Skip to content

Words on the Page

a freelance writing resource.

Menu
  • Blogs Worth Reading
  • Courses
  • Ebooks
  • Free Writers Worth eBook
  • Guest Posting Guidelines
  • Home
  • Marketing 365
  • Monthly Assessment
Menu

Working smarter

Your Annual Freelance Writing Business Review

Posted on December 23, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: I’m a Mess by Ed Sheeran It’s nearly Christmas — time for your annual business review. I know — you’re way too busy preparing for the holiday onslaught to think about your business. But in the waning days post-Christmas and pre-2016, there’s a good chance you’ll have a spare hour to…

Read more

One Easy Method for Reaching Your Freelance Writing Goals

Posted on December 18, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen (this is my favorite version) It was great to have the Springsteen song (link above) show up on my iPod this morning. The UPenn FM station WXPN named it #1 in their list of All-time Greatest Songs. Agreed. As the holiday speeds up on us, I’m spending…

Read more

4 Habits Keeping You Locked in Low-paying Freelance Work

Posted on November 17, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Different Drum by The Stone Poneys w/ Linda Ronstadt For the first time in a while, I’m glad to see a weekend behind me. Last week, my dad ended up hospitalized (he’s home now). He has serious lung issues — asbestos and emphysema — and he was having trouble breathing. He’s…

Read more

Writing Schedules and No Damn Time

Posted on October 8, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Hell and Back by The Airborne Toxic Event It’s Thursday already? If I could shove two more days into this week, I would I’ve been working at full throttle since Monday morning, and I’m finally making a dent in the workload. If only the need-it-now stuff would just stop coming in…

Read more

7 Ways to Vet a Writing Course

Posted on September 17, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

Today is going to be busy. I have plenty of interviews to go over for a white paper, and some research to finish up. Plus, writers group is here tonight. Not only do I need to clean — I need to write something to present. Behind the scenes here at the blog, I’m busy putting…

Read more

Free Advice Friday: Streamlining Article Writing

Posted on August 14, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Timeless by The Airborne Toxic Event I’m still on vacation, though I’m now south of the Canadian border. Because of my unusually heavy summer workload, I needed to step away for a full week. It’s a combination of detox and much-needed cleaning. We talked a few weeks back about how to…

Read more

6 Signs Your Freelance Writing Business May Fail

Posted on August 3, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Fade Into You by Mazzy Star Another wildly busy weekend. My son was visiting, so we were happily busy for much of the weekend. Because we’re still painting the upstairs, he had to stay at his sister’s house, which worked out well. Since we seem to be a revolving door when…

Read more

5 Trade-ups to Boost Your Writing Career

Posted on June 9, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Able McLaughlins by Margaret Wilson What’s on the iPod: Hell and Back by The Airborne Toxic Event There’s nothing like working outdoors to center you. We spent the weekend accomplishing various things, one being leveling the ground near the house. Six hours of digging and hauling sod and dirt made me…

Read more

Writers Worth: My A-ha Moment

Posted on June 4, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan TGIF in a big way. I’ve spent a somewhat frustrating week trying to clear up a rather large outstanding invoice. The project is on hold, the money is nowhere to be seen, my emails haven’t been answered, and this writer is getting pissed. I get…

Read more

Learning from Freelance Writing Mistakes

Posted on June 3, 2015June 30, 2016 by lwidmer

What I’m reading: God Help the Child by Toni Morrison What’s on the iPod: Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson After a fantastic Writers Worth Month, I’m settling into a busy June. Typically, June is when things slow down. July and August are usually quiet as graveyards. This year, however, I’m working…

Read more
  • Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next
  1. Cathy Miller Avatar
    Cathy Miller
    June 3, 2015

    Another great thing about admitting our mistakes? Tons of blog post ideas. LOL!

    Maybe it's my age, but I have a much easier time admitting my mistakes. Must be ALL those years of practice. 🙂 In the beginning of my freelancing career, one biggie was buying every book or course to learn my new business.

    That's not a bad thing if you actually complete the book or course and learn something from it. I had a very nasty habit of not finishing them. And some of them were good resources.

    So I gave myself a budget, weeded out the good ones and went back to finish them by scheduling a time for them.

    I've made every newbie mistake imaginable – under-pricing my work, getting sucked into free work for false promises, paying for courses that didn't deliver (or those I abandoned due to my own issues). Like you, Lori, I believe there's something to be learned from every life experience. If it was negative, learn it and move on.

    Reply
  2. Paula Avatar
    Paula
    June 3, 2015

    Oh, Cathy, you have no idea how many writing books I've sold at garage sales – most of them I never finished reading.

    I do wish I could go back in time knowing what I know now and have a re-do with a couple of my very first clients. In on case so I'd have a better idea what they needed, and in the other to tell the guy he was little more than a self-serving moron taking advantage of the insecurities of newbie writers.

    Here's something I've found helpful in almost every area of life: Stick to doing what you know is right, play fair, be open to constructive criticism, and ignore anyone who isn't doing the same. Their opinions simple don't matter.

    Reply
  3. Anne Wayman Avatar
    Anne Wayman
    June 3, 2015

    Cathy – totally agree, and with you too, Paula… plenty of writing books aren't really helpful… or the time isn't right, etc.

    I love the title, Fail Your Way To Success – I've never read the book… suspect the title tells it all.

    Reply
  4. Lori Widmer Avatar
    Lori Widmer
    June 3, 2015

    Amen, Cathy! LOL I got so much mileage out of my screw-ups, it's unreal.

    Paula, it must be a trend — my books went unfinished, too! Even the best ones were read almost to the end, but never quite the whole way. And if I could go back in time, I'd have dropped one client in particular — an egomaniac who, on our first meeting, said to me "You need to be writing everything I say down."

    Red flag #1 of many.

    That is a great title, Anne! I'd read that one. LOL

    Reply
  5. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley
    June 3, 2015

    Wow, Lori, a client actually told you needed to write down everything s/he said? What an enormous headache that client must have been. And you're right — those failures are the ones that stick with us forever, and we never make that mistake again.

    One other thing. Admitting mistakes like this in writer communities (blogs, forums, or even individually) is incredibly helpful because we're able to learn from each other's mistakes, not just our own.

    Reply
© 2026 Words on the Page | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme