With the great content mill debate still fresh on my mind yesterday, I followed links left behind on Writers Weekly to see what the temperature was among writers across the Web. While there were a number of “Love (insert content mill name)!” posts, there was a groundswell of posts expressing comments like “fed up” or…
Author: lwidmer
Critical Learning
Thanks to everyone who chimed in on Friday’s post expressing your opinion on the content mill issue. Deb Ng has agreed to stop by and write a post voicing her side of things, which given her history is exactly what I expected from her. You may not agree with her opinion, but she’s always been…
The Definitive Word on Content Mills
There are many reasons why I’ve been an Angela Hoy fan for years. Angela heads up the marvelous Writer’s Weekly site, the online Bible and writer’s manual for the freelance writing profession. Her ability to cut through the BS and give you a clear picture of specific publishers, magazine groups, and “employers” has earned my…
Passive Marketing the Google Way
Writing chum Dana Prince has a really cool blog post up about passive marketing. She makes a lot of sense in how valuable clients find us – the Google search. Click on her link in the post and see her suggestions. While she advocates posting to content mills to up your chances of being found…
Selling Out
When I posted my enthusiasm over Microsoft’s Office Workspace freebies, I worried I’d be viewed by you readers as selling something. Worse, when an MS employee stopped by to thank me, I felt like a real heel for even bringing it up, despite the fact that I was thrilled to pieces with what I’d found….
Why You’re Not Cheap
My favorite Catalyst Blogger Jen has an excellent post up about defending one’s prices to clients. She gives you great advice on defending, not lowering, your prices. I can’t help but think you’re sitting there, new to freelancing or just never comfortable talking price, thinking the client has some justification in debating what you charge….
Technology that Rocks
Stand back – I’m about to sound like an advertorial. I’ll admit I’m usually late to the technology dance. The newest gadgets or tools aren’t something I feel I have to have. But I just found some technology that makes my work easier by making it portable – Windows Workspace. Sporting a whole lot of…
Rate Debate: Do Real Writers Actually Buy Into Low Rates?
A spirited debate is taking place over at Michelle Rafter’s blog about content mills and rates. I urge you to visit and comment. Surprisingly, both camps have strong defenders. I think I’m now a huge fan of Michelle thanks to her no-nonsense look at the topic and her own thoughts, which echo mine. And naturally,…
When Quality is Your Trump
We’ve talked a lot about sticking to your hourly rate and defending it rather than lowering it. So what happens after you hold firm? Typically, those potential clients not interested in paying for quality disappear. But you know what? That’s a good thing, for it now frees up your time to find clients who appreciate…
A Word to the Cheapskates
Dear cheap startup, viral marketer, and any other “employer” wanting writing for nothing: I keep seeing your ads all over the Internet. And I hope your responses from actual writers are more of the “you must be joking” variety than people actually foolish enough to think you mean what you say. I’d like to bring…