The Violent Truth of Branding
Posted May 26, 2008 in Business, Marketing
You might not know it, but I was once a work-at-home mom.
For the better part of three years, I operated my freelance career as a Jewish woman living in Atlanta. I wrote for parenting and pregnancy web sites, I contributed to mommy blogs and I posted to work-at-home mom message boards.
I even entered into discussions about religion, politics and motherhood on a now-defunct moms message board. In my spare time. For fun.
Now, before you go all psychological on me and start making suggestions about how my mother must not have hugged me enough, let me assure you that my efforts were calculated, and they all contributed, in the end, to my writing career.
Why am I telling you this? And why am I doing it here, at Freelance Folder?
I think there are some violent truths about freelance branding in that experience.
See, in the process of building that particular brand I lost sight, for a while, of the brand that I really wanted to build.
All along, I should have been building a brand as a web content writer. Instead, I was building a brand as a mommy writer/blogger. Now, there’s nothing wrong with mommy bloggers, but that’s not what I wanted to do anymore after those first three years.
I didn’t really realize I’d pigeonholed myself until I tried to get other writing work. I realized that I couldn’t sell myself; I had to sell my alter ego, and I didn’t like it.
Here’s the first violent truth about branding:
Branding yourself as a freelancer can force you into a niche you might not want to be in three years from now.
My next attempt at branding was a complete and utter failure.
Now, I’m a Roleplaying Game geek from way back. Having proved myself as a writer, I assumed I could take that writing skill, put it into a hobby and make a living at it.
So, I started writing all sorts of RPG material. I wrote supplement materials, I started an RPG blog, and I even tried my hand at game design. I couldn’t get any of my RPG writing picked up. My RPG blog made all of $7 in a year’s time via AdSense, and I realized that I had no taste for design.
That brand just didn’t sell.
That’s the second violent truth about branding:
Just because you want to develop a particular brand doesn’t mean there’s money in it, or that you’re good at it.
Back to square one. Fortunately I kept working in the mommy area through the RPG debacle, so my career was humming along. But I realized that I was going to be mommy blogging for the rest of my life if I wasn’t careful.
So, I began building my own portfolio, and creating a new brand. This brand, you’re familiar with if you’ve read my blog or my violent truths posts here at Freelance Folder: I help Internet writers achieve their dreams.
I had to start from the ground up with this brand, which sucked. Fortunately, I was able to make a gradual transition, paring off my alter ego’s work while increasing my own.
The good news here is that my success as a freelancer has grown exponentially since I made the switch. I’m in a much better space today than I was at a similar point in my former brand.
Why is that? It’s because of the final violent truth about branding:
Branding can be a process of trial and error. If you can survive the errors, however, your potential for success grows exponentially.
So, what about you? How is your freelance brand working out? Have you ever been pigeonholed, and what did you do about it? Are you struggling to find your brand as a freelancer? Have you been in a brand you enjoyed but couldn’t seem to make work?
Why This Truth Is A Violent Truth
At Freelance Folder, I write about Violent Truths. What is a violent truth? Simply put, it is truth with power. It is truth that has power enough to shatter false idols and myths, but it is also truth that has the power to reconstruct reality around itself.
The truth of freelance branding is that you’ve got to approach it systematically, taking into account market factors, ability and desire if you’re going to be successful and happy as a freelancer.
Bob Younce
******
About the author: Bob Younce is a full-time Internet writer and writing mentor living in Linwood, Michigan. He is dedicated to helping Internet writers to achieve their dreams. Visit Bob at The Writing Journey or follow him on Twitter.
Related posts:
- The Violent Truth Of Opportunity
- Eight Violent Truths About Freelancing – Part 2
- Eight Violent Truths About Freelancing – Part 1
- Turn Your Process into a Supercharged Sales and Branding Tool
- Is Your Website Helping Or Hurting Your Business?
