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The Writing Gig Checklist: What Makes a Writing Job Worth Taking?

Posted on April 19, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl at the The Ugly Truth premiere — Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl at the The Ugly Truth movie premiere. Image via accesshollywood.com

If you have seen the movie The Ugly Truth, you might remember that Gerard Butler’s Mike accuses Katherine Heigl’s Abby of having a checklist when it comes to men. We all have our requirements when it comes to the type of people we want to date. And it only makes sense that as writers we have our checklist for the type of writing jobs we are willing to take.

Maybe Mike wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer. Maybe he did try to appear a lot cruder than he actually was. But in essence, he was nice, fun-loving, handsome, and romantic- and these are qualifications many women aren’t willing to stop searching for.

As writers, we may sometimes settle for less pay because we like the exposure potential or the topic. Or we might be willing to write something that is less exciting because of the prestige. But in general, there are some jobs that put a smile on our faces more than other gigs.

Here’s my checklist when it comes to accepting a gig:

1. The topic is fun for me. I hate writing about stuff that doesn’t interest me.

Technical writing, for instance, might pay the good bucks, but it does bore the hell out of me. And the main reason I became a writer is that I love writing- if I am writing about something that makes me feel good.

Being picky about the topics might make it hard to make more money, but in the long run, it will make you happier. And remember the great writing tip – if you like what you are writing about, it is a lot easier to write something great and enjoyable for the readers.

2. Pays via Paypal. I’m sorry, but this is the 21st century. Why use checks, when PayPal makes it easier for both the sender and the receiver?

3. Pays in accordance to the work it requires. There is no one specific flat fee that will please writers. $15/article may sound outrageously low, but if it takes 15 minutes to write that article, it just might feel better than taking a $100/article gig that takes several hours of research, several hours to write and more hours to edit it. Maybe it is just me, but I value my time. If it is going to take that long, and that much effort, maybe that job should pay $500/article.

4. The editor is helpful: The good thing about being a freelancer is that you don’t have a boss. The bad thing is that sometimes you feel like you have multiple bosses. They are called editors. I appreciate an editor who tries to get the best writing out of me. I don’t mind editing, just as long as my editor acts like a helpful mentor, rather than a merciless critic who acts like they don’t know what it is like to be the writer at the mercy of the editor.

5. Allows a byline/bio: Promotion is a writer’s best friend. It is beneficial to have a gig that will not only give you credit, but also some crucial information about you and your background- hopefully with a link to your website.

There we go. These are the 5 things I look for in a writing gig. What are your requirements?

7 Benefits Writers Can Get from Applying to Freelance Writing Jobs

Posted on April 10, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

writing cartoon — Cartoon on Writing via justkiddingcartoons.com

Applying to individual freelance job ads can sometimes be a tedious process. You might also feel like you would rather self-publish (it can be a book, or simply blogging) than going through all the formality of writing cover letters, customizing resumes and selecting or creating appropriate samples. Still, while it is not the most fun activity for writers, applying to different freelance gigs has many benefits:

Benefit 1: Market Research

You get to see which jobs are in demand, what’s expected of the blogger/writer (resumes, samples, blogs, years of experience, etc…). You also see what kind of jobs are available and how much which jobs pay.

Benefit 2: Publishing Industry Research

Sometimes there will be ads from publishers that they are expecting manuscripts. Now, you can and should search about them and see if they are trustworthy. But if they are in the clear, the good thing about these types of ads is that even though you don’t happen to have the manuscripts or collections of poetry they want. You will be able to add names to your list of publishers. Because you will be able to know what kind of stuff they are usually in need of, you can submit your work accordingly later on.

Benefit 3: Different Kinds of Jobs

There are jobs for editors, copywriters, article writers, article rewriters, website content with seo focus, novelists, bloggers, fiction writers, photographers, researches, business plan or grant writers and more.

You can analyze your strengths and weaknesses, along with your interests and expertise and be able to work as a writer in more areas than one.

