Without the right spoon

At some point, you just end up breaking down and buying the damn grapefruit spoon. Photo credit Freelancing is a lot like eating a grapefruit without the proper spoon sometimes. It can be frustrating, barely rewarding, and energy consuming. Sometimes, it feels like you spend more energy trying to dig out just a little more fruit or juice with a blunt spoon. But once you've finally eaten the fruit and are squeezing the last drops of juice into your poorly paired spoon, you miss and spill the juice all over your shirt.

Or is that just me? Even better.

Over the past month, I've blogged my butt off for Birmingham Restaurant Week and been contacted by three different new clients. I've invoiced for more money this month than any other since I started freelancing full-time -- a welcome change after having to dip into my savings in July. Even with all of these things going right, I'm still trying to figure out how this writing thing will work going forward.

Several of the sections of my blog have gone on to become recurring paid columns. Cocktail of the Hour is now a regular part of my articles for mental_floss. I was blogging about health and fitness in exchange for personal training, but the gym has since closed. In the past, I'd used blogging to keep myself accountable as a writer or for my own health, but it hasn't stuck.

What I'd like to do is a weekly or monthly roundup post of what I did that week/month -- where I fell short, what frustrated me, and any victories. I'd love for my blog to be a place where I can focus on what I've done rather than leaving it in my head to loop endlessly through a montage of small victories and overwhelming obstacles. I can and will do this thing, and I will do it right. I hope.


Manifesting a manifesto

Photo credit to Mary Katherine Morris Photography Outside of blogging personally, I maintain a laser focus on my goals. I'm pretty damn good at managing my time and resources and forming connections with interesting, diverse people. On here, though, I've held on to the idea that I could write whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and use this website as a personal portfolio.

Once I formulated a set editorial schedule, I started working past my mental blocks and got in a blogging routine. It didn't evolve how I thought it would, but it evolved into my writing about topics I care about deeply and talk about often. With that in mind, I've put together a kind of manifesto of my intentions for this blog:

This blog is a record of my journey as a writer, runner and bartender. It will be an honest accounting of my life, even when the truth is uncomfortable. It's my place to show kindness and love for others, to strive to be a better person and to learn everything I can that will add value to my life. It will also accurately showcase my talents as a writer -- even when I'm so busy I want to get off my schedule. Lastly, it will continue to serve as a point of connection with other amazingly talented writers in the community.

As I keep saying, I can't wait to see what other connections writing will add to my life. After two years of wonderful things, it can only get better from here.

Who wears what?





How not to become a full-time writer

netflixI love writing. Building individual words into words and articles that demonstrate my knowledge and wit has been an incredibly fun way to spend my time and energy outside of bartending. However, I've recently become aware that some habits I've formed are not conducive in any way, shape or form to expanding my freelance markets. I've put together a list of the worst offenders to help others avoid my mistakes.

  • Netflix is a fantastic substitute for cable. However, there are millions of hours' worth of TV shows and movies available instantly. Getting sucked into a show (or three or four) is easy, but extracting yourself is not. Start watching Supernatural at your own risk.
  • Complacency is easy. There's something to be said for treating your current clients like gold -- it's absolutely necessary for a freelancer to succeed -- but it's another to stay within your boundaries because they're comfortable. Taking action will mean facing rejection and bouncing back, but just asking could lead to possibilities you'd only imagined. After reading mental_floss as a kid, I never thought I'd actually have a column on their website, but I do. It's more awesome than I could have imagined.
  • Networking is a buzzword for a reason. Writing and freelancing do depend on your knowledge, but breaking into new markets is just as dependent on who you know as what you know. Until you reach out to your friends and acquaintances, you'll never know what opportunities their networks can offer.
  • A personal blog can be a great way to put your thoughts out there for the Internet to judge, but it can also turn into a distraction from real, paying deadlines and important personal connections. Balance is key.
  • Ignoring your limits is a great way to get yourself sick, overwhelmed and unable to function at all. Taking on too much work can seem like the perfect way to set yourself apart from the crowd, but it can also backfire -- hard. If you get exhausted and miss a deadline, it'll make an editor remember you in a way that can harmfully impact your personal brand.

