I’m learning quickly that everything in this world costs something. Every when it doesn’t cost something for another person to produce, they charge you for it.

There was a mix up with one of my estimated tax payments from last year. It’s easy enough to clear up - I just need a copy of the canceled check. Like with most banks, my checks aren’t included with my bank statement. You can see them online, though. Good enough, right?

Image: sxc.hu

Wrong. Because they apparently don’t keep records online back that far. I went to the bank and talked to an incompetent teller, who said they don’t keep them at all.

Ok, now I know that’s wrong. She just didn’t know the answer and told me the quickest thing to get me out of her hair. So, since then I’ve found that they scan and archive every check, but you can only view and print it yourself for three months. After that, it is archived.

And they charge a fee to retrieve it from the archive. There are even more fees if you want a copy sent to your house or faxed to you. That, I understand. A fee to see a digital copy of a check though? Come on. Even if someone has to manually go into the database and find the check, it really shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Is that time worth what they’re charging me? No way.

Moral of the story - print out copies of canceled checks that relate to your taxes (and anything else super important). Even if copies are available online, they probably won’t be forever…and then you’ll pay for it.

As a freelance writer, you own your own small business. So that begs a question about phone lines - should you own a business number? Here are the pros and cons:

Pros to having a Business Number:

• You’ll never tie up your phone line wen other members of the family want to use it, or worry about tying up the line with personal calls when a client is trying to call.
  

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• It helps to legitimize your business.
• You don’t have to worry about accidentally dialing a client when you meant to call a friend at 2 in the morning.
• You can turn off the phone during weekends and holidays.
• It can be a business expensive if you use it just for business.

Cons to having a Business Number:

• Clients are more like to email freelancers, so your business phone may go unused most of the time.
• You’ll have to get your business cards reprinted with your new number.
• It’s an extra monthly expense, even if you do get to write it off.
• Sometimes, it is better to email a client than call so you have a written record of what needs to be done; a business line could encourage clients to call more often.

Personally, I don’t have a business number - I have a single business/personal line. I just don’t call people often enough (for business OR pleasure) to make it a financially sound decision to have another line. For you, it may actually be a great business decision.

Do you have a business line or are you considering getting one?

I’m officially declaring war on writer’s block, distractions, and procrastination during the month of July. Maybe it’s just me, but the summer months always seem to drag. Well, at least, they do when I’m working. I feel sluggish and uninspired. I can barely force myself to do the work I have to do to pay the bills, let alone work on fun personal projects.

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I blame the sun. During the summer, there’s nothing better than sitting outside by the pool and sipping Sangria or sweet tea. Hell, I can even stay motivated to work out during the summer because it means that I get to go outside and run.

I’m trying not to fall behind on bills and dip into savings this month, like I always seem to do during the summer…and I hope you’ll all join me in swatting away writer’s block and other distractions. Yes, the sun is shining, but if we help one another, we can have a productive, profitable summer. Here are some of the things I have planned for July:

• Writer Interviews: Writers from around the web have come to Bizzia to offer advice on beating writer’s block and finding inspiration among distractions. I’ll be posted a few every week. Yes, you can still participate! (click here)
• Motivation from Masters: What have famous writers and other personalities said about staying motivated? Learn tricks and tips from the masters.
• Inspiration Clinic: Places to find inspiration and inspiration-themed questions answered.
• Procrastination Posts: If you have to surf the ‘net, at least read about the art of writing. I’ll group together the best posts of the week to help you find awesome advice from great bloggers.

Let’s kick some writer’s block/procrastination tushie this summer!

I’m not known for my excellent grammar and spelling. Actually, more often than not, I just type too fast for my own good - and while I’m excellent at proofreading others’ work, I find it extremely difficult to spot my own mistakes. My problem isn’t, in general, not knowing the rules, but that doesn’t really matter. As a writer, mistakes can be fatal to a relationship with your clients, whether you knew the rule or not.

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What drives me nuts, though, is the fact that many freelancers out there don’t seem to know the rules at all.

We all make mistakes, but some blogs and websites get hard to read because the writer makes the same glaring mistake over and over again. When you constantly use “there” instead of “their” or “they’re,” you start to lose my respect a little. A typo or isolated error? I can overlook that, but some mistakes I cannot.

So, over the next few days, I’m going to go over some basic grammar rules that every freelancer should know.

Call me the grammar police if you will, but if I teach just one person one rule, I’ll be happy and the Internet will be a better place for everyone.

