Work Freelance

Have you imagine it?

Just imagine...working from home, earning a high income, working around your personal schedule, selecting only projects that interest you...doesn't the life of a freelancer sound great? For many millions of people, this kind of lifestyle is already a reality. Countless people have fired their boss, moved to where the quality of life is better and started having fun through a work-at-home freelance career.

And the great news is, you can do the same - and you can start today. Whatever your skills and expertise, you can be sure that there is a demand for them in the freelance market. But where would you find the jobs and projects you need to succeed? And where can you find the advice, information and support you need to get started?

Recommended Site - Freelance Work Exchange

No problem. There are a number of web sites that specialize in helping freelancers to find work and make money. We've reviewed the best of them, and have no hesitation in recommending Freelance Work Exchange.

This site has been established for a number of years, and has a great record of matching freelancers with projects. Wherever you are in the world, you can apply for jobs and projects, most of which can be undertaken remotely from your home location.

Thousands of Fresh Jobs and Projects

Just check out the jobs database, and you will find hundreds of fresh freelance jobs to choose from, plus a wealth of advice and information. As an example, take a look at the most recent additions to the Freelance Work Exchange jobs database:

All these jobs and many more are available for you to apply for right now. Believe it or not, you can sign up for membership for just $2.95, and get instant access to all the jobs and resources at Freelance Work Exchange. Compare that to the hundreds of dollars charged by other sites - the value is exceptional.

Guaranteed Success

Best of all, there are many new jobs and projects every day, so you need never be short of freelance or work at home jobs again.

So to kickstart your work-at-home career today, just click here to get instant access to thousands of freelance jobs.

How to work smart and earn a good living as a freelancer.

Your prospective clients will need to trust you before they’ll pay for your services so you’ll need to create a professional image. It doesn’t need to cost the earth.

Telephone

Always answer your phone using your business name or if you can afford it get a 2nd line/mobile with an answering service/voice mail.

Website

Create your own website and keep it professional, simple and clean looking. No need for anything too fancy. You’ll need to include examples of your work, references or testimonials and contact details. But remember not to use a free email account! It doesn’t look very professional! For great value for money and easy to set up websites check out my review here.

Business Cards

Generally you’ll be working online but you may want to promote your services locally. You can order 250 FREE Business cards from a selection of 42 designs at Vistaprint. They have offices worldwide and you just need to pay for the postage. They also have a great selection of other marketing products.

Sales Pitch

Figure out your sales pitch before you start as you’ll need to sell your services by telling your client why they should use your services and what makes you different. Write out a few sentences and keep them handy until you can reel them off smoothly.

The Language of Freelance Marketing

Newbies freelancer usually enter the world of publishing with the notions of submitting articles, receiving prompt replies and getting published. After all, the next-door-neighbor did just that, and now she has a byline and everything. Maybe your neighbor’s lucky. Maybe she’s lying. In all probability, she’s established.

She probably spent the first few years of her career querying and getting rejected just like you. After countless rejections and what seemed like years of effort, editors started recognizing her name. Her constant queries made them think that she was in it for good, and she wouldn’t let them down if they trusted her with an assignment. They did, and she didn’t cave in. She excelled at what she did, because this was the big break she’d been waiting for. And once she was published, there was no looking back.

For freelancers, knowing the basic terminology before they begin can be a valuable lesson in earning a few extra dollars in that initial stage. When I started my freelancing career, I knew nothing of rights, simultaneous submissions, querying or varying payment rates. All I knew was – I could write. Everything else, I learnt on the job. You will too. But just to make your stay a little less frustrating, and a lot more enjoyable, I’ve listed a few concepts that will help you immensely as you contact editors and try to make them pay you for your words.

Copyright

It’s yours as soon as you have those words on paper. You don’t have to register copyright to claim it, though if you’re writing a novel or book, it’s a wise investment. Registered copyright is proof enough for a court of law, and is extremely valuable in cases of dispute. However, for short materials like articles or essays, copyright needn’t be registered. You can however, club a number of essays and register them together.

Reprints

Reprints are articles, essays or pieces that have already been published. If you own the copyright (more on that later), and want to sell the piece again to another publication, it will be termed as a reprint. Most publications pay much less for reprints and some don’t accept them at all. However, for a freelancer, sometimes reprints bring more income than original articles do.

Rights

Earlier, magazines asked for all rights to articles. Even today, in many countries, including my own (India), most magazines want to keep all the rights ensuring that the articles in their magazine remain unique to them. However, this trend no longer exists in America, Canada and England, and is making headway into other nations as well. Now, almost all magazines in these nations refrain from asking for all rights to the work. Others have opened their doors for reprints, which is a boon for writers. Let’s look at some of the different kinds of rights.

