WritingThoughts

It’s a freelancer’s worst nightmare! Thirty days had come and gone since I sent the invoice for my work and still I had received no payment.

Even though this particular dollar amount wasn’t the bulk of my receivables for the previous month, it was still significant enough (several hundred dollars) to cause concern.

All kinds of paranoid thoughts flitted through my head. Perhaps they were unhappy with my work and this was their way of telling me. Perhaps they wanted me to redo the project (for free) and hadn’t gotten around to asking. What if, through some e-mail glitch, they hadn’t even received the completed project and its accompanying bill? 

After taking a deep breath, I composed the politest e-mail to my contact at the company and settled down to wait for a response. Immediately, I heard … nothing. There was no response to my inquiry.

At this point I could have fired off an angry rant, but I decided not to. This particular company had been a regular client of mine. They had a history of paying me. Instead, I looked for another contact name in my file. Again I composed the politest inquiry that I could muster and settled down to wait.

This time I heard back from my second contact the very next day. She had researched the matter and found out that my invoice had “slipped through the cracks” as the company modified their accounting process. She also told me something that was music to my ears — my check was being cut and mailed that very day.

Sure enough, within a week, I had my payment. Yes, it was two weeks past the 30-day mark, but I had been paid. I had not had to resort to expensive collection measures or write off any bad debt. Most importantly, I had preserved a client relationship. All around, it was a happy ending for everyone concerned.

(By the way, I did eventually hear back from my initial contact. It turns out she had been on vacation when I sent my first e-mail.)

(I have to confess that this is a scenario that I don’t face very often.)

What are some things that you can do to ensure that you receive your payments in a timely fashion?

1. Be picky about your clients. I think that this is the number one way to protect yourself from deadbeats. This particular client came from a colleague referral and I had done work for them before. Whenever a new company approaches me, I research them on the Internet and on writer’s forums. You can learn a lot about a company’s reputation this way.
2. Demand partial payment up front. If you are dealing with a new client it is acceptable to ask for a portion of the payment up front. An alternative is to do a small portion of the work (perhaps a tenth) as a paid sample. When you turn in your paid sample, payment for that portion is immediately due.
3. Payments Held in Escrow. If you are fortunate enough to find a lucrative job through one of the bidding sites, make sure that the client is using their escrow service (this requires the amount of the payment to be held until the work is complete). You can also sign up for the bidding site’s arbitration process.
4. Clear Invoices. Make sure that your invoice includes the work that you completed, the amount that you are charging, and how the payment should be made. If they are to mail the payment to you, make sure to include your mailing address. It is a good idea to also include the words “payment is due upon receipt.”

Hopefully, by using a few of these tips, you can avoid having your own “case of the missing payment” experience. If a payment does turn out to be late, don’t panic! It doesn’t always mean that you won’t be paid.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

As I edit other people’s work I notice a lot of redundant phrases. Actually, the problem of redundancy is a good reason to have a second set of eyes look at your writing. It’s hard for a writer to recognize the problem for himself or herself.

Typically, when two words that mean the same thing are used together one of those words can be eliminated. The material becomes more readable when the author chooses one word or the other. Here are some examples of phrases where both words basically mean the same thing:

• Complete comprehensive
• First initial
• Contented and happy
• Syndrome condition
• Final last

In each of these examples, one of the two words could be omitted without changing the meaning. I’m sure that you can think of more examples of redundant writing.

It’s good to make your writing more concise by rooting out redundancies. Concise writing is much more readable.

Here are a couple of sources to help you identify and eliminate redundancy in your own writing:

• “Play It Again, Sam” – Redundancy in Writing from Fiction Factor The Online Magazine for Fiction Writers.
• Common Redundancies from About.com: Grammar and Composition.

I hope that you found this post helpful.

Have you run across any unusual redundant phrases this week? Why don’t you share them in the comments?

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

The group writing project results are in for Robert Hruzek’s What I Learned From Travel group project.

