One day, I was sitting at my desk, in front of a blank computer screen, trying to convince a creative thought to leap from my vacant mind, to my willing fingers, and onto the page. After much strain and effort, nothing was happening. The only thing I could do was walk away, which I what did.…
Did you know that your previous employers and established business relationships in your previous work experience can be mined to secure a steady stream of freelance income? …
Fifteen years ago, I picked up The Sports News, a new monthly wrap-up on sports activities in our Niagara Falls community, at the grocery store. Having been raised in a household with five active brothers, I am a sports fanatic. As I sat down with a coffee to read up on the different events, I noticed an ad stating the magazine was in need of a sports writer.…
At the beginning of my writing career, armed with a few publication credits, I convinced myself that it was the right time to take on higher paid publications. I eagerly scanned through magazine markets willing to pay top dollar. My eyes lit up whenever I came across listings that paid high rates ...…
I launched my freelance career by becoming a weekly newspaper columnist. My plan was to review the newest and best of children’s literature and feature accompanying tips for parents, teachers, and grandparents on how to instill the love of reading in children. As a ten-year teaching veteran, I wanted my column to provide our community with exposure to great books for children ...…
July, 2015 was my first month working as a paid writer and, by the end of that month, I had made $1,500, a billable rate of $40/hour ...…
How one author kept on schedule writing a new novel after placing a friendly wager with her husband!…
For years, I allowed hosting responsibilities for family birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions to sidetrack me from writing. As a mother of 3, and piano teacher to 25, the needs of my family and regular paycheck always came first, and my writing? Dead last ...…
Writing has been in my blood from the day my Honors English teacher gave me an A- on my final paper. Up until that moment, I thought I was going to fail the class, never graduate, and my mother would have my head. I did graduate and went on my merry way, living a life full of twists and turns. Subsequently, I wound up putting my writing career on the back burner. When my position at Microsoft was off-shored in 2008 ...…
Earlier this year, I was able to speak with the owner of Christian Cinema Productions and I was offered an opportunity to write a novel for a feature film scheduled to be released next year ...…
It's important for freelance writers to have cheering sections - supportive parents, spouses, children, friends or fellow writers. But, it's even more important for a freelancer to be his or her own biggest cheerleader. Doubts, stumbling blocks, and perceived failures abound in a writer's life so the ability to bolster one's spirits and get on with the work at hand is paramount to long-term success.…
Juggling a freelancing career with three youngsters underfoot challenged my creativity, and tightened my writing chops. It also strengthened my parenting skills in five significant ways.…
Not all of us who make a living freelance writing do so exclusively, including myself. Yet those traditional jobs can also be a golden opportunity to utilize the skills you've learned while freelancing.…
If you're reading this article, you are a freelance writer who had the chops to make it through the recession and still be doing this work. So how do we now go from 'surviving' to 'thriving'?…
Diversify, diversify, diversify! Anyone with an investment portfolio knows this is wise advice. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, we are told. A good idea for investors perhaps, yet does this sage counsel apply to writers as well? In my experience, the answer is 'not necessarily.'…
In the final year of my graduate Written Communications program, I was writing the first draft of my memoir about raising three children with autism. I worked the special education discussion groups on LinkedIn to build up my platform. In one of these discussions, a parent "expert" with a chip on his shoulder kept haranguing a guy with a doctorate - a real expert in special education. On a whim, I sent Dr. Lauer an encouraging private message. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!…
I am a millennial and I believe in the power of old-fashioned networking... …
I was visiting my elderly neighbor, Agnes, when she handed me a copy of a regional magazine that I was unfamiliar with. She had picked up the free publication at the local hobby store. Agnes was aware that I was a published author. "I thought you might be able to write stories for them," she said with a smile. Her granddaughter was visiting with us. "Oh, Grandma," she scolded. "A free publication is not going to pay writers." But, I had no idea if that was true... …
