What I learned From Casing the Competition!

Don’t be fooled.
Though Blogging, by nature, is a very inclusive, interactive, informal genre of writing that has been known to provide friendly alliances and the occasional “warm and fuzzy feeling”, it is indeed competitive.

In my opinion, these days, as much as professional sports!
Don’t believe me?
No matter what your niche, Google its category, and you’re bound to render results in the thousands. Sometimes millions.

Like it or not, this means that you’re “competing” for readership. You’re competing for the limited time of today’s busy reader faced with an abundance of choices and a finite number of hours in each day. You’re competing to be “heard” amidst a sea of many voices. Some are virtuosos!
You’re competing for potential clients, advertisers, and even positioning.

Which is why “sizing up” your competition is crucial to create win-win situations for you and your readers.

How Competition Can Increase Competence

It goes without saying that we should all be on top of our game when we Blog, whether it’s professionally or as a form of artistic expression. Being at our best helps us to challenge ourselves, create “brand loyalty”, become a credible resource, and “win friends and influence people”.

But sometimes there’s a bonus. You get recognized in the process.
Which brings me to the genesis of this post…

A little while ago, I received an announcement regarding a Blogging contest. Write to Done was holding their 6th annual “Top 10 Blogs for Writing Contest.”
As with many Bloggers, Pen and Prosper is a labor of love for me. I dedicate many hours to this endeavor without compensation or expectation.

But, a contest? I saw it as a different type of reward. I thought that it would be fun and would minimally provide a little exposure for me and my little spot. So I threw my hat in the ring.

And let’s just say it’s been a very eye-opening experience ever since.
Being pit against such tough competition has made me realize my strengths and my weaknesses. I must admit, when it comes to good reading on writing, there’s a virtual “smorgasbord”, folks.

When I did a little comparative analysis with other sites, I felt that my design wasn't as strong. So I went in and did a little tweaking. I opted for a cleaner, leaner appearance. Additionally, I added more info about my guest posting experiences. I even edited some of my articles.

In your efforts to Blog better, and reach new heights in the new year, you might want to engage in a similar undertaking.

How do you stand up against the competition? Are your posts original? Is your voice unique? Do you give readers take-away value to take away? Why should anyone other than family or friends want to read your work? These are things to consider.
You’ll never be your best, if you refuse to look at what you could do better.

What I learned About Competition at This Stage of the Game…

1. Contrary to popular belief, competition doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Like money, it all depends on how we view it and how we use it. Think of the camaraderie of the contestants on the popular reality show, Dancing With the Stars. Whether we’re comfortable with it or not, competition will always be a part of our culture, our work place, and even our family dynamics. Use it to be clever, not cut throat.

2. Being a successful Blogger takes much more than disseminating information.
In viewing some of the other contenders‘ sites, what stood out was the sense of commitment, the creativity, and the passion that was evident in many of the readers’ “favorites”. Heck, I even signed up for a few of the "competition's" newsletters and updates myself!

3. Regardless as to the outcome, I’m still a winner.
I took a chance. I took a risk. I gave it my best. And if nothing else, I know more than I did before. Armed with this knowledge, I am more resolute in going the distance and making a difference.

As they say, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”

Thoughts?
How do you feel about competition? Does it leave you bitter or better?

Side note: A special thanks for those of you who took the time to vote and make a difference. The deadline is December 10th for those who are interested.

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Barriers to a Profitable Writing Career

(OR 5 Negative mindsets that keep you from making money)

If you study or read about the lives of many accomplished writers, inventors, or industry icons, you’ll find one thing in common.
Before they became successful, they had to overcome doubts and adopt a positive mindset to prepare them to prosper and achieve great heights.

Consider the words of motivational great, Zig Ziglar, who tells us, “You can if you think you can!” Or the writings of best selling author, Napoleon Hill, instructing us to “Think and Grow Rich.”

