Re-inventing Yourself as a Writer in Today’s Hi-Tech World

Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last 20 years or so. So much so that it could have left you in the dust. What made for success in the 1980s and 1990s just won’t cut it today. So how do you re-invent yourself? The answer lies in creating a new business model—one tailored for today’s publishing industry and today’s readers.

To be successful today, you have to be passionate about what you do. While this sound s obvious, it’s even more important in a world run by technology. Readers no longer have just the printed page to turn to for information. Now they have billions of sites on the Internet that opens up an entire world of information.

Secondly, you have to write with a purpose—to fill an informational need, not just to get paid. With all the blogs online and ebooks to read, it’s a sea of information, so standing out on that great ocean can be a challenge. Creating personal, publishing, and community goals that inspire you will help you achieve them.

Today, you have to go beyond normal prose which originally involved only writing on your part and reading on your reader’s part. Today, you have to set up a system of sharing your content. While that may take the traditional form of print media, you should investigate all the opportunities to share your work with online communities.

Use your passion for writing to serve others. Crowdsourcing has now become a reality as creative entrepreneurs fund their projects by asking for it from the people who matter most—their readers. You need to build strong relationships with engaged, committee communities who want to help you because they know, like, and trust you.

After you’ve developed these online relationships, you must make yourself and your work continuously visible to them. Subject integration is the key. Once you write about a subject, explore all the possibilities for sharing that information. Tie articles to blogs and Web sites and vice versa.

Previously, you may not have considered test-marketing your work. But in today’s information filled world, that’s almost a necessity. While you wouldn’t have to test market an article or short story you’re submitting to a traditional publisher, you should do so with any project you’re planning for digital media.

Promote yourself. Before all this technology, all you had to so is produce writing that editors liked and were willing to publish. Today, you have to promote yourself directly to your readers. And the technology to do that is out there.

Above all, you have to remain professional. Maintain a positive perspective about publishing. Run a business that creates a steady stream of scalable content in as many forms, media, and countries as you can.

Build a brand—a business that readers can look to for creative and innovative content. Try to find the essence of what you do and build on it. Maximize your ability to innovate and be creative. Think outside the box.

Make the effects of your efforts sustainable. Begin with people and end with profit.

Finally, create a plan, have patience, discipline, and faith in yourself for the long term. And when you’ve achieved success, no matter how small, celebrate.

Communications for the 21st Century

Times have changed. Technology has changed. Communication has changed. And that means a lot to a writer since communication is the focus of any writing business. However, even though writers write to communicate with their readers, some find it hard to know which form of communication to use when communicating with their editors and clients.

For years, the only forms of communication were the telephone and the letter. Both worked well but they had their limitations. Then came fax, which allowed you to send documents and contracts over phone lines.  Businesses embraced fax as a way to send documents instantly.

When Email first appeared along with the Internet, it was basic—used for short messages between researchers. Students embraced Email as a way to exchange cryptic messages. They thought it cool to be able to communicate with one another in a language on they understood. But this wasn’t the way to communicate as a business owner.

Phone communication, while still a talking medium, has now become a text messaging medium. And while you can use this for personal communication with friends and family, you shouldn’t use text messaging for business communications. Cell phones now give you the ability to call anyone from anywhere. They also enable people to call you any time, anywhere. With cell phones dawned the era of instant communication. So how do you take control of phone communications.

Remember, you don’t have to answer the phone just because it rings—no matter how tempting. Voice mail, caller ID, and answering machines allow you to take control of your incoming calls.  In just about any business, Mondays are the busiest days for incoming calls.

Prospective clients shopping for services may choose whomever they reach on the phone, so you might miss an opportunity by not calling back. That thought is brought about by the convenience of a cell phone. You carry your cell phone on your person—it’s instantaneous. And while you may have the urge to answer every call, doing so will seriously eat into your writing productivity.

Also, answering every call no matter where you are at the time will seriously interrupt your life, as well as put you in potential danger if you do it while driving your vehicle.

