Know Your Facts

If you research the subject of your interview properly, it will go a long way toward making your interview successful. Most subjects, especially those who are interviewed often, hate having to repeat the same information over and over again. Don’t ask your subject questions you can easily find the answer to elsewhere. Ask them questions that only they can answer.

Know Your Audience, Know Your Topic

Be sure you are getting the information your audience will want. An interview with a politician for an issues-oriented magazine will differ from interviewing the same person for a pop-culture oriented magazine or for a daily paper. In the same way, a profile piece will be far different than a day in the life piece or an article focused on a single issue.

Write Your Questions Down

If you are the type who can memorize all of your interview questions beforehand, feel free to do so, but for most people it is better to keep a list of questions you want to ask. You may not need to stick strictly to them, but it is better to have a question you don’t need to use than to forget a question you wanted to ask.

Be Interested, Listen

A good interviewer doesn’t just ask questions, they listen to the answers. If a person agrees to an interview with you, show them the respect of listening to their answers. Nothing can turn a good interview into a bad one more than asking a person a question they have already answered. While you might wish to do that for clarification, don’t do it out of inattention. Beyond that, it is the details of their answers that should guide your next question. If they seem to have completed that line of thought, then move on, otherwise press them for more information. Good follow up questions lead to good interviews. You can only think of those questions by paying close attention to what your subject is saying.

Clarify

Don’t be afraid to say that you don’t understand something. Don’t pretend to know more than you do. If your subject’s answer seems unclear or above your head, politely ask them to explain. It is better to ask up front than to look foolish later if they figure out that you have been faking it. Plus, if you don’t understand, then there is a good chance your audience won’t either.

Ask Precise Questions

Your questions should show your knowledge of the subject and should help you reach the goals you have set for your interview. Don’t ask vague, open-ended questions or standard questions that your subject has answered many times before. Stay away from questions that can simply be answered yes or no; look for questions that will challenge the subject in a good way. Make them think and let them talk.

Get Their Stories

At some point in an interview you want to get your subject to give you an anecdote or two. Let them talk a little bit, even if this particular article isn’t the place to tell the story. You may find information for another story, and you may get more than you’d hoped (or bargained) for.

Beware Unnecessary Confrontations

There are times when you will interview people who are evasive, untruthful, angry, distasteful or who simply have a reason to be cautious about your interview. Many interviewers move directly into a confrontational mode in these situations. They ask questions designed to antagonize or challenge the subject. Sometimes this works and they get an outburst or get the subject to become emotional. Another approach, however, is to work with the subject. Give them some questions that they can answer or feel more comfortable answering, and you may find that they will naturally drift toward what they don’t want to talk about. Whatever they want to avoid will continue to be on their mind, so it naturally comes up. If not, you can then ask more and more probing questions until you wither get what you want, get an outburst or the subject simply will not answer. Even if this happens, you will still have more to work with than if you confronted them at the beginning and they refused to talk.

Get the Name Right

Always get them to spell their name for you. Getting a name wrong is the most embarrassing thing a writer can do.

Interviewing people is often a difficult task, but it is an essential one in many different fields of writing. If you make the effort to do the job properly, it will pay dividends later. Pay attention to these suggestions. You may also want to practice with friends and family until you become comfortable with the interviewing process.

For further information:

• Ten Killer Interviewing Tips at Freelance Folder
• Uncooperative Subjects: A Comparison of Two Failed Interviews and How to Turn Them Around at I’d Rather be Writing
• The Art of the Interview, ESPN-Style at NPR

Step One: Analyze your Strengths as a Freelance Writer

Make a list of subjects that you both know about and feel you would enjoy writing about. Ask yourself:

• What do I know that others either don’t know or don’t understand?
• What am I educated in?
• What work experiences do I have?
• What would I like to learn more about?
• What am I passionate about?

