The Freelance Year. Should You Call It That?

Writer Abroad has now been a full-time freelancer for a year. Therefore, she now has an accountant. As her accountant was finishing her estimated taxes for this year (this sucks, estimated taxes are the worst part of freelancing, people), she asked Writer Abroad if she would be expecting any bonuses.

Ha. Do freelancers get bonuses?

Well, here’s Writer Abroad’s bonus for the year: a pat on the back for braving the freelance world on a full-time basis. A pat on the back for being able to put the maximum possible into a solo retirement fund. And a pat on the back for turning down a six-figure job offer with a fancy title (an offer that was the result of a freelance job) when she knew in her heart that as tempting as it was, she wanted to work for herself.

It takes courage to be a full-time freelancer.

But wait. Should she call herself a freelancer? An article, Why I Stopped Calling Myself a Freelancer in Fast Company recently said that the term “freelancer” could be seen as unprofessional.

Personally, Writer Abroad believes calling yourself a freelancer is not unprofessional if you are a professional. If you’re working for yourself because you have a decade of experience and the connections to make it possible for you to work for yourself for a living wage, then why wouldn’t you? If you’re working for yourself because you want to work for yourself and not because you don’t have other options, then calling yourself a freelancer is something that should fill you with pride.

Nevertheless, Writer Abroad will be doing something about her “freelancer” title next year: she is forming her own LLC or corporation. This is another step towards cementing her love of working independently (and also a way to get rid of those horrific self-employment taxes the American government puts on people like us–why punish entrepreneurs, American government?). 

In any case, Writer Abroad is thrilled to have built a career where working for herself is possible and especially thrilled to have chosen a career that fits her introverted tendencies perfectly.

So. Here’s to all writers who are dreaming of doing the same (have courage!) or are already doing it (congrats!). It really is wonderful.

8 Things You Need to Be a Successful Essay Writer

Grüezi, essay writers. Over the weekend, Writer Abroad taught a course at the Zurich Writers Workshop called Miniature Memoir: How to Write and Publish Personal Essays.

Here are eight things you need to become a successful writer:

One

Excellent command of language

This is obvious, but if you can’t write a sentence and don't care to revise it between 4-104 times, you need not apply to be an essay writer.

Two    

Discipline

Do you sit your butt in a chair almost every day and write? There’s no lightning bolt, so if you wait for it, you’ll be one of those writers who always dreams of being a writer but never becomes one. Treat writing like a job and it will become one. Treat writing like a hobby and it will remain a hobby.

Three

Desire

You must want to write more than anything. Why? Because almost anything else is easier, even bioengineering. A book (or sadly, even an essay) can take years to write. If you can do something else, do it. If you can’t, congrats, you’re a writer. Now sit in the chair and believe in yourself (see number four). If you don’t have discipline, all the desire in the world doesn’t matter.

Four

Strong ego

When do others believe in you? More often than not, after you first believed in yourself. Don’t be afraid to call yourself a writer—as long as you’re writing almost daily and you consider it your job—even if you’ve yet to be paid for your work. Believe and it will happen. Wait for others to approve you and it won't.

Five

Resiliency

Sorry, but rejection is a part of the writing life. If you’re not being rejected, you’re not putting your writing out there enough. And you must not only deal with rejection gracefully, you must bounce back from it. Often rejection isn’t personal, so move on fast. Rejected? Send the piece to someone else. Do it. Now.

Six

Courage

Any kind of writing takes a lot of courage—but personal essay writing and memoir probably takes the most. Because you can’t hide behind the façade of another character when the main character is you. The more personal your writing is and the more you’re scared to tell a certain story, the better it probably is. Good luck with that.

Seven

Separation from the page

You must be able to separate writing about your life from your actual life. This is very important when it comes to personal essays. Remember: when you put yourself on a page, it’s a portrayal of yourself. It is NOT you.

Eight

An ability that allows you to never read the comments

Do not click. Do not feel compelled to click. You should not care what JohnBoy123 thought about your piece. Be able to talk to the world at the same time you ignore it. Then you’ll have the courage it takes to put the next piece out there because you won’t still be questioning the comment from HeyImABitchYo about the latest piece you wrote.

