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Rebecca L. Weber coaches with the sustainable strategies, mindset shifts, and creative skills development she uses to help independent writers around the world. If you’ve got what it takes to make it as a freelance writer, but struggle with confidence, imposter syndrome, overwhelm, procrastination, time management, writer’s block, improving your craft, marketing, pitching, underearning, pursuing meaning in your work, or getting in your own way, this is the writing podcast for you. Learn, gro ...
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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 …
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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 …
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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…
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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 freel…
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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 somebod…
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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 Bootc…
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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 fo…
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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 …
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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 c…
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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 acco…
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No electricity. No internet. They’re not one in the same, but when they overlap they make for a powerful Venn diagram. The extreme weather and increased pressures on infrastructure means we’re going to continue to see large areas lose power and connectivity. Here in South Africa, we’ve had plenty of chances to learn how to freelance efficiently bot…
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As a species, we’re pretty judgey. As working writers, we’re constantly having our work judged. Sometimes it can feel like how someone feels about our writing is how they feel about us. When we add our own judgement of somebody else’s judgement, things get sticky. Fear of judgement (by an editor, a friend, an anonymous reader who leaves a comment, …
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Freelancing while traveling disrupts the home routine. Get clear about your process and expectations when traveling, and you’ll be better able to reduce frustration and optimize your next trip. Some unconscious and/or unrealistic expectations include: + Stamina, sleep, and food choices + Only reporting vs. starting to do some writing before reporti…
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One great guiding question is at the heart of a pitch that lands an assignment, or in an article that resonates with readers. Answering this question is usually going to be more compelling for a reader, and often essential for an assigning editor. This episode unpacks the power of answers, plus the exception you want to watch out for (ie, when you …
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As a writing coach, I’ve heard countless writers complain about their numbers. Or, more accurately, I’ve lost count. Often somebody will hook into a goal number (daily word count, annual income, how many likes on a post) that disappoints–whether they hit that number or not. And many others don’t identify a goal number from the outset, but then lame…
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Steph Fuccio invited me to her podcast, Content to Connect, to discuss the value and impact of podcasting and newsletters. This BTS conversation is relevant to anyone involved with a podcast, newsletter, or other (semi) regular form of opt-in communication. I share my own transition from a newsletter to podcast and how these both help my ideal clie…
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In some important ways, it doesn’t matter what your job is when somebody you care about dies. In today’s episode, we look at ways you can use writing to process your emotions and communicate love and loss, or to support somebody else who is in mourning. We also discuss the practical challenges of freelancing while grieving. In the four years since …
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Some thoughts on writing and pitching together, trying new things, and how timing your work sessions gives you useful data. 🔗 You might also like: WCP 175 Writing in community 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.…
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One great idea element can be developed into so many different kinds of stories for noncompeting audiences. Listen to my interview on the Do Good Work Podcast, where Raul and I talk about pitching, freelancing, flexibility, generating original ideas, exploring creativity, inspiration, and more in a slightly different context than we’ve ever done be…
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Black lives matter, today and every day. This is not always reflected in the media. Today we look at how an anti-racist approach to reporting helps us get closer to the real truth of what is happening in the stories you cover. An anti-racist approach works both in stories that explicitly cover racism, as well as so-called softer stories where you m…
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What is your freelance writer business model? What are the skills you need to get you to the next point? Do you prefer to improve your weaknesses or your strengths? What skills are you actively developing right now? I’ve chosen not to pay too much attention to some skills (like spelling) that seem like a no-brainer to some writers (but that actuall…
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It’s common for the lede to get buried in the draft (and sometimes final) article. In pitches, it can happen twofold: first there’s a tendency to take up a half a screen of nonessential small talk (“Hope you’re well”), and then even in what is supposedly the main pitch, there’s often excessive background and context. All of this may make you, the f…
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Every three months marks a turn of seasons, and a refresh of the financial quarter. It’s the perfect time for an evaluation. Pausing to review and reflect on what’s actually happened allows you to plan from a more grounded place. 🔗 You might also like … WCP 50: Self evaluations When done properly, self evaluation will give you precise insights into…
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Freelancers often think of the editors who don’t want to assign them stories, and of readers who don’t want to read their stories and angles, when writing pitches. I don’t mean the editors don’t want to assign the stories because the pitches need to be zhushed up. I mean the editors don’t want to work with the writer because it’s a bad match. If th…
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We all know we’re supposed to read a publication and tailor a pitch to their needs … but so many freelancers just cut and paste the same one-size-fits-none pitch and send it out to editor after editor. In general, the spray-and-pray approach maintains a low pitch acceptance rate. But this approach actually does work in a few select cases. Listen to…
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If you’ know improving your pitch acceptance rate would uplevel your writing life, or you keep saying you want to work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp, but find the idea of filling in the application a stumbling block, this episode is for you. Freelance Writer Bootcamp alumni frequently cite confidence as their most useful outcome–alongside ne…
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I used to work at a homemade ice cream parlor. When someone came in and was unsure of what to order, I’d offer them a taste. If they wanted multiple tastes, that was fine, but they didn’t get mint chip and coffee oreo and strawberry all crammed onto one tiny taster spoon. When an assigning editor looks at pitches, they are in tasting mode, and read…
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Ever wonder what “vulnerability” feels like? Try telling people you’re about to shop your book proposal when you’re worried maybe no one will ever buy said proposal. The proposal (or pitch, or post, or whatever it is) doesn’t actually make us vulnerable; neither does telling people about it. It’s the way we think about these things—and in this case…
