LoriWidmer

I keep seeing blogs and forum posts that promise “You too can make $100 a day freelancing!” as though doing so is the greatest accomplishment a new writer could achieve. While it’s a place to start, I think it’s a low place to start. It makes us lazy — the “all you need to do is” approach to freelancing generally sends writers right to the

Every now and then I come across a client who, for whatever reason, is under the impression that previous work I did for a different client may cause a conflict of interest. Current situation — a magazine editor thinks my writing about Topic A for Client A would conflict with my writing Topic B for his magazine (which rarely publishes anything having to do with

I’m well beyond the point in my career where I’ll take whatever comes. I’m to the point, in fact, where I won’t take a gig if it isn’t ideal. Here’s my top criteria for even talking to a client about a gig: It has to appeal to me The pay has to be ideal The job can’t suck up most of my time The client

Here’s a fun one — I’m writing an article at the moment on a specific topic — very specific. The editor called me with the assignment, and he gave me direction in where he’d like to go. He gave some names and a little direction on whom I should be calling, or at least attempting to reach (the editor is a laid-back guy who’s just

I read an article today about how to raise rates and keep your clients. In one suggestion, writers were supposed to sit clients down, explain that the writer’s demand was so great that rates had to go up, but that the writer was letting this client know because “You’re a favorite client.” It felt contrived. I don’t know how you guys raise your rates, but