Freelance Rates – Part 2: Hourly vs Project

Some freelancers prefer to charge by the hour; others offer flat rates for specific projects.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both, and some jobs are better suited to one than the other—the scope of some projects can’t be easily defined, making a project fee difficult to determine. Your market may dictate how you charge. Many business clients prefer a project fee because they want to know exactly how much to budget.

Reasons to charge a flat fee:

• Both you and the client know exactly how much the project will cost.
• Many clients prefer a flat fee because they need to budget for a total amount or they fear being overcharged by a freelancer who drags out the project to generate more billable hours.
• You can earn a higher hourly rate if you are efficient and get the job done quickly.
• You don’t want clients to look at you as an employee who trades time for pay; you are running a business that charges fees for services.

Reasons to avoid charging a flat fee:

• If you under-estimate the scope of the job, you can spend a lot more time than you are being paid for.
• Some clients prefer an hourly rate because they have no idea if your project rate is reasonable.
• The work is so unstructured or indefinite that you can’t determine a fair price.
• The client takes an inordinate amount of your time in phone calls or e-mails, or the client expects more than you anticipated.

Reasons for charging an hourly rate:

• You will be paid for all the time you put into the project.
• The project is difficult to price at a flat rate because the amount of work can’t easily be determined in advance.
• Professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, charge by the hour.
• Some clients may prefer an hourly rate to help them decide if the price is reasonable when they have no understanding of what is involved in what you do.

Reasons for not charging an hourly rate:

• You must track your time and keep accurate records.
• Clients may not accept an hourly rate because they have no idea how much the total will be or they fear that freelancers will waste time in order to increase the cost.
• Your income is limited to the amount of billable hours you can work rather than the number of projects you can do.
• You will make less money if you become more efficient and can do the project in less time.

How I Charge:

For most of my regular clients, I charge an hourly rate because I work with them on an ongoing basis rather than completing finite projects. I keep a running tally in 15-minute increments and bill monthly for the accumulated time. There’s never a discussion of cost (except when I raise my prices)—the clients know they will be billed at my hourly rate for anything I do, whether they ask me to do it or I initiate it myself.

For example, if I learn of a new book promotion Web site, I e-mail by author clients and ask if they would like to be listed. Most of them will tell me to do what I think is best. I register with the site for them, submit their bios, book covers, blurbs, and anything else required, and let them know when they’re listed.

When I’m working with a self-publishing author, I may do any or all of the following: edit the book, lay out the interior, contract with a cover designer, create the back cover blurb, negotiate and contract with the printer, send advance reading copies to reviewers, get the ISBN and bar code, create a Web site with a shopping cart, write and submit a news release, register the copyright … And clients may publish more than one book, so I’m updating their Web site/blog during the same time I’m editing a new book and looking for promotional opportunities for the last book. Rather than setting a price for each step of the process, I simply keep track of the time and bill them at the end of the month.

On the other hand, if a new client just wants a resumé or a news release, I will quote a flat rate. I can turn a project like this around quickly and charge more than I would earn at an hourly rate.

For new editing clients, I do a free sample edit so the client can see if they like what I do and so I can get a feel for how much work is involved. Many of my clients are great storytellers but not-so-great writers, so it’s difficult to determine a flat rate for editing a book. However, I will give them an estimate based on the sample, with the proviso that if the rest of the book requires more work—because they sent me a sample that had been self-edited more thoroughly than the complete manuscript or because there is a major plot or other problem that shows up later, I will re-negotiate the total cost. The author knows what to expect for the total cost, but I am covered in case of unpleasant surprises. 

Other Opinions:

• Do You Quote by Hourly Rate or Flat Fee?, Peter Bowerman, The Well-Fed Writer Blog
• Flat Fees vs. Hourly Rates: Do Both at Once!, Anne Bingham, Writer’s Weekly
• The Great Debate: Flat Rates vs Hourly Rates, Susan Johnston, The Urban Muse

In the next, and final, installment, I’ll go into more detail regarding how to actually set your rates.

Freelance Rates – Part 1: Determining Your Worth as a Freelancer

“Freelance editing rates” is consistently the most popular search term that leads people to my blog. Because of that interest, several months ago, I conducted and publised the results of a freelance rates survey.  Freelance rates are the source of continuing debate, and the results of the survey showed rates ranging from less than $5 per hour to $150 per hour.

