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A Few Tips for Freelance Success

Having spent three decades in the freelance trenches, I’ve learned a thing or two on what it takes to succeed in this crazy biz. Following are ten (hopefully) helpful tips for both journeyman and novice writers alike:
1. Find a niche. Establishing yourself as an expert on a particular topic is a great way to keep the assignments coming. Just make sure it’s a subject with a lot of common appeal, otherwise you may find yourself writing only for low-paying specialty publications.
2. Be a general freelancer. It’s a wonderful way to learn (and write) about a broad array of fascinating topics. In my case, I’ve written features on everything from Marine sniper training to how to bathe a kitten, and I’ve enjoyed them all.
3. Don’t be afraid of the quick turnaround. Writers capable of turning around assignments quickly are an editor’s best friend. Be that kind of writer and you’ll work a lot.
4. Always maintain a high degree of professionalism. There’s a lot of competition out there, and professionalism in every aspect of the job will go a long way toward keeping you at the head of the pack. This means listening to your editor and delivering clean, quality copy before your assigned deadline.
5. Learn to interview well. This is one of the most important tasks a freelance writer must learn to master. Do it poorly, and your work will certainly suffer.
6. Hang around with other writers. And editors. And agents. Face time with others in the profession is a great way to stay abreast of industry changes and – perhaps most importantly – get (or share) work.
7. Keep pitching, even when your plate is full. In freelancing, you’re only as good as your most recent sale. So even if you have plenty to keep you busy, continue to send out queries and make contact with editors. You may not get a new gig today, but you might tomorrow when you really need it.
8. Don’t fear negotiation. Contracts are seldom written in stone, so don’t hesitate to ask for better conditions when you feel you’re getting the short end of the stick. If your requests are reasonable, most editors will say yes, or at least offer to meet you half way.
9. Read, read, read! There’s a lot of great journalism out there, so try to expand your literary horizons beyond the daily newspaper and your favorite magazines. I encourage my students to subscribe to Esquire, GQ and Rolling Stone, all of which regularly feature writers they can learn from.
10. Learn to occasionally say no. It’s easy to say yes to every offer that crosses your desk, especially if you’re a beginning freelancer eager to bolster your portfolio. But the smart writer is at least a little bit picky. When considering an assignment, ask yourself a few questions, including “Is the fee worth the time and aggravation?”, “Will this assignment challenge me as a journalist?”, “Would the time I’ll spend on this assignment be better spent in some other pursuit?” and “Will this assignment lead to more and better work?”
– Don

Another Guy Named Vaughan

My love affair with comic books is no secret. I’ve spoken often about my passion for this uniquely American medium, and I write often about comic book-related topics.

Many who haven’t read a comic book since their youth still think of them as sophomoric and juvenile — disposible pablum with no literary merit. To those people I have just two words and a middle initial: Brian K. Vaughan.

Brian is no relation to me, though I’d be honored if he were. Fans of the television show Lost may know Brian as one of the show’s more recent writer/producers. But before he got into television, Brian wrote comic books. Remarkably good ones.

The series that brought Brian to my attention was Y: The Last Man, which is the story of what happens when every male mammal on the planet suddenly dies from an unknown plague, save for one young man named Yorik and his pet monkey, Ampersand. It’s a remarkable story that literally spans the globe, and it offers some truly well-developed characters and sparkling storytelling. I’ve recommended this series to everyone I know who enjoys a good yarn, and none has been disappointed.

Brian is also the author of a one-shot graphic novel titled Pride of Baghdad, which is an allegory for the war in Iraq as told from the perspective of a pride of lions who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the first days of the American invasion. It’s a strong, very compelling story that will stay with you for a long time.

More recently, I’ve started reading another series by Brian titled Ex Machina, which is about a man who develops unusual “superpowers” as a result of coming in contact with alien technology, and who later reveals himself to the public so he can run for Mayor of New York. And that, my friends, is when things really get weird.

Brian K. Vaughan is an exceptional writer who just happened to choose comic books as his mode of literary expression. His stories are just as strong, compelling and thought-provoking as anything you’ll find in the literature section of your favorite books store, and I heartily encourage you to seek out his many series and give them a read.

Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

– Don

5 Great Reasons to attend Write Now! 2009

TAF’s second annual nonfiction conference is just around the corner, and you may be wondering: Should I attend? The answer is yes, and here’s why:

1. If you’re new to freelancing, this conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn from writers with years and even decades of national freelance experience.

2. You’ll have the opportunity to network with individuals who are in a position to advance your writing career.

3.  Writing is a never-ending education. You may think you know it all, but you don’t.

4. You’ll be able to share your aspirations with others who have similar dreams. Learn from each other.

5. We’re offering some great door prizes this year, including books autographed by best-selling novelist Jodi Picoult, and the legendary Ray Bradbury.

