I was filling out a form earlier for a newsletter and the person who was overseeing the whole thing asked me, "So what do you do for a living?" I replied, of course, "I'm a freelance writer." He nods and says, "Wow. So what company do you work for?"

A lot of people seem to think that the Web only exploded in the late 1990s, but apparently, some people and companies have been preparing for it long before that. Okay, maybe not, but that's how it seems to me. Here's a list of the 100 oldest dot com domains, some of them registered as early as 1985. The list includes www.apple.com, www.ibm.com, and also www.boeing.com.

I've been slacking off, true, but perhaps I can give myself a push by listing down what I need to do tonight.

1. Swim'Gum website modifications
2. 13 article rewrites
3. 10 product blurbs
4. two Green Unlimited posts

One of the easier tasks I have as a freelancer is rewriting articles for the Web, and I daresay I do it very well *smug*. It doesn't take a whole lot of skill to rewrite articles, and it certainly doesn't require extensive research, although it's always best for you to verify each claim made in the articles and make sure that your rewrite will contain accurate information.

At the moment, I do article rewrites for an Internet marketer-in-training, and thankfully, he has secured permission from the original authors so articles can be rewritten and used for his own ventures. Real estate, fitness, adoption, you name it, I've done it, and I reckon I'll be rewriting articles on an even wider range of topics in the future.

The fun part about rewriting articles is that you can correct any errors--grammatical or factual--that were made in the original, but another plus is that you will be able to learn quite a lot from them as well, and be able to exercise your writing skill, too.

"How could you call it a chance to use writing skills when you're just rewording articles?" you're probably asking. Because it is. Imagine how challenging it is to write things using a different approach while still conveying essentially the same message and information.

Of course, you should make sure that what you've written is virtually unrecognizable from the original. To compare the original articles and the rewrites, I use a nifty little program called DupeFreePro, which is unbelievably easy and works like a dream. All you have to do is paste the text of the original article in one window, the rewrite in the opposite window, then click the "Compare" button. I try to shoot for at most a 10% similarity between the articles, and you're home free if you only have a 5% similarity.

Rewriting articles isn't really the most profitable assignment in the world, but it's a good way to practice writing, plus it's still an easy source of additional income.

I confess that I spent the past few days being severely unproductive. For some reason, I just haven't been able to shake off my sluggishness lately, and thus have been indulging in aimless Web surfing, reading, TV watching, and just plain hanging out. I know, I know, these activities aren't earning me any money, but I find it a lot easier to just give in to them rather than forcing myself to work although I just don't have the strength.

So right now, I'm really just relaxing. Part of me is panicking at the idea of all the work piling up, but I know that when I'm done slacking off, I will be able to attack all my work with renewed energy.

Let me start this by saying that I used to find blog monetization tacky. I've been blogging for quite a while now, and my old online diaries (yep, I belong to the "online diary" Web generation) contained mainly nothing but stories about my day and my thoughts and feelings. Call me a blogging dinosaur then, because it took me a while to realize that that is just not the sort of thing that's important to the Web anymore.

So, along with other efforts to monetize my blog and veer away from, I decided to jump on board PayPerPost. I know quite a few people who've reaped the benefits of being a member, and it's about time I took a bite as well.

From what I've seen, you can really get a taste of how it is to blog about different topics and products, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the available opportunities. Hopefully, I can sharpen my teeth on it pretty soon *gnashes my teeth. Of course, the money-earning part is also extremely attractive. I'm not yet sure how much I can earn from this effort, but if I do get anything, I'm quite certain I'll be putting it aside for my home-buying fund!

Want to know how other freelancers feel about their jobs? Read an interview with Stephen Acetta and Olga Gardner.

2007 saw an increase in companies using freelancers, and the trend isn't likely to grind to a halt.

Want to break into freelancing? Then sign up for Vince Beiser's seminar, which takes place on February 21.

Kimberly Ripley talks about freelance writing blogs.

The term "freelancing" generally makes people think about writing jobs or work-at-home opportunities, but in this case, it's about something incredibly twisted.

