Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with writing and freelance

How much to charge for a catalog essay?

serial_consign — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:00:13 -0800

How much should a freelance writer charge for a catalog essay? An emerging artist peer asked me to write an essay for an upcoming show of hers. As a freelancer I know one generally tends to "ask for as much as they can" (and not blink) - but I really have no clue what the standard fees are for this type of gig. Anybody have experience and insight to share here? If it matters - I'm guessing this document will be 1000-1500 words.

Will a newspaper job inch me closer to a career in public relations?

sureshot — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:46:48 -0800

Job_Offer_Filter: I'm a struggling freelance writer trying to (someday) break into the pr/communications field. I've just been offered a staff writer position at a small local newspaper. Does accepting the job inch me closer to my desired field? Or just burden me with a ton of unmarketable experience? So, my background:

4 years out of college, doing my best to flex my English/Creative Writing degree. Over the past three years, I've established myself as one of the top arts writers in a large, non-Chicago Midwestern city. I have regular columns in the glossy monthly, aimed at young, hip, and moneyed readers. I am a regular contributor to an alternative weekly, and I fill in for the big daily's art critic when she is sick or on vacation. I also get to do occasional speaking engagements, juried art shows, etc.

Problem is, none of this has evolved into full-time work. I've worked random odd jobs since graduation, some vaguely related to media--wrote audio description scripts for a year, wrote back cover copy for paperback books at a small publisher, picked up random corporate copywriting/speech writing/press release writing projects here and there. I've been unemployed and broke a lot. I'm now working 30 hours per week as a paraprofessional at a local public school, while still doing all my writing stuff on the side.

So now I have an actual job offer:

Staff writer/reporter position at a pair of small, neighborhood newspapers. A small local publisher, hanging on by a thread. The staff seems overworked and underpaid. The job calls for 10,000 words per month, writer pitches/plans all stories (in a very broad range of subject areas), deadlines every two weeks. Some nights and weekends. The pay is low. $30,000 (salaried, which means no overtime pay).

I don't see a future in newspapers. And print publication, though a true love of mine, is not my final career goal. I want to sneak my way over to the other side of the media. And I'm not sure that amassing more print clips is the way to do that. But print journalism is much closer, industry-wise, to pr/communications than teaching, so maybe a year or two at a paper would narrow the gap for a career leap. And perhaps I could learn enough new media skills (video and sound, slide shows) to balance out my increasingly-obsolete print portfolio.

The alternative would be to stick at this part-time school job until summer (when I will be laid off) and devote myself to a long-term, strategic job hunt. Get an on-line portfolio up, maybe start a blog. Network like crazy. By summer, I"d be ready to launch a targeted, nation-wide search. And if the fish aren't biting, I just go back to the school in the fall and keep at it.

So. All of this nattering is to simply ask: Will a newspaper job get me closer to where I want to be? Or is it just another detour?

Any recovering journalists out there starting a new life in PR?

There's no way I'm going to J-school: What can I read, instead?

AAAA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:08:38 -0800

What books can I read that will give me some idea of what it might take for me to make my living as a writer or journalist? Before you ask, yes: I know what's happening with journalism right now. Clearly, this isn't the decade to be thinking about making a living with writing of any kind, but when I think about some of the alternatives, well... none of them are particularly attractive to me at this point in my life. I can write, I can perform research, and, what's more, I like to do both those things. I'd like it even better if those were the only things I ever had to do to make my way in the world.

So I think I should try becoming a journalist.

The trouble is, I don't really know where to start. I've published a few articles in different places over the course of the past year, and I've been paid--so I know I'm capable of writing professional (or near-professional) quality stuff.

But aside from the actual writing, most aspects of the trade are still pretty mysterious to me. I don't understand the business side of things (what's a "query letter" supposed to be like?), and I don't understand how a journalist behaves during the information gathering parts of the process. I've had to contact sources for some of my projects, but when I speak to them I'm never entirely certain that I'm doing it right (assuming, that is, there's even a "right" way).

I know some of you are journalists or journalism students. Can anyone recommend some good reading material that will help me learn some of the non-obvious aspects of the trade? I'd also be interested in personal stories, but I'm mostly looking for things to include on an independent reading curriculum. In other words, if J-school didn't exist, what would you, as a starting writer, choose for your personal textbook?