Don’t just ask these questions in your mind. Write down your answers. You will need them for later steps. Don’t be afraid to get specific. “I like to write about psychiatry” is a valid answer, but “I like to write about healing children who have been through psychological traumas” is a much more specific answer that could lead to articles or even books.

Write down all of the jobs you have held and classes or other educational experiences you have had. Even if you don’t plan to write about them right away, you may find that they can add unique twists on article ideas. Sticking with the psychology theme, if you once held a job as a florist, you might decide to write an article about the psychological effects of flowers on trauma victims.

For more information try 6 Freelancing Lessons from Tony Stark, aka “Iron Man” and Do Interesting Things.

Step Two: Analyze the Freelance Writer Markets

There are many markets for your writing. From print magazines to blogs to web content providers to small and large businesses. Don’t limit yourself to the publishing giants. The competition is steepest there, and unless you have a solid reputation and some good connections, you will find it very hard to crack those publications. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to crack them, but don’t make that your primary focus or you are likely to spend a lot of time waiting for assignments rather than completing assignments and getting paid.

Some markets to consider: consumer magazines, trade magazines, professional journals, newsletters, local and regional publications, electronic publications, textbooks, and corporate publications. This is by no means an exhaustive list of publishing opportunities but it should give you an idea of where to start.

Use your Internet resources. Search for sites that deal with your areas of interest. They can be both publication possibilities and research resources.

For more information try 40 Freelance Writing Markets Paying $100 or More (Much More) and The Monster List of Freelancing Job Sites.

Step Three: Pick Your Initial Freelance Writing Specialties

Not every specialty you have is going to be highly marketable. There are many factors to consider when picking your initial specialties:

• The number of potential clients (Publications, businesses, people) who may be interested in your specialty.
• Whether or not you have something new to add to the area of knowledge in that specialty.
• The potential profitability of writing in that specialty.
• How long you feel you can write in that specialty without becoming bored or running out of things to say.
• Do you have equal credentials to the people publishing in the field? If not, can you find a co-author who does?

Analyze your list of specialties and decide for yourself which ones have the greatest chance for success. Pick specialties for which you can both find markets and maintain your motivation. Generally, you want to start with from one to three specialties. The list of specialties can grow over time, but don’t spread yourself too thin at the beginning.

For more information try Should You Specialize in Website Content? and The Freelance Copywriter’s Unfair Marketing Advantage.

Step Four: Find Freelancer Allies

Even before you start sending out queries, you should start making contacts. This requires research and bravery. You need to find professional organizations, clubs, support groups, special libraries, experts and any other resource that will help you succeed in this specialty. Don’t settle for just knowing where, what, and who these resources are. Contact them and establish a relationship. You will need them for more than article research.

Knowing all of the people within a certain field will result in assignments and other opportunities. In addition, you may find that one or more of the “experts” in the field are looking for co-authors or ghostwriters to help them become better known. Just because a person knows a subject, doesn’t mean they know how to write about it. Also, look for other writers who are writing in your field. Contact them. Try to convert them from competition into allies. Sometimes, other writers are so swamped they might forward opportunities to you. Someday, you might be in a position to do so yourself.

For more information try Let me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance and Are You Forgetting to Network With Your Friends?

Step Five: Start the Query Process

Make a list of ten or so publications or clients that you want to query initially. Analyze their needs. Read back-issues and Internet pages of publications. Look at the past publishing history of business clients. Contact publications and ask for their submission guidelines. Many major publications will not accept blind submissions. If your heart is set on them, you will have to find a way to develop a rapport with the editor.

Try for a variety of prospects so that there is as little overlap as possible. Try different types of publications, different regions, different companies and so forth.

Querying is, of course, an ongoing process. When your first round of queries is out, you will want to be researching your second round. Don’t just wait for opportunities. Be proactive.

For more information try 7 Steps to a Successful Freelance Query and How to Write a Query Letter.

