Writing & Money

How do you get better jobs? LET'S DISCUSS. This episode was put together in a hurry because I am doing a huge pile of work right now (including working as Assistant Stage Manager for Revival Theatre Company's production of Sunday in the Park With George, teaching an online class, and getting ready to publish another book) so it's a little more off-the-cuff than usual. But the information is still good! Here's where to find Who Pays Writers. Here's how to learn about Shane Snow's Freelance Ladder. (The relevant part of the video runs between 7:21–15:27.) Here's the "when bands realized they made it" Reddit thread. Here's where you can preorder Frugal and the Beast, The Billfold's first book!

In which I explain what I've been up to since May, and ask what you'd like to hear in Season 2 of the podcast. If you aren't familiar with The Billfold.com, check us out — and pitch us! (By which I mean "pitch me.")

How do you turn a file saved on your computer into AN ACTUAL BOOK? How do you get that book on Amazon? Or in bookstores? What about libraries? This episode takes you through the process of publishing your book and getting it out into the world. You might also want to listen to the episodes Why Self-Publish? and Talking to Dana Kelly about "Your Book, Your Brand." Here are two more resources I mention in the podcast: The Independent Book Publishers Association's Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book Veronica Ewing's portfolio Also, when I started writing the show notes, I found out that Amazon might be phasing out CreateSpace in favor of offering a new "print-on-demand paperback" service through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. (This industry changes so quickly!) The basic information in the podcast should still apply!

Since my novel The Biographies of Ordinary People: Volume 2 is releasing next week, this month's podcast episodes are both about SELF-PUBLISHING. Today, we're looking at WHY you might choose self-publication; later this month, we'll look at HOW to self-publish.

It's almost Tax Day! But since most of us have already done our 2017 taxes, this episode is all about how freelance taxes will change in 2018. I mention TaxAct a few times, as well as the articles TaxAct sponsored on The Billfold. If you're interested in those articles, here they are: The Easiest Way to Track Your Freelance Receipts 7 Ways to Get Even More Money Out of Your Tax Refund Filing Taxes Last-Minute? Here’s How to Get Organized Fast You should also read this article I wrote for The Freelancer, which covers 2018 tax changes as they relate to both sole proprietors and incorporated freelancers: Should Freelancers Incorporate in 2018?

I interview special guest Paulette Perhach about how she got started as a writer, how she handles the financial side of writing, and what people will learn from her forthcoming book, Welcome to the Writer's Life. Learn more about Paulette at pauletteperhach.com and fuckofffund.com. Pre-order Welcome to the Writer's Life here.

Learn how to decide whether a client is right for you BEFORE you apply for the gig or say yes to the editor.

A very short episode about SEO! Notice how this episode title is structured to let listeners know exactly what question the episode will answer — which is what it's all about.

The second half of our Art of Interviewing discussion! Today we look at how to contact a source, how to prep your interview questions, how to conduct the interview, and what to do after the interview. (The part where I say that Facebook doesn't let you keep track of which messages you've read? I actually mean "Facebook doesn't let you keep track of which messages you still need to respond to." I think that's clear in context, but JUST TO MAKE SURE.)

Interviewing is often one of the hardest parts of freelancing — it involves asking people for help, dealing with rejection, and PHONES — so I've broken the interviewing process down into a series of easy-to-manage steps. This episode deals with everything you need to do before you ask someone for an interview; the next episode will be about how to ask, how to do the interview, and what to do after the interview. Show notes! Seattle's Hugo House is a great place to take writing classes, and I'm not saying that just because I used to teach there. The "visit Enya's castle" story is Anne Helen Petersen's "The Keys to Enya's Kingdom," at BuzzFeed. Read it. It's SO GOOD. The Billfold has a Patreon! (You know I'm the editor of The Billfold, right?)

Pitching is great, but knowing that you're going to complete work for a specific client or publication every month is even better. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you turn that initial pitch into a regular contributor relationship — as well as how to determine whether your editor wants you to pitch more often.

Happy New Year! Let's talk about how to set writing and money goals for 2018. I mention "Biographies Volume 1" and "Biographies Volume 2" in this podcast; I'm referring to my published novel The Biographies of Ordinary People: Volume 1: 1989–2000 and the forthcoming Volume 2: 2004–2016. I also try to guess whether Vol. 1 has sold 500 copies yet. Turns out it's sold exactly 500 copies, as of my most recent "This Week in Self-Publishing" column. WOO-HOO! (Yes, the numbers look like it's only sold 499 copies, but the 500th copy sold IN THE COMMENTS.) You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

ANYTHING CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME! Publications can shut down! Patreon can announce (and then unannounce) new fees! You can get part of the way into a podcast recording and then have GarageBand tell you it can't record any more because your disk space is full, and then when you clear out some old files and start recording again the sound quality is way better for some reason?! THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT HOW YOU DEAL WITH CONSTANT CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

The audio is a little imperfect on this one because I'm in the process of moving and I didn't have my usual setup. (It turns out throwing a duvet over your head before you record makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE.) However, you know what IS perfect? My spreadsheet. Here's a link to a Google Sheets version that you can copy/paste into your own spreadsheet program. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

This episode is all about PRIORITIZING YOUR BIG CREATIVE PROJECTS. I wrote two novels in 18 months, and I'll share everything I learned in the process. After you've listened to this episode, I'd love to learn more about the big creative projects you're working on, as well as any successes/frustrations/roadblocks that are coming up as you work. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

Decide THAT you're going to do it, then decide WHEN you're going to do it. Also: I have improved my audio CONSIDERABLY since the first episode, but I still need a pop filter. I'll have that by the next podcast and then the audio should be PERFECT. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

How do I write 20–30 pieces every week? By drawing from common structural patterns that I've internalized to the point that they've become instinctual. In other words: I know the framework, and all I have to do is put the words in. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️

This episode of Writing & Money is all about pitching: which sites to pitch, what types of stories to pitch, and the four elements that should be included in every pitch. You'll hear me mention a paid subscription in this episode; this podcast was originally released under a freemium/subscription model, but I have since decided to make it free for everybody. ❤️