If you’re a writer who often finds yourself scratching your head over writing clips, you’re not alone. Many editors, or anyone seeking freelance writers for that matter, ask for “clips” along with resumes. But what are these clips? Why are they so popular among prospective employers? And how can you get some? (more…)

So, I conducted my very first band interview for Revolt-Media on Wednesday. A live interview. With a band. The lead singer, Ben Clark, no less. A very good, up-and-coming band. They’re called The Lashes. Want to check them out? Click HERE.

Anyway, yes, I conducted the interview Wednesday via telephone (hey, there is a country between us, after all), and I was extremely nervous, to say the least. The Lashes have been in Maxim, Hustler, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, and yes, even a small bit in Rolling Stone. Not to mention a few TV appearances. What was I, a meek little freelance writer from West Virginia interviewing them for the Indie music magazine I write for going to possibly ask that hadn’t been asked before? What?! Me?!

Needless to say, I survived. And I’m going to tell you how. (more…)

Good morning freelancers! It’s Monday, and you know what that means - the second week in our interview feature here at Freelance Wurk. Today we have Eric Iffland and his new business from an old passion, ImagineIFF.

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“Imagine if everyone used rocket packs to get around. Imagine if you led your market.” – Eric Iffland

On April 4, 2006, the World Wide Web and everyone in it were officially given the portal to all of their graphic and branding needs—ImagineIFF. Hailing from the San Francisco area, freelance graphic designer Eric Iffland has big dreams—no, scratch that—big plans for ImagineIFF, which includes providing interactive design, multimedia, and branding and logo services, just to name a few. Although ImagineIFF is still taking baby steps, Eric is not. An entrepreneur by nature and an extrovert by practice, Iffland talks with Freelance Wurk about balancing work, school, family, and dreams—all while turning imagination into reality.

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I’m sitting at my desk, surrounded by pretty pink Post-It notes (I am perpetually leaving myself notes - for some reason, my dry-erase board, appointment book, and Sidejobtrack.com schedule aren’t enough?) sipping some iced-tea and listening to the sounds of…a man rejoicing his negative paternity test results on yet another “I’ve Tested Eleven Men, Could Number Twelve Be My Baby’s Daddy?” episode of Maury Povich coming from the living room. I’ve been somewhat productive today, meaning, I’ve completed two sections of a project, answered some emails, chatted on the phone, cleaned my kitchen, and…well, that’s it. I’ve done TWO things today for which I will get paid. Sure, it’s only 1:06 p.m., I have plenty of time to do more, right? Of course. Yet, when I start looking at all the pink Post-Its…

I’m starting to question my ability to work from home. Hmm. Scratch that. I’m starting to question my self-discipline.

Many of you freelancers have probably had similar experiences working from home. You wake up in the morning, pour yourself a steamy cup of joe, curl up on the couch to watch the news. As Guy Smiley is updating you on the Durham lacrosse team scandal, you mentally go over everything you want to do throughout the day . Well, that’s what I do. However, more times than not I find that I barely complete half of those tasks and by the end of the evening I feel I should be at my computer working rather than posted in front of the TV waiting for Ryan Seacrest to reveal the lastest contestant to get voted off American Idol. But working from home doesn’t mean you have to work all the time, does it?

No. But it does mean you need to create a home business plan for yourself.

I’ve done some research, as well as self-evaluating and soul-searching, and have decided on a productive home business plan for myself. And sweet little ol’ me has created a generic version for you, my fellow freelancers, and it’s only five easy steps with tips included. Read on. (more…)

This morning I received an email from a freelance writer just starting out in the business. He wanted some input on rates. I offered suggestions, and because I hadn’t had my second cup of coffee yet, I forgot to send him in the direction of my post dedicated solely to freelance rates, The Dreaded Question.

The topic of the email has been bouncing around in my mind all day, so I did some more snooping around and found two sites and one product that you freelancers may be interested in, whatever the freelance business you’re in.

HotJobs - Yep, good ol’ Yahoo! to the rescue again.

Payscale.com - Another freebie, with a few more options.

2006 Writer’s Market Delux Edition - Sure, you have to buy it, but what’s that old saying…you get what you pay for?

Anyone else have any sites up their sleeves?

Good Thursday morning freelancer writers! It may be close to the end of the week, but that doesn’t mean you should pass up this opportunity to check out some new paying markets for writers. I have so many jobs to tell you about this week. Check them out, and as always, good luck! (more…)

The answer to that question? Get experience!

Most of you freelancers aren’t interested in working for free. If your field of freelance isn’t already your fulltime job, you want it to be. (Honestly, I didn’t mean for that to rhyme.) The fact that you may be serving drinks down at the local watering hole, or cleaning hotel rooms to put food on the table, is irrelevant. You are writers/photographers/designers/(insert your freelance business here), and you want to be paid for your services.