How to professionally manage freelance writing about my industry?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:30:26 -0800

How do I successfully do freelance writing (my night job) about my industry (my day job)? I work in a high-tech industry that is a small, close-knit, incestuous community. As a result, I know most of the key players in it, including CEOs, startup founders, etc. I myself work for a high-profile startup. I'm incredibly passionate about this industry and it's been something I've been psyched about since I was in high school.

Along the way someone happened to notice I was good at writing, so I started being paid to blog about my industry. This worked out fine, and I was completely open about it with my employer, who just wanted any company-related material to be run past our PR folks before I posted it. Then I was asked to write for a somewhat related print magazine. Recently I've been asked to write for an industry analyst report.

This is all very cool, and I've discovered I really love the writing. It's also been a real success for me professionally, where others in the industry will recognize my (somewhat odd) name from the writing I do, and a new professional relationship starts from there. But what was early on an easy agreement with my employer has become occasionally awkward with my entire professional network. Now I'm being asked to speculate about a new company started by an entrepreneur I'm on a first-name, familiar basis with, or to interview a friend whose research project is press-worthy, or to put a writing colleague in touch with a higher-up at my company.

I know the basics -- I have told editors I will not write about my own company or its immediate competitors, and I know where there are lines not to cross when a friend has talked with me off-the-record, over drinks, about their new company or project, but the information is still considered business confidential. If I do need to talk to someone as a writer, I usually start the email/conversation by mentioning that I'm now wearing my "reporter hat". However, I'm starting to see where things could get more difficult to navigate in the near future.

So what I'm looking for is advice on how to manage friendly professional contacts when they're sometimes journalistic contacts. Alternatively, I'm interested in better ways to communicate boundaries to my editors, and how to identify those boundaries in the first place without compromising my usefulness. What are the best practices here?

Here are samples of my work, and you can click here to read my opinions on Obama!

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:49:22 -0800

How would I best go about making a web-based writing portfolio with limited internet abilities? I am a former newspaper journalist now working in academia, but I still do freelance writing assignments from time to time. Most communication with clients is done through e-mail, and when asked for samples of my work, I typically send an MS Word document with 6 or 8 pieces copied and pasted from their various sources. I would like to find a more professional way to do this, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on how.

What I want is some sort of simple URL link to a easy-to-browse collection of my best or favorite work -- the kind of thing that I could send by e-mail, have in my facebook profile, etc.

My HTML abilities and time are extremely limited, so buying a domain name and building a fancy freelance site are kind of out of the question. Instead, I'm considering either using a pre-packaged portfolio service like inkspot.com, or a free blog like Wordpress or Blogger. If I went with a blog, which is where I'm leaning at this point, I'd choose a dozen or so articles I've written and link them as blog posts. Where necessary, such as with certain stories behind a newspaper paywall, I would excerpt parts or all of the story as the post, with some disclaimer of copyright. I have good relationships with all of these publications, and don't foresee any copyright issues.

So my question is: how cheesy is this approach? Would you, as a magazine or newspaper editor, or marketing executive, etc., see my use of a blog-as-portfolio as unprofessional or cheap? Any better ideas?

How does one get into the business of writing stories for video games?

metalheart — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:26:19 -0800

Tell me what I need to do, or which bums I need to kiss, to write a storyline for a video game. I love to write, and I am actually pretty good at it. (Yes, more than just my mother, friends and pets have given me reason to believe this, so no worries there.) I also happen to be interested in usability issues and video games, and so I find video game writing fun. The challenge of making an interactive tale somehow sensibly structured and usable for the player is enjoyable to me. I like having to think about what players might do that isn't intended (i.e., them trying to "cheat" the game or find holes in the story). It would be great to write somehow in the gaming industry, even though I know most things are highly competitive and may have poor payment for the amount of work one does. I don't care, honestly.

The thing is, I don't really see a clash for good writing in this field, not always, so I'm unsure of how to get into it. I play a lot of games, and I'll go out on a limb here and say that it seems like only a handful of companies and titles really give much thought to stories and plot lines (e.g., Portal, Bioshock, Braid). There's such a focus on gameplay and visuals at the moment that the writing is unfortunately overlooked sometimes; I think what often happens is the developers write the stories. (It shows.) So, is there even a way to get into this?

