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Advanced Freelancing

How to become a full-time freelancer and make a great living

Course is closed.
Advanced Freelancing

WHEN 4 weeks,November 5 - December 3
Chats Wednesdays, 9-10 pm ET

WHERE Online. Click here for more information.

LEVEL Intermediate/Advanced

PRICE
$350 ($310 for )
more info

Course Details

You know all the basics of freelancing -- you've had several articles published and you're no stranger to pitch letters, rewrites and signing contracts. In fact, you may have even been doing it full time for a while. But now you're ready to turn it up a notch and become a career freelancer. So how do you start thinking long-term, sell more articles, and plan for a booming self-employed future? The answers are here. This course takes on the issues and problems faced beyond casual freelancing. You'll learn to look at it as a business, focusing on how to best utilize your time and energy to maximize the amount of money you have coming in while improving your pitching skills and expanding your pool of publications.

In this class, you will learn how to:

  • Fine-tune your pitches and sell higher-fee stories
  • Get more work out of your established contacts
  • Break into topics you've never covered before
  • Repackage ideas to get two stories from the same bits of information
  • Renegotiate if the story becomes more work than was originally assigned and deal with delinquent payments
  • Anticipate the ebb and flow of work
  • Say no without burning bridges

By the end of class, you will have:
Two publishable clips complete with sparkling pitch letters that will get you on your way to adding to your body of work.

Admission requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history).

The online classroom has several interactive components:
  • Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
  • Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
  • Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
  • Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

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Instructor Bio

Erin Brereton's Courses

Advanced Freelancing – (Class starts February 4)

Erin Brereton
Erin Brereton is a full-time freelancer who writes a column for CenterstageChicago.com and works as a part-time content manager for Nielsen Media. She has freelanced for Life & Style Weekly, Chicago Agent, and Club & Resort Business magazine and has written several nonfiction books.

Erin previously worked as a senior editor at mary-kateandashley and Complete Woman magazine and was the managing editor on more than 12 custom publications about finance, music, and collecting.

Testimonials


Erin brought a wealth of valuable experience to share. Her presentation was well organized, the information was helpful, and the content was instructional. -- Barry Dredze

"Erin is a great role model for freelancers whether you're just starting out or are looking for higher-level experience. She knows the fears, mistakes, and joys of freelancing and shares her experiences in an entertaining way." -- Marcia Frellick

"Erin's class was informative and entertaining. Her advice was practical and realistic. She gave smart, strategic advice with just enough financial recommendations." -- Meredith Fleming

"Erin was honest, truthful, and positive about the pros and cons of a freelancing profession. As a working professional, it was very insightful to go beyond the corporate world and embrace other opportunities." -- Kim Mechem

"Erin was great! Her class was packed full of information. She was very inspiring and gave us a ton to think about." -- Vicki Crain

"I learned more in one night from Erin about freelancing that I did at DePaul University over the course of my studies." -- Stacy Jeziorowski

"This class gave me a really good sense of what it takes to be a freelancer -- the good, the bad and the ugly. I left with a positive feeling but a realistic outlook on all the facets of a freelance career." -- Jennifer Healy

"Erin offered encouragement and useful criticism, helping me take my pitch letters to the next level." -- Nancy Averett

AvantGuild* Discounts on mediabistro.com courses are just one of the wonderful benefits of being in AvantGuild, our premium membership program. For just $59 a year, you'll receive instant access to our How to Pitch articles and other premium articles, transcripts from selected seminars and panels, and discounts on virtually everything we do (including eClasses and the Freelance Marketplace)! Click here to join now.