Yesterday, I became a man.
Finally, at 25 years of age, I completed one of the most basic rites of passage for a modern man: I changed my own oil. Granted, it's not the first time I've ever worked on my car. I've even done more substantial repairs like replacing the starter but, knowing that I have the ability to maintain my car in such a basic way is empowering.
And it made me think: Freelancing is very closely related to self-sufficiency. By the very nature of it, taking our employment into our own hands, we throw ourselves into a self-reliant lifestyle. And, as the economy does... whatever it's doing, more and more people are making an effort to become more self-sufficient.
So, I made a decision to expand the scope of this blog into the more broad realm of self-sufficiency. I will cover car and home maintenance, gardening, cooking and (in conjunction with my other blog) home remedies.
Just to illustrate the value of being more self-sufficient, consider my DIY oil change: Typically, a shop will charge me about $50 to change the oil and try to sell me all sorts of garbage I don't need. The oil and the filter cost me about $25 dollars, for a savings of about $25. Which is a pretty big savings. Granted, there may be an initial investment of ramps if you don't already have some. Personally, I borrowed some. But, if you plan on taking care of your own car, it's worth dropping the $50 or so on a set.
Often, people feel as though they just don't have the time to do things like this. But consider the following: The shop I usually go to is about 15 minutes away, for a total trip of 30 minutes. It takes them 30 additional minutes to change my oil when business is slow. That's a hour but it could easily be more if they are busy. It took me 45 minutes to change my oil the first time, figuring some things out. I'm confident that now that I know what I'm doing, I can do it in 30 minutes. Which means that I'm saving both time and money.
So look for how-to's sprouting up here and on The Walking Encyclopedia, and feel free to ask me to cover a specific topic.
(A more detailed post on how to change your oil will follow next time I do it so I can provide pictures.)
Monday, March 12, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Writing for Beginners: Doing What You Love vs. Loving What You Do
When I was younger, my sister used to work for the local music store which was owned by an incredibly talented musician. He had taught and preformed for years, gaining a lot of respect in the professional community. And now he ran the only music store in town. I remember watching him get so bogged down the matters of running the business - paperwork, inventory, payroll, building maintenance - that he actually shouted "All I wanted to do was make music!"
All I've ever wanted to do was write. I have distinct memories of writing being my hobby as a child. In high school, I carried multiple notebooks which had nothing to do with my classes but each contained a story I was working on. I wrote during the majority of my classes. I was pretty obsessive about it.
But, like that music store owner, everything changed when it became a job.
Of course, the change didn't happen overnight. It took years. But after years of doing what I loved, I stopped loving what I do. It's not that I don't love to write anymore, I just don't get to write what I love. In the same way that that musician had no time to actually play music because he was too busy with the store, I have no time to write fiction because I'm too busy writing commercially.
So here's the question: Is it possible to really do what you love? Yes. But not in the way you might think. That phrase implies that you'll doggedly chase down your dreams, whatever they may be, and refuse all other career opportunities. Which simply isn't possible or realistic. Sorry, it's just not.
And even if you eventually achieve that goal, you may eventually get the passion squeezed out of you. Because that's what happens. In order for something to be profitable, it has to be a business. And business is hard. For instance, when I was a child dreaming about publishing a novel, do you think I thought about the pain and stress of pitching to publishing houses? Or dealing with deadlines? Of course not. Just like how that musician didn't think about what it would take to run a successful store, he only thought about being surrounded by music.
But there's hope: Learn to love what you do. This is a far more useful goal because it's fully transferable from job to job. So look for good in whatever job you have at the moment that pays the bills. Recently, I have been spending less time writing non-fiction and more time washing windows. It's not what I had planned but the weather's been beautiful and it's a nice break from wrestling with editors. It also allows me to focus on writing my fiction series (A House Divided).
The key is to recognize when you start dreading what you do. You may need a short break so that you can forget all the things about it that drive you nuts.
