Recently, I wrote a blog post called Writing for Magazines. In it, I discussed the pros and cons of working within this market. If you’re still sold on writing for magazines, then you’ll definitely want to check out http://www.mediabistro.com. At MediaBistro (cool name, isn’t it?) you’ll find a wealth of information on the media industry, from TV to newspapers to, of course, magazines.

According to their website, their mission . . . is dedicated to anyone who creates or works with content, or who is a non-creative professional working in a content/creative industry. That includes editors, writers, producers, graphic designers, book publishers, and others in industries including magazines, television, film, radio, newspapers, book publishing, online media, advertising, PR, and design. Our mission is to provide opportunities to meet, share resources, become informed of job opportunities and interesting projects and news, improve career skills, and showcase your work.

One area I bet you’ll be intrigued with is their “How to Pitch” section. This area gives specific information on how to pitch magazines in a wide variety of niches. Like AARP? There’s information on that. Really into fashion? There’s a link for that.

But there is a catch. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?) This area isn’t free. However, the investment of $55 for one year or $89 for two years could be paid back to you with one freelance writing project.

Here’s what you do:

• Visit MediaBistro. Check it out. Look around. Click on some things.
• Then register (it’s free).
• If you want access to the How to Pitch area and other specialized places on the site, you’ll need to sign up with the AvantGuild area. That’s what costs. But I believe it’s worth it.
• If you need health insurance, are looking for bookkeeping help, want access to classes to improve your skills (the classes are extra but AG members get a discount), you’ll like what you find on the MediaBistro and AvantGuild sites.
• There’s also a Freelance Marketplace where you can be seen by media types looking for freelancers. Yes, there’s an additional cost here, but if you’re wanting to break into these markets, part of the game is being seen.

In case you’re wondering, I don’t get anything from recommending MB or AG. I simply think they’ve put together a good site for freelancers to use, get training and learn new ways to do business. It’s worth 5-10 minutes of your time to see if there’s anything there for you.

So – good luck! Let me know what you think.

Corporate writing.

Send a shiver down your spine?

It shouldn’t, really. Corporate writing is just . . . writing for a big entity. If it makes you feel like a fish out of water, well, that simply means you’re stretching your boundaries and increasing your reach.

Writer I.J. schecter wrote a compelling (if not overly lengthy) article on this subject on May 7 at Writer’s Digest. I thought I’d give you the Cliff Notes version of the it. But you can read the whole article here.

Schecter did a good job of dispelling some of the more common myths about corporate writing, such as:

• Corporate writing isn’t “real” writing
• Corporate writing is selling out
  
• Corporate writing will undermine the artist in you
  

In each case, Schecter pointed out that corporate writing, like pretty much any writing, is merely telling a story. Who doesn’t like to do that? In addition, writing for corporations is paid work and isn’t that part of the reason we write – to be paid for it? The last objection – undermining the internal artist -  he finds laughable. Just because you might write for a corporation today, doesn’t mean you can’t satisfy your need to write fiction or poetry, too. As he points out, “If you’ve worked hard to develop your writing skills, they’re transferable from one area to the next and immediately make you a versatile and valuable resource.”

Once he’d covered those bases, he switched gears to provide key tips on what to do if you truly desire the life of a corporate writer.

Step 1 – Establish yourself as a freelance professional (versus a journalist or author). To do this, according to Schecter, you need a business card, matching letterhead, a website and proprietary domain (sorry, websites on free domains aren’t going to cut it here).

Step 2 – Be sure you have email through your proprietary domain. Using hotmail, Gmail or any other email address other than your domain name looks unprofessional. I can’t argue with him here. I use several email addresses and they’re all tied to active domains I own. I’m not saying you’re unprofessional if you don’t have this yet, but put it on your to-do list.

Step 3 – Research the companies that match your expertise. Understand that even if you don’t have corporate experience, you can still write in that world. It’s all a matter of how you spin your experience, and how much pain you can channel away from the person who is looking for a writer. The less pain they feel, the more likely you’ll be hired. Consider people you know, first. Another tip he offered is contacting your local Chamber of Commerce for a list of local businesses. These may not be corporations, but if you don’t have a lot of experience yet, starting with smaller companies may be a safer bet.

Step 4 – Now it’s time to create your introductory letter. This one-page letter, printed on your letterhead, is your introduction to the corporate world. Mention relevant experience (or even general experience) you have in their industry. Let them know what, if any expertise you have with corporate materials – white papers, case studies, speeches, brochures, etc.

Step 5 – Schecter suggests you ask all your friends in the corporate world to sneak home samples of their corporate materials to help you learn. This might help you with a project at a specific company if you can subtly refer to having seen some of their materials, and it will also give you ideas on what you could do for other potential clients as well.

Step 6 – Stand out (in a good way). Learn how to assess potential jobs and bid accordingly. Emphasize your pricing as firm as long as the parameters are held to (as in – two revisions are allowed, so you don’t charge extra unless you go over two). Guarantee deadlines. Figure out what your edge can be and use it.

Step 7 – Focus on those things that will turn new clients into raving fans:

• Overdeliver
• Be easy to work with (you’d be amazed at how this is often not the case)
• Write copy how the client wants it, not how you think it should be

Step 8 – When you finish a job satisfactorily, ask for a testimonial. While he doesn’t mention it, I also suggest asking for referrals. Corporations are usually quite large and can provide lucrative to a well-liked writer. Be that writer and you could be earning enough to live well and still have plenty of time to write the things that make your heart sing.

