It has been said that the two most sensitive people in the world are artists and writers. This is often proven in how the two groups take criticism, which is a regular part of our chosen professions. Perhaps this is because we all tend to put so much of ourselves out there when we craft our art. We are opening ourselves up to review, and we all want what we create to be well received.

As a blogger, you are even more vulnerable to negativity. Not only are you writing on a much more frequent basis, but you are doing so on a system that allows people to hide behind anonymity. This makes those who would usually refrain from cruelty much more willing to sling hurtful comments with no productive purpose.

Of course, there is also good criticism, and this is what we should use to further our own talent. Knowing what we are doing wrong might be hard to swallow, but it is a bitter pill that is necessary if we want to better ourselves. That makes learning to take it, accept it and use it so very important. But it is equally crucial that you know how to put aside your feelings and get the most out of other’s observations.

Criticism vs. Cruelty

The first thing you have to do is learn what constitutes constructive criticism and what is just nasty Internet shouting. I have had tiny typos turn into streams of angry readers eager to pick on me and others who have helpfully pointed it out for correction. There have been people hiding behind the anonymous posting button who have told me I am awful for no particular reason and even some who have threatened me.

If criticism helps you, then it is constructive. This means the posters will have a reason for their opinion, they will explain it to you, and they will provide a suggestion in which you can improve. This might be done pleasantly or unpleasantly, but it is still something you can use toward a positive goal.

Anything else, which is mindlessly malicious, angry or insulting, is pretty much just abuse and best ignored.

When you do get helpful criticism, you should be careful that you react in an appropriate manner. This is easier said than done. After all, just because you can use what they said doesn’t make it any easier to hear. Try these tips to keep you centered and reacting positively:

• Calm yourself before responding. If you immediately answer back, chances are you will lash out. You might even end up starting a flame war that could grow way out of proportion. Before commenting to your criticizer, take some time to get away from your keyboard. Go on a walk, take a bath, read, talk to a friend — anything that will loosen you up. Then go back and re-read it with a clearer head. You will probably find your response to be much less vicious than it would have been.
• Be objective about their opinion. My first thought is, “What do they know?” when I get a bad review. Sometimes that is followed by a biased, “They are complete morons anyway,” though in much more colorful language. But if I look at it honestly, I can usually see their point. This is a difficult process that takes practice and more than a little forcing to get done. However, if you can look at their side and find the truth in it, it will make you better at what you do, because you will be able to implement their advice and fine-tune your process.
• Thank the person who criticized you. Yes, the words may stick in your throat a bit, and it can be hard to speak past grit teeth. That is why it is fortunate we are talking about doing it over the Internet, isn’t it? Thanking them for taking the time and effort to address an issue they had with you is just polite and will also show that you can accept criticism with grace. Even if they were unpleasant, it will be a step toward seeing the value in their opinion. At the very least, it will be killing them with kindness.
• Learn from it. Even if you follow all of these tips, they will mean nothing if you just forget the lesson you took away from it. Take the criticism to heart, try to include it in your list of changes and then strive to be better in your everyday work. We are constantly evolving and should be dedicated to improving our own lives and work. Take advantage of this chance to make one of the improvements, even if it bruises your ego a bit.

Jennifer Moline writes about small business, graphic design, printing and freelancing for the PsPrint Blog as well as for other graphic design websites.

This has been on my mind recently because I have been worrying about a client who suddenly dropped off the face of the earth. Fortunately, he went incommunicado shortly after he paid the balance he owed me on our latest project, so I’m not concerned about chasing down my money. But now I can’t reach him through email or the phone, and he hasn’t returned my messages. Of course, I haven’t been pestering him; I’ve kept my correspondence polite and professional, and it has been just enough to let him know that I’m thinking of him and his business.

But still, I’ve been frustrated with the potential loss of more work and income. When the client and I first discussed working together, he described three other projects that he wanted me to help him accomplish, one of which sounded like a steady weekly gig, and so I had looked forward to the future income. I’m still hopeful, but every day that my messages go unanswered my hope weakens.

So, at what point do you tie up the loose end and amicably severe the relationship? At what point does the worrying about the client become more than a simple worry? Naturally, several factors will influence your decision. You must evaluate your other projects, their current income, and their earning potential, and weigh it against this current problem project. If you have other clients from whom you feel you can expect future work, then perhaps your efforts should focus on them and you can take a loss here. Also, you should consider the professional relationship you had with the silent client. Was he or she a joy to work with on past assignments? Did you collaborate well on projects or were you mostly on your own, struggling to understand your client’s needs? If the client was someone with whom you worked well, it might be worth it to stick it out a little longer. After all, everyone goes through weird slumps once in a while. And finally, how could severing the relationship harm your ‘brand,’ especially if you work in a specific niche? Could you get away with not severing the relationship, but merely leaving the ball in the client’s court?

In my case, I have decided to write the client one last email and let him decide what to do. I’ll be sure to thank him for his business. I’ll tell him that I’m currently ready to begin work on the other three projects, and that he can contact me when and if he wishes to pursue those projects. I’m happy with the current state of my freelance business, so I’ve decided to no longer worry about this one project. I like to think that I’m not cutting the link; I’m simply unhooking it for now.

By-line
This guest post is contributed by Olivia Coleman, who writes on the topics of online colleges and universities. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: olivia.coleman33@gmail.com.

Photo Credits: Photo by RW Photobug.

Earlier, I posted a review of the Dylan biopic I’m Not There at Filmsy.com.  Now, I’m using a little tidbit that caught my eye while prepping that post to get this one rolling.  Others may caution against quoting Bob, but I’m hoping to pull it off.

Here we go:

“It is the first line that gives the inspiration and then it’s like riding a bull. Either you just stick with it, or you don’t.”

That’s a Dylan remark about the writing process.

I’m not a Bob Dylan nut.  There’s a lot to like about the guy and his music.  There’s plenty to dislike, too.  I agree with his sentiments on some things and find other statements he’s made nothing short of silly.  This one isn’t right or wrong, good or bad.  Assuming he was quoted correctly and was being honest at the time, his perspective on writing and inspiration is true.  For him.

I’m wondering if it’s true for others.  For you.

There are times when a great opening grabs me and pulls me along at sprint, opening doors for me until the last period hits the page.  In those situations, I’m a true believer in the power of a first line’s inspiration.  It makes bull riding easier when that happens, too.

In other cases, I develop an almost visual understanding of the completed piece and it begins to write itself.  It’s sort of like A Beautiful Mind, only it’s not high-level mathematics and rarely, if ever, represents what would pass for pure genius (unfortunately).

Sometimes, I know how the work ends and it’s all a matter of figuring how to get to that point.  I almost work backwards to the beginning.

And I can’t overlook the times when every word is failure and the only way to put the train on the tracks is to keep plugging along until I have a draft to revisit.

I stay on the bull even when the first version of the first line is a clunker.