Step Six: Gain Something from each Freelance Assignment

You may find that your initial assignments don’t pay as much as you would like. Sometimes, they may not offer any money. Chances are, you will not start off at the top of the pay bracket unless you happen to be well-known in your field. The key is to work your way up that pay scale at a speed that is acceptable to you. To do this, try to gain something from every assignment. Much like an athlete or a musician, your initial aptitude and ability will only get you so far. Experience, research and coaching are needed to get you the rest of the way. Here is a partial list of ways you can improve your writing:

• Find at least one new source (Person, book, web site, article) for each article you write, even if you have covered the territory before.
• Write each article with the intent to improve one aspect of your writing skills:(To write more quickly, to make less initial errors, to improve your editing)
• Do everything you can to meet every requirement your client has set (Subject, sources, length, supplemental materials, and of course, deadline.)
• Improve your relationship with the editor or client. Sometimes you can get to know them as a person. The busiest ones will not be as open to talks, however, even if they like you. Don’t take it personally and don’t be an annoyance. At minimum, ask a client what else they are looking for and follow up with another query. Remember the first part especially. Often, editors already have ideas. All you may need to do to get an assignment is ask.
• Develop a circle of mentors or peers. Join a writing group. Email a blogger. Form individual relationships. Find people who can help make you a better writer and a better freelancer.

For more information try 5 Things You Never Say to an Editor and Proofreader’s Marks.

Step Seven: Develop a Clipping Library of your Freelance Work

Keep all of your published materials. Keep your initial computer files and keep any print versions of your work. A clipping library will come in handy in many ways. You can use the information as sources for new articles, to refresh your knowledge of something you’ve covered, and to send out as samples to new prospects. Organization is not always easy for writers, but an efficient filing system can do wonders for your projects. In effect, you become your own research library. This will come in handy when it is time to recycle and reuse.

For more information try Quick Guide to Creating an Efficient File System and Getting Things Done: How to Take Control of Life.

Step Eight: Recycle and Reuse your Writing Work

One of the great advantages of having a specialty is that you can constantly reuse your work. Here are just a few examples:

• If you have retained the rights, you can resell articles as reprints without changing a word. That means you can get paid two or more times for the same exact article.
• You can repurpose an article. For example, an article about preventing heart attacks can be rewritten slightly for sale to a fitness magazine, a business management magazine and a senior citizen’s magazine. A new introduction and the personalization of a few items might take an hour, and the new sale might pay the same as the initial article or even more.
• You can combine pieces of more than one work into a new, different article.
• Once you have written a number of different articles about a subject, you can consider combining them together into a book. Publishing a book on a subject is a great way to generate new prospects and to be recognized as an expert in the field.
• You can give lectures based on your articles. Depending on the subject, lectures can pay quite well, and they further establish you as an expert in the field.

For more information try Repurpose or Reprint? What Do I Do With My Articles Now? and How To Repurpose Your Articles.

Step Nine: Work on Your Writing Credentials

Anything you can do that builds your reputation as an expert in a field will improve your opportunities. Here are a few ways you can work on your credentials:

• Take classes in your specialty, and if possible get a degree or a certificate.
• Teach seminars or classes or give lectures in your specialty. This is much easier to do than it sounds. Provided that you don’t have a fear of public speaking, you can almost read straight from your articles. The best part is that these opportunities don’t just improve your standing; they are generally paying opportunities.
• Be available for interviews. If someone else wants to quote you as an expert in the field, jump at the opportunity.
• Attend conventions and other gatherings of people in the field. Even if you aren’t giving a presentation, you can still introduce yourself to people and tell them you write in the field.
• Write a book or an eBook. There is no better way to establish your credentials than to write a book about your hey subject.

For more information try Thirteen Steps to Write and Publish a Free Ebook In Thirteen Hours and How to Become an Expert on Nearly Any Subject.

