How to Set Personal Boundaries
January 26, 2010 by John Hewitt · 3 Comments
Knowing what your boundaries are and how to maintain them is important for anyone, and it is especially important for writers. Writing is a task that requires concentration and a certain amount of peace. Constant interruptions and turmoil make it difficult to write as a profession. More importantly, allowing clients, employers, friends and family members to violate your boundaries can not only cost you time and patience, it can cost you money.
Determine what your boundaries are
Most people never proactively think about the behaviors and events that test their boundaries. Take the time to evaluate, in writing, what you believe your personal boundaries are or at least should be. To put it simply, decide what bothers you. Boundaries may be based on such things as physical contact, emotional abuse, improper requests, time wasting, inappropriate information, or abuse of position.
Determine how well you have been enforcing your boundaries
Once you have figured out what your boundaries are, evaluate how well you have been enforcing those boundaries. You probably are better at enforcing some boundaries than others. Figure out which ones need the most work. Think of actions you can take to improve the situation.
Figure out who your main violators are
Make a list of the people in your life that you feel violate your boundaries. In many cases this will be specific people. In other cases it will be classes of people such as clients or editors. Figure out where the violations are coming from.
You must change your own actions
Protecting personal boundaries is your own responsibility and comes from your own actions. When someone attempts to violate your boundaries, you need to be the one to tell that person or show that person that you will not tolerate their behavior. This means getting used to saying the word no. It also means following through on any statements you make. Often, someone who is used to violating your boundaries will be reluctant to change their behavior. They may try to escalate or they may try to test you in other ways. It is up to you to stand firm.
Boundary setting statements
Some things you can say when you set boundaries:
- No
- No, thank you
- I can’t do that
- That is inappropriate behavior
- I will not be treated that way
- I will not be spoken to that way
- I am not responsible for your issue
- I don’t have time in my schedule to do that
- I am not the proper person to come to with this problem
- We need to stick to our original agreement
Other ways to set boundaries
Sometimes a statement will not do the trick. Direct confrontation is a proactive way to solve the problem, but it is not always the best answer. Some other things you can do to set boundaries are:
- Change your location. This can be as major as moving to a new office, or as minor as walking away.
- Become unavailable. Don’t answer the phone or check email when you are working on something important. Limit the opportunities for people to contact you.
- Delegate. Suggest that another person is better for the task.
- Use silence. This works very well on the phone and it works well in person if you are good at maintaining eye contact. When an inappropriate request comes, don’t say anything. Let the other person realize that they have made an error and in many cases they will change the situation on their own. If they don’t, now is the time for a simple no.
An immediate response is best
The sooner you set a boundary, the easier it will be to enforce. Sometimes, you will want to set boundaries in advance, such as informing people what hours are appropriate for contact or writing down a clear definition of the work to be performed.
Cutting off contact
As I said previously, some people will not respond well to the boundaries you set, especially if it is a new boundary or one that they are used to violating. Most people will adjust to boundaries quickly, but sometimes people simply won’t stop. The best thing to do with these people is to cut off contact. Stop talking to them. Stop responding to their requests. Drop them as a client. If it is an employer or co-worker, you may need to get human resources involved or even find a new job. These are difficult choices, but sometimes uncertainty is better than continuing in an unhappy situation.
Freelance Writing and Organization
January 20, 2010 by John Hewitt · 6 Comments
One of the keys to developing a successful freelance career is getting and staying organized. Freelance writing has chaotic moments. Assignments come in bunches. Clients change their minds. Checks arrive late. Your personal life clashes with your professional life. These things happen. Some chaos is to be expected, but the better you manage and organize your professional (and even personal) life, the better you’ll be able to deal with chaos when it comes and get back on track when it is over.
There are four key areas that need management and organization if you want your freelance writing career to run smoothly. Those areas are task management, time management, workspace management and money management. Here are the basics that you need to keep in mind with each of these areas.
