As freelancers, we know a little about a lot. And one of the things we do (or should be doing) is keeping an eye on the newest technology to make our jobs, and those of our clients, a little easier. Here’s a quick list of some of my personal favorites. Didn’t see something you love? Comment and add it!

Know ‘Em

Whether you’re a beginning freelancer or an old pro, you should know how important a brand is. Keeping that brand similar in the realm of thousands of social networks can be next to impossible. No worries, use Know ‘Em. They’ll scour all the networks for you and provide information about whether your handle or tag or username is already taken. From there, you can rebrand, sign up or switch it out.

Mezzoman

Meeting a source somewhere? An old friend? If they’re far away, it’s always harder to dig out the map, find a town halfway, then select a location that isn’t sleazy or unpleasant. Mezzoman will find a meeting point somewhere in the middle at a business of your choosing – coffee shop, Italian restaurant, book store, park. With apps for phones, it’s easy on the go as well.

Jux

Looking for a new way to present things? Want to run a cool graphic countdown on your website? Present something to an editor? Jux might just be the way to do it. Lay large graphics or photos behind a countdown, blocks or information or simple titles. The fullscreen view makes a distinct impression and it couldn’t be any easier to use.

Ifttt

With all of the tagging, following, friending and frolicking on social networks, it’s hard to keep things straight. Did you thank that person for the follow? If you connected with someone on LinkedIn, did you already friend them on Facebook? Or Twitter? Ifttt, which stands for “If This Then That,” gives you the ability to have action and reaction. Use their many channels to set up an “if this,” (someone friends you on Facebook) and “then that,” (message them Hello). If it rains in the designated zip code, they’ll call you, or text you, or post to your Facebook. The possibilities are endless and this one is my personal favorite.

There’s a quick taste of some new web resources. Stay tuned for more.

Tara Puckey is a freelance journalist based in Indianapolis, Ind. She focuses on military reporting and social media, helping clients navigate the digital world. Puckey has served on the national board, founded a local campus chapter and remains active in the freelance and membership committees. When she isn’t writing, typing or browsing, she’s spending time with her husband, Bryan, and their two daughters, Alexa and Brooklyn.

The two best tools for freelancing are a good idea and a comfortable place to write. Cobble together those things with confidence and conviction, and there’s no limit to a freelancer’s potential.

As far as the rest of the tool list, it varies for each writer. Some prefer pen and paper to keyboard when crafting first drafts; others are particular about the word processing software they use. Still others extend their devotion to include the hardware itself: PC or Mac, tablet or laptop or desktop system — it all matters only in the final product.

However, there are a few tools, mainly reference material, that freelancers probably should warm to before they sit down to write. These materials tackle presentation and precision, probe the law and explain the journalist’s right to information. Not every freelancer will need all of these, mind you, but those intent on practicing journalism alongside the best reporters out there will find them to be valuable assets on the journey to discovery.

Style guides — Clarity and consistency are hallmarks of good writing and reporting. Making sure copy is clean and crisp is the least that freelancers can do for their readers, and editors, as those qualities are what keep audiences engaged from first paragraph to last. No matter how good the story, if it’s not easy to read or understandable those failures will reflect on the writer long after the story is tossed in the trash.

Of course, a dictionary and a good thesaurus are crucial to have on hand. But consider, too, style guides and manuals that detail the writing standards established either for general good communication or for specific publications, such as medical and legal journals, academic and government documents, as well as magazines and newspapers. Freelancers should assess the style preferred by a particular publication before sitting down to write, because sometimes improper style is enough for an editor to shelve or discard a story.

Journalists everywhere tend to consider The Associated Press Stylebook as gospel and have now for decades. Though each newspaper or magazine may also publish a “house” style guide for reference points close to home, adhering to AP style should be enough. For general non-journalism purposes however, the Chicago Manual of Style is one of the oldest and most widely used guides on the market, and includes a wealth of detail the AP guide does not. And rising fast in esteem, the Yahoo! Style Guide covers a wide range of topics regarding digital and online media.

