Searching for Writing Opportunities Using alexa.com

Writers looking for freelance opportunities on the Internet need to be able to find what's most valuable to them. It's not one-size-fits-all.



Image: "Search the Light", by Flickr.com user (le)doo.(embellit votre quotidien), under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License, with many thanks for sharing this.

Searching for Writing Opportunities

Last time, I mentioned that opportunities are not always as attractive as we might wish them to be. For example, working as a writer to support yourself may mean choosing a lifestyle somewhat different than what you now have. If you didn't like what I said there, you may like this even less. Homework!

There are two kinds of Internet and, if you wish, paper (library books, magazines, and newspapers) searches I'm going to suggest as exercises in finding opportunities.

The first is to see who the leading online publishers in your field are.

How?

Start with the website alexa.com. This site ranks other websites, although websites without much traffic won't show up here.

In my next post, I will show you how to find information on alexa.com about sites in your niche. However, as an Internet user myself, I remember things better if I figure them out for myself. So, if you're like that too, go ahead and start exploring what alexa.com offers. There is information on there specifically about the leading hunting and fishing websites, and using that as an example, that's what we'll look at next.

We're examining opportunities for your writing business, and as part of that, we're looking at who is using content similar to what you created or can create.

How Has the Business Environment for Writers Changed?

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

We opened the POMA (Professional Outdoor Media Association) panel discussion on business planning for writers in changing times by acknowledging that things indeed are different.

Image: "Crystal Lake, Garnett, Kansas", by Flickr.com user Kansas Poetry (Patrick), shared under Creative Commons Attribution No Derivative Works License. Thank you, Patrick!

When I talk to freelancers and read writers' posts here and there around the Web, I hear things like:

- My usual reliable markets have dried up;
- The editor likes it but doesn't have the budget;
- The magazine I used to sell a lot of work to has folded;
- They're doing everything in house now;
- They're only offering an online version;
- Ad revenues are way down for print.

Where are the Opportunities for Writers?

It's somewhat individual, since each writer has a target market of his or her own. However, here are a few things I picked up at the POMA conference, both in my own panel session with Jay Cassell of Field and Stream and Tack Robinson of Mossy Oak, and at some of the other sessions, and also in hallway conversations here and there.

A Good Story Can Still Find a Home

Maybe that's a platitude, and maybe it's not adding much to what you already know, but it does give hope to writers. That original angle may still open a door. Keep on top of developments in your field, whatever it is. Work with what you're good at, and keep pitching.

When your customers are going through lean times, maybe you create opportunities by finding ways to work with them. If the idea of cutting your per-word rates is totally unpalatable, then try to think of some other way of making your work more affordable.

Is Going Online an Opportunity for You?

It's no secret that I have my feet planted in the online world these days, but I do realize that online writing is not for everyone. However, I would like to say, don't knock it until you've tried it.

I work part-time as an editor for the online site Suite101.com. At the POMA conference, I met two long-time writers (called "Guides") from About.com. While these sites are distinct and different from each other, they do share a common approach to writing, particularly in that most readers find the stories on those sites through search engines. So, if you are willing to learn how to write stories that search engines will find, online writing may work for you.

Another option writers who've done it have recommended is to own your own website. This message comes through loud and clear, but it comes from people whose first objective is to make a living, not necessarily to write for the sake of writing. If that seems like a non-distinction to you, so be it, but for some I think it will hit home.

This takes us back to the self-analysis. In looking over your personal Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and the ones that seemed most important to you, does it seem like you are desperate to make a living any way you can? Does that outweigh your desire to make a living by writing?

This is a really hard thing to face. One opportunity for you may be to cut your cost of living so you can afford to write. Are you prepared to do that? Or does it seem like a great sacrifice?

One person's opportunity is another's threat.

Next time: we'll do some digging around the Internet for online and offline writing opportunities.

Tip #3: Know Your Business Environment

In going through the four boxes of the SWOT analysis, we've already looked at the external environment.

Today I'd like to direct you to one of the all-time most respected business scholars, the late Peter Drucker.

This link to a publication called The encyclopedia of leadership: a practical guide to popular leadership ..., by Murray Hiebert, Bruce Klatt, should open at section 3.3, on page 76, "SWOT". From here to page 78 it's somewhat technical but even if you just take the passage at face value, I hope it will give you ideas about what to look at in your own external environment.

Remember, focus mainly on the Opportunities. Look at Threats if their impacts are likely to be very serious, and consider how you can guard against the risks they present.

The main purpose of this exercise is to try different ways of discovering opportunities. You may come away with a generic idea, e.g. that new media is in need of fresh content. That tells you where to do further research, which we will talk about in greater detail in another post.