You want to earn what you’re worth, but you want to be competitive and not lose jobs because your price is too high. So, how do you decide what to charge? In this series, I will cover your worth as a writer, hourly vs project fees, and calculating your fees.

To begin, you will want to gain an understanding of your worth as a writer or editor.

• Consider your experience level. If you are just beginning as a writer or editor, you can’t expect to make as much as someone who has been working in the field for twenty years. You can charge more if you are exceptionally knowledgeable about a subject or have additional skills that the client needs.
• Consider the going rate for the work. The Editorial Freelancers Association publishes a chart of typical editing fees. This will give you a typical range; for example, the range for basic copyediting is $25 to $40 per hour. You probably want to be at the lower end of the range if you’re a beginner and the higher end of the range if you have more experience.
• Consider your market. If you choose to write in certain markets, you can expect very low pay. If you write for magazines and many other publishers, you often don’t have much say in what you are paid. If you are in a specialized market, you can earn much higher rates.
• Consider the value of the work to your client. Most of us tend to think in terms of what it takes to do the job, but our clients look at the value to them. One business client tells me often that she doesn’t mind paying my rate because she saves money by hiring me—even though she pays me several times what she pays her employees, they would spend all day doing what I do in an hour or two and the end product would not be as good.
• Consider your costs of doing business and your income needs. Freelancers often make the mistake of charging the same hourly rate they earned as an employee. However, as a freelancer, you have business expenses that an employee doesn’t have, and you can bill for only a fraction of the total number of hours that you work.  

In the Volume X, Issue 47 (October 5, 2009) issue of his newsletter, Jim Blasingame, the Small Business Advocate, gave this advice to entrepreneurs selling professional services:

You should think of your hourly rate like renting a car at a rate of $60 a day. That works out to $1,800 a month for a car that you could finance for $350 a month. But you understand that you’re paying a premium because you have a temporary transportation need, the rental company delivers the product and service just in time and you give it back whenever your need has been fulfilled, without further obligation. No muss, no fuss, almost exactly like when a client “rents” your professional services.

As a professional for rent, the services you provide and the resource that you are to clients means they don’t have to adopt you like an employee. They can rent you and send you on your way until they need your “product” again.

Here are other resources that you may find helpful in determining your worth as a freelancer:

• Assessing Writing Projects – A Guest Article, T.W. Anderson, About Freelance Writing
• Defending Your Prices, Jennifer Williamson, Catalyst Blogger
• The great freelance rate debate continues, Michelle Rafter, Word Count
• Why You’re Not Cheap, Lori Widmer, Words on the Page
• Writing Pay – How Low Will You Go?, Dana Prince, Get Paid to Write Online
• You Want Higher Freelance Writing Rates, But do You Deserve Them?, Jennifer Mattern, All Freelance Writing

In the next installment, we’ll discuss hourly rates versus project fees. Then in the final installment, we’ll go into more detail on setting prices.

I look forward to your comments on determining your worth as a writer as well as any questions you have about setting freelance rates.

While There’s Still Time

Excerpt: The Shortest Distance

A few days ago, I interviewed author Miriam Ruff about her book of short stories, The Shortest Distance. Someone asked in comments if there was an excerpt available of the book, as he would like to get a taste of her work before ordering the book.

It pays to ask a question in comments. Miriam has agreed to allow me to post a story from her book here—I think you may be motivated to buy the book after reading the story. Bear in mind that there is a wide variety of stories in the book, so one story doesn’t give a true feel for the content. As you know if you’re a regular here, I prefer stories that are happy or that show people at their best. If you like science fiction or dark stories, you’ll find those in The Shortest Distance as well.

But first, here’s a snippet from a review by Jennifer Stewart of Write101:

The topics of the stories range from everyday life and its problems (getting your first car, dealing with body image issues, facing divorce and more), to love and anger, and then on to some wonderful science fiction.

Truly, there’s something for everyone in this collection!

Read the full review.

Miriam gave me the choice of the excerpt to post, so I chose my favorite story, “The Well:”

The well was deep. If you dropped a pebble inside, you had to wait for what seemed an eternity before it finally splashed into the water at the bottom. The edge of the well was cracked, the mortar eroding, the bricks loose. The pail was stained and dented from extended use.

Michael was claustrophobic. The thought of descending into the damp darkness below made sweat bead his forehead and his breath become shallow. If it were up to him, he’d run away in a second. But Sarah, his four-year-old niece, had been playing by the well when the edge crumbled, and now she was trapped somewhere below. He couldn’t abandon her, no matter what his fears.

