The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

Suchandrika Chakrabarti is a freelance journalist, podcaster, and media trainer. Based in London, she's got a dozen years reporting for UK newspapers and international news agencies and training people in digital storytelling. She's got practical experience pitching, presenting, producing, and editing podcasts. This episode is essential listening for all freelance writers, whether you're trying to...

Are you happy and excited when somebody asks, "What do you do?" No? Listen in as we go a bit deeper into how to practice your new way of thinking and talking about what you call yourself. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WCP 33: A writer by any other name FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow me on Instagram . Take a screenshot of your favorite episode and tag me in your Instagram Stories . Follow me on Faceb...

Do you invest money in your freelance writing business rather than in stocks, real estate, or Bitcoin? Do you make a distinction between spending and investing time? Are you investing in uplevelling your skills and improving your mindset? Have you been reaping excellent returns on your investments? We look at a few areas that can reap excellent returns on your investment: Outsourcing tasks Writing...

When somebody asks you what you do, are you completely at ease with your response? Many writers feel that they need to do something more—such as publish more or elsewhere, earn more, write more words, write about more important topics—before truly feeling comfortable introducing themselves as a writer. This episode will help you reframe what you're making your chosen title mean. This is a definiti...

Today's episode is part 2 of Setting freelance writer goals . Three months in is the perfect time to evaluate what you've done, what's worked and didn't, and how to make a new plan moving forward. If you're not seeing the results you expected, you'll want to hear these common pitfalls and new approaches you can try. Transformation may be closer than you think. Learning how to set and achieve your...

Your dream publication might be high profile, high circulation, or high paying. It might reach a specialized, niche audience, or be pushing the boundaries of innovative types of multimedia storytelling. Maybe your dream publication employees your dream editor, who is smart and funny and prompt. Or maybe your dream publication comes back to you time and again with interesting assignments. Your drea...

Freelance writing lends itself to location independence and the flexibility to work where you want to. Maybe an assignment takes you away from home for a few days, or maybe you're spending months at a time as a digital nomad. Today's episode looks at ways to prepare for and make the most of your traveling while writing (or writing while traveling). Previous podcast episodes mentioned on today's sh...

The research and reporting rabbit holes have to be the some of the most seductive and appealing parts of the freelance writing comfort zone. You start off doing good work: nailing down facts, seeking rich data, locating interesting sources. But there's always another twist and turn, and you can easily lose your orientation and not know if you're getting closer or further away from what your story...

Replay of a Facebook Live talk, talking about structure and format. Mentioned on this week's show: WCP28 Listener Q&A Click here for more info and full show notes.

This week I'm experimenting with a new format. You've sent me some great questions, and I've selected a few to answer that I think will resonate with the rest of you. On today's Listener Q&A, we discuss: The importance of following up Managing your mindset when you're devastated by client responses Reading for inspiration and direction Working within a magazine's structure Editing your own work If...

Clarifying a freelance writing niche gives you direction about what to focus on, which clients to target, and which stories to pitch. It helps with efficiency and productivity. And it makes it easier for clients to find you. Today's episode explores how to identify a niche, when to drill down to subspecialties, and why you don't have to be afraid of limiting your growth as a writer with a niche. W...

Meet Sibusiso Biyela, a South African science communicator and journalist interested in decolonize science communication using indigenous languages. Don't worry, I don't speak science, so we're talking mostly about language, storytelling, politics. Sibs normally writes in English. He recently completed a story about a newly discovered dinosaur species in his mother tongue, Zulu, which doesn't have...

Quotes aren't necessary when submitting a query to an editor, which is one reason why including a good one helps make a pitch really stand out. A story 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 with sources, including some quotes in the pitch itself can indicate a number of things t...

Which should you do first: secure an interview or pitch the story? Many writers frame this as a chicken and egg situation, but it isn't an existential or biological question. It's a decision you get to make about which way you want to get started. Let's look at the pros and cons so you can make a swift and informed choice that serves you and your story. Sign up for a free mini coaching session to...

Paul Jarvis, author of the new book Company of One, joins us today to talk about what it means as a freelancer to pursue more vs. enough, the importance of working on your business instead of always in your business, how he chose to say "No" to freelance work to get this book done, and much more. By the way, he submitted his manuscript a month ahead of schedule. :D Did you enjoy this episode? Plea...

Knowing how to negotiate can be the difference between earning a part- or full-time income as a freelance writer. I don't want you to break into your dream publication only to have them pay you less than what they pay writers who know to ask for more. Asking for (and receiving!) more money on your first assignment with a new client literally pays off in two ways. First, there's that initial cash b...

Freelancing has so many moving parts that it's easy to get overwhelmed. When you're working a lot of hours, putting in a lot of effort, but not seeing a lot of financial return, that can add to the confusion: What's holding you back from making more money? When we strip things back to basics, there are really only two things you need to focus on to earn more. Ignore these, and it's unlikely it wil...

Time to integrate what you've learned so far in the Freelance Writer Breakthrough mini course. Pitching Q&A. Register for the Freelance Writer Breakthrough mini course. More info and full show notes: https://www.rebeccalweber.com/podcastintegration

What if you loved pitching, and/or knew you were really good at it? What would you do differently? If you're avoiding pitching as frequently as ambitiously as you would if you were great at it, then you're choosing to experience all the things you were hoping to avoid: silence from editors, not earning enough, and rejection of your story ideas. Today we challenge the beliefs you have about pitchin...

The freelance writer goal setting process I'm sharing with you today works for goals that will take half a day, one year, or anywhere in between. Schedule a free mini writing coach session Write a review of the Writing Coach Podcast More info and full show notes: https://www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast20

Ready to plan for 2020? What you do (or don't) accomplish in 2019 is going to set you up for the year ahead. Think about what you one year from now will be poised to do if you have a year of growth vs a year on automatic pilot. Today I offer you three different ways of looking at the past year before turning to goal setting for the future. More info and full show notes: https://www.rebeccalweber.c...

Emma Philipson is the author of the very funny new book about the creative process, "Don't just give up - quit!" She teaches creativity to adults in her native Sweden and shares her own process as well as what she teaches today on the podcast. In this episode Emma talks about using your creative muscles, the importance of being both naughty and vulnerable in your work, and the willingness to trust...

Multiple clients, multiple topics, multiple deadlines … freelance writers deal with a lot of moving parts. Today we'll cover the three kinds of thoughts causing you to feel overwhelm, and what you can do to remedy it. Apply for the Freelance Writer Bootcamp scholarship: https://www.rebeccalweber.com/scholarship Bootcamp waitlist: https://www.freelancewriterbootcamp.com WCP Bonus: Freelance Writer...

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. Freewriting is a time to practice the creative process without judgem...

Freelancing in December is usually a bit different from the other months. Maybe you're taking some time off, your clients are, or your friends and family are. Let's talk about deciding what you want (be it a full month of work, a proper holiday, or some sort of hybrid) and how to proceed. Watch today's episode as a video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freelancewriterbootcamp Join me this Th...