Authors Need To Seize The Initiative To Get Work

Most of us are familiar with the general process of finding a job. When a business has an opening, they post an offering. People interested in that position respond. The business then reviews applications, conducts interviews, and decides who they're going to hire. And despite what your parents might tell you, you should under no circumstances hang around to talk to the manager, call, or send any messages asking about your application. In today's job market that basically gets you written off as, "person who has no idea how to follow instructions," and that's not someone most businesses want to deal with.

Then there's being a writer, where that kind of behavior is basically a necessity if you're going to get anywhere. And for the purposes of this blog, I will refer to the practice of reaching out and contacting potential paymasters as seizing the initiative.

Yo! You need a writer?

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Seize The Initiative (It Gets You Way More Work)

One of my favorite stories to tell is how, while browsing the FAQ section for Paizo publishing I ended up sending a request to write for the company. I hadn't expected anything to come of it, but less than a week later I got a return email asking me what I was looking for in terms of writing assignments. This is how I wound up writing the short story The Irregulars for the Golarion setting, and it also led to me contributing to Blood of The Moon and Bastards of Golarion as well.

Seriously, check it out if you haven't yet!

This was far from the last time, either. I made contact with TPK Games at Gen Con basically by walking up to their booth, shaking the owner's hand, and offering him my business card. I got all of my jobs working for newspapers by sending emails or making phone calls, asking if there were positions for contributors open. Ditto for the few magazines and ezines I worked for which are now defunct (sadly for my bank account).

So why is it okay to do this when you're a writer, but not for any other kind of job? Well, it's generally because writers, by and large, aren't hired on full-time. A majority of writers, from the lowliest newspaper stringers to the highest-paid novelists, are hired as mercenary talent.

Do not attempt this strategy to get a staff writing position. I promise it will blow up in your face.

When a business is hiring on a regular part-or-full-time employee, there's a certain protocol that needs to be followed. There's proper channels to go through, and there's routine to be established. For freelancers and mercenaries, though, paymasters tend to be more concerned about drive, ideas, and their project record. This is particularly true for RPG companies (who do a majority of their work through freelancers), but it holds true for a lot of the serialized publishing industry. Whether you need fresh movie reviews on the company blog, new short stories for the monthly magazine, or just someone to put together a fresh list of weird encounters for a fresh DND supplement, everyone is always looking for another set of hands.

Lastly, though, most companies who use freelancers will want to keep as large a pool of talent on-hand as possible. Because unlike hiring people to fill salaried positions, freelancers get paid on commission. So it costs a business nothing to put someone new into the writing pool, as they're not going to have to pay anything until the writer has turned in an assignment and it's been selected for publication.

In short, they lose nothing by keeping you around.

Caveats

Now, there are some important caveats I'd add to the very broad statements I made above. So if you're psyched to start knocking on digital doors, wait until you've finished the briefing.

Hold your fire.

First and foremost, seizing the initiative works best when you are attempting to get assigned work from a company who needs a constant stream of material from writers. Newspapers, magazines, websites, RPG publishers, the idea is that you are looking to be assigned work to complete for them. If you already have something complete (a short story, a novel, a roleplaying game, an article, etc.) then you need to instead see if the publisher in question has a submission procedure for you to follow.

If you can't find the query procedure, then reach out and ask for it. That is going to be more helpful to you, and it will probably start things moving more smoothly if you're attempting to place something you've already finished.

Secondly, before you start reaching out to potential paymasters and asking if they have any assignments available, make sure you have a portfolio of previous work, as well as a list of potential pitches. Your portfolio can be made up of anything you're comfortable being judged on, but both it and your pitches should be geared toward the publisher you've reached out to in order to give them an understanding of what you're bringing to the table.

Why is this necessary, you might ask? Well, if you reach out to a short story magazine, they're going to want to have some idea of the kind of fiction you've written before. Ditto if you want to write articles for a newspaper, or mechanics for a game; your potential publisher is going to want to see some samples of your work to get a sense of what your output is like. As to the pitches, sometimes a publisher will test you by asking what you think would make for a good project. It's a backdoor way of testing your knowledge of a subject or area, and seeing how much supervision they'll need to put in. Sometimes the publisher will take you up on a particular pitch, sometimes not, but either way you should always have 2-3 in your back pocket just in case.

Eventually Work Comes To You

I'll be the first one to admit that when you're an author you end up chasing a lot of work. However, the more assignments you complete, and the more your name gets out there, the more people are going to recognize you. When that happens you're going to find that people will, eventually, start coming to you with offers. Whether it's because they saw your name in enough publications, you've made the right contacts who've bigged you up in their circles, or because you seem approachable on social media, people will seek you out sooner or later.

That doesn't mean every offer you get is going to be a banger, but eventually you'll get solid offers. Just keep your nose to the grindstone, and when in doubt consider sending an email and asking if there are currently openings for content creators.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Creators Need Support, Not Another Hustle

If you're a regular reader here, or if you know a creative professional in your daily life, chances are you're already well aware of the struggle most of us face. Whether we're trying to sell books, get reads on our articles, hustle for Patreon patrons, or a dozen other things it can often feel like we're dancing on the edge of a volcano, and that we might fall in at any moment.

The volcano in this metaphor is capitalism, and there's no safety net to stop us from being burned up like an evil ring at the end of a trilogy if we miss a payment.

Capital has but one master, and it answers to no other!

And while there are a lot of folks out there who are willing to give advice, I want to take this week to ask you to please, pretty please, stop suggesting that we pick up "side" jobs or "real" jobs until we make it. Because you're not helping, and if possible you're making things worse.

Before I get into the nitty gritty details of that, though, remember to subscribe to my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my content. Also, if you want to help me stay on top of my own bills consider becoming a Patreon patron!

A Side Job? Oh If Only I'd Thought of That...

If you have a friend, family member, or even just a close acquaintance that's a creative professional, chances are good you've let fly with this sentiment at some point. You've probably wondered why the simple solution of just picking up a few shifts at a local grocery store or gas station until they break big hasn't occurred to them. After all, it seems so easy. The author sacrifices a bit of time, they get an extra few hundred bucks a month, and they're not as worried about the performance of their work.

