Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.




My name is Laura Agadoni, and I’ve spent about 10 years actively writing for newspapers and various organizations. I just started writing for Demand Studios after first hearing about it in October 2009. It has been a great experience for me. I've learned how to clear up my dog's itchy back by putting a little oil in his food; I learned that I purchased a bogus extended warranty on my daughter's car; and I now know how to explain how the brain works to a child—all this and much more from the research I do with this job. Demand Studios articles have much higher standards than other writer sign-up sites. Thank you Demand Studios! I appreciate you.

Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.




I am Jeff Mason, a writer for more than 30 years, but until Demand Studios came along, I had no feasible professional venue in which to contribute and receive an acceptable return for my efforts. Demand Studios provides reasonable deadlines, a wealth of interesting topics and a no-pressure environment, with the assumption that writers are mature, responsible and capable. When you compare competing writing environments, Demand Studios stands head-and-shoulders above the others; there is, in fact, no viable competition. Other offerings utilize gimmicks like time-wasting peer ratings. Demand Studios is about “professional writing,” period.

Making productive use of freelance writing time can be challenging. Many freelancers are work at home parents who can only count on a certain time of the day to work. Others have full time jobs to contend with. Still others fall prey to many of the distractions that manage to keep us from focusing on the matter at hand. With all the above in mind, I thought I might share some of my favorite productivity tips.

Keep business hours

As freelance writers we pride ourselves on our flexibility. We can work any time and any place.  When I first began freelancing I grabbed times to write here and there. As my freelance writing business grew, I realize the piece mail writing thing wasn’t working out. It’s hard to focus on one task when I’m constantly getting up to deal with family or answer the doorbell.  What worked best for me was to establish business hours.

Having business hours allowed me to focus on my work undisturbed. When my son was younger, I woke at 4:00 and worked until about 7:30 AM. Now, I work during school hours. Having specific blocks of time not only enabled me to respect my work, but others respect my time and work as well.  Sitting down and knowing I won’t be disturbed is priceless. It allows the words to flow freely without having to wonder if the kids are OK or if friends will come a-calling.

Schedule time for everything

Again, as a freelancer you might not want to be so strict with your time. However, if I don't schedule my time, I get torn in different directions and lose focus.  Unless I’m meeting friends for lunch (more on that later) I generally eat the same time every day. I also schedule a certain time of day for each project, whether client gigs or my own. There's even a certain time of day to handle correspondence, phone calls and administrative tasks. Generally, Friday is my administrative day when I handle accounting and paperwork.

Create an editorial calendar

An editorial calendar helps to manage various projects. I start one at the beginning of each month and plan assignments and blogs posts in advance.  Having each project scheduled and entered into a calendar for certain times and days means I won’t have to think about which project to tackle next. 

Of course, if you only write for Demand Studios this sort of calendar might not be necessary. However, I create content for multiple blogs, work with a couple of clients and I’m working on some ebook projects and contributions for some top bloggers.  Having an editorial calendar allows me to delegate enough time for each, and it ensures I won’t run out of ideas.

The stuff you like least? Do that first

Admit it. Sometimes you have to write stuff you’re not exactly feeling. Maybe you even do what I used to do and put it last on your list. You might even procrastinate by getting something to eat or surfing the ‘net. You do everything you can to put off the inevitable.

What would happen if you put you dullest writing projects first?

When I schedule a task that I don’t enjoy I make it my first project of the day. I get it over with early so everything else is gravy. It’s almost as if I’m rewarding myself with the good stuff by getting through the lackluster stuff. Tackle the unattractive tasks first. Get them out of the way. You’ll find you’re procrastinating less and getting more done.

Reward yourself

All work and no play makes Deb a dull girl. It probably makes you dull too. That’s why I like to reward myself for my hard work. I meet friends for lunch, allow myself some social networking time, treat myself to Starbucks or read some chapters from a good book.  By rewarding myself I’m sort offering a light at the end of a tunnel. For example, I know that if I get all my work done by 4:00, I can have an hour to myself to do whatever I like before my family comes home.

Respect your time

Being productive means you’re respecting your time. You’re doing what it takes to sit down, focus, and block out the rest of the world done. For me, this means being less flexible with my time and establishing boundaries.  Now I'd like to learn how you do it.

What do you do to rock your productivity?

Share your tips in the comments…

 

Deborah Ng is a freelance writer, professional blogger, social media consultant and founder of the Freelance Writing Jobs blog network.

Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.




