The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

When you've developed an evergreen story idea, it may be accurate to say that there's no reason why the story needs to be told now. But that's only true when we look at your existing pitch. Your angle, your slant, your point of view doesn't include a perspective that makes the story relevant now. Telling yourself the story doesn't have one, that you don't know how to find one, that you shouldn't h...

When an editor posts a call for pitches, freelancers sometimes respond the way they would to the siren's call. The writers retweet them, share them, subscribe to newsletters with them. After weeks of saying they'll get around to pitching, they suddenly snap to attention. Typically, the writer skips over-analyzing (or even reading) the publication, and sends out a half-developed idea to join the hu...

What do 1947, 1972, 1997, 2012, and 2021 all have in common? They all have big anniversary years in 2022: 75, 50, 25, 10, 1. We like these kind of milestones to remind us of past events, and the impact they have on how we live today. They can work well to anchor an evergreen story that's worth sharing but that otherwise get lost in the relentless news cycle.  This bonus episode looks at thinking a...

Most women say they've never negotiated their salary. As freelancers, we have so many more opportunities than staff employees to practice negotiations and to get better and better over time. When the lease on my house came up, I thought all I'd have to do was say I wanted to renew, and possibly negotiate a rent increase. I was not expecting to have to draw on all the negotiation skills I've learne...

Have you ever held back from turning your camera on Zoom? Sent a pitch via an anonymous form (the modern day slush pile) instead of the assigning editor? Imagined somebody saying that you were posting too much–or too repetitively–on social media? These are all slightly less obvious ways of holding yourself back. You may be aware of some ways that you're already doing this, and less attuned to othe...

When we put ourselves out there, we take a risk. We risk not getting validation, assignments, contracts, money, Likes, comments, safety, etc. We risk approval internally and externally.   The idea of putting yourself out there probably pushes buttons that you had even before you became a professional, published writer. You may have prior experience with it not being safe to say what you want to sa...

Two months ago I invited you to take a 90-day challenge to get paid on time . That episode includes the logistics of what to do to get paid promptly … and also addresses the resistance so many freelancers have about actually doing these things. Overall, you'll see a shift in your cash flow when you do this challenge.   But that doesn't mean every single client will pay on time. Today's episode is...

The research and reporting rabbit holes are 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 you and your story nee...

Neediness has been normalized in much of freelance culture, to our own detriment. Desperation compounds difficult situations by blocking our own resourcefulness. Even when desperation fuels our actions, it's not energy that's sustainable long term. Without defining neediness as a so-called negative frame of mind that needs (!) to be replaced with a "positive" one, today we look at thoughts and fee...

The fundamental 5W1H questions you use when reporting are just as handy for examining your freelance life.   When it comes to setting writing goals, WHO will you become in the process of achieving your goal? Is your goal setting process setting you up for success? Have you chosen goals that are distracting you from the writing you really want to be doing? Or are you holding unmet goals against you...

When it comes to making lasting changes in your freelance life, I'm more a fan of experiments than of resolutions. The latter tend not to work so well, often relying on willpower or self-shame as fuel to get things done. Some industries have business models based on these negative, dysfunctional cycles, and you don't want to rope your own freelancing in with them. Alternatively, setting up a frame...

Freelance writers often conflate two very different kinds of urgency. Confusing them impacts pitching and following up. First is the urgency of the story itself. This includes identifying why the story needs to be told now. It can be any kind of news peg or timely aspect that compels the editor to assign and publish the piece, and the reader to prioritize reading it. Second is our own personal/pro...

Should you pitch during the holiday season? Yes, if you want more assignments. No, if you want to take time off. There are two valid approaches to taking time off as a freelancer: 1. Take time off during conventional holidays. Editors and sources may be less available; family and friends may be off too. 2. Freelancers make their own schedules and don't need to conform to public holidays. If you wa...

When I started freelancing, I was 100% DIY. One of the tricky things about making a good living as a freelance writer is getting a feel for what to do yourself and where to spend–or invest–time and money. Some choices that seem to be saving short term wind up costing you in the long run. Let's look at some areas where you may want to invest in supporting your star employee. WORK WITH ME How do you...

When you're interviewing a source for an article, you'd want to do some followup if they said: "I don't know how a key part of my job works." You'd ask the question again, or come at it from a different perspective. It should be the same when you wonder why you did (or didn't) get assigned a story idea you pitched. If your default is "I don't know," you're not using the power of evaluation and ref...

Join me on Wednesday, December 8, for a live masterclass on breaking into your dream publications and achieving sustainable freelance writer success. We'll focus on proven strategies to get consistent, meaningful assignments that pay well. Sign up for free at  www.rebeccalweber.com/masterclass This won't be the conventional, so-called freelancing wisdom that leads to mediocre results.   These are...

"Is my pitch too long?" If you're asking the question, the answer is probably yes.  The question you really need answered is not how long your pitch should be, but why your pitch is too long: You've generated a bunch of options without making choices about what's most important and what to cut back on. You likely are leaving out some key components. This pitch may be any length, but the picture is...

This week is the start of the year-end holiday season in the United States, which is associated with a lot of personal and professional stress. This episode looks at meditation as a concentration practice that can help you center yourself before writing. When I was a kid, an adult I trusted made some negative comments about meditation that stuck with me a long time. Even though I logically reject...

Freelancers often ask: How do I get a client to pay an invoice that's past due? Instead of a how to on chasing payments, today we're asking and answering a better question: How do you get clients to pay you on time in the first place? If you've had more than one late-paying client in the past few years, following the actions recommended in this episode can shake up the way you approach billing. I...

One of the best ways to start the new year strong is to finish this one strong as well. We want to make sure you're investing, rather than just spending time, money, and energy to get clients. When you are ready to get yourself a new assignment, do you factor in the prior investment you've already done to secure your existing clients? Or do you go out looking for a new client each time you need mo...

Today we are talking about goals. I've talked again and again about being aware of your potential obstacles when setting a goal. There  are  going to be challenges and so it's important to plan on how to deal with those challenges.     When we've created an internal obstacle, we also have the power to shift it. It's about changing your perspective, shifting your narrative, and managing your mindse...

Establishing company policies might sound like it would create distance from freelance clients, but it does the opposite, especially with your ideal clients. Clear boundaries set a framework for clear expectations and positive work relationships and self care. If you know what you will and won't do, it leads to better communication. On the other hand, a lack of boundaries breeds feelings and behav...

Early bird invitations for Freelance Writer Bootcamp will be sent out soon. If you are keen to work with me in my small group coaching program, you'll definitely want to register now and snag a juicy early bird bonus only for those writers on the waitlist. Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my small group coaching program have used th...

Many groups have traditionally been underrepresented in journalism, both amongst staff and freelancers. Gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, age, and country of origin are factors in building a robust press. Today we focus on how writers in the so-called Global South may have less access to writing stories locally or globally. WORK WITH ME IN FREELANCE WRITER BOOTCAMP Break into your dre...

A full scholarship is available for the January session of my small group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp.   The program focuses on helping writers improve their pitch acceptances rate, and to get paid well while covering stories that matter. If you identify as a person of color, are from the so-called Global South, identify as LGBTQI+, and/or identify with multiple groups that have hi...