He knew he had to move quickly. He tested the line connecting him to the winch, and stepping over the broken edge, he lowered himself into the abyss.

You can order The Shortest Distance in print or PDF on Miriam’s Web site.

Visual Arts Junction Writing Contest: Hushed Recall

A beautiful, intriguing picture can be a wonderful writing prompt to get your creative juices flowing. Aggie Villanueva at Visual Arts Junction has announced a new writing contest that invites you to look at Hushed Recall, the photo art above, and write a 500 word story or essay inspired by it.

Aggie describes the contest this way:

Deadline June 30. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, and that is your assignment. Well, more accurately, 500 words. Write about the above photo art, Hushed Recall by Aggie Villanueva. Study the image, and then write a story that this photo art inspires. You don’t have to write only fiction. Enter an essay if that’s what this image prompts. (No poetry please.) There are no limitations as to the subject of your entry, as a picture may inspire unlimited thoughts, but the entries must be inspired by this image.

There are both Amateur and Professional Categories. Entries will be accepted from writers anywhere in the world, as long as the entry is written in English. The prize list includes books, a print of the photographic art above, publication on a number of blogs and Web sites, and a blog talk radio interview. (The print can be shipped only to winners in the US, but other prizes are available internationally). A prize that is priceless for writers: feedback from the judges. Each judge will give you a brief comment saying what she liked best about your entry and what she thought could be improved.

Visit the contest page for the complete list of prizes as well as the rules and the sponsors.

Some of my readers expressed an interest in entering the last contest; however, I didn’t see entries from you. This time I’m posting the announcement much earlier, so you have plenty of time to write your story. I’ll be watching for your entries.

Interview: Author Miriam Ruff

Welcome to Miriam Ruff, my guest today. I’ve known Miriam for several years. She was a member of the Editorial Board of Your Information Center when I was Editor-in-Chief. I was familiar with her excellent skills at editing nonfiction, but I hadn’t read any of her creative writing until I read The Shortest Distance, her new collection of short fiction.

Lillie: Welcome to A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye, Miriam. I’m delighted to host you here and introduce my readers to you and your writing. Tell us a little about what you write.

Miriam:  Thanks, Lillie, I’m pleased to be here.  The Shortest Distance is a bit of a departure for me.  I’ve published three books of poetry, but never one of stories. I saw an ad for a contest where the winner would be the person who wrote the best story in the fewest number of words.  Since I tend to write long, I decided to set myself a challenge—write a complete short story (beginning, middle, and end) in 150 words or fewer. If I came up with 151, I had to find the one word that didn’t need to be there and remove it. The experience taught me a lot about the importance and power of brevity, and it was a lot like writing prose poetry.

Lillie: Of the different kinds of writing you have done, do you have a favorite?

Miriam: I’d have to say poetry and poetic ultrashorts are my favorites. They allow me to express ideas and thoughts for which I can’t always find the words verbally.

Lillie: I know flash fiction/sudden fiction/micro fiction is variously defined as 50 words, 75 words, 100 words, and on up to 1000 words. You write two lengths of short stories, which you call ultrashorts and minishorts. Did you create the names and word counts? How do you define each?

Miriam: Yes, these were totally my creation. I mentioned before about seeing a “short” story contest, and that was the inspiration for the ultrashorts. I wrote one called “Trapped in Amber,” and then, curious, I decided to see what would happen if I allowed myself up to 600 words. I was shocked when the story came out with an entirely different ending! These slightly longer pieces I call mini shorts, and again, that’s a name I came up with myself.

Lillie: I’m reminded of the Mark Twain quote: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” How can you tell a story in only 150 words?

Miriam:  Ah, there’s the challenge. I think the key is to capture the essence of an idea and think about the words crucial to making that idea into the reality the reader finds. Once you’ve found the key words, you need to define the beginning and end points that mark that moment in time; the rest follows.

Lillie: I understand that you dedicated the book to a special teacher you had. Please share with us how she inspired you and how you thanked her.

Miriam: Actually, there are two dedications on the book. The first is to a special friend of mine, Yared, and he was also the inspiration for the story “Chrysalis.” The second dedication is a little more involved. The day before I went to print, I ran into a woman named Doris Tarpley, who was the children’s librarian at the local library when I was growing up. Though I hadn’t seen her in about 20 years, she recognized me immediately, remembered what I liked to read, what I didn’t, what questions I asked, what were my answers to her questions, and the list goes on. She was a great source of inspiration for my love of reading, and I felt I owed her a public dedication. The look on her face when she saw the book made all the work worthwhile.