For me, the underlying inspiration in all of those situations more often involves the ideas at issue than the words I’ll eventually use to express them.

What about you?

Does it all start with the first line for you or does that initial kick-start come from somewhere else?

If the first line had been “Maggie comes fleet foot / face full of black soot” instead of “Johnny’s in the basement / mixing up the medicine”, would “Subterranean Homesick Blues” be materially different?

By the way… “It’s a Bob Dylan day” wasn’t one of those inspired openers.  I wish it had been.

There have been many would-be-bloggers who’ve thrown up a website with a handful of pages filled with pillar content and leave it at that. Then they move on to the next blog. That kind of blog model can work if you stay within micro niche topics where there is very little competition.

However, if you prefer to build a blog and keep adding content – you will want to consider your options for gathering and creating that content. I’m going to list several ways for you to consider. This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means – and is purely off the top of my head.

Write It Yourself

This is the hardest and most time consuming way to create content – but it is the way that is most rewarding. If you know your topic well, you should be able to write about it with authority and ease. The advantage of writing the article yourself is the article is unique and you control the quality. The disadvantage is it can be time consuming.

Hire Someone

If you can’t write yourself or you don’t have the time, you can always hire someone. How you pay them is up to you. Some sites hire full time salary writers while some pay per article. There are many sites that don’t pay at all but the writer gets name notoriety, a place to write without the technical backend concerns and sometimes they get perks and product for their writing. However you do it, make sure there is a contract between you and your writers stating whom the articles belong to should they leave. This can help avoid sticky situations later on.

Recruit Guest Writers

A good source of content can come directly from your readers. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of frame and having an article on their favorite site is one way of doing it. The main problem with reader submitted articles is quality. If you accept guest articles you will want to make sure to specify ownership in your terms of service and in some sort of mutual agreement. It’s not always a good idea to “cross that bridge when you come to it.”

Trade Posts

I have been known to trade an article with another writer. We select older posts from each other’s collection. To our readers, the old article is new. The advantage of this option versus using free article services is you won’t likely encounter the issue of duplication penalty. Because the article is older, you can do a little minor tweaking to bring the article up-to-date, but that requires much less work.

Republish Old Articles

Republishing of older articles is a nice and easy way to create new content. Again, you may want to do some minor rewrites to bring the articles up-to-date.

Use RSS

There are tons of blogs that are developed using nothing but RSS feeds. This is the lazy way out and one method I would not personally recommend if you plan to make a valued name for yourself. Using RSS as filler content is not so bad if used minimally – but you certainly won’t want it being your main content.

Private Label Articles

Known as Private Label Rights, PLR articles are a new twist on content building. PLR articles allow users a quick way to get up a content site really quick and cheap. Private label articles are special type of right or license which you purchase where you are legally allowed to edit and publish the article as your own. In some cases you can even include your own name as the author and your own resource box at the end of each article. You can purchase these articles for pennies.

The real issue with PLR is quality. Most of the articles are garbage that will require a great deal of editing. Another problem is duplication, which I mentioned above. You aren’t the only person to use those articles. The more these articles are used, the more diluted they become. If you choose to use PLR, you really should rewrite them considerably to avoid this problem. However, if you’re going to invest that much time in editing, you might as well create your own to begin with.

Free Article Services

As you may have guessed, free articles are an option. However, when using these articles, you will most likely be required to keep the authors credentials in place and won’t be allowed to do any edits. This in essence will create an overused, highly diluted content system.

If you can avoid free articles, I would. NOT recommended at all.

What are some methods you use or recommend when creating content?

Let me just say it didn’t take long for me to find that was Impossible!

Recently I had a discussion with a friend of mine who would like to begin earning money blogging and would like to start off earning with Google Adsense then expand from there into the more niche affiliates.

My friend asked me how I am personally able to begin a new site and have it make money from the first day when so many other bloggers have set up 10, 20 or more blogs and make peanuts at best.

Where these folks are going wrong is they are spreading their writing much too thin!

Here are a few thoughts you can chew on while pondering those many topics you’d like to begin writing on.

Just because you create a blog does NOT mean readers will come!

The key to earning with Google Adsense is to not have a collection of blogs. The key to earning is all about getting traffic. Without traffic, a blog makes nothing. Over time, you can get a general idea of how much you can earn per 1,000 readers or so. You can have 1 to 50 blogs, but if you don’t have readers and if no one visits you’re not going to make money.

How To Build Traffic

It seems fairly common sense for some, but the best way to get traffic to a new blog is to have other blogs within your niche write about your blog and link back to you.

Make a plan and devote a few days to emailing as many niche based sites as you can find – ask them if they would share a news plug with their readers. You’ll find many bloggers are very willing to share news with their readers. It creates good blog karma!

Regardless of your niche, there are blogs that offer news coverage on that topic. It’s YOUR job to find them and add them to your reader list.

Once you have compiled your list, you will have a valuable tool to assist in directing traffic your direction.

NOTE: Not everyone you email will be overly friendly and willing to share, so don’t get discouraged – just move on to plan B – Content!

Unique Content Is a Must

As tempting as it might be, don’t give in to the urge to use “free article services”.  These articles are available for anyone and everyone to use. The chances of getting a free article mentioned by a fellow blogger are slim to none. Most articles on the free services aren’t of much value anyway. Many successful writers are committed to supplying their readers’ valuable, up-to-date information. Before you ask them to plug you, make sure your content is if equal quality.

Having sites linking to you is paramount in getting Google’s attention. While no one really knows the precise formula for higher Google Page Ranks, it is know that “page rank” is primarily determined by how many sites in your field are linking to you. Get enough inbound links and Google will index your entire site which is a very good thing to have happen.

You Must, I Repeat, MUST Like Your Topic

Creating a money making site takes a lot of work and dedication.

There is no real easy way around it! In order to get your news posted by news sites, you simply cannot use free, overused articles. Because you will have to generate your own unique content, you will want to write about something you’re passionate about.  Many successful bloggers have said that even if they didn’t make money with their topic, they’d still write about it simply because it’s a genuine hobby to them.

Take Away Message:

Explore your passions, start a blog and write about it.

Find the similar blogs that cover your niche, build an email list and send out the news release. That will help build traffic and traffic IS what will make you money.

While you take some time to develop your blog for appearance sake, you’ll want to begin thinking about your initial content. I personally recommend you put some thought into creating timeless content that will serve as your pillar posts.

Even if you select news-related topics, you can create timeless pieces that means the content you create will be useful today, tomorrow, a year from now and quite possibly 5 years from now.

Blogs that are focused on news or current events tend to die as soon as the articles stop coming on a consistent basis – so keep that in mind when selecting your topic. However, if you somehow create timeless content, people will be reading your blog for months and even years after you stop writing as long as the content has some value.

For the sake of conversation – what are some ways you might get ideas for creating that timeless content?

