Jennifer Mattern

A chill runs down your spine. Your palms are getting sweaty. You’ve laid it all on the line. You’ve put yourself “out there.” You want them – bad. You share the same goals and ideals. You know you’d be a compatible match. But will they say yes? Or will they reject you? No, we’re not talking about that elusive “perfect man” (or woman). Then again,

I know a few writers (and other professionals who sometimes refer writers) who charge a referral fee. I have a strict policy on not accepting referrals for freelance writing jobs that come with this kind of fee, and I never charge one. How do you feel about them? How Referral Fees Work Here’s an example of how a referral fee might work, based on a

Are you trying to build your freelance writing career around price? Do you figure if you offer the lowest rates, you’ll be more successful than all of those writers who “charge too much?” Have you ever lowered your rates just because you saw cheaper services getting picked more often? Do you assume more freelance writing jobs equals a better writing career? Uh oh. You may

I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for freelance writing jobs where you’re asked to write and send a custom sample. Something like: “Must include a unique sample article (at least 300 words) on paying down student loan debts, following the article format at XYZ.com. Applicants who do not submit a sample will not be considered.” Every time I see something like this I can’t help

Writing contests can sound appealing sometimes, right? You can do something you love, pit yourself against your colleagues or peers, maybe win a prize of some sort for the effort, and get a little bit of attention in the process. Then again, that sounds a lot like work when you think about it. I’m not a huge fan of writing contests. That’s not to say

I took most of this week off from client projects to devote time to my own, and I’d like to talk today about why you should consider it too – investing in your freelance writing future. We’re not talking about investing money (at least not much). We’re just talking about time – your most valuable asset as a service provider. Why should you reserve some

I was doing a bit of blog reading this morning, and came across this quote in regards to freelance writers bidding low on writing jobs when they’re new: “A novice copywriter can start with a low price at first. Companies will eventually increase the pay of a copywriter who always submits quality work.” I see this being said to new writers of all varieties all

With new businesses launched all the time, and new websites launched every day, there’s a huge demand for freelance copywriting services. I’m talking about marketing copy – copy that sells or persuades a reader or visitor to do something (from clicking a link to requesting a quote to signing up for an email newsletter subscription). Do you think you have what it takes to succeed

Chris Bibey of ChrisBlogging.com recently had an interesting post that I’d like to expand upon: Can Freelance Writers Work 7 Days a Week? I doubt anyone would say you “can’t” work seven days per week as a freelance writer – the real question (and one that Chris addresses regarding burnout potential) is “should you?” My view is this: No. Most people should not try to

I nearly always prefer bylined projects when it comes to writing content. At the same time, I do quite a bit of ghostwriting as a freelance writer. Today I want to talk a little bit about ghostwriting, why I sometimes avoid it, and why I occasionally love it. Problems with Ghostwriting The obvious drawback to ghostwriting is that you get no public credit. If you

If you frequent freelance writing blogs, you may have come across ChrisBlogging.com. The blog is run by Chris Bibey, and it’s one of very few blogs I try to check in on regularly. While Chris shares good advice on everything from the day-to-day life of a freelance writer to specific types of writing work available, he’s probably best known for being the blogger who shares

You’ve probably come across the freelance writing debate of writing for the Web versus writing for print markets before. Some people still look down on Web writers, and think if we don’t write for print markets, we’re not “real” or “professional” writers. I think those views still exist solely out of ignorance. What do you think? I think one of the biggest problems the print-only