Threats in the SWOT Analysis for Freelance Writers

We've been working on a SWOT analysis of your writing business. Because you work alone, this is partly an analysis of you personally, as a writer and as a business person. That's the SW, the Strengths and Weaknesses, part of SWOT. Then we looked outside, at what's going on in your particular business environment. The positive things out there are the Opportunities. Now, let's look at the negative external things, the Threats.

Image: "Security Plan – Excel Threats Matrix" by Ivan Walsh on Flickr.com, under Creative Commons Attribution License. Thanks, Ivan, for sharing this.

Don't Go Overboard With Threats

Honestly, it would be very easy to list hundreds of threats. Freelance writing is by its nature an insecure occupation, and even the most confident know that there are monsters under the bed.

The only threats that matter are the ones that (a) will have serious consequences if they do happen, and (b) are actually relevant to you and your work.

For example, there is always the threat that the leading Japanese fashion magazine (a fake example) will stop accepting freelance work. If you don't write about fashion and don't write for a Japanese audience, this isn't relevant. There's also the threat that your internet connection will cost you $5 more per month in the next year. Is this big enough to worry about? Maybe yes, maybe no, but the point is, if it's not going to have a serious consequence, ignore it.

The reason you are writing down the Threats is mainly so you can guard against them and cut your losses.

Typical Threats for Freelance Writers, Prompts

Everyone is individual, but here are some prompts for common Threats:

- My major client will fold or take all its work inhouse
- I will be sued for defamation
- I will become disabled or in some way unable to work
- The press trips I rely on to support my writing will be cancelled.

These are to get you started, but if you end up with a long list of Threats, take a critical look at them. Only write the ones that you feel you need to guard against, on your SWOT matrix.

Next we'll look at the SWOT matrix from a couple of angles, including Opportunities as discussed by the members of the panel at the POMA 2009 business meeting.

Identifying Opportunities for Freelance Writers (Overview)

The SWOT analysis framework introduced in "Tip #2. Know Yourself" is a useful, simple way to organize your thoughts and show you where to start in planning your business strategy.

The Opportunities square is where you write the positive things in your external business environment.

Image: "Targets of Opportunity", by Flickr.com user Randy Son of Robert, used under Creative Commons Attribution License. Thank you, Randy, for sharing this clever montage.

Think About the Conditions That Will Help You be Successful

The word "Opportunities" makes me think of "markets". The magazines, websites, newspapers, book publishers, and others who might pay for my work. However, for this part of the analysis, let's look more broadly at the business environment in which you operate.

And, just as Weaknesses are often the negative versions of Strengths, so too are Threats often the negative versions of Opportunities. If, while considering Opportunities, you think of Threats, just jot them down in the Threats square on your SWOT matrix.

Opportunities in the Freelance Writer's Environment

Here are some prompts to help you observe and analyse your own business environment.

- The economy at a global, national, regional and local scale. Which of these are relevant to you? Don't worry about the ones that aren't relevant.

- The business success (or lack) of the publications you wish to sell to. Are they cutting back? Expanding? Changing formats? For example, a new publication starting up is an opportunity for writers. When publications are cutting back, it's more of a threat. But don't just think about the general situation, try to think about what's happening in your particular niche.

- The availability of funds, whether that's by loans, grants, support (e.g. press trips), free products (e.g. Google now has free software that is compatible with the Microsoft Office suite).

- The availability of photographs at low cost (e.g. from Flickr.com, which I personally love, and where many photographers share their work at no cost, according to the license terms of each individual picture).

- Major events or seasonal patterns that create opportunities for you (e.g. the Olympics, or annual hunting seasons).

- The growth of websites in need of fresh content.

I hope you can see that "Opportunities" at this point in the analysis means positive things in your external environment, not just a list of markets.

Of course, by all means make note of the particular markets that offer opportunities for you. I'm not saying to overlook them. However, part of what we'll be doing here is to explore ways of finding opportunities that fit you, and to do that, it's good to start with an open mind and a very broad idea of what aspects of your particular business environment will work in your favour.

What are Your Weaknesses as a Professional Writer?

In the post "Tip #2. Know Yourself", I introduced the idea of using a SWOT analysis to look at your own Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In that post I suggested a few things about writers' Strengths. Then, in the post "Credibility in Business and in Writing" (yesterday), I talked about assessing your own values. It doesn't make sense to work on something you're good at, if fundamentally it's also something your values don't support. For example, I may have made a really good white collar criminal, but I'll never know. You may be the world's best advertising agency copywriter, but if you don't want to live in New York City, maybe working in an agency isn't an option for you.