Three Bags of Gold

Some of us played a game on long bus rides.  We called it “Three Bags of Gold”.  It wasn’t much of a game.  It was primarily an opportunity to concoct horrific, stomach-churning, soulless scenarios and to half-heartedly consider them in the context of our greed and morality.  It was like a hypothetical version of Fear Factor with ethical elements.

Someone would yell out a test.  “Would you cut off your little finger, grill it and eat it for three bags of gold?”  We’d iron out the details.  How would the amputation occur?  Would there be immediate medical treatment for the lost finger prior to the barbecue?  Could we season our severed digit when it was time to dine?  Right hand or left?  We discussed the current market price of gold and the size of the bags at great length again and again.

The scenarios weren’t always gross-out exercises.  “Would you frame a friend for a crime that would result in his imprisonment for three bags of gold?”  “Would you ‘pull the plug’ on a stranger who had requested to stay on life support for three bags of gold?”  Under what situations would our morality bend in the face of three bags of gold?  When would we finally lie, cheat or steal?  Why?

We’d respond to the scenarios with a collective, reactive “no”.  As the conversation progressed, someone might admit a willingness to engage in whatever twisted behavior under consideration.

It was all a silly diversion designed to kill time on empty stretches of interstate with open conversation and jokes.  We didn’t take it very seriously, though we sometimes learned a bit about one another.  Sometimes those lessons made folks a little less attractive.

Going Pro

I hadn’t thought about Three Bags of Gold for nearly twenty years.  Yesterday, I realized that I was playing the game professionally now.

The email included a job offer.  The client needed a variety of materials to assist in the marketing of Product X.  He was willing to pay a fair rate.

The problem?  I don’t like Product X.  I don’t particularly like it in principle and I certainly don’t like it in practice.  Product X isn’t dangerous and it isn’t obviously immoral.  I just happen to believe that the world would be marginally better off if it and its competitors didn’t exist.

“Would you write copy for Product X for three bags of gold?”

I said it aloud as I considered the offer.

Then, I found myself thinking about the size of the bags and just how much that gold was worth to me right now.

Would I compromise my personal integrity for a check?  Would the number of zeroes on the check influence my thinking?  How should I weigh the value of that gold to my cash-strapped family against contributing to the potential success of something I dislike and wish would disappear?  Would I be able to create compelling words in favor of Product X, considering my disposition toward it?

When you’re in your early twenties cruising down an empty highway late at night, Three Bags of Gold is all theoretical.  No one has a knife and a portable barbecue grill waiting for your left pinky.  No one has three bags of gold.

Now, the gold is real.  It pays for electricity, cars, daycare, shoes for the kids, food for the fridge and laundry soap.  The gold even makes payments on the student loans that financed Three Bags of Gold in the old days.

And the decisions are real.  We all face them.  We all make them.

Responsibilities

“Would you write an anti-Semitic screed for three bags of gold?”
“Would you write copy for a crappy product for three bags of gold?”
“Would you write a political essay contrary to your personal beliefs for three bags of gold?”

Would your current bank account balance guide your decision?  Would necessity force compromise?  Would greed flex your morality?

These questions matter.

I believe that we are responsible for our words.  Even if the contractual terms of a ghostwriting project relieve us of legal liability for our efforts, we are creating something that has the potential for impact and we carry with us some level of responsibility for any outcomes it generates.  We’re also responsible to our clients.  And to our readers.  And to ourselves.  And to the profession.  I tend to believe that writers have a somewhat elevated responsibilities to use their gifts for the betterment of the world.  Maybe that sounds hokey to you, but I believe it.

That’s a heap of responsibilities and they don’t always match up nicely.  When they compete and cause dissonance, either we walk away or we compromise in some way.  Compromise is all but inevitable in so many cases.

Sometimes, we just say, “screw it”.  We take the three bags of gold.

Are Your Hands Clean?

My hands aren’t clean.  I’ve written half-assed pieces of web content in order score a quick buck even though I don’t embrace the idea of filling the world with half-assed web content.  I’ve written sales copy for things that probably didn’t impress too many buyers, if you know what I mean.  I’ve made furniture sales seem like the second coming of Christ.

I can rationalize those transgressions.  We needed the money.  I’m not responsible for what people do, I’m just imparting information.  If I didn’t do it, someone else would.  Who am I to decide what’s valuable and what’s useless or to draw lines separating good from bad?  This is how the world works.  No one can advance through life in a market-based economy without compromise.  Etc.

In the end, those rationalizations don’t really mitigate my irresponsibility.

I’ve chopped off my finger.  I’ve betrayed my friend.  I’ve pulled the plug.  I took the gold and ran.

I bet you’ve done it, too.  Maybe you’ve stayed pure in ways that I haven’t, but you’ve compromised your responsibilities.  You’ve done something short of your best work.  You’ve pandered to an audience, to a client, or to your own writing vanity.  You’ve made your deals with devils, even if your devils are incredibly cute and small.

If you haven’t, I bet you will.  Someday.

You’ll get that call about a project you don’t really love.  It will come shortly after the water heater goes bad or on the heels of a medical bill.  It will come a week before your daughter’s sixteenth birthday or right when your son’s tuition payment is due.  The three bags of gold will be large enough to break a mule’s back and you’ll find yourself accepting the offer.

You’ll hold your breath while you peddle the snake oil or while you make the not-so-bright subject of a press release into an eminent expert in her field.  You’ll crank through an article at Mach III, knowing that you’re not providing readers with enough meat for their information sandwich or you’ll realize that the client for whom you’re working doesn’t have the world’s best interests at heart.

Rationalization, Blissful Ignorance or Discomfort?  Choose.

Three Bags of Gold isn’t funny when it’s real.  The easiest way to handle the game is to pretend as if you’re not playing.  Don’t think too hard.  Keep yourself on the right side of the “morally reprehensible” line and don’t sweat the stuff that isn’t really obnoxious.  Just keep on truckin’ and try to make up for the sell-outs with acts of kindness, confession and penance.  Whatever gets you through the night, right?

The alternative is scary.

And that’s where I am right now.  I’m tired of playing and I’m looking for a way out that can serve all of my responsibilities and that can be consistent with my worldview without all of that uncomfortable compromise.  When I take the three bags of gold, I want to do it with plenty of pride and without even the slightest shred of regret.

This is all proof that ignorance is bliss, of course.  Life is easier when you don’t realize the back stories of those with whom you’re working or the repercussions of your actions.  Three Bags of Gold is an easy game when you don’t have a conscience, but it’s almost as easy if you’ve found a way to keep your head in the sand.

Writers, however, tend to be aware.  We see through things.  We dig, research and think.  That’s what allows us to do remarkable things.  Ignorance isn’t an option.

We play Three Bags of Gold and eventually we realize it.

Wanna Play?

Let’s play a round right here, right now.