Step Ten: Learn When to Say When

As stated earlier, you can continually expand your specialties. You might start out writing about two subjects that may or may not be related. For example, you might start out writing about the Russian economy and about model trains. After a year, you might find that your interest in the Russian economy has lead to an interest in Middle Eastern business practices, and that your interest in model trains has either vanished or is failing to generate the business to make writing about it profitable for you. You can always drop or cut back on one specialty to pursue another or to concentrate on your remaining specialties. You can also go back when and if you feel it is time for another try.

For more information try How to Defeat Burnout and Stay Motivated and Are Your Stuck?.

Thank you for your wealth of information on writing. I’m an aspiring copywriter, and on top of my day job, dabble in freelance writing for brochures and corporate websites. The thing is, I occasionally encounter clients who change my copy so much (admittedly, for the better) that it makes me doubt my writing talent and potential. My numerous job applications have also been rejected by ad agencies – both big and small.

How do I know if I have what it takes to be a good copywriter? I know I have the passion for advertising copy, but when do I draw the line between passion and reality – that I should just stick to my 9-6 job and leave the writing to the pros?

Appreciate your time and advice, John.

First off, lets dispose of this, “do I have what it takes?” question. If you’re still in there trying, you have what it takes. Once you decide that it isn’t worth your time, then you don’t. I’m sure there are many better copywriters than you, and I’ll also assure you that there are worse ones than you who are making a great living. Don’t let the rejections get you down. The market is flooded with writers but it is also flooded with opportunities.

Your main concern seems to be that people are rewriting your copy. You need to understand that rewriting is part of the process. Your clients, because they are usually much closer to their product than you, will often have input into whether your copy will work for them. Often, their decisions will be best, but sometimes they don’t know what they’re talking about. Either way, they are the clients and your first job is to make them happy.

Here are a few ways to improve your chances of getting through the editing process unscathed:

Make sure you are clear on what the client wants

Don’t be afraid to ask questions as part of the process. Get the job requirements down in writing and if you are unsure of something, check. The more work you do at the front end of the process, the less work you’ll have to do at the back end.

Write carefully and edit carefully

I could recommend a dozen books to you, especially those by Robert W. Bly, but I don’t want to overload you so start with Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. This is a great resource for learning to fix your errors, and I don’t just mean bad grammar or spelling. This book covers the whole process of getting your documents right.

Test

Take the time to have others, not just your client, review what you have written. You can use other writers, or just friends who have any perspective on the product. Have them look over what you’ve written and ask them questions. Test to see if you have gotten the response you are looking for. Is the document persuasive? Does the document leave them with unanticipated questions? Are any instructions easy to follow? Do they understand what the desired result is? Your questions may vary depending on the document. The most important requirement is to listen to what your testers have to say.

Study and Practice

If you want to be a better copywriter, then dedicate yourself to improving. Study other advertising copy. Create a library of quality copywriting, both to study and to give you ideas when you set out to create a new document. Rewrite other copywriter’s materials in your own style. Study books on copywriting AND visual design. Take classes. In other words, make an effort to get better.

Copywriting is a learnable skill. Some people have more to learn than others, but if you are already getting clients, then I think your chances are pretty good. The question is whether you feel the career is worth the work.

Here are some sites about copywriting and web writing that are must-reads.

• Copyblogger: You could spend a year reading all of their articles about copywriting.
• Men With Pens: Great articles on copywriting and the writing business.
• Copywriting Maven: Good information about the business of copywriting.
• Remarkable Communication: A great site for marketers.
• Writing White Papers: Michael Stelzner specializes in white papers, one of the highest paying specialties in copywriting.

Good luck.

Know Your Target

Find out who the publication’s editor / reporter / blogger is for the section you want your press release to appear in. Include that person’s name on the press release, not just on the envelope or in the email address.

Pick One Person Per Publication

Once you’ve chosen the appropriate person, stick with them. If the article needs to be passed off to another reporter, the publication will make that decision. If you send your press release to more than one person, any problems that develop from duplicate coverage and effort will be blamed on you.

