Justin Dupre » Freelance Writer

How Much Will I Need to Live in Thailand Comfortably?

Justin Dupre — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:32:35 +0000

I get this question a lot. I received it in the Ask Away Round 2 post, as well, so I figured I might as well make a post about it to welcome in my first post of the new year.

When I came to Thailand over 3 years ago, I came as an exchange student. I was lucky enough to be placed with a host family that took me in, cared for me, and paid most expenses (food, shelter, fun, etc). That year, the most expensive thing I bought was an iPod. Other than that, I didn’t spend much money. A few dollars a day tops. Lunch at my exchange school was less than a buck per day, and phone service was pay as you go (pre-paid sims) cost me a couple dollars a day. I was easily living off less than $100 a day.

When I started going to college, besides my tuition expenses, I still wasn’t paying a lot for anything. I was outside of Bangkok, so that certainly lowered rent rates (I lived in a couple places in my time there, both under $200). Food there is cheap as always. Most of my meals were 1-2 dollars. I’d spend $3-4 on a burger meal if I really craved it. During this time I was a freelance writer, and that made me about $1000 a month (I was lazy; didn’t write a lot). In this case here, I lived off about $800 a month, give or take some.

I moved to Bangkok, before I really started balling, and things got a little more expensive. My room got smaller and stayed around $200 per month. Luckily, I lived next to a few mom and pop restaurants, which provided me food at around a dollar or two per meal. I also lived within walking distance to my school cafeteria with lots of different Thai and international food. 7/11 was around the corner and I’d spend a couple of bucks there everyday. Bangkok, however, has many more attractions. Night clubs, shopping, better restaurants and transportation. I started spending a lot more to go out with friends. I was over the $1000 mark now. Probably around $1500.

And now, well, I’ve got a two-bedroom condo, party a lot more, eat at better restaurants, order in often (thanks to ChefsXP.com), and generally throw away my money at stupid thing because I can. I worked hard for that privilege though.

So how much do you need to live comfortably in Thailand? Well, thats all based around location and what you plan on doing. Living outside of the “farang” infested areas will keep your comfort level pretty good at under $1000. Chiang Mai and Hua Hin might be good examples for that. Stick to Bangkok if you got a little extra to blow. I’d say depending on whether or not you plan on partying a lot, buy a ton of hookers and blow (ick), and if you can stomach Thai food or just have to have your daily fix of Starbucks and Burger King, you could live with $1500 – $3000 a month.

There are farang that live here off less than that, and I used to be one of them, so my statement here is just a typical observation.

And for all you affiliate marketers on a budget, why not buy some cheap landing pages to help you get your work started. For $5 a page, you can’t really go wrong. Click here to go to the affiliate store.

Get Down With the Sickness

Justin Dupre — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:42:02 +0000

Falling ill while having work to get done used to be hard to get out of when you were stuck at a 9 – 5 job at the office. You’d have to call in, explain your situation to your boss or manager, and in some cases, get a note from your doctor that woud excuse your absense. I hated that! Now that I am a freelance writer, I don’t have anyone to deal with except my clients.

Talking to your clients isn’t always as “great” as it was when you had to explain your situation to a boss. Some lousy clients don’t see why you can’t just perk yourself up in bed and write the freelance writing projects they’ve sent you. I mean, you get to work at home! It’s not a real job, right? To us freelance writers, it is our job, and being ill is being ill. How should you handle your clients when you just don’t think your body could take 8 hours in front of a computer screen?

[image by cutglassdecanter]

Got the Morning Jitters

When you wake up and you get that feeling that you won’t be able to write, not because you are too lazy to do it, because your stomachs urging to show its contents to you or you are breaking out in fascinating sweats, be sure to take a good look at yourself. Are you really ill, or is it just that morning sickness crawling over you. Hop in the shower, throw on some clothes and sit at your computer. Still feeling sicker than all hell? If so, it might be time for an extra nap or maybe even a doctor’s visit.

Get in Touch with Those that Matter

If you’ve decided its time for you to take a freelance writer’s sick day, you aren’t scotch free and in bed, yet. You’ve got to let your clients know, especially if you had a project due with a deadline within the day or those coming. If you’ve have your clients phone number, put it to good use. Explain your situation to your client, and ask for a deadline extension or something else you can offer in trade for turning in their work late. I’ve offered a client a few extra articles in return for an extra day extension on a writing project I once had.