Of course, hard work has its place. But without the proper principles to support your efforts, you may be unknowingly sabotaging your own success.

With this is mind, here are five negative mindsets that keep most writers from making money, and how you can overcome them.

1. The Starving Artist mentality.
Okay, let’s be honest. How many of us love to write, but have college degrees in everything but writing, because we bought into the belief that writing was not “a real job”? Sure, we all know of poets that died in poverty, back in the day. However, in today’s publishing world, it’s possible to generate a pretty penny by penning words. Whether it’s through fictional works like Harry Potter, or tell-all bios by athletes and actresses, there is money to be made. Why not by you?

2. If I charge more, I’ll get fewer clients.
Not necessarily, unless you only get assignments through bidding sites. Writing is a service, much like a dentist, or a mechanic, or a counselor, or a chef. It’s important for you to recognize your value before others will. And by discounting your fees, ultimately you’ll feel overworked and underappreciated.

3. I’ll probably get rejected.
Newsflash: it comes with the territory! As someone who has written hundreds of articles and earned thousands of dollars, I can assure you that rejection never ends. Never. I still get them. But, keep in mind that a rejection is not to be personalized, as it is not a death sentence for one’s career, nor should it define you. Learn from it, then become better, not bitter.

4. I can never seem to find the time to write.
Time, like money, must be budgeted properly for the best results. Famous authors like John Grisham and Terry McMillan combined very demanding careers and the rigors of life, and managed to launch and maintain very profitable writing careers while moonlighting. And you can too. Keep in mind that prioritization and discipline are crucial. In fact, you might be surprised to discover how much more productivity you can out of your day with fewer hours devoted to TV, and a little less socializing on the Net.

5. I’m not as good as---------- (fill in the blank).
There you go again, with negative self-talk that compares your abilities with that of others. Truth is, there will always be competition, and we each have our unique talents, strengths, and gifts. Use yours to continue to hone your craft and to being the best you that you can be.

Pay attention to what you tell yourself as you pursue your creative career. Because your core beliefs today will shape tomorrow’s success. “As a man thinketh, so it is.”

Thoughts? Any pertain to you and your career?

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Blog Audit-How Do You Measure Success?

Let's face it: numbers have always been used as an assessment tool in our society.
A female who ranks a "10" is said to be a man magnet.
"Zero" tolerance policies seek to establish high standards in the workplace.
While the age 21 is said to be a qualifier for adulthood.

Blogging isn't much different. What do your numbers say?
Millions of Americans will be using the upcoming months to prepare for audits and the associated tax season.

I like to establish a similar procedure to analyze and scrutinize my Blog growth and to identify my future goals. And you should too.

Here's what a recent Blog audit, (along with Google Analytics) has revealed:

1. Pen and Prosper has maintained continuous growth over the last 12 months.
2. The "average reader" here has a master's degree and is female.
3. About 75% of my following is female based.
4. The busiest comment day is typically Tuesday, followed by Sunday evening.
5. I have gained most of my new followers via guest posts and blog commenting at other sites.
6. The number of comments received on posts varies, but collectively reveals a higher level of response than 2010.
7. My Blog visibility and recognition has increased, (though still not recognized by Writer's Digest). :-) For example, Pen and Prosper has been linked to or referenced by sites such as All About Freelance Writing, Dollars and Deadlines, Diary of a Mad Freelancer, and other influential sites.

Conclusion? I may not be where I'd like, but I am at least on the "write track".
Numbers don't lie.

Still, I'd like to know, how do you measure your Blog success?
And too, how does Pen and Prosper "measure up" in your opinion?
Any suggestions for improvement? Anything you'd like to see remain? Do tell.

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NaNoWriMo? What Now?

Guest Post by Emily Matthews

Every year, more than 200,000 people participate in NaNoWriMo, and 34,000 complete the first draft of a novel. That’s at least 1.7 trillion words! But once that first draft is completed, what happens next?

