The Writers’ Co-op

Today, we're releasing the last episode of the last season of the show. After running three businesses for the bulk of a year, Wudan will focus her attention on her editorial business and new fact-checking agency, Factual. The podcast, the resources and everything else that The Writers' Co-op has created in the last five years will still live online and the Slack community will remain active. TWC was always intended to be an audiobook handbook for freelancers and will remain as such. The final episode is a Q&A that answers some lingering questions we received from listeners. Wudan discusses: tangible steps to take to break into different streams of writing, how she landed her first client, creating a budget that accounts for the ups and downs of freelancing, staying ahead of deadlines and how she plans out her week. Thank you all for listening to and supporting the show! Resources:  TWC Season 1, Episode 1: WTF Am I Doing?  TWC Season 8, Episode 8: Turn Your Solo Freelance Business into an Agency with Caity Cronkhite TWC Season 8, Episode 4: Diversify Your Business Fearlessly with Ashley Cisneros Mejia

It's been 10 years since Wudan started freelancing, and she's learned a lot of lessons over the past decade. Now, she's running three businesses simultaneously. Most of us will probably just run one business at a time, but for those who want to think expansively and start another one, Wudan gives you a peek behind that curtain. In this episode, Jillian Anthony interviews Wudan.  Jillian is a writer and editor with 13 years of experience in journalism and media. She is the former lead editor of Time Out New York, and her writing has been published in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Pop-Up magazine, Contently, and many other publications. As a freelancer, she works with major tech, travel, and media companies in many content and marketing roles; is a regular public speaker at events like SXSW; and helps writers find their footing in the freelance world. She authors the newsletter Cruel Summer Book Club, about making space for your art and yourself, and hosts a podcast of the same name. Wudan reflects more on what she's learned over her career and dives into what it's like to juggle three businesses. Resources:  The Writers' Co-op: Boost Your Confidence Wudan's viral story on late fees NYC freelance workers' rights  The Writer's Co-op: The Six-Figure Freelance Obsession  When Science Reporting Takes an Emotional Toll by Wudan Yan Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski The Writers' Co-op: Diversify Your Business Fearlessly with Ashley Cisneros Mejia Follow Jillian Anthony on LinkedIn

Over the past year, we've heard from many listeners who are curious about scaling up their freelance businesses to an agency. Agencies can allow freelancers to take on bigger projects that they might not have the capacity to do alone. They can also attract more well-known clients, because those big-namers want to work business-to-company, rather than business-to-individual with a freelancer. But what does it actually take to go from solo freelancer to agency owner? In this episode, Wudan talks with Caity Cronkhite.  Caity transformed her solo freelance technical writing business into a multi-million dollar writing agency. She is the founder and CEO of Good Words LLC, a technical writing and documentation consulting firm that's on a mission to rid the world of bad docs. Caity and Wudan dive into how to know when it's time to scale to an agency, the benefits of building an agency incrementally and mindset shifts required to go from solopreneur to agency owner.  Resources:  Follow Caity on Linkedin and visit Good Words LLC Did you know TWC just launched a brand new course? Check out our latest addition to the TWC Academy on Teachable: THE FRESH PAINT COURSE. This is an asynchronous adaptation of the popular Fresh Paint Clinic, which teaches freelancers to build a business website that will attract the clients you want.  Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel — a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

Starting a new publication or production network has long been a big dream for many freelance journalists. Some have become disenfranchised with the status quo of how publications are run and are contemplating striking out on their own. Others see an opportunity to fill a niche that's been overlooked. But what does it take to bring a new media company from idea to execution? In this episode, Wudan talks with Amy Westervelt.  Amy is an award-winning investigative journalist working in print and audio who covers accountability and the climate crisis. She's been working as a freelancer for over 20 years, and has written for NPR, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and more. In 2017, she founded a podcast production company, Critical Frequency, which is home to multiple award-winning podcasts, including Drilled and Damages.  Amy and Wudan dive into the nitty-gritty of funding a new network and setting up a team.  Resources:  Follow Amy on X @amywestervelt and on LinkedIn Critical Frequency website Listen to Drilled, Damages, This Land and Unfinished: Short Creek Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel — a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers TWC just launched a brand new course! Check out our latest addition to the TWC Academy on Teachable: THE FRESH PAINT COURSE. The course is an asynchronous adaptation of the popular Fresh Paint Clinic, which teaches freelancers to build a business website that will attract the clients you want.  Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

If you've been on LinkedIn lately, you might have noticed bios that include a “fractional” C-level job. Traditional C-suite jobs can be all-consuming, require deep expertise, leadership and ownership. For many freelancers, we probably don't imagine holding a C-suite position, besides being the CEO of our own businesses.  So — what's the hype over these fractional C-level positions?  In this episode, Wudan talks with Matthew Fenton.  Matthew is the founder of Three Deuce Branding, a consultancy with a simple mission: to help good people build great brands. Since 1997, his company has helped hundreds of clients — including Fidelity Investments, Wrigley, and Valvoline — to achieve "brand clarity" by better positioning, strategy, and messaging. Matthew has spent seven years in brand management.  For a year and a half, he's worked as a fractional CMO/CSO for Bob Rogers Travel. He's also the founder of the coaching business Winning Solo.  Wudan and Matthew dive into the benefits of fractional roles, how to determine if a fractional role is right for you and what you can do to work your way up into a fractional position.  Resources:  Follow Matthew on LinkedIn and Winning Solo on X Subscribe to Matthew's newsletter, Soloist Sundays Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel — a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

Typically, when we strike out on our own and launch a freelance business, we play it safe and start with what we know. If we previously worked at a marketing agency, we might offer services like copywriting and content marketing. We might target clients in that niche. After all, that's where the bulk of our professional network — our potential first clients — may be. But what if you want to build a freelance business unrelated to your subject matter expertise? How do you determine what your business wants to be? In other words: How do you think expansively, past the industries and work that you know?  In this episode, Wudan talks with Maya Lau.  Maya works at the intersection of media and research, having pivoted from her career as a newspaper reporter. She is the host of Other People's Pockets, where she interviews people about how much money they make, how they feel about their finances, and if they've figured out anything about money that the rest of us haven't. Maya also has her own business, Anza Research, where she investigates companies and the people who run them for investment firms. Wudan and Maya dive more into how to leverage existing skills and interests when switching industries.  Resources:  Podcast: Other People's Pockets Maya's LinkedIn post Follow Maya on X or Instagram Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel — a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

As a freelancer, the topic of diversification may be on your  mind. The freelance market is what it is, and the pool of freelancers continues to grow - so we need ways of differentiating ourselves from others. You may be wondering how to level up in your business by offering new services, looking to a new client base, or both! But how can you do that in an intentional way? In this episode, Wudan talks with Ashley Cisneros Mejia Ashley is an award-winning journalist, communications expert, and former marketing agency owner with nearly 20 years of experience. She is the host and creator of the Talk Freelance to Me Podcast, where she provides freelancers the tools they need to design a life they love, and run sustainable, profitable businesses. Over her career, she's done a bit of everything. She began her career as a newspaper reporter, worked as a tech writer, marketing manager, in PR, and so much more.  Ashley and Wudan go over steps to diversify your freelance business purposefully and without fear. Resources: Talk Freelance to Me podcast Big Money Freelance Writing Guide Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel — a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

