Monday, January 21, 2008
Cool website and podcast for freelance writers
Just found this podcast on iTunes last week while searching for any podcast having to do with freelancing, freelance writing, and/or writing. I really dig it because it's only around 15 minutes long and full of useful info. The 15-minute podcast format is quickly becoming my favorite. Check out WritingForPay.org and download the podcast on iTunes. I especially love the podcast on Joy Gorsuch because she's a blonde freelance writer with glasses--like me! Are we all blonde chicks with glasses, or at least writers with glasses? Must be all the hours at the computer. Plus, she's a house sitter. This isn't the first time I've heard of a media chick doing house sitting to make ends meet. Even better: here's a professional house sitter as in she's homeless. She's also like me in that she's an underemployed radio personality doing a podcast. (Or well, my podcast with MelodyTrip is on hiatus right now). Check out how some of us freelance chicks manage to make ends meet!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
My new year's blogging challenge and discovery of Tumblr
My buddy says my drive to blog once a day on my sites sounds very "draconian." He's probably right. Since I have big ideas for my websites that are meant to lead to the eventual earning of money from them, I first need an audience. You can't draw an audience without the content. You can't amass content without putting something new up there every day.
The other good thing about writing every day is the ideas. I'm forcing myself to come up with an idea every day. It really works the brain to stay creative and on top of things instead of oscillating into a complacent pattern of thinking only about grocery lists and which Netflix DVD is coming next. It also allows me to cover my topics thoroughly. I am afraid a little bit of burnout and of this becoming about quantity over quality. But I don't have a quota or really any rules. The idea is just to blog once a day and if I can't, I blog twice the next. The blogs don't have to be a certain length so some are long and some are short. And I'm trying to stay away from just posting links to other stuff, which a lot of blogs do. I look at that as just filler so I try not to do it.
That's what Tumblr is for anyway. This blog and my Libertease blog are two that I update as I feel like it. Tumblr is super-easy and quick to update. It's more like an online collection or scrapbook than a blog. I can even update it from the Tumblet, which is a widget I downloaded for my Apple Dashboard. So now I have a Libertease Tumblr page that is a companion for the actual blog. This is a politics blog I keep just for kicks, mostly to log how I am making my decision on who to vote for as president. I really can't decide who to vote for this election and that's really unusual for me. Usually I know all year which is the right candidate for me. So I imagine I'll be looking back over the blog the first week of November, trying to remember who did and said what all year long as I make my final decision.
The two that get updated daily are The Music Stalker blog and the Hippy Shopping Chick Blog. They're hobby blogs.
I'm a radio veteran and a total music stalker, always on the lookout for something good to listen to music-wise. That's what The Music Stalker is for. I just couldn't find a place where I could write about all the music I like. Everyone wants to give you a label and a niche and you're supposed to stay within the lines. I can't do that. I really do like all music. It gives me a spot in cyberspace to work on my own brand of unique music journalism.
Hippy Shopping Chick is about conscious lifestyle choices through, of course, shopping. It's about veganism, vegetarianism, healthy food, food geek stuff, recipes, personal care products, eco-friendly stuff, household items, living with a meat eater, and anything else I've confronted since converting to a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. The site is for people who are new vegetarians or who are interested in getting the most out of their health food store--and the people who are afraid to navigate the local health food store at all. The site is also for non-vegetarians. It's just for people who want to spend their money on a better lifestyle. I was inspired to do it because a coworker told me she thought of me when driving by a Whole Foods. Everyone says that. Then people who don't know me starting asking for advice about non-conventional sunblock by the pool...it was like I had "Hippy Shopping Chick" written on my forehead! I probably do.
The other good thing about writing every day is the ideas. I'm forcing myself to come up with an idea every day. It really works the brain to stay creative and on top of things instead of oscillating into a complacent pattern of thinking only about grocery lists and which Netflix DVD is coming next. It also allows me to cover my topics thoroughly. I am afraid a little bit of burnout and of this becoming about quantity over quality. But I don't have a quota or really any rules. The idea is just to blog once a day and if I can't, I blog twice the next. The blogs don't have to be a certain length so some are long and some are short. And I'm trying to stay away from just posting links to other stuff, which a lot of blogs do. I look at that as just filler so I try not to do it.
That's what Tumblr is for anyway. This blog and my Libertease blog are two that I update as I feel like it. Tumblr is super-easy and quick to update. It's more like an online collection or scrapbook than a blog. I can even update it from the Tumblet, which is a widget I downloaded for my Apple Dashboard. So now I have a Libertease Tumblr page that is a companion for the actual blog. This is a politics blog I keep just for kicks, mostly to log how I am making my decision on who to vote for as president. I really can't decide who to vote for this election and that's really unusual for me. Usually I know all year which is the right candidate for me. So I imagine I'll be looking back over the blog the first week of November, trying to remember who did and said what all year long as I make my final decision.
