When it rains, it...

... keeps me really busy.
Things are heating up again. I have gotten rolling on a couple of my own web sites, so now the freelance projects are coming in. Okay, so none of them are really high paying - that is what I am still hoping and aspiring to. But, it is a steady stream of work and it shows that all those queries and samples pay off. Sometimes they pay off weeks after I thought they would...

Add that to Friday night's planned fun. I agreed to be a subject in a market research study. Not only do they interview me about my grocery shopping and cooking habits - they watch me cook dinner. Then, I have to keep a shopping/cooking log for 2 weeks. Silly, yes, but the pay is good and I *thought* this was going to be a thin month for work. Oh well, if it keeps up, maybe we can take a mini-vacation at the end of summer.

The hardest part is setting my priorities. How do I budget my time between the projects for others, my own sites and the chores that have to be done around the house? I guess I'll think about it while I go toss some laundry in...

The weekend approacheth...

Ever since I became a mom and a freelance writer, weekends totally changed in character. No more leisurely mornings of sleeping in. No more lounging all day with the Sunday paper. In fact, weekends have begun to feel strangely just like every other day.

My daughter is an early bird. So, bright and shiny, she wakes me up -- at the same time as she does on the weekdays. Go figure. And, just like on those "work" days, I stagger downstairs and procure juice and Sesame Street and toaster waffles.

Then, of course there are my freelance projects. I frequently need the time on weekends - when my husband is home to help with the little one - to actually do my freelance writing. I have some time during the week, but it is much easier to get a block of time at the computer, uninterrupted on the weekend.

Occasionally, I ignore the pile of assignments on my desk and we head to the beach, but that is the exception and not the rule. Hopefully, I can do some of each this weekend.

A new day

Funny how every new day brings new feedback, new places to query and other writing adventures. I am tickled by the great response we have had to the writers row forum - 48 registered users in only a week.

I had one place I write for tell me I had sent my best article yet... and sent off yet another email to the place I hadn't heard from. Finally had a promising response, so I am feeling much more upbeat about that one too.

I am still trying to find my right niche. Do I stick with web content or try to do more in print? How do I carve out time to finish my novel?

I read some advice the other day about making time by letting things slide around the house. If I let anything more slide, we'll be ready for a landfill. Oh well, we manage to muddle along.

C. is searching for a new car, and we need to sell one. That should make for a really thrilling weekend.

Off to make dinner...

Meet and be merry

You are cordially invited to visit the new Writers' Row forum at:
http://www.writersrow.com/phpBB1/

Second-guessing and self loathing

Most of the time, my self-esteem is just fine. It goes about its business, reminding me that I'm okay and doing better the average bear. But every once in a while, it goes on vacation.

It may start with a rejection, but more often than not it happens when I am hearing nothing at all. Take the most recent example. I queried someone about a writing position. The head of the firm responding in a positive, upbeat manner and asked me to express interest in categories.

I did so, and mentioned I was about to head out of town for a few days. He responded that it was no problem, he thought one of the categories I mentioned would be fine and that we should discuss it more detail upon my return. Good. Self-confidence was still in place.

A couple days later (as I checked email remotely from vacation), he sent a message indicating I should review a pre-approved topic list for categories. In addition, it showed the topic I had first mentioned, but assigned to someone else.

I responded that if that topic was not available, I would be interested in one of several others on the list and I stated them.

Heard nothing. Okay. Well, he knew I was out of town, right? No worries.

Returned home. Emailed him a cheery message that I was ready to discuss categories. Heard nothing.

Asked another writer who I knew had been in contact with him if she'd been in touch. Yup. Had just been talking with him He's definitely working.

Okay. He is busy. Wait a few days.

The weekend comes. Wait until Monday.

Okay, Monday comes and the other writer has had a lovely phone chat with him and secured 2 topics. I have heard nothing. I send off an email. Another writer chats with him.

This is where it starts. Did I make some dreadful faux pas in one of my emails? No, they were all very professional and innocuous. Am I just irritating? He looked at my writing samples before and they haven't changed. Did he suddenly realize he was getting apps from people far more qualified/talented/skilled/insert-superlative-here than I ? Am I so irritating he couldn't stand me just from my short emails? Did an angel come from above and tell him I am not the one?

Just the self doubt would be okay, but it is often accompanied with an uncomfortable nervousness and anxiety - almost like when you have too much adrenalin, but not nearly as happy -- as well as an obsession with checking email to see if he has finally responded.

I try to set it out of my mind, but the other tasks on my plate for today are the most dreaded of chores - balancing and reconciling accounts. I'd rather write about the innards of competition tractors.

So, I stare at the numbers and try not to think about the rejection by omission. Not very successfully, I might add.

The newest in subconscious analysis - Google Ads

Okay, you are thinking I've really gone off the deep end. But, I have a way to analyze what is really going on in the brain - using google ads. I'm not sure if it qualifies as writing help, but it might qualify as psychoanalysis.

Try writing a freeform, stream of consciousness essay... Anything will do. Write whatever you are thinking about.

Now, place that text on a page with google ads. Your blog or another web page.

Check back once the google bots have done their thing and placed contextual ads.

Are your ads all about writing help and technical writing? Or are they devoted to other, more esoteric topics? Maybe you have some showing up for psychics. Or for matchmaking services. Or dog collars. Or matchmaking for people who like psychics and dog collars.

I won't judge you on your google ads, but you might want to think about it.

Chasing the shiny things

Today was a really productive day. Well, sort of.

I did not actually earn any money today. I worked on several projects that might earn me some money sometime.
I set up the forum at WR;
I updated trans fat free (http:/www.transfatfree.com).
I gave a friend comments on a site she is working on.
I sent some queries on some keyword writing gigs.
I thought of all the other things that won't earn me any immediate money, but that I really want to be working on.
I came up with ideas for about 12 writing help articles I want to post.

It was a really good day in freelance writing land. But, tomorrow I need to try to earn some cash.

Prioritizing writing projects

On any given day, I have multiple freelance writing projects to be done or in progress. I have paid work to do, things to write on spec, my own web content projects to update or create content for and queries and submissions to write. Often, the hardest thing to do is prioritizing the things on my plate.

I survive by making a list. It shows impending deadlines and those usually come first. But, more difficult is dividing my time between the things that will earn me immediate (or within the next month or two anyway) money versus the things that are more long term in nature.

Some days I think I do a good job of setting my priorities. Other days, I look at my half done novel and just shake my head.