It’s already 23:05, Sunday, as I am writing this entry. I am just done with the last article for my new employer at Odesk (55minutes before my dead line). I’m supposed to finish all articles on Friday but I asked for two days extension. Thing is, I am having a hard time writing articles for this employer, not because he is complicated to deal with but the articles he requires are just so niche-oriented and must be written in third person’s point of view (more like formal press releases than blog entries). I am not used to formal writing. I find it boring, dragging, and mind draining. Actually, the employer is very kind. He pays for the time I spend writing the articles and also for the time I spend on research (but just as long as both don’t exceed 2 hours for an article).

This week is actually my trial week on this job but I think, I already disappointed the employer when I didn’t make it to my first deadline so there’s a big chance that he’ll drop me. I’ve thought of it and I honestly feel sort of okay about it. What I mean is; if he drops me, I wont feel bad on the ground that I don’t really enjoy the writing tasks given to me but I will feel a bit sorry because I will lose the possibility of adding some $$ to my Odesk earnings.

In other news, I didn’t get any tasks from my two other employers, and this sucks because I badly need tasks to do in between writing those boring articles. It’s also ironic because when got a new job, I thought that that’ll make it possible for me to add a bit more $$ to my Odesk earnings, but that didn’t happen as my old employers didn’t have tasks for me this week.

By the way, I also decided to stop those weekly freelancing updates. I’ll do it monthly instead. I will just mention how much I earn each week (just 60.32$ this week) but the fancy reports with screenshots (haha) will just be published monthly. It’s because it’s too much work and since I can’t update this blog more than two times each week, it will sort of look boring if 50% of the contents are just about my weekly freelancing updates.

This photo is taken just now using my MAC's Photobooth. Cool, eh!? My Pajama says "Love you with all of my heart"--which is matching considering that it's Valentine's day today. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! And notice how I now drink a glass of milk instead of a cup of coffee for breakfast? I am trying to stay healthy.

So going back, I hope that if my new employer decides to continue working with me, he’ll give me topics that are more interesting. If not, I have to deal with it until I can’t do it anymore and if that happens, I will resign willingly. Never mind the $$$, it’s more important that I am happy with what I do.

P.S. I started writing this entry last night but I’m only able to finish it now. I’m a slow poke.

I have a lot of writing tasks piled up, which is a bit overwhelming considering that it happened from one day to another. And it’s weird how I am now trying to avoid these tasks when I have waited for them for weeks! Funny how fickle I’m acting right now, but today is just one of those days when it’s much easier for me to sit on the couch and write blog entries than to step in my office and do some real work.

I have six articles with 400-600words each to write—that’s 2,440-3,600 words I have to write until Friday. And it’s not just that, I have to research about the topics too. Considering that it is for a new employer I must impress, I should be getting deep into it, but instead I am mucking about the internet and playing with my MACbook.

Speaking of my MAC, I really love it and if I would go a month back in the past, I would buy it again. It’s definitely worth its price not only because it is 1000000 (to the 1 millionth power) cooler than Windows but also because of the very unique user experience it offers. Call me shallow, but the fact that I have a notebook view on Word is something that makes me feel like I am just really doing some random writing for fun.  The font, which is, by the way, very similar to my handwriting , adds more to that effect.

There are more things I can do with my MAC (and I would probably write about them every now and then), that is why I’m considering the 1,230 Euros well spent. It took me a long time to finally get one for myself but I am glad I came to that decision. Had I known earlier how cool it is, I would have had bought it earlier too and would have not let my practicality (i.e.; stinginess) cause the delay.

I was hoping to get some writing and editing tasks from my employers today and I woke up extra early for that but it’s already almost 10am and there’s still nothing. While waiting, I checked my FB, checked some blogs, played with my new Macbokpro, and daydreamed—what a waste of time! So before I waste the whole day, I am now going to write a quick post about my working space.

taken right after we're done installing our home office

My working space is very simple but I love it. It’s a corner of our home’s office/guestroom and it’s beside the window. The office furniture is from IKEA and all the furniture (chairs, desks, shelves) cost us around 850Euros—considering that we’re in Austria where big furniture stores like KIKA, LUTZ, and LINER charge too much for their products, I think 850 Euros for everything is about fair.

vien's work space

We set up the office so that each of us, my husband and I, has a desk. I like it that way because I need a whole desk and I also don’t like our things getting mixed up. That sounds very territorial but my husband shares the same opinion. He also wants a corner he can call “his corner”.

This is where I do most of my blogging. Sometimes, when I am tired of sitting down, I lay on a couch we bought from KIKA at an incredibly expensive price. This couch also serves as our guest bed as it can be converted to a bed and it’s in the other corner of the room. I also do some blogging downstairs in the living room. I bring down my computer and blog while watching TV. Glad there’s a thing called WLAN because I can basically use internet anywhere in the house and in the garden too.

I have one job that is running and I’d say it is good paid based on the work it requires so I will continue doing it as long as the buyer has tasks for me. Now, this job only requires 10-15hrs/week so I am applying for other jobs that will fill up my allotted weekly freelance working time of 30hrs. As of now, I haven’t got the luck yet. I got two interviews but both jobs require some really serious writing stuff I am too afraid to dip my toes into. Legal, paralegal, and law stuff are just not my cup of coffee so I declined both.

But I am not giving up. I am still sending out applications and I hope that I’ll get some luck some time soon. I hope that I’ll find a buyer that accepts my proposed hourly rate. It’s kind of tough because it’s really difficult to compete with other writers who are offering 1$/hr.  I’ve got a lot of rejected applications already and all of them have the same reason of rejection: bid/rate too high.

It’s disheartening but I suppose, that’s freelancing. It’s a very competitive industry.

So what I did with my recent applications was to check the buyer’s (employer’s) history. If I see that the employer’s offers for previous and running projects are low, I don’t bother wasting my time in applying because it is more likely (as in like 99%) that that employer will hire somebody who bids the lowest rate.

Now, I don’t have anything against freelancers offering low rates because I know well enough how money can be very relative. Meaning, a dollar could be so insufficient for anything in some countries and at the same time, enough to buy lot of stuff in other countries. I am also not saying that providers offering low rates on Odesk also offer low quality services. That’s simply not the case. Many are accepting low paid jobs because they probably want to build up their portfolio first (like I was back then) or simply because it’s already fair enough for them.

All I am saying is that, freelancing is really a very competitive world. Your skills may be equal to that of another who’s offering a lower bid but you simply cannot bid that low because you’re in a country where a dollar does not get you far so LUCK, here, has to play a big role. LOL! I am rambling but it’s true. Luck really has a big role in landing a well paying job at Odesk.

Anyway, before I end this entry, I would like to report my earnings last week.  I worked some days from the 27^th to the 30^th of December in between being sick, watching TV, eating and sleeping. I have like 10hours  working time and here’s my reward.

It’s difficult to mix work and holiday together so I didn’t even try. And the good thing was that, my employers at Odesk didn’t give me tasks to do during the Christmas week. So from the 20^th to the 26^th of December, I didn’t really work except for an hour and that is only for finishing one last entry before I shut down work to enjoy Christmas.

I did have a merry Christmas and I hope that you all did too. My Christmas was nothing glamorous. It was simple and solemn but nonetheless, happy in its own way. I spent it with my husband and my in-laws.  The whole day was filled with eating activities (hehe) and videoke showdown. In the evening, we shared what my mother-in-law prepared for our special Christmas dinner—it was really good. Then after that, we opened our gifts!  I got some really nice and thoughtful gifts like baby books, yoga mat, preggy pillow, chocolates (plenty of them), some kitchen stuff, and  €€€ (hehe).  After that, we hang out a bit longer to share drinks and play some games.

And because of Christmas I only earned 8$ from Odesk.

By the way, the other employer who was paying me 10$/hr, the one I mentioned in my last post, is no longer my employer. She dropped me right before the Christmas week because she postponed the launching of the site and therefore, does not need my immediate services anymore. She said she’ll contact me in the future. I honestly think that I am just too expensive for the kind of work she would like me to do though. I mean, I believe that when I think, I work. So when she asked me about my opinion on this and that, I logged them as work hours and that didn’t make her happy. She wants free ideas and input from me and that’s simply a no-no for me.

In other news, my other employer gave me a task this week and he said that he’ll be giving me more next week so I’ll be working for him like 12-15hrs/week starting next week. That will be around 90-105$/week and I am so happy about that.  I am quite happy with this employer. He is fair and very professional. I hope to get another employer like him so I can complete a 250$/week target. That’s ambitious (hehe) but there’s no harm in ambitioning (my first time to use this word).

In yet another news, I am thinking of changing all my blog themes to the new Thesis Theme. I know it looks boring but I think it will help my blogs rank better since I know too little about SEO. I am hoping Thesis Theme will do the SEO part for me. I will just have to try and personalized it a bit so even if it looks plain, I can still add my personal touch to it.