On Inspiration and Ogunquit, Maine

Breaking New Grounds

Writer Abroad does not believe in writer’s block or in waiting for inspiration to strike. Sure, sometimes inspiration does strike, but it doesn’t happen often and waiting for it would mean she would never accomplish anything.

Writer Abroad also believes you can be inspired anywhere.  In a dark room with no windows. On a train. Or in an apartment. But it doesn’t hurt to seek an inspiring place to write sometimes.

Which brings us to Ogunquit, Maine and the most amazing coffee shop for writing that Writer Abroad has ever worked in. It’s called Breaking New Grounds. The pumpkin gelato is as great as the view. In case you don’t believe her, the view is below. Add in free Wi-Fi and an ocean view and you have a great place for working—if one of the most beautiful spots in the U.S. doesn’t distract you, that is.

View from Breaking New Grounds

Ogunquit has a history of inspiration—artists have come here to paint for decades. It’s gorgeous. And there’s a 1.25-mile path along the ocean, called Marginal Way. Contemplate work or chat with a friend on one (or all) of over 40 benches along this path from Perkins Cove to Shore Road.

This morning, before going to Breaking New Grounds, Writer Abroad ran along the Marginal Way and then took off her running shoes to run on the beach. The cold water soothed both her feet and her spirit. Sounds cliché but it’s proof that clichés can be great for inspiration too.

Writers with day jobs: do we live up to our potential?

Can we live up to our potential as writers if we have day jobs? This question has always haunted Writer Abroad. So imagine her delight when she found the memoir How Did I Get Here: Making Peace with the Road Not Taken?

In it, the author, Jesse Browner, who has worked for the United Nations for 20 years while also writing novels, argues that perhaps our day jobs make us better writers—we never have to worry about money, for one, and we don’t have to struggle to find the next freelance job either. This frees up our minds to concentrate on our art when we do have the time.

The book is especially relevant to Writer Abroad, since this is the first year she’s experimenting with full-time freelance writing versus working a full or a part-time job. And she has to say–she’s more stressed out from full-time freelancing than she was when she had a day job.

There’s the constant invoicing, the whims of random clients around the world, the unrealistic deadlines, the time zones that follow her no matter which one she’s in. It’s all adding up to one thing: exhaustion.

Now sure, there’s exhaustion in a day job too. But it’s a different kind of exhaustion. There are no invoices, no constant hustle for new assignments, no following up for unpaid or under-paid bills. The schedule is constant for those who are fortunate. Sometimes there’s even writing time during quiet periods.

But then again, Writer Abroad has to say—she’s never placed as many essays in big publications as she has this year. Is it because she is focusing only on freelance writing? Is it because by now she’s finally put in 10 years of constant writing so she’s mastered some basic writing skills? Or is it because her network has expanded to a point that’s finally beneficial?

It’s hard to say.

So what’s the conclusion? Can we be the complete artists we want to be even if we have day jobs? What do you think?

The Bernie Effect Opens Doors for Expat Writers

An encouraging thing has happened since Writer Abroad tried to sell her book, Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known, to traditional American publishers.

Americans are starting to care about the way things work in the rest of the world. Imagine that. We’re discussing paid leave, work-life balance, free higher education, and many other topics that citizens of other countries call normal but Americans still call progressive.

But this is changing. And Americans seem thirsty to hear about how they can have it better too.

Americans needs to hear from American
expats about the rest of the world. And there's never
 been a better time to join the discussion.

Writer Abroad calls this the Bernie Effect.

And it is opening doors for expat writers.

How? Well, before the Bernie Effect, American agents, publishers, and editors would say things like, “Well, no one cares about Switzerland. This won’t sell.”

But now, expat writer friends, there are a lot of outlets excited for stories about what Americans don't have in comparison to citizens of other countries. And who better to tell these stories than people who have lived in other countries—especially the ones with strong social systems?

Writer Abroad didn’t set out to write semi-political essays, but lately they’ve been popular. The piece in Vox, about how Switzerland ruined her for America and its lousy work-life culture has contributed to a larger discussion on the issue and she couldn’t be more thrilled. This week, she was honored to be a guest on HuffPost Live’s work-life balance discussion.

