10 Word Nerdy Tips for Frankenstorm Apocalypse Preparedness

October 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

I lay awake in bed at 5:30 this morning as the windows shuddered and the wind howled. The cats prowled restlessly and the old radiators whistled and creaked. Back issues of Creative Nonfiction, the latest issues of Esquire and Vanity Fair, my new copy of The New New Journalism were in a loose pile next to the bed. My Kindle was plugged in over by my dresser. Nine books were on the shelf behind my pillow, in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

I had spent the previous three days growing increasingly freaked out by Frankenstorm-related tweets and news stories. Now, as I lay there cuddled up to my husband, I wondered aloud:

“Do you think I should download some more ebooks before we lose power?” [Read more…]

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How To Handle a Career Setback with Finesse

July 5, 2012 by 12 Comments

I started writing about my attempts to get pregnant a little over two years ago, in May 2010. I had been asked to launch a parenting blog for YourTango, and the timing seemed fortuitous. By September 2011, however, I was writing about infertility, and my husband and I had made our first appointment at a fertility clinic about a half hour away.

After a long series of tests, we finally started a medication cycle early last month. Michael injected me every evening with a medication designed to boost follicular growth. Almost every other morning, I woke up early to drive to the fertility center, where I received bloodwork and an ultrasound. After being artificially inseminated, I started taking progesterone pills twice a day, which made me break out to an extent reminiscent of my junior high years (sigh).

This past Sunday, I woke up early once again to get my last bit of bloodwork. This one would be a pregnancy test. [Read more…]

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How To Achieve Full-Time Success with Part-Time Hours

May 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Forget grad school. As most of you know, I’m a huge proponent of learning by doing. Of course, before I do anything, I also typically read a shit-ton of books. (All of the education at a fraction of the cost!)

Back in 2007, it was Michelle Goodman’s The Anti 9-to-5 Guide that got me up and running as a full-time freelancer. Later on, I read My So-Called Freelance Life (also by Goodman) and wished I’d had it from the very beginning.

Last week, I speed-read Kelly James-Enger’s Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success and realized it was the book I should have had when the economy — and my business — first hit the skids. Luckily, no matter how long you’ve been freelancing, there’s always something to learn.

I’ve been reading Kelly’s blog — Dollars and Deadlines — for awhile now, and also recommend her book on ghostwriting and coauthoring — Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks — to just about every writer I come into contact with. So I was thrilled when I heard she had written a new book. In fact, I devoured the entire thing in two days, dog-earing pages on market research, story ideas, reprints, and contract templates.

What struck me the most, however, was that Kelly had created a level of success that allowed her to bring in a full-time income while working part-time hours.

Basically, my idea of perfection.

After the jump, Kelly is generous enough to share how you can do the same. [Read more…]

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How To Rock Your Business When You’re On the Move

August 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Why yes, this IS the sexy Colin Wright.

I daydream a lot about leaving the area where I’ve been living for the past 31 years. I think of going back to Graz, Austria, for an extended stay. I beg my husband to consider moving up to Boston. When he shoots down that idea, I suggest relocating just a couple hours away to a charming small town in Central Jersey.

“I’ve lived here my whole life!” I tell him. “I want to live somewhere because I chose it for myself… not because I happened to be born there!”

Unfortunately, Michael has a full-time office job in NYC, so we have to stay put. At least for the moment. Which is why I have to live vicariously through the life experiences those like fellow YEC member Colin Wright, who runs his own branding studio while traveling the world. In fact, he travels to a new country every four months.

After reading his latest ebook, My Exile Lifestyle, it occurred to me that Colin might have a lot of wisdom to impart to you guys, on entrepreneurship, maintaining professional networks, and living location independent.

[Read more…]

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Jenny Foss Reveals The Secret To Freelance Resume Success

April 4, 2011 by 2 Comments

Though this blog is all about freelancing, it’s become clear to me over the past eight years that freelancing doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

In fact, my own career has taken on a variety of slash career permutations. I’ve done freelance writing and editing while working full-time in the book publishing industry. I’ve juggled part-time permalance gigs with freelance projects and internships. And now I’m a full-time freelance sex writing, funeral singing career coach to word nerds.

I love having that variety, but doing so many things has made it difficult to build one, cohesive platform.

Which is why I approached Jenny Foss — founder of her own recruiting agency, resume guru, job search consultant, and author of To Whom It May Concern: Or, How To Stop Sucking at Your Job Search — and asked her to give my resume a major overhaul.