What would you do for three bags of gold?
What would you refuse to do for three bags of gold?

And let’s create a little opportunity to come clean, while we’re at it.

What compromises have you made?  What responsibilities have you ducked?  How did you justify it at the time and how do you feel about it now?

I’d love to see some answers.

As I stated in my initial introduction post, this blog is all about you! If there’s something in particular you’d like us to focus on, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email or leave a suggestion in the comments section.

Thanks to the advancements of social media – most people know what a “blog” is. For the sake of discussion we’ll jump back to the very definition and move forward.

How does that sound?

What is a Blog?

Blog a slang term derived from the words web log. Blogs quickly became one of the most widespread, quick growing, trends on the internet. More and more websites are starting their own blogs or even converting their existing websites to blogs. Blogs are often used to deliver fresh content, promote products, or just about anything you can think of.

Since blogging began, there have been a handful of types that have emerged:

• Personal bloggers – Without doubt, personal blogs are the most popular. The writer posts journal-like entries on a variety of topics. Many cover politics, daily-life, sports, fashion, news events, etc. These blogs have no point really other than being a form of entertainment for the writer. This seems to be a great medium for “Mommy Bloggers” to feel as though they have a social life too!
• Business bloggers – With the explosion of social media, businesses have begun using blogs to promote their products or services. Businesses have learned to use blogs as informational resources that add value for their readers rather than using a blog to post in-your-face advertising. Overtly promotional blogs are of little interest to those reading. Strategic uses of a blog in your business can definitely increase sales and enhance the experience of your customers.
• Organizational bloggers – These bloggers use blogs to communicate with groups of people. Whether the group is a church, school, employees or charitable organization, this can be an excellent way to communicate.

Communication is the key to all human relations and a blog provides an excellent means to do just that. Whether it has to do with the latest news or trends, or just talking about the latest happenings of Hollywood celebrities, a blog is an excellent way to bring communication and information to everyone. And if you can educate and entertain, you’ll likely develop quite a following.

Now you want to know…

Should you blog?

Anyone can blog, but not everyone has what it takes to make it worth your time.

Standard guidelines that may help in determining whether have what it takes to blog:

• You have a strong interest in a particular topic and could easily speak on the topic regularly and with the public.
• You have the time and drive to update your blog regularly. Nobody wants to read a blog that is updated once a month.
• You run a site which promotes your business and desire a means to communicate with your clients.
• You can handle feedback – the good, the bad and the ugly. Rest assured, at some point, someone will disagree with you.

One of the biggest mistakes a blogger can make is not posting enough. This is something I’ve personally struggled with at times. It’s easy to fall in the trap. However, if you begin a blog I highly recommend you don’t begin posting 2 posts a day if you ultimately wish to post once a week. Whatever you begin with, stick to it.

I won’t lie — a truly successful blog takes a lot of work – and by a lot, I can honestly say there were days I’d invest as much as 10 – 12 hours into my blogging.

Enough preaching – just take special care to post well and post often. You want your readers to return, subscribe, and become engaged – posting regularly will help accomplish that.

After a very long, dreadfully hot/humid summer - my kids are back in school, I have moved and am settled in a new home and now I’m jumping back into my beloved world of blogging with both feet and then some.

It feels like I have an endless supply of content swimming around in my head, anxious to make a debut, however, the reason I’m here is YOU! I’m here to provide you with information you want and need to help achieve your personal goals through writing!

So, you’re probably wondering just who is this Gayla Baer chic and why should you trust anything she has to say, right?

I thought so!

Well here’s why…

Short version…

In 1999, after three years of struggling in positions that took me away from my twin boys, I took a the leap of faith that many parents dream of doing. I quit working in corporate environment for low wages and began working online. As a single mother – this was a dream come true. I’ve continued living that dream – supporting my boys as a single parent ever since.

More detailed version…

Since that initial leap, I have worked in a variety of positions ranging from community director for a micro niche dating site to channel editor for a leading global blog network managing as many as 80 writers at a time. While I have held positions working for several companies, I have always devoted a portion of my time to personal blogs and projects. There is a part of me that will always remain the “forever advocate.”

In May of 2006 I was introduced to the world of blogging. My first blog was a blogspot blog – I was addicted. It was so much easier then coding HTML as I had been, and really sucked at by the way. It was amazing! I could cover more topics in less time. Within a year that blog grew to seven.

I really had a lot to say!

In November 2006 I took my first official paid blogging position writing celebrity gossip for b5media. Within a year that blog grew to three. In August 2007 I accepted a position of channel editor where I would remain until the network began dismantling. While at b5media I was blessed to work along side some of the most amazing writers and genuine people I have ever known.

In 2008 I achieved the greatest success of my entire online career – I sold a website I’d developed 5 years earlier for $95,000 AND my monthly income reached levels of $8,000 plus. Up until that point, I’d never considered myself much more than a blogging cheerleader with chatty fingers.

Since that time, I’ve sold two more blogs – one for $6,500 and one for $3,000. I began looking around at other bloggers and internet professionals and realized I have been very blessed with a gift. I’ve found my place. Now I want to share the knowledge I’ve gained, the mistakes I’ve made and work along side my readers as they work toward their own successes – however big or small those goals may be.

As you read my tips you’ll find that I write exactly as I speak – with hyphens, periods, commas and exclamation marks. Those people I have been fortunate enough to meet in person tell me they could pick me out of a crowd because I genuinely write with my voice.

I want to tell you – if I can achieve these levels of success, you can too!  I’ve done it with very little out-of-pocket expense. I started out knowing nothing about HTML, nothing about blogging – but with hard work and determination, anything is indeed possible.

My projects have and currently do include:

MomGadget – A great consumer and family product resource (now under new management)

SlimFitMama – A personal journey getting back in shape while exploring trendy diets, fitness regimens and more.

Date1411 – Dating information, trends and relationship advice

Work at Home – Work at home resources, tips, jobs, scams, discussion and services.

And of course there is Gadabout Media and Gadabout Health – a couple of smallish networks I began with some of the wonderful writers I’ve been blessed to know over the last several years.

There you have it! I’ve introduced myself – it’s your turn! Please leave a comment here and share a link to your blog – what you hope to achieve from your writing and a little something you’d like to see us focus on here in the near future.

Now let’s get this party started…

Gayla

Like anyone else who’s self-employed, freelance writers are prone to what I call “temporal vampires.” These are people, tasks and circumstances that suck the time from your day and leave you scrambling to pull things together at the last minute.