A win all around, right?

Just don't be poor? Shit, why didn't I think of that!

There's a lot of reasons why you're probably getting scornful looks from your creative friends if you've made this suggestion to them, either in-person or in text. So I want to take a moment to break down both why it's insulting, and the underlying message that it conveys to them since it's something the person making the suggestion rarely thinks about again, but which will stick with the creator for months to years afterward.

First and foremost, let's talk about the tone of the suggestion. It's often presented as a simple solution to one's problem, as if somehow the creator in question doesn't know what wage labor is, and hasn't even considered it as an option. Secondly, the suggestion is usually presented as something that's easily achievable, which it often isn't. Even if there are businesses hiring in someone's area (far from a guarantee), there may not be any that are willing to offer the schedule a creator needs, to be understanding with their requirements (you can't go to shows and conventions if your job won't give you weekends off, for example), or which will compensate them fairly for their efforts.

Thirdly, and this is the category I often find myself in, a creator only has so much time and energy in a given day. If they are suddenly using that time and energy to perform labor for someone else (and especially if it's labor they hate, find difficult, or which is extremely draining for them), they aren't going to be able to make art at the same rate they were before. In some cases it's possible that this "side" job siphons out all their energy entirely, making it impossible for them to keep making their art at all.

As the song says, being a rock star is a fun job, but it's still a job. And when someone is already giving their all to push a rock up a hill, you showing up and suggesting they put on this pair of ankle weights as if that will somehow make things easier is not helping.

There's Also The Underlying Message We're Hearing

In the interest of absolute clarity, I'm not talking about when a friend offers a writer a job as a stringer for a news site they have connections at, or brings them on as a short-term editor so they can get a fast paycheck to cover their bills. I'm talking expressly about when someone suggests you simply go out and get a standard, minimum wage, part-time gig that has nothing to do with your creative field, but which is meant to supplement and support your creative efforts. Because a different message is being sent in these two situations that people who think they're being helpful might not realize.

If someone offers you a job using your craft, what they're saying is, "I value your talent as a professional, and I trust you to get this job done for me."

If someone just suggests you go pick up a few shifts as a clerk, or find a part-time security officer gig, though? The message there (whether you intend it or not) is, "Well, clearly your art isn't worth anything on its own, so go get a real, grown-up job if you insist on following this dream."

As we all know, subtext is often present whether we want it there or not.

If you think the artist you're about to talk to creates good art, and that they should have the time and resources to create more of it, they don't need you telling them to spend their energy on other things. What they need is you to hold out your hand, and help them make those ends meet.

Because talent is meaningless when it comes to the success of art. We rise and fall, live and die, by whether we have an audience that supports us. Period, end of story.

Again, if you have money, you can support your creative friends directly. Buy their art, become patrons, and make sure your cash goes directly toward helping them. If you don't have money to give, though? Boost their signal using your voice. Share their art on your social media pages, leave good comments, and tell your friends and family members about them. Help them reach a larger audience so that they can get the eyeballs (and patrons) they need.

That might not feel like a lot, but I'll give you a concrete example of how this could snowball.

Seriously, go check this out!

About a week ago I released the short story Devil's Night over on my Vocal page; a fun little fantasy tale about devil-worshiping fascists getting punched right in the face in the low-town district. It took me plenty of time to put together, but at time of writing it's gotten maybe 50 reads or so... which amounts to about 30 cents in my pocket.

On average, roughly 100-500 people read my entries on this blog. If 100 people out there read this short story, it would probably put another 50 to 60 cents in my bank account. But what if 100 people all went and shared it on their social media pages? Sure a lot of those shares might go unremarked, but with that many shares chances are good it would catch on somewhere, and reach a far wider audience. It's possible that it could spread, reaching hundreds (if not thousands) more eyes than I could ever reach on my own. For every one thousand people who read said story, I'd earn $6... and there are millions of potential eyes on those platforms.

Will all the people who read this article click through to share that tale? Probably not. But that one, concrete action taken by even a moderately-sized group of readers could have rather dramatic consequences for me as a creator. And it would be far more helpful than any advice that I just pull myself up by my bootstraps until something eventually got popular enough to pay me what I'm worth.

Be the change you want to see in the careers of the creators you like. It makes a far bigger difference than you know.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

"Can You Draw A Circle?" or "Do Your Skills Suit Market Demand?"

As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite things to do is volunteer for programming at conventions. Capricon is a favorite of mine, in particular, and I make it a point to volunteer in several capacities. Which is why I was sitting on a panel about how to get into the games business at the opposite end of the table from Clifford VanMeter. If you don't know who he is, seriously, go check out his website, it's full of amazing art.

This is one of my personal favorites.

Anyway, we were all telling our stories about how we'd first gotten our foots in the door in the world of publishing. Turns out Cliff had been in the game since before Internet access was a standard part of the publishing world, and he'd made his mark in the early Star Trek roleplaying game as a go-to artist for their ships. Not because he was an extremely talented artist (or so he said), but because he possessed the skill the company needed... someone who could draw circles.

Because, despite all of the great artists who were hanging around TSR headquarters (big publisher of RPGs, for those not in the know), and all of the talent chomping at the bit to get in on this action, a lot of them had trouble with the circular design of a lot of Star Trek ships. As such, their art always looked a little off, and the company wasn't happy with it. And when Cliff heard the editors and art directors talking about it (in-person, as he was dropping something off in the office, though these days you can sometimes get similar results on social media), he spoke up and said that he could do the job everyone else was falling down on. And while he was the first to admit his ship illustrations may have been less dynamic than what other artists could produce, they were recognizable, technically correct, and exactly what the books needed.

Can You Draw A Circle?

What does this have to do with writing? Well, it's all about whether or not you can draw a circle when that's what a publisher (or the public) wants from you.

Because cash flows to those who have the skills that are in-demand.