Image: "Me and myself: What you see is what you get (Self Deception)", by Flickr.com user jcoterhals, under Creative Commons Generic Attribution License. Thanks for sharing!

Don't Let Your Weaknesses Rule You

A great example to illustrate this point is the famous Canadian hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. A fast and graceful skater, Gretzky could be counted on to score goals and set up winning plays out on the ice. But, he was probably a terrible goal tender. How much time do you think Wayne Gretzky spent worrying about being a terrible goal tender? How often did he practice goal tending skills?

The same holds for you. You need to know what your weaknesses are, but only the ones that are relevant to what you want to do, and that are serious enough to possibly harm you. Identify those weaknesses and minimize the risk of letting them hurt you.

Typical Weaknesses of Freelance Writers

You can come up with your own personal list of weaknesses, and write them in your SWOT matrix chart. Here are some ideas to help you. Only write down things that really apply to you in the work you want to do. Only write down things that could have a serious negative impact. Ideas:

- I'm never on time when working to a deadline;
- I don't have any contacts in the area I want to write about;
- I don't have enough money to go two months without work;
- I don't speak English and I want to write in English language publications;
- My speling is terible

and so on.

Often times, the weaknesses look a lot like strengths, just in the negative sense. That's OK. One person's strength will be another's weakness.

After you have identified the relevant and important weaknesses for yourself, take a look at the list, and narrow it down. Don't keep a lot on there. Just the ones that really matter.

Your job will be to come up with techniques for making sure those weaknesses don't hurt you. You probably have some ideas right now. Go ahead and make a note of them while it's fresh in your mind.

Next, we'll look at the Opportunities and Threats facing you as a freelance writer.

Credibility in Business and in Writing

Following from the theme of Tip #2, Know Yourself, you may be wondering, "What's that got to do with me and my career as a freelance writer?"

Well, a lot, actually.



Image: Cover of The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Published by Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco, California, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7879-8491-5. Hardcover, 389 pp. including index and references.

Read more: Review of The Leadership Challenge


Every good writer strives for an authentic, individual voice. We want to be noticed, known, and respected. We want readers to search for our work because it means something special to them. In my opinion, you can only get that truly authentic voice if you are being true to your own values. Then, everything in your life can have integrity and authenticity.

Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge

U.S.management experts James Kouzes and Barry Posner have been studying leadership in business for over 25 years. Their well-known book, The Leadership Challenge (and the earlier book Credibility build on their findings. The Leadership Challenge may not sound relevant to a one-person writing business (you), but there is a fundamental point at the heart of the books, that works well in life as well as in business.

It is simply this: to be a good leader, you must clarify your values.

I'm not suggesting you spend years analysing yourself and doing nothing but introspection. However, it is important to understand what's important to you.

Clarify Your Values, Shape Your Writing Career

Set aside half an hour or so of quiet time to answer this question. Write your answers down.

"Why do I write for a living?"

Here are some prompts. Respond to these in any way that feels natural. If the prompt is irrelevant, note that and move on. If the prompt raises a really difficult question for you, note that and return to it to think it through. If the prompt jumps off the page at you and seems very meaningful (in a good or a bad way), then put a big star beside it and make sure you recognize there is something powerful in that line of thought.

Prompts (and feel free to add your own), in answer to "Why do I write for a living?"

- I'm used to making my living this way
- I'm good at it
- it feels good
- I live in a place where there are no other jobs
- there are things preventing me from taking another job
- I can do it on my own schedule
- I can do it here where I live, without have to move
- I like working alone
- I thrive on the adrenaline of deadlines
- I can handle the uncertainty of a freelancer's income
- I like seeing my name and my work in prestigious publications.

If there are more reasons why you write for a living, go ahead and explore them.

Then make a similar list of answers to this question, "What am I giving up in order to be a freelance writer?"


Compare What You Have with What You're Giving Up

Look at the two lists. Give yourself 100 points to spend. Rate each of the two lists according to how much they mean to you, giving each list a value between 1 and 100. Use up all of the 100 points. You can either give one rating to each list, or you can give individual ratings to separate items, but spend only 100 points, and spend all of them.

For example, let's say my "Why" list had one thing on it: I'm a freelance writer for a living because I want to stay home with my children and flexibility is important. My "Giving Up" list has one thing: I'm giving up an income that's $50,000 more per year than what I make as a writer.

I look at those two and I think, well, staying home is the most important thing in the world to me right now, and I'm willing to give up that money, although of course I'd love to have it all! I rate "Why" at 90 and "Giving Up" at 10.