All I've ever wanted to do was write. I have distinct memories of writing being my hobby as a child. In high school, I carried multiple notebooks which had nothing to do with my classes but each contained a story I was working on. I wrote during the majority of my classes. I was pretty obsessive about it.
But, like that music store owner, everything changed when it became a job.
Of course, the change didn't happen overnight. It took years. But after years of doing what I loved, I stopped loving what I do. It's not that I don't love to write anymore, I just don't get to write what I love. In the same way that that musician had no time to actually play music because he was too busy with the store, I have no time to write fiction because I'm too busy writing commercially.
So here's the question: Is it possible to really do what you love? Yes. But not in the way you might think. That phrase implies that you'll doggedly chase down your dreams, whatever they may be, and refuse all other career opportunities. Which simply isn't possible or realistic. Sorry, it's just not.
And even if you eventually achieve that goal, you may eventually get the passion squeezed out of you. Because that's what happens. In order for something to be profitable, it has to be a business. And business is hard. For instance, when I was a child dreaming about publishing a novel, do you think I thought about the pain and stress of pitching to publishing houses? Or dealing with deadlines? Of course not. Just like how that musician didn't think about what it would take to run a successful store, he only thought about being surrounded by music.
But there's hope: Learn to love what you do. This is a far more useful goal because it's fully transferable from job to job. So look for good in whatever job you have at the moment that pays the bills. Recently, I have been spending less time writing non-fiction and more time washing windows. It's not what I had planned but the weather's been beautiful and it's a nice break from wrestling with editors. It also allows me to focus on writing my fiction series (A House Divided).
The key is to recognize when you start dreading what you do. You may need a short break so that you can forget all the things about it that drive you nuts.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
New Writer Tips: Getting Experience
It's a common problem for people just starting out in any field: You can't get a job because you have no experience but you can't get any experience unless someone gives you a job. This drove me crazy at first, especially because I knew that some people had made it through this wall. I knew it was possible.
But I am now in the process of crossing that wall. I wouldn't say I'm over on the other side yet; I'm probably chillin' on top somewhere. And because it is such a long, difficult process to break into this field, especially for those like me who have no formal education in anything even vaguely related to writing, here are some things I have learned.
First, don't doubt yourself. Be confident in your abilities and realize that most companies that you could write for have a house style, as long as you stick to that you'll be fine. Be honest about your experience on your resume or CV but highlight the writing experience you do have, no matter how small. Don't ever feel like the little experience you have isn't worth mentioning.
When I first started out after high school my only experience consisted of co-founding a satire newspaper and a few short stories in local and school publications. So, I started writing for a content mill that didn't care about my lack of experience. I made a little bit of money from them but, more importantly, got some attention and experience. It also helped me to build a portfolio.
Leave your comfort zone. I think the term "comfort zone" is misleading and should be changed. Immediately. "Comfort zone" hides all the insidious implications of sticking to what your comfortable doing. The comfort zone is a trap. A warm, fluffy trap. My wife used to work with a company who, among their many mantras, taught "If you're comfortable, you aren't growing." This is incredibly true and useful to the new writer.
If you wanted to be a great baker but you had only ever made cookies, would you refuse to make pies?
After my work at the content mill, writing mostly music reviews and tragically misguided opinion pieces (I was 19, my opinions were stupid), I was offered a job ghostwriting fantasy fiction for a start-up production company. I didn't read fantasy, I had no interest in it at all. I had actually written entire articles about how overrated a certain famous fantasy writer, who will remain unnamed, was. But, it was a job. A writing job that paid money. So I took it. In the process, I learned how to edit, write screenplays and comic books, and even developed the story that would later become my first novel. (Big World Network is a wonderful new publisher who believes that regardless of experience, all writers deserve an equal chance to see their work published and read. It is not self-publishing or a vanity publisher.)
I got this job from word-of-mouth which is exceedingly difficult in some areas but the internet is packed full of reputable websites for freelancers to find work like this. E-lance is, in my experience, the best.