It’s fantastic that Americans are finally interested in these topics. Because we have a long way to go to catch up to the rest of the industrialized world in our policy making. But we’ve got to start somewhere. And expat writers can be a big part of the discussion. Have you contributed to this discussion at all? If so, how? If not, will you?

Learn to Write and Publish Personal Essays

The 2015 Zurich Writers Workshop just opened for registration. Writer Abroad will be teaching a workshop called Miniature Memoir: Writing and Publishing Personal Essays, in case you needed an excuse to attend a workshop or to visit Switzerland.

Fall 2015 Workshop will be held October 23-25, 2015

Here's why Writer Abroad believes her workshop is important: If you can master the personal essay, you can launch a writing career. In fact, writing a personal essay is one of the best ways to break into freelancing and get noticed as a writer. During Writer Abroad's workshop, she'll take you from essay idea to international writing career, one miniature memoir at a time.

Emylia Hall is the fiction author in residence during the workshop. The author of three novels, including one set in the Swiss Riviera, she'll be teaching a workshop on the craft of fiction with a focus on sense of place.

Writing aside, October is a stunning time to visit Switzerland. The leaves peak about the week of October 20th and there are no tourists but still plenty of sunshine. 

Separating real life from the writing life

Last night Writer Abroad told Husband Abroad that she was doing pretty well separating herself from her work.

He replied, “But you ARE your work.”

 

The Vox Article

Writer Abroad disagreed. “No, I am not my work. I emotionally detach myself from anything I write after I write it,” she said.

He didn’t get it.

Is Husband Abroad his IT? Does being Manager of Lots of People define his soul? No. So being a writer shouldn’t define Writer Abroad’s—even when she’s writing about real life. Her life. 

So Writer Abroad added, “I can’t worr

Which lead to the tabloid article

y about what half a million people reading my latest piece think. I have to ignore their comments. Ignore, in a way, that my work is even out there—while at the same time promoting it."

Finally he said, “I guess I can’t relate. I get 5 likes on my Instagram photos.”

Here's the thing: I don’t think anyone who is not a writer—especially one who is writing personal essays or memoir—can relate to how one must go about living with having part of their soul out there. The key word, though, is part.

The world knows a small part of Writer Abroad’s story today. Her photos and an exaggerated version of the story are once again in one of Switzerland’s tabloids this evening. Her latest story was tweeted 1600 times and counting since yesterday. 53,000 Facebook shares. And counting. Which in turn sold over 50 books that tell yet another story about her life. The cycle of a writer goes on and on.

It’s overwhelming. It’s scary. But luckily, Writer Abroad has learned how to deal with readers knowing more about her life than she knows about theirs (even if some of them tell her quite a lot about their own story in their emails) by separating her life as it is shaped on a page and her life as it is in reality. It’s a subtle difference. But it’s an important one.

Do you separate yourself and your work? If so, how?

3 New Memoirs on Expat Life in Asia

If you're like Writer Abroad and love a good travel/expat memoir–specifically one that deals with Asian cultures, go East, dear blog reader, go East. In June, three new memoirs by women writers were published. One of the books is by Tracy Slater, who previously contributed to Writer Abroad back in 2013.

The Good Shufu: Finding Love, Self, & Home on the Far Side of the World 

By Tracy Slater 

The Good Shufu is a true story of multicultural love, marriage, and mixups. When Tracy Slater, a highly independent American academic, falls head-over-heels in love with the least likely person in the world--a traditional Japanese salaryman who barely speaks English--she must choose between the existence she'd meticulously planned in the US and life as an illiterate housewife in Osaka. Rather than an ordinary travel memoir, this is a book about building a whole life in a language you don’t speak and a land you can barely navigate, and yet somehow finding a truer sense of home and meaning than ever before. A Summer ’15 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, The Good Shufu is a celebration of the life least expected:  messy, overwhelming, and deeply enriching in its complications.

