From Bunny Slippers to Business Plans
Mags are folding. Newspapers are tightening their belts. Writers everywhere are freaking the eff out.
It’s only natural that — for many — desperation has set in.
But I worry about the effect it’s having on the industry at large…an industry that has not seen the per-word rate rise in years, despite inflation.
The biggest offenders? Bidding sites, like Elance and Guru, and blog malls like Examiner and Today.
After the jump, the seven things that bug me about these sites:
For all you New Jerseyans out there, tonight is the first NJ Blogger/Web Designer Meetup of the New Year.
My husband has succeeded in convincing me to go with him. This is mostly because the meetup takes place at Panera Bread (in Fair Lawn, NJ), and I could really go for broccoli & cheddar soup in a bread bowl. And those chips.
If you’re in there area, I’d love to see you there!
I’ve been trying to read more freelance/career blogs lately, and I hit the jackpot last night when I found the blogroll over at Monster.com’s blog. In addition, I’ve been meeting some great people through both Twitter and Brazen Careerist.
I don’t want to hold out on you here so, in the interest of forging new connections, and spreading around some pretty awesome content, here’s some of what I’ve been reading since the start of the new year:
[$21.95, Crate & Barrel]
On December 31, I posted a New Year’s resolution over at Modern Materialist, wherein I vowed to start pitching again. At the moment, my goal is to have 10 pitches out at any given moment (setting a specific goal is so helpful; Rachel Rose over at Notes on a Whim is doing the same thing).
I’m already up to five, so I’m feeling good about things. But I have to admit, my collection of magazine back issues has dwindled considerably, mostly because my filing system for them was crap, so I had to recycle, recycle, recycle.
I’d like to set up a new system for keeping the back issues I so often refer to when pitching. After the jump, some pretty-as-heck magazine files:
Now that the new year is here, it’s time to step things up here on Freelancedom. To that end, I’ve been researching forum software, social bookmarking plugins, and advertising programs.
Learn more, after the jump:
In My So-Called Freelance Life, Michelle Goodman wrote that a good way of controlling your overwork tendencies is to “have somewhere to be ‘after work.'” It was this suggestion that made me think about starting up a regular happy hour for freelancers in my nabe.
Being a bit clueless about who actually lives near me, however (and by “near me,” I mean NJ rather than NY), I began to consider another means of connecting with my fellow freelancers: community bulletin boards.
2008 started out strong. I was finishing up an internship at Material Media (of Nerve and Babble fame), and gearing up to take on more hours at the New York Sun. And then I was chosen to be a blogger for Modern Materialist.
Soon after that, I realized that — only six months after leaving my full-time job in academic book publishing — I had matched my previous salary. I reveled in my blogging gig, was content with my regular copy editing gig at the Sun, and was also doing freelance work for several book publishers. I even got the occasional writing clip. I began planning for more.
I continued my self-education, and began blogging about blogging for Smarter Than Your Average Blog (a gig I eventually left behind). I also began considering a path toward career coaching, and career-related writing. I did extensive research and conducted informational interviews. I was all set to enter a certification program when everything went to hell.
The Sun folded, and the rest of the industry (not to mention the economy at large) followed suit. I no longer had the income necessary to sign up for a coaching certification program. I floundered trying to figure out whether or not I was cut out for freelancing, and what I even had to offer. I struggled unsuccessfully to find a part-time job in the publishing field.
I’ve since gotten a number of new clips (see here, here, here, and here), but I have yet to take advantage of the momentum, and suffer from mood swings and lack of motivation. Can I turn things around in 2009? Perhaps. If I’m willing to learn from my mistakes.
After the jump, 10 things I did wrong in 2008:
My goals for the new year?
To focus less on blogging and more on publishing independent pieces in additional online and print publications.
To save up the money for a career coaching certification program.
To stop worrying about money.
To fit into my jeans again.
Lofty and admirable goals all, not to mention unimaginably daunting.
How can I set the right goals for 2009…the types of goals I can actually accomplish?
I know I just did up this whole post on maintaining professional decorum, but I’m now feeling distracted by the extreme comfort I’m feeling at my slippered feet.
I know. It’s nothing new. Work attire has been devolving for years now, in addition to office environments and professional communications.
In fact, I’m part of the problem. From the very moment I entered the corporate world 5 and 1/2 years ago, I was completely unable to keep up a sense of professional decorum. My business attire became business casual, before eventually becoming an odd mix of too much cleavage + too much frump. My work e-mails were breezy and flip. I couldn’t bring myself to wear dress pumps (I figured black sneakers were close enough…).
Still, those who have work to offer are still appreciators of traditional practices, and an adherence to these practices nowadays can make eager professionals stand out from the rumpled crowd.
After all, aren’t we supposed to be dressing for the job we want, and not just the one we already have? (she says, as her toes dig into the fleece lining of the boot slippers her brother bought her for Christmas…)
After the jump, how to retain your spunky sense of self (we’re freelancers for a reason, after all…) while still maintaining an air of professionalism:
