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Interview

Writers Worth: Meet Jennifer Mattern

Posted on May 14, 2016June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

No matter who you are, you’ve heard of Jenn Mattern. Jenn is one of the top voices in freelance writing today. Her knowledge is unmatched, as is her All Indie Writers website, a gorge-fest of free resources for writers of all stripes. I’m proud to call her a friend. Jenn is a no-BS personality. She’ll…

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Writers Worth: Meet Sara Hodon

Posted on May 10, 2016June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

It’s funny how you meet people by chance. Sara Hodon is one of those people. Sara got in touch with me last month regarding an article she’s writing — she needed some input. She’s smart, articulate, and a good freelance writer. That’s when the light bulb went off for me — what a great opportunity…

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Writers Worth: An Interview with Paula Hendrickson

Posted on May 9, 2016June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

If you’ve been around this blog for any length of time, you know Paula Hendrickson. Paula is a veteran writer with some serious street credibility — she’s certainly the only writer I know who’s interviewed Oprah. But beyond that, Paula is a fantastic writer and an intuitive business pro. She showed up here on the…

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Writers Worth: An Interview with Anne Wayman

Posted on May 8, 2016May 23, 2017 by lwidmer

One of the first people I met when I started my freelance writing career was Anne Wayman. Anne was then the moderator of About.com’s Freelance Writing page, and she’d built a great community of writers. So when she started her own community shortly after leaving About, many followed. Then Anne and I teamed up on…

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Writers Worth: Interview with Yolander Prinzel

Posted on May 4, 2016June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

No one puts Yolander Prinzel in a corner. That’s because she pretty much defines her own space. Yo makes up another segment of my offline writers’ wheel of fun and frolic. Yo is a super-smart writer, a fantastic chum, and a ton of fun to be around. She’s like a BS barometer, too. She can…

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  1. Yolander Prinzel Avatar
    Yolander Prinzel
    May 4, 2016

    I SOUND AMAZING.

    Reply
  2. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer
    May 4, 2016

    It's why they pay you the big bucks. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Sharon Hurley Hall Avatar
    Sharon Hurley Hall
    May 4, 2016

    Yes, you DO sound amazing. Good to learn more about you, Yo.

    Reply
  4. Paula Hendrickson Avatar
    Paula Hendrickson
    May 4, 2016

    I love that you, and some others around here, aren't about chasing bylines. Byline chasers are a reason so many beginning writers fall for the "you'll get exposure" line low- and no-payers use.

    Reply
  5. Mike Avatar
    Mike
    May 4, 2016

    Thank you for promoting ghostwriting. Would you be willing to expand a bit on your thought about providing value beyond writing ability? Are you referring to content strategy, or other skills?

    Reply
  6. Yolander Prinzel Avatar
    Yolander Prinzel
    May 4, 2016

    Thanks, Sharon!

    Paula, exactly. Seeing your name in lights may be thrilling, but it isn't fulfilling for everyone. There's nothing wrong with that if it's your thing–but I think too many people automatically assume that it's a kind of validation and something they should want, too.

    Mike, any skill you bring to the table that separates you from other writers and brings value to your clients. This can be experience within your specialty (like the animal niche writer who used to be a vet tech, or the health niche writer who is a registered dietician) or within the writing/blogging/publishing industry. For example, I focus on ghostwriting for agents/advisors who want to self publish. Because I've self-published published close to 60 of my own books, guides, and shorts and I've helped many clients with theirs, I consider that experience an added value I can offer to my clients.

    Reply
  7. Yolander Prinzel Avatar
    Yolander Prinzel
    May 4, 2016

    …and as that comment illustrates, proofreading would NOT be a value I consider myself to add, which is why I hire a proofreader 🙂

    Reply
  8. Jennifer Mattern Avatar
    Jennifer Mattern
    May 4, 2016

    "I SOUND AMAZING."

    And that's why we love you — your modesty. 😉

    Like Paula, I'm glad you brought up the issue of byline-chasing. It holds far too many new freelancers back from more lucrative gigs.

    Get some clips you're proud to share publicly? Sure. Put your ego over earnings on a permanent basis? That's not smart business.

    I'm not sure why some of the newer writers I meet are so against ghostwriting. It's not like you have to do that exclusively either. No reason you can't pursue both. Find some balance.

    Reply
  9. Ashley Festa Avatar
    Ashley Festa
    May 4, 2016

    I'll speak up in defense of bylines and making a good living from it 🙂 While I have no problem with ghostwriting and and have been happy to do it when I enjoyed the topic and was earning a good rate, I've also been able to write bylined articles for a good rate as well. I wouldn't consider myself a "byline chaser" but I do understand that it can hold some people back if they are settling for crummy clients just to see their name on their writing. The key is to not settle for low rates, no matter what type of writing you do.