When you talk to new callers, be sure to get their direct-dial number so you can save time going through the whole series of numbers for different departments—press one for this, press two for that—if you have to call them back.

Your outgoing message on your voice mail or answering machine should be your calling card to everyone who calls you. Make a good impression and elicit important information from your callers with a “power message.” This is a message you script, rehearse, and deliver with enthusiasm. Type up all the messages you use and keep them in a folder in your computer, then they’ll be available whenever you need to record a new message.

Finally, call editors when it’s absolutely necessary. They’re busy people. If you don’t hear from an editor in a reasonable amount of time or if your situation has changed and you can’t get the job done by your deadline, then do call your editor. Don’t send an Email since your editor may not read it in time. Another trick is to call during the lunch hour when your editor may be out. This way you can leave a detailed message that he or she will get when they return but not take up their valuable time.

Next Week: I’ll be taking a look at Email and electronic communications and how they fit into today’s business communications.

Today’s Rollercoaster of Freelancing

Remember the days when rollercoasters were the most fun ride in an amusement park. The cars crept slowly up the incline, seemed to hesitate for a moment, then gravity took hold and they plunged to the depths, riders screaming all the way.

Today, the cars still plunge, the riders still scream, but at ever-increasing, sometimes dizzying, speeds. Believe it or not, the same thing is happening to freelance writing.

Technology has taken rollercoasters to literally new heights with more curves and many more screams. It has done the same to freelance writing. Since the 1990s, computers have changed the way freelancers do business. They’ve allowed writers to work anywhere and find information on practically any subject in seconds. But those same computers have also given editors an extra edge that previously only freelancers could provide them. You’d think all this technology would provide loads of publishing opportunities for writers, but unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Sure, there are loads of additional opportunities for writers, like blogs and ebooks, but most of these pay little or nothing. And as a freelance writer, you can’t live on that.

Technology has also cut into traditional freelance markets. And while communication happens in an instant today, there are more writers out there than ever before—all trying to make a go of it as freelancers. That number also includes all those editors and staff writers who lost their jobs because of publications closing.  So even if you think you’ve sent an idea to an editor quickly, someone else will have sent the same idea faster and gotten there first.

Freelancers used to use the U.S. Mail to not only send queries with ideas, but also finished manuscripts. Today, if you don’t use some sort of electronic form of communication, you’re out of luck. However, there are still some editors who haven’t adapted to 21st-century communication and insist writers send everything by snail mail.

In today’s freelance writing environment, writers experience higher highs and lower lows. When they fall, they fall hard. So much today depends on the idiosyncracies of technology.

For instance, one writer developed a long-standing regular gig writing content for Web sites.  The same person, his biggest client, owned a group of sites. He began pulling some sneaky tricks, trying to get more hits on Google. Google discovered this and pulled all of the client’s sites from its listing which effectively knocked out his sites, putting the freelancer out of work.

Because many people get their news from the Internet and T.V., the newspaper market, which provided many freelancers with bread-and-butter work, is virtually dead.  And while there may seem to be more magazines available today, many specialize in one subject. And a specialty market will only support a limited number of publications.

Controlling What Comes In vs. What Goes Out

Let’s face it, unless you’ve just written a best seller and have sold the movie rights to it, you won’t make a whole lot freelancing. That’s the truth and there’s no getting away from it. So to maximize your profits, you have to control your expenses—and not just your business expenses.

To set up a good system to control your overhead, you should take a look at how other small business do it. The first, and most important, thing to do is to keep careful records of what you spend on every item and review the figures regularly. Keep an eye out for bargains and buy in bulk at a discount when you can. Use credit wisely—but don’t become dependent on it. Create a budget and stick to it. And lastly, update your equipment when you can afford to. In other words, put some money back into your business.

You'll want to measure your success against the cost of it to see where you can cut corners and still maintain your needed writing routine. While the latest and greatest computer and phone equipment might be nice and will impress your friends, neither is necessary to conduct your freelance business. In fact, you may not want to buy the latest computer with the latest operating system.