But that brings me to my next point:
Don't Be Too Proud. While confidence is good and can push you into new things, pride will do nothing but hold you back. Pride will demand that you always get your name on everything you write, in spite of the fact that ghostwriting is a fantastic way to start out. (Ghostwriting describes writing something that the client then puts his/her name on. You get money but no credit.) Pride will also make you forget an important truth: Beggars can't be choosers. You may have to make less money than you'd like or are used to for a time but that's better than nothing. Pride will also make you feel like you are above certain jobs. Which you, most likely, are not.
After writing fiction for a few years and being paid handsomely to do it, the job ended. I was newly married, unemployed and used to making more money than any young man in his early 20s should be privy to. I needed work, desperately. So I responded to an ad for a then small company called Patch (an AOL company). Patch was just starting out in my area and needed people to collect information from local business owners to fill their incredibly detailed directory. This was unfriendly work. Business owners are chronically afraid of salespeople and, although I wasn't selling anything and was in fact offering the businesses free publicity, people treated me like a thief. But, again, the money was good. And, more importantly, it gave me a relationship with a local newspaper and led to future work writing articles and even a food column.
(This also illustrates my point about not leaving out any pertinent experience. I had worked in several restaurants both in the kitchen and on the floor, which was enough to get me a gig as a local restaurant critic.)
And that really opened the gateway to solid writing jobs.
Lastly: Specialize. Don't be afraid to pick a specialization, something you would enjoy writing about constantly. Certification classes in just about anything are relatively cheap and can even be taken from home in most cases. Plus it gives you something to fall back on in case of emergency and gives you an expertise. For me, it was fitness. While writing the fantasy stuff, I was working on getting certified as a Personal Trainer. This, combined with all that other experience, allowed me to write for fitness magazines and some higher paying websites. (I also have a fitness blog.)
I firmly believe that the right game plan is the key to making it as a writer. Start small and build on the experience you have.
But I am now in the process of crossing that wall. I wouldn't say I'm over on the other side yet; I'm probably chillin' on top somewhere. And because it is such a long, difficult process to break into this field, especially for those like me who have no formal education in anything even vaguely related to writing, here are some things I have learned.
First, don't doubt yourself. Be confident in your abilities and realize that most companies that you could write for have a house style, as long as you stick to that you'll be fine. Be honest about your experience on your resume or CV but highlight the writing experience you do have, no matter how small. Don't ever feel like the little experience you have isn't worth mentioning.
When I first started out after high school my only experience consisted of co-founding a satire newspaper and a few short stories in local and school publications. So, I started writing for a content mill that didn't care about my lack of experience. I made a little bit of money from them but, more importantly, got some attention and experience. It also helped me to build a portfolio.
Leave your comfort zone. I think the term "comfort zone" is misleading and should be changed. Immediately. "Comfort zone" hides all the insidious implications of sticking to what your comfortable doing. The comfort zone is a trap. A warm, fluffy trap. My wife used to work with a company who, among their many mantras, taught "If you're comfortable, you aren't growing." This is incredibly true and useful to the new writer.
If you wanted to be a great baker but you had only ever made cookies, would you refuse to make pies?
After my work at the content mill, writing mostly music reviews and tragically misguided opinion pieces (I was 19, my opinions were stupid), I was offered a job ghostwriting fantasy fiction for a start-up production company. I didn't read fantasy, I had no interest in it at all. I had actually written entire articles about how overrated a certain famous fantasy writer, who will remain unnamed, was. But, it was a job. A writing job that paid money. So I took it. In the process, I learned how to edit, write screenplays and comic books, and even developed the story that would later become my first novel. (Big World Network is a wonderful new publisher who believes that regardless of experience, all writers deserve an equal chance to see their work published and read. It is not self-publishing or a vanity publisher.)
I got this job from word-of-mouth which is exceedingly difficult in some areas but the internet is packed full of reputable websites for freelancers to find work like this. E-lance is, in my experience, the best.