Oh, and if you have a grammar question that you want answered, feel free to leave a comment. I’ll try my best to cover it.

I’ll list the posts here as they go live!

• However and Semicolons
• Lay versus Lie
• Numbers
• Fewer and Less

Every so often, all writers will find a glimmer of success among the daily grind. Yesterday, one of the blogs where I write was picked up on a social networking site, which made my traffic soar from about 500 hits a day to nearly 2000 hits. Today, that traffic is still going strong. At 4:00 PM EST, I’m already at around 1300 hits.

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When you have moments of success like this, it is important to enjoy it. Some writers just smile and go on with their work, but these are the gems of your career - the “pat on the back” that a boss would give you at a 9-to-5 job. You don’t have to buy a new car to celebrate! I took a half-day in order to celebrate my success. Others things I’ve done in the past when I succeeded at something involving my writing:

• Treating myself to Dairy Queen or Rita’s Italian Ice (yum!)
• Purchasing a book I’ve been wanting to read
• Going to the movies
• Making my favorite foods for dinner

It doesn’t have to cost much to reward yourself, and you don’t have to take time off from work if you can’t afford it. The basic idea is to just admit to yourself that you’ve done a good job. After all, if you are anything like me, you always think your writing could be better. I’m never 100% happy with anything, and I’m my own worst critic.

The bottom line? Don’t forget to reward yourself for success in the freelancing world. It goes a long way in avoiding burnout.

Michael Jackson. Sigh. He was this crazed soul that had such a tragic life and even sadder death. I feel like a part of our culture, as a country, has died with him. He’s left a lot behind, though, and I just wanted to share with you three Michael Jackson quotes that you can apply to your life as a writer:

“I’m never pleased with anything, I’m a perfectionist, it’s part of who I am.”

You should always, always, always be improving as a writer. When you write something, read it. Fix it. Read it again and again. When you give something to your client as “done,” it needs to be as perfect as possible.

Image: Newscom

“Just because it’s in print doesn’t mean it’s the gospel.”

Your sources may not always be valid. Do your research; check and double-check every fact. Yes, it takes more time, but if you publish information that is incorrect, you’re part of the problem.

“You try be as original as you can be without thinking about statistics, just you go form [sic] the soul and from the heart.”

Money matters. Traffic matters. But you know what? Writing something from the soul is much better. When you have great content, the rest will fall in place.

I also wanted to share my favorite MJ quote with you all (even if it doesn’t really apply to writing). I’m sure many of you have heard it, but it’s pretty spot on about how I feel about life:

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.”

Earlier today, Deb Ng at The Freelance Writing Jobs Network wrote a post regarding job security in the freelance writing world. Actually, the post was more about the lack of job security for people who write online. As long as their contract to you is upheld, clients don’t owe it to you to continue giving you work month after month. Today’s $1000 job could be gone tomorrow.

And one day, it will be. Few websites have continuously hired freelance writers for years. The ones that have rework their payment schedule and amount often. This is a business, and as their freelance writer, you’re a “bottom rung” expense. In other words, when things get tough, websites fire contractors before they cut other expenses in many cases.

Even if you have money saved for “dry” months, it can trigger a panic attack if you suddenly lose a job. Granted, if you did good work for the client, they’ll likely be more than happy to recommend you for other jobs, but that’s not a lot of comfort when bills are looming. So how can you feel more secure?

1. Split up the eggs.

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You’ve heard me (and others) say it a thousand times - don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. In other words, you should have multiple clients every month, so that if one suddenly pulls out, you have other money to cushion the fall. My personal plan is what I like to call “rule of three.” I try to keep three major clients (people who pay $500+ every month), three minor clients (people who pay less than $500 every month), and three intermittent clients (people who don’t order work every month). I keep a big enough bank of intermittent clients so that usually three or four of them order work every month.

2. Look for a permanent part-time job.

Having a job outside of writing can be a real weight off your shoulders. I recommend looking for around 15 hours a week at a place near your home. Of course, these jobs aren’t guaranteed either, especially in today’s economy, but if a place is hiring, they likely won’t be firing anytime soon. The added bonus here is that if you do lose a big client, you can ask for a few more hours at your part-time job or you can volunteer to cover for people on vacation.

