The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

Masterclass: Creating sustainable freelance writing success Join me on Wednesday for a free, live masterclass that covers some of the most pressing issues for freelancers who struggle to get consistent, meaningful work that pays well. This isn't the conventional, so-called freelancing wisdom that leads to mediocre results. These are the same principles I teach my paying coaching clients, who have...

Here's looking at you, you green-eyed monster, you. Feeling jealous of another writer's assignment, grant, income, relationship, skill, talent, age, credits, social media presence, book contract, education, or any other attribute can act like a double whammy. First, the compare and despair mode derails us from our own work and can be a huge time suck. Once you start down this particular rabbit hol...

Freelance writers shy away from talking about sales. "Got an assignment," yes, but "sold a story," much less so. "Salesperson" is associated with being "salesy," which itself brings up a sleezy person trying to convince us we want something we don't, or somebody who won't give us a moment to process or consider. We've all been on the receiving end of somebody being salesy, and we didn't like it. B...

Are you and your writing blooming? Sometimes valuing productivity and efficiency can be counterproductive. If you and your writing are blooming—or will be in the near future—focusing on the notion of being behind robs you of your enjoyment and even slows you down. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Support the Writing Coach Podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts WCP1 What's your problem? WCP73 Freelance j...

It's possible be a successful freelance writer with a single niche, several related subniches, multiple unrelated niches, or no niche at all. For most writers, the benefits of identifying and working within a niche outweigh the cons. Changing your niche isn't going to be what transforms your career: It's the process of clarifying what you do, positioning yourself, and testing the markets that reve...

question, "Why are you the one to tell this story?" Some people will avoid answering or avoid pitching to avoid an existential freakout: "I'm not the one! They can just let somebody on staff do it instead. I'm not experienced enough and will mess it all up." Others use the same cut-and-paste reply for all pitches. They've found an acceptable answer that allows them to avoid serious consideration o...

The freelance journal is a key tool to understanding your process, habits, attitudes, limiting beliefs, and true ambitions. Keeping a narrative record of what you're doing as a writer and as a freelancer means that you will become more familiar with what you're doing, how you're doing it, why you're making the choices you're making, how well things are going, and what other options you can explore...

Many writers say that they always honor their deadlines for clients, yet aren't accountable to themselves when it comes to marketing or creative work. Maybe you want to pitch more stories, finish your book proposal, or write in your journal every single day. In reality, signing a contract isn't what actually makes you complete an assignment on time. It's your decision to complete it (which you may...

Register for my new masterclass on confidence this Wednesday. Doubt and indecision are like kryptonite to freelancers. What would you do in your writing life if you felt more confident right now? Maybe you'd: + Make a powerful freelance choice quickly and see it through, without overthinking. + Take risks with your words--and reap the benefits of improved skills. + Seek clients who value what you...

Are your 2020 goals based on a limited vision of your past accomplishments … or on what's truly possible for you in the future? Today's exercise will help you expand your goals and how to achieve them. NEW LIVE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY Join me in a new free class on building confidence as a writer on Wednesday, January 8. Registratoin is free but essential. Click here to sign up: www.rebeccalweber.com/f...

Applying for scholarships, workshops, grants, and other opportunities can sometimes be daunting: What do the people reviewing this really want to know about you? What can you do to make your application stand out from the rest? A full scholarship is available right now for Freelance Writer Bootcamp. I talk about how to approach this application if you're keen to work with me, and tips that can be...

A big or consistent gap between the work you most want to be doing and what you're actually doing indicates a lack of right action. Keeping busy or chasing after low-satisfaction, low-paying work isn't going to resolve the situation. Let's look at what it means to instead identify the weakest link in your freelance writing chain, and focus on strengthening it. APPLY FOR FREELANCE WRITER BOOTCAMP A...