For example, let’s say you have some programs that you know how to use well. It’s likely that if you upgrade to the latest Windows, for instance, those programs will no longer work on your system. You’ll have to go out and buy new ones or new versions of the old ones and that takes money. Plus, you’ll have to take the time to learn the new programs and that takes time and time is money. The same applies to your phone. If you have to have a cell phone, then consider a prepay plan like Tracfone that will enable to you to keep your costs in line and not give you another bill to pay every month.

How you handle the basic, materials of your trade is a matter too important to ignore. However the thought process may begin, you’ll soon find yourself composing and refining your thoughts on paper. Perhaps you’ll begin in longhand on a legal pad. Or maybe you’ll go directly to your computer and compose on the screen. Keep an eye on how you use paper. Do you really have to use fresh sheets for your notes? Why not print out your notes on the used pieces of paper? Likewise, do you need to buy special note pads or can you employ the backs of used envelopes to jot down memos or to-do lists? This may sound frugal, but it does save money. And while you’re at it, why not reuse those large envelopes in which you get other mail. Of course, in all cases, the envelopes shouldn’t have more than an address and return address on them, both of which you can cover over with labels and new addresses. To reseal them, buy some clear shipping tape.

You'll be dollars ahead if you study religiously every tip that comes your way regarding items you can get for less or, better still, for free. Know what you need and be on the lookout for sales. For example, you know you’ll need to buy additional print cartridges for your printer, so why not buy them from a discount house like LD Products and take advantage of their occasional sales and free shipping on weekends.

When you need office supplies, don’t make a beeline for your nearest Staples or Office Max. Instead, check online first and keep an eye peeled for sales of printing paper at your local supermarket when school begins in September and at drug retailers like Walgreens.

Today, you don’t even have to buy books new. There are plenty of places to buy used copies, both online and at book sales. And don’t forget that you can still borrow them from your local library, and they won’t cost you a dime unless you return them late.

Look at each item on your budget, including food and utilities, and examine alternatives. Can you use another service, such as UPS, in place of the U.S. Mail and save money? You don’t have to spend hours clipping coupons to get bargains.

Also, consider how you do your research. Technology in general has enabled people to spend far less for communications. Not so long ago, you would have had to pay hefty long-distance charges to interview someone across country—and even worse, within your state. Today, most phone companies, both cell and land line services, offer package plans that include long distance—one amount for all services per month. While before you would have had to keep a phone log of each call, today you needn’t worry about it. Instead, you can deduct a portion of your phone bill for your business.

You can even conduct interviews or get the information you need by E-mail. An advantage to using E-mail is it enables you to send the questions you want to ask ahead, so that your interviewee can prepare, resulting in a more productive interview. It also enables those who speak English as a second language to get an assistant to send you the answers to your questions in clear English, so there will be no misunderstandings.

Finally, you’ll need to record your expenses so you can interpret them as you go. There are a number of programs that allow you to do this. Try to find one that will let you record each expense right after you pay for it, then will let you compile all your expenses for tax purposes.  Splash Money from www.iambic.com is one such program that works with smartphones, tablets, laptop and desktop computers.

Master the Possibilities

The now-famous phrase, “master the possibilities,” used by Mastercard in its promotional campaigns also applies to freelance writing. But with freelancing it’s less about whipping out your credit card than figuring out how to find markets for your work.

Before you go searching, however, you have to figure out exactly what type of writing you want to do. Are you planning to write articles for publication, either in print or online or both? Or are you more into business writing, preparing press releases, ghost-written articles for trade magazines, and such? While you can work in both directions, it’s better to chose one and stick with it. And while both require the same writing skills, each requires a different mind set.

It used to be that publication was more insular. As a freelancer, you’d send your pieces to publications that might print them and you’d get paid. Today, with the advance of technology, the publishing world has exploded with what seems an endless list of possibilities. Unfortunately, just as there are many more opportunities to get published, so are there many more, especially online,  that don’t pay anything. And you can’t live on those. With the ease of online publishing and self-publishing through e-books, many more would-be writers are finding it easier to get published, even if they have to do it themselves, thus by-passing the hurdles of the traditional route. So competition is fierce.

