We’re starting off a new set of author interviews for 2012 with Wade Shepard.

Enjoy this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been writing?

I’m originally from the USA, but have been traveling perpetually around the world for the past 12 years. I wrote all through my life — books, songs, and, even tried my hand at being a poet, but ended up just embarrassing myself on all fronts. None of this was very serious until I began traveling at age 18. It was then that I began writing with more dedication, though most of it was not meant for publication. In university — I went to Global College, Long Island University, an international school — I began publishing articles in the travel sections of various newspapers and magazines. Around this time (2004), I also began independently blogging, which was intended to just be a writing exercise. This was were I’d publish articles that I failed to land in other publications, or random notes, thoughts, and stories that would not fit the format of the mainstream press. I did not see it coming at that time, but the more I blogged independently the more I grew to love it. Blogging/ running my own website soon turned into a passion in and of itself, and I found that I enjoyed it far more than writing for other publications and dealing with editors and the who “professional” side of the game.

It was around this time that I strove to break away and find ways to make a living writing for myself and running my own website. I then started www.VagabondJourney.com, and began taking the project seriously. I think I worked 60+ hour weeks writing for this site for at least three years before I really even made any money off it. Though slowly, very slowly, my earnings eventually began to rise. I must admit that it was an arduous road, and not one that I would really recommend, but since 2009 I have been able to fund my travels from my own website without needing to write for other publications or work other jobs. I suppose my dream was not just to make a living writing, but to make a living writing for myself. I still struggle, but each day brings me a little deeper into this dream.

What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

Probably, Harry Franck’s A Vagabond Journey Around the World.

Book you’re currently reading?

I’m currently reading Francis Tapon’s The Hidden Europe.

Where can we learn more about you?

You can learn more about me on my website, www.Vagabondjourney.com, or just do an internet search for my name. I can also be contacted on Twitter at @vagabondjourney, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vagabond-Journey-Travel/157907090926886, and on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/101218702322608229735/posts.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Making a living as a writer is a pretty arduous path to walk. Expect lots of failure, thousands of hours of working for nothing, and facing the fact daily that you could be making far more money and working far less at pretty much any other profession. Treat writing as a art, as something you would do whether you made money at it or not, put you’re entire heart into it, devote your life to your goal, believe in yourself beyond the point of delusion, convince yourself beyond all doubt that you will be successful, and then find a way to make a living off the written word. If you keep going, you will more than likely get to where you want to be.

What are “clips”? Do you need them? Recently I gave a talk for a group of aspiring writers, and I got several questions about “clips.” Clips are past writing assignments, either in print or online, that are similar to the job advertised. The term “clip” comes from the old days when everything was in print, and you had to clip out the article and keep it in a folder or copy it and give it to a potential client. Clips are one way to showcase previous work experience so your client can decide if you’ll be the right person for their particular project.

But what if you don’t have any clips? In other words, what if you’re a brand new writer, or you’ve never written in the area that you are applying?

Here are some ways new and unpublished writers can still show a potential client he has the experience necessary to do the job.

Freelance Writers Job Strategy: Write a Sample Article

When an employer asks for clips, it’s because they want to see if a freelancer can write in a particular style or subject matter. So if a new writer doesn’t have an existing article to showcase, he should create one from scratch. Doing a bit of research on the client and what type of writing they generally publish will help in this area.

Writers should polish the sample piece with the intent that it may help them land the job. They should also be honest with a client and let them know that the clip is a sample (and thus unpublished) but stress that they understand the quality of writing needed to do the job. Most employers will appreciate a new writer making this extra effort.

Write Blog Articles That Show Level of Expertise

Another option is to let your blog speak for you. Writers today have an advantage over those who started years ago, in that they can publish their work online, publicize it, and gain readers even before they get paid as a freelancer.

To make your blog work for you, make sure it really shows off the type of work and expertise you specialize in (or want to specialize in). This will come in handy when you see a job you’d like to apply for. If there is a particular blog post you think will showcase your work, include it as part of your writing resume. This will give a client a sense that you understand the area that you are applying for.

Another way to get your blog to work for you is to showcase your readership. If you can show a client that you have the traffic numbers and reader comments for your own blogs, the perception is that you’ll be able to do that for their site as well.

Writing Work for Nonprofits and Volunteer Organizations

Just because a writer has yet to be paid doesn’t mean he lacks the right experience. Any previous volunteer or unpaid writing can be used as sample clips. Offering writing services for free is a great way to build rapport and a future relationship that can turn into a paying client one day.

