Scott Oldford Site

Tag: freelance writing

  • 7 Expert Tips for Freelance Writers Who Want to Work From Anywhere

    7 Expert Tips for Freelance Writers Who Want to Work From Anywhere

    Imagine waking up to a sunny day in the mountains of Mexico. You sip coffee as you type a rough draft of a story, then head out to visit your favorite tamale lady. Later, when it starts to get hot, you return to your apartment and continue writing.

    If, six years ago, you said that would be my routine, I wouldn’t have believed you. At that point, I’d just started my travel blog, with the dream of someday earning an extra $100 per month.

    Without even knowing what “location independence” meant, I’d begun working toward it. I already had the travel part down; it was the remote work I needed to build up.

    These days, however, I often hear from writers with the opposite problem. They’re technically location independent, and can work from wherever they wish — but aren’t sure how to integrate travel into their lives.

    If you want to travel and write — either to mix things up for a few weeks, live abroad for several months or become a lifelong digital nomad — the process can certainly seem overwhelming.

    The good thing? As a writer, you already have the hardest part figured out: how to make money from anywhere.

    Beyond that, it’s just a matter of taking the leap. No small feat, I know — which is why I wrote this post. Hopefully, it’ll help you take your writing on the road (with as few bumps as necessary!).

    1. Crunch the numbers

    Yes, MATH.

    Although I did my best to avoid math classes for years, I actually like budgeting — probably because I view it as a tool to help me travel more. And if you want to go away for any length of time, you need to make a budget.

    First, determine your net monthly income — whether that’s from freelance clients, blog affiliates or a remote writing job. If you have recurring monthly expenses like your mortgage, cell phone bill, student loans or retirement, subtract those.

    The remainder is what you have to play with on a monthly basis: your budget for food, activities, lodging, etc. From that, you’ll also need to subtract one-time expenses like immunizations, travel health insurance and plane tickets.

    Use those numbers — and tools like Budget Your Trip, Nomad List and The Earth Awaits — to determine which locations you can afford.

    2. Start small

    You don’t have to sell all your possessions and go halfway around the world on your first trip.

    In fact, I highly recommend taking a trial run to see how you like running your business from the road.

    Where you go is totally up to you. Choose somewhere that calls to you (and that’s within your budget) — and don’t allow anyone else’s opinion to matter more than yours.

    For her first solo adventure, writer and content marketer Jaclyn Schiff went to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

    “I deliberately chose a place that attracts a lot of foreigners and where English is widely spoken,” she says. “Some travelers look down on this because you’re not having an ‘authentic’ experience, but I wanted to be in a place where I could easily get my bearings.”

    Once you’ve figured out your destination, book a short stay: between a week and a month. Most Airbnbs offer discounts for weekly and monthly stays, and have the added bonuses of full kitchens and reviews (so you can read up on the wifi before booking).

    And, if you start to get nervous, remember: Everything’s reversible. You can always come back.

    3. Think about where you’ll actually work

    That rental might have a dreamy view and a cute kitchen — but where are you going to write? And are you going to be comfortable while doing it?

    “As boring as it sounds, you want to think about ergonomics when you’re working from the road,” says Helen Anne Travis, a Tampa-based freelance writer who recently spent time working from Peru and New York City.

    “Look for a rental that has a table, comfortable chairs and space for you to spread out. I always bring an external keyboard and mouse when I travel so I have flexibility when trying to create a comfortable work space.”

    4. Expect things to go wrong

    No good story is free of conflict, and travel’s often the same way.

    You should expect things to go wrong — from missing the bus to finding something strange in your soup.

    Happy travelers don’t have better luck than the rest of us; they simply manage their expectations.

    So instead of hoping to find the perfect cappuccino halfway around the world, be happy to find coffee at all. Instead of assuming every day will be perfect, be grateful for any moments that are.

    “The best way to avoid frustration when embarking on a new endeavor like this is to let go of any and all expectations,” says Leah Davis, a writer who’s been location independent for four years.

    “Working from the road probably won’t turn out exactly how you imagine, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be worthwhile. You may lose clients unexpectedly or find it difficult to maintain a healthy work/life balance at first, but it’s important to think of these as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.”

    View the entire experience as an adventure, a story waiting to be told, and you’ll enjoy it far more.

    5. Separate work and leisure time

    I’ve heard this advice over and over from friends, and I totally agree: Expecting to get work done “when you have time” is a one-way ticket to stress and burnout.

    “I always fell in the trap of thinking I could get work done in the hotel in the couple of hours between travel and activities,” says Dana Sitar, a freelance writer who spent several years crisscrossing the United States. “That was terrible for productivity, and it made work stress seep into any fun I tried to have.”

    Now she sets aside vacation days, just like with any other job. By doing that, she says, “you’re totally focused on work when you’re working and on experiences when you’re not.”

    If you don’t want to take off days at a time, try setting aside certain periods every day. Since I work best in the morning, I try to get most of my writing done before lunch.

    Stephanie Zito, a writer and travel rewards expert who’s been semi-nomadic for nearly 20 years, works for two “solid hours” before breakfast, then two again in the evening.

    The knowledge of what’s waiting outside her doors motivates her to work hard during those short bursts. “I get a lot done and still have the day to see amazing things,” she says.

    Eileen Guo, an independent journalist who’s reported from several countries, says it’s also important to remember what your goal is.

    “Working from the road is very different from traveling as a tourist,” she says. “So don’t feel guilty about not visiting all the sites, taking time off from travel, or doing whatever it is that you do at home to relax.”

    6. Don’t be afraid to go solo

    One of the most common worries I hear from aspiring globetrotters is they don’t have anyone to travel with.

    I understand why that seems like a deal breaker, but I’d urge you not to wait until you have the perfect travel buddy to hit the road. Getting outside your comfort zone will expose you to new thoughts and new people, and will surely inspire your writing.

    Even if you’re not outgoing, you can find ways to meet people: I’ve used Couchsurfing and Meetup, and friends of mine have used Tinder. I also made great friends when I volunteered in Nicaragua and Mexico.

    Or you can try one of the slew of startups that combines co-working and co-living, like Roam, Unsettled and Selina.

    Schiff, who went to Mexico on her own, admits that even though she likes “the experience of navigating unfamiliar surroundings,” she was “definitely nervous” about going solo.

    She didn’t know anyone at her destination, but told people about her plans and ended up connecting with a friend of a friend. Then, once there, she joined a coworking space and attended the local synagogue.

    “You can’t be shy and you need to make an effort to put yourself in different situations where you can start a conversation,” she says. “You have to be comfortable taking initiative. But I found that if you do that, people are pretty receptive.”   

    7. Travel light; travel slow

    It’s tempting to bring everything with you — but the whole point of traveling is to do something different, to leave your regular life behind.

    So remember: If you need it, you can buy it. It’s way better to purchase a $3 umbrella when it starts raining than it is to carry one around Thailand for weeks (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything).

    And, more importantly, travel slowly. I try to stay in new destinations for at least a month.

    Freelance writer Jamie Cattanach, who’s currently bouncing around Spain and Greece, has met many travelers who think it’s “bonkers” she stays in a single place for weeks.

