The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Distractions and Staying Focused at Work

Dana Robinson is a freelance health, beauty, and culture writer with 20 years of experience creating content for publications including Shape, WeightWatchers, Wine Enthusiast, AARP, and Southwest: The Magazine. She holds a master's degree in mass communication from California State University-Northridge.

4 min read • Originally published January 17, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Dana Robinson is a freelance health, beauty, and culture writer with 20 years of experience creating content for publications including Shape, WeightWatchers, Wine Enthusiast, AARP, and Southwest: The Magazine. She holds a master's degree in mass communication from California State University-Northridge.

4 min read • Originally published January 17, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Although 2008 and the Great Recession are far behind us, the media industry is still dealing with its fair share of layoffs. Just a few months ago The Detroit News, Gannett, USA Today, and Bloomberg announced layoffs. More recently the Associated Press let 25 of it’s employees go, Medium cut its staff by a third and The Seattle Times laid off two dozen employees.

Sometimes the axe can drop quickly, but like hurricanes, layoffs don’t typically come out of nowhere. The warning signs can slowly swirl around the office for weeks, causing panic and a somber work environment, before the boom is finally lowered.

I’ve been laid off three times during my editorial career, and although the companies were different, the warning signs were all very similar. Here are a few of the top indicators that I (as well as many of my friends who’ve been let go over the years) observed:

Freelancers Aren’t Getting Paid

This symptom occurred at two publication companies (one print; one digital) where I once worked. They were both start-ups, and the angry messages from freelancer writers and web designers who had not been paid for their services began to hit my inbox and voice mail shortly just a few weeks to a few months after my start date.

I took the messages to my managers who then paid out only a handful of invoices, and I was instructed to tell the rest of the freelancers that their payments were “coming soon.” In both cases the companies became defunct within a few months and several dozen freelancers were never paid.

Susan Peppercorn, career coach with Positive Workplace Partners, believes that this is a move that companies make in order to conserve cash. But freelancers are specifically targeted because contract workers are usually not as critical to the overall operation as full-time employees, who may be responsible for multiple programs and projects.

Hand Over Your Laptop…and Passwords and Notes

If there’s nothing wrong with your company-issued laptop you might want to think long and hard about why your boss is suddenly asking you to hand it over and remove any personal photos you may have on it—oh, and don’t forget to hand over your passwords, too.

“Unless equipment or assets are being replaced, refurbished or recalled due to misuse, there is no reason to confiscate [these items] unless [your bosses] are planning to get rid of [you],” says Janine Truitt, owner of Talent Think Innovations, a business strategy consulting firm.

Vicki Salemi, career expert for Monster.com, notes that being asked to return company property should raise a red flag because it’s outside the scope of your everyday responsibilities. Plus, it indicates that the company is taking stock of what they own.

But laptops aren’t the only thing that your boss can ask you to return before sending you straight out the door. A few weeks after returning from an overseas business trip, my manager asked me to turn over all of the business cards from the contacts that I had made during my trip. She also wanted all of the notes that I had taken during a number of seminars, and she wanted everything NOW!

I was laid off about a week later and the company officially folded shortly thereafter.

You’re Not Needed in This Meeting

Overtly being omitted from meetings, internal communications and events is usually a sign that your job is in jeopardy, says Truitt. And it’s the abruptness factor that makes it such a telltale sign.

She notes that if your bosses were planning on keeping you on board they would address any problems that they were having with you rather than immediately shutting you out altogether.

Sometimes this hint of things to come can happen uncomfortably close to the dismissal date—so close that you may feel blindsided. “I was told I didn’t need to attend a business development meeting (which was out of the norm) and I got laid off the next day,” says a former marketing manager of a now defunct law firm. “The next thing I knew I was packing up my office.”

Nobody’s Buying

Mike Rivers, a former tech employee, lost his job after a product launch went south. Although the company was expecting to move millions of units, it received fewer than 50 orders after the product was offered on the Home Shopping Network. “Less than a month later, most of us were laid off…the company folded a few months later,” said Rivers.

And while no one can foresee how much product your company will sell or if advertising sales revenues will be down next quarter, what you can do is keep your eyes and ears open for any information about your employer’s business status.

“If it’s a public company, watch the news around earnings results for hints,” says Fred Goff, CEO of Jobcase. He also recommends setting up a Google alert for any information that pops up online about your company. This will help keep you from being blindsided internally by something that is common knowledge externally, he says. If things are looking bad it might be a sign that a round of layoffs is in your future.

If you’re lucky enough to see the warning signs far enough down the road, you might have just enough time to hit the job boards and make a fast exit before you’re asked to clear out your cubicle. And this is an excellent place to start.

