If you live in the Pacific Northwest and like what you’ve seen here, come see me speak live at one of three conferences (so far) where I’ll be giving workshops this year.

March 17-18, Seaside, Oregon: Travel & Words Travel Writers’ Conference. 

I was the keynote speaker last year, delivering a talk about systematizing your writing business. This year I’ll deliver a workshop intensive where participants will develop a specific plan to double their writing income by conference time next year.

The event also includes two top-notch panels and a chance to network with people from magazines like Northwest Travel and Alaska Air.

May 17 – 19, Wenatchee, Washington: Write on the River Conference

I’ll be speaking on Saturday, a talk called The Writer Entrepreneur. It’s just what it sounds like — an entry-level talk on professional mindset and habits for writers who want to go full time.

Wenatchee is out of the way, but beautiful, and they have a great lineup of other speakers I can’t wait to touch base with. If you’re looking for a smaller conference where you can really get to know other participants, this is a great choice.

August 2-4, Portland, Oregon: Willamette Writers Conference

This is the Big One. The top conference in the Northwest, and one of the top ten in the country. I’m speaking on Friday, a talk on building a platform as a writer to increase your name recognition and build your brand. It’s a one-year plan, similar to the workshop I’m delivering in Seaside.

If you’ve never been to this event, you’re doing yourself a disservice. It’s the kind of conference other writing conferences want to be when they grow up. This year, they’re adding a huge series of talks on the Internet for writers delivered by a guru of mine, John Ellis. He’ll be hosting a panel on Sunday that I’ll be a part of.

Come one, come all. If you’ve not done a writers’ conference yet, you have no idea what you’re missing. If you do them all the time, what are you waiting for?

Things are really looking up right now, keeping me busy with paid assignments and nifty new projects — hence me bumping down to one post a week here at the website. That means more work, more money and more success for yours truly.

But it doesn’t mean health insurance, fund-matched retirement savings, a free health club membership or any of the other nifty side benefits of going to work for The Man.

It does have a few of its own benefits, though. I don’t want to get too maudlin, but…

I’ve been writing full-time since halfway through my wife’s pregnancy. I’ve been at home for every week of my baby’s life. Most of my work days start with him toddling out to cuddle in my lap while I check email and social media accounts for things that require urgent attention. I get to watch him learn words and skills, explore the world and climb the damn bookcase again. I’m there to teach him his ABCs and to kiss his boo-boos when he falls off the bookcase.

When MiniMe, my oldest, gets home from school I’m there to ask about his day and get him sat at the homework table. I’m able to coach his wrestling team immediately after school and to volunteer at events. I’m home for dinner and there for breakfast.

These days, not a lot of parents get to have that kind of presence with their children. Among men, it’s almost unheard of. That, combined with complete control over how I spend my time is good enough benefit to keep me happy with this career choice.

How about you other freelancers out there? What’s your favorite part of the freelance life? What would you change if you could? What would you sacrifice to keep the benefits you value most?

                        This is the cover of my first published fiction work available on Amazon.com. If you’re reading this on February 4, 5 or 6 of 2013 you can head over here and get a copy for free. Otherwise, it’s just 99 cents — which isn’t actually money if you’re well-heeled enough to own a kindle or other e-reading device. So that’s exciting. It’s in e-format only, as will be a few other adult crime novels my publisher will be releasing over the next few weeks. Anything that sells enough, we’ll also push in a dead tree version. When you pop over there, though, you’ll notice one change. The cover will read the book is by “Jake F. Simons.” Since a bunch of folks have already asked why, I want to address that here. Using a pseudonym has disadvantages. Mostly, the dilution of effort. Time I spend promoting Jason Brick doesn’t help Mr. Simons, and vice-versa. That’s true, and already becoming a pain in my backside, but here’s the thing. My crime fiction is violent. It’s dark. There’s cussing, and killing and adult people having adult interactions. Often, all of that is happening all at the same time. I also tend to use what a colleague calls “The Effenheimer” with fair regularity. I’m not embarrassed by that. Some of my favorite authors — Joe R. Lansdale, Carl Hiaasen, Norman Partridge, Harlan Ellison — do the same to great effect. But here’s the thing. I also write guidebooks about karate, articles for major parenting publications and business documents for unsuspecting business owners. I have a series of young adult novels about martial arts and personal integrity due out later this year. The last thing I want is for any fans of that work to Google me and accidentally read a story about two drunk guys getting attacked by a rat while trying to find what they call “takeout nookie.” So Jake F. Simons writes my darker — and often funnier — stuff. Jason Brick will remain the straight-laced, PG-rated alter ego. As the weeks and months go by, I’ll report on how that’s working out for us.  

Another year, another set of goals. First, I want to thank everybody for tuning in since 2011. You’ve made this fun, and I hope I’ve kept it entertaining. I trust all of you have set some goals or resolutions for your writing during our next orbit around the sun. So have I.

But I’m not going to tell you about them.

Derek Sivers, a guy who studies this kind of thing, said not to in a TED talk I watched last summer. You can watch the whole video here.
Continue reading →