t easy, but it is a worthwhile, bankable profession as long as writers keep an eye out for possible pitfalls on the way to writing success. Starting out well and maintaining good habits along the way will hopefully keep you from enduring a suckfest. I’ve been there and it’s not fun. You don’t need to be a starving artist to have a successful writing story. Plus, a rumbling tummy interferes with your inner monologue as you write.

Got any tips on how to stay sucker free? Share them below!

However, I don’t spend a lot of time tossing my hat into the ring with hundreds of other applicants for advertised writing positions.  I’ll do it occasionally when a particular call for a writer really appeals to me, but it’s not my preferred way of generating business.

I know there are plenty of writers out there who would really like to be busier, so I thought I’d talk about an approach that has worked for me.  It’s not revolutionary or anything, but it doesn’t seem to get as much attention as other strategies.  I like creating my own gigs.

Here’s the plan, in its simplest form:

• Find someone who has a great product or idea–something that’s right in your wheelhouse or in which you see remarkable potential.
• Think about how your skills could help them.
• Pitch them.

Example One: Occasionally, I’ll watch press releases roll along the river of a popular distribution site’s RSS feed.  I’ll look for releases that involve interesting topics or ideas.  I’ll pay close attention to those that evidence a need for a much better copywriter.  The contact information is right there on the release.  The pitch is simple in terms of offering them more effective releases and it doesn’t take long to investigate their web presence and to see what else they might need.

Example Two: Have you ever been searching for something that you wanted or needed and then discovered a real diamond in the rough of a website?  Of course, you have.  When I find these sites, I will follow up with the owners, telling them how we might be able to work together to improve their business.

I know.  It’s pretty simple.

But here’s the interesting thing…  It works.

You might think that the percentage of contacts that turn into business would be minimal.  That’s not the case.  The conversion numbers are surprisingly good.  I’m relatively sure that my contact/conversion rate in these situations is higher than most people’s success rate when responding to “writers wanted” ads.

I believe that one reason writers aren’t in higher demand is our collective shortcoming in marketing our gifts and their value.  We have a tendency to wait until people see a need for us when we should be telling them why we’re so damned valuable.  When you’re rainmaking, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

The trick, of course, is the pitch.  You need to be able to show value to the prospective client.  You need to demonstrate an understanding of what they seem to be trying to accomplish as well as a vision for what they should be trying to accomplish.  You need to make yourself accessible and to let them know that you’re friendly, helpful and something other than a moneysucking mercenary with a keyboard.

I generally make contact with an email.  I’ll follow up with a phone call.  It’s not a chore.  It’s fun.  After all, I’m not hoping to find an ad for a job that would be tolerable.  I’m isolating opportunities that interest and excite me.

Give it a shot.  Take some time to find someone who isn’t necessarily looking for you but who could really use your skills.  Pitch ‘em.  See what happens.  You might be surprised.

With ProfNet Connect, you can search for experts and communicate directly with them through messages, forum posts, and blogs.  Expert profiles include a lot more information than they did during the ProfNets Expert Database days.  For example, a profile can now include multimedia, videos, pictures, white papers, audio content, and more.  With the enhanced profile feature, you can gather enough information about a person to determine if he or she is the right person to contact to help you with a story before you go any further.

The new ProfNet also offers the ability to create groups, so you can easily find sources who have identified themselves as having expertise in specific areas.  For example, ProfNet is still very new but already has groups for green technology, social media, keynote and guest speakers, cloud computing, and more.

ProfNet Connect also offers an event calendar, and another feature that you might find yourself visiting is the Job Board included in the ProfNet Connect Forum.

Rather than simply publishing an opportunity, you can search for experts and contact them directly.  However, you can still submit queries through the ProfNet site or the ProfNet query form if you prefer.

I have used ProfNet in the past to find experts for articles and books I’ve written, so I can attest to the fact that it works.  You can follow the link to find more free tools to find expert sources for your own stories.

Brett Giddens has a slightly less dramatic secret life.  Then again, he’s a real person.  He’s an Oklahoma high school basketball coach by day who spends his nights singing in small casinos as an Elvis impersonator.

I have a secret day/night life, too.  Mine doesn’t rival the Angel story and it isn’t as fun as Giddens’ tale.

Sometimes, in the evening, I write things that pay next to nothing.  And I do it just for fun.

Tonight, I noticed a content writer on a forum who mentioned that she was struggling with a deadline and had some overflow work to do.  I couldn’t resist.  Within an hour I was composing a series of six SEO articles on an incredibly uninteresting topic.  I just finished them moments ago.

Last night, I signed up for a little-known content writing site that supplies material to webmasters who believe the road to awesome SEO is paved with short keyword-heavy articles.  I actually wrote one of the entry-level articles for a rate that would make even the staunchest content mill supporter blush.

When I’m done with this post, I might take a minute to write a “Top Five” list at ListMyFive.com, which may or may not produce more than a dollar in annual ad share revenue.

Brett swivels his hips for Oklahoma grannies willing to take a break from the slot machines.  Angel scoured the sad streets of late night LA for tricks while avoiding murderers.  I check forums and search out low-rent content sites.

I don’t spend much time on these endeavors–just an hour or or so here and there.  Sometimes, I’ll do a little something as a break in the action between my everyday work.

Why?

Why would an honor student become a hooker?  Why would a seemingly normal guy want to paste fake sideburns to his face and singe “In the Ghetto”?  Who knows?

Okay, Angel had to do it to make ends meet.  North Oaks was an expensive school.  And lots of people dig Elvis.  I suppose I do need more of an explanation than they do.

Here’s why I maintain my secret life:

• I’m buying my neighbor’s 150cc Tank scooter and I don’t want my wife to find out.  Thus, I need secret cash.  That’s not really why I do these things, but it will be fun to buy it without anyone knowing how or where I got the dough.
• It’s a nice change of pace from the rest of what I do.  I guess it’s sort of like those perfectly normal people who have an inexplicable love of a stupid sitcom or who spend hours reading the worst romance novels you can find at a granny’s garage sale.  It’s a mental break.  I turn the brain off and play with words for awhile.
• It’s a zero pressure situation.  I don’t need to sweat every word.  I don’t need to play with multiple title variations or fix that inadvertent use of the passive voice in the third paragraph.  It’s a liberating kind of writing because, quite frankly, almost anything goes.
• I meet cool people.  Many of the folks I’ve met doing things like this turn out to be good buddies and great people.  Some are new writers who are just getting started.  Some are experienced content writers who grind out articles on the side.  Some have no idea of what in the hell they are doing–but they’re still cool.
• Occasionally, real opportunities emerge.  Occasionally, you’ll accidentally kick open a door that leads somewhere more interesting and more lucrative.  It doesn’t happen most of the time, but it does happen.  In other cases, I’ve been able to do something for someone and then convince them to do more/better/different/etc.  That’s always fun!

