With a raging debate being rehashed over on dear friend Anne Wayman’s site, I added my thoughts once more on the side of writers valuing their skills enough to demand more than $10-20 an article. The resistance by one poster in particular was so caustic I’ve decided no more. No more will I add my…
Worthy Tip: Give Yourself 15 Minutes
Oh, did I raise an eyebrow or two when I mentioned this week that I spend 15 minutes a day marketing! You don’t believe it, do you? But it’s true. I don’t spend a ton of time marketing. My marketing is virtual and quick – therefore, it shouldn’t take much time. Oh, not every marketing…
Being the Project Gatekeeper
I’m about to advocate a little bit of hand-holding. All writers should own their own process in every project, but sometimes we have to perform beyond our own processes so our clients’ business can thrive. Let me explain. In the past, I’ve had clients who are hopelessly unorganized, terminally late, or too overworked to take…
Spinning Wheels Require a Slip Differential
Monday was exactly as busy as I expected it to be. I had a call to Belgium in the morning. Lovely person on the other end of the phone and hopefully the project I’m doing for him will net him the results he hopes for. Two other calls. The first one missed the scheduled appointment…
The Marketing Myth
If I hear one more person say that it takes tons more time to market a higher-priced article than it does to funnel something through a content mill, this last nerve of mine will snap. Three times this week and once last week, people have actually told me that selling an article that pays, say,…
Sprinting Through the Week
It’s tough to relax over the weekend when you know your day is going to start early and end late Monday, isn’t it? That’s my day today with three client calls and one project due. I’m exhausted thinking about it. Worse, last week ended with rather rudely. Incompetence threatened to ruin my day. Not my…
The Raw Deals Just Keep on Coming….
There are days when it’s all I can do to keep from lunging at someone… I love when you guys send me links that either enlighten me or get my Irish up. This week, it’s the Irish. Blog regular and chum Hugh McBride sent this link to an article that details a company’s offer to…
Healthcare for Freelancers
I’ll admit I balked at the suggestion by Anne Wayman that I investigate Demand Studio’s new healthcare plan offering. I’ve all but closed the door on worrying about DS and those who choose to work there. But the idea of a healthcare package intrigued me. So I went digging. First, it’s not a typical insurance…
Worthy Tip – Look Elsewhere
I let the worthy-tip-giving exercise go lax while the vacation/holiday interrupted, but now that December’s here and many of us are facing a slim month, it’s time. Idle time is only idle if you do nothing. So let’s do something, okay? Here’s this week’s prompt to get your business growing: look somewhere else. Some of…
Victory at Any Hour is Sweeeet
Somewhere around 9:20 pm EST yesterday, I hit the final key. I checked the word count – 50,030. And with that, I’d finished – and won – the National Novel Writing Month contest. For the first time. Ever. Can I get a holla? Today I’m stiff and exhausted because yesterday I had to find 10K…