WritingThoughts

I am often asked whether I accept rush writing jobs.

My answer to that question is: Yes!! Sometimes. . .

I will take on rush work when I can complete it without affecting other project deadlines.

You see, as a professional, I know that your deadlines are important. When I agree to take on your project you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to meet your deadline.

That means that I will not put your project aside for last minute work even if that work pays more. I will fit a rush job into my schedule only if it will not negatively impact projects that I have already committed to.

However, if I can safely fit your rush job into my schedule, I will.

What is a Rush Job?

That is an excellent question and I’m glad that you asked.

Like most writers, I plan my schedule at least a week in advance. The earlier that you give me notice of your project; the better I will be able to fit it into my schedule.

People tend to think that a rush job is always work that is due the next day. That is not necessarily the case. What is considered a rush job varies depending on the scope of work and amount of effort required as well as the project due date.

On the one hand, if you contact me today about a project that requires forty hours of effort and is due in five business days I would consider that a rush job even though it is not due for a week because it is a large effort.

On the other hand, if you contact me today about a project that requires five hours of effort and it is due in five business days I would not consider that a rush job.

A handy rule thumb: it is easier for me to fit smaller jobs into my schedule than larger jobs.

Do You Charge Extra For Rush Job?

In general, I charge extra for rush jobs. However, a few people think that by paying extra money they can get me to push other client’s deadlines back. I assure you that will not happen.

If I can’t fit a rush job in to my schedule and still honor my commitment to other clients, I won’t accept it and no amount of money will change that. Period.

I Have a Rush Job Right Now, What Should I Do?

Contact me with your rush project information. I’ll review your information within forty-eight business hours (often sooner) and let you know if I can fit your project into my schedule.

If I can get your work done according to your time frame, you will be provided with a free custom project cost estimate. If I cannot complete your work within your specified time frame, I may suggest writing colleagues for you to contact.

For a reasonable fee, I may also offer to select and supervise qualified writers for your project.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

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I did it again. I missed posting the “Of Note” selection during the recent (U.S.) holiday weekend.

Not to worry, however. I have selected an “Of Note” choice for this week and I think that you’ll enjoy it.

To find this week’s selection I decided to perform a Google search for “Writing Blogs.” On the very first page of my search results I noticed a blog that a lot of my online StumbleUpon friends have reviewed – the blog was Randy Ingermanson’s AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

While Randy’s blog is new to me, I decided that the StumbleUpon friends were probably right about the blog so I decided to take a look. (I must admit, I was a little nervous about Randy’s tag line which includes the phrase “America’s Mad Professor of Fiction Writing.” A quick look at Randy’s blog calmed my fears, however.)

Randy uses a question and answer approach in most of his blog posts as he deals with fiction-writing questions from his readers. Randy also uses popular fiction examples to illustrate his points. The result is a highly readable learning treat for the fiction writer, or aspiring fiction writer.

If you are a fiction writer (or want to become one), then I’d definitely recommend that you take a look at Randy’s blog.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and have’t seen your blog featured in Of Note yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Image Source: Laura Spencer

(www.writingthoughts.com)

First of all, thanks to all of you readers for being so patient and waiting for me to get through my move.

(As for those of you who lost patience and unsubscribed to this blog, well, you probably aren’t reading this – are you?)

First of all, I promised on Twitter that I would post a photo of my office door – so here it is. As you can see, the door to my office shuts (which is something I didn’t have before).

Naturally, things are taking longer than I thought – but I have gotten the opportunity to work in my closed office this week. What I’ve discovered is that I miss the noise just a tiny bit. When I shut the door the quiet in here even seems a bit eerie.

Right about now you’re probably thinking to yourselves, “what, she complained and complained about how noisy her office was and when she finally does get a door she complains about that too.”

Well, hold on. I’m not about to give up this new office by any stretch of the imagination.

However, I do think that my slight homesickness for my noisy office just goes to prove how adaptable we are. (We are probably more adaptable than any of us realize).

I had adapted and become accustomed to working in a very noisy environment so now a quiet office, my ideal environment, seems a bit strange to me.

(Of course, in a few weeks I will have adapted to this environment and it will feel more familiar. In fact, I expect to spend many productive hours in here.)

What all this really means is – no more excuses. Whatever circumstance it is that you think is holding you back probably isn’t.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Image Source: Laura Spencer

All writers should change physical locations once in a while.

Some of you may know that we are in the process of moving our household from one physical location to another.

While the move is a very good thing for our family (nicer area) and for my business (a real office with a real door), it’s going slower than expected.

It’s going slower than expected for two reasons:

• We’re doing most of the moving ourselves to save money
• We’ve lived in this place so long (hint: my teens don’t remember living anywhere else) that we’ve accumulated a lot of stuff

It’s probably that last one that’s taking the the most time. You see, we’re now sorting through stuff that we didn’t even know we had. As we sort we ask these questions:

• What is it?
  
• How did we get it?
  
• Why do we still have it?
• Are we going to use it?

As we sort, it occurs to me that these are not bad questions for a freelance writer to ask about their writing business (or a blogger to ask about their blog).

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Image Source: www.sxc.hu

Yes, I know that “Of Note” is a weekend feature and it’s now Monday.

But, I spent the weekend up to my elbows in paint. (Some of you may already now that we are in the process of moving into a different house.) Anyway, I wasn’t anywhere near a computer and couldn’t post.

I wanted to go ahead and give you last week’s “of note” blog anyway because it’s a good one!

This week’s notable blog is John Hewitt‘s PoeWar. Despite the fact that this site has been around for some time, I only discovered it recently. (That just goes to show how big the writing blog niche really is!)

