Dating/relationship analogies come up a lot when we talk about our editors and publications. Its common for freelancers to have a mix of short and long term relationships, which tend to reflect different mindsets, emotions, strategies, decisions, processes, and company policies. Its also common for freelancers to confuse or mislabel whats really happening, and have a short term or one night stand mindset when they want something that will last a lot longer. This episode is not meant to be person...
Apr 05, 2022•14 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast In the middle of the night I emailed myself an idea I didnt want to forget. I sat down with my freelance journal and phone in the morning to use the message as a prompt. Heres what I typed: Reason why chsbgdx So helpful, right? I wish I knew what this word (or phrase) was supposed to be. Since I consistently generate ideas, and Im in the habit of writing them down, Im not overly concerned about losing this one. It will show up in some other form, or Ill just come up with more. Some consistent ha...
Mar 29, 2022•21 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast This bonus episode looks at the application process for Freelance Writer Bootcamp. I explain how I review the applications on a rolling basis, and how this process may be of use to you in other areas of your freelance life. If youve told yourself that you want to join the Bootcamp but havent applied yet, this episode will give you more clarity about this as a first step in transitioning to the kind of writing life you want. The March sessions are about to start. To apply, visit www.FreelanceWrit...
Mar 25, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The equinox is the transition to autumn/spring, and its also the end of Q1. Seasonal and financial cycles impact us, as do many other cycles in our writing life. Some cycle frameworks arent that helpful, while others help us recognize that were not in the same energetic or growth phase at all times and allow us to plan accordingly. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY Download my free guide on how to pitch SHARE THE WRITING COACH PODCAST Subscribe and write a review of the Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcast...
Mar 22, 2022•14 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes its faster in the short term not to change the way were doing things but once we make the shift to more sustainable approaches, we reap the benefits long term. I changed the kind of printer Ive always had, which will save a bit of plastic and hassle. And I changed the way I do my banking and pay for business expenses, which means I save time and effort when reconciling. You can also shift from an emphasis of breaking into pubs just for a once-off assignment to using it as a a springboa...
Mar 18, 2022•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do I get myself to do this thing I know I should do? The short answer is to change the thinking thats blocking you from taking action. When you think differently, youll feel and act differently too. I dont mean go through the motions and pretend to believe things that arent true. Bridge thoughts are the opposite: first we identify the thoughts you have that are NOT true, and then well replace those false beliefs with thoughts that ARE true. Bridge thoughts are a mindset management tool to he...
Mar 15, 2022•19 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast Join me on Thursday, March 17, for a live masterclass on creating sustainable freelance writer success, i.e., consistent, meaningful work that pays well. www.rebeccalweber.com/masterclass In the masterclass, I'll share with you: + A proven blueprint for pitching and selling freelance article ideas + How to turn a once-off assignment into an ongoing gig + The most effective way to get silent editors to respond to you + Plus time for answers to your freelancing questions during our live Q&A This i...
Mar 14, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you need a blog? A subscription newsletter? A podcast? A TikTok account? A fill-in-the-blank thing that somebody (maybe you) is telling you is necessary to create and then continually update? Lets examine your reasons why you may want to invest your time, energy, and money into creating content that youll be publishing yourself instead of on assignments for clients. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE Download my free guide on how to pitch. SHARE THE WRITING COACH PODCAST Did you enjoy this episode? Share your...
Mar 08, 2022•20 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast A couple more freelance insights while playing Wordle over morning coffee, this time focusing on the roles of perseverance and giving yourself wise counsel. FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM Did you enjoy this episode? Follow Rebecca to get notified next time she goes live on Instagram and tag her when you share the Writing Coach Podcast with your writer friends: @freelancewriterbootcamp WORK WITH ME Join the waitlist for Freelance Writer Bootcamp now and get early access to the application PLUS a super sp...
Mar 04, 2022•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is NOT an episode about how to improve your Wordle scores. Instead, lets look at what Wordle can teach us about freelance writing success. Download my free guide on how to pitch. WCP 167 Organic tomatoes vs. Twinkies WCP 1: Whats your problem? Join the Freelance Writer Bootcamp waitlist SHARE THE WRITING COACH PODCAST Did you enjoy this episode? Share your podcast takeaways with your writer friends. Tag Rebecca on Instagram: @freelancewriterbootcamp WORK WITH ME Get on the waitlist to work ...
