Making Money with Little Time

Chapters Edited: 25
Scenes Edited: 84
Words Murdered: 5074 (5.7%)

Jailbreaks: 3
Betrayals: 8
Make-ups: 2
Times Hagai wishes he stayed home: I lost count

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My laptop's dying. I'm thinking about getting a new one, but because I live primarily on the good will of those who share our vision, I don't have a lot of money to do that with. I made a short list of things I can do, trying to figure out a way to make money in the limited time I have. One of them was freelance writing.

I've never really looked at the freelance writing world before. I found some websites where people can request and bid on freelance jobs. It was kind of depressing. I saw a job to write one-thousand 500-word articles for 5 cents each, and another requesting 20-50 blog comments per day, on various blogs under different usernames. The bidders weren't much better, often promoting themselves with statements like: "I am experenced copyrighter with obvius skill in sentance structure and grammar."

Obviously this isn't representative of the freelancing world, but to avoid writing crap web content for 0.01 cents per word I have to build a portfolio or submit to the slush pile of magazines. My problem with that is I already have a job (foster care), and am simultaneously trying to start a career in another one (fiction writing).

For most(?) folks, when their writing career starts to take off, they quit their day job to devote time to it. I can't quit, and I don't want to. So a lot of this is out.

Ah, but at the bottom of my short list, with no cons to speak of, was "Write short stories." It's more difficult than freelancing (or most of the other things on my list), but it pays better, it uses a skill I'm already actively improving, and, most importantly, I like doing it.

I don't know yet if I will go back to that. My last attempt didn't go so well, but then I didn't really put any effort behind it. If I try again, I'm going to really try.

In the meantime, I'm only 3 chapters away from Air Pirates' beta phase, so... WHEE!

12 comments:

Natalie Whipple said...

Such a hard thing to face! Writing for money is just...well, it's doesn't really work, does it? For me, at least. I have to love what I'm doing. And I don't love writing random web articles for insert-shady-employer-here.

Good luck with the short story route!

And yay for Air Pirates almost being done!

Adam Heine said...

That's another problem I have, Natalie. I have a pathetic work ethic when it comes to doing something I don't care about. If I were doing something I didn't care about and I was self-employed, I don't think I'd get anything done.

Kimbra Kasch said...

3 chapters will be done before you know it. Time flies and so do the pages.

Good luck.

Adam Heine said...

Thanks, Kim. If life doesn't get in the way too much, I should be done editing by next week.

I'm sorry to hear about your Monday (re Rachelle's blog). Good luck in your own endeavors.

Anne Lang Bundy said...

Hi Adam! I decided to visit from Rachelle's blog. My reader's pretty full and I'm trying to budget my blog minutes wisely, but I think I'll follow yours.

I do have some advice about writing I was going to share, but I'll save it for another comment after I've gotten to know you better.

Adam Heine said...

Hi Anne, and thanks! I totally know what you mean about budgeting blog minutes. I'm flattered you've included me in your budget :-) I look forward to your advice.

Jen said...

Hi Adam! I popped over from Rachelle's blog party. I must admit, "air pirates" caught my eye :)

I've been contemplating submitting to magazines as well. You're right; it's hard but it's also exposure. The only publication I've had is in a company newsletter (many moons ago) and a letter to the editor of a magazine that was published about six months ago. Keep plugging away!
That's what I have to tell myself. Your hard work will pay off.

Good luck with the editing! I love the progress reports you keep posting. I've only read a few but I'm getting a feel for your characters. Great idea!

Happy weekend!
~Jennifer

Adam Heine said...

Hey Jennifer. Thanks for stopping by! I think you're right: "Keep plugging away" is about the only hard-and-fast rule there is in this business.

Tana said...

Good luck on the next three! I love landing a book, there's a thrill all it's own. It's like an art. BTW, I love my mac notebook it's way better than my PC. Hopefully you'll check them out! Glad I found your blog.

Adam Heine said...

Thanks, T. Anne. I love Macs, but they're usually more expensive and I can't get as much free software on them. Anyway, they're a lot harder to find in Thailand (though not impossible).

BJW said...

Great to find your blog. I've even visited Chiang Mai many moons ago. I'm another writer who found your blog through someone else's blog or another. Either way, look forward to following your blog.

Cheers, Ben

Adam Heine said...

Hey, Ben! Glad to have you here. Hope you enjoy.

I scrolled down your blog and saw the crazy steampunk suit. I really, really, really want one.