Notes from Minnesota

Last time we spoke, I was scooting all over Kandiyohi County. I still am. :)

If you go to my blog, I've got a couple great new pics from my adventures. I've gone snap happy with the camera and will be uploading more pics as time goes by.

I hope you're enjoying summer! It's winding down fast so be sure to get outside today.

Onward and upward!

Beth 

P.S. Be sure to check out our best sellers. Here's the link.

P.P.S. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed about my new radio show. It's launching this fall. I'm compiling a list of potential guests and will contact you soon if you've expressed an interest in chatting about your project for an hour.

In the mean time, if you've written a book, own a writing related website, and/or assist writers in any way and would like to apply for a full hour guest slot, e-mail me so I can get more information about you, your project, and your writing process. It's an exciting endeavor that I hope will help support the wider freelancing community. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

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Mindset Moment

Hey Freelancer, 

The robin does not mourn that she isn't a meadowlark. The blackbird doesn't yearn to become an eagle. The sparrow glories in all she is.

Why do you strive to become something you aren't? Glory in who you are. Rejoice in your uniqueness. Be... you. Release your message. Relish in all you are.

(Mindset Moment)

Beth's Hot Pick of the Week

This past week a dream came true for me. After (what felt like) forever, we were finally able to launch http://FilbertBooks.com. This is the place where you can nab nearly every single Filbert Publishing title as an e-book... at the fraction of the cost of the trade paperback version.

As the economy tightens, I wanted to be able to offer the incredible information, information freelancers can instantly use to jumpstart their careers, at an incredibly reasonable price.

That dream comes true today!

We've got inspirational titles, nonfiction for writers, and some incredible fiction. Be sure to check 'er out. Your career (and bottom line) will thank you. :)

August Events for the Creative Mindset Community 

I'm opening membership to the Writing Etc. community on September 1. I'll contact the folks on the waiting list in around a week so they'll have first dibs on the few open slots in the Creative Mindset Community. Keep an eye on this space for updates.

Every single member receives my regular audio CDs, books, Yahoo group, Round Table discussions and much more.

So, if you're looking for a small, tight knit writing community... a place where you'll receive free resources, a private chat area, a monthly subscription to the Creative Mindset Newsletter, and a monthly Round Table discussion where you can hang out with other freelancers, ask questions, and simply be yourself... you need to check out the Creative Mindset Community.

Keep an eye on this space. I'm opening 'er up when you receive your next issue of Writing Etc.

A Hearty Thanks!

Carol Adler writes:

Hi Beth!

The Ups and Downs of Freelancing... and How to Deal With 'Em 

Beth's note: I was recently digging through “My Documents” and found this interview. Thought you'd find it interesting. Enjoy!

1. Name: Beth Ann Erickson
2. State: Minnesota
3. Title: “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing
4. Career blurb: Professional freelance writer since 1995. Dreamer, story weaver, and “investigative reporter,” since… well, forever. J
5. Website: http://FilbertPublishing.com  and http://BethAnnErickson.com

Please answer the following in at least 1 sentence. Fill out as many questions as you would like, and send it back to me.

Hardships/Downs

1. What is the hardest thing about being self-employed and how do you strive to overcome this factor?

Hmmmm, tough question.

As a writer, I love to write. Unfortunately I discovered early in my career that marketing is a key element in writing success.

If a writer doesn’t know how to market, I don’t care how fabulous their writing talent is, they simply won’t get far in this biz without an even rudimentary knowledge of marketing.

After all, as an example, ponder this for a second: Some pretty mediocre singers today have evolved into our musical icons. This is a prime example of how marketing finesse over-rides the talent factor.

In the writing field itself, many of our best selling authors really aren’t the best writers in the world.

But they are avid story tellers and fantastic marketers.

Fairly sobering, yeah. But quite liberating once you accept this phenomena, brush up on your marketing skills, and turn this odd situation to your benefit.

2. Do you feel that not working enough/working too much hinders your success?

Nope.

As a writer, I’m always writing. I simply can’t turn it “off.”

Stories are always rumbling through my mind. Characters constantly “whisper.”

So… working too much? Not an option.

I write to maintain my joy. I write to release what’s within me. If I didn’t I’d be quite unhappy.

3. Do you ever feel guilty for not being in the corporate 9-5 world? Nope. I wouldn’t trade places with a 9 to 5er for all the tea in China.

Did you ever work a 9-5 job? Yes.

What was it like leaving, and why did you leave? The happiest day of my life.

I hated the inflexible schedule. I disliked the fact that my life could get re-arranged with one stroke of a pencil, whenever the supervisor decided to switch the schedule around. I didn’t enjoy giving the best part of my day to a corporation.

What do you miss about the 9-5 world?

I do miss my co-workers. They were a hoot.

4. Do you procrastinate? Yup. Generally speaking, if I find myself engaging in procrastination behavior, I sit back and pin point the exact reason why my body won’t get to work.

Usually I’m feeling fearful about a project. Or perhaps I’m not feeling great about the way something is progressing. Once I pin point the exact reason why I’m not moving forward, I can deal with the situation, then get on the right track.

Do you find that not having a boss watch over you hinders your work? No. I’m much tougher on me than my boss ever was.

5. How do you stay on top of work hours. Do you log them in? Nope.

Do you work more so in set hours or whenever work arises? I hate mornings. I generally get down to writing around 10:00 AM. I walk my two dogs at 11:30. My creative juices really flow from around 12:30 until around 4:00. After supper, I read, continue writing, whatever.

I avoid television but will jump at the chance to slay a few orcs with my dear son via a multi-player computer game.