Blogging Bucket List

tin_bucket_ice_bucket2For a long time, I've been afraid to write a bucket list for blogging. I have a list of publications I want a byline in, but I've been subconsciously viewing my blog as a very personal project. Though its an active sample of my writing, assigning goals for its use holds me accountable and almost takes it out of my personal control. Today, though, I'm taking the leap into commitment to my blog. I've started cross posting each cocktail history blog post to liquor.com and to The Southern Coterie, so in some ways it's already gotten serious.

  • Marketing. Leveraging my blog to connect with new writing markets and clients will expand the possibilities for my writing career. It should also help me to overcome my aversion to writing about myself and pitching my services.
  • Traffic. I've recently reached out to several highly visible bloggers to guest post or regularly contribute to their work. These steps should hopefully boost my traffic and readership, which may aid in marketing.
  • Monetization. Though it might not pay any of my bills, using the blog as a passive source of income could provide a few extra dollars for my savings and/or retirement. It may not seem like a lot now, but every dollar put away now is one I don't have to worry about in 40 years.
  • Connections. The connections I've made while blogging have been invaluable. It's been a way to connect with other writers and like-minded individuals. Like social media, it's a fantastic way to start conversations with those you admire. After the first connection is established and it's natural, continuing the conversation over coffee is easy. In today's world, that's how some true friendships begin. I love this aspect of the web-based world and will continue to seek out and build these relationships.

How to find content writers

searchWhen your company is expanding into a new market or trying to establish itself as an expert source for information, setting up a blog (or blogs) can be the fastest way to do so. Starting a blog also creates the need for quality content. In the STEM fields especially, knowledgeable writers with accessible style can be difficult to find. That said, knowing where to look can be half the battle.

  • Ask your friends and colleagues. Here in Birmingham, it's hard to walk more than ten feet without tripping over a writer. Chances are that one of the people in your network knows at least one person with the desired expertise. If not, they might know someone who could learn it quickly.
  • Seek out talent in house. Does one of your employees run a top notch blog? If so, would they be interested in a modified set of responsibilities? It's a win-win; you get to recognize your employees' abilities and they get rewarded for going above and beyond.
  • Find blogs you like in your field. Search them out on Google or look through trade articles. Even if they're not local, they might be able to produce quality content at an affordable rate. It never hurts to ask.
  • Look through freelancers' portfolios. Sites like Contently, Pressfolio and Writerfolio offer solid samples of writers' work. Many freelancers also host portfolios of published work on their websites. These tools can give you a solid sense of a writer's ability to mould her writing style with a publication's.
  • Search social media profiles. Searching keywords like "freelance writer" on Twitter or LinkedIn can yield an abundance of professional writers. Chances are that one or more of them will fit both your budget and your vision for content creation.

Six ways to build an editorial calendar

photo (7)In both blogging and running, I've learned a lot through trial and error. After a hiatus during a technical medical writing gig, I'm doing right by my writing. I'm in the habit of writing something every day, and I'm making sure to balance that work with physical exertion. Here are some tips for setting up an editorial calendar of your own.

  1. Choose your blog's focus. Unless your blog goes viral or you have thousands of followers, your devoted readers will most likely be people you know. Pick a subject that you want to read about, and write posts that would education and challenge you.
  2. Set a schedule and put it on your calendar. If you're only posting once a week, do it like clockwork. It's easier for your readers to catch your posts if they have a general idea of when they'll go live.
  3. Practice regularly. Find the time to write every day. Developing a voice and skill set requires regular practice, and with time, it will take less time to sculpt each word of a post.
  4. Write in advance. If you're always scrambling to meet self-imposed due dates, come up with a list of posts for the week or month and write them all. That way, you have posts in reserve if a current event or other topic strikes your fancy.
  5. Schedule posts. Most blogging platforms allow users to schedule posts. This function can take the guesswork and variability out of an editorial calendar once it's set.
  6. Link up social media. Want your posts to go up in the morning without waking you up? Link your social media accounts to your blog. Every time a post is published, so will a tweet or Facebook status with a link to the entry.
  7. Ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. Have them call you out if you miss a post. In any craft, having a support system can make all the difference, especially when you're starting out.

Personally, I've still got some work to do. My non-negotiable editorial calendar goes into effect next week, and the order of my posts will change. Though I still need to ask someone to be my accountability buddy, I've been doing better with every other part of this list. For here forward, expect Cocktail of the Week posts to go live on Mondays, running updates on Wednesdays and writing on Fridays.