On the surface, the lesson is fairly simple. No matter how talented you are, in order to get work (or increase your fan base if you're independent) you have to make things that please your paymasters. Which is why you should make sure you can draw (or write, since that's my bivouac) in a variety of styles, sizes, themes, and genres in order to make sure that you always have something you can bring to the table.

The other lesson, the one that I think is just as important to get from Cliff's story, is that you can't be afraid to speak up when you see an opportunity. Whether you're at a convention and someone on the panel mentions they have a hard time finding writers who work in your genre, or you have a chance to catch an editor and ask them what the company is looking for, you will miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

There's something else, too. Something a lot of folks miss, but which Cliff went on to emphasize by the end of the panel. That you can never get comfortable just doing one thing. If you put all your eggs in a single basket, it might still be in one piece by the time you get home. But if the bottom falls out, then you're left with a skill set that was once a valuable commodity that has been splatted all over the sidewalk.

Does The Market Need You?

People love to talk about the free market, and about how the collective desires of the public can shape your fortunes. It's just as true in the cases of artists as it is in stock market savants and investment prophets, though. Because if your work strikes a chord (whether it's with readers, or with the publishers who will get your stuff in front of readers), that can make you into an overnight success. However, if your specific niche falls out of favor (such as how very few folks gush about steampunk anymore, or how modern fantasy is no longer the jump-start label it was a decade back when there wasn't so much of it underfoot), then you face either diminishing returns, or attempting to do something different.

It's important to remember that you are here to provide things the public wants to see. The public doesn't exist simply to buy your books, and subsidize your career. Put more simply, you work for them, even if they don't realize it.

Which is why, at the end of the day, if they want you to draw circles, you'd better be able to deliver.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing. Hopefully folks found it helpful! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive. To keep up-to-date on all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, to help support me and my work, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon to leave a tip in my jar, or just Buy Me A Ko-Fi! Either way, a free book is yours for the asking when you donate.

Want To Make Money Writing? Check Out Vocal!

Writing is hard. Getting paid for writing is even harder. Because in this age of instantaneous entertainment, where even the most obscure novel can be at your fingertips in seconds, it seems like more companies than ever before are trying to get writers to work purely for the exposure (as evidenced by companies like the Huffington Post asking to publish Wil Wheaton's work as a way to "take advantage of their unique platform").

Trust me, grocery stores don't take that shit in trade.

That's why I try to test the places I find that purport to pay writers for their work, and those who past the acid test get shared with you find folks. Like how, a while back, I wrote Make Money Writing (By Joining Infobarrel.com) after I'd put together an archive, looked at the metrics, and gotten a sense for the return on investment for work you put on there.

That's also why, this week, I'd like to let you all know about Vocal.

What Is Vocal? How Well Does It Pay?

To paraphrase the search results, Vocal is a long form social publishing platform where contributors are paid based on their personal traffic streams. Or, translated into common English, Vocal is a place that pays you for the traffic all the articles you write earn. All you have to do is sign up, write something, submit it for publication, and soak up reads.

Yeah... but how many readers do I need to get paid?

I've been contributing to Vocal since last summer, and I've amassed a small archive of my own. As such, I can tell you with some authority that it takes about 300 reads to earn $1. Not that I said reads, not views. People who just glance at your content don't count; they have to go through what you wrote, and actually take it in.

Fortunately, that's easier than it sounds. Doubly fortunate is the fact that Vocal has so many different sites under a single umbrella. So whether you want to write about sex (and put your articles on Filthy), or you want to write about games (and put your articles on Gaming), there's a site on Vocal for that. From dating and music, to politics and life hacks, there are all kinds of options out there. And as soon as you hit $35 in your archive, you can request a payment through Stripe. A few days later, bam, cash in your account.

How Much Do You Want To Make?

Most people ask how much they can make, but that's the wrong question for the setup Vocal uses. Instead, you should ask how many reads you can get for your content. Because some pieces I've written, like It's Okay To Admit There Are Problems In Your Hobby or 10 Signs You're Actually A Dom got thousands of reads when they first went up, and they've had fairly steady traffic since then. On the other hand, articles like What Are Charity Arcades? have barely broken 100 reads, and haven't generated a lot of ongoing interest since I put them up.

So, long story short, it's a popularity contest.

Fortunately, the more you write, and the more you build up your audience, the bigger your views get. Even if you only write a few articles a month, it's perfectly possible to make at least the minimum $35 every month. Two if you're slow in your marketing. As to the maximum... like I said, how many reads will you be able to get?

That's all for this week's Business of Writing update. Hopefully it helped some folks out there. If you want to see some of the different kinds of content the site accepts, check out my Vocal archive. For those who want to keep up-to-date on my latest releases, simply follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to help support my work, go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, or click here to Buy Me A Coffee.

Successful Freelancers Are Like Sharks

The shark is, in many ways, a perfect machine. It has been carefully designed to complete a singular task, and it pursues that end with ruthless efficiency. Eat, swim, eat, and the cycle continues. If it stops, it dies, and since sharks don't want to die, they keep the cycle going. Have for thousands of years now.

If you want to be a successful writer, watch the shark in its natural habitat. Take notes. Then, when you wake up in the morning, remind yourself that you are a shark. Before you go back to bed that night, you need to swim, and eat.

Hello, have you read my book?!

Becoming A Typewriter Tigershark

You need to do a lot of things to be a successful writer, freelance or otherwise. You need to read a lot. You need to write a lot. You need to promote, market, and keep yourself out there. You need to make sure your old content is getting seen, and your fresh stuff is drawing in readers new and old. You need to be professional.

Most importantly, though, you need to be focused on achieving the task you have set for yourself.

See the shark... be the shark...

To put it another way, go to the gym and look around. The sharks will be immediately noticeable. Partly because of the sheer results of their regimens, but also because of the determination and focus you see in how they move around the floor. They aren't socializing with other gym-goers, they're not fiddling with their phones, and they're not watching the room between sets. They're there to make themselves better. Day in, day out, that is what their purpose is. It is the engine that drives them, and what pushes them to get results.

