Writing out a storm: how freelancers got thru Irene, other disasters

Linda Bernstein, a New York writer and editor, rode out the worst of Tropical Storm Irene in the relative safety of her summer home in upstate New York.

Jen Miller, a New Jersey freelance writer and author known to Twitter followers as @jerseyshorejen, tweeted storm news for 12 hours straight, a public service that ultimately led to assignments covering Irene’s aftermath.

Bernstein and Miller were two of a handful of freelancers who shared their stories of working through Irene and other disastes during the Aug. 31 #wclw chat.

Disasters can be devastating, especially for freelancer whose houses double as their work spaces.

Though it’s not possible to prevent natural disasters, you can take steps to minimize the damage to computers, electronic files and your reputation should you become unable to fulfill assignments on time.

Here are the highlights of stories and advice that writers shared during the #wclw chat.

Dealing with Tropical Storm Irene

Ron Doyle, a Denver writer and website developer, noticed major traffic dips during the storm on blogs he manages that affected their ad revenue. “Some clients were inaccessible,” he says.

Miller, the New Jersey freelancer, stayed in Philadelphia for the worst of the storm so wasn’t personally affected, but says clients, including one magazine, and sources were.

Baltimore freelance writer Laura Laing wanted to participate in the Aug. 31 #wclw chat – but the storm left her without power, working from a neighbor’s house and the library. “Not happy at all,” she tweeted before power to her house was restored on Sept. 1.

Living and Working Through Other Disasters

Angela Neal, a Scottish freelancer, wasn’t affected by Tropical Storm Irene, though rain from the storm crossed the Atlantic. But Neal lost clients due to power failures in other storms. The double whammy of losing phone and internet is crippling as you have no way to explain missed deadlines or lack of communication, she says. Afterward, “I was brutally honest,” she says. “I explained what happened, looked for ways to fix any problems that had happened. I also pointed out (with a touch of humour) that I was human, and subject to mother nature’s wrath like everyone.”

I once had a medical emergency that landed me in the hospital unexpectedly on the day an assignment was due. My husband called the magazine for me to explain and then emailed my notes to a second reporter who finished the story, which carried both our bylines. Since it was a publication I wrote for all the time, it ended up being a non-issue.

Disasters can have an upside. Bernstein says she struck up conversations on Twitter with reporters for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times – good connections for networking. Miller, the New Jersey writer, used some of the storm-related trends she observed on Twitter to pitch and win a number of assignments, including one for Interest.com on post-hurricane scams. Neal says for all the damage the recent riots in London caused, they also resulted in a lot of public service and positive Twitter usage. “It’s inspiring,” she says.

Preparing for the Worst

The most important thing you can do to prepare for a disaster – natural or man-made – is regularly backup your data. Writers take different approaches to this. Some use an external hard drive. Some use online services such as Mozy. Some email themselves essential files, adjust settings on their email program to save copies of sent files – so they have duplicates of finished assignments – or upload documents to Google Docs or Dropbox. Others do all of those things.

Other suggestions:

1. If you expect floods or tornadoes, move essential equipment to a safe place. “I know people took precautions beforehand to protect equipment,” before Irene, including disconnecting electronics and moving things to an attic, Bernstein says.

1. Inventory electronics and other work equipment so you can submit a list ASAP in case you need to file a claim with your insurance company – and make sure your computer and other gear are covered by homeowner’s or other insurance.

2. Create an emergency kit of computer, cellphone, chargers and other items you’d need to work away from home should you have to evacuate.

3. Keep backed up data at a different physical location, in case fire, rain or mud destroys the equipment in your house.

4. If you’ve got lots of passwords – and these days who doesn’t – create a list and share it with a relative or friend you’d trust to access your work files in case something happens to you.

5. If you lose power, have a medical emergency or something else happens that causes you to miss a deadline, check in with the editor as soon as you can, or have someone do it for you. “One friend managed to Facebook message me and asked me to call a couple of clients for her,” Bernstein says.

6. Be realistic about what you can accomplish if you’re preoccupied with mopping up after a storm, illness or death. Doyle tried to work through his mother’s death. “I….lost a writing gig because I couldn’t cope,” he says. “Be honest with self first—and clients, too.”

According to Neal, it’s crucial to realize that you will lose money or clients at some point due to something unpreventable. But as she says: “It’s life, not failure.”

Have you lived through a hurricane, tornado, computer meltdown or medical emergency? Please share what happened, how it affected your freelance business and what you learned as a result.