As a freelancer, there are few things more important than protecting your work and, by extension, your career. This can be difficult to do -especially if you work in creative spheres – because many people honestly believe that everything they find online is “fair use.” We, of course, know better. So how do you keep the randos from stealing your hard work and using it for their own gain?
Here are a few tips that have helped us. [Read more…]
Who wouldn’t love buying a new computer every year or every time something new (and better) comes out? If you think about it, spending money on a new computer is an investment. In our line of work, that device is the money-maker. Without a computer, we can’t work.
However, we don’t all have the luxury of being able to purchase a new one regularly. Sometimes, we even have to bear with a dinosaur of a computer which bogs down at the worst possible moment.
Been there. Done that. I don’t even have a t-shirt to show for it. [Read more…]
The number of tools freelance writers can use to manage every aspect of our work keep growing. Some can be incredibly useful for creating a more productive writing process, while some may actually slow you down. The problem is that these tools are not universal. That means that you’ve got to invest time into finding those tools that actually work for you.
Even as simple as what you use to actually write can have an impact on your writing. Most writers can identify differences between the types of writing we do with pen and paper and what we do on a computer monitor. It’s not necessarily better or worse — it’s just different. Personally, I have a much harder time writing fiction when staring at a computer screen than researching and writing non-fiction.
When it comes to writing tools, you may have to kiss a lot of frogs — the only way to see what works can be a matter of trying out a demo account or a free version of anything you’re considering working with. The really tough part is that it can take long-term use to find certain types of weaknesses. For most of us,it’s generally not worth trying out a new system unless there’s something seriously wrong with an existing system just because of the time involved.
But if you are ready to make a switch, put yourself in a position to actually evaluate the tools you’re trying out, rather than just going for it. If you can put together some numbers on how long certain types of projects take you with your current system, you can determine the usefulness of a new tool right away. If you spend a lot of time just trying to get your research in order, for instance, finding a tool that lets you organize and search your research quickly is going to make a lot of sense to use regularly.
Most of us don’t need the newest tools or the shiniest gadgets, no matter how appealing they are. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t buy new tools, of course — I have an iPad and I certainly enjoy it. But it is useful to approach the tools you use for writing at least somewhat conservatively. Changing every week isn’t likely to be necessary and, in fact, many changes can actually slow you down as you adjust to a new tool, even if it’s more efficient in the long run.
When I first began working as a blogger, b5Media was at the top of my list of places to work. I mean, Liz Strauss, Brian Clark and Darren Rowse, all bloggers I looked up to, were part of b5Media. As someone who wanted to make a name for myself as a blogger, I felt this was a positive step in the right direction. My little freelance writing jobs blog was doing OK, I had some lucrative freelance writing clients, I just started working for About.com as their guide to Weblogs, a b5 gig was the icing on the cake…and I got in.
I dug the vibe. I made many friends and I learned a lot, especially with Darren Rowse’s regular blogging lessons. There was one problem; in order to bring in a decent paycheck I had to work my butt off. My goal with b5 was to work with the best bloggers in the business so I could learn to build my own stuff. However, the more I blogged for b5, the less time I had for my own blog.
Something interesting was happening though. I was writing over 100 blog posts per month for four different b5Media blogs and earning more with my own stuff. I was also beginning to burn out. Trying to make monthly quotas and traffic bonuses was taking its toll. Little by little I began letting my b5 blogs go and when I was offered a full time job as Community Manager at BlogTalkRadio, I gave it up for good.
b5Media made me realize my biggest blogging mistake. I spent so much time building up someone else’s brand, I wasn’t paying attention to my own. My freelance writing blog was doing well… damn well. If I had invested all those hours I put into someone else’s stuff into my own, it probably would have hit years ago.
Soon after I left , b5Media laid off many of their bloggers, cut pay for many more, and ceased production on many of their smaller blogs. Partners were fired. Some popular b5 bloggers were hired full time to continue popular blogs or blogs left behind by fired bloggers. Speculation and nastiness ensued around the web. As I watched b5 change from this happy, bloggy commune to a content portal I was sad for my friends at b5 but happy I made the right decision. The whole community element was gone. Everything I dug about the place was gone.
Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot. However, it was sad to see such a once mighty and promising blog network crumble. It also made me think about my own blog which was being built into a network. Though I don’t rely on VC funding or a board of directors, will it last? Will we continue to grow? I hope so.
I think b5Media’s downfall was that they were too big. They opened blog after blog after blog. They didn’t take the time to build and grow one blog at a time, it was an all or none effort. Beyond the above-referenced A-listers, most blog readers would be hard pressed to name many b5Media blogs or bloggers. The names aren’t as important as the brand. Now b5Media is as impersonal as it gets.
I’m in a better place now. I am grateful for my b5Media experience, but realize that if I put the energy into my own stuff that I put into theirs, my blogs would have started earning and growing years ago. I understand this isn’t an option for everyone, but it’s a good personal reminder.
Is it more important to build your brand or someone else’s? Where is your own time best spent?
What are your thoughts on the b5Media situation?
If you hung out on Twitter for any amount of time today, you may have learned b5Media had yet another round of layoffs. This time both part time and full time freelance writers for that content site were locked out of their blogs and shown the door.
Some of the laid off writers were with b5Media since its inception about five years ago. It’s a sad day for a company that once held such a great buzz and terrific vibe. I was a blogger for b5Media and the experience was valuable (blogging lessons from Darren Rowse, I mean, does it get any better than that?) and enjoyable. As you can imagine, my heart was heavy when I learned the news. b5Media closed its entertainment portal in order to make way for a brand new portal called Crushable.com
Now many b5media bloggers are looking for freelance writing work. Last year, a couple of of writers were hired for full time work at b5Media, after many of smaller blogs where shut down and those bloggers laid off. For the full time writers, today’s discussion regarding the egg/basket thing doesn’t necessarily apply. However. many of b5’s freelancers were also let go. Some of them did nothing but blog for b5. Now, they have to scramble.
As someone who has seen many web content sites and portals close shop leaving writers in the lurch, I have been advising writers not to put their faith in one client and one client only. No client whether it’s a magazine, a business, a private client or a blog network is ever a sure thing. Businesses dry up, magazines cease publication and, yes, content sites close doors. I’ve seen this happen to at least a half dozen sites over the past ten years.
I’ve had clients provide me with enough work to keep me fat and happy for months and then all of a sudden have to put a halt on things when times get tough. I worked for a publishing company where several magazines folded leaving both full time and freelance workers out of steady gigs. I know what it’s like to lose work when a client doesn’t have money for freelancers anymore. However, I always had another client or two (or three) in place so the cash continued to flow.
No job is forever. No client is forever. Spread your eggs around, folks. Now isn’t a good time to be out of work.