The same is true in any other situation. Those who achieve their goals are the ones who focus with a single-minded determination. The ones who seize every opportunity that comes their way, and create them where none already exist. The ones who dedicate themselves to becoming the goal. Who don't have an off-switch. The ones who do the job every day, rain or shine, healthy or sick, whether their pilot light is lit or not.

Now, it's okay if you're not a shark today. You don't have to be. However, if you expect to reach a goal, then you have to take a few more steps every day. So tomorrow, start that new project. Work on it every day until it's done. Submit it. Start a new one. Join a community with open calls for stories, and find more projects to devour. Write articles. Start a blog. Go to a con. Shake hands. Pass out business cards. Learn how to swim. Then start eating, and never stop.

Getting A Taste For Blood

Now, for folks who like the idea of being a shark, but who aren't sure how to do it, I thought I'd leave some easy, actionable tips here. These are the places I started, and they're still around for those who want to dip a toe into the waters.

If you want to write for money, and you aren't picky about who you do it for, head over to Text Broker. There are slews of clients on there, and they have work that needs done. Cut your teeth on some of their projects, because nothing starts the transformation like being given money for your word count. Even if it is just walking around cash for some folks. You should also check out Online Writing Jobs, because this site collects a whole bunch of freelance jobs in one place for you to apply for.

While I have written for a lot of different genres, one of my go-to places for open calls for stories is Horror Tree. Whether you just want to pad your publishing credits, or you want to establish them in the first place, I recommend checking them out and seeing who is looking for writers. You can also type in the phrase, "anthology open call," followed by the year to get a pretty decent list in any search engine. And, if you're looking to be a novelist, well, your best bet is to research publishers, read their submission guidelines, and make sure you have someone that fits your book. And if too many of them say no, hell with 'em, publish it yourself!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing post. Hopefully the combination of philosophy and practicality helps some folks out there who were wondering where to start climbing. If you'd like to stay on top of all my releases, simply follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. And if you want to support me and my work, then head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, or click here to Buy Me A Coffee!

5 Ways Writers Are A Lot Like Prostitutes

They're skilled, glamorous, exotic, and more than a little edgy. You watch them on the Internet, and you listen to interviews with them, and you think that, maybe, you could do what they do. Some day.

I'm technically talking about being a writer, but I suppose the same thing could apply to being a high-class escort.

You want a package deal, or are we going by the word, here?

I've had a long week, and I'm feeling a little ragged round the edges. So I thought I'd do something that's mostly silly, but with a grain of truth lodged in the middle of it to kind of hold the premise together. So, let's get started, shall we?

#1: We Have An "Exotic" Profession

Let's get the low-hanging fruit out of the way first. If you're a writer, and especially if you write some kind of fiction, you're seen as something unusual by people who never venture too far out of the realms of normalcy. People are often impressed, thinking that writers are men and women who live in unusual places, like communes by the sea, or forgotten manor houses in New England. They can't believe that we're people, and we do things like shop for pants, meet for breakfast, or go to the gym.

Sort of the same with prostitutes. People know they exist, but they sort of forget that they take off their work clothes, and go back to being normal people when their job is done.

#2: People Can't Believe We Get Paid For That

Psh, they get paid how much to do that? Well, hell, how hard can it be? I do that for free, and I've never had any complaints.

I'm sure that sex workers will hear this diatribe a lot more often than writers do, but we're no strangers to the spiel. Because a lot of people write in their free time, and they happen to think they're pretty good. But they don't seem to realize there's a big difference between the stories you share with your partner in the privacy of your own home, and the leap it takes to do it full-time. Whether you're in the mood, or not.

#3: We Don't Make Anywhere Near What You Think We Do

I blame TV for this one. The only depictions we ever seem to get on most shows (even on a lot of cop dramas), is writers with literal millions to throw around on whatever whimsical thing they feel like doing. Even in old-fashioned shows like Murder She Wrote, the writer in question never seems to be hurting for resources, despite being independently employed, and a senior citizen, meaning all those health bills are coming out of her pocket.

Prostitutes get a lot of the same rap in our fiction. Because while we see plenty of independents getting booked, or becoming victim of the week, the recurring characters all seem to be madams, high-priced call girls, or similarly glamorous, independent women (never seem to be a lot of men, but I don't watch as much TV as I used to).

Even the best of us aren't making that much cash. And those who are, man, they know how to hustle.

#4: People Can't Believe We Expect Them To Pay For Service

What do you mean you're gonna charge me? Come on, we're friends, aren't we? Really? Seriously, it will take you, like, half an hour!

If you're good at something, never do it for free. While that might be how the saying goes, the world seems to think the exact opposite most of the time. People are more than willing to acknowledge your skill, and that you are the best they know at the trade... but they will still pitch a fit if you expect them to pay rates like some kind of client!

#5: Clients Don't Want To Hear No

Now, this one is a serious issue, and I wanted to take a moment to point that out. People who are not willing to take no for an answer is one of the primary ways sex workers are put in danger by their clients, and it's also one of the primary causes of sexual harassment.

With that said, I've lost track of the number of clients who seem to develop selective deafness when it comes to things I won't do. Whether it's genres I don't work in, being vague about when and how I'll be paid, or me pointing out that what they're asking for is way beyond the scope of what I'm willing to do, they've settled in their minds that it's my job to make their vision into a reality. They just seem to forget that I have to agree to take the job for that to happen.

While this might have been a silly Business of Writing entry, hopefully some folks found it amusing. Next week we're back to Craft, and I'll be talking about much more serious subjects. If you enjoyed this post, and you want to keep up to date on my work, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to toss some support my way, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page.

The Best Advice For Writers, "Say The Lines, Cash The Check, And Buy Yourself Something Nice"

As writers, we sometimes get caught up in the bullshit of our own reputations. We buy into the idea of the noble storyteller, or the tortured typist, sweating under the strain of our own ideas. We cast ourselves as the suffering artist who is trying to take the universe in our heads, and show it to the rest of the world the way we see it. And when we have to lower ourselves to write ad copy, or to write blog entries for clients paying us money to do our jobs? Ugh, the insult of it all! That we should use such great talents for such low, base ends.

