Joanne the Coach

A cautionary tale for freelancers

 

Now here's an odd one - I wonder what you make of this?

Towards the end of April I was contacted out of the blue by X. He said that he knew me from the Journalism.co.uk forum, and enquired about my availability to do some writing work.

As it happens I don't frequent that forum. I did have a freelance listing on the site, but I didn't renew it because it proved to be ineffectual. But perhaps this untrue detail should have been a red flag to me, in the light of what followed.

Over the following weeks I had a couple of emails from X (copied in to 3 other people), saying that the potential project was delayed but still in progress.

I didn't think too much about it - every freelancer gets approached about potential work that can sound terribly exciting at first but doesn't turn out to add up to a whole hill of beans. You soon learn not to get too excited until a definite contract or commission definitely appears.

Last week I was contacted by Y. 

Y is very angry with X. 

Y sent me a bunch of correspondence, including a lawyer's letter, to this effect. There's some kind of dispute going on about money owed, and work done, or not done.

So I asked Y: Why are you contacting me about this? I'm just a freelancer that X sounded out about possible work.

To which Y replied: "I thought you were working for that company and were perhaps a shareholder"

And when I looked at the attachment to Y's reply I could see why - for there in the pages of a marketing brochure were my photo and professional details. Neither of which I had directly supplied. The brochure starts: "We are a group of five journalists", which sort of implies, as they say in High School Musical, we're all in this together.

What I really didn't like was that part of the blurb boasted that "one of us writes the UK's only mother and daughter blog" - whilst it's true that I do that, and am very proud to do so, it's a non-commercial venture. I feel very uncomfortable that my 12 year old daughter's creative efforts are now part of some company's marketing blurb.

And as a pedantic writer I don't like being represented by a text that sees the need to capitalise 'Web sites' and 'Social Networking' - who does that?

There are repeated references to "we" and "our people", and some of the 'facts' about me make no sense at all.

Whilst it's not uncommon for freelancers to band together in order to win a bigger contract than they might do individually, for the love of God, surely you ask people's permission before you do a thing like that?

So I told Y, and then I emailed X pointing out that I hadn't given him my permission to do this, and that in any case I was no longer available to work with him. This is true, but even if I had nothing to fill my days, I don't think I'd ever be comfortable working for someone who thought that this was an OK way to behave.

When I emailed X, I cc'd in the 3 other people involved, who were also featured in the brochure. As it transpired, one of them is X's partner, but the other two, like me, are independent freelancers who had not supplied the information, didn't know that it had been used in this way and aren't happy about it.

So, what's a freelancer to do? I've been researching the legal situation but it seems unclear. Our names are our brands, and we need to get them out there in order to continue to attract work. But what can you do if someone uses your name, your brand, without your permission?

Well, if you've trademarked your name (which, unless you're a celebrity, you probably haven't) then you have a lot more rights if it looks like someone has breached your trademark, and you can sue. Luckily I have an expert in international law in the family so will get him to look at this.

X has said that my details were only in that one brochure, but then also says that my name will be removed "from all of our materials", which implies that there is more to it than that.

I guess it brings home to me the freelancers' curse - we must continually put ourselves out there in order to continue to attract work. It's something I often talk about with coaching clients - freelance journalism is a business, and all businesses must market themselves on an ongoing basis. But in putting ourselves out there we make ourselves vulnerable that our names and experience will be harnessed to something we did not intend.

And what to do differently next time? I think I need to research prospective clients a bit more, and set my red flag alert higher. I did google X, and found a somewhat home-made looking website, but that's hardly the crime of the century. Deep down I think I always knew that this wasn't an opportunity that would amount to much, but again that's not unusual. What is unusual is the element of having your details used without your knowledge or permission. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. At least now I know who not to work with.

If you were me, what (if anything) would you do now?

 

image credit: Flickr user, twicepix

Competition: Win a slanket of love - COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

 THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. DON'T LEAVE A COMMENT, IT WON'T BE COUNTED

Despite being a gnarly curmudgeon at heart, occasionally I thaw a little and decide that I'd like to give the world a cuddle.

Or on second thoughts, maybe just one lucky winner.

In honour of the upcoming day of Valentines, here's how to win a slanket of love in this easy as pee competition.

THE PRIZE:
The Love Rug Sleeved Blanket from FindMeaGift.com (pictured here) is, as the name suggests, a soft and cuddly fleecy blanket with sleeves. It's red with a white hearts pattern and comes complete with a pocket for your remote control.

So you can have a cup of tea, use your laptop, enjoy a snack fest marathon, all whilst cuddled up nice and warm. Slip a potty underneath and you may never have to leave the sofa again. It's the home worker's nirvana.

Retailing at £24.99, it's one of a range of Valentines gifts on offer from Find Me a Gift in honour of the impending season of lurve.