I'm specifically interested in stories in first person shooter games, as well as in adventure puzzle games, like the Myst or The Longest Journey series. RPGs can be nice, but the big titles are fairly formulaic ("Our town needs you! Please go collect these items to save the day and go on to the next quest!"), so I'm not sure how much real, creative work would be in that. I love the creativity found in many indie games, so that's a possible outlet, but I'm concerned about just jumping into that culture, as indie games sometimes have a tendency to never be finished. I think I'd rather be involved with an established company, but I can be talked out of that if given enough reason.

So yes, just out of personal interest, I'm curious what the hive mind knows about professional game writing and how one might go about getting involved, particularly on a freelance or contractual basis. I'll take a guess that ass kissing and elbow rubbing comes in somewhere and that it would help to have previous experience of varying kinds. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

You know my name, now gimme my money!

Wavelet — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:24:26 -0800

Freelance writing: how to indicate that you would like compensation for your work after an article has been accepted? I'm new to this freelance writing stuff. As luck would have it, the first article I wrote and submitted was accepted for publication - this is to a large and popular website (within the limited field that I'm interested in writing for). However, although the editor's email was very positive, and they want to make it a feature article, there was no mention of pay.

This is a well trafficked site with a number of big name professional writers (again, within the aforementioned limited field) writing for them, who I assume are not working for free. The article submission guidelines did not mention compensation one way or the other. So, uh...how do I hint that I would like money? If worst comes to worst, this is a wonderful clip to have for my portfolio, but my primary interest in freelance writing was to generate some scratch.

How to make money off eHow?

spacefire — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:46:32 -0800

Can one make decent money (over $100/month) by writing eHow.com articles? If so, any tips? I just started with eHow.com, wrote five article but so far no earnings. I got some good tips like using (keyword trackers) to find out what people are searching for, also finding articles similar to what you wrote and clicking "I did this".

what are some other successful strategies in getting the best bang for the buck, or rather buck for the bang? I think with minimal research I can write a good article about any gadget or tech/computer related topic, which should definitely be things people are searching for...

Reed mai werds pleez

Miko — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:23:20 -0800

What does a writing portfolio look like these days? I'm interviewing for nonprofit jobs, many of which have a strong writing component. I also freelance for local magazines and newspapers and have just started doing web content writing. I expect to keep going in all these directions.

But I'm a little unclear as to how writers collect and present their writing today, especially when it's across formats. I'm familiar with the idea of an online portfolio, but I have a lot of work (magazine pieces, grant narratives) that are not linkable online.

What is the best way to go about collecting and presenting my writing, especially for interview purposes? Is it better to make everything into PDF format and host it on your own site as a portfolio? Or is it still worthwhile to bring hard copies to interviews?

Thanks for any perspective you can give.

The interweb killed my attention span.

pseudostrabismus — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:41:51 -0800

I have the attention span of a gnat. I find it incredibly difficult to get any meaningful work done. I seriously cannot even get up from writing simply to change a CD without being distracted by something shiny and then falling into a two-hour timewarp and then I look up and it's 5pm and instead of working I'm brushing my cat and I still haven't even changed the damn CD, and nothing gets done.

I think my attention span fell apart for three reasons:

1. I went freelance and now have less external structure to keep me productive.

2. I got a laptop and now spend about 6 hours a day online, sometimes working, but more often clicking around the internet. The ability to keep switching my focus by clicking to a new page seems to have trained me to change mental channels constantly, and drastically shortened my tolerance for boredom. I read an assload of stuff online, and can easily get focussed on something interesting, but if it's boring... NEXT.

3. The work I do now is much harder than the old work.
I did okay when a prof or boss would give me an assignment and a deadline. I could just cough something up, revise it, and get it in on time and reasonably well-done, without caring too much. All my writing was a re-explanation of something I already knew or had just researched, no problem- there's pretty much a "right answer" for that kind of work, and the job is just to write the right answer with some finesse. That I can still do.

But now I'm trying to shift my work, so that I mostly write fictional things that I have to generate myself. There are so many possibilities, none are right or wrong, and just considering the ideas daunts me, let alone writing iterations of those choices. And I really want my writing to be perfect, so the easiest way to do that, obviously, is to procrastinate. There's no deadline, no accountability, and the work itself isn't fun. Sure, the reward of "having written something" is great, but the process of "writing something" kicks my ass.

