What I’m reading: Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie What I’m listening to: Die Like a Rich Boy by Frightened Rabbit Back. Back from a wet, chilly Scottish vacation that was wonderful in every way. Back to a hot, humid existence where my car suffered for the intense heat as it sat in…
4 Great Ways to Expand Your Freelance Business
Today we should be near Fort William or Glencoe. There’s a chance we’ll be back on the Isle of Skye, one of my favorite places. Doesn’t matter — the point is I probably won’t be around today. When I return this weekend, I’ll be thrust right back into work and right back into building up…
Your Do-it-Now, Kick-in-the-Ass Freelance Plan
Right about now, I’m in the western Highlands enjoying a wee hike or two. I may have delayed responses (where we’re staying tonight has no WiFi), but that doesn’t mean the conversation has to end. Talk among yourselves. Start with this: Five years ago, I wrote this post about helping other writers who were clearly…
4 Ways Writers Can Impress New Clients
My daughter was interviewing to hire an assistant recently, and her experience was eye-opening. She had two resumes in front of her — one was a young man whose college credentials were a match for the kind of job he’d be doing. On paper, he looked amazing. The other resume was that of a young man…
The (Updated) Freelancer’s BS Litmus Test
Back in 2010, I came up with what I call the BS Litmus Test. It’s a series of questions freelance writers can ask themselves when considering a new client or project. The goal when I wrote it was to get us freelancers to think deeper into the relationship and the project so that we make…
Planning Ahead: What to Do When Clients Disappear
I’m not around this week or next, but I’ve planned ahead. Apropos given the title of this new series, isn’t it? Please keep commenting. I may not be on the same continent, but I’m going to grab the WiFi where I can. I was going over my pre-trip plans the other week, trying to connect…
Free Advice Friday: Ways to Ruin Your Freelance Reputation
What I’m listening to: Black Yodel by J.D. Malone and the Experts Wow, what a week. I had a few things to do and I was thinking I’ll just cruise right into my vacation. Right. Yesterday, the work came in. Revisions on a big project will take up today. An article for another client has…
This Job, Not That Job
What I’m listening to: Good Grief by Bastille I love when my friends give me great ideas for a blog post. This one comes to us via Paula Hendrickson, who said “You’ll hate it so much, you’ll love it.” Yes, it’s that bad. Here is this month’s candidate for worst job ever. I’ve masked some…
7 Writing Roadblocks (and how to remove them)
What I’m listening to: Fix You by Coldplay Today starts a mini-marathon. In an attempt to get ahead of work so I can come home from vacation without stressing, I’m on a quest to write four small (750-word) articles by Friday. Fingers crossed. After having a great conversation on the phone last week with a…
New Scam Targeting Freelance Writers
What I’m listening to: 6th Avenue Heartache by The Wallflowers I want to bottle yesterday and drink from that thermos every day. I had allotted myself a week to finish four articles — I finished the third one yesterday. So now I have three days in which to finish the last one. That right there is…