I thought I'd include the details of Pinoy Money Talk's SEO contest, for those of you who want to know more about it.

Who can join?

Anyone who has a blog who can optimize it so that it becomes the highest search result in Google.com may join.

How to start?

On your blog, simply create an article about Pinoy Money Talk, our Countdown to 3 Contest, or just about anything, but optimize it so that it becomes the top Google search result for the keywords "pinoy money talk".

Of course, the article must contain at least one link back to our site (www.pinoymoneytalk.com) or to any page on the PinoyMoneyTalk.com domain.

There is NO limit on the number of articles you may make and submit but only articles posted on or after February 4, 2008 are valid.

Again, the keyword is "pinoy money talk" (3 words, all in lower case, no quotes).

The first time I heard about iBlog, I sneered at it. This year, I may actually consider attending to see what other Filipino bloggers have to say. I really should stop thinking that the way I do things is the only way that's right for me. For all I know, there could be some really interesting discussions during the event. Time to break open my head and embrace ideas! It's all about learning, not so much networking, at which I'm horrible (though if I'm to become a more successful freelancer, it's something I should work on. Fast.).

I've been wildly into gossip blogs since 2004 and for the life of me, I'd never have imagined that they would turn out to be incredible driving forces on the Web. Perez Hilton, back when his site was known as PageSixSixSix.com, was one of my first favorites, along with Pink is the New Blog and The Bastardly (which I eventually stopped visiting due to some users' hateful, ignorant comments about Asians).

You can't blame anyone for loving them--people just adore reading about the latest dirt on celebrities. An interesting post on DoshDosh also talks about why entertainment sites make a lot of money.

I'd love to start a blog that also dishes out gossip on Philippine celebrities, but unfortunately, people here are just too sensitive sometimes and celebrities will no doubt start suing me for defamation, plus here's no doubt that it will deteriorate into a flame war between fans of GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. Too bad, I already have a name for such a blog: "Gossip Hound--A nose for dirt," or something like that.

It's February 15. What have I accomplished so far?

1. Completed and launched the G Car website
2. Promoted my proofreading business and got my first client
3. Launched this site after months of waffling about it
4. Received a job offer for a full-time virtual position
5. Gotten started on a new website

By the end of the quarter, I should have

1. Acquired two more proofreading clients
2. Put two projects online
3. Helped complete an e-book for Green Unlimited

Let's go, Team Me!

One of the biggest challenges of being a freelancer is finding work, whether it's good, steady work or a one-time project. For the most part, I've been able to get by with referrals, and by contacting people I've previously worked with and checking if they might have any jobs that will suit my skills.

I've also used Filipino Freelancers and actually got a few assignments from that site. However, it looks to me like they need to spend more time updating the list of available jobs, because it's never clear when a certain position has already been filled. I still like it anyway, because you don't have to bid on a project at all, despite the set-up. For the most part, would-be employers and clients provide their contact information so you can get in touch with them directly if you have any inquiries or you want to send in your application. I found it much easier to get their attention that way.

Speaking of online job boards and project bidding, let's not forget Get A Freelancer. I signed up some time ago, but never really got into the whole spirit of bidding. I was told that it's a great way to find some freelance jobs, though, so perhaps I should try it soon. I got an interesting tip from my friend that she said could help me bag a project: Bid low, and you will be snapped up like crazy. Sounds terrible, underpricing yourself, but perhaps if they see the quality of your work, they'll be more willing to pay higher next time.

That's of course if they don't get used to your previously-low rate and demand you charge just as low next time.

What other methods do you use to find freelance work?

Everyone knows how big search engine optimization is nowadays, and while it's something in which I don't plan to specialize, it's still something very useful to know. Which is why I decided to join Pinoy Money Talk's SEO Contest. I just read about this SEO contest tonight, and figured it wouldn't hurt, plus it's an interesting introduction to SEO. I had a good look around Pinoy Money Talk's website first before signing on and liked what I saw, so it looks like I'll keep going back there for some tips!

