Tweet While I’m hardly one to call myself a success (unlike this couple), I have picked up a few learn-as-you-go tips that have seriously change my career and my life. To be honest, my freelancing career started without any preparation, focus or long-term planning. I basically decided one day that it was time to stop waiting for my life to happen and start living it. Although it’s been a rocky road, I have never had trouble finding a writing gig (*knock on wood) and have succeeded in getting bigger and better jobs throughout my career. I must have done something…
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Tweet When I first started telling people I was going to quit my full-time job and go freelance, I think they heard “rogue” instead. It’s as if I just announced I was going to make a living making balloon animals or shooting to outer space. It’s hard to explain their expression-a mix of disbelief, pity and maybe even undertones of resentment. I initially chalked it up to my own insecurities. Maybe they thought I wasn’t good enough or that I was just being Brandi-you know irresponsible, only child syndrome. What they said was things like: You can’t be a writer.…
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Tweet Okay, I’ve been keeping a secret for WAY too long. It’s been eating me up inside… But I think I can finally share at least one of them. Here’s what it’s not… I didn’t write a book. {Though I hope one day I can reveal a secret like that one.} I’m not quitting freelancing. I don’t have a TV or a book deal. {In my dreams, lol.} I didn’t get an article in Real Simple or Whole Living {Another few I would go crazy happy for.} I didn’t win an award for my writing. {Aw shucks, this is getting…
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Tweet Ever wonder what it would be like to take that next step in your career, to jump into unknown waters or dip your toes into the freelancing world? If you’re thinking of taking the leap from 9 to 5 to the freedom of freelancing, you’ll love reading this full-time associate editor true story of how freelancing went from “some day” to right now. by guest blogger: Melissa Breau A lot of people think I’m crazy. Just a few weeks ago I was working a full time job as an associate editor at a business-to-business magazine in New York City. I liked…
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Tweet It could be a fad or maybe I’m just more aware of it now. But does it seem like everybody and their brother are trying to sell you something? Here’s my guilty confession. Every morning when I open my email, there is usually about 90 spammy emails staring back at me. Except Google can’t catch the spammers I actually subscribe to. I understand that everyone has to make money. And I bet a lot of those people are selling really good things. In fact, I would be lying if I said I hadn’t invested in a few. But when…
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Tweet {flickr photo by: khaybe} Just last week I read an author’s tweet about her lackluster review on a movie based on her book. And several weeks before that, a writer expressed her frustrating over feedback from an article she wrote. Bad reviews are a part of life. They can happen whether you are a writer, entrepreneur or a 9 to 5 employee. I certainly have had my fair share. But what do you do about them? {Besides run under the covers and hide.} Basically, you have 3 options: a) Sulk b) Quit c) Suck it up I’d opt for the…
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Tweet {flickr photo by: iamyung} Your schedule is already book for the rest of the month. You get to just 3 out of 10 goals you have for the week. You find yourself using the weekend to catch up on all of the work that you didn’t finish on the weekdays. Does that sound like you? You may be busy, but that busyness may have nothing to do with having a productive business. In fact, you may be filling time with unnecessary tasks that are hurting instead of helping your business. I was writing a post over at my other blog…
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Tweet {flickr photo by: stevendepolo} The Dreaded Phone Interview The time is ticking and you’re about to chew every single one of your fingernails in anticipation of that upcoming phone call. It could be a call to your editor, potential client or for a job interview. But whoever it is and whatever it is for, one thing is certain. Talking on the phone is a whole different medium than in person or via email. To be honest, I would prefer both over the dreaded phone call. In emails, my words come out effortlessly. There are no “uh” or “um” in writing and if they were…
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Tweet {flickr photo by: CosmoPolitician} A Boot Camp Success Story This weekend drained me. Instead of biking or catching up on my reading, I did something insanely crazy. I signed for a weekend boot camp. And no this one did not consist of me dropping down and giving anyone 20. I signed for a writer’s boot camp. What I Learned from a Freelance Writing Boot Camp On top of the fact that 5 hours a day learning about making money from freelance writing is tiring, but not as boring as you’d think, I learned something life changing. The thing that I…
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Tweet {flickr photo by Scrunchleface} I have to admit I am probably one of the last people to get on the niche bandwagon. I knew finding a specialty in business was important. But I just could not get my head around it. And then one afternoon while I was driving home, I realized why finding a niche was so hard for me. Maybe if you read this, you will get that “aha” moment too. What’s a Niche? First of all, what’s a niche (pronounced neesh or nich) anyway? In number 3 of its definitions, Dictionary.com defines it as “a distinct segment of a market.” It’s…