"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river."
-- Nikita Khrushchev
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Freelancer's Twitter Success Story!
I happened upon this item posted on a freelancers email list. It's exactly the sort of example I've been seeking of a Twitter success story for freelance writers--or, in this case, an editor.
A lot of people view Twitter as a big waste of time. Sure . . . it can be. But so can any other kind of networking or marketing, if you don't take the right approach to it.
I thought the post did a great job of explaining how this freelance editor found and landed a client through her Twitter efforts (and other online media--notice how Web sites, e-mail and online forums all played a part in this). So I asked Katharine O'Moore-Klopf if I could reprint her post as an example of a Twitter success story. She gave me the green light. So here it is, in Katharine's own words:
Three cheers for communication technology!
I just cemented a contract for a small book editing project for a small publishing house whose publisher (his job title) I have come to know through Twitter.
He found me on Twitter in March by searching for such terms as "editor," "copyeditor," "copy editor," and "freelancer," which I use frequently in my tweets. He followed the link on my Twitter page to my business web site and looked through my site's pages. I spent some time finding information on him and the publishing house on several web sites and in a couple forums. Then he e-mailed me using my site's contact form, asking about my fees. I was busy with projects then, so we've kept in touch through Twitter and e-mail. Finally, I had an opening in my work schedule. And now, I'll start work on the project on Monday. It's not medical editing [Blogger's Note: her niche, as you can see from the sig line] but is technology related, so it will be a good mental change of pace.
Cool!
Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS (board-certified editor in the life sciences; see http://www.bels.org)
KOK Edit: Your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM)
mailto:editor@kokedit.com
http://www.kokedit.com
http://editor-mom.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/K.OMooreKlopf
https://twitter.com/KOKEdit
Author of "Getting Started as a Freelance Copyeditor"
http://www.kokedit.com/library.shtml#gettingstarted
Yes, Katharine--that is indeed cool. :)
A lot of people view Twitter as a big waste of time. Sure . . . it can be. But so can any other kind of networking or marketing, if you don't take the right approach to it.
I thought the post did a great job of explaining how this freelance editor found and landed a client through her Twitter efforts (and other online media--notice how Web sites, e-mail and online forums all played a part in this). So I asked Katharine O'Moore-Klopf if I could reprint her post as an example of a Twitter success story. She gave me the green light. So here it is, in Katharine's own words:
Three cheers for communication technology!
I just cemented a contract for a small book editing project for a small publishing house whose publisher (his job title) I have come to know through Twitter.
He found me on Twitter in March by searching for such terms as "editor," "copyeditor," "copy editor," and "freelancer," which I use frequently in my tweets. He followed the link on my Twitter page to my business web site and looked through my site's pages. I spent some time finding information on him and the publishing house on several web sites and in a couple forums. Then he e-mailed me using my site's contact form, asking about my fees. I was busy with projects then, so we've kept in touch through Twitter and e-mail. Finally, I had an opening in my work schedule. And now, I'll start work on the project on Monday. It's not medical editing [Blogger's Note: her niche, as you can see from the sig line] but is technology related, so it will be a good mental change of pace.
Cool!
Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS (board-certified editor in the life sciences; see http://www.bels.org)
KOK Edit: Your favorite copyeditor since 1984(SM)
mailto:editor@kokedit.com
http://www.kokedit.com
http://editor-mom.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/K.OMooreKlopf
https://twitter.com/KOKEdit
Author of "Getting Started as a Freelance Copyeditor"
http://www.kokedit.com/library.shtml#gettingstarted
Yes, Katharine--that is indeed cool. :)
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Did Someone Say Query-Free Freelancing?
I don't know about you, but I'd love to get all my writing assignments without sending queries. So how could I resist checking out this blog? The Query-Free Freelancer recently interviewed seven writers about its eponymous topic (is it the topic or the blog that's eponymous? not sure). As of this date, it's reached Part 6 (the last installment) in a series of posts on To Query or Not to Query.
This looks like a good blog to follow, see where it goes from here . . .
Thanks to Anne Wayman (one of the interviewees) for tipping me off to this.
This looks like a good blog to follow, see where it goes from here . . .
Thanks to Anne Wayman (one of the interviewees) for tipping me off to this.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Quotation for the Week of June 21
"I've done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not."
-- Fran Lebowitz
-- Fran Lebowitz
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Set the Right Tone
A guest post by Rick Holton
For writers in your organization who have analyzed their purpose and audience, an important next step is achieving the right tone.
Tone expresses your attitude toward the subject and the audience. A local company recently sent a memo to employees that amounted to this: "Because morale is low, we will be instituting an employee awards program." What attitude does this express toward employees? It might have been more effective to start: "Because you have been working hard under pressure…"
Here are four tips on tone that might be useful to people in your organization.
Choose the right word. By now, most of us know that Mark Twain once said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter–it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." Much of tone-setting is word choice.
Choosing the right word may sound difficult, but it depends on the audience and your message. Often tone can be completely altered by changing only a few words, as in the incentives memo above. The company never would have written what they did had they thought a little more carefully about their audience and how they might react.
Establish the right level of formality. Achieving the right level of formality is, again, mostly a matter of word choice. Do you start your memo "Dear Bob," for instance, or "Dear Mr. Smith?"
Have you been appropriately friendly or stern? If you are writing to turn someone down, for example, and there is no chance that you will change your mind, your tone must make the message unmistakable, without, however, being abrupt or rude.
