Serious people don’t ask professionals for free work — It’s an epidemic in the world of freelance writing. A potential employer or client posts a job or reaches out. After some back-and-forth they say something like, “We love your portfolio. You seem like you’d be a great fit. Would you be willing to write 500/1000/2500 words on [random topic]?” …

A well-placed reference can make a world of difference — Credibility is the bread and butter of content writing. Without it, your work will fail to accomplish any of the goals your client has set for it, whether that’s educating your audience about the benefits of the client’s product or persuading your audience to buy something there and then. But…

And 3 simple action items to boost your income overnight — The solopreneurship space is full of professionals and small business owners who work their asses off and wind up with little to show for it. The problems are myriad, but one particular issue comes up time and again: pricing. Legions of hard-working freelancers, solos, agency heads, and entrepreneurs are pricing…

4 simple tips to maximize your marketing on social media — Social media has a lot to offer freelancers and solopreneurs. It can be a great way to connect with potential clients and partners, increase brand awareness, and help build an audience for your content marketing (assuming you’re into that kind of thing). But it can also be a bit of…

How to beat hagglers and other straightforward negotiation tactics — A lot of freelancers despise negotiation. They feel they’re not skilled at it or that they’ll be taken advantage of during the process. But, like the closely related discipline of sales, negotiation is actually really easy and fun to learn. It offers tremendous benefits to freelancers negotiating their own contracts. …

Don’t give up before you’ve given it your all — “I’ve had it.” “Enough’s enough.” “Never again.” Many a writer has uttered one or more of these phrases. Maybe after an extra long day of work. Maybe after a client stiffed them on a job. Maybe after a particularly nasty rejection letter. And if you too are one bad day…

Simple and straightforward tips to make your next freelance hire a success — These days, everyone and their cat is hiring freelancers to supplement the work of their full-time employees. Even solopreneurs, who famously prefer to work alone, are looking for freelance writers, designers, and programmers to do the things they don’t know how to do. Unfortunately, though, there are just as many…

Everyone gets rejected. And it doesn’t have to hurt. — Every writer encounters a great deal of rejection. It’s not the easiest part of our jobs. Not that rejection of any kind is every easy, but having your writing rejected is especially difficult. …

Use the question “why” to win client loyalty — Have you ever had a client bail on you even after you delivered several months of flawless work? Did it leave you wondering, “What went wrong?” After all, if you performed the work professionally and promptly — and to a high standard — shouldn’t the client have stuck around? …