I like to think of writing and editing the way a boxer might think of his fists. One’s steel, the other is iron. If one don’t get ya, the other one will. For me, the writing process is chaotic, disorderly, and powered entirely by imagination. Whether I’m writing website content, brochure copy, book reviews, business plans, or fiction, I channel …
Two days after I parted ways with my job, I had my first client as a solopreneur. How? Because of networking. Networking has been one of the biggest power boosts to my career as a Portland freelance writer. In fact, my current active client list is composed largely of referrals from my networking group, the Portland-based Northwest Networking Professionals. So, …
Employee happiness and short-sighted bosses all over the U.S. are on my mind lately. I currently work for myself and have been the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, but the life of a freelance writer may not be for everyone. If you’re happy to just have a job right now, it doesn’t mean you should be treated like …
Weary Employees, Passion, and that “little bitty spot” Read More »
I recently came across an article (via Guy Kawasaki on Twitter) about how employers can boost the happiness of their employees. The article is a Q&A between Matthew May and Gretchen Ruben. Mr. May is a design/innovation strategist and author, and Ms. Ruben is the author of The Happiness Project, a memoir of her year spent defining happiness. The entire …
I really need to update this blog more often. I’m involved in a social media project, I just finished writing content for another website, and have at least one other website content writing project about to begin … and yet, I can’t even regularly update my own blog! Gaaah! lol. More soon!
Lest you all think I’m just work, work, work all the time, I’m opening up this blog a little to talk about other interests … books, music, and films I enjoy. Today I’ll talk a little about some of the films that helped inspire me to embark on a career as a freelance writer in Portland (okay, okay it ties …
People surfing the web for a certain product or service – such as graphic design – are already half-sold when they visit a website. Well-written website content makes your products/services enticing. It compels the prospect to click “order,” “buy,” or “e-mail for more information.” Badly-written copy does the opposite. Confused or bored surfers will leave your site and go to …
I’ve stayed steadily engaged with freelance writing all year, but May has been my busiest month as a freelance writer. I hope this is a good indicator for the rest of the year (or summer, at least!) Here’s a run-down of May’s freelance writing projects so far: Technical writing project for the upcoming launch of Portland-based client PublicMarketspace.com. I delivered …
Business plans are strange documents. Because they involve dream businesses, people tend to pour their emotions into them and lose all objectivity. Depending on your requirements, a business plan is an internal roadmap with milestones that you define. Or it’s a document you present to a bank officer for a loan. Or it’s a proposal you submit to angel …
A recent “People@Work” article on AOL’s daily finance section focused on the 42 million U.S. freelancers. The article highlights a survey from the Freelancers Union about the lack of a safety net for freelancers, including unemployment insurance and a healthcare pool. It’s an important issue, and one I’ll be following. There should certainly be some kind of a safety net, …
I love working with words. They are, after all, my main currency of exchange, 😉 One word that has always fascinated me is, “freelance.” It has a nice, “Old World” ring, doesn’t it? It conjures visions of horsemen raising their lances for a charge, sworn to no king. The term “freelance” was first coined by Sir Walter Scott in his …
