So inundated with work have I been this week, I was happy to swap dates with my ex so she can have the kids this weekend and let her have a girly weekend away the next. That’s not to say that it hasn’t been a lot of fun so far, in fact, 2008 has thrown up quite a few surprises and many of them are very pleasant.

The first intriguing project has been confirmed today; I’ve been retained by Richard Duszczak (pronounced Dooshack) of The Cartoon Studio. Richard aka Cartoon Genius, uses cartoon imagery to carry a business message whether it be a marketing promo or a “wash your hands” health and safety poster. Honestly, using cartoons in a business context has never struck me before and the project held my interest simply because it is such an unusual gig. The more I’ve delved into Richard’s sites and his work, the broader the grin on my face

Richard has produced work for Hewlett Packard, Triton (the shower company), Burger King, eBay and Comet to name a very few of his corporate clients and his pedigree looks far better than mine. When you see names like that being thrown around as part of your portfolio though, you really ought to pay attention as they are very serious clients and any one of them would be very welcome in my list of clients.

There is a wonderful section on his site that takes you through how a cartoon strip is created - Triton for instance, used a series of cartoon strips featuring Ed and his lady apprentice as they went about their adventures in plumbing. Finding humour in a situation involving “Unichrome” shower fittings and a couple of plumbers as part of a training and promo campaign in the trade press for a new product range, is worthy of Messrs. Perry & Croft. Reading the strip, you can see the humour coming through to ram the message home but Richard did leave something out that no plumber crossing my threshold has not been equipped with - builders’ bum!

The second project that has caught my eye is not really a project at all. It probably should be described as a”gravy train”. I wrote a series of articles on state financial provision in various countries which was well paid but a little fiddly as it was very technical. Perhaps this is a lesson in always delivering the very best you can as the client at the time was very pleased with the results and promised more work. More work never materialised but I emailed my client base saying Happy New Year and I’m open for business, and to my very great surprise I received a telephone call.

Steve at Client: “Happy New Year Karl, remember I told you we might have more work? Can you send me your CV as we want you to go to Japan, Korea and Switzerland and some other countries, intervew the regulators and write up full country reports for us.”

Me: “Sure, how much are they paying?”

Steve: “It’s about £3,500 per country report plus your expenses.”

Me: “How long do I need to be away?”

Steve: “Probably a week in each country but you can space them out so you do one every six weeks - this is continuous cycle but for countries in Europe, you can get them done in a couple of days so you don’t need to be away that long - is that OK?”

Me: [thinking these guys are going to pay me for a free holiday every six weeks!] “I don’t see any issues with that, when do you want to meet?”

Now that is just what the doctor ordered! I find out next week if I have the free holidays serious writing work.
That aside, work has flowed in as I started 2008 just after Christmas, so for you lazy bones slobbing out believing work won’t start until this forthcoming Monday try this on for size - I’ve already paid my credit card bill for Christmas with my earnings in the first 5 days of 2008, your credit card bill is also probably taking time off as it’s too fat to get through your letterbox

Now get off you bum’s and get back to work!

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I will not attempt to give an entire history of words. But, what I find fascinating is how set people get in things. A very brief and slightly lackadaisical look at the history of words might compel readers to start inventing words of their own.

It’s a fact that at one time there were no words. At the writing of the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, there were almost 200,000 active words, nearly 50,000 no longer in use and about 10,000 derivatives. The interesting fact is how many words we no longer even remember and how many words we will eventually invent, embrace and discard just like the others.

So, the “oohs” and “ahs” of the cave people needed to go. We only let our children use those words today because what else would they say if we didn’t at least give them those? But when sophistication steps into human record is when we start to build a lexicon of words that apply to what we need and want at every era throughout our history.

Earth, Wind and Fire might be the name of a very good American R&B band, but they are also the first words introduced into our language. Of course, that language wasn’t English. It was more of an Indo-European dialect that actually contains the origins of several European languages that exist today. And that’s just the beginning.

English happened to come along finally after years of torture and misery. In fact, there was so much chaos in the beginning that words had no definite spelling. William Shakespeare’s name had arguably about thirteen different spellings itself. It didn’t matter back then because people believed meaning was more important.

With the various dialects of English across England and the influence still lingering from the Indo-European split, we have a confusing inconsistency in spellings. “Q” and “K” are often swapped. “D” and “T” suffer the same ambiguity. “B” and “P” just can’t seem to get their act together at all. Those are only a few examples.

Eventually English starts to get a sense of stability. William Shakespeare gets one spelling. In fact, over the next several years or so linguists make a solid attempt to pin down all the words to a final spelling. Yes, it’s a fact that some words aren’t quite there yet even today. Just ask any non-English speaking student learning English as a Second Language. The confusion on their face is priceless. Not intentional, but priceless nonetheless.