What if we told you that all freelancers are leaders?  The idea might seem counterintuitive at first: After all, freelancers provide services or products to our clients. We're not leading or managing a team in a conventional sense. But leadership isn't just about managing a team. It's how you position yourself, how you talk about yourself, and how you show up every day in your work.  In this episode, Wudan talks with Cynthia Pong.  Cynthia is an award-winning career and leadership coach, speaker, and author of “Don't Stay in Your Lane: The Career Change Guide for Women of Color.” An NYU-trained lawyer turned career coach, she founded her company, Embrace Change, to help women of color—and people of color—secure the money, power, and respect they deserve. Wudan and Cynthia dive into how to adopt a leadership mindset—even as a team of one. Resources Embrace Change website and Instagram Jumpstart Your Online Business How Best to Work with Me Join us on Patreon for access to our newsletters and Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

Career transitions often come with an element of fear. For freelancers, this might be a fear of rejection or of losing stable income. It might show up as a little voice in our head that says: “But what if I fail?” Fear is meant to protect us, yet it can also hold us back from trying new things and thinking expansively about our businesses.  In this episode, Nicole Tsong joins Wudan to talk about confronting fear while making big career swings.  Nicole is a former journalist-turned-podcast host and bestselling author. As the founder of Nicole Tsong Coaching and the School of Self-Worth podcast, she helps Asian American women leaders release the pressure valve, supercharge their self-worth and master intuitive decision making. You can follow her on Instagram at @nicoletsong.  Nicole dives into how career growth doesn't have to be linear, how to feel grounded before making a big decision, and how to think of decision-making as an experiment.  Resources:  The School of Self-Worth podcast Nicole's 5-day Morning Routine Challenge Join us on Patreon for access to our newsletters and Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

Welcome to Season 8! We're calling this year the “Year of Expansive Thinking.” This season will focus on how to think big about our businesses, ourselves, and what we think is possible.  In the first episode, host and executive producer Wudan Yan answers questions from guest co-host Pam Moore about her businesses.  Pam is an occupational therapist-turned-award-winning intuitive eating coach and journalist based in Boulder, Colorado. Wudan tells Pam more about how her business has changed drastically in the last three years as a result of a mindset shift, what it's been like to run two businesses, and her goals for 2024. Resources:  Article: Journalism isn't who you are. It's what you do. Worksheet: Writers' Co-op business audit worksheet Webinar: Streamlining Journalism Newsletter: Real Nourished newsletter Podcast: Real Fit with Pam Moore Follow Pam Moore on LinkedIn or visit her website Join the Writer's Co-op on Patreon at an All-Access level to receive episodes early, discounts on events and online resources, and access to our Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website

This episode is a cross-post between The Writers' Co-op and Freelance Cake, a podcast for ambitious freelancers who want to get more results with less effort, hosted by Austin L. Church. Austin had Wudan on his show to talk about how she cultivated a mindset of 'always be negotiating,' and how she got to a place where negotiations felt comfortable and conversation-like, rather than potentially contentious.

A preview into what this upcoming season holds! For updates, subscribe to thewriterscoop.substack.com Join our inclusive and psychologically safe Slack community as an All-Access Patreon at www.patreon.com/twcpod

If you've been listening to The Writers' Co-op since the first few seasons, you've heard us say: The magic is in the mix of work you get. Slower work – work that is recurring, or on a longer contract or time period – can make us feel both steady and fulfilled. But sometimes, we just need money now. That's where fast freelancing comes in.  Ideally, you have a mix of both in your business. Too much fast work, and you might burn out. Too much slow work and that could build resentment or put you in a financially precarious position.  In this episode, Wudan talks with Amy Romer. Amy is a visual journalist and fact-checker based in Vancouver, Canada. She covers environmental and indigenous issues for Reuters, The Walrus, The Guardian and The Globe and Mail, among many others. She is a National Geographic Explorer and a recipient of the Global Reporting Centre's visual storytelling grant.  Amy and Wudan discuss tactics for setting yourself up well for both fast and slow work, the mental and emotional toll of each type of work, and more. Resources:  Join us on Patreon to get access to this episode's resource: Amy's production calendar for mapping out fast and slow work. All-Access members also have access to our inclusive and psychologically safe Slack community for freelance creatives.  Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/ 

As freelancers, we've probably all worked with clients who couldn't pin down exactly what they wanted. Maybe they never had a clear vision for the project, or maybe they constantly changed their mind—and your scope of work. The experience can be incredibly frustrating. Yet, even these clueless clients need (and deserve) help from freelancers. In this episode, Wudan talks to content marketer and strategist Sara Gates.  Before Sara started her freelance business, she did a bit of everything at a high-growth startup. She was hired for marketing and did it all: SEO, social media, email, content strategy, messaging development, and so much more. You can follow Sara on Linkedin.  Wudan and Sara dive into how to approach clueless clients without costing yourself too much money, emotional energy or sleep.  Resources: Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website Join TWC as an All-Access member to get a very handy project proposal that Sara has shared on how to best work with a clueless client. All-Access level gets you more of these great resources, early access to episodes, and an in to our inclusive and psychologically safe Slack Community If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/

A very overdone and true statement about freelancing is: “You're running a business!” Businesses of all sizes have things like income targets, goals, creative direction—and even business plans! While some of those terms can sound a bit like “corporate speak,” these ways of doing things and problem solving in the corporate world can also be applied to your freelance business.  In this episode, Wudan talks to Melody Burdette. Melody is a freelance content strategist and copywriter based out of Billie, her Ford Transit. (Yes, that's a van.) She spent the early part of her career working in editorial and e-commerce, and more recently in startups as a content strategist and copywriter. You can follow her on Instagram at @melskyburd and stay up-to-date with her course @PlayBigPlayBook.  Wudan and Melody talk more about how to check in with your business on a regular basis – the same way that any company performs quarterly or annual reviews – and how to set up your own business retreat.  Resources:  Video: Creative Retreat Structure Course: The Play Big Playbook and follow on Instagram @PlayBigPlayBook Interested in joining an inclusive and psychologically safe community for freelance creatives? Join The Writers' Co-op on Patreon, and get access to our Slack community. Sign up anytime at www.patreon.com/twcpod 