 Lillie: Are your books available both as e-books and print books?

 Miriam: Yes, each book is available in a PDF copy and a 5 ½ x 8 hard copy.

Lillie: Some of my readers may have a need of your writing or editing services. What services do you offer?

Miriam: I write, edit, and teach in all different formats and on many topics. I mentioned my poetry, but that’s more “personal” writing. To earn a living, I do a lot of educational curricula, Web site text, letters, grant proposals—basically everything, short of pornography.  That I will not do.

Lillie: Where can readers learn more about you, your services, and your books?

Miriam: On my Web site: Bumbershoot Writing, by e-mail: msruff@juno.com, or by phone: (240) 645-2324.

Lillie: Is there anything I’ve failed to ask that you would like to share with my readers?

Miriam: I am in the process of getting The Shortest Distance on Amazon.com, and I will let you know when that becomes a reality. Right now I’m working on a second book, which will primarily be composed of short shorts, ranging from 500 to 1000 words.

Lillie: Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with us about your writing. Readers will probably have more questions for you. Will you check in during the day to respond to comments and answer questions?

Miriam: Absolutely. I believe every writer wants to connect with readers, and I relish the experience of hearing what visitors to your site have to say. Thanks again for having me here today.

Lillie: I hope my readers leave lots of comments and questions for you, Miriam.

 ===================

Though she received her degree in Zoology, MIRIAM RUFF quickly moved on to other pursuits. Most notably, she spent several years in the film industry, eventually moving up to writing and producing short screenplays; she has also written and produced several full-cast audio dramas, which have played nationally on public radio.

And while she tackles all forms of writing from corporate newsletters to educational material and newspaper articles, she finds that writing short stories and poetry provide the most satisfying outlets for her imagination, as well as the most direct, and rewarding, connection with the reader. Her first volume of poetry, Telltale Signs, was published in fall 2000; a second volume, Soundings, appeared in fall 2001; and a third, Point of Impact, in fall 2003. Her work has also appeared in the “Journal of Humanistic Psychology,” as well as assorted newsletters, Web sites, and anthologies, including Letters from the Soul and Spirit of Strength. She currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where she divides her time between writing, editing, and teaching.

Miriam provided me with an e-book of The Shortest Distance with no expectation that I would offer to interview her.

Added 4/23/10: Read an excerpt of Miriam’s book.