You’ve probably already read my entry. Here are the other entries:

• What I Learned From . . . Travel and Diversity, by Karin H. at Stop/Start
• What I Learned From Travel, by Benjamin Penfold-Marwick at Hello Internet
• What I Learned From Travel, by themolk at themolk & Michelle’s Blog
• What I learned about writing from traveling in Mexico, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• What Learned From Travelling In Mexico Without Knowing Spanish, by expatmom at ExPatMom
• What I learned from my trip to Thailand, by mark at My Opinions Are Important
• Nature’s Amusement Parks, by N.O. Tate
• What I learned from the Coyote Hunters, by Nic Darling at Marketing Neophyte
• What I Learned from Being Abandoned in Mexico City, by Mike DeWitt at Spooky Action
• What I Learned From This Trip was Patience, by GL Hoffman at What Would Dad Say
• What I Learned From Travel, by Monique Attinger at Insurance Guide 101
• What I Learned From Working in Chile, by Terry Starbucker at Ramblings From a Glass Half Full
• What I Learned From Travel Writing, by Yvonne Russell at Grow Your Writing Business
• What I learned from driving in India, by Rajaram S, at Thoughts of a Rambler
• What I Learned From Travel; Blooming, by Rosa Say at Joyful Jubilant Learning
• What I learned From the Passing Lane, by William Tully at LOGICal eMOTIONs
• Er, What Was That I Ate, Anyway?, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Another favorite group writing project also recently posted results. Brad Shorr has posted more entries in the What’s Your Favorite Business Book project.  I posted earlier results here.
The latest entries are:

• Mihaela Lica recommending The Definitive Book of Body Language.
• Jeanne Dininni recommending Tested Sentences that Sell and Lions Don’t Need to Roar.

The What’s Your Favorite Business Book project is a particular favorite of mine since it encourages reading and literacy.

This is my entry into Robert Hruzek’s group writing project on what I learned from travel. With apologies to Robert, I’m going to expand on the theme a little bit and share what I learned about writing from travel.

That’s right, this is a writing blog so I’ve decided to integrate writing into the project. Before you boo and hiss at me, let me assure you that the integration really does make sense.

When I worked in the corporate world I traveled a bit more than I do now. Almost all of that travel was done by plane. Here are three key points that I learned about travel that also apply to writing:

1. It’s Better To Travel Light

When you are traveling by plane you are only allowed to bring so much luggage with you on the plane. If you exceed that limit you will be faced with two problems. First, you will have to check that luggage, which means there will be an extra wait at the end of your trip while you gather your bags together. Second, you will have to carry all those extra bags to whatever transportation you have to wherever it is that you are going.

How does traveling light apply to writing? Simply put, just like with luggage, it’s better to pare away extra words when you write. Simpler is better. If you add the extra words anyway you will find yourself with two problems. First, your readers will need extra time to read your writing (which means that some readers won’t finish reading your piece at all). Second, just like the extra bags that weigh you down, extra words bog down your writing and make it heard for your reader to understand what you are saying.

2. The Direct Route Is Usually Best

As an airline traveler I had to choose whether I wanted a direct flight to my destination or flight with several layovers. If I chose the layover, I often found myself wasting an entire day in various airports all over the country. Yes, I eventually got where I was going, but by the time that I got there I was tired and cranky. By contrast, if I chose the direct flight I found myself at my destination after only a few hours. If my flight left in the morning, I still had the afternoon available at my destination.

How does the direct route apply to writing? You can probably guess. In most instances it is best to state your point directly and concisely. Yes, you can monkey around in your writing with all kinds of innuendos and other subtle tactics. In most cases an indirect approach will only lead to a tired and frustrated reader who may never discover the true meaning behind your words.

3. If You Pay Attention You Meet Some Interesting People Along The Way

When you fly on an airplane, most of the time there is someone else seated next to you. Now, you can bury yourself in a book or stare out the window and pretend that the person seated next to you doesn’t exist. Or, you can start a conversation. You just may discover somebody who is unique and, well, interesting.