Pinoy Money Talk is offering $75 as a prize for the SEO Contest. It probably sounds like peanuts for people living in the U.S., but over here, $75 isn't bad at all. At the moment, $75 costs PhP3,000, a nice solid amount to win for such a contest. Plus, I need every amount I can get--I found my dream home and I'm going to need $90,000 to purchase it. But anyway, even if I don't win, this is still a very good exercise, so, thanks for the contest, Pinoy Money Talk! :)

Sadly, I still tend to work during the weekends :) Which is fine, though, since I don't have any place I need to be or anything else I have to do.

[x] SG website

- Animation in the main page
- Design for the second and third levels
[ ] 7 article rewrites
[x] 2 environmental blog posts
[x] Prepare presentation for Monday
[x] 3 news article test rewrites (reminder: style must be kid-friendly)
[ ] Make changes to G Car website

Ah well. :) There's time yet to complete the rest.

A few days ago, Michelle Goodman wrote about the reasons why grad school isn't a total necessity, and it got me thinking. On and off for the past six years (yes, years), I've been entertaining the thought of going to grad school and taking either Web publishing, magazine journalism, or even going further with my History studies. Part of the reason why I want to go to grad school is a serious interest in those subjects; another reason is a desire to live abroad even for a year, because the schools I'm eyeing are located in the UK.

Her post enumerates the reasons why any freelance writer isn't actually required to have a graduate degree, and that one good reason to actually pursue further studies is to improve your knowledge about the topic you're most interested in writing about. Which makes perfect sense, because it's important for you to learn as much as possible about a field in which you plan to specialize.

So that post pretty much bopped me on the head and diminished my desire to go to graduate school. Instead, I've chosen to look into taking the Editorial and Proofreading course at the London School of Publishing in the future. That is certainly more in step with my plans.

Okay, okay, I know a lot of paid-to-surf, paid-to-click programs out there on the Web are nothing but junk junk junk, but to test this belief, I decided to sign up for a couple of them anyway, one of which is Clixsense. The principle is simple: You log in, take a look at the available ads for your perusal, then just click away--with a 30-second interval after each click, of course. Payout for each ad varies from $0.01 to $0.05, the most I've seen so far.

The premium members get a wider selection of ads to view, and if you want to have that privilege, you have to pay $10. Still, it's not a bad amount, and a lot of people have been able to earn back that $10 with their referrals--for which you earn $0.10--and ads. I wonder if there are fewer ads being shown to users outside the U.S., though.

I've been a member since October last year, though so far I've only gotten $5.02 back because I don't actively refer people and have gone for weeks without looking at the ads. Hopefully, more active promotions and frequent clicking will have results soon.

I have to admit, I've always hated meetings, even when I was working full-time. Oh, I understood that they were important, it's just that I found frequent and long, rambling meetings extremely...unproductive. You certainly won't get a lot done if you're stuck in a meeting for over an hour.

Of course, when I started freelancing, I had fewer meetings to go to. Of course, I had to meet all-new potential clients and go to follow-up meetings for any projects, but on the whole, I've managed to avoid them. One of the worst meeting experiences I've had as a freelancer involved a very...meticulous person who wanted a website done according to his specifications, no matter how ugly the end product turned out. He would call two to three meetings a week, and each meeting lasted four to five hours. It was not an economical use of anyone's time, especially since he spent a lot of time talking about how we were all young and inexperienced, while he is older, more mature, and therefore has much more to offer than we do.

It wasn't just the meetings that took up too much time. There was also the commute, which took two hours back and forth. So that's nearly half a day wasted just for one meeting.

I didn't want to go through that sort of thing ever again, but luckily, my other clients weren't like that at all, and brief meetings in person, just to formally introduce ourselves to one another and really talk about the project, were all that took place. Otherwise, we left each other alone and communicated mostly through Y!M and e-mail. And you'd be pleased to know that it's a setup that works very well.

Clearly, in my experience at least, being able to work with clients doesn't mean having to spend hours with them in meetings. It's all just a matter of being able to communicate expectations and instructions well.

