How to Overcome a Fear of Making Requests

Building a writing career requires making requests from people you know and people you don’t know. Your goal is to get other people to help you build your career. Whether you are pitching a potential client, interviewing for a job, cold calling a story source or trying to convince a company’s accounts payable desk to cut you a check early, you are going to have to ask strangers to do things for you. This is a challenge.

It is OK to Talk to Strangers

Fear of strangers is one of the most common fears in the world. Your parents talk you into this fear as a child. They tell you not to talk to strangers. They tell you not to take candy from strangers. A good parent drums a fear of strangers into their kids in order to keep them safe. At five years old, this is a very good idea. As an adult, it is time to put this fear behind you. Sure, the stranger in the dark ally may be a threat, but the one behind the desk or on the phone is the one who can make good things happen for you.

Rejection is not worse than a missed opportunity

The primary fear people deal with when talking to strangers (and even people they know) is the fear of rejection. They don’t send a query letter or call for an interview because they might be rejected. No one likes to be rejected. It is a blow to the ego. In the end though, a rejection is no worse than a lost opportunity. If you pitch a new client and you get rejected, you are still in the same situation as before. You may have lost some time and effort, but you’ve also gained a little experience. In the end, the worst that can happen is usually nothing. Nothing happens.

Good things happen

If you do make the pitch though, one of three good things can happen. The first is the most obvious. They give you what you asked for. The second is also good, they give you something else. They offer a different assignment, a different job, or even just the phone number of another person who might be interested. The third thing that can happen is a little rarer, but still more than a little possible. The person may give you what you want and more. You ask for an article, they assign you a series. You ask for a job and they give you a better job. It happens. It has happened to me. The key is, you have to ask. You have to face the stranger. You have to have the uncomfortable conversation. These are the keys to your success.

Prepare your pitch

One of the best ways to reduce your fear of rejection is to properly prepare for the conversation. Work through your presentation so that you go in knowing what you are going to say. At minimum you should have a specific goal in mind.

Be realistic about the risks (there aren’t many)

There are very few make or break conversations in your life, and I am telling you right now that calling a potential client isn’t one of them. One of the primary ways that people sabotage themselves is by catastrophizing. Catastrophizing occurs when you expect the worst to happen, especially in situations in which the risks are moderate or low and the reward is worthwhile. This can result in a sort of paralysis, keeping you from taking on new challenges or assignments because you can only conceive of failure. All of the negative possibilities stack up in your mind and seem realistic no matter how improbable they are.

If you find yourself doing this, stop and write down the worst thing you can reasonably expect to have happen from a single rejection.

Calm yourself down

Here is a very quick relaxation exercise that you can do anywhere without attracting attention.

1. Expand your stomach
2. Take a deep, long breath
3. Hold your breath for about three seconds
4. Exhale slowly and completely as you let your shoulders and your jaw drop
5. Picture pleasantly cool water flowing from your neck and shoulders down your arms and legs

Remember that success happens too

Take the time to remind yourself about the benefits of having your uncomfortable conversation. Whatever your goal is, picture how it will benefit your life if you make it happen. There’s a reason why you want to have this conversation.

For Further Reading

• Getting Past Your Fear of Pitching
• How To Cope With Rejection As A Freelancer
• Writers and rejection: don’t give up!

Freelance Writing and Organization

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

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

2009 Writing Blogs in Review

It was an exciting year for those of us who publish writing blogs. It was a year filled with sex, murder, betrayal and affiliate marketing. Without further ado, let’s get to our top five headlines for the year.

She’s a Man Baby! Wait, Freelance Switch that…

James Chartrand came out of the closet wearing women’s underwear and packing heat. That’s right, our favorite he-man Harley-riding, gun-toting, profanity-spewing, mommy-blog-bashing, front-man for Men with Pens turned out to be a woman. Hearts were broken. Words were spoken. A hubbub ensued and now James is hiding out somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, which is pretty much where she lived anyway. Sadly, that takes the number of regular male commentators on my blog from three to two.

Deb Ng Destroys the Freelance Writing Industry

Shockwaves reverberated across the planet when Deb Ng signed a deal with the devil, which turned out to be a rather unassuming content company called Demand Studios. She had the gall to endorse, not just run ads for, a company that pays people to write blog posts. The amount this company paid was less, LESS than people wanted them to pay. As a result, all freelance work stopped and the global economy spun out of control. Thanks Deb!

The Golden Pencil Gets Rubbed Out

The once great writing blog The Golden Pencil, after changing writers (We still love you Anne!) and generally getting kicked around by B5 Media, disappeared. Attempts to visit it reroute you to everyjoe.com… blech. They didn’t even bother to archive the content. It’s like a getting big, sharp splintery pencil in the eye. Stay gold Pony Boy.

Fake AP Stylebook Proves Blogging is for Suckers

Fake AP stylebook started tweeting on a Monday, got an agent on Tuesday, wrote a book on Wednesday, was turned into a James Cameron film on Thursday and is currently being considered for a cabinet position in the Obama administration. Tweeting is the new blogging and blogging is the new Lindsay Lohan.

Micheal Stelzner Declares Someone other than CopyBlogger the #1 Writing Blog

Just kidding… that will never happen.

How to use the Web to Find Writing Jobs

• 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:

• Journalist Resume
• Intern Resume
• Staff Writer Resume (PDF)
• Technical Writer Resume

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.

Read more

How to be a Better Freelance Writer

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.

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