freelance writing Archives - Page 5 of 7

How to Balance Fiction and Non-Fiction and Why Writers Need to Do Both

Posted on February 27, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

writing fiction writing non-fiction — Image via iawtvawards.org.

Most writers in the 21^st century have embraced both fiction and non-fiction. The reason can be money, promotion, the need to engage with readers, the need to connect with the world…You name it. But there are very few writers left who engage only in fiction or non-fiction.

I started creating stories when I was 9. I started writing them down when I was 12. And even though I didn’t try to get anything actively published until I was 24 (my bad, don’t follow this example!), my writing efforts never stopped. Whether it was finding the idea for a novel because of a true story my PR professor told me or passing from most of my courses (Human Resources, Organizational Theory…, etc) with flying colors because of the engaging essays that I wrote, I wrote. Non-fiction and fiction. Together.

In 2009, I realized that blogs were so much more than personal diaries (if you knew how to take advantage of this, that is), and Facebook was for so much more than just connecting with Friends. So my non-fiction journey started online.

I realized I loved writing for the web, while I kept researching about writing for magazines. I came a long way when it came to using blogs and social media, getting writing gigs and getting published on successful blogs and yet something was missing: My fiction.

My characters were still very much in mind, hardly able to wait to find their voice on paper and yet I hadn’t actively written fiction for 2 years. No wonder I was uncomfortable and was feeling that things were missing in my life.

But how was I supposed to balance fiction and fiction? How was I supposed to blog for me, others, keep my part-time job for stability and sanity, keep researching and have the time to write fiction? And did I mention I also happen to be very social?

Easy. I needed to be productive. I needed to stay focused. I needed to prioritize according to deadlines, my readers’ content needs and my inspiration levels. Some days I can have a blast writing movie reviews all day. Some days I can’t wait to go out there and market my writing, and sometimes it is the fiction that drives me.

And the best part is, these moments of pure inspiration and motivation can be managed, compartmentalized and different types of writing work can be done during the same day. Just keep reminding yourself the reasons you keep doing both:

I write non-fiction because:

I love it.
It gives me a platform to share my ideas and passions with like-minded people.
It gives me a platform to promote my writing and get more writing gigs.
It gives me a platform to connect with other writers.
Oh, and when my fiction is ready to be published and promoted, it will be a platform for that too.

I write fiction because:

I love it.
I wouldn’t be able to stop even if I wanted to. Remember how I said I hadn’t really written fiction in 2 years? I meant that I hadn’t sit by my computer for days trying to get the full story finished. It did however meant lots of scenes written separately waiting to be connected, lots of dialogue and different turn of events going constantly around in my head.
I do want to see my name on a paperback book. And I’ll have that, even if it means I go the self-publishing route in the end. I think I have wanted it since I read my first John Grisham book.
I want to connect with more people. I want my fiction to be read too.
Did I mention it is an addiction and no 12-step-program in the world could help me get over it?

How do you balance fiction and non-fiction? Do you think the two can/should go hand in hand?

This Writer’s Solution for Writing What She Wants: My Guest Post on Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing

Posted on February 8, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

You know I took October off from writing because I was taking the CELTA course, and then I returned to writing with a vengeance. I’m 19.000 words into my first novel, I’ve been a regular contributor at Europe A LA Carte travel blog, redesigned and revitalized my blogs. Oh, yes, and I’m really excited to announce that I have a guest post published on Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing Blog.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock as freelance writer, Carol’s is one of the most popular blogs for writers and it is among my favorites (as One Freelance Writer’s Surprising Strategy for a Revved-Up Career, as well as being one of the favorites of WritetoDone and Copyblogger.)

I’m having a blast with my writing right now. I no longer have to worry about applying to gigs I’m not passionate about because I have to pay the bills. I no longer have to choose between fiction and non-fiction. I also no longer suffer from the lonely writer blues. So what the hell changed?

Keeping a full time a job gave me depression. Not getting a regular paycheck affected my writing, motivation and productivity badly. So instead I found the perfect solution: I took a job in a field that really excited me, paid me enough without taking too much of my time and filled in all the missing pieces. I explain it all on One Freelance Writer’s Surprising Strategy for a Revved-Up Career.

Looking forward to your comments!

Image via baneofyourresistance.wordpress.com

Charging for Your Freelance Writing Services: 7 Factors to Consider

Posted on January 9, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

deciding on what to charge for your freelance writing — Image via 3.bp.blogspot.com.

Pricing your work is a tricky issue. You have to know your market, how much your expertise could bring you if you found the right markets, how much you want/need to make, how much time writing for that project will last….So while tips like “Don underestimate your value“, “Know what you need to earn to make a living as a freelance writer” make for great advice, it is a little bit more complicated than that.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to when pricing your work (and deciding whether or not to take a job with a certain price tag on it):

1) How will you charge?

By the hour?

If you will be paid by the hour, how many hours are you expected to put aside for the project?

Will you be compensated if the work takes more hours than anticipated and agreed upon?

(How) will you be controlled? Will the client want daily reports, e-mails, skype conferences, office meetings….? Or did you take a job from odesk (a bidding site like Elance) and the client expects you to have your webcam on so that they can keep an eye on you?

It is all very well that you’ll be charged by the hour, but does the job take more than its giving? You have to weigh advantages and disadvantages to decide if the job will be worth it. Don’t just look at the price tag. Look at what the job expects.

By project?

If you are paid by the project, you should be clear on the terms. But you should also have a good estimation of how much time will be spent. What if you want to make $50/hour, and you end up making $25/hour because the job took twice as much time and effort you expected?

