Bloggers love comments. I’m no different. They’re like a badge of success. It you get elevently-trillion comments on a post, you are awesome. If you get none, you are a loser who should commit suicide immediately and do the world a favor.

Or something along those lines.

Well, despite my best efforts, I’m still alive, so I must be getting enough comments, right? No, not really. Look through these pages and you’ll see that I maybe garner 1-3 comments in a post.

Most of my comments come in the form of tweets. On twitter, my link goes out, and me readers and I spend a few minutes discussing the post. It’s very interactive, and since I have Tweetdeck open all day, I don’t have to log in and out to check them.

Comments within the posts, on the other hand, pop up in my email at the most inopportune times, like when I’m about to hop on the subway or I’ve just shut the computer down for the night. So it will take me a while to approve it, and even longer to respond, if it’s something I can respond to at all.

Dee Barizo over at Performancing put up a post yesterday about how to get more comments. Her post includes a few tips to drive the right kind of traffic and spark the right kind of conversation in order to receive the most comments.

For me, I’m not fussed either way. I’m getting my needy personality catered to over on Twitter. But what about you? Do you thrive on comments?

You can either leave a comment here, or if you prefer, I’ll be over on Twitter.

CAUTION: I’m very no-holds-barred, no-filter on Twitter. Not for the faint of heart.

I’m a writer. I write. I don’t design websites, I don’t do flashy full-color brochures, I can barely remember my HTML basics. I write, and I podcast. That’s it.

So what do I do when I have clients asking if I can re-design their sales brochures or websites? Well, in an ideal world, I would be able to flip through my rolodex (no, of course I don’t have a real rolodex anymore – who does?) and say “Sure, call Josh! He’s a photographer/artist/printer/designer/whatever, and he’ll be able to help you.”

Except I don’t know a Josh (actually, I do know a Josh, but he’s a mechanic). I don’t have someone I can ask to help me provide turnkey serevices to a client.

Could you be my Josh? Let’s talk. Email me at sullivanwriting@gmail.com and tell me what you do for a living. Send me a link to your portfolio. Maybe we can help each other out.

I’ve been at the political blogging game for a half-decade, but only really got into interviewing in the last two or three years. I’ve made some interesting observations since then, and I thought some of my readers – especially those that are just starting out – might be interested in hearing about it. These are in fairly random order, but here goes:

1. Famous people got to be famous by talking to un-famous people like you. I was listening to Radio for Conservatives the other day, and they were talking to uber-blogger John Hawkins about scoring the big interview. He’s had the opportunity to interview heavyweights like Ann Coulter, Thomas Sowell and even the late Milton Friedman. He was asked how he managed to land these big fish. His response? “I ask.”

The courage to ask is one of the most valuable tools you can have in your interviewing toolbox. You don’t ask, you don’t get. I asked for a minor miracle a month ago – I wanted the same guest host for my podcast that Rush Limbaugh uses for his radio show. I asked. I got. Shazam!

2. Do your research. You don’t have to be a mathematician to interview one. You don’t have to know the ins-and-outs of taxation or the Israeli one/two-state solution. But if you are interviewing a subject who has spoken or written extensively on the subject before, it might be best to find out why they’re an expert, and what they intend to impart to the world with their knowledge.If they have a book, read it. If they’re in the news, read/watch the interviews of others.

I frequently use the line “too pretty for math” to describe myself, but have interviewed economists and tax experts, and come off not sounding like an idiot. I always dread the interviews lest I sound like a fool, but I have my notes and questions in front of me, and I’m confident that I’ve done my homework.

3. Remember that your subject shits, too. That’s right. Whether you are interviewing a local cop or the queen of Denmark, they all eat, sleep and shit like the rest of us. This will help you get over any hero worship and do your job. Be polite, treat them like a friendly acquaintance, and you will get plenty from them. Be nervous and you’ll forget your questions.

4. YOU are not the subject. At various conferences I’ve been to, I’ve made the mistake of being in the photograph with my subject. Well, I suppose it makes sense that you’ll want a picture of yourself with someone famous for your personal collection, but be sure to get some solo shots for your news story. You are not Oprah – and even she looks like an ass most of the time being photographed with her betters.

My personal regret was only getting one shot of the head of Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating, which I was in with him. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But we all make mistakes.

5. Take your mother’s advice. Write a thank you note. The subject of your interview has better things to do than spend an hour with you – they might have a a great symphony to finish or a country to run – yet they took the time to sit down and talk to you. Don’t be a putz – thank them for that. Use your discretion as to whether an email, a letter or a handwritten note is most appropriate. If someone in their office – an assistant or publicist – moved heaven and earth to assist you, they get a thank you as well.