    But “they’re not splitting their attention between seeing the world and working — both of which are time-consuming and energy-draining,” she explains.

    “You simply can’t always be on; sometimes, you need to spend a night vegging out in front of Netflix. By giving myself ample time at each destination, I get a chance to catch my breath, see the sights at my leisure, and do my work well without the pressure of FOMO.”

    In the end, planning an adventure is pretty similar to tackling a big writing project.

    You’ll have some crappy first drafts, and some moments when you want to pull your hair out — but if you take it one step at a time, you’ll get there. And will be so glad you did.

    What other questions do you have about life as a location-independent writer? Leave them in the comments below.
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  • A Freelance Writer’s Guide to Managing Edits

    A Freelance Writer’s Guide to Managing Edits

    I don’t know about you, but getting a request for edits puts somewhat of a damper on my day.

    First, there’s dealing with the rejection that my article wasn’t as perfect as I thought. Then, there’s dealing with another personality who thinks they know better than me. Finally, there’s the time and energy I have to cut out of my day to deal with the changes that need to be made in order for my article to be considered ready for publication.

    Of course, these reactions all glaze over the positive aspects of editing.

    Like the fact that the editor probably knows a lot better than me what the publication’s audience likes, and the fact that they also have industry expertise to contribute on top of mine. Or, there’s the fact that having another set of skilled eyes on my content can take it from OK to truly awesome.

    Here’s the bottom line: Edits make content better.

    Great content with your name behind it is one of the best inbound marketing tactics that a writer can employ. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need to get over these negative feelings you sometimes have around edits and embrace the possibilities that come with improving your writing.

    The challenge comes back to dealing with unexpected edits, and fitting them into your day. But here’s the process I’ve started to develop for you to adapt as your own:

    A process for managing edits

    Editing comes into play multiple times during the article writing process. Before determining how to deal with article edits, it may be necessary to first define and break down your article writing process.

    Personally, I like to break down article creation into three steps:

    1. Research and creating an outline that provides everything I need to write my first draft without using the internet. This is as much for preparedness as it is for productivity.
    2. Writing the first draft relatively quickly.
    3. Going back in and making the draft actually sound good, checking for spelling/grammar/agreement issues.

    The remaining steps here involve the client:

    1. Sending in my edited draft
    2. Standing by for any edits, and making them when requested
    3. Repeating steps 4 & 5 if necessary until the piece satisfies the client

    freelance writerFollowing a process provides many opportunities for learning. If you’re really good at documentation, you should be able to create some distinctions for what percentage of time you spend on each step in your process — including edits. Knowing how much time each part of your process takes can help you to build your schedule accordingly.

    The self-editing process

    During the editing process, I incorporate a number of self-edits. ere are a few self-edits I personally incorporate during my first round of edits, before sending the piece to the client.

    • Spelling/grammar/agreement: These are some of the silliest mistakes I never want to make. Any editor will just think you’re lazy if you turn in a piece with these issues. A browser extension like Grammarly can help you to avoid the worst ones.
    • Parallelism: This step involves making sure that subheadings make sense together, and making sure that I didn’t use a period on one bullet, but not another. A lack of parallelism is another thing that drives editors crazy when they find it, so I do my best to edit it out before they have the chance to!
    • Fact checking: Sometimes I make assumptions during writing, knowing that it’s important to just get the draft done. I usually mark any facts I’m not sure of (or that need sources) so that I know to go back in and check after writing my first draft.
    • Read aloud: You’d be amazed by how much weird phrasing I catch during this critical step. If you’re just reading for edits in your head, you’ll lose out on catching some subtle nuances that weaken your piece.

    Becoming a better self-editor

    Up until now, we’ve just covered the basics of self-editing. But dealing with article edits is something that you have to be constantly working to improve in order to lock down the best freelance writing jobs.

    If you keep making the same mistakes over and over again, an editor will assume that you’re not teachable, and that they’d rather not deal with the extra work your articles require before publication.

    When it comes to improving your craft, first make sure you’re doing your part. There’s a distinct difference between an amazing article that could be made a bit better with edits, and a crappy article that needs a complete overhaul to be somewhat useful.

    Become self-aware of your writing issues by analyzing the edits people tend to ask you for. Are they consistently about the same types of things? Are you ignoring specific things they’re asking for in the style guide? If the answer to either question is “yes”, guess what — you’re the problem.

    Again, a process can be helpful when it comes to dealing with edits for each specific/consistent client. When a client asks for changes, make sure to save them for your future reference. Create an Evernote document that you can refer back to, ideally before turning in subsequent assignments. If your client has a style guide, give it a brief look before starting your assignment, and again before turning it in — especially if the relationship is new.

    How edits fit into your schedule

    Finally, set aside a specific day and time to deal with edits. On the front end of your article creation (AKA, before you send it into the client for the first time), you’ve ideally put a day between drafting and editing, so you can come into the topic with a clearer mind.

    If edits are requested after you turn in the article, try to resist the temptation to tackle them right after getting an email from your client. Instead, pick a specific time over the next few days where you have nothing else scheduled, to avoid breaking the flow of whatever project you’re currently working on.

    No client should expect a 24 hour or less turnaround on edits unless that’s something you’ve specifically stipulated in your contract. If they want a rush, they should expect to pay as such. That said, depending on the nature of the article, you should aim to deliver within the next few days — a whole week may reduce the timeliness of your topic, or hurt the client’s posting schedule.

    I personally try to aim to get edits back within three days or so, unless the client specifically tells me there isn’t a rush. The most important thing is that you and the client are on the same page about edits. If you don’t know when they want them back, ask!

    No matter how you go about approaching edits, if you know a client typically comes back asking for them after you turn in an article, automatically schedule in some time to take care of them within the week. This will help you to create a process around dealing with them, instead of letting them run your schedule.

    Communication is key when it comes to dealing with clients and edits. If you’re going to be working with someone for the foreseeable future, you need to be direct about making the editing process work for you. So take charge and define where and how you need edit suggestions to take place.

    The thought of dealing with article edits doesn’t have to evoke panic if you’ve taken the time to put a process in place for dealing with them. Think of edits as a way to improve the public perception of your work, which will come in handy as you’re pitching new clients and growing your freelance writing career.

    What are your best tips for handling article edits as a freelance writer? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

  • 7 Signs You Should Keep Writing as a Side Hustle

    7 Signs You Should Keep Writing as a Side Hustle

    I’ve been writing as a freelancer for about 18 months now – my freelance career is a toddler.

    I’ve gotten to the point where, at times, I’m bringing in a few hundred dollars a month, especially with a couple of clients who ask for consistent weekly or monthly articles.

    Some of the time, the months trend upward, making me begin to daydream about quitting my day job because there is enough interesting work to go “full-time.” I read all over the internet about this dream, and while I’ve never seriously considered it in the near-term, it looms as a new level of achievement in my field.

    However, consistent work sometimes dissipates, the people I’m pitching don’t respond and even full drafts are rejected outright. Who can blame editors for making those decisions ruthlessly? They are probably having as hard a time as we are!

