ALS is a very serious and debilitating disease that leads to loss of motor-nerve function and frequently results in death. Unfortunately, Steve Bachman, one of my childhood friends, has ALS. Steve is an intelligent and brave man who openly discusses … [Continue reading]
The Science and Psychology of Why You Procrastinate
Do you know the science and psychology of why you procrastinate? Hey, we all do it. The goal, though, is to do it less and less so we can become more and more successful as freelance writers or whatever it is we do for a living.I've laid out … [Continue reading]
How Freelance Writers Calculate Their Hourly Rates
You’re a freelance writer because you want to make money. However, you need to be clear on how much money you want to make, how you will go about earning it, and all the factors that affect your earning power.Two crucial concepts for … [Continue reading]
Join the Freelance Writers Den Now!
The Freelance Writers Den is now open to new members. All beginning and intermediate freelance writers will benefit immensely from joining the Freelance Writers Den.Just in case you haven't heard about the Den, it's a top-notch membership … [Continue reading]
Why You Need Much More Time Offline
Increasing numbers of scientific studies show that we need to spend far less time online and more time offline, preferably outside getting exercise and engaging directly with the world rather than immersed in the Internet and fooling around with our … [Continue reading]
30 Rules for Creating Good Multiple-Choice Questions
Multiple-choice questions are one of the most widely used methods of testing students’ knowledge. If you are a freelance writer for higher education or K-12 companies, you could be creating student assessment questions for a test bank, for a student … [Continue reading]
Be A More Productive Writer by Deciding What NOT to Do
To be a productive writer you must be clear on what to do and why, and how to do whatever you do as efficiently as possible.But another key component of being productive is deciding what NOT to do.What do I mean? High productivity … [Continue reading]
The 17 Best Ways to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile
All freelance writers should know by now that LinkedIn is a key tool for finding clients, getting found by clients, and just being able to present yourself professionally on the number-one business networking site on the planet.I found this great … [Continue reading]
How Freelance Writers Can Keep Editors Happy
We freelance writers thrive with quality, long-lasting relationships with editors. So we need to know how to keep them happy so they keep hiring us, and we also need to know what to do if one of our favorites leaves her position with the … [Continue reading]
Freelance Writer Specialties: Why You Should Specialize
Some may write for love, but most freelance writers write for money — and they’ll make more money when they specialize in one or more niches.Don’t misunderstand: I really enjoy my main freelance writing specialty. Creating college textbook … [Continue reading]
Two Motivating Questions I Ask Myself Every Morning
Asking yourself good motivating questions and then answering them can boost your productivity and increase your happiness according to studies conducted by psychologists in recent years.That's why I always ask and answer... My Two Morning … [Continue reading]
Successful Freelance Writers Do These Small Things Early
Planning is essential in all aspects of your life, including your freelance writing. My focus here is on the little things that make a big difference when you do them early.This cuts two ways: some things done early result in a big payoff you … [Continue reading]
The Power of a Small Website for House-Sitting Writers
Freelance writing lets me travel and gives me the option of a location-independent lifestyle, which I take advantage of in winter months by house-sitting in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere with my partner Stephanie. Why … [Continue reading]
The Top 10 Twitter Rules for Writers You Better Not Break
Many freelance writers and book authors are active on Twitter. However, a lot of them don't use the optimal techniques necessary to take full advantage of the social network. Twitter Rules for Writers Jennifer Mattern, the creator of this … [Continue reading]
Six Copy Editing Tips for Freelance Writers
You need your freelance writing to be professional so that clients pay you well. This means your words read well and contain no major grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors.Freelance writers with poor copy editing skills either don’t make much … [Continue reading]
Why Freelance Writers Often Miss Deadlines
Hey freelancers, why do your writing projects take you all the way up to the deadline to complete, and why do you sometimes miss deadlines, even when you had plenty of time to do the project?It's because you're making a key time management … [Continue reading]
Your Writing Income and Career Goals
"I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that. I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world."Ah, George Bailey. He never realized the big dreams of his … [Continue reading]
When a Freelance Writer Gets Only Silence from an Editor
One unfortunate aspect of freelance writer/editor relationships is dealing with rejection, and also dealing with silence, which sometimes means rejection but often does not.Here's an e-mail I received recently from a purchaser of my ebook Writing … [Continue reading]
5 Things About WordPress That Really Bug Me
I love Wordpress. It allows me and millions of others to create beautiful websites that are easy to update. Wordpress sites can be simple or complex, and they can do most anything that you want.That said, there is always room for improvement. Now … [Continue reading]
How I Chose My Freelance Writing Niches
Choose the best freelance writing niches for your skills and interests and you'll have a more interesting and financially rewarding career as a freelance writer. Here's how I chose my niches... Why Focus on Freelance Writing Niches? Because you’ll … [Continue reading]
Learn to Say NO!
Learning to say NO is a key principle of time management.Every day we are bombarded with requests large and small: from loved ones; from friends and neighbors; from potential clients, from co-workers, bosses, and employees; and from people we … [Continue reading]
How I Do My Taxes
Like many of you fellow freelance writers and other self-employed folks, I'll be doing my taxes soon. Since productivity is an important focus here, I'll share how I do my taxes. You can chime in below with comments and we can all learn from each … [Continue reading]
How Content Shock Hurts Freelance Writers
On January 6 Mark Schaefer published a provocative post about the declining utility of content marketing, a phenomenon he dubs "content shock."The piece has garnered a great deal of scrutiny and attention both from those who agree with Schaefer's … [Continue reading]
8 Time Management Techniques for Successful Writers
Time management is absolutely critical to achieving success in freelance writing and in the rest of your life. Time is the great equalizer: we all have 24 hours in a day. Managing Your Time as a Freelance Writer The big question—what do we do with … [Continue reading]
Beat Writer’s Block and Procrastination With My Kindle Ebook
If you want to be a successful freelance writer, you must overcome writer's block and procrastination. How much have these two maladies cost you in your freelance career?Fortunately, I have the perfect solution: my Kindle ebook 50 Ways to Beat … [Continue reading]
