My wife Shirley is stepping back into the working world after taking a break to stay home with our youngest daughter.   She worked as a copy editor for a local newspaper; now she is setting sail as  a professional freelance editor and writer.  During the two-year break, the world of editing and publishing that she once knew has turned upside-down.

What did she discover?

As she was leaving the ship two years ago, it had already been hit by the iceberg and was leaning hard port.  She had planned to return to work after a year. But that first year turned into two when we felt all was well on the home front. All was not well on the business front, however.

Six months after she left the newspaper, the company eliminated the photography department (and my part-time position). Last month the company did not renew its lease of  the newspaper office and laid off more workers. The paper is still being published, although half-heartedly and 25 miles away from its coverage area.

Shirley has set up her Web site, filled in her Facebook page and signed up for a Twitter account.  She is a witty writer. Over the last couple years she has gained a small following writing an anonymous blog.

Recently she found an opportunity to participate in a book with another blogger curating the project.  Yesterday she received the contract. 

The contract, as with many contracts these days, demanded all the rights to her work.  She mentioned it to me and I encouraged her to pass on the opportunity.  She offered reasoning why it might be OK sign such a contract. Her thought was it really won’t go anywhere, it would be fun to be published in such a book project,  and she might get a little publicity out of it. It’s just one blog post being used — not worth very much.

I then explained that it was important not to sign such contracts.  Allowing someone else to reap the rewards of your work without compensation is unacceptable.  It is very rare that the “promotion” will offer new opportunities other than more free work.

The bottom line is that if a creative person’s copyright is not valuable, then why is everyone working so hard to get it? If her rights were worthless, the clause would not be in the contract.

Shirley was quick to agree and then remarked: It’s amazing the number of opportunities there are out there. Too bad no one wants to pay for them anymore.  She is right.

The digital age has lowered the barrier for entry for many professions. Today she will compete with local professionals, amateur bloggers and writers stationed across the globe from New York to Bombay. 

The competition seems overwhelming! What to do?

Many professionals have to face the technological global challenge on a daily basis.  It is not easy, but opportunities still abound.

First move away from the crowd.  Where there is great competition you will find your profession has turned into a commodity.  The lowest price wins in this losing game.

Develop a niche.  Because we live in a global world we are not limited by the county in which we reside. At one time, a good niche professional might only find a few clients within their neighborhood, but today hundreds of opportunities are available around the world.

Start now and practice, practice, practice.  It will never be the perfect time.  So be a Google – just start and make yourself a little better each day.

It is important to keep tabs on the competition.

In the old days, it was harder to know what was happening on the cutting edge until it was commonplace and old news.  But new, social and digital media have eliminated that disadvantage.  Today, old news is what happened three hours ago and what is happening now can be viewed via your favorite browser or RSS feed reader.

Don’t forget the basics. Although there are more people to compete with, they are still human and most of them don’t show up.  Make it easy to do business. Follow through and say thank you.

Go where there is less competition

You will find less competition at the top.  Even if you don’t feel you have earned it yet, I assure you hanging out with the commodity brokers will not build your career.   Learn from the best. Present yourself with confidence. Price yourself at the top of your profession and act like professionals act. Professionals understand their work has value. Professionals never deliver work or copy rights without fair compensation.

The world and the way business is conducted will continue to change. But remember, the only way to win the new game is not to play the old game. 

 Rosh