The Writing Coach Podcast 16: Freewriting for freelancers
My students have found freewriting to be the single most effective technique in their quests to become more fluid and more confident writers. Today we look at the what, how, and why of freewriting. I also share some variations that are specifically for freelance writers. There will always be time to evaluate, critique, and edit. […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 9: Longform articles and short documentaries with Christopher Clark
09: Longform articles and short documentaries with Christopher Clark Christopher Clark is a freelance journalist and filmmaker. He recently co-directed two documentaries about people living on the fringes of South African society for Al Jazeera and the BBC. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Android, or RSS. Christopher Clark is a freelance journalist and filmmaker. He’s reported from […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 6: Why you’re not pitching when you think you “should” be
06: Why you’re not pitching when you “should” be “Should” is in quotes here because it’s the voice in your mind telling you. If you’ve already gotten clear on the reasons why pitching would benefit your writing life, but you’re not doing it (or not doing it as much as necessary to get the results […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 5: Pitching is …
05: Pitching mindset The first thing most freelance writers need to do to improve their pitching isn’t some editorial magic trick. It’s not tips on including a news hook, or how to write a great subject line, or having the right clips in your portfolio. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 4: The perfect black T-shirt
04: The perfect black T-shirt Tailoring your pitch to an individual publication will be a game changer if you’re used to a spray-and-pray approach. Simultaneous submissions may seem efficient in the short-term, but there’s a reason why most editors don’t respond to the same pitch you sent to their competition. Subscribe to The Writing Coach […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 3/Travel writing: Pitching stories before or after the trip?
03: Travel writing: Pitching stories before or after the trip This episode addresses two of the most requested topics my readers told me they wanted to hear about: travel writing and pitching. Should you pitch your travel story ideas before or after you have a notebook full of notes? In theory, you can do it […]
The Writing Coach Podcast 2: Thinking thoughts and feeling feels
02: Thinking thoughts and feeling feels In today’s episode, we’ll look more deeply at recognizing your thoughts and feelings, and the impact these have on your freelance writing results. If you have a habit of getting in your own way, understanding the thought model will help you work through difficult emotions to reach your goals. […]
Modern Journalist Toolkit 24: The confident writer
Do you feel writing is your true creative, personal, or professional calling, one that brings meaning and depth to your life, and that lets you bring real value to the lives of readers … or at least has the potential to? If the answer is yes (or you’d like it to be), yet you struggle […]
Modern Journalist Toolkit 19: A new answer to “Why now?”
In South Africa, “now” means sometime in the near future. “Now now” means even sooner. And when an editor (anywhere in the world) asks why your story is important now, they mean when the piece will be published and read. That could be tomorrow, in three months, or a year. Anticipating this aspect of your story […]
Modern Journalist Toolkit 17/Digital nomad: Freelancing on the road
When I saw this VW van in California a few weeks ago, I thought immediately about a recent article about #vanlife. Somebody who thought she could do her job remotely was surprised to find out that she couldn’t work on her computer during a bumpy ride, nor connect for calls in the middle of a […]
Modern Journalist Toolkit 12: What’s in my bag
When you’re out on a freelance writing assignment, you want to find a good balance between bringing everything you might need and packing light. I normally like to keep all my gear in a regular backpack. Some of you may disagree, and opt for something that is more stylish or that more plainly says, “Hey! […]
Setting 2017 freelance writer goals
If you’ve already signed up for the 2017 goal-setting challenge for freelance writers, watch the video below to get yourself ready. Otherwise you can click here to register for the goal-setting challenge: www.rebeccalweber.com/2017goals If you’re not feeling like looking back at 2016, scroll below to read about my own resistance to this exercise. When it […]
Modern Journalist Toolkit 5: Taking Notes & Recording Interviews
I put fresh batteries into my tape recorder shortly before I hopped on the DC Metro for my interview with Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland. I’d pulled a personal favor with somebody who in turn asked for a favor to get me the private face time, and I’d done all my due diligence […]
Can I quote you on that?
Quotes aren’t necessary when submitting a query to an editor, which is one reason why including a good one can make a pitch really stand out. A proposal should have the same DNA as the final story. Original reporting brings new insight and life to most articles; even if it’s a given you’ll be speaking […]
Freelance Boot Camp: Writing queries that sell
Registration for the online version of Freelance Writer Bootcamp is currently closed. Sign up here to be the first to hear when enrollment opens up again. It’s one thing to have a great idea for a story, another to know your dream markets, and something else entirely to know how to write a pitch letter […]
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