I have encountered so many “writers” who have terrible spelling and seem to take a finished work and sprinkle commas over it with a salt shaker. This just is not going to work if you are going to call yourself a writer. One young man asked me to read something he had written and give […]
Bidding Sites – Yes or No?
There are Freelancers who dismiss bidding sites. I don’t blame them. There are a lot of bidding sites that are absolutely horrendous out there. I did tons of research to find out which one, if any, I would use. And I came up with Elance. Here’s the deal. All bidding sites are going to have […]
Ghostwriting: Will I or Won’t I?
A couple of years ago, I was hired to ghostwrite a novel. My client had the ideas in his head, but he wasn’t sure how to organize it, put it together coherently, and present it as a story. I was quite excited, as this was my first opportunity to write a novel. The process was […]
Freelancers Alert! Your Must-Have Resources
There are many writers who believe that everything they need is free online. They believe that there is no need for any kind of resource beyond Google. I hate to tell you this, but there are a few resources that will make you a better, more effective writer. What I consider to be the most […]
A Gift for My Freelance Friends and Followers
Feel free to use/edit/protect yourself with this basic contract. Cut and paste or contact me to sent the original file. More to follow…. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT This Independent Contractor Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered between [NAME OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR], an independent contractor hereafter referred to as “Contractor”, and [NAME OF CLIENT], hereafter […]
Common Terms that Can Cause Problems
When a freelancer takes on a new job with a new client, they usually discuss the work that needs to be done and reach an agreement on what the job entails and the cost to the client. This process usually works quite well. On occasion, a client does not communicate exactly what they want, or […]
Daily Distractions
I admit it. I can’t wait for school to start. I have 3 sons. Two will be off to college in a few weeks and the other will be back to high school shortly thereafter. I love my kids. I really do. They are generally well behaved and very sweet. But…. They are detrimental to […]
That Job is Still Listed….
Remember when we had that little chat about telecommuter discrimination? Well, the job that I would be awesome at is still listed and I’m still not hired because…. Right. I’m a telecommuter. It’s like having to admit that I’m a porn operator or something. “I work from a room in my home with a computer […]
WYSIWYG
I’ve been asked about fees, and my fee is totally dependent on several variables. If I am hired hourly, generally my hourly rate is $35. A discount may be offered for ongoing jobs or established, regular clients. Flat-fee jobs depend on whether research is needed, images are required, and the length or amount of content […]
The Perils of Time Management
When I was Director of Client Services, I never had to worry about time management. I logged on and BAM, there was my work. Troubleshooting, meeting planning, team building, client calls, project management… I worked about 65 – 70 hours per week. Returning to freelancing means I make my own schedule. The key word in […]