While most people think that monetizing a site is all about ad revenue, placing advertisements on the content is but one of several tried and true ways to earn back on the investment of time and energy you put into site building. In this post we are going to go over ads, eBooks, self-published books, merchandise, affiliat programs, and donations as ways to bring in a little (or a lot) of green for your contribution to the blogosphere.  Let’s get started!

Ads

The most common form of monetization for blogs and sites around the internet are ads.  The quickest and easiest way to get ads going on your site are to incorporate prepackaged contextual ads, such as Google AdSense or Chitika, which allow you to immediately and fool-proofily add ad blocks to anywhere you like on your site.  Contextual ads get their name from scanning the content of your site and placing ads in the ad blocks which share similar keywords. These ads are fluid and will change depending on the specific page on the site and also the content.

Contextual ads have been the cornerstone of many an online empire, and several famous bloggers have credited with the revenue from their contextual ads as being able to pay for everything from groceries to the mortgage each month with no issue.  For example, Steve Pavlina claimed that after less than a year online his blog made an excess of $1,000 from contextual ads alone. Now that is some serious cheese.

However, these contextual ads are not the only source of advertising revenue to be earned.  Text link ads work like contextual ads by scanning the content, yet instead of placing the ad links in a defined box, they hyperlink certain pre-existing areas of text and make it a link to the client site.

You can also earn some revenue from your site from selling ad space to individual and private clients.  These ad contracts tend to be in increments of one month, six months, or a year, and the client will provide the ad code and pay a fee for you to maintain that code on your site for a certain period of time.

The bottom line with all three of these examples of ads are that the higher your traffic is, the greater your Click Through Rate will be.  A high CTR means that people click on the link or ad, which translates to a higher percentage cut for you (which is always good).  Therefore, higher traffic blogs will benefit more from ads than lower traffic ones.

eBooks

Another great way to make money from your site is to sell an eBook.  The term eBook stands for electronic book, and essentially they are PDF documents that a user can download for a certain fee.  eBooks are a great way to make money for your site by packaging information into an instantly available format for your readers.  They can be priced anywhere from a few dollars to around $100 depending on their length and depth of content.  In my experience, the best online source for selling and distributing eBooks to readers is E-junkie for its easy set-up, low costs, and available of a simple affiliate program.

Self-Published Books

While eBooks are all the rage, especially after the advent of the Kindle and other online readers, it is still possible to earn a decent bit from self-published books you sell on your site.  Self-published books are just like normal physical books with the exception that they are not edited and printed by a traditional publishing house: they are edited and printed by you.

Self-published books are great alternatives to eBooks, especially for individuals who give talks or have a physical sales location as well.  They can be put together 100% online, where you can upload the content, design the cover and style, and select how it is bound and how many are printed.  Want To Freelance recommends Lulu.com for those interested in offering self-published books,

Merchandise

Got a cult following? Then allow them to revel in the coolness that is your site by providing them with a variety of merchandise options.  Hats, T-shirts, key chains, coffee mugs, mouse pads, even MP3 players can be customized with your site’s logo, tagline, or name on it for you to sell.  CafePress.com is a great solution for people who feel they have an audience who would buy products with their site on it. Want to get some free advertising? include you URL on whatever you sell to help turn your dedicated followers into little PR machines for your site (which brings new traffic, more ad revenue, more eBook sales, and therefore more money).

The key with merchandise is to be sure you have a market for it among your readers before you actually start to sell it, as offering to sell a T-shirt with your face on it can make you look a little lame if no one is interested.

Affiliates

An affiliate is an individual who volunteers to go out and sell an online product for a commission of the profits.  Affiliates are online door to door salespeople who bring revenue in for a piece of the pie.  They can work for you in two ways: you can earn money by being an affiliate yourself, or enjoy higher sales overall by having affiliates for your products.

