You know, May can be a bit of a transition month, can’t it? You’re itching for summer, but you’re looking at an unruly weather forecast. Some of you got snow last week, some of you were sitting on your back deck sipping iced tea in the heat. It’s May, which has become (at least in…
This Job, Not That Job
Some days I think I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen the shittiest job postings, worked with some of the more “out there” people, watched writers help their own careers implode …. But this? This job posting is one of those “Did that just happen?” moments. Thanks to Devon Ellington, who was insulted enough to send…
Writing Rate Wake-up Call: Is Today Your Day?
I remember the exact moment I realized that compromising on rates to get the work is stupid. I was working my way up the “rate food chain” and as I brought on new clients, I would charge them a little more than the existing ones. I didn’t want to give up those tried-and-true clients now,…
Idea File: Finding Freelance Writing Ideas in Conversation
You’ve heard this starting out, I’d bet: Ideas are all around you. And I’d bet you wanted to scream every time you heard it, too. How ironic that the one piece of advice that made me want to scream “You don’t get it!” when I was first starting out is exactly the advice I needed…
How to Keep the Freelance Writing Checks Rolling In
Anyone who’s close to me knows I spent about a month waiting for an overdue check recently. Normally, I wouldn’t notice because other checks would be rolling in, but naturally, it was tax time. The time when checks go missing right when you need them most. My mom always asks “Did you get any money…
Reality Check: Are You Freelance Writing Material?
Yesterday, my workday looked like this: I revised a client article most of the morning. Due date — as soon as possible. Simultaneously, I was dealing with phone calls and texts from family members about our summer place. There’d been flooding. Apparently, I’m the designated calm voice in a sea (pun not intended) of anxiety…
Stolen Work: Theft in Freelancing
Last week we talked about when your ideas are stolen. It’s a tricky topic, as ideas are not copyrightable, but there are some instance in which you, freelance writer, might have some legal ground to stand on. With your writing, however, you have plenty of ammunition. In fact, here’s your guide to what’s protected: Copyright…
Your Freelance Writing Ideas, Stolen
I’ve been at this writing-for-a-living thing for a few decades, so when I hear someone complain that their ideas were stolen, I think back to the first Journalism course I took, which taught me this: Ideas cannot be copyrighted. There’s a reason for that. If they could be copyrighted, there would be just one book…
This Job, Not That Job: Part-time job, Full-time headache
Yes, it’s clearly spring, for the lousy job listings are piling up like a line of cars following behind a cow. A really slow cow. Really slow. And the posts are getting weirder. What I’m seeing lately are postings that mask the true intentions of not the poster, but the job itself. Here’s an example that…
Freelance Files: Protecting Your Billable Hours
A while ago, I was working on a project with a client’s client, and it was clear there was going to be an issue. The client was nice enough. He knew what he wanted, and I was able to interpret that into a good first draft. But there was a massive disconnect from that point…