I'm Victoria Hunter, and I am a professional, full-time freelance writer. I have private clients that are all in the real estate and mortgage industry, and I write articles, website content and marketing materials for them. I blog professionally for a well-known mortgage website, and I write articles for Demand Studios. Demand Studios affords me a freedom that is impossible to find in an office environment. I can write as little or as much as I want and, therefore, make as little or as much money as I need. We get paid twice a week, and since I've been working with Demand Studios, my pay has never been late. I can work in my jammies if I want to. And nobody tells me when to take my breaks. You gotta love that! Want to know a secret? If I get up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, Demand Studios is open for business, and I can actually make money at 3 a.m.! Best of all though is the community of writers at Demand. We have a forum where we get together and chat about, yes, writing but also about life in general. It's a supportive group of people from all walks of life, and I have to say, they are the best part of Demand Studios.

Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.




I'm Susan Miller, and have worked as a print media journalist for 20 years. Five of those years were spent as a full-time freelancer when I was paid a lot more for each article I wrote, but pay came only once a month, at least 30 to 60 days after I created the work. I truly appreciate Demand Studios’ payment schedule, which is great for freelancers’ cash flow. I have continued to freelance even though I now have a full-time job, and I appreciate Demand Studios’ continued efforts for high professional standards, how they listen to writers and make every attempt to address our needs and concerns.

Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.




My name is Elizabeth Holli Wood, and I’ve been a freelance writer for online and print publications for four years. After studying English at the University of Florida, I was at a loss for how to actually use my degree to make a living. After months of rummaging through job postings and cruising through Craigslist, I stumbled upon an opening that changed my life. Working with Demand Studios since May 2008, I’ve written hundreds of articles on a variety of topics, which have helped me bulk up my portfolio—all while getting paid to do what I love.

Hello writers and copy editors,

The Demand Studios team is happy to announce that we will be opening up the How to format to instructional titles that do not have “How to” in the title. Free-form titles like “DIY Pinata,” “Painting a Door” or “Origami Frog Instructions” were previously placed in the Strategy format. However, as many writers have noted, these articles fit easily into the sequential, step-by-step instructions of a How to article. You will start seeing free-form titles attached to the How to format in the Find Assignments queue beginning this week. These articles should be written following the regular How to format guidelines.

Occasionally, you may come across a free-form title in the How to format that cannot be completed with sequential steps.  Please flag these titles using the “Flag This Title” option.

Thank you,

The Demand Studios Editorial Team

Hi all -

There has been a lot of confusion about how to structure How to articles that have multiple solutions, particularly computer and technical How to titles. In an effort to clear this up, we have expanded upon our policy of not including brands and products by adding the following bullet point under Section III, “Demand Studios’ Voice,” of both the Demand Studios Editorial Guidelines and the DS Copy Editor Guidelines.

•    Avoid including brands or products in your article unless the title specifically calls for it. Articles with generic titles, such as technical, computer-based How tos like “How to Build a Website,” should not include instructions on how to complete the task using one specific product. Instead, it should include multiple options with a corresponding explanation in each step.
 
Note that this policy is not new—our guidelines have always prohibited writers from endorsing specific products or brands unless the title specifically called for it. However, lately we have noticed some violations of the policy, especially with computer-related How to titles. For example, take the title “How to Build a Website.” This article could be completed using any number of different programs designed to help a person build a personal website. Some writers are picking one program and instructing the reader to complete the task using that specific product or brand. Aside from endorsing a single type of software or website, the articles that describe one type of software often end up with a lot of obvious walkthrough instructions. Remember, the title is “How to Build a Website,” not “How to Use Software X.”

Alternatively, writers should use one of three options to complete these types of titles:

1.    Our first preference is to tell our readers how to perform the task with tools they already have, rather than downloading or purchasing a third-party tool (even if it is more powerful and makes the task easier). So, whenever possible, use the steps to detail how to accomplish the task with tools “native” to Windows (or Linux or Mac or the operating system in question). For the title “How to Remove Software That Won't Uninstall,” the article might tell the reader to click “Run” in a Start Menu and type “regedit” into the “Open” field. Then the steps would walk us through the process.
2.    The second option is to use each step to offer a different site or software program as a solution. Don’t include navigation instructions as the “solution.” Instead, each step should summarize how the site or software works. So, for example, each step for “Learning English Online” should suggest a different option for fulfilling the task and may summarize how it works—as opposed to including instructions about how to use one website that teaches English.
3.    The final option is to create a separate section for each site or software tool and review the important steps for using that program. You must detail three options in three separate sections.

A single site or software product is acceptable only if no other options exist.

We have included this post in the Training Camp section of both the Writer and Copy Editor Resource Center for you to reference when needed. If writers have questions on how to execute a specific title, please post your question in the Title Clarification forum. If copy editors have questions on how to edit a specific article, please contact your CE lead.

Thanks