Blog - Be a Pro Writer

22Jan 2019 by cjalex No Comments

How to Approach Experts for an Interview

I saw a question in a Facebook group today that I thought you might have, as well. It went something like this: When you research a story that requires interviewing sources, how do you introduce yourself? ... Do you just say you're freelancer writing about a particular topic? Thanks! This is a great question! And, it's an important question. You want to have the authority of a publication behind you so that the person is willing to give you their time. But, as a freelancer, you cannot ethically identify as an employee of a particular publication. Yet, when you have an assignment from a particular publication, you are working for them. So, it's kind of a conundrum. Let's break it down a bit. What to say to an expert when…

03Apr 2018 by cjalex No Comments

How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?

Productivity

If you've always dreamed of seeing your name in lights, or at least a byline in a magazine, but have no idea where to begin, this post is for you. Some folks just start writing stories and sending them to editors, hoping for a bite. But that is putting the cart before the horse. Magazines don't accept already-written stories. Others email editors expressing interest in writing for them but offer no ideas for stories. While this might work for a small startup publication, it's probably a long shot. If you want to break into the magazine industry, you need to have your ducks in a row before you begin communicating with editors. Let me rabbit trail a bit. I hate using a GPS app on my phone when…

27Nov 2017 by cjalex No Comments

3 New Year Planning Tips for Freelance Writers

Productivity

If you've read this blog for a little while, you know that I am a planner addict. I have lived my life making lists and taking notes on little slips of paper. I've used planners, notebooks, 3x5 cards, Post-It notes, you name it, to organize my thoughts. I've tried digital and analog tools. I spend way too much money in the stationery aisle of any store! Thing is, none of those tools and trinkets are worth a dime if they aren't helping me to focus, get things done, or plan for the future. Generally, this time of year, folks are making resolutions of one sort or another. I don't make New Years Resolutions. But I do plan for the future. I schedule my time. I create content calendars for myself.…

20Nov 2017 by cjalex 1 Comment

A Mega List of Resources for Writers

Finding Markets and Soliciting Work, Portfolio

When I started my freelance career, I got most of my information from Writer's Digest magazine. With no money for a subscription, I borrowed copies from the public library. When the library sold back issues for $2 a bundle, I bought up several years' worth. I read those things until they were falling apart. Then, just this year, I gifted them to another budding freelancer. Beginners have a lot of questions and often don't know where to turn. They wonder things like how to charge for their work, where to look for clients, how to write query letters, how to format a blog post, and more. That is why I've put together this mega list of resources for writers. These resources are not just my favorites. I've…

13Nov 2017 by cjalex No Comments

5 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Freelance Writing Business

Productivity

I recently attended a training event for a direct sales company I represent in my very spare time. My upline was speaking about growing your business and he said, "You know how some folks sign up, tell their friends about the product, they try it and love it and tell their friends, and the next thing you know that new rep is hitting platinum level? Well, that's not how it happened for us." Well, that's not how it happened for me, either, in my freelance writing. I started off very part-time. I was homeschooling the older of my six kids and my baby was only 4. We also lived a homesteading lifestyle which required many hours of gardening, animal tending, harvesting, food preservation, and property management. But I would write stories…

06Nov 2017 by cjalex No Comments

How to Charge for Your Writing

Marketing

If you are entering the freelance world from a typical job, you may think of your pay as an hourly wage. Maybe, you are a salaried employee that earns so much per month or a salesperson that earns a percentage of each sale. Before reading further, I want you to take a deep breath and let go of all those ideas. You cannot survive in a freelance environment attaching your worth to a dollar per hour figure. Even though I want you to clear your head of previously held ideas about pay rates, your prospective clients will still ask what your rates are. They will want to know how much you charge per word, page, or hour. And when they do, the best answer to their question is... Nothing! Yes,…

23Oct 2017 by cjalex 2 Comments

How to Earn More Money with Your Writing

Portfolio

I'm super excited to be presenting again in January at the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference. The topic for my 2018 workshop is How to Earn More Money with Your Writing. I pitched this topic to the conference coordinator because, at this particular conference, most of the writers seem to be novelists wanting to leave their day jobs. Getting a novel published, and making a living as a fiction writer, takes time. In the meantime, a writer could earn money writing other things. And if you get good at it, you could make a great living. How to Earn More Money with Your Writing When I first started freelancing, I ran into a fellow homeschool mom who I had not seen for a few years at a local festival. When…

16Oct 2017 by cjalex No Comments

The Time Management Myth–Busted

Productivity

When it comes to productivity, there is one myth that needs busting—the idea that you can manage your time. Everyone is given the same number of hours in a day—24. Oh, we all wish for more but that ain't gonna happen. So, folks think they need to manage the hours in their days better. Makes sense, yes? No. Oh, sure, you can quit wasting time. Stay off Facebook and do the work, yes. And you can organize the time—my work hours are 9-5 Monday through Friday. And, you can even work longer hours and quit taking vacations. But that isn't managing time; that is making a decision about what you are going to do with your time. What you can manage is your energy. And the more energy…

24Aug 2017 by cjalex No Comments

Where to Find Story Ideas

Uncategorized

If you have been a freelance writer for any length of time, you know that your power lies in your ability to generate ideas. When you have no ideas to pitch to editors, you have no stories to write and, therefore, no money coming in. In the last ten years, I have found story ideas in many places. But the most prolific place for ideas has been my own life. I once had a large note taped to the wall next to my desk. It read: Following that advice, I've published stories on: How to use a wringer washer (because I was using one to save water during a drought!) How to can peaches What I've learned mothering boys Treating seasonal allergies naturally Grinding your own wheat to make…

04Jul 2017 by cjalex No Comments

What To Do When You Lose a Writing Client

Finding Markets and Soliciting Work

A freelance writer needs a couple gigs she can depend on. That is why I write for and edit blogs. When the back and forth of the query process with magazines slows, my blog gigs cover the bills. Sometimes, you lose a regular gig. Several years ago, the owners of a site I wrote for every week said they were “hit by Google's algorithm change” and could no longer afford to keep me. I learned a few things from that experience I’d like to share with you. What To Do When You Lose a Writing Client Always have a back-up plan I wanted to despair about losing my blogging job—for about an hour. Then I remembered another project I struggled to make time for. Boy was…