Take a Helping Hand

In some instances, your client may let you live out your illness only working you when you are high and dry out of the sick spells. There are those that still won’t understand why you can’t just work in bed, though. This is why I highly suggest you network with other freelance writers for hire. No one says you can’t hire them to help you out with work. Whether or not you want to inform your client that you are outsourcing the work they’ve sent you is up to you. I do it to stay honest, and always let them know the contact information in case they’d like them as a more permanent writer than me. It may lose me work, but it develops trust between you and a client. Trust brings many more clients running back to you for future projects.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Do It

Some cases leave you no other options. You asked your client for an extension with no love. You can’t find a freelance writer you trust enough to work on this project. You are the only one you know that can do this project. If you are truly ill, spread the work out over as much time as you have available. Take numerous breaks, sit the computer on your lap in bed, and drink plenty of water. Don’t forget to use medication. Working while sick isn’t glamorous, but sometimes clients don’t leave us with any other choice.

Have you ever fallen ill on an important deadline date? How did you handle it? Let me know through the comments or send me an email at contact@justindupre.com. I’m always open for a chat or ready to give some freelance writing advice if you have any questions for me.

Stevie Should Stop Worrying and Just Do

Justin Dupre — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:38:08 +0000

I love it when you guys send me emails! They are awesome and let me know that people actually find my freelance writing blog one way or another. I got an email from one such blog reader of mine. Let�s call that person �Stevie� because people named Stevie are awesome for sending me emails.

Anyways, �Stevie� had a question for me. Stevie is stuck in their corporate office all day, and it has gotten to the point where Stevie needs to get the hell out of there! And what is the issue Stevie needs some solutions for? Stevie just doesn�t know how to get reliable work and seems to be scared that the whole world of freelancing (not just freelance writing) is a world of gimmicks. Stevie asks for tips on getting that good work, and staying away from the crap that many of your friends/�web-noobs� get sucked into.

Original Photo by andertho

Well, Stevie, I�ve never been stuck in a corporate cubical, but I can imagine that it is far from delightful. I�ve worked fast food jobs, and I�ve been stuck in a box selling tickets to the kiddies at an amusement park. It was far from fun for me. I think you�ll find yourself in a much more enjoyable setting as a freelance writer, designer, or programmer, and perhaps you�ll feel rejuvenated with this new love of yours.

Get that fire burning

Breaking into freelance writing is nowhere near 10 on a difficulty scale. I�d rank it closer to a 3. The hardest part about my jump into freelance writing was actually getting past the stigma that I�m not going to get paid, and why would anyone think to hire a young-gun like me for any writing project? I decided it was just time to try it out; my drive for money fueled my fire. I wrote a silly copy advertising what I could write about and posted it on a couple webmaster forums. Within 24 hours, I had 10 responses. My first lesson learned as a freelance writer: Consumers love low prices. I increased my rates shortly after that.

Don�t waste your breath

As a freelancer, you shouldn�t get sucked into those eBooks and membership programs that promise to make you 100,000+ dollars in one month. If you don�t care about losing a ton of cash, blow your money on them and see what you could have found online for free. The only eBook I would recommend is the Rockstar Freelance book published by some of the guys at Freelance Switch. While most of it is free information, it is all packed up in some shiny data formatting.

Baby steps lead to bigger leaps

I don�t know if I can recommend Stevie to go full force into freelancing. Who�s to say that freelancing is more fun than corporate paper pushing in a tiny cube? I�ve had several occasions in which I wished I was stuck being bossed around by the big shot of some dumb company because I couldn�t handle my freelance writing workload. I�d say test the waters part-time before you jump into freelancing as a profession.

Other than that, freelancing is a slice of cake. Take projects you love, set the right prices (that make you more money than you spend without overloading on work), find something that drives your will to work, and do it because you love doing it. Most of all don�t be afraid to get your hands dirty. If you can�t get past your fear of jumping into a new career, how will you ever get past the dread of waking up at 6 AM for a lousy hour-long commute to your 5-by-5 foot box?

