Interview With Tina
L. Miller
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
Tina L. Miller is a freelance writer and motivational speaker from Merrill, Wisconsin. She writes feature articles, essays, website copy, advertising copy, PR materials, and much more for individuals, businesses, and publications throughout the U.S. under her own byline and as a ghostwriter. Her personal mission is to motivate and inspire others through her writing and speaking.
How can a writer break into business writing?
People always tell you to write what you know. While that isn't always the case -- you can write about things you'd like to learn about if you're willing to do the research -- it is the easiest way to break into the business. Take a look at your background. Where have you worked before? What industry or trade are you familiar with? Maybe it's farming, retail, manufacturing, law, or whatever. Capitalize on your strengths and focus on something you know well. Then sell yourself as a specialist writing in that area. You'll know the terminology, you'll understand what your clients are saying, and you'll be able to put it into terms an average reader can understand.
You can start out writing simple things like press releases or articles about a business for your local paper. It helps if you wrote as a part of your previous positions, because then you already have samples of what you can do show clients. If you don't have samples, you may want to prepare some examples to use in marketing yourself. Business clients seldom hire a freelancer without looking at something that convinces them you're THE person for the job. Sell yourself well and they'll be happy to have you sell them, as well.
What kind of writing jobs pay the best?
That's hard to say. Some ezines and magazines want you to write articles for free. The attitude seems to be that you should be honored if they will even consider your work. Others pay minimal amounts, but some pay very well for a feature length article -- $500 or more.
Based on my personal experience, the jobs that have paid the best are nonfiction, require quite a bit of research to ensure accuracy, may involve multiple interviews, and are essentially work-for-hire arrangements. This could be for a website, a business, or another type of organization. Which brings us to your next question.
Is it easy for you to remove the "ego factor" (wanting to see your name in print) when you do ghostwriting assignments?
Initially, I had a very difficult time coming to terms with the ghostwriting thing. I get a real high every time I see my name in print. And it hasn't faded much with the frequency I see it in print either. It's a great high every time! So the thought of seeing no name -- or heaven forbid, someone else's name -- on my work was a bit traumatic. I actually wrote a piece to help me work through that. And a mentor advised me that if I opted not to ghostwrite, I might be giving up some very lucrative opportunities. I had to remind myself that this is my business. Sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do. So I just decided to make myself get over it. In fact, since I still have a psychological need to see my name in print, maybe I work even harder now to be prolific -- getting published work out there for my clients and for myself so I can still see my byline.
How has the Internet influenced your career?
The Internet is just incredible! Instead of waiting days, weeks, and months for returned phone calls and rejection slips, I can query a publication much faster and receive a reply much faster than in the past. I've found clients -- and they've found me -- on the internet. I can do research on a subject or company without ever leaving my office. I can get writers guidelines for publications without ever leaving my chair. It's also a great resource for networking and staying in touch with other people in the profession. It's easy to become isolated when you're working alone, but the internet gives me a connection to my clients and other people. Of course, it can also become addicting, so I have to caution against spending TOO much time on the net! But now that I've got it, I don't know what I'd do without it!
Do you ever encounter "writer's block?" If so, what do you do about it?
Sure. Everyone does. But more often than not, if I take some time to figure out what's wrong, it's not really writer's block. It's fear. Or feeling overwhelmed.
When I have a dozen projects in the works at once -- at least! -- my subconscious is working overtime on all of those projects. I can get so caught up in bouncing from one idea to the other that I can't even think straight. I work in a very cluttered environment -- organized, but cluttered if you know what I mean -- and all of a sudden it just gets to be too much. I physically have to stop, clear off my desk, lay out just the project I'm working on, then get up and take a short walk, get a Diet Dr. Pepper, and clear my head. When I come back, I have to make myself focus on just the ONE project at hand. There can be such a thing as pushing multi-tasking too far!
My other "writer's block" usually comes from the fear factor. That's when I realize that I'm just afraid what I write won't be good enough or someone esle will think it stinks. So I find myself stalling. And I've just got to get over it. So I start writing whatever comes into my head -- and sometimes that is a lecture to myself to get over it -- and suddenly inspiration strikes! If you keep writing or typing long enough, sooner or later something good will find its way out.
What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about freelancing?
Well, this is something I read about, so I can't say I wasn't warned, but I just didn't take it seriously enough. Working as a full-time freelance writer requires a large amount of time spent marketing, researching markets, sending queries, and staying organized. My office is usually buried under a foot of paper and books at any given time, and it's hard to be productive in chaos. When you go into freelancing, don't expect to spend all your time writing. It just isn't realistic. In fact, given all the other aspects of the business you need to handle, if you spend 20 hours in a 40-hour week writing, you're doing great. And by the way, you seldom work a 40-hour week. I put in a lot more than 40 hours a week, at any and all hours of the day and night, depending on my inspiration, motivation, and deadlines!
Any "tricks" you care to pass on?
When the mood to write strikes or you get a great idea, WRITE IT DOWN! Always carry paper and pen with you -- it will usually be at the oddest times. Then try to organize all those notes and set aside some time to follow up on the best leads. This may be more advice than a "trick" and it's hard to follow. I could paper my walls with all my little notes. But some of them have really paid off.