If you haven’t registered, do so now. Write Now! 2009 is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

– Don

When your writing rules YOU

It wasn’t so much an epiphany as a slow, gradual realization that I was no longer in control of my career. True, I was getting plenty of assignments, many of them lucrative, but I had fallen into the trap of accepting everything that crossed my desk in a frightened attempt to maintain an “income stream,” and in so doing I had killed the very thing that made me want to become a writer in the first place.

I’ve been writing for more than 30 years, and have worked steadily as a freelancer for 17 years. I entered freelancing in 1991 out of a desire to write what I wanted to write, not what others wanted me to write. But now, nearly two decades in, I was right back where I started, a realization that made me increasingly unhappy.

So one morning not too long ago I woke up and said, no more!

My problem, I realized, was that I had become lazy and complacent. I had developed bad habits that were keeping me from achieving my full potential as a professional writer. I had no one to blame but myself for the rut I was in, and it was up to me to climb out and start climbing up.

The first thing I did was resolve not to waste time on small articles for small markets. I wasn’t going to burn bridges — that’s never a wise career move — but I was going to politely decline the small stuff and more aggressively ask for larger, better paying features.

More importantly, I began jotting down the big ideas that had been filling my brain over the years, and identifying the larger, better markets that might be interested in them. This included, among others, Rolling Stone Magazine, Readers’ Digest, GQ and the larger inflight magazines. It might take me a while to break in, but I realized I never would if I didn’t start making the effort. These markets weren’t going to come to me, I had to go to them — and with my very best work.
Driven, I spent an hour and a half at Barnes & Noble evaluating markets and writing down pertinent contact information. Magazines that used to intimidate me are now targets in my sights. I may miss with my first shot, and maybe even my second and third. But eventually I’ll hit the target, and all of my efforts will have been worthwhile.

I’m also working harder and faster. I don’t procrastinate anymore. When I get an assignment now, I immediately get my questions together and move fast to arrange interviews. The faster I work, the more I work. And the more I work, the closer I come to my goal of writing what I want to write.

I’m telling you this because I want you to push and encourage me. Like the smoker who tells everyone he knows that he’s trying to quit, I want you to MAKE me work harder toward my bigger goals.

If you do that, I promise to do the same for you.

– Don

Where the *BLEEP* are My Files?!?!

Sunday morning I wake early from sleep, dreaming of the interviews on Monday morning. Or was it today? No, I’m sure it was Monday. A wave of uncertainty washes over. I hit the power button to my computer and go to feed our black lab who is whining to eat. When I return, the computer screen is black. I push the power button again. Nothing. I push the power button five more times hoping that the same action will yield a different result. 7am. My husband wakes up to a blood-curling scream.“My computer crashed! It crashed! And I have an interview tomorrow morning!!!!” I didn’t write down specifics since they were all in an e-mail from my editor, who is also out of town for the next week. Where do I go? What time? Monday 9am. I think. Maybe. Where? A church in North Raleigh. Calling Best Buy, we find out they open at 10am. Calming down, I keep myself busy, make breakfast, take a shower, get dressed. 9:45 am we arrive at Best Buy, along with another 50 people holding tickets to be the first to buy the Wii. At this point, I don’t even know what Wii is, looking at the picture of a guitar on someone’s ticket. Already people in line are complaining. Once making it into the store, a man pushes ahead of us in line. Barton bellow, “Excuse me!” Feeling guilty, the man backs off and insists we go ahead. The manager of the Geek Squad reads all the regulations for a 4-day information transfer, but she’ll push it ahead this afternoon.

When we come home, I am already scheming backup plans. I call our great mentor Don, who suggests I call the paper through out the afternoon. Barton and I spend several hours looking at churches in north Raleigh- is it that one? No, that’s too far out; it’s this one over here.

2:45pm I call Best Buy- taking over thirty minutes of recorded voices and being on hold to be told they can’t find the manager. I just can’t stand it anymore. I rush back down to the store trying not to mow down the gobs of people buying Christmas gifts. Finally, the tech. staff hands me a disk of retrieved files. They have to ship the computer out- for now, it remains dead.

8pm Barton and I stare at the computer screen of his old computer. First, the set up, creating a new log-on account and e-mail account. The sensor on the computer scrolls up and down, uncontrollably. There was a reason that Barton dumped this computer. 10pm We push file folder buttons to find the lost information scattered in some obscure place.

10:30pm Barton finds it and we import Outlook e-mails. We have found it!!!!!

Monday 9am, early to the interview, downing coffee to stay awake. In the afternoon, I am wrangling with Barton’s computer, taking three times the normal speed for me to type one word, and apparently it likes to freeze every ten minutes. I save after every word I type.

Later, our mentor Don writes, “Remember, no matter what happens, it’s not the end of the world. Keep repeating that and you’ll be fine.”

I’ll be repeating it; trust me, I’ll be repeating it.

–Megan Cutter

Elaine, Part Two – What’s unique about you?

