WCP 148 Who is the bad freelance friend?

What’s one thing you’d like help with in your writing life today? I’d like to coach you about it—and share the recording with other listeners of the Writing Coach Podcast. To apply for a free coaching session with me, visit www.rebeccalweber.com/coachme 🔗 You might also like to listen to … WCP 1: What’s your problem? WCP20 Setting freelance writer goals Writing Coach Podcast Greatest Hits Playlist on Spotify 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast by reviewing on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen.

Sometimes you AND your pitch need to get out of your head and out into the world.  On the first Tuesday of the month, I’m hosting co-pitching calls where freelancers work on their pitches together.  This month I offered a few short prompts for those who needed it. Here I elaborate on ways to approach these prompts, your story idea, your editor, your readers, and your mindset. 🔗 You might also like … WCP 245 Archives: 🐶 Monday mornings on the mountain with Mishka WCP 217 Title TK WCP 16: Freewriting for freelancers WCP 4: Pitching: The perfect black T-shirt 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast by reviewing on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen. 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast246

On Monday mornings I used to be cranky and anxious. It’s not a great combo any time, and not a great foundation for the week ahead.  Then I created a ritual to help me transition … and I actually look forward to that time when I get to look at my writing projects from a totally different perspective.  Creating a ritual or two in your writing life can provide structure, meaning, and momentum. This episode is in memory of the patron puppy saint of the Writing Coach Podcast, Mishka. 🔗 You might also like to listen to … WCP 244: Freelance feast or famine WCP 231 Archives: Writing through grief WCP 43: Bridge thoughts WCP 15: How Nelson Mandela taught me to write faster Writing Coach Podcast Greatest Hits Playlist on Spotify 🔗 Mentioned on this episode … Essential books for writers Laura Feasey on Instagram Yolisa Qunta on Instagram Mishka on Instagram Twyla Tharp’s “The Creative Habit” 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast by reviewing on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen. ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast245

In one week, you might have a pub that you’ve written for for years fold, receive an email from an editor who said she loved your pitch now asking for a ton of edits, sign a contract for a new book, and have a source ask to reschedule an interview. It seems there’s nothing as constant in change in the freelance writing world … and yet so many freelancers seem continually surprised by the meta pattern of change. In this episode we look at handling change as a freelance writer in general, and then focus in on the pattern of feast and famine.  🔗 You might also like … WCP 150 Archives: Company policies WCP 239: You set your freelance writing rates WCP 214 Cultivate flow WCP 1: What’s your (writing) problem? ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the September 2023 session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast244

They say it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts. But if you’ve ever had the experience of receiving a gift that was clearly intended for somebody else (but the tags got swapped or similar), or if you received a generic Secret Santa present, you know that the thoughts leading to those gifts were fundamentally different than when somebody offers you a gift that surprises and delights you because it is just so perfect. Freelancers who pitch regularly have had the experience of sending the wrong idea to the wrong publication at the wrong time. If who you are pitching is an afterthought, that randomness shows.  Sending your next editor a pitch that makes their day is an empowering experience for both of you. Learn more about the gift of specificity. 🔗 You might also like … WCP 187 You’re invited WCP 180 Learning mindset WCP 4: Pitching: The perfect black T-shirt WCP 182 Archives: Annoying pitches 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast243

On a road trip, you might see a dozen reminders about an upcoming exit. The frequency doesn’t mean that you should get off the highway for an unwanted detour. Following the trail of habitual thoughts can derail your writing life. Learn to stay the course. Also: The last session for the year of my small group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp, starts in mid September. Details and application info: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔗 You might also like … WCP 1: What’s your (writing) problem? Writing Coach Podcast Greatest Hits Playlist on Spotify ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast242

Some writers always honor their deadlines for clients, yet aren’t accountable to themselves when it comes to marketing or creative work. Maybe you want to pitch more stories, finish your book proposal, or write in your journal every single day. You get started, then quit, and never build enough momentum to create the writing life you really want for yourself. In reality, signing a contract isn’t what actually makes you complete an assignment on time. It’s your decision to complete it (which you may do because you like the consequences of doing so, such as feeling reliable or spending the income). If you already know how to be accountable to somebody else, you can use that experience to practice being more accountable to yourself too. And you can do it without any negative self-talk, shame, or blame—instead, honoring your deepest writing desires is a form of self-care and we can do it more effectively from a place of curiosity and learning. 🔗 You might also like … Writing Coach Podcast Greatest Hits Playlist on Spotify WCP238 Accountability hit ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast241

Perception of time varies from person to person, and from task to task. Before, during, or after a particular writing task your estimate of how long it takes will likely vary. This lack of clarity about time in the moment can be seen or described in very different ways depending on the context (eg “flow” vs “time blindness”).  If you don’t know how long something will take you, how can you quote profitably? If you don’t know how much time has gone by, how do you know what to do next to stay on schedule? Here’s what I’ve found helpful in terms of this aspect of time management. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:  WCP 238 Accountability hit WCP 175 Writing in community WCP 214 Cultivate flow WCP 217 Title TK WCP 111 Intentions and transitions WCP 1: What’s your problem? 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen. ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast240

Freelance writers often have a hard time setting rates, or feeling great about them after we’ve signed a contract. It can feel challenging when: You have a sense that there’s a correct rate to charge, but you don’t know what it is You don’t know how much you need to earn this year, so can’t break down this project accordingly You believe that the client sets the rates Spoiler alert: It is *always* possible for a potential client, a freelance colleague, or a well-meaning friend/family member in another field, to think or say: “You are charging too much” OR “You aren’t charging enough.” Ideally YOU won’t be the one telling yourself either of these things. This episode we uncover some of the common reasons freelancers struggle with setting their rates, including the most common issue that affects high- and low-earners alike, and how to take control. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:  WCP 134 What to charge WCP 153 Archives: Pay me now! WCP 193 Rates shaming WCP 67: 3 strategies to earn more money as a freelance writer WCP 1: What’s your problem? 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen. ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast239

Do you (almost) always honor your agreements to others (e.g. you routinely make your deadlines), but have a hard time doing things that nobody else is completing (e.g. pitch a story to a new-to-you editor)? External accountability can help interrupt narratives that are neither fact-based nor helpful.  Today I share with you a number of external accountability practices that are helpful for writers as well as questions to help you better tune into what works for you. Learn how to bridge the external accountability you’ve already got to your internal accountability, so that you can show up more for yourself, your career, and your readers. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:  WCP 72: Internal and external accountability WCP 174 Archives: 100 reasons not to pitch today WCP 218 When it’s hard to let it be easy WCP 236 Judge me WCP 1: What’s your problem? 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas, “5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell.”   www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch ⭐ Support the Writing Coach Podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts, sharing a link on your website or in your newsletter, or in your next social media post. Let other writers know why you listen. ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Ms., Nat Geo Travel, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more.  Apply now for the next session: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You’ll experience new clarity about what’s been holding you back and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior to propel you forward toward your writing goals.  Apply for private writer coaching: www.rebeccalweber.com/coach 📝 More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast238