The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

Once you start fact checking your mind, you'll notice there's a lot of stuff you're telling yourself that isn't true AND that isn't helpful. This awareness doesn't mean that the faulty thought won't keep coming back. It's usually counterproductive to tell yourself, "Don't think that!"   You can instead decide ahead of time what you do want to think and practice it to help build a new neural pathwa...

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 is the initial boost to your...

Repurposing thoughts, words, ideas, research, reporting, etc., are key to working effectively and efficiently as a freelance writer. Sometimes this means minor tweaks, such as adjusting a post from one text-based social media platform to another.   Other times we can take a small bit of great stuff from one pitch or article and develop it into a whole new piece for another pub. This episode explor...

How ripe avocados help break an old narrative. What's one thing you did NOT procrastinate in the past 24 hours? 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 1 What's your writing problem? ✏️ Work with me in Freelance Writer Bootcamp Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my group coaching program have used the proven Bootcamp processes to break in...

Iona Brannon is a writer and a photojournalist who deeply enjoys drawing out beauty in the mundane. Her upbringing in multiple countries has given her love for the nuances of culture and travel, and her passion is in uniting people from different backgrounds through the common threads of human pain and joy.   Iona is a prolific freelancer who has written for Condé Nast Traveller, Afar, Travel + Le...

With apologies to Toni Morrison, the Writing Coach Podcast is the show I wanted to hear … so I recorded a couple of hundred episodes of it.   Today I'm going behind the scenes: Why I started making this podcast (and why you might want to start or continue one—or choose to be on other people's shows instead); my workflow, including content generation; and the mindset minefield I ran into and learne...

We all need a few reliable go-to tools, apps, programs, books, and other stuff. In today's episode, I talk through a few of my own favorites, and why and how I use them.   Be sure to check out one of my oldest blog posts that I keep updating, with all the links mentioned plus several more for you to explore.   These are all affiliate-free. I hope you enjoy and share forward your faves too. 🔗 Ment...

Listener Q&A returns! Here are the questions I'll be answering today: +Do I need to let key sources know when a story runs? +I'm comparing myself to hard-hitting journalists I know, and it makes me think my story isn't that important. +The pub I want to write for has already done all the story ideas I want to pitch. How do I avoid overreporting my pitches? Want me to answer your question on the ne...

Borrow from yourself. Borrow from what works. Borrow from the non-writing parts of your life to inform your writing and freelancing. We have a tendency to notice where we've failed or not figured things out, and then we continue down that pathway looking for examples to keep the pattern going. When we intentionally look for things we've done well or learned in one area of our lives, we can instead...

If you've been listening to the Writing Coach Podcast for a while, you already know I: Send emails to myself. Annotate ideas on paper/screen in one-minute bursts, or else forget them forever Direct my brain to solve something by asking one good question In the quest for the new, we tend to overlook the advantages of repetition. This week on the Writing Coach Podcast, we look at some of the most us...

Should you pitch travel story ideas before or after you have a notebook full of notes? In theory, you can do it successfully either way. You could do a little research and pre-reporting, pitch, get an assignment, schedule your interviews and be confident out in the field knowing who you're writing for and what your angle is. Or you could set off on the trip, be open to what's around you, reflect o...

So many professional writers have lost touch with the passion or purpose that brought them to this work in the first place. If you've achieved a lot but aren't enjoying it, what's the point?   🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 1 What's your writing problem? 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You'll experience n...

Linda Sivertsen is a New York Times bestselling co-author and midwife of 6- & 7-figure book deals.   Her new book, Beautiful Writers, gives aspiring writers and seasoned literary veterans a look into the lives of iconic authors and answers the burning question, "How did they do it?!" Linda joined me on Publication Day of her latest book. We discussed: Celebrating a new book on Publication Day Orga...

Pretty much every freelance writer can earn more money. Here are some specific things that writers DON'T do that keep them from earning more, and what they CAN DO to earn more. Listen in, notice your resistance, and choose one to work on applying to your freelance writing life. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 193 Rates shaming 🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a ...

Have you ever been ashamed of the rate you accept for a freelance job? Ever talked to another freelance writer who felt that way? Have you ever heard someone who disapproves or criticizes a writer for their fees? Rates shaming is when somebody reprimands or reproves a writer for rates of which they should be ashamed. This can happen when the rate is perceived as too low OR too high. It can happen...

A single a-ha or breakthrough moment in your writing life can happen quickly. Creating lasting transformation usually takes reinforcement, especially when addressing long-held beliefs and behavior patterns. 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   🔥 Work with me 1:1 Private coaching is for the writer who wants a personalized agenda and transformative breakthroughs. You'll experience new clarity about what...

Let's talk about working with and for nonprofits (and NGOs and associations): Why working for a reduced fee can be more problematic than premium rates or pro bono  Choosing change not charity models Reshaping the narrative to bring more depth to your piece Recognizing guilt, resentment, and obligation Applying nonprofit lessons to for-profit clients 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 150 Archives...

This is a followup talk on applying the concepts introduced earlier this week in Episode 191, Time passing . Do you believe you have enough time to do the things that matter most in your writing life? 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 1: What's your problem? WCP 191: Time passing 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas , "5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell."  ...

How you think about time—such as if you have enough, not enough, or plenty of it—impacts what you create in your writing life. Many writers credit time as necessary for their skills, clients, or assignment quality to improve.   An overemphasis on time passing to become a better freelancer isn't useful or accurate, and can be a disempowering framework. Time passing isn't the important factor in if...

For me, getting ready for a coaching call or a writing session includes: Bringing nature into my workspace environment   Planning time to transition and orient myself rather than crash landing into a call   Getting intentional about arguing for things that are helpful for writing vs. those that sidetrack you 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 1: What's your problem? WCP 174 Archives, Vol. XIII: 1...

Whether your articles are published online or in print, you need to make them readily available for potential clients to read online. Simply having a list of links isn't sufficient. Sites reorganize and your links go bad; your piece gets pulled or the publication closes; and paywalls prohibit access. Clips that look great on paper need different treatment. In this episode, we look at practical too...

Why I went to the library on Monday morning instead of my nature walk Time to check out your library's updated remote resources Researching publications via the library   🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 1: What's your problem? WCP 44: Monday morning on the mountain with Mishka 🎁 Download my free guide on how to pitch freelance article ideas , "5 Proven Steps to Writing Queries that Sell."   w...

Some freelance projects spiral out beyond the original agreement. Let's curtail your taking on more and more uncompensated work, or from seeing all your clients as creeps. Today we cover: What scope creep is and what it isn't Handling the pressure to say yes when you don't feel like you can say no The long-lasting nature of scope creep and how it impacts client relationships 🔗 Mentioned in this e...

When a client reaches out to you for the first time with a freelance assignment, we often call it a fluke. Often we really like it happening, and if it's a good gig we may wish all work happened this easily. The problem with telling ourselves that we played no part in getting the work is that it means we don't have the ability to recreate what happened.   The same is true with repeat or ongoing wo...

When you pitch a story idea, are you inviting the editor to consider working with you? Do you recognize the value of what you're offering and tempt them? Or are you asking the editor to give you an assignment? Do you approach the pitch from a place of neediness? Give/get, push/pull, love/hate … which side do you want to be on? 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:   WCP 127 Favorite freelance writer resou...