When I opened Sara Hodon’s email, I was happy to see a great post. I knew it would be great, but what I didn’t know was how great the angle she took was. Sara’s ability to reach into a current event and distill what it means to her has resulted in a damn good post that rings true for many of us, including me.
What Prince’s Career Taught Me About Freelance Writing
by Sara Hodon
Like many people, I was shocked and
saddened by Prince’s sudden death in April. As an almost-lifelong fan (25+
years), I dug out my old CDs and rediscovered the music that left a lasting impression
on me, although I hadn’t listened to most of it in years. His legacy goes far
beyond music, however. Whether you’re a Prince fan or not, you’ve got to admit his
career was pretty darn impressive. He made some bold choices and smart business
decisions, and as a freelancer, I realized that whether I’ve known it or not,
I’ve applied many of those same principles to my writing career over the past
dozen years. Here are just a few:
saddened by Prince’s sudden death in April. As an almost-lifelong fan (25+
years), I dug out my old CDs and rediscovered the music that left a lasting impression
on me, although I hadn’t listened to most of it in years. His legacy goes far
beyond music, however. Whether you’re a Prince fan or not, you’ve got to admit his
career was pretty darn impressive. He made some bold choices and smart business
decisions, and as a freelancer, I realized that whether I’ve known it or not,
I’ve applied many of those same principles to my writing career over the past
dozen years. Here are just a few:
- Branching
out and trying new things. Prince played a wide
range of music—rock, pop, R&B, funk, even gospel. But he didn’t stop
there. He wrote, produced, directed, and acted in a few films, owned
nightclubs and retail stores, wrote songs for soundtracks, wrote and
produced for other artists in a wide range of genres, and a whole lot
more. I’ve used the same approach with my writing. Most of my work comes
from trade journals, but I’ve written for a wide variety of markets—a
small number of custom and consumer publications, with the occasional
newsletter article, press release, landing page, and blog post thrown in.
I’ve also made more time for passion projects, namely writing a novel
(women’s literary fiction), poetry, and more recently, essays. Some of these side projects may land me
income, some may not. But I’m excited about showing up at the page, and to
me, that’s what matters most. - Rocking my strengths.
Not all of Prince’s non-music projects were
successful. He continued to expand his brand into movies and other
creative pursuits but music (both writing and playing) was his main focus.
I’m a firm believer in trying new things but sticking to what works, too. I’ve
worked on different projects but I keep coming back to trade journals.
I’ve built good relationships with editors and I’m fortunate that they
continue to assign me work. I’ve sent out a number of LOIs to new-to me
editors in recent weeks and some of them have landed me assignments. I
seem to have found my most lucrative niche, and while I’m grateful for
opportunities to flex different writing muscles (like this blog post!), I
plan to remain loyal to the trades because they’ve been good to me. The
other projects help me fight off burnout, and yes, I’ve taken breaks from
writing altogether (a nice option when it’s a side business) just so I can
recharge my batteries and get excited about it again. - Staying true to
myself. Prince was an advocate for
authenticity, creativity, and staying true to one’s own voice and vision. I
completely agree. I wish I had even a little bit of musical ability, but
unfortunately, I don’t. My strongest passion is and always has been
writing. It’s where I’m most
comfortable and can be my truest self. I feel that I have the best of both
worlds—I can earn a nice income from articles about topics that interest
and excite me, and I have my passion projects that allow me to be
creative, even if they never see the light of day. I’m at my best typing on the keyboard,
and when I’m feeling low or questioning my abilities (we all have those
days when it’s just…not…happening),
it helps me regroup. I remind myself of how far I’ve come, how many
bylines I have in a wide range of markets, and that writing is a real
skill—one that clients are willing to pay for. - Setting and
maintaining my own standards. Prince was
well-known for controlling how and when his music was distributed. He was
an early champion of the Internet and resented having to rely on record
companies to get his music out to the masses. It’s important that I
control my freelance career, too. I’ve turned down articles or other
projects that just weren’t a fit. And I try to never work for free if I
can help it. There are exceptions, of course. I write articles for my
writers’ group newsletter for free. I let one article project slide
because the client’s daughter had just passed away. It’s scary to turn
something down, but saying no to projects that aren’t right for you allows
you to say yes to the ones that are.
Sara Hodon is a Northeast Pennsylvania-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in a number of print and online trade, consumer, and custom publications. When not writing, she’s spending time with her family (including two very spoiled Labs), reading, traveling, or working on any number of pseudo-creative pursuits. You can connect with her through LinkedIn or Facebook.
Writers, did you model your own
career after someone else’s, at least in the beginning?
career after someone else’s, at least in the beginning?
What worked for you?
What did you change to make it work?
What did you change to make it work?
8 responses to “Writers Worth: Prince’s Influence on Freelance Writing”
I love all the connections you make between freelance writing and Prince's career. All of them are spot-on. I agree with all your points, especially setting your own standards!
Thanks for commenting, Ashley! The more I thought about it, the more commonalities I noticed.
Did you know that 'When Doves Cry' is one of, if not the only, rock song that has no bass?
Great post, Sara. Thank you!
Staying true to yourself and trying new things are so important! Great post!
Really interesting post, Sara. (And also the bit about no bass line on When Doves Cry – I never realized that.)
The only bad advice I supposed one could take away from Prince's dedication to his art was that he never seemed to let himself take a break. But I suppose being a work-a-holic is one of the reasons he was a genius. He was constantly perfecting his craft.
Paula – Yes, just one if the reasons that song was so groundbreaking at the time.
I agree with you. I think working hard is important, but so is taking a break!
Great post, Sara! For me, the muse who always pushed me out of my comfort zone was definitely David Bowie, who we also lost this year. It's funny how much of an influence these amazing artists can have on the rest of us.
Yo, that post you shared with me of Bowie talking about being yourself creatively is so inspiring. He was probably the smartest, most talented musician I've ever seen.