Freelancewritingtips.com

Can you support a family as a freelance writer?

Thanks to Huw for this question.

Here's my answer.

Yes you can. I'm basing that on my experience as someone who has built up writing work over several years and the experience of other parents who work as freelance writers. But, guess what, it's not easy. (Already I feel like I'm stating the obvious - sorry.) Rates have hit a downward spiral for one thing and publications or sections that used to welcome freelance contributions are no longer so accommodating. More seem to be springing up, asking you to write for free. Many freelance journalists and writers, whether they are parents or not, will tell you how much of a struggle they are finding things.

My own situation is that at times I have been the sole earner due to my husband being made redundant and at present he can't work. We have twins aged 13.

The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World: Book, blog and training

THE Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World was published in November 2007 and can be bought in bookshops and from Amazon here.

See a selection of reviews, plus feedback from readers, here.

Listen to a podcast about The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World.

This blog was set up to help publicise the book.

Here are some of the most popular posts:

Back to basics: Ten mistakes to avoid when writing a news story

The most important thing? Learn multi-media skills

The fine art of negotiating press trips, by Andrea Wren

Should you write for free?

Coping with rejection: Editors are people too!

Freelance journalism: Start low, aim high?

How networking can boost a freelance writing career

How journalists can survive a recession, by Sara Edlington

Making the most of Twitter

Going freelance after being made redundant by a regional paper? Hard-learned lessons to help you on your way

Can you send the same pitch to different editors?

How journalists can reap the rewards of blogging, by Craig Mcginty.

Six myths about freelance writing.

Depression, my story and how journalists should speak up when they are feeling down

Six characteristics of a successful freelance journalist

Real life, real profit? Selling features to women's weekly magazines

A small selection of pitches that worked

Freelance writers describe their writing day.

Ten blindingly obvious things I have learned in my first year as an author.

Think you know "mummybloggers"? Think again!

My work as a writer continues to be varied, interesting and fun. My latest project, a site reporting on holidays, short breaks, days out and activities, is called Havealovelytime.com

I'm the director of the Midlands agency, Passionate Media, and our blog chronicling news from our company and clients is here.

We also run training sessions for freelance journalists wanting to make more money. The following is feedback gained from a London session:

Great course. Up and at 'em now! Anne Marie Flanagan

Thanks again for yesterday, feel very motivated today!  Rachael Glazier

Thanks for a very enlightening day. I feel like a Jedi Knight to your Obe Wan Kenobi. Catherine Goddard

Thank you! It was a fantastic day! Emma McNeil

Thanks Carol and Linda for today and the kick up the bum, enjoyed course. Michael Cross

Had a great time on Saturday. Course was brilliant, thank you. Really useful. Siobhan O' Neill

Thanks so much for the fab seminar - it was sooo helpful and have come away full of ideas and plans. You and Carol were both brilliant. Olivia Gordon

Thanks to you and Carol for a really great training day today - definitely the best course I've been on for a while. You two should add life coaching to your list of talents. Olivia Holcombe

Just wanted to say thanks for the fab course, Linda and Carol - very informative, inspiring and good fun too. Judy Yorke

I'd like to add my grateful thanks for the well-delivered and extremely interesting course - it was great to meet such creative, positive and friendly people and I now feel inspired and ready to take the plunge into a new and different world.  Ruth Derrick

Brilliant, thank you both for a very informative and enjoyable day.  I think much of what we learned will be of huge benefit in all areas of our working life. Amanda Lees

I thought it was the best course I've been on - full of practical advice and illustrative examples. It has really got me motivated and excited about getting out there and chasing down the commercial work. Thanks. Emma Jayne Jones

Please get in touch with me via email Linda@passionatemedia.co.uk if you would like to know more. Our next training date is Saturday, June 27, in central London.

How I use social media to survive and diversify

THE Black Country Social Media Cafe is described as a place for people interested in social media to gather, get acquainted, chat, plot, scheme, and share.

I attended the first meeting a few weeks back when guest speakers Pete Ashton and Chris Unitt outlined lessons learned on a visit to SXSW.

