I’m still up north enjoying what I hope is a rain-free week. I’m so over the weather in the Northeast. Today, let’s talk about freelance writing advice. In particular, those who give it, and those who give it and have no business doing so. Take a look at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or any social media…
Freelance writing advice
7 Lousy Marketing Tactics (and how to fix them)
I’m in Ontario at the moment, enjoying the company of family. But I’ve dug into the archives and left something for you to ponder. Marketing sins. We’ve all seen some pretty awful marketing tactics. We’ve also probably made our own mistakes. Like the writers who tout constantly their one success that everyone can do (and…
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…
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….
Luck and the Freelance Writer
Luck. I’m seeing a lot of posts and forum discussions around how luck plays into the lives of freelance writers. Luck is why we found those clients, luck is the reason we landed that great client, luck is how we came across that one post that altered our business approach for the better. Luck gets…
5 Lessons Mister Rogers Taught Me About Writing and Life
In my hometown area, he was an icon, just short of a deity. But we worshipped Mister Rogers anyway — that quiet, unassuming man who just oozed love and understanding. When he spoke, it was in a soothing, quiet voice. Amid all the noise of television, it was a voice you couldn’t help but stop…
7 Things I’ve Learned During My Freelance Writing Career
Recently, I dropped out of a LinkedIn writers’ group. I was already disenchanted by some of the conversations, which revolved around how miserable it was to be a freelancer these days. When a rather sketchy job posting was allowed to stay on the forum — and was defended by the moderator — I knew it…
Running Your Freelance Writing Business Like a Boss
I’ll admit it — at times, I still get a case of the guilts. I’ve been freelancing since 2003, so you think I’d be over that feeling of having to be at this desk at a certain time. Yet every vacation, every day off I took (aside from weekends), I felt like I was playing…
The Return of the Freelance Leech (and how to protect yourself against one)
It happened again. I was on a social media site a while back and I accepted a connection request. “Hi Lori! Thanks for accepting my connection! Hey, I have a website and I really need someone to critique it…” Seriously. On first contact. It’s like being proposed to on the first date. No, wait. It’s…
Free Advice Friday: The Words that Spell Doom to Your Freelance Writing Career
What I’m listening to: Ghost in the Machine by Our Last Night “Terms are terms. They aren’t good or bad until we add context.” That’s the argument I received after objecting to someone’s use of the term “liberal snowflakes” to describe my Facebook video of the recent snowstorm. It seems I made it political by…