Freelance Writing Guest Posts

Writing guest posts are a good way to get back links for a blog or website, gain experience, and showcase writing skills. Doing a guest post may even help land a job for a similar website or organization. The great thing about writing opportunities is that you never know where they can come from.

Each assignment and article builds on the next, and it all starts with a few articles.

More on Freelance Writing Jobs:

• Where to Find the Real Freelance Writing Jobs
• The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (The Renegade Writer’s Freelance Writing series)
• How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs: 7 Ways to Market for Work Most Freelancers Have Never Heard Of

What are some of the ways you built your writing portfolio as a new writer?

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Every Sunday I post the Artsy Blogging Links for the week, which include posts from the craftiest people I know. I learn a lot from these talented ladies, and I wanted to introduce you to some of them. The first one you’ll meet? Eileen Bergen.

Enjoy this interview.

What made you decide to start your blog? When did you begin?

Two things made me start:

1. Economic necessity;
2. My husband had the idea. After four years of making and selling my crafts in craft fairs, expos, galleries, and my own little shop, he said, why don’t we start a website. “You could work from home and I could do the techie stuff.” Needless to say, I jumped at the offer. Anyone’s who has done it knows how exhausting schlepping your crafts to fairs and expos is.

We launched The Artful Crafter website August 2004 and the blog July 2006.

Where do you come up with your crafting ideas?

The website started with articles on crafting for profit based on my business experience.

As for the craft projects, I started with all of the things I had been making for customers. I still accept custom orders, and they continue to generate new content.

The biggest driver of new content soon became reader questions. That is so cool, because in the beginning, we chose a motto: The Artful Crafter – Helping Crafters to Be.

Finally, I continue to have inspirations of my own. Now that I’m so involved in the blogosphere, I see a lot of amazing ideas and products that get me going in new directions. It’s really a nice mix.

Please share a favorite (or more!) blog post link.

My favorite story is: “Eileen, It’s a Sign”.

My favorite craft project – boy that’s tough to pick – is How to Make a Secret Box Book. [By the way, my son's name is NOT Sal Popijinisky!]

I’m also very fond of this scrapbook layout I did for my great-niece, Maire: Remember to Smell the Flowers.

My biggest all-time seller (both the item itself and the original pattern) is Panadieres – Fabric Bread Baskets à la Francaise.

Let’s switch gears to books. Do you enjoy reading? What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

Reading is very slow-going for me, since I have dyslexia. So, sorry to say, I don’t read a lot for pleasure.

The most interesting book I’ve ever read is actually a trilogy, C. S. Lewis’ space trilogy (which I read in high school and have re-read twice): Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength .

Where can we learn more about you?

Do you really want to know more? lol.

You can read the About Us page on The Artful Crafter website which tells about my previous careers.

To see where I go from here, sign up to follow The Artful Crafter Blog. We also have a free monthly crafting newsletter which you can subscribe to .

Anything else you’d like to add?

Just how incredibly blessed I feel to have happened upon this career path at an age when most people are thinking of retirement. I love what I’m doing and never want to retire! How ironic that this crafting journey began with us teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Not only has it brought us to financial solvency; but also to a place of joy.

Finally, Cherie, I want to thank you for sharing my story.

Guest post by Eliza Morgan

If you are just starting out on the long, exciting, unpredictable journey of freelancing, chances are you’ve started out small. Most people who begin freelancing do so as a side project in addition to full-time employment before eventually freelancing full-time. As your freelancing business grows, it is important that your business sense grows along with it. One way to establish yourself more professionally is to open a business bank account. Here are a few benefits and things to consider before opening a second account.

1.      Opening a business bank account will help more easily track your finances.

In order to run an effective business, even if your freelancing activities don’t really feel like a business per se, it is important to keep your personal and professional finances separate. The only way to make a consistent profit through your freelancing business is to be able to easily access how much money is going in and going out. What’s more, keeping a separate business account helps to you to control your personal spending, since you can deposit discrete amounts into your personal account from your business account.

2.      Having a business bank account will ease the confusion come tax payment time.

This is perhaps the single best benefit of opening a business bank account. Whether you have your own business accountant or you file your taxes yourself, having a business account will enable you to see all your expenses immediately and file your tax forms accordingly. If you have an accountant, having a business account will save you substantially since accountants will often charge you more to sift through your personal account for business statements.

Beyond more practical matters, having a business account will send a clear professional message to your clients. When they communicate and make transactions with a separate business entity, they will be more likely to conduct business with you again and make word-of-mouth recommendations, which is essential for growing your business.

