Freelance Forum Tower of Babble

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SouthernFriedJulie

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You post goals, acceptances, and rejections in the JHS thread. The JHS or Freelance chat is for shooting the breeze, babbling about queries, and other stuff that mucks up the original idea behind JHS, which, is to encourage us all to 'just hit send!'.

Have you thought of blogging your...daily excursions? Be nice to have a diary where other newbies can follow and maybe even get inspiration. Plus, once you get some experience you'll look back and wonder if you really ever were so shiny and new.

Not to mention be very embarrassed. I know I am when I look at old posts of mine. How naive and whiney I was! You'd never guess that one day the JHS veterans would be...well...the veterans, not the dewy eyed newbies that needed a handholding! Someone chime in here!
 

Matt Willard

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Eh, I got one blog, I don't need another. To tell you the truth, I'm already maintaining a "daily journal thread" over at Steve Pavlina's forum-I just figured I'd post the same things here since they relate to writing.
 

CatMuse33

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Julie-
Just piping in to agree with you. Not that I was a newbie when I joined AW, either, but, even then, I've seen myself evolve and grow here on the forums and learn even MORE. And when it comes to blogging and social media -- wow, I've grown tremendously!

I'm glad we've got a nice new chat thread... now I can talk about Ashley's four new teeth, her "discovering" her tongue (She loves sticking it out) and the fact that the NY Lottery is up to $325 million. That's just funny because when it was $250 million hubby and i both bought tickets without the other one knowing. (That was last night's drawing.) I can't believe no one won!

Dawn
 

SouthernFriedJulie

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Eh, I got one blog, I don't need another. To tell you the truth, I'm already maintaining a "daily journal thread" over at Steve Pavlina's forum-I just figured I'd post the same things here since they relate to writing.
Perfect, then this is the thread for that conversation :)
Julie-
Just piping in to agree with you. Not that I was a newbie when I joined AW, either, but, even then, I've seen myself evolve and grow here on the forums and learn even MORE. And when it comes to blogging and social media -- wow, I've grown tremendously!

I'm glad we've got a nice new chat thread... now I can talk about Ashley's four new teeth, her "discovering" her tongue (She loves sticking it out) and the fact that the NY Lottery is up to $325 million. That's just funny because when it was $250 million hubby and i both bought tickets without the other one knowing. (That was last night's drawing.) I can't believe no one won!

Dawn

That's so cute! Do you have pics of that? She's such a cutie! Rub the lottery tickets on her head, when we remember to do that we at least get $25.
 

ravenlea

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I still find myself whining and getting frustated easily, which is surprising becuase I'm usually such a laid back person. After three years of freelancing - most of it part-time and fitting in around real life - and having about half a dozen articles to my credit, I have no problem admitting I'm still a newbie. So, oh Wise Ones, give me your opinions and advice.
 
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SouthernFriedJulie

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I still find myself whining and getting frustated easily, which is surprising becuase I'm usually such a laid back person. After three years of freelancing - most of it part-time and fitting in around real life - and having about half a dozen articles to my credit, I have no problem admitting I'm still a newbie. So, oh Wise Ones, give me your opinions and advice.

I just granted yer wish, baybee. Go check out the new n00b thread ;-)
 
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Matt Willard

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I think I'll read that thread while I'm wakin' up tomorrow, Julie. Looks like a good refresher for the things I need to keep in mind.

Anyway, I read a lot of magazines today at Books A Million, taking a lot of notes about markets I can use. I also picked up The Copywriter's Handbook, by Robert Bly. See, I was given a pretty neat tip about selling my humor more efficently-if I could write persuasive, funny copy, then it could be a thing that set me apart from other copywriters. I've wrestled with learning the skill for a while, so I finally decided to go for it.

But I pop open the book, and in the first chapter, Bly slams me with his opinion about writing copy-it's designed to sell and should only be written as such. Ads that entertain just don't work in selling the product.

As first I felt kind of bummed-was there no place for funny ad copy after all? Then I thought:

"Screw it-I'll MAKE a place for it."

Sure, selling the product is good, but to do that AND make it memorable...that's a great challenge to strive for. That's what I want to do with the copy I write-make it sell and make people laugh.

I've read a chunk of it already, and so far, it doesn't look that hard. Time will tell if I can produce once I've gone through the book, though.

Tomorrow I need to make the call that I should've gotten today, as well as more blog writing.
 

Matt Willard

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I guess Bly never watched the commercials during the Superbowl half-time.

Those were written and are also a type of ad copy.

Actually, he mentioned those in the first chapter, but maintained that the goal of ad copy was to sell products. Of course, I'd like to believe that there is a place for funny, persuasive copy, but I can't exactly dismiss the guy-he's apparently one of the leading experts in the field.
 

SouthernFriedJulie

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Actually, he mentioned those in the first chapter, but maintained that the goal of ad copy was to sell products. Of course, I'd like to believe that there is a place for funny, persuasive copy, but I can't exactly dismiss the guy-he's apparently one of the leading experts in the field.