Now there’s a concept. Ask for what you want.

How many times have you let opportunities go by because you were afraid to speak up?

When I was in sales professionally, asking for the sale was paramount to my success. Yet, each time I did that, I’d have a clenching in my belly. Eventually, I learned to ignore it and couch my “sales closing” in terms that were helpful to the client. If I felt that I was offering something helpful to them, then I could “justify” my asking for them to pay for what I was offering.

That worked for me. I also believed in what I was selling, which helped a lot.

I use that learning today in my freelancing business.

But back to Jack.

In this short 1+ minute video, he discusses how to ask for what you want by facing the fear you put in your own way. Quite often, the stops we put in front of us are of our own making.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHqFxgrhyvg&feature=channel[/youtube]

If you’re a freelancer, you often have to wear many hats. In which roles does fear show up? What comes easily without fear?

Does Jack’s suggestion of how to frame your self-comments help you overcome any fear that you’re currently facing?

You’re creative.

You have ideas.

Lots of ideas.

In fact, sometimes it’s hard to climb to the top of your idea pile because you keep getting new ones all the time.

Yet, you can’t implement one idea, much less 1,000, if you aren’t focused; if you can’t separate the “wheat” ideas from the “chaff” ideas.

Ideas themselves can be, as a friend of mine Heather Meglasson, says, “ooh shiny!” We chase ideas because they’re fun and new – and the old ideas? Well, those might be “in process.” But too many ideas can create an overload, preventing anything from getting done.

Has this ever happened to you?

I see this frequently with people wanting to make money on the Internet. There are probably millions of ways to do this, with at least that many people hawking their way as the best. If you’re caught in the cycle of “just one more piece of information,” then you’re stuck in the idea stage and probably won’t ever move forward. (Been there, done that.)

So, how do you separate the good ideas from the ones that aren’t – and how do you know which good ones to move forward?

My friend Nancy Marmolejo of Viva Visibility!, whom I met in our mutual Mastermind group, created a blog post with some solutions to the “too many ideas” dilemma. She even takes it a step further with a way to keep you focused on your ultimate goal – making money with your ideas.

Nancy’s incredibly insightful – take look:  How to Get Your Creativity to Pay Off In Your Business. If you like what you read, consider signing up for her blog. She’s an online visibility pro with a heart of gold.

Have a great weekend!

Photo by Valeriana Solaris

While it is true you could still operate a freelance writing business with a typewriter, I strongly insist you move into the 21st century and invest in a good quality computer. The great thing today is, the cost of decent systems continue to drop. In the PC market, a system that used to cost over $1,000 a couple of years ago, can now be had for less that $500. Go figure.

Size Matters

Yes, it’s true. The biggest hard drive wins. The most memory counts. These are two things to consider when you’re shopping for a new business computer. While you might be able to obtain a system for a couple of hundred bucks, consider the type of work you’ll be doing and if the components within the computer will be able to handle your workload. The point of your business is to be really busy. If you have a system that can’t keep up, you’ll be frustrated and less effective.

Portability versus Affordability

It is true that you can buy a desktop for less than a laptop. Today’s laptops are sleek, fast and as effective (often more so) than desktop computers. You might pay more for a laptop with the same internal guts as a desktop, but one of the beauties of freelancing is that you can do it from anywhere. That means if you have a day where you’re feeling uninspired in your normal work space, you can pack up and go somewhere that does engender inspiration. Just try taking your desktop to a coffee shop. I think not.

If your argument is that you don’t like the size of the screen or the keyboard, there are simple fixes for both – external monitor and keyboard. Problem solved. The great thing about having a second monitor is that you can drag and drop things between the two – increasing your visual workspace! I find this enormously helpful when I’m researching and writing at the same time, comparing documents or doing just about anything on my computer.

Mac versus PC

I can pretty much guarantee that if you want to start an argument with someone, bring up the Mac versus PC conundrum. Mac lovers are almost rabid in their devotion and reverence for these amazingly simple to use, yet highly powerful computers. I should know, I have a MacBook. I love it, but it didn’t have all the bells and whistles I wanted and needed. So, after two years, I started shopping around. I ended up with…

A PC. Microsoft seems to hit a home run with every-other-release of Windows. Vista was nothing to write home about, but Windows 7 is awesome. But that’s not why I ended up with a PC laptop (ASUS brand) this time. It came down to functionality and cost. I could buy a really rocking PC laptop for half the cost (at least) of a comparable Mac. No contest. My other consideration was the amount of time I’d wasted being frustrated that I couldn’t get some of the productivity software I wanted because it either didn’t exist for Macs or was so woefully out-of-date that it wasn’t worth using. The good news for Mac lovers who would rather die than buy a PC? This is beginning to change.

I still love my Mac and now that I’ve offloaded a lot of stuff from its hard drive (which is painfully small), it runs well again. It serves as a backup computer, and I use it for graphics and audio editing. I do see Macs as superior in this area, so consider this if you will be doing any kind of heavy duty graphics, video or audio editing.

Truth be told, no computer is perfect. I thought you might enjoy this video that does a great job of highlighting the issues with both Macs and PCs. Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_kGL3M5Cg[/youtube]

What do you look for in a computer? What are your thoughts on Macs versus PCs?