Category: Freelance Life

LittleZotz Writing’s 6 Year Anniversary

Posted on by Lauren Spear

6YearBannerLZW

My name is Lauren Tharp. I started my freelance writing career as a teenager (over 15 years ago) and never stopped. On August 17th of 2010, I opened up LittleZotz Writing and I made freelance writing + editing my sole source of income.

Through LittleZotz Writing I’ve worked in the writing and marketing departments of a television mini-series, an online radio station, a designer headphone company, and countless small businesses around the world.

My blog for writers has won multiple awards and was named one of the best in the business by The Write Life, Positive Writer, and others.

I’m also the Managing Editor for Be A Freelance Blogger and the Editorial Assistant for Copyblogger — two of the largest blogs for content creators in the world!

As a freelance writer myself, I know the struggles that writers go through. As an Editor, I know what goes on behind-the-scenes in the blogging world and what it takes to get your pitches read — and your posts published.

My 5 Most Popular Posts (So Far!)

I ran the analytics on my site from August 2010 until today, and my all-time most popular posts are:

  1. What to Do When Writing Keeps You From Writing
  2. 16 Red Flags: Say “No” to That Potential Client!
  3. How NOT to Get Your Guest Post Published
  4. How NOT to Treat a Fellow Freelance Writer
  5. Why I’m a Hardass Pitching Editor

TransparentGhostMy 3 Most Popular Services

  1. Ghostblogging
  2. Editing
  3. One-on-One Mentoring

It’s been an incredible journey thus far! Thanks for sticking with me all these years! I have big plans for the future. 😀

–Lauren*

How to Define Your Job as a Freelance Writer

Posted on by Lauren Spear

 

not my job
Illustration by Ramiro Roman

When I first launched LittleZotz Writing, I would frequently get e-mails from visitors asking if I could design their website, create a flyer in Photoshop, or “whip up some background art” for their landing page.

While I was flattered that those people thought I was so artistic, none of the tasks I just mentioned have anything to do with my job.

But what does…? Continue reading “How to Define Your Job as a Freelance Writer” →

How to Meet Deadlines While Avoiding Burnout

Posted on by Lauren Spear

There are a lot of things that cause freelancers stress, but deadlines are one of the worst. How do you meet them without getting overloaded?

Illustration by Ramiro Roman.
Illustration by Ramiro Roman.

Would you hire someone to do a job the night before it was due? Of course not. You’re probably thinking, “That would be unreasonable.”

However, as a freelancer, you’re bound to have a client or two who think you have an endless amount of time on your hands.

In my experience, every client thinks they’re your only client.

But, remember, they’re your client, not your boss. YOU are your boss. So YOU get to set the deadlines. Their deadlines are not your deadlines.

No matter how badly you need the money, never feel pressured to take on a “rush job” if you feel you can’t complete it to perfection. Sacrificing quality for speedy delivery can come back and bite you in the butt in the long run. You also don’t want to put yourself in a position with a client where they consider your “rush job” turn-around as your “norm.”

Note: It’s perfectly within your rights as a freelancer to charge an extra “fee” if a client insists on a rushed deadline. Just remember: You do not have to accept the project if you don’t feel right about it.

9 Tips to Meet Deadlines While Avoiding Burnout

Here are nine of the things that I do to meet all of my deadlines without losing my sanity. I have confidence that you can make these tips work for you as well! Continue reading “How to Meet Deadlines While Avoiding Burnout” →

Shady Writing Tactics: Why I WON’T Place Your Articles

Posted on by Lauren Spear

I’d like to thank freelance writer Alicia Rades for inspiring me to write this post. You can see her own version of this topic here.

Illustration by Ramiro Roman
Illustration by Ramiro Roman

Hey there!

I’m writing this post because it’s going to end up in my FAQ page. Because I get asked about this a lot, and I’m tired of having to explain it to each person individually. From now on, I’ll just be linking to this.

There’s a trend lately among “potential clients” wherein they want an article written (good!)…about their product (okay under circumstances)…and then pitched/”placed” for them at a particular publication. It’s that last part that’s the problem.

I don’t place articles.

Here’s why: Continue reading “Shady Writing Tactics: Why I WON’T Place Your Articles” →