Don’t Just Send, Call

To increase your chances of getting coverage, call the intended recipient before you send the press release and call a few days later to make sure they received it. Making first contact by phone will also help you find the appropriate person to send your press release to.

Give it Time

Don’t email a press release the day before an event and expect your event to receive coverage. Give the maximum possible amount of time for the publication to decide how they want to cover the story. If you feel the event is so far in the distance that they might forget about it, then simply send another release as the time for the event draws nearer.

Know Your Deadlines

Magazines, even weekly ones, are planned months in advance. Seasonal events such as Christmas and Thanksgiving are great examples of this. Holiday issues are frequently developed in the heat of summer. For calendar items, know when the publication’s submission deadline is. Do your research.

Keep it Short and Informative

Reporters and editors are notoriously busy. Most press releases should be kept to a single page. Two pages is acceptable but not optimal. If the publications want more information, they’ll ask.

Write it in a News Style

Put the primary information (who, where, what, and when) into the lead (first paragraph), and avoid a heavy sales pitch. No exclamation points!!! Use short words and sentences. Make sure what you’re saying is very clear. Many publications will directly reprint a press release, as long as it is written in a professional news style. Buy either the AP Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style, and learn the general guidelines for abbreviating words, writing numbers and capitalizing names.

Use Postal Mail or Email

You should check with each publication to find out their preferred system for receiving press releases. In general, email is acceptable and postal mail is fine. Faxes are hard to read or to include photos with, so avoid faxing.

Help keep it Together

For printed press releases, always include, at the top corner of every page, a two or three word description of the story, the name and contact information of key contact people (no more than two), the page number (if there is more than one page) and the release date (usually “for immediate release” or “please hold until ??/??/??”). For emails, include this information at the beginning of the email. Be aware that most people will hit the reply button to respond to an email, so send your press release from an email address that you will be able to follow up from.

Show and Tell

If you have good photos, send them or include the words “photos available upon request” with your information at the top of the first page. Only send high quality photos, however, and only when they add to your story. Place photos between cardboard when mailing. Don’t tape or paper clip the photos or you risk damaging them.

Make it Easy on the Eyes

Use standard 8 1/2″x 11″ paper typed on one side only. Never break a paragraph across two pages. Leave wide margins for editors to write notes in. A 1 1/2″ or 2″ margin on each side is fine. Also, use a standard font; fancy text may look nice, but it is hard to read.

Dress for Success

Don’t fold your press release like a letter. You should fold it so that the headline and date will be the first thing the editor or reporter sees upon opening the envelope.

All Good Press Releases Must Come to an End

End a press release with either “###” or ” -30-” typed across the center of the page, three lines below the end of your text. If a release has greater than one page, type “-more-”, centered at the bottom of the pages preceding the final page.

What is an idea log?

An idea log is a way of cataloging your ideas for articles, posts, fiction, poems, essays and stories. Your idea log can be as simple or as fancy as you wish. Some people create file folders for their ideas. They fill them with notes, clippings, pictures and whatever else will assist them. When they pull out the folder, they have all they need to start work. This can be a great system, but it is a lot of work, especially if you never pursue that idea later.

Many people take advantage of their computers. They write quick notes, or even put them in the form of a query to an editor, and keep them in individual documents or add them to a database. This is an excellent system and one that can also get you going quickly once you decide to write because part of the document is already written. You just have to expand on it.

The third way that I propose is simpler and not as thorough. I use it myself, however, because of its ease and portability. I keep a stack of 3×5 index cards in which I jot down my ideas. I put a title and description at the top then jot down the note below. I rarely fill up more than one side of one card. It isn’t as thorough as a file or as ready to roll as a computer note, but it keeps me from prattling on about what is just a single idea that I may or may not follow. Plus, when I have a stack of these cards, I can pull them out and thumb through them quickly, more quickly than going through a file folder or a computer database. I can also take these cards with me anywhere and jot down the ideas as they come. I am a big fan of computers, but for this task I really do prefer the simplicity of a 3×5 index card.

