Freelancing Will Always Be a Leap of Faith

Yesterday I lost mega sleep over the thought that a new client of mine wasn't as legit as I thought. Of course at night, as I began putting pieces together and talking about it to a close family member who also happened to be up and available to consult, things looked pretty crappy. In the light of day, and after 3 cups of coffee, I could honestly say it was going to be alright, even if legal action needs to be taken to receive my compensation.

But the whole mess got me thinking... As a freelancer (writer or editor) you are always going to be taking a leap of faith when you sign on with a new client. Sure there are ways to check if the person and company are legit. There are red flags that she tell you to run, not walk, in the opposite direction. But sometimes the red flags aren't as obvious. Sometimes the person is legit even if the gig is not.

While obviously not fail-proof here are some ways to tell if your next gig is the real thing or a very elaborate hoax.

• Does the client have a business e-mail address rather than a yahoo/g-mail/hotmail account.
• What does the website look like? Is it modern or does it look like an 8th grader put it together? There is no website? Can that be legit in today's world - doubtful.
  
• Is this person 'stalkable' on the internet? Can you find their Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter accounts?
  
• Beyond the basic Google search. Take the time to google blog search and google news search the company and person you're dealing with. You might unearth some really eye-opening info.
• Are you being asked to jump through hoops before a relationship is even established? Companies (spammers) often tell you to enter your info into a website - don't. They'll claim it's to see if you're legit - well if they are legit can't they just pick up a phone?
  
• Proving yourself is to be expected, but submitting three trial 'free' articles and a list of the 12 articles you'd like to write about is out of line.
  
• Are all the papers legit? Have you signed a contract?
• With everything done online, sometimes you never even talk to the person via phone. That doesn't mean you shouldn't call the listed numbers and confirm they are real.
  
• Have any of your freelancing buddies heard of or written for this client? Referrals are a great way to expand business, but it can also be a way to find out about the real clients and the crooks.
  

Friday Feature: Fashion Bloggers

I’ve spent the morning looking at different fashion blogs - a secret obsession of mine.

To be honest, some of them are ridiculous. They exist to show off the bloggers hugely overfilled wardrobe, for which the probably paid thousands of dollars and have huge credit card bills. But there are a couple sites out there that are a real inspiration.

I interviewed Othalia, founder of the LookBook, a couple months ago for SparkleShelf. This amazing blogger finds the cheap version of the expensive styles we all love. She puts the price and a link to the site of where to find the item. Plus she doesn’t just slap the images up on the site, she artfully places them on the page.


Jessica writes the blog What I Wore. As the title suggests, she documents what she wears daily. So it is a little depressing to see all the clothes she has, but this girl is an inspiration for mixing, matching and coordinating outfits. I love her use of bold colors and the occasional eccentric accent piece.


Karla of Karla’s Closet is similar to What I Wore, only she dresses like a runway model on a daily basis. As a fan of black clothing, I love how she uses black as the basis to nearly every outfit.


These blogs make me want to start my own fashion-centered site. Ha. Well, maybe someday.

Friday Feature: Kate Engelbrecht

I’m not one of those journalists who loves to snoop around and dig up hidden secrets and expose big controversy. I prefer writing about straight forward business deals, entertainment reviews, beauty tips and mostly lifestyle/personal interest stories. Over the years I’ve come across some pretty neat people doing some pretty amazing things. So, Friday’s are now dedicated to those people.

Today’s Friday Feature: Kate Engelbrecht, founder of the Girl Project.


I stumbled across Kate and her project via Twitter, followed a link to her blog, followed another link to her website and reached out to her for RelateMag’s She’s the Boss feature.

Kate is a photographer. Actually she’s a failed advertising agent with a sociology major who decided to follow her passion and picked up a camera. She’s been in NYC nearly 11 years now and has been photographing for 8 of those years.

In 2007 she launched the Girl Project, which is a way for teenage girls to photograph their life in all its raw glory. The girls request a disposable camera. Kate sends them one directly and the girls get down to picture snapping. Once the camera is completely used the girl sends it back to Kate undeveloped. She develops the film and the pics become part of the Girl Project. To read more about the project and Kate check out the RelateMag article.

What I find fascinating about Kate and the Girl Project is that she took something she loved and turned it into something that could be shared with more than just herself and the clients who book her. Plus, she’s giving teenage girls an outlet to be totally themselves. They don’t need to pretend. They can’t make much up. They can’t doctor photos or pick which one gets submitted. The developed film is life - life in the raw.