After several years of juggling full time work and writing on the side, Susan Johnston made the jump from copywriter and project manager to full time freelance writer. A graduate of Boston University's College of Communication, she received the Publicity Club of New England's William M. Cavanaugh career grant for emerging public relations practitioners. Susan still consults in PR and marketing, but she most enjoys writing on career and lifestyle topics for twentysomethings. Her writing has appeared in print and online publications including the Boston Globe, DailyCandy, Experience.com, and Self magazine.
Susan Johnston's blog is The Urban Muse.
One of the challenges (and pleasures) of being a freelancer is the constant need to pitch new ideas. Here are some of the strategies I use to find ideas…
A fellow writer posted on a forum I frequent saying she discovered another writer publishing under her name. This caused her concern because the other writer was less experienced and might publish less than stellar work which editors could might if they googled her name.
Nineteen year old British author Catherine Banner has been called the next JK Rowling, and her first book, The Eyes of a King, recently came out in hardcover. I was thrilled that Catherine agreed to an interview with me. Here’s how this teen lit sensation managed to land a three-book publishing deal…
I have a problem. When I get an idea for an article, I can’t resist the temptation to google it and see what’s been covered in the past. Or I’ll check my email one last time before bed, which turns into an hour lost. See? No work-life balance at all.
I admit it: I’m kind of a cheapskate. Which is a good thing now that I’m freelancing full time. I recently contributed a post called 7 Ways to be a Frugal Freelancer to Freelance Switch. Here are some more tips that didn’t quite make the cut…
There’s no substitute for actually sitting down to practice writing, but reading about writing is helpful, too. Here are some of my favorite books for writing insights and inspiration.
Last week, Ryan blogged about mistakes that managers make. Yes, I admit I’ve been guilty of some of these faux pas. Last year I managed two writing interns and at times I struggled to balance their needs with the needs of my own boss’ deadlines. I see a lot of tips for interns, but here are some of the things my interns taught me.
No, this isn’t one of those “earn $250,000 in your spare time” type of scams. But selling reprints of articles you’ve already written really is an easy way to generate more income.
Now that my income is dependent on my output (instead of automatically getting a portion of my salary every two weeks), it’s now even more important that I manage my time carefully. Here are some of the time savers I’ve come up with…
Not to scare anyone, but nowadays simply having internship experience doesn’t set you apart. Here’s how to make your summer internship count.
