Top tips for handling sick days as a self-employed professional and creative entrepreneur. Last year, I lost my voice almost overnight. Then, the doctors found a massive cyst on my vocal chords. It was all quite dramatic, really. They told me that if the steroids didn’t work, I’d need surgery, and that this surgery was […]
Freelancing and Journalism
How to Start (and Grow) a Freelancing Business You Actually Love
Freelancing isn’t just a side hustle—it’s a business. Here’s how to set it up, land clients, and keep the work you love coming. Everyone loves the idea of freelancing: coffee shops, laptop stickers, setting your own hours. Fewer people talk about the invoices that never get paid, the clients who “circle back next quarter,” and […]
The Six Numbers No Freelance Writer Can Afford To Ignore
They’ll provide insight into your business and make clear your shortfalls. As a freelance writer, I define my success by two metrics. First, am I happy and fulfilled? Am I getting enough days off? Am I enjoying the days I’m working? Second, am I being paid enough? Am I not only maintaining my current income, […]
The Only Thing That’s Stopping You From Freelance Writing Success
A six-figure freelancer talks about the scourge of freelance writers everywhere, the biggest barrier to their freelance writing success. There’s one thing, and one thing only, that’s the scourge of freelance writers everywhere. It is the barrier to freelance writing success. If you’re not making enough money, you’ve suffered from it. If you’ve ever had […]
How To Write Personal Essays (And Still Have A Family Left To Write About)
How do we write the truth about our parents, spouses, children, and friends without hurting them? My ex-boyfriend often jokingly accused me of “selling” our love. The reason for that is simple: I write and sell personal essays. This is the thing about personal essays. They’re personal. We dig deep within ourselves and write about […]