6. Sometimes second best is good enough. So you couldn’t get your schedule to work with Senator So-and-So. That’s a pity. But did you find their staffers to be helpful? Why not send them a few questions via email and get an exclusive statement from the Senator’s office? It might not be the chat you were hoping for, but if you’re the only one who does it, it’s still an exclusive.

7. Be sure to send them a copy. Whether it’s a link to a blog, the MP3 (or link) to a podcast, or a copy of your local paper, be sure to send it to the subject and/or their assistant. Some people have scrapbooks they keep their interviews in, others use certain lines for future interviews. In some cases, if you hit upon something juicy, it might hit the wider news radar. When that happens, the subject will need to refer back to your chat for context when answering questions to other reporters.

Everyone has a story to tell. A good interviewer can get the story and a whole lot more besides. And sometimes, your subject can become a contact and a stepping-stone to the next subject. If you have regular dealings with someone you’ve interviewed, don’t be hesitant to ask them for an intro to someone they know that you want to talk to. Everyone is a resource.

A Word On Class

I have interviewed author, columnist and polemicist Mark Steyn on several occasions. I can also say he bought me a martini once (the way to this woman’s heart, indeed!). Mark Steyn is a journalistic powerhouse with fans around the world, but he doesn’t act like it. A friend of mine who recently had the opportunity to meet Steyn said to me afterward “He didn’t dominate the conversation. He was interested in our stories, even though people pay to hear his. He was like a friend.” This is so true of Steyn, and it makes him the ideal interview.

So as you rush out to score your big subject, I leave you with this blessing: May they all be like Mark.

Given the boom/bust, feast/famine world of freelancing, there can be periods of downtime, especially right now while the economy turns to rubble around us. So what does one savvy freelancer do with that downtime?

I schmooze. I hobnob. I gadfly. I charm many local business people into taking me for many lunches (a cost saver in down times How to Eat When You Can’t Afford Food). I go for 5 à 7 cocktails with people that make more money than me. They pick up the tab (or, How to Drink Well When You’re Broke). I put on jeans and go for coffee, or a suit and get my butt on TV. I work on my podcast.

I go to political and social events in my area and meet people who know people that know people.

And then I email the hell out of everyone. I don’t spam them, but I make sure they remember meeting me. I make sure they know what I do, who I do it for, and what I can do for them.

Do they immediately jump up and start throwing money at me? Er, rarely. And if they do, I can betcha next month’s free cocktails that it won’t be for my writing services! But regardless, a relationship is formed. We are aware of each other; perhaps we follow each other’s work. And that means when the day comes that we can be of use to each other, the connection has already been made.

Personally, I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve needed something (business cards, tech support etc) and said “Let’s keep it in the family”. I’ll choose one of my own regular contacts to do the work long before I’ll source a stranger. Why not, really? It benefits both parties – one gets a job done, the other gets paid to do a job – and it shows ongoing support and loyalty to those in your inner circle.

So, what do you do if you are an antisocial cellar-dwellar who would rather cut their own hands off than go have a drink with a casual acquaintance?

You get the hell over it.

No one lives in a vacuum, no matter how hard they try. You want to make a living? You’d better start charming the pants off the people who will be paying you (not literally, unless you’re really pressed for cash). I’m prone to panic attacks and suffered debilitating shyness and separation anxiety as a child. But you know what? I grew up. My mother died, leaving me with the stark realization that I didn’t have a mommy to hide behind anymore, so I’d better learn to deal with the human race. If I can do it, you can, too.

One will often hear me say how every contact/opportunity/gig/travel destination has been a result of my blogging life. And that’s true. BUT… eventually I had to walk away from the keyboard and meet the people on the other end of the Internet.

So invest in a haircut (or befriend a stylist and get one for free or at a discount), cut your nails, put on a clean pair of pants, and get out there. The world is waiting to discover you.

I say fuck a lot. I mean a lot. I am also hyper-political, whether I be on Twitter, or Facebook, or blogging up a storm about the latest atrocity. I am an opinionated bitch.

I turn people off.

Well, not everyone. Some people don’t really care what my politics are, or if I swear, so long as they get a polished product out of me in the end.

Others worry that I’m not professional, or that I’ll sneak some kind of scary subliminal political message into my work (those particular people sleep wearing tinfoil hats).

But here’s the thing: I don’t care. So long as I am delivering prompt, quality work, you shouldn’t care either. I am not going to change myself or lie to you. If I wanted to live that way, I would have stayed corporate. So I will give you honesty and politeness at all times in our professional relationship, but if you follow me around on Twitter, be prepared for a few f-bombs and sweeping generalizations along the way.

Look at it this way: I love Starbucks. I could drink the stuff all day (and often do). It rarely pains me to drop $7 for a cup of some caffeinated syrupy goodness. But I also hate Starbucks. All that middle-class, white liberal, do-gooder guilt? No thanks. Fair trade, my ass, at $7 a cup! Fair for whom? Their current adherence to the (red) program is not only annoying, it’s two years past being cool.

