• There is a television show called America’s Got Talent, which is a US-based knock-off of a show called Britain’s Got Talent.
• Former Britain’s Got Talent runner-up, Susan Boyle, was supposed to appear on America’s Got Talent.  She was planning to sing Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”.
• A few hours before Boyle’s planned performance, the folks at America’s Got Talent learned that Lou Reed refused to grant permission to sing his song.
• Susan Boyle found the news very hard to take, decided she didn’t have enough time to rehearse an alternate song, went into some kind of crying fit and hopped on the next available plane to London.

I learned these things today afterI noticed Lou Reed’s name in a news headline.  I consider myself a Lou Reed fan.

I don’t worship at the altar of the grizzled singer with a questionable voice.  In fact, there’s a nice thick chunk of the Lou Reed catalog that I find extremely dull.  However, when Lou Reed is good…  Well, he’s outstanding.  I personally believe that “Romeo Had Juliette” is one of the ten best songs of the 20th century, “Dirty Boulevard” is awesome for at least 472 distinct reasons and it’s rock and roll sacrilege to ignore the influence of his work with Velvet Underground.

Lou Reed has allowed a variety of other artists to cover “Perfect Day” and the only available explanation for his unwillingness to extend the same courtesy to Susan Boyle is that he doesn’t consider himself part of her fan base.

It seems arbitrary and capricious, as they say, for old Lou to send Boyle bawling and to send 100 members of a children’s choir (and the little kids go do-de-do-de-do) home without a chance to back her on TV.  There may be a much more involved story underlying the refusal but the fact remains that Reed has even sold the song to TV commercials before getting tight-fisted with this talent show almost-winner.  It’s hard to believe it’s a question of artistic integrity, you know?

At this point, you may be wondering what in the hell all of this gossipy Lou Reed/Susan Boyle nonsense has to do with freelance writing and freelance writers.  Fair question.  Here’s the answer, in four parts.

Rights.

Lou has ‘em.  Susan wanted ‘em.  Lou said no.

Those of us who are in the business of creating things can retain rights to our creations.  The world does not require you to allow some despicable media figure to recite your work on a television program.  You are under no obligation to allow some jackass-administered website to republish your work.

If you behaved smartly and maintained appropriate rights to your work (which will vary based on the work in question and your approach to business, natch), you can exercise them and keep the Susan Boyles of the world from crooning your tunes and the made-for-Adsense sites of the world from copying your columns.

The Protection of Rights.

Lou Reed has a wee bit more muscle than most FWJ readers.  We may all operate under the same laws, but folks like you and me probably aren’t going to be approached by a team of producers to discuss the terms of a rights sale.  We’re more likely to find out that some goober went Susan Boyle on us without giving the courtesy of a warning.

That puts the onus for discovering rights violations on our shoulders.  It also puts us in the annoying position of becoming enforcers of our own rights.

Choosing Your Spots.

I could probably find at least 3,000 different instances in which Lou Reed’s intellectual property rights have been infringed upon by this evening using Google alone.  Lyrics to his songs appear on countless websites.  Unauthorized bootlegs abound.  Even the link to “Romeo Had Juliette” provided above may very well represent a misappropriation of Reed’s work.

To my knowledge, Lou isn’t staying up night after night dropping the hammer on each and every infringer.  For whatever reason, he felt strongly enough about Susan Boyle potentially doing a Richard Cheese job on “Perfect Day” to shut it down, but he’s not up in arms about all of those made-for-Adsense and ringtone CPA sites that steal his words.

We have rights.  We can make an effort to enforce those rights.  The question of whether the effort necessary to enforce them is justified is a different story.  Most of us approach it from a cost-benefit analysis perspective.  Can I justify spending X minutes/hours shutting down a copyright thief when I should be writing and earning a living?  At the same time, there’s a little voice yelling at many of us, asking where it’s all going to end if we don’t take stands in the face of theft.

A Frightening Attitude.

I scanned the comments regarding the Reed/Boyle story and was reminded that most people don’t see things the way most writers see them.  The prevailing attitude (at least online) toward copyright and intellectual property is built on an “anything goes” foundation that completely fails to recognize the importance of rights protection or its underlying justifications.

Luckily, the law isn’t reflective of that perspective–at least not yet.  A shift in social mores and a growth of the anti-rights attitude, however, does seem to set the stage for a day when Alvin and the Chipmunks can do a straight cover of “Satellite of Love” without Lou Reed seeing a dime or even receiving a thank you card.

The other frightening aspect of those comments was the fact that many people knew who Susan Boyle is but had no idea that someone named Lou Reed ever existed.  But that’s a different scary story.

Now, for a few questions.  I wonder how the rest of the FWJ world approaches some of these issues.

• Do you make a point of maintaining and protecting rights to your work?
• Under what circumstances do you willingly sign away the rights to your work?
• Do you actively look for misappropriation of work to which you have maintained rights?
• When you find acts of theft, under what circumstances do you take action?
• Do you let some acts of misappropriation slide, determining that exercising your rights is too much effort?
• Are you secretly happy that no one had to listen to Susan Boyle sing Lou Reed?

You can skip the last one, though I am curious.

To me, writing for free and allowing that content to be published on websites and in media that will help build awareness, recognition, and loyalty to a brand equates to free advertising.  Rather than investing hundreds or thousands of dollars into advertising placement and creative, you can invest your own time and your own creativity into building awareness, recognition, and loyalty to your brand using your own words and choosing your own “placement” for those words.

The key of course is to evaluate free writing opportunities to determine whether or not they can help you reach your goals in the short or long term.  For example, writing for well-known and popular websites and blogs can help you boost authoritative incoming links to your blog, which helps with your search engine rankings.  Furthermore, writing amazing, shareworthy content that people want to talk about and share with others online helps to further boost your online platform and drive more traffic to your website, assuming you’ve set up a core branded online destination that all of your content leads people back to.  Writing content for free with a strategic marketing plan in mind does far more for building a business than the time it takes to write that content.

With that in mind, everyone has to start somewhere.  Is there value for beginner writers to publish content on free article sites and other sites that have reputations of publishing low quality content?  Looking at it from a marketing perspective, my answer is — it depends.  Does the site have strong linking potential that can bring more attention to your content than you can get on your own blog or website?  If so, it might be worth it to publish some content on that site and drive some link juice for your own branded online destination.  If the free site doesn’t have a strong presence of its own that has the ability to draw attention to your content, then there is little benefit to publishing content there.  You’d be better off writing your own high-quality blog and seeking out guest posting opportunities on larger, authoritative blogs to build your online presence and links back to your branded destination.

Bottom-line, there is more to the argument of whether or not a writer should write for free than the simple debate of how much your time is worth.  There are few occupations where you can prove your own abilities and worth thanks to the ability to publish content online.  Writing is one of them, so think strategically and choose writing opportunities that lead you to your ultimate goals.  If writing for free to raise your online exposure, build incoming links to your own branded destination to boost search traffic, and demonstrate your skills and talent will help you build your career (and I’d be hard-pressed to find any business or entrepreneur who could argue against those three objectives), then you should integrate the best opportunities into your marketing plan.  Free advertising is something companies looking to grow would be crazy to miss, and if you’re trying to grow your writing business, you shouldn’t discount it either.

Of course, being strategic in choosing free writing opportunities is the key.  You always want to make sure your brand is associated with sites and other content that is representative of your own brand promise.  Building incoming links to enhance your online presence and boost your search engine rankings in order to generate more traffic to your website and more business is important, but you should never sacrifice your brand promise by confusing consumers and clients.  Always make sure free writing opportunities truly benefit you and your business before you dive in.

Finally, while there may come a time when a free writing opportunity is too good to pass up, you should try to only accept free writing opportunities that allow you to retain ownership of your content.

Image: stock.xchng

Why are you screwing around commenting on some joker’s blog while the fine folks at Discover are perfecting ways to stab you in the chest with an interest rate ice pick that barely avoids running afoul of the new CARD Act provisions.

You’re going to get old and when you do, you’re going to be staring at a pantry that contains little more than canned tuna and store brand mac and cheese if you don’t get your you-know-what together. So, why are you answering some question to help someone else on LinkedIn?

What’s with taking ten minutes out of your Thursday to IM back and forth with someone you’ll probably never meet face-to-face when you have deadlines and paying clients?

Why are you wasting midnight oil and adding to your sleep deficit just to write a guest post for someone?

Blah, blah, blah. Etc.

We talk about community in this amorphous Web 2.0 sense. We talk about the “freelance writing community”. All of that community comes with a price tag. Hours. Precious, precious hours, minutes and seconds. And time is money. Every moment spent being friendly and contributing is real life cash money you’re not making.

You could make the argument that having big virtual arms that hug the population of Writersville is good for business in the way it increases your recognition and credibility.  You’d probably be at least a little right, too.  But I think most of us could find more efficient ways of achieving those ends if we decided to pull the plug on making friends and participating.

So, why don’t we retreat into our individual cocoons and devise improved client-facing marketing strategies instead of setting aside time to share our thoughts about writing with other writers.  Why are we bothering reaching out to newbies in the field to offer our perspectives?  Why do we opt to be part of a community?