This is the real problem, I think; how to kill the brain-imps who would rather I have a sparkling clean apartment and an unwritten screenplay forever?

I've read articles on many major productivity websites and the GTD book. They didn't really help. I would rather not go on prescription stimulants (even though I probably do have ADD). I have no substance abuse problems and I'm in excellent health.

So far, the best I can do is earplugs + coffee + a very granulated to-do list + a timer set for short increments of time (10 minutes) to keep me on-track in bite-sized amounts. Those work OK, but there must be more good tricks where they came from.

So hive, what do you do? How do you motivate yourself to work on rewarding long-term projects that are boring in the short-term? How do you avoid the sugar-high that is MeFi and the rest of the web, and focus on the insoluble fibre that is your pet project? How did you train yourself to have discipline?

Thanks.

Crash course in freelance copywriting?

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:02:27 -0800

I need a crash course in freelance copywriting. Yikes! I posted an ad to craigslist offering freelance copywriting, copyediting, and transcription services. I had no idea that it would pay off so quickly - I've got an offer for a job sitting in my inbox right now. And I have no idea what to do next.

I've done plenty of marketing writing, but it's all been within a full-time job. I've done some freelance writing for magazines, but that feels a bit different from a situation where I'm a vendor providing services to a client. What do I need to do to set up shop and provide good customer service?

- How do I figure out the scope of the work? The job entails writing copy for a revamped website. Do I simply talk to them, find out the pieces they need, work on a tone with them, and go?

- How do I get details on the product? Should I expect them to send me a spec sheet or existing marketing copy?

- Is it better to charge an hourly or flat rate for a project of this type? What do clients expect?

- How do I need to get set up, business-wise? Do I need to file any kind of paperwork or form a company, or can I just have the client cut a check to me, Jane. Q. Individual?

- How do I write a simple contract? Do I need to get a lawyer involved?

Any other tips or reminders about steps I've missed would be very helpful. Thanks!

Published author who moonlights as Websmith--good idea or better to try editing?

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:33:05 -0800

What's valued more in the freelance marketplace: editing or Web stuff? My friend is a published book author/ex-reporter, who is talented at editing. But he has read warnings by editors, on old Metafilter threads, that it is hard to break into their brutally competitive field.

So even though he'd rather sell editing services, and his official credentials are more writing-oriented, he's instead been going on Craigslist peddling his workmanlike competence at things like CSS, XHTML, Wordpress and Photoshop CS4, in the belief that these skills carry greater market value. He has been known to write a PHP script or two. He's no graphic designer or coding whiz, but he keeps up on design trends, and his years of experience messing with Unix have given him some flexibility. He's at least good enough to help people out with a variety of Web issues, and has landed a site-design job or two so far in his quest for a modest freelance income, though it has been difficult.

What he is trying to figure out is whether it's worth competing with all the excellent copywriting and editing services out there, or if it will be relatively easier to continue to try to do Web sites, read a few more O'Reilly books and pick up more technical Net skills, even though he's a relative n00b at it...good enough for government work, as they say, but not likely to bring home a Webby Award.

On E-lance you can see for yourself how many employers are asking for any one skill, and can compare that with the number of contract-hunters. But it's still hard to get a sense of the real value, in terms of meaningful and not chintzy offers. Is there a dramatic difference between the demands for editing and Web work, or are both these areas equally hard to crack? There are so many providers around the world promising to build sites for cheap that it can seem dizzying and bleak. Or maybe it depends on where you look, and is E-lance's outlook just markedly grimmer?

Should I fire the client?

ambient2 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:26:12 -0800

Firetheclientfilter: I did a deal for freelance writing, agreed to a flat rate, have found the client to be unreasonable and inflexible, feel like this is fast becoming a bottomless pit of time and frustration. Politely pull the plug? Long story, but this is my first time working for the client as a freelance writer. Based on my experience, a conversation about our views on reasonable hourly rates, anticipated time to do the project, etc., I agreed to a flat rate.

Much as that's looking like a not-wise choice, an acquaintence referred me to the client and spoke well of him. Too, there's no written agreement. (I know, I know... .) Hindsight being what it is, I should have presented a document calling for a certain number of revisions and an agreed-upon hourly rate for further work.