You can earn a percentage of sales from selling someone else’s product on your site, be it an ebook, a hat, or a compilation CD.  However, before you start endorsing someone else’s product, be sure you believe in it enough to put your name behind it - you don’t want to be associated as recommending a ponzi scheme to readers…

You can also earn money for your site by recruiting affiliates to hawk your wares at their own pages.  The best way to get a good affiliate revenue is to offer a generous affiliate commission - between 40-50% are typically the most attractive (while still being realistic).  The more an affiliate stands to earn from your products, the more they will be motivated to promote it.  As a rule of thumb, you don’t want to make less than 50% for yourself on every affiliate sale.

Donations

If ad revenue, products, and affiliates fail to bring in the type of cash you would like to see from your site, you have a final option: beg for money.  Many sites ask for donations from loyal readers to help keep the site going, however the success level of this method is a bit of a crap shoot.  On the one hand, many bloggers claim that by offering to keep the site ad-free they are able to earn a worthwhile amount in donations, yet a louder majority of site owners complain that their donation dollars make up 0% of their earnings.  The results with this one are different for every site, as only you know your readers (and the volume of your readers).

The bottom line with all these options is that only you can decide what feels right for your site. Some of it may work wonders for your bottom line, while other tactics may fall on deaf ears.  The best piece of advice is to start small with revenue streams that don’t require an upfront investment from you, such as contextual ads or affiliate programs, followed by those that require investment of time for creation (ebooks) and money (products).  No matter what you offer, just make sure that the value and quality of your content is never jeopardized by your quest to make money from your site!

Have managed to earn a worthwhile amount from your site? Share your tips with your fellow freelancers!

E-Waste is a serious problem that all online content creators need to address and take personal responsibility for.  Yet taking the time to clean up your sites can provide a host of benefits that are well worth the time like higher traffic, better reputation, and even some quick and easy new writing ideas.

All you have to do is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle…

Reduce

Reducing your E-Waste means taking the time to go through your old blog posts and posts on sites like eHow or Associated Content and sifting out the junky content.

Junky content can happen to even the best writer, so if you are looking at this post thinking, “Well, this doesn’t apply to me,” sorry buddy, it probably does.

Junky content can be a variety of things: posts that are no longer relevant, time sensitive material that is past its time, quickly written posts or posts that are redundant to other content you already have out there.

So what do you do once you’ve sorted all this stuff out? You have three options: delete it, modify it (Reuse), or harvest it for new article ideas (Recycle).

Reuse

Reusing content means that you keep the original post framework but give the text or the information a bit of a face lift by rewriting parts of it.  I’ve done this on many posts over the years and found it is a quick and easy way to incrementally improve the quality of the entire site with the least amount of effort.

Keep in mind as you look at articles to Reuse that sometimes all an older article needs to shine like new is keyword adjustments and some SEO attention.

One thing I’ve found to be a key trick to Reusing articles in a way that cleans up the site and also boosts traffic is to make sure that something actionable or valuable is presented in the content of each post.  Trust me, this works even if you have a personal blog - for example, if you have an old post about waiting in line for an hour for movie tickets, you can include a fun part on the bottom that provides alternative methods to buying tickets at the theater.

Reusing your old posts are a great way to add some fresh content to your site without having to really provide totally new content.

Recycle

If you have a post that is a great idea, but the post itself is just unsavageable, you can recycle the post by pulling the keywords out and using to write a totally new post from scratch.

This is a bit more time consuming that Reusing posts, but it is still a great way to keep your good ideas earning you traffic and positive attention.

How do you Recycle? Go through the unsavagable article and make note of the keyword, title, article structure, and overall points.  Use these as a framework to rewrite a new article (even under the same title) and repost it to your site.  This is a great way to get a new post up when you are at a loss of what to write about.

So remember, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to remove junk from your site and keep it fresh, interesting, and well respected.  We are all growing as writers everyday, and therefore the quality of our sites should grow with us!

Are you searching for your freelance writing niche? It took me a long time to find where I belonged in the writing world. Out of college, I explored technical writing and magazine writing. But neither option suited me. Eventually, I stumbled upon copywriting. But even that led me down unexpected paths. Along this twisting, frustrating, sometimes desperate, road to find where I fit in, I learned a few things. If you’re struggling to find your writing niche, here are some tips to help you along the way.

Be Open-Minded.

Tunnel-vision often blocked me from finding my niche. While you don’t want to run in so many directions that you never get anywhere, it helps to keep your mind open to new possibilities. Don’t get so absorbed with one idea that you miss great opportunities elsewhere.

Explore Your Options.

Technical writing, copywriting, grant writing, resume writing, press release writing, and web content writing are a taste of what you can do. The health care industry needs writers who know the terminology. Grant writing is a field all its own. Even resume writing is a specialty. So look around and see what people want freelancers to write. Craigslist is a terrific resource for this. Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks can connect you with other writers to learn what they do. You’ll discover that almost everyone specializes.

Take Risks.

Whether you went to school to write or you’re learning on your own, sometimes you have to swan dive to get what you want. My first job that led me to discovering my niche was completely foreign territory to me. But I’d conquered other assignments so I buckled up and went for it.

Don’t Be a Snob.

No matter what you do, you have to start somewhere. One of my first copywriting projects was a fairly simple brochure rewrite. They weren’t expecting award-winning sales writing, they just wanted it to sound more personal. Was it the most exciting project ever? No. But I could handle it and I felt really good about how things turned out. So don’t look down your nose at certain segments of the writing industry or particular jobs. Something is always better than nothing. Even if you don’t get paid much, or at all, to begin with, you are paving the way for better opportunities in the future.

Don’t Doubt Yourself.

‘Maybe this won’t work. Maybe I’m really just no good at writing. Maybe I should just call it quits and try something else.’ You may have voiced similar doubts. Don’t let these loud voices deter you! If you, like me, dreamt about freelance writing when you were 13, don’t give in. You will find your place in this extensive industry.

Don’t Give Up.

I had many times when I felt I should just put away my pen and paper and go do bookkeeping. But I love to write and it’s a valid skill that others can benefit from. So regardless of how much trial and error you experience, don’t give up on your passion. If you want to write and you can’t live without it, keep working and you will find your niche.

In the end I found that web content, including SEO articles and blog writing, fit me very well. The opportunities are plentiful and varied. And I have time and mental energy to pursue fiction writing, which I couldn’t live without. So remember:

Be open-minded
Explore your options
Take risks
Don’t be a snob
Don’t doubt yourself
Don’t give up

Keep these tips in mind as you go on the hunt for your writing niche!

Amy, thank you so much for sharing your voice with your fellow freelancers!  If you or someone you know has a voice to share, then please contact nacie (@) WantToFreelance.com to get involved!

What is Monetizing Your Site?

Monetizing your site means you have embedded HTML code into your layout that presents itself as advertisements on the front end.  The most common form of monetization on sites is Google Adsense, however Text Link Ads and bought banners are also common.

Advertising on your site can bring you revenue in one of two ways: you can either earn an upfront or monthly payment from the advertiser for the ads, or you can earn based on how many people see the ads and click on them.  The latter format is also referred to as pay-per-click advertising.

Both forms, prepaid and pay-per-click, have their pros and cons.  For example, prepaid ad slots are great because they earn immediately revenue, however no mater how well they perform will only yield that initial amount in profit.  Pay-per-click, on the other hand, has the potential for unlimited earnings, however to be really worthwhile they require a good number of page impressions and clicks per month.

While there is the potential for making money from your site or blog, these ads take up space and can affect the way a user views the page.  These are essentially the two sides of the argument, which are both further explored below.

For Monetizing

Individuals in favor of monetizing sites see it as a way for bloggers and site owners to be compensated for the hard work they put into their webpages.  Maintaining a site, especially maintaining a blog, requires an investment of several hours a week after the initial time investment of setting the site up.  Then there is promoting the site through social media, commenting on other sites, and participating in forums.  Then there is research and composing blog topics, all of which combined can add up to as much of a time commitment as a part time job. Supports of having ads on websites see the revenue earned from these ads as a small way to compensate for the time investment that could be spent otherwise on money making projects.

Against Monetizing

There is a significant and vocal population who are offended by ads on websites, particularly on blogs.  Their stance is that a blog is a personal contribution to the greater good or online community, and therefore shouldn’t be seen as a way to make money.  Many people who stand behind the no-ads philosophy see blogs as a real extension of the online journals (think LiveJournal) that were popular in the early ’00s, and as you wouldn’t advertise on your own diary you shouldn’t advertise on your blog.