    What I’ve realized from the downturn months, though, is that I love a lot about freelancing part-time, and though there’s a world where freelancing full-time might make sense, I’m way happier than I thought I’d be with a long-term writing side hustle.

    Here are some signs freelancing as a side hustle might be your sweet spot too.

    1. You actually love the work you do full-time

    Nothing makes you rethink what you want in a job like finding a surprisingly happy work environment where you didn’t expect it. I love my job in higher education administration, and it doesn’t have me writing very often.

    When you love your day job, there might still be good financial and fulfillment reasons to write on the side, but diving into something else, like a full-time freelance career, when things are working really well at your day job, isn’t for everyone.

    2. You aren’t sure where you want to end up as a writer

    This sign isn’t just for new freelance writers, though it is true for them too.

    When I first began freelance writing, I didn’t know what I wanted to write, exactly. I blogged to start trying out different niches, which led to me trying different publications that might fit my various passions. However, almost a year and a half later, I don’t have a single place I call my home within writing.

    Keeping your writing part-time allows you to reach into new places and spend your writing time on articles for places that you’ve never written before; more certain contracts and nailing down a niche tend to be important steps if you want to pay your whole rent off the freelance checks.

    side hustle3. You never want writing to be the source of stress in your life

    It is occasionally stressful to think about potentially losing my day job and having to find another.

    For freelancers, that feeling is magnified because they get their work from many sources, all of whom could let them go at a moment’s notice.

    When I get into a busy time in my freelancing, I find myself relishing the low-stakes nature of writing as a side hustle: I want to be consistent with my clients, but if they choose to go with someone else after I work my best, that is okay.

    It keeps the looming stress and dread out of the experience of writing, which is something I value.

    4. You value the many definitions of “part-time”

    Once you call yourself a full-time freelancer, there is a certain threshold — all discretionary, housing and living expenses need to come from freelance writing.

    With part-time, though, you get to define it however you want – five hours a week or 25 hours a week or anything else. It’s nice to have so much leeway!

    5. You actually write more when you have a structured job

    I have part of my summer off because of my day job, and during that time, I always expect to get a lot of freelancing done.

    To some extent, I do accomplish some writing, but when I’ve crunched the numbers, my most productive months are actually during my full-time job.

    Some of us thrive on this kind of structure, and I certainly fall in that category.

    6. You are sick of pitching and have lovely clients already

    Some people reach their writing sweet spot with a few select clients and it suddenly seems odd to have to pitch more.

    In these circumstances, it’s easier to continue as a part-timer than to keep those same clients, at a living wage, long term. Obviously, it is also great to have long-term, high-paying clients, but the freedom to take longer breaks from pitching is a definite upside of part-time freelancing.

    7. You love being able to drop everything for the right opportunity

    There have been times when it would have been really inconvenient to have to keep writing at a full time level.

    For example, a family trip to Iceland this summer took us away from home for 10 days, during which I neither submitted stories nor pitched anyone. This would be much harder to recover from in a freelance full-time situation, since full time freelancers don’t get “automatic” vacation days and have to prepare to take those days through budgeting and working more at other times.  

    With writing as a side hustle, taking those 10 days off from my day job (and side hustle) was a welcome break.

    In all of the above “signs,” there will be exceptions: people choose part-time and full-time writing for so many more specific reasons! What I’d say is that if the first eight reasons didn’t fit you and you are still part-time, realize that this is where you are, and it is still a success in a big, complicated industry.

    Whether you stay part-time or move full-time sometime in the future, it is absolutely fine that writing is a side hustle for you right now.

  • The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Staying Sane During the Holidays

    The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Staying Sane During the Holidays

    The holidays can be both an exciting and frustrating time for freelance writers.

    While many enjoy celebrating with family and friends, it can be difficult to keep the income flowing this time of year.

    Follow these tips to start planning  for a successful holiday season.

    1. Check your finances

    The holidays can be expensive.

    Whether you’re buying presents, traveling to see family, or planning a Thanksgiving feast for 30, you’ll likely have some additional expenditures this time of year.

    You’ll also likely have higher day-to-day expenses with the shorter days and colder temperatures. Expenses such as electric and heating bills typically jump this time of year, so be sure to plan your finances accordingly.

    When calculating your expenses, don’t forget about things like office Secret Santas, white elephant exchanges, gingerbread cookie ingredients, eggnog, holiday donations, decorations, and gatherings with friends. All the little expenses add up.

    2. Plan your workload

    Once you have an idea about your end-of-year expenses, you can decide if it makes sense to take on extra work.

    Consider if you need to send out additional pitches or ask your regular clients if they have extra work available.

    It’s also a good time to do your end-of-year review and ask your regular clients for a pay bump in the new year.

    planning for the holidays3. Check your calendar

    Take a few minutes and look at your calendar through the second week of January or so. Look at your deadlines, see when you’ll be traveling, and be sure to mark down holiday parties and other events.

    Decide if you would like to take some time off for the holidays. Figure out what days you would like to take off and whether or not your plans will involve travel. Then you can plan your work schedule around these dates.

    4. Work ahead and count on delays

    If you have to reach out to anyone for your stories, start right away. During the holidays, you’ll find that many subjects are even harder to reach than usual.

    Try and conduct your interviews as early as possible to allow time to reach out again with any follow-up questions.

    Also realize that many editors will be out of the office or difficult to reach during the holidays. Take some extra time now to go through your assignment and reach out with any questions or concerns you might have.

    It’s also a good idea to work ahead on assignments so you can reach out early with any questions that come up along the way.

    5. Have a communication plan

    If you’re going to be incommunicado for any length of time, be sure to set up an auto-reply and voicemail message to let people know when you’ll be back in the office. It’s okay to take a vacation, but it’s also important to communicate your availability.

    It likely makes sense to bring important files with you and have a plan for addressing any last-minute edits or changes when you’re traveling. As much as you can plan ahead and do your best to get your stories in early, it’s not uncommon for something to come up that requires some last-minute attention.

    If you’re only taking a long weekend, say Thursday to Sunday off for Thanksgiving, you may not need an intensive “away” plan. But if you’re planning on taking two weeks off, you will likely want to make a plan.

    Some people like to leave an auto-reply with alternate contact information, such as a phone number for “emergencies.” Others prefer to check in with email once or twice a day, but it can be hard to truly disconnect while checking in all the time. Every writer will have to decide what works best for their particular situation and plan accordingly.

    An unexpected upside

    While you’re likely to encounter many delays during the holidays, it can also be a time of opportunity for freelancers.

    While many editors go on vacation, others use this slow time to get ahead on their work. Some editors may be especially receptive to pitches during this time since they may receive fewer queries.

    It is also a good time to be an editor’s go-to person for a last-minute story when their regular stable of writers is unavailable. If you will be available, it may be useful to reach out to your regular editors and let them know you’ll be available.

    Using these tips can help turn an often-slow season into a prosperous one. They can also help you plan a much-needed break to enjoy some time with family and friends.

    Your Turn: How do you prepare for the holidays as a freelancer?