I want to know what yours are, but first I’ll tell you some of mine:

1. Phone calls. Yes, I know the phone call debate rages on and on. There are good arguments from both camps as to whether freelance writers ought to deal with clients via telephone. For me, the telephone is a huge time sink. I have been stuck talking to potential clients for literally hours on end. Of those phone calls, less than a third have wound up in a sale. Of those sales, a whopping ZERO have become long-term clients. I’m glad to talk to existing clients on the phone – especially long-term ones – but I’ll often let opportunities go by for potential clients who want to have a phone call.
2. A disorganized workspace. I’m most productive when I have all of the tools I need at hand. I need to gather any research materials ahead of time, and be equipped with coffee and anything else I might need to get through the day. If I’m constantly stopping to go get snacks or going back and forth to a library, I’m wasting tons of time.
3. Tasks I hate. When I first started out in the freelance writing business, I wrote plenty of basic, SEO-style web articles. They were nice, because they paid the bills. Eventually, however, you burn out on them. While I heartily recommend that any new writer cut their teeth writing for, let’s say, Demand Studios, there comes a point for many (not all) freelance writers when they grow weary of article writing. Today, on the rare occasion I take a gig like that, it takes me much longer than it did back then because I just sort of burned out on them.
4. Friends and family. It’s taken about six years, but I’ve got the number of friends and family who think that my normal work hours are a good time to call down to about three. You need to be clear with friends and family that, just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you’re available.
5. Online games. For me, flash games are the worst. I’m sure I could become a MMORPG addict, if only I could play those games 15 minutes at a time. I’ve even gone to the point to block a given flash games website on my firewall during the workday.

So, what about you? What are some of your temporal vampires?

I’m just guessing here, but I also think there would be a few common threads in your answers. I think we’d see phrases like “steady income” and “stability” pop up, as well as things like “a good reputation” and probably “enough money to pay the bills.”

For me, I think there are a few different overarching “success themes” for just about any small business, freelance writing businesses included:

1. The Money. For a business to be considered successful, it needs to bring in more money than it puts out. In terms of a freelance writing business, that usually means bringing in enough money to cover the freelance writer’s income needs, tax bills and any expenses like marketing or web hosting that she may have. Success in this regard doesn’t always mean making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and this part of success will vary greatly from one person to the next. For some freelance writing businesses, $50,000 in gross receipts for the year may seem like a feast, while for others it would seem like a famine.

2. The reputation. For a small business to do well, they need to enjoy a good reputation among their clients. This leads to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. Most freelance writing businesses believe they have a good reputation, but the fact is some are better than others. It’s important here to distinguish, too, between reputation and popularity. You might have a blog with tens of thousands of subscribers, but if folks don’t seem to ever want to hire you beyond a single project, chances are pretty good your real reputation isn’t that great.

3. The lifestyle. This one is a little more nebulous, and while it’s tied into the other two probably needs some attention of its own. Most folks in freelance writing business are there, in part, because they enjoy the flexibility that comes with being self-employed. However, if you’ve got to work 70 hours a week to make enough money (see #1,) then you’re no better off in freelance writing than working a nine-to-five job. For others, this has to do with the flexibility to work whenever and wherever you want, or just not having to work for a boss.

There are plenty of other ways to define freelance writing business success. What are yours?

Now, I’m not going to tell you how to see yourself. I’ve got my own thoughts on what works best overall, and I certainly know what works best for me. You’ll see some of that come through in the rest of this post, too, and I won’t apologize for it. At the same time, I will say that none of these models are inherently better than another.

Here are the 5 ways freelancers often see themselves:

1. Author

The author is an artist who uses words as her brush and canvas. Even if she pays the bills today by writing web articles, what she really wants to do is be a novelist. She spends her free time (and much of her work time, too) working on her latest masterpiece.

One in a thousand (or fewer) submitted novel manuscripts ever get published. Of those that do get published, only around 10 percent ever turn a nickel of profit, meaning the author gets only the advance – an average of $5,000 for a first novel.

I don’t know about you, but I have a family of 5. Even if I were to write my novel during NaNoWriMo, and even if it were to be published, that won’t feed my family. Novel dreams are fine, and you should pursue them if that’s your thing, but they don’t pay the bills.

2. Writer

Other freelancers see themselves as writers. That is, they write for a living. Even more than that, however, they identify themselves by that one task: writing. So, in many ways, clients become bosses. They often project income based on 40 hours a week of writing.

The downside to this model is that it doesn’t provide any opportunity for growth. It also puts all of your eggs in one basket. If you have one client and that client goes under or runs out of work, you’re screwed.

3. Freelance writer

This kind of freelance writer recognizes that there’s much more to making money as a writer than just the writing. There are sales and marketing to worry about. There is bookkeeping. There are a hundred other tasks, quite incidental to writing, that have to be done in order to make the business work.

The freelance writer sees himself as one-man team. He projects income based on a percentage. In other words, he assumes he’ll write 70% of the time, and bases income projects on that number.

The freelance writer is constantly in danger of burnout. He’s busy, and it shows. On top of that, he might not be the best salesperson, or he might get behind on taxes because he’s not especially good at accounting.

4. Entrepreneur

Some writers are entrepreneurs. They’ re constantly on the lookout for new ways to make money with their writing. They’re on the cutting edge of technological paradigms. They’re folks that make money blogging, or with social media, or who combine their writing services with marketing, design or other business services.

The entrepreneur runs the risk of becoming too diverse. She runs the risk of being a jack of all trades, master of none. On top of that, she can lose, and lose big, if the particular technology or strategy she’s investing her time and money in fail to pay off.

5. Writing Business Owner

The writing business owner treats his profession as a business. Rather than being the employee or a hired pen, he sees himself as the boss. He probably does some writing (after all, that’s what got him into this buisness). But he also probably hires other writers to do some writing, and becomes an editor in the process.

The writing business owner knows his limitations (most of the time). He hires someone to do his accounting, and probably his sales, too.

The writing business owner faces some dangers, too. He might grow quickly, hire a bunch of additional help, and then see sales drop back down. He might get so bogged down in administrative and editing tasks that it saps some of that writing joy.

So, what do you think? Which model do you prefer? Are there any that you’d say just don’t work? Have you moved through different models in your writing career?

For example, your freelance writing business today might consist, primarily, of blogging. Blogging can be a great way to earn a living, and there are plenty of folks doing just that.

Tomorrow, however, blogs may go the way of the dodo. Or, more appropriately, blogs may go the way of the newsgroups.

That’s the thing about technology. It’s always changing. Technology adapts itself to our needs and, in turn, we then adapt ourselves to technology. It’s a cycle that you can’t avoid, and that you need to get a handle on if your business is going to succeed.

There are other areas that we have to adapt, as well. I remember about six months ago when suddenly everyone on the freelance bidding sites was asking for exactly 20 articles of 500 words each and 3 product reviews. It was especially interesting, because they never specified a word count on the product reviews. It was obvious that someone big in the Internet Marketing field had put out a roadmap to getting a niche site up and running, and that dozens of people were following it to the letter.

So, we adapted our business model, at the time, to feature that kind of package.

There are plenty of other examples, but you get the general idea.

So, the questions to ask yourself today are these:

• In what way is my freelance writing business adapting and changing?
• How will I handle change when it comes?

