‘Advice’
Health insurance for freelancers: Know what you need
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer will share personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Q: Why did the insurance executive cross the road? A: Who cares? Good riddance! I’m not a fan of insurance companies. Could […]
Gear advice 101: recording phone interviews on a budget
This is the first in a series of posts by the Born Freelancer that will share personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Sooner or later it’s a question that will confront every freelancer lying awake at 3 a.m.: […]
Just the facts: tips on identifying and fixing errors
Sure, we all “regret the error,” but how interested are we in rooting out inaccuracies from the stories we write each day and in preventing future mistakes? Jonathan Stray, journalist and computer guy, has written a comprehensive post on his blog about accuracy and error reporting in journalism, and he offers some interesting solutions to […]
Kurt Vonnegut’s tips for storytellers
Whether you’ve seen it before and need a refresher or it’s new to you, this lecture by the late Kurt Vonnegut—who began his incredibly sucessful writing career as a journalist—on the “shape of stories” is as full of laughs as it is an instructive summary of the most popular narrative arcs, and, therefore, always worth […]
So you want to publish a Kindle Single?
The description on Amazon’s Kindle Publishing how-to page makes publishing a Kindle Single sound relatively simple: “Publishers interested in submitting their KDP-published short content for consideration as a Kindle Single should email kindle-singles@amazon.com with a description of the content, the ASIN of the title in the Kindle Store, and their KDP account email address.” But […]
What do you say when they ask if you’ll work for free?
We’re hearing that a certain national TV broadcaster – not the CBC – has been inviting people onto national news programs in return for … no payment. Sometimes, it may make sense for you to appear on a program without getting paid for it. If you’ve written a book and you figure going on national […]
Tips for negotiating a contract with an engager
GET IT IN BLACK AND WHITE: Always sign a contract before you begin work. Document your negotiations and the promises of your editors. It will help ensure you get paid properly in case there are any disputes. SHOW ME THE MONEY! If you are an experienced freelancer, avoid working for the minimum rates wherever possible. […]