  • 8 Side Hustle Ideas That Could Make You a Better Writer

    8 Side Hustle Ideas That Could Make You a Better Writer

    As writers, we often think we have to devote ourselves fully to our writing in order to make any progress — or any money.

    And while being able to write full-time is a dream for just about all of us, it may not always be the best case scenario. The writing life can be a bit lonely, and we writers often need to get out of our heads. There are a lot of ways writers find inspiration online or in their own environments, but nothing really replaces getting out into the world and learning from actual people.

    For many of us, writing starts out as a side job and eventually becomes a full-time job. We don’t always let the side job go, either, and our full-time writing career becomes full-time and then some. Which isn’t healthy for anyone.

    If you find yourself writing day and night — or even need some motivation to put on some clothes at five o’clock and get out of the house with the rest of world, finding a side job that isn’t writing-focused might be your new survival tactic.

    Here are eight side jobs that would be perfect for a writer who wants to expand their horizons and make some relatively easy cash.

    1. Teach a fitness class

    You can earn extra money, of course, but maybe even more advantageous is that you are forced to exercise regularly — and get paid to do it.

    And let’s face it: most of us writers need a little incentive to make it to the gym.

    The third benefit here? You can learn so much about people when watching them at their best and at their worst — and an exercise class is about as close as you can get without eavesdropping at a coffee shop.

    Plus, if you’re interested in writing for a fitness-focused publication, taking new classes may provide some needed inspiration.

    2. Become a barista

    Speaking of coffee shops…there are few places that humans are more fully themselves than when ordering coffee just the way they like it.

    Whether it’s a tall decaf cappuccino or a skinny soy latte with an extra shot, a coffee order says a lot about a person, like what they value and how cranky they are before they get it. Being able to observe people making decisions before they’ve had their first cup can be a priceless look into what they pay attention to, and consequently, how to write to grab that attention.

    3. Work retail

    Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn more about, but never got the chance to invest the time and money to try it out? Or maybe there’s something you need to learn more about in order to write about it in your latest work in progress. The perfect option might be to work at a store that specializes in it.

    This will give you the chance to try something out without spending a lot of money or to learn something from real people with firsthand experience that will help you write about it — all while getting paid.

    That’s what I did last year: I got a part-time job at a local wine store. Not only did I get to learn about a topic I’d always wanted to, but I also got to see how companies describe their own wine. The ways in which people name vineyards and individual varietals is fascinating, and a first-hand look at how things sell off a shelf meant I got to see human nature at work.

    Pretty labels? Check. Funky name? Absolutely going to sell. The exemplary bottle of wine that has a plain, boring label? Not so much.

    It taught me a lot about what people’s expectations are, something that writers need to know when brainstorming story ideas, article titles and more.

    side hustle ideas4. Bartend

    The cliché of people talking to their bartenders is a cliché for a reason.

    If you want to learn more about how people respond to the best (weddings, job promotions) and worst (breakups, getting fired) situations, it might be a good idea to step around the counter and start serving.

    Learning what people order in different settings may be helpful if you’re trying to help your fictional characters navigate their own bar-hopping lives, and you might even get to hear a few stories that you’d never have been able to otherwise.

    Gaining empathy while getting paid? Definitely a writer-worthy pursuit.

    5. Take tickets at a movie theater

    If we’re honest, most of our evening hours are spent on the couch anyway, too tired to summon more words of our own. Working the front counter at a movie theater might be a perfect solution to making a little cash on the side, and keep you from falling into the evening Netflix binge over and over again.

    The hours are likely opposite your most productive writing times, and a lot of theaters give employees the chance to see new movies free as they come out. Having access to free entertainment is never a bad thing for a writer that consumes a lot of content in order to stay current, plus think of all the stories you are going to get to soak up that you may have passed over if you had to pay for them!

    6. Dogsit

    For Kelly Gurnett, dogsitting has provided her with the opportunity to create mini writing retreats for herself while earning some extra cash — all while getting to dote on a furry friend or two.

    “Most of my dog sitting gigs are several nights long, which gives me a chance to recharge, refresh, and focus on my writing in a way I never could at home,” says Gurnett. “I recently finished a book I was under contract for, the biggest writing project I’ve had to date, and I’d say 85% of the research and drafting was done while at a sitting stay.”

    Gurnett says that the majority of her gigs are at really nice houses, too, which is kind of like staying in a fancy hotel and getting paid for it.

    If you have a passion for animals and find writing at home to be a struggle amidst your own family’s chaos, maybe give dog- or cat-sitting a try.

    7. Wait tables

    Yes, it can be exhausting, underpaid and rob you of your weekends, but waiting tables gives you a chance to see real people interacting in real life.

    One of the ways we connect with others most is through sharing meals, and waiting tables gives you a front row seat to everyone from families with small children to retired couples as they engage with one of their most basic human needs.

    If you write romance, look for a fancier restaurant where people get engaged and celebrate milestones. If you’re a marketer, search out a restaurant where your demographic hangs, whether it’s college students or moms with small children. It can be a valuable learning tool to see what your target audience gravitates to in real life.

    8. Work at a bookstore

    This is almost too obvious to put on the list, but working at a bookstore might be the best part-time job for a writer out there. The best writers are great readers, and being in the know of what is coming out and what sells—fiction or nonfiction—is a perk any writer would be happy to have.

    We’re guessing there’s a healthy employee discount, too, which makes doing your own reading and research just a little easier on the wallet.

    There’s a lot to be said for getting out of your own element and learning from new people and places. As writers, we are expected to constantly hone our skills and be able to understand concepts that reach beyond our current situation. What better way is there to do that than while making a little extra money on the side.

    What side job have you held that helped you be a better writer?

  • 3 Real-World Examples of Freelance Writing Pitches That Sold

    3 Real-World Examples of Freelance Writing Pitches That Sold

    What does it take to land an article in one of your favorite publications?

    Luck and personal connections may help, but here at The Write Life we believe that doing the work — and doing it over and over again – helps you achieve expert level.

    But crafting the perfect pitch can be tricky, even for experienced writers.

    Here, we’ll dive into three real examples from writers with various industry experience. While each takes a different approach in their pitching style, all three got hired to write the story they pitched. And each has lessons you can take back to your own pitches.

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    Example 1: Expert sources seal the deal

    The article: America’s Obsession With Social Media Is Undermining The Democratic Process by Lisa Rabasca Roepe, appearing on Quartz

    The pitch:

    Hi [redacted for privacy],

    I saw your post in [private Facebook group] a while back asking for pitches for the Ideas Section of Quartz.

    Here’s a pitch for you to consider.

    Voters are creating an election echo chamber 

    Voters today are embracing presidential candidates who appeal to their specific passions and ideals much like they only trust news sources that align with their ideological views.

    Our ability to self-select our newsfeed via Facebook, Twitter and even whether our main source of news is MSNBC or Fox News is creating an echo chamber for voters. As a result, the only news voters get about their candidate is favorable and the news about the candidates they don’t like is always negative. 

