All Posts in Category: Organization
Are Your Freelance Writing Goals Far Too Low?
We’ve looked a lot on our blog in the past week about what can happen when you don’t tune into exactly what is going on with your business.
But I know general freelance advice can seem so abstract.
That’s why I like to put specific numbers on things.
When I start working with new one-on-one coaching clients, the first thing they do is complete a detailed form about their income goals, satisfaction and income level with current clients, and how they are spending their time and one what.
And I’ve noticed a very disturbing trend around the number two.
Vegemite. Waste. And How Real Companies Think
Have you heard of Vegemite?
It’s the descendent of Marmite, if that rings more bells.
Both are classed by most people as disgusting, but something you need to try at least once when visiting Australia (Vegemite) or the U.K. (Marmite) for the first time.
But aside from being a seriously acquired taste (or mouth-puckering, depending who you ask), most visitors don’t really know what they’re putting in their mouth–or why it’s the perfect example of the gap between successul and struggling businesses.
Is Your Freelance Travel Writing Career Closing Its Eyes and Hoping for the Best?
A little while ago, my husband finally got his cholesterol checked out. Every since I’ve know him, he’s said that he needs to get it check, because Indians always have high cholesterol.
Sure enough, the numbers came high. Rather excessively so.
And the first thing the doctor did was ask him to keep a food diary for two weeks and scheduled a follow-up appointment to review and see if anything in his diet was contributing to the condition.
This is the first step doctors take to diagnose so, so many ailments–gather concrete, detailed, real data. They don’t rely on the patient’s description of their habits.
Announcing Two New Workshops Saturday, December 9 — Including a Live Online Workshop You Can Join from Anywhere in the World!
Many of you have asked me about or working with me on your writer’s websites, and I know this is a big sticking point for many of you!
We do have a “recipe” for getting your personal writing website (a.k.a. you freelance writer homepage, which should be different than your blog, if you have one) done in one hour, but for those of you that have varied interests, offerings, or travel backgrounds, or have been doing this for a while and simply have a lot to showcase, I know the task seems much more overwhelming.
So we’re going to offer a live, one-off, online workshop (integrating the participation, getting things done, and one-on-one critiques we offer in all of our live events) to make sure your website is ready for the new year: Plan, Perfect, Polish, Publish: Get Your Writer’s Website Done Now.
A Simple Technique to Never Go Home Without the Shots You Need Again
It’s happened to all of us.
You go somewhere a.maze.ing.
You take *tons* of photos.
The light is even fantastic, even though the weather forecast was crap.
All in all you can’t believe your luck (because we all know how easy it is to plan a big day of shooting only to have it foiled by weather, equipment issues, construction, or an entirely unrelated personal emergency), and you are sure you have a memory card full of excellent shots to sell, use on social, and support an epic photo essay on your blog.
Unless You Plan Your Research Around Specific Pitches, Press Trips Can Be a Serious Waste of Time
After I had left my job, decided running a food blog business full-time was not for me because it was too difficult (with international internet options at the time) for my travel plans, and started doubling down on freelance travel writing, I was confronted again and again by established travel writers who didn’t actually travel.
Are You Letting Tons of Marketing “Work” Keep You from Actually Getting Paid Gigs?
Welcome to a new feature here at Dream of Travel Writing–the Monday Mailbag! We often get questions from readers, folks in our accountability group, or coaching program members that we think would apply to a lot of you.
Now, with permission, agony-aunt-style, we’ll be sharing a new one with you each Monday. If you have a question you’d like to see included, please send it to us at questions [at] dreamoftravelwriting.com and make sure to include a line saying we have permission to reprint your question.
On to the tricky travel writing questions!
How to Research on the Road and Find Salable Ideas While Traveling
When it comes to article ideas, I’m a bit of a pack rat.
Okay “a bit ” might be a bit of an understatement.
I have article ideas squirreled away eve rywhere :
- my main inbox is full of them
- my to do app has hundreds in the “Pitches” section
- my personal email that I used as my freelance email when I started out has a few hundred
- the other email address that I set up just to capture pitch ideas has around 400
- and the notes that I take during trips and walking tours have thousands more that I haven’t extracted from those longer lists of trip notes
How Long Does it Take You to Write a Pitch? But How Fast Do You Type?
How long does it take you to write a pitch letter?
An article?
A blog post?
An email?
I bet that number has very little correlation to the number of words you can actually produce.
The Complete Compendium of Conferences for Travel Writers
I remember when I first made the investment to attend my first travel writing conference (and also my first small business/freelance conference–another milestone and a *very* different type of experience and ROI!).
Your first conference, when you don’t know anyone, is a blur and a rush and a throwback to junior high school if you head to a huge event.