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Some freelancers say they’re writing for low paying, low circulating, low quality, or otherwise low satisfaction publications because they need to pay their dues. If working this way was a sure route to high paying, high circulating, high quality, highly meaningful work, I’d be all for it. But it’s not. Those publications aren’t suddenly going to b…
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Whether you’re writing a short pitch or a lengthy feature, the urge to include more, more, more can be seductive. Succumb to this pull, and you’ll see productivity, speed, and quite possibly you and your editor suffer. Deciding when enough is enough and knowing how to kill your darlings can help you enjoy each component of the writing process, whil…
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The past few weeks, I've been adjusting to a new morning routine. Moving outside in the sunshine helps the body recalibrate to wake up earlier. But somehow the effort of actually putting on my socks and sneakers soon after waking up has seemed like waaaaay too much effort. At a conscious level I told myself: "It's no big deal. You'll be ready in a …
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If you’ve experienced something as difficult in the past, or know that a task is challenging for others, you may subconsciously make it harder for yourself because you believe the dominant narrative that it is hard. On the Writing Coach Podcast this week, we look at how different writers struggle with letting the things that are easy for them be ea…
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In the movie version of my writing life, there’s a scene where I walk up and down the aisle of an airplane watching strangers open the inflight magazine with the Bonnie Raitt cover story I wrote. That really did happen: I wrote the story while a freelance newbie and then got to see people reading it IRL. Landing that assignment took persistence on …
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Please don’t @ me, the title is correct. ;) TK (or a similar place holder, eg “XX” or writing a NOTE IN ALL CAPS) is a practical tool to take to remind yourself that after the current drafting phase you’ll need to come back and add some more content or context. Many writers implement TK when they want to stay on task–eg the words are flowing and th…
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What’s the importance and impact of seeking out original stories that nobody else is doing? In this conversation with freelance journalist Raymond Joseph, we examine how much a unique story and/or angle matters for you, your career, your editors, and society at large. Ray’s investigations into lottery corruption over the past four years have won hi…
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Rebecca coaches a writer live who has worked on a number of pitches but keeps getting stuck in the same place. 🔗 You might also like: WCP 174 Archives: 100 reasons not to pitch today WCP 82: Live coaching WCP 74: Why you’re the one WCP 140 Archives: Portfolio shame WCP 1: What’s your problem? 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance artic…
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Table Mountain is the old school GPS. But here’s what happened when I got a teeny bit lost in Cape Town, and how I found my way home—and how it applies to reorienting and evaluating our writing goals. ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my gr…
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My word of the year is flow. I began my inquiry asking, where do I already see this in my life? Where can I observe it when I’m writing, and when I’m not writing? What are the conditions that lead to my creating it? What research can I study to enhance my understanding of flow? 🔗 You might also like: WCP 1: What’s your problem? ✏️ Work with me in F…
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Do you expect somebody (eg an editor, a source) or something (an idea, an interview) to make you feel excited about the story you’re going to pitch? If so, you’d benefit from changing your relationship with pitching and learn to sell yourself on your story ideas. A similar dynamic is often in place with goals: If you’re in an adversarial relationsh…
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When editors start saying YES YES YES to the ideas you send them, your freelance writing life becomes your own AND it becomes more collaborative. Apply now to master the art of the pitch at www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com I teach a 3-step pitching process in my group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp, that will make you and your future ed…
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Dancing and writing pitches have some surprising similarities. Today we break down why understanding one choreographic sequence prepares you for learning the next one, and the takeaways for writers. Pitching often seems natural or intuitive *after the skills have been mastered. In Freelance Writer Bootcamp, you’ll learn the proven pitching processe…
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We often notice that an article works on two levels: On an obvious level it’s about X, but what it’s *really* about is Y. Goals have a similar dynamic, especially when they’re well chosen and intentionally take us outside of our comfort zones. On one level, you identify a goal that’s in line with your values and vision for yourself as a writer. And…
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I’m kicking off 2023 with a free open coaching session for writers. This will help you start the year clear, creative, and powerful. If you’re on my email list, check your inbox for details to join on Wednesday. Otherwise, sign up for my free guide on how to pitch and I’ll send you the login info to join. www.rebeccalweber.com/howtopitch To prepare…
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Live events like conferences, conventions, and trade shows can be a rich source of multiple story ideas—or an overwhelming waste of time and energy. Plan ahead for 2023 by learning how to leave with a small notebook bursting with everything you need to write up pitches for feature ideas instead of a bunch of lousy brochures. 🔗 You might also like ……
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Today you’re hearing the interview I had with novelist Jo Buer on her podcast Alchemy for Authors. Jo and I discuss how as an author of fiction and nonfiction books you can take charge of your writing career through freelancing, writing articles to enhance your platform, and increase your social proof. This is valuable when submitting a book propos…
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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 d…
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For many freelancers, getting sick quickly becomes finding hours or days when you’re able to push yourself to get things done vs. not getting paid, rather than taking actual time off. Today I’m talking about my own experience contracting coronavirus, and discussing how to care for yourself and your freelance writing business when you get sick in ge…
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Today we’re looking at how your mindset impacts your ability to implement strategy effectively. One tricky thing about mindset is that when we can’t recognize that we’re believing something that’s holding us back, we don’t take action because it seems like a fixed reality. For example, if you believed that a story had no possible news hook, you pro…
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One of the participants in this discussion from the archives, Yolisa Qunta, passed away last year. Listening to this episode again reminds me of her heart, insight, and humor. I’m thankful to have had her as a writer friend. In this episode, we discussed the challenges and opportunities for multilingual writers. We speak with freelancers from Brazi…
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Allison B. Salerno’s award-winning writing and audio production has been featured on Southern Foodways Alliance’s Gravy podcast, America’s Test Kitchen podcast, Proof, on local NPR stations, and in The Washington Post, Ms. magazine, and Columbia Journalism Review, among others. Allison’s audio news features have earned her two Georgia AP awards and…
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