Having an organized way to keep track of your submissions to literary magazines, agents and writing contests means no oopsies in front of people you admire and greater sanity for yourself.
Read moreThe peril in getting everything you want
Everything that happens to us is public these days, and it has me wanting to know myself at the core, without filtering through how my life will be broadcast and who I am as a writer. Who's the self beneath there? I intend to find out.
Read moreHow to have positive client relationships: 5 tips the experts swear by
While most of my clients are pinch-myself-fantastic, I've had my share of unpleasant collaborations. Rather than grumbling on sites where others share the dumb, rude, thoughtless sentences their know-nothing clients have uttered, I've tried to make it a learning opportunity to help attract well-meaning, knowledgeable clients moving forward.
That's why I reached out to five established writers and marketers to get their take on what makes for a positive client relationship.
Read moreWhat to invest in and what to get for free
If you're serious about being a writer, there are no two ways around it: You have to invest in yourself. The good news is that some investments are free (wahoo!) while others will cost you a bit of cash (less-than-wahoo).
Here are my favorite sites, apps and Twitter chats for learning and earning.
Read moreJumpstart your writing life with this no-brainer habit
There are fears at every turn in the creative life, fears about identity, money, recognition, misunderstanding. Fears that we're doing it wrong and others are doing it better.
But at what point are you going to embrace the fact that you're a writer, you're established because you say so?
Read moreWhat's the difference between ghostwriting and lying?
Part of the work I do to pay the bills (gasp, creative writing pays peanuts?!) is content marketing. This is when I craft website content, blog posts, marketing emails and advertising copy for another company. It's fascinating to tell a brand's story in their own voice, much like we creative writers develop our characters' unique voices.
What I won't do, though, is stick someone else's name onto my product.
Read more8 steps to master goal setting
Today, I'm guest-posting at Ivorymix, talking through the eight lessons I've learned for setting goals. It starts with some tough love (I'm no stranger to that) and ends with a celebration. Not bad for a Wednesday, right?
Read moreWhy listening to your body is worth it
How in tune are you with what your body wants you to know? You might be ignoring its signals to take a chill pill while you're determined to soldier through, yet you owe yourself the courtesy of listening to your body's needs.
Read moreWhat not to include in a cover letter
For those who don't identify as writers, composing a cover letter for a job application can be downright terrifying. It doesn't have to be -- I can help, if you'd like! -- as long as you avoid including these five things.
Read moreWhat not to include in a résumé
Over many years working with job-seeking clients, I've learned just how scared they are about putting together a résumé. They fear that one wrong action verb could dash their chances at their dream job.
It typically isn't the case -- hey, if you qualify for a job and can clearly express it, you're likely to win an interview -- but I love helping them finesse their job application documents. After reviewing scores of outdated résumés, I'd say there are eight things you should never include in your résumé.
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