What do you like? What do you hate?

A great place to start looking for ideas is to look at your likes and dislikes. What makes you happy and what makes you sad or angry. These are the things in your life that will provoke your most passionate writing. This can range from politics, entertainment, to a lump in your carpet that you’d like to get rid of. It all depends on what interests you enough to upset or please you.

Who do you know?

The people in your life can be one of your greatest sources of ideas. They have jobs, hobbies, interests and problems that make them experts hundreds of things. Your architect friend can now be interviewed about what makes for a good or bad home design. Your divorced friend with three kids probably has much to say about child support issues. With a little fictionalization, the annoying woman at work might make for a great short story. Look at the people around you. Evaluate them as article sources, interview topics and as story ideas.

Who would you like to know?

People often portray writing as a solitary task, but one of the great benefits of being a writer is that you can use it to meet people. Think about the respected or famous people you would like to talk to: writers you respect, experts in fields you are interested in, actors and politicians. Some of them will be difficult to meet, but many are easier than you think. While the ten most famous writers in the world may be hard to contact, most writers do not spend the majority of their time fending off interview requests. The same is true of experts in most areas. Politicians and actors are probably the hardest to get an interview with, but even then you might be surprised. Just remember that the top few in those fields are nearly impossible to interview without some clout behind you, but there are plenty of others in the field who would be happy to answer your questions.

Where have you been?

Travel is a great way to generate ideas. Look at the places you’ve gone and the things you’ve done there. Think also of the trips you would like to take. From travel guides to the settings for stories, your journeys can be a great source of ideas. Whenever you travel, it is a good idea to keep a journal and write down your thoughts and impressions. You never know where you might find your next idea.

What have you been doing?

Take a look at your areas of expertise. What jobs have you held? What hobbies have you had? What have you studied? These are your areas of knowledge. You may not be an expert, but in writing it is generally enough to be an intelligent amateur as long as you are willing to do the research for your story. Just as your friends are great sources of information, you are your greatest source. Not only do you know something about these things, but also you can rely on yourself, more than anyone else, to do the work required to find out more. Every job, from working in a warehouse to being a phone solicitor to managing a small office, has requirements and areas of interest. Think about how these things can become articles or stories.

What have you been reading?

If you are a writer, then chances are you are an avid reader, and it pays to keep a few notes while you read. The daily paper, magazines, the Internet and the books you read are great sources for ideas. My favorite example of this process is the movie The Player, in which a studio executive challenges anyone to read him a newspaper article and he’ll come up with a movie based on it. Over and over he turns the most mundane articles into feature film ideas. Ideas are everywhere.

What happened to you?

Beyond the jobs and hobbies you’ve had, there is plenty more to your life. There are hundreds of high points and low points in every person’s life: people found and lost, love shared and unrequited, accidents, plots, plans, choices and mistakes. Most of your memories are worthy of a story or article, because chances are you haven’t managed to remember the ordinary and mundane parts of your life, just the highs and the lows and the elements that contribute to who you are. Your life is an endless source of material if you have the talent to make it interesting to others.

Ideas are all around you. If you go through the items above, you will have plenty of ideas to work with, but beyond that, you just need to keep your eyes open and your other senses ready to back them up. Ideas will come to you if you are paying attention. Just remember to have some system to keep track of them, even if it is just a notebook for you to jot things down in. Your ideas are fuel for your writing. Keep plenty of fuel handy.

Everyone is a writer

Writing isn’t like engineering or chemistry. Most people know how to write. There are people who write especially well, either because of training or talent, but there are millions of people who can write a basic article or blog post that is good enough for the Internet. Some of those people aren’t out to make a living as a writer. Their day job pays well enough or they have other means of support. They just want to get published. Others realize that they need to become better writers if they want to make a living. They take less money so that they can develop their skills as well as their portfolios. You can complain about these people all you want. It doesn’t matter. They aren’t going anywhere.