Among the field-specific guides are the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, the American Medical Association Manual of Style, and The Gregg Reference Manual for business writing. But to satisfy uncertainty about which guides are out there, a long list of links to them can be found at OnlineStylebooks.com.

Shield laws — Also known as “reporter’s privilege,” these amount to legislation existing in at least 40 states and the District of Columbia that protect journalists from revealing confidential information or sources in court. Essentially, they prevent courts from forcing journalists to testify about how they obtained information related to a story. The laws vary with each state; there is no broad federal protection. Some shield laws apply to civil but not criminal cases, while others prevent revealing sources but not other information. Freelancers should educate themselves on the law in their respective states and the states they may visit to do their reporting. The nonprofit Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a good place to start.

Freedom of Information — Enacted in 1966 to promote and enforce government accountability, the Freedom of Information Act originally required unfettered access to much unreleased information and documentation that was in federal control but since has been amended several times. Consequently, variations on access exist not only in Washington, but also throughout the country, compelling many states even to establish their own “sunshine law” guidelines. As with shield laws, the degree of access can vary widely between states. The Society of Professional Journalists has a section of its website devoted to this topic and includes a drop-down menu listing links and contact information regarding sunshine laws in each state, as does the Reporters Committee.

David Sheets is a sports content editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com, and president of SPJ’s St. Louis Pro chapter. Reach him by e-mail at dsheets@post-dispatch.com, on Twitter at @DKSheets, or on Facebook and LinkedIn.

By Paula Pant from Afford Anything

New to the world of freelance writing? You might be surprised to learn that you have an added responsibility to Uncle Sam: many freelancers need to file taxes every quarter.

Traditional employees have taxes automatically withheld from their paycheck. As a freelancer, however, taxes are not withheld from the checks that your clients send you.

The government won’t let you get away with deferring your taxes for a year. You’ll need to pay estimated taxes quarterly. Here’s a brief explanation of how to do it:

Step 1: Look at your most recent tax form. Find your total tax and your withholding. On a 1040 form, this would be written on lines 62 and 63.

Step 2: Subtract your total tax from your withholding. The result is your liability.

Step 3: Divide your liability by 4. The result is your estimated quarterly liability.

Step 4: Mail your estimated quarterly tax to the IRS by the four deadlines: January 15, April 15, June 15 and September 15. Include Form 1040-ES, which helps the IRS process your payment.

I’m simplifying this explanation for the sake of giving new freelancers a very quick overview of the general process. Your experience might be much more involved.

For example, you may need to make adjustments if your tax liability is significantly different than it was last year. This may happen if your income this year is dramatically higher or lower than it was the previous year. It can also happen if you qualify for different deductions.

In this case, consider calculating your estimated taxes based on this (current) year’s income. Here are a few longer articles explaining how to do this:

• Calculating How Much Estimated Tax to Pay
• How to Pay Estimated Tax

Want to have a little laugh about your taxes? Check out this article from SPJ’s Independent Journalist blog archives, Funny Taxes for Freelancers.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided for discussion purposes only, and should not be misconstrued as tax advice and/or legal advice. While I have made every effort to include accurate and complete information, I cannot make any guarentees, and laws and codes change frequently. Always consult with a tax professional and legal professional.

There seems to be a little “rift” between the “my work is valuable” crowd and the “help! I need money!” crowd. Established freelancers say — rightfully — that you should get paid what you’re worth, but some beginners argue that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Last week I received an email from Briana, a 21-year-old beginner freelancer who says she is desperate for work — ANY work. She is deeply in debt and can’t pay her bills.

Briana said:

Since being laid off in January, I’ve been pursuing a career as a freelance writer, and while things are steadily looking up, the fact of the matter is I’m still not making enough for a full time income. 11 months later and the stress of getting a “real job” is even greater than before.

Briana lives in ultra-expensive Southern California. Although she wants to stay in that area to be close to her family, she’s willing to move to Nevada — where the cost of living is cheaper — while she establishes her freelance career. (That’s dedication!)

The problem is, her husband would need to find a new job if they moved to a cheaper area. Right now his job provides their main source of income, and they can’t risk upsetting that income stream.

