Occasionally as a freelancer you have to answer the question “What do I do with this extra cash?” Perhaps your side-career as an underwear model is ramping up or maybe the gigolo business you run from your apartment is becoming more socially acceptable. Maybe, you just got your tax return. As much as you probably need a seersucker suit or an $800 bottle of wine, you must remember that the freelance writing world is competitive and sometimes the best thing to do with all those poker table winnings is to invest them back into yourself as a writer. Here are five sure bets. Read More »

If you’re stereotypically bookish, perhaps you’re not bursting with enthusiasm over the changing season. Perhaps you won’t be one of those people rushing at the first opportunity to wear shorts. Perhaps you’re only happy when it rains. That’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to provide you folks (my people) with a few reasons to get excited over the next month. After all, the beach is just another excuse to sit and read all day, and paperbacks as well as the newer e-readers fit very nicely into the pocket in your cargo shorts. Here are four forthcoming books to look forward to as you fight through your allergies during the coming month, as well as two new albums to listen to when you’re done. Read More »

What’s the hardest thing about being a writer? For some, it’s as simple as writing. I’ve spoken with professional writers who told me that they hate writing.  They describe the actual process as if they’re talking about digging graves. Then... Read More »

I’ve never been any good at Twitter. I find it so constrictive, so futile and so time consuming, yet I understand that it’s not going anywhere any time soon. The following is my attempt at regurgitating what I’ve learned so far about Twitter in order to help my fellow writers, and better this aspect of my freelance life.

Follow @jonreiss for more freelance tweets and check out my blog for a less constrictive rundown of my freelance life.

Having come across some free audible credits I’ve been listening to the book Twitter Power by Joel Comm. I recommend the audiobook version of this for two reasons. Blowing your reading time solely on a book about how to tweet better can cause you to have an existential breakdown, but when you’re walking from place to place listening to it, you don’t feel like such a slave to technology. Also, one version of the audiobook is expertly read by John Hodgman, whose dulcet monotone will lull you into self improvement before you even know it.
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