Posts for The Urban Muse


No Writing Clips? Here’s How to Land an Assignment Without Them

From The Urban Muse
September 19, 2011 at 9:53 am
Pining for writing clips? Don't despair! When I teach freelance writing, students often ask what they should do if they don’t have any published clips (which is another ... (more)

Gretchen Roberts on Part-Time Freelance Writing

From The Urban Muse
September 16, 2011 at 3:56 am
Freelance food and wine writer Gretchen Roberts has contributed to publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Health, and Cooking Light, working roughly ... (more)

Open Thread: What Surprised You Most About Freelancing?

From The Urban Muse
September 14, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Before you trade your cubicle for a spot on the couch, freelance seems like a pretty sweet deal. And it can be. But often there are a few surprises along the way, both good and ... (more)

The Freelance Writer’s Ultimate Guide to Queries

From The Urban Muse
September 12, 2011 at 3:06 am
Welcome to the new and improved Urban Muse! I recently switched to WordPress with the help of Joseph at Blog Tweaks and Martyn at Two Hour Blogger. Mr. Muse proposed that very ... (more)

Transferring to WordPress

From The Urban Muse
September 5, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Many of you have urged me to switch to WordPress, and I'm finally making the switch this week with the help of Joseph Putnam from Blog Tweaks and Martyn Chamberlin from Two Hour ... (more)

5 Ways to Trendspot New Article Ideas

From The Urban Muse
September 2, 2011 at 7:27 am
The trouble with trendspotting is that writers have a very small window of opportunity. When I wrote for a popular lifestyle newsletter, my editor would only assign us to cover ... (more)

5 Ways to Trendspot New Article Ideas

From The Urban Muse
September 2, 2011 at 7:27 am
The trouble with trendspotting is that writers have a very small window of opportunity. When I wrote for a popular lifestyle newsletter, my editor would only assign us to cover ... (more)

Open Thread: What Would YOU Like to Read About?

From The Urban Muse
August 31, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Between the upcoming launch of my new Rockable Book (stay tuned!), the holiday weekend, regular assignments, end-of-the month invoices, and last-minute requests from editors, it’s ... (more)

Open Thread: What Would YOU Like to Read About?

From The Urban Muse
August 31, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Between the upcoming launch of my new Rockable Book (stay tuned!), the holiday weekend, regular assignments, end-of-the month invoices, and last-minute requests from editors, it's ... (more)

7 Deadly Sins of Freelance Writing

From The Urban Muse
August 29, 2011 at 8:54 am
Thinking about mistakes that freelance writers make reminded me of the seven deadly sins. Here’s my take on the topic, along with links explaining each “sin” ... (more)

7 Deadly Sins of Freelance Writing

From The Urban Muse
August 29, 2011 at 8:54 am
Thinking about mistakes that freelance writers make reminded of the seven deadly sins. Here's my take on the topic, along with links explaining each "sin" in more depth and offering ... (more)

Weekend Reading: E-Readers & Bringing New Eyes to Blog Posts

From The Urban Muse
August 26, 2011 at 8:29 am
No guest posts this week, so instead I’m sharing a roundup of the links I’ve been reading lately. (By the way, you’re interested in contributing a guest post, ... (more)

Weekend Reading: E-Readers & Bringing New Eyes to Blog Posts

From The Urban Muse
August 26, 2011 at 8:29 am
No guest posts this week, so instead I'm sharing a roundup of the links I've been reading lately. (By the way, you're interested in contributing a guest post, now's a great time ... (more)

Open Thread: What’s Your Professional Development Strategy?

From The Urban Muse
August 24, 2011 at 11:30 am
As kids head back to school, it’s time for us freelancers to brush up on our skills and perhaps learn some new ones. Michelle Rafter posted a list of upcoming writer’s ... (more)

Open Thread: What’s Your Professional Development Strategy?

From The Urban Muse
August 24, 2011 at 11:30 am
As kids head back to school, it's time for us freelancers to brush up on our skills and perhaps learn some new ones. Michelle Rafter posted a list of upcoming writer's conferences, ... (more)

5 Ways to Save Your Writing Clips From Oblivion

From The Urban Muse
August 22, 2011 at 10:47 am
With the rise of online publications, it’s much more convenient to email an editor or client a few links to your writing samples instead of snail mailing hard copies. A ... (more)

5 Ways to Save Your Writing Clips From Oblivion

From The Urban Muse
August 22, 2011 at 10:47 am
With the rise of online publications, it's much more convenient to email an editor or client a few links to your writing samples instead of snail mailing hard copies. A few weeks ... (more)

Guest Post: Google’s Panda Update Good News for Writers

From The Urban Muse
August 19, 2011 at 9:47 am
By Thomas Stone I went into college with dreams of becoming a journalist or even an essayist, but by the time I graduated, it seemed like the industry-side of publishing was going ... (more)

Guest Post: Google’s Panda Update Good News for Writers

From The Urban Muse
August 19, 2011 at 9:47 am
By Thomas Stone I went into college with dreams of becoming a journalist or even an essayist, but by the time I graduated, it seemed like the industry-side of publishing was ... (more)

Open Thread: How Do You Invoice?

From The Urban Muse
August 17, 2011 at 11:14 am
The question of when and how to invoice came up last night in my freelance writing class, and I thought it might make an interesting discussion here. Do you use a special program ... (more)

Open Thread: How Do You Invoice?

From The Urban Muse
August 17, 2011 at 11:14 am
The question of when and how to invoice came up last night in my freelance writing class, and I thought it might make an interesting discussion here. Do you use a special program ... (more)

Computers: Love Them or Hate Them But We Still Need Them to Work

From The Urban Muse
August 15, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I’d planned to post another video tutorial as today’s post, but I had a computer glitch on Friday that derailed those plans and sucked up a good portion of my weekend. ... (more)

Computers: Love Them or Hate Them But We Still Need Them to Work

From The Urban Muse
August 15, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I'd planned to post another video tutorial as today's post, but I had a computer glitch on Friday that derailed those plans and sucked up a good portion of my weekend. Even after ... (more)

Guest Post: Working Through Freelance Writer Burnout

From The Urban Muse
August 12, 2011 at 9:01 am
By Denene Brox Two years ago this month I went full time as a freelance writer. I quickly found that there’s a big difference between freelancing part time and writing full time. ... (more)

Guest Post: Working Through Freelance Writer Burnout

From The Urban Muse
August 12, 2011 at 9:01 am
By Denene Brox Two years ago this month I went full time as a freelance writer. I quickly found that there’s a big difference between freelancing part time and writing full ... (more)