Joni Sweet
@JoniSweet
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Freelance writer & PR coach Words: @Forbes , @NatGeo , @TIME , @TripSavvy @LonelyPlanet , @Yahoo , @Frommers + more Vegetarian, cyclist, cat lady Traveler at ❤
Hudson Valley, New York
Joined July 2011
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New year, new services! Here are ways we can work together in 2024. ↓
✍️Writing: I cover travel, health, wellness, finance and more for publications and brands. Need a smart, reliable writer for your roster? Let's talk.
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Friendly reminder for freelancers (including myself!): It is an act of self-care to decline low-paying work, even if it's with a publication/company you really want to work with!
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👏Stop 👏 including 👏 non-compete clauses 👏 in your 👏freelance contracts! 👏 The very business of freelancing means working with multiple clients (sometimes in the same sector)! If you're looking for exclusivity, you should hire an employee—not a contractor.
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PR friends, if you're not including links to images in your pitches, you're missing out on coverage. I just swapped out a product that I would have included in a gift guide with a competitor because the publicist didn't send images, and I didn't have time to request.
#PRrequest
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🥹🥹🥹 Editors, your words are powerful and you might not realize how much a quick message like this can mean to a writer! It only takes a minute to make someone's day.
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I was so excited when a major tech publication accepted a pitch I sent them last week. Today, I turned down the $500 assignment because the contract lacked a key clause…
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I haven't announced this yet, but I'm so excited to share that I've joined Yahoo as a contributor to the travel and lifestyle section. Here's my latest story.
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A PR person just sent me the 6th(!) follow-up to a pitch in less than a week. Please don't do this.
#PRrequest
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Not having a kill fee might seem like a non-issue at the start of an assignment. But if things go awry, your contract will dictate how fairly you are (or aren’t) compensated. Every freelancer should be reading and negotiating fair terms in their contracts.
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PSA to all freelance writers: If you're not getting paid at least $1/word for sponsored content, you're not charging enough. Publications charge companies in the mid-five figures for a single piece of spon-con. They can afford to pay a decent rate—but you have to ask for it!
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My favorite editors to work with are those who have freelanced before. They provide clear briefs, keep revision requests to a minimum, and fiercely advocate for on-time payment for their writers.
They just get it.
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It indicates that if for any reason(!) the publication decides not to run my FINISHED story, it would owe me nothing for the hours I spent reporting it and writing it.
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Hey
@muckrack
, you frequently put stories I haven't written on my profile, which makes it a misleading portrayal of my work. I always have to send you chats to remove them, which is time consuming. When will you let journalists make these adjustments on their own?
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#PRrequest
When a freelance writer sends you a link to a story they've written, please don't ask them to make changes to the piece unless something's inaccurate! We don't control the final versions and we risk damaging relationships with our editors forwarding these requests.
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Honestly one of my least favorite things about letting a PR person know when I've covered their client is the 50% chance that they'll immediately ask me if I have plans to cover the other clients they pitched. I get the hustle, but just take the win for now.
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Um, are there actually any real people still using HARO? I'm going through responses to a request I sent out last week, and most of them are from bots/fake personas set up to promote websites!
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Usually surprise PR mailers are fun, but the one I received yesterday was pretty embarrassing. It had "Opioid-Induced Constipation Awareness Day" on a big label on the OUTSIDE of the box that sat in my building lobby all day. I can only guess what my neighbors think of me...
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A kill fee. Calling this contract 'bad' is an understatement. It was one of the worst ones I’ve ever seen (and I’ve written for dozens of publications).
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I tried to add a kill fee into the contract with this tech pub, but the legal team refused to negotiate. It was a dealbreaker for me. I turned down the project.
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I get that editors don't control budgets, but they have control over the empathy they express, as well as the scope of work they assign. You shouldn't expect the same level of work from a $400 story as you got from an $800 piece, but in my experience, the workload stays the same.
