“Just Say No” – or, Finding the Time to Write by Sandy Mitchell I’m in the middle of my third year as a full-time freelance writer and, in my mind at least, I’ve gone from beginner to neophyte. I’m paying my bills, eating somewhat regularly, and am the proud owner of a 48-page tax return. Although I’ve overcome a mountain of hurdles in carving out my little writing business, my biggest challenge is combating the myriad of interruptions that threaten to derail my writing schedule, day after day. Friends, Family, and the Jehovah Witnesses When the word got out that [Read more…]

by Lorie Witkop Guest Blogger Years before I ever contemplated the idea of freelance writing, I volunteered to write a piece for my college yearbook on the local shopping scene. I loved browsing the stores on the city’s equivalent of Main Street, so I thought I had created a great piece. However, it was quickly returned with comments like, “Who said Chios was ‘a great hippie hangout’”? Well…I did. My editor immediately saw something I hadn’t yet realized. All of the clever descriptions in the world weren’t going to give my piece what it lacked. I needed outside opinions and [Read more…]

When Freelance Writing Doesn’t Pay by Jeff Pfaller There are two kinds of freelancers in this world. Those who have been stiffed, and those that will be. You sent in the finished work, you sent it on time and you signed a contract. But when it’s pay day, the person cutting the check mysteriously disappears from the face of the earth. What do you do? Prepare, Prepare, Prepare Keep a copy of every single correspondence you have with anyone regarding freelancing. This means emails, contracts and letters. If you talk with a client on the phone and agree to something, [Read more…]

Why I Don’t Ghostwrite By Devon Ellington As a freelancer, I spend at least a couple of hours a day scanning job boards, in addition to the usual rounds of researching and querying. There are plenty of jobs with a particular word in the headline that I skip over. That word is “ghostwriter”. Why? Three of my most admired and trusted colleagues specialize in ghostwriting. Their point of view is that they are helping the client communicate his vision to his audience clearly and effectively. I’m glad they’re so generous. I certainly don’t believe a writer shouldn’t ghost (it’s hard [Read more…]

Here’s something new, and frankly I’m not sure what to make of it. I hear tell writers are applying for jobs at Craigslist and flagging the ads so others can’t apply. After two or three people flag, the fine folks at Craigslist assume the gigs are spam or scams and take the ads off the list, thereby eliminating the competition. To be honest, it would never occur to me to do this sort of thing. Not too cool, people, not too cool. This tells me some people don’t have enough faith in their ability to be the best person for [Read more…]