How did you make your first sale?
I went to a "seminar," as it was touted, about how to make money on the internet. Well, it was as lame as it sounded, only worse. When I asked questions and wanted to take the information home to discuss it with my husband, I was insulted and told none of the paperwork could leave the room. You had to sign that night and put your money on the table or you just weren't the kind of person they were looking for, I was sarcastically informed. I agreed. I was not the kind of person they were looking for. I had a brain and was not afraid to use it. I was not about to be a sucker. And I left. But I didn't leave the experience there.
I was really angry about the entire thing and concerned that so many people around me had looked uncomfortable but didn't appear to have the courage to ask questions or stand up for themselves. Some of them were just going along with it, but they didn't look excited about the possibilities. They looked sick, like a trapped animal that has given up hope of escape. I wanted to warn other people about these kinds of scams before they found themselves in the same situation.
So I wrote a very professional news article about it and sent it to our central Wisconsin daily paper. They said they would have to run it by their legal department before running it because I had named names, and ultimately that piece slipped through the cracks and never made it to print. But my article and my writing impressed the business editor there and I landed my first assignment, on spec. I did the interview, wrote the assigned piece, and the rest is history. They asked me to handle stories within several series for them, and I've been freelancing for them ever since.
The pay isn't the greatest with newspapers, but it is a great opportunity for me to network in the community, which has led to other paying jobs, and it's a great way to build credible clips that help land more lucrative jobs.
Tips for negotiating or querying?
Querying: Just the basics. Know the publication. Make sure you've seen at least one recent issue. Keep it short. Keep it simple and to the point. Don't waste the editor's time. Act like a professional.
Should a writer ever write for free?
When you're just getting started, it can be difficult to get paying jobs until you have some clips. I would definitely try to build a portfolio with jobs that pay, but it can be tough. At that point, you might want to consider doing some articles for free to generate those first clips. A better alternative, however, might be writing those first couple of pieces on spec -- if they like it and publish it, you get paid. If your writing sucks, you don't. There's some risk that you will do the work for nothing, but there's also the chance you will get paid, and it beats going through all the work with no chance of getting paid for it.
There are some things I will write for free even though I am now writing professionally and make my living as a writer. 1) I write for my church and I don't charge for that. I consider it my chance to give something back, similar to the way a carpenter might donate some of his time on a Saturday to help make repairs at the church. 2) On a few subjects I am very passionate about, I will write for free for myself, just to express myself. Sometimes I'll publish them with no compensation just to share my ideas with others if there is no paying market immediately obvious for the work, but ultimately, I hope to publish many of these pieces in publications in the future or as a compilation.
Tax tips?
Check out all the deductions you can take and then decide which ones are best for you. For example, even though I could take a deduction for mileage on my car and a home office deduction, I don't always do it. Sometimes the benefit is not that significant, and it requires a great deal of recordkeeping and consistent separation of your business and personal affairs. Since I work from home, it's hard to separate the two and the time spent keeping track of all that may not be worth the effort, especially when you're starting out and don't have much income to deal with. If you do take the deductions, make sure you keep all your records in order in the event of an audit!
How do you find time to write?
Lots of people ask me that. They have busy lives and just can't seem to find the time. I say, if you really, really, really want to write, you will find the time. You can't have everything. Everything is a give and take. If you want the full-time job with benefits, paid vacation, paid sick days, and some semblance of job security (whatever that is these days) and that's really important to you, freelancing probably isn't for you. There is no guarantee how much, if any, income you will generate from week to week. On the other hand, I love it because I know that if I want to achieve more, I can work longer and harder and do that. No one puts limits on me. I am my own boss.
If you're considering freelancing full-time, start out part-time first. Get a feel for things before you jump in with both feet. You'll need some transition time and the money probably won't be there at the beginning. You will also need to get a feel for the kind of projects you enjoy the most and how much income different projects can generate.
Then, if you're really serious, GO FOR IT! Don't let anyone tell you can't. With determination and persistence, oh, yes, you can! You just keep working at it until you get that first sale and build from there. If you're ambitious enough to take it that far, you should know that you will never truly "arrive" at your destiny. As soon as you see your byline in print, you will experience an incredible high. But that will quickly be replaced by your next goal and your next. Enjoy the process and the experience. That's the important part! Enjoy the journey!
And don't be ashamed to tell people what you do for a living. It can lead to unexpected opportunities. Also don't be surprised when some people nod and interpret your being a freelance writer to mean you are relaxing at home and have all kinds of free time to babysit their kids, carpool, do them special favors, and chat on the phone all day. Lots of them will. But I remind people that this is a real job and I'm working more than 40 hours a week, thank you very much. I use call waiting to screen my calls when I'm working, and I try to adhere to a schedule. I can be flexible to accommodate things that are important to me or are better done during normal working hours, but I don't let others forget that being a writer is my job, not just a personal hobby.
You can e-mail Tina here: tina@tinalmiller.com
or visit her website here: http://www.tinalmiller.com
