The local bait shop offers an outdoor vending machine so fishermen in a pinch for worms after hours can drop a few quarters and swagger off with a cup full of nightcrawlers. As disgusting as this may sound to those of you who don’t spend a great deal of time in waders before dawn, it’s a damn fine idea. Last time I was in the shop, I asked the owner how much business his vending machine does. He said he only gets a few hundred bucks in change out of the machine each month, which is less than it costs him to run the power that goes to it, but that the machine draws in new customers and gets them joshing around about how tacky it is once they’re inside. Warm customers make for better sales, he says. And Bubba is right.
The best way to lure a customer is with live bait.
For freelancers, this concept translates into things we hermits may not like: being personable when we’d rather remain in isolation camp, being willing to take risks that could make us look foolish, being available after hours in some form or another when we’d rather be vegging out with a good book.
There are surely some exceptions, but I’ve never met a truly successful freelancer who hasn’t spent time going the extra mile for his or her clients, who hasn’t worked hard and taken risks, who hasn’t gone out there and gotten dirty in the process. Most of the folks I’ve met who have tried freelancing but soon dubbed themselves failures and gave up were ones who went into this thing expecting it would always be easy and on their terms — short workdays, simple gigs, constant flow of perfect jobs, no marketing, no talking to people, no sacrifice.
Successful freelancers are like good fisherman: willing to get up god awful early, put on ugly clothes, sit on a cold lonely boat, touch worms, cast and wait, and some days still never catch anything. When the fish are biting, all is good. But what about when they’re not? Successful fishermen switch ponds, or they switch baits, and so do successful freelancers.
A serious fisherman knows where to go to get the fish. He might have sought out the advice of a more experience fisherman, or maybe he tried and failed enough times to learn on his own. Either way, he’s probably seen more than one body of water, stood on land and on boats, tried his hand at various kinds of fishing. He’s learned which type of fish taste best, and he’s figured out which kind of bait those fish are biting.
My father used to fish with Wheaties (the cereal). He’d take an old t-shirt, pour a box of Wheaties into it, crunch up the cereal and mix it with just enough water that the cereal would ball up and hang on the hook. As kids, this was our bait. We always caught tiny, nasty carp — the kind any real fisherman would laugh at and throw back. We were in it for fun, not for supper. My father always said that if we wanted to catch something good, we would have to use live bait. But we never bothered. Daddy had a real job.
Some freelancers are only in it for fun. Others do this for a living. I write for fun, but I also write as my means of putting supper on the table. I’ve had to learn how to sell my services for a price that will keep me from starving. The best way is with live bait.
I talk to people. I network live, with real people, where ever I go. I network a bit online too. I take the time to answer people’s questions, chat with folks, visit their blogs and interact with them.
I lure them in with a message: this is what I can do for you. I extend my hand, show them my bait. This is what I’ve done for your colleagues and for your competition. This is how I could do the same for you. This is why I could do it in a way no one else could. This is why you should pay me a professional rate to do it this way, because what I do is worth it. Here, talk to these folks. They’ll tell you how great I am.
I could spend my time on a half-assed job hunt, pecking away at the job boards and sending boilerplate resumes and cover letters out on a blind quest to maybe one day land the perfect gig. But I choose to focus, to spend my time going after only the really tasty fish, because in the end I know I would be unhappy with the other way. I’ve tried it, and I’m not one for standing on the bank of shallow rivers tossing back carp.
Once I have them on the hook, I prove myself. I work hard, remain available, get them the results they want. But that’s a whole other metaphor…
What kind of fish are you after? How do you lure them in?
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This is an amazing post, Amy! You are so right. You really make me realize I don’t want to stand on the bank of the shallow river either. I want the really big, delicious fish! I wanna hang ‘em on my wall and keep ‘em for a long, long time!
You’re right about something else, too. Stepping out into those uncomfortable waters. It is SO hard for me to come out of my safe, cozy turtle shell, but it’s something else I’ve realized I have to do. I’ve had new business cards designed and I’ve started telling people everywhere I go that I’m a freelance writer and blogger. And not just telling them, but telling them - with actual confidence!
It’s already paying off. You’re a pretty smart gal. Thanks for all the amazing advice! It’s much appreciated!
*crawls back inside her turtle shell… just for a little while*
*smiles*
Michele - aka: JuiceGirl
Michele’s last blog post..Juice Fasting Cleanse: Do You Eat Processed Meat?
