Posts filed under 'Events'
If we haven’t seen each other yet this year, now’s the time. Join me as I cohost a mediabistro party for Seattle media professionals next week. Not a resident of Washington state? Not to worry. I’m sharing tips during a teleseminar on February 16. All you need is a phone. And finally, I invite you to bid farewell to March with a day chock full of seminars to help you navigate the freelance terrain during these challenging economic times. Event details follow.
Mediabistro cocktail party – Tuesday, February 9
When: 7 to 9 pm
What: Cocktail party for media professionals – freelance, staff, and those between jobs. Admission free; cash bar. I’m cohosting with freelancer Crai Bower.
Where: Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, Seattle
RSVP: On mediabistro’s website
NOTE: The above party could use a volunteer to help the photographer jot down photo captions. Great opportunity for students and new freelancers who want to meet people in the media business. Email me if interested.
“Getting Started as a Freelancer” teleseminar – Tuesday, February 16
When: 9 pm EST
What: I’ll share tips on how to start a freelance career. Come with questions! I’ve got answers.
Where: Your telephone
Registration: IndieBizChicks.com; $10 for the entire IndieBizChicks Feb-March teleseminar series (my session + many others)
The Marketing Conference for Creative Freelancers: Finding and Keeping Work in a Tough Economy - Saturday, March 27
When: 8 am to 5:30 pm
What: In my session “Diversify or Starve! How to Stay Busy in a Tough Freelance Market,” I’ll discuss how to identify markets that are a natural extension of your skills, break into them, and promote yourself like crazy.
Where: Bastyr University, 14500 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore
Sponsor: Tabby Cat Communications
Registration: $75 for entire conference; more info here
February 8th, 2010
Just in time for Halloween, I’m offering a new online class for rookie and veteran freelance writers on how to handle clients from hell.
“Dealing with Nightmare Clients” is a four-week online course — starting this Wednesday, October 21! – sponsored by the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). Although I’ll be delivering the lessons right to your inbox, you can follow along from anywhere, at your own pace, even if your own pace means working through the lessons at 3 a.m. on a weekend.
In this class, I’ll discuss how to tame those beastly clients and editors who seem all too happy to stiff you, mess with your deadlines, and contact you at all hours of the night. Specifically, you’ll learn how to:
- Chase down MIA payments and ensure you don’t get stiffed in the future
- Handle runaway revisions and keep scope creep at bay
- Deal with clients who are always late with deliverables
- Set firmer boundaries with editors, project managers, and creative directors
- Bolster your contracts with clauses that can help prevent scope creep, deadline changes, and late payments
- Determine whether a troublesome client relationship is salvageable
Since we can all learn from one another’s trials and tribulations, I’ll devote the last session of the class to answering all your burning questions about any nightmare clients you’ve been dealing with. Additional details about the class:
When: Wednesdays, October 21 – November 11 (four online sessions).
Where: Your computer. Each lesson will arrive in your inbox (also accessible via Yahoo Groups on the web), which means you can follow along on your own time.
Cost: Editorial Freelancers Association members $135; nonmembers $160.
Register: On the EFA website.
Questions? Feel free to email me.
UPDATE: This class has been rescheduled for February 2010. Details here.
October 19th, 2009
Hey, Seattle and Portland! There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you: I’m doing a couple of book readings in the coming week for a nifty new Seal Press anthology called P.S. What I Didn’t Say: Unsent Letters to Our Female Friends. My contribution to the book? A story that manages to incorporate first love, family dysfunction, bigtime betrayal, and really, really bad hair.
(Yep, that’s my senior year high school photo. I pretty much kept Aqua Net in business.)
If you want to hear more about my Jersey days in the eighties – and how I rocked a mullet, feather earrings, and Jordache jeans that required a pair of pliers to zip up – now is your chance (excerpt here).
Other contributors to this hilarious collection of letters never sent to BFFs who’ve hurt, inspired, backstabbed, comforted, or up and died on us include Jane Hodges (the brilliant business journalist I hope to be when I grow up), Susan Johnston(freelance rockstar behind The Urban Muse), and Megan McMorris (editor of this unsent letter brigade as well as excellent anthologies like Woman’s Best Friend: Women Writers on the Dogs in Their Lives).