HOW TO ENTER:
This may be a single slanket, but let's face it, you could easily fit somebody else in there if you wanted to. Leave a comment below saying who you would share your slanket with on Valentine's Day.

EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN:
Double dips for anyone who likes this blog on Facebook - say if you're claiming an extra entry when you're leaving a comment.

RESTRICTIONS:
One entry per person
UK entries only

CLOSING DATE:
Midnight on Monday 6th February. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. A winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday 7th February and the prize sent out as soon as possible after that, so you should be all cuddly and cosy by Valentine's Day.

You can find more competitions to enter at ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions and Loquax Competitions

Social media for journalists: Part three - Getting work, getting paid and wasting time

And now the end of my presentation is near. How did I ever hope to cram this lot into 30 minutes and take questions as well? Daftoid. At least you know when you book me you get your money's worth.

Anyway, make sure you read part one of social media for journalists, which is an introduction to Twitter. And part two is all about LinkedIn and Facebook and some cool forums that'll help you get writing work.

Here in part three we're looking at what kind of social media work is available for journalists, what you might expect to get paid and how not to let all this stuff suck up more time than it's worth.

Social media work for journalists

• This could be tweeting or blogging on behalf of a client
  Essentially, it's the new copywriting, and much more dynamic than the old stuff. Could be worth suggesting to clients you've already written web copy for.
• Charge for time rather than per word
  Per word, the rates start to look pretty poor, so when quoting think in terms of what the client wants and how long that'll take you. Also take into consideration how much regular work can be guaranteed - £50 per 350 word blog post isn't great, but if you can finish it in under an hour and do 10 a week, it all adds up.
• An hour a day can add up to a lot more
  Typically, you might be asked to look after a Twitter feed for an hour a day, but any job which extends across the week will inevitably take up more mental space than that. Be realistic about what you commit to, and how that fits in with the other work you're doing.
• Other journos are charging from £300/day, or from £25/hour for social media work
  I did a mini survey and these figures were mentioned most commonly. So as a guide, you're thinking in terms of your copywriting daily rate.
• Clients may wish to pay a lot less!
  This is a brand new area of work, so the 'going rate' is still under negotiation. There will be clients who do not recognise that this is a skilled job for a writer and will expect to pay you in buttons. Whether or not you take those buttons is up to you, but remember that part of progressing as a writer is, on occasion, turning work down.

 

Social media for journalists: Part two - using LinkedIn, Facebook and forums to get work

Following on from the post about how journalists can start using Twitter for work, this is part two of my presentation to the Guild of Health Writers - here we're looking at other forms of social media including LinkedIn and Facebook.

(It was at this point in the presentation that I realised I had far too much to say.)

Using LinkedIn to get work as a journalist

• Fill in your profile to get your name at the top in Google searches
  LinkedIn ranks incredibly highly in search engines, so if somebody Googles your name (and editors will), your profile will pop up at the top. Particularly useful if you don't have a website for your journalism work (though frankly, you should). 
• Link your profile to your Twitter feed
  If you're using Twitter to circulate case study or other requests, link the two so both networks will see it.
• Ask for recommendations
  Get people you've worked with to fill in a LinkedIn recommendation to add to your credibility.
• Include keywords in your profile relating to services you can offer
  Recruiters are searching, so make it easier for them to find you. Nobody can offer you work if they don't know what you've got to offer.
• Join groups relevant to your specialism
  There're thousands of professional groups on LinkedIn, so there's bound to be a special little haven for you.
• Check out potential clients
  If you've got a meeting coming up with an editor, check out their LinkedIn profile to get the cut of their gib. *stalker alert*

 

Social media for journalists: Part one - Twitter for beginners

These notes are extracted from a talk given to the Guild of Health Journalists on 14th September 2011. If you're interested in this subject then you might want to also have a read of the post about 10 things Twitter can do for journalists.

We started with some general points about using social media:

• It's a conversation, not a broadcast
  Don't just pump out updates -  talk to people, jump into conversations, retweet their messages and see it as a two way flow.
• Look for personal connections and work will find you
  If you go in explicitly and solely looking for work, you'll probably be disappointed. See it as a source of new contacts and ideas and the opportunities will occur.
• Use your own name – that's your brand
  As a journalist, your byline is your brand, so don't tweet as your dog or your porn star name. The exception to this would be if you have a blog with an established name, in which case you might want to create a specific Twitter account just for that.
• Keep your photo consistent
  It's all about establishing you as a human being that other human beings will want to connect to and work with, so use the same photo across all social media and don't change it more than twice a year. Using the Hipstamatic App will produce the most flattering photo you've ever had.
• Klout.com will track your progress
  If you like statistics, Klout will track how your social media network and influence is growing - useful if you're worried that you're wasting your time.

One on, one in the wash

And here we are at the start of a new term of work. Book One has been written and sent off to the publisher's. That's not to say it won't come pinging back, scrawled all over with red writing saying Must Do Better. But for now at least it's done.