One last news, I think I will own a MAC soon (big smile). With all the Christmas money I got plus a little saving from me and some help from my husband, I could perhaps get one Apple laptop by the end of January 2011. I am not 100% sure yet but I am crossing my fingers.  I hope, I hope, I hope…. =))

Today, I’ve written 11 blog entries (including this one) and 10 of which is now publish on my new blog. Yep, I created another blog! I won’t link to it from this blog because I used my real name in that blog. I know it’s confusing but I really would like to use my real name more and more this time and because of this, I want to separate the blogs wherein I use my real name from the blogs wherein I use Vienna Lopez.

I will still definitely keep this blog and I plan to use this blog to report about my freelance writing and to start with that, I mentioned last time that I got two jobs at Odesk. One of which pays 7$/hr and the other one pays 10$/hr. After less than a week of working on the jobs, I can honestly tell that I like the one that pays 7$/hr better. It’s an editing job and I really feel that the rate is fair if I based it on the task I get.

The 10$/hr job is different. The Buyer sort of wants me to work for free. I mean, she asks me about my opinions on some things and when I log in time for brainstorming, jotting down my ideas, and answering her long emails, she complains. She said it’s not part of the task. So I sort of feel cheated. I don’t have much hope for this job. The Buyer is a really difficult person so I won’t be surprise if she’ll leave me a really awful feedback.

In other news, here’s my earning from Odesk last week.

I don’t suppose I’ll earn more than that this week because it’s Christmas so everything will be slowing down but I hope that the new year will bring better paying jobs and more professional buyers.

This is a period.

Sorry for my crappy first sentence but I need a first sentence and I right now, I am having a hard time writing one.

They say, the first sentence is always the most difficult to write but I say, I never really had trouble writing the first sentence up till now and that because I have no practice.

Three months! Wow, that’s a really long time. I didn’t write a single sentence on this blog for three long months. But that’s over now, thanks God.

I left my day job and here’s they explanation why I finally came to this decision.

I got sick several times in the last few months. I blame it on the cold temperatures and on my weakened immune system. This made me unreliable work wise. You see, if you are a teacher, there are pupils and parents who are waiting for you to show up but before you judge me of being so irresponsible and unprofessional, read along.

In all those times that I was sick, I did informed my head teacher beforehand that I can’t go to work. I always informed her early enough but the problem was—she was not always able to find a teacher who’s able to take over my classes and because of this, she’s forced to cancel my classes. The parents, of course, are not so happy about that.

I have discussed the issues I have with my job several times across all my blogs and if you’ve been following my blogs, you’ll know that my work benefits doesn’t include getting paid sick leaves. To cut the story short, I wasn’t 100% happy with my job to start with and then boom! The third time I got sick, it struck me—I was sort of forced to work even if I am not yet 100% feeling well and that’s because there’s not enough teachers. That’s the main reason why I keep getting sick.

So it came to me—why would I sacrifice so much for a job that doesn’t really give back what I deserve?

I quit and decided to go back to writing.

I will probably earn less but I will probably be happier. I say “probably” because well, things could be different from what I imagine now. I am keeping my fingers crossed though.

I hope that quitting my job is not a mistake and that going back to writing will be a success. I am not wishing of earning lots and lots of money from writing but a decent income of say… at least 1000$ every month would be really nice.

I hope that going back to blogging and freelance writing will work out for me.

I read your blog not because of your impressive writing abilities. Whether you believe it or not, I am a silent follower of this blog and that is not to say that the blogger can’t write well because based on her background, I think she’s doing great with her writing. If you don’t focus on the strict grammar rules of the English language, you might also enjoy reading her entries.

I read your blog not because you’re famous. I follow Heather Armstrong. She’s famous and she writes really well but that is not the reason why I read her blog. Believe it or not, most of the bloggers I follow are small time bloggers who cater to very few audiences.

I follow your blog not because I learn from it. I actually hate super pretentious blogs that tell you what to do. Google leads me to those kinds of blogs whenever I need info but the chance that I will return to those blogs is always almost zero.

I read your blog because you share something about your life and your thoughts with honesty. I read your blog because I get the feeling that we have something in common. I read your blog because we have the same opinions on some things. I read your blog because I like your humor. I read your blog because I can sympathize with your sorrows. I read your blog because it’s entertaining.

I, myself, don’t have a writing prowess to boast about but I have an idea why a few readers read what I write because it is also the very reason why I read somebody else’s blog.

I read your blog because I know that behind that blog is a “real” person.

My first week of working as a freelance writer at ODESK is done and I am hooked!

enjoying a cup of coffee while working on my assignment

I suspect that the reasons are because this is my first job as a freelance writer and that I just love the assignment I got. The pay is ok. I mean, if I would have been based in the Philippines, a 3$/hr rate is very good but since I am in Europe, it means that it is because I really love the job.

My first week brought me 51$. If this will continue, it would mean that I’ll have 204$ in a month. Again, it’s not bad for doing something I love doing.

