It’s funny how sometimes you go along, mired in stress, thinking about work after hours, losing sleep (literally), and then it hits you: You don’t have to write like this. Since early April 2020, I’ve been swimming in projects. That’s 19 months of working nearly nonstop on what amounted to (and still amounts to) roughly…
Rocking a Freelance Niche (while staying a generalist)
Even though I missed it last week, there was a good conversation going on Michelle Garrett’s Twitter #FreelanceChat. The topic turned to niche writing. It’s a common discussion point among writers because it’s a common problem. Should I niche or should I generalize? And like most discussions on the topic, the Twitter conversation split pretty…
The Freelancer’s Stress-reducer Guide
It took three days for my shoulders and neck to relax. But they did. Vacations these days are tough to come by. Either you’re too busy to go anywhere or you’re out of work and can’t afford to go anywhere. Then there’s that pandemic thing… Yet it’s amazing what a week away, without electronic connection,…
Freelance Artist or Just Freelance?
I was talking with a writer chum yesterday about some reno work she’s having done. The contractor doing the job suggested a trim board that he said would cover a problem area and look great. Then she saw the piece of trim. Let’s just say the guy is better at repairing than planning. It’s also…
Freelance Game Plan: Create a New Routine
October already? Lord, that summer went by quickly. Here we are in our 10th installment of Freelance Game Plan. How are you finding your results for 2021 so far? You know those moments where you have no work in front of you and you want to be doing something, but you feel more like you’re twisting in…
Saying No to Freelance Writing Prospects
A conversation I started on a LinkedIn forum went something like this: This has been on my mind a while. And with so many writers struggling (some of them for longer than imaginable), I thought this topic might be appropriate. Writers, it’s time you become picky. Ask yourself these questions: 1: When was the last…
How to Lose a Freelance Client Prospect in 4 Moves
We talk a lot about how to find and win over potential clients for our freelance writing life. What we don’t talk much about is probably more important — How you might be losing that client before you even win them over. But Lori! I sent out a letter of introduction! I told them all…
We Should All Be Anti-Racism Writers
Are you sick of racism yet? I don’t mean sick of talking about it — I mean sick of it being. Every single white person I know has heard the same things I’ve heard: racist remarks that demean another culture, race, or religion. I’ve heard it since I was first able to comprehend what was…
Clarifying Your Freelance Writing Project
I saw this tidbit in Michelle Garrett’s newsletter this week: Did you hear the mic drop right there? Or was that your head nodding wildly? I know for me, it was the moment I went “YES, thank you.” Because like you, like nearly every single freelancer who has ever worked for a client, I have…
A Freelance Decision You Don’t Want to Make (but should)
Something happened a while back that’s been sticking in my mind. It’s not one of those “Look what that nasty client did to me” events, either. It was subtler than that. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I wouldn’t have noticed. It was when the work outpaced the pay. The client was a fairly new…