	All Rights: This means that the article must not have been published before, and cannot be used again after it has been published in this particular publication. Never give up all rights for a measly sum of money. If you’re selling all rights, make sure you’re being paid what you deserve.
	First Serial Rights: These usually pertain to some country, e.g., First North American Serial Rights, or First British Serial Rights. Although the article mustn’t have been published in the country prior to this, you are free to submit elsewhere after publication.
	Electronic Rights: As more and more publications archive their articles online, they are asking for electronic rights. This means that they can carry your article online. Usually a time-period is specified. Also, electronic rights are usually non-exclusive, meaning that you can sell this article elsewhere although it will continue to appear on this publication’s website.
	CD-ROM Rights: A fairly new addition to the list of rights, this means that the publication is free to use your work on a Compact Disc.
	Anthology Rights: Some publications publish yearly anthologies (collection of articles or stories). In such cases, they ask for these rights for possible inclusion of your work in their anthology.
	First-time Rights: Your article must not have appeared anywhere worldwide. You are, however, free to sell your work elsewhere after publication.
	One-time Rights: Your work may have appeared elsewhere. Publications asking for one-time rights require that you let them use your work once. It may or may not have been published before and you are free to use it after publication.

Payment on Acceptance Vs. Payment on Publication

You’ve written an article and the editor has approved it. Now comes the time to pay you. Well, not quite. Many publications prefer to pay their writers on publication, meaning when the article appears in print. In established magazines, the time between acceptance and publication can be months, so you may write an article in January, and be paid for it in June. Always try to get paid on acceptance.

Clips

When you write a query, the editor wants to see more than just a good idea. She wants to know whether you can do it justice, whether you’ll be able to carry it through or not. For this, she needs to see samples of your writing. Published samples are termed as clips. Simply stated, you photocopy the pages of approximately three magazines in which your articles have appeared and send them to the editor.

If you haven’t been published, you’ll still need to send in samples of your writing. For this, write out an article or two related to the subject of the magazine, and send them off with your query.

Lead Time

A magazine usually asks writers to submit their work well in advance so that there are no last-minute goof-ups. Magazines, especially reputed ones, cannot risk delaying an issue because of a single writer. This period is usually termed as lead-time. Although most magazines have lead times of approximately three months, many have periods of more than six months.

Kill Fees

Editors often “kill” articles that they’ve assigned. To the writer, this could mean wasted time, as well as money. To reimburse the writer for her research and hours put in, magazines usually have a 20-50% kill fee. Simply put, if your query has been accepted, but your article isn’t published for some reason, you’ll be given a kill fee for your work.

Expenses

For your article, you may have to interview a subject. In some cases, you may have to make long-distance calls or spend a few bucks on travel, lunches and other expenses. All such expenditures incurred for the assignment are usually paid for by the publication. You should be very clear on this before you get on the assignment. Usually, editors will agree to reasonable expenditure refunds.

Bios and Photos

Haven’t you sometimes noticed how the author’s picture or contact information appears alongside the article? Yours could, too. Although this isn’t always done, sometimes editors may agree to put up a photo or a short bio beside your article. It never hurts to ask.

Simultaneous Submissions

Although this is something magazines advise against, it isn’t always feasible waiting three months for your hot idea to strike a note with the editor you’ve submitted it to. This is where simultaneous submissions come in. Although I truly warn you against submitting the same article to more than one publisher (I did it, and I regretted it), I do advocate simultaneous queries.

Get what you deserve on negotiating

I have good article for you. Read this.

If magazine publishing worked like any other business, writers would fix their rates, and magazines would run around trying to hire the best writer at the lowest possible cost. Sadly, that’s not the case. In this bizarre business, writers trying to compete with each other not only have to prove their worth once, but again and again, and each time they want an assignment. You’ve got clips. You’ve written the perfect query. You’ll even deliver the best assignment. But then again, you’ll have to ask for more money and negotiate your way into getting what you deserve.

If you’re a writer whose sole source of income is your writing, then you have to negotiate. It’s the whole lifeblood of your business. Don’t get paid less simply because you didn’t ask. Don’t worry. You’re not going to sound greedy. You work hard, and you deserve to be paid for it.

When a magazine puts “pays $50-$700” in their guidelines, what can you do to be the writer that is paid in the higher range? If you’re a beginner, you probably won’t even think of getting into the high-paying slot. You’d think those places were reserved for the regular and the more experienced writers, right?

Wrong!

Admitted, regular writers are preferred, and their pay rates will usually be much higher than yours. But you don’t fall into that lower category because you’re a beginner; you fall into it because you fail to negotiate.

If you’ve got a sparkling query, an article proposal that the editor simply loves, and good writing skills that leave the editor craving for more, she’s not going to bail out on you simply because you asked for more money. In fact, she’ll be glad to arrange it for you. Not having a dozen clips on your resume does not entitle you to less pay. In fact, if you act like a professional, and give the editor what she wants, money won’t even be an issue.

Spot the Loopholes

Whenever you find a magazine that has a variable pay rate, be sure there’s room for negotiation. Why else would they have such a broad category? A very well known magazine mentions in their guidelines that they pay their writers anywhere from $50-$1000 based on experience and length of article. What I also noticed was that they’ve specified the length of pieces in their columns and departments. So, reading between the lines, I’m thinking – negotiation!

What about all those magazines that pay fixed rates? Do you just settle for what they have to give or is there room for something more? If you’re looking to be paid more, there’s a possibility. However, there are other things that you can ask for. For one, there are rights. If you could use one piece in more than one publication, it would get you more money, though indirectly. Even so, another publication means another name added to your list of growing credits. Wouldn’t you much rather sell one piece to ten different magazines, than get paid only once? Other than increased pay, you’ve also added to your list of credits. That’s bound to bring in more money in the future.

Other than that, kill fees are a definite must. You don’t want to spend hours on your research, only to have your article removed off the publication list. You deserve payment for the time you put in. Talk to the editor about this before you’ve actually started the writing process. Normally, kill fees are around 20-50%. It’s very unlikely that you’ll get more even if you have a working relationship with the editor.

Another issue is payment on acceptance versus payment on publication. Magazines have very long lead times. In simple words, this means that there you could have to wait as long as six to eight months after acceptance to see your article in print. If you’re an international writer, the delay is even longer, sometimes leading to getting payments months after you’ve written the article. Do you really want to wait that long? Can you?

What else? Bios. Short blurbs after our names that could point to a website, have contact information or simply mark us as experts. A few magazines give them, but if they don’t, you could ask for one. Or you could ask for a bigger bio or a photo alongside. This is much easier to do if your article is appearing online. If the editor is unwilling to pay you more, this is your best bet.

If your article required a lot of traveling, phone calls, lunches or other expenses, ask the publication to reimburse it. There will usually be a limit to how much a publication will pay, but it should cover your total expenditure on writing the article. Send in the bills, appropriately marked, and you’ll be paid. If this clause isn’t mentioned in your contract, be sure to bring it up.

Finally, you want copies of the magazines. As many as you can get, actually. Most publications will give you two-three copies of the magazine or publication in which your work appears. If possible, ask for more. This is especially important for international writers who can’t buy copies of the magazine themselves.

Get it Right

If you’re like most writers, you’re a pro at writing emails with demands no editor dare refuse, but when it comes to negotiation in person or over the phone, you give in a little too soon. You know you could have got more, but you caved in before you could gather yourself to say, “I was expecting more.”

Negotiating is a whole other job in itself. (That’s why we have agents, right?) But as a freelancer, an agent would do you more harm than good, so you’ll have to take up this profession as well. (You’re already a writer, marketer, promotion expert, website developer, accountant…what’s one more job?)

When an editor sends over a contract in which you can see the need for negotiation, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to her. It’s easier than you think. Editors expect writers to negotiate. Professionals do it all the time. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise to her when a writer asks for a bigger paycheck. She’s probably even prepared for it. And this is the sole reason why she’ll give in more easily than you thought. Stand your ground, and be confident. If you believe you deserve to be paid more for your words, she will too.

So, let’s imagine you’ve got an acceptance letter (or phone call) from the editor. Yippee! Do the victory dance, run around and tell everyone you know and then come back to planet Earth for a reality check.

Before talking to the editor, you should have a fair idea of what you’re expecting from the publication. Don’t keep your demands too high. At the same time, don’t keep your expectations so low either. The publication’s guidelines should give a rough idea of the upper and lower limits and depending on your article length and research, you should be able to determine a rough amount.

A few pointers on the actual process of negotiating:

- Don’t be the first to state the figure. Sometimes you just have to, but try to get the editor to propose the amount and you can work your way up from there.

- Use phrases such as “I was expecting more” and “That sounds a little low” or even “ I was thinking more in the range of …”

- Don’t argue with the editor. After all, you do want the assignment. Reach a figure that you’re both comfortable with.