So, what does all that lead up to say? Have fun inventing words. Refusing to give an estimation that could possibly be way off, I do remember statistics given to me in college but that was a long time ago, the English language develops at a very fast rate. That’s because people are interesting and creative. The English language never stood a chance at ever getting boring. Words that get adopted and grow into common use get added to the dictionary. Make your mark!

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My first day back from the New Year and I would like to wish everyone a great year! I’m going to start it off right, with a story about freelancing and how to get off to a good start. Proofreaders are here to make you look good and here’s an example.

It was the year end, so I decided to take a look at a few things the other day. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I’ve got to admit that I feel a little inspired when I see how great other freelancers are doing. I looked at one such freelancer’s earnings and found him in the $70,000 USD range. That doesn’t even include work not accounted for in that particular profile.

It motivates me because that’s the potential we all have. But, I can’t help to think how much more potential I have over that writer because there were so many errors in his profile it was unbelievable. Yes, I looked. It was interesting and confusing at the same time. I guess it was an experience that humbled me a bit too.

It’s kind of a thing with me. I like to know my competition. I looked at the work he had done over the last year and I was impressed. But, I couldn’t get past the thought of wondering how in the world he got all those jobs. If I wanted someone to write something for me, I wouldn’t want to see any errors in his profile.

That’s kind of a pet peeve. I thought every writer felt that way. I know he earned quite a bit and I can’t argue with success. I also know that writers are often times the only ones who notice all those hideous mistakes. But, putting your best foot forward is the rule of thumb and in writing that means error free copy.  Here are just a few written documents that should always be submitted without error.

Resume

Your resume is your potential employer’s first impression of you. Just like a freelancer’s profile, it is the first thing a potential employer sees. Wouldn’t you want it to be error free? If that employer looks at errors as incompetence, you won’t get the job. Sometimes, job hunters can’t get through the door with a perfect resume. Don’t hurt yourself before you even get a chance.

Reports

Reports are your way of showing the world what you know. But, sometimes the boss uses them for promotional purposes. Yes, it’s more important to have the content and make sure your facts are straight. But after that, sit down and look the report over. Make sure it’s error free. Two people vying for the same position might get compared through their reports. Maybe not! But, if you were head-to-head with another person in getting that promotion, would you want anything holding you back?

Portfolio

There are different types of portfolios from modeling to architecture. The writer’s portfolio should be error free. Of course, having impressive work under your belt is a good way to get your foot in the door. But, your work should be error free if you want any chance at getting ahead in the freelance world.

The resume, a report and your portfolio merely scratches the surface on the handful of documents you need to ensure are error free.  Now, I can’t answer how in the world a professional writer is getting that good of a paycheck with a profile that contains errors. I’d rather not try to answer for him. But, yours should be error free just like I try to make mine. In fact, I think I’ll look mine over again just to make sure it’s as perfect as I can make it.

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I spent New Year’s Day bashing out exam questions for a client and it ranks as one of my more boring projects to date but it is finished and as a reward for myself, I did some research on getting into the mood for generating ideas for an article I’m writing tomorrow.

One technique needs no research from me as I use it often; visualisation.

Visualisation is simple and requires nothing more than closing your eyes and using your imagination. As such you can perform this anywhere and anytime, though it is not recommended while driving or when you should be paying attention to your better half!

Visualisation helps you get the creative juices flowing by playing a trick on the mind.

Practice This Yourself for 30 Seconds

Try this for size - close your eyes and think of the best holiday you ever had. Think of what made it so special for you; romance, food, music, the smell, the sights and sounds and think of one thing in particular that happened on that holiday that made you laugh and happy.

Spend a few moments doing that before you continue with this.

OK, time’s up - quickly now - are you smiling?

Chances are you smiled as you recounted this happy time and you experienced a sense of well-being that lingers with you.

This is a brief practical attempt at visualisation and it works for any experience you have had that gave you particular pleasure. Personally, I recall my children being born and how I felt on becoming a father and occasionally a childhood memory. The sense of well-being that you derive from visualisation is caused by the endorphins released by your brain; these are Mother Nature’s own natural narcotic and cause you to feel happy and in good spirits.

Will This Help Generate Ideas?

Answer the question for yourself; how good are your idea generating activities when you are feeling miserable and compare this with when you are feeling on top of the world. Your frame of mind has a direct bearing on your ability to be creative and to produce good work; happy workers are the best workers.

You can take visualisation a step further. As a salesman, I often became negative about some of the direct sales tactics that were spoon-fed to me while attending “training” courses. Frankly I thought they were an insult to anyone’s intelligence, but amongst the dross there was the occasional gem that just needed a little effort to get the benefit.