Writing is the same way. You can try to work in a vacuum and pretend that other writers don’t exit. Or, you can network with other writers. When I was in the corporate world I networked through the Society for Technical Communication. Now that I work at home I do my networking through social media and forums. I meet some interesting people that way.

That summarizes the three key points that I learned about writing from travel. I hope that you enjoyed reading them.

If you haven’t submitted your own entry to Robert Hruzek’s group writing project, you’ll want to hurry. The deadline is July 8^th.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

I live in a country founded on words. Well, really on ideas. But ideas can’t come to fruition without the right words.

If you doubt the importance of words, read the words of the Declaration of Independence.

Words are important. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

Here are some highlights from around the blogosphere:

• Lillie just finished a fabulous series on E-books. Here’s the first installment
• Mike discusses the importance of writing every day
• Joanna has published a blog spelling test
• Yvonne discusses the difference between brand and topic

Don’t forget the new group writing project at Middle Zone Musings!

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

Today marks the six month anniversary of this blog. I’m proud of (and a bit surprised at) the progress I’ve made. This blog now has a Google Page Rank of 3, a Technorati rank of 29,263 (give or take since it’s constantly fluctuating), a Technorati authority of 165, an Alexa rank of 384,365 (note to self — figure out what Alexa rank means and how it works). I’ve also just been accepted by PayPerPost and ReviewMe.

Any success that this blog has attained is due to you, the reader. I know that this blog has a great and active reader base. You’ve left me 946 comments to my 144 posts. (Thank-you, thank-you!!!) I feel like I’ve really gotten to know some of you. I appreciate that you come by often and I enjoy visiting your blogs as well.

This week is going to be a busy week for me. There’s a holiday right in the middle of it. I just started a new curriculum for one client and I have a sample developmental edit due for another client.

Since it’s such a busy week, I thought it might be fun to post links to the most popular posts of each previous month. I know that some of you just started reading, so you might have missed some of these early posts.

I used two methods to determine popular posts. First, I used the number of visitors recorded on Awstats to determine which posts appeared on the days that the website received the most visitors. Second, I used the number of comments that appeared on a post.

Popular Posts By Number of Website Visitors

• January — “Ideas Possibly for Sale – An Experiment” (Note: This idea didn’t actually take off.)
• February — “Will a Company Style Guide Give Your Documents a Unified Voice” and “Why Do I Blog? Five Reasons” (There were two posts on the high traffic day.)
• March — “Where Do Your Ideas Come From?“
• April — “Dealing with Deadlines“
• May — “Of Note: getting it right for you“
• June — “Ten Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Writer” and “My Favorite Business Book“(There were two posts on the high traffic day.)

Popular Posts By Number of Comments

• January — “Pain and Poetry (or the irony of how life affects art)” and “Yet Another Writing Blog” (Tie)
• February — “Five Proofreading Tips That You Can Use Right Now By Yourself“
• March — “Simply Successful Secrets Meme“
• April — “Ethics in Writing (Part 1 of 2)“
• May — “Top Five Reasons To Work At Home“
• June — “Don’t Be A Stranger: Five Reasons Why You Should Leave A Comment“

I hope you enjoyed this look back at past posts!

P.S. Do you have a favorite post? Why not drop me a note and let me know what it is.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

Some more results from Brad Shorr’s favorite business books group project are in. (This project is ongoing, so if you haven’t participated yet, it’s not too late to participate.) When the project is complete, we ought to have a great list of business books!

This is such an important project (and it encourages reading) that I’m going to list the business books and bloggers here, as well.

So far submissions include:

• Free Agent Nation submitted by Mark.
• How to Win Friends & Influence People submitted by Denise.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy submitted by me.
• The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual submitted by Kenneth W. Davis.
• First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently submitted by MDY.
• Think and Grow Rich! submitted by Chris Winfield.
• The Long Tail submitted by David Meerman Scott.
• Selling the Invisible submitted by Tom Wieczorek.
• The Godfather submitted by Bob Ravasio.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

You’re not alone. A lot of bloggers aspire to make the kind of income found on this list from Paula Mooney. Some may think that blogging is a shortcut to riches.