- If the editor doesn’t budge on the money front, ask for a better rights agreement or a bigger byline. Payment on acceptance is always a big plus.

- Finally, never be unprofessional. If you don’t like the terms of the agreement and decide not to write for the publication after all, be polite. Demeaning the editor or the publication will get you nowhere but in the black list.

Get it in Writing

Nothing is final (or legal) until you get it on paper. If your old contract didn’t state the terms correctly, ask for a new one. Check and recheck the terms and only then sign the paper.

Writers are often deprived of their hard-earned money simply because they were too nervous to ask. Looking back, I see many times when I knew I could have asked for more, but didn’t. And there are many other writers who don’t either, because they don’t want to risk a relationship with an editor before it’s even begun. Whether you’re a novice, or a seasoned pro, the truth is – you won’t get something unless you ask for it. So next time, give it a try, and you’ll end up making more than you thought.

So ... What is Your Worth as a Nonfiction Writer?

So ... what are you worth? $1 a word? Twenty cents?

Pretend with me, for a moment.

There is a project that will take this amount of time:

8 hours of research
8 hours of writing
2 hours of editing and polishing
2 hours of administrative work (going to post office, phone calls, etc.)

The total is 20 hours of your time – and 3500 words – about 15 pages of double-spaced manuscript. So what is this project worth? How much are you going to charge/collect for doing this work?

Let’s look at this project two different ways – by the hour, and by the word. Suppose you receive 20 cents a word. That means you get a whopping check of $700. If you were to be paid $1 a word, you would be paid $3500. Quite a range, indeed.

If you accepted the $700 rate, you would be paid a rate of $35 an hour. The $3500 rate is $175 an hour. Most nonfiction writers would be happy with either of these rates, but obviously happier with earning $175 per hour.

Now, what would you agree to do this project for? $500? Now you are being paid at $25 an hour. Still not a bad rate. Until you start to add in the other factors.

First, what is your overhead? Every writer has some overhead, but too few bother to consider it. Some of the overhead items are: telephone, Internet access, postage, computer and equipment expenses, and supplies. If you are using a home office, you might overlook the added expenses you are incurring for electricity, heat, air-conditioning, and other utilities.

Then you need compensated for your marketing time (in my How to Make $50,000 a Year as a Nonfiction Writer course, I suggest that all writers should be marketing at least 20% of their time.) That is one day out of five. One day you cannot earn any money – and something that needs to be added in to your rates.

That means that you need to add 20% on top of your rates to pay for the down time. You need to add a bit more for your overhead. You do that, just to break even.

So why do we have writers on the Internet bidding against one another to do work for less money? There are several freelance “agencies” that do just that – and these are a bad idea for you.

For some reason, many nonfiction writers want an easier way to market their manuscripts and services. It is as if the query letter is too much work. So along comes the websites that offer this easier way to market and find work for nonfiction writers.

There are several, and expect more to pop-up. Elance.com (www.elance.com), freelanceworkexchange.com (www.freelanceworkexchange.com) and Creativemoonlighter.com (www.creativemoonlighter.com) are three of the biggest.

The concept of these websites is simple. Buyers of writing and editorial services simply post their project, and then a nonfiction writer can bid on the job. The writer pays a fee to be listed, and pays another fee when they get the work. That second fee is a percentage of the total fee of the job.

On the surface, it sounds great! A place to find freelance work. A place to bring buyer and seller together, and a place for the freelance writer to earn a respectable income.

But is it?

What happens is that “Writer A” bids $1000 for a project. Along comes “Writer B” and that writer, also wanting the project, bids $950. “Writer C” follows with a bid of $900. Before long, we are at “Writer T” with a bid of $475. Who is winning here? The buyer and the website – not the nonfiction writers -- are the winners.

Suddenly by using a website to find work, the nonfiction writer is reduced to the level of a used car salesman making a deal. And think about how we as a society treat used car sales people. You go to the car lot, you almost dare the sales person to come near you – you make them stand 20 feet away as you decide the terms of the conversation and sale.

Your worth as a writer is determined by you. If you are willing to work for 5 cents a word, then that is your worth. If you are willing to enter into a shark-like feeding frenzy, designed to drive your fees downward, then whatever you end up with is your value as a writer. This type of selling of your services makes little sense.

Sometimes, new ways are not as good as the old. It is far better for you to plan your writing career, quietly and purposely building your credits through query letters, quality writing, and a boat-load of writing credits. Websites that reduce your value as a writer are not the way to build a respectable writing career.

