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FREED TO SUCCEED AT HIGH SPEED

By Robert Anthony

Reader and Writer, Donna Westler, recently emailed:

"I was impressed with and encouraged by your article "The World is Going Digital." How does one find these businesses with which to "do business"? I'm referring to the testimony by Kristen Keets. How could I find these websites and know how much to charge?
"--Do you have any suggestions how I can break into this exciting online business world and work from my home? What is the first step? Have you heard of the book: "The Well-Fed Writer" by Peter Bowerman? Would this be a good book to help me get started? Is your book about job surfing for freelancers out yet?
"I know there is work in Cyberspace; I'm just not certain how to bring it into my computer, and I'm feeling a little desperate and discouraged. If you could be of any help, I'd appreciate it so much."

Don't be discouraged, Donna. You're on the right track for future success. Ninety percent of all companies seeking writing work in 2002 will use online methods for finding their writers and collecting their work because of its low cost. Ninety-eight percent of all publishers and contractors will have their project postings on the Web by the end of 2002. Many of the World's largest recruitment websites offer contractors and publishers the option of freely posting contract and project needs to their online audiences. By posting project petitions selectively, companies can more effectively target the freelance market to which they hope to appeal. By eliminating the paper costs of traditional newspaper advertisements, reducing the necessity to manage the receipt of hard copy resumes, and limiting interviews to an online agenda companies can save a grip in recruitment expenses. Using channels such as the World Wide Web, Usenets, and Newsgroups, publishers and needy contractors can post their freelance contract opportunity immediately with minimal turnaround time. Writing projects can be posted live online, ready to view where millions of potential candidates can instantly reply via e-mail. There are thousands of websites constructed by industry associations, for example, which offer job-posting capabilities within specialized fields for an extremely efficient approach to recruiting candidates for writing jobs and projects. Your possibilities as a virtual contract writer or "e-lancer" are limited only by the kind of professional work you can perform.

Discover the benefits

Working e-lance is an arrangement that creates a winning situation for you, your contractor or publisher, and society as a whole.

Contracting firms or companies benefit from the value of increased productivity. Their independent workers are also free of the non-essential responsibilities that must be performed by traditional wage slaves, such as staff meetings, office parties, and unscheduled work interruptions. E-lance workers do not require office space, another significant savings to the corporate client, who will find it necessary to provide an average of 120 square feet of space to traditional payroll employees. There are potential tax savings, reduced benefit costs, and greater flexibility in the use of facilities and resources to be considered. Finally, for the contracting company, there is the impact of improved performance and accuracy in job completion on the firm's bottom line.

As an e-lance writer, you also benefit. Alleviating the cost of commuting provides immediate savings in both time and out of pocket expenses. Flexibility in job schedules can reduce your costs for daycare and other domestic expenses that would be otherwise required in a traditional work or business environment. Savings in meals, mortgage, and wardrobe expenses can be considerable. (Okay so I really do work in my pajamas and warm-ups, but who's going to know from behind the unseen screen of my computer monitor?)

There are also the larger benefits to society that should be kept in mind, too. Fewer vehicles over the road saves precious fossil fuel resources and preserves a clean environment. The digital freelance population helps reduce demand for parking (less frustration for everyone), reduce the need for highway maintenance (fewer taxes for everyone), and diminishes the negative effects of gaggles of people jammed inside urban areas (diminished road rage from everyone).

Sold yet? Give me 10 acres and a modem. That's the life for me! (Sung to the tune of Green Acres is the Life for Me!)

Ready… set... go digital

It doesn't require a lot of resource or extravagant equipment to find writing work online. A PC with a modem, the proper software, and an Internet connection are all you need. The secret is (and you have already hit upon it, Donna) how and where to 'find' the work. It's not the way most writers believe. Finding online work is essentially no different than searching for traditional work. Simply putting your resume online or upon your own website isn't going to perform the magic trick, you still have to reach out and seize the work. There's no easy way to success, and working online is not a panacea for getting rich on writing. It takes discipline, commitment, iron-willed nerves, and some occasional financial gymnastics to be a successful writer, whether its online or through traditional means.

My best advice, Donna, is to take a traditional approach to finding work using technology to your advantage. As your secret weapon so to speak. Send inquiries to selected publishers to whom you can deliver specialized writing work. I send quiries to woodworking website publishers--retailers, distributors, and magazines--because I love woodworking and have oodles of woodworking experience. The fact that I have professional marketing and PR experience, can write and design good Web content, and happen to be an avid woodworker hits hot buttons for online publishers who market woodworking products. (See an example at www.rockler.com/logon.stand.) Aside this advice, study everything you can find about writing for the Web. Use any major search engine with the key words "writing for the web" and you'll find gigs of good stuff. Unfortunately, you'll find gigabytes of wrong information, too. Stick with material from established experts such as the Poynter Institute (www.poynter.com) and the Alertbox Series by Jakob Nielson (www.alertbox.com) or OCD Technologies (www.ocdt.net). Give it some time and before you know it you will also be writing for and over the Internet, freed to succeed at high speed.

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Robert Anthony is Editor of Michigan Parks and Recreation Magazine and author of the book Job Surfing: Freelancing Using the Internet to Find a Job and Get Hired released by Random House in March 2002. He is always available online at editor@profilesonline.com.

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Robert Anthony is Editor of Michigan Parks and Recreation Magazine and author of the book Job Surfing: Freelancing Using the Internet to Find a Job and Get Hired released by Random House in March 2002. He is always available online at editor@profilesonline.com.