Working writers can’t always wait to be inspired. Deadlines aren’t that patient. But if you let it, lightening can strike. You could be anywhere: a steamy shower, a long walk, falling asleep, in the middle of the night. And wham, there it is, the lead you’ve been searching for. The perfect structure for that feature […]
8 things freelancers absolutely, positively need to do before going on vacation
I leave for a much needed week’s vacation in four days. It’s easy to tell I’m wrapping up business before a getaway because (a) I’m writing like a mad person to make a deadline, (b) the office, house and car are disaster areas as I focus on getting work done before I leave, and (c) […]
Freelancers need to pursue grants, scholarships, fellowships
Flipping through the latest issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, I saw an ad for the annual Kaiser Media Fellowships in Health. Six of the nine journalists and documentary filmmakers who received this year’s awards were freelancers or independent film producers. That in and of itself is cause to stand up and cheer. It underscores […]
Social network overload and why I don't do Twitter
I’m on LinkedIn. I joined Facebook a while back, and Del.icio.us and Technorati. I’m on my favorite message board for freelancers at least a dozen times a day. But I can’t do Twitter. At least not yet. There’s only so many hours one person can devote to online social networks, and only so many social […]
Around the Web: LA Times layoffs, favorite magazines, fewer analysts
Tidbits on the news and publishing business from the past week: Life after layoffs – The Los Angeles Times announced last week it is cutting 150 newsroom jobs. It didn’t take long for lists of who’s leaving to appear on news industry blogs, including Tell Zell, and Ricochet, Chrys Wu’s blog for online news practitioners. […]
Story round up: cookies, encryption, organizing gadgets and more
Do you know how to look for the cookies that get left on your computer’s hard drive after you visit some Web sites? Do you worry about sending sensitive documents – like book manuscripts – to editors through an ordinary email attachment? Do you have trouble keeping track of all the electronic gear, chargers and […]