Freelance Favors For Friends

Published on November 29, 2006

I wanted to comment on last week's letter to the editor from Kevin Murphy. I want to tell Mr. Murphy that he has hit the nail on the head, to use a cliche, because that attitude of "anyone can write" is one I've encountered over and over during the last 20 years that I've been a professional writer/reporter. It's so infuriating because, as the astute Mr. Murphy states, plumbers, doctors and lawyers don't have to put up with that kind of ridiculous attitude when plying their trades. …

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 …

Letters To The Editor For November 8th

Published on November 8, 2006

This Week:

• Press Releases Are Boring - News Is Not
• Please Don't Offer To Write Articles For A Measly $2!
• You Helped Me Start Over Again
• Kudos

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 …

Letters To The Editor For October 18th

Published on October 18, 2006

This Week:

• Malicious Reviews On Amazon
• Just Doin' Our Job...

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 …

Letters To The Editor For September 27th

Published on September 27, 2006

This Week:

• Avoiding Costly Fulfillment Mistakes
• Angela Just Pre-Ordered This Book!

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. …

Letters To The Editor For September 6th

Published on September 6, 2006

This Week:

• Writers Should Be Cautious About Revealing Their Contact Info Online
• WritersWeekly Whispers and Warnings

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 16th

Published on August 16, 2006

This Week:

• Query Upside-Down for the Trades
• SideStepping Traditional Publishers: Why So Many Authors Choose to Self-Publish
• Traditionally-Published Author Weighs In
• A Journalist Weighs In
• Another Self-Published Booklocker.com Author Lands Traditional Contract

Letters To The Editor For August 9th

Published on August 9, 2006

This Week:

• Chapstick (R) Butt Balm
• Creative Client Cons

Copywriting Course?

Published on July 26, 2006

Regarding the question about copywriting courses posted last week: Hi, Ang. I'm a senior copywriter at a very large international nonprofit organization. I've won a lot of awards; so suffice it to say that I know the business. With that in mind, I would caution your readers to be VERY leery of signing up for any of those courses unless you find one that charges $200 to $300 instead of the usual exorbitant fees (and, even better, one that's offered by a local college). For one thing, getting freelance copywriting projects (not to mention earning a living as a freelance copywriter) is a lot harder than it sounds. No matter how good you are, you have to market yourself incessantly until you've acquired steady clients (and even then, you have to keep doing it, as you'll lose clients from time to time). So, if you shell out $1,500 - $2,000, you'd better not do it on a maxed-out credit card or expect to recoup that money in a few months. Unless you're a truly gifted copywriter AND an outstanding marketer, it just won't happen. Carol --- Angela, Thanks for affirming my gut reaction--that 'get-rich-quick' doesn't come cheap or easy no matter how much I'd like it to. J. …

Letters To The Editor For July 19th

Published on July 19, 2006

Letters will return next week. …

Angela’s Happy This Didn’t Happen To Her!

Published on June 28, 2006

Angela, I went 5, count them, 5 weeks past my due date. I blew up like Buddha, I couldn't reach the bottom of my sinks , they were rather deep, unless I turned sideways and I had to eat in a big chair balancing my plate on my stomach. Believe it or not, this too will pass. Peace and Love, Louise …

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. …

Letters To The Editor For June 7th

Published on June 7, 2006

This Week:

• Writing From Home After Bab
• Mara's Cookbook Course

Letters To The Editor For May 31st

Published on May 31, 2006

Letters will return next week. …