Ego? Maybe for some.  Not for me.  I’ve been just as full of myself while sleeping on a buddy’s sun porch on a fast-leaking air mattress without a dollar to my name as I am when I’m dispensing gems of wisdom from an online platform.  I may have an ego, but I’ve had it since I was wee and history has proven that it’s unrelated to anything I actually do.

Companionship? Maybe that’s a big motivator for people.  It’s not really my thing, though.  I’m not a misanthrope, but I’m close enough.  I could handle solitary confinement for a year or two if it wasn’t for the fact I have two adorable tiny tots and a bad-ass wife.  I’m not the kind who needs a large number of amigos to survive.

A Genuine Desire to Help Others? This one does apply to me–at least a little.  I like the idea that some of my participation could actually benefit someone.  I try to be helpful.  I really do.  However, I don’t wake up in the morning hoping to find a way to better the lives of all freelance writers in a meaningful way.  Some people do.  Not me.

Somehow, though, all of those reasons and some that I didn’t mention sort of combine to create this pull toward being meaningful and at least somewhat actively involved.  Try as I might, I’ve never been able to put my finger on why I feel that way, though.

Last week, I really figured it out.

A series of wacky events, unforeseen expenses and a history of spending like I am a Rockefeller and my wife is a DuPont  mixed with my traditionally poor approach to cash flow management.  Of course, these bits of nastiness hit right as our planned vacation date with the non-refundable airline tickets approached.  In other words, I needed some dough until a chunk of my A/R paid up.  Fast.

Shaking the usual trees landed me a few great projects–alas, none will pay until next month.  Even the oft-dreaded content mills weren’t going to get the cash turned around fast enough.

I decided to send out a few emails to a handful of special clients with good connections and to a few of those writers who comprise part of the “community”.  I didn’t pull punches.  I explained my temporary predicament with those folks because I trusted them and because I wanted them to appreciate just how serious I was about making something work.  The results were fantastic.

One of my virtual amigos was kind enough to send out a series of emails to people in his social circle who might be able to take advantage of specific things I do that he does not.  That worked.

Another writer–someone I’d paid for work in the past–was just as cool sitting on the other side of the table as she was when I was writing her a check.  She kicked a nice gig in my direction and paid me in a hurry.

Another writer who’s part of the “community” helped me out, landing a rush project for me.

You get the idea.  Thanks again, folks.

When I needed something, other members of the “community” made sure it was there for me.

It was almost like–gulp–having friends.

And really, that’s why we should be doing all of this stuff.

The social media and social marketing worlds are rapidly becoming a numbers game for many people.  People are trying to build these “connections” that consist of little more than one automated tool agreeing to befriend another automated tool.  Bob’s mannequin is agreeing to be “friends” with Sheila’s robot.  It’s a drag.  And, to tell you the truth, it’s pretty damned stupid.

The whole idea of networking, communicating, collaborating and sharing really only works when it’s a sincere person-to-person thing.

I have a few thousand Twitter followers.  I could’ve broadcast an SOS to that list every hour on the hour for three days.  Do you know what would’ve happened?  The same handful of people I emailed would’ve probably been the only ones to respond.

I guess I’m extending an invitation with this post.  It’s an invitation to operate on a more sincere level than others might sometimes use.  It’s an invitation to provide something of value to others–to really make human contact.  That’s not just because you’ll have someone to hit up when you confront an issue.  It’s also because you’ll be able to help other people when they need it.

In the end, that’s how we all get by, isn’t it?

Yeah, it’s a Lennon/McCartney Beatles song, but I think Joe did it better than anyone…

What’s the first thing people do when they receive your query letter, resume, or email?  They Google you.  You need to make sure your website, blog, Facebook profile, Twitter profile, and every other online touchpoint accurately reflects who you are and what you can do for potential employers and clients.  Ultimately, all roads should lead back to your core branded online destination — your website.

How do you find a great WordPress theme to use to build your site?  There are so many to choose from!  Whether you hire a blog designer to help you or you dive into WordPress yourself, you need a great premium theme to start with.  Check out the five themes below, which are affordable, well-coded, and look great for freelance writer websites!

1. MyResume from ElegantThemes

MyResume is the simplest option on this list in terms of visual appeal, but it works well in its simplicity.

2. BusinessCard by ElegantThemes

BusinessCard is another theme that’s fairly simple in its visual appeal.  As with all theme from ElegantThemes, it’s very easy to customize.

3. SophisticatedFolio by WooThemes

Want to get a bit more sophisticated?  Then the SophisticatedFolio theme from WooThemes might be right for you.

4. Feature Pitch by WooThemes

I like the Feature Pitch theme because you can get really creative with how you use the home page to draw visitors into your site to learn more about you.

5. Fresh Folio by WooThemes

Fresh Folio is another portfolio theme from WooThemes, but it has a simpler look to it than the SophisticatedFolio theme does.

What application did you use to build your freelance writing website?  Leave a comment and share what works for you!

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?

While I did get permission to publish these emails, no one wanted their real names to appear.

Dear Deb,

Being a paid mouthpiece for Demand Studios has clouded your judgment. How can you lie to your community? This is a terrible opportunity. You’ll do anything for a buck.

Actually, that’s not true. There are plenty of things I’ll do for a buck, but there are places I’ll draw the line. For example, I wouldn’t sell my body – though I doubt there would be too many buyers. I also wouldn’t eat objects that aren’t meant for ingestion.

That doesn’t mean I’m not open to partnership opportunities for places I feel to be a good fit for this community.

I haven’t lied to the FWJ community at all. I have suggested that DS is a terrific way to earn money as a writer and I believe this to be true. I have suggested you can use DS clips to land higher paying opportunities and I know this to be true. I also believe we all have choices. I just don’t believe in knocking anyone for theirs. None of that’s a lie.

Everyone here knows I got my online writing start with content sites. I’ve also posted those jobs here for years. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t use them, nor am I going to pretend they didn’t lead to better opportunities for me and others, because they did.

Dear Deb,

Would you still sing Demand Studios praises if they weren’t paying you?

You can look back in the comments here, one member of this community actually brought it all to light before, but I encouraged the FWJ community to look into DS long before our affiliation. Would I have their big ads in my sidebar? Probably not. I’ll post free ads for charity, but not content sites. Would I post their news? Sure, if it was good news. I’ll also post news for other places as well – if they’ll send it to me. I won’t promote sites I don’t believe to be a good opportunities, but I’m happy to spread news and drive traffic to the places I like.

Dear Deb,

Demand Studios takes advantage of their writers. Everytime you expect  a check from them you condone their shoddy treatment. Shame on you. I hope being a paid mouthpiece is worth the shot to your reputation.

No one is misleading anyone. Demand Studios is very upfront about what they do, how much they pay and what is expected. No one is forcing writers to take these jobs. No one is entering into it blind and no one is being taken advantage of.  If endorsing a place I feel good about causes a hit to my reputation, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it.I hope after five years of doing this the FWJ community trusts me enough to know I wouldn’t send them in a bad direction, even for a check. However, what hurts more than a hit to my reputation is seeing how other writers are treated. That bothers me a lot. I sort of expected to receive a lot of flack after announcing my partnership. I didn’t expect seasoned writers to call content writers names and question their talent.

There are more of these types of emails, but it’s kind of redundant to answer the same exact questions over and over. Here are all the responses in a nutshell.

• Yes, I know writers who have used their Demand Studios clips to land more lucrative and prestigious opportunities. Some of them have weighed in here on many occasions.
• The reason I approached DS about a partnership was their commitment to quality content, something I didn’t think was a concern for many content sites. I also appreciated how writers received guidance from the editors so they could move on to bigger venues.
• Yes, I think writers from all stages of their career can benefit from Demand Studios.
• No, I don’t regret my partnership with Demand Studios and will renew my contract as often as they’ll want me.
• No, it’s not part of my agreement with Demand Studios to defend them on blogs, in forums, Twitter, etc. When I do so it’s only to correct what I see as inaccuracies. I say nice things about them because I believe them to be true and not because I’m being paid. DS pays me to advertise on this blog, not to speak for them. (So I guess I’m not really a paid mouthpiece.)
• Do I believe there are better opportunities for writers? Absolutely.
• Do  I believe writers should use DS as a stepping stone only? I’m not sure about that. I think no matter what job a writer takes, she should always keep a lookout for better opportunities – whether it’s Demand Studios or Vogue Magazine. However, it’s up to writers to decide whether or not they want to skip along the stones or stop and set up shop for a while.

If you have a different question about my affiliation with Demands Studios feel free to ask in the comments.

Summer is the best time for freelance writing. Freelance writers can work anywhere there’s WiFi and even plenty of places there aren’t. We can also rearrange our schedules for summer vacation or to coincide with outings or pool time. Summer is the time of year when my office working family members and friends don’t wonder if I really have a job, they wish they had MY job.

Summer can also be a frustrating time for freelance writers because they can’t always do the activities they like because they have to meet deadlines. So if you’re spending too much time on the beach, you might also have to cut some of that back in order to fulfill your obligations. I know if I want to spend afternoons in the pool I will also have to work in the early morning hours or into the night to ensure my work gets done.

