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As freelance writers, we struggle to find markets that suit our interests. Even sites dedicated to providing freelance listings, while excellent for the most part, can’t list every available market. Often, the smaller niche publishers aren’t even included in listings, but with some effort there are ways to find them. Search Medium for [Subject] Writers’ […]

Believe it or not, online sites and magazines are seeking freelance writers they can rely upon. And if they develop a reliable relationship with them, they’ll use those writers as long as they can. The reason? Reliable writers who can follow direction, think intelligently, and write well without AI are few and far between. I […]

A week doesn’t pass that someone doesn’t write me and ask what books I recommend on learning how to write well. And I never fail to go to a conference and not meet a writer who thrives on how-to-write books, with a library of two dozen or more. To them all, I preach this: The […]

Launching a book as an indie author can feel overwhelming, but with a clear schedule and targeted strategies, it can also be a source of income, reviews, and long-term visibility. I learned this while preparing my travel memoir Stray: Breaking Free, Falling Hard and Growing Stronger, and I want to share the exact steps that helped […]

Last year, I made more money from my writing than I ever had before, and it came from one change: submitting to writing contests. I don’t pretend contest winnings can replace a full-time income, and they haven’t for me. But contest money has helped in concrete ways, and it gave me a takeaway even more […]

LinkedIn attracts people who make money from writing and language – content creators, ad copywriters, seo and marcoms writers, brand voice specialists and all the rest. It’s a place to network, debate industry topics, and subtly showcase skills. Recently these wordy people are posting more obsessively about two things – AI and ‘grammar’ or writing […]

It can be reassuring for a freelance writer to maintain steady clients to fill their workdays. Work keeps flowing, and paychecks keep arriving. Until savings decrease, or bills rise, and profits aren’t what they once were. Not that you aren’t working hard, but your pay may not be keeping up with financial needs. Now comes […]

Writing when you’re down Over the last two years I’ve experienced a series of setbacks that have taken quite a toll personally and professionally – bereavements, illness and accidents in the family, caring for ageing relatives, plus losing my job, ample pitch rejections, and all the rest. In recent months, unfortunately, this has led to […]

A beta reader is a reader who reviews a book before published to provide constructive feedback. There are lots of versions of beta readers, but they are good tools to have for any book-length manuscript, and even for those in freelance, nonfiction material. It’s another set of eyes on the near-finished product. What do they […]

You’re a proven novelist with one or more published books to your name. You clearly know story, plot, conflict and character. You’re riding high on accolades from readers who are eagerly anticipating your next literary masterpiece, but you’re also hungry to try something new. That’s when a friend casually says, “Have you ever thought about […]

A reader asked, “Can you or one of your authors give new writers guidelines for how to find a writers’ group? I’m interested in finding a group where I can get feedback from experienced writers and have an opportunity to read and comment on their works in progress.  (Learning how they build their stories will help […]

It sounds like a terrible bit of business jargon, but ‘thought leadership’ is basically just expert-based content that educates or informs potential clients, rather than selling at them. Where a company has a complicated or very technical service to offer and/or the purchasing process involves lots of decision-makers, this kind of content helps audiences to […]