4.      It’s important to research different business accounts before opening one.

Once you’ve decided that opening a business account is the right thing for you, be sure to research your options. Some business accounts have monthly fees, others are completely free, while still others have other requirements in their contracts that you may not be completely aware of until you read the fine print. For more information on picking a business account is best for you and your needs, check this out All Freelance Writing article.

While opening a business bank account may sound like a big and complicated step, it eventually becomes a necessity. If your freelance operation is still very small-scale, opening a second personal bank account may be all that is necessary. Above all, be sure to look at all your options and educate yourself. Good luck!

This is a guest post by Eliza Morgan who is a full time blogger.  She specializes in writing about business credit cards. You can reach her at: elizamorgan856 at gmail dot com.

More freelance writing resources:

• The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less
• Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments
• Getting Started as a Freelance Writer (Culture Tools)

Image: ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you catch our Thanksgiving post where writers talked about why they were thankful to be writing? Well I thought it would be fun to talk about what your resolutions are with regard to writing.

I’ll be posting this on New Year’s Day, so if you’d like to share yours, please contact me with:

• Your Name
• Website or Blog Address
• Short Blurb (under 150 words) about your writing resolution. What will you change? What are your goals?

The resolutions/goals could be related to your daily writing routine, your freelance business, goals for publication, making money as a blogger, or more. Share with us what you hope to accomplish this year!

Please send these to me by December 18th. I’m taking some time off and won’t be able to post yours if you send it later than that date.

Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Before you accept a new freelance writing client, you should find out how they like to be billed. Many of mine require an invoice. Invoices are a good thing for them and you, so here’s how to set one up.

Ask for Payment Terms at the Start of a Project

In my early days as a freelancer, I made the mistake of thinking that a client would just pay me when the job was done. I quickly learned that they need a reminder in the form of an invoice. An invoice has a lot of benefits, including helping to remind the client exactly what you did on a project and when they should pay you. Invoices also help you keep track of who paid you. Another benefit to invoices is that they help you get a firm grasp on what the payment terms on a project are up front.

How to Invoice Clients

Creating an invoice is not difficult and does not need to be fancy. Microsoft Word users can create an invoice by hitting “New” to create a new document, and “Invoice” to pull up a selection of pre-made blank invoices. By following the steps, a writer can create a professional looking invoice in a matter of minutes.

Include the key details of the project in order to be paid without hassle or delay. Include:

• Name of Article. This will distinguish it from other works the writer has going on with the same client.
• Name of Writer. This should be clearly marked at the top of the invoice.
• “Make check payable to.” This language is especially important if the writer goes by a pen name.
• Date of Assignment. If the writer is paid “upon acceptance” this date will be important.
• Publication Date. This is used if the writer is paid after the article is published. For example, “30 days after acceptance.”
• Amount. The writer should always state the agreed upon amount on the invoice.
• Due Date. A common due date is “30 days after date of invoice.” Writers may also wish to include late payment language to avoid hassle: “Ten percent late charge for every ten days past the payment due date.”

Not all publications or clients will tell a writer about the invoice or payment terms upfront. It’s up to you to ask, and just another part of running a writing business.

More on invoicing and small business financials:

• QuickBooks 2011 For Dummies
• The Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide
• Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Consultants

Image: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I hope you enjoyed our posts this week about rates, payment, and your freelance business:

• What Freelance Writers Can Learn From Netflix
• Lessons from Plumbers: How to Set Freelance Writing Rates
• How to Raise Your Rates
• Finding Freelance Writing Work

Here are a few more posts you might find of interest:

• When Pay is Negotiable
• Types of Payment
• What If You Get Paid On Page Views Alone?
• How Much Should You Charge for Blog Posts?
• Copywriting Fees – How to Set Them
• How Much Are Writers Really Earning?
• Boost Your Revenues By Turning People Away
• Freelance Writing Jobs – 3 Services Writers Can Offer Clients to Make More Money

Image: worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We’ve been talking about rates this week for National Global Entrepreneurship Week. Our previous discussions included: Lessons from Plumbers: How to Set Freelance Writing Rates, How to Raise Your Rates, and How to Find Freelance Work. Today, we’ll focus on what freelancers can learn from the way Netflix raised rates recently.

This brings up a good point, which is that as a freelancer you can learn about your business from a variety of sources, especially other business. Here’s a few points I’ve learned from Netflix.

