You’ve just landed a job as a content writer . . . for an industry you have absolutely zero background in. You’re a beginner, and this is a great job, your best so far: $100 for 800 words. You’ve gotta make it. There is no way you’re about to mess this up. What now?...
Working as a freelancer can sometimes feel like you’re an explorer, always on a quest for greatness — or at least a steady paycheck. But without a band of Argonauts, you’re alone, trying to figure out if you’ve found the golden fleece on the horizon or just...
How often do you ask for what you want from clients, whether it’s an extra assignment or a rate increase? This month, asking for extra work helped take my income to $6,500, my highest ever. Here’s the roundup for August. This month, it’s impressive: Completed Pieces:...
Books do a lot for people — they educate, they entertain and they help us understand ourselves and our world. What if books could do a little bit more? That’s what the team behind the Drinkable Book hopes to achieve with a new book designed to act not only as a...
When you first set out to freelance on the side, everything looked great. You already had a steady full-time job, so making extra cash on the side would be a breeze. After all, what’s another five to 10 hours in your weekly schedule? At least, that’s what I thought...
Your phone alarm buzzes on the bedside table. 6:30 a.m. Before you get out of bed, let’s freeze frame right there. What are you about to do? If you’re like everyone else, you’re dreading the day ahead. You think how mind-numbingly boring work’s going to be. Then you...
My wife suffered headaches and red eyes after hours in front of her computer working on a poetry book. So a few weeks ago, she bought tinted computer glasses that are supposed to ease eye strain. They seemed to cut the glare, but I notice she isn’t wearing them...
When I get frustrating news from my literary agent, and then I see famous writers I admire tweeting about their successful careers, it can make me feel bad. Likewise when I haven’t had a productive writing day, and I notice writers chatting away in a Facebook writing...
When I first started teaching writing more than 20 years ago, I was excited to have my college students participate in what was then a newfangled idea: a writing workshop. What a wonderful concept, I thought. Have new writers share their works in progress with each...
One of the most draining projects on most freelance writers’ to-do lists: pitching. I don’t know about you, but it’s exhausting to constantly think about the next story idea, the next pitch, the next contact — and the next rejection. That’s why 80 percent of my...