The Writer’s Dilemma

Freelance writers have a particularly hard time coming down one way or another on the monetization of sites issues due to the unique set of circumstances that we face.  First, it should be considered that for many of us our sites our like our online resumes which leans in favor of no ads (you wouldn’t put an ad on a paper resume, would you?).  Yet if you sell an e-book on your site - as many freelancer’s do - then how does adding another revenue source hurt?

The truth is there is no right answer either way - some people consider ads on freelancer’s websites to be unprofessional, while other consider it to be a perfectly acceptable, and even natural, part of running a website.

The Bottom Line

The only real answer for this ongoing debate is to do what you are comfortable doing.  Adding advertisements onto your site does mean in many ways you are commercializing your material, something purists and individuals who want no distractions to their content may not like.  If you do choose to monetize, make sure you keep ads in positions that are not going to disrupt the reader’s ability to enjoy the content.  And if you don’t choose to monetize, then respect the writers and site owners who have ads.

Where do you come down on the issue of monetizing sites in general and specifically monetizing writer’s personal websites?

I’ve gone through phases in my freelancing career where I’ve felt this more strongly than others, and it is truly a frightening thought.  But if there is one lesson I’ve learned several times over and sometimes the hard way it is that as a freelancer, I am responsible for creating my own job security. Think its impossible in our field? Read on, and I’ll show you how.

What does job security really mean? For 9-5ers, job security means that they do not have to worry about losing their job.  The real fear here isn’t about not having the privilege to kill themselves 9-5 five days a week, the fear is that they will lose their jobs and then subsequently lose their income.  That’s right, at the heart of the issue job security is all about the Benjamin’s.

9-5ers are actually in some of the most insecure jobs out there - they put all their eggs into one basket, and then have to hope that basket doesn’t downsize, file for bankruptcy, or merge with a less sympathetic basket.  They are at the mercy of their job for job security, which means they are out of the control of the job security and therefore there is no way it can ever be secure.

Freelancers, however, while it seems our employment is more precarious, have more of a fighting chance to create job security for ourselves.  Since we are not bound by just one client at a time, we can create a job safety net for ourselves that becomes real job security. Here are two key ways how to do that:

Diversify Your Clients

The most important thing we can do as freelancers to create job security for ourselves is to diversify our clients.  This means that at any given time we should have several contracts with several totally different clients going.  Preferably, one of those clients should have more work available for us that you are currently completing, and there should be a client waiting in the wings.  The idea is that if one client drops you the others can simply close the financial gap with the other clients’ work.

Let me give you a real life example of this.  This past year, I have been working for an online content mill (Demand Studios) that literally offers as much work as I want for a fixed rate per article, a leadership development firm that had me working an hourly rate for around 20 hours per week, another online client that I did around 50 articles for per month, and several occasional clients.  In August, the leadership development firm downsized and had to cut me from the payroll.  All my friends and family were worried for my financial health, but to me, it was no big deal - I focused more on the content mill articles for a week and got in touch with a client I had on the back burner to start a long term project with them.  The whole event was truly seamless without so much as a dip in my earnings.

What made this transition so painless? The fact that I had a flexible client that could give me more work (Demand) and a client waiting in the wings.  And as odious as many writers think these content mills are, they can help pay the bills quick and can be tapped whenever you need a little extra - so if you aren’t sign up with one seriously consider it.

Create a Savings Reserve

Another way that we can create job security for ourselves it to create a fall-back reserve.  Just by adding a few dollars a month into a separate savings account can help create a little buffer for you while you are in between clients that will keep the wolves from the door.

The nice thing about freelancing today is we have a global market place at our fingertips, meaning there are just more jobs out there for us.  But just as the saying is true you need a job to get a job, it is also true that you need money to make money - having a freelancing reserve makes it easier to find a new gig instead of being desperate for money.  Don’t ask me why this works, it just does!

So freelancers, be proud of your profession and proud of the fact that you have it in your control to create your own security in this challenging economy. Just be smart, think big, and when you get the chance, save.  You can do it!