What Freelance Writers Can Learn From Netflix

Netflix recently lost 800,000 U.S. subscribers in their third quarter, and has predicted even more to come. This comes from a combination of a rate increase and a change in services. There are a lot of great business lessons here for freelancers, so let’s take a closer look at how we can learn from this to improve our writing businesses.

Unreasonable Rate Increases

Netflix didn’t just raise rates a little, they raised them a lot. Enough to make the average subscriber take pause and even cancel their membership. A small increase probably wouldn’t have had this kind of reaction. People expect your prices to go up eventually, but when you blindside them with a huge increase, you had better back it up with something really special.

Another mistake here was raising rates and then giving the reason for the increase as problems that the client wouldn’t care about. They were having issues with certain contracts and in replacing DVDs. Well that’s fine and good but does the average subscriber care about this? Not enough to pay a drastically increased rate.

As freelancers, you should raise rates from time to time. But make sure your increase is reasonable and that you justify the increase properly. Don’t tell a client that you “need to make more money” or that you have to pay for your son’s braces, or your husband’s golf trip. Make sure the justification is one related to business and something the client would understand.

Too Many Changes

It was interesting to me to see Netflix implement a rate change, change in service, and then change in the way it did business, all at the same time. What’s that old adage about change? That no one likes it! Now, we all have to deal with change from time to time, but the way you implement it with clients makes a big difference in how it is perceived. Netflix made too many changes at once.

Now think about how something similar might affect your freelance business. If you need to change the hours you’ll be available, raise your rates, or change the lead time on projects, make sure you’re doing it slowly, with enough time in between so your clients can get used to it. Too many changes at once and your client may bolt.

May Sure You’re Still Offering the Best Quality Product Around

Netflix must have thought that clients were happy with their product, and as a result would stay with them even if they raised rates or changed service. In reality, many people I talked to said they were unhappy with the quality of disks that arrived or the wait times for some of the movies. So perhaps the few I talked with were indicative of the average customer, because when the changes hit they dropped the service.

If you are going to make a change of any kind, make sure you offer such an outstanding product that your client won’t want to lose you. For freelancers this could mean:

• Fast turnaround
• Pleasant demeanor
• Understanding of their product or company
• Proactive communication
• Unique industry knowledge

and on and on.

Are You Really the Only Game in Town?

While no other company can really compete with Netflix head on, there are several that can compete with bits and pieces. Amazon Prime, Hulu, On Demand, and RedBox were mentioned by people who considered leaving Netflix. While these services can’t really compete one on one, if a client changes their viewing habits, another service may be able to meet their needs. Let’s say they decide to only rent movies occasionally, or only look up a TV show episode once in a while.

This means that while no other company was exactly the same as Netflix, there were alternatives if a subscriber wanted to change their viewing preferences. Your freelance writing clients might just do the same thing. While you might be a great “one stop shop” for them, if you make too many changes at once (or raise rates too high), the client may decide to farm out pieces of their work to someone else and just leave the other parts go. Believe in your product and the unique brand of professionalism that you bring to the table as a freelance writer, but never assume you’re the only writer around.

More on freelance writing:

• Getting Started as a Freelance Writer (Culture Tools)
• The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing: A Professional Guide to the Business, for Nonfiction Writers of All Experience Levels
• My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire

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We’re continuing our discussion about freelance writing rates today in honor of National Global Entrepreneurship Week. Today’s today: what we as writers can learn about rates from plumbers.

Lessons from Plumbers: How to Set Freelance Writing Rates

Recently our garbage disposal went on the fritz, so we picked one up from the local home store. To install it though, we hired a plumber. As he came and did his job, I couldn’t help but to notice that there were a few things freelance writers could learn from plumbers when it comes to rates and running a business.

An Emergency on Your Part Doesn’t Mean an Emergency on Our Part

Just because your faucet is leaking all over the floor doesn’t mean it’s the plumber’s problem! They might come running right away, but they will charge you appropriately. If you need a plumber during off hours or a rush job, you’ll pay more.

Compare this to what freelance writers do. I know that in the past I’ve done a rush job for someone and didn’t charge extra. I thought at the time that I was getting a new client, but in many cases that client used me for one rush (and usually, difficult) job and then never called me again. I should have at least asked to be compensated for: a quick turnaround, doing work on weekends, or coming in to fix something another writer did.

Peace of Mind in a Job Done Right

One reason we decided to hire a plumber to install our disposal is that we have an older house and weren’t sure we could install it properly. We called a plumber because we knew that if he did it wrong, he would come back out and fix it. We got a guarantee and peace of mind from him.