But that brings me to my next point:
Don't Be Too Proud. While confidence is good and can push you into new things, pride will do nothing but hold you back. Pride will demand that you always get your name on everything you write, in spite of the fact that ghostwriting is a fantastic way to start out. (Ghostwriting describes writing something that the client then puts his/her name on. You get money but no credit.) Pride will also make you forget an important truth: Beggars can't be choosers. You may have to make less money than you'd like or are used to for a time but that's better than nothing. Pride will also make you feel like you are above certain jobs. Which you, most likely, are not.
After writing fiction for a few years and being paid handsomely to do it, the job ended. I was newly married, unemployed and used to making more money than any young man in his early 20s should be privy to. I needed work, desperately. So I responded to an ad for a then small company called Patch (an AOL company). Patch was just starting out in my area and needed people to collect information from local business owners to fill their incredibly detailed directory. This was unfriendly work. Business owners are chronically afraid of salespeople and, although I wasn't selling anything and was in fact offering the businesses free publicity, people treated me like a thief. But, again, the money was good. And, more importantly, it gave me a relationship with a local newspaper and led to future work writing articles and even a food column.
(This also illustrates my point about not leaving out any pertinent experience. I had worked in several restaurants both in the kitchen and on the floor, which was enough to get me a gig as a local restaurant critic.)
And that really opened the gateway to solid writing jobs.
Lastly: Specialize. Don't be afraid to pick a specialization, something you would enjoy writing about constantly. Certification classes in just about anything are relatively cheap and can even be taken from home in most cases. Plus it gives you something to fall back on in case of emergency and gives you an expertise. For me, it was fitness. While writing the fantasy stuff, I was working on getting certified as a Personal Trainer. This, combined with all that other experience, allowed me to write for fitness magazines and some higher paying websites. (I also have a fitness blog.)
I firmly believe that the right game plan is the key to making it as a writer. Start small and build on the experience you have.
Monday, February 6, 2012
MediaPiston: Scam or Legit? A Review
First, I have to apologize for the ridiculous amount of time it has taken me to write a new post for this blog. For an insight on my life over the past month, if you care to know, please read this post on my fitness blog. You will also find some helpful exercise tips.
Now, down to business.
Overview
MediaPiston is a sort of content mill with a dash of cloudsourcing throw in, just for flavor. Clients ask for work to be done, usually an article to be written and the job is posted to the pool. You, the writer, claim it and write it. Once it passes the extensive editorial and rating process and the poster accepts it, you get paid.
The type of job ranges widely but you will generally find yourself writing content for the websites of various companies. In my first two jobs, I wrote about steel roofing materials and waterproof digital cameras. I've had no jobs in my field of fitness. So, if you have a specific field you favor, don't expect to be able to be selective.
The poster always buys the writes to your article, meaning that you no longer own it and get no credit for it outside of the MediaPiston realm, which doesn't really help someone trying to build a portfolio but will give you experience.
My Experience and Impressions
The application process for MediaPistion was fast and easy. They pretty much accept all applicants but you have to qualify for higher paying, more specialized assignments. Once you're set up and ready to work, you can search through the pool for assignments. The jobs vary in size, type and pay but don't expect to get paid much for these jobs. Generally, an 800 word article which will require research will get you about $8 base pay. But, we'll talk more about the time involved a little later. Hang tight.
And the payment scheme is a little hard to understand. The payments shown on the assignment pool page are a sum of both the payment offered by the poster and the maximum bonus you COULD receive depending on how good the article is. So you won't always get the amount you thought you would when you accepted the article.
The writing platform is pretty easy to use and has a built in spell-checker that you MUST use before you proceed. Once you write the article and submit it for editing, my real problems with MediaPiston begin. The article must pass through several editors and can be send back an unlimited number of times for rewrites and edits, for which you don't get paid any extra. With any pay-per-job opportunity, you essentially lose money with each rewrite because you are investing time. The less time you can spend on an article, the more you get paid before that's more time you could be working on another one. Because MediaPiston doesn't pay that much to begin with, it's hard to justify investing a lot of time in rewrites.