You can learn much more about this brand spanking new anthology here, and you can buy it here (or from your bookstore of choice). If you’d like to see Megan, Jane, me, and some of the other Pacific Northwest contributors read from and dish about this shiny new book, here are the dates:
- SEATTLE -
Date: Saturday, October 10
Time: 2 pm
Location: Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 South Main Street, Seattle
Who: Editor Megan McMorris and contributors Jane Hodges, Jen Karuza Schile, Anna Cox, and yours truly
- PORTLAND -
Date: Thursday, October 15
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Powell’s Hawthorne location, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland
Who: Editor Megan McMorris, contributors Sarah Bowen Shea, Jane Hodges, and again, yours truly
October 8th, 2009
Seattle area folks, want to learn the ins and outs of the freelance writing life, and soon? I thought so. Join me this Monday, October 5 for a little talk with a big name, Learn Your Way Around the Business End of Freelancing and Become a Pitch-Slapping Success, which I’ll be giving with my pal Diane Mapes. In this 2009 SPJ Fall Continuing Ed Series class, we’ll give freelancers of all stages our best tips on making your writing business legit and drumming up a steady stream of print and web assignments.
Stuff I’ll be talking about during the two-hour, practically free class:
• Managing the finances of freelancing (setting rates, paying taxes, avoiding food stamps)
• Covering your behind (insurance, licenses, whether you need to form an LLC)
• How — and where — the heck anyone finds freelance work in this blasted economy
As a bonus, the illustrious Ms. Mapes — whose credits include MSNBC.com, CNN.com, a humor column in the Seattle P-I, and a couple of hilarious books on dating, mating, and living single — will share her secrets for wooing editors and writing winning pitches.
The event deets:
Date: Monday, October 5, 2009
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Location: The Seattle Times’ auditorium, 1120 John St., Seattle 98109
Cost: Free to SPJ members; $10 for nonmembers
RSVP: Email Dana Neuts, SPJ regional director
Perk: Free parking, pizza, and bottled water for attendees!
October 4th, 2009
I have two events coming up that may be of interest. The Seattle media party this Tuesday could use a volunteer to greet people/hand out name tags at the door in case anyone’s interested (great way for shy people and new writers to meet the writers, editors, and other seasoned media peeps in attendance). If so, leave me a comment or send me an email; thanks! Also note that the rate for the Creative Freelance Conference goes up by $50 after July 15.
- SEATTLE -
Mediabistro cocktail party – Tuesday, July 14, 2009
When: 7 to 9 pm
What: Cocktail party for freelance, staff, and laid-off media professionals. Admission free; cash bar. I’m cohosting (i.e., greeting folks at the door) with freelancer Crai Bower.
Where: Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, Seattle
Sponsor: mediabistro
RSVP: Via mediabistro’s event page
- SAN DIEGO -
Creative Freelancer Conference – August 26-28, 2009
What: “Dealing with Nightmare Clients” (90-minute session at three-day conference)
Where: Omni San Diego Hotel
Sponsor: HOW and Markting Mentor
Registration: CreativeFreelancerConference.com ($445 by July 15; $495 after July 15)
July 10th, 2009
Seattle freelancers: You don’t have to travel far for fresh ideas and savvy resources to pump up your freelance business. I have a few upcoming events happening in your neck of the woods. Some details below, and more info on my Events page.
When: 7:00 to 9:00 pm, Wednesday, March 4
What: “How to Make the Media Notice Your Small Business” – Tips on writing an irresistible media pitch and tools you can use to put your business in front of hundreds of lead-hungry reporters and bloggers. More info.
When: 1:00 to 6:00 pm, Friday, March 6
What: “All-Access Pass” Journalists Conference – A great event for those trying to figure out how to survive as a freelance journalist right now. Learn how to diversify your income. Seize the opportunity to schmooze with local writing rockstars/editors in attendance. More info.
When: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday, March 28
What: “Beyond the Red Pencil” Editors Conference – I’ll be leading a “Dealing with Difficult Clients” workshop (conference registration required). More info.
And for freelancers nationwide, I haven’t forgotten about you! There are still spots in my “Dealing with Nightmare Clients” teleseminar with the Freelancers Union this Wednesday, February 25. From my ear to yours, I’ll share stories from the trenches and the resources that helped me see the light of day again. Further details and registration info here.
February 22nd, 2009
Calling all Bay Area freelancers (working or aspiring): I’m headed your way for a night of freelance banter; I read to you from My So-Called Freelance Life, you ask me questions, I answer, you ask me more questions, and then I sign books. It’ll be an opportune time to learn new tips and resources, talk about freelancing in a down economy, and meet other independent pros who walk your walk. The event details:
When: 7:30 pm, Tuesday, February 10
Where: Books Inc. in the Marina, 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
Info: Free admission. More info at Books Inc. or (415) 931-3633.
And if you’re a professional organizer, dream of being one, or call one your BFF, you (and possibly your organizer friend) should join me and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO-SFBA), for a presentation about how to deal with difficult clients. The event details:
When: 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Wednesday, February 11
What: Seminar, Q&A, and networking for professional organizers
Where: The Doubletree Inn, 835 Airport Boulevard, Burlingame, CA
Info: NAPO-SFBA
Registration: $20 members, $25 guests
Co-sponsor: Books Inc.