I am a member of ODESK since November 2009 but it was not until last week when I started to apply for jobs (and immediately got one). Now that I think of it, I would have earned more money, work history, and feedback if I would have started right away. What stopped me from starting right away?

I think the very first one was the TESTS. Yes, there are tests at ODESK but, except for one, you’re not required to take these tests. The only test required is the ODESK readiness test which would entail you to read ODESK’s FAQ or TOS and to download the ODESK software (which is completely safe). IT IS NOT DIFFICULT. And if you fail, you can do it again. Other tests are just there to help you land your first job. For a neophyte, you won’t have a work history to boast about so better take some tests. In this way, your future clients will have something to base your qualifications on.

The second reason was the TIME. I thought… I don’t have time to spare for serious freelance work. I just learned now that that is a complete crap. With ODESK, you control your time. If you have just 2 hours to spare each week, that’s also ok. There are job openings that only ask a few hours each week.

The third reason is because I thought, I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH. I still think I am not good enough for certain jobs so I don’t apply for them. Simple. When I think I can do a job, I go for it.

Anyone who’s really interested can be successful at ODESK. All you need is a computer and an internet connection and you’re set.

After reading this post and you are still doubtful about ODESK, you can look around for other success stories. There’s a big community of Filipino Odeskers online. You can find them on FaceBook and Ning.

So don’t be like me. Don’t get stuck because of reasons that are actually nonsense. If you really want to work online as a freelancer, ODESK is the best place for you.

Ever since I learned about the world of blogging, I always wished to have my articles published on real online magazines (would also be super great if I get my work published on print). Of course, I have some written works available online but they are all self-published.

I’ve spent years contemplating on submitting my articles to online magazines but I never got the courage to do so. I always thought, who would want to publish the kind of writing I do? I mean, no fancy words, no long sentences, no impressive idioms, etc. It’s like anybody who completed first grade can write the way I do.

But because this deep conviction to bring my blogging to the next level can’t be suppressed anymore, I signed up for ODESK and looked for some writing gigs. I have to tell you that I wasn’t so impressed at first because some buyers offer really cheap compensation (I mean REALLY cheap). That’s disheartening but I told myself that if I really want to do this, I must not concentrate on what I will earn. I should concentrate on getting jobs and starting my portfolio as a freelance writer.

So I started applying for jobs. I sent out nine applications and from these applications I got one rejection and three interviews. And from these three interviews, I got one job and I refused the other two jobs because the job I accepted requires 16 hours per week and that’s already more than I can commit to my writing. I want to be able to do quality jobs and since I am just starting and learning the ropes of freelance writing, I avoided quantity (As you know, I don’t enjoy pressure).

I rescinded my application for the other six jobs I applied for. I didn’t wait for buyer’s response anymore because I already accepted an earlier job offer.

Now, I want to talk about the job I got.

When I got a notification from ODESK that I am invited for an interview, I was ecstatic and of course, nervous. In my mind, I immediately reviewed possible questions that might be thrown at me and the corresponding answers.  To my surprise, all I got was this:

Hi Vienna,

Thanks for applying. Do you have any blogs or writing samples that I can take a look at? It would be really helpful.

Thanks! S

So I directed her to this blog while thinking… oops, I should have updated my blog and written a better post.  I was sure I won’t get this job but I was surprised to see her reply:

Hi Vienna,
I took a look at your blog and I love it! I like your writing style, its reflective and gives the glimpse into your personal thoughts through your writing. I also really enjoy that you write casually and not forced (some people write like they have to prove something!) and that you also include photos with your entries.

I think you’re a good match! You can write about anything under the sun that is Wine, Food & Travel related. You can stretch the topic since it doesn’t have to be literal and can be interpreted in so many different ways. For food, you can write about your own herb/vegetable garden. For travel, you can write about past experiences, going to some place in town, or dreams of future vacations. For wine, heck – whatever floats your boat.

You can combine the topics or write them individually. Again, its completely up to you. There are no rules! You’re hired.

I’ll set you up with an account on the website, which is WordPress based. You can post the articles, I’ll review and publish them when ready. Just as a note, all articles also need to have a companion photo, which is located on the right hand side of the article page. This image will also be used as the thumbnail image on the homepage and throughout the site. You can also add multiple images in the body of your writing, just like you do in your blog.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll also need some time to set up your account… in the meanwhile, welcome to the team and I look forward to your writing

Cheers, S

Look at that! Somebody likes my candid way of writing. I was all smiles when I finished reading this message. I am really happy that one of my many dreams is about to come true.

I won’t tell you where my articles will be published yet. I’ll have to wait until at least one of my articles goes live.    c”)