Summer is only a couple of months away and with careful planning there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have some fun in the sun while still rocking the gig.

Here are some tips for preparing for summer vacation:

Preparing for Summer with Your Freelance Writing Clients

If you have regular clients who depend on you to write for them each month, let them know about your summer vacation as soon as possible. If you’re going away, downsizing or working different hours, be sure to advise everyone who will be affected. When you give them one or two week’s notice it could put a halt to certain projects or force clients to go to someone else, at least temporarily. Letting everyone know your plans in advance will allow them to get materials and assignments to you ahead of time, and allow you to work ahead in anticipation. It will also enable you to line up trusted writers to outsource to if the need arises.

If your day will become shorter or your hours are changing during the summer, let your clients know this as well. Inform them of the best times to talk on the phone and how much work you’ll be doing for them during the summer. If you’re going to be waking very early in the morning to handle assignments, you might even let them know it’s best to contact you via email during these times. For important projects and your very best clients, you might want to share your cell phone information. However, make sure it’s with a client who won’t abuse the privilege.

Preparing for Summer with Your Blogging Clients

Blogging clients are different from regular freelance writing clients in that they may require a certain amount of posts per week. Discuss your vacation with your client and let him know you’ll be posting in advance so he doesn’t have to worry about the loss of traffic when you’re not around. The only problem might be with if you have to post current news topics. If this is the case, see if you can post some “evergreen” topics ahead of time. If your client agrees maybe you can forgo the news while you’re away, outsource to another blogger or post news during your down time rather than a specific day or time. Your best option is probably to post ahead when you have extra time. As with all clients, do make sure your blogging client will know when you will and won’t be available and whether or not you’ll be checking your email or taking cell phone calls.

Preparing for Summer with Your Web Content Clients

Web content clients are probably the lowest paying clients in your portfolio but they still deserve professionalism. All web content clients are different, however. If you can come and go as you please and you’re not expected to deliver a specific quota of articles each month, you can pretty much set your own summer schedule without having to let them know what you’re doing. However, if your client assigns articles or expects a certain amount of titles to be written each month, you’ll have to make certain arrangements.

Many web content clients want that writing to flow whether you’re on vacation or not. If this is the case, apprise them of your plans and discuss whether or not you want to work ahead to meet your quotas or let another freelancer temporarily take the gig. Always let clients know your availability and whether or not you’ll be checking your email.

Professional Courtesy is in Order

As freelancers we can do what we want. We don’t have to take gigs we don’t like and we don’t have to get permission from our clients to take a vacation. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t act as professionals. Always let clients know when you’ll be away if only so they’ll know why you’re not responding to email. Discuss what will happen to the work in your absence and make sure there will be a job when you come back. If you’re not going away but changing to “summer hours” let them know this as well. The earlier you advise your clients of  your plans, the easier it will be for all of you to make any necessary arrangements.

One reason many freelance writers don’t take a vacation or take off during the summer is because they’re afraid of losing income or clients. With the proper planning, neither has to take place.

Do you vacate or downsize during the summer? How do you handle this with clients? Share your tips below…

Several months ago a friend and colleague with a popular freelance writing blog sent me a letter saying how upset she was that I left a nasty anonymous comment under one of her blog posts. The next day, it happened again. To say I was confused is an understatement especially since I was away during one of those times. We did a little sleuthing and I learned someone I trusted in my home was going to blogs and forums as an anonymous me, making rude remarks.

Today this situation still weighs heavily on my mind. Such things can ruin my credibility as a blogger. If my blogging colleagues and community didn’t know me for all these years, and if I didn’t work so hard to build up trust, claiming another person trolled from my laptop would sound like a b.s. story. (Actually it probably still does, but go with me, I promise I have a point….)

I think about trust and influence quite a bit. It’s why I won’t play the expert card. It’s why I don’t believe in saying my way is the right way or the only way. A lot of people put their trust in me to give them information. Many writers in this community thank me for my advice. But is it the right advice? I only share what I know worked for me, how do I know my course is the best course to take? This is something I think about often. I worry about losing trust, such as with the situation mentioned above, but I worry more about my influence.

I mean, what if I’m wrong?

What if my way of doing things isn’t the right way? When I share tips, I’m sharing my success. My way isn’t traditional, though. What if I’m steering you wrong? Maybe my way isn’t a good way at all.

We put a lot of faith in people we don’t know.  We have our idols and our gurus. We follow certain online people because they’re famous or because everyone else says to follow them. What if they’re talking out of their butts? We only know who they are by what they tell us. What if they have us all fooled?

I attend many conferences and have met some of the movers and shakers in the social media space. Most of them are genuine and sincere. A few of them are anything but. Several of them are simply talking through their egos. Do I follow them because everyone else follows them, or because I think they bring up valid points?

Trust and credibility are something to be earned. Blind faith won’t help our causes any. When you put your faith in someone, be sure they’re worthy. Some people just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I hope I’m not one of those people but only you can decide.

What makes you decide to trust a blogger or “guru?” Do you take others at their word, or do you follow one of the usual suspects because everyone else does? How do you define trust?

No one likes to be fired. If you were recently laid off or let go, you’re probably very angry or upset about losing a client. You may even think your client was unfair in his dismissal. Your first reaction might be to fire off an angry missive or trash your former client on a public forum, but this isn’t the best recourse. Before you act in a matter you might possibly regret Consider these do’s and don’t.

Don’t

• Send off an angry email: Always let your first, angry reaction pass. If you have to fire off a nasty missive, do so and then delete, but certainly don’t send. Burning bridges is never a good idea. You might not be a good fit for your former client’s project but he may possibly recommend you to someone else. He might also move to another company that hires freelancers. If you made an unprofessional impression, he might remember.
• Publicly trash your former client: Potential clients may see this and pass on the opportunity.
• Put all the blame on your former client: Unless it was a budget cut, there’s a good reason for your termination. Listen to all of your client’s feedback and take it all under consideration for future clients.
• Talk smack about your client to every freelancer you know: Look your client didn’t work out for you, but that doesn’t mean other freelancers aren’t a good fit for the gig. Bashing former clients all the time mostly makes them uncomfortable.
• Take it personally: You may feel it’s personal but it’s not. The reasons may feel personal, but they’re not. Firings are business. Your client is doing what he has to do to protect his interests.  Don’t let negativity consume you and don’t let it hit your confidence or self esteem. Tell yourself it’s business and move on.

Do

• Say “thank you” for the opportunity: You may not feel grateful after having your contract terminated but professionalism is the key to a successful career. Say “thank you” and move on.
• Be angry: No one is telling you not to feel angry after being laid off but use that passion for something productive. Either do your own thing or find new clients.
• Reflect on this situation: Think about the reasons your client terminated your contract and what you can do better next time around.
• Make a plan: What will you do to replace the loss of income? Make a plan and take action.
• Turn it into something positive: Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps you were let go because you were destined to better things. Turn your negative energy into something positive and let it motivate you to move on to bigger and better things.

When a client terminates a contract, it sucks. No one likes to be fired. Dwelling on negativity or letting it consume us only leads us to take actions we regret later. The last thing you want to do is burn bridges. Take the reasons you were let go into consideration and turn it into something positive. Find the clients and projects that are the right fit.

Freelance writing clients are smart cookies. Most of them know when they’re being conned or lied to. In today’s public and open world of freelancing, you can’t call in sick and head to the beach. You can’t claim an aunt died when you really just want a few days off. If you’re going to lie to your clients, keep in mind that in most cases they’ll find out.

Don’t Invite Clients to View Your Personal Details if You’re Going to Be Dishonest

As freelance writers we work hard, but we still maintain flexible schedules. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to take time off any time we like. Still, sometimes opportunities present themselves or we find ourselves not wanting or not able to work while still being on deadline. Instead of planning ahead or rearranging their schedules, some freelancers will make up little fibs about not delivering to clients as promised. Back in the day, clients would be none the wiser unless they ran into their writers in an elevator or something. Nowadays, it’s easy to catch on.

If a writer claims to be too sick to work yet talks often on Twitter and Facebook about having lunch with the girls or going to a party that night, the client will find out if he or she is a follower in said networks. If you’re photographed being in one place while begging out of another place, and said image appears on a popular blog or website, your client is sure to find out about it. If you publicly do or say something and others talk about it, your clients could find out.

Today’s freelance writers are living very public lives, even if they don’t want to be public people. Now, there are steps you can take to prevent private details from becoming public, but when it comes to your business honesty is always the best policy. Also, if writers don’t want their clients to find out what they’re doing during their down time, it’s best to either create a separate business account on the social networks, or don’t allow or invite clients to participate in private Facebook discussions.

How to Freelance Writers Can Be Flexible and Honest at the Same Time

So you’re working, and a friend calls and asks if you want to take a day off and go shopping. You’re on deadline and really can’t go, but the idea of going is so appealing and distracting you want to blow off the deadline anyway.  Now you’ll have to make some excuses to your client.

Or how about this one:

You have several clients. Some are more lucrative than others. As a result the “big” clients get all your attention while the smaller clients get the shaft. You often tell the people you work for your child is sick or you’re having school emergencies but discuss online how busy you are with other client projects. Eventually the shafted clients come to realize this and end the relationship.