2) On how much research it will take?

Again, it comes down to how many hours you will really work on the project.

3) How demanding is it?

Do you just need to write an opinion post? Or do you need to enhance the piece with expert opinions? Do you need to educate yourself first about the topic before getting all the information you need? And are you expected to just write, or do they want you to find pictures, put the post online, optimize it for the search engines, promote it….?

4) Do you get other benefits?

Such as byline to your blog, bonus for extra page views, etc…

Some jobs offer a fixed rate, with a promise of a bonus if your article performs well on the web.

While there is no guarantee that your piece will be the next new love of social media, you might feel more motivated to help with the promotion.

For instance, popular web development site SitePoint offers a retainer of $100 to its writers, and bonuses starting from $50 for a certain amount of views. For my details, you can read the write for us page on SitePoint. They also give you a byline, which means more traffic and authority for your site.

I’d love to query them, but they don’t really cover the areas I’d have lots of ideas from. And they do expect a minimum of 1,500 words in length.

5) How do you get paid?

Will you get by check or PayPal? I’ve always preferred the latter as it is faster, and there are no cuts just because I happen to live in a different country than my editor.

6) When do you get paid? On publication or the acceptance of your piece?

It is much better to be paid on acceptance. What if you send them the piece, and they decide never to publish it. Or they publish it 8 months later?

7) Is there future? Or at least a potential for the future?

Do you think this is a one off, or you think you can (or will want to) build relationships so that you might write for them again later?

If you wrote a 2000-piece on a subject you totally hated just to make money, you might not want to return to that topic again. But if you chose an area because you loved it and paid well, you will get to take advantage of your earlier research and your passion for the subject and avoid depression in the process.

For instance, I’d rather spend 60 minutes on a small, fun project and get paid a little less rather than work on weeks for an exhausting and emotionally draining piece that takes ages and its hourly pay will just about amount to what I made from the small project.

So your decision depends on many factors including your expertise, project’s and your expectations, your level of passion for the topic, the time it will take, other incentives and more.

Below are some of my favorite resources on deciding what to charge for your work. I might not agree with every point made, but they offer valuable perspectives and I learned a lot from them:

Must- Read Posts and Resources on the topic:

7 Reasons Why I Won’t Write a $15 Blog Post by Carol Tice

Well, for the record, I’d take a $15 blog job- if you asked me to write a 500-word opinion post on where Mel Gibson’s career is going. He is my favorite actor, I know all the dates of his movies, and I’ve more trivial info on the guy then Wikipedia and imdb.com combined. So yeah, I’d.

If the job was that easy, fun and research-free. So yeah, time and fun are big factors for me. But since blogging jobs are never quite like that, I’d really stick to Carol’s advice.

Mailbag: How Much Can Freelance Writers Charge for Blogging? y by Carol Tice

In response to a reader’s question, Carol offers some tips on how you can get more out of a blogging gigs-given that you pay attention to certain factors.

How much should a freelancer charge? by Moira Allen

Moira Allen has included some great pointers that I overlooked, such as your relationship with the editor. Just like any job, relationships matter- a lot! Take a look at her post.

Two other incentives for you to devour her post: Writing-World is an amazingly thorough resource for any question to you might have about writing, and it is a paying market. So not only you’ll find helpful information, it will also help your research- should you decide to query the site about writing related topics.

Oh, and on a similar note, Carol pays for guest posts on her blog, so you might want to check my post 5 Authoritative & Popular (Writing / Blogging) Sites That Accept Guest Posts for details.

Writer’s Market’s How Much Should I Charge E-book

Now, I believe this is only free for Writer’s Market members, and it includes a successful survey including low, average and high rates for almost any kind of writing. If you are thinking about become a member of Writer’s Digest’s online market database (Writer’s Market), complimentary e-books is only one of the perks.

5 Reasons Why I Love Writing for the Web

Posted on December 19, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Research is easier and cheaper. If you are writing for a publication that is only internet based, all you have to do for research is to go to their website and read their previous posts. This helps when you are pitching, and this helps when you are writing. You need to get an idea of the target audience, the tone of the writing, word count, titles, format, the style, the vocabulary, amount of jargon…etc. You also so what’s been written and what’s not.

It is free, and it is all there. Sure, it is still hard work, but with a little organization, it is managable.

Even if the magazine is both print and online, the online stuff is already on the web.

*If you are looking to write for the print version, you’ll need to see if previous issues are available online. You might need to pay a little fee, but if this is a magazine you truly want to write for, it is worth it. Sometimes you can subscribe to the digital versions of the print issues, and this saves a lot of time waiting for the issues coming through regular mail (this is is of course true for the publications that are not readily available at the local library and/or at nearby bookstores).

The article/post you write doesn’t have to look like a short story. Let’s face it, magazine articles, especially features, are long. You need to be compelling and fun and/or professional for over 2.000 words. It takes a lot of time and effor to write it. I am not saying I am not pitching to magazines. Or I can’t write an article that long. But there’s something really fun about pouring your heart, knowledge (and depending on the publication, your sense of humor) in mostly 500-1500 words.

The publication is likely to pay via PayPal. Which is my favorite method of being paid.

You have lots of options. All you have to do is dig into the search engines with the right keywords, and subscribe to the current list of online markets.

It is relatively easier to get into. My first job was writing for a travel blog in 2009 (which got published later). You just have to keep looking at the right places.

Do you like writing for the web? Do you prefer the print? Or are you a freelancer who combines both media?