Writer 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…

24Apr 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 35: No portfolio? No problem. Get writing work without published clips.

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. Lots of new freelance writers fear that they will never get any work because they don't have published articles or novels already. However, when you remember that every successful freelancer started out in the same way, it becomes clear that it is definitely possible to get hired as a writer even if you have no clips to show. But how, exactly? In this podcast episode, I go through lots of different ways to get yourself some clips, build up your portfolio,…

19Mar 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 30: It’s not about you – the art and the science of commercial 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. Commercial copywriting is not what most people picture when they think about freelance writing. It is so different to typical fiction or non-fiction writing, and in this episode, Lorrie and I talk about why this is, what PPC ads can teach us about why good copy might not be that good, and what the deal is with features versus benefits. Show Notes Calmingmanatee.com Entrepreneur.com: Marketing Features Vs. Benefits Google Adwords keyword tool 10 Amazing Free Online Writing Courses Episode 23: How to…

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…

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…

05Feb 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Episode 25: Why and How to Charge More For Your Freelance Writing

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. This solo episode by Lorrie is the third in our series of three podcast episodes about money. In episode 23, I talked about how to set your freelance writing rates, and in episode 24 we discussed the practicalities of things like invoicing, chasing clients and setting payment terms. So today, Lorrie talks about under what circumstances you should consider raising your rates, and exactly how to go about it. Show Notes The Key to Creating More Remarkable Connections There are several ways to make…

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…

15Jan 2013 by Philippa Willitts

Podcast Episode 22: The Hows, the Whys and the Wherefores of the Perfect Press Release

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. Knowing how to write an attention-grabbing, appropriately formatted press release is an essential skill for any copywriter. Whether your clients are in industry, the public sector, sole traders or charities, you will almost certainly be asked to produce press releases on different topics and you will be expected to know exactly the style and tone that is required. In this episode of A Little Bird Told Me, Lorrie and I discuss when press releases are useful (and when they should be…

Tag: Writer