Most of us who work for ourselves probably don't love marketing but know that it's a necessary task to attract more clients. Some take a more traditional approach—constantly sharing work and services on social media or socializing at conferences. But that might not work for everyone. In this episode, Wudan talks with Ruxandra (Rux) Guidi. Rux is a narrative journalist working in print and audio based in Tucson, Arizona. Her work is published in the BBC, NPR, Marketplace, High Country News, The New York Times and The Atlantic, among others. You can follow her at https://www.fonografiacollective.com/ or on Instagram.   Rux and Wudan dig into how to reframe ‘marketing' as something that is anti-hustle and anti-capitalistic, discuss the importance of community, and talk about drumming up work in a way that is unique to YOU. Resources: TWC Podcast Episode: Embrace Authentic Marketing Authentic Marketing Booster Pack Interested in joining an inclusive and psychologically safe community for freelance creatives? Join The Writers' Co-op on Patreon, and get access to our Slack community. Sign up anytime at www.patreon.com/twcpod

Most of the time, freelancers who work with clients do not own the rights to the creative work that's produced. Even retaining a modicum of your rights is frequently a prolonged legal battle that results in very little. But some freelancers who want ownership over their work are turning to another source of income: newsletters.  Creating a newsletter is like running your own mini publication. There are questions about when to publish, how frequently to publish, how much to charge your subscribers, and more. In this episode Wudan talks to Leah Sottile.  Leah is an independent journalist based in Portland, Oregon. Leah covers extremism in the US and has built an audience and a monetizable newsletter without the benefit of a staff job. You can follow her on Twitter.  Leah and Wudan talk more about ownership over your work, building an audience and creating your own publication.   Resources:  Newsletter: The Truth Does Not Change According to Our Ability to Stomach It Webinar: Build Your Audience & Monetize Your Newsletter Book: When the Moon Turns to Blood Podcasts: Burn Wild, Bundyville, Two Minutes Past Nine Interested in joining an inclusive and psychologically safe community for freelance creatives? Join The Writers' Co-op on Patreon, and get access to our Slack community. Sign up anytime at www.patreon.com/twcpod

Determining rates can be really tricky for freelancers. We need our clients to agree to a price for a project, but we can't sell ourselves short and leave money on the table. Naturally, freelancers might wonder: How much can I charge before I price myself out of work?  In this episode, Wudan talks to freelancer Kat Boogaard.  Kat is a Wisconsin-based writer focused on blog content for software clients in the productivity, project management, and business ownership spaces. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter. Kat's a high earner: In 2021, she grossed over $300k in income (netting over $175k after expenses) – which puts her effective hourly rates well above $100/h. Then, she welcomed a newborn last year and scaled back her work days even more, all while still earning six figures.  Kat and Wudan talk about growing earnings, asking for raises, and how to know whether we're really testing the limit of what we are making.  Resources:  I Run a Six-Figure Business, But Now I Want to Take a Pay Cut by Kat Boogaard  Interview with Amanda Castleman Webinar: How to Price Freelance Writing Projects Join us on Patreon for access to our newsletters and Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/

Navigating crossroads in our careers isn't easy — not when we're traditionally employed, and certainly not as freelancers, where we pick the rules. The possibilities can seem endless. One assignment, one client, or maybe even one email can completely change what we decide to do next. While considering making a big career shift, we can sometimes feel stuck, and the next steps might not feel immediately obvious.  In this episode, guest host Simone Stolzoff joins Wudan to talk about how to navigate big career transitions.  Simone is a journalist and designer based in San Francisco who's published in The Atlantic, New York Times, and many other national outlets. He's also an expert on work and teaches a whole class on designing your next career step. His first book, The Good Enough Job is out on May 23. He has had a fascinating career, weaving from journalism to working at the international design consulting firm, IDEO, and back to media. You can follow Simone on Twitter here.  Simone outlines steps to take while considering making a big transition and drops some tips so you can go from idea to action! Resources:  Simone's course, ​​Designing Your Next Career Step Values card sort How to write a good email by Anne Helen Petersen Our episode on smaller career pivots Join us on Patreon to get access to this episode's resource: a worksheet to help you sketch out your next career step. Sign up at any time! Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/ 

If you consume media, are a media worker, or just happen to pay attention to what's happening to the media landscape, you might have heard that the industry is having… a bad time, to say the least. Hundreds of reporters and media employees have been laid off this year as newsrooms are shutting down or downsizing.  Some who are affected by these cuts try to move on to another full-time job, but other times, a layoff can lead to the freelance life. In this episode, Wudan is joined by guest co-host Karen Given  Karen is a freelance audio journalist, host, producer, editor, and voice coach based near Boston, MA. You can follow her on Twitter here. After more than 20 years working for WBUR and NPR's “Only a Game,” she was laid off during the pandemic.  Karen chose freelancing after having a full-time job for decades and gives advice for others to do the same. She helps create a game plan for full-timers to consider. Karen and Wudan talk about maintaining relationships, understanding the freelance market, building your own brand and so much more.  Resources:  Because of the state of media right now, the worksheet for this episode will be available for free Our ⁠Layoff to Freelance Survival Guide⁠, which combines multiple resources on business planning, coming up with potential clients, and more, for those who are considering freelancing after getting laid off A free worksheet on processing your layoff⁠ Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ for access to our newsletters and Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our ⁠website⁠ If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/

A big reason why many of us feel drawn to freelancing is because we love the freedom and flexibility that it offers:  we can work when, where, and how we want. Still, even as freelancers, we might feel pressure to adhere to working a “full-time job” – a 40-hour, or even longer, week, despite not needing or wanting to. But we have the power to opt out. We can work when it suits us best, setting boundaries with ourselves and our clients to make this possible.  In this episode, Wudan talks with guest host Anna Burgess Yang.  Anna is a freelance writer and workflow consultant based outside of Chicago. She is super passionate about time management and a big proponent of time-blocking, or setting aside chunks of time dedicated to certain tasks or clients. You can follow her on Twitter, Substack and Medium. Anna talks about how she condensed her workweek down to about 3.5 days while still earning enough to support herself and her family. She also shares tips and tricks so that you, too, could shave hours (or even days!) off your week.  Resources:  Anna's free eBook: Manage Your Time + Content Across Multiple Platforms Join us on Patreon to get access to this episode's resource: A worksheet that will help you figure out how to integrate time-blocking into your weekly routine. All-Access members are already continuing the conversation of reducing their workweek in our Slack, which you can join at any time. Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/ 

Welcome to Season 7 of the Writers' Co-op! To kick off the season, we wanted to dedicate our first episode to a word that often shapes how we view both work and ourselves: success. We usually believe success is measured by hitting societally-defined milestones or accumulating fame or wealth. But what happens when our personal goals differ from what others expect from us? And what constitutes success when our values and milestones are constantly changing? How can we ultimately come up with a new framework of success for ourselves? Wudan digs into these questions with guest host Joanne Machin. Joanne is a freelance editor, romance writer, virtual assistant and coach based out of the Pacific Northwest. You can follow her on Twitter here. Joanne talks more about different ways to redefine success in your life and gives advice on how to ensure you're working toward your goals. Resources: All-Access Patreon members will get a worksheet with journaling prompts so you're able to redefine success for YOURSELF. Signing up via patreon.com/twcpod at the All-Access level gets you more of these great resources, early access to episodes, and an in to our inclusive and psychologically safe Slack Community Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our website If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers' Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/

Season 7 (!!) will launch shortly, after a month-long break. Wudan will be hosting and executive producing the show moving forward, after Jenni resigned at the end of last year to focus on her family. The next season will feature conversations between Wudan and co-hosts, who will help us all to navigate ways to reduce our workweek, building our own audience, redefining success, and so much more. If you've got ideas for future episodes, or would like to be a guest, get in touch at thewriterscoop2@gmail.com. If you're just discovering the show, we'd love for you to join our inclusive Patreon community at the All-Access level via patreon.com/twcpod. All-Access Patreons get in to the TWC Slack, a psychologically safe space for freelance creatives, in addition to discounts for events and to our resource store. We also have self-guided online courses in building a business plan and navigating contracts. See you in a few weeks!