Thanks to March 2010 Commenters

Thank you to the 111 commenters who left 177 comments in March. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them. Note: as indicated in the previous post, I had some hecklers leaving comments this month—comments from those individuals are not included in the count or list.Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.
Top Contributor (16 comments)
Ron	Smart Trading
Major Contributor (6 comments)
Agnideb	Ezy Resell
Outstanding Contributors (4 comments)
Alan	Tulsa Oklahoma Real Estate
Deb S	Media by Sistrunk
Dominique	4 Walls and a View
Gayle	GayleTrent.com
Michaela	Involve Mobile
Significant Contributors (2-3 comments)
Andrew	Good Honest Dollar
Bluestocking	The Bluestocking Guide
Craig	Drive NZ
Dawn Colclasure	Dawn Colclasure Blog
Hannes	Air Rattle
Jeremy	Weiss Tech Hockey
Lisa Griffiths	Lisa Griffiths
Marilyn Meredith	Fiction for You
Sam Tremble	freeipadforyou
Adam	The Underfloor Heating Store
Andrew	Webbhotell
Ed	Affordable Ohio Health Insurance Plans
Ed	Major Medical Health Insurance, Inc.
Geoff	Keller Williams Scheiring Team
Helen Ginger	Straight from Hel
James	Watch Bounty Hunter Online
Jeanne Dininni	Writers Notes
Jenny	Software Business Partners
Matthew Robert Payne	Personal Prophecy Free
Mia	99 Bytes
Morgan Mandel	Morgan Mandel
Neil	Kitchen Countertop Ideas
Nelma	Kitchens, New & Cleghorn LLC
Susan	Bible Puzzles
Important Contributors
alexander	Short Best Man Speeches Reviews
Alyssa	Lipstick Tips
Andrew	Book Lookr
Angelica Weatherby	n/a
Anu	n/a
April	New Homes Section
Brandon	Squidoo: Wind Power Cost
Brian	The Home Cart
cam	Backyard Gardening Blog
Charlie	Office Supportline
Cheryl C. Malandrinos	Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Chris	Traffic Ultimatum Review
Cynde	Cynde’s Got the Write Stuff
Dan Mahaliak	Pinoys Got Talent
Daniel	Ontranslations
Dave Bennett	Learn Guitar Online – Reviews
David	Orbit Media
Dekel	No Money Down Home Loans
Den	Foster Online Money
Doris	n/a
Forrest	Forrest Croce Photography
Gerald	My Dog Training Advice
Gilroy	Design2Express
Graham	Microempresas y Phymes
Harry	n/a
Issa	Ajeva Blog
Jackie	Self-Improvement and Self-Care
Jackie Cameron	Consult Cameron
Jasson	Sole F80 Treadmill
jean	Basic Bookkeeping Courses
Jean	Pur3X Pure Energy Designer Beverage Blog
Jennifer	London Flower Delivery
Jerry Clifford	Jerry Clifford Re/Max
Joe	Joseph Thomas
Joe McVoy	Dine In Delivery
John	Best Career Options
Johnkitty	Futures Wiki
Jorge	America Money
Justin	TB Guiden
Karan Brar	Neodown Web Directory
Karen Swim	Karen Swim, Writer, Marketer, and Woman of Purpose
Kev	Free Resume Example
khaye	n/a
Kim	Credit Repair for the Serious Consumer
Kitty	Mobile Rainbow
Kurt Divich	Boardmark
Lee	Heritage Installations
Linda	Canine Communications
Lori Widmer	Words on the Page
Mandy	4InkJets
Mark Dykeman	Broadcasting Brain
Martijn van  Turnhout	eRage
Melvin	RER Property Management
Moses Isaac	Go-Gulf
Nancy	Mobile Rainbow
nick	Your Guide to Fast Abs
Paul	CAN Training & Certification Guide
Paul	Christian Prayer Request
Paula	Prisoner Costumes
Peter Morford	Kodak Playsport Review
Rachel	Children Sleepwalking: Why You Should Be Worried
Rechel	Kids Wetsuit
Robert Hruzek	Middle Zone Musings
Rommel	The Casino Store
rosy	Mobile Rainbow
Ryan	Scrap Carz
sarce	DSM Publishing
Simon	Electronicster
Smith	Fireworks Arcade
Soren	Online Dating
Stephanie	The Back University
Steve	Lift Chair Guide
Steve	Top Range Cookers
Tom	Dating Disabled
Ty	Cancer Cure Options
Val	Bounce House Play
Wendy	Chemistry Live Band
Zatch	Removals Isleworth

Blog: Private Home or Public Meeting Place?

I have been blessed with many wonderful readers and commenters. I appreciate comments and routinely thank commenters for the great conversations. In fact, this month’s thanks to commenters post was scheduled for today, but I postponed it so I could discuss something that happened this week.

You wonderful readers and commenters have spoiled me so much that I was flabbergasted to encounter what I consider to be cyberbullying. I will tell the story of what happened without identifying the bullies and ask if you agree with me or if you think I am overreacting.

Several weeks ago, I received a comment from an official at an online university, asking me to unblock the URL of an online business that gives scholarships to the school’s students. She said that the students receive college credit for leaving comments, and the students couldn’t get credit for leaving comments on my blog because the comments went into spam. I assured her that I have not blocked that site or any other. In fact, I found comments from that URL in approved comments. I explained that if I did send a comment from that site to spam, it wasn’t because of the URL but because the commenter used a keyword instead of a name or otherwise violated my comment policy.

This academian then insisted that I contact Akismet to remove the block that has been placed on this particular site. I explained that it was not my responsibility to get the site unblocked as I had nothing to do with it being blocked, and, in fact, I have no knowledge that it is blocked. The woman then tried to make me feel guilty for not helping students I don’t know attending an online school I’ve never heard of.

A little later, she left a comment and said she was glad I had unblocked the e-commerce site from my blog. I explained that I hadn’t unblocked it because I had never blocked it to begin with. I assured her I would approve comments that were relevant and in accordance with my stated comment policy. Since then, I have watched for other comments from that URL but never received any until a few days ago.