Lock it away. That’s right, you just spent a month of your life slaving over this novel, but that’s exactly why you shouldn’t be looking at it. Because you’re still so close to the narrative, you won’t be able to look at it with the necessary objectivity. So hide it away - for a week, or a month, or however long it takes to feel creative and excited about the project again. Because the next step is the one that’s going to hurt.

Any published author will tell budding writers that a good first draft is exactly that: a first draft. It is especially important in a competition like NaNoWriMo to let your creativity flow unhindered onto the paper. There is no time for rewrites and editing. Once you've gotten all of the basics of the story in place however, you need to go back through and evaluate what truly works and what doesn’t, and odds are, at 1,667 words a day, there are going to be quite a few things that don’t. Don’t be discouraged. This was a submission for a contest online, not your masters degree thesis. Editing a story the first time through usually requires a lot of corrections for typos and grammatical mistakes, but it will also open up the author's eyes to any weak spots in the overall story line.

After you've given your NaNoWriMo novel a first look over, give it to someone else to read. Preferably that person will have at least a basic background in writing, but if you don't have such a person available to you, then anyone who enjoys reading will do. Have them make notes on the margins of a printed manuscript, pointing out any typos or continuity errors. Most importantly, make sure you've selected someone who you can trust to tell you the truth about whether they like or dislike your novel. Keep in mind, however, that everyone has different tastes in literature, so don't be too discouraged if the first person to read your work in progress doesn't love it. Regardless of their personal opinion of the work, be sure to also ask them if they were able to get a good picture of the characters in their mind based on your written descriptions of them.

Once you've received their feedback, go back through the novel with a fine-toothed comb. Take their suggestions seriously, but don't make a revision simply because they've suggested it. Pay especially close attention to any comments about continuity errors or sentences that don't make any sense. Also, if they weren't able to properly envision your characters, be sure to add at least a few sentences to clue future readers into their physical appearance.

After this process is completed, consider going to a writing workshop where you can share samples of your novel with published authors or literary professors. Again, utilize their comments constructively to help make your novel more publisher-friendly. If you're still receiving a lot of correction suggestions after following all of the above steps, consider doing each step over again, as many times as necessary to reach your goal. After all, over 90 authors have published a book that they began during NaNoWriMo and with enough dedication you can be the next to join their ranks.

Bio:
Emily Matthews is currently applying to a masters degree program across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.

Thoughts? Do you NaNoWriMo?

Image: Andrea Brill

Tax Tips for Freelancing Professionals

GUEST POST BY BRITTANY LYONS

Many people enter freelancing because of the flexibility and autonomy that it offers. Much like going back to school to earn PhDs, freelancing can have huge benefits, but there are also responsibilities that must be met.

New and established freelancers will eventually have to face the reality of preparing taxes for their small business. Fortunately, these tax tips will help ensure that freelancers understand income reporting, deductions and filing requirements, and can keep the IRS happy.

The most important thing for a freelancer is recording income. Because freelance writers are typically considered independent contractors, any income they earn must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Freelancers who earn more than $600 from a single source should receive a 1099-MISC form from that company, but that doesn't mean you can get away without reporting paychecks smaller than that. Income from all sources must be reported regardless of the amount. Some of the common income streams that are overlooked by freelance writers include:

1. Affiliate earnings, i.e. earnings from sales of products or services through affiliate networks.

2. Revenue sharing, i.e. money earned from taking part in a website's development by referring new members, or participation in a freelance group that shares both profits and losses.

Most writers do not earn $600 from revenue sharing or affiliate earnings annually, but the amount earned must still be reported. Freelance writers can save themselves a lot of hassle by starting records on all income streams at the beginning of each year, and tracking earnings by month. This process will ensure that income is accurately reported, and you're not scrambling to track all the information down at the end of the year, which can result in things getting overlooked. Those who receive earnings via PayPal or other online portals can also download earnings reports directly from their account, which makes life a little less hectic come tax time.

