by Karen G. Anderson I’m a writer, and when it comes to copy editing, I’ve never been anything more than adequate. And I know I’m barely even that when the words I’m trying to edit are my own rather than some other writer’s. I started out as a technical writer for academic books and journals, heavily insulated from the reality of publication by a phalanx of copy editors, fact checkers, and proofreaders. I went on to work as a reporter at newspapers, and then as a editor for newsletters and magazines. All along the way, I worked with some of [Read more…]

How to Read a Job Ad by Allison Landa When is a Craigslist rose not a rose? When it’s a job ad riddled with potential signs that this may not be the position you should be seeking. Common wisdom says that a job interview is a two-way street — you’re looking just as closely at a potential employer as they are at you, and trying to figure out if this is a good match. But by reading the ad carefully to figure out if a particular job is for you, you’ll stay one step ahead of common wisdom. Here’s a [Read more…]

Freelancers can be unpleasantly surprised at tax time. With some careful planning, you can reduce the bite to a nibble. Here’s what you need to know. Taxes hit the self-employed especially hard for one reason: Social Security tax. Every US employee is obligated to pay it, regardless of age or income. If you work for someone else, Social Security withholding eats 7.5% of your money every payday. But the tax is actually 15% (15.3, but I’m stretching my math skills here already). Your employer pays the other half for you. If I earn $1,000 at my job, my employer withholds [Read more…]

As many of you know I have a Google Group for those who wish to receive update alerts. Nothing fancy, just a link to this blog when new jobs are added. The group is closed to comments, however. For the past few weeks I received about two emails a week asking why I don’t open the Google group up for comments. People would love to be able to discuss the jobs and maybe offer warnings or advice. So I’m putting it to a vote. Should I allow all registered members to comment in our email group, or are we happy [Read more…]

Sorry, there’s no guest blogger this weekend, you’re stuck with Yours Truly. I want to address a question I’m coming across more often lately, “how much do I charge?” I receive several emails a week from newer writers asking me to advise them on how much to charge, I tell them I’m not comfortable answering this question. Rates are kind of a personal thing. It depends on the writer, her experience, the research involved and other factors. I thought maybe this weekend, you guys could discuss your tips for determining how much to charge. Here are few things to keep [Read more…]