    This piece would focus on how voters are no longer receiving balanced (and, in some cases, accurate) news about election candidates. This is not because the media is biased but because voters have an unprecedented ability to self-select the news they receive.

    This article that would include interviews with:

    • Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of API and former director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism at the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.
    • Carroll Doherty, director of political research at Pew Research Center

    My articles have appeared in Fast Company, Men’s Journal and Daily Worth. 

    Please let me know if I can provide you any additional information or clips, or if you have any feedback for me.

    Thanks.

    Why the pitch worked

    Rabasca Roepe was ready with backup info when her potential editor had questions. After being asked how she would prove that voters were self-selecting their news, she crafted “a response full of facts and figures, demonstrating my knowledge on the topic,” she explained.

    She was able to think fast and back up her argument to give the editor confidence in her ability to write a convincing piece.   

    Here’s what she wrote back:

    There is a fair bit of data available through Pew Research Center about consumers self-selecting their news channels and who and what they follow on social media. Plus, for many people Facebook and Twitter has become their main source of news.

    For instance, a study conducted by Pew Research Center in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, finds that clear majorities of Twitter (63%) and Facebook users (63%) now say each platform serves as a source for news about events and issues outside the realm of friends and family.

    Pew has also done research on which news channels a majority of liberals and conservatives trust. No surprise here. Most liberals favor MSNBC, The New York Times and NPR, while most conservatives trust Fox News.

    I can tell you that I’m guilty of this myself. I never watch Fox News. My three favorite news sources are, in fact, The New York Times, MSNBC and NPR.

    Some added background about me: I’m the former managing editor of Presstime magazine, the monthly magazine of the Newspaper Association of America. I worked at NAA for about 10 years and I also worked at the American Press Institute for two year, right around the time that news websites first started to allow readers to “customize” their new feeds.

    I think the key to this article will be interviewing experts at Pew and API about the growing trend of consumers self-selecting their news.

    Lisa

    The experience

    An hour after sending her response, Rabasca Roepe’s pitch was assigned.

    “This editor was great to work with and we ended up working on several stories after this initial piece,” Rabasca Roepe says. “She even bumped up my rate.”

    Example 2: Personal essay personality

    The article: I Work in PR But I Hate Statement Necklaces by Lauren Sieben, appearing on Racked

    The pitch

    Hi there,

    [Name redacted] pointed me in this direction for a pitch about the collection of statement necklaces I’ve amassed but that I admittedly don’t like all that much.

    A few years ago, statement necklaces became a professional crutch for me. When I made the switch from journalism to PR, I felt like the shlubby and out-of-place little sister who walked in on a party of much cooler, older, prettier high school girls. I moved from my job at a local newspaper in Iowa to a PR job in a bigger city, and overnight I became hyper-aware of my dress pants that were too uptight and my Target basics that were too, well, basic. Every woman working at an agency in town seemed to own the same variation of that chunky J. Crew statement necklace, so I went out and bought one of my own (a much cheaper version at Charming Charlie’s, but it was the gateway necklace). Years later, I’m still working in PR, but I’ve settled into my own style and I don’t feel the need to cling to costume jewelry to fit in. And now I’ve got all these damn statement necklaces that aren’t my style at all.

    I’d love to explore this topic as an essay for Racked. About me: I’m a Milwaukee-based writer and a reader of Racked. For a look at some of my past work, you can find my most recent essays for The Billfold and for A Practical Wedding. My complete portfolio is here.

    Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I hope to hear back from you and hopefully we can collaborate soon on this piece.

    Best,
    Lauren

    Why the pitch worked

    Sieben focuses her pitch on how one type of jewelry has impacted her personal style, rather than trying to fit her entire jewelry box into her essay.

    She admitted to The Write Life that her pitches can be too wordy, but in this case the finished essay delivers exactly what she proposed —  something editors always appreciate.

    The experience

    Sieben was asked to add a small section to her essay, but “It went up pretty much as I had submitted it,” she says. “The only downside is that piece went up months ago and I’m still waiting on payment because of some payroll glitch.”

    Sieben returned to the editor who picked up her first piece and has another in the works.Example 3: Adaptability and a new angle

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    The article: A Wine Drinker’s Guide to Climate Change Winners and Losers by Jamie Cattanach, appearing on Vinepair

    The pitch

    Hi [redacted for privacy],

    Pleased to meet you! I saw your call in [private Facebook group], and I’ve got a story I think might be a fit for VinePair.

    I’d like to write a piece explaining how climate change could completely wreck winemaking as we know it, and even render certain varietals and blends impossible to create should temperatures rise too far. I would briefly explain how varietal characteristics depend on terroir — which, in turn, is defined in part by climate — before imagining how certain varietals’ expressions might change should temperatures reliably increase by even just a few degrees.

    Long story short: if we don’t take action, our children might not be drinking the same elegant, cool-weather pinots or slatey Chablis we enjoy today.

    I spent more than a year on-staff at The Penny Hoarder as their head food writer, and I’ve also worked with the Purple Carrot subscription box, Ms. Magazine, BUST, Roads & Kingdoms, RVshare, Santander Bank, Barclaycard and others. I have a piece forthcoming on SELF magazine’s website, as well. Here are a few relevant clips, and you can also take a peek at my website and full digital portfolio.

    Thanks for your consideration; I’m looking forward to hearing what you think!

    Thanks again,

    Jamie Cattanach

    Why the pitch worked

    Without getting too deep in the weeds about the science of this piece or her potential sources, Cattanach sets the scene for a piece that has wide interest even for a niche publication.

    The experience

    Cattanach’s initial contact at Vinepair left the site between the assignment date and due date, which caused some confusion. She had to adjust her angle in the midst of researching her piece, as a similar article was published on Vinepair about a week before Cattanach’s.

    “I had to change my angle from ‘What will happen to terrior?’ to ‘Where will the new fancy wine regions be and also, by the way, some wine growers are totally thinking about switching to pot, isn’t that funny?’

    Despite the challenges, she was paid promptly and was proud to get her first clip in a wine-focused publication.

    The common thread: Networking

    All three of our pitching examples included mention of a personal reference or Facebook group for writers. That doesn’t mean that these three writers have endless connections in the industry. It just means that they’re paying attention and taking advantage of opportunities as they appear.

    As a colleague reminded Cattanach: Your story idea definitely won’t get picked up if you never pitch it anywhere.

    You learn by taking the chance, and doing so with confidence. Good luck, writers!

    Note: We’ve removed some of these contributor’s clips that they shared in their pitches, but the text of their pitches otherwise remains as emailed.

  • Q3 Check-In: Saying ‘No’ in Order to Grow Your Freelance-Writing Career

    Q3 Check-In: Saying ‘No’ in Order to Grow Your Freelance-Writing Career

    How has 2017 gone for you so far? Has it been anything like you expected?

    Now that we’re beginning the last quarter of the year, it’s time to start thinking about where we want our careers to go in 2018 — and doing the work that will help us get there.

    It’s time for our third quarter check-in.

    1. How much money did I earn this quarter?

    Between July 1 and September 30, I earned $18,700 in freelance income and received $21,097.37 in freelance payments. (As you might remember from my Q2 check-in, I ended the second quarter with some money owed me.)

