You know that thing you’ve been putting off? That personal freelance writing project? That marketing? That ___ ? Now is the time. Seriously, when is it going to be a better time? A few caveats first. If you don’t capitalize on this time that’s been gifted to you by one of the most life-altering, ongoing,…
Category: Freelance writing advice
What My Fitness Tracker Has Taught Me About Running a Freelance Writing Business
I did something seriously wrong last week. Something that had me overthinking, overdoing, and generally stretching myself beyond my capacity and abilities. That’s right: I accepted and participated in a FitBit Workweek Challenge. I thought it would be a nice way to see how friends and their friends were progressing. I thought it would motivate…
Where Your Freelance Writing Guru is Wrong
It’s been a while since we’ve talked about one of the largest elephants in the freelance writing room. That’s right — I’m talking about the self-professed writing guru. Look, I have no problem with writers teaching others what they know. I have no problem with them charging for it, either. Really. Why shouldn’t they? They…
One Writer’s Superpower That Could Land You More Clients
I was talking with a writer friend a few days ago. She was relating an interaction with a potential client when it dawned on me: This writer has a superpower. Moreover, her superpower is so stealth, it’s taken me numerous conversations before I realized she had it. This is a writer who has an impressive…
How Far You’ve Come, Freelancer
Unlike the rest of humanity, who is busy trying to piece together some resolutions they’ll forget in a week, today isn’t about looking forward. It’s about looking back at your own freelance writing journey. A number of years ago, I was talking with a cousin, who happened to be hoeing her garden. I mentioned how…
How to Be a Freelance Writing Failure (and how to change)
Typically, I don’t get frustrated when another writer asks for help. But sometimes, the situation is far from typical. In a recent exchange, the writer expressed a level of angst that was troubling. Nothing in this writer’s marketing was working. Things weren’t coming easy anymore. The work wasn’t paying off. Been there. Haven’t you? I…
Putting Action Back in Your Freelance Action Plan
I saw you. You made that fantastic marketing/networking/business-building plan, complete with steps on how you’re going to succeed and when. Then what? Then nothing. It sat there. When it came to mapping it all out, you read all the blog posts and articles and culled the advice that fit your business. Then you did nothing….
The Freelance Saboteur
Sometimes you can’t find freelance work to save your soul. Sometimes it’s there, but either the timing is off or you’re missing some of the must-haves the client is looking for. Or the client and you are not a good match. Sometimes everything that could possibly align in the right way does. And you still…
Freelance Files: How You Appear to Clients
Thanks to a few recent interactions, I’ve come to realize that some freelance writers aren’t really presenting ourselves as freelancers. In public-facing situations, there are some pretty major missteps that some freelancers are making that could be causing potential clients to look the other way. Maybe you’re doing it too and don’t realize it. Let…
What Freelance Writing Has Taught Me
It’s Friday, and I’m traveling. So let’s keep it lighter. I was witnessing an acquaintance’s meltdown recently over a minor (seriously minor) issue. Instead of just getting it together (there was a slight snafu in their presentation), they became flustered. Then more flustered. Then they declared it was “such a disaster.” It wasn’t. It was…