Going freelance

Gina Trapani explains how to go freelance. I don't know how many people still hold on to the misconception that you quit and "hang out your shingle" but her advice on how to build gradually, getting your name out there and when to give your work away is helpful and probably true to most freelance experience (it is to mine).

Ways to make money working online

OK, I'm skeptical (aren't I always?) but some people must be able to make web work pay because they don't shut up about it on their blogs...hey, did I just have an accidental sarcastic comment? Does that make it ironic?

Anyway, if you are determined to try making money working online, you might want to consider numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 and put a library spin on it. Many of these suggestions also require that you a) fork out some of your own cash for fees to set up and b) do some initial preparation, including class notes, to get started. In addition, customers won't be automatic: you will have to set up some ads on Craigslist and Kijiji to get people to your seminars, but those are free.

They time you when you go to the bathroom?

According to this article from WSJ Online, the employee monitoring system has gone hi-tech, allowing companies to monitor the computer activity of their freelancers and telecommuters as the workers work in their home offices. If you want to use the services to score a gig, you may have to play by their monitoring rules--but I really want to know that the program isn't watching my activity when I am not "at work".

And what was cricketfan thinking?

Search all of Craigslist

Though you aren't supposed to be able to, Wired How-To Wiki has come up with a method, using Google's advanced search, to search all of Craigslist at once. You could use this method to find items for sale...or you could use it to look for freelance contracts or job postings, if place is no object in your job search. Very useful if you are looking for sideline work like editing, tutoring or small writing contracts.

This search could also work for nonprofit jobs that are posted on Craigslist, or if you are looking for library jobs that are posted on Craigslist. (I'm not aware of any libraries that use Craigslist to post job ads, but what the heck, cover all of your bases).

Work from home, make $$$

Everyone has seen those emails--and the classified ads in local newspapers, if you are old enough to remember reading a newspaper--which included advertisements to work from home. Some of it was telemarketing, some of it was shilling pills or other products and some of it was send away for our information package--And the only people who made money on the last were the people selling the information package. Now, you can find work from home or telecommuting positions listed on job boards, as well as "freelance" work specific job boards, such as eLance.

I'm pretty skeptical, but the WSJ decided to see if any of these sites were legit and if people actually made money. On the whole, their article is appropriately critical and gives you the lowdown on the sites, with one exception: these legit sites may ask you to pay a subscription fee to bid on or apply for the jobs. Therefore, you must score a job that at least has the potential to pay your subscription fee--and you must actively bid on work, a time-consuming process. 

Here are some good reasons to use these sites:

1. You have an in-demand skill. Programming, editing and writing, especially if you are a subject specialist, appear to be in demand. But you will have to work hard and stay on top of contracts.
2. You live in a depressed labor market (or just depressed for librarians) but you can't leave. Your squeeze may have a great job, a family member may be seriously ill and depends on you, but there are few prospects for in this area. Instead of keeping house or house keeping in another city, consider the freelance route--if you can meet the first criteria.
   
3. You have freelanced before and can make it work. If you have not freelanced before, you may not be prepared for just how uncertain the pay check is and how freelancing moves in cycles, from hyper to hand-to-mouth. If you are considering freelancing but have not done it before, don't do it unless you have another income to pay the bills. 
4. You have explored F2F freelance work and you want to expand. If you are already an established freelancer but have not sought contracts online, you may want to expand into new markets. 
   

I'm pretty sure that you are smart enough to not believe the promises of instant wealth, but online freelancing could be a way to supplement your income while looking for a library job, or if you are currently under-employed in the field.

This gun for hire

Yesterday, I spoke on a panel for alternative librarian careers. Since I consider myself very much a librarian, my career is not really an "alternative". But I'm not really concerned about that in this post.

I'm concerned about a comment that I overheard about how unsteady it is to be a freelancer and that the person really felt they needed a pay check. I like my pay check too, but I really like my work environment more. I don't think you could pay me enough to stay in work that sucks, but I have an advantage that most freelancers also have: we know what we can do that makes money.

Have you ever sat down and really thought about the things that you can do that people will pay for? These can be library-related like specialized collection development, or on the peripheries of library work (or stuff not always part of every librarian's job) such as editing, proof-reading, teaching, or skills that you have, not necessarily library-related that you can make money at, like installing a wireless network or translating from English to another language. Who would pay you for them and how would you market them?

Can you make money with them in libraries? For example, could you offer a paid workshop on how to give directions or greet people in Mandarin? I know a few librarians that might sign up for that as an online class, just for their own career development. How many people within libraries know what you know and if they don't know it, would they pay to learn it or use it to accomplish a task?

If you know what you can sell and what the market is like for your skills, I think you can make a reasonable living. And let's not kid ourselves: some entry-level library jobs are not a reasonable living and you may need to make some freelance cash to survive, or supplement your income. Sit down and figure out what you can do for money. The next step: how much money would you need to make at it to survive?

For a primer on freelancing, yesterday's WSJ put a loose plan together that you can use to stimulate your thoughts. And seriously think about it: even if you don't make it as freelancer, you still need to know what you can do and how to offer that to an employer.

Here's my card

Do you need a business card? If you're a freelancer or contractor, yes, definitely. You should have the services that you offer--editing, research, indexing, etc.-- and contact information so the person who receives the card can get in touch with you.

It is very helpful to have a card ready for conferences, since there are draws and networking events. I was once asked to put my book proposal on the back of my business card and place it in a fish bowl, so you never know.

You can make up your own card if you have the following:

• Stable contact information, including a personal homepage.
• A specific service that you could sell and proof of your work.

You would use the business card so the person could engage these services.

Try to avoid any slogans or taglines in the card. Personally, I think branding is for cattle or pop, so I would scoff mockingly at any business card with a double-J of readers' advisory.

I would avoid handmade business cards since they look like an arts project and macaroni doesn't fit in a wallet. You could do something like a MOO card if you have some good pictures, but be careful because these could come off looking cutesy and not like a real business card.

Generalist cards are the easiest to make, but also the easiest to discard and if you are looking for a "general" library job, your resume is a better letter of introduction.