About the author: Bob Younce is a full-time Internet writer and writing mentor living in Linwood, Michigan. He is dedicated to helping Internet writers to achieve their dreams. Visit Bob at The Writing Journey or follow him on Twitter.
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25 Comments
Chris Moran
May 26th, 2008 at 4:25 amNice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran
Laura Spencer
May 26th, 2008 at 9:06 amHmm . . .
Really interesting take on branding. It never occurred to me to be anything less than transparent in my work online.
I actually am a work from home mom, and I’ve blogged as one. I’ve also posted to work-at-home mom forums. It doesn’t seem to hold me back from getting other writing jobs at all.
In fact, I sometimes have more work than I can handle and have to turn writing jobs down.
However, maybe that’s just my experience . . .
Or, could your branding troubles stem from the fact that you tried to brand yourself as a mom, when in fact, you’re a man (dad)? (Not that there’s anything wrong with being a dad. . .) Perhaps people just don’t like being fooled.
It’s just a thought . . .
Jamie Grove - How Not To Write
May 26th, 2008 at 9:30 amI ran a website dedicated exclusively to literary fiction for four years. I think I made just about $2.89. This pretty much mirrors the arc of my successful literary writing career.
It wasn’t until I grasped the nature of what I really wanted to do that all of the pieces started to fall into place. Now, I’m focused on getting my net together so that I can catch them as before they hit the ground. :)
Diane
May 26th, 2008 at 12:49 pmI just returned to freelancing last month, after a year filled with moving and working as a Paralegal. I have no idea at this point which direction I want my branding to take, and am internally exploring the possibilities. I have one promising option right now…but I’m not willing to “pigeon-hole” myself quite yet. Therefore, I’m just keeping busy by blogging for myself and the few fellow freelancers I’ve known for the past 3 years….and yes, I do it as a WAHM….because for now that’s what I am. It’s not my brand, it’s who I am. I plan on knowing which direction I’m taking by years’ end…after our next major move taking place at the end of this summer. Why rush? I want to do something I enjoy, that has a market (the more competition the better), and that I love enough to stay committed.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
May 26th, 2008 at 4:18 pmBob, I have a question: Could your newfound success come from the fact that women writers face discrimination? That your success as a man is better than that of you as a woman simply because you’re a man?
I know the answer already, but I want your take on it. I think it’s an important subject to discuss.
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
May 26th, 2008 at 8:22 pm@ Laura – My mommy brand was working all right. It paid the bills in those early writing years. It wasn’t as effective as my new brand, but it was effective. Mainly, like I said, it was time for me to move on. I was stuck in a brand I didn’t want to be in any longer.
It’s important for me, I think, to explain one aspect of what I did. The only area I wasn’t being transparent with was my name and gender. I never claimed to have actually had a baby, or to have breastfed. When I would post to message boards, I kept to topics I could be honest about. When it came to writing articles, I stuck to the facts. Here’s a bit I posted earlier today from the comments at my blog. I think this explains it more fully:
It really wasn’t that hard (to write about women’s health issues). I did my research diligently and I stuck to giving as much factual information as I could. And, while I’ve obviously not given birth, I’ve been very involved personally with the process, from conception planning through raising a teenager.
Beyond that, I aimed for an objective voice and refused to take sides. That, I’ll admit, was a bit of a challenge in some areas (like breastfeeding).
It’s more common than you think. Folks are folks, you know? I believe that a good writer can write effectively about any topic, if you’re willing to do the research.
Could I write a novel about motherhood? Now that would be a different thing altogether. I don’t think I could pull that off. Fiction isn’t my strong area.
I don’t feel as though I was trying to fool anyone. I wouldn’t be OK with making things up; using a pen name of a different gender, though, is not an uncommon practice.
@ Jamie – And you’re doing a bang-up job of it, my friend. Keep up the good work. Catch ‘em all.
@ Diane – There’s plenty of competition in the WAHM market, so you should be very happy!