And what about:

You’re busy. You’re so busy you can’t possible keep up with all the work. You don’t want to give up your clients because you need the money, but you’re increasingly less reliable. You have constant excuses and your client is getting frustrated.

What’s a better way to handle these scenarios?

• Don’t leave deadlines to the last minute: Being busy is cool and all, but when you’re so swamped each bit of writing is turned in at the very last minute, you’re never going to have any time for fun. Assess your client situation and your schedule to see how you can work it so that your projects are all ahead of your deadlines. This will allow for better flexibility and if you want to blow off work for a day you’re not going to lose your client.
• Don’t go shopping: Seriously. Flexibility rocks and all, but if you’re going to keep blowing off clients in favor of fun things to do, you have no business freelancing anyway.
• Be flexible with your flexibility: Blowing off work in favor of a fun day is cool and all, but who says you have to blow anything off? Instead of dropping everything and running off with your BFFs, ask if you can meet in a few hours after you complete deadlines. Or leave early. Attend whatever it is you want to attend but leave yourself enough time to come back and complete the work in time to save the gig. No one says you have to miss deadlines in order to do fun things anyway.
• Plan ahead: Spontaneity is fun and all, but sometimes you have to plan your fun. Suggest to your friend, “I really do want to take a day to go shopping but I’m on deadline today, can we do it Friday?” You can also set aside a specific time each week to do a non-writing related activity and plan your schedule accordingly.
• Don’t talk about what you’re doing if you’re gong to lie to people: A day at the beach is fun and all, but if you’re going to screw off on a project and make a lame excuse, don’t post photos to your Facebook if your client has access to your account. Don’t Tweet. Don’t Foursquare. Don’t do it.
• Don’t deliver what you can’t promise: Having lots of clients is lucrative and all, but blowing off one client in favor of another is only going to mean you’re going to lose a client. If you can’t do the work be honest with your clients. Let them hire someone who is more into their projects and truly has their best interests at heart.

What to Do if Your Client Catches You in a Lie

So…you decide to blow off work in favor of a day at the beach but you have a project that absolutely must go to a client TODAY. You jot a brief note explaining some vague family emergency, send it off to your client and  rush off. You check in at the beach using FourSquare and Tweet about a sandcastle contest. You even post images and updates on Facebook. Your client sees some of your activity and calls you on it. What do you do?

Apologize.

That’s it. No explanation necessary. Apologize. Let your freelance writing client know you were unprofessional. You might also offer a discount or freebie for blowing the deadline, but you have no choice but to say your sorry. Don’t lie again or make up lame excuses to cover for your original lame excuses, because now you breached the trust factor. If your client doesn’t dump you might, try offering some sort of reparation. Chances are though, that the damage is already done.

Apologize and use as a lesson learned.

Sometimes writers take advantage of “nice” clients because they don’t complain or they’re very understanding when deadlines are missed. After the first few times this happens it becomes apparent the writer has more important or interesting priorities and the freelance writing client gets a bit frustrated. Choose your clients wisely. If you find yourself lying to them or making constant excuses, it’s probably time for one of you to move on.

Have you ever lied to a client? What the circumstances? Were you ever caught in a lie?

Discuss…

I have this little thing I like to do. When I visit a blog post, read an article or have a conversation that provides the inspiration for a blog post I post “Credit where it’s due” at the top of the post with the story behind my inspiration. I do this because I want readers to explore all sides of the story, form an opinion and participate in the discussion. The web provides so many areas for inspiration, it’s only fair to give props to all players. I also do it to hold myself accountable. I want to inspire without copying.  If I know I’m sending readers to the original discussion, I’m going to be sure to provide a different take. The last thing I want is to be pointed out as a cheap imitation.

Inspiration is a funny thing, though. As I look around I realize, sometimes writers come awfully close to a full out copycat situation. They may have been inspired by another writer, but only succeeded in echoing the other person’s thoughts and ideas. Inspiration is terrific, imitation, well, it’s not very creative or original.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what do you think about that? It’s one thing to imitate a style of dress or even to lightly mimic a friend in jest. However, copying someone without giving credit or adding your own point of view is a whole other story.

How do you get from inspiration to final result without imitation?

Let’s work it out together.

• If you’re drawing inspiration from another story, be sure it’s because you want to put a different spin on the topic. List the points you agree with, the items you’re not feeling, and how it relates to your readers. Why did this writing or situation inspire you? What did you take away from it? Do you think there’s an area the original writer or speaker missed? There’s a reason it caught your eye. This is what you want to talk about.

• Read your article or blog post and compare it to your inspiration. Ask yourself if anything is different from the original. If you’re copying or echoing, you may want to reconsider publishing. What are you saying that hasn’t already been said?

• Create an opposing point of view. You can be inspired yet disagree. See what happens when you explore the other side of the coin. Create a link-worthy cross discussion.

How do you keep inspiration from becoming imitation? What do you do to draw upon another source, yet remain fresh and original?

Discuss…

Here’s a discussion topic to keep you busy until I list the next round of markets.

I just had an interesting Skype chat with a friend of mine who also happens to be a former client. He hires many freelance writers each year, and pays them very well, especially by some of today’s web writing standards. He’s frustrated with the lack of effort put forth by many of his freelance writers. He’s not the only one either. I’ve heard from others who hire freelancers that the freelancing craze is producing some lazy or lackluster writers.

I’ve been quoted as saying that you can pay a writer a million dollars, but that doesn’t mean he’ll match your passion, and it’s true. I’ve hired many writers and at least half of them put forth a very bare bones effort. My sites and blogs are my passion, for writers, they’re a job. I can’t pay anyone enough to match my own enthusiasm.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect freelance writers to do enthusiastic work if they’re not adequately compensated. If you’re only getting $10 for an article, you shouldn’t be expected to get out and promote the piece or do major research. However, if a writer signed a contract to do XXX amount of work for XXX amount of writing (and yes, an email saying “yes” is just as good as a contract), that writer should be expected to do what he promised. Moreover, if said writer was hired for a perky or authoritative voice and the client is just getting enough antiseptic copy to meet his word count, the writer isn’t delivering as promised.

So this is something I thought I’d toss up for discussion..

Do you put your passion into everything you write – regardless of payment and client?

The way I feel, is that I don’t want to put my name on any client project without giving it my best effort because it’s like a resume. Clients gauge my writing as a way to see if they should offer other gigs. They use their experience with me for recommendations and references, and potential clients use my past work as a way to decide if they want to hire me. So I do my best to give my clients everything they hired me for – and more, even if the pay is just OK.

Tell us about your writing.

How do you view your writing? Do you ever find yourself going through the motions for your clients. What, besides money, inspires passion in your writing?

Yesterday my cable was out for most of the day. Fortunately for me, I only had one freelance writing deadline and I was able to contact my editor using my Droid to tell her my assignment was forthcoming. Yesterday reminded me I’m only as good as my cable connection. Though I’m busy, there wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait. However, if I had major deadlines and obligations I would have taken my laptop to the library or Starbucks and worked there.

What’s YOUR back up plan?
Back Up Plans for Freelance Writing Jobs
I know if my cable or power goes out, I have several options. I head to the library, Starbucks, Panera or any other place with a free WiFi connection. I can also go to my sister in law’s house to work. If I’m sick or can’t post to this blog for some reason, I know I can count on any number of people to guest post or help with leads.  If, for some rare reason, I can’t complete a deadline, I can outsource to a trusted writer – with my client’s permission, of course.

I take deadlines seriously and feel professionalism is essential for freelance writing success. However, if I can’t fulfill my obligations I know the first, most important step is to contact my client and explain the situation. Clients are very understanding people and may be OK receiving work later in the day or even tomorrow.

This leads me to my most important freelance writing back up plan tip: When possible, complete all work ahead of time. Giving yourself a day or a couple of days leeway will prevent you from missing deadlines when the unavoidable happens.
There’s another type of backup plan I’d like to talk about today.
Back Up Plans for Freelance Writing Careers

I read a comment this morning from a writer who writes full time for a content site and is concerned she’ll be out of a job if they close shop. Speaking from experience this has happened before. I can’t tell you how many promising content sites and blogging networks don’t exist today. However, it’s not only content sites. Nothing in freelancing is a sure thing.  Clients come and go. The only way to avoid a famine period is to spread your eggs around to different baskets. Try mixing content site work with magazine writing. Find private clients or look into blogging and other forms of passive income. Having more than one option mean you won’t find yourself scrambling for work if the unthinkable happens.

Freelance writing takes planning. Take some time to list out some goals. Sketch a plan of action for if you lose power, the cable goes out and other emergencies.

I’m going to throw out one more scenario for you.

What happens if your laptop or computer breaks, is lost or stolen?

• Back up your work often. Keep current projects on a flash drive or two in case you need to work on someone else’s machine.
• Keep passwords,  important log in details and personal information on a couple of flash drives kept in different places in your home..
• Leave important information with a trusted friend.
• Keep email addresses and phone numbers where you can find them offline as well as online.