How about you?  Do you have a secret life?  Do you do things that would make Angel blush?  Maybe you impersonate Elvis Costello instead of Elvis Presley?  Are you churning out Associated Content articles under a pen name?  Watching sitcoms?  Are you racing me to find these stray gigs at odd hours?

In Search of Separation…

Being a freelancer guarantees weirdness.  Unpredictability is the only constant and the bizarre twists and turns of everyday life constantly squash efforts to create that ideal professional/personal balance.

How in the hell are you supposed to balance your work with the rest of your life?

Sure, writing copy so beautiful it brings tears to your eyes is mega-fun/rewarding, but so is making homemade spaghetti sauce, catching an afternoon ballgame on getaway day, dancing to the Godfather of Soul with your kid, making out with your spouse and, to a lesser extent, keeping your house somewhat tidy.

What’s the big secret to separating the wild yet wonderful world of freelancing for a living from the rest of your life?

If you want suggestions, they’re easy to find.  Drawing the work/life line is constantly buzzing topic.  You can find freelancers who’ll suggest setting regular hours, dressing as if you’re actually heading off to a day at the office, putting up signs to keep your family away while you work and a million other things.

You’ll hear lectures about time management, recommendations about working smarter instead of working harder and pleas to turn off your phone, computer and everything else even remotely related to your profession during the weekend.

My Failure to Divide…

Some of that stuff probably works for some people.  It hasn’t worked for me.  Not even close.  This is my experience:

The need to run to Price Chopper for diapers can shred a well-planned schedule.  A weekend free of work sounds ideal until you chop off the tip of your index finger with your favorite Wusthoff on Wednesday (just try writing anything other than “ewoek/lifer supaeratioij u s so dalmn haard” at three a.m. with a bandage on your hand).

The idea of dressing for traditional success makes me a wee bit queasy and all of the smart work in the world can’t solve for an overflowing toilet plugged with a small stuffed giraffe and three plastic Strawberry Shortcake figurines.

If you can tidily separate your work from the rest of your life and that’s what you want to do, congratulations.

I’ve given up.  Completely and intentionally.

Integration vs. Separation…

I realized that I don’t really want a separation between the professional and the personal.  I don’t want regular hours, a regimented schedule or a sign on the door of my basement office.

Screw separation.  I want integration.

I love working for myself for a number of reasons, but the biggest weight on the scale is freedom.  I spent a long time being a damn good employee who secretly hated being on the payroll because I didn’t have that freedom to do what I wanted to do how and when I wanted to do it.

The joy of freelancing isn’t just the money or the satisfaction of those occasional moments of copy perfection.  For me, it’s the fact that I can do things on my terms.

After wrestling with time and experiencing a never-ending series of scheduling snafus, I realized something.  I don’t wear suits for a reason.

Weddings, Russians and Realization…

Let me explain that last part about suits.  A few weeks ago, we were up in Iowa for a wedding.  I decided to dress appropriately.  I was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a suit and marveling at just how freaking weird I looked.  My wife says I look snazzy in a suit.  Maybe she means it.  Maybe she’s just being nice.  All I know is that I think I look like someone else.  I hate the damn things.  I have broad enough shoulders without the jacket’s enhancement.  Neckties are too silly (and phallic) for my tastes.  I generally dislike shoes and hold particular animosity toward dress shoes.  I dislike them on an almost visceral level.  They conjure up feelings of conformity, caste and rigidity.

Unless I’m at a wedding, a funeral or taking the stand in my own defense, I really don’t want to wear a suit.  I don’t like them.

Then a question occurred to me.

Why would someone who hates suits make an effort to run his business as if he’s wearing one?

In what turned out to be a happy coincidence, my websites and email accounts were serving as a playground for a few Russian hackers while I was standing in front of the mirror.  When I returned home and surveyed the damage, I decided to burn things to the ground instead of repairing them and to start anew.

Authenticity and a Liberating Integration Casserole…

On a superficial level, this switch freed me to blog about things like the death of Jose Lima, my status as a victim of Exploding Head Syndrome and Kalae All Day–things I usually would’ve avoided because they didn’t match “The Brand”.  It allowed me to tweet about the lapse in sanity exhibited by Royals third base coach Eddie Rodriguez last weekend and to dial back the formality of my client communication.

We talk the authenticity talk more than we walk the walk, I think.  At least I did.  Not any more.  I’m retiring from thinking about being authentic.  I’m just doing it.

That has included embracing my inability to maintain traditional, set hours and all of the other stuff that usually goes along with separating work from the rest of one’s life.

I’m not separating anything anymore.  It’s all just one big crazy, gorgeous, wacky, depraved, enlightened, messy, tasty casserole.  Yum.

It’s been a liberating experience.  I’m bobbing between work and parenting.  I’m weaving between being a husband and making a living.  I’m cool with a two-hour client call on a Sunday and I’m just as happy to tell someone that I’m too busy buying diapers and freezer pops to take a call on a Wednesday afternoon.

Interestingly, this new outlook isn’t creating waves with clients.  It’s allowing us to float closer to one another.  It’s breaking down barriers and encouraging more human connections.  It’s as if we’re all actually having fun for a change.

I’m sure someone will find this kind of authenticity worrisome.  Discovering a blog post that includes a piece of Haiku about a baby kicking my ass may very well dissuade someone from doing business with me.  There are traditionalists who want appreciate that sort of thing.  I can accept that.

It’s a small price to pay, really.  Besides, who knows how many ultra-cool people might actually like it?

An Alternative to the War of Separation…

If you’re fighting and losing a bloody war of attrition in the effort to defend or establish a dividing line between work and home, consider waving the white flag and walking away from it.  It may not be the right fight.  Consider integration instead of separation.

It’s okay if your peas touch your meat, folks.  That’s true whether you hate shoes like me or if the idea of dressing like a corporate bigwig gives you a thrill.

At least that’s my experience.

What’s yours?  Are you having a great time keeping your freelancing career and your personal life separate or do you feel like a struggle?  If it is tough, do you think it’s a fight worth having?  Can you imagine surrendering to overlap and to integration?