Oh, shit. This is so right it’s painful. It’s so easy to become hermity and not do live networking on the street but I know I’m going to have to. I just have no idea right now *how* in this little town.
I’m not actually after the really big fish but rather the little fry who have fantasy fiction stashed in their drawers, who are afraid of the publishing process because they don’t know what it entails and find it intimidating. They’re not sure how their writing is. They need handholding and general guidance. They are prolific writers but are sitting on their writing because they are not sure what to do next. They are people who write stories, novels, zines, fan fiction, blog posts, guest posts, fantasy mag articles and reviews. But they are not Pratchetts or RA Salvatores.
This is all new to me (I have a better client description than this, btw, on paper!) because I’m moving away from academic editing for university presses and national and international journals, which are really not that hard to get outside of this town and are all clients I’ve never personally met, to fantasy fiction writing. Many of those clients I won’t meet, either, at least in person, but I do want to get business cards out somehow. And as far as I know, almost all of BelleVegas, Ontario, is fast food joints, not fantasy fiction workshops or LOTR conventions…
Anyway, something to think about for me. Excellent post, Amy. You always write stuff I feel I should be printing and reading daily!
steph’s last blog post..In Other Words
PS. I like the changes you’ve made.
steph’s last blog post..In Other Words
Michele — Yes, those turtle shells are comfortable, aren’t they?
But I think you’re doing great. With all of your blogs, and even having family members out there telling people what you do, I’d say you’re doing SOMETHING right. 
Have a good weekend!!
Steph — I am glad you like the changes. I wish I had some nice fantasy novels sitting around for you. I’d say that in your case it’ll probably be networking with the right folks online that makes the difference. Freelance business writing is one thing, but fiction is a whole other thing — and editing fiction is something I know nothing about, other than to make the assumption that you would have to have some authors around whose work you can edit. (I’m smart like that.)
I am happy my post inspired you. Enjoy your weekend!!
Yep, they sure are! Thanks for the compliments! (I feel much better now.)
You have a great weekend, too. Oh, and I plurked this post!
*smiles*
Michele
Michele’s last blog post..Juice Fasting Cleanse: Do You Eat Processed Meat?
*chuckles* I found this via Michele’s plurk. Thank you for sharing it Michele! Very much worth a read.
This is a brilliant post with a fantastic metaphor. I’m beginning to learn how to lure the bigger fish with live bait. I think we all start by feeding cereal (in my families case it was corn kernals) to the guppies. We move onto live bait as we gain experience and confidence.
@steph: You may be surprised how many people eating in those fast food joints are closet writers. Look into the gaming cliques in your area. There are D&D/Magic/WhiteWolf/etc. gamers EVERYWHERE but they’re almost the underground if you’re not looking for them. Gamers are often fantastic writers in disguise. If you get the word out in your area you might coax a few out of the shadows.
Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s last blog post..Worldly Writing: Live another Life [MEME]
Michele — Thanks for plurking my post. (I still laugh thinking about “plurk” as a verb.)
Rebecca — You bring up a good point about the gamers. I have never fished with corn kernals, but now I am tempted to try it. LOL Thanks for reading my post.
@Amy - You’re welcome! hehehehee
Michele’s last blog post..Juice Fasting Cleanse: Do You Eat Processed Meat?
Hi, Amy -
I agree with the other Rebecca Smith (can’t believe there are two of us — how funny!): great post!
I “lure” my “fish” the same way you do: by getting myself out there and meeting the people I want to work for. Networking is not always in my comfort zone, but it almost always yields meaningful, satisfying work.
Rebecca Smith’s last blog post..Did I hear that right?
Rebecca — Remember when you first visited my blog, and I was like “OH I know you!” and then I realized you were a different Rebecca? Now you see why. LOL
I’ve found I feel a tiny bit less uncomfortable about getting out there and talking to people each time I do it. I’m hoping one day that feeling will go away completely… Here’s hoping. 
I DO remember that! So funny. I’ve since introduced myself to Rebecca Laffar-Smith on her blog. The irony is that I spent 25 years of my life as the one and only “Rebecca Tessitore.” Since I married a Smith 5 years ago, I’ve become one of many, many “Rebecca Smiths” …
Rebecca Smith’s last blog post..Did I hear that right?
Maybe you should hyphenate.
Amy,
Brilliant. Seriously brilliant.
