I always love seeing how mom writers with different specialties or focuses manage their time and navigate their careers. So I was thrilled to meet Julie Roads via the information superhighway. As a copywriter, Julie’s writing audience is slightly different from mine, but we both deal with a lot of the same issues: how to market our work, how to please our clients, and how to balance it all with our family lives. I’m especially impressed by Julie because of her notable client list and obvious passion for her work. And Julie has a fantastic blog where she provides helpful insider advice on marketing a business, blogging, and how to get your message across, advice you can use whether you’re an entreprenuer or a writer trying to figure out where you fit in the blogosphere. Here, Julie answers some questions about her work, her approach, her life, and how she balances it all. (You can find my answers to the same questions over on her blog.)

1. Who are you?
I am Julie Roads. A writer, mother of 2 kids (Sophie and Jack) and 2 dogs (Baloula and Silas), wife (to Patti), yogini, lover of butter, Vineyarder, beach walker. (Hey, this is starting to feel like my Facebook page.)

2. What do you do?
I am officially a freelance commercial copywriter. I own my own writing and marketing business called Writing Roads. I’m obsessed with blogging and writing blogs for clients as a way to propel their businesses/work/companies/selves into the webosphere.

3. What kind of writing do you do?
Marketing writing. Which means I write the content for websites, blogs, brochures, ads, sell sheets, speeches, sales letters and on and on. But I spend 80% of my time writing websites and blogs.

4. What kind of writing do you wish you could spend all of your time doing?
I suppose that I’m supposed to say ‘a novel’…but the thing is that I really love what I do. I love talking to clients and really listening to them, who they are and what their business is, doing my research and then creating something for them. I know that I have at least 3 novels in me and they will come out - and I’ve also written 4 children’s books - but, the thing is…marketing writing suits me, and it brings instant joy. Novels are so…long. Blogs in particular are the ultimate platform/landscape for my brain. I love the length and the style and the timeliness.

5. How do you manage your business and your family and yourself?
Who told you that I did? Just kidding. But this is the hardest part of my life. I could work 16 hours a day and never feel ‘done’…or burnt out for that matter. Still, my heart breaks when I’m not with my family. I started my company as an answer to the question, “How can I stay home with my kids and not go broke?” And, I literally mothered them and worked whenever I could. It turned out that I was ‘working’ 24 hours a day - and that wasn’t working for my family. As the kids got a bit older, I was able to carve out time that was dedicated to work…and now I’m up to 8 hours a day (and post-bedtime if I have to).

Bottomline is that you just have to find time for everyone or your family will be so mad at you that you won’t have them anymore! Sometimes I think that I’m the one that gets the shaft because when I have a free moment, I work - but I love what I do so much that it feeds me like going to spa would feed someone else. Okay, I just read that back and I”m a little worried about myself.

How do we really do it? Nuts and bolts? We have a calendar and play with it on a regular basis and we stick to it as much as humanly possible. This is when you work, this is when I workout, this is when we eat, this is when we play….

6. Do you ever get writer’s block?
No.

7. What do you do when this happens?
I’ll tell you why it doesn’t happen. Writer’s block happens when you push against something and get a ton of resistance - like when you say, ‘I’m going to write this right now, no matter what.’ And, I don’t do that. When I sit down to work on a project and nothing flows (15 minutes tops), I just shrug and move on to something else, then I come back to the project later. I know that the words and creativity will flow when they’re ready - and they do. Granted I never start a project an hour before it’s due to safeguard this practice - though I love writing on a tight deadline.

The other thing I do is use the internet. If I have to write a page about the benefits of sharp steak knives (which has actually never happened), I start reading other sites on or around the same topic. I usually find something terribly written and misinformed which makes me all uppity and full of thoughts like, “well, I can do better than thaaaat”…and then, I do.

8. What did having a website do for your business inititally?
Initially, my site was crap. I made it myself from a cheapo template. And it did very little for me. Okay, it did nothing for me.
Then I paid some money (I know, but it’s necessary!) and built a fantastic site that I was proud of that actually had a portfolio of my work…and my business just skyrocketed. There is no other way to describe the credibility that my site gave me. People had some idea of who and what they were getting…and they wanted it!

11. What is the purpose of your blog?
The purpose of my blog is to converse with the wide world of internet users. I use it to inform people about writing, marketing, etc. I use it to show people who I am as a writer and a person. And, I use it to learn. Every post that I write teaches me something about my topic and/or about blogging. My blog is a traffic driver and a tool for searchability. In the last 6 months, my blog has brought my Alexa rank up (or down? Let’s just say closer to #1) over 7 million points. I’ve also met some incredible people via my blog and guest blogging.

12. What have you gotten from your blog that you didn’t intend to get - good and bad?
Good - an education. You don’t know until you do. My work on my own blog directly influences my capacity and ability to blog for others. I learn everyday.
Bad - an addiction. I’m certifiable. I have to post everday. Have to.

