What Else Is There?
Today, I read a job posting for writers. It read: Writers Wanted – Fiction and Nonfiction Only I couldn’t help but wonder, what else is there?
Mercenary Writer Begets Writing For Fun and Pay
When I first started moving the freelance writing business to the online world, I applied for any and every job that I was even remotely qualified for. One day, I mentioned a new gig I had gotten to my wife. After I was done telling her about it, she said, “Do you really want to be writing about that?” Of course not. I wasn’t remotely interested in the topic, but that wasn’t the point. I had another paying job. That was all that mattered. Today, I left a client for the first time. Write For Pay Every Day When you [...]
What Makes Freelance Writing Hard #1
There are so many people out there who assume that freelance writing is an easy job. That fact isn’t helped by the number of websites out there who preach the same thing, mostly so that they can sell you something. The truth is that there are many parts of freelance writing that are difficult. Now, I’m not saying that freelance writing is a bad job, far from it. I love my job and wouldn’t do anything else, but especially for someone considering a leap into freelance writing, I think it is important to understand all the aspects of the job. [...]
The AP Stylebook Adventure Series
So, is it open-source or open source? Missing from the pages of the Associated Press Stylebook is the correct use of the term open-source which until recently I had been using as just open source. Recently, an editor disagreed and though neither of us could find a definitive source, the editor always wins the ties. So, now I have to remember to write open-source for him, while I continue to write open source elsewhere. Ah, the joys of writing
Write What You Want To Write
For the past couple of weeks now, I have had a hard time writing. Assignments that once would have flown off my desk have languished about until deadline time. Pieces that could have been written in 20 minutes have taken an hour and a half. Normally, I sit down at my desk and love every minute of what I do, even when I am writing some very dry copy for a very dry client. But lately, it hasn’t been there. If you are a regular reader of the ArcticLlama blog, you know this. It has been way too long since [...]
Today’s AP Stylebook Lookup
Today’s project sent me to my now well worn AP Stylebook. The question? Carseat or car seat. Spell check despises carseat (it’s underlined right now with that angry red squiggly line), but I thought for sure that was how it was used. Survey says? Oops. It isn’t in the AP Stylebook. “Car pool” is in there. That’s a pretty good hint. Well, since it isn’t in the AP style guide, then we check the dictionary (a real one). It isn’t in there either. I guess I’m wrong. If you’ll excuse me, I have something to do. — Replace All … [...]
Is Guru.com Worth It For Freelance Writers
Is Guru.com worth it for a professional freelancer. A simple search for projects reveals the answer.
When A Client Does Not Pay
As a freelance writer, eventually there will come a time when a client doesn’t pay, or is paying very late. What to do about it can be a delicate dance. You don’t want to anger a lucrative client who just hasn’t gotten to it yet, but on the other hand, you don’t want to be giving away free work. After all, you have a mortgage payment and kids who need to eat too. The Doctor’s Office Method I have found it to be effective to use what I call the "doctor’s office" method in honor of the people who send [...]
Good Website for Writers and Aspiring Writers
Every time I start talking with someone about becoming a freelance writer, or someone who is a freelance writer looking for some new ideas or other help, I find myself nervous that I will accidentally send them into the hands of a shark who will somehow scam them out of their money or identity. So, it was with some relief that I came upon this site. This is technically at a science-fiction writing site, but it is good advice for everyone. It is a Writer Beware page that lists some of the more common scams. This list is by no [...]
Freelance Writing is Work
Yeah, it is actually work. I try and be helpful and friendly to people who contact me asking for help or advice. It’s just in my nature, and it is probably the right thing to do for the business anyway. So, it was nothing new when I began trading emails with a guy who was interested in becoming a freelance writer. We started with all of the usual stuff. How much money can you make? How do you setup your own web site? Do you actually have to know anything about HTML or SEO? Then, we got down to business. [...]
