Writers tend to juggle several projects at once, in addition to all of the other things they do during the day – billing, networking, searching for work, living life, etc. There are times when it feels like there are never enough hours in the day to complete everything. The bad news: there isn’t enough time. The good news: not everything has to be finished today. One of the craziest things that people do when trying to manage their time is giving each to-do item equal priority. I’ve talked with friends who have said that everything they do is important. I [Read more…]
Deadline Dilemmas
How to trick yourself into staying focused
October 7, 2010. Leave a Comment
It’s no secret missed deadlines are a great way to end a professional relationship with a publication. They are a nightmare for both the writer and the editor. The editor is left holding the bag with thousands of dollars on the line waiting on a late article and the writer is off somewhere sweating bullets trying to pull a rabbit out of a badly squished hat. And, while the entire FWJ blogging crew can take turns yelling out into the world wide web that writers should NEVER miss a deadline, it is going to happen. The best we can do [Read more…]
Your Freelance Writing Clients Know You’re Lying
March 17, 2010. 15 Comments
Freelance writing clients are smart cookies. Most of them know when they’re being conned or lied to. In today’s public and open world of freelancing, you can’t call in sick and head to the beach. You can’t claim an aunt died when you really just want a few days off. If you’re going to lie to your clients, keep in mind that in most cases they’ll find out. Don’t Invite Clients to View Your Personal Details if You’re Going to Be Dishonest As freelance writers we work hard, but we still maintain flexible schedules. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t [Read more…]
Good Freelance Writer Customer Service: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
May 12, 2009. 6 Comments
A freelance writer is only as good as his (or her) reputation. You can be the best writer in the world, but if you can’t deliver as promised, no one will want to work with you. When making promises to a client, be sure you can deliver, otherwise it can lead to a whole lot of frustration. Don’t promise to have something done by a certain day, or promise a certain amount of articles or blog posts each week if you have no intention of delivering. Some things to consider: Your client isn’t as dumb as you think: Just because [Read more…]