13. Is your blog the primary vehicle for selling your work?
Ummmmm….no. The primary vehicle for selling my work is word of mouth and referrals. But the blog is critical to lending me credibility and building me a serious web and search presence.

14. What advice would you give to someone thinking about maybe, possibly, sort of starting a blog and/or a website for their business?
What in the world are you waiting for! Do it now! And, call or email me…Helping people start blogs, build writing strategies and create custom blogs (with my design partners) are all things I love to do - currently one of my favorite parts of my job.

15. Do you run your blog all by yourself (widgets, design, plugins) or does someone help you with that sort of thing?
I do it all by myself, and it’s pretty basic…but I’m looking ahead and I would love to have someone do this for me and make my blog super-fancy and functional. It’ll happen…things always do.

Thanks for “virtually” stopping by, Julie! If you have any questions for either Julie or I on anything from balancing a writing career with kids to the nuts and bolts of professional consumer writing or copywriting, feel free to e-mail them to one of us (you can reach me at meaganfrancis at yahoo dot com) or leave them in the comments box. We’ll be joining up to answer them in a future post.

To celebrate Father’s Day, I’m giving away a signed copy of THE BABY BONDING BOOK FOR DADS, by authors and husband-wife team James di Properzio and Jennifer Margulis and featuring gorgeous black-and-white photography like this:

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me a little about the special dad or dad-to-be in your life. Winners will be chosen at random after 5 PM on Wednesday, June 11–THAT’S TODAY!–and be sure to include a way I can reach you (e-mail is fine). We may even be able to arrange delivery in time for Father’s Day.

Read on for my interview with Jennifer and James, to find out more about their thoughts on dads, babies, and bonding. read more

Normally at D2D, we post interviews with successful professional writers who aren’t, well, us. Today I’d like to share one at About.com with our own Meagan Francis, where she shares how she started out, what works and doesn’t work for her as a writing parent, and how she juggles four sons and a thriving writing career:

Click here to read Meagan’s interview at the Freelance Writers’ portal on about.com.

And look for more thoughts on child care and answers to your questions this week! –Toni

Check out our interview with freelance writer Denise Schipani, a woman who’s hit many milestones on the road to success in magazine writing and editing but has still managed to craft her own personal version of success as a writer and a mom.

Click here to read the interview.

We’ve opened up comments on our site again, so feel free to share your thoughts about Denise’s words of wisdom or post your own version of what it means to be successful as a parent and writer.

Check out our interview with style maven, marketing guru, and freelance writer and author Rachel Weingarten. She knows a thing or two about balancing many things at once–don’t miss her insights about personal style and professionalism.

Read the interview by clicking here.

Comment on the interview at our message boards.

We’ll have more on putting your best foot forward coming this week, and a new contest. Watch our message board for details, and thanks for visiting!

Toni

Read our interview with freelancer and mother Diana Burrell, author of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success.

Recently, D2D spoke with freelance writer and author Gwen Moran, co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans, about, well, business plans. Ms. Moran really knows her stuff and presents it in a user-friendly, approachable manner, as you’ll learn when you read the interview here.

In other news, we’ll be announcing the winner of our first contest, a copy of Kelly James-Enger’s "Six-Figure Freelancing, and launching a new giveaway of Gwen’s book for the chattiest registered members. The registered member who writes the most posts between today (Feb. 1) and Feb. 14 wins a copy of Gwen Moran’s business planning book. So get chatty, writers!

Following January’s theme of "New Year, New Plan," D2D interviewed freelance writer and author Gwen Moran. Along with Sue Johnson, Executive Director of the Raritan Valley Community College Small Business Development Center, Gwen co-wrote the October 2005 release "The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans."

D2D: Tell us a little about yourself.

GM: I started freelance writing in 1998, and went full-time, after closing my marketing business, in 2002. My specialties include business, money, women’s issues, and humor.

D2D: Tell us about your latest book, "The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans," and what inspired you to write it.

GM: Small businesses are a passion of mine. I love to see someone who believes in her idea take it from a bit of inspiration to something that sustains her financially, professionally, and emotionally. In my years of consulting with, teaching, and writing about small business owners, I was struck by the difference in success between those businesses with a plan and those without. The entrepreneurs who put careful thought and structure into their businesses usually did far better than those who adopted a shoot-from-the-hip approach.

D2D: How might this book specifically benefit freelance writers, from those at the helm of a start-up to seasoned pros?

GM: If freelance writers want their businesses to generate an adequate income and fit in with their lives, they need to put careful thought into how those business will operate, especially if those freelancers are mothers with young children: How much money do you need to bring in? How will the work be done and how many hours a week will the business be in operation? How will you market to clients? By thinking about all of these aspects of your business, and looking at how much time you have to devote to that business, you can better allocate your time to all of the things that need to be done.

D2D: Since you freelance and also write and promote books, can you describe how a writer might incorporate time to work on books into her business plan and workflow, particularly in the pre-contract, non-earning phase?

