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Author: lwidmer

A Writerly TGIF

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Two Coins by Dispatch Man, am I glad it’s Friday. There was a lot of work to be done this week, and I finished nearly all of it. More to be done, but for now, I’m in a good place right before I leave town. After spending yesterday working frantically in…

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Simplifying Your Freelance Life

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Middle Brother by Middle Brother What have I said a million times about going on vacation? Don’t the clients smell it, even if you say nothing? We’re leaving for Boothbay Harbor in just a few days. I was nuts the last two days with interviews and juggling three projects at once….

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Taking the Pressure Off Your Freelance Life

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Bats (Acoustic Version) by Dispatch Today starts a marathon of work and personal details that will probably level me by Friday. Next weekend we’re heading to Boothbay Harbor for my stepdaughter’s wedding (the wedding is in two weeks), and the place we’re staying doesn’t seem to have WiFi. It’s advertising that…

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Finding Your Freelance Down Time

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: The Woodpile by Frightened Rabbit Made a lot of headway on three different projects yesterday despite my having a slightly interrupted afternoon thanks to some errands. I have two projects in great shape and the third will be framed in today. I have a few weeks to finish them, but I…

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Your Start in Freelancing

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Coffee Cups by Langhorne Slim and The Law Good day yesterday. I have two article assignments due this month, plus some newsletter work for another client, so I’m busy. Feels good to be back to a semi-regular work schedule. I was over at Jake Poinier’s Dr. Freelance blog where Jake is…

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Monthly Assessment: May 2013

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down by The Mavericks How was your weekend? We had glorious sunshine and high temps. Beautiful days to be out and about. Too bad I wasn’t. Ah, it’s just one thing after another. There’s something about an invasion of the body that brings out…

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Getting Past Your Own No

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Life by The Avett Brothers Good day yesterday. Finally. I felt good enough to finish a client project and start another. I got an article pitch out, as well. Things are starting to look up. Except possibly customer service. I’d called our trash company and asked for a spare recycling bin….

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The Interrupted Work Schedule

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Falling by Desmond Myers How was your weekend? Did you get to celebrate the real reason for the day off? My weekend was to be a good one, except for one little thing — a flare up of an ongoing issue. I was in pain much of the weekend, and I…

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Writers Worth: Readjusting Your Attitude

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke feat. T.I., Pharell Who knew I’d be working this week? I sure didn’t. As it stands, I may have worked the equivalent of three days this month — until this week. I feel numb, tingly, but bored. That’s my sign to get busy again. Not a…

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Writers Worth: Your What-the-hell Moment

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Take Off Your Sunglasses by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons Here I am, nearly three weeks since surgery, and I’m slowly beginning to feel back to normal. Every day seems a little easier in terms of walking, standing upright (you can’t imagine how tight the incision feels), and getting more mobile….

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  1. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    For me, it was when I decided to send LOIs to competing entertainment trades. What did I have to lose? One assigned me something right off. The other called a day too late since they don't use freelancers from the competition.

    Coincidentally, this week I asked one of my editors at that trade what changes their new format (weekly as opposed to daily) would have on the annual summer-long special sections I've contributed to for over 13 years. He said it's been scaled back but they're trying to divvy up assignments fairly (I already have three for the first phase). Then he said their freelance budget was slashed. Again.

    Because of that – and the fact that the new owners have a sluggish payment system – I decided to send LOIs to a couple of consumer-facing entertainment trades. The timing is good, since I'll have about a dozen pieces in the June issue of Favorite Editor's magazine (yet another reason I refer to her as Favorite Editor). That's technically a trade but reads like a consumer title. Wish me luck.

    Somewhat related, I was talking to a producer who said most of her life decisions were traced back to when she was out of college, living in a crappy apartment and despising her life in general. She decided to take risks, since all she had to do is look around and see she literally had nothing to lose.

    And Lori, I hope you're feeling better every day!

    Reply
  2. Tereasa Easton Avatar
    Tereasa Easton

    This post is very timely for me, and just what I needed to read. I've been 'playing' at copywriting for years, but now that I've started to take the craft seriously, and make more effort to get my name in front of people, the pressure that I put myself under seems immense! And it really shouldn't – I've been writing for years. The blank page is the scariest thing of all when you know that someone is waiting for you to fill it. But 'what the hell', right?!

    Reply
  3. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Paula, I can say that LOIs changed my life, too. I have you to thank for that. Sucks that your magazine is cutting back. I suspect we'll see more of that — I've heard from other writers that similar things are happening with assignments and budgets.

    I agree with that producer. It's when you're tired and push for a change that great things begin.

    Tereasa, you're right about where the pressure is coming from. My guess is you know exactly what you're doing and can deliver. It's that fear of not delivering that cripples you — and you'll find it's unfounded once you get going. For me, the clients spell out what they want or I help them do it. That's the outline. Once there's an outline, it's easy to follow.

    And what the hell — RIGHT! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Good article as I debate having my byline removed from an article that bears little resemblance to the one I turned in . The editor really took a lot of liberty even after I complied with her hefty list of demands for the piece.
    I was livid but now after one interviewee wrote to me saying it was 'lovely''. I am still in flux as to what to do…she used words I would NEVER have used and I question some of the published facts. Anyway, I'm trying to laugh but it is still not making it pass my thought process.Lol

    Reply
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