Spreading my Freelance Wings

How delightful to wake up to my feature on wedding trends published in today’s London Free Press. http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/BusinessMonday/2009/04/20/9170951-sun.html 

I used to write a business section column for Sun Media that the Free Press sometimes picked up but this is the first time I’ve written something specifically for the Freeps.  It’s running virtually exactly how I wrote it which is pretty cool, too.  I know the editor quite well and he’s a smart, decent sort of a guy.  But I’ve also written for editors who like to slash and burn everyone’s work simply because they can.  And there’s a slight insecurity that goes along with submitting a piece.  You just never know what’s thought of it until you see it in print.

I recently had a near-miss to write a column for a local magazine but frankly, the direction was vague and I was a square peg getting squished into a round hole.  After 3 solid days of writing for nothing, I chose not to pursue it anymore and it just sort of vapourized.  Note to freelancers:  I’ve learned how to negotiate writing on spec now and I won’t ever be making that mistake again!

I’ve had a tentative response to a pitch I made to a major national magazine so we’ll see where that goes.  My House Proud column (which I write for the best editor I’ve ever had the privilege to work for) ticks along biweekly in the Toronto Sun and who knows what opportunities are down the road? They’re mine to create, really. 

I got a lesson in rejection at at Chamber of Commerce luncheon my pal, realtor Murray Armstrong, took me to a few weeks ago.  One businesswoman explained how she got two new contracts in the past week and what a tremendous accomplishment that was for her type of business.  She went on to say that it took more than 400 contact inquiries before she secured those two deals.   That meant she heard “no” more than 400 times before she finally heard a “yes”.  So when someone says they don’t want what I’m proposing, I don’t linger on it and I don’t take it personally.  I move on.  It’s business, after all, and it’s tough out there.