Related stories:

Every Other Meeting is Unproductive

Spend less time in meetings

Freelancing offers plenty of rewards: more time to spend with loved ones, or on a hobby, or just to develop one's skills, freedom to choose clients and projects, possibly even more money, if you play your cards right. There are hazards to becoming a freelancer as well, and one of these is--believe it or not--weight gain.

Yep, along with the good comes the bad, and an unbridled access to the kitchen and refrigerator can greatly spur on all the munching you can't do regularly in an office. There's also the fact that you may find yourself living a more sedentary lifestyle than when you were going to work. Sitting in front of a computer also presents an irresistible opportunity to munch on some snacks! I'm not the only one who's noticed this negative effect of life as a freelancer. I know quite a few people who've also encountered the same thing, gaining five, ten pounds within a year of freelancing. If you're one of these people, then you no doubt feel that you have every right to just lie around in your pajamas and do the work when you need to, and spend your free time munching or watching TV. After all, you've been working hard in an office these past few years, and it's about time you enjoyed being at home, right?

Er, that's all well and good, but you shouldn't get too comfortable in your pajamas, or you'll eventually discover that your weight has started to balloon. And no, you can't use the excuse that you no longer have time to exercise. That probably worked when you spent countless hours in the office, but now that you're working at home, it sounds a wee bit unbelievable, unless you are completely swamped with freelance work all the time.

The important thing for you to do is to really make the time to exercise, and to learn how to manage your time better. You won't be able to fit in a workout session when you wake up at two in the afternoon, then madly rush through all your work for the day and try to get everything done by the time evening rolls around. It's always a good idea to start your workday early then take off for a couple of hours to get some exercise. When you take a break, you can also use the time to lift some weights or have a quick jog around your neighborhood.

As for the snacking, best for you to ease up on it. Oh, don't cut it out entirely. After all, snacking can help you think sometimes (I remember how I used to have snacks surrounding me when I had to review for an exam or finish a paper. Kept me awake, they did.). You should probably go for some more healthful options, though.

So don't get complacent about your size and your appearance even though you're just working at home. Getting and staying healthy is always best, and looking great is just a bonus. Imagine how you'll feel when your former coworkers and supervisor see you and tell you how amazing and refreshed you look :D

I know I just warned everyone about PayPal, but I still can't help feeling thrilled at this bit of news. I just found out that Philippine PayPal users can now add their bank accounts to their PayPal account. Here's a list of the official bank codes you can use when adding your bank account.

ALLIED BANKING CORP - 010320013
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND - 010700015
ASIA UNITED BANK - 011020011
BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS - 010030015
BANGKOK BANK - 010670019
BANK OF AMERICA - 010120019
BANK OF CHINA - 011140014
BANK OF TOKYO - 010460012
BANCO DE ORO (& EPCIB) - 010530667
BANK OF COMMERCE - 010440016
BANK OF THE PHIL ISLANDS - 010040018
CHINA BANKING CORP - 010100013
CHINA TRUST COMML BANK - 010690015
CITIBANK N.A. - 010070017
DEVT BANK OF THE PHILS - 010590018
DEUTSCHE BANK - 010650013
EAST WEST BANK - 010620014
EXPORT & INDUSTRY BANK - 010860010
FUJI BANK - 010640010
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANK - 010060014
INTL COMML BANK OF CHINA - 010560019
INTL EXCHANGE BANK - 010680012
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK - 010720011
KOREA EXCHANGE BANK - 010710018
INTL NEDERLAND BANK - 010660016
LAND BANK OF THE PHILS - 010350025
MAYBANK OF THE PHILS - 010220016
METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST CO - 010269996
PHIL BANK OF COMMUNICATION - 010110016
PHIL TRUST COMPANY - 010090039
PHIL NATIONAL BANK - 010080010
PRUDENTIAL BANK - 010150018
PHIL VETERANS BANK - 010330016
RIZAL COMML BANKING CORP - 010280014
SECURITY BANK & TRUST CO - 010140015
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK - 010050011
UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK - 010299995
UNION BANK OF THE PHILS - 010419995
UNITED OVERSEAS BANK - 010270189

Relatives, acquaintances, and people I just met ask me what I do for a living, and I tell them I'm a freelance writer/proofreader/web designer/what-have-you and that I work from home. This promptly causes them to nod, eye me a little strangely, and say, "Wow, it sounds like such an easy life."

