Comments on: 10 Essential Freelance Writing Lessons

By: Translation favorites (Apr 18-24)

Translation favorites (Apr 18-24) — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 16:57:19 +0000

[…] Who Would Like to Write Blogs in English Are You Really a Writer … Or Just a Copyist? 10 Essential Freelance Writing Lessons How to Survive a Work Drought The Organized […]

By: Lori Widmer

Lori Widmer — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:42:33 +0000

Paula, that's what I'm seeing in the trades, too. The needs are the same, but the word counts are lower if they're paying by the word.

Thank you for correcting me on magazine budgets. I generalized there, didn't I? Glad to hear my experience is not typical. Sounds to me like the magazines you're working with have different fiscal calendars than the ones I work with.

You've just given me an idea for finding magazine work --time I branch out into consumer mags a bit more. :)

By: P

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:36:30 +0000

I'd say 80% of my income is from magazine features, most from top-level titles, and it's getting harder to stay ahead of the bills each year. Another factor: across the board, articles are shorter now than 10 or 20 years ago. Places that now assign 2,000 words are increasingly rare, and used to assign 3,000+ words articles.

Most of the magazines I work with don't have budget issues at year-end. In fact, last October was when one of them assigned me more articles at once than at any point other than for the massive issue they put out each June. Fiscal years probably depends on whether it's consumer or trade title, and if it's a trade, the industry's busy season probably plays into the equation as well.

By: Lori Widmer

Lori Widmer — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:02:33 +0000

It would, Anne. I give one away like this, but not with this much detail. Not a bad idea for a freebie!

Paula, agreed. It's that idea that once we get into magazine work, life will be sweet. Right. I remember waaaay back when I started out, I'd read something that said you'll never make it in freelancing on just magazine work. I found that odd, but it's played out to be true in my own life. Magazine work is a great part of your income stream. Can you survive on it solely? If you're selling to the BIG names, probably. Otherwise, you're writing. A lot. And chances are those budgets are going to dry up after Labor Day.

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:49:47 +0000

I wish someone had told me when I started that magazine rates almost never go up. I would have put my focus on finding corporate clients then instead of climbing to higher per-word rates only to get stuck at top of the ladder where you have to write more and more articles each year to increase your income. Or shift gears and expand to other types of writing - which is what I'm now trying to do.

(Disclaimer: I've never solely relied on feature writing - I've done copywriting, editing and even résumé writing on the side. "Anything in English" has long been my motto.)

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:41:56 +0000

Lori, just in case you haven't thought of it, this would also make a great ebook.

By: Lori Widmer

Lori Widmer — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:44:46 +0000

So right you are, Cathy. The noise can bog us down. I know I have had writers tell me there's only one way to do something-- you MUST join this society, you MUST look for work in this way...it's tiring. One friend in particular has told me constantly that I have to outline my novels. I agree to some extent, but I'm one who gets lost in the details and the story then becomes tedious. I have to start and then put some structure around it once I've decided who my characters are and where they're going. God love her, she's about to finish her first novel, but it's taken her years.

Charge what you deserve and walk away -- amen.

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:34:43 +0000

Freelancing has taught me you can do whatever you want to do. The hard part is tuning out all the noise about what that should be to find your own answer.

What I wish I knew from the beginning was charging what you deserve and walking away are both okay.