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
May 26th, 2008 at 8:24 pm@ James – Let me answer that question from a couple of different angles:
1. In my own case, I think gender had nothing to do with it. I didn’t experience any negative effects from using a female pen name. Then again, I used that name in areas historically dominated by women – pregnancy, work-at-home moms, etc. I can’t say whether it would have made a difference had I tried to reinvent that persona, rather than using my own identity.
2. The growing success I’ve had since moving away from that particular brand comes from several factors, not the least of which is experience. I’ve paid my dues. Along the way I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, and the new brand has been an excellent proving ground for that knowledge.
3. Is it possible for gender to have that sort of impact? Sure. Have I personally witnessed it? Not in this field. Heck, even when I was working in Information Technology I noticed a slight preference the other direction. Any time the guy geeks could find a qualified woman to work with them, they jumped at it and hired her over an equally qualified man. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, mind you. Just describing my personal experiences.
Joe Norton
May 26th, 2008 at 10:37 pmInteresting post. Have to admit I was shocked at discovering you were a male writing as a mom. I tend to believe in transparency in your writing – after all how can you compete with competitors and bond with your readers if you don’t actually have something in common with them.
Either way, thought-provoking post on branding.
Monika Mundell
May 26th, 2008 at 10:48 pmHi Bob,
Did you wear skirts too when you pretended to be a woman?
Like Laura, my take on this whole branding thing has always been about building my own brand and being transparent. I don’t have problems picking up work in a wide range of markets and am so busy that I too had to think about outsourcing to proceed to the next step in my business.
I think as a freelance writer we need to build our brand if we don’t want to be pigeon holed into a certain mold anyway.
@ James: interesting comment you made there. I wonder what makes you think that woman are discriminated? Personally I never felt like I was, but then you have been a lot longer in the industry and would have seen a thing or two to justify this thought. Could you elaborate on this please.
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
May 27th, 2008 at 4:18 am@ Joe – As a work-at-home parent, the only thing I didn’t have in common with my readers was gender. Yes, that’s significant, but it wasn’t a huge barrier. I bonded with readers just fine.
@ Monika – No skirts. A kilt, now and again ;)
- – - – -
Here’s a question for everyone. Be honest, too, because I’m a grown-up and everything. I can handle any answer here. I’m completely and totally OK with my decisions.
In your mind, is there something ethically questionable or otherwise unprofessional about a man using a female pen name writing about conception, pregnancy, childbirth and parenting?
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
May 27th, 2008 at 6:40 am@ Bob – I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s a pen name, as you say. It’s not dishonest, and if it lets you earn money, write in a niche that only seems to accept women (there’s that discrimination thing again) and do what you love, it’s a good solution.
@ Monika – I believe there is discrimination. I know someone who is a woman writing on the web. When she tried on a man’s pen name, she was suddenly treated very different. No arguments with rates. No one tried to get her to wiggle down in price. The level of respect she was shown when she told people her opinions was much different. She was spoken to differently, approached differently and…. had much better success.
She also continued to write as a woman under her own name to compare results. Nothing was different. Her communication was the same. Her attitude was the same. As a woman, she was constantly being undermined by clients and facing that WAHM perception. As a man, she was the professional writer.
It’s an interesting topic to explore.
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
May 27th, 2008 at 6:56 am@ James – Thanks for your support on the pen name. Now, I’m no Charlotte Bronte, but I’m also not the first to use a cross-gender pen name to help with branding and marketing.
I don’t deny that this sort of thing probably can and does happen. It didn’t happen to me, but I was writing in a decidedly female niche. That alter ego never tried to write in a different area.
How big a problem is it, overall? It’s hard to say. My hunch is that it varies from one niche to another in the same way that gender relations vary from one geographic region to another.
