Christine K. Bailey: Published Author & Freelance Writer » Freelance

Writers as Collaborators

Christine — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:56:55 +0000

I’ve been writing for a couple of decades now and until the last year I always saw writing as a solitary experience. And while that is the case – in the end writing is always the lone writer finally putting the words on the paper and polishing them to a high sheen – writing doesn’t always need to be lonely work. Over the past year I’ve found two different groups of women writers who have not only taken the loneliness out of writing; they’ve helped me discover new ways to improve my craft and expand my writing abilities. As a member of these two groups — LitSisters (comprised of fiction authors CL Coons, Audrey RL Wyatt, Terri Weeding and Robin Kramme) and Arizona Authors and Adventurers (comprised of travel authors Jackie Dishner and Teresa Bitler) — I have found myself collaborating on a regular basis. We meet and communicate regularly to work on joint projects; create marketing plans; critique each other’s work and pitch ideas for blogs, magazines and even books. We’re also there (in person, by phone and via email) to cheer one another on — offering much needed moral support and serving as sounding boards for everything from plot changes to dealing with the challenges of being a mom/spouse and a writer. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am now – writing full-time working on my novel and writing about Arizona and the Southwest, if it wasn’t for these incredible women and the amazing support group we’ve created together.

Do you have a writers’ group that you rely on? How do you support one another?

Four Tips for FLCW Success

Christine — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:44:43 +0000

Read four tips on how to start and build your freelance commercial writing (FLCW) business; check out the December article for the Main “Meat” Course of Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed E-Pub.

For more great FLCW tips, suggestions and resources, check out Peter’s Web site at www.wellfedwriter.com or Steve Slaunwhite & Ed Gandia’s The Wealthy Freelancer .

2009: the year in review

Christine — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:44:44 +0000

2009 has been a fabulous year.Â Thank you to all of my clients and colleagues who have helped make it so.Â I look forward to working with you again in 2010!

One of the biggest things I enjoy about my job as a full-time freelance writer and copyeditor, is the variety of people I get to work with every day.Â This past year, I’ve worked with consultants and staff in fields such as marketing, health care, printing, commercial art, customer service training, tourism and hospitality, human resources, travel, and meeting and event planning.Â The projects we’ve completed together have included:

Writing articles for the wedding & event planning industry
Managing content and design for monthly newsletters and email campaigns
Researching and writing more than 100 pages of sales content
Writing brochures, marketing collateral and sales letters
Developing, researching and writing content for Web sites
Researching and writing white papers, Wikipedia pages and sales proposals

2009 was also a year for collaborating with fellow writers!Â And I know that where I am today has much to do with their support and inspiration.Â After the first of the year, I’ll be posting information about some of these projects we’re already working on and will be launching in 2010.Â For monthly updates, feel free to subscribe to the “company” newsletter (sign up on the right).Â In addition to updates, the newsletter will include tips and suggestions for making the most of your marketing! I’m learning new things every day, so you’ll find information you can use about building communities, networking, marketing, and using the Internet to develop your platform as a writer, freelancer and/or business owner!

Save Money, Hire a Freelancer

Christine — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:35:53 +0000

In the past several months, there have been numerous articles about companies choosing to work with freelance and contract workers rather than hire full-time employees.Â Take, for instance, the article posted December 23rd at PR.com: Jobs 2010: Flexible Resources Says Part-Time and Freelance Will Make Up Bulk of New Hires.

As belts tighten and businesses look for new ways to save, consider just a few of the benefits of hiring a talented expert on a freelance or contract basis.

Gain a high level of specialized experience without the commensurate salary
Save money because there are no benefits or taxes to pay
Use resources efficiently; hire them only when you need them
Use your money more effectively; pay only for the time you use, not for time spent standing around the water cooler

Great freelancers are business owners, too and know how to put their customers first.Â You don’t have to be a big company to appreciate the value of a freelance or contract worker.Â Even as a sole proprietor and small business owner there comes a time when it’s more cost-effective and time-efficient for you to outsource.

Click here to find out how this freelance writer & copyeditor can help you!