A New Venture
Saturday, March 07, 2009
The changing economy around us changes more quickly than I choose to like. The impact it has had on clients large and small has made for some tough cutbacks on the amount of monthly work I do. It has also made me think alot about the fact that I've for a long time been a writer for others and not a publisher for myself.
Those times look to be changing soon. Patricia and I are embarking on a couple of new online projects, of which I'll post more details as they flesh out. These online projects will be our own financial futures in our hands, as the work we do directly determines the income we generate. Patricia will continue to have her clients as well, while I'll be cutting back to a bare minimum to generate lots of new content.
It is not an easy decision by which this path was reached. The road of true self-employment, where you write for yourself and do your own Web site is a tricky venture. I think though I've built up enough knowledge of what I'll be writing on to create a product people will enjoy visiting over and over again. That is my hope, at least.
Labels: freelance writing
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Nino
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6:07 PM
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Pushing Full Blogging Steam Ahead
Monday, February 09, 2009
With the economy as it is I find great solace in the fact I've built a solid network of individual technology blogs and related Web sites I write for. The daily activities of scanning news headlines, turning in ideas, writing them up and seeming them posted brings me great satisfaction. I'm also happy to see cash roll my way at the end of each month.
I have an interesting client list I've built of mostly well known technology sites. I'll update my links when that list is final, but I'm content (almost) with who I'm writing for. I think one of the things about doing this for so many years is that you build up yourself enough to make your offering to contribute appealing to the blog or Web site owner.
And, yes, its 3:45AM as I write this...
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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3:39 AM
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Breaching the National Print Waves...Finally!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
One of the fun things about being a full-time freelance journalist is the challenge in moving up the magazine food chain from small, local publications to the national scene. I've done well nationally online, but print is a tougher game. That being said, I'm happy to point out I've been published in the latest issue of Laptop, a top tier technology magazine. I have an offline article in this issue reviewing and cross-comparing security software suites.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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4:01 PM
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Writing About the iPhone 3G for About
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Whenever Apple announces a new portable device, I become very busy for the day or so around that announcement. The company yesterday unveiled its new iPhone 3G, which I did extensive coverage for over at About.com. This nicely enough resulted in placement of my article on the most valuable real estate of About there is - the front page breakout box. That was a happy moment to see that.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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5:17 PM
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New Office Space for Me!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
I'm happy to announce Patricia and I have taken up residence in a writer's space on one of Portland's best streets, Hawthorne Boulevard. We've set ourselves up in a studio for rent at The Attic, a "haven for writers." I'll perhaps post more details after we finish setting up our room, but I hear the buzz of Hawthorne outside of my window right now and it sounds amazing.
Labels: freelance writing, portland
posted by
Nino
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11:32 AM
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Where I Blog
Thursday, March 27, 2008
You'll notice on the right hand side of this blog I've put a column called "Where I Blog." If you hadn't guessed it I, in part, blog for a living. The list is somewhat lengthy and not all clients I blog for everyday. Also, some don't pay. That being said, it is all fun nonetheless.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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10:51 PM
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CES Mania
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Long hours blogging. Lots of writing. Fingers numb. Eyes bleeding from staring at my laptop screen. It must be Consumer Electronics Show time!
The annual CES event, in which all things electronics are revealed for the coming year, keeps me annually busy. Some years I attend and others I stay home to cover it virtually. This year I'm at home, rising to blog about 6am and not finishing until after the sun sets.
Here are the blogs I'm doing CES coverage for. Check them out and view for yourself all the cool tech gadgets coming out in 2008:
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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6:18 AM
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The Last Few Months of Writing
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
As I had said back in July (!) I've been busy with writing. Very busy in fact. I've dropped a few older and smaller clients as I seek to move more into traditional print publications. I've also sought to write for larger and more established blogs/Web sites.
In the print world I've met success with getting featured articles into many local publications. These include PDX Magazine, Willamette Week and the Oregonian. I also have pieces upcoming in Oregon Business, Travel Oregon and especially the Oregonian's new Mix food magazine. This last piece is perhaps the biggest feature story I've done to date.