Topics:

Be Inspired, Career Transition

Climb the Ladder

What Does a Managing Editor Do? Duties, Skills & Career Path

Plan content, rally the troops and more in this key role

Jenell Talley is a journalist and program analyst with a background spanning media, government, and editorial work. She holds a journalism degree from Howard University and a master's in human resources management from the University of Maryland.

3 min read • Originally published January 19, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Check out open managing editor positions on Mediabistro’s job board.

Jenell Talley is a journalist and program analyst with a background spanning media, government, and editorial work. She holds a journalism degree from Howard University and a master's in human resources management from the University of Maryland.

3 min read • Originally published January 19, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

You went to J-school. You put in work as an editorial assistant, assistant editor and copy editor. Now the managing editor position is calling your name. Before you answer, check out what we learned about the job from those in the know.

What exactly does a managing editor do?

A managing editor administers the day-to-day operations of a publication or website. This includes generating story ideas; planning, assigning and editing content; overseeing spending; commissioning stories and art; overseeing production schedules and editorial calendars; and supervising editorial staff and freelancers. A managing editor may also write copy, and monitor and/or edit social media posts.

“I am responsible for everything that appears on the website except advertising and sponsorships,” says Jerry Hirsch, editor and VP of content for trucks.com. “I assign and edit every story published,” says Hirsch, who also works with the production editor to ensure there are photo, video and graphic assets with the articles.

“Every publication is set up differently, depending on the size of [its] workforce and the nature of [its] content,” says Lynda Bekore, managing editor of SmallBizClub.com. Bekore curates content for the daily mag, creates editorial and posting policies and negotiates with potential partners and syndicators.

What skills are required?

Know good writing when you see it. “Quality content is about connecting with your readers as much as it is about good grammar and knowledge of your topic,” says Bekore.

“Be tenacious—it’s all about the follow-up,” says Ashley Strang, managing editor at Complex Media, a multimedia platform includes Complex magazine, complex.com and several other sites. There’s more to managing a production schedule than setting deadlines, Strang says. Know your staff, know the workload and know what can get done in the allotted time.

“It’s also important to know when editors need an extra push,” she adds. Master the “delicate balance of being persistent but not annoying.”

Is working at a print publication the same as working at a website?

“Working for a website that publishes daily means accepting that not all deadlines and live dates can be set in stone, which M.E.s at print publications are accustomed to,” says Strang. You need to be flexible and fast—without sacrificing quality—to succeed in the online world.

Who is a managing editor’s boss?

It depends on how the company is structured. You may report to the editor in chief. At a smaller organization, you may report to the CEO.

Are there any similar jobs?

Executive editors, editorial directors and content managers often have similar job duties.

What do I need to get ahead in this position?

“Journalism, editing and management skills,” says Hirsch. “Good reporters often rise through the ranks to management positions,” he says, “but strong writing and reporting skills say nothing about an individual’s ability to manage a workforce.” Know how to deal with writers and creatives, who, says Hirsch, can be more difficult to manage than other employees because they’re paid to challenge conventional ideas.

Good listening skills and effective leadership also go a long way. Hold writers and editors accountable while also being a resource for them, says Strang.

How can I get my foot in the door?

Though it could be helpful, you don’t need a degree in journalism or English. More important is your reporting, writing and editing experience. Know how to get a scoop, compose a story and fine-tune good writing until it’s great.

Topics:

Advice From the Pros

How to Handle Criticism From Your Boss (And Grow From It)

Criticism can benefit you in your career— especially with a plan on how to handle it

Dana Robinson is a freelance health, beauty, and culture writer with 20 years of experience creating content for publications including Shape, WeightWatchers, Wine Enthusiast, AARP, and Southwest: The Magazine. She holds a master's degree in mass communication from California State University-Northridge.

4 min read • Originally published January 23, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Dana Robinson is a freelance health, beauty, and culture writer with 20 years of experience creating content for publications including Shape, WeightWatchers, Wine Enthusiast, AARP, and Southwest: The Magazine. She holds a master's degree in mass communication from California State University-Northridge.

4 min read • Originally published January 23, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

It may take the form of an annual performance review, or perhaps it’s an impromptu come-into-my-office-so-we-can-discuss-a-few-things conversation. But no matter what shape it arrives in, critical comments from your boss can be hard to digest. The good news is that criticism can actually help you in your career—but only if you know how to handle it.

Don’t Panic

When those first few words of criticism are handed down you may feel the urge to panic. But criticism doesn’t necessarily mean that your job is in jeopardy or that your boss thinks that you’re incompetent. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “Generally, when an employee is about to be fired, a boss won’t even bother giving criticism,” says Valerie Streif, senior advisor for job search firm, Mentat. “Instead, [she’ll] be silent on issues until the employee is let go.” Streif notes that criticism indicates that your bosses want to see changes from you in the future, which means that they still intend to see you working around the office in the weeks and months ahead.

