What I’m listening to: One Thing Leads to Another by The Fixx ‘Tis the season for work to dwindle and this writer to finally give herself permission to walk away. I’m doing that with this post. I’m taking a break from posting new things until possibly the new year. My dad is in rapid decline….
Author: lwidmer
Why Freelance Pricing Guides Aren’t Helping You
What I’m listening to: Wrong by The Airborne Toxic Event We’ve all done it. We’ve asked the question: “How much should I charge for …?” While there’s nothing inherently wrong with asking other writers “How much do you charge for…?”, by asking how much we should be charging, we are, once again, putting control of our businesses…
This Job, Not That Job
What I’m listening to: One Time Thing by The Airborne Toxic Event Sometimes these posts write themselves. That’s how I felt when writer Mika Doyle shared the news with me that LA Weekly terminated their editors (all but one staff writer) and turned to unpaid contributors to provide the publication’s content. Thankfully, they didn’t escape…
Free Advice Friday: Setting Freelance Rates Sensibly
Has it really been a week since I’ve been here? This is what happens when your life has a hiccup. I had a good excuse — the day before Thanksgiving in the early hours (1 am), my daughter gave birth to a gorgeous little creature named Jaxon. We were so excited and in love that…
Your January Freelance Writing Income Boost
What I’m listening to: Runaways by The Killers It’s nearly Thanksgiving — time to think about January? What? January? Already? If you want income to be rolling in at the start of the new year, then yes. Already. In fact, you should have thought about it even earlier. It’s not too late, however, to find…
Easy Freelance Money-making Shift
What I’m listening to: You Can’t Save ‘Em All by Big Harp Funny how your career tells you what you should be doing. At a recent Meetup function, I was asked what kind of writing I do. “Risk management and insurance writing” I replied. It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized only…
Your (Better) Kickstart to a Freelance Writing Career
What I’m listening to: I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by Scissor Sisters What’s the most common advice you see regarding freelance writing? Where to find work. Since beginning a freelance writing career has been a bit of a topic in the comments of late, I wondered why, since there’s so much advice on that very…
6 Traits of a Non-paying Client (and how to spot them ahead of time)
This is one of those really odd weeks for me lately — I have free time in my day. Actual free time. Three projects are in progress. Three others are ongoing work. One is completed. The occasional projects were completed last week, as well. Two others are on the way. So yes, free time. After…
Client Language Warning Flags
Sometimes the blog posts practically write themselves. Like when I get calls and emails from people looking for writers, for content, for freebies, for … fill in the blank. In most cases, anyone can see quickly how you’re about to be used (not hired — used), how this kind of “offer” for “exposure” will not benefit…
The Ultimate Freelance Writing Career Template
Last week a reader asked the question we’ve all heard or asked in some form or another — What specifically does one need to do to make a living as a freelance writer? Shawn, this post is for you. It’s actually for all freelance writers who find themselves stuck in a low-paying rut, in an…