Straight from my inbox: My answers to your questions. Today I'll be responding to these questions: + I was interviewed on the radio about a story I wrote, but I got nervous and it didn't go well. What can I do differently? + How can I plan far enough ahead to have the financial stability of a salary? + How can I improve my writing? + What sentence structure will improve the quality of my sentences...

This week we're looking at three proven strategies to improve your freelance bottom line. Focus on putting these into place now for a strong end to this year and a strong start to the next one. APPLY NOW FOR FREELANCE WRITER BOOTCAMP If most of your pitches don't get assigned, or you're not sending enough out to get the number of assignments you desire, my small group coaching program in January m...

Anything you read can inform your writing, regardless of genre. Yes, that includes dystopian novels impacting good journalism. I heard Margaret Atwood speak during her book tour for "The Testaments," the Booker Prize winning sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Today I'm sharing some of her advice for when your writing isn't going smoothly. MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: Favorite freelance writer resources...

Our online portfolio lets us showcase our best and most relevant work to new editors. Ironically, we're often most aware of its shortcomings at the very time that we're trying to move our careers forward. There can be a real disconnect between what we've done in the past and what we want to do now and in the future. Telling ourselves "I should have newer/better/more prestigious clips" doesn't func...

 How familiar are you with your own process of writing? Do you see writing as a means to an end, or an activity that's fascinating in and of itself? Do you use it as a time to explore and investigate? With a product mentality, you're in an almost constant state of not-there-ness. With a process mentality, you can be fully engaged and learning throughout. Early bird registration for Freelance Write...

This Wednesday, November 13, I'm teaching a free, live masterclass that covers three of the most pressing issues for freelancers who are struggling to get consistent, meaningful work that pays well. I'll share with you: A proven blueprint for  pitching and selling freelance article ideas How to turn a once-off assignment into an  ongoing gig The most effective way to  get silent editors to respond...

How would you describe your relationship with your freelance writing business? Is it a fling, where you're 100% focused for brief passionate stints and then sort of forget about it? Are you in a honeymoon period, where you want to learn more about every aspect of it? Is it a situation that was sweet once-upon-a-time, but has devolved into needy, clingy, obsessive behavior? Would you describe yours...

PITA clients have nothing to do with breaking pita bread and eating hummus with your editors. Today I've got in mind those difficult clients who can be a real pain in the A. We all have a different PITA threshold. I think of those emojis in hospitals, where you're asked to a face expressing your pain level. One person hit with a hammer says it's a 3; somebody else says it's a 7. Same with the edit...

Movie trailers are a brief preview of what's to come. We're all willing to watch for two minutes—IF it's any good. In a minute or two, we usually know if we're in ("Ooh, I want to see that one!") or if it's a hard pass. What we never see is the screenwriter, director, or a critic talking to the camera and telling us what the film is about, what they think of it, how much we'll enjoy it, etc. None...

Are you terrified of what might happen to your freelance writing career if you put up an Out Of Office message on your email? In this episode, I talk about why I OOO while at a writing retreat and during a long plane ride, and the freelance chaos that did not commence. Turns out the drama was in my head—go figure. MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: WCP 13: Setting freelance boundaries and company policies...

Would you like to develop some real insight into the strategies that are most effective when pitching publications that feel out of reach right now? Are you curious to see how pitching effectively can lead to long-term clients and the kind of portfolio that draws editors to you (so that ultimately you wind up pitching less)? Do you have any pitching questions you'd like to ask? Perfect timing. :D ...

As you probably know, the fourth quarter is terrible for all freelance writers. It will almost certainly be your worst 90 days financially of the year. Ok, that's not true at all. It's in no way a factual statement. It is a belief some people have, and it happens to be one that'll get in your way when it comes to marketing and landing new assignments this month if you think it's accurate. It's so...

Time for another edition of Listener Q&A. I've picked from the questions you've emailed me to cover a range of issues we face as writers. You'll probably notice that you can learn a lot from a question that's similar but not quite the same as your own situation. Today's listener questions include: + I'm struggling with idea generation. Do you have any suggestions? + How can I improve my interviews...