Task management
Task management is essential to gaining control over your professional life. You need to keep a running list of all the tasks that you need to accomplish. This can be daunting, but it is necessary. Beyond just listing the things that need to be done, good task management means taking the time to think through and write down the steps you need to take to successfully complete each task. Another key to good task management is deciding what has priority and what you can handle. It is ok to list some tasks as “nice to have” or “when life gets less crazy”. Setting priorities is important. It is also good to realize what you can handle. When the mind is fresh and you have tons of energy, the most creative and difficult tasks should be worked on. When you are low on creativity or energy, it may be time to look at the simpler tasks that can be accomplished with minimal mental or physical effort.
Time management
Between time management and task management, I put a priority on task management. As a freelancer though, you cannot afford to ignore time management. Clients often set deadlines, and those deadlines must be met. In order to do this properly, you need to keep careful track of when items need to be turned in and set milestones for getting those assignments finished on time. This can be as simple as keeping a whiteboard list of milestones and deadlines. It is also a great way to make use of calendars, both physical and electronic.
Workspace management
Workspace management is quite simply the creation of a workspace that enhances your productivity. This can mean different things for different people depending on how they work. Some people keep all of their files on paper. Oother people prefer to keep everything in the computer. Most people strike a balance somewhere in between. The key to workspace management though, is to make sure that the things you need the most are available and easy to find. This means assigning spaces for specific items and tasks. It also means taking a little time each day to make sure everything is where it should be. If you make this a habit, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes at the beginning or end of the day.
Money management
Money management is especially complicated and especially crucial for freelance writers. Because you cannot count on a steady paycheck, and must instead rely on clients to pay you according to the terms that you work out. Keeping an emergency fund is the key to staying afloat. Many freelance writers pay their bills in advance. When a big check comes, the first thing I generally do is pay the mortgage, car payment, electric bill, and Internet provider for as many months ahead as I can. It makes it easier to keep working when I know that the four things I need the most are covered. Other people set aside the money and leave themselves flexibility for what they need to pay. That is great if you can trust yourself not to spend the money on anything foolish. Use the system that works for you, but take the time to get your finances in order.
For Further Reading
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
- 27 Great Tips to Keep Your Life Organized
- 9 Things Freelancers Should Do Before the End of the Year
7 Ways to Become the Victim of a Poetry Contest Scam
January 11, 2010 by John Hewitt · 5 Comments
The number of people who get ripped off by poetry scams every year is incredible. These scams predate the Internet by at least a hundred years. Don’t be a victim.
Don’t do any research about the people holding the contest
The simple truth is that most contests that spend more than a little money on advertising are trying to make a profit. Most legitimate poetry contests have small prizes and a local focus. That doesn’t mean the one you found is bogus, but it is a good idea to check.
Join contests that advertise big, big prizes
Do you actually think that lots of rich, nice people are looking to give away big prizes for a single poem? Does that make sense to you?
Expect your poem (first one you ever wrote) to win a big money
Sure, thousands of other poets probably entered, but your first effort will beat them all. That is a reasonable outcome, right?
Buy their stuff
Do you think that when you win a contest, you should have to pay for a commemorative plaque, buy the book your poem is in, or pay for a trip to a conference? If so, by all means fork over your money. Everybody deserves to win an out-of-pocket trip to Las Vegas or Miami.
Avoid becoming a part of the legitimate poetry community
People who are a part of the poetry community around them learn pretty quickly about what is and is not a legitimate opportunity.
Pay that reading fee. The reading fee is a staple of how for-profit poetry contests work. If a contest offers a $10,000 prize and the reading fee is $10 a poem, they only have to find 1001 suckers, I mean contestants, to start making a profit. Of course, that is without all of the “runner ups” who pay for copies of the books their poems appear in.
If it sounds too good to be true then it MUST be true
If you want someone to take all of your money, make this your mantra.
