Recent Articles
Freelance My Ass
I don’t have much time for euphemisms. I’m fairly straight-talking and thus like to speak and hear things as they are meant to be spoken and heard. Your writing style may be different to mine, and certain projects will not allow for on-the-nail writing no matter who you are, but my favourite newspaper articles can [...]
Punch Your Freelance Writing
Right in the chops. Go for the knock-out. There are a lot of freelance writers in the ring. The only way to rise above everyone else is to deliver solid punches with your writing. Clients will notice. You will notice. Soon after, everyone will notice. Punchy Get out your thesaurus. I’m assuming you keep one handy. [...]
Put Time into Properly Managing Your Home-Based Writing Business
With all that full-time writers have to do in this day and age, managing a home-based writing business may not seem like a big deal to some outside the business, but it can be overwhelming for some small business entrepreneurs. So, if you’ve gone from the corporate world of writing and/or reporting to operating your [...]
Comfort Writing
As I sit here this morning, we are getting our first snow of the winter. On days like this, I like to make a big, slow cooked soup, or a home made mac and cheese – genuine comfort food. There truly is something comforting about it. Sometimes, I like to cast my ambitions aside and [...]
Are Ya Jealous?
This whole business of being a writer is kinda screwy. Especially when you consider the freelancing aspect of the thing. Obviously, the universal goal of us writing types is success in our field. I guess my question for you is: How does the success of other writers make you feel? When you hear or read [...]
FYI
Reading through my fan mail the other day, I saw a letter requesting that I address the subject of acronyms. That, of course, is complete BS and I expect many of you will be wishing I would just STFU. I don’t have any fan mail. Actually, quite the opposite; I am currently stalking several well-known [...]
Broadly Speaking
It’s been some time since I handled a real paper version of a newspaper. I read a lot of news but all of it online. It has been an even longer time since I tackled a broadsheet. One entered our house the other day, though, so I thought I’d give it a go. Whose daft [...]
Why Writers Should Operate From a To-Do List
Please welcome Steve Sears, who has generously proffered this great guest post about the importance of using a to-do list. You can find more great stuff from Steve at www.SGSWrite.com Not operating from a To-Do list? I know of a few freelance writers who operate minus setting goals, and they are successful. However, I have [...]
Pocket Lenses
The older I get, the more easily I am annoyed by little things. My wife has said that many times, but I’m sure I have no idea what she’s referring to. Anyway, I have seen over the past few months several email messages wherein the sender has said they will be “out of pocket” for [...]
Amoebas
Who out there is ambitious about their writing? Who wants to write a blockbuster novel or pen a Hollywood screenplay? I don’t expect anyone will admit to it. That’s okay, I get it. No one really wants to engage when the topic of ambition rears its ugly head. It all seems a bit seedy and [...]
Freelance Writers Should Do NaNoWriMo
No, NaNoWriMo is not some kind of new dance craze. It’s National Novel Writing Month and it starts November 1. Insane and mentally challenged writers everywhere commit to writing a 50,000 word novel during the 30 days of November. That’s right. A novel in 30 days. “It can’t be done!” say the masses. “Blasphemy!” Yeah? [...]
It’s a No From Me
The silly season is upon us. The X-Factor USA – the most potent argument ever for gun control – hit our screens last week. Lord, I hope these people are put through a metal detector before they are put before the judges. They are insane. Even most of the talented ones are insane; they’re just [...]
Freelancing Basics, Part 4
In the final post of this series, we’re going to have a look at some of the issues that surround dealing with clients. If you’ve been following, you already know that the first post covered some basics of being a writer, the second post gave some helpful suggestions in terms of basic freelancing tools, and [...]
Mightier Than The Email
I have a website called markpepper.com, yet when I search for “Mark Pepper” I don’t even come out on page 1 of Google. If I searched for “freelance writer”, I think I would probably die of old age before I came across my website. Having a website is essential for any freelance writer, but people [...]
Freelancing Basics, Part 3
So far in this series on freelance writing basics, we’ve covered the importance of being a good writer and some of the tools you need to have on hand to get started. This article will focus on the all important concept of finding clients. Let’s face it. Without clients you’re not a freelance writer, you’re [...]
Freelancing Basics, Part 2
In the first post of this series, I wrote about the importance of being able to write. From a business success standpoint, a freelance writer being able to write is kind of a no-brainer. This post will help the beginning freelance writer to identify the tools of the trade that are crucial to freelance writing [...]
You Could Be A Contender
I’ve been blogging here for nearly 2 years now and for the past 18 months I’ve been pleasantly surprised, if not downright shocked, that I’ve found anything to write about. Writing about freelance writing is really a finite proposition. You can keep tweaking earlier articles, adding new slants and what you believe are fresh gems [...]
Freelancing Basics, Part 1
This series of posts is designed to give the fledgling freelance writer a starting point. While it is designed with the beginner in mind, I’m hoping there will be a tidbit or two of information that veterans will find useful as well. Enjoy. If you are considering tossing your hat into the freelance ring the [...]