3. Apply to at least one job every month - or at least, keep trolling every so often.

I know a lot of writers who fall into this state of security when their schedule is filled, never applying for other jobs. Do you know how to job hunt online anymore? Trolling for jobs is an art, and applying for them can be difficult. Once, I went on a three-month streak where I didn’t apply for any new jobs…and then when I started looking again, one of the websites where I commonly got work had closed down and another had significantly changed its format. Stay on top of these things! If you’re a bidding site member, it also looks better to be continuously active, rather than to have huge lulls where you’re not around.

4. Split your costs.

It can be nice to live alone, but as a freelancer, that’s also very dangerous. I highly recommend having a roommate if you’re not married. And, if you are married or have a roommate, it’s a good idea that you work different places. Best-case scenario? Your spouse/roommate has a secure, full-time job. If he or she is a freelancer too, though, avoid working at the same places as much as possible. That way if one of your websites closes, the person splitting costs with you isn’t in the same boat.

5. Stay in contact with clients.

I’ve mentioned how important it is to have a bank of clients, so to speak. You want a large number of people who order work occasionally so that you’re always busy with something. Don’t forget to stay in contact with clients who haven’t ordered work in a few months. Otherwise, they might never contact you and instead just put out a call for writers. I like to email people when I haven’t heard from them in 3 months. I just say something like “I’m creating my schedule for the summer and was wondering if you foresee any upcoming projects.” Many times, they order work after getting an email like that.

Freelance writing online is never going to be stress-free and easy. The rug can be pulled out from under you at any given moment, and even if you aren’t living paycheck by paycheck, you’re never truly secure. We do this because we love it, right? Just remember - that huge paycheck could be gone tomorrow. Protect yourself today.

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Thinking about starting your own blog? From experience, you’ll have a much better change of getting off the ground if you have these seven things:

1. An “About” Page

Your readers will undoubtedly want to know more about you and your blog. Your about page should be linked near the top of your page and include a way to contact you.

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2. A Blogroll

Some bloggers are opting to leave off the blogroll, but I honestly think that every blog should have one, filled with great related resources. When you do link to other blogs, make sure you introduce yourself so they know you’re adding them to your blogroll. They may return the favor.

3. An RSS Button

People can subscribe to your blog without click on an RSS button, but it it inconvenient. The button reminds people to subscribe and makes the process super easy for your readers.

4. Dates

Some bloggers opt not to put a date on posts, and I think that’s a bad idea. People who come to your homepage or follow a link to a single post want to know when the blog was last updated.

5. Pictures

To me, nothing says a blog is amatuer-ish more quickly than a lack of pictures. Yes, they can be a pain in the tush to use, but they’ll instantly make your blog more interesting.

6. At Least 10 Posts

Before you launch your blog, make sure that you have at least 10 posts written. New readers want to look through posts and see whether they actually enjoy your blog and want to subscribe or if they just enjoyed one of your posts.

7. Good Navigation

To me, the nail in the coffin for any website is weird navigation. I want categories, archves, and an easy way to get to the homepage. If a site’s navigation confuses me, I likely won’t be back.

Online, many people are known by their screen names, rather than by their first and last names. Most people (myself included) use a single screen name for everything from Twitter to AIM to MySpace. And that’s fine…if you only use social networking for your business.

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But most people don’t. I have friends that I only contact through social networking and instant messaging, and they have nothing to do with my writing business. While some people are able to use one online identity and keep communications separate, many make the mistake of forgetting that clients and business associates have their screen names. It doesn’t look good to put up an away message that says “Getting drunk with my girlzzzzz!!!” if one of your clients could read that message!

Unless you can commit to being professional all of the time, which many people (especially young writers) find difficult, get another screen name. Save “hotgirly4389″ for your friends and be “Jane.Smith123″ for anyone connected to your business. Screen names are free, but your reputation can’t be repaired easily if your clients get the wrong impression of you.

Do you write for scanners? No, not computer scanners…I’m talking about the kind of reader who doesn’t actually read an article, most of the time. I haven’t seen any official studies done on it, but I’m willing to bet that 90% or more of Internet readers scan articles quickly - and then maybe read them. I do it. You probably do it too.

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So how can you make your blog post, article, or other piece of writing easier to scan? Use these tips:

• Bold-face the things that are most important.
• Use headings for longer pieces.
• Add bullet points or numbered lists.
• Use pictures.
• Break up huge chunks of text into smaller paragraphs.

Yes, I know, these aren’t ground-breaking tips…but to be honest, only about half of the websites I see actually use these tips at all, so I felt like I HAD to write something.

When a reader can easily scan your article, they’re more likely to actually stop and read it, and creating an easily-skimmed article doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality.

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