It occurred to me, after I published the post a couple of weeks ago on how to define and self-assess experience, that imposter syndrome is closely related. How many freelancers experience that? I do. Imposter syndrome is that nagging feeling that my accomplishments are all a fraud. I don’t actually… Read More »Standing Up to Imposter Syndrome
Experience can be tricky to define and gauge. As a freelancer, what standard do you compare yourself to? When are you no longer a “newbie”? Some professional societies, such as the UK’s Society of Indexers or Editors Canada, offer certification, which can be helpful. Many others do not offer these… Read More »Defining Experience, One Index (and One Tree) at a Time
My childhood was conducted in three languages. At home, my family spoke English. School, from grade one to halfway through grade three, was conducted in Mandarin Chinese (half way through grade three I transferred to the English-speaking international school, where we still had daily Mandarin classes). The language spoken at… Read More »Code-Switching, in Language and in Freelance Life
Marketing is probably the one area that most stumps freelancers. Unless the skill you are offering is that of marketing consultant, this is not what you trained for. The thought of cold-calling reduces your voice to a stuttering whisper. If you are new to freelancing, you might also be wracked… Read More »Strategic and Persistent Marketing
One of the most daunting questions to face a new indexer is, where does the work come from? How do I land my first client? That experienced indexer over there has lots of work and it looks like they don’t even market. How does that happen? I will write about… Read More »The Value of a Diverse Client Base
So you have decided to be an indexer. Maybe you have taken a course to learn how to index, and perhaps you have started to build your bridge so that you can transition to full-time freelance indexing. But still, a question remains (well, probably several questions, but we’ll get to… Read More »The Benefits and Practice of Practice
So you want to be an freelance indexer. The idea of being paid to read is alluring, or you need a more flexible job that will fit around the rest of your life, or you just want to work from home. Whatever your reasons, welcome! But how, you ask, do… Read More »Freelance Career Launch Series: Building a Bridge
Who wants a snazzy invoice? I do. I like the idea of reflecting a small part of myself in a document that is otherwise so impersonal. I also like the idea of making business, including invoices, fun. There is a part of me that has always chafed at formality. I… Read More »Readable Invoice Templates