Gonna lay some wisdom on you, here. This comes from Jon Pertwee, a fellow who once starred in an odd little sci-fi show called Doctor Who. When he was on the show, some folks he knew told him to do something very smart. "Say the lines, cash the check, and buy yourself something nice."

It's in this interview, in case you're curious.

The next time you find yourself rubbing your temples, and ready to send your client a strongly-worded email about how stupid their whole project is, remember these words. And remember that you are not some great genius intellect to whom the tides of creativity bow. You are, very likely, just a person with a pen who was willing to do the job.

Not Everything You Write Will Fulfill You

One of the major reasons that I'm a writer, instead of a security guard, a cashier, a stocker, or a landscaper, is that writing is the job I like the most, and which I have the best track record with. And sure, there are some times where I've been working on a story, or writing a script, when I got that rock star feeling of being the gifted man doing great work.

Most of the time, though, that's not how it feels. Because the bulk of my day is not spent working on novels, short stories, YouTube scripts, or RPG guides. Most of my day is spent writing for clients. Because they need content, and I need to eat, so we can help each other out.

A couple of 600-word posts? Sure, I guess I can get 'em to you by Friday.

Now, I like eating. I like having happy landlords. So, when a client presents me with a job my primary concern is what I'm being paid to do it, and whether I feel my talents are up to snuff. If the job's fun, well, that's a bonus. But I'm not being paid to have fun. I'm being paid to create a product that will get my clients money. Whether that means a world guide that will sell copies, a blog post that gets traffic, or a novel that flies off the shelves, I am only as valuable to my clients as the end results my work creates.

I'm a mercenary, through and through.

Still, it pays to remind myself that my clients aren't here to feed my ego. They aren't giving me work to do so they can watch the glory of my process, or marvel in my creative genius. They're paying me to do a job. And if I do it well, then they're going to pay me the next time a job comes up. And the next, and the next.

Because brilliance is a lot more common than you think, but reliability is what builds your rep. So the next time you find yourself staring at the screen, muttering about how this job is beneath you, or about how you should just tell your client to stick it, take all that spare energy, and put it into the project. Hit the word count, turn it in, and when the check clears, treat yourself. Go get a milkshake, have a cheeseburger, or check out that latest flick at the movies. Whatever will make you happy, use your check to remind yourself that you earned this with nothing more than words.

It helps keep things in perspective. Both the good, and the bad.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing post. Hopefully it helped folks who, like myself, need to let the air out of their egos every other Thursday. If you want to stay on top of all my releases, then make sure you follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you want to help support me and my work, then stop on over at The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today.

5 Questions You Should Ask Every Freelance Client

Being a freelancer isn't easy. You've got to get the word out about yourself, you need to build a client base, and you have to make sure you've got enough work to stay busy while keeping the lights on. And even if you manage to do all that, you still have to slog through endless waves of frustrating bullshit from the people who hold your purse strings.

Because while you might be the artist, a lot of clients appear to forget you're not also psychic.

This looks great, Jim. But can you change the font, the location, the color scheme, and get it to me yesterday?

If you've worked with a client before, and you can navigate their tics, then sail on you mad bastards. But if you want to make sure your future clients are not a strain on your patience and sanity, try asking them these questions before you agree to their job.

Question #1: What Is The Project?

This is probably the most basic question, but too often we let clients make vague, hand-wavey gestures about something they want us to work on. So, before you get roped into an ever-blossoming bloodstain, make sure your client gives you a specific description of what you're expected to do. Is it a short story, is it a re-write, is it a chapter in a textbook, etc.? Get every detail you can, from the genre and tone to the word count. The more specifics you nail down, the easier it will be on you in the future.

Question #2: When Do You Need It?

Due dates are important, and if your client tries to hedge by saying, "well, whenever it's convenient for you to get to it," don't let them weasel out of picking a date. Set a time for when the project is due. Also, it's a good idea to set times for reviews and check-ins to be sure the project is turning out to be what your client wants. Having a due date makes sure you know when it needs to be done, but it also ensures your client can have your money in hand when you turn in the piece.

Question #3: What Am I Being Paid?

Perhaps the most important question in the whole negotiation is what your client is offering you to do the job in question. Are you getting a by-word rate, are you getting a single payment for the whole project, or are you going to get a cut of the royalties? Or is it some combination of all these things? Also, will you be paid on acceptance, or on publication? Make sure you know what you're getting out of this project, and when you should expect it before you put a single word on the page.

Question #4: Where is My Contract?

Not every project requires getting a legal team to draft a huge agreement. With that said, you should get something on paper that draws out the broad strokes of the project. Especially if you want to make sure the client is going to uphold their part of the agreement, and you want something more than a hearty handshake, and their word that they're good for it.

Question #5: What Rights Am I Signing Away?

This is one a lot of us don't think about, but it's worth considering. If you're doing a work-for-hire project, you often give up all rights to the work you produced once you've cashed the check. Is that what your client wants, or do they want your name on the piece to draw an audience? Can you republish the piece later, or do they have exclusive rights? Can you tell other people you wrote it, or are you sworn to secrecy? These are things you need to know before you get started.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing. Hopefully it's helped some of my fellow freelancers out there, or that it prevents pitfalls from those who are just thinking about getting into the life. If you like what you see, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter to stay up-to-date on my posts. Lastly, if you want to throw some support my way, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron. As little as $1 a month helps a lot, and it gets you some sweet swag in the process.

5 Benefits of Being an Author

So, about two weeks ago I put together 5 Unseen Hazards of Being a Freelance Author. It engendered some response from folks who didn't know all the pitfalls that come with the freelance career path. So I thought, this week, I'd shine a light on the other side of the coin. Because there are upsides to being a freelance author, too. Sometimes you have to go digging for them, but they are there.

If you look hard enough.

Benefit #1: No Pants

How's that three-piece suit feeling now?

