It’s not uncommon for everyone, at some point in his career, to get to the point where he feels as though he’s overworked and underpaid. The real truth, however, is that most of the people who complain about being overworked really aren’t. They feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to get work done, but in truth they’re really not focused on the tasks at hand. …Continue Reading Overworked and Underpaid? Not Likely…
“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ” I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with, or have at least heard of, Newton’s laws of motion. But we’re not here to talk about motion. We’re talking about writing. So what’s my point?
For every action you take as a writer you create the potential for a reaction. Every word you write will spark some sort of emotion in your reader and, in some, those emotions may spiral into some sort of action. As a freelance writer you need to remain professional at all times - even if your writing focuses on controversial topics.
So why do I bring this up? Because social networking, blogging, and related venues, while they open you up to a world of opportunity, may also open you up to a world of confusion and turmoil. Case in point: the controversy between careerist Penelope Trunk and her now arch rival David Dellifield (if he even knows he’s the subject of such attention).
…Continue Reading Penelope vs. David: Taking Responsibility for Yourself
While working as a full-time freelancer has it’s benefits and perks, one thing that gets most new writers in trouble is the idea that they have the freedom to work whatever hours they want.
I hate to burst your bubble, but this idea is part truth, part myth.
The real deal goes something like this. You can do your work whenever you like, but your clients will likely expect you to be available during “regular business hours” to answer emails or phone calls regarding their projects. If you’re on the beach every day and writing every evening you may miss out on some important opportunities for communication.
That’s not to say you can’t work whatever schedule you wish. You do, however, need to be prepared for some challenges. When I first started out I had a very difficult time establishing a “routine” - another thing most new freelancers think they’ll get to eliminate from their lives. …Continue Reading Planning Your Freelance Work
As a freelance writer you should always be on the lookout for things you can use to supplement your income. This means blogging, selling advertisements, affiliate marketing, or something completely unreleated to writing.
The problem that most of us have, however, is not in writing itself but in deciding what niche we want to write about. I know that for me, finding the niche is much more work than writing once I have made up my mind.
Today I thought I’d share a list of 10 niches that tend to be pretty popular online. You can use these as a springboard to find specific niches (they are all pretty general), to find products and services to market online, or to blog. It’s up to you if you decide to try any of them or not. …Continue Reading 10 Cool Niches You Should Consider
It’s completely normal, especially if you’re just starting out, to have a day or two (or week, or month) where you really question yourself and your abilities. Maybe you’re not meeting your goals. Maybe you simply have writers block. Whatever the reason, I think it’s important to remember that results and success aren’t instant and, to be cliche “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Anyway, on the bulletin board hanging on the wall next to my desk I have some clippings with inspirational thoughts and phrases and I added a new one the other day. I was having a conversation with my friend Tony from Flashes in the Dark and he said something that really made me feel better about the current state of my writing at that moment. …Continue Reading Remember This: Inspiration for Writers
As a new freelance writer you’re going to find yourself in a series of new situations that you may or may not know how to handle. It’s easy to handle a few new jobs here and there, but when you’re focusing on writing full-time you’re going to have to pay a lot more attention to detail.
I had a difficult time in my first couple of months as a full-time writer. I thought I was organized and quickly found that I had to strengthen those skills even more. Here are some things to keep in mind: …Continue Reading Mistakes New Freelancers Make
As a new freelance writer you’ll need to make a few investments to ensure you have the proper equipment to move forward in your career. Unfortunately, there are a few areas in which you’ll find that cutting back to save money will do nothing but cost you more money in the end.
For example, when I first set up my home office it was designed to be just that - a home office where I could browse the internet, pay my bills, and work on a few small projects. When I turned that home office into a home business environment things needed to change.
My desktop computer became my lifeline. Instead of running one monitor I now have a dual-monitor setup. If you’re constantly reading, researching, and printing things just so you can see them while you write this could be a great investment. …Continue Reading When Saving Money isn’t Worth the Effort