Stuff happens to everyone. Both clients and writers understand there are situations out of our control. Still, there are steps you can take to ensure smooth sailing, even during tough weather. Take some time to formulate a backup plan for a variety of situations. You may not need it, but it may save your career.

My high school journalism teacher stressed the importance of reading between the lines. “Always jump to conclusions.” he told the class. “To do so means you’re thinking beyond the obvious.” I often remember his words when I’m researching for an article or blog post, or when I read something that doesn’t sit right with me.  It’s a reminder not to take things a face value. This doesn’t mean nothing is ever as it seems, but if your gut tells you something warrants further investigation, go with it.

Jump to conclusions and then back up your feelings with facts.

Just because it’s written, doesn’t make it so

May I be blunt? The Internet is cluttered with garbage, mostly because so many writers don’t want or know how to conduct proper research. However, the web isn’t the only problem. Newspapers and magazine feature columns with a one-sided point of view and even supposed journalistic pieces can slant too far to one side. Still, we think because it’s published, it’s Gospel.

Always consider whether the writer has an agenda, and if so, what those motives might be. Does the author have something to sell or something to hide? If you’re thinking there might be more to a subject or situation, dig a little deeper. You never know what you might find.

Go beyond the first couple of Google pages

You know why content is on the first page of Google? Because the authors use the right keywords. A search engine can’t read a blog post and say, “Whoa, doggy…this is one awesome piece of writing! I’m going to stick it right here on the front page so everyone can see it.” Many factors land content on the front page, stellar research isn’t one of them.

Train yourself to move beyond page one. Start from the end and work your way forward. You may not find the most keyword-laded articles, but you might find intriguing content different from the rehashed and rewritten stuff on Google’s top pages.

Ask questions even if it makes people uncomfortable

Googling a topic is only a small way to research a subject. Get on the horn. Fire off an email. Read. Ask questions. If you suspect something isn’t as it seems, rock an interview. If your questions make people squirm, you might be on to something. Remember, people with nothing to hide don’t mind answering questions.

Go ahead, jump to conclusions. It’s essential for writers to be judgemental. Use your instinct as basis for your writing. You may be on to something.

I’ve been thinking about guest blogging a lot lately. Not a day goes by when I don’t receive emails asking about guest blogging opportunities at the Freelance Writing Jobs network. As you know, I don’t actively solicit guest bloggers for FWJ anymore because I feel it’s akin to soliciting free work. Instead, I look for paid contributors.

To be honest, I always hesitate before accepting a guest blogging proposal because I don’t want to be accused of taking advantage. I’m a little gun shy because I was called out as looking for free content on two separate occasions in the past, once during guest blogging month and once when we had a writing contest. The backlash against these events made me think twice about accepting guest blog posts.

I’m not against guest blogging opportunities…as long as they’re really opportunities

When I began paying guest bloggers and contributors, many people in the freelance writing community took it to mean I was against guest blogging and didn’t recognize it to be a terrific marketing opportunity. That’s not true at all. I guest blog on my own and I occasionally post guest submissions here.

To me there’s a difference:

Actively seeking free content for your blog in the name of exposure = smarmy.

Offering to guest blog in exchange for visibility=marketing.

Semantics

If I made an announcement on Twitter about looking for guest bloggers for FWJ, I’d get dozens of takers. If I posted a similar ad on Craigslist looking for free writers, I’d get an angry response. Where we look for writers and how we word our requests make a big difference.

Why are you offering a guest post?

A couple of months ago I explored guest blogging in a post entitled, Guest Blog Posts: Good P.R. or Free Content? In that post, I didn’t suggest writers NOT write guest blog posts, but rather, they consider each opportunity. For example:

• Who are you blogging for?
• How will this help your career?
• Are you responding to a call for free writers?
• Will you truly gain something of value from the experience?

What’s in it for you?

In another post about guest blogging I confessed to being confused by the mixed signals I get from the freelance writing community. On one hand, people who advertise for free writers are considered to be taking advantage. Yet, we actively encourage writers to get their free writing on because it’s good  marketing. Can we have it both ways?

When is it a good idea to write for free, and when are writers to proceed with caution?

My suggestion is to ask what’s in it for you. When I do a guest post, I do it for several reasons:

• The other blogger is my friend.
• I’m trading services with another writer or blogger.
• For exposure on a high profile blog.

I turn down guest blogging opportunities when:

• The owner of the blog is only trolling for free content, not a guest blogging discussion from another blogger.
• I don’t agree with the blog’s message.
• I don’t know the blogger and it’s a brand new blog with no traffic.

As I struggle with whether or not I should open FWJ up to guest blogging opportunities and whether or not I’m a hypocrite for guest blogging on my own, I’d like to revisit this discussion.

Is guest blogging vs. writing for free a matter of semantics? Is writing for free good marketing, and if so, why are we so upset whenever anyone looks for free writing on Craigslist? Why are we pissed off when a content studio wants to pay $20 to a bunch of writers when we’re advocating free work in the name of exposure or marketing?

I’m very interested in your thoughts.

The other day I was at a holiday gathering when an attendee asked if I can get him some freelance writing work or recommend him to my clients. My answer to him was “no,” but that I would offer tips for getting started. I know that wasn’t the answer he wanted, but I wasn’t about to give him or get him a job.

I said “no” for a couple of reasons.

1. This person has never written for anyone before in his life. I can’t in good conscience recommend anyone for a job if I don’t know a thing about his writing or his work ethic. I don’t recommend people simply because I know them, they have to earn their good reputation first.

2. I don’t believe in just giving people jobs because they ask, no matter how well I know them. People have been asking me to “find them work” or “get them a job” ever since I started this freelance writing blog. I find that kind of lame. As I mentioned above, you have to earn your recommendation. I have no way of knowing if you’re a good worker or a good writer. All the freelance writers I know worked hard to get where they are today without looking for handouts, I’d rather give my recommendation to someone I know will do well. This person isn’t going out and looking for work. He wants other people to find work for him. He indicated to us his ideal position would be not to do the work, but to delegate. I’d rather help someone who wants to work and put their all into the gig.

3. He was slovenly. My main reason for turning down this person is because of his appearance. Freelancers don’t see people every day but that doesn’t mean appearances don’t count. This person was at a holiday gathering wearing sweats, a dirty t-shirt and his hair was unkempt and looked like it hadn’t been combed in days. That he showed up for a party looking as he did, asked for a job looking as he did, and even went as far as to say he didn’t want to do actual work. all indicated laziness. If he can’t be counted on to take care with his appearance at a Christmas party, how can I trust him to take proper care with his work.

As I’ve said before, everyone you meet is a potential client. If they don’t hire writers, they might know someone who hires writers. Don’t you want the impression you make to be a good one? Appearances DO count, even when you’re freelancing. The person who approached me for a job may be the hardest worker in the world, but nothing in the way he looked or acted indicated this to me.

It’s one thing to be a little unkempt after bumping into someone on a jogging track or tennis court, it’s quite another thing to show up at dressier occassions looking like a slob. People remember. If you never make a good impression, they will never think of you as something other than what your appearance indicates.

Maybe that sounds snobby but some of my neighbors have actually contacted me for help with freelance writing and social media projects. I don’t think that would have happened if I dressed slovenly or didn’t practice good grooming. Appearances really do matter, even if you rarely leave the house.

Again, everyone you meet has the potential to become a client. How do you want them to remember you?

There’s no right or wrong way to be a freelance writer. Everyone has a different formula for success. What works for me, might not work for you. That’s why I love the Internet. So many freelance writers are sharing their experiences, it’s interesting to see how different writers are tacking their careers. Inspiration and motivation is never a bad thing. Take the holidays, for example. Some freelance writers choose this time to step away from their laptops for a few days, while others use this time to pick up work during a time when traditionally fewer freelancers are looking for work. Again, there’s no right and wrong.

Whether or not you decided to vacate during the holidays, consider these common mistakes made by freelance writers during the holidays season.

1. Not checking email: Emergencies happen. Clients may need to source a quote or have you resend a file. If you’re on vacation they probably don’t want to bother you, but what if they need a crucial bit of information before publishing? Checking your email at least once a day may put you in a position to save a project. At the very least your clients know they can count on you at all times.

2. Not checking in with clients: As mentioned above, stuff happens. Taking 30 seconds to say, “Happy Holidays” or “Do you have everything you need before I take time off?” can prevent disaster. Your clients will appreciate your professionalism and you can take a few days away with a clear mind.

3. Not taking time for yourself and your family: It’s the holidays. Earning extra money and building a client base is fine, but don’t forget to take time off for what’s really important. You and your family. Having fun, sleeping late and enjoying good company will allow for rejuvenation. Besides, you won’t be distracted while having regrets or watching everyone around you enjoy themselves.

4. Not looking for work: Take some time out now and then to see if what kind of jobs are floating around. Even if you won’t be working, it can’t hurt to send out a query or respond to a job ad. It doesn’t mean you have to start right away, but the last thing you want is to miss out on a good opportunity because you weren’t paying attention to the ads.

5. Taking on new clients during the holiday lull without thinking ahead: If you’re taking on extra clients during the holidays, consider what having those new clients will do for your freelance writing load once the holiday season ends. You may find yourself with too much work or in a stressful situation because you can’t keep up. By all means, keep up the client hunt but be realistic as well. Before taking on any new work, make sure you can keep it up once the holiday lull ends.