It’s not.

Sure, someone will probably read this and leave me a comment about a blogger who was able to blog their way to fame and fortune within a few days or weeks of starting to blog. That’s wonderful. That’s also the exception.

There are basically three ways that you can earn money from blogging:

1. By blogging for someone else who pays (possibly a blog network or a corporate blog).
2. By selling advertising on your blog.
3. By writing sponsored posts through programs like PayPerPost and ReviewMe.

From what I’ve read, unless you are blogging for someone else, earning money with a blog can take months or possibly even years. It takes time to build up a readership. The more readers that you have, the more likely you are to be able to earn money from your blog.

(In the interest of disclosure, WritingThoughts has accrued some money from ads, but not enough to cash out. I do have some money coming from PayPerPost next month. I’m not making a mint doing this, but I’m having fun. Plus, as my brother says, apparently I have awesome googling skills and I do have patience and persistence.)

Which brings me to another point. Blogging is more than just writing. It takes me less than an hour to write a long post like this one, but I spend at least another hour every day interacting with other bloggers on their blogs and through social media. An excellent overview of social media can be found on Char’s Essential Keystrokes. This post at Influential Marketing Blog lists media tools and sites that are specific to women.

What if you do want to blog for someone else? Check the blogger job listings at Problogger or the job listings at About Weblogs. Remember that these positions can be very competitive. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get offered the first position that you apply for.

Best of luck to all bloggers, whether they have professional aspirations or just want to have fun.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

It’s summertime! Some of us will be making trips with the kids for vacation. Some of those trips will be made by car.

One of the difficulties with long car trips is keeping the kids amused. If planned properly, a car trip can bring a positive element to the entire vacation. Without planning, a car trip with kids can become an ordeal to endure.

This post is designed to help you head off those cries of “how long until we get there” and “I’m bored.” If you can keep your kids occupied you can also keep them from fighting in the car.

Car Survival Kit

Here are some things that you absolutely don’t want to forget to bring if you want a peaceful drive:

• Snacks
• Drinks
• Pillows
• Blanket
• Crayons
• Coloring book
• Pencils
• Pad of paper

You will have to plan on at least one potty break (more if your children are smaller), but with these items on hand you shouldn’t have to face cries of “I’m hungry,” “I’m thirsty,” “I’m cold,” and so on.

Car Games

Finding a car game that can hold your kid’s attention is a lot better than listening to them fuss or fight. Here are some games that have held the attention of my kids over the years.

• Rhyme-it. I list this one first because it can even hold the attention of my teenagers. They love cracking up over the silly “poems” that this game produces. The first player says a sentence. The next player must say a sentence that rhymes with it. The second sentence need be in context with the first one. The game continues until no one can think of a rhyming sentence. The “poem” is complete.
• I Spy. This is a classic children’s car game. The first player starts the game with the words “I spy something” and names the color of the object that they see. “I spy something red” could be a car or a barn on the side of the road. The other players must guess the object. If they guess correctly, they get to “spy” the next object.
• Road Sign ABCs. This game is played by looking for road signs that begin with the letters in the alphabet. The first player looks for a road sign that begins with “A.” When they find the sign, they call it out. Then the next player looks for a different road sign that begins with “A” and calls it out. When each player has found a road sign that begins with that letter, the players move on to the next letter. The game continues until each player has found a road sign for each letter of the alphabet.

Singing 

If you can stand it, turn your car into a traveling karaoke bar. Either allow the kids to sing a capella, or put a CD without words in the CD player.

Laura’s Final Rule of the Road! 

If there’s fighting or fussing, the fun stops and everyone must be quiet.

What are your survival tips for traveling with kids? Leave a note and let me know. 

Don’t forget to stop by my new site, OpinionMom. We’re having Wordless Wednesday over there (complete with MisterLinky). 

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.