    I also received $657.80 in ebook and paperback sales for my self-published debut novel, The Biographies of Ordinary People. I’ve made $1,214.65 in total sales, but the payments don’t arrive right away.

    My total freelance income for 2017 (not counting book sales) is $50,241.12. I’m a little over $5,000 ahead of my $5K monthly income goal, and that’s before you factor in what I’m earning from my novel.

    2. What was the best thing I did for my freelance career this quarter?

    I wanted to spend the summer earning as much money as I could, and I did.

    In Q2, I started writing for Lifehacker and was invited to take on some new responsibilities at The Billfold, where I’m currently a Senior Editor.

    This additional work meant that I was earning more money, but I was also putting in more than 40 hours of work each week. That’s okay for a short-term sprint, but I didn’t want it to become a full-time workload — so I knew I would have to make some changes in the fall.

    freelance writing3. What was my biggest mistake (or, what am I going to do differently next quarter)?

    After earning more money in Q3, I had planned to spend Q4 cutting back on the number of assignments I accepted so I could focus on a few core clients, earn my monthly $5K and spend the rest of my time revising my second novel.

    However, I’m already finding out that Q4 will be a little different than anticipated. Which brings me to the next question:

    4. What do I want to achieve as a freelancer next quarter?

    Like many freelancers who are at this stage of their career, my answer is “launch a project  I can’t talk about yet.” Right now I am working with people on a long-term project that, if it is successful, will help both my career and my income. If that sounds really vague, I’m sorry — trust me, I’ll tell you all about it if/when it happens.

    I can say that I am not undertaking this project alone; nor is it designed to just benefit me.

    Although “freelancer” is often synonymous with “solopreneur,” I’m lucky to be in the position where I get to work with other talented people towards a shared goal. It’s one of the benefits of having five years of experience working in the freelance and publication industry.

    I’m also revising my second novel with the goal of self-publishing it in May 2018. So… this quarter is going to be pretty busy!

    5. What steps am I taking to get there?

    Remember that post I wrote about time-blocking? I’ve blocked off time for my clients, time for my projects and time for my novel revisions.

    Yes, this means I’ve had to say no to some other opportunities. I am well aware that I could be making a little extra money each month that I am turning down in order to pursue these bigger goals — and to keep my workload as close to a 40-hour week as possible.

    Part of me feel anxious about saying no to paying gigs, because up to this point my freelance career has been about earning as much money as I can, every month. But I’m hoping that my work this quarter will help me achieve something that’s better for my career than a $200 article — and will help me earn even more money in the long run.

    We still have three months until the end of the year, but I’m already thinking about 2018 — what I might be working on, how much I might be earning and how I can continue to grow as a freelancer and an author.

    2017 has been an unpredictable year in many aspects; I barely hit my earnings goal in Q1, got a bunch of new responsibilities in Q2 and hustled for more money in Q3. Now it’s time to spend Q4 building what might come next — and, of course, keeping up with my daily freelance and editing work!

    So I’ll turn it over to you: ask yourself these same five check-in questions and, if you feel comfortable, share your answers in the comments. How has Q3 gone, and what are you looking forward to in Q4?

  • 5 Online Networking Tips for New Freelance Writers

    5 Online Networking Tips for New Freelance Writers

    As a newbie freelancer, you’re told all the time: network, network, network.

    Building relationships makes good business sense and can lead to referrals and other opportunities down the road. But how exactly are you supposed to do it?

    It’s not like you can schmooze at an office happy hour. Conferences are wonderful, but they can cost quite a bit of money, which you may not have when you’re just starting out. Heck–maybe you chose freelance writing because you wanted to leave the world of conferences and happy hours behind.

    So what does networking look like in such a solitary profession?

    Here are five non-awkward networking tips for the newbie freelancer.

    1. Seek out role models

    When I first started out, I was hungry for success stories. I’d taken the Writeto1K course and sought out writers who had taken the same course and were “making” it.

    If you’re part of a particular online community, try connecting with someone a few paces ahead of you whose work and successes you admire. If you’re starting totally from scratch, look for someone in your chosen niche. Whether it’s digital marketing, health, computer gaming, boutique pet food–you name it, someone’s making a killing writing about it.

    Find your heroes. Stalk them (Ahem: Read their posts and learn).

    2. Comment on blogs

    Whatever business-related question you have in mind, there’s a good chance the person you want to connect with has already written about it — a lot. What are their best tips?

    When you see something you find helpful, comment and say thanks. This can serve as your introduction point if you want to make a more personal connection later. Plus, it’s just good manners. And who doesn’t love seeing that their work helped someone else?

    That string of appreciative comments after a post can do a freelancer’s heart a world of good.

    online networking for writers3. Email with specific questions

    Connecting with people you admire is key, but be careful. You want to be respectful of a potential mentor’s time and expertise.

    That means “let me pick your brain” requests won’t help you build goodwill and gain the tools you need to succeed. What will help? Specific questions.

    Here’s a few to consider: “What are your best tips for managing writing time vs. mom time?” Or “What’s your most consistent method of getting clients?” Or “You’re one of the few people I’ve found that writes in my niche — can you give me ballpark figures of what I should be charging?”

    Once I did this and something amazing happened. I heard back from an established freelancer I’d sent a friendly email to: She was creating a program to help newbies land their very first client and wanted to know if I’d like to test drive it — for free. Yes please!

    That was the ticket for me. This mentor helped me customize my pitch, designed an awesome logo for my business, and scoured job boards looking for opportunities that fit my experience. In no time at all I started hearing back from jobs where before there’d been only crickets. I had my first $1,000 sooner than I’d thought possible.

    More importantly, though, I had confidence. I had clients and ongoing work. I was a real freelance writer–all it took was a boost from a friendly stranger.

    4. Stay in touch

    Any successful freelance writer is all over the web. For home-based workers, social media is our water cooler. If you’ve found someone you think you can learn from, connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her blog.

    Every time your chosen mentor sends out a tweet or update, you get to learn some new trick of the trade. And as any new freelancer knows, there’s so much to learn at the beginning. Why not hear it from the best?

    No one is an island. You need peers (otherwise known as a squad) in this gig — even if you don’t see them face to face. Also, staying in touch is simply good business: keep yourself in the loop with professionals who know their stuff so that you’re ready for any opportunities they may want to pass your way.

    5. Be friendly

    Finally, don’t be a jerk. (Duh).

    We writers don’t get enough social interaction as it is; no one wants to deal with a forceful email or bummer tweet. Be open, be friendly, say thanks. Who you are online is who you are in life; communicate online like someone you’d want to hang out with in person.

    For me, networking paid off financially really quickly and helped me build confidence. But if networking is so beneficial, why do writers have to be told, over and over again, to do it?

    Maybe because people who choose writing tend to be introverted, and that shyness can put a stopper on our gumption. But really–what’s the worst that can happen? As writers, rejection is just part of the game. If you reach out to a freelancer and ask for advice the worst you can hear is a polite “no.”

