by Joe Wallace
Let’s face it–writing and smoking seem to go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Ask Joe Eszterhas, infamous Hollywood screenwriter and author of The Devil’s Guide To Hollywood, his how-to guide for aspiring screenwriters. “By (the year) 2000, I was smoking four packs of Salem Lights every day,” he said in an interview with USA Today.
Most of the writers I know smoke or are former smokers. Are you still puffing away? Want to quit? I’ve got the freelancer freebie for you, courtesy of Walmart.com. How about a free 20-pack of Nicorette gum to get you on the road to non-smoking health?
I know part of the quit-smoking ordeal is replacing your habits and overcoming the smoking ritual itself, but when it comes to killing off the physical cravings, this could be the fix you need to get off the cigarettes once and for all. I won’t claim to have tried Nicorette, never having been a habitual smoker (though I was known to fire one up on rare occasions when there was enough Japanese beer in my system once upon a time). But if you’ve been meaning to quit, you could do a hell of a lot worse than a free 20-pack of Nicorette.
It’s been a while since we threw a seriously cool freebie up here, but this one definitely makes the grade. McAfee Virus Scan Plus 2009 is NOT free at checkout time (it lists for about $55), but for a VERY limited time (gotta purchase before Saturday 8/22) you can get a $55 Visa Prepaid card for this McAfee software by filling out and printing this PDF form and mailing in your proof of purchase as instructed on the form.
Normally we hate mail-in rebates and this sort of gimmicky promotion, but virus scanning software is one of the most important aspects of being a Windows-based freelancer…you simply can’t be too careful, and the price on this one is definitely right when the rebate’s filled out, sent in, and redeemed.
McAfee Virus Scan Plus 2009 comes out just in time for the Windows 7 madness and there are plenty of us who refuse to upgrade from XP (we own one old machine with XP that’s doing just fine, thanks). This anti-virus package is for Win XP, Vista and even old Win2K.
Don’t delay, this freelancer freebie is going, going, gone! Remember, you have to purchase by Saturday August 22, and you have to purchase from Amazon.com only.
Freelance writers, here’s your morning stimulus plan. Dunkin’ Donuts is giving away free one-ounce samples of its regular ground coffee and the new Dunkin’ Dark blend. There’s nothing like free coffee, but jump on this one fast since the last time we spotted this, supplies vanished quicky. At the Dunkin’ Donuts page you’ll find a form to fill out–tell them where to send your free coffee and you’re all set. Now if they only gave away free donuts to accompany the brew…
Just in case you hadn’t heard about this one yet…Barnes & Noble is turning up the heat on the coffee wars with its’ switch to free wireless internet access. Previously you had to shell out two dollars an hour to surf at the nationwide bookseller.
Now you can surf for free–with no strings attached, much unlike Starbucks where you can get wireless access as long as you have a Starbucks card and make a purchase on it every 30 days. Did we mention the two hour time limit with the Starbucks access?
Here’s another clear cut-and-dried case of Starbucks completely missing the boat when it comes to their most important asset–their customers. It’s no wonder this once mighty coffee giant is going down. Once upon a time it was a joy to sit in Starbucks and get some freelance writing done, but today the customer experience is lousy, the stores have lost their warmth, and the cult of the green goddess is a shadow of its former self. Here’s to Barnes and Noble, who truly know where their bread is buttered…or should we say that they truly know who creams their coffee? Never mind.
by Joe Wallace
Free stuff for freelancers! Our ongoing series continues with some great dual-purpose free stuff we discovered via Coupon Cravings. One of the big challenges for new freelancers who want to specialize in print magazines is doing market research on the cheap.
Instead of buying all those magazines (which is handy as a tax write-off for your freelance writing business) you can try the public library, you can stand around in the bookstore flipping through the pages, or (more conveniently) you can score some free magazines like these.
This particular offer is excellent for new writers looking for parenting/baby magazines to send queries to. Check out the free subscriptions to American Baby, Babytalk, and Pregnancy magazine.
We think freelance writing market research is much easier when the magazines are coming to your mailbox rather than chasing them down at the bookstore. It’s even better when they are free. Three cheers to Coupon Cravings for turning us on to this great free offer.
A lot of freelance writers work on their birthdays. I know I did last year, and I probably will again this year…except for the break I take to pop down to Cold Stone Creamery and get a free ice cream creation. What is better than free ice cream?
Yes, you have to fill out a form and sign up for a Cold Stone Creamery whatsit to get your free ice cream, but frugal freelancers take note; that’s what a separate Gmail account is for. A good freelance writer or editor should never be without an alternate Gmail addy for these occasions.
Mine is SpamMe999 at gmail.com. The only time I ever check it is when one of these freebie offers makes me verify my email address.
This awesome free birthday ice cream offer from Cold Stone is good at participating locations, and if there’s one near you, mark your calendar and get yourself signed up for your much-deserved free dessert.
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