There’s something about the first day after Labor Day that feels, well, serious. Summer gear put away (even if it’s still warm enough to use it), summer attitude stowed, and it’s down-to-business time, isn’t it? I’m stubborn. I hang on to that summer feeling until the warm weather is gone completely. Last year, that was…
Author: lwidmer
This Job, Not That Job
Wow. Funny how one week you’re enjoying a quiet week and the next you’re swimming in deadlines. In the past day, I’ve gotten two large projects to go with the two smaller ones I had already. Feast and famine is a cycle we freelance writers know all too well. Luckily for me, the famine cycle…
4 Excuses That Get in the Way of a Freelance Writing Career
What I’m listening to: Late March, Death March by Frightened Rabbit I’m sitting here in the usual August lull. There’s something about the last weeks of August that sends clients into silent mode. That hasn’t been the case for quite a few years, but even so it’s not concerning. I have projects coming up this…
Free Advice Friday: 7 Blog Posts Freelancers Should Be Reading Now
When I have a slow week, I look for things that impress me, teach me, or raise questions in me. This was a slow week, so I took to the internet to find those otherwise overlooked nuggets that get my brain engaged. The result: a list of what I think are the top blog posts…
The Writing Client Interview (Theirs, Not Yours)
As I get longer in the tooth with this freelance writing business of mine, I’ve come to realize some truths. As your client is interviewing you, so too are you interviewing your client. That’s a big one, actually. It’s one a lot of new freelancers don’t recognize. It’s a truth that can take a ton…
Writers Worth: Getting More Client Respect
It’s been a nice, calm week. After going full steam for about four months, there’s been a break in the action. I managed to finish all but one project on my desk, and I’m waiting for a few more to arrive. What did I do with the time? Cleaned the desk, filed papers, figured more…
The Clash of the Freelance Writing Promise
Yesterday started out with 3 additional inches of rain. Three. Additional. Inches. Yep, there went my morning. There was so much water, the basement window well was filling fast, threatening to leak through the window. I spent an hour in the rain, bailing. For the record, The North Face rain jacket does not repel water….
The Freelancer’s Time-Saving Cheat Sheet
I was reading an article yesterday that was encouraging — nay, teaching — us to work just four hours a day. And be more productive. Yes, I was skeptical, too. Then I read the article. Damn. Those aren’t hard steps. In fact, many of them I can do. Some of them I do already. But…
Your Freelance Rate Killers
I was writing a magazine article a while ago that, given the per-word rate — $1.25 per word, 1,500 words — was going to be a killer payday for me. Until I was 12 interviews and a complete rewrite in. That’s the trouble with some projects. The unforeseen can really hit your bottom line. Even magazine…
4 Freelance Writing Life Lessons I’ve Learned (that you can learn, too)
A while back, I had an uncomfortable interaction with a would-be client. It was negotiation time. I gave my rate. We discussed. We agreed on a slightly lower rate. Then the communication became dodgy. Very dodgy. They asked for something that sounded a lot like a freebie. I repeated their request back to them. Is…