Tweet I went to a new writer’s group last weekend. I was on a hunt to find like-minded folk locally and decided that since it was 2010, it was about time. Though I was full of gusto and excitement of meeting new writing peeps, the group left a lot to be desired. The two guys who showed up were really nice and all and all I felt comfortable and supported, but it just wasn’t a good fit. The one thing that stayed with me was something one of the members said. He commented that a lot of poetry was “self-absorbed.”…
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Tweet Last year I sent out a flurry of queries and a couple completed manuscripts. I worked like crazy to reach that impossible, unattainable dream-to get published in a well-known magazine. And here’s what happened: No, I didn’t get into Glamour or O magazines. A prayer wasn’t answered. A miracle was yet to be seen. Instead, last year’s queries were answered by this year’s, “I’m sorry your idea doesn’t fit with the current needs of the magazine.” After listening to my heart shatter for a few minutes, I put myself back together like Humpty Dumpty. I realized that one rejecting…
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Tweet Photo by striatic Have you ever had a bad haircut? I’m sure we’ve all had them. As for me, I’m like TLC’s Duggarts, I’m on my fifth and counting. The thing my husband always says after I get back from another disappointing hairdo is, “I don’t get it. You tell them exactly what you want and they never do it the way you want.” “Hmm,” I thought. There’s a bit of wisdom in there somewhere. The more I pondered, the more I saw that there was a similarity between bad haircuts and bad business.
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Tweet Photo by: Wit Freelance writing is kind of like fishing. There’s a lot of waiting involved. You throw out the bait, wait for a bite and then get ready for the fight. However, instead of thumb twiddling or going to the opposite extreme and getting unnecessarily busy (online shopping or applying for jobs like crazy, for example), this may be a good time to get yourself organized and prepared for the next bite. Here are a few productive things to do while you’re waiting for your next big project:
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Tweet I was talking with a fellow writer the other day and then it hit me. We were both striving for the same thing-to make a living as a freelance writer. But we had very different ways of reaching our goal. For me, business is a lot slower. I really want to focus on magazine and newspaper writing but the process is a lot longer than other writing gigs. There’s querying, waiting, writing and then waiting again. To make up for it, I do have a few clients that I do copywriting for. But even with that, I’m still a…
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Tweet photo by: Tomm (hmm at Rosa tint) Over the past 3 months I’ve learned more as a freelance writer, than I ever did working in a cubicle. Learning things that I’m passionate about is fun and so I’ve been absorbing everything around me, attempting to learn as much about the freelance writing world as I can. From months of reading, writing and learning, I’ve compiled a list of resources that has helped me and will hopefully help you, get a head-start on becoming a successful freelance writer.
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Tweet photo by: brykmantra During my short stint at a private investigator, I had the opportunity to face my fears. I was afraid of a lot of things, but being determine wasn’t one of them. Several months into it, my supervisor called me a “bulldog” because he said I didn’t let go of the target once I found it. In retrospect, I think it’s the same stubborn perseverance that has kept me writing thus far.
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Tweet Photo: Steve Wampler Oh the things that freelancing has taught me! Some of the things I’ve learned are the importance of keeping good business records, receipts and tracking all my queries. If it was ever beneficial to be organized, it’s now! But another gem came from the wisdom of other freelance writers. From discussion boards like those on Writer’s Digest and LinkedIn, and invaluable chats with people like fellow writer Jordan Rosenfeld, I’ve learned the secret of keeping my head above water, and my wallet out of the red. It’s called, “diversify.” In my lil interview with freelance writer, editor…