Putnam/Penguin, June 30, 2015

 

Year of Fire Dragons: An American Woman's Story of Coming of Age in Hong Kong

By Shannon Young 

When a bookish 22-year-old follows her Eurasian boyfriend to his hometown of Hong Kong, she thinks their long distance romance is over. 

But a month later his company sends him to London. She embarks on a wide-eyed newcomer's journey through Hong Kong—alone. 

The city enchants her, forcing her to question her plans. Soon, she must make a choice between her new life and the love that first brought her to Asia.

Blacksmith Books, June 7, 2015 

 

Here Comes the Sun: A Journey to Adoption in 8 Chakras 

By Leza Lowitz 

At 30, Californian Leza Lowitz is single and traveling the world, which suits her just fine. Coming of age in Berkeley during the feminist revolution of the 1970s, she learned that marriage and family could wait. Or could they? When Leza moves to Japan and falls in love with a Japanese man, her heart opens in ways she never thought possible. But she’s still an outsider, and home is far away. Rather than struggle to fit in, she opens a yoga studio and makes a home for others. Then, at 44, Leza and her Japanese husband seek to adopt—in a country where bloodlines are paramount and family ties are almost feudal in their cultural importance. She travels to India to work on herself and back to California to deal with her past. Something is still not complete until she learns that when you give a little love to a child, you get the whole world in return. The author’s deep connection to yoga shows her that infertile does not mean inconceivable. By adapting and adopting, she transcends her struggles and embraces the joys of motherhood.

Stonebridge Press, June 2015

What to do with writing rejections

Writer Abroad has been reading an interesting book called Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang.

It’s about an entrepreneur-turned author’s personal journey with rejection. To battle his fear of rejection, he develops 100 tasks that he believes will lead to rejection in order to learn how to deal with it.

In the middle of the book, he includes a section on writers and rejection, since no one knows rejection like an author. He lists how many times famous books were rejected by agents and publishers until finally being published. The lesson, of course, is that much of rejection is opinion. Does the person you’re asking like your idea and writing or not?

To find a person who likes your work, it can sometimes take 100 agents or publishers. In other words, it can take persistence and a lot of time. In the age of independent publishing and the tendency for big houses to only publish already-proven authors and/or celebrities, how persistent should you be? Or should you even waste your time with traditional publishers?

Writer Abroad isn’t sure she has an answer to that. She knows some authors that are purely independent and never submit to traditional publishers. She knows other authors who would never dream of self-publishing—even if their work is rejected. And then there is Writer Abroad, who is open to either and thinks there is usually a clear answer to what you should do depending on the kind of rejection you receive from big publishers.

With Writer Abroad’s first book, the feedback from traditional folks was that her market was too small. That opinion seemed consistent. The rejection wasn’t about the writing or the idea—it was about the size of the readership who would appreciate it.

She could have scrapped the book because of that. But instead, that kind of rejection led Writer Abroad to publish the book, Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known, through her own press. Because small markets are great for independent authors—they are easier to target and market to. And since independent authors get bigger paybacks, a book with a smaller market can still make sense for them financially even if it doesn’t for a big house.

Whether to publish after “traditional” rejection depends a lot on your project. Do you have the ability to target and reach potential readers? Do you have the money to hire a good editor and designer(s)? How set were you on having the “status” of being traditionally published? Is the writing great and have you been published enough to be able to claim that? All good questions to ask.

How to do you decide what to do with rejection?

How Technology Changes How We Live Abroad

When you live abroad for almost a decade, you can’t help but wonder how the distance will affect your relationships with family and friends back home. Technology changes things—it makes it easier to connect than ever. But it also makes it harder to hug and can trick us into making far seem close.

When Dinnertime is also FaceTime

Writer Abroad wrote about this phenomenon in a personal essay titled, See that blurry prone-to-freeze image? That’s your new granddaughter?, which is included in her book, Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known. She also researched how technology affects our lives abroad and wrote about it in a two-part series for Wall Street Journal Expat, the second of which was published today.

Part One

Does Technology Ruin The Expat Experience?

Part Two

How Technology Is Redefining Expat Relationships With Family Back Home

How has technology changed life abroad (or at home) for you?