This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with former journalist, now educator, writer and editor, Dan Kaufman, about something they all feel passionately about - the craft of writing and editing.

We have a lot of feelings about this topic, as we chat about the essential skills freelance writers need, including:

• the importance of mastering the basics of writing
• the declining emphasis on subediting and what it means for journalism
• the need for critical thinking, attention to detail, and self-editing
• the use of AI in writing and why Dan hates it!

Connect with Dan through his website:   https://mediasurvival.com/   Dan's next public workshops are:   Press release writing and media pitching on 6 May https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/press-release-writing-and-media-pitching-course-live-half-day-webinar-tickets-1254147331429)   Sub-editing and proofreading on 13 and 14 May (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sub-editing-and-proofreading-short-course-webinar-over-two-half-days-tickets-1254191824509)   Dan is offering an exclusive 15% discount code to his courses for podcast listeners with the code: contentbyte    Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au    Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting about freelancer websites with Michal Eisik, a copywriter and course creator who shares her expertise on creating effective websites and freelance portfolios.

We discuss:

• the importance of having a well-designed, easy-to-update website
• the value of client testimonials, and how to manage clippings and case studies
• website analytics and user behaviour
• whether you should display pricing on your website
• Michal also provides insights into different approaches to using your website for lead generation, along with a list of must-have tools for freelancers

Whether you're a freelance writer, copywriter, or creative, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed.

Connect with Michal at https://www.michaleisik.com/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with successful screenwriter Josephine Barrett. Josephine is an acclaimed novelist, teacher and script writer, writing and editing successful TV shows, series and movies. 

She talks about:

• The difference between script writing and script editing
• How Home & Away helped her refine her craft
• How she secures regular work
• How teaching writing inspires and helps her to be a better writer
• How she makes a good living as a creative
• How she organises her day and maintains a disciplined approach to her work

Connect with Josephine via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-barrett-bb872a24/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with content creator, agency owner and now author, Sara Howard. Sara has just released her first book, Beyond Solo, which is the guide she wished she had when she started her agency - all about how to grow your business and all the different models you can choose from.

Sara chats about:

• What success looks like – and why it means different things to different people
• Different agency models, from collectives to companies, to hybrid models
• How she created a positive culture at her agency
• Why she included a lot of tools and frameworks in her book to make it practical
• How to work with clients as you grow
• The importance of good systems and processes

The free resources associated with her book are here: https://www.beyondsolo.co/shop 

Connect with Sara at Writers Australia, https://writers.net.au/ 

or through Beyond Solo at https://www.beyondsolo.co/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with one of their favourite editors, Rob Johnson. A former journalist and now publisher at Engage Media, Rob talks about what he values from freelance writers and why editors like himself rely on good pitches from their contributors to put a great publication together. 

He chats about:

• Whether it's ever acceptable to use AI in a pitch or a story
• How ideas from freelancers help him as an editor
• Why he welcomes a new angle on an old idea
• Why a writer needs to do some research
• How to create a good system for generating story ideas
• Why it's important to know the publication's audience

Rob's article for Rachel's List about how to pitch is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/how-to-pitch-and-get-a-yes/

The Rachel's List Pitch Tracker is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/pitch-tracker/ 

Engage Media is at: https://engagemedia.com.au/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

This week Rachel & Lynne chat with communications consultant and writer Helen Dehen, talking about her commitment to upskilling herself and the many courses she has done - which have helped to drive her business and profitability.

During our chat, Helen talks about her early career in TV journalism and her move to freelancing when her twins were born. She shares some of the courses she did in the the early days and how they positioned her to build a strong and successful freelance writing business.

Helen talks about:

• The value of investing in professional development and networking
• How it gave her confidence in the early days of freelancing
• What the return on investment has been with some of the courses she has done
• Her experience with continuous learning, sharing insights from her experiences with various courses, conferences, and coaching programs
• Her favourite courses and what she wouldn't do again

Connect with Helen via her website: https://www.hydoralane.com.au/ 

or via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dehen/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne chat with Petra Buchanan, an executive coach and mentor and company director with an international executive career in media, technology and business sectors. 

We talk about:

• the changing role of women within media
• what a non-executive director role involves
• being the only woman in decision-making rooms
• mistakes freelancers make
• common challenges facing women in media careers
• the importance of good mentors, and so much more

Here are some of the links from our chat with Petra:

https://psbventures.com.au/

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/plans-pricing

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/programs/women-in-media-queensland-offers-a-5000-scholarship

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, we talk to agency owner and copywriter Alana Wulff about contracts: what they are, why you need them, and the stuff that can go wrong with and without one. Tune in to hear:

• How Alana started using contracts in her business and why
• Why a contract is a living document you need to keep updating (especially when something on a project goes awry and you want to protect yourself in future)
• How having a lawyer in your back pocket can be very useful (and what to budget for)
• Actual contract horror stories and how they were resolved
• What happens when your client wants to you to sign their contract and you want them to sign yours
• And much more

Find out more: Alana @ Studio Himmel: https://www.studiohimmel.co/ Himmel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/himmel.words/ Studio Legal: https://studiolegal.com.au/ Tools Alana loves: Pitch (for presentations) https://pitch.com/ Rachel's List resources: Cor Blimey Contract Bundle https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/cor-blimey-contract-bundle/ Find us: Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Lynne: www.lynnetestoni.com.au Rachel’s List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

Have we got a treat for you! This episode with content strategist, business coach and consultant Treasa Edmond is full of gold for any freelancer wanting to move up the value chain and secure more high-paying clients.

In our wide-ranging chat, Treasa talks about: 

• The different between offering content strategy and a strategic consulting
• Which one is an entry point for high-paying work
• How strategy can open the gates to providing more effective content
• How and why value pricing is better for this type of work
• Her favourite client-finding strategies
• Common mistakes freelancers make

Capcut is here: https://www.capcut.com/ 

Treasa's podcast is called Boss Responses: https://bossresponses.com/ 

Or take a look at Strategy Bosses: https://bossresponses.com/strategy-bosses-community/ 

Or through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treasaedmond/ 

 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne's guest is freelance writer and author Sue Williams. Sue talks about her long and successful career as a writer and journalist and how it led to non-fiction books and now historical novels.

During the episode, Sue talks about:

• How her career started and when she moved to freelancing
• Her love of travel writing and why she still does journalism
• Why following a brief and making it easy for editors will give you more work
• Why it's hard to pitch story ideas, and why it's important
• How she secured an agent and publisher for her books
• The challenge of writing historical fiction and why it's harder than she thought
• How she uses AI and why it will never replace human content

Connect with Sue via her website: https://suewilliams.com.au/ 

Her latest book is The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress, and is available from all good bookstores.

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected]  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co