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 235: Expectations on the road
WCP235 Expectations on the road 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple […]
Writing Coach Podcast 234 Answer the question
WCP234 Answer the question 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible […]
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 229: Do Good Work with Raul Hernandez Ochoa
WCP229 Do good work with Raul Hernandez Ochoa 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 […]
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 225: Seasonal eval
WCP225 Seasonal eval 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 … Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google […]
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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 222 🍦 Have a taste
WCP222 🍦 Have a taste 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 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 221: Vulnerability
WCP221 Vulnerability 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple […]
Writing Coach Podcast 217: Title TK
WCP217 Episode TK 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. Subscribe […]
Writing Coach Podcast 216: Enterprise stories with Ray Joseph
WCP216 Archives: Enterprise stories with Ray Joseph 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. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple […]
Writing Coach Podcast 215: Are you experienced?
WCP215 Live coaching: Are you experienced 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 […]
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