I think a lot of a writer’s success rises and falls on their own self-identifying and branding. If someone thinks of themselves as a WAHM, rather than a small business entrepreneur, that’s a very different brand. Is one better than the other? I suppose it depends on your target audience and your overall business strategy.
Can identifying yourself as a “WAHM who writes” limit your options? Absolutely. But are those limitations niche-related or gender-related? Maybe a little of both.
Mike Smith - Bootstrapping Blog
May 27th, 2008 at 1:12 pm@ Bob – No, I don’t see anything wrong with writing under a different name. I tried it for a while as well and it worked out pretty well for me (not in the same niche you were in, but definitely out of my ‘zone’). So no, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I commend you on talking about it as I’m sure many others have done the same things before.
The only downside I see to it is that I cannot associate those works with myself and build a much larger portfolio of resources to showcase to potential clients. Other then that, no moral issues in my opinion. :)
Susie
May 27th, 2008 at 3:33 pmVery interesting post Bob, I am quite new to freelance writing, and have been thrown into it with no skills, so I research whatever it is I need to write about, and I ask alot of questions. I don’t even know if I have a branding style yet, thats yet to come. Your advice is going into my knowledge databank.
In answer to the question you put out there, if you had the knowledge, what is wrong with it. You are most likely not alone by any means in having done that. We never know who is truly on the other end of the computer.
Lois K
May 27th, 2008 at 7:54 pmBob, I love the fact you didn’t let gender stand in the way of making a living. Kilt or not, if the writer be true to himself, let it be. I personally don’t care if you were an alien with little green antennae on your head, I would still look for and read your articles. Thank you for always writing good material first.
Jacqueline
May 28th, 2008 at 10:15 amWhile not a freelancer, I’ve just been giving branding some thought and this post was very helpful. You really can’t tell what will definitely work in advance, you’ve just got to go for it. I like that you brought out that even failures have the potential to move you closer to success – exponentially. As a Christian, I realize the power of truth and totally agree with what you say about “violent truth” and the power it contains. Great article!
JulieF
September 8th, 2009 at 12:16 pmBob,
I am trying to settle an argument with a friend. Just how personal did you get with this ‘brand’. Personally, I don’t think highly of what you did. NOT my business to condemn, but I’d like to find out if you actually made friends as this woman you pretended to be. How deeply did you get INTO the persona?
I’m a roleplayer, so I know just how real someone can become when they want to after years of RP practice.
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
September 8th, 2009 at 12:27 pm@JulieF – The pen name and the gender-switching that often accompanies it has a long history. I’m not demanding you should approve of it, just pointing out that it wasn’t my idea originally and that it is a mainstream and accepted practice.
How far did I *personally* take it? Not especially far. As far as the Bronte sisters did, or as far as they would have, had they had access to the Internet.
I wrote, I blogged, I did business. I participated in a couple of online discussion forums for moms. I didn’t make any “close friends” – it was almost entirely professional. I was certainly friendly, and interacted with some folks who would probably have considered me a friend.
So, I’ve told you my story – tell me about your argument with your friend, and how does my experience apply?
JulieF
September 8th, 2009 at 1:02 pmWell Bob, I called it a ‘lie’ in the conversation with her.
I feel that if you-or anyone else- participated in forums and made friends, it was lying. No matter how it is sugar coated. It’s not branding, it’s not ghostwriting, it isn’t even a pen name is some creates a life and promotes it online with the intent to deceive.I find it distasteful.
If, as you say, you were entirely professional and did not interact on what would be considered a personal level-that’s a different story. I think what my friend is having trouble understanding is that I see farther than the ‘brand’ and ‘ghostwriting’ here. I’m viewing it on the part of…
Let’s say a good friend of yours came out after 3 years and said they were someone else, that your ‘friend’ was just a character they put together? It would hurt. You’d be angry or sad, even if this person was online.
That’s IF the writer went outside of the professional bounds, mind you. That’s my whole point in the argument when I say/said I think it’s wrong and lying.
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