Last year around this time, my family was facing a crisis... …
Do you write for children? I know a market that could pay you for years... …
The freelance road is an exciting, albeit rocky one. To achieve the goal of publication, you have to be dogged, polite, tough skinned and tenacious. I always wanted to write, but was an environmental scientist in my day-to-day career. So, how did a biologist end up with several freelance writing gigs, enough to keep me busy during my retirement days? …
I was a bit skeptical of the idea of selling books at art fairs even though the idea was mine. But, I have been willing to step out of the box in order to sell my novel, Out of the Shadows. As it turned out having a little booth at art fairs has been profitable, and I sell more books than I have at book signings at Barnes and Nobles or independent bookstores. …
At some point, all freelancers experience brain-drain. The creative challenge of brewing and executing fresh ideas, coupled with other daily demands - children, grandchildren, aging parents, health issues - can lead to sensory overload and burnout. How can creativity thrive when it's buried beneath the worries of the world? Getting down to work when you're already ëdown' can be intensely stressful. That's when a 'possibilities folder,' thoughtfully prepared ahead of time, can be a lifesaver.…
Most of my life I've worked in high powered executive jobs. Power dressing, power speaking and power working - all of which came with a powerful lot of stress. I was in my mid thirties, sitting in another corporate office, beavering away for a six-figure salary I was never going to have the time to enjoy. I wanted freedom, freedom like I'd never had. Freedom from the grind of daily life, freedom from slaving away to pay the bills and, most of all, freedom to enjoy some of my time before I completely ran out of time to enjoy! …
Recently, my home Internet service was out for three days. When my teenage children awoke and discovered this travesty of justice, they joked that they may as well go back to bed. I wasn't happy about it, either. After all, I'm a writer, and I need the Internet to work... …
Sure, it sounds backwards. The success did not involve getting an assignment, but rather avoiding a labor-intensive pitch process that would not yield an assignment for me, or any other sane, competent writer. And, I was instead able to use that time for queries and networking that did yield paying work. …
Writers are taught to write what they know, and read and write voraciously every day. But 'what I know' has limits, and - much as I love to read and write - given life's many other responsibilities, sometimes I just want to close my book, turn off the computer, and turn on the TV... …
The day finally arrived. My polished non-fiction book proposal needed a royalty publisher. There was more than one direction my proposed manuscript could go, and I wanted to secure a publisher before completing the book so I could adapt to that publisher's style. Somewhere I'd heard the idea of hunting through specialty bookstores and book catalogues for newer or unlisted publishers. The idea was to search for titles that didn't compete, but were similar enough in topic that your own title would complement their list. But I didn't start out looking for a publisher that way. You might say I went around the barn... …
Do what you love, and the money will come, right? Yes, but WritersWeekly wants to help show you where the money is now. I'm here to help share exactly what's been working for me... …
Going through computer files is kind of like spring cleaning. You work hard, get carried away by little things, and find some long forgotten treasures. In my case, old writings. It's fascinating to see what my writing was like a few years ago, even a few months age. I love to compare and contrast, seeing how I have evolved as a writer... …
You've written a great article, and can't wait to submit it. But hold on: Have you proofread it meticulously? Writers are most vulnerable to mistakes when in love with their work and, in this fast-paced world where briefly scanning text is commonplace (think emails), it's easy to read quickly, and overlook details. So how can you proofread more effectively? …
When a chance to blog regularly for a respected education site fell into my lap, I realized how nice it is to have a steady income stream instead of having to hustle for every piece. I took it for granted for two lovely years but made the mistake of not realizing that all good things must come to an end. When the gig ended, I was left with experience, confidence, lots of clips, and no long term backup client. Yikes... …
As a freelance writer, I often feel like a contestant on my favorite reality show: Survivor. With the publishing industry changing at warp speed, creative flexibility is essential for long-term survival. Utilizing the Survivor mindset - "outwit, outplay, outlast" - I've accrued more than 200 published credits, and kept those paychecks coming... …
