Freelance Writing Blog

What I’ve Learned the Hard Way

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Ah! Leah! by Donny Iris Yesterday was great. I managed to finish a lot of blog posts for the entire month of October for one client, and tried to get some work lined up for when I return. I had time to get some invoices filed and get some work papers…

You, Sued

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierWhat’s on the iPod: Happiness Is by The Airborne Toxic Event Yesterday was one of those days. I was motivated enough, but couldn’t stay focused on the projects. Thank goodness there were only two small ones. Never thought I’d rejoice in the lack of work. Daughter called with…

Why Marketing is Simple

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby FooteWhat’s on the iPod: Wasted Words by The Allman Brothers Band In case you missed it, I have a post up over at About Freelance Writing. Check it out and join the discussion. Busy day yesterday. Between vacation plans and trying to stockpile work, I…

Rallying Around the Cause

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Pearl by John SteinbeckWhat’s on the iPod: Just Another Girl by Pete Yorn Maybe someone can explain to me why companies tend to say one thing and do another. My new digital camera went back to the company for repair on September 15th (flash wasn’t working). The website says 10-15 days…

Stress Balls

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierWhat’s on the iPod: I Want to be Sedated by The Ramones Today starts the marathon. Time for me to inhale deeply and power through a lot of small projects so I’ll have some money post-vacation. I’ve asked one client to double up on the projects until the…

Grammar Cops Gone Bad

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierWhat’s on the iPod: Dream by Priscilla Ahn The tickets are bought! Our official time away is now October 13-27. I can’t believe it. The itinerary is sketched in, and I’m getting the details sorted here at home before leaving. Paying bills, making sure instructions are left for…

Monthly Assessment: September 2010

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Same stuffWhat’s on the iPod: Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event September was a somewhat abbreviated month thanks to surgery. Who knew that and an impending vacation would impact the workload so much? Oh hell, I did. It’s happened before. And par for the course, I’ll be heading off on…

Taking Advantage of Free Time

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Pearl by John SteinbeckWhat’s on the iPod: She Hates Me by Puddle of Mudd It feels good to feel good again. The tightness around my scar has eased up (thanks to Bag Balm and Neosporin), and I’m losing that bruise and bruised-chest feeling. When I met my Vietnamese student for tutoring…

Rates (and Why I May Have Changed My Mind)

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Pearl by John SteinbeckWhat’s on the iPod: Good Arms vs. Bad Arms by Frightened Rabbit Amen for convalescing! I’m back this week in force, though the work is relatively scant. I can’t sign up for much due to an upcoming vacation, but I can get stuff lined up and maybe start…

Redneck Guide to a Better Career

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Skull Beneath the Skin by PD James (finished it!)What’s on the iPod: All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down by The Mavericks Where I come from, people are familiar with the term “redneck” and yes, even in places where the people live simply, it’s not considered a compliment. In my…

Devon Ellington

Yes. That's one reason I'm not as rich as I could be. 😉 Both in the theatre and in my writing, I've stuck to my guns about what I wanted.

The few times I did something JUST for the cash, and not for the cash AND commitment to the project, I truly regretted it.

Cathy

It has been interesting watching my freelance career evolve. With more time under your belt, I think you become more confident in your abilities and you are not quite as inclined to make desperate decisions.

My mantra for this year was "work smarter." And I have been good about sticking to that. I moved away from taking what I call "admin" work and I keep my work to what I do best – writing.

Recently, a client of mine asked me to do copyediting for a newsletter he is planning. It will have 9 or so different authors for the articles. I know he is on a tight budget and I started to work up a quote. Then I stepped back and thought, "I really don't like copyediting work. And even if I did it, I know he wouldn't be able to pay what I was asking."

So, I told my client that I wasn't doing copyediting anymore. I was sticking to the writing, but I referred him to someone I have used for copyediting.

A year ago, I would have done that quote and underpriced it and hated every minute of it.

I sure am not as rich as I could be either, but one of the big reasons for striking out on my own was to have more control over my decisions and my life.

I can't wait to see what next year brings.

Jake P

Thanks for the quick, interesting history lesson. With northern European mutt heritage, I've got a good portion of Presbyterian blood in me, so that may explain some things…

For me, "on my terms" was a matter of not caring what other people think–which is a corollary to some of your bullets here. And I mean that in both senses; you can't worry about naysayers and you can't get depressed if you're not a good fit for a given gig.

(Love the Mavericks, by the way!)

Paula

And here I always thought "redneck" referred to fieldworkers with sunburned necks.

I don't care to work for micromanagers, and I already fear the newest client may be just that. This publisher insists on weekly updates (down to the number of times you called a potential source), and e-mail he seems to be anti-e-mail. I do like initial phone contact, since it is more personal, but I find e-mail is far more efficient and accurate than phone calls. Speaking of which, I need to call a source who left a message for me after 6 PM Friday. Another source called me at 7:30 AM Monday.

I already want to scream: "If you want me available for phone calls during both east coast and west coast business hours, you need to pay three times what you currently pay." I don't mind putting in extra time when I'm being paid fairly well, but when I compare the per-word rate by the phone calls and transcribing 7-9 interviews, the hourly rate might not be worth it.

Ashley

I'm with Paula… never knew "redneck" referred to people who were sticking to their guns.

I don't take on projects that I already know sound miserable just to make money, and I don't accept projects that undervalue my work. To me, a writing career is supposed to be more fulfilling than a full-time job at a company. That's the whole reason I wanted to do it in the first place. So I choose the projects that make it fulfilling.

becky @ misspriss

I never thought I'd see that title on your blog, Lori. 😀

I also thought it referred to sunburned necks, so it's nice to learn something new.

I come from an area with many hillbillies. Also not necessarily a compliment most times. But when I think about the hard work, honesty and determination that makes up those people, it becomes a source of pride instead of an insult. And I certainly need some of their tenacity right now.