For Further Reading
- The Street Smart Writer: Self Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World
- Three Scams Freelancers Face and How to Avoid Them
- 12 Ways to Protect Yourself against Writing Scams
How to use the Web to Find Writing Jobs
January 4, 2010 by John Hewitt · 6 Comments
- Revised 1/4/20010
In the days before the web, job searches could be difficult, slow, and in many cases expensive. Your main free resource was your local newspaper classifieds, and it only told you what jobs were being advertised. The classifieds didn’t have a word to say about how to get those jobs. To get career and job search information as a job seeker you needed to visit career counselors, employment agencies and job services. The web has made the process of finding a job much easier. There is just as much work involved as before (maybe more) but there is no longer a lack of information. If anything, there is too much information, which is why I am presenting this handy guide to finding writing and editing jobs using the web.
Decide on the Right Writing Job for You
You can’t begin a job search until you know what job type or set of job types you want to pursue. If you’re reading this article then you at least know what field you want to work in, but there are many different jobs within this field that you may want to pursue, from proofreader to public relations writer to proposal writer to web content writer. There are many resources on the web that you can use to research writing careers. Here are a few:
- Glossary of Writing Careers
- Salary.com a guide to pay ranges for different careers
- Designing Your Writing Career
- Writing Career Finder
Create a Writer’s Resume
Until you have a resume, you’re really just fantasizing. There is a lot of advice on the web about writing resumes. Different people advocate different approaches. I have been on the employer side of a few job searches, and in my experience there is no single best way to write a resume. The most important general rules are to keep it professional looking, don’t use more than two pages and make sure your name and contact information are at the top. Beyond that, opinions vary greatly. For writers, a list of publications in which the writer’s work has appeared is often included. The important point to remember is that, as a writer, a well-written resume is more important for you than for just about any other career. A person looking for a job as a lab technician or a computer programmer might get away with a poorly written resume, but a person who wants a job as a writer had better be able to produce a well-written resume. Here are some how-to guides:
- How to Write a Resume
- How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume
- Resume Basics for Freelancers
- 36 Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work
- Online resume mistakes you may be making
Here are some samples of writer’s resumes:
Another excellent method to develop your resume is to use online tools such as the resume generators at monster.com and dice.com. You are going to want to have your resume listed on these services anyway, so you might as well use their tools to help you along.
How to be a Better Freelance Writer
January 3, 2010 by John Hewitt · 6 Comments
Be a Professional Freelance Writer
To be a successful freelance writer, you need to look like a professional. You may write in ripped jeans or pajamas, but your work should be immaculate. Your queries should be well-written, clean and perfectly formatted. Your finished products (and anything else the client sees) should be of equally high-quality. Every time the client deals with you, the client should feel as if that they are dealing with a professional who will deliver a professional product. Nothing you ever show the client should look rushed or casual.
Be a Reliable Freelance Writer
Nothing is harder on the freelancer / customer relationship than missed deadlines. Do not commit to a deadline unless you are sure you can handle it. Once you do commit to a deadline, never let it slip. For the most part, this means working toward finishing all of your projects well ahead of schedule. If you agree to produce an article in three weeks, your goal should be to finish it in two. Do not leave tasks until the last minute. If your work requires input from an editor, an expert or a client, get that input as soon as you can. Don’t wait until the day before a deadline to ask your questions. By then you are already running the risk of failure.
Be a Desirable Freelance Writer
While it is true that you can give a customer exactly what they asked for and still not give them what they want, your best chance at success is to follow their instructions. When a publication publishes submissions guidelines, read them and follow them. When an editor tells you how long they want your article to be, make it that long. When a customer gives you unclear instructions, ask for clarification. Make sure you know what is expected of you and do everything you can to meet those expectations.
Be a Marketing Freelance Writer
At some point in your freelancing career, you may have assignments stacked up for months and so much work that you can’t possibly imagine looking for more customers. Even then, take at least some time out of your week to promote your services. You never know when the magazine that ordered five articles from you over the next five months might go out of business. You never know when a customer who promised you “a ton more work” as soon as you finish the current project might suddenly lose a contract or decide to hire a permanent employee to do the job. The best way to prevent lulls in work is to always have more assignments coming. If you get so busy you can’t seem to handle all the assignments coming at you, there are always solutions. You can farm out some work to fellow freelancers or hire yourself an assistant to research articles, handle your accounting or even do your laundry. The solutions to not having enough work are always harder to find than the solutions to having too much work.
Be a Happy Freelance Writer
Don’t be afraid to put an end to a situation that no longer works for you. You may have started off with a real passion for writing about travel. After a few years though, you might begin to think that your own bed is the only bed you want to sleep in. You may have a client that never seems to pay their bills on time. You may have a client that pays well, but is simply too hard to please. These are the sort of stressors that can make freelancing seem less and less attractive. Before you give up on the whole concept of freelancing, ask yourself what you can change to make the situation better. Sometimes you have to let clients go, or change your focus or just take a vacation. If money becomes an issue, you might consider a part-time job while you review your options. Whatever the case, don’t let bad situations linger. Control your freelancing career. Don’t let it control you.
How to be a Productive Writer
January 2, 2010 by John Hewitt · 1 Comment
Aspiring writers often have trouble when it comes to sitting down and writing. Writing requires time and focus. People underestimate just how much commitment writing requires. Even professional writers get bogged down by seemingly endless projects or by the distractions of every day life. Productive writers find a way to get back on track.
Here are five tips to help you increase your writing productivity:
Set Aside Specific Time in your Schedule to Write
Productive writers set aside specific times to write and they use that time. One of the differences between an amateur writer and a professional is the way they treat their writing time. If writing is something you do in your spare, unscheduled time, your productivity will suffer. Most people never allow themselves to have spare, unscheduled time. If they do, they wind up sitting in front of the television set because they are exhausted and they need to relax.
Reduce Your Overwhelming Project to Manageable Pieces
Productive writers like progress they can measure. Novels are intimidating. Sitting down to write a novel is a daunting task. Sitting down to write a chapter is a little better and sitting down to write a scene seems much easier. Large projects aren’t finished in one session or even a dozen. Setting daily goals with specific targets allows you to control what you are writing. It also gives you a greater sense of accomplishment when you meet those goals.
Increase Your Accountability
Productive writers hold themselves accountable for their work. If you set a date for the completion of a project, or even a project phase, that deadline will help motivate you. Making that deadline public will motivate you even more. When it comes to writing, peer pressure is an excellent motivator. If you join a writer’s group it requires you to present and discuss what you have been writing on a regular basis. It gives you a reason to keep working even when the project gets tougher. If you find a friend who also needs to be more productive (it doesn’t have to be a writer) you can take turns reminding each other to get back to work. Accountability will keep you focused.
Find a Better Place to Write
Productive writers know that their environment matters. When your work space is also as your living space, it can create problems. People like to associate home with relaxation. When you introduce work to your home life, it blurs the lines between work and relaxation. This often results in less work and less relaxation. Find a space outside the home to write. If you can’t afford an office, try your local library or a restaurant/coffee shop that provides wireless Internet. You may not need to go there every time you want to write, but it’s good to have a place to go when you need to focus on your writing.
Pick the Right Type of Writing
Productive writers find ways to write. In many cases, people choose projects that aren’t suitable for the amount of time they have to devote. For example, a person who only has three hours a week set aside for writing, and who has to divide that amount of time into two or three sessions, is going to have trouble writing a novel. Novels are extended, time-consuming efforts and the delay between beginning a novel and completing it can make the entire effort seem wasted if something goes wrong. If you only have a little time, try writing poetry, short stories or personal essays. Those projects are manageable on a tight schedule and will give you a better feeling of accomplishment. When writing is going well, you often find more reasons to write. Eventually, you may be ready to commit the time necessary to write a longer work.
