I may have been a corporate career-woman before. But having left that behind, I needed to build up my writing portfolio from scratch. Potential clients would like to see a history of work done and, in the freelance writing world, it's good if this can be as varied as possible to show flexibility and the capability of taking on different assignments. I can specialise; in fact, a lot of my work has been finance-related. But it's interesting to take on a variety of work because every writing assignment is a fantastic learning experience.
In the early years, in building my portfolio, I took any assignment that came along. Well, not any assignment. For example, I won't take any work that's related to the tobacco/smoking industry and, of course, alcohol. That's the good part about being your own boss - you can say 'No'. Other than such ethical/religious considerations, I had to get as much work as I could, even if the money may not have been so good. So I wrote articles for publications such as a human resource magazine, the Labuan Digest, Smart Investor and Majallah Ekuin.
Writing copy for advertising/design agencies can be lucrative and the most work that I did in this area was for Freeform Design. I thoroughly enjoyed writing for their clients, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Not really a concert buff, I learned a lot about classical music during the years that I wrote copy for them. It's not easy to get such work and I was fortunate that my brother Zaid was then a designer there and he introduced me to Kamil Yunus, the firm's owner. Kamil and I clicked and he must have liked my initial work for him to retain me for as long as he did. Zaid is now on his own with his long-time friend, Wei Shein - together they run Milk Design.
The range of writing work I took on ran the gamut of corporate communications - speeches, press releases, corporate profiles, promotional kits and brochures, as well as newsletters. I even did a training manual and a 10-year development plan for the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (then known as Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers).
Over time, I put together a portfolio of work that has helped me to take on more ambitious projects. Such projects brought in bigger bucks but also created greater challenges.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Nightly knocks in Labuan
The Labuan International Offshore Financial Centre's coffee-table book to commemorate their tenth anniversary (1999-2000) was an effort that brought me together with two people I know. Labuan IOFC is now known as Labuan International Business and Financial Centre.
I've known Yasmin Gan Abdullah when I was working many moons ago at Komplek Kewangan Malaysia Berhad. I was the training executive there and she was working with the Malaysian Institute of Personnel Management as its marketing executive. We became friends and kept in touch as we moved from one organisation to another. I then embarked on my freelance writing life, by which time she was managing her brother's design company, CTG Creative Point.
CTG was awarded the project to produce Labuan IOFC's coffee-table book and Yasmin pulled me in as the book's writer. Because the publisher wanted some new photos for the book, I brought in my photographer/writer friend, Peter Anderson, whom I knew through the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. See what I mean in my earlier post about cultivating contacts.
Working on the book involved travelling to Labuan. Peter and I flew there together for a three-day visit and were put up at the Waterfront Hotel. It's an old hotel and the room I stayed in was really quite large and rather dim. At night, it was difficult to sleep because of a constant knocking sound. On the morning that we were to return, I met Peter at the check-out counter. He looked bleary-eyed and when I asked him why, he said that he hadn't had a good night's sleep because of this knocking sound that went on through the night. I told him that I had the same problem. So we asked the guy at the counter the reason for the sound and he replied that it was because of some renovation work in the kitchen.
Peter and I said, "Oh, okay", and it wasn't till we were flying off that it occurred to us the absurdity of the kitchen being renovated so late at night. Needless to say, we didn't stay at that hotel on later trips to Labuan.
I've known Yasmin Gan Abdullah when I was working many moons ago at Komplek Kewangan Malaysia Berhad. I was the training executive there and she was working with the Malaysian Institute of Personnel Management as its marketing executive. We became friends and kept in touch as we moved from one organisation to another. I then embarked on my freelance writing life, by which time she was managing her brother's design company, CTG Creative Point.
CTG was awarded the project to produce Labuan IOFC's coffee-table book and Yasmin pulled me in as the book's writer. Because the publisher wanted some new photos for the book, I brought in my photographer/writer friend, Peter Anderson, whom I knew through the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. See what I mean in my earlier post about cultivating contacts.
Working on the book involved travelling to Labuan. Peter and I flew there together for a three-day visit and were put up at the Waterfront Hotel. It's an old hotel and the room I stayed in was really quite large and rather dim. At night, it was difficult to sleep because of a constant knocking sound. On the morning that we were to return, I met Peter at the check-out counter. He looked bleary-eyed and when I asked him why, he said that he hadn't had a good night's sleep because of this knocking sound that went on through the night. I told him that I had the same problem. So we asked the guy at the counter the reason for the sound and he replied that it was because of some renovation work in the kitchen.
Peter and I said, "Oh, okay", and it wasn't till we were flying off that it occurred to us the absurdity of the kitchen being renovated so late at night. Needless to say, we didn't stay at that hotel on later trips to Labuan.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Monday, 24 October 2011
Cultivating contacts
You don't get work if you don't have contacts. That about sums up the freelancing writing life.
I had a couple of things going for me when I decided to freelance. My corporate experience has been a plus point when it comes to being considered for publications such as annual reports, particularly so when this experience has been in the financial sector. Clients know that I can start the job running because I understand organisations, their language and how they work. For this reason, if you're thinking of taking the freelance road, try and gather as much working experience as you can; you'll have credibility in the eyes of your clients. Also, the working environment, including dealing with outside parties, is a great way to build up your list of contacts.
The second thing is my network. Since my schooldays, I've been involved in all kinds of activities outside of work. In school, I was on the editorial board, a member of the Interact Club and on the committees of various societies. In university in New Zealand, I was an office bearer of the Malaysian Students Association. This mindset was carried into my working life, during which I was actively involved with my university's alumni association as well as the Malaysia New Zealand Business Council, now known as the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. Apart from these, I also joined professional organisations such as the Malaysian Institute of Management.
Of course, in doing all these things, it never occurred to me then that I was building up my contacts for a possible freelancing life in the future. These are activities I enjoy doing to this day. Along the way, I made a lot of friends - friends who would be a great help to me in securing writing work.
Don't cultivate contacts, however, with the thought of how these people would be useful to you. Be sincere when making friends. Also, you need to give without expecting anything in return. Believe me, when your intentions are good, the rewards will come.
I had a couple of things going for me when I decided to freelance. My corporate experience has been a plus point when it comes to being considered for publications such as annual reports, particularly so when this experience has been in the financial sector. Clients know that I can start the job running because I understand organisations, their language and how they work. For this reason, if you're thinking of taking the freelance road, try and gather as much working experience as you can; you'll have credibility in the eyes of your clients. Also, the working environment, including dealing with outside parties, is a great way to build up your list of contacts.
The second thing is my network. Since my schooldays, I've been involved in all kinds of activities outside of work. In school, I was on the editorial board, a member of the Interact Club and on the committees of various societies. In university in New Zealand, I was an office bearer of the Malaysian Students Association. This mindset was carried into my working life, during which I was actively involved with my university's alumni association as well as the Malaysia New Zealand Business Council, now known as the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. Apart from these, I also joined professional organisations such as the Malaysian Institute of Management.
Of course, in doing all these things, it never occurred to me then that I was building up my contacts for a possible freelancing life in the future. These are activities I enjoy doing to this day. Along the way, I made a lot of friends - friends who would be a great help to me in securing writing work.
Don't cultivate contacts, however, with the thought of how these people would be useful to you. Be sincere when making friends. Also, you need to give without expecting anything in return. Believe me, when your intentions are good, the rewards will come.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
My first... the words
I can't emphasis enough the importance of having a good network of contacts (more of this in my next post). Thanks to someone I know, I got my first book project within weeks of leaving my job. He told me that an international book publisher, based in KL, was looking for an editor with some knowledge of New Zealand (I obtained my honours degree from Victoria University of New Zealand, Wellington).
Editions Didier Millet (EDM) had been contracted by Dorling Kindersely UK (DK) to produce an illustrated travel guide to New Zealand, part of the latter's Eyewitness Travel Series. EDM's publishing manager at that time was Datin Noor Azlina Yunus, herself a New Zealander. We met, we clicked and I got the assignment - a contract job that required me to come into the office for a few hours a day. I started work almost immediately.
The travel guide was a truly international collaborative effort - the writing and photography were done by people based in New Zealand; the design and editing (to a strict style template provided by DK) were undertaken in KL; the overall project was supervised by DK's editors in London, who occasionally came to KL; and the production was in China. There was another editor, Dianne Buerger, working side-by-side with me. Being involved in the project (and my first at that) was a great experience and it taught me a lot about publishing and editing.
It was also the start of friendships that continue to this day. I would later write a book produced by EDM (Datin Azlina had left for another publisher by then and Dianne had taken over as publishing manager), and Datin Azlina and I have worked together on a number of projects over the years.
The Eyewitness Travel Guide to New Zealand raised my profile as an editor/writer and put me on the road to a freelance writing career.
Editions Didier Millet (EDM) had been contracted by Dorling Kindersely UK (DK) to produce an illustrated travel guide to New Zealand, part of the latter's Eyewitness Travel Series. EDM's publishing manager at that time was Datin Noor Azlina Yunus, herself a New Zealander. We met, we clicked and I got the assignment - a contract job that required me to come into the office for a few hours a day. I started work almost immediately.
The travel guide was a truly international collaborative effort - the writing and photography were done by people based in New Zealand; the design and editing (to a strict style template provided by DK) were undertaken in KL; the overall project was supervised by DK's editors in London, who occasionally came to KL; and the production was in China. There was another editor, Dianne Buerger, working side-by-side with me. Being involved in the project (and my first at that) was a great experience and it taught me a lot about publishing and editing.
It was also the start of friendships that continue to this day. I would later write a book produced by EDM (Datin Azlina had left for another publisher by then and Dianne had taken over as publishing manager), and Datin Azlina and I have worked together on a number of projects over the years.
The Eyewitness Travel Guide to New Zealand raised my profile as an editor/writer and put me on the road to a freelance writing career.
Friday, 21 October 2011
Has it been that long?
At the age of 45, I left my cushy corporate job, with all its stresses and strains, so that I could have a more flexible life and do what I have always wanted to do - to write. An ex-colleague said that it was a courageous thing to do, trading in a career with an established organisation for an uncertain future.
Now, almost 57, I realise that I've been writing for a living for almost 12 years! Has it been that long?
Writing away over such a length of time should give me enough credibility, I think, to blog about it. So here I am, where I shall be doing a couple of things - sharing my writing life and showcasing my work.
Now, almost 57, I realise that I've been writing for a living for almost 12 years! Has it been that long?
Writing away over such a length of time should give me enough credibility, I think, to blog about it. So here I am, where I shall be doing a couple of things - sharing my writing life and showcasing my work.
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