During college, I wrote for free. I didn’t realize I could be compensated so early on in my writing career. Once I graduated last summer, I committed to getting paid for my writing. That’s when I officially started my career as a freelance writer. But I gradually...
Recently, while visiting family, I contracted a bad case of suburban ennui. I was desperate to connect with people who care about what I care most about: Reading and writing literary work. So I set off to meet two online writer friends I admired and enjoyed; they were...
So you’ve started a blog. Congratulations! You’ve joined roughly 74 million others, and that’s just counting those who use WordPress. (If you still haven’t started a blog, we highly recommend heading over to Bluehost to set one up right now!) Many people believe...
Are you in need of a writing mentor to support you and your writing? Sign up for The Future Is Red’s 2016 Women’s Writing Birthday Exchange! Whether you’re a beginner looking to answers to basic questions or a frequently-published writer with years of...
A new writer recently asked me, “When you have several half-finished projects, how do you choose which one to start working on again? I look at my writing folder and feel overwhelmed!” I know the feeling. One of the most frustrating things about being a...
Football players practice ballet. Pianists repeat small sections of music until it’s perfect. In Outliers, it’s called “putting in your 10,000 hours.” In The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle names it “deep practice,” small exercises that are both challenging and repetitive....
While first-person pieces can provide a valuable personal perspective, sooner or later, you’re going to need to find sources for some of your articles. And sometimes finding helpful sources can be tough. Whether you need to find a barber or an astronaut, there...
I didn’t work with an account the first time I went freelance. Back then, I made a quarter of what I do now, so I figured I couldn’t afford one. I assumed hiring an accountant was a luxury I wasn’t quite ready for. On the contrary, an accountant is a freelancing...
The holy grail of guest blogging is not writing for a popular blog. It’s writing a popular post for a popular blog. One that gets mentioned, shared, and retweeted. One that sends you traffic and earns you subscribers. The best part? It opens the door to a new...
Going into an interview can be terrifying, whether you’re dialing a phone or walking into the room where you’re meeting in person. But interviewing sources doesn’t have to be intimidating. Whether you’re looking to build a good rapport to write...
