My friend related this story to me a while ago. It bears repeating. She was driving home from her sister’s and was within a mile of her house when she saw the lights flashing behind her. She pulled over, trying to figure out what she’d done wrong. The officer approached her car window and asked…
6 Revealing Freelance F-Ups
Ah, December. A time in which you’re either refreshing your email constantly looking for client work or so busy you forget to wrap presents. Or buy them. No matter what camp you’re in this year, let’s start December with some fun facts. Freelance tells, let’s call them. Observations from some of the shit that’s been…
Freelance Files: Is This Freelance Client Worth It?
Welcome to a new series on the blog. No matter where you are in your freelance writing career, you’re going to come across a client that seems like a great find on the surface. Dig underneath, however …. I hope with this series, we’ll be better equipped to vet clients — even existing clients —…
One Preemptive Move to Reduce Freelance Client Friction
Quite a few years ago, I had this client. She handed me an unwieldy project every year and paid me well to tackle it. What she didn’t pay me for was the barrage of emails she sent. Each time she thought of something, she’d send an email. When you’re receiving and answering about 12 emails…
Taking the “Gig” Out of Freelancing
It’s 2022. Do you know where your freelance writing career is? I’ll tell you where it isn’t — in the gig economy. You, my writerly friend, are not a gig worker. Ah, but far too many people writing far too many articles on gig workers tend to lump professional writers (you know, you) in with the…
3 Steps to Winning Freelance Client Work
I’m a Hidden Brain junkie. No surprise then that this idea comes from a Hidden Brain podcast. The episode talked about hidden obstacles: why consumers don’t buy, why people aren’t convinced of facts, etc. It’s all about friction. More to the point, it’s about removing friction. Friction is that thing that stops you from acting….
Freelance Ethical Boundaries (and how to spot attempts to cross them)
Not long ago, I had a conversation with a potential client at a trade show. The prospect was indicating a strong need for my services, and he promised to call me the following week. When that call came, I was prepared. Since the prospect had told me his needs — thought leadership articles — I…
The Biggest Freelance Myth of All Time
Know what I saw the other day? I saw a tweet by someone hiring writers. WriterS — plural. The ad went like this: UX Writer – Up to $35/Hr Copywriter (Health Science) – $25-$29/hr Movie/News Writer – …. The list went on, but the first two listings tell you everything you need to know about…
Finding Freelance Work: How NOT to Do It
This post is a lot like my This Job Not That Job posts. Only difference is that the offender — and ironically, the victim — is none other than the freelance writer. How many times have we seen it? How many times have I blogged about it? (Hint: several times. Several. Times.) How many times…
1 Strategy for Freelance Cover Letters That Don’t Say, “I can write anything”
Holy hell. It’s September. How did that happen? More to the point, how are you situated for ramping up your freelance writing business? Have you been good about marketing all summer, staying in touch with current clients, and reaching out to network with those would-be clients? If not, fear not. While it’s not ideal timing…