The second most important thing for freelancers to keep track of is their work-related expenses. Freelance writers often overlook deductions that they are entitled to take because they don't realize what counts as an allowable expense. For example:

1. Medical insurance: Self-employed persons may deduct the cost of their medical insurance if they are paying for it from their earnings. There may also be limited deductions available for life insurance.

2. Home office expenses: There is a misconception that if you rent your home, you cannot deduct rental costs on your taxes. Here, freelance writers should use the calculations provided by the Internal Revenue Service in Publication 334 to see if this expense applies.

3. Retirement account deposits: Most freelancers can claim their retirement account deposits, provided they fall within the contribution limits set by the Internal Revenue Service.

4. Subscriptions and software: If you have subscriptions to style guides, plagiarism checkers and trade publications that you use in your freelance work, you can claim them as deductions, though you may need to prove these items are necessary. Software/hardware expenses may also be eligible for a deduction.

Freelancers who are in doubt as to which expenses are deductible should review the various publications available on the Internal Revenue Service website, or contact a tax professional. Everyday expenses are often the most overlooked, including Internet access charges, online conference calling expenses, etc. Freelancers should review their expenditures carefully to find these more subtle deductions.

Unfortunately, those who are self-employed may be subjected to more scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service. Numerous reports show that the IRS targets self-employed individuals for audits, due to the higher potential of unreported earnings. Freelancers who track their income and expenses and carefully review their allowable deductions may be able to avoid the unpleasant surprise of an IRS audit, and will certainly be better prepared if one does come their way.

BIO:
Brittany Lyons aspires to be a psychology professor, but decided to take some time off from grad school to help people learn to navigate the academic lifestyle. She currently lives in Spokane, Washington, where she spends her time reading science fiction and walking her dog.

Image: Stock photo

How to Get Off the Writing Treadmill!

Ever feel that despite all your writing efforts, you seem to be going no where?
Like you're running in place.

You spend hours on crafting queries, only to have them go unanswered.
Or you research new markets, but can't seem to find any suitable for the pieces you've created.

Or you're working hard, but your output exceeds your income!
You're exactly the same place you were last month, last year.

It happens to the best of us.
It's like being on a treadmill. And if you don't get off of it soon, you'll likely get frustrated, tired, and throw in the towel.
And you'll have nothing to show for your sweat equity.

As someone who has published professionally for over a decade, in just about every genre you can imagine, I'll share some tips to help you go the distance and better pace yourself for times ahead.

1. Got goals?
In order for you to move forward and stay on a progressive path, you must know where you intend to go. This may seem obvious, but trust me, it isn't. There are numerous writers that write because they "love" to, with no clear vision as to where they see themselves going in the future. Perhaps you're one of them. Productive writing requires planning. Make sure to put your goals in writing for greater odds for success. Studies show that when people actually pen their goals, they are much more likely to achieve them.

2. Quit writing for everybody for free.
You'll burn out much more quickly. And you'll never attain financial growth.
In the infancy of my career, I wrote a lot for nothing. And don't get me wrong, I still write for free now. If it's a valuable cause, or for a good friend, or a start-up that I believe has growth potential. But there's a limit. Over the last few months, I've gotten several requests to become a guest author at some pretty well-established sites, (for free). Unfortunately, I had to decline. As much as I love writing, I need to eat too. :-)

3. Market more.
Let's face it: many creative creatures get caught up in the art of "creating" with very little efforts devoted to selling their work. Getting paid is what makes writing a career and not a hobby. Sure, I know, that sometimes it may make you feel like a used car salesman, but do it anyway.

4. Invest in yourself.
In a tough economy, everybody is trying to get more bang for their buck.
But free ain't always better, folks.
At some point on your path, you'll need to invest in yourself for optimal results.(Meaning you'll need to spend some money).
Other professionals do it all the time. Beauticians go to classes to update their skills and learn new techniques. Whether it's Jherri Curl perms, or weaving procedures.
Teachers take self-development seminars to hone their craft and maintain their certification. Why not you?