Well, I have news for them: No, being a freelancer is not necessarily an easy life, what with the need to look for clients, ensure a steady stream of income, and produce excellent results, which will ensure client loyalty and positive referrals. We work too, you know! *sobs*

But yes, I must admit that it is an easy life in the sense that we're not tied to one company, and there's the lovely bonus of not going to an office. Of course, we have to handle everything by ourselves, but that's the way we like it, or else we wouldn't be doing it.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate being a freelancer, and there are even two specific times in a year when you can do so.

• October is National Pajama Month, and although it's a pajama industry-sponsored occasion, Leslie Truex, The Pajama Mama, declared that it is the perfect time for you to start looking for work-at-home opportunities. Great way to transform a commercial event into something more personally rewarding, eh?
  
• Last year, Work Wise UK deemed May 18 National Work From Home Day. No word yet on what date it will fall this year.

No one's declared anything like Freelancers' Day here yet, but hey, I say if you're a freelancer, and if you're developing your craft and skills, constantly bubbling with creative juices, or you're just happy to be out of the office and beginning to do your own thing, then every day is the perfect time to celebrate being a freelancer.

I was one of the many Filipino freelancers out there who clamored to have PayPal available in the Philippines, though I never signed the petition. After all, PayPal is the payment option of choice for many, and not having access to PayPal left many of us Filipino freelancers with other, slower options like Xoom and Western Union, plus we couldn't even get projects that paid fees only through PayPal.

So imagine everyone's utter joy when PayPal opened its doors to us in October 2006. It came with a catch though; people could only send payments, but still be unable to receive money, a detail that was rectified almost a year later.

I personally have been enjoying the service for quite some time now, and haven't encountered any problems *touch wood*, but Michelle Goodman's post got me thinking, and wondering why using PayPal should even be questioned. She had good reason to do so. Amy Derby of Write from Home recently went through an account-hacking experience, which resulted in her losing a bundle of money and overall trust in PayPal. Worse still, Paypal seemed rather blasé about the whole thing.

Just a word of warning to PayPal users out there.

People working regular hours in a company often feel like they barely have enough time on their hands. It often seems as if their personal life suffers, thanks to work hours and the daily commute. The desire to spend more quality time with loved ones is one of the reasons why people opt to work from home or become freelancers.

Freelancing is very popular nowadays, because it allows people to earn money their own way from the comfort of their own homes and still lets them have enough to time to spend pursuing their interests. And it does seem like an ideal setup. It always amazes people how freelancers work and are able to set their own hours. However, this setup can only work if the freelancer really sticks to a daily schedule.

If you’re a freelancer, you know that working at home has many perks. Not only are you working in a place in which you're really comfortable, but you are also avoiding traffic jams on the road. It offers plenty of distractions, though, from countless chores you might think of doing, errands you will need to run, your bed which will invite you to take a break and get some sleep, and of course, TV. How can you possibly have time to work? The key is proper time management and settling into a routine.

1. Have your to-do list ready. This will give you an idea what activities you will need to do for the day.

2. Make a daily schedule. Sound too much like going to an office? You're going to need it if you're freelancing. Allot time for errands, chores, exercise, and work. Since you're working from home, you're free to run errands and get them out of the way before you start working. That way, you can focus on your tasks. Allow yourself an hour for exercise or a walk just to relax and regroup. Scheduling your work hours will keep you organized and prevent you from working late into the night finishing projects you were unable to complete during the day.

3. Wake up early. If you wake up at noon, half your day would have gone past and with it your chance to finish some of your tasks. It can also be a problem if your clients contacted you in the morning. Waking up early means you have more time to do everything at hand and gives you time to unwind at night.

