I was on YouTube the other day and I saw a series of videos about the glories of AI and how this “new” technology is going to revolutionize work and the way we live. And of course, the comments were doomsday-style warnings about how it’s going to kill freelancing. Here’s my thought about AI: AI…
Freelance Rates & Raises
Sometimes you go online and for some reason, you simply don’t expect to see the stupid shit people will say in public let alone the tangle that is their thought processes. I was on a writing forum yesterday when I saw what has to be some of the most absurd thinking I’ve seen in a…
Writers Worth: This Job, Not That Job
You know, someday I hope that the world will sort itself out and that freelancers will shun the crap that is posted on job boards. Alas, that is not happening today. Thanks to Paula Hendrickson, who shared this particularly ridiculous job listing that came to her via a friend. And while this one pays better…
Freelance, Not Employee: A Quick Guide
If you missed yesterday’s #FreelanceChat, you missed a good discussion on client boundaries. (Head over to Twitter and check it out.) It brought up a serious issue we freelancers have to deal with — how to know when a client is treating you like an employee. It’s certainly happened to me. One of those occasions…
Freelancing 2023: New Client or Waste of Time?
I love #FreelanceChat on Twitter. The topics are often solid and the discussion gets lively. (Every Thursday at noon ET.) In a recent open-mic chat, someone asked the question: How do you know when that client prospect is not going to hire you? That’s pretty important to know, right? Let’s look at this scenario and…
An AI Target or Irreplaceable: Which Freelancer Are You?
There’s a whole lot being written and discussed right now regarding ChatGPT and other AI applications. Either AI is going to wipe out millions of jobs or AI is going to be the next version of cryptocurrency — pretty hit-and-miss in terms of its value. No matter which camp you’re in, AI is going to…
5 Freelance Writing Biz Improvements
I was in conversation with a beginning freelancer a while ago when I realized that the writer was approaching her freelance writing business as if she were an employee. The signs were all there: Applying for jobs Treating networking like a sales pitch Looking for others to tell her what to do and how to…
Freelancing 2023: Are You Reading Your Client?
In conversation with a colleague the other day, we were discussing a situation in which a business person had introduced a controversial topic and then had continued to push the topic with someone they wanted to do business with who was clearly not interested. As my colleague had said, “They need to learn to read…
The Direct-Action Freelancer
I saw another tweet that echoed pretty much what I once believed — that persistence was the best tool for freelance writers to find new clients. I say I once believed that. Still do to some extent, but these days I know freelancers need more than just persistence to find and keep good clients. Notice…
Winning the Freelance v. Bot War
Anyone else tired of hearing how bots are going to wipe out freelancing? Chat GPT, BARD, whatever. None of that should be of concern to serious freelancers. While there is some truth to the rumor that bots could generate content successfully enough that some writers could be out of work soon, it’s not a done…