Freelance Favors for Friends

Published on November 22, 2006

Good job with your response to that email! I totally agree with you. Dawn wasn't being selfish - she is just being smart by not letting her friends run all over her, and by recognizing that friends who would take advantage of her aren't real friends at all. Katharine S. Leppert https://www.katharineswan.com ---- Hi Angela, I loved your response to Lisa in the Freelancing for Friends debate in your November 15 newsletter. You made perfect sense to me -- as you said, "friends" who continually impose on your time and talents are not really friends. You don't owe them anything for free -- occasionally is fine, but constantly never. Thanks for a great newsletter. I look forward to it every week, and always get so much "free" inspiration from it. :-) Hugs to you and all the family, John ---- Hi, Angela, I tuned in on the 'Freelance Favors Debate' this week--a bit late, perhaps, but still worthy of additional comment. I believe that the entire discussion highlights a subtle problem that bedevils all writers--the 'Anyone can write, but not anyone can be a plumber [doctor, lawyer, astronaut, etc.] syndrome. I first encountered it eons ago, in a different skill area. In undergraduate school, I majored in Speech (with a theater emphasis). People--mostly lay people who may or may not have finished high school--generally spoke mockingly of that fact when it was revealed (only under their interrogation) that I was majoring in that esoteric field: 'We're born able to speak--you have to go to college to learn that?!?' I believe that writing as a profession is seen in the same light -- unless we happen to be Tom Clancy, Stephen King, or some equivalent big name ('big' usually being measured, of course, in megabucks). Journeyman writers who have no big name visibility are like speech majors--anyone can do that, so what's the big deal? I'm just asking you to write my resume (thesis, job proposal, publicity release, whatever) because you do stuff like that all the time, so it'll be faster for you. Of course I could do it, but I have real work to do...' My experience, too, has been that it's never friends who ask me to do such things but, rather, acquaintances who have just recently met me and see a sap to be used to cover their own weaknesses. The last time I had such an experience, I simply told the person my estimate of the cost of that work, because I AM a professional writer. Never heard from her again. There are times when I will work for free. I'll do it for community projects that my wife and I undertake within our own neighborhood, where there is no organization, and no budget, but a good cause. And, of course, I will work for a family member--which usually involves editing a reasonably well-written work just to ensure that no obvious errors have been overlooked (and I can always count on them to do the same for me). But I will not work for exploiters. My plumber (and it is a good company) charges me to come out, whether there is a serious problem or not. Regards, Kevin Murphy Author: Degrees of Murder: https://www.booklocker.com/books/292.html Something Bright and Alien: https://www.booklocker.com/books/85.html Unfriendly Fire: based on the "1937 Memorial Day Massacre" at Republic Steel Company, Chicago--available from author Web Archive: https://homepage.mac.com/kevinmurphy1532/iblog/index.html …

From Unpublishable To Profitable

Published on November 1, 2006

I enjoyed this article. It was well written and gave me an idea. If she can do it, I can too. I thought about e-books and believe that they are marketable, but how much? I'm also going to have to purchase her e-book. Thanks for publishing articles like this. It gives writers like me ideas. Larry Sells https://www.ljsbooksandthings.com …

PSTD, Anxiety, et. al.

Published on October 11, 2006

I know people with a lot less on their plates who are anxiety-ridden and depressed! Despite all you've been through, you manage to write about it concisely and in a fashion that's certain to help others. You're a caring, giving, valuable person not just to your immediate family but to your larger family of fans and writers. Those of us in the latter group are glad you're taking care of yourself. Soon life will brighten and you'll feel yourself again. Meanwhile, we're out here cheering for you. By the way, the John Borchardt article is the best I've read on the subject of white papers. Thank you for a wonderful publication. All the very best, Paulette …

Ask For More Money!

Published on September 20, 2006

Dear Angela, After writing four features in a row for an international women's glossy, and about to get started on my fifth, I got up the nerve to ask for more money using quotes I plucked from Melanie Bowden's article, Always, Always, Always Ask for More Money, which appeared on WritersWeekly.com on November 17, 2004. And guess what? They said yes. Just like that. Thanks, again, for all the advice and support and courage your website offers us freelancers. Best, K. …

Marketing Bootcamp for Writers

Published on August 30, 2006

Hey, Ang -- I recently completed the Marketing Bootcamp for Writers course given by Sonya Carmichael Jones. I would like to express to you how very beyond satisfied I was with the exercise, but fear I will run out of superlatives. The material was excellent; it seemed to distill the very best of what other books and courses might offer, plus some of Sonya's unique takes. It's dense going, with a lot to chew over. But ultimately very nourishing to the writerly ego, as one begins to learn one has more valuable assets than previously imagined. And her advice on how to present oneself in a way the market will appreciate is always dead on, pure caviar even. My only regret is that I did not stumble upon this course earlier in my career. It has proven of incredible value. I've been floundering for some time, wondering exactly how to pitch my services. By Week Five, I had a new tag line, elevator pitch and company name ready to go! Sonya is a gem, an amazingly savvy and insightful teacher/coach. Smart as a whip, and with a high level of self-discipline that's very inspiring. She has a way of presenting material so that you can't help but get something out of it. And of putting you on the right track with gentle firmness. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to both beginning and intermediate writers. Maybe even tough ol' pros would benefit! Thanks for providing this great opportunity. With best wishes, Susan Kelly …

Letters To The Editor For August 9th

Published on August 9, 2006

This Week:

• Chapstick (R) Butt Balm
• Creative Client Cons

Letters To The Editor For July 19th

Published on July 19, 2006

Letters will return next week. …

My Email Was Hijacked…

Published on June 21, 2006

A fluke occurred a few days ago. Someone sent my friend a bunch of Spam, using MY email address, and he notified me immediately. …