One writer named Barbara, said in a post on a newsgroup about these bid-for-less websites, “Most of the so-called 'freelance employment agencies' on the web end by forcing writers to bid against each other for jobs. The lowest bid usually wins, damn the quality. I can find plenty of jobs paying peanuts on my own, thank you very much, and I am totally opposed to having to bid against fellow freelancers.”

Picture yourself standing in front of an audience – the author of 1000 articles and 8 books. Is there any prestige in that image? Or are you the writer that just agreed to do 20 hours of work for $136, so as to win a bid on a website? Will you have enough money to even attend the presentation of the writer that approaches the craft professionally, and built credits and a career?

Decide now what kind of writer you want to be – with a used car sales mentality – or a professional – and set your rates accordingly. Keep working your markets. Write those query letters – and keep on marketing. Let your competitors bid against each other – while you take a different road to success.

Tips for Negotiating Like a Pro

Freelancer who are new to freelancing are often too afraid to ask for more than an editor offers. Thrilled to be making any money at all, new writers typically agree to whatever figure is proposed. I was no exception to this rule, but once I’d built up my credits, I realized editors weren’t about to offer me a raise if I continued to play the role of doormat writer.

Once a writer has some experience, the bottom line becomes more important. Especially if one aspires to write full-time, "trivial issues" like prompt and appropriate payment start to matter when you depend on your writing income to pay the bills.

Until you’ve tried negotiating, you may not realize how much you’ve been undercut. An editor’s first offer is rarely the maximum amount he or she can actually afford to pay you; as is human nature, most editors will try to get good writing at the lowest possible cost. Your job is to convince those editors that paying you a little extra for your piece will be worth it. How?

The answer may be simpler than you ever imagined: you just have to ask. In over four years as a full-time writer, I’ve gotten exactly what I asked for in every case except one—and even in that case, I was able to get the editor to spring for a 10% increase. In other words, every single time I got up the nerve to negotiate, I wound up with a bigger paycheck.

Remember that everything within a contract is fair grounds for negotiation; your goal should be to sell the fewest rights for the highest fee, payable quickly after submission. You can also strike better deals for the inclusion of a bio-note or advertisement for your business, extra payment for extra services (like photos and sidebars), and a high kill fee if such terms are necessary.

It’s always slightly uncomfortable for a writer to ask for more than an editor wishes to spend. But, with a few key phrases under your belt, you, too, can significantly increase your income.

The Magic Phrases

1. "That sounds a little low."

A timeless classic. This follows a golden rule of writing: keep it simple. No matter what figure is proposed, just state those five words and then shut your mouth. Since no one can stand uncomfortable silences, your tight lips will force the editor to say something in response. Either he or she will make a new offer, ask you what you need, or tell you that’s the best they can do. If it’s the latter, employ one of the next phrases.

2. "To make it worth my time, I would need…"

This one lets you take control of the situation. If you’ve already figured out approximately how much time and effort this piece will require, you should be able to determine how much you expect to be paid for it. Make sure that you’ve done some research and that your figure is in the realm of what that particular market typically pays. (Asking for a figure that’s 20% more than their average payment for an article of your word count and scope is reasonable; asking for 200% more is not.) Don’t bother mincing your words; just state your figure and let the editor decide whether or not to meet your demands.

3. "Considering the amount of research required, can we agree to…"

You can end this open-ended statement with a higher fee, less rights, or other "barters." Heavily researched pieces often have potential reprint markets. If an editor has asked for all rights, or exclusivity in any way, use this as a bartering chip. Mention that you can only give them exclusivity if they’ll raise the fee; otherwise, you’ll accept the fee for one-time rights (or whatever rights you find suitable) only. You may also barter for free advertising space, links to your website, etc.

4. "I’m expecting more for this piece."

Another simple statement that forces the ball back to the editor’s proverbial court. Again, follow this one with silence, and allow the editor to come up with a new figure. This statement introduces the possibility that you could decide to sell the piece elsewhere if the editor doesn’t meet your requirements.

5. "Can we work on that?"

For pop psychology fans, this one brings the editor onto your "team." By using the word "we," you’ve asked the editor to partner with you in coming up with more acceptable terms. This question opens the door to a variety of improvements; you may choose to talk about fees, rights, word count, sidebars, kill fees, etc.

Whichever phrases you use, keep in mind that your tone and professionalism will matter. You must convey the impression that you are self-confident and aware of the value of your work. And, with a few successful negotiations to your credit, you may be able to stop acting and start believing.

How to negotiate the price ?

In over five years of freelancing, I’ve only had one editor not raise the pay when I asked. Yet I’m surprised how many writers have told me they never negotiate for more money. They are missing the gravy train. And below, i will give you some chase in how to negotiate the price. And some chase conversation with your client.

