Imagine getting this email: Hi (your name): Just wanted to let you know I’ve moved to a new company, and we’re looking for writers. I recommended you since we’d worked together when I was at the last company. Do you have time to chat on the phone? So you call. The conversation goes something like…
Category: Freelance writing advice
The Cynical Side of Freelance Writing
Call me cynical. Actually, don’t. I’m not cynical, not when it comes to my job. I love my freelance writing career. Sure, there are shitty parts, like content mills disguised as actual clients, job boards that cause freelancers to fight for the lowest possible rate, scary-bad job postings that are either completely clueless (and low-paying)…
Professional Jealousy and the Freelance Writer
A number of decades ago, I had an interaction with a new person in our writers’ group. We had posted a notice in the library announcing our group and welcoming interested writers to join. One person answered the call — a writer who had a monthly column in the local paper. We greeted him warmly, and…
Avoiding the Freelance Niche Fad
I love fresh perspectives. That’s why I search for freelance blogs pretty regularly. Unfortunately, I rarely come across a freelance blog. Instead, I see the same advice: How to Start Freelance Writing 10 Tips for New Freelancers How to Start Making Money Freelance Writing How to Launch Your Freelance Writing Career The obvious keyword stuffing…
4 Steps to Reinventing Your Freelance Writing Career
Did you have a nice long weekend? Good. Now back to work. If you’re like me, though, work may be slowing down for you. Summer is nearly here (aren’t we already in the mindset?), and client work tends to drop off a bit from June through mid-August. At least, that’s been my experience. The change…
Reality Check: Are You Freelance Writing Material?
Yesterday, my workday looked like this: I revised a client article most of the morning. Due date — as soon as possible. Simultaneously, I was dealing with phone calls and texts from family members about our summer place. There’d been flooding. Apparently, I’m the designated calm voice in a sea (pun not intended) of anxiety…
What Freelance Writing Isn’t
Today is the day after my favorite day: St. Patrick’s Day (and the anniversary of this ol’ blog). If I’m here, I’m probably sporting a rather-not-do attitude. So this post is scheduled in advance. Last week when I was looking through LI forums and Twitter, I noticed a lot of the same old, same old….
Losing Your Freelance Sh*t While Remaining a Pro
You know the feeling: You’re running to beat deadlines, you have a holiday flying up on you faster than expected, you have yet to book that flight, someone’s playing Christmas music over and over and…. Did I just hear your last nerve snap? Wait, no. That was mine. Go on. Admit it. You’re losing your…
4 Must-have Elements of Trade Magazine Writing
I love it when people say “Trade writing is boring.” Actually, I don’t love it. The “boring” part is not true. What’s boring about finding an interesting angle to a technically challenging topic? What’s boring about making it reader-friendly? What’s boring about making people remember that article because you, the writer, went out of your…
The Most Profitable Freelance Writing Niche
I saw something on Twitter yesterday that made me click. It was a blog post promising the most profitable freelance writing niches right now. I read through the list. Uh huh. Some of them I agreed with. But all of them sounded limiting. I won’t fault the blogger for pointing out what in essence is…