Today we're playing an episode from July 2021 with freelancer Emma Diehl. This was from our third season, where we coached other freelancers. In this episode, Jenni and Emma talk about some of the trickiest parts of freelancing, including marketing. If you've asked “How do I sell my services in a way that feels authentic?” or “ how can I make myself stand out in a sea of people who are offering the same things?” – then this episode is for you. After Jenni and Emma met for their coaching session, Emma revamped her bio: Emma Diehl is a writer and editor specializing in finance, tech, and real estate content. Her specialty is mastering tricky topics (stuff like tax returns, AI, and home inspections) in a way that makes it easy for everyone to understand. When she's not combing through technical documents and research, she's fermenting stuff in her kitchen, learning to skateboard, and curating a pop culture recommendation newsletter. You can find her on Twitter and can read more about her work at https://www.emmadiehl.com/. If you want to dig into marketing alongside Emma, you can download the market yourself booster pack. One worksheet walks you through revamping your website, and another is focused on journaling about why you're a unique person and worker. The third worksheet is an exercise that comes from the book The Artist's Way, which will help you to make time for play through an artist's date. And don't forget: If you want to polish up your business, you can always enroll in our TWC online course on business planning.

Today we're running our last live episode of the season! Jenni will be stepping away from TWC to focus on her family and health, and Wudan will carry on with managing the community and future iterations of the show. If you haven't joined our Patreon program yet, please do – the Slack channel is always growing and a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers. Today's episode is a Q&A. We talk about how to break into this industry if you don't have a ton of experience or want to change your niche, where your energy is best focused during slow work seasons, the things we've learned from taking long leaves of absence from work, and how many hours a freelancer can reasonably spend on creative projects in one day. Our Patreon members will get access to a worksheet about caregiving leave (which you can use to plan any kind of leave) as well as our tip sheet for handling slow seasons. You can always find those (and other resources!) in our store: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/resources Other resources: How to handle slow seasons Our business-planning course Caregiving leave episode

It's rare to have a perfect relationship with a client. They might do small things that bug us, like scrub all of our oxford commas and em-dashes. But there might be other things they do that bother us more: Maybe they don't listen to your feedback. Or they micromanage or do something that seriously hinders your ability to work. Or their expectations and scope change constantly. It's all frustrating, but when do you make the choice to bail on a project, and when do you stay? How do you know when you've had enough? In this episode, Jenni and Wudan walk through different projects where they've strongly considered bailing – or when they really did walk away. They'll also address several letters and voice memos from listeners. We hope these conversations can help guide you the next time you're faced with a tricky client situation. Resources: Jenni's recent newsletter about how to make a decision Join us on Patreon to get access to this episode's resource: A worksheet that will help you think through whether or not you should stay in these less-than-ideal situations. Plus, our all-access members are already discussing this episode in our Slack group. Check out our business planning resources, worksheets and webinars.

Saying no is just as critical to running a freelance business as saying yes. You can't say yes to the right opportunities if you're filling up your time with assignments that don't pay well, or where clients mistreat you. In this re-run from May 2020, Wudan and Jenni address reasons why you might say no to a freelance assignments (including if the pay rate is lower than you'd usually charge, if the project presents ethical dilemmas, or if your schedule is too full to allow you the time you need to do good work). We talk about how to say no without breaking off the relationship completely, so you can leave the door open for working together in the future. Because saying no is tough, we've also called on veteran freelance writers, editors and journalists Brent Crane, Lesley Evans Ogden, Josh Sokol, Emily Krieger, and Alice Driver. In this episode, they offer tips for turning a yes into a no, and they talk about why saying no is so important to their business models. If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to enroll in freelance biz school @ The Writers' Co-op Academy! We're offering two courses: One that helps you build a business plan (Biz Basics) and one to help you understand media contracts. It's like 1-1 coaching, but cheaper. You're also invited to support the podcast by becoming an official Writers' Co-op member on Patreon. All members $3 and up get access to event discounts and more. All-Access members receive special worksheets and other downloads along with each episode, plus an exclusive episode at the end of each season, and access to our Slack channel. You can buy each episode's accompanying resources a la carte on our website. Episode transcriptions are also available there.

Today we have a new episode for you, which is about pacing your workdays. This episode was inspired by a tweet Jenni sent out about a month ago, asking about how people shape their days. In this episode, we dig into why pacing can change throughout seasons of your career, and we talk about ways to investigate if your pacing is working for you right now. We also talk about “fast” and “slow” work and whether either really says anything at all about quality. If you haven't done so yet, please leave us a review! Reviews help us reach more freelancers. You can join us on Patreon, listen to our previous episode on overbooking, or follow us on social media. You can also refine your business by buying TWC resources or taking our online courses.

This episode is a re-run from May 2020. Making connections with other writers, editors and creatives is essential to building a freelance business that lasts throughout the years. When a gig ends or a client runs out of budget, having a strong network can give you a starting point for finding new work. But we know that networking can be challenging, too. It often feels forced or inauthentic, and it can be tough to know where to start with building a network if you don't think you have one already. (Chances are, you do. But we'll get to that.) In this episode, Jenni and Wudan talk about relationship building, how to make connections without feeling gross, and the best ways (and worst ways) to reach out to someone you respect. They share stories of networking gone right and wrong, give insider tips for chasing down editors, and offer thoughts on what to say if you're sending someone a cold email asking for help. Now that season one is over, we've compiled every episode's resources into a workbook, which you can buy here. And we have a brand-new new offering: If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to enroll in freelance biz school @ The Writers' Co-op Academy! We're offering two courses: One that helps you build a business plan (Biz Basics) and one to help you understand media contracts. It's like 1-1 coaching, but cheaper. You're invited to support the podcast by becoming an official Writers' Co-op member on Patreon. All members $3 and up get access to event discounts, a Q&A form, and more. All-Access members receive special worksheets and other downloads along with each episode, plus an exclusive episode at the end of each season, and access to our Slack channel. And if you're a VIP or Pod Squad member, you also get monthly coaching sessions along with the aforementioned resources. If you're not a member, you can buy each episode's accompanying resources a la carte on our website. Episode transcriptions are also available there.