CLUES THAT THEY WILL PAY YOU MORE

So how do you do it? The ideal situation is when the editor throws out a fee first. I typically counteroffer with a rate 20% higher. Watch for words or phrases in the following examples that tip you off that an editor can pay more than the offered $100:

“We usually pay $100. Is that OK?”

“Our fees are a little low. How about $100?”

“I can offer you $100. Does that work for you?”

“You are a writing goddess! We wish we could pay you a million dollars, but it’s not in our budget.”--OK, that one was just for fun.

HOW CAN YOU REPLY?

Here are some responses I’ve used to editor’s offers that have garnered bigger paychecks:

“That fee is lower than I anticipated. How about $120?”

“Make it $120 and we’ve got a deal.”

“Could we work on the fee?”

“I typically charge $140 for this length of an article. How about we compromise at $120?”

WHEN THEY DON’T GIVE A PRICE

What if the editor doesn’t offer a fee up front, but wants to know what you charge? To get them to state a figure, try:

“What is the range you usually pay for this size of an article?”

“What is your budget for this assignment?”

"I’m looking forward to working on this article, but I’m sure I can work within your budget."

“What fee are you comfortable offering?”

If they really balk at quoting a fee, seriously consider what you would be happy getting paid for the article. Then put that fee at the lower end of a range in a response like:

“I usually charge between $120 and $200 for this type of assignment.”

Internet Research

In this time, i will give you some advice before you do your project. Just for your reminder.

Before the rise of the Internet, when you wanted to look something up, you went to the library. You could confidently search any book in the reference section because it had, in effect, already been vetted by a knowledgeable information professional, a librarian. If you had a question about what you read, or wanted more information, you just asked the librarian for help. Yes, it was time-consuming, and sort of inefficient at times if you didn't budget your time well, but it worked, and you could be reasonably sure that any information you gleaned from the reference materials was accurate.

And then came the Internet.

Rather than trek to the library, it became so easy to just boot up the computer and Google everything you needed to know. Or use Yahoo! or MSN or any of the other Internet search engines to do research for assignments, for characters, or other freelance projects. Why not? It's just as good as going to the library right? Well, not exactly. See, working from the comfort of your own home is indeed convenient, and yes, you can save yourself a lot of time by doing some basic legwork at home. But the downside is you don't have the security of knowing that what you're reading is good, credible information. There's no librarian right there if you have a question. At home, you have to decide for yourself if the information you find online is worth pursuing any further.

So, while no one expects you to give up doing online research, here are some basic pointers to keep in mind when you're trying to save yourself some time and effort and decide to start your research at home.

Authority

Before you take any information you find on a website as gospel truth, consider the source. Is this a personal website or is it the online presence of an established organization, university or government agency? Generally, you can put more confidence in the information you find on an "official" website than in what you'll find on a hobbyist's website. For example, hurricane statistics found on a NOAA website are much more likely to be factually accurate than those found on Happy Harry's Hurricane Site!!!!!!

Websites of record-- those belonging to well-known and official organizations and agencies-- have a vested interest in providing accurate information to online users. These people and organizations, like established experts, advocacy organizations, universities, government agencies, etc., have worked long and hard, investing time and money, in building their reputations. They're not going to risk those reputations by publishing erroneous information online carelessly

Timeliness

Another important factor to consider when doing online research is looking at when a website was last updated. A last-updated notation can usually be found on the bottom of the webpage. You don't want to take a chance relying on outdated facts. If a site hasn't been updated since 1998, you're probably better off finding another resource, or continuing to search in order to verify what you've found there. If a site doesn't show any last-updated date, it may be a reason for concern; in that situation, you can look for a news or press release section of the site. When was the last posting? That will give you an idea of when the last time the creator or webmaster updated the site.

Agenda

If the website you find presents only one point of view, the site owner may have his or her own agenda. Read the site content carefully; does the site owner have a vested interest in persuading you to see things his way? Ideally, you'd like to find a website that acknowledges alternative viewpoints. If arguments are made against these other ideas, they should be based on fact, not opinion. Read the information you find online with a critical eye. Try to look at the big picture of the site and it's creator overall, not just whatever paragraph you've found that seems to meet your information needs.

Contact

Most reputable websites offer users a way to contact the person or organization. Be wary of someone who isn't accountable for what he or she has written online. Tying a name to a website demonstrates that a person or organization is willing to take responsibility for his or her words. A person who's willing to put himself out there and stand behind what he's written is more likely to be a credible source.

