Oh boy! It's been a little more than a week since I became a full time freelancer and I already feel like so much of a slacker. I have a long list of ideas. So many post it notes, napkins, business cards, random pieces of notebook paper and so much more and here I am more than 240 hours later without much to show for being on my own.
Sure, I've done some stuff, but nothing to make me feel worthy of the title of freelancer. I'm acting like an unemployed shlub with random spurts of working. I have to change my ways ASAP if I'm going to start making an actual living out of the thoughts in my head...
This is a collection of the writing and photography of Ashley Grant with a few bits and pieces of tales of my freelance life sprinkled in. Enjoy!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What did you write today?
I wrote this post October 29, 2009 for a Blog called The Crooked Table
It was so important to me that I feel it should be resposted here:
It was so important to me that I feel it should be resposted here:
Sit down in the chair! Do it now!
Get a pen and paper and write down 5 places you want to write for.
This is the life of a freelancer...
Got those 5 places you wanna write for?
Good...now get up out of the chair and head to the library and find those publications and study the crap out of them.
Studied up? Fantastic! Now sit back down in a chair and with 5 pieces of paper. At the top of each piece of paper write the name of the publications. example-at the top of Page 1 The New York Times Page 2 Penthouse Magazine and so forth and so on....yes I'm aware Penthouse will not be at the library, but I digress....
On each of these 5 pieces of paper brainstorm and write down ideas of articles that you could potentially make query letters out of for these places....
Once you have done that find out how the publications go about accepting queries. If they don't no big deal because at least you had an exercise in brainstorming. If they do accept queries, then what the hell are you waiting for? Write one!
Write your best idea to each publication that you dream of writing for and then wait....and wait...and wait...hopefully soon you will receive a letter, an email or a phone call that your idea has been accepted...
While you wait to be accepted keep doing it. Constantly be studying the publications you want to write for and constantly be sending in good ideas to them.
As Dr. Wilber from the University of South Florida often said, EMBRACE REJECTION!!!
Why should you embrace rejection? Because not only did you at least attempt to get an article in your dream publication, you have now been given the chance to try again. 90% of the battle is trying. Eventually, if your ideas are good, you might get the dream gig. Never give up! Never surrender.
Happy freelancing ya'll!
Ashley Grant www.morethanphotographs.com
Get a pen and paper and write down 5 places you want to write for.
This is the life of a freelancer...
Got those 5 places you wanna write for?
Good...now get up out of the chair and head to the library and find those publications and study the crap out of them.
Studied up? Fantastic! Now sit back down in a chair and with 5 pieces of paper. At the top of each piece of paper write the name of the publications. example-at the top of Page 1 The New York Times Page 2 Penthouse Magazine and so forth and so on....yes I'm aware Penthouse will not be at the library, but I digress....
On each of these 5 pieces of paper brainstorm and write down ideas of articles that you could potentially make query letters out of for these places....
Once you have done that find out how the publications go about accepting queries. If they don't no big deal because at least you had an exercise in brainstorming. If they do accept queries, then what the hell are you waiting for? Write one!
Write your best idea to each publication that you dream of writing for and then wait....and wait...and wait...hopefully soon you will receive a letter, an email or a phone call that your idea has been accepted...
While you wait to be accepted keep doing it. Constantly be studying the publications you want to write for and constantly be sending in good ideas to them.
As Dr. Wilber from the University of South Florida often said, EMBRACE REJECTION!!!
Why should you embrace rejection? Because not only did you at least attempt to get an article in your dream publication, you have now been given the chance to try again. 90% of the battle is trying. Eventually, if your ideas are good, you might get the dream gig. Never give up! Never surrender.
Happy freelancing ya'll!
Ashley Grant www.morethanphotographs.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Insomnia is a Side Effect of Being a Freelancer
I've had trouble sleeping lately because my mind is a flurry of ideas. I have to keep a notebook by the bed because my brain is constantly working and I have to write these ideas down to be able to go back to sleep. Funny thing is I often don't do anything with the darn ideas once they are written down. My goal is to start acting on the many pages I've collected if they are worth pursuing. Are you a creative being? Do you have insomnia because of it? Tell me about it...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
An article about jobs for loud people
I wrote an article for Associated Content about jobs for people who simply can't be quiet. Read the story HERE
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