Android Apps for Freelance Writers
For freelance writers who are also parents, it can be difficult to find long periods of time to devote to writing work. For me, careful organization is the key to keeping up with various assignments from private clients and content mills, as well as my own personal projects.
To accomplish the most work in the short chunks of time I often have available to me, I frequently find myself working from my smart phone while riding in the car, waiting for appointments, or as I sit while my children complete their schoolwork or linger over breakfast. By taking care of emails, social networking, scheduling, and list making in these five and ten minute chunks of time, I'm able to devote my more focused time to actually writing.
Freelance writers may find that they can maximize their available time by using the following applications:
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Created by Nuance, the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking, this is the best keyboard app I've managed to find for Android. It has multiple input methods, including text, dictation, and handwriting, allowing me to jot notes, draft articles, and sent messages quickly and easily.
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I'm a huge fan of cloud computing, and this application allows me to work on a piece of writing from wherever I happen to be. Whether I need to access a spreadsheet, work on a blog post, or draft an entire series of articles on the go, I can do so from my phone with Google Docs.
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This browser is “mini”, but quite powerful, featuring tabbed browsing, password save, and more. If you, like me, frequently find yourself cursing the native browser on your phone, this is the solution.
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I have an inexpensive prepaid Android phone, and pay for my minutes with a no contract monthly plan. GrooVe IP allows me to cut my mobile plan down to $25 per month, because I use my Google Voice account and wifi for the majority of my phone calls, virtually eliminating the need for cell phone minutes.
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This mobile task management application syncs with the tasks function of Gmail, allowing me to manage multiple to do lists, routines, and other lists effortlessly.
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I live in a house with two children under five, which means I'm exposed to all sorts of chaos and noise on an hourly basis. With a set of these noise canceling ear buds and the Simply Noise app, I'm set. I can tune out the chaos and focus on my work – at least for small periods of time.
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Focus is a key element of creating quality work. I use the Pomodoro technique to work for focused bursts of activity, with breaks in between for housework, homeschooling, and other daily tasks. This application tracks and times Pomodoros.
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My private clients are based all over the world, and keeping track of time zones can get tricky. This world clock application allows me to keep up with various time zones and deadlines without missing a beat.
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Installing the WordPress application on my Android phone allows me to post remotely to my blog from my smart phone, meaning I can add pictures, notes, or entire blog posts while on the go. For this application to work properly, you must enable remote posting from your WordPress dashboard.
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Many of my clients use Skype for chatting, calling internationally, and generally staying in touch with their teams. By installing the Skype application on my smartphone, I'm able to make international calls for pennies on the dollar. I have my home phone number routed through Skype, as well, so when I leave the house, I can forward all my calls to my cell phone.
Freelance Writing Work from Home – How to Find Freelance Writing Jobs
Far too often, when people hear that someone (like moi) is doing freelance writing work from home, they make the assumption that it's "easy money". Unfortunately for me, I'm not sitting in my pajamas, watching television, and cashing the checks that roll into my mailbox every day with no work on my part. That's the stuff of television commercials, pay per click ads, and scams – not the reality of working from home.
Working from home is exactly that – WORK! While it's more flexible than a traditional brick and mortar J.O.B. (especially if you've been blessed by the writing gods with a laptop and a wireless card), I probably work harder every day to build my business than I ever worked when I was making a salary or an hourly wage. After all, I have to find the freelance writing jobs, apply to them with a solid letter and resume, and then market myself regularly to be sure that the work continues to flow. Then there's the invoicing, the accouting, and all the other non-paid work that goes into running a small business.
Some people give up at this point, deciding that it's simply too much work to constantly chase freelance writing work. However, if you stick with it, it's easier than you'd think to ensure a steady work flow.
Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs
1. Market Yourself Locally: Get thyself to Vistaprint and order some attractive business cards. Add your email address, website (you do have a website, right?), and any other contact information you need. Then carry them with you at.all.times. Local charity event, and a nonprofit owner mentions that they need a grant writer? You're prepared. Visiting the local hardware store and notice that their fliers are misspelled and printed in crayon? You're prepared.
2. Market Yourself Online: Social Networking sites aren't just for looking at the pictures of your great-aunt Francis's multiple cats. Instead, spend some time every day interacting on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Build professional connections, share interesting stories, and be sure that everyone you interact with knows your keyboard's available for hire.
3. Craigslist Ads: Some of my best clients come from Craigslist, believe it or not. Be aware of scams, make sure the client provides you with current contact information, and get a deposit up front if possible. Be prepared with a current resume and well-written email cover letter that details your skills, as well as the hourly rate that you're targeting.
4. Content Mills: In the freelance writing world, these sites are either loved or hated – there seems to be very little middle ground. Content mills like Textbroker, Demand Media, and others provide a steady income that works well to fill in the gaps between private clients. If you decide to go this route, do your best not to become dependent on any one content site for your entire income – if it goes down in flames, so does your monthly budget. Spread your income out between multiple clients/websites/business ventures so that if one falls through, you're still in excellent financial shape.
5. Writing Leads Sites: There are various sites online that post writing leads on a daily or weekly basis. These sites are an excellent way to find freelance writing work from home, but the competition for some jobs can be quite stiff.
Follow these easy tips for finding freelance writing jobs, and before you know it your calendar and to do list will be full, along with your wallet.
What’s Your Back Up Plan?
When your entire career is digital, it doesn't pay to mess around. If you're an online freelancer, chances are you've got emails, client work, personal projects, and a website (or two, or ten) floating around on your hard drive or the internet. But do you have a consistent back up plan in place, in case something goes horribly wrong?
Let's face it – problems happen. And Murphy's Law says that they'll happen at the worst possible time. So, when my kids have the flu, I'm on a deadline, and the mortgage is due – that's when the blue screen of death appears. Because, you know, that's when I need to see it the most 
My solution to this problem is twofold. Your mileage may vary. This blog post may self destruct.
1. We always have more than one working computer. I choose to lease my business laptop, and carry a protection plan on it. Something goes wrong, the company fixes it or replaces it within 24 hours. I store all my files online, so in a pinch, I can be back in action in something like 5 hours, after I re-install all my software. In a REAL pinch, I can just re-install a few essential bits and start working again almost instantly.
2. Online backup. I use Mozy. It's less than $5 a month for unlimited online storage, and you can set it up so that it backs up automatically. No need to remember anything, just set it up and it handles back up for you. In the event of a compute crash, you can download all your files to your new computer, or have them ship CD's to your door.
If you're an online freelancer, you need a back up plan. What's yours?