If you attend either event, be sure to say hello. Thanks and happy weekend.
February 6th, 2009
Happy new year, my fellow cubicle haters. I hope your year’s off to a glorious start.
Not only is January 15 tax day for freelancers, it’s the date of my first Seattle-area event of the year. At tonight’s bookstore soiree, I’ll answer questions about freelancing through this blasted recession and read a few snippets from My So-Called Freelance Life. Whether you’re indie-curious or a seasoned freelancer who hasn’t left the house in three days, tonight will be a splendid opportunity to meet other independent pros who changed their underwear today. The event particulars:
When: 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 15
Where: Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park (North Seattle)
Free, open to the public, kids welcome, etc.
If you make it, be sure to say hello. If you’re not in Seattle or can’t make it tonight, check out the other shindigs listed on my events page, including a couple of virtual talks and my upcoming San Francisco reading, which I am ever so excited about. And if you want some freelancing tips right now, try these popular posts on for size:
January 15th, 2009
This promises to an action-packed week. First the mediabistro holiday party I’m hosting on Tuesday, then the DIY-tastic Urban Craft Uprising holiday fair this weekend, where I’ll be signing books both days.
I’m looking for a volunteer or two for Tuesday’s party, to help me greet guests at the door and take a few photos. Could be a fine opportunity for a freelance or media newbie to meet some of Seattle’s most seasoned writers and editors. I’ll throw in a free copy of one of my books too (your choice!). If interested, see event details below. If still interested, email me by Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for playing.
Mediabistro holiday party – December 2
When: 6 to 8 pm
What: Holiday party for freelance, staff, and laid off media professionals. mediabistro’s sponsoring. I’m playing hostess.
Where: Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, Seattle
Cash bar: Happy hour prices till 7 pm
RSVP: Required. RSVP on mediabistro.com.
Book signings @ Urban Craft Uprising – December 6 & 7
When: Saturday signing 12 to 1 pm. Sunday signing 1 to 2 pm. Craft show open from 11 to 5 pm.
What: Fourth annual Urban Craft Uprising, a rocking indie craft show with 130+ vendors
Where: Seattle Center, Exhibition Hall
Info: Free admission. More scoop at Urban Craft Uprising.
December 1st, 2008
I have loads of events scheduled for the next couple of months. In Seattle, I’m hosting mediabistro’s holiday party for freelance and full-time (and pink-slipped) media professionals, signing books at Urban Craft Uprising, and doing one last book reading at Third Place Books.
In the new year, I’m giving a couple of teleseminars, including one on dealing with hell clients, sponsored by the Freelancers Union. And in February, I’m heading down to San Francisco mid-month for a couple of talks and signings. (I’m open to more Bay Area events if you have something in mind. If so, email me.)
Event details follow. To stay up to date on my events, visit my Events page or subscribe to my mailing list.
- SEATTLE -
Mediabistro holiday party – December 2
When: 6 to 8 pm
What: Holiday party for freelance, staff, and laid off media professionals. mediabistro’s sponsoring. I’m playing hostess.
Where: Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, Seattle
Cash bar: Happy hour prices till 7 pm
RSVP: Required. RSVP on mediabistro.com.
Book signings @ Urban Craft Uprising – December 6 & 7
When: Saturday signing 12 to 1 pm. Sunday signing 1 to 2 pm. Craft show open from 11 to 5 pm.
What: Fourth annual Urban Craft Uprising, a rocking indie craft show with 100+ vendors
Where: Seattle Center, Exhibition Hall
Info: Free admission. More scoop at Urban Craft Uprising.
Reading, Q&A and book signing – January 15
When: 7 pm
What: New year, new president, new job for you? Come ask me all your burning questions about freelancing.
Where: Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park (North Seattle)
- SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA -
Reading, Q&A and book signing – February 10
When: 7:30 pm
What: Go ahead — try to stump me. Bring your toughest questions on freelancing during a recession.
Where: Books Inc. in the Marina, 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
Info: Books Inc. or (415) 931-3633
Business tips for professional organizers - February 11
When: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
What: Seminar, Q&A, and networking for professional organizers
Where: The Doubletree Inn, 835 Airport Boulevard, Burlingame, CA
Info: National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter
Registration: $20 members, $25 guests
Co-sponsor: Books Inc.
- ONLINE / VIRTUAL -
Freelancing teleseminar – January 21
When: Time pending
What: Lecture and Q&A for new and seasoned freelancers of all industries
Where: Your telephone
Sponsor: Downtown Women’s Club
Registration: Details to come
“Dealing with the Client from Hell” teleseminar – February 25
When: 7:00 to 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)
What: Lecture and Q&A for new and seasoned freelancers of all industries
Where: Your telephone
Sponsor: Freelancers Union
Registration: Details to come
November 14th, 2008
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