Online continues to be where I do a lot of writing as well. I now write for a well established tech blog called SlipperyBrick as well as occasional contributions to EcoGeek. I've also become a regular tech writer for Crave Online, an occasional columnist for DaniWeb and a contributing writer of LivePDX and also Oregon.com. The biggest online project I've had to date though is a massive tech product review project just completed for Consumer Guide (which looks to be leading to more work).
And there you have it...a summary of my writing career from the last few months. You could say I've been busy :)
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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7:07 AM
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Being the Interviewee
Monday, August 20, 2007
So I just got off the phone with a writer for Details. He interviewed me for a story about urban folks making the transition to suburban life (ironic since we are actually trying to sell our home to move back into a more urban environment). I found it a bit interesting being the interviewee since I am normally on the other side of the questions. You find yourself feeling slightly uncomfortable at certain moments and eager to answer questions in another. There's a mix of "cool...I'll be quoted in a magazine story!" and "will my sound bite make me appear stupid?" Something to ponder for the next time I'm conducting an interview...
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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3:20 PM
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New Client
Monday, July 23, 2007
A new week dawns a new client. I'm happy to say I'm now writing for EcoGeek, an up and coming blog focusing on the convergence of technology and the environment.
In other business news I've also ended up working at CubeSpace pretty much full time during my normal writing hours. It has turned into a great space to work out of and I'm very focused when I working there.
In the works I've got a few one-off product reviews, a product reviews project and a few articles for various print and online publications. Life on the business side is looking really good!
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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12:13 PM
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The client list grows...
Friday, June 29, 2007
The last few weeks have been a busy time for me, landing new clients and assignments as well as working with an editorial coach to develop my writing voice. It's been a busy, hard period for me which has produced many fruits. I'd like to know introduce the following sites I write for:
- The Uber Review - daily posts of under the radar, cool gadgets
- Xboxic - daily coverage of Xbox 360 news.
With the addition of these clients I'm now writing online a lot. I also am working on a number of one off articles for Web sites and publications and a big tech review project. It's a crazy time but I'm very happy to be so busy.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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3:41 PM
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Nino's Elsewhere on the Web - June 4, 2007
Monday, June 04, 2007
- "Treo Accessory: The Palm Foleo" - Crave Online
- "Creative Zen Stone Review" - Digital Trends
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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5:05 PM
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Recent Career Moves
As I continue to build a solid client list I'm happy to note I'm now a regular contributor to the following Web sites:
- LivePDX - Contributing regular profiles of Portland food people and places.
- 901am.com - Contributing regular posts about what's happening in the world of Internet news.
- CraveOnline - Contributing weekly first looks about new gadgets.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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11:33 AM
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Recent Career Moves
Thursday, May 31, 2007
I've been busy of late trying to gain new clients as work with older ones wind down. Such is the life of a freelance writer. I've been meeting with some successes and a few failures. I'm happy to introduce some newer steady clients:
- Metroblogging Portland - local news and opinion blog
- SlipperyBrick - Technology blog
I also have a few article ideas under consideration or soon to be published by several local and national print publications. I'll post about those as they go to print.
In a related move I'm now experimenting working at an office site in Portland a few days a week in addition to an arrangement I have in Lake Oswego. I'm doing this because I'm finding myself writing more and more about the PDX scene, which requires a greater presence in the Rose City proper. I'm currently trying out CubeSpace PDX, which is basically a rent a cube by the hour or month business working out of a converted building on Portland's inner east side. So far it's pretty cool as I'm surrounded by other creative types and Web programmers.
Labels: freelance writing
posted by
Nino
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10:52 AM
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Client Comings & Goings
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
As with any writer's career clients come and go as you move through the ranks. The following are comings and goings of late:
Now Writing For:
Said Goodbye To:
Labels: freelance writing
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Nino
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12:13 PM
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