Whether you decided to take a break or work through the holidays, be sure to remain professional and make sure all your clients’ needs are met before you shut down…and don’t forget to take time for yourself. You deserve the break!

Deb’s note: I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago and left it in “draft” for proofreading. As I acted on other blog post ideas, this hung out on the backburner for a while. I found it today and thought it might make an interesting discussion in light of recent events. I didn’t change any of the wording around before posting today.

A few weeks ago, we discussed building both online and offline relationships. They’re each very important for building a freelance writing business.

What you think you see may not be what you get

When I was at BlogWorld in October, I met one of my clients for lunch. She said, “I’m so relieved you’re exactly who you are online.” She told me she met with another of her freelancers at the event and said he was very different from his online persona and she felt rather betrayed.

The anonymity factor

I think about this  a lot lately. In the real world, I enjoy friendships and socializing but I’m also a little shy. I never had as many friends offline as I do online.

When it comes to presenting myself and meeting with others, I need a giant confidence boost. I once even spent the hour before a speaking engagement throwing up in the ladies room. Am I a different person because I’m more confident online?

Confidence aside, I talk the same, I write the same and I do business the same online and offline.

I wonder if many of us who spend a great deal of time cultivating online relationships consider whether we have extra “keyboard courage.” I wonder how many of are more confident when we don’t have to make phone calls or attend client meetings. I wonder how many of us are web based writers because of the anonymity the web provides?

Would we be able to achieve this level of success if there was no Internet?

Here’s what keeps me in check. My son is 7 years old. Except for the rare computer game or parentally-approved web search, he doesn’t spend much time online. Before he logs on I tell him to let me know if anyone tries to talk with him. I explain that sometimes people online pretend to be someone they’re not and it’s not always for good reasons.I keep this in mind when I do business. I don’t want to be one of the people I warn my son about.

I imagine it must be very disappointing to find out someone with whom you built a personal or client based relation isn’t who he (or she ) says he is. Maybe that’s why I enjoy online and offline relationships so much. They keep me honest.

Are you the same person online as offline?

As you already know, I’m not a fan of the whole pajama lifestyle stereotype that goes along with freelance writing. For sure, ours is a casual way of life, but the image it portrays makes me cringe . I’ve joked about it in the past, but to be honest, the descriptions used to illustrate the freelance lifestyle bug me because they paint us as anything less than professional. By tossing out words such as “casual,” “barefoot,” and “pajama,” it paints a devil may care attitude that might work against us.

I understand the whole fuzzy slipper thing is to show our freedom from the rat race, but I wonder if the people who hire freelancers consider these very things when hiring freelancers, and, if so, could this be the reason some writers feel the need to use pen names to hide their gender or real names?

• Do potential clients see “WAHM” and think “someone who is too busy with kids to pay attention to work?”
• Do potential clients see “pajama lifestyle” and think “lazy?”
• Do potential clients see “carefree” and think “irresponsible?”

Now, I don’t feel this is necessarily the case, but I think about it a lot. It’s none of our client’s business what we do in our spare time or what we wear in the privacy of our own homes. However image counts for a lot more than we care to believe. Clients want to be sure they’re making a good investment, who will they choose?

I also wonder if the pajama lifestyle theme muddles a freelancer’s way of thinking. Does knowing we can blow off work at any time keep us from working at our full potential? Are we giving up lucrative gigs simply because we don’t feel like doing them? Don’t get me wrong, I love being my own boss, but I’m not going to deny a lack of professionalism at the beginning of my freelance career as I reveled in my new-found freedom.

Freelance writing is a business. When you set out to do business with someone, image and first impressions mean everything. If you walked into a business, whether it’s a hair dresser or a law firm, and the workers were relaxing or dressed ultra casual, would they make as big an impression as the place where everyone was doing a job and dressed in a professional manner?

We enjoy our comfort and flexibility, but does that mean the world has to know about it?

How much attention do you pay to your professional image? Do you think your clients see you the same way?

Discuss…

Credit where it’s due: Carson Brackney’s most recent post discusses Angela Hoy’s latest  rant against content sites and the people who write for them. In his post, “Content Mills, Angela Hoy, Search Engines and the Quality of Writng” Carson explores who really bears responsibility for bad content. This isn’t to argue Carson’s point, more to discuss the difference between bad writing and bad proofreading and also to touch a little on the responsibility part. I was going to leave a comment on Carson’s blog but it got too wordy, so I’m sharing my thoughts here. Warning: This is kind of wordy too.

Every now and then I like to touch on the topic of bad writing. Because anyone can be a writer nowadays, there’s a lot of bad writing on the web. I’m not going to blame it on web content or low payers, because I know a few high payers who employ writers who, well, aren’t very good. I read “columns” written by high paid celebrities that are absolute garbage. I also know of some sales people who write their own content to sell a product, and bloggers with their own personal blogs who also put out some questionable content.  On the other side of the coin there’s plenty of content on the web that’s terrific but the author didn’t proofread very well. As this community knows, I’m guilty of this very thing (but I hope I’m getting better). Sometimes, it’s not bad writing as much as it is bad proofreading.

So I feel like exploring this a bit…

Using the “Loose” vs. “Lose” Theory

In Carson’s article he makes reference to Angela Hoy’s most recent “investigation” which entailed searching for the word “loose” and citing examples of articles where “loose” was used in the title instead of “lose” in order to prove how web content pollutes the airwaves. In all fairness, “loose” instead of “lose” is a pet peeve of mine as well. However, as we were only treated to the titles of the articles and not the actual articles, all Hoy proved was that someone didn’t proofread. We don’t know if the content is poor, because we didn’t read the articles. Using “loose” instead of “lose” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad writer, it can also mean you’re a bad speller and a bad proofreader. There’s a difference between bad writing and bad proofreading. I post and run all the time, and though that’s not an excuse for publishing sloppy work, the truth is, it happens and it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to live.

What makes a bad piece of writing?

Granted, some of the articles referenced in her article might be terrible, but Hoy didn’t link to them and I didn’t read them, so I have no way of telling. However, if the whole article was filled with typos, poorly formed sentences and misinformation, I would have to agree it’s a crappy article. If it’s factually correct and well-written, but simply has a typo in the title, I can be forgiving. I’ve found typos in Writer’s Digest on more than one occasion and I don’t see anyone going after them. There’s a difference between bad writing and bad proofreading. Should we publish articles that are victims of poor proofreading? Of course not. However, to say a well written article with a typo is what’s wrong with the world today is kind of silly.

Who bears responsibility

I’m very vocal about writers being responsible for their own writing. I don’t think it’s the fault of the content site any more than it’s the fault of McDonalds for hiring someone who can’t be counted on to show up for work on time. Anyone who accepts any gig needs to do said gig to the best of his ability or move on. However, I also believe content sites need to be more selective with the writers they hire.

The problem here is the content site’s purpose. If it’s a site geared towards hobbyists, there’s a whole different set of standards than the site geared towards putting out “how to” content or news. Getting upset because someone who writes for a hobby site used “loose” is like getting angry at the people who volunteer to put together a community newsletter for not properly structuring a paragraph. You can’t compare a site like Hub Pages to a site like Demand Studios. They have different pay, different requirements, a different purpose, and sometimes, different writers.The content site that wishes to be viewed as an authority and trusted source of information does bear more responsibility than the hobby site. You can’t go after a site for hobbyists and say “you’re polluting the web” because they’re not claiming to put out reputable content. However the site that employs editors and fact checkers has no excuse.

There are a variety of reasons why a bad piece of writing hits the web, but the bulk of responsibility belongs to the writer. It’s the writer who should proofread several times before hitting “send” and it’s the writer who needs to do more than Google and rewrite when researching information. It’s about pride. It’s about not wanting anyone to read something I wrote and seeing “loose” instead of “lose.” The authoritative content sites need to ensure they hire quality writers, and the editors must do their jobs properly, but any writer who habitually turns in poor writing, doesn’t deserve the gig.

Bad writing isn’t exclusive to content sites

I’ve said it before, if you think bad writing is exclusive to web content sites, read the “Twilight” series. Read the church newsletter and the high school newspaper. Read the newsletter at the Senior center or the weekly Mayor’s address. I find typos on a regular basis in books, magazines, newspapers and on websites. Poor proofreading is everywhere. To say content sites lower the quality of writing on the Internet is like saying the moms who started the neighborhood watch newsletter are lowering the quality of journalism.

Typos vs. Quality

Something I worry about more than a writer using “loose” instead of “lose” is a junior high school kid stumbling upon a piece of fluff in his research and thinking it’s good information. Content sites do bear the responsibility to make sure content is factually correct. Thankfully most schools (and parents) have caught on and don’t allow sites such as Wikipedia or Associated Content to be used as sources or references. Still, folks need to back up their facts. If a writer has no medical experience and they’re Googling and rewriting some bad medical writing they found, a disclaimer would be nice. Personally, I feel people who don’t know a thing about medicine shouldn’t be giving out medical advice, but since there’s no way to police this, we need disclaimers. Folks need to know how writers come across their information. I can overlook a typo if the article contains good information, but I can’t overlook bad information.

