Category Archives: resources

resources

Resource for Writers: Absolute Write

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Absolute Write is one of my favorite writing resources–I post regularly on their forums and I have had many a question answered there. I began going there when I was a newbie and it was like finding a great secret! The atmosphere is friendly and there are places for all different kinds of writers, as well as a mound of posts that those new to the field can sift through to begin learning the business. A highly recommended site, the “AW” has all different levels covered, and is a perfect spot to vent, post a grammar question or just hang out with fellow writers. Look for me on the boards–I’m “Cate.”

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Small Business Taxes 2008

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Granted, this book won’t apply to many writers out there, but if you’re a professional blogger, writer’s website owner, or have your own small press imprint, chances are you need a book like this even if you have someone preparing your taxes. Not all tax prep services are created equal, and the ones that just want your business might not be motivated enough to look into all your possible deductions and other tax advantages. When it comes to taxes, knowing is half the battle, and that’s where Small Business Taxes 2008 comes in. 

Some writers miss their most obvious deductions. Do you get inspiration or story ideas from television? Do you blog about current events discussed on the talk shows? Are you using your cell phone for business? If you’re not asking about your cable bills and cell phone payments as a tax deduction, you should be. If you’ve reviewed any music or DVDs this year, you could be writing your “entertainment” expenses off as well-within reason. How many photos did you take to submit with your articles last year? How many memory cards and battery replacements did you purchase for the camera? Your wheels are turning now, aren’t they? We thought so…

Buy for $12.21

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TheStreet.com Speculates: Another iPhone Price Cut

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If you’re like us, it’s killing you that you don’t have an iPhone yet. That said, some of us Freelance-Zoners aren’t early adopters of ANYTHING, and until iPhone functionality improves more than a few of us will be waiting for another iteration of this wonderful gizmo before we invest any freelance dollars.

If you are an early adopter but haven’t picked one up yet, there’s an interesting report from TheStreet.com, where reporter Priya Ganapati speculates another fifty dollar price cut could be coming. According to Ganapati, Apple needs to boost demand for the iPhone, and could go as low as $299 if it really wanted to–but it doesn’t need to boost demand quite that much, so the higher price point is still in your future.

TheStreet.com video is interesting from a writing perspective because it indulges in one of my personal pet peeves–a news outlet interviewing one of its own reporters as a subject matter expert. I’ll give props to TheStreet for not dressing up this clip as anything more than pure speculation, which I can’t say of some of the major networks out there. Attention writers; if you want to speculate go ahead and do it. But do NOT follow the very bad examples of network news types who interview their own paid staffers and present them in ways that don’t tell the whole truth.

Pay attention the next time you see a reporter interviewed by one of their fellow reporters. You’ll notice that no special claims are made to insider knowledge, but by the same token the networks deliberately fail to point out what’s obvious to any professional in the industry–there’s no news happening here, this is reporter speculation only, not even so much as an anonymous tipster source to lend weight to the discussion. These interviews by omission have the potential to be quite misleading.

Getting back to Apple for a moment, I find it telling that they keep chopping away at the price of the iPhone. If that doesn’t send a clear message NOT to be an early adopter unless you have scads of cash floating around, I don’t know what does.

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DeLonghi Espresso Maker

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For writers, caffeinated beverages are not just a way to get the brain buzzing. Caffeine is FOOD. There’s nothing like the feeling that all your neurons are firing at once as your fingers sail across the keyboard. We just work better in a highly stimulated state, and besides, it’s brain surgeons who need the steady hands, not us.

We are digging the DeLonghi espresso maker for many reasons–it’s priced under a hundred, it gives you quality espresso and latte drinks with ease using espresso pods, or you can tamp your own grind. We love the pods since they are easy and hassle-free. Reviewers of this machine who claim to love Starbucks say the DeLonghi could put a dent in coffee shop stock.

Buy for $98.88

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SanDisk Cruzer 4GB USB Flash Drive

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Flash drives are incredibly handy for a busy writer, especially if you have to do business between the home office and an on-site gig where you need quick access to your audio interview files, .xml spreadsheets, Word or MS Office files or digital images. We know plenty of people who go back and forth between part-time PR or writing gigs at non-profits, record labels, and small presses, and full time freelancing.

When you’re on the go, a USB flash drive like this four-gigabyte SanDisk Titanium Cruzer is just the thing. Just copy the files from your computer onto the drive, stash it in your purse or backpack and get out to the gig. How much storage IS four gigabytes? Consider that you can store as many as 800 mp3 songs on the Cruzer, so we’re talking hundreds of digital photos and hundreds more documents and spreadsheets. 

Buy UPDATE: Prices on this drive have dropped to an ASTOUNDING $24.99. We don’t always catch those radical price shifts, but many thanks to Scott “Eagle Eyes” Wahlen for pointing out that the market is much more reasonable for the Cruzer. It was originally listing for over $100. At these prices, we predict these won’t last long.

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CribCandy: Ultra-Modern Home Office Bling

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It’s true that when you’re struggling in the early days of the freelance game, you can’t afford printer ink half the time, let alone a sexy new office setup, but once you’ve established some good relationships with editors and made some headway in the game you can start replacing your rickety old gear. Enter Cribcandy, our new favorite home design blog. Check out this collection of home office upgrades suggested by Cribcandy, and start making a shopping list. Some of it is silly, some of it is irresistible, and items like the Mash Studios wall mounted LAX desk pictured above is too space-saving and efficient NOT to own. Cheers, Cribcandy…you’ve got some new fans here at the Freelance Zone.