Pieces that I was paid $2k for three years ago, I'm now getting $800 for. And pieces that I was paid $800 for? $400. And you know what? Editors aren't nearly apologetic enough about that.
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I firmly believe that I'm not in competition with any other freelancer. Befriending other freelancers and supporting one another is one of the best ways to succeed—together!
My best advice for
#freelancers
: befriend other freelancers in your field. My life/career are infinitely better because I have “colleagues” I can share my wins/losses and frustrations/excitements with! I have a lovely group I text with daily and some of us haven’t even met IRL.
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Freelancing has been hard lately, but all this doom and gloom on social media is so discouraging. Anyone have wins they want to share from 2024 so far? I'll start. 👇
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There are tons of reasons outside of a writer's control that their stories are killed. I’ve had finished stories cancelled because a publication shifted its budget to other verticals, changed its editorial strategy, or shut down completely.
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Freelance friends, it is NEVER a waste of time to advocate for yourself and negotiate a fair rate for a project, no matter what any editor or client says.
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Tip for PR people: Please include the location (city, state, & country) when pitching things like hotels, restaurants, etc! I've gone through several interesting pitches this morning that didn't have this info and reporters rarely have the time to dig for it.
#prrequest
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I heard of a freelance strategy that involves keeping money in a high-yield savings account instead of paying quarterly taxes, then paying all taxes at once the next year. My saving account pays 5.75% interest, so this makes sense to me, but feels weird. Is anyone doing this?
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Today a source screamed at me during an interview because she thought I wasn't understanding her answers & that I should "get a new assignment." She kept yelling after I asked her to stop & I had to hang up on her. Fellow freelancers, what's your worst experience with a source?
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Freelance friends, if you've been having a slow year, it's worth looking into a health insurance subsidy through your state. I applied for the first time and I was instantly granted a subsidy that covers HALF of my insurance premiums for next year. That's *huge* for me.
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I'm hearing more and more freelance writers say they're no longer submitting pitches through forms. I'm sure these forms are still flooded with pitches, but editors should realize they may be missing out on strong stories by mandating such an impersonal approach to pitching.
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Question for PR pros: If you send a journalist a product sample for consideration for coverage, do you want honest feedback if they don't like it?
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Just had a call with a new client's accounts payable person and she told me she's constantly advocating internally to get freelancers paid in 30 days or less, even though the company is typically net 60. Tears of joy!
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Related tips:
-Send links to images (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), not attachments. Emails with large attachments clog inboxes (and get deleted).
-Ask your client for vertical AND horizontal images (some orientations work better in certain layouts).
-Don't send super low-res pics
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Fascinating article on the role of freelancers in the future of work. I've left clients I used to love working with when they started treating me more like staff than a consultant. Managers need to understand the differences in freelancers vs employees.
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My freelance business resolution for the new year: I will no longer send article pitches through online forms that go into a black hole.
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PR friends, honoring writers' requests to send images with your product pitches for gift guides can make the difference with securing coverage. I'm working on gift guides right now and eliminating items I would have otherwise included due to lack of pics! Happens every time!
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I added info for unpaid edit tests I completed for full-time and freelance editorial roles over the years. It was super depressing to look back on all this unpaid work I completed for massive companies at a time when I was beyond broke and just trying to get by.
Update: there are now 305 publications/organizations/news channels listed. I added a column for people to describe the nature of the assignment and there's still a column for any higher up at the outlet to comment on their practices.
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I recently published my (sort of) annual wellness trend story. I got 500+ submissions for it, and now some PR folks and experts are (understandably) wondering why their quotes didn’t make the cut. Here's some clarity on my selection process.
#PRtips
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If you're looking for a writer but your rates are low, don't boast about how much work you can give them. Instead, talk about how you'll make the process really easy by offering detailed briefs, keeping revision requests to an absolute minimum, and paying promptly!
Potential client: "Rates are low but we can send a lot of work your way."
Me: "Great! The only thing I love more than getting low-paying work is getting even *more* of it." 👍🏻
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Got an interview with a journalist coming up? Make sure you have a clear mic/audio connection. That means wired earbuds, not AirPods, and no speakerphone. Better yet, find a quiet space with minimal risk of interruptions, so your best ideas can come through!
#prrequest
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This year has been a rollercoaster for freelancers. I'm in the middle of thousands of dollars of projects for a pub that is closing as of today. Also today, a previously laid-off editor I loved working with reached out with an assignment at her new outlet. I've got whiplash.
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Freelancers, please don't sign contracts with non-compete agreements. Not only do you open your biz up to risk (& greatly limit your earning potential), you also make it easier for corporate legal teams to ignore other freelancers who rightfully push back on unfair terms.
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I'm an editor at Healthline looking for a writer who has been living with eczema for a long time (15+ years) to write a personal essay about what they've learned managing the condition for so long. Pay: $200-$300. Word count: 600-1,000. Send pitches to jonimsweet
@gmail
.com.
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Friendly reminder that all PR pitches should be sent to me via email unless I specifically request a DM. Thank you!
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Good news, freelance friends in NY! The state version of NYC's Freelance Isn't Free Act just got the governor's signature. If a client fails to pay you on time, you may be entitled to damages equal to the amount of the contract—that's double your fee!
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I received a rejection from an editor today—and I was ✨thrilled.✨
Here's why.👇
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Freelance friends don't let freelance friends take unpaid test assignments.
Potential freelance client: "We'd like you to start with an unpaid test assignment."
Me to a mechanic: "I need you to change my oil for free this time. If I'm happy with how you do it, I'll come to you for all my future oil changes. I get a loooooot of oil changes, so there's a
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I'm seeking pitches from Black writers with eczema for a personal essay for Healthline that explains how mindfulness, stress reduction, and other mind-body strategies helped them manage their eczema. Pay: $200-$300. Word count: 600-1,000. Send pitches to jonimsweet
@gmail
.com.
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#PRrequest
: I love covering data-based travel stories (see my latest piece on the best state parks at Forbes!). I have time to write 1 more of these before the end of the month. Pitch me! Email on my website.
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Is it totally obnoxious to have a permanent OOO reply on my email? It would let everyone know when to expect a response from me and how to get answers to questions people ask me all the time (like the inescapable "what are you working on right now?").
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Work was really slow in January, but this week I signed a new client, picked up work with two editors who I love but hadn't worked with in a while, and had a promising intro call with a Fortune 500 company who needs a writer. Freelancing is such a rollercoaster!
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Niche outlets, FTW! I've found they're often super pleasant to work with, keep revision requests to a minimum, and pay on time, too.
I've adjusted my pitching strategy! Instead of pitching the big-name publications that rarely respond, I'm focusing on niche outlets that pay well ($1/word+). I would rather be paid and get these important stories out there than have an impressive byline...
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I don't trust travel writers who never take personal trips. This job comes with the world's best perk (endless opportunities to go places!), but I couldn't imagine not traveling on my own terms simply for the joy of it, and not for a story.
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So true! I try to decline PR pitches that don't work for me, but sometimes it turns into an endless back and forth that makes me wish I had just ignored the original pitch.
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If you're too busy to get a freelancer set up in your system to get paid on time, then you're too busy to assign them work.
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I landed a print story in Hudson Valley magazine's March issue. It's a first-person narrative piece about my experience climbing the new via ferrata at Mohonk Mountain House in the Hudson Valley—and it included a full-page photo of me on the course!
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Unpopular opinion, but I think it's so short-sighted to only have locals covering their homes. The locals' perspective tells one story and an outsider tells another, both of which have their place in travel storytelling.
Does anyone have any opinions on "parachute" travel journalism? (i.e. visiting a country w/ which you have no connections to write a story & then leave again) Should only people based in a destination write about it? For
@TTWnewsletter
, obviously
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🔥 Tomorrow's newsletter drop is going to be epic! It'll share my thoughts on the revival of HARO and why journalists might be slow to rejoin. DM me if you want a link to subscribe.
