Great Places to Look for Insight

Getting started freelancing is tough. Especially when you don't have the patience to, well, be patient. In my case, trying to build business while maintaining a full-time job is proving to be more difficult each day, so I'm constantly looking for good advice from people who have been there, done that. Earlier in the year, I was sure that every single writing professional was determined to keep their secrets of success to themselves, but after much digging and link-following, I'm happy to report that's not the case. They're out there, and they really do want to help.

A Publication Coach.
Recently I was introduced to the idea of a life coach... and stumbled across a publication coach instead. Her name is Daphne Gray-Grant and her website, newsletter and free articles are jam-packed with valuable information. She'll provide tips on writing better, faster. She's got a great background in the industry; she literally grew up in the newspaper business. She's doing what she loves, and therefore puts her heart and soul into her work. It's inspiring, among other things!

Quips and Tips.
Talk about being stuffed with information! Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's site is, as I've stated before, the first place I go when I need advice about the freelance business. Not only does she cite reliable sources of many reference books, but she puts them in her own words and applies the advice directly to her readers. I have purchased several of the books she recommends and they have all proven useful. Her site is easy to navigate, and better yet, each link leads me to great inspiration. She doesn't generalize information; here you'll find specific examples of how to better yourself as a writer.

Media Bistro.com
Keep up on the latest industry news at http://www.mediabistro.com/ while reading loads of useful content. Job postings are great to scroll through, and while most of them don't apply directly to me, it still helps to see what employers/editors are looking for with certain positions. There are endless How-To-Pitch articles that tell you exactly what certain publications are looking for, what pitches have worked in the past, and how much they typically pay per article. There are interviews with successful media professionals and community forums where you can post a question and have it answered by other knowledgeable members.

These are the three core places I go for information and advice, pretty much on a daily basis. Like I mentioned before, it's difficult to weed through the unreliable information and find the good stuff but it's obvious when you've landed real advice. You can tell from the background of your sources, and how specific they get with their information. If they generalize, you know they don't have hard examples to share with you... they could just be getting their information from someone else online who hasn't a clue what they're talking about to begin with.