I am just going to savor it a bit, for its truth and fun wrapped in a metaphor treasure.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..Small Steps and Beginnings
*chuckles* That is why I hyphenated. I didn’t want to be just another “Smith”. lol I remember when I was in grade school I had another last name there altogether and I got so excited to see MY name come up in the credits of The Flintstones on T.V. lol
Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s last blog post..Worldly Writing: Live another Life [MEME]
Amy,
Glad I’m back too, to deal with your hefty metaphors!
Excellent advice. There are many times I want to stick my head in the sand. I never realized how terrified I was selling myself. And I never used to be terrified when I had to sell something for someone else. Yeah, I have sold clothes, shoes, natural resources, the government, blah, blah, blah. But I feel meek now. I feel stupid saying, “Uh, I just took your picture, can you sign this model release?” There is just no good way of saying it!
Why is that? Why must I feel suspect? Because that’s what it is. Food for thought.
Your right about the tasty fish. It’s the only way to go. I lure them in with my specialized knowledge. Like you know lawyers? I know natural resources. But that’s only one species. I’m spreading out into the ecosystem.
Nice picture.
Another good analogy to fishing:
Some lakes are easily accessible. You can drive your car right to the boat launch, and pop your boat in. Those tend to get fished out very quickly, and you have to work harder to get any of the decent fish.
But if a lake has no road access (and you have to make a bit of effort to get there), you’ll be rewarded by MUCH better fishing.
It doesn’t take much…I’ve found lakes that only require a portage of a few hundred feet to get to. But that’s enough to eliminate 99% of the possible fishermen, because most people couldn’t be bothered to make the extra effort.
I suspect the same things applies for writing (and most things in life).
But in my case….it applies to just fishing (because that’s what I literally like to do)
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
“But if a lake has no road access (and you have to make a bit of effort to get there), you’ll be rewarded by MUCH better fishing.”
You know I am smiling Friar…even better are those places only accessible by boat or helicopter. Great analogy.
Portage. One of my favorite words, although I am not sure I can manage a canoe on my head.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..Small Steps and Beginnings
@Janice
That’s my dream…to go to a fly-in lake and experience some fantastic fishing. I have the time, it’s just a matter of the $$$$. But it’s on my short list of things to do.
As for portaging, it’s not that hard if you have a good well-balanced canoe with a good yoke.
I’m actually quite impressed with any woman who can carry a canoe on her head.
If I ever decide to get married, I might make that a pre-requisite for my future wife!
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
LOL!
There’s a reality show in the making!
Okay if the canoe is on your head, where to you put your gear?
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..2 Words
Janice — Thank you. Now you be careful with that canoe.
Rebecca — I just downloaded some Flintstones episodes from itunes over the weekend. Now I’m going to have to scan the credits for a Rebecca. LOL
Ellen — I can relate to your question about why must you feel suspect? It’s a question that has perplexed me, too, since I got into this freelancing thing. Rejection letters, no problem. But having someone reject me to my face is harder. Or, I should say, the FEAR of someone rejecting me to my face is harder. I always thought my self-esteem was good until I started doing this, and then I began to question whether I was really as confident as I’d hoped. If I was properly confident, I wouldn’t feel so many butterflies in my stomach, would I? Then I talked to a friend who is an actress, and she told me that she gets stage fright to this day. She is amazing. Seeing her on stage, you would never know she had an ounce of fear. She told me to think of it like acting. Act confident, even when I’m not. Sometimes the acting is what matters. The presentation. What they see, not what we feel. Somehow I’ve felt a little better about it since then. But I do feel like a fraud sometimes.
Friar — I like your fishing analogy better than I like mine. So unfair.
And I think “ability to carry canoe on head” would be a good qualification for a wife. That would weed out a lot of the drama queens. If I ever try this online dating thing everyone keeps prodding me to do, I think I’ll steal your line as my opener. “Must carry canoe on head.” Then my ad will continue, “This is not a metaphor.” 
LOL… never let them see you sweat and skills necessary: “must carry canoe on head”
great life advice and skill set.
…always refreshing here, Amy.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..2 Words
@Amy
Aww..don’t feel bad. I use fishing as an analogy for EVERYTHING in life.
But I concur with you. A canoe on the head says a lot:
A) like you say, the person isn’t a drama queen B) they like the outdoors C) they’re reasonably fit and strong and D) they’re a good sport.
The next reality show: Friar’s Search for Miss Canoe-Head 2008.
@Janice
The gear can be carried by the other person.
Or, if they’re a good sport, you can make them carry EVERYTHING at once with bungee cords and a knapsack.