Mr. Allegedly Reasonable's become the Client from Hellllllllllllllllllllll. It's all "You must...," "You need to...," with relentless requests for major changes; limited feedback; limited responses to my requests for feedback; zero regard for my perspective, accepted industry standards, etc.--anything other than what he needs.

While I don't need to see this through to keep the lights on or pay rent, I loathe the idea of walking away from a project. To me, though, there is an implicit understanding that someone may well walk away from a business arrangement if they feel the other person is unreasonable (and efforts to find middle ground are unsuccessful).

My options (?): Walk away, attempt to negotiate adjusted fee and walk away if it doesn't happen or descend into the pit and see it through.

Cue the hive mind for other options, similar experiences, opinions and such. Many thanks for your time and insights.

Technology writers also get free goodies, too.

SansPoint — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:52:05 -0800

I love to write. I love technology. How do I get started in writing about technology? While trying to think about just what the hell I can do with my English degree and a fascination with computers, gadgets, gizmos, and other shiny things with buttons that go beep, I think I would like to become a technology writer. How can I make it happen? Should I start soliciting myself to places like Gizmodo or Engadget? Try for something in the (drying) print media? Go freelance?

Help get me on the way, Ask MeFi!

Editor's block

Jason and Laszlo — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:32:03 -0800

free-lance writing filter: How to deal with an unresponsive editor, and how to approach new editors? details below. Two issues:

1. I've been doing freelance writing for a prestigious publication for about 1 year. My editor hasn't replied to my last pitch (about 10 days ago), and rejected the pitch previous. So, I'm nervous. What's a good way to ask the editor if I'm still in the game, and to express my interest in the publication?

2. I want to write freelance for more prestigious publications. I've pitched very specific ideas to the editors at several publications, sent writing samples, and a brief bio. (all of this cold). I never hear back. What's a good way to approach new editors? How do I get to write for their publications?

Can anyone suggest potential clients for a freelance or contract medical writer?

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:12:22 -0800

Can anyone suggest potential clients for a freelance or contract medical writer? Help me hive mind!
A bit of background:
-1 year experience writing and developing continuing medical education materials for physicians (I honestly thought it was boring but it could have been the therapeutic areas); wrote slide kits (ppt presentations for meetings), literature reviews.
-1 year experience writing and developing peer reviewed journal articles on the promotional side of medical education. I really enjoy it because it has provided me with an opportunity to learn much more about clinical trials, oncology, etc. I find it very challenging and have learned a great deal about a few types of cancer but I need to have a few more years experience to truly understand the material. Most people, from supervisors to pharmaceutical companies, really like my writing. However, it is only a specialized type of writing (eg, journal articles for medical journals). At this point, that is all that I have as samples – journal articles or scientific posters.
-Dabbled over the course of the past year and wrote “executive summaries” of meetings (boring, but I can write them). There wasn’t much of an opportunity to really learn new information.
-PhD in the biological sciences (neuroscience). I enjoyed teaching biology to undergraduates, everything from intro biology to graduate level courses, because it was a vehicle for me to learn more. I loved looking at the inside of things and learning how they worked. Bringing this up because perhaps there is a market for writing for this audience? No real samples of this type of writing, however (uh, other than occasional directions for a lab or teaching material…).

Spring forward to now. I would like to become a freelance medical writer in the next few months (stupid with this little experience and stupid in this economy, I know). For various reasons, I have reached my limit for working in an office for any length of time.

Who are my potential clients? I googled, googled, and googled to find a list of about 200 medical education communication agencies - I anticipate that a few will bite but probably not many (because I am an unknown). I plan to try to specialize and offer to similarly write journal articles for clinical trials/oncology or psychiatry. The average medical writer charges $100/hour for this type of project.

To be safe, I would like to target more companies/potential clients. I don’t know what other companies write and for what rate, though. Who else has lots of data (from a clinical trial), needs help writing it, and will pay that much money? Any ideas as to where I can find a big list of these type of companies (I can only take so many hours of googling till my brain falls out and roll on the floor).

Are there other types of areas that I can break into that would be 1) interesting/provide new material to learn, 2) the average person changes between $60 to $100 (or more) to write the material, and 3) may use my background in some way. Is there a way to see samples of what they write (to be honest, this is how I learned to write material for clinical trials, by looking at other material). Is there a way I could learn about this other type of writing or market besides working for such companies full time?