As you can see, Briana has some big financial challenges that relate to being a beginner freelancer.

I wrote Briana an epic, 2,000-word response to help her figure out how she should price her freelance work. You can read it here, in a post I call: Give Me Money!

If you’re a business freelancer, then you’ll want to be sure to check out the Reynolds Center. It offers some great online resources as well as classes, some paid and some free. In addition, the Reynolds Center offers grants to apply for some its other programs. Here are a few items I found interesting during a recent visit:

Tumbler:  One of the Best Journalist Tools You’re NOT Using

Fellowship Opportunity:  Strictly Financials, Jan. 2 – 5, 2012

Journalism Job Listings

Self-Guided Training

Last week some of the members of the Freelance Committee had the opportunity to meet at the 2011 SPJ & RTDNA Excellence in Journalism conference in New Orleans. In addition to meeting some new faces, we exchanged some great ideas about what we feel our members want and need. To provide them with the support and resources our freelancers want, we’ve developed this list of our goals for the upcoming year:

• Ongoing:  Continue weekly blogs posts to Independent Journalist blog
• Ongoing:  Provide bimonthly Freelance Toolbox columns for the Quill
• Ongoing:  Welcome new freelancers to SPJ
• Ongoing:  Reach out to existing freelancers who are SPJ members to offer resources
• Ongoing:  Help SPJ promote eCampus, including the freelance videos, as well as other freelance resources
• Ongoing:  Support Pro and Student chapters with program ideas and resources for freelance workshops
• Project:  Create digital Freelance Resource Guide

What are we missing? Please send your suggestions to me via email. Also, if you would like to learn more about the committee or are considering joining SPJ as a freelancer, let me know. I’d be happy to help!

~ Dana Neuts, Freelance Committee Chair

By Paula from AffordAnything.org

Ah, to be self-employed and in need of money. Those of you who haven’t experienced this impossible task delight will soon learn that many banks assume “self-employed” is a euphemism for “unemployed.” Without a stable paycheck, they’re reluctant to give you a loan.

Here are a few pointers to finding a mortgage:

• Apply at local banks and credit unions. You’ll be able to meet directly with decision-makers such as the vice president of lending. You’ll have an easier time pleading your case when the ultimate decision can be made in your backyard, rather than in an underwriting department two time zones away.
• Gather as much documentation as possible. Pull together paystubs and income statements from all your clients. Highlight your longest-running clients. Draw attention to any clients for whom you regularly work. If you have any contracts or obligations — for example, a publication that pays you to write a regular weekly feature — highlight this assignment. It denotes stability.
• Ask the lender if an “income audit” will help your application. This is an independent audit, performed by an accountant, that many banks look upon favorably as income verification.
• Repay as much debt as possible before applying for the mortgage. Lenders will pay close attention to your debt-to-income ratio — the amount of debt you carry compared with your income.
• Ensure that your credit report is free of errors. You can request one free copy of your credit score from each of the three major bureaus per year. The best way to schedule this is to check one report every 4 months. Many sites claim to let you check your credit for “free” but try to trap you into a subscription. Annualcreditreport.com will genuinely allow you to view your report for free, though it won’t show you your score.
• Look to alternative sources, such as “hard money lenders” and owner-financed properties, if traditional banks and credit unions won’t lend.
• Keep saving for a down payment. The more “skin” you have in the game, so to speak, the less risky you seem from the lender’s point of view.

Want to know more about buying a home? Here are some factors to consider before you buy.

Want to know more about getting a mortgage? Here’s a synopsis of fixed-rate vs. adjustable rate mortgages.

And for a personal touch, here’s my story of buying a dilapidated shack — er, I mean, my home.

There’s tons of advice on how to budget — but most of it doesn’t apply to freelancers.

Most budgeting advice starts like this:
Step 1: Determine Your Income. Write down how much money you earn each month.

People with traditional jobs think this is a no-brainer. Freelancers and other small business owners beg to differ. For us, Step 1 — determining your income — is the hardest.

So how can you form a budget if your income swings wildly from month to month? READ MORE at this post about budgeting on an irregular income.

