ASK US WEDNESDAY: “Best posts on the RL blog in 2014?”

by Rachel Smith
07 January 2015

Ask Us Wednesday NEWI’m new to the List and would love to read posts that are relevant to me – but I can’t search; can you add a search function, please? And, to save me time can you please do a piece that links to all your best posts of 2014? Karen

Re the search function, we’re onto this Karen – thanks for the reminder! And in terms of our best 2014 posts, great idea. Here’s a rundown.

In January, we kicked off the year with essential tasks to start the new year, illness back-up plans and how long it takes to get a freelance career up and running (and profitable). Leo also reveals her best cold-calling tips when you’re itching to chase up an editor after your pitch being ignored.

February saw us talking about what to do when friends ask you to work for free, sharing ideas for growing your personal brand and I offered my number one productivity tip. In March, we wrote about how to rule your inbox (rather than it ruling you) and money-making avenues beyond print.

April saw us talking pitch inspiration, crossing the line from journo to PR and sharing a home office with your spouse. In May, Leo penned pieces about media freedom and creating your online portfolio no matter how much time you have. I blogged about job-sharing in media and we launched our new column – Ask Us Wednesday – through which we answered questions on insurancefiguring out your freelance rate and whether you should ever negotiate on your rate.

We hid mid-year and revealed the checklist you need to read before going freelance and wrote about ghost-writing jobs (and where to find them). Our Ask Us Wed column received some great questions, including whether you should specialise or diversify, what to charge for content marketing, and what to do when your usual income streams are struggling. Leo shares her 100 ways to work smarter not harder and wrote a post about getting editors to take a chance on you when you have zero clippings. We also answered Wednesday questions on landing regular gigsSEO writing, and taking jobs that take you out of your comfort zone.

Our first member post was published in July, about why you should go on holiday during a quiet patch. In August, I wrote about good and bad habits I’ve picked up working from home, wondered if media is well and truly f**ked, and answered a question on whether you should ever end things with a bad client. I shared my strategies for keeping track of earnings and Leo posted on spotting bad clients in general, generating a great debate in the comments. We wrote about staying motivated working from home, and exploiting your life history for your work.

In September, we revealed how to carve out better relationships with editors and land better-paying gigs. Questions we answered included everything from dealing with isolation to spruiking your work online. This was a big month for me personally, too, with the arrival of baby Charlie. October rolled on, with posts about online portfolio sins, the worst things about being freelance and doled out a little tough love with a list of five ways to know whether you’re cut out to freelance at all. It’s really not for everyone! List member Pip Harry penned pieces for us on writers groups, when you know you’re ready to write your book – and Leo answered questions on how to improve your CV and deal with rejection.

November was a busy month on the blog, with the annual Xmas gift guide and tips on finding more time. We tackled Q&As on giving gifts to editors, dealing with clients who always try to bargain you down and pitch theft. Pip Harry also returns to the blog with a post on surprising ways to promote your book. We ended the year with home office ideas for small spaces, Debbie Elkind’s post on finding more digital work, and the results from our 2014 annual survey – split into infographics about freelancing, in-house and where you all feel the industry’s headed (a long read, but well worth it).

We hope you’ve all enjoyed following the blog in the year that’s been. We’ve certainly enjoyed writing it and bringing you occasional posts from members, too – something we’ll be doing more of in 2015. Don’t forget, if you have an industry issue you’d like us to cover or tackle in the Ask Us Wednesday column, get in touch.

Rachel Smith

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