Crafting a winning query letter is not always a simple task. To make things worse, even if your letter is perfect there is no guarantee that it will lead to a job. Over the years, I have sent hundreds of query letters. While they are all unique, they generally follow the same layout. Even though I urge you to create your own letters, I know
I read a comment on a financial blog written by a woman who resented her situation in life. She hated being the primary breadwinner and having almost sole responsibility of her child. She hated that her husband (who she didn’t actually hate, by the way) couldn’t seem to get it together and didn’t have the ability to support her while she stayed home. She had
At 22 years old, I was making $55K per year and I was the envy of all my friends. But I was still broke and I couldn’t figure out why. For months, I was unhappy about my job partly because I wasn’t enjoying the money I was making. Then, it dawned on me – the money’s going somewhere, I just had to figure out where
When you began your career as a freelance writer, you probably did so knowing that you were giving up some level of job security (assuming you left a full-time job to pursue freelancing). But if we’ve learned anything in recent years it’s that very few “real jobs” are actually secure. That’s often a myth. You’ve probably also heard that working as a freelance writer will
It’s easy to get frustrated with the complexities of the English language, especially when it becomes clear that many native speakers still struggle with certain words and phrases. How is a non-native speaker supposed to handle herself with the language when the supposed experts can’t? So native and non-native English speakers alike – be aware of this (very) common usage problems: “Their” means MORE than
Stacey Abler contacted me recently with a question about a new prospect. In her email she mentioned that she was considering offering a discount just because the contract could be a long-term regular one. My reaction was shock, followed by a “no, no, no….” Offering this kind of discount to a brand new client is a recipe for disaster. At the same time, I can
Yesterday I talked about how to increase blog traffic — specifically how we increased All Freelance Writing’s traffic by 80% in less than a year. One of the things that had a big impact for us was reformatting our category archive pages. Rather than making people browse through page after page of posts (they never do get to the really old gems that way it
Let’s turn back the clock to the fall of 2009. I was the sole blogger here at All Freelance Writing. Traffic was already fairly significant. But my posting was sporadic at best. I’m a busy person. I had multiple sites to manage (the ones that earn more and help support AFW so we don’t have to completely whore out to advertisers here), client projects to
A funny thing happened to me last week. I received three call backs from companies I cold called in late July. While this happens from time to time, getting three call backs in one week was a unique situation. Of course, I am not complaining. Why did they call back? All three companies wanted more information on what I could do for them. Fortunately, I
A few days ago I considered cussing out anyone who would listen, grabbing some beers and sliding down my boy’s plastic slide to enjoy the temporary benefits of being totally irresponsible and free. Of course this was not really an option – I don’t have beer in the house and the plastic slide wouldn’t hold my weight. However, I did do something about being overwhelmed
Yesterday I asked on Twitter what All Freelance Writing’s readers wanted to learn about here. Courtney Ramirez responded saying that she wanted to learn more about breaking into newer and better freelance writing markets. It’s something I talk about a lot on this blog — setting higher freelance writing rates and how that often involves re-targeting your market. Now let’s talk about how to make
Recently I busted the myth that Web writers don’t get paid as much as print writers. Today let’s tackle another one — the issue of freelance writing rates between Web content writers and business writers (like me) who happen to focus on writing for the Web. Often when I or other business writers talk about earning more money as a freelance writer, people comment with
Let’s tackle a very common myth about Web writing. I see it all the time on freelance writing blogs and forums. There are people out there telling new or aspiring Web writers that the Web simply doesn’t pay as much as print work does, and they need to get used to it. I’ve even seen the term “old school” tossed around referring to writers who
When you make the switch from full-time employee to full-time freelance writer, your health insurance options will change dramatically. If your spouse is still employed, you may be able to enjoy their group health benefits. Otherwise, you’ll be seeking an outside source for health coverage. There are more options than you may believe. I can’t cover all of them extensively in a single post, so
The other day I had a conversation with an old coworker and I was trying to encourage him to start a social networking business. This friend is not a writer but he is a fun, smart and witty conversationalist who understands the corporate world and the PR concerns of a company which makes him, in my opinion, perfect for social networking. This made me start