Have a Plan

You can even look at criticism as an opportunity to obtain insider information about how to impress your boss, says Tarah Keech, corporate business consultant with Tara Keech Consulting. But this golden opportunity to make changes to your performance won’t amount to much if you’re not adequately prepared to receive the criticism.

Keech notes three key points for getting the most out of the experience:

First, learn all you can about the gap in expectations. Ask for specific examples of how your performance was not up to standards and for recommendations or examples about how you can improve.

Second, you should ensure that your boss knows that you’re open to making improvements. It never hurts to simply say, “I’m ready and willing to do whatever it takes to improve. How can I restore your confidence that this is being managed well?”

The third, and most crucial component of the process, is actually delivering the change. Request a timeframe by which your boss would like to see improvement, then make sure that the changes get made!

Keep Your Emotions in Check

It all sounds easy, but sometimes the most difficult part of listening to criticism is preventing your emotions from taking over. Crying happens and so do flaring tempers, defensive attitudes, and an urge to tell your boss what you really think of her—none of which will score you any points in an office environment.

If you do anticipate receiving criticism during a meeting and know that your emotions may get the best of you, Mikaela Kiner, executive coach and CEO of UniquelyHR, recommends giving yourself permission to just listen during the meeting. Then arm yourself with a simple one liner like, “Thank you for sharing this with me, I’ll need some time to think it over.”

You can then make an appointment to have a discussion with your boss at a later date, after you’ve collected yourself. It’s also perfectly OK to ask for a break to give yourself time to gather your thoughts, says Kiner.

Agree to Disagree

Sometimes bosses get it wrong—completely wrong, and Kiner believes that it’s OK to disagree with the criticism, as long as you take a little time to assess why you really object to the comments.

“Is it because the feedback stings, or is it one-sided or factually incorrect?,” says Kiner. “It’s appropriate to clear things up with your boss if she has the facts wrong….[but] if the facts are off [and] the feedback is accurate, focus on how you’re going to improve.”

If you think that your boss is way off base, Keech recommends responding carefully and strictly stating fact-based details. By keeping your responses calm and professional, and listening to everything your boss says before you begin your rebuttal, she’ll be more likely to hear your reasoning without bias since you didn’t start out defensively, says Keech. She adds that, “you’ll have demonstrated your respectability and maturity with your willingness to hear and receive criticism even if it wasn’t applicable.”

Make a Choice

It’s not right, but the fact is that sometimes people in positions of power decide that they don’t like you and they want you gone. And they may use performance criticism (nitpickingnit picking over every little thing that you do) as grounds for your dismissal. Streif notes that an absence of advice about how to improve your performance coupled with personal attacks and grossly exaggerating small situations are all signs that your boss is just trying to get under your skin.

Finding yourself in this situation means that you’ve now got a choice to make. You can either stay at your job or dust off your resume and search for greener pastures.

But even if you are planning your escape, just remember that you’re not safely out the door yet. Therefore, Jon Minners, career advice blogger and senior marketing manager at Vault.com, recommends that you maintain your same sense of professionalism toward your boss after you’ve received the criticism. There’s no sense in angering someone who may know people that have the ability to further your career down the line.

He also recommends resisting the urge to slack off while you’re searching for your new job. “Continue to work hard,” says Minners. “ Make them miss you when you’re gone.”

Topics:

Advice From the Pros, Be Inspired

Climb the Ladder

What Does a Digital Media Manager Do? Role, Skills & Career Path

Learn the ins-and-outs of the digital media manager position

Jenell Talley is a journalist and program analyst with a background spanning media, government, and editorial work. She holds a journalism degree from Howard University and a master's in human resources management from the University of Maryland.

3 min read • Originally published January 25, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Search for ‘digital media manager’ positions on the Mediabistro job board.

Jenell Talley is a journalist and program analyst with a background spanning media, government, and editorial work. She holds a journalism degree from Howard University and a master's in human resources management from the University of Maryland.

3 min read • Originally published January 25, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

So you’re looking for a job that’ll put your strategic communication, web analytics and social media skills to good use, but you’re not having any luck. Well, consider us your personal four-leaf clover because we’ve got the job for you. Ever thought about becoming a digital media manager? You should. Read what a couple pros have to say about the position and see why.

What exactly does a digital media manager do?