Level of formality is also affected by punctuation (parentheses, for example, tend to be informal), use of contractions, sentence length and complimentary close ("Very truly yours," for example, is much more formal than "Best wishes").
Sound Confident. You are a professional, and you should sound that way. Avoid expressions like "I believe..." and "I can assure you that..." They bespeak lack of confidence and, because they are unnecessary, distance the reader.
Be Positive. Avoid negative expressions, and avoid pointing out bad things you are not obligated to mention. Refer, for instance, to "challenges" rather than "problems." Don't talk about what you can't do—talk about what you can do.
Another feature of being positive is not accepting someone else's terms. If someone criticizes your company, for example, for emitting "dense clouds of noxious smoke" from one of your manufacturing facilities, don't use their terms in your response. Point out instead that you are in the final stages of installing "clean-air equipment."
Rick Holton is owner of The Holton Group, which specializes in business writing and consulting.
For writers in your organization who have analyzed their purpose and audience, an important next step is achieving the right tone.
Tone expresses your attitude toward the subject and the audience. A local company recently sent a memo to employees that amounted to this: "Because morale is low, we will be instituting an employee awards program." What attitude does this express toward employees? It might have been more effective to start: "Because you have been working hard under pressure…"
Here are four tips on tone that might be useful to people in your organization.
Choose the right word. By now, most of us know that Mark Twain once said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter–it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." Much of tone-setting is word choice.
Choosing the right word may sound difficult, but it depends on the audience and your message. Often tone can be completely altered by changing only a few words, as in the incentives memo above. The company never would have written what they did had they thought a little more carefully about their audience and how they might react.
Establish the right level of formality. Achieving the right level of formality is, again, mostly a matter of word choice. Do you start your memo "Dear Bob," for instance, or "Dear Mr. Smith?"
Have you been appropriately friendly or stern? If you are writing to turn someone down, for example, and there is no chance that you will change your mind, your tone must make the message unmistakable, without, however, being abrupt or rude.
Level of formality is also affected by punctuation (parentheses, for example, tend to be informal), use of contractions, sentence length and complimentary close ("Very truly yours," for example, is much more formal than "Best wishes").
Sound Confident. You are a professional, and you should sound that way. Avoid expressions like "I believe..." and "I can assure you that..." They bespeak lack of confidence and, because they are unnecessary, distance the reader.
Be Positive. Avoid negative expressions, and avoid pointing out bad things you are not obligated to mention. Refer, for instance, to "challenges" rather than "problems." Don't talk about what you can't do—talk about what you can do.
Another feature of being positive is not accepting someone else's terms. If someone criticizes your company, for example, for emitting "dense clouds of noxious smoke" from one of your manufacturing facilities, don't use their terms in your response. Point out instead that you are in the final stages of installing "clean-air equipment."
Rick Holton is owner of The Holton Group, which specializes in business writing and consulting.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Quotation for the Week of July 14
"You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance."
-- Ray Bradbury
-- Ray Bradbury
Thursday, 11 June 2009
The 4-Hour Workweek: As If
It amazes me that this article from Brazen Careerist is dated January 8th, 2009, but continues to this day to get comments--both in the form of kudos and criticism (in some cases, that last term is putting it mildly--to call some of the criticism "flaming" is like calling the crash of the Hindenburg an unfortunate incident).
I happen to know this article keeps on generating divisive comments because at one point, I commented on it, too. Bottom line: I am equally unimpressed with Tim Ferriss as Penelope Trunk is. And I think I speak for both of us (and many commenters) when I say: Tim Ferriss appears to be a self-centered jerk and his book, THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK is trash.
Now, I don't trash books as a general rule. I usually find something to recommend even in a mediocre book. But this isn't a mediocre book. It's simply a bad one and I have no clue why so many people seem to think it's brilliant.
And if you want to know why, just read the column I wrote earlier this year. And, yes, I reference and link to Penelope's article at the bottom. (Talk about recursive . . .)
So let the flaming begin.
I happen to know this article keeps on generating divisive comments because at one point, I commented on it, too. Bottom line: I am equally unimpressed with Tim Ferriss as Penelope Trunk is. And I think I speak for both of us (and many commenters) when I say: Tim Ferriss appears to be a self-centered jerk and his book, THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK is trash.
Now, I don't trash books as a general rule. I usually find something to recommend even in a mediocre book. But this isn't a mediocre book. It's simply a bad one and I have no clue why so many people seem to think it's brilliant.
And if you want to know why, just read the column I wrote earlier this year. And, yes, I reference and link to Penelope's article at the bottom. (Talk about recursive . . .)
So let the flaming begin.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Quotation for the Week of June 7
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet."
-- William Gibson
-- William Gibson
Thursday, 4 June 2009
'Identity Crisis' Available on Kindle
Just wanted to let everyone know that IDENTITY CRISIS, my mystery novel, is available on Kindle now.
And if you'd like to read the Amazon reviews of the print edition, you can find them here.
And, at some point, I'm hoping to reissue the book in print form as well.
When I do, it will have another cover, like the one below (both back and front are shown).
A darker, more menacing look, yes?
Bragging Rights
Wow! While I wasn't looking, back in January, Smartlife named me in the Top 50 of the 100 Freelance Writers You Can Outsource Your Blog Content To. I'm in there at #32, so I can now say I'm on someone's Top 40 List. :)
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