This episode is a re-run from October 2020. If you want to talk about running a 6-figure freelance writing business, Matt Villano is the person to call. He has been a full-time freelancer for 25 years and during that time he's written for publications such as The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and many others. He also specializes in copywriting, editing, and branding for a host of companies and nonprofits. Despite the pandemic, 2020 has been his most lucrative year yet. In this episode, Matt and Jenni talk about parenting and freelancing during a pandemic (Matt has three daughters, and Jenni has a 9-month-old). Matt explains how he reaches out to brands and why he thinks of his business as a factory with product lines. He walks us through his strategies for finding work (which mostly involve talking to people), and he explains the importance of having a designated work space. You can find Matt on Twitter @mattvillano. His website is whalehead.com.

Let's be honest: No one is perfect at running a business. We've all screwed up. We've all been too pushy or not pushy enough. We've all reacted too quickly when a situation doesn't go the way we want it to. In both Wudan and Jenni's coaching practices (and in our own businesses), we've helped our clients navigate and reflect on their relationships with their clients, and that's what we're doing in this episode, too. Complaining about a client outcome that didn't go your way can feel soothing at first. For many of us, venting is a normal part of coping. And, of course, in many ways, the system sucks and we want to place blame on the overburdened editors, the crappy pitch pipeline, the poor pay, late payments… the list goes on and on. But in almost every situation, you're part of the interaction, too. During coaching conversations, we're often pushing people to figure out what they can own, because that's where you DO have some control. So: What is your responsibility when things don't go your way in your business? And how can you address those blind spots? We share examples of where we've screwed up, and what we've learned. All-access Patreon members get a worksheet with journaling prompts to help reflect on how they can learn from their past mistakes. And, they're already sharing their vulnerabilities over in the members-only Slack, so hop on over and join that conversation! Join today at: www.patreon.com/twcpod. BTW: We have a TWC voicemail now! This season, we'd love to hear your voice. Tell us what you'd like more guidance on in your freelance business by calling 458-206-6127. You might even hear your voice on a future episode! Links to dive into: On Choosing Abundance by Alex Sujong Laughlin Mastering the Discovery Call

Happy July! We hope you're hanging in there. We are both officially OOO right now – Jenni with her new baby, and Wudan hiking the PCT. This episode was recorded about a month ago, and it's our last new season five episode. We'll be back in the fall with some new content! Today we're diving into service transitions. Basically, most of us start running our businesses with a focus on writing. But over time we can get bored, or the industry changes and a revenue stream dries up. Suddenly, it makes sense to invest in something new. But how do you take your editorial skills and direct them toward a new service offering? That's what we're talking about in this episode. Wudan recently pivoted toward podcast production, and Jenni is doing a lot of work in the e-course space. Both pivots forced us to get in touch with what we wanted; we used our previously-established expertise to convince new clients to hire us in these new service areas. It's not been easy, but it has been rewarding – and we're pulling back the curtain on that process. We're on pause right now when it comes to events, but keep an eye out for our fall line-up soon. In the meantime, check out our self-paced courses on our Teachable page. Summer can be a great time to refresh your business plan and offerings. And if you're not a member, you can always join our Patreon crew: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod Other resources: Webinar: Breaking into Content Strategy Webinar: Breaking into Content Marketing New Episode: Discovery Calls PS. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Bump Inbound and Ercule recently released a course called Content Strategy Quickstart. In just a few hours, this course will teach you how to create a B2B content strategy – from scratch. It's designed to help your clients get more out of their content marketing, and to help you confidently sell a high-dollar service. Content Strategy Quickstart features 50 pages of detailed, step-by-step guides, 9 instructional videos, and 5 templates, covering topics from audience research, to SEO, to content distribution. Use the code "writers-coop" to get $100 off.

We're re-running old TWC episodes over the course of the spring and summer, as we both slow down. This re-run is all about career planning and growth! An oldie and a goodie. How do you plan a career trajectory when there are infinite options and no set paths? Freelancers can struggle with career building because there are no managers to give you raises, and no obvious career ladder. But there are some common ways to build skills and move up in the industry. In this episode, Jenni and Wudan talk about growing your writing career. They discuss applying for grants, the pros and cons of enrolling in a masters program, how to get experience on the job, pitching ambitious projects and setting goals for yourself, and how to stay intentional about where you want to go. Freelancer and resume wizard Adina Salomon also joins the hosts to talk about tips and tricks for polishing up your freelancer resume. Resources: The Season 1 workbook lives here. If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to enroll in freelance biz school @ The Writers' Co-op Academy! We're offering two courses: One that helps you build a business plan (Biz Basics)-- and that includes a section about planning for retirement + working skill building into your plan -- and one to help you understand media contracts. It's like 1-1 coaching, but cheaper. As you plan your career, check out our webinars and worksheets on that topic. (Our favorite is this one.) As always, you're invited to support the podcast by becoming an official Writers' Co-op member on Patreon. All members $3 and up get access to event discounts, a Q&A form, and more. All-Access members receive special worksheets and other downloads along with each episode, plus an exclusive episode at the end of each season, and access to our Slack channel. And if you're a VIP or Pod Squad member, you also get monthly coaching sessions along with the aforementioned resources. If you're not a member, you can buy each episode's accompanying resources a la carte on our website. Episode transcriptions are also available there.

Wudan's love for discovery calls probably surprises very few of you: She loves connecting with others and enjoy learning about how she can bring her skills to help a new client. She gets really excited about these calls because they smell like possibilities. Lately, we've been getting a ton of questions about LOIs, discovery calls, and landing new clients. So today we're talking about how to nail the discovery call. We run through how to weed clients out so you're not wasting your precious, unpaid time to take these calls, plus how to best prepare for them – yes, they really are like mini freelance job interviews – and beyond. Have you had a wildly successful discovery call? All-access members are already continuing the conversation in our Slack, which you can join at any time via patreon.com/twcpod. Other notes: Learn about how to determine your business values: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/episodes/wtf-am-i-doing Missed a past event of ours? Or digging for a resource mentioned on a previous episode? You'll find what you need at https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/ Finally, if you're just discovering us and want some guidance on navigating contracts, or building out a business plan for your freelance business, check out our self-paced courses on our Teachable page.