I’d love to know.  I see many people writing about keeping things clearly delineated and very few, if any, advocating wholesale integration.  It probably won’t change my perspective, but I’d like to know if I’m a nut-case.

Relax, people. You’re human. You’re allowed to make mistakes.

When Freelance Writers Should Mind Their Typos

The purpose of this post isn’t to say we shouldn’t be diligent about our writing and do our best to ensure clean writing every time. Mostly it’s to say we don’t have to be so paranoid about our writing when we’re having an online water cooler conversation.

Just as there are times we should take extra care, there are times when we can relax a bit. I am always extra careful when turning in client projects or when applying for gigs, sending official correspondences, and on anything I consider “formal” writing. However, when I’m writing a letter to Dear Diary, I’m pretty sure I don’t need the grammar police looking over my shoulder. While I do try and be conscious of my errors (and many of you write to let me know when I miss the mark ) my genuine rule of thumb is to be particularly mindful when I have something to gain. For example, if a client is paying me, I’m creating a sign, or if I have to write a letter to my Congressman. If I’m posting a comment in a casual discussion forum and I “your” when I should have “you’re ‘d” I’m not going to be bothered by it too much.

You shouldn’t take it to heart, either.

Very Few People Give a Crap if You Forgot a Letter or Added an Apostrophe

I’m not decrepit, but I’m no spring chicken. I like to think I’ve been around the block a few times. Over the past four and a half decades, I have yet to find a person who is perfect. I’ll even go as far as to say that most people make at least a mistake a day, and many go beyond that. Yeah, there are the sticklers (Lynne Truss, I’m talking to you!), but I’m sure even the sticklers would agree that it’s OK for folks to let their guard down once in a while. If I’m having a conversation with another writer, I’m not going to be talking in the AP Format. I might notice horribly poor grammar (My pet peeve is “Where’s it at?” ) but there’s a difference between improper usage and honest mistakes. Only people with superiority complexes complain about honest mistakes in casual conversation , most people couldn’t care less or  they realize a mistake for what it is and mind their manners.

Lighten Up, People. Everyone Make Mistakes Once in a While

Because the not-so silent minority are now policing the social networks to ensure we’re not “righting” when we should be “writing,” freelance writers are paranoid  they’ll be called out as bad writers if they make the slightest mistake.  Not a day goes by that I don’t see a casual conversation among writers where one apologizes to another for a typo. Both sides need to lighten up. We’re people, people, and we make mistakes. No one is going to think you’re a poor writer for having typos. Show me a writer who has never made an error, and I’ll show you a liar.

You know why you don’t see popular novelists or journlists making many mistakes in their writing? Because editors are proofing their work. What you see is the finished product. Chances are, those writers made a few errors before going to press.Of course I cringe when I see major gaffes in magazines or misspelled signs, but having gaffes get past a professional proofreader is a hell of a lot different than than a misplaced apostrophe in a Facebook comment.

You’ll probably find typos all over this blog, and even some on Twitter and Facebook…and you know what? I don’t care. If Facebook wants to pay me for turning in clean writing, I can certainly be more diligent. However, if I’m participating in casual conversation and the odd typo comes out, I don’t owe anyone an apology.

There’s no excuse for improper grammar, but we don’t need to be so paranoid we’re constantly (publicly) apologizing for forgetting a comma or adding an apostrophe.

Go ahead, make a typo. I’ll still respect you in the morning.

Social Media Breakfast at SXSW - As you can see we're all chatting, just not with each other.

I miss the pre-social media world sometimes, back then ignorance was bliss.

Communicating Back Then

Growing up in the 70′s meant no cell phones or Netbooks. We sent all our correspondences via snail mail and any phone calls came to the house or office. Most of us had one phone in our homes, but some of the more well off families had extensions upstairs, and even separate phones for the kids. No one ever called during dinner hours or after 9:00.

We received our news from newspapers, magazines or one of a half dozen television stations and always had to wait for the designated hours for updates. If there was an emergency, the news would break into our regularly scheduled programming but that was extremely rare. We weren’t always connected and didn’t feel the need to be. In 1977, I was 13 years old. If you had offered me a phone to take everywhere with me, I would have thought you were crazy. Why on earth would I need to call people that much? Yet now, at least where I live, most 13 year olds are connected via cell phone and email.

We had penpals. We wrote to them now and again, usually when our parents reminded us. We sent handwritten “thank you” cards and Christmas cards and everyone marveled at our good manners. We didn’t need to know what all our friends and relatives where doing all day, every day, and that suited us just fine, thank you very much. Today, we know which of our friends are at the airport, what our cousins are having for dinner and who is checking in at the supermarket. Though I’m very proud of being the Mayor of both Stop N’ Shop and Saladworks, I couldn’t give you one good reason why you even need to know I’ve been there.

Communicating Now

When I asked my husband for a smart phone for Christmas I thought it would be kind of convenient to have for occasionally checking email or the odd Twitter update. Who knew it would be come a total extension of me? If you see me and I’m not checking Facebook or Gmail, there’s a good chance I’m about to. I went to a family reunion last fall and everyone under 50 sat in silence for about an hour as we checked our phones for updates. We finally interacted as we began befriending each other on Facebook.

You want to know the funniest thing about all this connectivity? All the social media people (including me) are insisting it’s all about the conversation. Yet we go to conferences and meet ups and sit at tables talking to people online instead of each other. We attend speaking engagements and tweet updates instead of concentrating on what is being said at the podium. In the real world talking while someone else is talking is considered rude. In the social media world, we’re updating people and building trust via conversation.

TMI?

It’s not a secret that I love my Facebook and Twitter, and couldn’t live without blogging. I wonder though, are we going too far? Do you care that my dog chewed the couch or that my son hit a home run?  How does it help my business for you to know we’re barbecuing over the weekend? There was a time we would never let anyone know where we lived or what we do when we’re offline, for fear of our safety. Now, there are whole social networks designed to track our every move.

I know we all use the various social networks and social media tools differently, and we’re all in charge of how much information we put out there. However, in our fun I hope we’re also being careful. Communication is cool and all, but there’s such a thing as too much information. It’s why you’ll never see me mention my husband or son’s name, and why the only places I check into on FourSquare aren’t located near my home.

I love my social media, but there’s something to be said about not be connected to every network. No one needs to know that much about someone else.

What do you think? Are we too connected?

Image via Brandon Eley

You want a presence.  Gravitas.  Authority.  Whatever.  You want people to find you.  You want them to know who you are.  You have your reasons.  They’re probably related to maintaining a sufficient balance in your checking account.

