Dec
18
Several of my writer-friends have sent me Christmas cards this year, and I’ve had to tell them all that I’m opting out of sending holiday cards this year. I’m not even sending holiday cards to clients or prospective clients this year. I’ve got a few reasons, but my biggest pet peeve with cards is that they are a waste of trees. Coupled with a stomach illness that’s put me considerably behind this month, I just decided I wasn’t doing cards for anyone other than immediate family.
Instead of cards, I sent my regular clients personalized gifts. Since I don’t anticipate looking for a whole lot of new business this year, I figured focusing on the clients I want to keep would be a better goal than last year’s marketing efforts.
I made coffee mugs or mouse pads for most people. Some also got a bumper sticker. Cafepress.com is great for this kind of thing.
Of course, these sort of gifts take longer to make, and they’re more expensive. But at least maybe they won’t get thrown in the trash. And the time spent making a few dozen gifts took only the fraction of the time it took me last year to send out nearly 100 cards.
What do you do for your clients for the holidays?
Dec
14
When Do You Work/Write Best?
Filed Under writing from home | 15 Comments
I’m a night owl, so I am most productive at night. In the morning, I’m pretty much useless. The earlier I get up the more useless I am.
In the morning, everything distracts me. I’m all over the place, skipping from one blog to the next, trying to decide whether I want to use cinnamon or peppermint creamer in my next cup of coffee, opening new browser windows only to forget what it was I was going to look up. I’m a real mess until I’ve had at least three cups of coffee, and even then I’m not as productive as I’d like to be.
I get more done between 10pm and midnight than I get done all day. Part of this can be attributed to fewer distractions at home, such as email, client phone calls, etc. Still, I really do feel better at night, and that’s when I’m more focused.
I had an email conversation with Katharine a few weeks ago, and one of the things we chatted about was how we’d both experimented with our work schedules so we could stay up later and wake up later. I truly get more accomplished that way.
My groovy sleep-late schedule got ruined recently, because I now have two daily jobs I have to deliver before noon. Because of the nature of these jobs, I can’t do them the night before the way I’d hoped I could when I took the jobs. The situation’s really bumming me out on one hand. On the other, I’m holding out hope that I’ll adjust to the new schedule and eventually get more productive during my extra morning hours.
I’m curious, when do you work best? When would you choose to work if you had the option? Are you already working at the time of day you’re the most productive, or are you stuck adjusting like I am?
Dec
12
Your kids are revved up because school is closed, but you’re not so thrilled. Snow has you confined to your home office, but you can’t work because your power is out, your cell phone has sketchy reception indoors, and your cable internet connection stopped working sometime around midnight last night. What’s a frantic freelancer to do? Be prepared in advance.
Get a land-line number and an old-fashioned cord phone.
Sure, it’s the age of the mobile, so you might have ditched your AT&T connection to save $50 per month on a phone you no longer use. But in bad weather, reception might fail on your cell. And if you only have a wireless phone attached to your land-line, you’ll be out of luck when the power goes out.
Have a dial-up internet connection as a back-up.
When the cable is out, dialing up may be necessary. You can get a cheap dial-up service for $10 or less per month. It’s better to have it and not use it than be stuck in an emergency.
Have print-outs of your clients and contacts.
If your connection is down and your power is out, you won’t be able to access your online contact information. Keep a print-out of all important numbers, and keep the list updated. If you need to contact a client in an emergency to let him know you won’t be able to deliver, at least you’ll have the number handy.
How do you prepare yourself for such emergencies?
Dec
11
Top 10 Blogs for Writers Contest
Filed Under writing from home | 10 Comments
Michael Stelzner has announced the winners of his Top 10 Blogs for Writers contest, and I’m proud that this blog made the list thanks to the nominations of a few dedicated readers here.
If you haven’t already, make sure to stop by Michael’s blog to check out the full list of winners. Some are blogs I’ve already been reading, but I’ve bookmarked a few new blogs from his list.
Dec
10
Overcoming Fear of Failure
Filed Under writing from home | 4 Comments
Whether you’re afraid of giving up your day job to freelance or of breaking into a new niche, you’re not alone. One of the biggest reasons many people don’t take the freelance plunge is fear of failure.
Learn all you can.
There are many good books and websites online which offer practical advice for getting started and breaking in to almost any area. If you can afford to take a course or two, do it. Some classes may be offered online. The more you learn, the more confident you’ll become that you can do the job.
Practice.
No one gets good at anything overnight. I’ve heard copywriters say it takes 500 hours worth of writing copy to get to be good at it. Spend as much time as you can practicing your craft.
Don’t let fear stop you.
Most of the time, fear of failure can only be overcome by doing. You’ve got to prove yourself wrong to get it right. Get out there and apply to some gigs even if you fear you might not have what it takes. The worst that can happen is that you’ll learn you truly aren’t cut out for the work, and then you can spend your energy focusing on other things.
Related posts you might enjoy:
Tips for New Freelance Writers
How to Become a Freelance Writer - a Brief Guide for Chickens
Fear of Rejection Keeping You Broke?
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About Amy Derby
Formerly a corporate paralegal, I ditched the pantyhose to begin freelancing in 2004. I enjoy long walks to the coffee maker, never setting an alarm clock, and not wearing a bra to the (home) office. I can be reached at amy.derby (at) gmail.com.