As I’ve explained here previously, there are two types of writers: planners and pantsers. Planners create detailed outlines and break the work down into planned chapters. Pantsers just keep writing to get their ideas out, and deal with the organization later. While I unequivocally believe that planning is better, I acknowledge that many writers can’t…
For those considering making a living writing, ghostwriting, and editing, I thought you might enjoy a peek at what my 2024 looked like. I won’t share dollar numbers, but the total revenue was north of $100K, with me working about half of my time on client activities. The last time I reviewed my business like…
A friend of mine once confided in me that she was having trouble getting paid for her freelance work. After a little conversation, we figured out that she wasn’t sending invoices because she was embarrassed to talk about money with the client. No bill, no pay. It is embarrassing to talk about money. We’d all…
In the Wall Street Journal, Jacqui Shine just published a piece called “Want to Earn Six Figures as a Writer? Try Ghostwriting.” Before you writers all start rushing into the ghostwriting field with your hands out, I thought it might be instructive to describe what it actually takes to become a well-compensated ghostwriter. First, a…
When freelancers get together, they complain about clients. “You won’t believe what she’s making me do.” “He thinks he has the right to spell words any way he wants.” “They’re violating all the rules of design and logic.” When clients get together, they complain, too. “Everything has a price tag.” “He didn’t listen to me…
The world looks very different from how it did before the election. You may be wondering what you should do about that. I have one answer for you. You should write. You should create. Two reasons to write If you’re feeling depressed and anxious, then writing (or recording a podcast or a TikTok or whatever…
I’m going to let somebody down this week. I have to choose one of the following options: Something’s gotta give My simple philosophy on working with clients is: start strong, continue strong, finish strong. My objective is that at any given time, anyone who contacts the client about me will hear, “Yes, he’s excellent to…
Early in my career, I became a project manager. Working for many startup companies, I found myself managing lots of projects, and that continued throughout the 30-plus years I worked in the corporate world. I brought three assets to my work managing projects: I lean on the written word as a prosthesis for my brain…
I’ve written before about Boston Globe sportswriter Christopher L. Gasper’s penchant for mixed metaphors, as a way to illustrate how metaphor overload can interrupt the reader’s trance that makes great writing work. But things here in New England pro football have gotten desperate. The New England Patriots, not to put too fine a point on…