Having said that, developing both a resume and portfolio that showcase your best work is somewhat difficult if you only accept paying jobs - this is especially true for those freelancers who are just starting out. Ever heard the phrase, “You gotta start somewhere.” Starting at a nonpaying somewhere doesn’t mean you’re selling yourself short. On the contrary, by accepting nonpay gigs from up-and-coming or already established, reputable companies, you are not only gaining valuable experience in your field, but you are also building strong work relationships and contacts. You can add these solid additions to your resume and portfolio - they show your skills, regardless of whether or not you were paid for them. You may also have the opportunity to work with the companies again.

Ideas to Help Build Your Freelance Resume and Portfolio

Whether you design websites or write, use these ideas to help you find freelance experience.

1. Work with Nonprofit Groups

Nonprofit groups rely on the goodwill of volunteers for their success. Local chapters of groups like March of Dimes, American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society often seek volunteers to write feature stories for their newsletters, and they’re often ready to empower writers with story ideas and contact information for interviewees. If you offer to write for a nonprofit group, there is a good chance that your work will be published in a professional-looking document with the logo of a respected organization.

2. Work with New Businesses/Websites/Authors

Contact your state business development office to learn about businesses that are in the process of launching. Find one (or more) that appeals to you, contact the owner and express your desire to help. Be willing to sign a release that defines your role as a volunteer, and your stories as “free.” Do a good job, and your efforts may lead to regular paid work. Also, regularly check freelance classifieds such as FreelanceWriting.com for advertisements. I gained my first ad-copy writing experience from handling an new eBook author’s promotional website and sales letters, and I found her in a freelance classifieds listing.

3. Blog

Most businesses know about blogs, but many don’t have the knowledge or resources to make blogging work in their favor. Publish your own blog on a topic that allows you to establish credibility. Solicit feedback, especially from professionals who might value your efforts. Keep records of the positive comments you receive and print the comments and your strongest posts for your portfolio. Offering editors proof that you are contemporary and savvy with regard to the Internet will help your cause. You can find free blogging space on the Web. Try LifeJournal, GreatestJournal, or Blogger.

Hello ladies and gents, I apologize for the lack of posts but I have been swamped with work the past couple of weeks. Major deadlines, you know the drill. Anyway, I have so much information to update you on, I don’t know where to start!

First, let me tell you that in the next week or so, I am going to do a couple of interview pieces - Martini-Lounge, a women’s magazine I write for and discussion forum I love, is FULL of freelancers whom I would like to spotlight. Look forward to that! (more…)

Some of you know that I also write for JustArticles. Well, many of the writing jobs they send me each week are connected with one another in some way. For example, one week I wrote ten different articles on various topics dealing with Gaither Gospel Music. Anyway, last week was dedicated mostly to ways to promote online businesses, and one of the topics that stuck with me the most was signature files. And why wouldn’t it? Signature files are a completely free way to promote yourself no matter what your freelance business.

Simply defined, a signature file is a little blurb at the end of your submission that contains information about you and your business. They are most popularly used at the end of emails and at the end of a post to a forum or newsgroup. (With the latter, however, you must always check the Terms and Conditions—some forums and newsgroups that are moderated frown on or prohibit self-promotion.) So, using signature files to market your freelance business is both extremely informative and FREE. And who doesn’t just love FREE?!

Here are some tips to remember if you want to create your own signature file: Include an interesting mix of information regarding your name, address, website, contact information, a catchy little phrase and keep it all at six lines or less (after that, readers get bored). How easy is that?!

Check out these links for help on signature files (*hint* some of them are FREE too!): Coolsig, Siglets, Google, Yahoo!

The answer to that question is most likely NO. Unless, of course, she needs an article on piercing ears.

Now that I’m starting to get a few more freelance projects under my belt, I’ve decided it’s time to create a freelance writing resume. After all, editors will be much more interested in knowing I have experience writing ad-copy than they would knowing I pierced ears for over a year. Sure, piercing ears was part of my job—a job I excelled at and obtained great references from—but what does it have to do with my freelance writing experience? Nothing.

No matter what field you want to freelance in, the odds are you’re going to need a resume; however, developing a resume for your freelance career can be tricky. It’s likely that you’ve worked a plethora of good, solid jobs that show your talent and experience, but those jobs may have nothing at all to do with the freelance field you’re in now.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to build a writing resume, there’s good news. There seems to be much more tips and information out there for you to use. Sites such as About.com offer writing resume tips and writing resume examples, such as the one featured by Moira Allen.

However, if you’re freelancing in a field other than writing, some of the tips listed at About.com can still be useful for you. For example, you’ll still want to cover your qualifications, education, experience, awards and achievements as well as tailor your work history to best fit the job you want to freelance.

Vault offers free resume examples, formats, templates and advice, and they include careers ranging from Capitol Hill to the culinary arts.

If you aren’t quite up to building your own resume, or you just need a little more help, there are also useful sites out there that offer to put a resume together for you for free, or at a low cost. Check out e-Resume.us and Resumes-Ect.

And be sure to check out the links on our site as well for additional help.

Good luck!