Over the years, I’ve had a handful of moments when these kinds of fears bubbled up to the top. While I get that everyone is different, I thought that maybe sharing some of my struggles might help you identify some of your own, and maybe help you be better equipped to face them when they come:

Fear of Failure

This is the sort of generic “Will I make it?” question that everyone asks. I felt this way quite a bit early on. My writing business wasn’t my first business venture, and the others hadn’t turned out so well.

Eventually, though, I got past this. My business brought in enough money to pay the bills, and even have a little bit left over to invest in growing my business. The best remedy for this kind of fear is, in the end, success. In the meantime, having a positive attitude will help, but it won’t pay the bills.

Fear of Inadequacy

One of my freelancer friends once said, “You know, I’m afraid one day that they’ll all figure out I’m a fraud, and the cops will show up and haul me off to jail for impersonating a writer.” It never happened to her, of course. And I don’t know that I’ve felt that strongly. But I have had fleeting moments where I think, “What if I’m not good enough?”

In some ways, this one is all about self-confidence. But all of the positive self-talk in the world won’t prove anything. Here again, the proof is in the pudding. After doing hundreds of jobs for dozens of clients with less than two or three complaints, I’ve come to the place where I realize I’m good at what I do. And, if you’re good, you’ll get there, too.

Fear of Growth

I will never forget the trepidation I had when I first began to outsource work. It truly worried me that I’d be sending all of my profits off to my writers while I’d wind up in the poor house. This became really clear when one of my writers said, “I need $1,000 worth of work a month to keep freelancing. Otherwise, I have to go back to computer programming.”

At first, I freaked out. Sure, I’d been outsourcing about $300 a month to that writer on average, and I knew I’d need to outsource a bunch more based on some big contracts we’d closed in the past few weeks. But it was scary. So, I looked at the books and realized: I can afford this. I also realized that I could scale back, if the business were to dry up.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t very afraid of anything at the beginning. When I first started out, I was already in a transitional period. I was finishing my Master’s degree, and I started freelance writing so that I could help pay the bills while I looked for a faculty position. I had no idea then that I would enjoy writing as much as I do, and that it would be able to provide me with (after a few years, of course) a better income than a faculty position.

While I stick to that theory and fully believe you can run a successful freelance writing business without belonging to a community, there is one question that remains:

Why on earth would you want to?

You see, there are some things you can get from us (the community) that you can’t get elsewhere. What are they? Coincidentally, there are three of them:

1. Camaraderie

Yes, you can socialize with other small business folks. But are they really going to understand when you vent about a client whose attorney insists you ban the word “will” in favor of the word “might?” Will they get it when you complain about someone on a freelance writing job site who’s offering to pay 50 cents for a 500-word blog post? Real kinship and camaraderie comes only from those who do what you do.

2. Backup

If you come down with the flu two days before a rush job from your best client is due and you know that the client was counting on the work, you don’t want to have to tell the client “Sorry. Got sick. You’re screwed.” By being part of a community of freelance writers, you have access to a wealth of resources to help you out in a pinch. Sure, you can find someone like that outside of the community, but you can’t find them fast. If you happen to have your own protégé, (and I have a couple of my own) you may still need to bring them up to speed on how to produce a given type of copy. Inside the community, you have near-instant access to true experts.

3. Street Education

Yes, you can learn how to write good copy from a book or from a college course. What you can’t do is learn how to convince a client why quality web site copy costs so much more than those $3 articles they’ve been importing from overseas. Being part of a community can also keep you on the edge of the latest freelance writing business trends, which is not something you can get if you’re outside of the industry. You need to instead wait for those trends to trickle down.

Now, let me put you at ease before I go any further. To be sure, there are some specific benefits to belonging to a community of other freelance writing business owners. I’m sure you can come up with a few of your own, but the ones I’ve talked about before include:

Socialization.

The fact of the matter is that you don’t get a whole lot of social experience as a freelance writer, if you don’t participate in some form of community.

The thing is this: It doesn’t have to be a freelance writing online community. It could be a local writing group, or even a local business owners group. In fact, you can have plenty of social interaction in your business without ever talking to another freelance writer.

Education.

There’s something to be said for the knowledge that you can gain from other freelance writers. Simply hanging around freelance writing blogs can be tremendously informative both in terms of honing your writing craft and learning how to run your freelance writing business. In fact, my little corner here of FWJ is based on that idea.

The problem with this, however, is that the education you get from the community isn’t exhaustive. If you really want to hone your craft and you really want to hone your business, you need other resources anyways. In fact, some of what you’ll read on some freelance writing blogs isn’t necessarily very informative or useful. (And there is plenty that is useful, too.)

Networking.

Now, I’ll readily admit that I’ve benefitted from the networking aspect of the freelance writing community. I’ve landed gigs as a subcontractor for other freelance writers, and I’ve landed gigs via recommendations and networking.

Still, my largest clients today aren’t ones I landed via the community. In fact, these clients are likely completely unaware of the freelance writing community. In some cases, I’m the only freelancer they’ve worked with.

So, what do you think? Can you operate a successful freelance writing business without the benefit of a community of other freelance writers? I’ll talk more about this on Friday, but in the meantime I’m curious what your experiences have been.

I figured I’d arrived, that I’d found a way to replace my income. This was good, because at the time I was finishing up my Master’s degree and the prospect of landing a job teaching at any of the community colleges in Michigan was looking more and more slim.

The problem is that I wasn’t earning the $60,000 per year that a $30 per hour gig suggests. I was making less.

In fact, I was making a lot less.

Why? Because I didn’t really understand how pricing worked for a small service business.

$21 a day, once a month

In the 1940s,there was a Walter Lantz cartoon that featured the lament of the army soldier. This lament reflected the real sacrifice involved in being a part of the defenders of freedom. It said, “They wake you up at 5 o’clock in the morning / For 21 dollars a day – once a month / The bugle blows at you without any warning / For 21 dollars a day – once a month.”

You see, during that hour I was doing the writing, I was making $30 per hour. That gig would take me 5 hours. In a given week, I might have three such gigs.

That works out to $450 a week, which is just over $11 per hour.

Minus the overhead costs of freelance job sites I was participating in and PayPal fees, and I was under $9 per hour. We won’t even get into the cost of “benefits” like medical insurance, which I have to provide for myself.

So, how do you make it work? Well, there are two ways to really make money in this scenario:

1. You can work more. This means if you want to truly make $30 per hour, you need to have 40 hours worth of work plus enough hours beyond that to cover your overhead. 50 hours of writing a week should do it. Don’t forget to add 15-20 hours in for actually making sales and other business activities.
2. You can charge more. The problem here is that if your clients are willing to pay you $30 per hour and you’re only getting 15 hours worth of gigs, when you raise your rates to $45 per hour you’re likely to have 10 hours of gigs.