So, my schedule is loosely organized. If I’ve got too many irons in the fire, I’ll tighten ship and write more. But if my schedule is open, I take time to “fill my cup” by enjoying life more.

 Do you work on weekends? Sometimes. If I’m real busy or particularly inspired.

6. Do you consider yourself a workaholic? Why?

Nah. Because I enjoy my work so much. As long as it doesn’t conflict with my family life, I don’t think that my work schedule is out of the ordinary.

7. Do you doubt your talents when work doesn't come in steady?

Nope. If I’m not busy writing advertising copy, I’m working on a book. If I’m finished with all my book projects (this has never happened yet), I can tinker with my zine for writers. If I’m caught up on that, I can work on FilbertPublishing.com, one of my websites.

There’s plenty to do.

Plus, as far as “steady work” goes, you have to understand that sometimes outside forces dictate how much work will come in. September 11 had a devastating impact on many businesses. This had nothing to do with talent. Gas prices can affect marketing budgets. Again, this has nothing to do with talent.

The only way for a writer to protect themselves against outside forces is to maintain more than one income stream.

8. Do you ever consider giving up on a creative full-time job and going to a 9-5 type of job? Why?

Absolutely not. I’m the worst employee. I expect to walk my dogs in the middle of the work day. I figure I can take time off to hang out with my son on a random, lazy Tuesday afternoon. I take puppy breaks all the time and wrestle with my dogs on the floor. I doubt corporate America would smile upon that behavior.

No. Freelancing has ruined me for corporate life.

9. How often do you face rejection?

All the time. Just remember that most rejection is totally not personal. 

Q: What are the feelings associated with putting your work out there, and how do you handle rejection and fear of exposing yourself?

It’s hard. I won’t deny that.

I just try to make my work the best I can make it. Some days, I feel like the queen of the world… all is well… words flow perfect. Other days everything sucks. Totally. I couldn’t write myself out of a hole.

I don’t fight it. I just do my best and move forward.

Some people will like my writing, others won’t. I don’t try to convince the people who think I’m a hack that I’m not. I just keep writing. That’s my job.

10. Have you experienced anxiety/depression over money/work issues since you started as a self-employed worker?

Sure. I think every freelancer will face this somewhere along the line.

The trick is to not focus on the negative. Negatives always exist. It’s a reality we face.

However, if you focus on the negatives, you stifle your creative energy. Once that energy is hindered, BOOM… instant writers block. Then writers block makes the anxiety/perceived money problems worse.

If you keep your mind focused on the positives going on in your life (and there are ALWAYS positive things going on), you allow your creative juices to flow which in turn generates a constant flow of writing, which then takes care of the money problems.

It’s all a cycle. You choose whether to dwell in the negative cycle or the positive one. It’s a conscious choice daily.

As for anxiety, just sit outside your house (a steaming glass of hot chocolate is a fun addition to this exercise) from around 7:00 to 9:00AM. Watch everyone in your neighborhood head off to work. Take a good look at their face. Watch their body language.

Generally speaking, they don’t look particularly thrilled. They’re probably not living their dream. They’re often blithely waiting for the weekend to arrive.

We don’t have to do that. We set our own hours. We have the freedom to choose however we want to live.

Ponder these thoughts and your anxieties will melt when you’re faced with the awesomeness of this job.

Good Points/Ups

1. How did you become self-employed?

I had no choice.

After years of trying to have a child, I finally conceived. Then promptly lost it.

The second time I got pregnant, I became deathly ill as my due date approached. Without going into specifics, I feel incredibly blessed that both me and my baby survived.

However, I came out of the experience knowing that he would more than likely be my only child. I decided then and there that I was going to spend every moment I could with this incredible person.

And that’s exactly what I did.

2. What is your favorite thing about being self-employed?

Freedom.

Freedom to decide who I’ll work with and when. Freedom to work when I want to work. Freedom to work on the projects that are calling to me at the moment. Freedom to set up the work environment I want, listen to the music I want to listen to, place the office wherever my must takes me (God bless laptop computers).

Freedom to live my life the way I want to live it.

3. What are the advantages, specifically to your career field, to self-employment?

Freelancers aren’t bound by corporate structure.

We don’t follow protocols. We’re free to get the story in the best way we know how.

The information we provide is instant, relevant, and up-to-date.

4. What do you do with down time (when steady work doesn't come in)?

What down time? I have so many projects going at one time that I have yet to experience a force down time.

However, when I choose, I love to spend time with my family. We bike. Take the dogs on hiking trails. Travel. Engage in lively multi-player computer games. Hang out together.

5. Recall a moment when your creative talents shined with regard to your work.

Hmmmmm… tough question.

I guess I’d have to say that I’m the most proud of my first novel.

Sitting down and completing my first long-form fiction was surreal. It takes a lot of courage to stare at that blank page and start typing. It’s incredible to watch characters take form and begin to breathe on their own.

That being said, I get pretty thrilled whenever a writer tells me that I had a small hand in their success. It’s pretty cool. Because after all, that’s what it’s all about, right? Passing on the knowledge….

6. What/who is your biggest source of inspiration or support as you continue your career? How has this person or thing helped you?

I’ve received guidance and support from so many people.

Mentors have taught me the tips, tricks, and techniques that help make maneuvering through this career more efficient.

Readers provide constant encouragement.

Zine subscribers keep me honest and on track with my goals.

If I were to choose one person, I’d have to say (professionally speaking) I admire Bob Bly above all.

His integrity, his perseverance, his generosity is truly an inspiration to me. He’s a prolific writer, constant encourager, and savvy businessman. I think all these traits make for a successful and ethical freelance career.

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Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles including “101 No Cost and Low Cost Secrets To Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income.” Pick up your copy today at http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html   She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers.

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