I generally don’t talk about myself as I accept that people don’t come here for my personality. Instead, people like you come for the information I provide that I hope helps you in your life. From reading other blogs, it looks like many love to hear how writers and freelancers went full-time. So here’s the … Read more
I’ve been noticing this trend lately (thanks to teen daughter)… people keep their ears plugged in while talking to others. Even if the iPod is off (or maybe it isn’t), having earbuds in your ears during a conversation indicates the other person isn’t important. This is where headphones have an advantage. Just pull them down … Read more
How often do you get an e-mail from a prospect who asks, “I need help with my web site’s content” or “I need five articles on such ‘n’ such topic”… “How much do you charge?” Web content — one page takes less time than five pages. Even one page can vary depending on the page’s … Read more
Although Twitter hasn’t done much for my writing business, it keeps me in touch with friends and colleagues. It did contribute to my previous post. I decided to ask twitterville what they did whenever they become lethargic when they need to write. It worked well. As much as I’d like to regularly ask questions, overdoing … Read more
Last week, my schedule contained too many appointments not related to writing work. So I planned to work whenever I had the chance to be at my desk… at least, that was what I told myself. Myself decided to rebel. Unmotivated. Uninspired. Un-everything. I couldn’t and wouldn’t budge. I spent this time clicking “Check e-mail” … Read more
I admit it. For a long time, figuring out rates and providing quotes was a weak area for me. It took time, practice, and hard lessons to arrive at the point where I can confidently and calmly provide a quote. Before, I’d be figuratively biting my nails as I submitted my quotes and second-guessing myself. … Read more
Frustration builds while reviewing this week’s calendar. Every day this week has something not routine and not work-related scheduled (and most of last week, too). I can only reschedule one appointment, but it’s not enough to lighten the load. So what does a lone freelancer do? To prevent myself from going crazy and sacrificing sleep … Read more
For freelancers and solopreneurs, making a mistake on a task compares to a corporate employee receiving bad performance review. Facing mistakes — no matter how small — as a freelancer comes harder than those made as a corporate employee — and I’ve worked on the other side. The other side includes working for the U.S. … Read more
37signals asks eight questions before, during, and sometimes after working on a project or task. These questions work well for writers and other freelancers. Those of us who work solo rarely have anyone to check with us to make sure we’re on the right track. So we need to help ourselves figure out if we’re … Read more
When people say they don’t get Twitter — it’s because they need to be more proactive. Twitter doesn’t work if you lurk, post updates, and do nothing else. What I’ve learned after using Twitter for a month: Follow unto others as you would have them do unto you. @comment others to make the most of … Read more