I realize that neither of these options is particularly appealing. The first will burn you out in a matter of months. The second will pay off, but it takes a long time.

The real solution lies in the long, hard process of further honing your skills so as to produce a product that’s worth more, improving your ability to make sales, and finding new markets in which to operate. Those aren’t easy things to do, but they’re necessary if you’re really going to make any money.

So, how do you make that transition? There are, I think, at least three important components:

1. Change your thinking

To be sure, much of that transition takes place in the mind, rather than on the outside. You need to start thinking of yourself as the boss, not an employee. Think of your customers as clients, not bosses. This is a big step for some people, and it’s not always an easy one. For some folks, it’s downright frightening.  When you have a “boss,” you have some emotional sense of job security. The fact is, however, that this is an illusion. Your “work-at-home” job is no more or less secure than a small business.

2. Change your language

The way you talk to others about your business reflects a great deal on your business itself and on how you think about your business. Sometimes friends and family won’t bat an eye when you tell them you have a work-at-home job, but they will roll those eyes when you tell them you’ve started a small business. Still, if you’re going to make that transition in your own mind, you need to act externally as if you believe it. Part of that is just changing the way you talk about your business.

3. Make it legal

Most freelance writing businesses don’t necessarily need to form an LLC when they first start out. A sole proprietorship is usually the most appropriate business format to take in the beginning. Still, filing for a business license and a “DBA” business name can help legitimize your business to yourself, your friends and family, and to your clients. You should also start referring to your business when dealing with customers. It’s no longer “I can solve your business needs with good writing” but “Jane’s Copywriting Services can solve your business needs.”

Now, I don’t want you to think I’m one of those guys who starts up a new business every couple of years because he’s got a new angle or because he got bored of what he was doing. I know guys like that, and while I appreciate what they’re doing, that’s just not me.

Rather than tell you about the other business ventures I’ve been involved in, however, I want to talk today about how those businesses were substantially different from the freelance writing business. I think understanding these differences is a key part of being a success in the freelance writing business.

So, here are some ways that freelance writing breaks business paradigms:

• Most small businesses start local and then go global. Freelance writing businesses do it backwards. My first clients were folks who didn’t live in my state. Some of my biggest clients have been from other countries. While most small businesses start out locally and then try to figure out how to expand, I started with a global market and have made a concerted effort to find local business after the fact.
• Most small businesses grow from a hobby. Now, to be sure, some folks start out blogging for fun, realize they really enjoy it, and then find a way to monetize it or blog for others. However, it’s not likely that you sit around and rewrite web copy to make it more powerful just for fun. No, this is a small business that tends to grow out of necessity rather than mere interest. That said, there are fewer more interesting businesses I can think of.
• Most small businesses aren’t as home-based. Even if your business is a service-related business, chances are you need to go somewhere to perform that service. While there are home-based businesses out there, they require some degree or another of outside interaction, even if it’s just taking your packaged crafts to the post office to ship them to your customers or buying supplies. With a freelance writing business, it is quite possible that you will never have to leave the house for any business reason.

So, what do you think? What else sets freelance writing businesses apart from other businesses?

(If you’re like a lot of freelance writers, you’re already there taking advantage of the newly-free wireless provided by AT&T and McDonald’s. If not, well, you’ll have to take a look around next time you’re there.)

I want you to take a look at the walls, look at the signage, look at the menu. Look at the brochures, and at the product packaging.

How many times did you see the word “McDonald’s?”

You didn’t. You might see the occasional “mcdonalds.com” label on a drink cup, and you see a lot of big yellow m’s. But you don’t see “McDonald’s.”

Why is that, do you think?

I’m not positive, but I have a theory. Want to hear it? Of course you do, or you’d have stopped reading a while ago. Here it is:

McDonald’s product defines their brand, not the other way around.

If you see a McDonald’s chicken nugget, you know where it’s from. Same holds true for a Big Mac. If they have their way, it’ll soon be the same for the Mocha Frappe’, but they’re not quite there yet.

A freelance writing business can take a lesson from McDonald’s. Your product should be something that’s distinctly your own. It should be a quality product, something that your clients recognize. It doesn’t matter what name is on the shingle (I’ve operated under a few different brands in my freelance writing career). What matters is what’s inside the wrapper.

Hi,

How you doing? We made a trip to London (United Kingdom) unannounced some days back, Unfortunately we got mugged at gun point last night! All cash, Credit card and phone were stolen, we got messed up in another country, stranded in London, fortunately passport was back in my hotel room.  It was a bitter experience and i was hurt on my right hand, but would be fine. I am sending you this message cos i don’t want anyone to panic, we want you to keep it that way for now!

Our return flight leaves in a few hours but I’m having troubles sorting out the hotel bills, wondering if you could loan me some money to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport about ($2000). I have been to the police and embassy here, but they aren’t helping issues, I have limited means of getting out of here,  we canceled our cards already and made a police report, I won’t get a new card number till I get back home! So I really need your help.

You could wire whatever you can spare to my name and hotel address via Western union:

XXXX XXXXXXX (this was actually my client’s name)
272, Coriander Avenue, Docklands, E14 2AA ,
London United Kingdom

Get back to me with the details, would def refund it to you once we arrive! Hopefully tomorrow.

Needless to say, I ran down to my credit union, withdrew $2,000 and had it wired to London immediately. Right after I sent the Nigerian prince his $23,296.

Now, there were several things about this email that indicated it was a scam, not the least of which was that this client has always been extremely professional and would never have used the word “cos.” But, for the three and a half minutes I wondered if the email was real, it got me thinking about something:

What do you do when a freelance writing client needs your help?

I can conceive of a number of circumstances in which a client might need help. They might need to delay a payment, or they might need you to put a rush on a particular freelance writing job.

For me, if the client is a repeat client and they’ve been reliable, I think I’d be willing to help them out (within reason). No, I’m not going to wire $2,000 to London, but I might move their job up on my editorial calendar or work with them on terms. After all, more than one client has worked with me on deadlines or other concerns in the past, so why wouldn’t I?

What do you think? What are you willing to do when a client asks you for something?

Accordingly, you want to make as many sales as you can. That’s a given. But you may be going about it all the wrong way.

Here are a few tips to get you pointed in the right direction when it comes to maximizing your sales potential:

• Just do it. If you don’t get out there and try to sell, you won’t sell anything. Whether it’s submitting queries to magazines or wading through one of the online freelancer websites, you need to spend some time each week trying to get new clients.
• Don’t get comfortable. When you have a large, steady client, the need to sell doesn’t seem as pressing. Recognize, however, that few clients last forever. Eventually, their business model changes, or they go out of business, or they may even hire someone else. If at all possible, no one client should make up more than 30 percent of your business.
• Expand your market. When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to get hooked into one particular freelance writing niche. If you’ve only written online, try some magazine writing. If you’ve only done articles, try some blogging. I’m not saying you shouldn’t specialize, I’m just saying that you should at least test the waters in other types of writing.
• Believe in yourself. The key to successful sales is a belief in the product. Recognize the true value your writing brings to your clients and it’ll be that much easier to bring in new ones.
• Consider getting help. Sales just isn’t a strong suit for some folks. If you can work out the details, a salesperson or agent can be the most effective sales tool you can have.

