Today I’m finishing up an article whose topic came straight from the news. Think headline-grabbing, celebrity-steeped scandalous news that’s been overplayed by every major (and minor) news organization. And yet, my article only mentions that original scandal. That scandal, that news, served as a catalyst for my piece, which touches on the scandal so lightly,…
Freelance Idea File: Ideas for Attracting Clients
How many times have you heard (or asked) this question: Where do I find clients? Today, we’re going to answer it. If I had a quarter for every time I’ve fielded that question (and asked it myself — we’re all beginners at some point), I’d not have to write for a living. It’s a legitimate…
Guest Post: When Clients Try to Set Your Freelance Writing Worth
I love Mika Doyle. Mika is one of those beginning freelance writers who is carving out a career, but doing it the right way. I’ve watched her from the sidelines as she’s built her freelance foundation, and it’s exciting to watch. Mind you, she’s gone through the same tough cycles and struggles like we all…
Idea File: Getting Freelance Ideas from Articles
Have you ever read an article that left you with more questions than it answered? Right there is a fountain of freelance writing pitch ideas. I’ve read articles that never answered the one question I was hoping they would, and the ones that just brought up four or five questions. Did the writer do a…
This Job, Not That Job
A late start today. Maybe it’s something about the change in season, the warming up of the atmosphere, the budding flowers …. maybe that’s what brings the lousy job offers out in droves. Whatever the reason, the bad jobs are floating to the surface with alarming regularity right now. The This Job, Not That Job…
When to Give Up on a Freelance Writing Prospect
A good while back, I was doing my usual marketing — send the LOI, follow up, try to get a conversation going …. you know the drill. One contact in particular stood out in a weird way. He’s a guy who’s moved his way up the food chain at his company from assistant to director….
Tuesday Idea File: Creating Freelance Pitches from Headlines
Welcome to our second Tuesday Idea File day. I’m rather glad we’re going down this path. As I mentioned in the comments section in last week’s post, it was something I struggled with at the beginning of my freelance writing career. No matter what career stage you’re at, there’s no need to struggle. [bctt tweet=”With…
This Job, Not That Job
Ah, Spring, when a young writer’s fancy turns to thoughts of …. Work. Finding work. Hey, when aren’t we finding work? Alas, for every new bud pushing through the ground right now, there are an equal (if on excessive) number of lousy job offers making their way to your handy job board. Which begs the…
The Return to Balance: A Freelance Writer’s Quest
Last week we had an important and lively discussion over the Fight for Truth and what the freelance writer’s role was. One point in particular drove a ton of discussion — presenting all sides of a topic. My stance was/is that presenting dissenting views shouldn’t be avoided, but embraced. It’s common practice in journalism to…
Tuesday Idea File: Finding Freelance Pitches in Releases
Here’s a novel idea: let’s have a day just for ideas. Sort of makes sense, doesn’t it? And since it’s Tuesday, I think Tuesday is a good day to discuss another freelance writing idea. So welcome to this semi-regular blog feature. Today, I’d like to talk about how to make a press release your friend….