    I loved reading a little about your journey, Yo, and seeing how you made your career work for you, rather than the other way around!

    Reply
  10. Yolander Prinzel Avatar
    Yolander Prinzel
    May 4, 2016

    Agreed, Jenn!

    Ashley–WATCH OUT! PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES! Seriously though, you are totally right. No matter what you do–get paid what you're worth to do it. And note that I didn't really mean to attack byline writers–I moreso wanted to point out that it's okay to NOT want that. That it's vital to stop and figure out what YOU want out of your career rather than just following the crowd. I've known some amazing magazine writers, like Catherine Tully, who've been a great inspiration to me over the years. I definitely wouldn't see their career focus in a negative light–just as something that wasn't the right choice for me.

    Reply
  11. Paula Hendrickson Avatar
    Paula Hendrickson
    May 4, 2016

    Hey Ashley – probably 85-90% of my income comes from bylined work, so we're in a simialr situation. Nothing wrong with it as long as we're being well compensated, and not going along with the belief that a byline makes it okay for a client to pay less because they're offering you exposure. In some cases you need to ask: Exposure to what?

    Reply
  12. Ashley Festa Avatar
    Ashley Festa
    May 4, 2016

    Yo — I think that's what I found most interesting, that magazine editors were coming to you, rather than you pitching, and it wasn't satisfying to you. You're right, most writers would kill for that! And that brings up a very important point as well. In addition to being paid what we're worth, we need to make the effort to do what we love. That's one of my favorite parts of being a freelancer — freedom!

    Paula — precisely. I market myself, so I don't need bylines for exposure!

    Reply
  13. Jennifer Mattern Avatar
    Jennifer Mattern
    May 5, 2016

    Ashley – There's certainly nothing wrong with bylined work if, as the others have said, you're being paid fairly for it and you're happy with it (as in reaching your larger business goals).

    My concern is more for newer freelancers who are still trying to figure out their value. They're bombarded by messages (from self-proclaimed "experts," coaches, and publications themselves) that there's often more value in a byline than direct pay.

    I've even seen some of these so-called "coaches" and "mentors" spout advice that freelancers should never ghostwrite. To them it's all about ego. It's the "look at me!" game, even if it means writing for free, writing for revenue sharing schemes, etc. for a byline when you could be earning much more for your time elsewhere. And "elsewhere" doesn't always mean ghostwriting either. It can be bylined work for less prestigious publications.

    And that's what I mean when I say "byline-chasing" — the writers who poo-poo any gig that doesn't give them what they (or their mentor) deem a top-tier byline, regardless of how good a gig might be for their business (and wallet) overall. I wish that kind of bullsh*t advice wasn't so prevalent, but sadly it is.

    I've had writers come to me for help because they thought they'd never make a livable income freelancing because they learned from so-and-so that only pitching big publications mattered. Set them straight and point them in the right direction, and it's funny how fast they're suddenly able to support themselves.

    Bad coaches, publications, etc. that try to exploit writers for a quick buck of their own are everywhere. And when it comes to newer writers figuring out their value, one of the most important things to me is that they learn to look beyond that nonsense and start thinking like an actual business owner rather than simply a writer looking to get their name on some website or in some magazine.

    There's a place for that. The problem is when it becomes your only, or even primary, focus — especially when you're still new.

    Reply
  14. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer
    May 5, 2016

    It's a great position to be in — to have clients and editors coming to you instead of you having to seek them out.

    Yo, I'm with you. I have plenty of bylines and I don't really need them. I will get the occasional client who will ask for specific samples, and while a byline would help, it's not necessary. I just point to what I've written for others.

    And if the money is there either way, go ahead and put my name on it if you want. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Ashley Festa Avatar
    Ashley Festa
    May 5, 2016

    Jenn — I understand exactly what you mean. My clients are relatively modest, but they pay well, and I think that's where the difference lies. When I first started out, I had no idea how to approach huge publications, but I thought that's how freelancers "made it" for exactly the reasons you describe, coaches and gurus who say that's the way to go. Now that I'm a bit more established, I no longer feel the need to pursue them. I still have tons to learn in every area of freelancing, and I know I could learn a lot from you when it comes to non-bylined work! I wasn't trying to say you're wrong about bylined work, and I'm sure you know that 🙂

    Reply
  16. Jennifer Mattern Avatar
    Jennifer Mattern
    May 7, 2016

    Oh, I didn't think that. I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I was trying to put you and others down just because they specifically go after bylined projects. I know I'm sometimes a bit short and come across harsher than intended. 😉

    Reply
  17. Devon Ellington Avatar
    Devon Ellington
    May 11, 2016

    Some of my most rewarding writing has been for-hire, under someone else's name. Plus, I write under multiple names, even when it's my own. I'm a big believer in pseudonyms.

    Reply
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