Every Friday I plan on asking a few questions of a fellow freelancer, editor or other interesting person you might care about who can share some good info with you. Today: Chicago freelancer Ann Logue, who is an organizer of the Chicago Magazine Writers Conference and who has contributed to Barron's, the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times.

1. What was the most difficult assignment you've ever had?

I did an article on diversity issues for PM Network, a trade magazine for project managers. The problem is that the story was to have a global perspective, but workforce diversity is really a U.S. issue, not a global one. That's in part because there aren't many countries that have both the wide range of people and the desire to do right by everyone, regardless of background. It took forever to get enough sources! But it also ended up being one of my favorite articles, because when I finally got the questions answered, I got some really interesting and thoughful perspectives on differences in management that could be used by people working on cross-border teams.

2. Do you have any freelancing goals for this year?


Of course I have goals! You have to have goals. I have an income goal, of course; I am trying hard to keep my weekends work free; I want to break into a new-to-me national publication; and I want to break into travel writing. I have a business plan and I track my progress in an Excel spreadsheet. Even if I miss goals, I'll have a clear sense of what happened this year so that I can plan for next year.

3. What's the best writing or reporting lesson you've learned so far?

If you need sources for trade magazine articles, check the agendas for industry conferences.

4. What are some writing resources that have worked well for you?

I could not function without Google. How did anyone do anything without it? I subscribe to Freelance Success, a newsletter and bulletin board for freelancers, and it's been well worth the annual cost. I love to get together with other writers to get ideas, share war stories, and stop feeling isolated - working alone can be tough at times. I am a magazine junkie, and I am so sad that my favorite newsstand just closed. One of my favorite writing things is to go to a newsstand and buy a stack of random publications from all over the world, to see how different editors approach a subject and to get ideas for new markets. Finally, I have worked with some good editors over the years, and they have helped me be a better writer. I remember one editor re-wrote my lede, and I was blown away by how much better it made the whole story. Since then, I pay a lot more attention to how I open an article.

5. When and where do you write?

I work at home, from an office off our kitchen, and I mostly work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm five days a week. If I get stir-crazy, I go to a local cafe for lunch or go work at the library.