But what if my "Why" had only one thing: I'm a freelance writer for a living because there are no jobs where I live. My "Giving Up" list has one thing: I'm giving up the opportunity to advance my career as a nuclear physicist by pursuing writing instead of physics. Let's say I really want to be a physicist and I live where I do because it's where I've always lived, even though my job here ended six years ago and my family and friends are all somewhere else. I'd rate "Why" at 10 and "Giving Up" at 90.

You can see that this is a crude kind of rating system but the point is to force you to think about the choices you've made, and why. Understand why you are doing what you do, and whether it reflects your true values.

Finally, to loop back to Kouzes and Posner and clarifying values, can you see how your answers and ratings tie in to your personal values? Do you notice any conflicts, or any places of extremely good harmony?

I'm not particularly recommending The Leadership Challenge to you for your freelance writing career development as such, but if you're interested, I can say it's an interesting read and written in an engaging way. Even if it doesn't apply to your business as a solo freelance writer, you can take the lessons and use them in any part of life where you work with other people, paid or unpaid. Leadership is a quality to be encouraged whether you are the boss or the newest junior person. It is very much needed in the volunteer and non-profit sectors as well.

Here's a link to a short summary I wrote a while back, about some of the key points in The Leadership Challenge.

Tip #2. Know Yourself

Knowing yourself is essential to being truly successful in business, in writing, and in life. From a business perspective, one way to start is with a SWOT matrix.

Image: "Ani and Ani" by Flickr.com user lokate366, under Creative Commons Attribution License. Thank you for sharing this picture, lokate 366.


In the POMA panel session (Tack Robinson, Jay Cassell, Jill Browne), one of the points I wanted to stress as a foundation to making a good business plan is, "Know Yourself". There are lots of books out there giving general advice for writers, and also for people writing business plans. But... one size does not fit all! It's important to play to your strengths, and not let your weaknesses take you by surprise.

The 2X2 Matrix as a Tool for Self-Discovery

The simple 2X2 matrix is a useful tool for sorting out complex information, and for organizing your thoughts. It's going to give back according to what you put in. As with many tools and fundamental concepts, its simplicity can be deceiving. A sincere self-analysis using a 2X2 matrix can show you a map of your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

The SWOT Analysis Applied to You Personally

As a writer and as a business person, you have strengths and weaknesses, and your business environment provides you with opportunities and threats. Those are the four boxes of the 2X2 matrix we talked about in the POMA panel presentation. Here's what the box looks like:



Begin by assessing your strengths as a professional writer. Here are a few strengths you may have. I hope this list will prompt you to come up with more strengths, especially those things that make you stand out.

Ideas for strengths as a professional writer:

• always ahead of deadline
• editors tell me I am easy to work with
• wide network of well-placed contacts
• take own photographs
• inventory of research to draw upon
• well-informed and experienced in the things I write about (e.g. a fishing writer who has 30 years of fly fishing behind her)
• I write quickly
• I do features very well
• I do fillers and service pieces very well
• I have won awards
• I am a recent graduate with knowledge of current electronic publishing tools
• I am experienced in computer-assisted research.

Add whatever comes to mind. Then rank your list, but don't agonize over it. Within your strengths, it's enough if you classify them into an A-list and a B-list. The A-list is what jumps out at you and feels like your strongest strength, if you will.

After this, we'll look at weaknesses, and then at opportunities and threats.

If you missed the earlier posts, my first tip for anyone in business is #1. Get The Money.

Contents and Information about this Blog

Hello, and again, welcome to You, Ink.

The main purpose of this blog is to help freelance writers with career and business management in these changing times.

There are a couple of ways to find information on the blog.

1. Browse the list of post titles. These are set out in date order in the Blog Archive, on the right hand side of the page. You may need to scroll down to see it. There is a list for every month in which I have posted something. Click on the triangles to make them point down, and that will expand the list, one month at a time.

2. Use the tags (labels). There is a list of them on the right hand side of the page, under the heading "Labels". These are labels I have created to describe what's in the posts.

3. Use the Search box to search within the blog.

How to Subscribe to the Blog

You are welcome to check for updates to You, Ink manually, but you can also do it by subscribing to the blog either by email, or by RSS reader. There are links for these near the top of the right-hand column.

To contact me, you may email youinkblog at gmail dot com. (That's an address devoted to this blog). Questions are welcome.

More Coming!

Everyone, Thank You for being patient.

I do have more to show and tell you. Had a bit of a snag (not serious) but I think it's resolved now.

Tomorrow is Friday; I'll be posting my heart out to get you some more info on making the best of your writing career.

Keep well,

Jill