At the next meeting, to be held on Tuesday, May 12, at 2.30pm in the Alchemy Bar in Wolverhampton city centre, there'll be a chance for members to say a little about who they are and what they do, with a particular emphasis on how they have been able to use social media in their work.

It's unclear whether I am going to be able to make it to the next meeting, because of a work commitment. Nevertheless, I have been thinking about how our work has been transformed by social media, so am posting here about its impact on my professional life. As I think about tomorrow's JEE Camp, I also thought it would be useful to pull some of my experience together in this way.

Overall, I'd say that a growing knowledge of social media has allowed me to:

* Survive and diversify in my chosen career.

* Make and strengthen new contacts whom I never would have met previously.

* Improve ways of finding, researching and completing existing work

* Find new income streams - both directly and indirectly through blogging but also in offering my services to help others get to grips with the concept of social media and understand that it's not about technology for the sake of it 

* Better promote my work across various disciplines

Back to basics: Ten mistakes to avoid when writing a news story

1. Missing the point

MAKE sure your story is as strong as it can be. Take a step back and play devil's advocate. Are you communicating what really matters to your readers?

Have you missed out any crucial information that would make the story more compelling or important? And if you can genuinely answer 'no' - then make sure you haven't buried that vital point too far into the story.

2. Assuming anything

Never think that just because you know something your readers do too. This isn't the same as understanding as John Thompson points out in his excellent piece here, that your readers know more than you. Will they really be aware of the organisation you are referring to or know who your interviewee is? Even something as simple as spelling someone's name should be checked, however obvious you think it is.  That leads us to...

Bloggers' reaction to piece on fictional characters' social networking

SINCE writing a piece about fictional characters making their presence felt on Facebook and Twitter, it has been interesting to see how it has been picked up by other bloggers.

Andrew Crofts himself pitches in on both his own blog and Trashionista. (I still think Steffi is more Jessie Wallace than Babs Windsor but best not dwell on that...)

There was a piece on a French website here as well as insightful pieces here, here, here and here.

One of the best aspects of this exeprience for me has been discovering these blogs on writing that I hadn't seen before but hope to return to in the future.

Are social network accounts for book characters a PR step too far?

THIS is the question I'm asking on the Guardian's book blog today.

I hope you enjoy the piece. As ever commenters aren't backward in coming forward to tell the writer exactly what they think. Am chuffed to be labelled a 'book type' though - whatever that means.

And I even got my own Guardian profile. Joanne tells me I look like I have been surprised while doing a Rubiks Cube.

Publicity update: The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World and Divorce and Separation, The Essential Guide

LAST month there was a lot of laughing in our house when a copy of Writing magazine arrived, as there I was, described as a 'celebrity'. I was asked to review a winning short story, which was about dieting.

I remarked that as I have some packets of Ryvita older than some clothes, I was the perfect person to take it on. A double page spread with extracts from The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World is set to be published in the next edition. Press Gazette has also been in touch to ask for my contribution to a piece on how freelance journalists can tackle the current tough times.

Take a Break has a feature in its health pages this week based on Divorce and Separation, The Essential Guide, with the magazine also providing a reader offer on the book. I've also been invited onto a TV programme to discuss it.Fingers crossed this latest bout of publicity can help shift some copies!

Top tips to make your press releases work from Publicityhound.com

Publicityhound.com is offering a new service giving you very sensible tips on how to write press releases so they work better for you.

You can either get the tips sent to you free every day for 89 days, or if you can’t afford to wait that long, sign-up to get to get the complete list of tutorials.

How to get your views into print: An interactive guide

THE following is an edited version of a talk I gave on Saturday to the United Nations UK Student and Youth Association. I hope it may be helpful. I have also included responses to a couple of points raised by the delegates.

This is not supposed to be a comprehensive guide to how to get your views 'out there' but I hope that it may prove a catalyst for further discussion, as it was for those attending the event at the University of Birmingham.

The best YouTube trailer for a book, ever?

REMEMBER this? I'm not as au fait with all this new media publishing malarkey as those Trashionista girls but even I could see how good it was.

You can read more from writer Lorelei Mathias here. Buy Step on It, Cupid (Little Black Dress)here.