GM: Coming up with ideas, writing book proposals, and promoting books are all part of marketing your business. Without marketing, the business doesn’t grow. You need to allocate time for this in your planning (see previous post).

D2D: What concerns or issues do you hear from other writers that indicate that they need to either establish or revamp a business plan?

GM: Most writers are either afraid that a business plan will take too much time or think that they don’t have a “real” business, so they don’t need a plan. If you’re self-employed, you need a business plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate – it really needs to outline your goals and objectives for the business, and cover how you will get clients, earn money, and perform the job in a manner that will keep customers coming back for more.

D2D: Assuming there is such a thing, describe the pitfalls of too much business planning.

GM: Planning is only a problem when it takes the place of doing. Some people can spend years on a business plan and use it as an excuse to never get off the mark to start their businesses. Also, it’s important to be flexible when planning. If something in your plan doesn’t work, change it. Your plan should be a living, breathing document.

D2D: Can you share any mistakes you made when starting out that better planning might have prevented?

GM: I’ve always been a planner. And some mistakes happen whether you have a plan or not.

D2D: Can you compare how you first drafted a business plan to what you do now?

GM: My first business plan was for my marketing business. It morphed over time into a bigger plan, as my business got bigger. It helped me manage and helped me get financing to grow the business when I needed it. Now, my plan is more for me than for my bank, so I’m more narrative and focus on more personal goals as they relate to my business.

D2D: Can you note concrete ways in which a business plan improves a writer’s business (in terms of increasing efficiency and earnings, etc.)?

GM: A plan can help you see how to better divide your time, whether your profitability-per-client is increasing, decreasing or staying flat and whether your business is moving toward your long-term goals or meandering aimlessly along.

D2D: Calculating and forecasting earnings can be one of the biggest challenges a freelancer faces. How might a freelance writer calculate a minimum "hourly wage" through business planning?

GM:  What makes or breaks every project’s budget is information. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of what one is being asked to do, how much time that will take, and what one’s hourly rate is.

I’d say that the last piece of information is the most essential. What is your minimum hourly rate? Most formulas I’ve seen estimate that a consultant/soloist service provider can really only work 1100-1400 billable hours per year. That’s based on a 40-hour week, less two weeks for vacation, national holidays, two weeks’ sick time, and about 20 percent time for admin and marketing work, that’s not billable. So, let’s say you need to make $40,000 per year, to choose a round number, in order to meet your financial obligations. Add about 1/2 of your gross income to cover overhead (taxes, insurance, etc.), depending on your circumstances. That’s $60K that you need to bring in. Divide that by 1200, to keep the numbers round. That’s a minimum of $50 per hour. If you take on a project that nets out at $40 per hour — you are LOSING money. It’s literally costing you $10 per hour to do that job because you’re not earning enough to support the $60K number that you need to meet your financial obligations.

That’s why it’s essential that YOU set your prices. If you need to make $60 or $70 or $125 per hour, you need to find clients who are a match for that and not slash your rates because someone has contacted you about a job and can only afford to pay half of that. It doesn’t matter what other people charge — the marketplace is such that there’s room for Hyundais and Cadillacs. A Cadillac dealer will politely give a prospect with a Hyundai budget directions to that automaker’s lot.

The second and third parts of the equation go hand-in-hand. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of what one is being asked to do. Writing a four-page newsletter where the (dream) client hands over a package of clips and contacts is an entirely different project than one that’s described in a sketchy manner and for which the writer has to hunt down contacts and do all of her own research. Which is it? How much time will need to be devoted to simply getting the project organized enough to proceed? These are essential questions that could ruin the profitability of a project.

Then, as writers, it’s our responsibility to know how long it takes us to produce. How long does it take to do an interview and crank out 500 words? How long does it take to research and write a 7,000-word paper? How long does it take to interview and write a 2,000-word cover story? If you don’t know, then you need to spend some time getting a handle on that, and what factors affect the amount of time it takes to do something. Then, address those factors with the client.

When we approach in this 1-2-3 format, there’s rarely a question as to what to charge because the fees are what they are. Afraid of underpricing? If you think the market can bear more, raise your prices. Personally, I’m more interested in finding clients who will routinely pay the rate that I’ve set for myself, rather than seeing if I can find one or two who will pay significantly more as one-shot deals. Deal with clients fairly, and be sure that you’re compensating yourself well.

Do I always do this? Of course not. I still find times where I’ve underbid, or when a project turns out to be a major pain and I’m left holding the bag. But I do follow my own advice more times than not, and it’s served me well.

Gwen’s web site is: www.gwenmoran.com

DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR LATEST CONTEST! We’re giving away a copy of Gwen’s book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans, on Feb. 14. The registered member who writes the MOST POSTS on our message boards between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14th wins a copy of Gwen’s book. If you think her interview was helpful, imagine getting more of those insights in a book!

Our interview with Kelly James Enger, author of "Six Figure Freelancing" and "Ready, Aim, Specialize!" is up. Click here to read it.

We hope you find Kelly’s wisdom and insights as inspiring as we have!