Happy Freelancing!

I don’t feel too burned out, because I feel like it is the trade off I willingly accept: I work every day for the right to work for myself and to work from home - and after hating the lifestyle of a 9-5 worker so vehemently, I consider it a fair trade.

But there has been this part of me that has known I can’t go on like this forever - at some point I will need to take a break, and the longer I put it off the more disruptive that break will be.  So this past Sunday and Monday, I decided to test drive what it would be like not to do any work for two days in a row.

I chose this weekend because in the United States it was Labor Day weekend, a national holiday to celebrate and recognize America’s workers.  It seemed to be inappropriate to “labor” on Labor Day, so…I didn’t.

Fighting the Urge

In preparation for taking Sunday and Monday off, I tried to get in as much work as possible on Saturday.  I was typing away at an article right up until midnight, at which point I saved my work and shut down my computer.

Sunday morning I woke around 8:30 and, after showering and fixing coffee, stumbled over to my desk on auto-pilot with the intent of checking email, working on a few articles, and researching AdSense figures.  Just as my index finger was about to hit the power button, I remembered my plan and shut my laptop.  I stared around my living room for a second, wondering what to do with myself.  I opted to enjoy my toast and coffee while catching up on the latest news, and settled into the couch.

I had the urge to get back to my email again around 2:30pm, but fought it by instead calling an old friend to chat.  The feeling hit again around 10pm, and I instead picked up a book I was in the middle of. On Monday, I went to the mall, went to lunch with my guy, and then took a 3 hour nap in the late afternoon.

I didn’t turn my computer on once in 2 days, and by the end of Monday I felt really good about that fact.

The Conclusion

This morning, I followed my morning routine and stumbled over to my computer with coffee in hand ready to tackle the mountain of emails that awaited me.  Sure, I have more work than usual today because I took a few days off, but to be honest I am OK with that.  I feel fresher and more productive than I have in a some time, and am looking forward to seeing what the week long results of my experiment are.  On Friday will I really be worse off than if I hadn’t taken two days off? We’ll see, but at this rate, I’m going to say “no.”

Was my experiment hard? You bet - I spent a good deal of time on Sunday worrying that a client had emailed me and would be furious I didn’t immediately respond back.  I worried that without my constant input my Virtual Assistants would go amuck.  I fretted over the money I wasn’t making and how that would affect my bottom line this month.

But more than anything else, I worried about the fact that my life has become so computer-centric.  The longing for being online and tweeting, emailing, and typing was strong, and it really made me think about balance in my daily life.  We all need it not only for our sanity but our humanity - as fabulous as the internet is, will it really hurt us to be unplugged for a day or two each week?

My feeling is that it will instead help us - I consider the Labor Day study to be a success, and am planning on seriously incorporating it into my upcoming weeks.  I will keep you posted, fellow freelancers, on any major developments or results I notice .

Anyone else try this, or have this as a regular part of their schedule?

Here’s to happy freelancing!

I know we are in the middle of our Share Your Voice series, however I wanted to sneak in a quick word about health for the home worker.  The American government has released reports that the Swine Flu (H1N1) will be more rampant this year than the last, and in light of that we all need a reminder as to how we can stay healthy and productive throughout flu season and beyond.

Most at-home workers feel that they are immune from many of the health concerns that office workers face - we do not share a packed office floor, we do not need to ride in crowded trains, and we do not have to worry about shaking a lot of hands.  But we are still at risk like everyone else, only unlike the office worker we don’t get paid sick days.  Here are some easy to implement tips to staying healthy while working from home:

Police Your Snacks: What is your favorite thing to eat or drink while you write?  Common responses I’ve heard over the years include everything from Cheetos to pizza to chocolate milk.  While these tasty treats are emotionally pleasing, they do nothing but help you pack on pounds, increase your blood pressure and cholesterol, and deprive your body of the nutrients it should be getting from healthier food.  I know, I know - I like my chips and dip as much as anyone else, but when you work from home all day do yourself a favor and police your snacks.  Force yourself to stay out of the kitchen, or if the siren call is just too much then just don’t buy those things.  While the first few days will be painful, you will notice a boost in energy, better sleeping, and more concentration when you’re not munching on Doritos all day!