Ok, Matt, you're a nice kid and all...but STOP WITH THE NEGATIVITY.

First off, you're finding things to down you, before you even get started. I'm happy to see you say you're going to keep going with your way of doing it, no matter what. But...here's the infamous but...you always seem to post something that is holding you back. Why? That causes you to fizzle before lighting your fuse, so to speak.

In this career...you go and go and go. The only negative is a rejection and those won't even hold you back. Why? Because to every rejection there is an acceptance out there waiting for you. For every client that turns you down for a gig, there's a better one around the corner.

Every one of us so-called veterans started out just like you. With nothing to show. Some of us have no degree. I've stated over and over here- I have no degree. So do many others. We have a desire to do the very best we can. With no excuses.

I don't care what Bly says. He can kiss my lily white rump, for all I care...if he says that 'it can't be done'. Because just like for every rejection there's an acceptance...for every can't- there is someone who blazed a trail with their own CAN.
 

CatMuse33

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::Catmuse stands and does the slow clap made famous in 80s teen movies::

Matt -

I'm happy to hear you reading one of the tops in the field, Robert Bly. BUT... Julie's 100 percent right.

Damn.

I have NOTHING else to add. Nothing at all.
 

Matt Willard

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If I came off as negative, that certainly wasn't my intention. I was gonna do what I said I was gonna do anyway. In this case I was making a remark more than feeling defeated. (Although this is a forum, so I can't carry over the tone in my words, so I can understand if I came off in a certain way.)
 

SouthernFriedJulie

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Sooo, this is the place for random chat? Then can I say this: Julie, what the heck is your avatar?! It gives me the creeps. :eek: Sorry, that's been bugging me for a while.

LOL, it's a guy dressed up like a homeless crackhead Ronald McDonald. I like changing up once in a while, it's about time to do it again. Any suggestions?
 

Matt Willard

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Was fiddling with my humor article query today, so I decided to read up about writing those. Turns out the general consensus is to send the piece on spec (which I really should've remembered instead). So that's out of the way-I'll draft up my idea instead. I also made some good progress on the loan situation, and now I just have to take a form up to FCCJ to get the next steps done.

Tomorrow I need to watch some more standup. Rest is blog stuff and making sure I'm prepared for my trip to the mall expo on Saturday.
 

CatMuse33

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mall expo? Please do tell! (Being that I hail from the land of shopping malls -- Long Island). :)

I am going to have one heckuva story after we get this mortgage. I'm too tired to share it now..but I will soon! :)

Mysti! Wedding photos!! Aww!! How awesome! You looked sooo beautiful! Congratulations! And I'll never forget your anniversary. LOL
 

Matt Willard

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Well, it's an expo for artisians and small business owners. Gonna go there, mingle with people, see what happens. I don't have business cards right now, so I'll have to make do with what I have. Though my primary goal is to make some interesting new connections.
 

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Well, mall expo sounds a fab opportunity for networking!

You could just print out some business cards?
Or carry some conveniently-cut paper to write down your contact info or get theirs?
Though if it's business people a biz card might be better? dunno..

I suppose I better write my daily escapades in here too..?
Re: the goal of early wake-up: I woke at 4:30 am today, & was impressed with myself (couldn't go to sleep, so I read some Kelly James Enger :) very inspirational)
Then I had breakfast & NOW have a rule: go into the NEW home office after breakfast!!

No more falling asleep just when you thought you got the knack of waking up early, eh?!!

PS Please no zombies in the thread or in the avatars - they scare me even more than the clowns!!
Julie, how 'bout a nice Southern or fried theme? ;) Or even logo of your blog if it's okay to be used here?
 

CatMuse33

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Matt-

A tip:

I've done this both when I really did forget my business cards and when I didn't have them printed yet or they had old information. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot my cards...can I get yours and follow up next week?"

Saying you don't HAVE cards sounds amateurish (well, in one case, I was literally two days on the job as an editor-in-chief and working an event - at that point, I felt completely justified in saying, "Well, my cards are at the printer!") But even the best of us 'forget' our cards on occasion. (I got the idea after a bigwig in an industry forgot his cards--no one thought twice about it, or less of him!)

The cool thing about taking other people's cards is you don't have to WAIT for them to call you! You can take action yourself. :)

Julie - I like Andreya's idea of your blog logo as avatar. ;)

Andreya - WTG on the waking up early. I used to rise at 10 or 11 as a freelancer; now the baby gets me up between 7 and 8:30 and I rather like it. This morning I got a treat and she slept until 9! :)
 

Matt Willard

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Yes! Exaggerating the truth for profit! Thanks for the tip. I will definitely use it.

Now to figure out how to get small business owners to hire a humor writer :V Well, I AM studying that Copywriter's Handbook. Maybe I can plant the hint of a funny, persuasive ad? I daresay I could whip out some copy-I'm not trying to sound cocky, but it honestly doesn't look too difficult. Of course, looking easy and writing easy are two different things...
 
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