The two that get updated daily are The Music Stalker blog and the Hippy Shopping Chick Blog. They're hobby blogs.
I'm a radio veteran and a total music stalker, always on the lookout for something good to listen to music-wise. That's what The Music Stalker is for. I just couldn't find a place where I could write about all the music I like. Everyone wants to give you a label and a niche and you're supposed to stay within the lines. I can't do that. I really do like all music. It gives me a spot in cyberspace to work on my own brand of unique music journalism.
Hippy Shopping Chick is about conscious lifestyle choices through, of course, shopping. It's about veganism, vegetarianism, healthy food, food geek stuff, recipes, personal care products, eco-friendly stuff, household items, living with a meat eater, and anything else I've confronted since converting to a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. The site is for people who are new vegetarians or who are interested in getting the most out of their health food store--and the people who are afraid to navigate the local health food store at all. The site is also for non-vegetarians. It's just for people who want to spend their money on a better lifestyle. I was inspired to do it because a coworker told me she thought of me when driving by a Whole Foods. Everyone says that. Then people who don't know me starting asking for advice about non-conventional sunblock by the pool...it was like I had "Hippy Shopping Chick" written on my forehead! I probably do.
Monday, January 7, 2008
It's been a while since I've blogged
Let me try and make a long story short!
I am searching for a full-time job, but this is something I have done for a year now. Nobody has offered me anything I can't live without, so by default, I am still a freelancer. I am not sure I am happy about it. I am not sure I am ready to leave the world of being a worker bee for being a permanent freelancer. But I am closer than I was a year ago. If you're trying to decide whether to become a freelance writer, web programmer, designer or a freelance anything, this is a good thing to take into account. I think there are two kinds of freelancers.
1. Those who have enjoyed a long and fruitful career but who want to go out on their own and are ready to leave the comforts of a paycheck that comes every two weeks in the same amount.
2. Those who are forced to do it because their job search isn't going the way they want it to.
I'm in that second group and have been for over a year and a half. I guess it gives me an interesting perspective on trial by fire and being forced into this profession of being a freelancer. I do find it rewarding. If I take a full-time job tomorrow, I won't give up freelancing. I won't give up launching my own websites.
Speaking of...
My websites! They're updated!
WriterHeather.com has all kinds of updates, including an exciting new About Me page. Though I can't get the text to un-bold and don't know why. Suggestions welcome.
TheMusicStalker.com still needs some love and some expansion. But it's my very own piece of cyberspace dedicated to my own brand of music journalism. The action right now with The Music Stalker is all on the blog for the moment.
HippyShoppingChick.com is plugging along too and much faster than The Music Stalker main site. There's also action on the Hippy Shopping Chick blog.
In fact, that's my new year's resolution for 2008. I will blog daily on Hippy Shopping Chick and The Music Stalker in order to grow my audience. Let the adventure begin!
I am searching for a full-time job, but this is something I have done for a year now. Nobody has offered me anything I can't live without, so by default, I am still a freelancer. I am not sure I am happy about it. I am not sure I am ready to leave the world of being a worker bee for being a permanent freelancer. But I am closer than I was a year ago. If you're trying to decide whether to become a freelance writer, web programmer, designer or a freelance anything, this is a good thing to take into account. I think there are two kinds of freelancers.
1. Those who have enjoyed a long and fruitful career but who want to go out on their own and are ready to leave the comforts of a paycheck that comes every two weeks in the same amount.
2. Those who are forced to do it because their job search isn't going the way they want it to.
I'm in that second group and have been for over a year and a half. I guess it gives me an interesting perspective on trial by fire and being forced into this profession of being a freelancer. I do find it rewarding. If I take a full-time job tomorrow, I won't give up freelancing. I won't give up launching my own websites.
Speaking of...
My websites! They're updated!
WriterHeather.com has all kinds of updates, including an exciting new About Me page. Though I can't get the text to un-bold and don't know why. Suggestions welcome.
TheMusicStalker.com still needs some love and some expansion. But it's my very own piece of cyberspace dedicated to my own brand of music journalism. The action right now with The Music Stalker is all on the blog for the moment.
HippyShoppingChick.com is plugging along too and much faster than The Music Stalker main site. There's also action on the Hippy Shopping Chick blog.
In fact, that's my new year's resolution for 2008. I will blog daily on Hippy Shopping Chick and The Music Stalker in order to grow my audience. Let the adventure begin!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Check out my Mana review for Batanga.com
My Mana concert review for Batanga.com is finally online here. So you can read it now.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Do I give up freelancing or do I keep going?
I would really like to take a break from freelancing and work a full-time job. I realize I will never quit freelancing completely. But I have been trying to steer away from it, I swear! Maybe it's an addiction without a twelve step program at the present time. Maybe someday there will be help for us freelancers, but not today.
