I came across a blog post by Denise (of the SFC) asking what people consider when determining the difference between a "professional" writer and just an amateur or hobby writer. I hear this question a lot, especially from people who try to say you can't determine what makes a "professional" writer, because it's entirely subjective. As far as I'm concerned, if you say something like that is too subjective, it's not that you can't look at it objectively but rather that you're probably just to lazy to put the thought into it. There are definitely common misconceptions of what makes someone a "professional" writer, and some very basic things that professional writers have in common.
Your Rights as a Writer
If you’re working as a freelance writer, you should be well aware that there are a wide variety of rights attached to all of your work. When deciding where and how to sell your writing, you get to decide what kinds of rights you want to offer your clients (unless you choose to apply for gigs where demands for rights are already laid out… then