I’ll be the first to admit the thought of writing one more workers compensation article appeals as much as root canal without pain killers. But it’s information that people in the industry in which I specialize need pretty badly. So I get enthusiastic about the topic. What about workers comp is interesting enough to become…
Snow Day
Yesterday was my snow day. It was a day spent shoveling, trying to keep ahead of the storm that didn’t want you to win. When we dug from the garage to the road, we turned around and dug back. Clients were around, but the majority I deal with currently are on the eastern seaboard, so…
Ownership Rights
It’s uncommon, but it still happens occasionally. I’m talking about sources for stories taking control and giving their version of what’s newsworthy or worse, thinking it’s up to them to approve the story before you print it. Neither of these are very helpful to writers. In fact, it can become a royal pain in the…
Works Well With Others
Back in the day, I remember having what can only be described as an unhealthy fear of editors. Between my first published clip and me was that editor, faceless, nameless, looming like an evil force with a red pen, just waiting to impale me on my own prose. Yes, it was a pretty deep fear….
Lessons from the Dark Side
I just realized the other day that I’ve been in business for myself – freelancing – for almost seven years now. Funny how time flies when you’re busy. And it’s amazing the lessons you learn as you go. As I cruised some weblogs last week, I realized there’s some reaaaaallly bad advice circulating out there,…
Worthy Tip: Staying Professional
There are days when I wish like mad I could drop the professional demeanor and really speak my mind. It’s on days when clients change contract terms randomly, promise “royalty” payments, expect 50-percent drops in fees, or make you jump through a dozen hoops just to find out the job pays a whopping penny an…
The Payment Plan
Lorraine Thompson has a great post up about the pros and cons of long-term projects on her Market Copywriter blog. She does a great job showing it from both sides. We talked a bit in her comments section about the other issue with long-term projects: payment. It’s not about making sure to get it, but…
Is Mediocrity the New Benchmark?
By now you know how much I hate a typo in a published work. Just visualize any scene involving Linda Blair and a spinning head – that’s me when I encounter the little devils. Typos online – in conversations such as these, there’s a level of forgiveness. But in books, magazines, advertisements, or anywhere a…
Listen Up!
Don’t you hate when you give advice to someone – advice that you have a particular expertise in giving – and they look at you as though you’ve grown three heads? But it happens. Despite our best efforts, some of our clients are going to think we’re nuts or worse, that their friends’ advice is…
Monthly Assessment – January 2010
Wow. Another month gone by. Can you believe we’ve got one under our belt for this year already? For me, it’s been a busy January – happily so. After a December that was busier than expected but still weak, I was glad for the extra work. Just in time for April’s taxes. Joy. Freakin’ joy….