DMS Has Hit Its Iceberg

Demand Media Studios -- or DMS -- seems to have hit its iceberg. Many of us have been predicting this since around January 2011 and have jumped ship months ago. Some folks couldn't just leave DMS as easily as I did and I get that. Plus, DMS did do things in a very shady manner. Today, many titlers got an email that in a nutshell said, "you suck goodbye." DMS has never been known for tact, but their actions lately go beyond lack of tact. They are deplorable. I understand basic business principles. I drop clients that simply are not working for me, but the client has ADVANCED notice so said client is not completely screwed. DMS does not seem to care that thousands of writers, around the holidays no less, are left with nothing. Let's not forget that this company also left titlers and CEs screwed too with their recent shenanigans.

If they want to redo their business model, then good on them. But, to leave thousands of innocent people bobbing in cold dark water at the expense of sudden change is simply cruel and unusual.

I am proud to say that I have not written a word for this poor excuse for a company in nearly eight months. I hope that all of you who are currently on this literary Titanic can soon say the same thing. I will make a point of posting job leads several times a week to try and help you. There is a list of sites a few posts down where you can start. While LoveToKnow has since folded as well, the rest should still be active. Do not wait for DMS to surge again or to be great to you because it will not happen.

Photo is Public Domain

Great Show Last Night

Last night fellow freelancer Amy Browne and I did our thing and hosted our radio show, The Freelance Connection, on Blog Talk Radio. We discussed a person who we have received several reports on that is not paying her clients. This is the very first thing we discussed at the very beginning of the show. Check it out and if you have had any experience with this client, feel free to drop a line in the comments and/or check out the ongoing thread about her over and Absolute Write and share your experience to help your fellow writers out.

Amy talked about Bestcovery, a great writing site that many freelancers are not familiar with and shared some info on the work they have available now.

I talked about the process of being hired on with LoveToKnow and the wonderful women I have had the pleasure to communicate with via email and phone so far during the process.

We also talked a bit about the new Writer's Evaluation Program taking place at Demand Media Studios. It ain't pretty, but it's honest folks. I will share some more thoughts on this program in a separate post this week because I am gathering information from folks who I know who were put into it.

Then, we chit-chatted about some other random writer stuff. Also, writers, editors and everyone else who spends a lot of time sitting for work, or just sitting, get up and move around. Do not sit for more than two hours at a time as it can have significant and dangerous health consequences. We talked about this at the end of the show. Amy herself was the victim of multiple heart attacks and her being a writer forced to sit a lot was a major cause of this. She, and I, want to encourage all of our fellow freelancers to get up and move. You just need to take 5 minutes every 2 hours and walk through your house, jump up and down, stretch, or anything that involves some movement. Please, your body and those who love you will thank you.

If you missed the show, you can click the link above and catch a recording of it at your convenience. The next show will be the second Friday in September at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time (I'll post a reminder closer to that time). We are also always excited to have our fellow freelancers as guests on the show, so if you are a freelancer and would like to chat with us in September, send me an email at kitchen.rose@yahoo.com and put "The Freelance Connection Guest" in the subject line and we will talk about getting you on the show.

Until next time. Write on!

New Post

The Writing Tutorials page has a new post discussing overviews and introductory paragraphs that is chock full of information.

Creating a Writer's Resume #2

This is the second and more in-depth posting about writer's resumes so be sure to check out the other posting about writer's resumes as well.

Creating a writer's resume can be a seemingly complicated and lengthy task, however they are very important and all freelance writers, both aspiring and professional, should have one. You never know when a potential client will ask for one and if you already have one ready to go all you will have to do it either print it out or send it in an email. I offer free assistance creating, editing, polishing and perfecting writer's resumes for those who read this blog so if you need help creating one or just need a little help with one please contact me at americanbanana@aol.com Be sure to put "Writer's Resume Help" in the subject line so that I don't accidentally delete the email.

Here is a basic writer's resume template. It is the one I use and it has scored me several freelance writing clients. It is simple, basic and gets to the point and this is what potential clients want.


Name
Street Address
City/State/Zip Code
Phone Number
Email Address
Second Email Address (if necessary)

Published Libraries of Content: I used my Associated Content and BrightHub profile addresses. Another good choice is Examiner if you write there and have a decent amount of content. I always suggest adding at least two.

Freelance Writing Background: Discuss your freelance writing experience and background. Include your niches, how long you have been a freelance writer, your SEO/LSI expertise and other similar and related information. Try to keep this a single paragraph of 4-7 sentences.

Freelance Writing Experience:

This is where you will list the names of the sites you write for and the private clients you write for or have written for. Here is an example. It is what I wrote for my Associated Content experience:

Associated Content: I have been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and have published 498 high quality SEO articles on a large variety of subjects. I am also a Health and Wellness Category Editor, a Community Guide, Advisory Board Member and received a Top 100 award for the year of 2008.

Here is what I wrote for my Demand Studios experience:

Demand Studios: I have been writing for this company since 2009. I write about a large variety of medical topics. I also write articles on the following topics: automotive, chemistry, physics, environmental science, sociology, education, careers and other science.

In this section you can also briefly highlight the sites that have picked up a lot of your articles. Here is what I wrote about Healthcare.com:

Healthcare.com: Several of my articles have been picked up and featured by this website.

Now focus on your writing and other related skills. Here is an excerpt from my actual writer's resume:

Technical Medical Writing: I began as a medical writer in 2003 docuementing clinical trials in addition to emergency nursing. I continue to write for some clients/hospitals on a part-time, freelance basis.

Computer and Technical Skills:
Web Content and Blogging: I run several different blogs. The topics of these blogs include diet and weight loss, local coverage (Cleveland, Ohio), health and wellness, music and online writing opportunities. I write for several different websites in over a dozen different niches.

Technical Skills: I am proficient in all of the major Microsoft applications. I type 120 words per minute. I am an expert at internet research and am proficient with all Windows XP fundamentals.

Additional Skills:
My additional skills include technical writing, running my own business, management and strong discipline and flexibility.

Here is where you will discuss your educational background. Here is an example and it is an actual excerpt from my writer's resume:

Education:

High School Diploma in 2002
Certificate in Written English from BrainBench in 2002
Certificate in Criminal Justice will be completed in October of 2009
Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with Concentration in Education will be completed in July of 2011
Completed LPN training/education and passed state exams in 2003

Just a quick section highlighting my employment history as it relates to my chosen niche (medicine). Excerpt from my actual writer's resume:

Employment History:
Freelance Writer: 2004 - Current
Specializes in over a dozen different categories for several websites and private clients. Major specialty is health, wellness, medicine and alternative medicine.

Technical Medical Writing: I began as a medical writer in 2003 in addition to emergency nursing. I continue to write for some clients/hospitals on a part-time, freelance basis.

Be sure to list any awards you have won as it relates to writing or your chosen niche(s). Excerpt from my writer's resume:

Awards:
Published Poem in 1992
1st Place Essay in 1998

Be sure to center your name and contact information. When choosing which phone number to use make sure it is one you almost always have access to such as your cell phone number. If using your cell, keep your ring back tone and voice mail message professional.

If you have limited writing experience I suggest creating a section under your writing experience to list some of your past work experience that is relevant to the topics you wish to write about. You can also add this anyway for a little something extra, but don't go overboard. Just talk about the basics in two sentences or less when it comes to past non-writing work experience.

Looks complicated huh? Well, it really isn't once you start getting it done.

Be sure to always update your writer's resume every time you get a new client, win an award, obtain additional education or change your personal contact information. This will make it quicker when you need to send it to a potential client and it will also keep you from forgetting to add/update things.