Writing Coach Podcast 246 First Tuesdays: Write that pitch
WCP246 First Tuesday: Write that pitch 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. Subscribe […]
Writing Coach Podcast 245 Archives: 🐶 Monday mornings on the mountain with Mishka
WCP245 Archives: 🐶 Monday mornings on the mountain with Mishka 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 … Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS […]
Writing Coach Podcast 244: Freelance feast or famine
WCP244 Freelance feast or famine 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. […]
Writing Coach Podcast 243: Gift of specificity
WCP243 Gift of specificity 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 242: Miss that exit
WCP242 Miss that exit 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google […]
Writing Coach Podcast 241 Archives: Internal and external accountability
WCP241 Archives: Internal and external accountability 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 240: Time distortion
WCP240 Time distortion 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS Perception of time varies from person to person, and from task to […]
Writing Coach Podcast 239 You set your freelance writing rates
WCP239 You set your freelance writing rates Freelance writers often have a hard time setting rates, or feeling great about them after we’ve signed a contract. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS Freelance writers often have a hard time setting rates, or feeling great about them after we’ve signed a contract. It […]
Writing Coach Podcast 238 Accountability hit
WCP238 Accountability hit 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)? Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS Do you (almost) always honor your agreements to […]
Writing Coach Podcast 237 Archives: ⚡ Lights out
WCP237 ⚡ Archives: Lights out 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible […]
Writing Coach Podcast 236: Judge me
WCP236 Judge me 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | […]
Writing Coach Podcast 233: Fun with numbers
WCP233 Fun with numbers 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google […]
Writing Coach Podcast 231 Archives: Writing through grief
WCP231 Archives: Writing through grief 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 230 Co-writing, experiments, and timing
WCP230 Co-writing, experiments, and timing 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 232: Podcast power with Steph Fuccio
WCP232 Podcast power with Steph Fuccio 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS […]
Writing Coach Podcast 228 Archives: Anti-racist reporting
WCP228 Archives: Anti-racist reporting 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS […]
Writing Coach Podcast 227: You spelled/spelt it wrong
WCP227 You spelled/spelt it wrong 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? What is your freelance writer business model? What are the skills you […]
Writing Coach Podcast 226: Exhume your lede
WCP226 Exhume your lede 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 224 Archives: Best and worst clients
WCP224 Archives: Best and worst clients 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 223: Cut-and-paste pitching
WCP223 Cut and paste pitching 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. We all […]
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