All Freelance Work is a Community for Freelance Workers Including Free Portfolios, Job Search, Job Posting, Helpful Articles, Forums, & More for the Self Employed.
Did You Get a Rejection Letter or Lose a Potential Customer's Projects? Put a Spin on Small Business Rejections
by Jennifer Hollowell
We’ve
all experienced it, receiving the dreaded rejection letter.
Writers don’t like them, but in this field it is as
inevitable as a breakfast cook receiving an order for pancakes.
You put
all your creative energy, time and effort into crafting the
words just right. You spend hours formatting, proofreading
and researching. When you feel the work has met the guidelines
specified, all the errors are checked and you’re confident
this piece will meet an acceptance you submit it to the respective
editor. Then, after waiting what feels like an eternity, the
white envelope finally lands in your mailbox sporting the
address information you carefully inserted on your SASE. Upon
opening it, the first words you see are, “We’re
sorry, but we’re unable to use your material at this
time . . .”
Yes, after
all that, it is a rejection letter.
The first
time I heard the phrase, “the art of rejection,”
I thought the person uttering those words wasn’t thinking
clearly. How could something as depressing as rejection have
anything to do with art? Art is something of beauty, something
of creativity, something that is enjoyed by the masses. How
does rejection fit into that category?
Then I
thought about it for moment. Yes, it is possible to put a
spin on rejection and turn it into an art form. Why does rejection
have to be a negative thing? Why not turn something that makes
us feel down and turn it into something useful and positive?
About
three years ago, I was given a challenge by a colleague of
mine. She had started collecting rejection slips, but didn’t
know what to do with them after receiving so many from all
over the world. She thought about calling it a “fish
tank project” and putting all the slips on display in
there. No matter how much she tossed this idea in her mind,
she couldn’t make it come to fruition. So, she passed
it on to me. The idea intrigued me. I thought, if I could
get enough rejections, I could display them in art museums
(or anywhere else willing to display this) far and wide. And
so dawned the day of “The Writer’s Block Project.”
I decided
to call it The Writer’s Block Project because my goal
is to fill Plexiglas or acrylic cubes with rejection slips.
Some will be on display in a manner which they can be read,
while others will be amassed in a huge pile. This project
has come to be very near and dear to me as I discover just
how many other writers out there can relate to this inevitability.
Since the beginning, the project has transformed in many different
ways. What started out to be a small “fish tank project”
has grown into something that can be appreciated by more than
a few individuals.
Would
you like the opportunity to participate in this experience
and donate your rejection slips? Find out more about this
project by visiting http://www.geocities.com/poemwriter1 Not
only does this project help writers feel more positive about
what they’re experiencing, but it also helps them surge
on in a continuing effort to keep writing and submitting their
works.
I think
what has been most interesting about this project to date
is how many “form letters” go out to writers in
response to their work. Gone are the days of taking the time
to address each individual writer and point out specific reasons
why their work didn’t make the grade. Gone are the days
of red-pen editing and returning work to these prospective
writers. Why? There simply isn’t enough time! The amount
of submissions the average editor receives for review is much
greater than the days of our parents, grandparents and great
grandparents. Isn’t it interesting how much things change,
even in the world of the freelance writer?
_________________________________________________ Jennifer Hollowell has been in the writing
and publishing business for a decade bringing forth 100’s
of nonfiction articles covering a wide variety of subjects.
In addition, Jennifer has made it her goal to provide authors,
both traditional press and self-published, the services and
resources necessary to achieve their goals in a realistic
manner. For more information, please visit http://www.jmhcreativesolutions.com
HOW TO SET YOUR FREELANCE RATES - A GUIDE FOR FREELANCERS & CONSULTANTSThere are many factors which business owners must consider on a daily basis as it relates to the running of their business. Things such as how to find good help, where to acquire supplies and how much to pay one’s employees are all pertinent matters which must be addressed. There are a few ways to go about figuring out your rates when it comes to how much to charge the customers.
BUSINESS PLANS: Business Plan Examples, Samples, Templates, Software and ToolsIn any type of the business including those people that perform freelance work, the proper tools are necessary to become a success. The following links consist of selected online tools for the freelancer to develop an effective business plan.
FREELANCING AND FINDING WORK AT HOME JOBSThe difficulty lies not in the fact that there aren’t plenty of work at home jobs available but rather in the fact that genuine, quality, money-earning work at home jobs are all mixed up with work at home scams. This makes finding a work at home job that’s legitimate a not-so-easy task for people who are just breaking in to the freelancing business. But don’t worry; once you learn the lingo and know the basics, finding a work at home job gets a lot easier!
Business plans are necessary in all types of businesses … and this also includes freelancers. Writing an effective business plan will help you plan out the success of your future business. Factors such as customer base, profit potential, as well as many other factors will be placed in this document. The business plan will help you, the freelancer, think through every aspect of your future successful business. We found the following business plan articles to be very helpful and we hope that you will find them to be useful too.
HOW FREELANCER WRITERS CAN DEFEAT WRITER'S BLOCKHelpful hints and tips to overcome the dreaded White Page Syndrome - There is probably nothing more dreadful and problematic for a writer than not being able to get going, being stuck on a menacingly white page. Read on for more ideas on how freelance writers can overcome Writer's Block.
WAYS TO GET MORE CUSTOMER REFERRALS FOR YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESSThe amount of customer referrals will often determine how successful one’s freelance business can really be. As word spreads quickly, having customers refer others to you and your services is a wonderful way of gaining new freelance business and making more money. There are a few distinct ways to get more client referrals for your business.
FREELANCE HOME OFFICE DISTRACTIONS VS DISTRACTIONS WHEN WORKING IN AN OFFICEOf course, distractions are different depending on whether you are freelancing from home or working in an office. Both kinds have their pros and cons so let’s take a look at some of the basic ones so that you can start getting a grasp on good vs. bad distraction behaviors for freelancers.
WORKING FULL TIME WHILE RUNNING YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESSThe key to being able to make the transition to full time freelancing is in setting goals that allow you to focus on moving away from working full time for someone else and towards putting more hours in to your freelance business.
60+ UNIQUE LOCAL & OFFLINE MARKETING IDEAS FOR YOUR CONSULTING BUSINESS Although online promotion is important for your freelance business, it’s crucial to remember to go back to your basics and do offline promoting as well locally, nationwide, and worldwide depending on who you are marketing to. Here are over 60 ideas to market your consulting services locally. Let Freelance work find you.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE GOOGLING INFORMATION ON YOUThis can be an issue for freelancers whose customers google them and try to find out information relating to them and their business. The following is a list of what to do when your customers are googling information on you.
26 THINGS TO DO WHEN BUSINESS IS SLOW AND IN DOWNTIME MODESome freelancers are anxious to work day in and day out which may present a problem for them when business is slow. However, there are many things which freelancers can do to bide their time while waiting for new freelance work to come in. Here are 26 ideas for staying productive during your consulting business downtime.
ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS FOR FREELANCERS & THE SELF EMPLOYEDThere is a casual attitude about communication that takes place online and that creates an environment in which customers sometimes don’t take your work seriously, leading to problems with projects and payments. In order to avoid those problems, you need to make sure that you are conducting all of your online work in as professional a manner as possible. Here are some tips on how to do that.
TOP 150 PLACES TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR FAMILY WHEN YOU STILL NEED TO GET WORK DONEWhen you are self-employed, there is no vacation time to save up, and there is no one to cover for you when you’re away. For many that mean giving up on vacations altogether, and this is what I have been doing for awhile. Most of These All-Inclusive Family Resorts Have Kids Clubs in Which Your Child can enjoy supervised and fun activities while you and your spouse can have fun or get freelance work done. Take a look below and enjoy!
DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO FREELANCE OFFSITE OR ONSITE Deciding to work onsite or offsite sounds like a relatively simple decision, but it’s actually one which isn’t easy to make. Sure, when you’re lying in bed just after the alarm has gone off and you see that it’s raining outside and all you wish was that you could go back to bed for ten minutes and then do your freelance work from home, working offsite sounds ideal. But there are as many cons to the offsite work job as there are pros and you need to weigh them carefully when making the decision about whether to work onsite or offsite.
IS FREELANCING RIGHT FOR YOU? Freelancing, a term introduced by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), is when you work without being committed to an employer. With development of internet and communication technology, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people going their own way and leaving behind the cubicles. You are reading this book, so you must be contemplating becoming a freelancer, but before you make your move there are a few things to consider.
FREELANCER'S GUIDE TO TIME MANAGEMENT The most common problem that freelancers face is figuring out the balance between work and the rest of life. While there are a few freelancers out there who don’t work as much as they need to in order to pay their bills and improve their business, most freelancers have the opposite problem – they work ALL the time. And that’s why there are a great number of freelancers who “burn out” after a short (or if they’re lucky, a long) time. In order to make sure that you aren’t one of those people who “used to freelance but got burned out”, you need to set limits on how much you work. Then you need to stick to those limits.
SHOULD I TURN DOWN FREELANCE PROJECTS? As freelancers, we often feel as if we have to say ‘Yes’ to every single job out there. However, we as freelancers are in a position where we can choose to say ‘No’ if we want to. Believe it or not, there are certain projects that you probably shouldn’t accept. Turning down work is probably the hardest decision you will need to make when running your business, but sometimes turning down a gig is necessary. In this article I will explain to you the details that you need to consider when you aren’t sure which route to take. Consider the following:
COOL IDEAS FOR YOUR BUSINESS CARDS As freelancers, we need to promote ourselves with business cards. How about putting yourself ahead of the rest of them by designing and printing completely unique business cards? You are about to take a look at the coolest and most innovative business cards that you have ever seen.
LIST OF FREELANCE FORUMS & MESSAGE BOARDS Looking to get together with other freelancers? Want to network? Want to ask questions about freelancing that you can’t find the answer to anywhere else? Look no further than the freelance forums that we have listed below. Feel free to let us know about forums that we have missed.
The followup to Brendan Sinclairs successful Web Design Business kit is a comprehensive look at all the business aspects of working as a web designer. It's thorough and has some excellent advice in it.
A complete, secure, online billing application that maintains hourly service billing, flat fee billing and recurring charges. Integration with Authorize.Net and other leading payment gateways provides hands-free recurring billing with a sophisticated CRM system.
Browse through our extensive list of free Business, Computer, Engineering and Trade magazines, white papers, downloads and podcasts to find the titles that best match your skills and interests; topics include management, marketing, operations, sales, and technology. Simply complete the application form and submit it. All are absolutely free to freelance professionals who qualify.
All Freelance Work is a Community for Freelance Workers Including Free Portfolios, Job Search, Job Posting, Helpful Articles, Forums, & More for the Self Employed.