Schedule in Exercise: Don’t leave exercise to whenever you feel like getting it done - do it first thing in the morning or at a regular time during the day.  Exercise is so crucial for freelancers who sit in front of a computer all day because it not only helps us keep our weight in check but also provides energy boosts and encourages the production of white blood cells, those marvelous little things that fight off disease and keep you healthy.

Use Anti-Bacterial Products: Just because you’re not shaking hands all day doesn’t mean you don’t bring nasty, disease causing bacteria into your house and workplace.  Help your body in the fight to stay healthy by frequently using Lysol on door handles, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, as well as washing your hands several times daily with anti-bacterial soaps and gels.

Sleep: One of the number one ways to weaken your immune system and make yourself susceptible to infection is by not getting enough sleep.  Freelancers in particular are common victims to sleep deprivation because we get so involved in our projects and also need to work long hours to make ends meet.  Insist that you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night to keep your body healthy and mind alert - while you may lose an hour or two of work you will gain several hours due to the productivity increase it will provide!

Take Breaks: Taking breaks not only helps you clear your head, but also helps keep your stress level in check.  An overstressed mind manifests itself as a depressed immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to colds, flus, and a whole host of opportunistic infections.  Take at least three 15 minute breaks throughout the work day, and be sure to get up and walk around away from your desk during these times.

Take Weekends: This goes hand in hand with the breaks idea - you need to manage your stress to keep your health at optimal levels and your productivity chugging away.  A weekend can be defined as a pair of days during the week when you reduce your email-checking to under an hour.  No writing, no blogging, no nothing.  Just a little email and that’s it.  It is best to have 2 days in a row, though whatever days you choose (sun/mon, wed/thurs) are at your discretion.  They also don’t have to be the same two days every week, but just try to get a weekend in at some point each week.  This is very important!

How do you stay healthy working from home?

Though some might think a computer is a writer’s best friend, this is not the case. I don’t know about you, but doubt has been my constant companion ever since my first writing assignment. I’ve doubted my abilities, my bookkeeping, my future, and even my motivations for entering this crazy world at all. And others in my life haven’t been that helpful in making things easier. They just don’t understand what it takes to be a writer, to sit down in front of a computer and produce strings of words that make sense. This is not their fault, either. So many movies and TV shows make writing look easy, even magical (thanks Carrie Bradshaw), so if you’re not doing what those fictional writers are doing, you must not be doing it ‘right.’

So the question that’s been bouncing around my mind lately is – when can I call myself a ‘real’ writer? Or can I…ever?

A Ghost on a Page isn’t Scary

Most writing assignments I find and take are ghostwriting assignments.

I have to sign stacks of non-disclosure agreements (or should I even tell you that?) saying I will not and can not take credit for the hours of work. Not surprisingly, people don’t understand this. Why wouldn’t I want credit for my writing? Don’t I want to be a REAL writer?

Let’s talk about that. Ghostwriting is just like any other job. When you do work for any other boss, chances are good you don’t get any credit for it, though you do still get paid. As an everyday worker, you help support the overall goals of the company. Just because you’re not getting the name recognition doesn’t make your work any less important – or make you any less of whatever your title might be.

I’ll Finish My Novel…Someday

But, the friends and family say, don’t you want to be published?

Don’t you want to write the great American novel? Get your book turned into a movie? Support us for life? Truthfully, I have a dozen ideas for the greatest novel, but my schedule is so stuffed with writing for others that there is little time left at the end of the day. Not that I’m complaining.

Oh, someday, I will finish my 20,000 word piece on mother/daughter relationships. And I might even start the story about the woman who kills everyone she kisses, but until then, I’m busy. Deliciously busy, doing the work I’ve always wanted to do. No publisher can make me feel as good as I do when my calendar is filled with work and my roster is filled with new clients. Not yet, anyway.

The Top Five Signs You’re a Real Writer

Want more than just a pep talk from someone like me? Fair enough.

