Tag Archives: catherine l. tully

advice, lifestyle

Writers: Working Weekends

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pencil

by Catherine L. Tully

I’m going to sound off on both sides of the fence here…

If you want to be a freelance writer, you’ll have to work on the weekend. This is just a fact, so you had better be prepared to skip the occasional family barbecue and pass on leisure time at the pool here and there. Working for yourself means sacrifice in the way that you are no longer doing the 40-hour week. You are doing what it takes.

Still…if you don’t have to work all weekend, you probably shouldn’t. Generally speaking, I work Monday – Friday, and part of the day on Saturday. I take Sundays off, or do something fun like social networking. But then again, I don’t work full days all week. It depends on what I have going…

Point is, while you may have to put in some weekend time, you also need some time to do things for yourself, and hang out with the people in your life who you care about. Even the most understanding spouse would appreciate undivided attention for a day. And while family may “get it” when you say you can’t come to the backyard party this weekend, if you do it all the time, it gets old fast.

The other reason to schedule time off is that you are more able to function as a writer. The brain simply needs breaks–plus, living life is what typically gives you article ideas. If you get sucked too much into the vacuum of writing, you will dry up your creativity. So go ahead–work the weekend hours when you must. But try to remember that you need time off as well. It helps. Really.

resources

Comparing Bing To Google

by Catherine L. Tully

I just posted about Bing the other day. It’s a new search engine that is giving Google a run for the money. If you can’t decide which one you prefer, why not stack them up side-by-side and do a search. This site will allow you to do exactly that. Although either one can be a great asset for freelance writers, you may find you prefer one over the other once you compare. As for me? I’m still undecided…

editorial

What You Shouldn’t Say To Clients

int

 

by Catherine L. Tully

First of all, this is admittedly a bit of a stretch in terms of fit with a freelance writing lifestyle. Still, interacting with clients is a regular part of the job, so I thought I’d share a good laugh with you today. Read this list of 43 Weird Things Said In Job Interviews. Guaranteed to make you chuckle. Here is one to pique your interest:

Why did you leave your last job?

“I have a problem with authority.” – Carrie Rocha, COO of HousingLink

Enough said. Enjoy!

 

lifestyle, resources

Better Search With Bing?

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bing

by Catherine L. Tully

A year from now, if you want to search for something on the web, will you “Bing” it instead of “Google” it? The jury is still out on Bing, but I have tried it and I have to say…it’s good. Bing returned more hits on my name than Google, and it is very user-friendly. I don’t know that I am ready to make the leap to be a full-timer, but I’m going to keep it in my bag of tricks. Try it out and see what you think…

advice

Freelance Writing Secrets: The Road Less Traveled

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quietby Catherine L. Tully

Guess what? I don’t look for markets in the typical places. And guess what else? It really pays off. I’m here to tell you one of the tricks of the trade…you have to go off the map. Instead of looking for markets and guidelines in the usual places, broaden your search. Google is a wonderful tool for this. Just type in “writers guidelines” along with a keyword and boom … a list of things to investigate. For example, since I write about dance, I would use that (or variations of that, such as dancer, dancing, etc.) as the keyword. It’s a simple tip, but one that brings work. Give it a try and see what happens…

advice

When You Should Ignore The Guidelines

warning

by Catherine L. Tully

Ok. Maybe you shouldn’t ignore them, but most publications put out guidelines that are meant to give the writer a general idea of what they are looking for–and what they aren’t. That said, in some ways it can pay off to ignore them, or at the very least, be ready for changes in the grand scheme of things. Now I don’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to items such as tone and subject matter. You should. But some things can go off the map, and it helps to know what those might be. In that spirit, here are some things to think about when you query:

  • Response time. If there is anything in the guidelines that you should take with a grain of salt–this is it. Response time can mean almost anything. I have queried pubications that say they get back to you within a month, only to have them call me out of the blue four months later. You never know what is going on over there, and editors are really, really busy. Sometimes they’ll hang on to your idea and make a mental note to get back to you, only to get sidetracked by another project.
  • Word count. I never state how many words I can write on a given subject, because I prefer to let the editor tell me what he/she needs. Ad space can bump article placement up and down very easily, so the word counts can vary accordingly depending on how much room the publication has.
  • Editor’s name and contact info. If you don’t listen to anything else I’m writing here, be sure you do this one thing…double check the contact info given in the guidelines. Editors change so fast it will make your head spin. Call the publication and ask who to send a query to, and be sure to read the information back to the person that you speak with so you know you have it right.
  • Payment range. While this can give you a good idea of how much a publication will pay, it isn’t always set in stone. Sometimes the guidelines are outdated, which could mean you will make less…or more. Some mags have cut back on payment, while others are expanding. Be prepared for it to vary.

Now…even though I said the words, “ignore guidelines,” please note that you should follow what you read in terms of crafting a query. If they say that some departments are not open to freelancers, don’t send a query thinking that you can get around it. If you notice, much of what I have outlined above relates to the business end of things, not the editorial itself. If they say they don’t want personal experience articles, you aren’t likely to get in with a heartfelt account of your last camping trip to the mountains. In other words, follow direction, but be ready for bumps on the road along the way….