Benefit 4: Enhanced Address Books

Some of these jobs come from craigslist. It is free to post ads on that site so many people choose their service. After all, who doesn’t like a respected website that doesn’t charge? The only problem with it, however, is the contact address of the poster of the job ad. More often than not, people choose to give a craigslist address. The address expires after the job is gone so you don’t have to option add the contacts and keep them for future use.

However some ads include the actual e-mail address of the editors. So even though one job isn’t right for you or you are not here, you can always use it later if you have a relevant sample. There is also the fact that craigslist addresses allow a very small attachment size in total. So a colorful CV with a nice picture, along with writing samples may be out of the question. However when private addresses are given, you are only limited by the storage capacity of your email account.

Benefit 5: Traffic to Your Blog and Articles

When you apply for jobs, you will often be asked to show samples. But most employers are happy with links to your published work online, especially if the job in question requires writing for the web. So you give links to your relevant articles. If the article is on a website where you earn money per page view, you will have at least guaranteed one view. If the link is to your blog, you will have gained one unique visitor. If the employer doesn’t hire you but likes your writing all the same, you might just have gained a reader.

Benefit 6: Entering the Database

Many employers would rather choose to work with writers they have already worked with. And instead of going through all the hassle of posting another ad, they would rather look at resumes and samples they have already acquired. There is a big chance that a writer who wasn’t perfect for the previous job might just be the right person for the current gig. It is always beneficial to be in the database. Because the next job might just find you.

Benefit 7: Customizing Your CV

I had previously discussed that looking for a job in writing wasn’t all that different than job-hunting in other areas – Customizing your CV is necessary in all professions if you are applying for different positions.

You don’t want to send movie reviews to a fashion editor. And you don’t want to send an academic article when you are applying as a gossip columnist.It takes time, but after a while, it becomes easier to prepare quality resumes, customized appropriately for the targeted job and it won’t take much of your time after you have gotten used to the process.

Plus, keep in mind that there are many individuals out there looking to hire writers to write their resumes for them. If you become good at this area, you can use your acquired skills to help others and make money through the process as well.

So do you agree with these benefits? Do you have any more benefits to add? Let me know.

What Editors Can Learn from the Movie Up In The Air

Posted on March 30, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Up in the Air movie poster - starring George Clooney.

Editors are busy people. We get it. They receive a gazillion submissions and manuscripts, most of which aren’t even relevant. We do feel their pain. But then again, for every writer who is too lazy to study the writer’s guidelines, there are many writers who put tremendous effort into researching the magazine, dissecting the guidelines and perfecting that query letter. And there is the endless waiting on the writer’s part, when the writer’s going crazy with all the questions in his head:

-Did they even see the query or did it just get lost in the mail box?

– If they did read the query, did I not get an answer because my e-mail account failed me or because they forgot to reply? Or was it because they just didn’t want to spend time sending out a rejection e-mail?

Did any of these sound familiar? After spending all that time on a query, and spending even more time waiting for the publication’s response time to pass, we are left wondering in the uncertainty of it all. Now, I don’t care how busy the editors are. I want that reply, whether it is positive or negative, right after the response time is over.

This is where the connection (that I made) with the movie Up in the Air comes in. Up in the Air is a romantic comedy/drama starring George Clooney. It is a very bittersweet & entertaining movie and you can read a detailed review (without spoilers) on my entertainment blog. But if you haven’t seen the movie, all you need to know is that George Clooney’s character fires people for a living. If a corporation wants to do the layoffs through an outsider, they get him to do the dirty work. Yes, it is not a pleasant career. And it is not a great moment to hear that you were fired. But it is better to know, as soon as possible, so that you can move on.

With writers, the problem for the most of the time, is that we have to wait weeks, or months to hear we were “hired” or not. Since editors are so busy, wouldn’t it be so find a person who would tell the writers that they simply weren’t right for the job. Writers need to know when they aren’t going to be assigned an article, so that they can pitch the idea to other magazines. Plus, telling someone they are not hired is not as depressing as telling them they are fired.