So how do you write a book in the school summer holidays?  Some writers I know stuck their kids in holiday camp, but I am much more hardcore than that. I simply let mine run feral for six weeks.

You know it's the end of the summer holidays when your TV is permanently stuck on CBBC and the dust bunnies have multiplied into a family of thousands. My children have entirely lost the ability to put on socks or go to bed before 9pm.

Social media for journalists - London event

Just wanted to let you know that I'm speaking at a Guild of Health Writers event in London on Wednesday 14th September.

The focus is on social media - Susan Aldridge will be talking about writing blogs and making money from them, Barbara Gibson will be talking about how to develop your social media strategy, and I'll be looking at how to get work via Twitter, LinkedIn and the rest, and also how to make the best of your social media time and not just spend hours hoovering up pictures of funny cats.

You can find all the details and how to book tickets here. Non menbers can attend, and whilst it will be fairly medical writer heavy, I think all journalists (particularly freelancers) will find it useful.

If you can't make it to the talk, I will put some of the notes and most important bits up here. And if you have a question about social media, especially if you're a journalist, put it in the comments box below and I will make sure you get an answer.

image: Flickr user, Rosaura Ochoa

What next for the journalists of the News of the World?

I really feel for the staff of the News of the World who've lost their jobs. My only encounter with the paper was years ago when there was a rumour going round that someone I knew had had a fling with a household name. I was offered a grand to wear a wire and go and record the flingee spilling the beans, but I turned down the offer. I just know I would have got it all wrong and turned up with a huge microphone by mistake.

For the journalists I've coached who've been made redundant from staff jobs, it's a shock. When you've been used to the security of a staff job and not had to look for work, the freelance world can be a strange and scary place.

I hope that at least some of the NOTW staffers will now move into a better phase of their lives. Options include:

Free newsletter for journalists and other media freelancers

Every month (ish) I send out a free email newsletter which is aimed at journalists,  broadcasters and other media freelancers to help them work smarter. I aim to include plenty of good job tips, special offers for newsletter subscribers only, latest training schemes and cool media events. 

I know we all get way too much email anyway, so it's kept brief, with links out to articles you might find useful. And yes there is a little ad for my coaching services tucked away in the middle, 'cos otherwise people might forget. But I won't spam you or use your address for anything else. If you need a media career coach, you know where I am. 

Anyway, you can see the latest newsletter here, feel free to join the email list if you'd like to see more. It's been running for over six years so either somebody likes it or I have worn them down into submission with my terrible jokes and tales from the dark side.

And if you are thinking of producing your own newsletter, I recommend the Constant Contact system which I've been using for years with no problems. There's a 60 day free trial, and If you use this link here to sign up then you and I would both get a $30 credit on our accounts. I also hear good things about the free service at Mail Chimp, but haven't used it myself so can't vouch for it personally. And if you want a newsletter, but don't have time to produce it yourself, give me a cheeky wink because I just might be able to help.

Half term, half working? 5 ways to combine freelancing with school holidays

 

So it is half term and I am hiding in my office. One of my children has scarpered to a friend's house. The  other is silently  arranging his dragon collection. I've got them well trained. If you're a parent who works from home, and those pesky schools insist on closing from time to time, how do you combine the two? This is what I find helps:

• Limiting the work you take on
  I will do some writing work this week, but I don't schedule coaching calls when the children are about. You need 100% concentration for coaching, and that's hard to give when somewhere, off in the distance, a child is calling you to come and show them how to do the Time Warp.
• Accept that you will get less done
  It would be daft (not to say unfair on everyone involved) to assume that it will be business as usual during the school holidays. Keep your goals modest and hopefully your stress levels will do likewise. 
• Do at least a little marketing
  The search for new work never really stops. I am aiming to get out an issue of my newsletter this week, and will also drop in and out of Twitter. Often it's when you're not looking for new opportunities that they drop into your lap; so weirdly, weeks like this can often be when you're at your most attractive (work wise, that is). Plus a bit of low level marketing will help you feel like you've not let things drop entirely.
• Find a job the whole family can do
  Admittedly this is easier if, like me, you are a parenting journalist, and more challenging if you are a welder or brain surgeon. On Wednesday we're off to a Cupcake Masterclass, and I'll be filming and writing about the event. I've sold it to the Juniors as a fun day out at Fortnum & Mason, when really they are acting as my unpaid interns. So essentially I am lying to, and exploiting, my children, which I think is good preparation for their adult lives. And since there's cake involved, they won't be too fussed.
• Take a break yourself
  Your average freelancer can be the worst sort of employer, demanding weekend working and no real breaks away from the screen. Take some time off and blame the kids. Plus when you do get back to work, it will seem a lot easier than entertaining bored offspring ever was.

pic: Flickr, db photographs