Writing Tips from Writing Chums What a coincidence! Yesterday I wrote about supplementing the freelance income, while at the same time waaaay across the country, my dear friend Anne Wayman was doing exactly the same thing! Anne’s approach to the topic is well worth reading – please visit her weblog. The Golden Pencil Another notable…
Author: lwidmer
Supplementing the Income The question comes up often, usually from those just starting their freelance careers – is it possible to survive on a freelance income? I’m here to say it’s not only possible; it’s very likely. If you don’t mind supplementing, that is. Most of us who have been freelancing for a while recognize…
Exposure Revisited Should I just rename this web log “Will Work for Money”? Here we go again – another ad for “invaluable exposure!” from yet another startup. The owners are like the others before them – they expect us to buy into their dream without any compensation beyond seeing our name in print. And there’s…
Public Sniping Ladies, please. That’s what I’d love to say to both Star Jones Reynolds and Barbara Walters. It’s bad enough they couldn’t get along well enough to work together – do we really need to be subjected to their public sniping? Things done wrong: Jones Reynolds chose to “surprise” her bosses on-air with her…
Paying (or Not) For Professional Work I know it sounds as though I beat this drum too often, but I really cannot stress often enough the reasons why you should stand up for what you’re worth. I just had a conversation with a potential client, and I had to let that client down gently (and…
A Word About Exposure In all the years I’ve been freelancing, the job postings that bother me most are the ones offering writers “exposure” for their work. Let me tell you what you’re getting–nothing. That may sound mighty strong, but let’s dissect this offer a bit more. First, have you ever heard of the publication…
Proofreading is Ded It’s to the point where I can’t pick up Time magazine at all. It’s not that I’m not fond of getting my news fix. It’s that I’m not fond of typos and grammar slips. I’d love to believe it’s just a recent problem, but when I subscribed a number of years ago,…
Right now there’s a fuzzy black spider roaming across the top of my desk hutch and along the edge of my fax machine. I’m watching him with a sense of curiosity and comraderie–the spider knows I’m here and I know he’s here, yet we’ve decided to go about our business despite all that. Sometimes, things…
The editor-in-hiding strikes again! Had a brief email conversation with a former interview subject. I sent him the story I’d worked on, and out came his red pen! “No wonder that magazine didn’t print it–that beginning is awful! Here’s how you should fix it…” Mind you, “that magazine” had gone out of business, hence the…
In my “other” career, I’m an editor. Actually, I’m the entire staff of a monthly trade newsletter. Because most of my articles come in the form of contributed articles (written by industry executives), I’ve seen quite a range of knowledge and writing ability come across my desk. What has become a standard “problem” for some…