(I’ve never asked the fairer sex to do that yet…but that would sure scare them off, wouldn’t it? )
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
Friar,
No fairer sex would wreck havoc with that request. Probably counter it with epithets upon your person and there you would be alone with your canoe….
….Calmly paddling out to a magic hour.
No, mutual portage..better way to go.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..2 Words
@Janice
….which is why men often prefer to go fishing alone
(But acutally, it’s easier to carry a canoe alone, they’re designed that way). A two-person carry is much more prone to creating more arguments….)
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
I just had this image of those two person costumes…no you’re the tail, no you are….
I am thinking I am more than happy to carry some gear for a guy while he carries the canoe, if I get to walk behind…
Hey, just being polite….
poor Amy, sorry, live bait..you were talking live bait…
Damn call of the wild…gets me every time.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..2 Words
@Janice
Well, you’re a much greater sport than a lot of women I know.
(Some, would refuse to even GO fishing, period. Even if they didnt’ have at carry a thing).
@Amy
Yeah, sorry we hijacked your post talking about fishing for new prospects…the metaphor suddenly became literal.
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
No worries on the hijacking yall. I have a class on Tuesdays which keeps me offline much of the day, otherwise I would be playing along. Fish away. Or canoe. I am kayak, hear me roar. LOL
@Friar: Dude, I can totally carry a canoe, and all by myself, too! Too bad I’m hitched; your search would be over.
No wait, but I dunno if as a vegetarian I could fish with you. I find it hard to watch!
What you need is a strapping canoe carrier and fish eater! How do you lure one of those in?
steph’s last blog post..Shut Up and Do It
@Steph
This is what I keep saying. The good ones are all taken.
If I knew how to lure those canoe-toting carnivorous women…I wouldn’t be logging about Claire Chaffington!
Friar’s last blog post..My Dog Basil is So Special
Friar,
Go to where women buy gear…for outdoor stuff.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..What Color IS an Island Shore?
Steph — LOL @ “a strapping canoe carrier and fish eater”!!
Friar — I can see your personals ad now: Man who calls himself Friar seeks canoe carrying, fish catching woman who is prettier than Claire Chaffington.
Janice — That’s a good idea!! Or maybe he should spend some time where ever it is you have been painting all those shells and such. An island seems like a good place to meet a rugged mate, no?
Chuckling here.
Well, that Island is uninhabited. We’re all imports by boat and helicopter. But hm…rugged, yes. Call of the wild you know.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..What Color IS an Island Shore?
Amy, thanks for that acting analogy. I never would have thought of that. Maybe I just have to divorce myself from the rejection and get inside of myself that is another person - like there aren’t a million anyway! Or just feel the fear and realize I won’t die from it. Just let it move through me.
Great post!
Here at Precise Edit, we reel in the fish that took the bait from other fishermen, but didn’t get hooked. They spit out the bait because they didn’t like it, and found that ours was much tastier.
Other times we are fortunate enough to reel in a fresh catch-supper for everyone at Precise Edit! It really is all in the bait. Some fish like cereal, while others prefer salmon eggs and fresh earth worms.
Amy,
This is an excellent–and apt–analogy and definitely one every writer should consider! You’ve made many great points in this post, and I definitely admire your penchant for using “live bait” to hook your “fish” and your advice to other writers to do the same.
Though it’s admittedly possible to find a decent gig by scouring the job boards, that seems to be the exception rather than the rule for most writers; and it’s just as true that this particular method of hunting down writing jobs can be such a waste of valuable time and effort.
Personally, I do check the job boards, but I try not to reply to every ad that looks even remotely like something I’d enjoy doing/be suited for. Instead, I try to pick and choose the job opportunities that most closely match my skills, experience, and interest. We waste everybody’s time when we apply for jobs for which we aren’t well-suited.
Like most other writers, I would probably benefit from using “live bait” a bit more often.
Thanks for this great advice!
Jeanne
Ellen — I divorce myself regularly. I like the way you put that.
Alina — It’s true what you say, that ’some fish like cereal, while others prefer salmon eggs and fresh earth worms.’ Very true. Thanks for visiting. I took a look at your Precise Edit website, and you seem to have a good thing going. Cheers to you on that.
Jeanne — Thanks for visiting, and I appreciate your comments. I too visit the job boards occasionally and will respond to the jobs I feel I would be a perfect match for. But, also like you, I find that wasting everyone’s time is, well, silly.
I’m happy you liked the analogy.
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