So, how are you going to do it?  How are you going to go from being just another of 13,397,988 freelance writers to Famous You?

Here are a few models to consider.

Too Legit to Quit

You have a nice, clean website.  You do good work for your clients.  You participate in online and traditional networking.  You may have a blog you use as a platform to provide well-written and well-reasoned perspective on your areas of interest.  You participate in visible activities that truly match your personality and to which you feel you can provide a quality contribution.

Congratulations.  You’re a pro!  If the cream really does rise to the top and if you’re half as good as you think you are, you’ll eventually develop a good reputation and well be held in high-esteem by others.  People will begin to find you.

Unfortunately, it’s going to take some time to make this work.  It isn’t a recipe for fast fame.  And if that “cream to the top” stuff isn’t really true–or if you’re not THAT good, you’ll disappear into the vast sea of other rather traditional professionals who find that very few people are thrilled by the prospect of dealing with Mr. of Ms. Bland.  With all due respect to Huey Lewis, it isn’t particularly hip to be square.

Five-Way Bullet Train Collision

You make the standard Internet train wreck seem mild.  You’re willing to do anything for a set of eyeballs or the repetition of your name.  You’ll cuss as if you’re at a Tailhook reunion party.  You’ll pick fights for fun.  You’ll scream for attention.  You’re Amy Winehouse and Paris Hilton wrapped into one person, in front of the press on a stage littered with Fredericks’s of Hollywood thongs and hypos brimming with smack.  You WILL do what it takes to end up on every front page.

Congratulations.  People will know you.  If you get wild and crazy enough, you can become a truly famous person within your niche.  You will receive all of the attention your little personality disorder-cursed mind can handle!

Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of attention that turns into big stacks of cash (or even steady smaller stacks).  When’s the last time you’ve heard about a sideshow freak retiring early and luxuriating in his or her wealth?  People will gawk, but they won’t take you seriously.

The Pet Mouse

You want a little attention, but you’re a little nervous about the whole thing.  You have a friendly little blog connected to a non-threatening little website and you only write safe things about safe ideas.  No waves.  You may not yell out opinions, but you’re quick to offer friendly, sweet encouragement at every turn.  You’re just active enough that people notice you commenting on others’ blogs, even if they don’t read yours.  When people see your positive comments, they smile a little bit.  You’re so cute, just like a timid little pet mouse!

Congratulations.  You haven’t pissed anyone off.  Everyone will consider you a friend and you’ll develop some worthwhile professional connections in the process.

Unfortunately, they won’t take you too seriously and they’ll only think of you if you peek out to say hello before scurrying back to the safety of your little nest.

Mr. Big Shot

You’re looking good, feeling great, doing well and want everyone to know it!  Either that or you’re completely screwed, struggling like mad and are engaging in an all-out effort to “fake it until you make it.”  You substitute bombast for substance and will never hesitate to discuss your numerous triumphs (real or imagined).

Congratulations.  For reasons only psych professionals understand, some people are actually attracted to that kind of over-the-top self-adulation.  If you’re lucky, you might end up with a little online cult to call your own.

Unfortunately, things generally don’t turn out so well for charismatic cult leaders.  Ask Charlie, David, Jim or that dude who had everyone slide into some black Nikes as the magic comet approached.  You’ll have a fan club, but most people will find you sleazy, egomaniacal and thoroughly unattractive.

The Creation

You realized that you don’t really need to be little ol’ Eunice Powelisky of Enid, Oklahoma.  You can be a tall, svelte former supermodel prospect who left the vacuous world of high fashion just as she was about to get her first COSMO cover in order to pursue a highly successful career as a journalist which then led to a freelance career.  Now you write better than anyone and know all of the secrets to success.  You might consider selling some of them.  The fact that the State of Oklahoma is about to cut off your unemployment benefits and that your 1982 Citation is up on blocks on the red clay in front of your trailer are minor details.  This new persona can change things around.  You can reinvent yourself and profit in the process.

Congratulations.  You figured out how MeMe Roth gets on television talk shows and how Taylor Marsh manages to secure readers for her political “analysis.”  Very few people will bother to find out if you’re full of shit or not!  You’re walking the same path several skeezy-but-wealthy Internet marketers have blazed before you.  It might just work.

Unfortunately, you’ll probably blow it.  Being a fictitious character on a full-time basis is tough and there’s always someone smart enough to connect the dots who’ll be more than willing to blow the whistle on your shenanigans.  That’s why MeMe Roth doesn’t have her own empire.  It’s why Taylor Marsh still isn’t on the radio.  For every successful poseur, a few thousand “alts” have died humiliating deaths.

The Right Answer

You don’t have opinions.  You know the right answer.  Every time.  Those who don’t share your opens down to the very last smug remarks are sad little fools who should spend less time drooling on their shoes and more time licking yours clean.  You can parlay your certainty and unwavering confidence in the veracity of everything that has ever crossed your mind into an online presence that reeks of authority.

Congratulations.  There are plenty of people who absolutely adore people who are willing to do all of the thinking for them.  You’ll develop a loyal fan club.  A girl from Kansas, her dog, a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man may even march all over technicolor to find you because they’ll just know you have the knowledge they need.

Unfortunately, that ragtag crew will eventually figure out that there’s a flawed, sometimes wrong person hiding behind the curtains of your website.  If they don’t blow your cover, the intrusion of real life and the fact that you will eventually be proven Incredibly Wrong about something will.  Oh, those followers are only loyal as long as you’re right.  They’ll find another wizard, guru, mommy, daddy or nanny to handle their thinking once you’re exposed.

The Technician

You split-test everything.  You optimize every blog post for your primary keyword and at least one tertiary keyword.  Your on-site SEO is solid gold and you have a carefully devised backlink campaign that’s humming right along.  You pore over your analytics like a G-Man trying to put a mobster away on a tax infraction.  You don’t take a shower in the morning without checking trend data and performing market research.

Congratulations.  You’ll get more than your fair share of traffic and you’ll always know which way the wind is blowing.  Your mastery of detail and scientific understanding of credibility building and reputation management will have you resting atop the SERPs–for now at least.

Unfortunately, you’ll probably find out that intangibles have values that don’t always appear on your spreadsheets.  Your lack of soul will make you cold and dull.  People will see what you’re doing, but they won’t love it.  It won’t change them.  It won’t forge a meaningful (or profitable) connection.  Robots are incredibly practical, but no one takes them home for dinner and a make out session.

