self-employed Archives | Philippa Writes

18Feb 2014 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 68: Working for free and the myth of ‘exposure’

Podcast

[tweetherder]Writers, stop working for free, and certainly never pay for the privilege![/tweetherder] We see it all the time, and it seems to be getting worse: business owners and media outlets put pressure on writers to work for free. Is there any benefit to this, or is the fabled 'exposure' they promise not worth a thing? In this episode, Lorrie and I look at the facts and share some rather strong opinions on the topic! Show Notes Episode 4: Is writing for free ever ok? The Center for Architecture and Urban Design Los Angeles (CALA) logo design competition 99 designs Absolute Write: $5 for 500 word articles Carol Tice on Freelance Writing Scams Philip Hensher stirs debate among authors after refusing to write for free Paying bills with a drawing of…

13Nov 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 62: How to meet – and exceed – your clients’ needs

Podcast

[tweetherder]Retaining existing freelance clients is generally much easier than constantly finding new ones[/tweetherder], so it's important to ensure that you are always seeking to meet, and exceed, their expectations. If someone hires you, make sure you are impressive! In this podcast episode, Lorrie and I recommend various ways to make sure that you correctly identify the needs of your clients, and how to go about meeting them. Show Notes Episode 18: How to network like a ninja Episode 13: How to be responsive and flexible without losing the plot Lousy Book Covers Lorrie's favourite lousy book cover I couldn't decide whether this one or this one was the best / worst. Free Download: 50 customizable call-to-action templates There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told…

03May 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 36: Visual clues to professionalism

Podcast

Working from home might feel like an endless opportunity to work in your pyjamas, but there are times when it is really important to think about your visual appearance - including the appearance of your website and social media profile pages. In this episode, Lorrie and I talk about lots of aspects of your visual presentation, including how you need to prepare for Skype conversations, and how to choose a business name. Show Notes How to name your business: Facebook discussion The top 50 most embarrassing domain names ever purchased Clients from Hell The Essentials of Reuters sourcing Coursera There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told Me. Subscribe…

27Mar 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 31: Gaining Credibility as a Freelancer and Specialist – 10 Tips to Get to the Top

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. In order to be taken seriously, and to progress, in a freelance career, we need credibility, but how do we prove to potential clients that we know what we are doing, and that we can be trusted with their work? In this podcast episode, I go through ten top tips to gain credibility and become respected as an authority in your chosen area. Show Notes @GooglePoetics There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little…

12Mar 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 29: How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. In this brilliant solo episode, Lorrie goes into detail about how to prepare for starting out as a freelance writer, and what to do and where to go to start finding work. There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on A Little Bird Told Me. Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Find us on Stitcher Smart Radio And finally, please 'like' us on Facebook to be the first to hear our news and to talk with us about what…

05Mar 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 28: The 11 biggest myths about professional copywriting

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. There are lots of myths and fallacies around about what being a freelancer really involves. In this podcast episode, Lorrie and I talk about 11 of the most prevalent ones, and thoroughly debunk them! Show Notes Marissa Mayer banning working from home Zemanta for Google Chrome Zemanta for Firefox Zemanta Wordpress Plugin 57% of online shoppers will wait three seconds or less before abandoning the site Expertise vs. Humility – A Writer’s Battle Royale? There are several ways to make sure…

26Feb 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 27: How to Cope with Feeling Overwhelmed

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. Having "too much" work is usually seen as good news for a freelancer, but it can become overwhelming and stressful at times. In this episode of the A Little Bird Told Me podcast, I talk about how to cope with feeling like you just have too much on your plate, and aren't sure how to manage. Show Notes Renny Gleeson: 404, the story of a page not found There are several ways to make sure that you don't miss out on…

21Feb 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 26: How to turn down / disconnect from a client or supplier without losing your professionalism or gaining an enemy

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. As well as saying yes to clients, customers and contractors we also sometimes have to say no. However working out exactly how to do this tactfully can sometimes be tricky. In this episode, Lorrie and I talk about several situations where you might need to say no, and how to go about it. Show Notes No More Useless Meetings - Liz Sumner Carol Tice - @TiceWrites That’s Not What I Wrote! What to Do When You’re Hit With Heavy Editing - Sophie Lizard at…

29Jan 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 24: The Art of Getting Paid as a Freelancer

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. If the thought of sending invoices, chasing unpaid bills and negotiating payment terms fills you with horror, this episode of the A Little Bird Told Me freelance writing podcast is for you. Working out exactly how to word those awkward emails and at what stage to introduce your payment preferences are discussed here, as well as tips on getting paid on time. Have a listen, and let me know what you think! Show Notes Plain English copywriting contract F*** You Pay…

22Jan 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 23: How to Decide What to Charge for your Freelance Writing Services

Podcast

We ran out of storage space for our earliest episodes. But fear not, we have made these many, many hours of freelance writing goodness available for just £10. If you want access to them all, please click Add to Cart and buy through our e-junkie account for instant access. When starting out as a freelancer, negotiating the tricky world of how much to quote to potential clients can seem entirely bewildering and confusing. How do you pick a number? Do you charge per hour or per piece of work? And are the numbers you are quoting realistic? Deciding what your hourly rate should be, how much to charge for a press release or a direct marketing package and how to avoid falling into the pitfalls of asking for too little…

Tag: self-employed