workplace

Writers from various disciplines have long been utilizing mainstream social media – Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and Quora, for example – to promote their work and interact with other writers and readers. However, here are ten platforms specifically geared towards the literary community.

Writers-Network: Created in 2004, Writers-Network is a large online community devoted to pointing creative writers toward success. There’s an emphasis on poetry, but apparently writers of all creative genres and forms are welcome and active on the site.

Inked-In: If the wordplay of this site’s title doesn’t draw you in, there are plenty of other pros. Part of The Burry Man Writers Center (a resource for freelance writers and researchers), Inked-In is a network for writers, artists and musicians.

Gather: With the tagline “Fresh Perspective,” Gather offers just that. According to the site, thousands of journalists post original content, and millions of users join in conversation about various subjects.

Book-in-a-week: Book-in-a-Week’s motto is “BIC HOK TAM:” butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly. The first full week of every month, you can use BIW’s learning management system to reach goals you’ve set for yourself. The site promotes a “let’s work together” approach.

Trigger Street Labs: If you’re writing for the screen, Trigger Street Labs might be the network for you. It’s a community for writers and filmmakers, and it’s open to scouts looking for talent.

Suite 101: Suite101 is the premier place for online journalists, freelancers and experts on various topics. Writers can get paid for posting original content, and the site offers a big peer network.

Writertopia: Writertopia is determined to create the ultimate resource for the writing community, and it starts with making sure every member is serious about perfecting his or her professional writing skills. The network also bridges the gap between the virtual world and the real by listing dates for events, readings and workshops.

We Like to Write: We Like to Write is a new social network for writers and bloggers. Professional and amateur writers are welcome to connect and debate, as well as collaborate with each other on projects.

WritersCafe.org: WritersCafe.org makes it easy to make friends with other writers and enter writing contests. It also has topic forums that range from inspiration to publicity to marketing.

Zoetrope Virtual Studio: Francis Ford Coppola launched a version of this website in 1998 to encourage short story submissions for his magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story. The Virtual Studio was created when a large writing community formed around the original website. Virtual Studio not only accepts various genre submissions for the magazine, but also allows workshops and critiques.

Many people who are not working as freelancers presume that it is much more comfortable than having a 9 to 5 job in a company.

Whom of you doesn’t have a friend that asked you to bring a parcel to the post office? Or wanted you to pick up his child? Most of them think you can decide when and how long you want to work. Mostly they don’t know that you also got meetings with your project partners or have to fulfil deadlines.

Another example is that they want you to do some little favours. They don’t realize that it costs money and time. But what would you say when a friend asks you: “Can you help me to design my homepage? Or: “Could you help us to build our wedding photo book?”

“Living the dream”? Now that you’re doing what you love, you might not love it so much. You don’t always get to use your creativity to make art – now you’re photographing uncooperative children or designing text-heavy web pages. And in your spare time, do you really want to sit at a computer or pick up a camera?

Besides there are other problems you have to deal with as a freelancer. For example the lack of social contact, that you would have in an ordinary office.

It is not good to work alone at home. Even if you don’t want to, there are always distractions: doing the laundry, washing the dishes, feeding the cat and more. People shouldn’t be by themselves all day… just think of Tom Hanks in “Cast Away”.

One solution against loneliness are coworking spaces. You’ve never heard of it? Visit projektwerks blog division coworking(LINK) to learn more about it.

Another point is that you are responsible for your work. Therefore you have to do self-marketing. You might be the best photograph, designer or graphic pro in town, but if no one knows about it, no one will hire you. So working as a freelancer means that you also have to know how to market yourself.

Aside from marketing, self-employed creatives also have to handle all kinds  of business affairs: IT and accounting, for example. Is there a freelancer that you couldn’t find in the internet today? I don’t think so.

That’s quite a list of gripes, but still, would you give up the freelancing life to go back to the 9-to-5 world? It seems that many freelancers value their freedom too much to return to having a boss and having to stuff their feet into close-toed shoes each day. Besides, the coffee you brew at home is usually far superior to that burned-tasting sludge in the office.

Do you always love to be a freelancer? Would you ever go back? We’re looking forward to your comments.

Inspired by: fuel your creativity

On computerwoche.de you can find 8 tips which help to make your work more efficient.

1. To-Do list
As basis for organized work create To-do lists. Important here is not to have more than one list in order to avoid confusion.

2. Schedule
Provide sufficient time for upcoming tasks and enter them in a daily or weekly schedule. Prefer three hours instead of two. If time left over, you can use them for storage or other tasks.

3. The “holy area”
The “holy area” is a 60 x 60 cm area on the workplace, which keeps only the documents that concern the actual work. This area ensures that we can concentrate fully on the very important activities.

4. E-mail
Schedule fixed times for answering e-mails. Unimportant e-mails should be deleted immediately; arranged are moved into folders, so that the inbox is always clear.

5. Interaction with colleagues
As regards to colleague, who simply pop up with new tasks or questions, a friendly but definite action is recommended. A firm timesheet for talking time-consuming peers could help.

6. Tools
Simple but effective is to have all necessary tools such as punch, tacker, paper and pen nearby and easy to reach, so the desktop remains clearly arranged.

7. Deposit station
Handle all the collected documents in unused time slots. It is important to sort all of the completed documents, which do not need to be repealed, out to the trash or other place, where they don’t get in you way.

8. Leisure time
Before closing the desk, it should be cleared and all the unfinished tasks transferred in the schedule for the next few days. Only with cleared and empty desk, the new working day can start unstressed.