Domain names

Take a good look at the URL of the site. Does it have its own domain name? It's a good sign if the person or organization has its own URL, rather than a free site with lots of ads and pop-ups and pop-unders. A specific URL tells you that the website owner takes this seriously enough to fork over money to register a domain name and pay for web hosting services. A domain name will also usually clue you in to who's behind the website. In general, a .com is a commercial site, .edu is for colleges and universities, .gov for government websites, and .org for organizations and agencies. Other common extensions are .net, .info, and .biz extensions. Non-U.S. websites can often be determined right away if the URLs end in .uk (Great Britain), .fr (France), and .au (Australia), for example.

The next step

David Runyon is quoted as having said, "Trust, but verify." And so last, but far from least, this is a key rule of thumb to keep in mind when using the Internet for any kind of research. Yes, the person who made up the website you're looking at may well be an expert in Middle English cooking. Or it may be your neighbor down the street who sends her kids to school with air sandwiches. Look at the information you're reading with a critical eye to determine if it makes sense based on what you already know about a topic.

If you've determined that the information you've found online is likely to be correct, then you can take your research to the next step, verifying it through other sources, whether it's at the library or consulting with experts, confident that you've made the most of the convenience of doing research online.

FINAL DOs AND DON’Ts

And now. This is the final you must do.

	Do get a web site where editors can see your clips, your resume, and anything else relevant to your writing. Not only does this save you postage (an added bonus), but editors love the fact that there’s less paperwork piling up on their desks.
	Don’t ever throw away research. So many writers learn this one the hard way. Lucky for me, I’m a pack-rat, so I didn’t have to learn this the hard way. Why should you save something you doubt you’ll ever need in the future? Here’s an example: A few years ago, I did some writing for my local newspaper. My articles were assigned (meaning that I had the option of either accepting less-than-thrilling assignments and paying rent that month or passing on the assignment). One article was on home heating. Did I care about this topic? No. Did I think I’d ever need any of the research or interview notes? No. A year or so later, I was going through old files to see what new angles I could find among my clips when I remembered a news segment about winterizing your home. Next thing you know, I’ve recycled and updated the material into a new article for a new publication.
	Do get a lawyer and accountant—especially an accountant. A lawyer is basically for reviewing your contracts. I have a friend from college who’s a lawyer now review mine. She’s not an expert in publishing law, but she knows more about contracts than I do and can raise a red flag if there’s something seriously wrong. Remember that contracts are written by publishers, so they favor the publisher over the writer. (If you don’t think you need an accountant, then I hope you’ll write an article for the rest of us that explains how you know what you can write off, what you can’t, and why we should take the time to learn about taxes.)
	Don’t burn bridges. Yes, this should be common sense. It’s never a good idea to burn bridges, but it’s especially dangerous when you’re young. You have years to have it come back to bite you in the butt. And remember the point earlier about pitching ideas to assistant and associate editors? Well, they’ve got years ahead, too—years to not hire you at any publication they work for. Publishing, albeit a huge industry, is also a small one. Magazine editors know other magazine editors. Book editors know other book editors. They talk. Don’t let it be about you.

ARE YOU READY?

Let’s face it: You’ll never be 100-percent ready, whether you’re leaving a day job or starting fresh from college. If not for the financial stability of a day job, there are the health benefits, the 401K, the discount movie passes…all the perks that come with the stress and restrictions of an office job.

There’s nothing like setting your own schedule and charting your own course, though. Before you know it, you’ll have too many assignments, too many ideas you want to develop into articles, and not enough hours in the day. Your age doesn’t matter. In fact, I think it’s to your advantage. Jump in and get started. Good luck!

TIPS FOR THE WRITER FREELANCE IN TRAINING

This is some good tips for you :

Queries

The best defense against rejection is to perfect the query. Every article, book, or even paragraph you read about writing and queries gives you the same advice. There’s not much more to add specifically to 20-somethings except for this perk: Think about how much time and effort (not to mention postage) you’ll save yourself by perfecting your query now. You can use all that time to write! Take the time to examine successful query letters; model yours after them. A flawless query will get you the job every time—flawless in every sense. I don’t mean just using your computer’s spellchecker. I mean proofreading carefully, even e-mails. I mean making sure your grammar is correct. Why would an editor take a chance on an entire article if you can’t even get the query letter on target? Don’t give them a reason to not hire you!

