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Running Your Freelance Writing Business Like a Boss

Posted on by lwidmer

I’ll admit it — at times, I still get a case of the guilts. I’ve been freelancing since 2003, so you think I’d be over that feeling of having to be at this desk at a certain time. Yet every vacation, every day off I took (aside from weekends), I felt like I was playing…

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Finding Your Freelance Brand

Posted on by lwidmer

I’m not here. Really, I’m not. I’m fishing north of the border and enjoying time away from electronics. But I wanted to leave you with some things to think about until I get back. — Cathy Miller does it simply. In fact, she says so. It’s her brand, and it’s a smart one. Her website,…

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The “Do Not Think About List” Revisited

Posted on by lwidmer

Way back in 2013, I wrote about things that unnerve us and that take up too much of our time worrying about, fussing over, or venting to friends about. In the current political and social environment, it might be time to revisit that list. And update it. If anyone needs it, it’s me. I’m addicted…

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The Tuesday Freelancer: Handling Client Disagreements with Grace

Posted on by lwidmer

Last week I headed in to the local Macy’s to spend a gift card. I found a few things that I took to the sales desk. That’s when things got, well, weird. The salesperson was a younger woman — mid-thirties perhaps — who was dressed in a really neat rocker-chick style, including awesome makeup. She…

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7 Time-saving Moves for Freelance Writers

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m listening to: Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way by U2 I’m hung over from a late night — went to the U2 concert, and didn’t get in until the wee hours of this morning. So today, with a full work day and an weekend already filled up with way too much,…

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Marketing Monday (on a Tuesday): No More Weasels

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m listening to: Get Out by Frightened Rabbit Okay, okay. So it’s Tuesday and I’m giving you a Marketing Monday post. Sue me. We had a long weekend (started on Thursday), and it meant a lot of driving, most of it done by me. When I got back last night, there was no way…

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The Freelance Writing Situation (and Removing Yourself from a Bad One)

Posted on by lwidmer

Double post from me on Monday. The reason? I goofed up in scheduling. No biggie. Just go back and read at your leisure. I was on a LinkedIn Group for a good while, but last week, I just couldn’t any longer. It was a group specifically for freelance writers and editors, and I kind of…

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The Ethics of Freelance Writing

Posted on by lwidmer

You can’t believe everything you read. I was on Amazon shopping for a microphone about a month ago. I sorted results by Average Customer Review, and bought one based on the 9 glowing reviews one microphone received. Too bad they were fake reviews. Oh, I did my homework. I looked for the “verified purchase” tag…

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Writers Worth: When Fear Matters

Posted on by lwidmer

We’ve been talking a lot about what we’re afraid of and what we should do to, well, get over it. What we haven’t talked about is when we have to pay attention to our fears. When our fears matter, and when they deserve some attention. Some fears that are more than just our little egos…

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Free Advice Friday: This Job, Not That Job

Posted on by lwidmer

Whew! We made it! Another Writers Worth Month in the books. Thank you to everyone who contributed to probably the best Writers Worth Month we’ve ever had. That includes everyone who commented, shared, lurked. You made this happen, and you made this special. This was the 10th anniversary. It was also the last one. I’m…

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  1. Ranee Boyd Tomlin Avatar
    Ranee Boyd Tomlin

    Hmmm. I was just offered the opportunity to write 1,000-word career overviews for an online job-assistance website. No byline. Each overview is to be written to a specific structure and requires at least a couple of hours of in-depth, original research (many of these careers are new, emerging, and technical in nature). The expectation is that several would be completed each week. I was told I was competing with hundreds of applicants for this particular freelance work. The pay is $40 per overview, less the PayPal fee deduction (because PayPal is the only way to get your money from them). Does this qualify as not quite right?

    Reply
    1. Lori Avatar
      Lori

      Well, let’s do the math. A couple of hours of in-depth research at $40 total. That’s 20 bucks an hour, not including PayPal fees.

      You can do a LOT better, Ranee.

    2. Ranee Boyd Tomlin Avatar
      Ranee Boyd Tomlin

      Oh, but the math gets even better. The $40 (closer to $38 after the PayPal fee) includes writing the 1,000-word overview after the in-depth research! I keep trying to wrap my head around why anyone would make such an offer and think it’s OK—unless, as Paula notes in her comment below, they actually believe it’s possible to do that type of research-and-writing combination in a total of under two hours, meaning they want really, really fast instead of adequate quality. Or accuracy.

      And I’m sorry for the heartache you’re experiencing today, Lori. My mother died on June 12 two years ago, and I still find myself struggling when the calendar turns to June. The memories remain visceral, and it’s just hard. I’m glad you also have good memories to hold on to.

    3. lwidmer Avatar
      lwidmer

      They don’t believe it — they simply think if they frame it right, they’ll get someone to do it without realizing it’s a lousy offer.

      Ranee, my heart goes out to you. I can’t imagine I’ll feel any differently in two years, either. 🙁

  2. Paula Hendrickson Avatar
    Paula Hendrickson

    What a bittersweet day for you, Lori. The first anything without a loved one is rough. I sometimes bake cakes on Mom, Dad, and Grandma’s birthdays, but another good option is a recipe I found online that makes two cupcakes. Just two. Enough to be celebratory without a fuss.

    I recall seeing this listing too and laughing all the way through it. I kept thinking, “This is obviously written by someone who’s never had to research and write a long article.”

    I think they think the “..we can pay $5,000 a month if you’re really good” will entice people. Um. Whaddya bet the people who earn anywhere near that must are not the best writers. They’re the ones who can crank “articles” out faster than everyone else.

    Reply
    1. lwidmer Avatar
      lwidmer

      I found myself wanting to call him, Paula. And when I saw a Father’s Day gift guide pop up on Facebook, I couldn’t contain the tears.

      Yes, that’s the dangling carrot! There will NEVER be anyone making that (except the people who are posting this “offer”). It’s a shell game.

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