Don’t Be Such a Cry Baby

Justin Dupre — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:14:18 +0000

Yesterday, I typed a really long, hopefully informational piece on not draining yourself physically while you undertake your career as a freelance writer for hire. Today, we get to review what you should do to keep your emotions on the low-down – that is to keep ourself away from burnout and emotional drainage.

Writing is a tedious, sometimes, repetitious task. While the glam of working from your home is seen as a superb opportunity for those stuck in their office, many freelance writers yearn for the office when it just gets to hard to handle. We are bound to our home writing space, often without the chatter of fellow coworkers in the background. It is lonely, and for me, loneliness has sent me on long drags of depression making it almost impossible to want to write at times.

A man’s best friend is their for you 24/7

A solution to the emptiness a freelance writer might feel can be dissolved when there is always our best friend to cheer us up. A pet relies on a human’s love and affection for it, and assuming you are a freelancer of some sort, you are probably an a human an animal can depend on. Animals provide the perfect pick-me-up, purring and playing with us, and demanding we feed it and spend time on it. Dogs are excellent, as they should be walked daily. This activity gets you away from your computer during your break time, which is an excellent source of exercise. Those with animals are proven to have a lower chance of being diagnosed with severe heart conditions, as well.

You like that, do you?

I’m attached to my computer, and that isn’t a great thing. It’s enough that I spend several hours a day on it doing my freelance writing work, but then I stare at my screen another 5 hours checking my social sites and reading countless other blogs. It’s time to get a hobby. A hobby can be anything, but it should stay away from your computer monitor. It gives you time to get away from the drain of your freelance writing, and lets you lose yourself in something you truly enjoy. You don’t need to be good at your hobby as it is just something that can help you build up a skill further. If you really enjoy writing that much though, do it, but start out with pen and paper first.

Maybe it’s time you sit this night out

You say you are getting tired of working on all your freelance writing projects at 3 A.M. in the morning? Stop complaining, because that isn’t my fault. Wake up earlier, and start that project up at 9 A.M. Then call up your friends, invite your neighbor, or pull your spouse along to the nearest bar or club. Loosening up at a party is an awesome way to give yourself a pat on the back for getting a long project finished with. Just make sure you don’t have any projects the next morning that are urgent. Even if this is the case, I find letting myself look like a fool on the dance floor extremely exhilarating. I don’t even need to drink to get my emotionally burnt out brain bright and perky for more freelance writing projects in the coming week. Making this your reward at the end of your project is a way to keep yourself pushing through your writing until you complete it.

I $#(sh^**ing hate that client!

Justin Dupre – Professional Freelance Writing with an Attitude – While I use that in reference to my writing being spicy, catchy, and a little more on the trendy side than other freelance writers’ manuscripts, I guess it can refer to me on top of that. I’ve got quite a temper, and have exploded when I can’t get things to run the way I’d like them to. When I have a client that asks for too much, or fails to pay me on our scheduled date, I get a little more than ticked off. Those clients should be glad I’m probably on the other side of the world and behind a computer monitor. Anyways, to get over this I let it out on people that experience the same problems as me – other professional freelance writers for hire.

We carry a common goal – to make money from freelance writing – and when our emotions kill us, it is always good to have someone to talk to. Other freelance writers will probably be very understanding of your situation as chances have it that they’ve probably had the same thing happen to them on more than one occasion. Talking about your emotions is completely okay, and should be supported. If you need to cry, let it out. You’ll feel better afterwards, unlike how horrible you would feel if you kicked that client in the shins (and I know you want to).

It’s 4 in the morning here, so I am cheating. Failing to listen to my own advice should be against the law. Luckily, I’m in the safe zone. It’s bedtime for bonzo, so I will see y’all tomorrow. Mmm kay?

Love and Respect,

Justin

Stop the Copy and Start the Brandy

Justin Dupre — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:24:18 +0000

It�s becoming all too often that freelance writers are popping up out of nowhere, clicking the first link that pops up on Google relating to their freelance writing project, and go ahead with rephrasing that article to make it �original.� I�ve got no problem with competitors and their tactics, especially writing strategies like these. The client might be asking for a greater deal of originality and broadness than something their NUMBER 1 COMPETITOR has rated for the term, and that article that the noob freelance writer wrote from is probably well memorized by the client. This is when I suddenly get a new client!

