Mythbusters, freelance edition

One of the most common misconceptions of freelancing shared by people who have "regular" 9-to-5 jobs is that freelancers make their own hours. "It must be great to work when you want," they say in envious tones.

The reality is I don't really have that much flexibility, and I don't always get a choice in the hours I work. I work when my clients work, and sometimes I work long after they've gone home. And even when I'm not doing billable work, I'm often working. Bookkeeping at 10:30 at night, when I finally remember where I put that receipt from Office Max. Updating my brochure on a Saturday afternoon, because I was struck by inspiration while taking a walk. Sometimes, I feel guilty scheduling a vacation or taking a lunch break.

Those last two are my own issue, as I'm sure my clients don't begrudge me a few days off or some afternoon sustenance. But my point is, a freelancer's life isn't something to be envious of--freelancing is a job, just like any other (except that I love this job, and I can't say the same thing about my previous positions). It has its positives and negatives, its risks and rewards. As long as the positives outweigh the negatives and the rewards outweigh the risks, I'll keep freelancing. If the tide should ever turn, you may find me talking dreamily about a 9-to-5 corporate position.

Amie joins another cause

Remember when I said I am not much of a joiner? That does not apply to charity races. I loves me some charity races.

May 16th is the annual Columbus Race for the Cure, supporting breast cancer awareness and research. I'm not sure when I started doing this one, but I think it was around ten years ago. This year, in addition to walking the 5k (I don't run, unless something is chasing me--and even then, it had better be pretty darn scary) I am attempting a bit o' fundraising. If you'd like to donate, or learn more about the cause, please follow the link below. Thanks!!

http://www.active.com/donate/columbusrftc09/goamiego

Amie joins a cause

I'm not much of a joiner, but this is a cause I think is worth fighting for.

Writer abuse has reached epidemic proportions in our country. One in five writers will suffer eye strain from the lack of an anti-glare coating on their computer monitor. One in three will have to wear one of those silly carpal tunnel gloves because of an ergonomically incorrect workspace. And this very second, a writer is crying because she was unable to decipher her client's cryptic notes.

Okay, so I made those statistics up. But there is a real plight affecting those of us who make our living by the pen (or keyboard): unrealistic beliefs about the value of our skills. The spores of this disease are germinated by "clients" who think it's okay to post projects offering pennies for what amounts to hours of work. The disease is spread by the writers who are willing to work for such paltry sums. Okay, so the economy is in the toilet and businesses have to tighten their belts. It's one thing to hunt for a good deal (hooray for capitalism), but to expect us to give it away is unfair. Not only is it unfair to the writer who is foolish enough to take on the work, but also to the rest of us writers out there who have bills to pay and mouths to feed.

Lori Widmer--blogger, professional writer, and advocate of writers everywhere--has declared the third Friday in May to be Writer's Worth Day. The First Annual Writer's Worth Day was held last May 16th as a way of (in Ms. Widmer's own words) "saying yes to competitive wages and no to accepting what isn't worthy of our talents."

Prospective clients: writing is a skill. If you could do it yourself, you wouldn't be asking us. You expect a professional outcome, so you should be willing to pay a professional's fees.

My fellow writers: take a stand for your skills. Charge what you're worth! And mark your calendars for the 2nd annual Writer's Worth Day, May 15th, 2009.

Opportunity accidently sends an email

Tuesday evening, I was cc'd on a series of strange emails from the general manager of a night club in California regarding a flyer to promote an upcoming event. Sounds like the kind of little design project I take on occasionally--only I had never heard of this guy, the guy he was emailing, or anybody else he'd cc'd. I'd never heard of the club, and I'd never been approached about the project (though I have worked with clients in California before).

Weird, eh? I asked my California client if he knew anything about it, and he informed me that he did not. So I emailed the general manager and told him that I'd received his emails but was unsure who he was. He replied that his assistant had given him the wrong email address and I should just disregard the emails. I sent him back a quick note saying I would, but that if he thought he might ever need any writing or editing work done and didn't mind working with a freelancer in Ohio, to tell his assistant to hang on to my contact information.

Will I ever hear from him again? Probably not, but stranger things have happened. After all, he found me once (albeit by accident), right?

Nothing to say

Once upon a time, when I didn't have regular projects and had lots of time on my hands, I posted every business day. Some days I had more to say than others, but I posted without fail.

But now that I am working pretty regularly (and not working from home), it's difficult for me to find the time to post--and when I do have the time, I find myself at a loss for anything to say. I started this blog with the crazy notion that I would be chronicling my adventures in freelancing . . .

Sigh.

I love what I'm doing, I love my clients, I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing for a living. But there's nothing terribly blogworthy about getting up and going to work.

So I'm faced with a decision: keep the blog going and just post when I have something to say, or give up the blog. If I choose the former, I risk becoming the kind of blogger I hate (well, perhaps hate is too strong a word)--the kind that doesn't provide regular updates. And if I choose the latter, I'll miss all the fun of blogging (and it is fun--when it doesn't seem like just another chore in my day).

I really don't know how bloggers like Lori and Angie do it--lead busy lives and still find the time to post thought-provoking, entertaining entries every day (sometimes even more than once a day!).

To all of you regular posters out there: what's the secret?