We're running some older episodes while we take this spring and summer season more slowly! This week's re-run is our very first money-related episode ever published! Your money mindset determines every aspect of your freelance writing and editing business. It's also a key to long-lasting success: Making good money allows you to live a life based on what you value, and it provides the stability needed to make good art. In this episode, Wudan and Jenni talk about how to determine your rates, how to math out your goal income for each month, and why it's important to be shameless about wanting to make money. They also discuss how much they make each year as freelancers (and how they got there), why financial conversations about freelancing should also address privilege, and why paying the rent really does improve your writing craft. May we recommend some resources? Buy the season 1 workbook here. Snag our business planning workbook here. If you're just getting started with your freelance business, you'll want to enroll in freelance biz school @ The Writers' Co-op Academy! We're offering two courses: One that helps you build a business plan (Biz Basics) and one to help you understand media contracts. It's like 1-1 coaching, but cheaper. We've also hosted webinars on taxes, planning for retirement, and beyond, which you can download on our website. As always, you're invited to support the podcast by becoming an official Writers' Co-op member on Patreon. All members $3 and up get access to event discounts, a Q&A form, and more. All-Access members receive special worksheets and other downloads along with each episode, plus an exclusive episode at the end of each season, and access to our Slack channel. And if you're a VIP or Pod Squad member, you also get monthly coaching sessions along with the aforementioned resources. If you're not a member, you can buy each episode's accompanying resources a la carte on our website. Episode transcriptions are also available there.

Today we're bringing you a new episode about approaching slow seasons. You know what we're talking about: Those lulls in freelance work after all your projects are filed. You're busy and then… very little happens. It can be stressful! Jenni and I get a ton of questions about this, so we decided to dedicate an entire episode to it. As you listen, you'll note that we each had a slow season at around the same time, and we approached it quite differently. As with anything else, there's no *right way* to approach a slower pace of working – should you choose to work at all during these work lulls – but we hope this episode sheds light on a few ways to think about this sometimes-uncomfortable period. It's an inevitable part of freelancing that I think we all ought to find a sane way to lean in to. How do you approach slower periods of work? Over in our Slack community, All-Access (and up) members are already sharing their experiences; you can join us at any time to partake in the lively discussion and community: patreon.com/twcpod. All-access members and up also got access to a slow season tip sheet, which you'll get access to as well when you join the community. Other resources: Our very first episode of TWC, focused on values: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/episodes/wtf-am-i-doing Our discussion about overbooking: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/episodes/overbooking Missed a past event of ours? Or digging for a resource mentioned on a previous episode? You'll find what you need at https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/ If you're just discovering us and want some guidance on navigating conflicts, or building out a business plan for your freelance business, check out our self-paced courses on our Teachable page.

As we take this spring and summer more slowly, we're currently replaying some old hits! This one is from July 2021. Building a freelance career can feel directionless; there are no set rules about where to go. But Jenni and Wudan have both built their own careers (and helped other people craft theirs) by pivoting when they hit moments of confusion or frustration. We're calling these moments inflection points. An inflection is a slight change in tone, and every person will encounter many inflection points in their freelance business (and in their life!) over time. Jenni's biggest inflection points have occurred because of the pandemic and having a child, but she also faced subtle changes when her interests and values changed. Wudan hit a wall when she realized that she couldn't run two businesses during a pandemic and avoid burn out. In all of these cases, an adjustment was necessary. And the adjustments were subtle -- but over time, they add up. In this episode, Jenni and Wudan outline the kinds of inflection points you might face, and they also talk about how to work through them. Of course, coaching is one option for dealing with these moments -- but there are lots of other ways to work through a pivot. Hitting these blocks is normal but the important thing is that you adjust course when they occur -- as they say, what got us here won't get us there! Sticking with something that isn't working for you can lead to burnout, too. To access career-planning resources, visit our website: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/resources Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod And enroll in our e-courses: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/ As always, we'd love to hear about your successful and failed experiments on Twitter or in our email inbox. And if you haven't yet, please subscribe to TWC or leave a review. Promotional support for this Writers' Co-op episode comes from The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Now in its ninth year and hosted by Brendan O'Meara, CNF Pod brings together the best of narrative journalism, memoir, essay, poetry and documentary film to talk about the art and craft of telling true stories. We love listening to CNF Pod and have both been guests. Brendan is fantastic. Other past CNF Pod guests have included Patrick Radden Keefe, Susan Orlean, Chuck Klosterman and US. You can subscribe wherever you get

Is it possible to buy property while working for yourself? Recently, Jenni and Wudan both bought houses -- so the answer is yes, but with a lot of caveats! In this episode, we'll talk about what kinds of things to do if you're thinking about buying property, how to make sure your team is working for you and supportive of your business, and barriers you may face as a self-employed person looking to take on a loan. The TL;DR: The house-buying process is a mess, the market is crazy, but buying a house is possible if you have support and get your business paperwork together. if you're just discovering us and want some guidance on navigating contracts, or building our a business plan for your freelance business, check out our self-paced courses on our Teachable page. We'd also love to hear from you at thewriterscoop2@gmail.com, and you can always join the Co-op on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod

It's an oldie but a goodie! We're currently releasing episodes at a slower cadence and re-sharing some old favorites. In this 2020 episode, Jenni and Wudan address the question they get asked most frequently by aspiring and full-time freelance writers alike: How and where do you find good freelance writing assignments? They share their favorite methods for finding work, tips and tricks for cold pitching, how to network in a non-sleazy way, why it's necessary to maintain good relationships with staff editors, how to use full-time job boards to find freelance work, and why shameless self promotion is an absolute must-- especially when you find yourself with time ahead and no work on the calendar, or when money is tight. Resources: You can buy our season 1 workbook here. Grab our business planning workbook here. And you might consider enrolling in freelance biz school @ The Writers' Co-op Academy! We're offering two courses: One that helps you build a business plan (Biz Basics) and one to help you understand media contracts. It's like 1-1 coaching, but cheaper. As always, you're also invited to support the podcast by becoming an official Writers' Co-op member on Patreon. All members $3 and up get access to event discounts and more. All-Access members receive special worksheets and other downloads along with each episode, plus an exclusive episode at the end of each season, and access to our Slack channel. If you're not a member, you can buy each episode's accompanying resources a la carte on our website. Episode transcriptions are also available there.

Welcome to season 5 of The Writers' Co-op! This season, we're slowing things down a bit because Jenni will be stepping away for maternity leave come June through the end of September, and Wudan will be on the Pacific Crest Trail for a month this summer. For now ‘til then, we'll drop new episodes, at least one each month, mixed in with re-runs of our favorite older episodes. If you're not a Patreon member yet, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod! All of our members get access to those early episodes, plus All Access members and up get resources like worksheets and tip sheets, plus the opportunity to join an interactive slack channel where we talk about pricing, share work opportunities, cheer each other through mindset issues, and so much more. And even our basic membership includes 30% off tickets to Writers' Co-op events and resources, plus access to those early episodes, too. We'll also be hosting events throughout the summer months. Stay tuned for what's to come via our: Substack newsletter: https://thewriterscoop.substack.com/ Twitter account: https://twitter.com/TWC_pod And throughout the spring and summer, our members will continue to get access to interviews with successful freelancers, as well as an occasional newsletter drop from Jenni and Wudan. Basically, the goods will still be coming but much of it will be pre-scheduled and at a slower pace. As always, we aim to practice what we preach. If you have questions, episode ideas, or just want to share how your freelance journey is going, we're always open to hearing about it. Email us at thewriterscoop2@gmail.com.