The profession of a freelance writer is never the same for anyone that enters the field. As well as having several types of market places � blog articles, journalism, sale copies, advertising, scripts, reviews, etc. � each writer has their own style. When a freelance writer for hire learns to take control of their style and apply it in their writing, it creates personality. Personality, in the end, will be what creates the brand of your writing and what clients think of you.

For those that stick to just rewriting what has already been said, they are stuck at a pretty flat base. There is money there, yes, but it isn�t a lot. These are the guys making a couple cents a word at most. Why? It doesn�t have the flavor that anyone is willing to take serious. Someone high on crack would probably write more affluently if they went back and sorted out the bends after the high went away. That crackhead would probably be making more money, as well. It is because he has a style that is all his own, and it gives him a unique � very unique � brand that I hope not too many other writers could learn to adhere.

I�m not saying you have to be a genius to take that one article and make it into a new masterpiece, but you shouldn�t just be looking into how you can rearrange it to make it pass Copyscape. Do a bit more research, bounce off of wild terms that might come up with a lead to some enlightening knowledge on the topic, read a book on the topic, scan articles and image databases, ask friends, but don�t just stick to nearly copying that one article.

It takes more time, and it might not make you as much money at first, but if you give it time and let your reputation, skill, and show personality and brand through your writing, you will get bigger and better clients that want your image in their writing, no matter what style your writing is (unless incomprehensible, dying from incorrect spelling and grammar).

I use to be a noob, too, writing for a couple cents a word. I applied a little more �attitude� into my writing, and immediately saw a jump on return clients, and the amount of times they told me I don�t charge enough for my services let me know it was time to increase my rates.

Pace Your Freelancing

Justin Dupre — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:19:20 +0000

A freelancer shouldn�t be rushing through their work. A freelancer shouldn�t have to do this. Rushing through our work is a final blow to finish a project and meet a deadline due to improper time management and in many cases, failure to pace one�s self.

As a freelancer, you want money, and you want lots of money. The best way to do this is to take on more projects, obviously. However, taking on more than you can chew is stressful, but it is a lesson that any freelancers, even me as a freelance writer, has gone through or should.

When it happened to me, I couldn�t handle the three projects I had all due in one day. I had to hold one client back a day and that eventually lost me that client on all future projects, as well as a pay cut. It was harsh thing to test my limits, and in the end I paid for it. This is why it pays to know your limits as a freelancer.

Prepare your schedule ahead of time. What will you get done this hour, and the next? Will you have enough time to finish this project before you take it from the client? How can you better communicate your schedule and what you can do with your clients? Take these questions into consideration.

Since my mistake, I�ve changed and feel I am more professional since. I meet all my deadlines by writing my plans and schedules down in a notebook. I write and star deadlines. The best part is crossing out the finished projects, another benefit of knowing your schedule is that you know when it is done, it is done. Finished. Set.

Freelancing doesn�t have to be stressful, and better preparing your freelance deadlines is one way to do that.

Some Real Work: March 28th, 2008

Justin Dupre — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:53:53 +0000

I know I am a freelance writer, but here is some design work I did for my Introduction to Media Production course. I put it here in thumbnail format as the actual size of the file is quite large.

The goal of the project was to basically create an advertisement of one of our friends – show what they like to do and exemplify that in the design. She likes biking, so I took her out to a park and she hopped right on.

She is a very close friend of mine, with an adorable smile. I wanted to to express her childish side, which isn’t hard to do with a smile like that. I told her to ride around the park as I took photos, and she did absolutely great. Her friends came along as well, which made it easier to get a natural smile.

The idea was to make it look like something a teenager might do. It was originally going to be a photo album look, but I changed it, boring the polaroid image templates and creating a cork board look. With the addition of tape, sticky note, and a few hand drawn pins on Photoshop, it was finished up.

It isn’t spectacular, but it will be good enough to get me my A. I hate the phrase I paired with it, but at 3 in the morning of the night before it’s due, I needed some filler and needed it quick.

Just a little detour from writing here.