In summary I am looking for suggestions for other clients: whom to target, where to find them, and the going rate. If anyone can suggest really interesting areas of writing that may require a bit of work on the side that would also be helpful.

Temporary e-mail account not linked to me: tryptophanhydroxylase2@yahoo.com Not signing off with my metafilter name because between this and previous posts, there is enough info to figure out who I am (haven’t indicated anything to my current employer yet, and I don't want to launch a freelance career today).

Thanks.

What is a good job for a teenager that is good with computers?

ptsampras14 — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:26:13 -0800

I'm a highschool kid, good with computers, looking for an online job regarding computers? Hi,
I am a junior in high school, let me describe my computer talents.
- Thorough with Windows, Microsoft Office
- Good with the Internet
- Can learn any program fast (GUI)
- Extremely good writing and how-to skills.
- Tech savvy with apps and electronics
- NOT A PROGRAMMER OF ANY SORT, which somewhat contradicts the one above this :)

I am looking for a job, perhaps in writing that would help me to utilize these skills. I'm not looking for a job that you do for a couple of cents (I know Amazon has something like that). I've hear about becoming a ChaCha guide, but what else. I know I'm a dime a dozen but any ideas are excepted.. Also, age is not a problem, I can always use my parents as"a pen name"..Also, I am not intrested in becoming a local tech support guy too.
Please help thanks!

Help me fuel my Starbucks addiction through freelancing!

adverb — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:41:32 -0800

What are some good sites to find short-term freelance writing/Internet gigs? Similar to this post, I'm looking for some temp work that will bring in a little supplemental income. I've been using Mechanical Turk for a few weeks, and have made some nice pocket change, but I'd like something a bit more substantive (and, of course, better paying).

A lot of the freelance boards seem to focus on more full-time/daytime contract work, which won't work for me. I have a full-time job and would like something to work on during the evenings and weekends.

An ideal situation would be a site where I could view some projects, bid/accept them, and work a few hours/days to finish a product for $25-$50. My background is in writing and editing, but any type of broad IT-related jobs (IA, usability, blogging) would also be good.

Opportunities for my health business?

healthyliving — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0800

How can I reach potential clients and new avenues for my health business? Would love specific suggestions for online networks, writing and speaking opportunities, and individual consultations. My business revolves around holistic health, life coaching, homeopathy, and intuitive skills. Here's what I already know about:
- Contacting local places to speak at
- LinkedIn, Facebook, Biznik, self-growth.com, Starfish Partners, AHHA, BNI
- My website and blog

Also creating an online store to sell natural lotions and bath salts, know of any place to sell besides www.etsy.com?

Anything else is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Tax question for an entertainment writer

awesomedude — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:28:19 -0800

I'm an arts and entertainment writer for a blog, and I also do freelance writing for a number of newspapers and magazines. I cover movies, art, TV, music, theater, and video games. What kinds of things can I write off on my taxes? I'll be writing off the computer and other more obviously work-related supplies I bought last year as business expenses. But can I also write off the cost of my cable and Internet service, since I use both, daily — and, since blogging is a 24-hour business, almost exclusively — for work? Books and magazine subscriptions? How about tickets to concerts and movies, most of which I wrote about? Obviously this would be pushing it, but can I write off the Xbox 360 I bought last year, since I do write about video games? I review movies sent to me on DVD screeners — would an HDTV be an acceptable, write-offable business expense? How about iPods, speakers, and headphones, since I also review CDs? Anyone have any experience with this?

Ghostwriter! Word.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:49:44 -0800

I've been offered a ghostwriting gig. Help me with my expectations, please. So, I mentioned to several people in my life that, rather than continue in print production or bookkeeping (between now and the time I begin work on a Masters degree in Film in September), I wanted to get some experience with freelance writing and/or copyediting. I got a hit right away from my friend who works for a small publisher. Very small - nearly just a vanity project for the owner of the company, who is himself "not educated or experienced, but very smart" according to my friend. I actually designed the company logo a while back, too. Anyway, the owner wants to publish a novel based in truth about some conspiratorial figure I've never heard of, and that's about all I know so far. (Uh-oh... my Turner Diaries senses are tingling...) Sounds fun enough to me! We haven't met yet, but from my friend who runs his business, I have the impression that the job will be mine if I want it, in any case.