Try This 60 Second Exercise

Close your eyes when you are ready to begin. Imagine for a moment, you have won the lottery and are now rich beyond your wildest expectations.

Get past the initial buzz of winning the lottery and start thinking about what all that filthy lucre means for you and your loved ones. The mortgage is gone, you picture writing the cheque to pay it off and handing it to the bank manager personally. You buy a holiday villa, and you picture the journey to spend some time with your loved ones on a private charter plane you have hired just for them. Picture the face of your framily as they enjoy the luxury this good fortune brings. Your son can go to university, your daughter can travel and you buy that sports car for your better half and imagine their face as you surprise them with the keys.

Use your imagination but be detailed in what you picture is happening; as far as your mind is concerned this will be the real thing.

When you’ve finished, ask yourself how you honestly feel.

If you have wholeheartedly entered into this, you will feel more upbeat and happier than when you started. Reality has not changed except for the passage of time, but your biochemistry is kicking into gear because of what you are doing with your mind. The result is yet another release of those endorphins and a natural high.

Whatever Works For You

Placing yourself in an appropriate frame of mind is vital if you are to produce good work. This is a natural way of loosening yourself up and providing some extra motivation without the need for caffeine. Visualisation works best for me when I am alone and have no distractions going on around the house but standing on a cramped tube is no bar to using this technique. We are all different and have different memories that will trigger feelings of well-being and a sense of satisfaction or happiness.

Childhood memories are very powerful for evoking these sensations but it can be a holiday, a business success, a great looking girlfriend/boyfriend you met, something your children did or your favourite team winning a game. It makes no difference what you visualise as long as it holds some powerful memory of excitement, happiness or satisfaction.

As you are engaged solely in the recesses of your own mind it is also completely private so don’t be bashful - another hidden benefit

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I saw the New Year in with some friends, Bev and Steve, and watched the London fireworks on the television while slurping champers (actually Cava but by that inebriated stage who cares).

This is one post where my usual disciplined style of working at my desk has been dismissed, my old weary laptop has been wheeled into the bedroom and this is definitely the most laid back post I’ve written for a long time.  I’m so laid back, I’m actually horizontal as I lie here tucked up in bed with the electric blanket on and fog drifting by the bedroom window.

In this mood of contemplative cosiness, thoughts drift to what the neonate year will bring.

If the last couple of days of 2007 are any guide, it will be busy.  My email has slowly but surely been filling up and commissions have filtered in.  It has been surprising how many people are still working, or at least how many people are demanding services and the field for providers is wide open.  Now is a time for making some hay as my competition continues celebrating - long may they celebrate and I hope the hangover lasts as well.

In 72 hours I’ve placed bids on and won over $2,000 of work or in plain English, over a thousand pounds.

This explains why, although I’m horizontally laid out, I’m still keybashing on New Years Day as I try to fit the new work in before getting back to my regular clients.    That and a need to stockpile the bank account with some beer tokens and pay some bills

So, 2008, what can I expect?

One of my stated objectives is to double my earnings over 2007.  That does not mean working twice as hard as I think the balance between working and private life is probably about right for me.  What it will mean is working twice as smart.

I am increasing my fee rates for starters.  This means a minimum $25 for 1,000 words and no eBook commissions if the rate is less than $1,000 - small jobs have to go and the time created is to be spent on larger, and more profitable projects.

I have been spending some time reviewing my working practices.  Some things have become overly complicated and I have stripped from my work plans extraneous activities. The tack I am taking is to focus on those commissions I want to attract and ignore everything else - if small projects are offered and I have time, I’ll take them but I’m not running around after them.

Recruiting some help has long been on my mind.  I was asked by a sixty-four year old yesterday, how she could go about earning money from the internet.  As she is a former Bond girl (in the sixties) my immediate reply was “Well, first you should buy a webcam…” but I was caught short by an attempted knee in my groin.  Humour aside, someone to take on the bread and butter would be a good move but I am very conscious of the time it takes to manage someone else assuming you atttract the right person in the first instance. 

I have mapped out January with the tasks I need to achieve.  My website has been languishing with the developer and he needs a kick up the backside to get this completed.  My bookkeeping has been outsourced, and Sainsbury’s will be pleased to know I am recycling their shopping bags for all my receipts that otherwise get lost before those little numbers get entered in the Quickbooks accounting software.  All distractions have been displaced as far as I have been able to manage and now it is simply time to start getting on with the business of making the bread.

Whatever you wish for in 2008, I wish you well and whatever you embark upon, remember the old year is history, the new year is still the future but what we do today is what counts right now.

Happy New Year!

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