Well, No One Said it Had to Be 50,000 GOOD Words…
I’m starting to think that this month was a spectacularly bad time for me to decide to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It started out great. Heck, I was even ahead for a while there, and I was cocky about it! And then reality hit, and along with it came a parade of lengthy meetings (including long drives there and back), an overnight visit to my grandparents who were so happy to see me that I feel I should be self-fl

Fundamental Technology, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Other Social Networking — Session 4, AIW Goi
SHASHI BELLAMKONDA on social networking and your business… Social media survey by Network Solutions’s Grow Smart Business indicated growth in use of social networking for small biz. At least 59% of active Web users have a social media profile. Skeptics can suggest that social media is a passing fad, but time is showing that that’s not true. Social media creates a level playing field for small and large businesses alike. You’re no less likely to be seen online just because you’re small. It also gives you equal control in terms of managing your reputation online. It’s a business necessity to search your own name online.

It’s Time to Publish — Session 3, AIW Going Freelance Seminar
Cathy Alter on pitching… Figure out if your idea is even pitchable, then identify the right market. And test your pitch before you send it out. Cathy always goes for her “reach” option first and then works down from there. She recommends researching the market so you can match the style and tone of your query to that of the publication. And to find out who to send the pitch to, check the masthead. Avoid the general mailbox if you can. Putting a name on it essential. She recommends starting small. If you haven’t written for a publication before, pitch a front-of-book piece first rather than a feature to get yourself in the door and prove yourself.

Finding Work in Commercial Writing — Session 2, AIW Going Freelance Seminar
I’m liveblogging the AIW Going Freelance! seminar today at Johns Hopkins University. Forgive the typos, as I’m trying to keep up. You can handle it. Trust me. -kk  LESTER REINGOLD: The “serendipity” approach to finding work as a freelancer In short, make your own luck and capitalize on opportunities. He didn’t start off with the intention of writing commercially, but he ended up doing it. He transitioned from full-time to freelance work. He went to Columbia for journalism but found himself not really using it. He wrote for some steady clients, including a trade pub, Conde Nast Traveler, and the magazine of the Smithsonian Air &

The Business of Freelancing — Session 1, AIW Going Freelance Seminar
I’m liveblogging the AIW Going Freelance! seminar today at Johns Hopkins University. Forgive the typos, as I’m trying to keep up. You can handle it. Trust me. -kk The Business of Freelancing AL PORTNER: So you want to be a freelancer…  Before you dive in, you need some perspective. There are only 3 jobs in the whole world. People who make things People who sell things People who account for the people who make and sell things. Freelancers do all 3 jobs at once. Ask yourself why you want to freelance, what kind of work you want to do, why you’re qualified, who you wi