Life as an author isn't easy, but any time it starts getting me down, I remember that I don't have a dress code. If it's cold, I put on a cozy robe, step into my slippers, and start typing. If it's hot out, then I can work in my underwear all day if I feel like it. Until Skype becomes a mandatory part of the process, I can wear whatever I want to do my job. This attitude extends to other parts of the gig as well. I can drink my own coffee, use my own bathroom, and if I want I can relax on my own couch in between assignments.

Benefit #2: VIP Treatment at Events

Most people think you have to be a bestselling big-wig before you get treated like a Very Important Person at special events like trade shows and conventions. And, for the most part, that's true. No one invites self-published no-names to be the guest of honor, after all.

With that said, though, you can still get some pretty sweet deals if you show up and let them know you're a professional in the field. Even if no one has ever heard of you.

If nothing else, you might get a free drink.

For example, if you're an author who is willing to become a part of a convention's programming (doing signings, sitting on panels, doing readings, etc.), then you can often get your badge cost compensated. Some conventions, like C2E2 in Chicago, will actually give you a day pass for free (along with early access) just for being an author. You can often get access to the green room, and you may even qualify for lower-cost tables if you intend to sell books.

A word to the wise, though. The smaller the show you try to get involved with, the better your treatment will be. If you're not a household name, that is.

Benefit #3: Tax Deductions

I mentioned this one way back in 2014 in Tax Deductions Every Writer Should Know About, but it really does bear repeating. If you're an author, you're self-employed, which means you are going to pay through the nose when it comes to your taxes. However, because you are self-employed, you can write off a plethora of stuff when it comes time to figure out how much you owe your Uncle Sam.

One for me, one for you. Two for me, one for you...

Because you're self-employed, there are all kinds of things you can deduct. For example, did you have to get a hotel room for that convention? Badge? Did you have travel expenses? Business lunch with clients? All of that can be written off at the end of the year. The same goes for new laptops, writing software, and anything else that is directly related to you putting words on the page. You might even be able to claim a part of your Internet expenses, which can bring down the amount you owe the government in a big hurry.

Benefit #4: Make Your Own Hours

This one is a bit of a double-edged sword, but generally speaking it turns out in your favor. If you're the sort of person who despises an alarm in the morning (in which case you're a member of my tribe), then the ability to work when you want to work is a great boon. Especially if you like to work late at night, or in the middle of the day, or change it up from time to time.

Time is meaningless! Your life is a lie!

This doesn't mean you're allowed to work only a few hours a day, though. On the contrary, you have to put in some long hours, pretty much every day. And you still need to make your deadlines. So, you may still be staring glossy-eyed at your screen on your third cup of coffee, but you decide when that happens.

Benefit #5: You're Always Going to Be "That Guy"

Unless you hang out with bounty hunters, Navy SEALs, and lion tamers on a regular basis, chances are good you are going to be the most unusual person in the room when you venture out into the realm of normalcy. You may not think of yourself as all that unusual, but trust me when I tell you that being a practicing author gets people's attention. They probably won't fawn over you like a rock star, but they will sit up and pay attention like a news story they're sort of interested in just crossed their Facebook feed.

So, you write books? Like, for money, and stuff?

On the one hand, this can save you a lot of time and energy when it comes to pitching your work. Because if someone is told what you do, it's likely they'll turn to you and ask what sort of an author you are (or, if you're at a really normal dinner party, the question will be, "are you published?).

On the other hand, you'll likely want to have a script prepared. Because every time you meet a new group of people, you're going to be fielding the same questions. Every now and again someone will throw you a curve ball, but if the folks you're meeting don't regularly run with writers, editors, and other pen monkeys, it can feel like your memory is stuttering.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing post. Hopefully some folks enjoyed it, and found a chuckle or two. If you'd like to help support my blog, then why not drop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page? All it takes is $1 a month to make a difference, and to get yourself some sweet swag! Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, well, why not start today?

Neil Gaiman Hit It On The Head When He Talks About "The Freelance Mentality"

Because I hope that success can be transmitted via osmosis, I've been listening to Neil Gaiman's View From The Cheap Seats. This book, which is a collection of his non-fiction (including speeches, forwards, newspaper and magazine articles), covers a wide range of topics. We get some personal pieces about famous people he's known and worked with (including his friend the late Terry Pratchett, and his wife Amanda Palmer), as well as literary criticism, and a speech he gave warning about the comics bust in the 1990s when people were buying them as investments.

The point that stuck with me most from the book, though, was his discussion of the freelance mentality. Something that, like a sword, is both helpful, and destructive.

Fitness? Of course I know about fitness! How many words you want?

The freelance mentality is something you develop when you work as a mercenary. It means you're always looking for new work, and there's no such thing as a plate that's too full. Even if you're absolutely swamped with work, and coming up on deadline, you cannot afford to say no to a project. Because you have to keep something in the pipe at all times, otherwise your feast is going to turn into a famine quite quickly. The significantly more famous Neil was a freelancer for over a decade before he had projects like Sandman, Coraline, and American Gods under his belt, but even once he was stacking the sort of royalties you and I can only guess at, he still found it hard to say no.

It's pretty simple to understand why, when you think about it. If you're a soldier, and you spend all your time on the front lines, you develop certain reflexes. A view of the world that keeps you alive. When you return to the civilian world, you're academically aware that things are different. But it takes time for those reflexes to lose their edge, and fade away. Sometimes they never fade, and they're just something you deal with. A coping mechanism that was once necessary, but which is now a hindrance instead of a help.

Gaiman hasn't been the only victim of this condition. The infamous Stephen King talked about how he was convinced, for years, that his success was all going to stop. That there had been some mistake, and all those checks were going to have to be given back. That fear, that mentality, meant he kept writing and submitting. If a magazine needed short stories, he got them done. If a publisher had an opening, he filled it. While I haven't met the man (much to my personal and professional disappointment), I have a feeling that the freelance mentality is partially to blame for him setting the pace he has kept to this day.

Because when you hustle day-in, and day-out, it's something you can't stop. Even when you don't need to do it anymore.

