It was my very first live interview for an Internet radio show. I thought I would be more nervous, but Kelli and her co-host, Regina Smola, were so gracious that it was just like chatting with friends!

I “met” Kelli on Twitter, so you could say that we’re friends after all.

Anyway, I hope you’ll listen to the interview, get to know me a little better, and pick up some nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned in about 1 year of self-employment.

Let me know what you think by posting a comment below. Thank you!

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A Freelance Writer’s Blueprint for Handling Rejection

Since I embarked on my freelance writing career, I have experienced rejection more often than I have received acceptance. Now I have been a professional long enough and have worked with enough tough bosses that I can take criticism — including harsh criticism — and not get crushed. After 19 years of working in various offices, I now have a pretty tough skin.

However, I don’t just let rejection slide over me. I gnaw on it and suck the juices out of it. No, I’m not a masochist. I am a person who makes the most of every situation and tries to learn something from every experience, even one that’s as unpalatable as rejection. You might be surprised to know that rejection can be a positive thing in your freelancing career.

How should a freelance writer deal with rejection? Here is my own personal blueprint for handling rejection.

Expect rejection.

I’m not being a negative thinker here. All I mean is that you should accept rejection as a normal part of a freelance writer’s life. Even the best, most successful writers have been rejected at one time. Yes, including Dr. Seuss himself. Do you think you’re better than the rest of them? If you expect rejection, then you’re less likely to take it personally. Rejection will not defeat you.

Recognize and accept your disappointment.

There will be lots of times when you feel that you’ve written the perfect article for a publication, or made an irresistible bid for a project, or that you’re the perfect fit for a writing job — and yet your services were rejected. Admit it, you’re totally bummed! And it’s the perfectly healthy way to feel. Allow yourself to feel bad about it. Treat yourself to a chocolate cupcake and a latte while nursing your wounds. But don’t stay there too long. You need to move on.

Analyze what you did wrong.

Go back to the article you submitted, your bid proposal, or your application letter and resume. What could have gone wrong? Was the article not suitable to the publication you submitted it to? Was your bid too high? Perhaps the application letter had a typo? Maybe your resume does not differentiate you enough from other freelance writers, or show off your best qualities? Or maybe you did everything correctly but they simply liked somebody else. It is possible that it was not your fault.

Brainstorm ways you could do better.

Even if your rejection was probably not your fault, note how you could do better next time. Could you do more research on the target publication? Could you offer an additional service — at no added cost — that your competitors might not be able to do? Could you improve your resume so that it reflects what you do best? Would you like to test-run your article, project bid, cover letter and resume to a trusted friend and see what they think of it? You might be surprised with what you learn.

Try and try again.

Now that you have a list of ways to improve how you get new clients or writing jobs, go and do them! Test your new knowledge just to see if the little tweaks you thought of give you better results. If you think you’re too raw to expose yourself again, then try again out of curiosity: will it work this time? Remember what Lisa Simpson used to say, “I’ll keep asking because you might say yes on the 99th time”? This is how people succeed: they try until they succeed.

Rejection is a painful, humiliating experience that’s enough to undermine any professional’s self-confidence and desire to persist. But as with any form of suffering, rejection can help you become a better writer, a better freelancer, and an all-around better person.

Related website:

Rejection Collection: The Writer’s and Artist’s On-line Source for Misery, Commiseration and Inspiration

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by norasun

Stay at home Moms spend a lot of time doing housekeeping so we’re always on the lookout for the latest gadgets that will make our lives easier.

I bought the Swiffer Vacuum after reading dozens of reviews, many of them saying that it’s really good for picking up Cheerios from the floor. And which toddler’s home isn’t always littered with Cheerios? After one month of using it daily, I’ve come to the conclusion that I love-hate my Swiffer vacuum.

10 reasons I love my Swiffer Vacuum:

1. It’s really easy to use. Even my 7-year-old daughter can use it.

2. It’s fun to use. The two girls sometimes argue over who gets to clean the floor.

3. It looks nice and sleek.

4. It’s light enough to carry up or down the stairs on one hand while balancing the toddler on my hip with the other hand.

5. It does pick up Cheerios easily, as well as crumbs, dust balls, spilled cornmeal and whatever small, dry stuff kids and hubbies can track inside the house.

6. I bought it for $11 less in Canadian Tire than it sells in the regular grocery stores.

7. It vacuums and dry-wipes the floor at the same time.

8. It swivels and can get into small spots.

9. Even though its juice has nearly run out and it’s about to go dead, it can still pick up dust balls.

10. It gets more dirt in less time and with less effort than I could with a broom and dust pan.

10 reasons I hate my Swiffer Vacuum:

1. It takes forever to charge: 24 hours before first use and 16 hours thereafter, and then….

2. … it stays charged for only about 10 minutes — not quite long enough for me to clean the entire house.

3. The disposable refill pads are wasteful. You have to toss it after one use. Why couldn’t they have made washable pads? I’ve decided to make my own washable pads to do my share to save the environment.

4. The filter needs to be replaced every 6 months. Why couldn’t they have made washable filters?

5. You need to drain the power before recharging, which forces me to clean the floor for 10 minutes even when I only wanted to clean around the high chair for 2 minutes.

6. It’s not inexpensive enough to buy another one so I can clean the entire house every day.

7. You can’t use it to wet-mop the floor. You’ll have to buy another Swiffer product for that. Ugh.

8. It doesn’t work on carpets or rugs. You’ll have to buy another Swiffer product for that. Uggghh.

9. It can’t pick up larger, sticky items, like pitted dates.

10. Like any other vacuum, it’s noisy.

So would I recommend the Swiffer vacuum? That depends. If you need to sweep the floor every day and can spare around $37, then go for it. However, if you haven’t been having any problems using your broom and dust pan, then you probably won’t miss anything.

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