To begin with, you need to check one of the primary annual market guides—Writer’s Market or Literary Marketplace.

The first on the list, Writer’s Market, published by Writer’s Digest Books, has been around since 1921 and of the three is the least expensive with a list price of about $30. It features over 6,000 listings of newspaper and magazine markets, book publishers, including small presses, playwriting and screenwriting markets, and even those for greeting cards. Each listing gives you the information you need to see if your work will fit. And while there are many markets in which your work will be a good match, there are 10 times as many that it will not. And while the two-and-a-half-inch book has it’s good points, it offers a lot of markets that just don’t pay well or not at all.

Literary Marketplace claims it’s the “ultimate insider’s guide” to the publishing industry. For a whopping $339, it ought to be. It offers 54 sections in which it organizes publishers, agents, advertising agencies, associations, distributors, and events. It features twice the number of listings as Writer’s Market, but concentrates mostly on book publishing. Since its cost is prohibitive, you’ll have to use it at your local library.

Whether you use one or the other or both of these annuals will depend on how well you’re repeatedly tapping certain markets, how good you are at selling spin-off material, and where you wish to focus your publishing efforts each year.

As you progress in your freelancing career, you’ll find more markets that aren’t listed in the above annuals. Publishers of all kinds choose whether they want to be published in them. Many refuse because doing so opens them up to receiving tons of correspondence from too many wannabee writers who have neither the skill or talent to write well. They prefer to be more selective. Also, new technologies create new markets. In the last five years many opportunities have opened up for educational and recreational material for home and school computers.

Because editors play musical chairs and their requirements change regularly, it’s a good idea to use the latest version of each of the annuals. It’s important to know the exact name, spelling, title, etc., of a publication’s editor. If you’re going to impress editors, you must get their names right.

In the case of Writer’s Market, you can check out last year’s edition from the stacks at your library, find what publications look good, and make a list of them, then go back to the library and find those on your list in the latest edition in the reference section and note the changes. Because of the high cost of Literary Marketplace, you’ll have to do all your work on the reference edition at the library.

You can keep up with changes during the year by watching the market columns in Writer's Digest Magazine and The Writer, the only two magazines devoted exclusively to writing. You can also subscribe to the Writer’s Market online and catch up with changes there.

If you've decided on a specialty, you'll subscribe, I'm sure, to the best publications in your chosen field, or track them down regularly wherever you can. If you’re serious about book publishing and not just publishing a book, then reading Publishers Weekly regularly at your local library is a must.

Whether markets appear to be a broadening or a row of locked doors is entirely up to you, your energies, ambitions, and skills as a writer, promoter, and, most importantly, a salesperson.

It’s Not What You Say But How You Say It

Clarity is very important to a writer. I have to make sure that what I say is clear to my readers because, even in this age of technology, they can’t contact me easily and ask a question about what I wrote. In a previous post I spoke about $20 words–those words that are beyond the average reader’s vocabulary and which they can’t get the meaning from the context. But there’s another side to clarity.

Since the economic downturn and last year’s fluctuating gasoline prices, I’ve noticed a marked increase in deceiving wording in the weekly brochures of the supermarket where I buy my groceries. Sometimes, it’s the fine print–I must buy four of something selling for 4 for $10 to get the discounted price. Another ploy is that an item is only for sale at that price on a particular day of the week. But the latest has been the lack of clarity in the ads in the weekly circular. Many times I’m not sure what to expect until I get to checkout.  And often I end up paying a higher price because I didn’t understand the ad in the first place.

Sure, what you say is important, but how you say it to your readers is just as important, if not more so. Don’t expect your readers to make a leap. What you perceive as clear to you may not be to them. This could be leap in time, a leap in place, or a leap in understanding. How many times have you said something to someone, who is obviously hurt by your comment, only to quickly add, “I didn’t mean that.” If you didn’t mean what you said, then you should have said it another way. The same applies to writing. But it’s even more critical here because you can’t say, “I didn’t mean that” to a reader you don’t know and can’t see.