Get Off Digital and Go Analog: Getting Local

Justin Dupre — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:30:20 +0000

As a freelance writer, I am stuck behind the monitor of my computer far more than I would like to be. It keeps me there, and does so with my blogs, websites, and just random stumbling across the inter-webs. While near all my clients have found out about my services from various websites that I advertise on, it is still important that I gain contacts whom I can meet personally.

I think a lot of new freelancers fall into this trap where they will only make connections with clients online. While there is no problem with this, keeping clients that you have freelanced for offline is always something that can help boost a freelancers image and scope.

Communication is made effortless

Being able to communicate directly with a client can solve many problems. You can get real insight into what they are looking for from your freelancing services. Over a chat window or through emails allows for easy communication, but it is not always clear as to what is really needed. Miscommunication is very easy. When I meet with a client needing a project done from me, I can ask all the questions I would with an email when I get an inquiry. However, in an email I may not get everything I need and will have to wait for another response. With a face-to-face encounter with someone I am working with, I get the answers I need at that very moment.

Make easy connections

One of the most important part of any freelancers work is to build a connection with a client. Have you ever tried to date someone exclusively online? I have – when I was a youngin’ – and I never have found anything harder in my life. While building a relationship with a client doesn’t need to go as far as that did, the basics are still there. Communication is an essential to working with your clients and keeping them coming back for more with a definite connection. On top of this, you are much more likely to build bridges between your clients and people they know. I’ve gotten more referrals from people I have met offline than the many more I have serviced online.

Reap the benefits

Working with a client offline can usually bag you a little more cash. If you are charging per hour, you could charge for that hour of consulting you had with a client before you started their project. In many cases, clients invite me out to talk about a project over coffee or a meal. While I offer to pay my half, the client nearly always covers my tab. On top of this, if you are doing a product related service, they might give you that product free. I have also received plenty of other neat accessories like pens, tablets, folders and notepads.

While a freelancer’s job doesn’t require us to meet directly with our clients, it should be a part of your freelance game plan. It can increase a freelancer’s benefits, connection, as well as establish your repertoire in your clients mind. If nothing else, it will get you away from the computer, a break I’m sure many of us need.

Freelance Writing Is My Passion

Justin Dupre — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:32:12 +0000

I have a lot of people come to me when they need something written. In most cases, they are astounded that I can stand to write about the topic they need covered. Sometimes, they will tell me “I know plenty about this topic and if I needed to I could write a book about it. I just can’t sit myself down to write about it. It seems like so much ‘work’.” That is one of the reasons freelance writers are needed. We write about things others can’t, or just aren’t willing to write about. They view it as work, while any freelance writer in the business for a good experience should be in it to work with their passion.

Writing is a passion of mine. I write daily, several times a day, amounting to hours of time used to practice and apply what I know to the process. I write on several blogs. I write for my niche websites. I write ads and copy for my clients. I submit PLR content to get my name out. I don’t look at writing as a daunting task yet as a challenge that I want to take. I look forward to seeing what I can produce, and then how I can improve upon what I have just written. This is not work.

When people are asked, “Would you rather work at an office in a position you absolutely hated but made $10,000,000 a year, or at a job you love doing making average wage and working average hours?” more people opt-in for the second choice. 10,000,000 dollars is a lot to pass up, but what can you do with $10 million when you are absolutely miserable? If you are a freelance writer or a freelancer for any niche of work, and you are miserable making more money than you would at another more enjoyable job you could easily obtain, it might be time to reorganize your obligations.

I love what I do. Even if I was a horrible writer and it took me 4 hours to finish 500 word, as long as I loved it and kept putting passion into it, I wouldn’t stop. Having passion for the work you do is nearly essential, whether it is freelance writing or freelance graphic design or an office job. It is a driving force that will help you complete tasks with enthusiasm and thoroughness. Without my passion for writing, I would be copying and pasting other peoples’ content, right-clicking and changing a few adverbs, and emailing that to my clients. People are paying me to be passionate about my freelance writing skills. They aren’t paying me so I can be rich.

Passion translates into excellent work, and clients will know this when they see what you give them. Just like an excellent worker in an office who puts in the extra passion and effort to get that promotion, you may see a raise in your charges. While it might not be that 10 million dollars, if its something you love and you can get paid to do it, you have got nothing to lose.