You know better than to address a letter to “Dear Editor.” Let’s take that a step further. Freelance writer Sara Eckel shared a great tip at Mediabistro’s “Freelance Survival Strategies” program: Aim low on the masthead. Assistant and associate editors generally haven’t built a pool of writers they work with regularly, so you have a good shot of breaking in (and then working with those people as their careers grow alongside your own).

E-queries

Most importantly, find out if e-queries are accepted before sending one. If they’re not, and you send one, and then you follow up with a written query in the mail, you’ll do nothing but annoy an editor/potential client.

Watch your language in e-queries. E-mail tends to be more casual than letters, but an e-query is still a professional pitch letter. In essence, you’re asking for a job.

One last e-query tip: Use the subject line to your advantage. Editors get a lot of e-mail; make it easy for them to read your message. Messages from addresses they don’t recognize or with unclear subject lines will likely be read last—if at all.

Low- and No-Pay Assignments

Many successful writers encourage young writers to never take on assignments that they won’t get paid for or for which they’ll get paid very little. If only if were that easy! As someone who’s still offered assignments for not much, I disagree. Certainly we’ll reach that point where we can scoff when an editor offers us an assignment for little to nothing—but we’re not there yet. You need clips right? I know, I know: You need the money, too. But surely you know that the first couple years freelancing aren’t going to be a walk in the financial park, right? Take what you can get. If you’re writing for free, ask if you can get, say, your website address listed with your byline.

And remember what my friend Rob Brink, who also happens to be a 20-something freelancer, calls the “snowball effect.” With an assignment (done well and submitted on time) comes a better portfolio and increased connections, which leads to more assignments and new clients. Your first steady client will be the hardest one to get.

Rejection

Understanding that rejection is a part of every writer’s life is a given (especially in your 20s when you’re still getting into your groove, finding your niche, you get the idea). One of my college professors taught me (well, me and the rest of my “Writing for Publication” class) a valuable lesson: Learn the levels of rejection.

In the beginning, you’ll see form letters/postcards/notes/whatever. They’re unsigned, they’re generic (“your query doesn’t fit our current needs”), and they only arrive in your mailbox because you sent a SASE with your query. You’ll then graduate to a signed letter that still appears generic, but, on a good day, you can convince yourself that it really is the editor’s signature on the page and not her assistant’s. Finally, there’s the cream of the rejection crop: a personal letter with a note from the editor to keep pitching her.

Okay, okay—on some level rejection is rejection, but which would you prefer: an unsigned form postcard or a letter with a handwritten note from an editor? Me, too.

Networking

Every writer needs to network. Just think about the advantage you have as a young writer. You have years and years ahead of you in this business, so cultivate your network early and keep in touch with people as time passes. These are people who can introduce you to others, who can recommend you for writing assignments, who you can interview, and so on. The typical advice writers get applies to you: Tell everyone you know you’re a writer and that you’re trying to build your client base.

THE BUSINESS SIDE

Taxes

The most important piece of information I can share with you is this: Taxes are not taken out of your freelance paychecks. A friend of mine, 20-something freelance writer April Prince sums it up best: “Sit down with your accountant before you start freelancing, or at least in very beginning. Make sure you understand what you owe and when.” I used to file my own taxes, but I find that, frankly, the cost of my accountant is much less than the cost of therapy bills from the stress of tax time.

Being the Boss

I cannot stress enough the appeal of being your own boss. No one to answer to. No one to tell you to get off the phone. No one to tell you your lunch break ran long. You’re likely as disillusioned as I was a few years ago. Oh, how times have changed. As the “boss,” you’re everywoman: receptionist, photocopy slave, office supply manager, proofreader, accountant, and, oh yeah, writer.

Maeve Binchy, author of Circle of Friends and Tara Road, among others, said in Writer’s Digest in 1997, “I insist on being at my desk at 7:30 AM. I rush just as if I were a commuter.” Maeve Binchy I’m not, but I do have a schedule I try to stick with. Things come up (just as they do when you’re in an office environment), but if you have discipline you can manage.

Remember this: As a “sole proprietorship” (whether you register as a business or not), your reputation is on the line each time you accept a writing assignment. It usually takes just one bad piece of writing to turn an editor’s nose up.

Marketing and Promotion

Again, this job is yours. If you don’t market yourself, who will? Publishing companies don’t have the resources to focus on every magazine issue or every book they publish, which means it’s easy for writers to fall through the cracks. I had an ebook published earlier this year and was shocked at my definition of a marketing initiative versus my publisher’s definition.

Writing the article, the book, the whatever isn’t necessarily enough. Yes, it brings in the paycheck. But marketing efforts can often get you even more money. Try to sell reprint rights or get a new assignment out of your marketing and promotion efforts.