Compare this to freelance writers. So often businesses think “anyone can write” and assign various writing tasks to project managers, assistants, and marketing people. But are these people the best for the job? Will someone have to go back in and update the work they did? Freelancers need to do a better job about guaranteeing their work. Give them peace of mind that when they hire us, we’ll come back and fix things if it isn’t done right and they won’t need to worry.

No Apologies for Rates

Our plumber was here a total of 12 minutes (yes, I did time him), and he charged $95. The time included a trip charge and his time. Despite that this was an easy job for him, he maintained made sure his time was compensated and didn’t apologize out the cost.

Compare this to freelance writers, who are sometimes afraid to give a quote for fear that it will be too high. Have you even given your rate and felt the need to apologize or explain? Why should you have to do that? Your rate is your rate. No apologies.

Trip Charge

Let’s talk about that trip charge. Plumbers tack on a cost just for the plumber to get in his truck and come out to take a look at your plumbing issue. If he doesn’t do anything else, he still gets paid to come out and visit you.

Compare that to freelancers, who often spent time meeting with clients outside the office. You might drive a long way, or spend a great deal of time away from your writing talking about a project, but will you ask to be compensated for this?

One reason I started doing so much online writing is that I didn’t like client meetings. Some clients couldn’t get used to a writer working from home and as a result needed to “see” my progress. Rather than assure them that my time was better spend working on their project than driving in to “show” them what I was working on, I continued to drive in to their office, spend money on gas, and waste time in meetings that I didn’t need to be in. If I had charged a trip fee to them, this might have been different. At the very least, more of my time would have been compensated.

More on freelance writing:

• The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less
• The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (The Renegade Writer’s Freelance Writing series)
• 102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less: The Ultimate Freelancer’s Guide

Image: cbenjasuwan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s National Global Entrepreneurship Week (which is really difficult to say, by the way), and we’re continuing a series on the indie spirit of authors, and how to start up and maintain a successful writing business. Yesterday, we talked about finding freelance work, and today we’ll talk about something that is often really hard for freelancers: raising rates. If you work with clients for a long time, chances are you’ll have to eventually raise your rates.

How to Raise Your Rates

If you keep clients long enough, eventually you will have to raise your rates with them. This is never easy but it also isn’t hard. It just needs to be done right to avoid losing your client. Here’s what to do.

Is Your Client Already Paying You Fairly?

Before you raise rates, take a good hard look at the work to determine if your client is really paying you fairly. If you need to raise rates because you don’t have enough other work, that’s not a good enough reason. If your client pays you what you should be paid, then a rate discussion isn’t important.

This brings up a good point about determining your ideal rate. You need to have an understanding about what your ideal rate per hour is. This will help you when taking on new work and figuring out when it’s time to boost your rate. Your ideal rate should cover your time, insurance costs, taxes, and expenses.

Justify the Rate Increase

Don’t apologize for raising rates, but know that you will have to justify the rate increase with the client. You can’t just say “I’m charging more” without a good reason, or your client may leave. Instead, give consideration to how much you need to make and what kind of increase is reasonable. When determining rate, look at:

• How much time it takes you to write a post (letter, press release, or whatever piece you generally work on)
• If you need to do research, determine the time it takes you to find sources and gather information
• If you need pictures, factor in costs for you to buy pictures, find the right ones, credit them, etc.
• If you need to promote your writing, factor in costs for social networking and marketing.
• Factor in your costs for taxes and insurance.

If you do all this and come to the conclusion that your client is not paying you correctly, you now know what the new rates should be.

Approach Your Client

Before you approach your client about the rate increase, practice justifying it out loud a few times. I’ve found that the best way to do this is either on the phone or in person. Of course, a lot of this depends on your client. If you have one that prefers only email or text communication, you’ll have to do it that way.

Arm yourself with the knowledge of what the rate is now, why you’re raising it, and what it will be going forward. When you decide to raise rates you aren’t asking a client’s permission to do it, so be prepared if they balk or say no. No one wants to volunteer to have their rates raised, so it’s natural to get some pushback. Allow the client some time to “sit” with this information, but don’t back down or apologize.

When you make the decision to raise rates, you are doing it because you want to keep the client and your costs need to justify doing that. Don’t sound timid or embarrassed about having to raise your rates. If you need to do it, do! It’s for your business.

More on setting freelance rates:

• How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates for Online Writing Jobs: A Definitive Guide to Setting [and Getting] the Rates You Deserve
• 2011 Writer’s Market
• How to Succeed as an Independent Consultant

Image: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net