One feature that is unique about John’s blog is that he features a section on poetry. I don’t know of too many freelance writing blogs that have a poetry category.

If you’re like me and you’ve somehow missed finding John’s blog, then you’ll want to correct the situation as soon as possible by paying a visit to PoeWar.

The last “of note” blog was How Not To Write. You can read my review of that site here.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and have’t seen your blog featured in Of Note yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Image Source: Laura Spencer

Do you ever struggle to figure out what to write or blog about?

Have you ever wrestled with the infamous writer’s block?

Do the best ideas for articles and blog posts seem to come at the most inconvenient times?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then know that you’re not alone. Other writers have faced the same dilemma.

This post about idea seeds explains how to find writing or blogging inspiration in the first place and what to do with that inspiration until you’re ready to write.

I’d love to hear about some of your sources of inspiration.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Image Source: www.sxc.hu

I’ve had a curiousity about self-publishing for a time now. Actually, I think that most writers are curious about it.

When the opportunity came up to review a copy of Peter Bowerman‘s new book, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher (affiliate link, I receive a small fee for each book purchased), I jumped on it.

I confess that I’ve also had preconceived notions about self-publishing. Before reading Peter’s book I pictured self-publishers paying thousands of dollars to get published, only to find that a few friends and relatives are the sole purchasers of their book.

As soon as I saw Peter’s site and looked through The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, I realized that my preconceived notions must be wrong.

There are some serious reasons why you (and I) should consider self-publishing. For one thing, self-publishing can provide an income stream that can help support you through slow periods (or maybe support you entirely).

When I complete a writing project now I get paid and that’s pretty much the end of it. If you market a self-published book properly, then you could receive income from the book for months, or even years, after you’ve completed it.

Peter’s subtitle for the book is “How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living” and the book definitely gives you some tools The Well-Fed Self-Publisher‘s (affiliate link, I receive a small fee for each book purchased) main focus is not not just on getting a book published, although that’s covered, but on the part of self-publishing that I would personally dread – sales and marketing of your published book.

Peter covers marketing in a way that you’ve probably never seen before – a way that is specific to the needs of writers. His coverage of marketing starts in Chapter 4 with a discussion on “Targeting Buyers and Building Demand” and continues throughout. He covers everything from getting your book listed on Amazon.com to mainstream media to websites to spinoffs.

Peter’s style is so no nonsense and so readable that you might not even realize at first that he’s taking you step-by-step through an extremely doable marketing process for authors.

If you’ve ever even considered self-publishing, then you need The Well-Fed Self-Publisher (Affiliate link, I receive a small fee for each book purchased). (And what writer hasn’t considered self-publishing?) This book has earned a place in my permanent reference libary as a resource that I know that I’ll use.

Have you read Well-Fed Self-Publisher?

If so, what did you think?

Image Source: The Well-Fed Self-Publisher

This week’s notable blog is Jamie Grove’s How Not To Write.

I’m sure that all writers will be able to relate to this blog at one time or another. In a recent post, Jamie claims to have written two novels “that were absolutely dreadful.”

(If the writing on How Not To Write is any indication of skill, then I’m betting that those novels are not half-bad.)

Other recent posts at How Not To Write include:

• Using Twitter as a Writing Warmup
• 6 Things Not to Do When Your Story Is Rejected

One thing that I like about this blog is that it’s both candid and humorous at the same time – which makes for some good reading.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in Of Note yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Some may think so.

In fact I’ve asked this question myself, upon occasion.

You see, I’m quite open about being a work-at-home mom. Not did I once blog at a place called Work From Home Momma, but I’ve also regularly run work-at-home mom features here at WritingThougts.

I also make no secret of the fact that wanting to spend more time with my family was one of my prime motivators for starting my own business.

Bob Younce seems to think that being a work-at-home mom can harm your branding. In his post over at Freelance Folder he shares that he has written as a work-at-home mom and that his image as a work-at-home mom has kept him from getting as many writing jobs as he might have liked.

My own experience has been the exact opposite. While find web-based jobs was initially slow, my writing business has really taken off. So much so that recently, I’ve had to negotiate project deadlines or turn work down.

But, are all my writing projects limited to “mommy writing” since I’ve been open about being a work-at-home mom?

Not at all.

I’ve edited textbooks for a major textbook publisher, written and editing continuing education courses for accountants, and co-blogged on a popular blog that examines the role of blogging in business (mostly corporate) environment.

I’ve also completed numerous “ghostwriting” web content projects on business topics for a wide variety of clients.

My specific knowledge of business, business writing, marketing writing, and accounting are definite assets that I successfully bring to my writing business. My concrete experience in each of those areas supplements the writing skills that I am able to offer my clients.

Have I written some “mommy” content?

Sure. Why shouldn’t I? Parenting is also an area where I’m knowledgeable.

What do you think?

If you’re a work-at-home mom does it hold you back?

Image Source: www.sxc.hu

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

While many WritingThoughts readers are already in business for themselves, I know that some of you are in the process of deciding whether or not to start a writing business.

The process of going into business for yourself can be a difficult, sometimes painful, one. I should know. I put it off for years.

Even when people told me that I ought to start a business, that my skills were perfect for it, I hesitated.

I wish now that I’d had someone like me back then — someone who’d been there to talk to. That’s why I wrote a post specifically to help guide those who might be thinking about starting a business of any kind.

You can find that post over at Home Biz Notes where I’m a guest blogger today.

Whether you are thinking of starting a business, or you’ve been in business for a while, why not stop by and leave your feedback?

Image Source: www.sxc.hu

Tags: Home Biz Notes, Business Startup, starting a business, starting a writing business, working from home, home business