We need to know. One way or another. So if editors are too busy to reject us, why not let someone else do it? Might be wishful thinking, but I think this idea would actually do both sides a big, fat time-saving favor. What do you think?

8 Similarities Between Job Search for Writers and Other Professionals

Posted on March 29, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

So you are a writer. When you mention this to others, they usually either picture you unemployed, or they think you’re working on your novel. But when it comes to making money from writing, novels are usually only a small part of the picture.

Usually selling non-fiction articles, as well as blog posts, is far more lucrative fo writers. So there’s a lot of query-writing, pitching to magazines and well, until you have built an impressive portfolio, applying to job ads.

Appling to writing job ads is mostly not any different from applying to any other job, whatever the industry. I should know; my non-writing experience includes 3 internships (one PR firm, one advertising firm & Coca Cola), 1 office job (consultancy) and a freelance translation gig.

I survived many interviews, applications and CV-writing. I also observed my friends’ job-hunting processes and listened to their (horror) stories. Since we all have friends and acquaintances with different degrees and qualifications, it becomes very easy to study the job-hunting process on a multi-industrial or even a universal basis. Now that I’m writing for a living, things aren’t as different as some mighjt think:

Similarities – Job Hunting for Writers and Non-Writers

– The job hunter selects the job-posting websites that appeals to him most. Sites like Monster or Linkedin are great for career management. Not to mention, each country has its own sites where job ads are posted. It is no different with the writing industry.

– Many job posters reply very late. When you are not hired, most of the time the editors/business owners don’t take the time to contact you to say you weren’t hired.

One of my friends had an interview at this big toy manufacturing company. The next day, he was contacted through a very sincere and personalized e-mail that they were unable to hire him. He was over the moon. Yes, he didn’t get the job but it was very refreshing that interviewers respected his time and goals.

– Even when you are hired, there is a chance they returned your email weeks, if not months, later. By the time they do, you are probably wrapped up in other projects or there is a good chance you don’t even remember you applied to that specific ad. It happened to me with writing jobs, also jobs in advertising jobs, business, marketing and public relations.

– They offer a lot less than they ask for. All employers want the perfect employee. While this makes sense at a certain level, it is fairly unfair and I’ll dare say unprofessional when the employer himself couldn’t be further from perfect.

Think about it. Everyone wants the perfect candidate: Best schools, years of experience, outstanding portfolio…. Yet they rarely offer the perfect working hours, paycheck or the working environment. How many times did you come across very selective and highly demanding writing job requirements only to find out they are offering only $10 per article?

– Your happiness is the least of their concerns. Unfortunately this is most often the case. You live to make your boss/supervisor/manager/editor happy. It seems like people often forget that happy employees are more productive and successful.

– You usually need to wait for at the end of the payment period to see if they really pay. No matter how we much we ask around and google the company, we can’t always be sure the payment will appear in our bank accounts. Sometimes the firm is too small or new for us to acquire their “credentials” and reputations. And sometimes we just want or need the job so badly that we take our chances.

– Some ads have requirements that are totally hypocritical or plain irrational, like wanting writers only from certain countries (with the few exceptions. A Chicago lifestyle writer has to be from Chicago. We have no objections to that). Some expect you to give you sample of work when they haven’t even offered the pay rate and/or the name of the company. Or some expect you to be a blogger with a blog –ranked 3 or 4 on Google and offering you 10/15$ a piece. If I have that page rank, I won’t bother with that pay rate.

Talking about other industries, I used to work at an education consultancy firm where was paid about $900/month and was expected to work on Saturdays as well.

But my favorite pet peeve is when I was one time interviewed by a public relations agency. The woman wanted me to work for 3 months for free, as a trial period. I said no.

– You need a customized CV. Not all of your experiences or hoobies are relevant to any give job. You need to higlight different areas. Applying to Coca-Cola may require a different resume than applying to Nike. The same goes for writing.

How familiar has these sounded to you? You have probably been there, done that. Job-hunting is rarely fun for anyone, although there have been some exceptions. What’s your industry? What are your experiences?