To help you move forward, I'm happy to announce my new service---(see here's where I practice what I preach, by marketing to you). :-)

(On a side note---Up until this point, you have never seen Ads of any sorts or affiliate programs that ask for money.)

This month, I have launched JEN'S VIP CLUB. If you like my Blog, you'll love my club. For the price of a Starbucks visit, (7 bucks for the first month, even less for multiple months), you'll receive, Blog Jobs, Marketing Tips, Advice by Email and more! Email for details.

Commitment phobic? Money tight? Sign up for just one month for the 7 bucks, and cancel at anytime. There's no further obligation.
Free gift to the first 12 to sign up! Discover the benefits of being connected... today.

How will you get off the writing treadmill? Or does this apply? Do tell.

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This Little Piggy Goes to Market! (Or how to evaluate a good blog gig)

Last year, when I landed a blog gig that boasted 100 bucks monthly for 300-word posts, I was tickled pink. Easy money I thought to myself.

Not only did this project seem exciting and effortless, scoring it, along with my other “regular” blogging clients, meant I could save time and angst from scouring weekly job boards and networking feverishly for potential leads.

But my joy was short lived. Not long after accepting this job, I realized that not all blogging gigs are created equally. This one took much more time than I had anticipated due to the client’s unreasonable requests. And in retrospect, I lost more than I gained by taking it.

But here’s one valuable thing I did take away: knowing what to look for and what to expect in a blog job will enhance your experience and your bottom line.

Blog listings are increasingly abundant on Craigslist, Freelance Writing Jobs, Blogging Pro, and Pro Blogger.net, to name a few. But what should you look for in “reading the fine print?” What makes for a profitable pursuit?

Gleaned from my blogging career, and some trial and error, here are a few things you need to consider in assessing a blog job offer or Ad:

1. The scope of your responsibility
This may seem like a no-brainer, but trust me, it isn’t. In other words, will you be required to do research? Will you have to make your posts Search Engine Optimized? Provide your own topics? These are things to consider. $50.00 per post may seem like a lot initially, but if the subject matter requires extensive research, tech troubles, and red tape, you’ll end up with very little earnings for your efforts.

2. The amount of expertise required
Some blog jobs call for you to know different content management systems to post your own work (i.e Wordpress, Scrives, Blogger); with others, the blog owner does the actual posting upon approval. Additionally, some projects require you to provide your own photos, to be versed in things like anchor texting and social media. Make sure to be compensated equitably for your skill sets and your time. Just like you would in corporate America.

3. The method of payment
Will it be based upon performance metrics, like per clicks? Readership levels? Readers’ votes? Or perhaps per post? Per word? Be clear on the terms and how you‘ll collect your pay. If it’s vague, steer clear.

4. What’s the standing of the blog and its owner?
Is it a highly ranked site? Is it updated regularly? Popular within its niche? Many ad placements? Any bulletin board complaints? These tell-tale signs will determine how successful it is and the likelihood of future pay. For instance, I blogged for one client for a couple of weeks who decided to “close shop” because things were not materializing the way he had expected. If I had done my homework, I might have known of his struggles to stay afloat and irregular postings, and devoted my energies elsewhere. As they say, “time is money.”

5. Interaction with audience
Creating blog posts can also carry with it the pleasant but time consuming task of responding to readers and answering related questions. Will you be allowed to make a general statement of “thanks”, bypass commenting, or are you expected to address each one individually? Depending upon your time constraints and personal blogging style, this may or may not be a concern.

Like with any job, the proper “fit” is important for longevity, success, and career satisfaction. So keep these tips in mind to make the most of your blogging experience, and to make the most money for your efforts.

Comments or questions?

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