I have started interning for Organic Processing Magazine and am enjoying it very much. So far I've done a tiny bit of writing and lots of proofreading. So I've gotten to indulge my anal-retentive and detail-oriented side with the proofreading while delving into the world of Organic Processing. I never knew how much effort went into organic foods and getting them to our table. I will definitely become even more of an organic consumer than I already am. (Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal -- highly recommend it).
Another bright spot in my week so far is that I just found out I'm going to cover two Mana concerts here in Phoenix for Batanga.com! I love Mana so I can't wait!
In interest of breaking out and doing my own thing, or at least working towards it as a music journalist, I am crowning myself "The Music Stalker" and purchased:
TheMusicStalker.com
TheMusicStalker.net
TheMusicStalker.info
Also check out TheMusicStalker.blogspot.com.
I will eventually want to break off from Suite101.com, which is great, but I'll have to grow up and out of dues paying at some point. So I'm starting my transition now. There are other ideas I have for The Music Stalker, so stay tuned.
This is only just beginning...
I have started interning for Organic Processing Magazine and am enjoying it very much. So far I've done a tiny bit of writing and lots of proofreading. So I've gotten to indulge my anal-retentive and detail-oriented side with the proofreading while delving into the world of Organic Processing. I never knew how much effort went into organic foods and getting them to our table. I will definitely become even more of an organic consumer than I already am. (Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal -- highly recommend it).
Another bright spot in my week so far is that I just found out I'm going to cover two Mana concerts here in Phoenix for Batanga.com! I love Mana so I can't wait!
In interest of breaking out and doing my own thing, or at least working towards it as a music journalist, I am crowning myself "The Music Stalker" and purchased:
TheMusicStalker.com
TheMusicStalker.net
TheMusicStalker.info
Also check out TheMusicStalker.blogspot.com.
I will eventually want to break off from Suite101.com, which is great, but I'll have to grow up and out of dues paying at some point. So I'm starting my transition now. There are other ideas I have for The Music Stalker, so stay tuned.
This is only just beginning...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Update time!
The Freelance Chick (moi) has been busy. It's feast or famine in freelancing, which makes for a poor quality of life and lots of neglected blogging tasks... Since you're actually reading my blog you deserve an update though.
I'm on the air every day. That's eating up a LOT of my time!
I have managed to get a couple things done. You can check out my radio MySpace page. That's where I'll list the dates/times of my radio shows and let you know what all I'm up to in radio. You can listen to "airchecks" which is a fancy names for tapes of what I do on the air. You can see what kind of musical artists I'm into and read up on what I'm up to.
MySpace.com/radioheather
I'm also very excited today that I have found a leaked copy of the new Common album, "Finding Forever" online. You can read my discussion I just started on this very thing. Please visit the rest of the cool stuff on my pop music page at Suite101.com for the rest of what I've been writing lately. I've blogged about Live Earth, put up some discussions & polls, and also written about cool new artists like A Fine Frenzy and Sean Kingston. If you're a music fan, bookmark my page and study up!
My contract with CNET's Webshots has come to an end. It's sad because I loved working with them, but they are going in a non-freelance direction. Let me just have my little "law of attraction" moment here and hope that my every client from now on is just like CNET! Thanks for a great relationship, everyone!
The prospective internship is popping up again...
We've also reached our 16th podcast at MelodyTrip.com, which is awesome. I'm now plugging in some podsafe music into every podcast as well as news. My new goal is to get an interview into every podcast. Music fans can't exist on news and indie music alone!
So that's it for now. Check back soon for updates on my freelance chick world. And don't forget to check out WriterHeather.com for the rest of anything you'd ever want to know about me.
I'm on the air every day. That's eating up a LOT of my time!
I have managed to get a couple things done. You can check out my radio MySpace page. That's where I'll list the dates/times of my radio shows and let you know what all I'm up to in radio. You can listen to "airchecks" which is a fancy names for tapes of what I do on the air. You can see what kind of musical artists I'm into and read up on what I'm up to.
MySpace.com/radioheather
I'm also very excited today that I have found a leaked copy of the new Common album, "Finding Forever" online. You can read my discussion I just started on this very thing. Please visit the rest of the cool stuff on my pop music page at Suite101.com for the rest of what I've been writing lately. I've blogged about Live Earth, put up some discussions & polls, and also written about cool new artists like A Fine Frenzy and Sean Kingston. If you're a music fan, bookmark my page and study up!
My contract with CNET's Webshots has come to an end. It's sad because I loved working with them, but they are going in a non-freelance direction. Let me just have my little "law of attraction" moment here and hope that my every client from now on is just like CNET! Thanks for a great relationship, everyone!
The prospective internship is popping up again...
We've also reached our 16th podcast at MelodyTrip.com, which is awesome. I'm now plugging in some podsafe music into every podcast as well as news. My new goal is to get an interview into every podcast. Music fans can't exist on news and indie music alone!
So that's it for now. Check back soon for updates on my freelance chick world. And don't forget to check out WriterHeather.com for the rest of anything you'd ever want to know about me.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