Companies are in business to make money — Shocking!

On the flip side there are companies that cater to these writers. Demand Studios is one of those companies. Demand Studios has clients who want articles written for them. Some of those companies are major players, others are small businesses and a few are fly-by-night dreamers. The client tells Demand Studios what kind of article they want written and Demand Studios then finds writers to write the articles. The pay is not high, but it is far from the worst in the industry. One of the key complaints against Demand Studios is that their editors are strict. Writers are frequently told to make rewrites and edits. For some reason, these rewrites are viewed as onerous. The prevailing complaint is that they pay far too little to expect so much. Because of this, many writers refuse to do the rewrites. This is viewed as a fault of the company rather than the writer. The company is too demanding. They should settle for less or they should pay more. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.

The bottom is where people start

For most writers, especially the inexperienced beginners who are attracted to low-paying assignments, a strict editor is the best thing they can possibly hope for. They need to have someone guiding them. Having a good editor is like having a free writing instructor. The editor isn’t just fixing your article. The editor is teaching to become a better writer. Not all editors are great. Strict doesn’t always mean good. Some Demand Studios editors may suck. The wonderful thing about freelancing is that you don’t have to work for someone you don’t want to work for. If you don’t like writing for someone, stop writing for them.

You choose who you write for

As I said earlier, Demand Studios has many clients, both large and small. They have those clients because they provide quality articles for low prices. If the prices were higher, they might lose clients. If their articles were of lower quality, they might lose clients. This is their business model. I don’t write for Demand Studios. I don’t write for them because I have clients who are willing to pay me substantially more money. I have a high paying specialty (software documentation), fifteen years of experience, a graduate degree and some really terrific contacts in the industry. I don’t need what Demand Studios offers (although I often need a good editor). On the flip side, when I was twenty-two years old and trying to establish myself as a writer, I would have jumped at the chance to write for a company like Demand Studios. I wanted then what they offer now: experience, guidance and money. Unfortunately, that was twenty years ago, and the closest thing I had to the Internet was AOL on a 2400 baud modem.

More skills and experience equals more money

Don’t get me wrong. I would like Demand Studios to pay higher rates. A higher rate would attract (I hope) a higher caliber of writer and help create a better product. I also know that you can go on Elance or Odesk and find plenty of people who pay less than Demand Studios and expect more. That is the nature of the freelance writing world in 2009. The low end is far lower than it used to be, and there is more competition for even those jobs. The good news is that you don’t have to write for anybody you don’t want to write for. You can start your own blog and market yourself from there. I did.

I now have no trouble finding clients who are willing to pay me a substantial rate to write. It isn’t luck that got me there. I struggled for years. I made mistakes. I learned. I now have skills that most of my competitors don’t have. I have a strong resume that gets me interviews and offers. I’ve even gotten smart enough, over the years, to turn down offers when they aren’t right for me.

Move on, move up

If Demand Studios doesn’t feel right for you, don’t write for them. All I ask is that you give up on complaining about them or the people who write for them. Focus your energy on something productive. Go write something.

Extended Stay is divided into two parts. The first part, Recovery, is a set of poems I wrote about my mother’s long hospitalization and recovery from a surgery that had severe and unexpected complications. The second part, Road, is about my life as a long-distance commuter working at various tech companies over the past few years. I hope you enjoy the book.

Please note that this is an initial release. I would love it if anyone kindly pointed out any misspellings or other problems and gave me their feedback. I am offering my eBook free of charge for the first 100 people who download. All I ask in return is that you take the time to read it and leave a comment here.