I will briefly summarize a series of comments and e-mail exchanges that took place over a couple of days. A student at the school left a comment on the post about the winners of the Visual Arts Junction writing contest.  The message insulted one of the winning entries, the writer, and all of the judges of the contest. The comment went into moderation as it was the first comment from that person. She then left several more comments asking if her comment went into spam. Then the college official left a comment asking if the message went into spam. I explained to both of them via e-mail that the message went into moderation, as all first comments do, as spelled out clearly in my comment policy. However, I deleted the comment because it was insulting not only to me but to a number of other people.

For a visitor to come to my blog and insult me and others is no different in my mind than a visitor coming to my home and insulting my taste in home decor and my friends and neighbors. The woman from the online school said that it is completely different—my home is a private place but my blog is a public place. Since it is a public place, she said, I am obligated to publish comments from people who disagree with me, even if they are highly insulting. Oh, and I really shouldn’t be insulted because they simply pointed out that I don’t know what I’m doing.

I never expected to have such a situation on my little hobby blog. This is a place for me to do some writing for myself and share it with like-minded people. I don’t make any money from the blog. I do have information about my books and my services and even a few Amazon affiliate links—but the purpose of the blog is for me to have a creative outlet, not to make money. And it is fortunate that my goal is not making money, because I’m very successful at not making money here.

If you enjoy my blog, I’m delighted you’re here and welcome you back. If you don’t enjoy my blog … well, there are millions of blogs on the Internet. I encourage you to find others that better meet your expectations.

What do you think? Is a blog the blogger’s private home where she can expect to be treated with respect and have her friends treated with respect? Or is a blog a public meeting place where the blogger is obligated to be bullied and insulted under the guise of open conversation?

Updated 4/14/10: I had sent a copy of some of the correspondence to my friend Aggie Villanueva, both to confirm that she agreed that the comments from the online school official and student were inappropriate and to alert her in case they started heckling her since she created and hosted the contest. She sent me a very supportive and thoughtful note, which she included in her blog post today: Your Blog: Private Property or Uncensored Battleground in the Name of Free Speech? I encourage you to read it.

I also encourage you to read the comments on this post. Several commenters have suggested better analogies for a blog than a private home: a store of which the blogger is proprietor or a newspaper of which the blogger is the publisher. Although these are more public than a private home, the shopkeeper decides what can be discussed in her store and the publisher decides what he will publish.

photo credit: LaurenV.

Happy 101 Award

Thanks to Morgan Mandel for awarding me the Happy 101 Award. To accept the award, I am to list ten things that make me happy, then pass the award to five other bloggers.

Our society so often focuses on the negative rather than positive, on what’s wrong rather than what’s right, on unhappiness rather than happiness. So I’m delighted to talk about things that make me happy and hope you take a few minutes to think about what makes you happy as well.

Ten things that make me happy:

1. God loves me, forgives my sins, guides me by His Holy Spirit, and will give me eternal life. How can I not be ecstatic about that?
2. My husband Jack has brought love, laughter, and joy into my life for 43+ years. We have encountered some challenging times, but we’ve never had a single dull moment!
3. My siblings, Jack’s siblings, and our extended families give us support, encouragement, and happiness.
4. I love my work, the variety of projects I do, and the clients I work with. The independence of being able to work nights and sleep days is a bonus.
5. A compliment from a reader or a good review on one of my books makes me smile for days.
6. I am as happy about my clients’ successes as I am about my own.
7. A day that I can spend reading for pleasure fills me with contentment.
8. Volunteer work for my church—maintaining the Web site, editing the newsletter, and performing administrative duties—blesses me.
9. Spending time with friends—offline and online—delights me.
10. Blogging, interacting with readers, and reading and commenting on other blogs gives me great pleasure.

I’m passing the award on to five of the many blogs that I’m happy to read:

• Bluestocking at The Bluestocking Guide
• Deb at Punctuality Rules
• Karen Swim at Words for Hire
• Meryl K. Evans at meryl.net
• Ronnica at The Ignorant Historian

There are many other blogs that bring me happiness, but the rules call for passing the award on to five other bloggers. Thanks to all of my favorite bloggers and to my readers who make me happy with their words.

Winners of the Visual Arts Junction Writing Contest

Not long ago, I mentioned that I would be a judge for the Visual Arts Junction Writing Contest.

The results of the contest have been released, and you can visit the contest page to read the winning entries in the Professional and Amateur categories.

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