What I’m listening to: Can’t Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake A year or so ago, I had an unpleasant encounter with an editor that didn’t end well. Normally, I wouldn’t talk about such things openly, but there’s a lesson in here that all freelance writers should be learning. It’s about how much control clients…
A Freelancer’s Guide to Setting Your Damn Price Already
What I’m listening to: Closer by The Chainsmokers I was reading through some LinkedIn posts the other day when it dawned on me yet again: Freelance writers have no idea how to set rates. No, they really don’t know how to set rates. In a few cases, the questions revolved around “How much should I…
The Days of Doing Without
This post isn’t about writing. It’s about loss. It’s been eight days since my father died quietly and quickly. In the ten minutes from the time my mom called to say he had a rattle (the death rattle was one we’d watched for in the last few months) and I’d called back to see if…
Your Boundary-a-Day Freelance Career
To the wishy-washy freelance writers out there, this post is for you. A while ago (years) I was asked to complete a project by a client who’d found me on Twitter. That went well, so I wasn’t surprised when she reappeared the next month with another project. I was surprised by what she wanted me…
Francis “Jim” Widmer: 1934-2018
Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’. Put crepe bows…
How Corporate Pay Bands Can Help Freelance Writers Earn More
What I’m listening to: Keep On by Portugal. The Man I was reading an article about how freelancers can stop undervaluing themselves (a subject after my own heart) when it occurred to me that corporations don’t have this problem. Let me rephrase — they don’t have a problem determining the value of each position. That…
Marketing Monday: A More Positive Freelance Writer
What I’m listening to: Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man Monday once again, eh? How are you going to start your week? Hopefully with the attitude that today is your first step. It’s your New Year’s Day. It’s your day to redefine your business… Okay, I know. Too early in the week for that…
Your Freelance Writing Wake-up Call
What I’m listening to: Don’t Stay by X Ambassadors Over on Anne Wayman’s About Freelance Writing forum, there was a discussion started by a writer who’d reached her breaking point. Though she may not have realized it, she was having a bit of an epiphany. She had realized how hard she was working and how…
RSS Feed Changes
If you subscribe to the blog feed, you’ll notice some changes today. The new blog feed is more reader-friendly. And if you think Horatio Hornblower is now writing recipes for this blog, you’ll understand just how terrible I am at moving RSS feeds. Apologies for the recipe announcement (unless you like black bean balls, in…
The Manic Freelancer (and why you really shouldn’t be one)
What I’m listening to: Kinda Fuzzy by Eels I was reading through Twitter feeds, LinkedIn groups, and blog feeds last week, and I saw it. There are a lot of freelance writers out there just throwing it together. Hey, I’m not one for a hyper-organized life either, but there are limits, you know? Having a…