You

You see the dangers in these other approaches and recognize their potential benefits.  You act accordingly, taking the aspects that work for you while leaving the nonsense that doesn’t.  You may not be a technical guru, but you’ll get the basics down pat.  You may not be willing to start the First Church of You, but you’re not going to let a little shyness keep you down.  You’ll present yourself in the best possible light, but you’ll do it without padding, fluffing and outright lying.  You’ll find your place on the continuum that runs between the man in the gray flannel suit and the crazy cat woman who hides in the bushes behind the bus stop screaming about the Freemasons, pork irradiation and how everyone is out to get you.

Congratulations.  If you’re sincere, talented, interested, interesting and willing to keep improving, you can make this whole thing work.  It won’t always be easy and it may occasionally be difficult to opt for integrity over caricature, but you can do it.  Work hard and prepare for life among the sufficiently famous.

So…

What approaches did I forget to cover?  I’d love to see additions from the FWJ community.

I hate to admit it, but I know I’ve embraced a few ugly aspects of these strategies from time to time on my site and elsewhere.  Fortunately, I tend to come to my senses pretty quickly.  Did you see yourself on this list (even a little bit) before we got to the “You” category?  If so, are you going to change your slightly evil ways or you proceeding full speed ahead?

I’m thinking about retweeting today.

Let me rephrase that, because I’m not looking to repeat my day and I’m not planning on using Twitter to send out links to my day over and over again.

Rather, on this day, I have retweeting on my mind.

I’m just back from a Skype Chat/interview with the lovely proprietrixes of Freak Revolution, Kyeli and Pace. During one of our many tangents, we discussed retweeting and whether or not people are retweeting because they appreciate the Tweet and what it stands for, or if they’re just echoing their favorite guru.

Do You Read Before You Tweet?

There are times when I’ll throw out a link to my blog and receive instantaneous retweets. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the support of the FWJ community, and don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay everyone all for kindnesses shown to me and this blog throughout the years. However sometimes I think, “hey, did you even read that? You may like the headline, but hate the content!”

It makes me feel good when people retweet my stuff, but I always hope they read the post first. I also hope the post will lead to a discussion and not just a tweet for the sake of a tweet. I look at it this way, when I share a link, it’s an endorsement. It’s telling my friends and followers I found something worth reading and discussing.

What if you retweet one of my posts because it has a kickass headline, but you don’t quite agree with the content? You have to read to know.

Again, Do You Read Before You Tweet?

Something else I notice on Twitter is how many people will argue about a tweeted or retweeted link, but it’s apparent they didn’t read the article or blog posts. It happens with some of my posts now and again. Someone will disagree with something I wrote or say something unpleasant and it’s apparent that person didn’t take the time to read it, or else he or she would have a completely different point of view.

I think sometimes we feel we know everything we need to know just by reading a headline. Or maybe we feel a blog post or article says something important because a favorite blogger or social media enthusiast tweeted a link. I often wonder if we (collectively) share links and retweets to things simply because we like the people tweeting them. I also wonder if we disagree with certain bloggers if only to disagree.

This post isn’t to say we shouldn’t retweet or support our favorite bloggers and authors because you know I’m all about the love. It’s only to wonder if we’re reading everything we support (if that makes sense?).

I hope you like what your favorite bloggers write, but I also hope you’re reading what they write before you offer endorsement.

What are your thoughts? Are too many people on the social networks blindly following and retweeting without knowing what they’re putting out there? Are we acting to headlines without reading the actual blog posts or articles?

Discuss…

The Freelance Writing Jobs Facebook Group ( I prefer the term “Group” over “fan page” or “like page,” don’ t you?” ) is a rousing success. Every day  More new members sign on and we participate in discussion topics and visit issues affecting freelancers. We also throw in some fun stuff too, in order to break up the day and even share our favorite resources. Watching this social network grow by leaps and bounds is so rewarding, but it also has me a little troubled.

The Freelance Writing Jobs community is growing more each day. Between our feeds, blog readers, RSS readers, Twitter followers and newsletter subscribers, we have over 15,000 members. However, I often wonder if all the social networking and bells and whistles are keeping readers away from the blog, instead of driving them here.

Don’t get me wrong, the Facebook Group and the newsletter absolutely send traffic this way and have done wonders for the community. What if they didn’t exist though? Would we have more physical traffic? Would the community interact with each other more here instead of elsewhere?

Do the Different Social Networking Groups Drive Traffic Away from Our Blogs?

When the Facebook discussions hit 60+ comments, I get a thrill. Wouldn’t it be nicer to have everyone interact here though? If I create Twitter lists, Facebook groups, Ning groups, Yahoo and Google groups, or an outside forum, won’t that serve to keep everyone off the blog? I often wonder if we create cliques instead of communities. Everyone has their social network of choice and keep the conversation there rather than where it should really be happening. Sometimes they’ll show their faces on the blog if a controversial topic comes up, but the majority of the community reads and runs, only chatting with those in their networks.

Again,I’m proud of our online communities, especially the Facebook group. I sometimes think we’re doing more to drive traffic away from the blog than to bring them together.

I wrote about this before if you would like to take a look…

What are your thoughts on different social networking groups? Do they drive traffic towards or away from blogs?

In the past few months I’ve noticed several freelance writers changing their Twitter handle more often than some of us change toilet paper rolls. I think that’s because when we’re confused about what to call ourselves online, or how to present ourselves to clients, we continue to reinvent ourselves.

Here’s something to consider: if you’re confused about your branding, your followers are even more confused. If they don’t know what to call you, they may not call you at all.

Hear me out on this one

Defining Yourself on Twitter

I don’t believe there are any hard and fast rules when it comes to Twitter, or even choosing a Twitter name. My only caution is to think about the branding, if that’s your purpose. For example, I maintain two separate Twitter accounts. One account @freelancewj is the feed for the blogs in the Freelance Writing Jobs network and some news regarding the FWJ community. The account, @debng, is the one I use the most. I don’t use “@debngwriter” or “@debngblogger” or “@debngsocialmediaperson” because there’s more to me than that and I don’t want to limit myself to a label. I wear many too many hats. Plus, friends and family follow me. The common variable between my friends, my colleagues and my clients is that they all know me as “Deb.”

I also feel it doesn’t always work to define the niche too much. For example, if I wrote mostly about, say, gardening, I don’t know if I would call myself @debnggardenwriter on Twitter because it means I’m branding myself as someone who writes about gardening and potential clients might hesitate to reach out to me regarding non-gardening projects. I’m all about establishing expertise in a niche, but sometimes specialized niches don’t bring in as many clients.