Those writers who speak English as their second (or third, or fourth) language can come from any country, culture or background, so everyone experiences different sorts of issues in their writing that stand out to native audiences. Believe me, the natives aren’t perfect either. Understand, of course, that native audiences aren’t always right, and they certainly aren’t perfect, but if you’re working for US-based clients
The server move is complete. I removed the AFW files from the old host and the site’s functioning, so it appears everything worked out finally with the database issues. May I throw a little party now? While this isn’t my first server move, it is my first WordPress server move, and my first multi-site move (talking between one and two dozen sites getting split between
Just a quick update about the server change going on here. It looks like I finally have the last issue worked out (tested on my smaller sites), and will be moving All Freelance Writing to its new server this afternoon. That means I’ll download the final database backup around noon today. If you comment between that database backup and the site moved, your comment will
In my last post I talked about tech-related problems leading to distraction at work, especially when you freelance and you get to deal with most of those issues yourself. Today was unfortunately an even worse day for me productivity-wise. I’d say it might just be my most unproductive work day ever. And it too began with technology-related non-goodness. Morning Upgrades Things kicked off this morning
Although I don’t keep exact records, I would guess that I have made more than 500 cold calls in an attempt to better my freelance writing career. Over this time, I have learned quite a bit about the cold calling process including what works and what you want to avoid. Here are three tips that anybody can follow: 1. You must get the decision maker
My husband worked at home exclusively for more than five years. During this time he kept the kids a fair amount while I taught, but it never ceased to amaze me how much he wanted to hide the kids from his business associates. In his mind and perhaps the minds of others, it was only a “real” job if he could fool everyone into thinking
I’m about to let loose with another big secret. You know—the quality you need most to make it in the magazine market. Any guesses? It might not be what you think it is… That you have to be a superior writer? Nope. That you have to know someone? Nah. (But it can help!) That you have to have a totally amazing idea? Uh-uh. The quality
Thursday is the last work day of my week. I therefore like for it to be a productive day. Well, that or I’ll work late Wednesday to take extra time off on Thursday. This Thursday was anything but. And technology was (mostly) to blame. I tend to get some early tweeting in while I have my first cup of coffee. I do this because it
Yesterday I received a reader question about freelance writers using pseudonyms. Given the nature of the topic, I agreed to only refer to the reader as CP. Here’s the email I received: I am in the process of transitioning into the freelance writing world, and getting my sea legs. I intend to use a pseudonym (as I have a separate, unrelated career), but am unclear
If there’s one thing that can help you earn more through your freelance writing business, it’s understanding your target market. You can’t jump into business blindly and expect to succeed — or at least not excel. Are there cases of dumb luck? Sure. But don’t expect to be one of them. Instead you need to focus on two things: what you’re selling, and who you’re
Sometimes I’m tempted to go back to work full-time. Not because I miss working outside the home or because I feel the need to interact with adults more often during the day. Only because I want more money. What I make now is fine (forgive the melodramatic post title), but I have some lofty goals I want to accomplish that require more money. I fantasize
Many of you probably caught this post on PBS.org about content farms last week. When I read it, I found it very interesting that Demand Media turned down the opportunity to be interviewed for the piece. Usually, they can’t be tamed when it comes to spouting their really cool: Hey, we never said we were journalists… but look at our awesome brand of service journalism
Non-native writers face discrimination online. Much of this negativity come for failing to write English “properly” – at least according to prospective clients. Looking been around various forums and markets, I’ve come across more than a few exclusionary advertisements about “native English speakers only” and such. Is there a reason so many jobs are asking for native English speakers only? Absolutely – and I’ll tell
It’s almost time to start another year! Parents and teachers know exactly what I’m talking about. They live in my universe where January is simply part of winter break and the REAL year starts in mid-August or early September when kids go back to school. In this family, I always go back to school and I’ll have one heading off to kindergarten *stifle sob* and
I don’t talk about finances much here other than issues revolving around rates and making money. That’s an area where I know my stuff, but I leave the rest to our resident financial experts. Today though I want to talk about money — my money — with a personal look at how freelance success has, and hasn’t, changed how I spend. Some Background One thing