Happy New Year! 2010 is as good a year as any to put your ideas into play as you get them, right? Of course it is. However…

If you’re anything like me and my friends, you get a ton of ideas at once in a massive new year deluge. The time of year when you’re awash with inspiration, creativity, desire, hope. Really you want to go for everything, I know. And you can go for more than one, in fact as many as you’re physically and financially able to pursue. But, usually you can’t pursue all your ideas at once. Read more »

Answer to #11 of 12 Questions I think are important for commercial writers to know. I think these questions are especially important for people newly striking out on their own.

This is very hard for a new person on the grid, but it’s a great way to jump in, I think. I look for the leads that give information about the job and contact and tell you what they want concisely. I’d like to get more specific here but I think that would be best served in a full post on the subject. Right now, I’m still learning the things that appeal to me, and how my choices measure up in secured assignments.

Read more »

Answer to #5 of 12 Questions I think are important for commercial writers to know. I think these questions are especially important for people newly striking out on their own.

When you think about human resources, you generally think Human Resources, or HR, right? That’s the department you go to when you have questions about your benefits, wages, work problems, or to seek another position.

Networking

Similar situations occur when you work for yourself. Whether you’re in an office or a room at your home, situations arise when you need others. Either you need them for yourself or for a client. Knowing who your resources are saves a lot of time, especially when you’re in the middle of an important project. No point wasting time if you can help it.

On our own as freelancers, we refer to these individuals or groups as people in our network.

Read more »

Here’s answer #2 of 12 Questions I think are important for commercial writers to know. I think these questions are especially important for people newly striking out on their own. This is a short answer. But don’t be fooled. Targeting and tracking your audience is a lot of work. As a freelancer you are in a position to choose. You may do different kinds of writing to make ends meet. Notice the topics that present more attraction for you than others. Start there.

• Determine what writing genre interests you, what subjects, and what is the niche you want to fill in that area.
• Research topics in your area of interest. Read through the popular keywords to know what has people’s attention. Review the information to determine if there’s an audience.
• Describe your target audience: individual, company, family or business, end-user or publication.
• Keeping on top of trends is a matter of reading, reviewing and searching topics. Follow tangents to know what is related and may potentially become a focal point.

Read more »

Have you ever had a day that makes you wonder why you do the work you do? People hire you to work for them. They give you assignments which you complete effectively. They receive it with no fanfare, only thanks. I work well alone, with no fanfare is nice. I just want to do the work to the best of my ability. When my work is accepted and goes live or into circulation, that is reward enough. And of course being paid well is definitely fulfilling. With that, I’m ready for the next thing. What more do you need, right? Read more »