It Works, If You Need It

I don't make the allusion to a battlefield lightly. If you step onto the field as a freelancer, you need to keep your steel sharp. You don't get paid by the hour, you don't get coffee breaks, and you don't get to call in sick. You don't get to miss deadlines, and make it up later. You also need to take on tasks you're not sure you're qualified for, and hope for the best.

Shakespeare gotta get paid, son.

Mr. Gaiman admitted, in one of his pieces, that when he was new to the field he would lie about who he'd worked for, or what subjects he knew about, because he needed the check attached to the job. Harrison Ford found himself in a similar position when he talked up his carpentry skills, but really had no idea how to build sound studios. If you find anyone famous or successful in a creative field, and dig back far enough, you'll find they've stretched the truth about their expertise or experience in order to pay rent.

In a world where you can Google anything, this is more common than ever before.

The most important part of the freelance mindset, though, is knowing where the off button is. Because, if you're lucky, you might reach a point where you can look at a project pitch and say, "you know, I really don't have the time or the skill set for that." When you have a body of work that is paying your debts, and allowing you to feel comfortable, you no longer need to reach for your sword at the slightest hint that someone needs you to use it.

The hard part, of course, is getting to that point. I'll let you know how it goes, if I ever get there.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing post. If you haven't read View From The Cheap Seats yet, I highly recommend it. Especially if you can find the audio read by the author. If you'd like to help support me so I can keep producing content just like this, well, drop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to leave some change in my jar. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, well, what's stopping you?

Why Other Authors Are Your Allies, Not Your Competition

Anyone who has been an author, or thought about trying to become an author, has no doubt seen a message that says, "other authors are your allies, not your competition." In one way, this seems like total bullshit, as every author is clearly competing with every other in a very real way. There are only a certain number of places on the store shelves, a certain number of people reading books, and with a certain amount of disposable income, and everyone is trying to get to the top of that heap.

Artist's Interpretation

However, if you step back from the dog-eat-dog, pure capitalist viewpoint, you'll see there is a lot of truth to the idea that we are all in this together. Helping fellow authors doesn't hurt you; if anything, it gives you allies that can help you keep your head above water.

Building Each Other Up, Instead of Tearing Each Other Down

Since people love real-world examples, I'll share one of my own here.

For those who have never been to The Literary Mercenary's sister blog, Improved Initiative, it's where I talk about tabletop gaming. Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, the World of Darkness, stuff like that. And, over the past three years or so, that blog has garnered a reputation and a following. Not a huge one, but it is still there.

Would you get to the point already?

Right. So, I was in a Facebook group dedicated to the Pathfinder roleplaying game, when a fellow I didn't know made a post, asking for advice on whether he should start a blog of his own. He'd been an avid gamer, and wanted to figure out a way to make his hobby into a career. On the one hand, if this fellow did write a blog, then that was (technically) one more website gamers could go to for the resources they needed. And, if he was good, then it would mean I'd have some serious competition on my hands.

Or would I? Because Simon Peter Munoz, creator of the Creative Repository Blog, is quite good as a blogger, gamer, and designer. However, rather than trying to discourage him, or undercut him so he couldn't take any of my traffic, or my audience, I offered him a hand up. I shared my experience being a blogger, answered what questions he had, and I try to mention his work as often as possible (speaking of which, if you're a gamer, go check out the CRB Facebook page). But why do that? Won't that take people away from my blog, and hurt my income?

The reason you may think that is because of the primary, incorrect assumption we make when we turn publishing into an "us versus everyone" game. We assume that there's only so much success to be had, and that if someone else gets more, there is somehow less for us. Which isn't, strictly speaking, true.

You see, I have an audience. Simon, now that he's been in the game a while, also has an audience. I tell my audience about the stuff that he does, and do my best to big-up his signal when I can. He returns the favor. The net result is that, working together, we both have bigger audiences than we'd have had separately, with more exposure, traffic, and success all around.

Networking Helps More Than You Know

There's an old phrase authors should remember. If you act like the world is against you, sooner or later you're going to be proven right. If, on the other hand, you help other authors succeed, then they're going to turn around and repay the favor to you. If you introduce someone to a publisher, editor, or opportunity, then that means when someone they know is looking for someone that has your skill set, your friend is going to hand that someone your contact information.

Because that's what makes the world go round.

Sometimes all it takes is kind words, and the occasional book review, to make a new friend. And, when you have a book coming out, all those friends that you helped are more likely to help you get the word out. You can do all the marketing you want, but there's nothing like having a dozen, or a hundred, people with blogs tell the world at large that your latest release is not to be missed, and that they should go get a copy right away.

Also, speaking of shout-outs, you should all check out Ben Reeder's Amazon author page. He does good work, and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping in to check out this week's Business of Writing post. Hopefully it taught you a valuable lesson regarding sharing, and not looking at your readers as a finite resource that must be controlled at all costs. As always, if you'd like to help support this blog so I can keep the lights on and my coffee cup filled, just stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss a tip or two in my jar. Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, please follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter if you'd like to keep up with all my latest posts.

To Make A Living As A Writer, Try Broadening Your Horizons

Every writer who's ever put words on the page has had the same fantasy. In fact, if you've had it, you've probably guessed it based on that sentence alone. Just so we're all on the same page, though, the fantasy is for you to be allowed to write what you love, and for those projects to pay you a living wage.

Which is different from a killing wage. Significantly different.

It doesn't matter if you're a novelist or a script writer, a master of horror or a weaver of romance. Whatever your area of expertise, and your preferred type of project, the goal is to reach the point where you don't have to worry about taking a break for lunch. Where you can wake up whenever you damn well please, sit down at your desk, and focus completely on the story you want to tell.

Some of us get to that point sooner than others. Some of us are never going to get there. Which is why this little piece of advice is one that I feel compelled to give. Are you listening? Good, because...