What kind of rate should I request, as someone with very little professional writing experience, writing a book that is not expected to profit enormously?

How much time should I expect to spend on a short reseach-based novel?

What complexities or stumbling blocks should I look out for in this arrangement and the adjunct relationships?

Resources for, um, how to write my first novel without personal inspiration, and on the fly?

I believe I can muddle through the copyediting and the research parts, but making the content interesting, authentic and well-structured are all problems I have no experience solving.

Any other advice, freelancers?

Thanks very much in advance!

Comedic writer wants a shot

aleahey — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:20:05 -0800

How to get started writing comedically? I am a sort of casual-writer with the ability to write (supposedly) "hilarious stuff". I write situational kinds of little things, and whatnot, and constantly get barraged with compliments and friendly suggestions that I missed my calling.

So, my question is this: without risking too much (i.e. giving up my day job) what is a good way to get started in the writing (specifically comedic) field?

More specifically, what is a good place to shop for small resume-building gigs? What sort of stuff is a good idea to put together for a portfolio? Etc.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, if you have any inside-tips you'd rather not give to the world, please do not hesitate to send them along to aleahey@gmail.com

Thanking any responders in advance.

What should I charge?

changeling — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:58:51 -0800

Freelance writers, help! How -- and how much -- should I charge for this book project? Several years ago, I wrote an article about the owner of a real estate development company for a now-defunct print magazine. The owner of the company is famously successful -- probably the most successful developer in the beach areas of my city. I put a great deal of thought into the article for writing portfolio purposes, though the magazine was a small, local publication.

Recently, through a mutual acquaintance, the RE bigwig tracked me down. He's putting together a coffee table photo book for his investors, with a limited print run of 100 or so, and he wants me, specifically, to do the writing. He says he's been interviewed many times since my piece, but apparently I'm the only writer who nailed what his company is all about. Flattering, random, exciting, etc.

We're talking about two to three pages of text (don't know the word count) in a book with large dimensions. Company biographies, some local history, etc. He says he's already put about 60k into the project, and he's willing to pay whatever freelance rate I quote.

But I have no idea what to charge. All my professional experience is with local print magazines and web media. Does anyone have experience with this type of freelance project? Should I go for hourly, or per word? What should I charge?

OK, I'm a freelance writer. Now what?

hifiparasol — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 08:36:36 -0800

How can I parlay the sudden improvement of my freelance writing resume into career advancement? Since I moved to Los Angeles late last year, I've been trying to get some contracts, and about three weeks ago, my efforts came through in spades: I wound up with an ongoing series of projects doing search-engine-optimization copywriting for a web development firm. I also got work doing a series of podcast scripts for a travel writing content company (via, of all things, craigslist). And I was hired as one of the two bloggers (I did most of the actual blogging) for a big arts festival in Toronto. Needless to say, things are kind of working out pretty well.

But I'm hoping you freelancer MeFites out there might help me out with figuring out my next few steps. I've been working on turning my feeble website into a clearinghouse for my work (I've also got a few short films, but without links from the front page), but my design skills aren't spectacular (if you look at my site via my profile, it'll be sadly obvious) and I don't really have the time (or, right now, the desire) to learn enough to make it kick ass the way I want it to. And aside from doctoring up my website, I don't really know how else to make a decent portfolio when my work is so multimedia. I've got some great stuff going on right now, but it's not taking up enough of my time that I couldn't take on more work, and I feel like now I'm in a prime position to really start selling myself.

(The travel writing is great, but probably isn't as lucrative in the long run as the SEO writing, and for now I'd like to focus on whatever can make me more money.. But that doesn't mean I don't want to continue doing it, or wouldn't love to make a great career out of travel writing. I'm just aware of the financial realities.)

I hope this question's not too vague. If it is, just read it this way: My freelance writing portfolio has suddenly bulked up substantially, and I'd like to know how I can best use that to my advantage in advancing my (new) career.

(I've also checked out these excellent AskMe posts.)

Bloggers for hire?

afx237vi — Mon, 28 May 2007 08:27:01 -0800

I'd like to hire one, or maybe two, bloggers to keep my subject-specific weblog updated while I go on vacation (two weeks only). Is there a website that hooks up bloggers with potential clients for this purpose?