Once the job passes the editors, it goes to the client for acceptance. The client has a limited amount of time to accept or deny your work, as well as give you a bonus amount they feel you deserve. If they don't make a decision within their given window, MediaPiston immediately accepts your work and you get a full bonus.
Based on your performance on a job, you receive a star rating which could qualify you for higher-paying jobs in the future and satisfied customers could specifically request you again in the future.
Payments are processed weekly, which is nice.
It should also be noted that MediaPiston doesn't just want you to write articles. There are other types of jobs, including Native English Check, but these are scarce and usually don't pay much at all.
Overall, MediaPiston is a decent way to make some extra cash when other wells have run dry. The editors are easy to work with and the payments are reliable by my experience. Because the pay is relatively low compared some larger mills, this probably won't be your primary source of income but they also don't have any weekly, monthly or even yearly work requirement. So, MediaPiston is nice little website to have tucked away in your back-pocket as a backup.
Now, down to business.
Overview
MediaPiston is a sort of content mill with a dash of cloudsourcing throw in, just for flavor. Clients ask for work to be done, usually an article to be written and the job is posted to the pool. You, the writer, claim it and write it. Once it passes the extensive editorial and rating process and the poster accepts it, you get paid.
The type of job ranges widely but you will generally find yourself writing content for the websites of various companies. In my first two jobs, I wrote about steel roofing materials and waterproof digital cameras. I've had no jobs in my field of fitness. So, if you have a specific field you favor, don't expect to be able to be selective.
The poster always buys the writes to your article, meaning that you no longer own it and get no credit for it outside of the MediaPiston realm, which doesn't really help someone trying to build a portfolio but will give you experience.
My Experience and Impressions
The application process for MediaPistion was fast and easy. They pretty much accept all applicants but you have to qualify for higher paying, more specialized assignments. Once you're set up and ready to work, you can search through the pool for assignments. The jobs vary in size, type and pay but don't expect to get paid much for these jobs. Generally, an 800 word article which will require research will get you about $8 base pay. But, we'll talk more about the time involved a little later. Hang tight.
And the payment scheme is a little hard to understand. The payments shown on the assignment pool page are a sum of both the payment offered by the poster and the maximum bonus you COULD receive depending on how good the article is. So you won't always get the amount you thought you would when you accepted the article.
The writing platform is pretty easy to use and has a built in spell-checker that you MUST use before you proceed. Once you write the article and submit it for editing, my real problems with MediaPiston begin. The article must pass through several editors and can be send back an unlimited number of times for rewrites and edits, for which you don't get paid any extra. With any pay-per-job opportunity, you essentially lose money with each rewrite because you are investing time. The less time you can spend on an article, the more you get paid before that's more time you could be working on another one. Because MediaPiston doesn't pay that much to begin with, it's hard to justify investing a lot of time in rewrites.
Once the job passes the editors, it goes to the client for acceptance. The client has a limited amount of time to accept or deny your work, as well as give you a bonus amount they feel you deserve. If they don't make a decision within their given window, MediaPiston immediately accepts your work and you get a full bonus.
Based on your performance on a job, you receive a star rating which could qualify you for higher-paying jobs in the future and satisfied customers could specifically request you again in the future.
Payments are processed weekly, which is nice.
It should also be noted that MediaPiston doesn't just want you to write articles. There are other types of jobs, including Native English Check, but these are scarce and usually don't pay much at all.
Overall, MediaPiston is a decent way to make some extra cash when other wells have run dry. The editors are easy to work with and the payments are reliable by my experience. Because the pay is relatively low compared some larger mills, this probably won't be your primary source of income but they also don't have any weekly, monthly or even yearly work requirement. So, MediaPiston is nice little website to have tucked away in your back-pocket as a backup.
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