I have a love-hate relationship with my telephone. Some
days I want to unplug it, but I might miss my agent
telling me she has sold my book, an editor telling she
loves my story, or the source I have been waiting to
hear from for a week. I might also miss a family member
with an emergency. But if the words are rolling, I
definitely don't want to hear from the dentist
reminding me of my appointment, anybody asking for
money, an editor requiring a rewrite--or a family
member with an emergency. I just want to write in
peace.
As for outgoing calls, well, they make me nervous. Show
of hands, how many of us suddenly become very shy when
it comes to cold-calling a source or an editor about
our work? Good. I'm not alone. You keep putting it off
until it's so late you're about to miss the deadline.
You find a hundred other things you need to do before
you make that call. You might even pick up the phone,
start to dial, then slam the receiver down or slap the
cell phone shut. No. Not yet. Maybe later. Sound
familiar?
I don't blame you. I often e-mail instead of calling.
But the phone, as they used to say on the TV
commercials, is the next best thing to being there.
It's hard to have a dialogue by e-mail, even with the
chat function. You can't hear the tone of their voice,
their accent, their emotions, or the dog barking in the
background. Most important, you can't follow up with
questions in the natural way of a real conversation.
Besides, an editor or agent who can't reach you by
telephone probably won't want to work with you.
So, you've got to have a phone. But what kind? Today's
phones identify callers, answer when you're not home,
record conversations and remember phone numbers. Cell
phones can take pictures and exchange e-mail messages.
New telephone features show up every day. But they all
cost money. One could easily spend $200 a month on
telephone expenses. What do you really need? Let's look
at the options in descending order.
1) A telephone. The actual equipment can be
inexpensive, with no special features as long as it
makes calls in and out. You could even buy a telephone
at a second-hand store for a buck or two. Bonus: The
old-fashioned phones still work when the power goes
out.
2)An account with the telephone company. Oddly, it
seems that many companies won't give you their cheapest
long-distance plan unless you ask for it. Push for the
best rate, especially if you make lots of long-distance
calls.
3) Voicemail, an answering machine or an answering
service. Even if you take your phone everywhere you go,
you're bound to miss a call if you're already on the
line or in the shower. If you are trying to impress
editors and sources that you're a real writer, the last
thing you need is for them to hear endless ringing. The
second worst is a child babbling baby talk or a
smart-aleck roommate who likes to answer, "Joe's Bar."
4) Caller ID, which shows you the name and telephone
number of the person calling. If your phone didn't come
with Caller ID built in, you can attach a caller ID
box. For non-cell phones, the service costs another $5
or so a month, but it's worth it. You can see who's
calling, allowing you to decide whether or not to
answer. If it's a work call, you can pull your notes
out and be ready. In addition, the service keeps a list
of callers, including those who didn't leave a message.
5) DSL or a separate line for business calls. Working
from home, it is difficult to separate your writing
from real life. It's also hard keeping other family
members, especially teenagers, from grabbing the phone
every time it rings. If everyone knows "That's Dad's
business phone," then Dad can choose whether to answer
it or declare that he's off for the day. If DSL or
another form of broadband service is available in your
area, you can use one line with multiple phone jacks
for the Internet, voice calls and faxes all at the same
time. If you can't get it where you live, a second line
for business calls is worth the expense. You don't want
that career-changing call to come in while you're
blocking the one and only line reading this column on
the Internet.
6) A toll-free telephone number. My husband and I have
had an 800 number for years because we both had home
businesses. It's not cheap. We pay 12 cents a minute
for incoming calls. But clients and sources who might
otherwise hesitate to call long-distance can use that
number for free. The calls come in on the same line as
our regular local number.
7) A built-in tape recorder. This is a nice feature,
especially if you do a lot of telephone interviews, but
you can buy a two-dollar connector at Radio Shack to
hook your tape recorder to the phone for the same
result.
8) Text messaging. Do you really need this? If you
don't work for the FBI, you can probably wait until you
get back to your computer to access your messages.
A word about "call waiting." When the phone beeps with
another call, it distracts both parties. Even if you
decide to ignore it, the repeated beeping may very well
ruin what would have been a fruitful conversation. Most
phone companies have a code you can dial to shut off
call waiting temporarily. For business calls, use it.
At a regular job, someone else would answer your phone
and screen your calls, but as a freelancer running your
own writing business, you ARE the secretary and
receptionist. If you're making your first impression by
telephone, it needs to be a good one. Luckily, my
husband has a wonderful telephone voice and manner.
When he hears my computer keys clicking, he answers the
phone. People think I have a terrific receptionist.
They're right.
Copyright 2005 Sue Fagalde Lick
About the Author: SUE FAGALDE LICK is a former newspaper editor turned full-time freelance writer. She has published four books, countless articles and many poems and stories. She teaches writing workshops online and at Oregon Coast Community College. Visit her web site at http://www.suelick.com.
Don't Throw That Phone Out the Window