1. Get Control of Your Bookkeeping.

Seriously. Hire an accountant if you need to, but get a handle on it. You’ll be thanking me in 16 months when you’re trying to get your 2010 taxes together.

2. Hone Your Craft.

Becoming a better writer will get you more clients and it will bring the clients you do get back again and again. Try to spend a couple of hours a week just reading about writing.

3. Move Into a New Market.

Writing web content articles is fine, and it can pay the bills. This year, though, why not give blogging a try? Or maybe give White Papers a shot. Who knows, you might just be able to make more money with less work, just by trying something new.

4. Network with Other Writers.

Freelance writing can be a very isolated profession. You need that virtual water cooler. Whether it’s via blogs, message boards, Facebook or Twitter, connect with some other writers this year.

5. Invest in Your Business.

Spend some money on marketing this year. Have those brochures printed that you’ve been talking about for a long time, or have someone fix that God-awful website design. Get some new business cards. Set aside some money for infrastructure, too. Get away from your kitchen table and into an office, or even replace your dying computer.

6. Rethink Your Business Structure.

This might be the year you need to incorporate or start an LLC. If you choose to continue as a sole proprietorship, make sure it’s the best thing for your business first.

7. Make Your Business a Priority

Unless if you’re only writing part time for supplemental income, you want to make a living with your writing. If your writing business isn’t a priority in the same way that working for someone else would be, it will never grow. Yes, you love and need the flexibility being a freelancer affords, but flexibility just means you need to be more diligent about making sure the work gets done.

I’ve had the privilege to work with James for about the past year and a half on a number of different projects. Early on, I put two and two together and figured out what you all have just learned: he is a she. This didn’t phase me at all, and I felt much better about knowing the true identity of a person with whom I was doing business. (Incidentally, I could care less about knowing the true identity of my favorite bloggers. There’s a huge difference in relationships between bloggers and their readers, and between folks involved in a business transaction.)

For me, the whole story is an amazing study in freelance writing business branding.

Now, I’m going to sidestep the gender issue here, for several reasons. I’m not saying there’s not a gender factor in freelance writing business branding, or anything like that. I just want to ask you all to look at this through a different lens for a moment. In addition to the gender issue, or alongside if you prefer, I’d suggest there are several reasons that James and Men with Pens have done so well:

Distinct Branding Sells

If you’ve had any conversations with James, you know she’s not like other bloggers. She doesn’t write like a “mommy” blogger, and she doesn’t write like a refined “problogger” like Brian Clark either. No, James has a distinct voice. If you have to come up with a few words to describe the James Chartrand brand, they’d be things like: macho, humorous, Canadian. Really, how many freelance writing bloggers fit all three of those qualifiers?

The brand is distinct, and that has contributed to its success.

Quality Work Sells, Too

James’ writing, as well as Harry’s and all the rest at MwP, is decent writing. It’s insightful, entertaining and relevant. More than once, I’ve read posts from the MwP crew that have really helped my freelance career. I know from first-hand experience that the other writing (like web copy, sales copy and ebooks) that they’ve done are decent, too.  To customers, Men with Pens and James Chartrand has meant “quality.” A commitment to good work is part of the brand.

No One Is An Island

I’ll also toss this out there. While James is the star of the Men with Pens show, other folks played a big role in making it what it is today. For a long time it was just Harry and James, and then it grew to include others as well. The “James Chartrand” brand received a huge boost from those folks behind the scenes.  That doesn’t take anything at all away from James, but it does demonstrate that the whole can indeed be greater than the sum of its parts.

Again, I’m not saying gender isn’t a factor, which seems to be the thrust of James’ post. What I am suggesting is that life is rarely that cut and dried, and that there are other reasons the James Chartrand/Men with Pens brand is so hot.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, I can tell you that there is, in my experience, no James “persona.” The person you interact with as “James” is the same person, even when you know he’s a she.

As I see it, there are several sales models for a freelance business, all of which have amazing potential and none of which fit every situation:

Sales Model #1: Do-It-Yourself Sales

This is the sales model most freelance writing businesses follow. Most freelance writing businesses are a one-person shop. You wear many hats in your business, including writer, bookkeeper, salesperson, marketer and even janitor.

This model is fine, if you’ve got the time and if you’ve any good at sales. I started out like this, and I did all right. I was able to dig in and get advice from sales greats (like Zig Ziglar) and learn quite a bit on my own.

Some freelancers prefer this model because it gives them more personal interaction with their clients. Some clients are looking for this type of relationship, too, so it can be a win-win.

The problem with DIY sales comes when either A) you’re not very good at it, or B) you don’t have time to do it. Arguably, B is a problem that will work itself out. If you don’t have time for sales, you won’t sell anything, and you’ll have plenty of free time (but little income).

Sales Model #2: Hire a Full-Time Salesperson

Having a full-time dedicated salesperson will be a boon to any freelance writing business. Yes, I realize that it’s all about whether or not they’re any good, but if you hire them on a commission basis, you’ll figure out pretty quickly if they can do the job or not.

The upside to this model is that you’ll have plenty of work, and you have someone who can fill in the gaps when it comes to your skill set. It’s all right if you can’t sell: you don’t have to.

There are some problems with this model, too. This model works best if you’ve got some capital to invest to get the ball rolling. In addition, it can be very difficult finding someone who’s familiar enough with the freelance writing marketplace to be effective.

Sales Model #3: Share the Sales Load with a Partner

This is what I’ve done. My business partner (who also happens to be my wife) is a dynamo when it comes to sales. Before we were married, she sold real estate. She had plenty of experience with sales, and was good enough to have made a living doing it.

Your partner can take any number of forms. You might partner with a freelance graphic designer, for example. You might partner with a PR company. In my case, my partner also handles the bookkeeping. She does some writing, too, but only on topics she really enjoys.  We have a real synergy, and not just because we’re husband and wife. If you’re fortunate enough to find that kind of partner who can also do sales, you’re in great shape.

There are downsides to this model, too. Partnerships are a wonderful arrangement for small businesses, but they don’t always last. All of the dangers of running a business partnership are present. Should the partnership be dissolved, your customers probably don’t know you very well, and will likely follow your partner after the break. I won’t even get into the mess it can be when those partners also happen to be married (or related, or friends, or have any other personal connection beyond the business).

I can’t tell you which model is best for you. What I can tell you is this: if you’re not any good at sales and don’t have someone else out there pounding the pavement, your business is eventually going to die. You need to be able to close the deal or have someone that will close the deal for you.