It’s one thing to be desperate for work. It’s another to act like it. You may have just lost a big client, or even more than one, so you’re scrambling to add some new writing assignments to your calendar. You send out letters of introduction and query like crazy. A few nibbles come in as […]
Why ex-staff writers make good trade magazine freelancers
I’m guest blogging today at the American Society of Business Publication Editors blog. The ASBPE is the professional association for editors and writers in the business, trade and specialty press. The subject: why former magazine and newspaper staff writers have all the right stuff for a successful transition into freelancing for business publications. Read the […]
Writing for free is not a business model
You see them every week on Craigslist, help wanted ads from publishers or Websites that need writers but can’t afford to pay – but you’ll get clips and the exposure will be great! And yet – I’ve never met a grocery store, credit card company or mortgage company that accepted “exposure” as payment. More information […]
Sometimes all it takes to get a writing gig is saying 'I can do that'
Sometimes all it takes to get a writing gig is saying ‘I can do that.’ That’s what New Jersey freelancer Jen Miller discovered when she pitched a World Series story to the sports section of the New York Times – and then another, and another. Miller doesn’t normally cover sports. But she’s a Phillies fan […]
4 ways to bring good karma to your freelance writing business
I’m a strong believer in good karma. Blame it on the nuns who taught me in elementary school. It may sound mushy, but I believe you can do well by doing good. So I’m happy to throw a little good karma into the universe and share if it helps other writers. Don’t get me wrong. […]
Freelancers find creative ways to save, grow during bad times
It’s one thing to read a laundry list of actions that freelance writers could take to keep their writing business afloat during the current weak economy, which has hit the publishing industry especially hard. It’s another thing to read what people are actually doing. Here’s first-person advice from a handful of freelancers who answered a […]