    But in my experience, that doesn’t often happen. The freelancers I’ve met since I’ve started are open, generous, and happy to make a connection. They know that we’re all in this together; if one of us does well, it’s good for everyone. They’re happy to spread the love.

    So if you’re just starting out and wanting to make connections, you can be a little afraid. But then you should do it anyway.  

    You may just meet a friend.

    Do you have any networking tips for freelance writers? Share them in the comments below!

  • Editors Dish: What They Want New Freelance Writers to Understand

    Editors Dish: What They Want New Freelance Writers to Understand

    “… So you mean I have to call him?”

    Few people in the office understood my reticence to pick up the phone and ask someone some questions. It would only take a couple of minutes, after all, and it was critical to the story.

    But I hadn’t gravitated toward the written word because of my loquaciousness and charm. On the contrary: The solitary nature of writing was a huge part of why it always seemed to suit this introverted nerd.

    Having just taken my first big-girl position as a staff writer for The Penny Hoarder, however, I quickly learned I’d need to find my voice — like, my spoken one — if I wanted to make it in the industry. Interviewing sources was non-negotiable if I wanted to keep writing for a paycheck.

    I wasn’t about to give up that hard-won title; I’d never really believed I’d ever get it in the first place. So I looked up a few articles about how to conduct effective phone interviews, took a deep breath, and started dialing.

    How writing is different on the professional level

    Interviewing was only one of a set of journalistic skills I had to learn on the fly.

    I’d double-majored in English and philosophy as an undergrad and spent a year studying poetry at the Master’s level, so I was no stranger to putting words on paper. But many aspects of this new type of writing eluded me.

    For one thing, I was really long-winded. And AP style was a calculus I couldn’t fathom. (I still can’t understand how they possibly decided the correct spelling is “drive-thru.”)

    But over time, I was able to learn to think like a journalist — or at least get better at it.

    I figured out how to maintain objectivity and avoid inserting myself into my prose. I picked up on the inverted pyramid and learned how to properly identify sources by their titles.

    Soon, I found myself conducting interviews nerves-free — or, OK, nearly. I could turn around an urgent, timely post in 15 minutes flat, like a real newsroom pro.

    It took time, patience, and a lot of fantastic mentorship and coaching; I’m truly indebted to the incredible writers I worked with.

    But, man — wouldn’t it have been nice to know about some of the most common errors ahead of time?

    What editors wish untrained writers knew

    You don’t have to go to journalism school to be a journalist. In fact, some of the most celebrated journalists didn’t.

    But there are things you need to keep in mind if you’re an untrained writer looking to make it as a professional — whether you’re reporting for a newspaper or just doing some occasional freelance blogging.

    So we asked some editors to dish on the most common errors they see coming from unschooled writers.

    Here’s what they said.

    1. Editors are busy; pitch concisely

    Pitching is one of the most important skills a freelance writer can learn. I mean, let’s face it; if you don’t pitch well, you’re not going to have any work in the first place.

    Once you do the footwork of coming up with a great idea, deciding on a venue (or three) and finding the right editor to pitch it to, then comes the real project: Selling your story in as little space as possible. Editors get a lot of email, after all, not to mention their other duties.

    Concision and clarity is key to pitching successfully.

    Freelance editor Heather van der Hoop’s been at it for six years now, and she says one of her biggest pet peeves is receiving “long, rambly, stream of consciousness thoughts” in place of proper pitches — ideas as vague and unanchored as “I want to write about how to make money as a freelancer.”

    That’s not gonna cut it.

    A great pitch should give a clear thesis and explain why the story’s a good fit for a specific publication. You also need to establish yourself as a trustworthy and credentialed writer — all, ideally, in just a few paragraphs.

    It’s no easy feat. But as in all things, practice makes perfect…and insight from seasoned writers never hurts, either.

    2. And know ahead of time that pitches get rejected. A lot

    Rejection is a huge part of making a living as a writer, and railing against it isn’t going to help your case.

    “[Some] freelancers assume their pitch is the right one at the right time,” explains Christopher Gaffney, editor in chief at the Journal of Latin American Geography. But sometimes, your pitch will be rejected simply because the editorial board isn’t in a position to take it on at the moment.

    Gaffney says he’s been on the receiving end of angry, pleading emails from jilted writers, and has even been accused of holding prejudiced editorial perspectives. But as a freelancer, you aren’t privy to the internal debates taking place at the publication. And unless your editor gives you a specific reason, you just don’t know exactly why your idea ended up in the pass pile.

    So if an editor passes on your story, just shrug it off and move on to the next publication — or rethink your angle if you’ve heard “no” more than a couple of times.

    3. Learn how to find appropriate sources

    Learning how to host an effective interview is one (important!) thing. But before you even get there, you have to find the right interviewees in the first place.

    It’s another of van der Hoop’s peeves to receive stories wherein the writer didn’t properly vet her sources, or perhaps couldn’t find fitting ones at all. Is this person an actual expert in the field? What are his credentials?

    Furthermore, reporters are obligated to present as unbiased a story as possible, which means avoiding a reliance on sources with vested interests in a particular angle. “Get [multiple] sources with different points of view,” van der Hoop advises.

    As far as the hunt itself goes, again — practice makes perfect. But keep an open mind and think outside the box. In the social media age, you might be surprised who you can find in your existing connections. (And don’t forget about HARO, either!)

    4. Deadlines are important

    As in, really important. As in, if you want to work with a publisher again, you’d better meet them.

    “In my experience, non-journalist freelancers are terrible at sticking to deadlines,” says Olive & Company Inbound Marketing Director Jeff Roberts. “I don’t think they understand the ramifications of not meeting a deadline — especially in print publications.”

    Think about it: Your final, published article will need to be vetted by an editor or two, at the very least. Depending on the piece, it may also need to spend time in an art, marketing, public relations, SEO, or fact-checking department…all in time for strict press deadlines.

    Time is of the essence, and that due date in your ledger has meaning for a whole lot of people besides you.

    Do everything in your power to stick to it.

    5. Verify everything, especially names

    J.R. Duren, a personal finance reporter at HighYa, was a marketing writer at a private university before making the transition to journalism. And when he got to his new position, he discovered it came with a brand-new source of stress.

    “Every time I wrote a long front or A1 story, I was insanely anxious because I didn’t want to get a call the next day from someone saying I misspelled their name,” Duren says.

    Obviously, it’s not just names that require diligent attention to detail when you’re writing journalistically. Unlike in a creative work, real people — and their reputations — are on the line.

    “Every fact needs to be verified. If it’s not truth, it’s fiction,” Duren goes on.

    There’s certainly a little less pressure in the digital publishing space, where a few clicks can fix a discrepancy.

    But as a writer who’s misspelled a name before — that of an author I admire greatly and to whom I unintentionally tweeted my error — I can tell you: after-the-fact edits don’t make it any less humiliating.

    6. Remove yourself from the prose — and yes, that sometimes includes your style

    As a creative writer, this one was a little hard for me to swallow. But as it turns out, everything isn’t always about me.

    When you’re writing professionally, your personal touch is eclipsed by the needs of the publication’s editorial board and readership.

