Note from Jodee: Freelance writer Spencer Spellman shares his thoughts about freelance writing and the importance of perseverance and marketing your services. Enjoy! by Spencer Spellman It was about 18 months ago when I decided I would dabble into writing. I had recently been laid off from a job and had moved in hopes of finding better work, but instead found myself finding something worse. After months of putting writing off, I was going to write one article, just to get some feedback on it. That one article began a snowball effect that is still building. I never did get [Read more…]
Freelance Writing: Working Without a Net
December 29, 2008. 16 Comments
I’ve been asked more than once how I deal with the lack of security that goes along with working as a freelance writer. Since I’ve started freelancing, I’ve come to understand why actors and other creative types are said to be insecure. You are only as good as your last performance (gig), and there are no guarantees that you will get another assignment. Talk about working without a net! At the same time, I feel more secure as a self-employed freelancer than I did when I was working for someone else. Why? It’s quite simple, really. When I work for [Read more…]
Four Tips for Starting your Freelance Life
December 6, 2008. 5 Comments
Note from Jodee: Freelance Writer Meaghan Campbell has contributed today’s post. I know you will enjoy reading it. by Meaghan Campbell After two years of technical writing I was itching for more creative work. To escape creative annihilation, I started The Word Boutique, my very own freelance business. These best-practice tips I’ve learned will help any freelancer along the way. 1. Build your network, whenever you can. No writer stands alone. I didn’t have a leg to stand on when I started freelancing, but I built my network wherever I could. I asked former classmates to critique my samples. I [Read more…]
Focus on Substance, Not Style
November 29, 2008. 4 Comments
“Cos we all just wanna be big rock stars….” (Rock Star, Nickelback) The term “rock star” is thrown around a lot more lately than it ever used to be. I’ve even seen ads in my online travels for job leads where a client actually mentions in the ad that they want to hire a rock star when they are looking for a writer. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to hire (or be) a person who rocks whatever it is they are working on. Taking pride in your work and doing your best never go out of style. [Read more…]
You've Been Turned Down for a Gig…Now What?
November 24, 2008. 7 Comments
Most of the time when we apply for freelance writing jobs, we don’t hear back from the person hiring if they didn’t think we were a good fit. Sometimes, though, the potential client actually does get in touch to let us know that we won’t be working together on the project. I used to think that it would be better if they didn’t get in touch at all. After a certain amount of time has passed, my attention has move on to other things and I’ve forgotten all about the job in question. There have been a few jobs that [Read more…]
Well, I Quit My Day Job
November 16, 2008. 20 Comments
Note from Jodee: Nacie Carson begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, one of our readers, wrote today’s post about her transition from the corporate 9-5 to going freelance. If anyone else would like to contribute a guest post, please e-mail me. I look forward to hearing from you. by Nacie Carson In June I wrote a hope-filled blog post for FWJ called, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,” where I agonized over the financial and lifestyle issues that were keeping me from leaving my corporate 9-5 in favor of writing full time. Well friends, I have some pretty exciting news: I finally did it. That’s right [Read more…]
