Note: this post was updated in late January of 2014 with new info from Carol. Happy tax season! We freelance writers need to take advantage of all the possible tax deductions and make the best use of good tax management practices. Luckily, … [Continue reading]
Important Update: I Take It All Back... Starbucks has delivered on its promise to provide much faster wifi through its partnership with Google. Basically, at the Starbucks I frequent in far northern California and the Rogue Valley in southern … [Continue reading]
Relax!You hear it frequently. You may say it to yourself. And it’s very important.When you're relaxed, you help keep your body healthy and you preserve energy that your mind needs to get your writing projects done.Here's what you need to … [Continue reading]
Good goals help you gain good results You need to have realistic and motivating goals for all areas of your life, from income generation to health to relationships.That's why I've asked 19 of my favorite successful freelance writers to share top … [Continue reading]
Freelance writers often do a wide variety of projects, and occasionally they get offered new type of project that requires some careful evaluation.That was the case with freelance science writer Christopher Crockett. He has a strong background in … [Continue reading]
What we see where we write can help us be more productive and more creative. That's why I chose this photo for my computer screen background... That's my life partner Stephanie Hoffman entering Bell Canyon in southern Utah's San … [Continue reading]
As a freelance writer, you'll frequently need to interview important people for magazine, newspaper, and website articles, or for a book you're writing. In this post I'll give you a comprehensive list of the five key aspects of the interview … [Continue reading]
How can Stoicism make you a happier and better freelancer, and make you're entirely life better? You have to start by gaining a basic understanding of this ancient Greek philosophy. Stoicism: a philosophy of dour, unfeeling people? No, Stoicism has … [Continue reading]
To be a successful freelance writer, you must set clear goals for your writing business and the other important areas of your life. Psychological studies show the usefulness of setting goals, as long as those goals are set properly and pursued … [Continue reading]
Working from home (or a coffee shop) as a freelance writer certainly has its advantages, like schedule flexibility and everyday being casual Friday. However the freelance writing lifestyle is not without its share of shortcomings.One of the … [Continue reading]
Getting to sleep an hour earlier can make a major difference in your career and your life overall.There are 2 major potential payoffs for hitting the hay early... Payoff One: Get an Extra Hour of Sleep As I discussed in an earlier post, "Are … [Continue reading]
Are you a freelance writer new to Twitter and unsure how and when to use hashtags, or which ones to use?Then you're in the right place! But first... Why Should Freelance Writers Be on Twitter? There are three good reasons: you can keep up on … [Continue reading]
To be a successful freelancer or self-employed businessperson, you need to maximize your productivity.Now think back to the last time you had the flu: How did you feel? Like crap? And how much quality work did you get done? Like none?You … [Continue reading]
Like just about every other writer, I'm interested in self-publishing ebooks for Amazon’s Kindle. I’m also interested in publishing print versions, and I want to know about the other distribution channels for ebooks.This post won’t be like many … [Continue reading]
Want to improve your time management? You watch much TV? Does it make you happier? Richer? Healthier?According to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans on average watch 2.7 hours of television a day. (And here's data on TV … [Continue reading]
Eye strain from staring at a computer screen is a common problem for many writers, freelancers, college students, and anyone who needs to use the computer a lot.Eye Strain and Your Computer Screen Your eyes connect you to the computer screen … [Continue reading]
I'm a higher education freelance writer who creates supplementary materials for college textbooks. Here's my nightmare story about working for an education-content project management company... An Education Content/Project Management Company … [Continue reading]
Writers are often tempted to multitask because they think it’s a good time management technique, but usually it decreases productivity. But not always… What is Multitasking? It’s doing 2 or more things, supposedly at the same time. Sometimes you … [Continue reading]
As a productive freelance writer you want a clean and clutter-free home office. A big part of that is efficient handling of papers, books, and magazines. Otherwise they will bury your desk, your work, and your creativity.Here's what I … [Continue reading]
Want to be happier? Want to be a more productive and creative writer?Then you must have free time alone, free time to reconnect with who you are and what you really want in life, free time to just release and relax and recharge. When … [Continue reading]
Choosing one or more freelance writing niches is the best way to make a good living as a freelance writer in 2023. I'm proud to announce that I've created a comprehensive course to help you do just that..."Find Your Freelance Writing Niches" … [Continue reading]
UPDATE Find Your Freelance Writing Niches: Make More Money for Less Work is ready! Click either the preceding course title or the course cover in the sidebar to the right. Important Note... I answered a nearly a dozen of your best questions in … [Continue reading]
As a freelance writer you must generate high-quality ideas if you want to be successful.Idea generation and development has been a key focus of mine for the last dozen years, and today I share with you what I’ve learned and what works best for … [Continue reading]
Most freelance writers spend a lot of time driving in cars or using public transportation. Whatever way you travel, you need to make the best use of this time.Let’s take an example. Say you spend an average of 5 hours a week traveling. That’s … [Continue reading]
As a freelance writer, you need to use your right brain for creativity and your left brain for productivity and task completion.But since I'm a science guy, we have to address the fact that... The Right Brain/Left Brain Dichotomy Is Not … [Continue reading]