News vs. Content

Now, the question was asked if web content sites lower the quality of news on the Internet. I don’t know that they necessarily do. Most web content sites with writers who report the news are relaying the facts so it’s not like they’re getting it wrong. Multiple television stations, websites, magazines and newspapers report on the same scandal. Having someone in web content discuss the same thing doesn’t mean it’s lowering the quality. However, most content sites aren’t reporting news. “How to Tie Your Shoelaces” isn’t news. News and content are two separate puppies.

Are you done yet, Deb?

This went kind of long and I need to wrap it up. I hope it makes sense and I hope I proofread well enough.

Content isn’t evil. Web content sites aren’t evil. Bad writers are everywhere and it has nothing to do with where they work or how much they’re paid. It’s the writer’s responsibility to write well and it’s the editor’s responsibility to to edit. If you’re going after web content sites for a case of bad proofreading, you’re also going to have to go after sign makers, newspapers, sales people, newsletters and magazines. Typos are everywhere. Bad writing should go, but using “loose” instead of “lose” doesn’t a bad article make. It will make me stop and pause. It will make me think more about the writer and the writing, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Who bears the responsibility for bad writing?

Though freelance writing has changed so much in the past twenty years, so many things have stayed the same. It’s still a hustle to find work, and we still have some less than stellar clients. The good news is that it’s easier than ever to become a successful writer. Those who make good choices and act in a professional manner will go far.

In the Internet age, more freelancers are talking and sharing ideas, which is terrific. Something not so wonderful is how some freelancers take the anonymity of the Internet too far, or how they don’t make good business decisions.

As new freelance writers begin their careers every day, I thought I’d share:

10 Things Freelance Writers Need to Stop Doing

1. Apologize for your choices

Are you happy with the writing you do? Do like your clients? If so, why are you apologizing for your choices?  Very few people get to live their dream and work at jobs that make them happy. Always make the choices best for you, there’s no reason to be sorry. When you apologize for taking on a client someone else might not approve of or working for someone another writer doesn’t recommend, it shows a lack of confidence and if you can’t trust yourself…how can others? Never apologize for being happy just because someone else couldn’t hack it.

Bad mouth clients

A major pet peeve, bad mouthing clients has become commonplace on blogs and writing forums. The problem is, these things are left online forever. What happens if you one day reconcile with that client or end up regretting your choice of words? You can’t always remove a forum thread or blog comment. Even blog posts that are deleted often turn up later thanks to caches. What if a potential client or employer Googles you and visits a writing forum only to see some of your harsh words directed at past clients? He’ll probably pass in favor of someone who is more professional and trustworthy.

3. Make Excuses

Does this sound familiar:

• “I can’t…”
• “I don’t have time…”
• “I don’t have the experience…”

Those are excuses all freelance writers use to keep them from working to their true potential. Now, if you’re happy in your career, more power to you. However, if you’re looking to get ahead but put out more excuses than effort, you won’t get far. Instead of making excuses, make a list of excuses. Next to each excuse, write down why. For example, if you don’t have enough time to look for work, list the reasons why. Chances are, most of your excuses are easily remedied. For example, if you don’t have time, cut out an hour of watching TV or get up earlier in the morning. Excuses only keep you from achieving your goals if you let them.

4. Knock other freelancers for their choices

Do you call other writers “hacks” because you don’t approve of their choices? Do tell everyone they must not know better because they don’t follow your path? If so, it’s time to climb down off that ivory tower. There are ways to get your point across without insulting people. Moreover, no one wants to hang around with someone who continuously spouts negativity. If your purpose is to share tips with other writers, by all means do so. Insulting someone isn’t sharing a tip, it’s showing people you can’t validate your own choices without resorting to name calling.

5. Miss deadlines and make excuses

Do you have regular excuses for missing deadlines? Is someone in your family always sick? Did your Internet connection go out for the 20th time this month? It doesn’t matter if these are really things that happen or if they’re excuses because you kept putting off your assignments or didn’t budget your time wisely. Your client needs the work done in a timely manner. That’s why he hired you. If you can’t meet your deadlines or if you hate the writing you do so much you procrastinate, you need to find another line of work – or another type of writing.

6. Treat each client differently

If Client A pays less than Client B, you might be tempted to treat Client A differently. Pay is no reason to be unprofessional, however. Use good customer service practices regardless of how much a customer pays. Consider your name, your brand and your reputation. Also, lower paying clients now might be higher paying clients tomorrow. They may want you to grow with them.

7. Forget freelance writing is a business

Freelance writing is a business in the same way a restaurant is a business or a Fortune 500 company is a business. Though there are hobbyists, it’s safe to say most of us are doing this to earn a living. That means we have to practice good customer service, handle sales, act professionally and remember our deductions.

8. Stay inside the comfort zone

This isn’t a low pay/high pay/content mill thing. This is more about trying new things. Sometimes when we stay in our comfort zones we get a little bored. Branch out and see the world. Try a new form of writing or take on a new client. Mix it up a little and see how much more interesting life becomes.

9. Follow someone else’s path

Do you pitch magazines because someone told you this is what freelance writers are supposed to do? Are you only looking for journalism jobs because some blogger thinks this is a better idea than blogging? That doesn’t sound like you’re following your own path. It seems like you’re following another person’s vision. You’ll be a happier person if you stay true to your calling. It’s important to try new things, but don’t take on something you don’t enjoy simply because another writer thinks it’s what you should do.

10. Let one rejection set you back

I like to tell writers about Stephen King. In his book “On Writing” Stephen King talks of how he stuck a railroad spike in the wall of his bedroom and soon that spike was filled with rejection slips. King isn’t the only writer who has received numerous rejections. It’s all part of the job. Just because one person doesn’t think you’re a good fit, doesn’t mean you don’t fit another publication or website’s vision. I don’t know of a single writer who hasn’t received at least one rejection. Don’t let it get you down.

The People of Walmart is one of those blogs that gets me through every situation. For example, if I’m feeling as if I have nothing to wear, I turn to the People of Walmart to show me there are endless wardrobe possibilities for the taking in my own closet.

Just when I think my hair cut is getting a little shaggy, I turn to the People of Walmart and realize that it’s nothing a couple of barrettes or a pony tail holder can’t handle. Business in the front and a party in the back, baby.

Finally, when life is getting dull or I need a break in the action, the People of Walmart give me the ability to laugh at myself as I realize that could be me in one of those photos, and maybe one day it will be. You won’t find me rocking a mullet or g-string, well, not in public anyway, but I’m sure there are people who don’t agree with some choices I make, either.

There are lessons to be learned at Walmart, even for freelance writers.

1. Style is in the eye of the beholder.

We may think we have it right, but there are other people to answer to. We might think our writing style is interesting or funny, but our clients or readers might find us dull. Something we might consider amusing, someone else might find offensive.  If you’re going for style over substance, be prepared for the consequences.

2. There’s a market for everything.

Whatever your specialty, whatever your preference, there’s a market for your writing. There are buyers for all niches and genres. Whether you write for business or print, there’s work out there. It may take a while to find what you’re looking for, but it’s there. If you’re good at what you do, you can carve out a good living.

3. There are good ways to grab attention.

Your readers appreciate value. They appreciate having information presented to them in a cohesive manner. Readers will always appreciate good content, no matter where it’s published. If you research properly and write for your audience they’ll continue to follow you and support all your endeavors. Grab their attention with good writing and good reporting. Use eye-catching headlines and a kickass opening paragraph. Find a good hook and bring them in.

4. There are bad ways to grab attention.

Going for shock or controversy will bring in attention for sure, but once the train wreck is over everyone will go home. This kind of attention is always short lived, and it doesn’t leave the right taste in everyone’s mouth. Consider why your readers trust you, and take it from there.

5. Marching to your own drum is swell on your own time, but sometimes you have to conform.

It’s great to be an individual, but when someone is paying you to do a job, you’ll have to conform to their standards. When you’re representing someone else’s brand you’ll have to tone down the flair – unless that’s what they’re looking for. Before you begin any project make sure you and your clients discuss what is expected, and what they don’t want to see.

6. Just when you think you’re done, there’s the checkout aisle.

Acting impulsively as a writer isn’t a bad thing. Getting to the end of a piece of writing and adding in a last bit of brilliance to tie it all together can make a project. Moreover, taking the time to read your writing several times over to add a few lines, remove unnecessary words or typos and tweak the finished project is necessary. You wouldn’t complete your shopping trip without going through the check out aisle and you wouldn’t call a piece of writing “complete” without reading it over more than once to make adjustments.

7. Camouflage only hides so much.

Extra words don’t hide bad writing, they make it worse. Don’t pad your writing with fluff to up your word count. If you can’t talk about the topic in the desired word count, you probably don’t know enough about the topic.  All extra words do is make the piece more confusing. Fluff takes away from the matter at hand.

8. We can better get down to business when we’re comfortable.

Freelancers work in pajamas, sweats, shorts and baggies. We’re productive and we’re comfortable. Ties and waist bands distract, who cares who might see us?