Mar 01, 2022•28 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast When youve developed an evergreen story idea, it may be accurate to say that theres no reason why the story needs to be told now. But thats only true when we look at your existing pitch. Your angle, your slant, your point of view doesnt include a perspective that makes the story relevant now. Telling yourself the story doesnt have one, that you dont know how to find one, that you shouldnt have to find one, etc., will likely lead to confusion, inadequacy, or doubt and a pitch that seems less rele...
Feb 22, 2022•17 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast When an editor posts a call for pitches, freelancers sometimes respond the way they would to the sirens call. The writers retweet them, share them, subscribe to newsletters with them. After weeks of saying theyll get around to pitching, they suddenly snap to attention. Typically, the writer skips over-analyzing (or even reading) the publication, and sends out a half-developed idea to join the hundreds of others in an inbox queue. As popular as calls for pitches are, they rarely lead to what writ...
Feb 15, 2022•13 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast What do 1947, 1972, 1997, 2012, and 2021 all have in common? They all have big anniversary years in 2022: 75, 50, 25, 10, 1. We like these kind of milestones to remind us of past events, and the impact they have on how we live today. They can work well to anchor an evergreen story thats worth sharing but that otherwise get lost in the relentless news cycle. This bonus episode looks at thinking about why a story needs to be told now, as well as an example of a feature that touches on an author re...
Feb 11, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most women say theyve never negotiated their salary. As freelancers, we have so many more opportunities than staff employees to practice negotiations and to get better and better over time. When the lease on my house came up, I thought all Id have to do was say I wanted to renew, and possibly negotiate a rent increase. I was not expecting to have to draw on all the negotiation skills Ive learned through my years of freelancing. In this episode I share how the skills Ive developed in my writing l...
Feb 08, 2022•26 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever held back from turning your camera on Zoom? Sent a pitch via an anonymous form (the modern day slush pile) instead of the assigning editor? Imagined somebody saying that you were posting too muchor too repetitivelyon social media? These are all slightly less obvious ways of holding yourself back. You may be aware of some ways that youre already doing this, and less attuned to others. Holding yourself back may feel safe, comfortable, or familiar in the short term. When you hold back...
Feb 04, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast When we put ourselves out there, we take a risk. We risk not getting validation, assignments, contracts, money, Likes, comments, safety, etc. We risk approval internally and externally. The idea of putting yourself out there probably pushes buttons that you had even before you became a professional, published writer. You may have prior experience with it not being safe to say what you want to say. There may have been consequences for you, or someone in your family, or with one of your personal i...
Feb 01, 2022•25 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast Two months ago I invited you to take a 90-day challenge to get paid on time . That episode includes the logistics of what to do to get paid promptly and also addresses the resistance so many freelancers have about actually doing these things. Overall, youll see a shift in your cash flow when you do this challenge. But that doesnt mean every single client will pay on time. Todays episode is a real-time update of what comes next, i.e., how I handled a client last week who didnt pay on time. (Spoil...
Jan 25, 2022•20 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast The research and reporting rabbit holes are some of the most seductive and appealing parts of the freelance writing comfort zone. You start off doing good work: nailing down facts, seeking rich data, locating interesting sources. But theres always another twist and turn, and you can easily lose your orientation and not know if youre getting closer or further away from what you and your story needs. If youve ever said that research takes as long as it takes, or noticed that its taking so long tha...
Jan 18, 2022•20 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast Neediness has been normalized in much of freelance culture, to our own detriment. Desperation compounds difficult situations by blocking our own resourcefulness. Even when desperation fuels our actions, its not energy thats sustainable long term. Without defining neediness as a so-called negative frame of mind that needs (!) to be replaced with a positive one, today we look at thoughts and feelings that are more useful for getting the outcomes we want and enjoying our writing lives along the way...
Jan 10, 2022•18 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast The fundamental 5W1H questions you use when reporting are just as handy for examining your freelance life. When it comes to setting writing goals, WHO will you become in the process of achieving your goal? Is your goal setting process setting you up for success? Have you chosen goals that are distracting you from the writing you really want to be doing? Or are you holding unmet goals against yourself? Some writers have such a hard time believing that theyre good at setting at achieving goals, th...