Today we're talking about a subject that's near and dear to Jenni's heart: getting laid off. At this point, being laid off feels like a rite of passage, particularly in the media space. Jenni herself was laid off in 2018 as part of a restructuring at her job, and she knows from personal experience how grief-filled the experience can be as you grapple with your work identity, anger, loneliness, and so much more. But when we asked you about layoffs on Twitter, you also reminded us that there are incredible silver linings to being laid off! For many of us, layoffs pushed us into freelancing. And in freelancing, we found confidence, freedom and belonging. In today's episode, Jenni tells her layoff story. Then we get into the typical process – we call it the four stages of layoff grief and acceptance – that most of us will go through when a job disappears from under our feet. If you'd like to process along with us, you can find our survival guide worksheet in the TWC store. Meanwhile, we're wrapping up the official 4th season of TWC. Today we're sending out our bonus episode to TWC members only – this one is all about perfectionism and it is so good! If you're not a TWC member, you can always join us here: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod But good news: We'll also be releasing episodes throughout the spring on a monthly basis, before Jenni goes on maternity leave. And in the meantime, we're also continuing to offer events, newsletters and more. If you have episode ideas or questions you'd like us to cover, don't hesitate to drop us a line via thewriterscoop2@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also be interested in the book Burnout: https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Secret-Unlocking-Stress-Cycle/dp/198481706X You can find Wudan's article about journalism + identity here: https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2021/journalism-isnt-who-you-are-its-what-you-do/ Here's our business planning workbook: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/resources/p/your-freelance-business-plan-1 And you can explore values in this book: https://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Work-Playbook-Navigating/dp/0451495675

This week on the show, we're talking about yet another issue we may all run into: being people pleasers. In some ways, people-pleasing feels inherent to being a freelancer. After all, we get hired by our clients, and then we help clients with their projects. Or even if we're pitching journalism stories, we're still creating a story for someone else. We're in the business of keeping our clients happy by creating good products. But being a people-pleaser can also harm our businesses. It can make us afraid of pushing back, negotiating, or appearing difficult – but that means we don't get what we need. After all, it's likely many others are saying yes to whatever their clients need. So if we don't, we wonder: won't I get discarded? In this episode, Jenni and Wudan dive deep into why we tend to people-please as freelancers, the harm it can cause our freelance businesses, and ways to unlearn this habit. We mention two resources that are available to Patreon All Access members (which you can become at any time via patreon.com/twcpod): a worksheet on defining your boundaries, and a tipsheet about how to enforce them with clients! You can also buy those a la carte here: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/resources How have you unlearned being a people pleaser as it relates to your business? We would love to hear from you: thewriterscoop2@gmail.com

Today we're talking all about how to take an extended leave from your business when you're preparing for a baby, surgery, illness, or any other kind of caretaking. We're purposefully keeping the lens of this episode wide because we want this to be helpful to anyone who needs to step away from their freelance business for an extended period of time, although we'll discuss parental leave most heavily. Life is unpredictable and medical/ caregiving leave is one of those benefits freelancers usually miss out on. So we'll also propose some strategies for planning for a leave financially, structurally and emotionally. If you're planning on taking some kind of leave soon, you can download a worksheet to help you plan that leave here. You should also check out this list of PFML (Paid Family and Medical Leave) states. With parenting and our health, there are seasons. Seasons of hustle, seasons of rest, seasons of inspiration, seasons of boredom. Seasons of creativity and seasons of feeling stuck in the mud. This is life, for better or for worse. And the best way to accommodate those seasons is to plan for them as best as you can, but also leave room to be flexible. Which is, of course, the magic and misery of freelancing. How have you planned for a leave of absence in the past? We'd love to hear your thoughts on Twitter or via email: thewriterscoop2@gmail.com.

Today we're talking about how to stop yourself from overbooking your freelance assignment roster. And we know, that description may raise a doubtful eyebrow or two – but we promise you, it's possible! In this episode, we dig into the myriad reasons why freelancers tend to overbook, like: We're in a scarcity mindset and think that more work will never come. Or we believe freelance work pays so little that we have to take on more work whenever it comes our way. We don't have a good accounting of how much we are making, or how much work we are doing, so we struggle to say yes or no based on capacity. We don't know how long things might take us. Projects end up being delayed, and then everything compounds. Our identities are tied to being busy, productive workers. We'll discuss each of these issues, and also talk about how to combat them. If you're looking for our resources that accompany this episode, you can snag them when you join as a Patreon member at the All Access level or above. How else do you like to combat overwork? We'd love to hear from you: thewriterscoop2@gmail.com. This episode is sponsored by Control. Control invites freelancers to smooth out their lumpy incomes & take control of their finances with an exclusive membership! For your monthly fee, you will be able to: Automatically smooth out your lumpy income Manage your income and expenses with a Control bank account and Visa Debit card Get valuable financial insights with our sleek dashboard Access member perks on tools that freelancers actually use This is all included for $25/month, no interest or extra fees! AND control will be free for beta users for the first year of service. And its worth mentioning that Control is for freelancers who are US residents and making more than $50K/year. Get peace of mind and save time on your freelance finances. Join the Control waitlist to be a part of the future of freelance finances by visiting their website: https://bit.ly/controlhq_twc

Welcome to the new year! We're back from our holiday break and getting ready to dive into all that 2022 has to offer. Today we are focusing on answering audience questions! We do a Q&A episode each season, and the questions get better each time. This episode, we're digging into: Why agencies can be helpful for jumpstarting your career as a new freelancer, and some red flags you might encounter related to agency work How to incorporate your values and standards into your website and social media presence, so the clients who reach out to you are more likely to be aligned with your boundaries How to talk about freelancing with people who might not take it seriously, or who think freelancing is scary/ unstable Dealing with sexism and other barriers in freelancing due to your race, sexual orientation or identity The amount of time to wait after pitching an idea to an editor Advice we used to give but no longer buy into If you haven't yet checked out our Patreon program, consider giving it a look this January. We're offering small-group coaching (Pod Squads) and drop-in office hours with Wudan. Plus, our All-Access membership includes event and resource discounts, access to the TWC Slack channel, and more. We're also excited to launch a bunch of events in 2022, and welcome your feedback on topics we haven't yet addressed! Our first event of the year will focus on finding new clients; we promise you'll walk away with dozens of ideas from seasoned pros Jen A. Miller and Matt Villano. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-year-new-clients-tickets-220341556527 If you're feeling those back-to-school vibes, check out our resource store and grab webinars and worksheets on business planning, retirement planning, passive revenue, working in content marketing, and so much more. Today's episode is sponsored by Meteor, a podcast for science journalists who want to impact the world in a positive way. Listen wherever you podcast!

