Before I get going, you have to read this post on interviewing techniques. I love this woman! Back on topic – sucking at sales. Now what’s she on about? you’re probably thinking. This is a writing blog – why the devil do we need to know about sales? I bet you’ve already figured out that…
Begging the Question
Continuing on our interviewing path, we come to the part where you’ve done your homework. That’s right – you have to know a little bit about what you’re talking about, too. See, it’s not enough to go into an interview and say “Tell me about quantum physics.” Somewhere you should have at least a cursory…
Interviewing
Good chum Devon Ellington has a terrific post over on her blog today about interviews and when to accept that some people just don’t want to be interviewed. That brings up a very good point – if your interview subject says yes to your interview request, do you have the first idea how to go…
Clients Who Lie
Over the weekend, I received a call from a reporter at the New York Daily News. He introduced himself to me, apologized for calling on a Saturday, and then informed me that a former client had been arrested – to which I replied, “Good.” See, I’d found out quite a bit about him shortly after…
How to Apply for the Job
Given the strong discussion on other blogs this week (and here) regarding client feedback on how to win the gig, I figured now might be a good time to share with you how I go about applying for work. Look, everyone does it differently and no one way is the only way. I’m simply going…
Looking for Work in All the Right Places
Tamara Berry has a fantastic post over at eMoms at Home about where we writerly types can find some profitable avenues for our talents. Give it a read. Specializing Tamara said it best. The more experience you have in any one specialty, the better your chances of charging more for your services. I specialize. I’m…
If You Don’t Want to Hear it, Don’t Ask
Writers are a strange lot. We live for a word of any sort from a potential (or current) client, and when we get it, we get huffy. Case in point – Deb Ng has a lively discussion going on over on her blog right now involving a potential employer who was kind enough to let…
Are You Legit?
There’s a bit of a back-and-forth discussion over on About.com’s Freelance site about the legitimacy of weblogs as “real” writing. Some say yes, some say no, while others are just there to play Grammar Cops and rip the hostess Allena’s post to shreds (lighten up, people!). One poster went so far as to say the…
The Guest Article
It’s funny the things you get into when you comment on someone’s blog. I was over at Georganna Hancock’s A Writer’s Edge blog when I made the comment that writing for trade magazines is just as creative, if not more so, as writing for consumer publications. Georganna was quick to say “Want to make a…
Sending Your Client to Time Out
We love a client with a strong idea. We don’t even mind so much the client with a strong opinion. But what we won’t tolerate is a client with a penchant for getting his or her way every time. It’s not that clients shouldn’t get their way – they absolutely do own the ideas and…