I know that some feel that if you don’t brand your niche or career in a Twitter name no one will know who you are or what you do. It’s a valid concern, but not one I necessarily agree with. I can tell what many Twitter friends and followers do just by their reading their Tweets. Also, if there’s a Twitterer I find interesting, I’ll click on his or her bio and browse links.  Finally, If really want to know more about a person, I’ll ask.

You’ll notice that most of the people who follow you do so because they sought out folks who share the same interests or have the same career. Most of my friends and followers are involved in social media or freelance writing. If you have a bio listing what you do, and if you talk about yourself on Twitter, people who are interested will find you.

Sticking With One Twitter Name

The inspiration from this post is the result of a conversation with one of my favorite freelance writing Twitter friends. (I’ll let her out herself in the comments if she wants you to know who she is.) Over the past year, she’s changed her Twitter handle quite a few times. She used her name, her name with initials next to them, her name with a swear word,  her name with “writer” next to it, and finally, her name with herniche next to it. When I told her she’s confusing me with her Twitter name changes, she said she’s working on branding herself. She has a writing niche she wants to specialize in, and is using her Twitter handle to help brand her with that niche. My concern is that her niche is very specialized and I wonder how many clients will contact her as a result of this very specialized name. Would someone who is simply looking for a writer to help with some content for his website pass her over in favor of someone who doesn’t use specialized branding?

(I’m the first to admit I can be wrong about this, though, and would love to learn your thoughts.)

I guess this is why I stick with my name. No matter I do, I’ll always be me. There’s no confusion.  Again, there are no hard and fast rules. However you want to use the social networks is up to you. My only concern is that when you constantly change your name, potential clients, collaborators and friends might be a little confused. What happens if the niche isn’t working for you anymore? Do you change your name again?

How Do You Want the Twitter World to See You?

Do you wanted to be labeled? I don’t. I like having lots of different projects (beyond writing), so for me it makes sense not to label myself on Twitter strictly as a writer. Think about how you want people to see you. Do you want to be known as “JoeDirtTechWriter,” “Joedirtwriter,” “Joe Dirt” or just, plain Joe? Each name might offer a different impression.

I think when we put so much importance on branding we worry about whether or not we’re doing it properly. When we think too hard about it, it gets to complicated. That’s why my brand will always be my name. There’s no confusion there, and what you see is what you get.

What are your thoughts on Twitter and branding? Why did you choose your particular Twitter name?

Twitter lists have me torn. On one hand, they seem like a popularity contest with the most popular Tweeters landing on the most lists. However, at second glance they become something a lot more useful; directories listing freelance writers and freelance writing clients.

Honestly, I don’t know many folks who use the various Twitter lists each day. I ignored them until recently, but finally realized they were valuable both for those looking for work and for clients looking to hire freelance writers.

What are Twitter Lists and Why Should I Care?

Twitter lists are user-generated lists of people and businesses on Twitter organized by specific topics. For example, I’m listed on over 600 Twitter lists under “freelance writers,” “Bloggers,” “NJ Social Media,” “Influencers,” “conversationalists” and so many others.  The creators of individual Twitter lists have many reasons for doing so, mostly because it helps to narrow down the follower list. For example, I have a list of my favorite Tweeters on a list called “Always Worth a Retweet.” I look at this list each day because it contains what I feel are the most interesting Twitterers of those I follow. It changes weekly.

I follow more than 6,000 people, Twitter lists help me keep track of different followers in difference niches and genres.I also have several private Twitter lists that I use to help with my career, my book, and to keep track of my personal friends and neighbors.

Let’s explore some of the types of Twitter lists I use and their benefits.

Twitter Lists Based on Location

Sorting out Twitterers based on location helps those who are seeking writers or clients in their area. For example, I follow several lists for my state and community for the news, and also to learn who is hiring, who is firing, who might be likely to take on a freelancer and more.  There’s a local law firm nearby that hires freelance writers. I have them on one of my private lists so I can see when they’re putting out feelers. That isn’t to say that everyone in a particular locality hires freelancers. However, following local businesses can give you an idea of who is hiring and who might be in the market.

Twitter Lists Based on Profession

If you’re a writer with a Twitter account, there’s a good chance you’re on at least a dozen Twitter lists. Clients who don’t wish to go the job board route can peruse these lists and find writers. No, they’re not going to hire you based on your Tweets alone. However, a lot can be learned by browsing lists. Writers who are on many different lists or have interesting Tweets might lead to further exploration. Writers who Tweet links to their blog posts are showing samples of their writing to potential clients, and may not even know it.
Also consider the types of Twitterers who hire writers. For example, webmasters, publishing companies, media agencies, newspapers, blog networks, content sites and others. Many of these types of places will Tweet out their gigs. If you’re not following them, or if their Tweets are buried among the thousands you follow, how will you know? Isolate the places that hire writers on your own public or private Twitter lists so their job Tweets don’t get lost in the noise.

Twitter Lists Based on Expertise

If you’re an automotive writer, you’ll want to follow automotive lists – and you should even be on those lists. The same with all the niches and genres. Follow lists made up of the influential people and businesses in your area of expertise. Get to know these people and become of a part of the community. When they need a writer, they’ll know who to call.

Lists of Freelance Writing Job Listers

Here’s my secret weapon for finding job leads (and now you can do it too): I have several private lists featuring nothing but people who Tweet links to job lists. There are so many bloggers who post jobs, and businesses and individuals who Tweet links to freelance writing jobs several times a day. By organizing them into one list I see all the job listers at a glance and this helps me cultivate job lists for you.

Twitter Lists to Narrow Your Focus

I wasn’t sure what to do with Twitter Lists at first. Now, I see they have many benefits. They allow me to narrow my focus.

I enjoy reading Tweets from all the people I follow. Having lists enable me to have a big follower list and still get the most out of all the individual Twitters. I maintain lists for social media friends, writing friends, personal friends, clients, potential clients, book publishers and agents, and so much more.

The beautiful part of Twitter lists is that I can make them private or public. I do choose to keep most of my lists private, but that’s because much of that information is used for blog posts and job lists and I like to have a little of an edge. When I make my intentions public, people tend to “borrow” my ideas. I also have a couple of public lists for fun stuff.

You can create or follow Twitter lists for your benefit as well. Think about all the people and places you’d like to write for and create lists so you can see if they might be hiring writers.

So many people write off a particular social media tool because they don’t get it. Instead of dismissing something you don’t understand, why not learn how it works and best use it to your advantage? I almost made this mistake with Twitter lists but I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

How do you use Twitter Lists?

Social media enables us to handle a wide variety of  tasks, yet so many of us think of it as only blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The truth is, social media encompasses so much more.  To truly tap into its potential could mean to take your career to a whole new level.

If you think social media has nothing to do with freelance writing, you couldn’t be more wrong. Building an online presence can be an important step towards becoming a successful freelance writer, even if you’re doing something so innocent as playing a game or sharing music.

Below is but a sampling of how you can use social media to your benefit.  Some of these are work related and some are strictly for fun. All of them rock.

Read to the bottom to find out how all of the items below will benefit you as a freelancer.

56 Uses for Social Media

1. Promote: Use different social media tools to promote your stuff. Whether it’s via a Tweet, Facebook group, video on YouTube or a post on your blog, there are too many opportunities not to take advantage. The best part is, most social media tools are free and simple to use.
2. Share: Find a link to something you’re digging online? Share it with your friends and followers.
3. Learn: There are blogs available on almost any topic you can think of nowadays. Plus, top authorities are creating courses, ebooks, webinars and seminars. Find them and use them.
4. Ask: Ask a question on any topic you want and see how many different answers you receive.
5. Get the news: Twitter and the blogs are beating out the old school for breaking the news. Follow your favorite sources to learn what’s happening in the world.
6. Learn what’s happening around town: Social media is going hyperlocal. Your favorite venues are online. Show them your support.
7. See what your friends are up to: Social media allows us to connect with our old friends. That guy you had a crush on when you were 8 years old? Follow him. The friends from the block? Follow them. Your old college roomate? She’s online too.
8. Make new friends: Connecting with old friends is fun, but don’t forget to make new friends via the social networks, forums, blogs and microblogs.
9. Receive movie recommendations: Want to take in a flick or rent a DVD? Ask online and you’ll receive hundreds of recommendations.
10. Receive book recommendations: Ditto books. Your online friends are certain to have favorites to discuss.
11. Share recipes: Don’t know what to make for dinner tonight? Missing an ingredient and don’t feel like running to the store? Ask your Twitter and Facebook friends and prepare to be dazzled by your choices.
12. Collaborate on ideas: Ask your trusted online friends to work on projects and build off each others’ strong points.
13. Interact with famous people: Where else can you chat with Ashton Kutcher or Yoko Ono. OK, so not everyone answers back, but some do.
14. Crowdsource: If you’re looking for information for a blog post or article, consider asking your Twitter and Facebook follwers. You’ll get a variety of responses and learn more than you thought possible. You might even find some excellent interview sources.
15. Sell: If you have something to sell, online is the place to do it. Take advantage of all your social media tools to maximize your profit.
16. Learn about the latest apps: Before loading up the latest apps, find out from your online friend whether they’re worth the download.
17. Commiserate: There are plenty of people online who feel the same way as you. Find them and talk it out. You’ll feel much better later.
18. Create events: If you have a book signing, band gig, speaking engagement or any other event, check out on of the many online event promotion tools and websites.
19. Play games: Farmville, Mafia Wars. Scrabble. Yeah some of us don’t like having cows sent to us all the time, but the games are there for those who wish to enjoy them.
20. Create and share videos: Upload a killer how to and show off your expertise.
21. Share images: You no longer need to have a photography studio set up to share images online.  Use Flickr or another social imaging network to share and discuss.
22. Create a viral campaign: If someone you know wrote something brilliant, help to make it go viral but giving it Stumbles, Diggs and Tweets.
23. Build your brand: Whether your brand is your name or your business name, there’s no better time than now than to grow your online presence. Create awareness through blogging and the social networks.
24. Share an opposing point of view: Don’t be afraid to disagree, even if you’re the lone opposing point of view. Help to show all sides of the story with your own well thought out comments.
25. Speak your mind: To expand on the above, don’t be afraid to say how you feel about anything, whether it’s on a blog post, forum, or comment in a social networking group. Keep it respectful, but share your voice.
26. Help someone: There are so many ways you can help others out via social media. Reach out to a charity or respond to the person seeking job advice. Buy something from a brand new online entrepreneur or just offer motivation and encouragement to those who need it. Positivity rocks and it’s infectious.
27. Raise awareness: Want to save the whales or help to find a cure? Leverage your online networks and do something good today.
28. Have a contest: If you wrote a book, give some copies away.  Or drive traffic to your blog by having a contest. With so many ways to promote your stuff online, it’s a win win situation.
29. Find a solution: Sure you can complain every day about life’s little irritations, but why not try to find a solution instead? Griping only gets you so far.
30. Reach out to brands: Reach out to another brand to discuss sponsorships, products, or to offer a compliment or suggestion.
31. Resolve issues: Something bothering you? Talk about it online. Having a problem with something out of your realm of expertise? One of your online friends is sure to have the answer  – or know someone who can help.
32. Get political: Many of your local candidates are online now. Reach out to discuss the issues or help with a campaign. You don’t even have to leave the house to get involved.
33. Find out where to buy stuff: If you’re looking for a rare breed of mushroom or special kids’ toy, someone online will be able to help you find where to buy it.
34. Find out where NOT to buy stuff: Your online friends will also discuss their negative buying experiences, file them away for future reference.
35. Discuss the weather: Talk about what it’s doing locally or learn what to pack on your vacation.
36. Arrange a meetup: Wouldn’t it be nice to have a face to face meeting with some of the people you chat with online each day?
37. Find clients: Everyone you meet online is a potential client. Learn who is hiring or who many be hiring and get to know them.
38. Find workers: There are plenty of people looking for work right now. Don’t just post your job to Craigslist. Reach out to the job blogs and use Twitter to drop links to the good gigs.
39. Offer to guest post: A terrific way to build up your online presence is to guest post on another blogger’s blog. Reach out to them and see how you can work together.
40. Start your own social network: Oh yes, you can start your own social network and it doesn’t have to cost a dime. Try .Ning or Buddy Press and cultivate your own community.
41. Help someone get started: Brand new freelancers log in to the social networks each day. Help them out by answering their questions. It’ll make you feel good.
42. Learn something new: From deep facts to trivial pursuits, information is shared every day via blogs, social networks, videos and more. Take some time each day to learn something new.
43. Raise funds: Help a sick friend or donate to charity. There are plenty of widgets available and all it will cost is a little bit of time.
44. Find a job: Whether you’re using Twitter Job Search, Linked In or one of the jobs blogs, today’s job seekers have more options than ever. We’re no longer married to our newspaper classifieds, and, thanks to a global marketplace and a telecommuting setup, we don’t even have to leave our homes to work.
45. Host a webinar:  Who says you have to speak at a major conference? Host an online seminar of your own. There are plenty of options available for different price ranges. Webinars are a terrific way to establish your expertise and build your client base.
46. Launch: Use your social media tools to launch a product or service. Again, most tools are free. If you have a large network and your network has a large network, the opportunities are endless.
47. Participate in a meme: Not everything has to be work-related. Participate in a blog or Twitter meme or start your own.
48. Earn revenue: Blogs, sponsored Tweets, webinars, online courses, and membership forums are just some of the ways you can use social media to profit.
49. Learn about new places and spaces: Want to go somewhere? Whether it’s local or off the beaten track your social networking friends will have recommendations.
50. Become an expert: Exploit your passion and become an online expert by starting a blog, writing an ebook or sharing your information online.
51. Host your own radio show: Podcasting is a terrific way to promote yourself as an expert and build a community. Either host your own podcast or take advantage of one of the online radio communities.
52. Give comfort: Reach out to someone in need and offer a shoulder to cry on or words of encouragement.
53. Find a place to live: Not only is your Realtor online, but she probably has a blog or website and a Twitter account.
54. Publish: Aspiring writers have no excuse not to become a published author, at least online. Thanks to blogs, self publishing and ebooks, there are many ways to share.
55. Share music: Pandora, Blip.fm, and even YouTube allow us to share music with our online friends.
56. Build trust: While you were doing the above – whether sharing music or reaching out to someone on one of the social networks -you were interacting online. As you interact with the same people (and new people) over time, they begin to trust you. You’re invited into their inner circles. They help to promote your stuff, and vice versa. They’ll remember you when they need to hire someone. That guy you’re playing Facebook Scrabble with may only be a social friend now, but one day he many be in need  of a freelancer. Who do you think he’d rather call, the person he talks to everyday online, or a stranger who sends in a cookie cutter cover letter from a Craigslist ad?

Is there anything in the above list you’d like to discuss or learn more about? Talk to us in the coments.

How do you use social media?

If you’ve been following me for a while you know I believe there are no right or wrong ways to use social media, and often complain of “social media police” telling us how we should Tweet or use Facebook, However, that doesn’t mean I don’t believe we shouldn’t use social media to give our careers a boost. There may be no exact rules, but there are certainly tried and true methods for using the social networks and other social media tools to achieve success.

What I like about using online tools for networking and landing clients is how they’re so easy to use. In most cases, all it takes is a user name or email address and password. With that said, I also know plenty of writers who don’t care to use these tools because they either “don’t get it” or they’re uncomfortable exchanging ideas and conversing with others online.

Here are three ways I use social media to bring in clients:

• 1. Engage: I’m not a big fan of elevator pitches mostly because I don’t enjoy being cornered to hear a sales pitch, and I don’t know many others who enjoy this either. However, I also know there are ways of learning who is hiring or  may be hiring simply by having conversations online. When you create conversations with your friends and followers they learn what you do. When they have questions about writing or hiring freelancers, you’re the one they come to. Also, by having conversations and learning more about the people in your network, it will create situations where you’ll be able to say, “It looks like you might be in need of a freelance writer. Can we talk offline?” or “I have some thoughts about your situation, can I email?” Conversational marketing can land more clients than job boards or waiting around for someone to contact you.

• 2. Follow: I enjoy finding new people to follow on the social networks, even people I don’t know. There are several types of friends I look for. I find the folks who make me laugh and share interesting links and experiences. I also seek out people who share my same interests, and, also, I follow many writers,  bloggers and people who hire writers and bloggers. To me, the key to finding clients and readers for my blogs is to learn where they hang out and interact with them. In addition to following those who you know, follow the people in areas of interest. You never know when they could use a writer.

• 3. Join: To add to the above, join the forums and social networks in the niches and genres that would best boost your career. A mistake many freelance writers make is to ONLY join writing forums and online groups. While this can help, certainly other writers have valuable tips and advice to share, people who hire writers hang out at other places too. If you write about health and wellness, go where people are discussing medical stuff. If you write about green living, visit the environmental communities. If you’re a music writer, hang out at the music blogs and forums. This will serve many difference purposes: you will be conversing with and learning from others, you’re building up your expertise, your name is being associated with certain circles, folks may view your writing, and, finally, you might pique the interest of potential clients within that niche.

What I like about social media is that it isn’t rocket science. The tools are easy enough to use, and unlike methods such as cold calling, you can stick within your comfort zone. In most cases it’s simply chatting with people online and, as the relationships develop, taking them offline or through a different channel of communication to do business.

What are some of the ways you can think of to use social media to boost your client base?

Being the top blog for freelance writers used to mean a lot to me and I worked very hard to achieve that goal. I wasn’t necessarily working to become number one, being a success was more important than being the top blogger in this very crowded niche. So I worked hard to be a success and the number one thing happened.

You know what? I don’t want it anymore.

• I want to enjoy blogging without the pressure of being the top blogger. If that means I lose some traffic, so be it.
• Being part of a wonderful community of writers is more important than being a “famous” or “top” blogger.
• When you concentrate on being number one over being someone who offers something of value things change between you, your community and your peers.
• It sounds like such an ego thing to constantly tell everyone you are the founder of the “number one online community for freelance writers.”
• It’s not about me, or FWJ…it’s about you.

Sometimes I miss the early days of Freelance Writing Jobs. The days before we were a network. The days when we were just a small community of writers sharing job leads and tips…and the days before we were number one. I hope we never become so big we lose sight of what’s important or remember where we came from.

I’m backing off the number one thing, someone else can have that gig. When you work hard to stomp the competition or take over the world, you lose something in the process. I don’t want to be that person.

Let’s take it down to eleven.

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? ]]> http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2010/03/freelance-writing-communities-10-questions-to-ask-before-you-join/feed/ 8 http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/introducing-yourself-as-a-freelance-writer-without-sounding-like-a-smarmy-salesman/ http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2009/12/introducing-yourself-as-a-freelance-writer-without-sounding-like-a-smarmy-salesman/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:15 +0000 Deborah Ng http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/?p=6447 [Read more…]]]>