Here are some signs you can call yourself a real writer, assuming you want someone’s permission to do so.

• You sit at your computer more than anywhere else – If you’re more interested in typing than in catching up on the latest Lost episode, you might be a real writer.

• You can carry on a conversation while you type, without looking at the keyboard or computer screen – My husband still thinks I’m crazy when I do this.

• Your parents are amazed you can make money – It’s taken a while for many of my relatives to realize that I can make a decent, well, more than a decent living doing what I do.

• You have more writing books on your shelf than you need…and you never have time to read them – Guilty as charged.

• If you had six more hours in the day, you would write – While I confess to being more of a workaholic than most writers I know, I would kill for more time in everyday to fit in all the writing I want to do.

What About You?

Even if you don’t see yourself or things you do on this list, you might still be a real writer. Writers don’t really like to follow the crowd or do what everyone else is doing. How clichéd.

No matter if you have a degree in English or just a degree from the school of hard knocks, if you’re pounding the keyboard instead of or in addition to pounding the pavement each day, it’s time to take on the title of ‘writer.’

With determination, love, and a lot of coffee, my days are filled with words and the clacking of a keyboard whose letters are fading. And because of the brain cells I’ve invariably killed from too many trips to Starbucks to fire up my neurons (a.k.a. inspiration), I think the title of ‘writer’ is one I’ve not only earned, but also one I can toss about shamelessly.

What do I do? I’m a writer. Yes, a real one. And you can be too.

Lynda Forman has been a full-time freelance writer for the past four years. She writes mostly for the web, but has also written fictional stories for print in magazines for national and international clients.

She has written non-fiction pieces, articles, poetry, and is currently working on her own blog. She’s also taking on editing jobs and has ghostwritten over 1000 articles and more than 150 e-books.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter while her website and blog are under construction.

To participate in the Share Your Voice event and get your freelancing voice heard, email Nacie (@) WantToFreelance.com.

As freelancers it is all down to us: health, relationships, finances, running our business, planning our business . . .  Especially in the early days it is us who gets to do all this.  The result is often that we neglect our needs and our health suffers.

Is there an easy way to deal with this situation?  How I wish there were!  But there is a simple way.  It is to ask this question: Do I want to do this?

As Chris Edgar reminds us: you don’t “have to” do anything.  When we push ourselves we usually resist the push.  The result is we often don’t do what we ‘have to’ - and don’t enjoy it if we do!  As a therapist I knew said: If you are procrastinating – consider not doing it.

But . . .

There are consequences.  And “Do I want to do this?” often means, “Do I want the results of doing or not doing this?”  I don’t especially want to fill in my tax return, but I don’t want the hassle/the fine/ to go to gaol even more.  I don’t want the consequences of not filling in the form more than I don’t want to do the work of filling in the tax return.

As freelancers we don’t have anywhere to hide.  It’s just us.  I think this is the basic reason we become freelancers in the first place: we want to control our own lives.  Other things (like no office politics to deal with!) are bonuses.  What goes along with this is that we create our failures too.  If we don’t get time for ourselves, time for exercise, time to comply with all those (damn) regulations, there is no one who will do it for us.

Against Discipline

For me the way that works is to ask: Do I want to do this?  This makes it a positive choice (or at least choosing the less negative).

For me “discipline” (forcing myself to do things) doesn’t work long term.  I end up getting tired and resentful and needing more and more breaks.  And it seems counter-productive: we become freelancers to control our own lives – not to force ourselves to do what we don’t want to do.  Even if it is successful “discipline” is counter-productive.

Longer Term

As we get used to asking, “Do I want to do this?” we find out what we like.  What our rhythms are (how often we need a break and for how long, when we are most productive, when we enjoy exercise etc), and what our needs are (how much we need to see our friends, what foods we like and how long it takes to digest them, how much sleep we need . . .).  We begin to shape our lives according to what we like.  With each step, with each small change, our lives move closer to how we want them to be.

For me this is the way to look after ourselves as freelancers: to keep on asking, “Do I want to do this?

To participate in the Share Your Voice event and get your freelancing voice heard, email Nacie (@) WantToFreelance.com.