Today I talk about the difference between writing for publications and writing for businesses, the pros and cons of each, and how the two are mutually exclusive. Build your portfolio of personal essays? Or pay rent? Hmm…

Hi folks! I’m starting up a blog series here called “The Daily Freelancer” (Ok, it might not be daily, but let’s see) to give you an intimate glimpse into my venture into freelance writing: how I got here, what my day is like, how the heck I’m figuring this thing out (and paying rent), and more. Hopefully it’ll help those who want to journey along with me, and I’ll take any advice from those who have gone before!

Authors, you know that having a website is crucial to not only getting the word out about your work, but having an authoritative online presence that people can visit. If you’re not sure how to get started, or the whole idea of website stuff makes you want to curl up in a ball — no fear. Here’s our quick guide to getting started on Squarespace.

I’m a writer, so my outlook on reality is a bit skewed, in that one part of me lives life while the writer part of me stands back and processes it. I’ve also been working on another project about storytelling, and in taking a closer look at the Hero’s Journey, the classic framework for storytelling, I realized that we fit right in.

Yes, I’m among the many who have ditched the 9-5 and gone freelance. While you could call me a business copywriter, my first love is fiction, and I identify first and foremost as a fiction writer. Here are a few things I’ve learned in my recent shift to freelance as a fiction writer.

Many years ago I took a playwriting class that consisted in part of discussing great drama and reading aloud our own pieces, but mostly consisted of our professor giving us pep talks on the literary life. “No one’s going to care if you stop writing,” he declared, explaining how since family and friends didn’t understand what we did, no one would be concerned if we took a different route. “You have to do it for you.”

Another truth he upheld was, “There is no Muse.”

I happen to have an amazing book club — the Brew Pub Book Club. It took some work and some luck to get it to where it is, but it’s nothing anyone couldn’t accomplish. Here’s how to do a book club right.

Are you deliberately thinking about how to create content for readers who have no prior knowledge or engagement with your information or ecosystem? Here are five tips on how to think through your strategy.

Voice matters in not only setting the tone of your content, but in communicating your brand to the world. Here’s an introduction on how to be thinking about voice in your content, some business examples, and some tips to keep in mind.

As a freelancer, do you know your value proposition? Or how to trade value to your clients instead of simple hours? It takes a mindset shift to go from understanding the world through hourly wages to being able to bring value to others.