A Freelancers Journey, Part One

Today it begins.

I have always known I was a freelancer. The phrase my family uses to describe me is "not a nine-to-five-er." That said, nine-to-five does carry some not-so-romantic but comforting benefits. Health insurance. Travel reimbursement. Gas mileage. A regular paycheck.

But alas, I'm the daughter and granddaughter of entrepreneurs, and I'm also of the "ownership society."

I love to write. No such thing as retirement--writing is who I am. But with that ideal and that passion comes every writer's downfall. Running a business. Getting paid.

We right-brained people with our horrendous filing cabinets and hard drives/Zip drives full of e-mails have to spend time organizing, like any businessperson. I had a conversation with a fellow writer/content provider in which we both confessed neither of us knew how to charge for our services. Although University of Southern California master of Professional Writing Program does give great training in the business side, most writing programs in my experience don't teach marketing, recordkeeping, fee-charging, and work-for-hire contracts, let alone publishing contracts.

Today while tracking two possible freelance jobs (I'd like to give a plug to David Copeland's Freelance Daily, http://freelancewriters.blogspot.com/, a terrific daily newsgroup with tons of freelance leads, also PayingWriterJobs, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PayingWriterJobs/, AbsoluteWriter, http://www.absolutewrite.com, Writers Weekly, http://www.writersweekly.com, and of course, my local paper, http://www.thedesertsun.com/), I found my e-mail inbox inundated with back and forth e-mails. While I admit my e-mail organization system resembles my filing system at times, I finally wised up.

On my computer, in Windows, I have a folder with subfolders for e-mail. I created a separate directory, "freelance". Then I assigned every potential or actual freelance job its own folder with a client identifier number where appropriate and otherwise the name of the client/publication.

I also created a Work For Hire agreement today. My own--usually when I work with a publication I'm required to submit an invoice. However, a publication you have a relationship with is different from a client that doesn't know you and vice versa. This is new ground for me. I've signed three book contracts, entered into three royalty agreements and two bona fide collaboration agreements, signed screenplay, magazine, fiction, and poetry release forms, sent more contest applications than I can count...but my own Work For Hire agreement...now I feel I've passed the "novice" mark and can proudly call myself a full-time freelancer. Freelance entrepreneur.

No.

Writer always works. To quote Harlan Ellison's business card, "I write."

But will I stay organized?

Continued next week...

Kristin Johnson is co-author of the "highly recommended" Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadable media kit is available at our Web site, http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com

weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..
In The News:

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.
A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.
South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.
Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALLĀ·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.
Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.
Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.
NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

10 Secrets For Everyday Writing Success

During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More

Strategies For Finding Topics To Write About

What possibly could I have to write about? I never... Read More

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author

DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More

Voice in Narrative and Dialogue - A Contrast of Writing Styles

One of the nice things about being an author is... Read More

The Untold Secrets of Writing Best Selling Childrens Books

Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More

Five Golden Rules for Writers

Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More

How to Multiply Your Freelance Writing Work

You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

Top Seven Ways to Write your Print or eBook Fast

Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More

To Outline Or Not To Outline

Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline?Outlines... Read More

Suspense Novels Need Fast Starts

Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More

Writing with a Sense of Adventure

We've all been told that we need to use all... Read More

Review In 29 Steps Plus One

I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More

Writing Made Them Rich #5: Peter Mayle

Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More

Writing Your Best-Selling Non-Fiction Book Title

Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More

Autobiography: Installment No.3

ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More

Freelancing Doesnt Mean Writing For Free. Does it?

Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More

Is Horror Dead?

I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More

Have You Completed A Character Questionnaire?

Creative Writing Tips ?Complete a character questionnaire for each of... Read More

How to Write Words Worth a Thousand Pictures

Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More

Get Noticed! Eight Tips to Catching an Editors Eye

The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More

Important Points of Fiction

Fiction manuscripts receive feedback that addresses and scores:? The theme... Read More

Teachers Should Write, During Their Summers

Before I became a teacher, I was a sports writer.... Read More

The Authors Life: 14 Hints on Creating a Career Plan

1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art.... Read More

Ways to Make Extra Income Using the Internet

To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More

English Grammar ? Seven Outdated Rules You Can Ignore

No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More

whole house cleaning Park Ridge ..