Here is a sample poem to whet your appetite:

Condition Signals

I am staring at the parking lot as it empties
Hardworking party members head off to do
Charity work for the people of Kuala Lumpur
Or maybe it is time for half-priced appetizers at Applebee’s
I have many action items to make good on
Alone with the stragglers in their remote cubicles
Before I can search out my own franchise

Each hour dissolves professional into personal
Phone calls and emails and windows
There is a pressure behind my face that could be sinuses
Or disconnection
Or if I have the right fantasy
Could be the eventual manifestation
Of my long-awaited super powers
I push away from the window and head back
To the computer
The cubicle
And the comfort of my action items

Download Extended Stay

30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day One
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Two
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Three
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Four
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Five
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Six
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Seven
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Eight
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Nine
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Ten
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Eleven
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twelve
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Thirteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Fourteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Fifteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Sixteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Seventeen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Eighteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Nineteen
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-One
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Two
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Three
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Four
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Five
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Six
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Seven
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Eight
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twenty-Nine
30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Thirty

After you finish today’s poem, take some time and look back on the poems that you have written this month. Take a little time to be proud of yourself.  Writing poetry is an accomplishment, and writing thirty poems in a month is a great accomplishment.

I want to pass on some final wisdom and inspiration before I go. I am mostly out of advice, but luckily there have been thousands of poets before me and more than a few have taken the time to comment on poetry. Here are some thoughts for you:

Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. — Leonard Cohen

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.  — Samuel Johnson

Poetry is what gets lost in translation. — Robert Frost

“Therefore” is a word the poet must not know. — Andre Gide

An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. — Charles Bukowski

As soon as war is declared it will be impossible to hold the poets back. Rhyme is still the most effective drum. — Jean Giraudoux

Constantly risking absurdity and death whenever he performs above the heads of his audience, the poet, like an acrobat, climbs on rhyme to a high wire of his own making. — Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Each memorable verse of a true poet has two or three times the written content. — Alfred de Musset

Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. — T. S. Eliot

Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. — Percy Bysshe Shelley

Political subject matter is looked upon either as an intruder into the realm of poetry, or as a matter that requires special discussion every time it occurs, and can’t just be taken for granted like any other subject. — Denise Levertov

A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language. –  W. H. Auden

A poet looks at the world the way a man looks at a woman. — Wallace Stevens

A poet’s autobiography is his poetry. Anything else is just a footnote. — Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Today’s Poetry Prompt

Write a poem about the end of something.

Moving Past the Grape

It was an optical illusion
My eyes could not adjust
Every time I thought the room was empty
Or at least really truly almost empty
I was wrong
What looked bare
Seemed full again
It was always almost empty
Like a shadow eating a grape
The first time I cleared all the furniture
Except for a chair
How did I miss the chair
The next time it was boxes
I must have left the chair
To sit and fill the boxes
When the boxes were full I took the chair
And the room was almost empty
Next came bags
But there was still a box
I must have left the box
For the junk
That wasn’t quite garbage
I filled the bags
And took the box
And I thought it was really almost completely empty
But when I came back I needed more bags
And a broom
And a box
And a vacuum
And a friend
And several hours later
It was really
Almost
Empty
I didn’t go back
For fear of figuring out
I was wrong again

• Because it makes you happy
• Because it makes you think
• Because it helps you sort through your feelings
• Because something in your brain wants to get out
• Because it is fun to rhyme
• Because you can do it almost anywhere
• Because it teaches you lessons about life
• Because it shows the world you are here
• Because it is fun to not rhyme
• Because you want to win someone’s love
• Because you want to make fun of someone or something
• Because you can keep your poems in a cool leather journal
• Because you can say whatever it is you want to say
• Because it gives you a feeling of accomplishment
• Because every day is a good day to write poetry

Today’s Poetry Prompt

Write a poem that gets shorter with each line.

Party

We lined up four tables in an imperfect right angle
Elephant bags and boxes gathered around me
A shuffle of cards and liquid Mexican flags
How many special people change
Burning but ultimately fulfilling
The music never stops
I can babble on until
It is time to float
To promise
Tomorrow
Then soon
Again