Yet day after day, I go back to Starbucks because they deliver an excellent product worth paying for, despite their misguided attempts to save the world with coffee.

Love me or hate me, I’m good at what I do. Like Starbucks.

This isn’t really for me, so I thought I’d share with y’all. I don’t normally do this, but the name of the company caught my eye: Swami SEO. Heh. How can you go wrong with a swami, right? Anyway, here’s the job. They are looking to hire 5 bloggers, working remotely.

SwamiSEO is part of London based A K Singh Limited. We specialize in providing Guaranteed Google Top 10 Ranking and SEO consultancy.

No. of Positions Available – 5

Job Type – Freelance jobs

Job Location & Timings – Flexible timing, remote job.

Applicant profile

Applicant must have experience in followings

* Writing on various topics
* Familiarity with Wordpress, Blogspot and Livejournal Blogging platforms
* Some familiarity with SEO
* Some knowledge of HTML is also required

Good luck!

Yesterday I was asked to participate in someone’s thesis on social networking. Two weeks ago I had a two hour phone conversation with a young blogger, helping her find her voice and her writing niche. A few weeks before that, I was helping a company set up their blog site.

I’m a consultant. People come to me for information on blogs and social media, and I have the answers at hand. When did that happen?? Well, I guess it all started on February 11, 2004 when I logged into Blogspot in a fit of pique, and my political blog was born. Since then I have kept at it, creating other blogs along the way – some lasted, some didn’t – and becoming a contributor to other sites. I have my own podcast and the usual accounts on Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. I actually use them. So when people have questions, they come to me.

Sweet deal.

When I lost my corporate job back in the Spring, freelance jobs came my way out of a sense of pity – at first. One friend who is an author was working on a book, and needed some research done. She called me – my background as a legal assistant gave me a leg up, and she was able to pay me and tide me over for a while. In return she got well researched information for her book, which was non-fiction and relied on facts.

Another friend owns a small eco-business and wanted her website punched up with better copy. Wendy to the rescue! She has given me 3-4 jobs since May. In addition, she is starting to get the word out to other small business owners that I provide quality copy service with professional followup. I now have another gig that I landed through her. That’s networking.

Other small freelance jobs I scored along the way: Writing porn reviews for a website, doing a one-off SEO article, providing two white papers to another website that deals in technical analytics. Oh, and a television appearance as a political pundit, due to my original blog.

Here’s the thing, though: Had I been too proud to take the pity jobs, I wouldn’t have those clips in my portfolio now. And I wouldn’t be gaining business through the leads they generated.

Do you blog? Hang out on Facebook or MySpace? Does anyone actually know you’re a writer?? Time to get LinkedIn!

The idea of social networking has been around as long as the Internet has, with chat rooms and BBS. But now it is becoming more streamlined. Facebook helps you find friends you haven’t seen since childhood, or set up an action committee. MySpace launches indie bands and gets bored teenagers into trouble. LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals and their communities. Twitter is for the little ADD in all of us.

I use LinkedIn so that people seeking writers might find me there. There’s a Q&A section that can not only be very informative, but can help spread your name and recognition. I keep my work info as updated as possible so that people know I am active.

Twitter is where I go to a) hang out, b) bitch about politics in 140 words or less, and most importantly c) tell people what I’m working on at that moment.

Are you using the Internet to its full potential? Every single gig I have gotten has come through some type of blog (including my own) or on-line job site. In writing my own blog and in reading others’ I have been able to form relationships that have led to writing or research jobs. Someone who reads me hears that I’m looking for work, and someone who reads them drops me an email. All of a sudden, I have clips. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know!

If you are not involved in social networking yet, get on it! Sign up for a free LinkedIn account and tell people what it is you do. Tell them your specialty. Tell them who you’ve worked with/for in the past and what you have on offer now. And send me a contact request!

And if you’re not blogging, why not? Back in February, Deb from Freelance Writing Jobs (bookmark her site – do it now!) wrote about why writers need to blog.

Talk to Other Writers

One of the reasons I stuck with FWJ for so long is because of the great discussions we have here. I do believe this is the best community. I learned so much from the other writers who visit my blog. Many times my community inspires my blog posts. I’m always touched by how willing everyone is to share information and ideas. I wouldn’t have met many of you if not for blogging.

Build Up a Reputation

A blog is a great way to build up your online reputation. If you offer useful information, people will trust you not to steer them wrong. They’ll also recommend you for gigs.

Learn About Other Resources

Through blogging I learned about other blogs and bloggers, great websites, books and tools to help make our job easier.

I suppose I could write an e-book called Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Blog… Stay tuned – maybe I will! And if I do, naturally it will be available here on my blog. You’ll hear about it on Twitter…