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I'm beyond thrilled to have contributed to TIME's list of the World's Greatest Places for the 2nd year in a row! Check out my write-up on the
@cpkcstadium
—the world's first stadium for women's pro sports!
Introducing the World’s Greatest Places of 2024—100 extraordinary destinations to explore
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@medjournalist
YEP! Or you don't need to pay the plumber who just fixed your sink because you all of a sudden decided to buy a new one.
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The amount of completely irrelevant pitches I need to go through every time I use HARO is a massive waste of time.
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Meet Tofu and Tempeh, the two reasons why I won't be able to get anything done this week!
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I'm so proud to have contributed to TIME's World's Greatest Places of 2023. Check out my story on why Budapest is a must-visit destination this year.
Introducing the World’s Greatest Places of 2023—50 extraordinary destinations to explore
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I'm actively trying to embrace the schedule flexibility of freelancing more often. Today I'm planning to cut out around 2:30 to take a long bike ride (and train for my bike-packing trip to Niagara Falls). I can wrap up any lingering work stuff when I get home.🚲
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Something I’m trying this year: Writing a list of assignments I’ve turned down and why. It’s so hard to turn down work as a
#freelancer
, and I’m hoping that looking back on the work I declined will help me see that saying no was the right decision.
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@ErikSherman
Whyyyyyy does everyone assume that people are only contracting until they can find a full-time role? Self-employment is a viable long-term career!
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@star_lightw
If you have bandwidth, please consider providing feedback to the freelancer. Feedback—especially constructive criticism—is rare for us and really helps freelancers know what to work on to be a better fit for editors in the future.
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I recently redesigned my Squarespace website and realized there are so few templates that work well for writers. Any other writers feel the same? Would you be willing to pay for a template designed by a writer specifically for other writers?
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IN
-spa days
-kayaking
-reading more books
-sending thank you cards
-abundance mindset
-live music
-flexibility
-expansiveness
-experimentation
-investing in myself
-time away from my desk
-personal travel
-couch days
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Do any freelance writers in my network have experience hiring an assistant to help with their personal social media? I'm considering bringing on help, but feeling a little unsure of how to go about finding the right person.
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@HorsleyScott
@rustydeal
The correction is a step in the right direction, but it still misses the mark. In her blog post, Marietta posts that she's expecting $60k in losses. She didn't close solely to make staff eligible for unemployment—she closed because it was no longer profitable to stay open.
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Prediction: Publications are going to need to raise their rates to find freelancers next year. In the discussions I'm seeing among freelance writers, the overarching theme that comes up is changing our relationship to work—and taking on less in 2022.
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Just found out that Qwoted apparently "scores" journalists who use the platform based on how responsive they are. Does this make any other writers wary of using the platform? I'm not into this at all!
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Yes! Or better yet, pay alumni who are currently freelancing for a series of workshops on how to make this work. Knowing how to freelance is a critical skill for aspiring journalists.
Every journalism school should have at least one professor who worked as a full-time freelancer within the past 5-10 years—someone who has made a living solely from freelance writing and can teach students how to navigate what is effectively a separate journalism industry.
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@lolaannamendez
Also freelancers wouldn't need to follow up if we received a response the first time. A simple "thanks but it's not a fit" response would suffice!
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Annual reminder for freelancers: you don't have to wait for your clients to send your 1099s to do your taxes (as long as you track your revenue, which you should definitely be doing!).
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I'm booked to speak on 2 podcasts this week. I love these opportunities. It's a fun way to explore a medium outside my usual. I'm open to speaking on other podcasts, so let me know if you're interested in chatting about wellness, travel, freelancing, media relations, etc!
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This year I had the opportunity to enter a new area of publishing: Alumni magazines. I'm working on a story about 10 alumni and their lives in NY, and it's been so fulfilling interviewing people from so many different walks of life. I'd love to do more freelance work like this.
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Freelance friends, stop signing contracts that stipulate payment upon publication. This is a negotiable term.
Editors, please advocate internally for better payment terms for the freelancers you hire.
Payment on publication sucks and needs to end now. In what other industry can you file work as requested - six months ago - and still not be paid for it?!
#freelancejournalist
#writers
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You won't find it on many maps. And you certainly won't know it by name. But lucky for you, I reveal the best-kept secret island in the
#Caribbean
for Forbes.
#Saba
#travel
#traveltips
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There's no better way to end up on my black list than emailing me many hours after interview responses were due saying the source is sorry, but can't participate, even after agreeing 5+ days ago. PR people, please don't do this!
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Here's a benefit of the
#PROact
for freelancers: your taxes will get muccchhh simpler, since you can't deduct biz expenses if your clients W-2 you! Too bad that won't offset your loss of income, flexibility, and control over your work. Please don't let this bad bill pass.
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@DKDoesStories
To give you perspective from the other side, I've sometimes received more than 300 responses to certain inquiries—many of which were not even close to being a fit, written by AI, quotes from people who don't exist, etc. Quality responses can easily get lost in that mess.
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For Greatist, I'm looking for someone with eczema to write a personal essay about dating, learning self-love, or growing up with the condition. Pay starts at $200. You don't have to be a professional writer. Send pitches to jonimsweet
@gmail
.com. Thanks!
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Anyway, just a reminder that mindset is a huge influence on success for self-employed writers and other creatives. Here's to an inbox full of rejections (and maybe even a commission, too!). 🥂
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The radio silence I've heard in response to pitches over the summer has felt so discouraging. I don't fault the editors—their inboxes are flooded with pitches and there's not enough hours in the day to reply to everyone. So getting a response (any response!) was uplifting.
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Raging while watching my revenue projections plummet as I negotiate kill fees for $7,750 worth of projects I was working on/completed at a company that decided to shut down its publication with zero notice. I'm usually enthusiastic about freelance life, but this is not it.
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Plus, she said I'd be a great fit for her magazine, and she encouraged me to send other ideas ASAP, even giving me the details on upcoming issue themes. The rejection wasn't a "no," it was a "not this, but something else, please!"
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Editors, your freelancers shouldn't know more about your company's invoicing process than you do. It is your responsibility to understand the ins and outs, and make sure your writers get paid on time.
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I can see the appeal of this, but honestly it would blur the line between contractor and employee too much for my comfort level. I don't want employee-level commitment and responsibilities, nor do I need employee-level perks from my clients.
In a perfect world, freelancers would get bonus and invited to holiday events for the publications they contributed to frequently.
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For Healthline, I'm looking for someone who has decided to stop taking birth control pills to write a personal essay about their experience. Pay starts at $200. Please send pitches (including specific angles) to jonimsweet
@gmail
.com by EOD Friday. Thanks!
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Freelance writing success: I've been pitching a story on how bedtime stories cured my insomnia for 4 years. It finally landed in the best spot—. Proof that rejections don't mean an idea is bad, only that you need to keep pitching.
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@bychloecaldwell
Net-30 is more standard, in my experience, although net-45 is not unheard of. Try to negotiate down to net-30. Waiting 45+ days for your money is ridiculous.
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Freelancing is wild. In the same *minute* I sent an email ending work with one client, a totally new opportunity landed in my inbox. When one door closes...
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In my first story for Matador, I covered my two of my favorite things: winter and outdoor adventures. Take a look to see why snowmobiling in Saskatchewan belongs on your travel bucket list.
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Taking the freelance biz planning course from
@TWC_pod
has made me realize I don't take as much time off as I should/could. I'm planning to schedule more vacations, time with loved ones, mental health days, and outdoors time in 2022. Plus, every Friday off (more on that soon!).
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