Beginning writers are often told, “Write what you know.” This is because what you know—and especially what you feel passionate about—will roll off your tongue (and on to your computer screen) more easily than a researched topic. If you write about an area in which you have some expertise, your depictions will feel more authentic to the reader, and your words will ring more true.

Some aspects of freelancing are counterintuitive. It might seem to make sense to write about topics with general appeal in order to attract the greatest number of readers. In fact, it’s better to create a market for yourself by writing about what other people aren’t writing about.

This is one of the joys of freelancing. It gives you license to indulge your obsessions, to embrace your inner nerd, so to speak. The most quirky topic or hobby may prove to be the most interesting to a potential editor.

Think about what’s unique about you. What fan clubs do you belong to? What online forums do you contribute to? What hobbies do your friends tease you about? Try writing about your favorite episode of The Waltons, the best Clay Aiken concert you’ve attended, or the farthest place you’ve traveled to attend a Star Trek convention.

As News and Observer columnist Don Vaughan says in his April 20, 2007,column (www.newsobserver.com/nrn/vaughan/story/565896.html), “Don’t be ashamed – be proud! Stand up and let the world know. By admitting your passion, maybe, just maybe, you’ll open the eyes of someone who has never before experienced that particular joy. And that’s a wonderful gift to share.”

Don happened to be referring to his life-long interest in comic books. I would reveal what my personal obsession is, but I can’t right now. John-Boy’s coming on TV.

- Elaine Luddy Klonicki

Sexy good time. Not.

I read an interesting book while traveling to and from San Diego last week. In it, I learned that an editor to whom I had sold many articles many years ago was, during our stint together, an alcoholic and drug user, had contracted a bizarre STD from a strange girl with whom he had slept and, perhaps most disturbing of all…I’m sorry, I can’t continue. This bit of knowledge was so disgusting that I physically wince just thinking about it.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this editor worked for Hustler. His name is Allen MacDonnell and his book is a memoir of his time with the magazine titled Prisoner of X, published by Feral House.

Despite the horrifying nature of some of MacDonnell’s personal revelations, Prisoner of X is a fascinating read. It delves deep into the underbelly of Larry Flynt’s porn empire and reveals Flynt to be a publisher with a passion for crazy conspiracy theories who spent untold amounts of money on himself but held the pursestrings tight when it came to his employees. There’s a lot more I could reveal here, but this is a family blog so I won’t go into that kind of detail.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into publishing a magazine like Hustler — don’t deny it — Prisoner of X pulls back the curtain to reveal all. MacDonnell is a truly gifted writer and the book moves quickly. Truthfully, I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have written for Hustler. That gig allowed me to write about some really interesting things, and I was paid very well for my efforts. But now, knowing what really goes on behind the scenes, I’m not sure I could return to that trough.

Suddenly, I find the water tainted.

– Don

What I’ve learned

Just a few observations from several years in the trenches…

*Done is better than perfect.

*Most editors are kind, decent people.

*That said, a surprising number of editors deserve a smack in the head.

*No matter how much you get for an article, a small part of you will always believe you deserve more. It’s right.

*It’s smart business to continually expand your market base.

*Avoid the obvious. Freelance success comes from looking at the world from a decidedly different perspective.

*Perseverance also plays an important role in whether you succeed or not. Don’t give up, no matter how frustrated you may feel.

*Read as much as you can, and read as many different voices as you can.

*Sometimes you just have to say no.

More later…

–Don

In praise of ERB

I discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was in middle school — the golden age of awe and wonder. I ordered Tarzan of the Apes from a scholastic book club, devoured it and went hunting for more.

ERB is best known for his ape man, but he published dozens of novels in a wide variety of genres, including adventure, science fiction and westerns. The Tarzan novels, of which there were many, have always been my favorites, though I also enjoyed his Pellucidar novels, which take place in a strange, wondrous world far beneath the earth.

ERB has often been criticized as a pulp hack, but that’s an unfair assessment. He was, first and foremost, a gifted adventure writer who deftly crafted memorable characters and effortlessly transported his readers to amazing lands. His writing is rapidly paced with nary an unnecessary word. In other words, it’s fiction without pretense.

ERB was not an adventurer. He was a mild-mannered man who traveled little before publishing his first Tarzan novel in 1912. He had never been to Africa, and relied on pure imagination to bring the Dark Continent to life for his millions of readers.

There’s an adage in writing — write what you know. We’re lucky ERB wasn’t listening.

– Don

A new understanding

Are you mad at the downward spiral of what passes for news and public discourse these days? Ever wonder just what the heck happened? George Saunders addresses this issue in an article titled “The Braindead Megaphone” in the current issue of GQ Magazine (with Barack Obama on the cover). It’s one of the most well-thought out analyses of why news today says absolutely nothing that I have ever read. Please buy the magazine and read it — you’ll never watch the news (or television) the same way again.

The article is an excerpt from Saunders’ upcoming book, The Braindead Megaphone: Essays by George Saunders (Riverhead Books).

– Don