Are you a woman journalist who’s dreamed of doing a start up but doesn’t have the $$$? J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism and the McCormick Tribune Foundation are giving $10,000 to three women-led journalism start ups. Projects have to related to the news business and winners have to blog about their first year getting […]
10 Basic Web Tools for Freelancers
My workday would not be the same without the Web-based tools I use for research and writing. The good part is they’re simple. I may be a tech writer, but as my husband will attest, I an not an early adopter. Whether it’s a computer, software program or cell phone, I stick with the tried […]
Keyboard Yoga
Writing and yoga have a lot in common. To write or practice yoga, you have to tune everything else out so you can be in the moment. Writing and yoga require practice to maintain a certain level of skill – years of practice to be really good. You could argue, though, that students of writing […]
One Writer's Journey From Print to Online News
How does someone go from mild-mannered print writer to multimedia maven? It’s the question of the day given the direction the U.S. publishing industry is taking – and if you’re not asking it, you should be. That goes for freelancers as well as staff writers. To shed some light on reporting and writing in the […]
Taking My Own Advice on Beating Bad Times
It happened. Earlier this week, the editor of a magazine I’ve been writing for told me she can’t buy more freelance pieces until summer because of budget cuts. It’s the first time in years that economic cutbacks have directly affected my business. It’s also bad news because I’d just pitched a story I thought was […]
Freelancers' Strategies for Prospering in Bad Times
I recently shared a marketing expert’s advice for freelancer writers and other self-employed creative types to stay happy and solvent during shaky economic times. His suggestions boiled down to a few simple maxims: cultivate existing client relationships, specialize, learn new skills and network. Reality check time. Do freelancers heed such advice? Or do they use […]