You Can Write More Than One Thing

When I was a much younger man, I thought that the only way to make a living as a writer was to be a novelist. I wanted that job bad enough to taste it, and if I'm honest the taste has never gone away. It gave me a lot of practice writing fiction, and when I was just starting out I even managed to win the odd contest or two. It wasn't until I got into college that I realized there was more to the world of writing than being a novelist. There was, for example, my school newspaper.

Hey, you need to start somewhere.

It doesn't sound like much, but short of an occasional gift certificate or tiny check, the paper represented the first paycheck I'd ever earned with the written word. It wasn't enough to do much at $5 an article, but it was a proof-of-concept. It was real evidence that there was a market for my skills. More importantly, it made me realize that I could still work on my stories, while earning money writing something else as well. There was no need to drive a delivery van, or sit around in a security shack, when I could just write instead. This knowledge didn't shift my personal focus from the goal of writing fiction for a living, but it did make me re-evaluate the idea that I had to have a day job I didn't like while I was working on said focus. After all, if there was one opportunity out there, then there had to be more... didn't there?

There was, as it turned out. What I hadn't realized was there is text all over the world, and writing is a skill that translates pretty well from one project to another. I made contact with other local newspapers to get work as a stringer and occasional feature writer. I managed to wrangle a short-term position writing articles for a men's magazine. I wrote ad copy for catalogs, and product descriptions for websites. I joined websites where I wrote reams of articles, earning up-front payments, as well as earning royalties and revenue share on some of my work. In the past few years I've been running this blog, as well as my gaming blog Improved Initiative, and I've worked with a lot of publishers who needed help producing rules and mechanics for tabletop roleplaying games. And somewhere in there I've published two dozen short stories, and completed at least one novel-length manuscript.

The result of all that work? Well, I'm certainly not in that six-figure range. Hell, some years I'm barely in the 5-figure range. However, I've made a lot of contacts, and I've learned a lot about the business of being a professional writer. More importantly, though, I've managed to pay rent on time, and buy the occasional cheeseburger, with nothing more than word count. Not because I kept my nose to the grindstone, and refused to step away from the one true calling I felt for writing books, but because I recognized that I had to do more if I expected to put "writer" on the profession line for my taxes.

That's the secret I would share with anyone who wants to claw their way up to that final plateau. The day might come when you get that book deal, or you self-publish the next big series that locks you into a bigger tax bracket for the next ten years. But between now and then, you've got bills to pay. So why not use the skill you've been sharpening so hard for so long?

Lastly, if you're looking for places you can start making a living as a writer, I'll save you some searching. Just check out Where To Find Online Writing Jobs, and Make Money Writing (By Joining Infobarrel.com).

As always, thanks for checking in with The Literary Mercenary! If you want to help support me (and possibly get me a little closer to that future where all I do is write blogs and books), then consider stopping by my Patreon page to become a patron today! If you'd prefer to get regular updates on my latest and greatest, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter!

The One Phrase Every Author Needs to Know For Networking Success

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."

This phrase has been in use for over a century, and the sentiment has probably been around ever since society grew to the point it became impossible to know every person in your village by name and face. Some authors get to the top of the pile because they worked hard, wrote really great books, and they had enough zeitgeist magic to get and keep a loyal following. Authors who stay on top, the ones who never lack for buzz and who seem to always have the support of other people in the industry, do something over and above all that; they network.

Pictured: A Successful Career, In Abstract

It makes sense, after all. People want to help their friends, and if you have a network that can get you into closed-door meetings with publishers, get visible reviews of your work in front of the reading public, or help you get onto a TV or radio show then of course you're going to have a better shot at being a successful author. The real question is how do you get those kind of networking connections? Is there a certain convention you have to go to, a particular social media platform or page you need to be active on, or a certain publisher you need to get in with?

Yes, but over and above those things there is a single phrase you need to use (and live by) in order to build your network. What is that phrase?

Would You Like Some Free Promo?

That's it. Like I said in How To Get Your "Big Break" As An Author one of the most important things you can do is reach out a helping hand to other people. If you meet another author, ask them if they're looking for reviews for their book, or if they'd like to be interviewed on your blog, Youtube channel, podcast, (seriously, you should have at least one of these options on hand) etc. If you find a cool business you like and you want to get on the owner's good side then post a review of their products. Even a little shout out (like telling you to check out Obscure Belts, a really unique belt maker that I met at C2E2 this year. Seriously, check them out and Like them on Facebook) can mean you've just made a friend.

You know you want to know how to open The Enigma.

You don't need to command the attention of a huge cult of followers for this strategy to work either; you just need to be willing to extend a hand. In fact if you add on the caveat of, "I don't have much of an audience, but what I do have I'll gladly use," you're even more likely to engender goodwill. What you're really saying is I'm putting myself out there for you, because I think more people should know about what you're doing.

That's a powerful statement, and it's one that will turn you from some guy at a convention to my new best friend in a big hurry.

Keep It Calm, Chill, and Professional

While this strategy is a great way to expand your network in a big hurry, you have to be aware of when it won't work. For example, people who are already famous (Your Jim Butchers, George R. R. Martins, and Margaret Weises, to name a few) already have plenty of fame and promotion. It can't hurt to offer a little more, but it might seem like they're doing you the favor rather than the other way around.

Also, tune-in to social queues. If someone is hedging, or you feel like they're trying to decline your offer without being rude, give them an out. Not everyone is going to give you the big smile and hearty handshake combo that usually accompanies a genuine offer of aid. Generally speaking if you're holding out a hand to someone, and that person doesn't immediately put a business card in it, it's best to tip your hat and walk away.

Making this kind of offer still leaves people with a positive impression of you. Even if the initial response is a, "no, thank you," that same person might contact you later to see if your offer still stands. And, most importantly, when you help enough people they'll be willing to return the favor. That means when your next book comes out you might have a bevy of bloggers, authors, podcasters, and general people in the industry who are willing to hold up your book and yell, "hey, you should all check this out!"

You can't buy help like that.

As always thanks for stopping in for this week's Business of Writing piece, and if you'd like to help support me and my blog just go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and become a patron today! If you want to make sure you're getting all of my updates you can follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and yes, even on Twitter.