Jan 04, 2022•19 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to making lasting changes in your freelance life, Im more a fan of experiments than of resolutions. The latter tend not to work so well, often relying on willpower or self-shame as fuel to get things done. Some industries have business models based on these negative, dysfunctional cycles, and you dont want to rope your own freelancing in with them. Alternatively, setting up a framework of experimentation conjures curiosity and exploration. For decisions to stick long-term, this is ...
Dec 28, 2021•20 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast Freelance writers often conflate two very different kinds of urgency. Confusing them impacts pitching and following up. First is the urgency of the story itself. This includes identifying why the story needs to be told now. It can be any kind of news peg or timely aspect that compels the editor to assign and publish the piece, and the reader to prioritize reading it. Second is our own personal/professional sense of urgency. This can be when youre telling yourself that you need to place a piece A...
Dec 21, 2021•19 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast Should you pitch during the holiday season? Yes, if you want more assignments. No, if you want to take time off. There are two valid approaches to taking time off as a freelancer: 1. Take time off during conventional holidays. Editors and sources may be less available; family and friends may be off too. 2. Freelancers make their own schedules and dont need to conform to public holidays. If you want new assignments, pitch away. Many editors continue to check email and assign stories, and fewer fr...
Dec 16, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast When I started freelancing, I was 100% DIY. One of the tricky things about making a good living as a freelance writer is getting a feel for what to do yourself and where to spendor investtime and money. Some choices that seem to be saving short term wind up costing you in the long run. Lets look at some areas where you may want to invest in supporting your star employee. WORK WITH ME How do you land assignments that pay well enough to pay for these supports? Apply for the January 2022 session of...
Dec 14, 2021•12 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast When youre interviewing a source for an article, youd want to do some followup if they said: I dont know how a key part of my job works. Youd ask the question again, or come at it from a different perspective. It should be the same when you wonder why you did (or didnt) get assigned a story idea you pitched. If your default is I dont know, youre not using the power of evaluation and reflection to show you the way forward in your next pitch. The better you are at identifying the reasons why you a...
Dec 07, 2021•19 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast Join me on Wednesday, December 8, for a live masterclass on breaking into your dream publications and achieving sustainable freelance writer success. Well focus on proven strategies to get consistent, meaningful assignments that pay well. Sign up for free at www.rebeccalweber.com/masterclass This wont be the conventional, so-called freelancing wisdom that leads to mediocre results. These are the same principles I teach my paying coaching clients, who have broken into the Guardian, the New York T...
Dec 05, 2021•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is my pitch too long? If youre asking the question, the answer is probably yes. The question you really need answered is not how long your pitch should be, but why your pitch is too long: Youve generated a bunch of options without making choices about whats most important and what to cut back on. You likely are leaving out some key components. This pitch may be any length, but the picture is blurry. You and the editor have a very clear sense of what the story will be, but youve gone way beyond w...
Nov 30, 2021•15 min•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast This week is the start of the year-end holiday season in the United States, which is associated with a lot of personal and professional stress. This episode looks at meditation as a concentration practice that can help you center yourself before writing. When I was a kid, an adult I trusted made some negative comments about meditation that stuck with me a long time. Even though I logically reject those comments now as being incorrect, I still sometimes remember them and think I may be judged for...
Nov 24, 2021•18 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast Freelancers often ask: How do I get a client to pay an invoice thats past due? Instead of a how to on chasing payments, today were asking and answering a better question: How do you get clients to pay you on time in the first place? If youve had more than one late-paying client in the past few years, following the actions recommended in this episode can shake up the way you approach billing. I share some very practical things you can do straight away to break a cycle of late payments and improve...
Nov 16, 2021•25 min•Ep 153•Transcript available on Metacast One of the best ways to start the new year strong is to finish this one strong as well. We want to make sure you're investing, rather than just spending time, money, and energy to get clients. When you are ready to get yourself a new assignment, do you factor in the prior investment youve already done to secure your existing clients? Or do you go out looking for a new client each time you need more work? As freelancers, we say we want anchor clients or regular retainers. But often we get caught ...
Nov 09, 2021•21 min•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast 