9. We are what we wear…er…write.

Just as a shopper’s wardrobe might say a lot about her personality, our writing says a lot about ours. Our writing might tell the world if we have a sense of humor (or not), it will say if we’re angry and bitter or calm and rational. Our writing will show if we’re slanted towards a certain topic, or have no affiliation whatsoever.

10. If you’re not careful you’ll find yourself on someone’s blog.

Your writing may inspire another writer to react. Sometimes it’s in a positive manner and that other writer will agree, and sometimes it will elicit respectful disagreement. Still other times, your writing will inspire bitterness or anger. When you write, think about how other people will react. Are you prepared to defend your writing?

Can you find any comparisons between the People of Walmart and the world of freelance writing?

Last week we discussed the importance of freelance writers using social media tools to build online relationships. While the benefits abound, it’s important to note offline relationships are also important. In fact, taking your online relationships offline, can further solidify a working association. Don’t be afraid to join a local networking group or reach out to people in the real world.

Offline relationships are just important. No ,they’re more important than the bonds you form online.

Why Are Offline Relationships Important for Freelance Writers

1. Because everyone is a potential client

It doesn’t matter if it’s your neighbor, the Cub Scout leader or your Realtor, everyone has the potential to be a client. There are different reasons to hire writers and not all writing jobs are found online. Every single person you meet may need to hire a writer one day. When you maintain good relationships with the people in your area, you’re the one who will come to mind when it’s time to hire a freelancer. Besides, ,most people prefer to hire local anyway.

2. Because people have more faith and trust in those they meet face to face

Are you more likely to trust someone online or off? Offline we can meet someone and hit it off right off the bat. Online, it takes more time to establish that trust. We can’t tell who we want to do business with after a couple of Tweets. However, after talking with someone face to face at a networking meeting, we might have a good idea of whether or not someone is a potential client or freelancer.

3. Because everyone knows someone

All of your neighbors, friends and acquaintances  know people…people who might have a need for writers. If you have established trust with others, they’ll have no hesitation when it comes to recommending you for a gig.

4. Because you can do more offline than on

When you talk with someone online they can hear the sound of your voice and see the sincerity in your eyes. They can tell by your handshake if you’re confident or going through the motions. You can show a portfolio and go through your projects in detail, and  elaborate on points and issues. When we’re  talking via Skype or a social network, it’s generally hurried. In person we can slow down and address everything needing to be addressed.

5. Because it’s more personal offline

Offline is more personal. Online relationships can only go so far. Offline you can attend meetings and brainstorming sessions. You can tell by your client’s face and tone which ideas are a hit and which are bombs. Anything you do in person is more, well, personal.  To date, I haven’t met one client who says he prefers online relationships over offline relationships.

Start doing business in person and see what I mean.

What do you do to maintain professional relationships offline?

I talk about trust a lot. If you or my clients didn’t trust me, I’d be sucking it up in a cube farm somewhere. So being real is important to me. However, I realize how you see me and how I see me are two different things. Appearances are important. That’s why when I work on building  traffic, I may have the occasional contest, but for the most part I rely on good content and the power of community. I hope I come across as sincere in my sharing with you. I think I do, otherwise  you wouldn’t trust me and come back every day.

Yesterday, someone said to me, “Good P.R. is often disguised as sincerity.” I can’t tell how you how true this is. The problem is, with so many people  being “sincere” online, how do you know when someone truly means well and when someone is making a move in order to get some good publicity or practice good public relations? There are some things that I use to gauge the b.s. factor, and I’m interested in your perspective as well.

Here’s how I differentiate genuine sincerity from good public relations:

Consider the source:

Who is the person who is hyping or giving out the information? Is it someone who is consistent about what he believes in, especially in his goals or visions, or is he someone who changes his tune every week to suit his perception of what people are looking for? Is he someone who is a chameleon and changes to different things for different people, or is he someone who remains true to himself and his product and his brand? The people who mean well always mean well and don’t only do nice things when it’s convenient.

Consider the record:

Why is this business or brand doing what they’re doing? Is it something they’ve always done, or are they just rolling it out for a reason. Look into past instances. Does this brand or person have a history of changing his tune or way of thinking every month or two? Is there a new promotion every other week? If he can’t stay true to form and true to his mission, sincerity probably isn’t a strong point. People who care stay true to themselves and the people who follow their brand or community.  It’s one thing to evolve with the needs of the public, but changing format or opinions every few months is confusing and doesn’t help to build a following.

Why now?

Why is this promotion happening now? Why release this news now? Why the hype now? Why not quietly roll out new features or services? What is the motivation behind this business or individual’s decision? Why the major announcement? Has there been some bad press? Is it because a competitor is doing something similar – or a competitor is successful with the opposite model? Consider all these factors to determine if it’s P.R. hype or a desire to do good things for a community of people.

Everything happens for a reason. It’s up to us as users, consumers and community members to questions the things that seem a little off. Is someone being sincere in his desire to help someone? Is a brand sincere in their desire to give you the best quality for your money? Check the record, delve into the past. Ask yourself, “is this someone who has always been straight with me, or is this someone who has let me down in the past?”

How are some of the ways you can sniff out a P.R. attempt and what causes you to trust a business or a brand?

Back in the day, it was imperative to back up articles with facts, references and whos, whats, wheres, whys and hows. Nowadays it’s much different. On the web we can write what we want, when we want, and how we want. We can write the most unbelievable crap, if we want, and there will still always be someone who believes it.

As bloggers, we can offer a balanced opinion or a one-sided point of view. However, if a writer is continuously one-sided in  his assessments, he can’t wake one day and decide he’s going to be fair and objective. It won’t fly among his readers. It’s sort of like Bill O’Reilly saying he’s going to give an objective assessment of the Obama Health Care Plan. If you continuously, and obviously, lean to one side of the other, you can’t claim to reside in the no spin zone.

A community counts on favorite bloggers to offer an honest point of view. However, it’s the same as with those who are watching the aforementioned Mr. O’Reilly. If you’re constantly blogging against a certain idea or entity, to come back and say, “well today I’m going to offer a balanced assessment of the idea or entity I’ve been railing against for the past year” it isn’t going to fly. Opinions are one thing, and readers value opinions, but if you want to be truly objective, you’re going to have to take a few things into consideration.

Being truly objective spans a career, it’s not a one off thing. To be objective in your writing:

1. Keep Your Emotions in Check

An objective writer has passion but keeps emotion and personal point of view in check. Anyone offering an honest or balanced point of view will always show all sides of a story. An objective report doesn’t have an angry tone, nor is it continuously rosy. A balanced point of view is exactly that, balanced. It’s hard to be fair when you’re mad at a company for a particular reason or if you don’t like one of the people behind the company. It’s also hard to be fair if you’re “objectively” pitching a product or service.

The above applies to past articles as well. For example if you regularly write about Evil Company X and discuss how they’re against everything you stand for and you will never recommend anyone work for them, you can’t turn around and say, “well today I’m goign to give an objective point of view about Evil Company X.” That doesn’t fly and your readers won’t buy it. Moreover, if you’re going to write a “balanced” negative piece in a magazine article and then a really one-sided angry piece on your blog about the same topic, you’re playing with your credibility.

2.Keep Your Agenda in Check

If you’re selling something, you’re probably not the right person to give a balanced point of view. If you hate something with a passion, you’re probably not the right person to give an objective point of view. Plus, if the only people you quote or interview are the people who share your point of view, your agenda is made obvious. If you stated your displeasure for Evil Topic Y on a regular basis, you can’t come back and say, “but today’s article is different because I’m going to be objective.” How can you possibly show objectivity about a topic you’re so negative about every other time? No one will buy it. Transparency is one thing, but no one can be objective after previously expressing dissatisfaction with a particular company, product, service or person.

3.  Keep Your Bandwagon in the Parking Lot

Is this you, “Hey…this topic brings in mega-traffic. If I link to this blogger or piggy back on his topic not only will I get the traffic, but I’ll get the comments too. If I give it a really negative slant, we can have a really cool free for all.” Unfortunately, bandwagon traffic is short-lived and those 60 comment posts are few and far between. If you’re only jumping on negative topics for the traffic your community will get bored, especially if it’s not a topic you delve into on a regular basis anyway. Most readers can spot a bandwagon jumper right away. There’s no way you can expect to be fair and objective when your obvious goal is to bring in traffic with negativity.

Bloggers aren’t always known for their objectivity. Most of us make no bones about how we feel and that’s why our community visits us every day. However, if you’re going to claim to be fair and balanced, make sure you don’t leave a breadcrumb trail back to your agenda.

Updated to Add: Someone asked a little while ago on Twitter how one can be objective with when it’s known that person endorses a particular product or service. It’s a good, valid point. The truth is, you can’t.  You have to be honest about your affiliation and let readers draw their own conclusions. However, if you built up a trust with your readers, such as I have over 4 1/2 years,  hopefully they’ll trust your judgement. Especially if you’re not in the habit of accepting money to endorse anyone who comes along. It’s all about trust. I hope I can speak about my sponsors honestly without people thinking I’m a shill, but that’s not going to happen, people are going to say it anyway. So I won’t claim objectivity when talking about a sponsor.