    Almost always, that means your opinion or perspective isn’t called for — unless you’re writing a personal essay.

    And even if you’ve got objectivity down pat, remember: For many publications, it’s less about beautiful prose and more about pragmatism.

    “Readers typically come to our articles after typing a specific search query into Google,” says Priyanka Prakash, managing editor at Fit Small Business. “They want the answer to their question or issue right away.”

    “Journalists are trained to prioritize clarity and brevity; creative writers are trained to paint a picture with their words,” adds Roberts. “These are divergent goals and can lead to several additional rounds of edits and hours of re-training.”

    In other words, yes, your writing may be beautiful… but it can also cost a lot of members of the editorial board extra time. (Which might make them hesitant to re-hire you.)

    7. Be prepared for substantial edits

    While we’re on the topic…

    You’ve probably heard the old writing advice, “kill your darlings.” But when you take your writing to the professional level, you need to be ready to watch others do the honors.

    No matter how long you’ve been writing or how tough you think you are, it can be difficult to see your hard work cut to pieces. But do your best not to take it to heart, because it’s all part of the biz.

    Many publications have very strict length or word-count limits, or specific tone and style guidelines. Drafts might pass under one, two, or 10 editors’ review, so it’s no surprise you’ll get back something different from what you started with.

    “The craft of writing is never done by just one person,” say Gaffney. “Editors are a major part of the writing process.”

    Just because your elegant turn of phrase sounds perfect to you doesn’t mean it’ll work for the publication’s audience — which a good editor (hopefully) has more insight about than you do.

    8. Your lack of a degree really doesn’t matter…if you’re good

    At the end of the day, if you want to be a professional writer, you have to be good at it — and that doesn’t necessarily require a degree.

    What it does take is lots of practice and dedication.

    Tim O’Hagan’s been in the business for a quarter of a century, having authored almost a dozen books and presently serving as senior editor for Reader’s Digest. He’s worked with a lot of freelancers, and contends that the keys to great writing are effort and exposure rather than mere education.

    “I firmly believe that any journalist, with or without a degree, who starts from the ground floor… and gains exposure to working in the media in all its forms will outperform… peers who have a theoretical backing of a degree, but relatively little exposure,” he says. A degree can be helpful, certainly — but the real skill is built in experiencing “the daily realities of getting the story, writing it with discipline and pathos, putting a strong headline on it, and making it so good everyone will read it.”

    In other words, and yet again, it’s going to take practice and perseverance.

    But that’s what writing is in the first place, right? Putting one word in front of the other, again and again, knowing you may even have to scrap it all and start over — but knowing, too, that when the it finally turns out right, all your effort will be worth it.

  • You Can’t Write it All: How to Avoid Side Hustle Burnout

    You Can’t Write it All: How to Avoid Side Hustle Burnout

    Please, inspirational quote on Instagram. Remind me that Beyonce and I get the same number of hours in each day.

    Oh please, internet guru. Remind me that if I have an hour a day for my side hustle, I’ll undoubtedly reap the financial rewards.

    What happens when your side hustle is writing? And your day job (or any number of part-time jobs you’ve cobbled together) also requires a lot of writing?

    In your case, an hour of free time might send you running as far from your laptop as possible.

    Writing takes a lot of brainpower. It takes a different kind of concentration and mental energy than say, raking leaves or walking dogs. Not better energy; just different energy.

    And if your 9-to-5 already uses some of the same skills you need to be a good writer, it’s too easy to get drained.

    If you spend all day on the phone or in meetings with clients, interviewing business owners to ghostwrite their blog posts on the side is going to feel exhausting. If you’re a proofreader by day, the idea of editing projects from Upwork at night is probably going to make your eyes cross.

    But since side hustle advice so often focuses on cultivating skills you already have, turning to your writing skills may feel like a natural fit — even if you already use those skills for eight hours each day.

    Here’s why that natural fit may actually make earning your second income harder.

    Side-hustle pro admits failure

    Breaking news: I’m a case study for side-hustle failure.

    My day job as a reporter stipulates that I can freelance to my heart’s content as long as the content isn’t in conflict with the work I do for my salary. (You’ve checked your contract or employee handbook for limitations there, right? Good.)

    So when I took this job and gave up my life as a frequent-traveling, frequent-napping freelancer, I expected I would be able to do the same type of work during my time off.

    I’d keep my content marketing clients with whom I had a great working relationship and a smooth workflow. I’d continue to write personal essays, integrating reporting elements like expert consultation, where applicable. And I’d write new reported pieces for the web publications on my bucket list.

    side hustle burnoutThis is the part of the movie where everything stops and you hear the record scratch.

    How was I going to to do reporting when I was already trying to pin down sources from 9 to 5 every day? How was I supposed to cultivate new sources? I can hear the outgoing voicemail message now: “I can be reached between noon and one and again after 5 p.m. Eastern.”

    Wow, that sounds professional.

    I even tried to outsource some of my research. When I had an idea but didn’t have time to do the initial research I needed to figure out my pitch, I enlisted the help of a researcher. I paid her for a few hours of work, and she delivered a document with key points, summarized news items on the topic and a bibliography.

    It was money well spent on a subject area I’m still curious about. But I still wasn’t able to refine my pitch enough to have it land with the publication for which I intended it. And had they accepted it, how would I have had time to pursue the story on a deadline? I didn’t even have time to do my own initial reading on the topic.

    So I made a hard decision: no more reporting outside of work, no matter how far removed the topic might be from what I write about there.

    Instead, I’m sticking with nonprofit content marketing, which takes energy and concentration, but doesn’t require chasing down anyone to try to get a good quote.

    It means my freelance work won’t be a factor in increasing my income this year. But it does mean  I’ll have some free time to work on personal writing projects. I can sketch out drafts of personal essays. I can work on flash fiction or short stories. The only deadline these projects will have are the ones I set for myself, and let me tell you, they are very generous deadlines.

    So when you see an inspirational quote about how many hours Beyonce has, just remember that she has assistants. Her assistants probably have assistants.

    That’s not you. I know, I’m bummed too.

    How to hustle without burning out

    If you’re working full-time and trying to freelance on the side, please stop lamenting the work you could be doing on a given evening, weekend, holiday or lunch break.

    Instead, remember the following:

    • Writing is hard. Doing it well is harder. Don’t burn yourself out because you’re trying to write everything, everywhere, all the time.
    • Your brain needs space to breathe. You also need time with friends, exercise and fresh air, and probably to do some laundry on occasion. You are allowed to have free time that isn’t dedicated to your full-time job or freelance writing.
    • Don’t try to replicate your 9-to-5 job into a writing-related side gig. Use adjacent skills, not the same exact ones. The idea is to generate income while keeping your work fresh, not to get stuck in a rut because you have to come home from work and do the same exact work.
    • If the ideal reliable, income-generating side hustle for you isn’t writing, that’s OK. Dog walking and yard work can be great gigs, and the screen-free time may even help generate some ideas for your next writing project — whether that project is paid or not.

    Day-jobbers and side-hustlers, how do you make it all work? Share your tips in the comments!