4. Don't work at night. All your loved ones are usually at home in the evenings and it's the best time for you to really spend time together. Don't let your work get in the way. Besides, working at night could wear you out and leave you too tired to tackle the next day's projects.

5. Don't stay out too long. Naturally, you wouldn't want to stay inside your house all the time. You would want to catch a movie, do a bit of shopping, visit the library, or eat out for lunch. The key is moderation. Don't stay out longer than you should. If you have a project due that day and you start hearing your conscience telling you to get back to work, just do it. Imagine how much more fun you can have when a project is all wrapped up!

Being a freelancer may seem like you’ll be living an easy life, but it actually takes a lot of work. You may have more freedom to take on assignments you’re really interested in, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a lot of free time. Enjoy your new working hours, but don’t forget that you also have work to do. Managing your time wisely can help you strike the perfect balance.

Remember the days when multitasking was widely lauded as an excellent skill for any worker to have? People thought it was a good thing if you’re able to handle numerous tasks at a time, and I’ll bet even you thought you were hot stuff when you were still able to complete a project on time even though you had a bunch of other things on your plate. Oh wait, I think those days aren’t done yet.

Perhaps this new discovery ought to change people’s minds. Recently, results from a UCLA study show that multitasking can actually be bad for you. Even though you might be able to do and complete several things at the same time, you’re not gathering and fully understanding the information in front of you, meaning you’re not mastering things as well as you could be. Apart from that, the stress generated by multitasking can cause your body to release more of a hormone called cortisol, which will eventually lead to obesity, neurological problems, etc.

Funny that this report should come up just when I’ve begun to discover that I badly need to concentrate on one thing at a time. For example, in recent months, I haven’t been able to participate in an online chat and carry on a conversation at the same time, even though I was able to seamlessly do both not so long ago. I’m barely even able to write properly while listening to music, because a few seconds into the song, I’ll be singing my little heart out. Of course, that may just be my inner singer bursting to come out.

I suppose all the fuss over multitasking comes from the fact that being able to juggle numerous things at the same is seen as proof that you are competent and productive. The more you do, the quicker you finish things—that seems to be the idea. But given the stress that come from multitasking—admit it, even if you get things done, you know the whole thing stresses you out, too—one wonders why there’s a need to zip through everything instead of concentrating on and perfecting one thing.

It’s probably because we like everything and everyone to be capable of doing everything. Take mobile phones as an example. They were once used solely for the purpose of transmitting phone calls (Yes! To those who didn’t remember much from that ancient time, phones were only capable of making and taking phone calls!). Today, they’re used for text messaging, surfing the Web, taking photos and videos, and playing thousands of songs, among tons of other capabilities. Even the stay-at-home women of the 50s were expected to look good, raise bright, shiny children, cook excellent meals, maintain a spotless home, and help their husbands unwind after a long day at work.

I don’t think that multitasking is a bad thing if you’re just going through ordinary, everyday tasks. It probably won’t stretch you out if you’re doing the groceries and have to call to set up an appointment with your doctor, nor will having lunch and reading a book at the same time, although combining simple tasks like driving, opening your cup of hot tea, talking on the phone, and looking for something in your purse will most likely land you in the hospital.

When it comes to work as well, you might want to consider giving your multitasking ways a rest. Try to focus exclusively on one project at a time, making sure to perfect every inch of it. That way, you won’t have to worry so much about it afterward and think that you might have screwed up somewhere.

Related link: The Autumn of the Multitaskers

I've been asking myself that very question after years and years of playing online games, so I decided to give it a try and signed up at WorldWinner. Basically, it involves a deposit of $20 for you to become a cash player, and then you can start playing to win some money. Of course, you won't be playing for free; you have to put in a little money in order to play. There's a free game available daily--check the Free Play calendar--and you can also get some practice in by playing the Warm-up games.

So have I made big money from these online games yet? The honest answer: Not big money, but it may just be due to my incompetence when it comes to certain games. A word to the curious: Sign up, but do the Warm-up games first. It's always best to improve your skill in the games before shelling out any cash on the cash games, plus it gives you a greater chance of winning the prize money. Good luck!