The search for social media wisdom can be long and arduous, with trails and tips leading off in every direction. A frustrating day spent plumbing for facts can lead freelancers to believe they’re courting fiction.

A single source of reference would be better, and though no perfect thing like that exists Columbia Journalism School professor Sreenath “Sree” Sreenivasan has put together a generous, if not pretty, listing of social media links pointing to a wealth of information that includes basic as well as detailed information about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and a host of other connectivity sites.

Included are links to strategies for best practices in social media and interesting multimedia demonstrating the use and misuse of it.

Today, effective freelancing requires also making a name, or “brand,” for oneself online. With Sree’s help, freelancers now can spend less time surfing and more time writing.

David Sheets is a sports editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com, and president of SPJ’s St. Louis Pro chapter. Reach him by e-mail at dsheets@post-dispatch.com, on Twitter at @DKSheets, or on Facebook and LinkedIn.

SPJ freelance committee member Ruth Thaler-Carter will be leading several editorial freelancing workshops in Washington, D.C. next week for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA):

Basics of Editing and Proofreading

Friday, April 15 (1–4 p.m.), True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC

Learn or refresh your knowledge of the essentials of editing and proofreading, including marks and symbols, essential style manuals, levels of editing, using Microsoft Word as an editing tool, using Acrobat for proofreading, and working effectively with clients and colleagues, and expand your files of helpful resources, from publications to organizations and more. Applicable to in-house and freelance colleagues. Ruth E. Thaler-Carter brings more than 25 years of experience as a freelance writer and editor to this practical nuts ’n’ bolts workshop.

EFA Members $50 – Nonmembers $65

Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing

Saturday, April 16 (10 a.m.–1 p.m.), True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC

You need more than writing skills and a computer to be a successful freelance writer, editor or other editorial professional. You also need business sense, knowledge of the market, and a firm grasp of the tricks of the trade, among other attributes. Ruth E. Thaler-Carter will share her 25-plus years of experience in this tough but highly rewarding arena, working from her booklet, “Get Paid to Write! Getting Started as a Freelance Writer” and her EFA publication, “Freelancing 101: Launching Your Editorial Business.”

Whether you are a writer, editor, indexer, graphic designer — you name it — you will find out how to jump-start your dream of living the freelance lifestyle with tips on setting up and organizing, finding work, networking, using resources, getting paid, combating isolation, and more. Energize your business with practical, upbeat insights into the joys and challenges of editorial freelancing. Even seasoned freelancers will garner new insights and useful suggestions.

Instructor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter has been a full-time editorial freelancer since 1984. She has published articles and reports locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally; desktop-produces newsletters for businesses, associations, and not-for-profits; and does proofreading and editing for a variety of clients. Her freelancing seminars have been popular with the EFA, the American Copy Editors Society, Cat Writers Association, International Association of Business Communicators, American Independent Writers, National Press Club, National Writers Union/DC Local, and other groups.

Attendees have called this workshop “fun and full of good energy” and “… lively and informative [and] very grounding.”

EFA Members $50 – Nonmembers $65

Freelancers and Their Websites

Saturday, April 16 (2–4 p.m.), True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC

No matter what kind of freelance business you have (or want to have), it has to get noticed on the World Wide Web, and that means having your own website. Find out the basics of creating a website: getting a domain name and hosting service, planning content, and designing an effective, attractive website that will help attract readers and publishers to your work. Freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter maintains her own website, manages content for several others and has created some sites herself. She will provide tips on why writers should have websites and how to get them started, show you how to find and use templates and basic design techniques, and provide examples of colleagues’ sites to use as inspiration—both what to do and what not to do. Note: This is a general class, not a high-tech offering.

EFA Members $40 – Nonmembers $55

20% discount for taking all three classes.

Lunch will be on your own.

Meter parking on U Street. The site is near the U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail Station, on the Green and Yellow lines (use the 13th Street NW exit and walk a half-block east from the escalator to the entrance of 1200 U Street NW).

Registration info at: http://www.the-efa.org/eve/.php#99