In this episode, we address a topic that freelancers don't talk about enough: getting to a place of neutrality and sustainability in your business. Many of you who follow the podcast may remember Wudan talking (a lot!) about burnout earlier this year. Suddenly, she felt like there wasn't much more space for her to grow as a freelancer. She was already writing for the publishers who could get her stories to a broader audience. She was already earning six figures. Publishers believed in the big stories she wanted to pursue. She panicked: there wasn't an obvious next, so where should she even go? Wudan's therapist challenged her to stay in this space. And honestly, she's been here since summer - and her business has felt much more sane since. She's still working on projects she cares about, and with good people. She's still more or less hitting her financial goals. She's here, feeling the space, and getting in tune and enjoying what she's created for herself. Freelancers rarely talk about sustainability, maybe because it can feel like the antithesis of growth. At the same time, we can grow into a place of sustainability which means we get both sides of the coin. That's what this episode is about. How do you think about sustainability in your freelance business? What boundaries have you set to make it sustainable? Email or tweet at us, we'd love to hear from you. Check out our business planning course here: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/p/business-basics-for-freelance-writers Today's episode is sponsored by OutVoice, which has a mission we can get behind. Too often, freelancers have to spend months tracking down overdue, unpaid invoices. OutVoice fixes that. It's the only freelance management system built for publishing, by freelancers. If you're interested in joining them on their mission to fix these industry-wide payment problems for good, follow them on Twitter at @OutVoicePay.

You asked and we're giving it to you: Today, we're finally digging into the obsession with being a six-figure freelancer. The bottom line for us is that the only people who truly care about our finances are the families we're supporting... and our accountants! But when someone talks about 5-figure months or 6-figure years on Twitter, everything seems to light on fire. There are obsessors, doubters, and everything in between. Why the heavy emotions? And more importantly: What is the context behind those numbers? Making 6 figures can be incredible, but it's also only one version of success. In this episode, we talk about why it's worth letting go of beliefs of how much you *should* be making (as Jenni likes to say, should is ‘could' with shame attached to it) and defining your own metrics of success instead. And if you do decide that success for you looks like earning more, we've got some ideas within the episode to help you to achieve that, too. If you haven't already, check out our business planning course: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/p/business-basics-for-freelance-writers Today's episode is sponsored by OutVoice, which has a mission we can get behind. Too often, freelancers have to spend months tracking down overdue, unpaid invoices. OutVoice fixes that. It's the only freelance management system built for publishing, by freelancers. If you're interested in joining them on their mission to fix these industry-wide payment problems for good, follow them on Twitter at @OutVoicePay.

As the holiday season approaches, you might be anticipating a bit of a lull in your freelance business. Perhaps you're planning to take time off, or perhaps you're excited to work on your own stuff while your inbox quiets down. Whatever your approach, we're using the next few episodes of season 4 to talk about ways to shift and grow your business in 2022. Today's episode is about leveling up, taking your business to the next level, and refining strategies that may no longer work for you. First, we want to say that leveling up is not a requirement. Capitalism may make it seem like a requirement, but sometimes what serves you best is staying the course and maintaining your current pace. So if that's where you're at, tuck this episode away for a moment when you're craving growth. But if you're itching for more, this episode will hopefully inspire you to challenge yourself. We'll dig into level-up strategies like growing new skills, making more money, changing the pace of your business, hiring help, and so much more. If you haven't already, check out our season 3 episode on inflection points, which is a great accompaniment to this episode. How have you leveled up in your business so far? Where could you level up in 2022? We'd love to hear your ideas -- hit us up on Twitter or email. You can join our Patreon membership program at any time at patreon.com/twcpod.

We're back, this time digging into limiting beliefs. These are beliefs that get in the way of you achieving what you want to achieve; usually, they come from people other than ourselves. They can be stereotype-based ("starving artists don't make money!"), fear-based ("there's not enough work out there for all of us") and can come from our upbringing or culture (ie: freelancing isn't a "real" job). We all live with dozens of limiting beliefs, but when they start to get in the way of our goals it can be frustrating. This episode is focused on practical tools and questions you can ask to get yourself out of a limiting belief's grasp. How? By looking for evidence to support and challenge the belief, just like how we, as curious writers, address much of our work. You can challenge yourself in this way while journaling, in conversation with a friend, or in a coaching relationship. It's a powerful process, and we'll walk you through it in today's episode. Patreon listeners get access to episodes two weeks early this season, plus they'll get a list of questions to ask when you encounter limiting beliefs. Join now: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod Our online courses on business planning can be a great place to start this mindset work. Dig into your values, consider your ideal vision for your business, and walk away with practical tools to implement. Register here: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/

Welcome to the 4th season of TWC, where Jenni and Wudan will dig into persistent themes and issues that we haven't had time to cover in seasons past. During this season, anything goes! We're kicking off this string of episodes with a conversation about value. Writers and creatives often grow up in a world where their work isn't valued. See: the journalism industry, where we're persistently told by publishers that it's somehow okay to spend weeks on a story and get paid a few hundred bucks for your reporting, research, writing, and other labor. So the big question is: How do we break out of that mindset and see ourselves as valuable? And how do we use the value we provide for our clients in a practical context when it comes to negotiating prices? During this season, our Patreon members get access to every episode 2 weeks early. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/twcpod You can also check out our pricing webinar with Melanie Padgett Powers and Jennifer Duann Fultz here: https://www.thewriterscooppod.com/resources/p/webinar-how-to-price-freelance-writing-projects Want access to a checklist of questions to go through as you negotiate pricing? Join our Patreon All Access membership and you'll get that + more (Slack! Event discounts!). For questions or comments: @TWC_pod or thewriterscooppod2@gmail.com

We're wrapping up season 3 with a chat about balancing your passion projects with work that pays the bill. Wudan digs in with freelancer Joshua Eaton. Joshua is an investigative reporter based in Washington DC. Prior to freelancing, he was on investigative teams at CQ Roll Call and Think Progress. His work has also appeared at NBC News, The Washington Post, ProPublica, The Boston Globe and elsewhere. You can find him on Twitter @joshua_eaton. Joshua and Wudan talked about journalism and ethics, setting boundaries with ourselves, confronting scarcity mindset, and more. We think freelance investigative journalists are in an especially tough space when it comes to finding anchor clients that help pay the bills while also chasing stories that can take seemingly infinite time. So in this episode, you'll hear about a wide range of services and possibilities for possible anchor clients Joshua could bring on, which will help him free up brain space and provide stability -- and also help him (and all of us!) break out of instinct to say yes to whatever opportunity comes our way. More importantly, it's empowering to see that more work comes if we say no to projects that don't meet our rates. More work comes when we have to fire a client. This abundance mindset builds confidence and resilience in our freelance businesses, no matter what! Along with this episode, our Patreon members received a worksheet to help them balance pay and passion visually. You can snag that worksheet here.