After she created a resume for me that made me want to make out with myself, it occurred to me that she might have more insight to share in terms of creating a cohesive marketing platform as a freelancer.

So I put on mascara and interviewed Jenny (also known as @JobJenny) via Skype video chat.

You’re welcome.

[Read more…]

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Audacia Ray Talks Media Making, Diversification, and Self-Identity

August 2, 2010 by 9 Comments
Audacia Ray

Audacia Ray, sittin' pretty beneath her red umbrella. God how I covet those tattoo sleeves.

Dear readers: I know you come here because I know everything about freelancing ever, and because you love my pretty pretty smile. But every once in awhile, I like to give you the chance to soak up someone else’s wisdom.

To that end, I’m super-duper-excited to introduce Audacia Ray, a prolific media maker and advocate who’s has been an inspiration to me since I started in the sex writing biz almost 10 years ago.

I first met Audacia when she was leading a Safer Sex for Sluts workshop at Sexy Spirits in Manhattan. I began reading her blog soon after, tracking her career as she spread sex positivity through books, magazines, movies, and more. For a short time, I volunteered at $pread, the magazine by and for sex workers that she was the executive editor for. Later on, I did a write-up for New York Press when Audacia had a launch party for The Bi Apple, her porn directorial debut. And I read and loved her book Naked on the Internet: Hookups, Downloads, and Cashing in on Internet Sexploration.

Talk about diversifying! (Can you see why I so love and admire this woman?) Nowadays, Audacia is the Program Officer for Online Communications and Campaigns at the International Women’s Health Coalition, and the co-founder of advocacy organization Sex Work Awareness. Audacia also hosts a monthly storytelling series, The Red Umbrella Diaries, where people who have worked in the sex trade gather to share stories and document their experiences. Their latest live event is this coming Thursday, August 5, and you should probably go. (Even better, you should go with me.)

So what can you learn about freelancing from Audacia?

[Read more…]

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6 Ways To Find Your Next Mentor

March 1, 2010 by 6 Comments

[Image via]

Back in January, Betsy Lerner — brilliant author of The Forest for the Trees — wrote up a quick post in which she remembered two of her early mentors. And then, a week ago, Holly Hoffman brought up the topic again. All this mentor-talk got me thinking back on my own favorites, and how important they’ve been to my career success.

I myself have never had one single, larger-than-life figure playing the part of mentor (talk about pressure). Rather, I’ve approached mentorship in much the same way career expert Marci Alboher does: as an ever-shifting collection of people I surround myself with…people I feel I can learn from, no matter what stage they’re at in their career. I highly recommend this approach.

Why do you need a mentor? Because you shouldn’t be working in a vacuum, stumbling along your career path without outside inspiration or guidance. Why do you need multiple mentors? Because it’s silly to rely on a single person, when an entire community can provide much better support, and a greater diversity of insight and advice.

So where can you find this army of advisers?

[Read more…]

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What I Learned About Running a Business from Tabatha Coffey

October 26, 2009 by 3 Comments

NUP_130199_0199, select, retouched, single

I channel-surfed my way to Tabatha’s Salon Takeover during today’s lunch break. I had never seen it before and, honestly, had never felt compelled to. What did I care about the trials and tribulations of hair salons across the country?

Silly me. I was quickly sucked into a three-hour marathon (I know) and, aside from constantly wondering where she got that fierce black jacket she’s always wearing, I realized: Tabatha Coffey has a lot to teach me about running a business.

[Read more…]

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The Infinite Wisdom of Others: Michelle Goodman

July 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment

goodman

Her Anti 9-to-5 Guide led the way in my journey to full-time freelancedom. And when My So-Called Freelance Life hit the shelves, I couldn’t stop myself from gushing. It was the book I wished I’d had from the very beginning.

After the jump, Michelle Goodman — one of my top freelance gurus — is kind enough to answer my nagging questions:

[Read more…]

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The Infinite Wisdom of Others: Lisa Romeo

February 5, 2009 by 4 Comments

lisa-romeo-photo-_014710

Hey guys! Freelancedom’s Infinite Wisdom of Others series is back, this time with the infinite wisdom of Lisa Romeo, who’s done far more than I could ever hope to do. Because she is incredible. Seriously, check it:

[Read more…]

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