Some time ago, I received an e-mail from a reader who asked:

I would love any advice that you could give me, or someone like me, for getting started on a career in writing after many years of doing other things.

Recently, a mutual acquaintance referred a lady who wants to start a freelance writing business to me.

I responded to the first person in e-mail and spoke to the second on the phone. However, other readers may be trying to start a writing career and others are new to freelancing so I’m sharing my advice in this series.

First, learn something about the world of freelancing. You shouldn’t wait until you know everything - that will never happen. But it’s a good idea to read what other freelancers have to say as well as to look into options for finding work.

In this first installment in the series, I will list a number of resources for freelancers. If you have other recommendations, please let me know in comments so I can add them to the list. Note that these are resources that offer a significant amount of advice and information on freelancing as a business, not those primarily offering wrting and publishing advice. Freelance job sites will be listed in a future post.

In future installments, I’ll talk about deciding what kind of freelancing you will do, using a blog to build your business, and finding freelance jobs. If you have questions you would like covered or suggestions of ideas and sites to include, please comment.

To read posts on my blog that relate to freelancing, go to the Series and Related Posts page and read posts in the following categories depending on the kind of writing or editing you would like to do:

• Client Relationships
• Editing
• Freelance Writing and Editing Rates
• News Releases
• Resources for Writers
• Sources of Freelance Business
• Writing and Self-Editing

Blogs and Web sites by and for Freelancers:

• All Freelance Writing
• The Article Writer
• Beyond the Rhetoric
• Catalyst Blogger
• ChrisBlogging
• Copyblogger
• Crayon Writer
• Creative Freelancing
• Dana Prince’s Blog
• Fab Freelance Writing Blog
• Freelance Folder
• Freelance Switch
• Freelance Writing: About.com
• Freelance Writing: Absolute Write
• Freelancing Journey
• Get Paid to Write Online
• Grow Your Writing Business
• InkThinker
• Inkwell Editorial Blog
• Men with Pens
• Pearl Writing Services Blog
• Poe War: Writer’s Resource Center
• ProFreelancing
• The Well-Fed Writer Blog
• Words on the Page
• Write from Home
• Write Now
• The Writer’s Manifesto
• Writer’s Notes
• Writing the Cyber Highway
• The Writing Journey
• WritingThoughts

In the next installment, we’ll look at your freelance options.

Technorati Tags: freelancing

Today, Pentecost Sunday, is the Global Day of Prayer.

The Global Day of Prayer is a world-wide celebration centered around Pentecost Sunday. The mission of this celebration is to unite the global body of Christ, to seek God for revival, intercede on behalf of our world, and collaborate for the blessing and transformation of our cultures. It is preceded by ten days of prayer (Acts 1:14); celebrated in public venues on Pentecost (Acts 2:1) and followed by “90 Days of Blessing” on communities after Pentecost (Acts 2:42).

Please join me and millions of other Christians around the world in prayer for the peoples and nations of the earth.

O God, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the whole earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach peace to them that are far off and to them that are nigh; Grant that all men everywhere may seek after thee and find thee. Bring the nations into thy fold, pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten thy kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Technorati Tags: Global Day of Prayer

I recently discovered Paperback Writer, the blog of Lynn Viehl, who has written 38 novels in 5 genres using 4 pseudonyms in the last 10 years.

Apparently Lynn has posted more than 60 sessions of questions and answers about writing and publishing on her blog.

She has now created an index to all the questions with links to the answers. The questions are categorized: Agents, Blogging, Characters, Conferences, Copyright, Cover Art, Creativity, Dialogue, Editing, Educational, Financial, Genre, Inspiration, Miscellaneous, Novels, Pitching, Plotting, Promotion, Publishing, Series Writing, SF/F, Software, Titles, Web Sites, Writer for Hire, Writing, and Writing LIfe.

While  much of the advice is geared toward novelists (especially writers of science fiction/fantasy) seeking traditional publication, there is plenty of valuable advice for writers of all kinds.

Technorati Tags: writing advice, writers resources

This introduction of Jesus Christ by comedian, actor, and radio show host, Steve Harvey, gives me goosebumps.

This weekend I put together donations for the Pick up a Book and Read Gala for San Antonio Youth Literacy. Several of my clients have given me books to donate, and I made up a package of my own. In addition to a few items for booklovers (like a clip-on book light) and copies of my published books, I created two CDs of work that is available only online as well as an excerpt from Dream or Destiny. 

Though you can read the short stories and articles on my Web site, some of you may not have seen them. Help yourself if you’re interested …

Dream or Destiny - excerpt: chapter 1 (before final edits)

Short Stories - three short stories: The Gift, Trapped by Love, Journal of a Purpose-Seeker

Telling Carola’s Story  - Carola’s Story, a brief summary of the story of how Carola Spencer’s faith helped her to overcome a terrible workplace violence tragedy, and Mission Possible with God’s Help, an account of how I came to write her story in the book Look Beyond Tomorrow

Technorati Tags: free books, stories, e-books

May 1st is RSS Awareness Day to educate people and encourage them to use RSS. If you don’t know anything about RSS, head over to the site and learn how it works. Then give it a try.

You can start by subscribing to my blog.

I subscribe to way more than 100 blogs. I read the headlines and first paragraphs of new posts then decide whether I want to read more or not. Without RSS, I probably wouldn’t keep up with a handful of blogs.

Technorati Tags: RSS Awareness Day

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a day set aside to pray for our nation. The theme for this year is “Prayer! America’s Strength and Shield.” The theme is based on Scripture, Psalm 28:7: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.”

The 2008 Prayer for Our Nation was written by Dr. Ravi Zacharias, Honorary Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force.

Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry,
You have given us food in abundance;

In a world where so many are hurting,
You offer to bind up our wounds;

In a world where so many are lonely,
You offer friendship to every heart;

In a world longing for peace,
You offer hope.

Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant.
Have mercy upon us, Lord.

Our nation is at a crossroads this year;
we look to you to be our strength and shield.

Please give us the guidance to elect one who will honor you
and to respond to the wisdom from above
so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.

In God’s holy name.

The following prayer for our country is from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Global Day of Prayer is Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008. Download a prayer guide to participate in ten days of constant prayer leading up to the Global Day of Prayer.

Wherever you are, I hope you will participate in praying for our world.

Technorati Tags: National Day of Prayer, Global Day of Prayer

In previous posts, I’ve described how I build long-term client relationships. My goal was to provide examples that might be helpful to other freelancers. This final installment in the series will summarize the key points from the previous posts in nine tips:

• Focus your business on providing services that you enjoy, that you are good at, and that your clients want and need.
• Begin with the end in mind. Start off each client relationship in a way that will lead to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
• Operate with total integrity and honesty, and always treat every client with respect.
• Take time to get to know each client and understand his projects. This will build confidence and trust in your client as well as making your job easier.
• Offer suggestions and expert advice that will be helpful to your client.
• Become a valuable resource to your client. If you don’t perform the service the client needs, consider outsourcing it. At the very least, offer a referral to help the client find a reliable service provider.
• Stay in regular contact with your client, whether you are working on a project or not. E-mailing interesting and useful information periodically will benefit the client and keep you top of mind.
• Strive always to make the client’s life easier.
• Treat each client, even on a small job, as a valued long-term client because every client has the potential to become a long-term client and to refer other long-term clients to you.

My long-term clients are the foundation of my freelance business, and I love to hear them say I seem to be able to read their minds.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you. Please share your own tips for building long-term client relationships in comments.

Technorati Tags: long-term client relationships, freelancing