A digital media manager oversees a company’s digital media efforts, including websites and platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Responsibilities include creating and curating shareable content; determining which platform is best suited for each piece of content; building and managing social media profiles and presence; directing paid search and social campaigns and analyzing the performance of those campaigns; maintaining brand consistency across platforms; assessing SEO configurations; monitoring analytics; managing the digital budget; and fostering vendor relationships.

“There’s something new every day,” says Diana Williams, digital editor and strategist for BackStory with the American History Guys, a radio broadcast/podcast. “It’s a 25/8 job, but it’s incredibly rewarding,” adds Williams, who manages BackStory’s digital presence, making content decisions for the website, blogs and social media. Williams handles everything from writing and editing stories and posts and determining where the content will live in the digital universe to reviewing data trends.

What skills does a digital media manager need?

You should be a quick study in this line of work, says Mike Crimmins, search specialist at digital marketing agency FSC Interactive. Things are always changing in the digital realm, so the ability—and drive—to continually learn new things and readily adapt to change is an essential part of the job. So is the ability to think conceptually and analytically at the same time, adds Crimmins, who divides his time among reviewing key performance metrics, determining which ad best resonates with an audience and gauging content value.

Rock-solid writing and editing skills are also important. You have to be able to write clearly and concisely and tell a story in an interesting and engaging way, explains Williams.

Who is a digital media manager’s supervisor?

A digital media manager might report directly to the head of a communications arm or the director of the paid media department.

What does it take to excel in this position?

“It’s a mix of being [a] problem-solving scientist and creative wordsmith/designer, with a healthy understanding of the audiences mixed in,” says Crimsons.

Offers Williams, “You have to be on and available [because] the Internet does not shut down, ever.” There’s little time for downtime in digital media. You have to keep on keeping on.

How can I break into this field?

A degree in communications, marketing or a related field and/or a certification in Google AdWords may help your resume stand out. But there’s nothing like a trusty internship.

“I think experience is more important than anything,” says Williams, “[but] I mean actual experience, not the ‘I have a Twitter account, so I can manage a Twitter account’ type of experience.”

Topics:

Skills & Expertise

5 Ways to Win Super Bowl Sunday With Your Social Media Strategy

Brands on social media can find a way to make a hit on Super Bowl Sunday

By Hal Conick

4 min read • Originally published January 31, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Hal Conick

4 min read • Originally published January 31, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

5 Ways to Score on Super Bowl Sunday with Social Media was originally published by the American Marketing Association.

Big or small, brands have a chance to pick up steam—and perhaps go viral—any given Super Bowl Sunday.

Influence Central’s 2017 Biggest Game in Football report says 78% of consumers engage in social media while watching the Super Bowl.

According to the report:

38% want to share their thoughts on the commercials.
32% want to react to the game.
18% want to share photos of game-day parties.
10% want to see what their network is doing.
2% want to share strategy about the game.

Stacy DeBroff, CEO and founder of Influence Central, says even smaller brands have a chance of getting in front of a highly focused, gigantic audience on during Super Bowl Sunday.

Here are five tips for getting the attention of one of the biggest audiences of the year:

1. Focus on Pinterest before the game.

There’s a lot going on pre-game, according to DeBroff. This is where brands can focus on Pinterest, as 68% of people surveyed by Influence Central say they go to this social media platform when planning for game-day parties. Another 26% say they focus on Facebook and 17.2% say Instagram.

“Over the weekend, everyone is going to be looking to set up these parties,” she says. “It turns out that people really want to design [parties themselves]. When it comes to this sort of creative casual fare, they’re turning to Pinterest to be included. That’s a moment where brands can put up—if you’re a food brand—pictures of a party spread or the recipe for your bean dip in the shape of a football or the colors of the teams.”

2. Focus on Facebook and Twitter during the game.

Parties are getting smaller for the 2017 Super Bowl, DeBroff says, as fans now have big screens at home and an instant ability to tap into an online party via social media. During the Super Bowl, fans look for real-time news on Twitter and their friends’ reactions on Facebook.

“When you realize the primary focus is going to be on Facebook and tweeting, it gives marketers a focus in advance,” DeBroff says, adding a possible example of posting branded picture every time a team scores a touchdown.

3. Use geotargeted influencers.

With so many people on social media during the Super Bowl, there will be plenty of people posting updates, looking at posts and liking them. DeBroff says brands should use this to their advantage by finding geotargeted influencers to place brand products or services before the big game.

“In this case, visuals are really amazing,” DeBroff says. Another great way to expand reach is actively searching for someone who is using a brand’s product, then amplifying what the social media user is posting. “The amplification of that is an opportunity for this elusive real-time marketing.”

Targeting users can be a great way for smaller or regional brands to get involved on game day, DeBroff says. “You want to reach your passionate consumers who are tied into the game,” she says.

4. Put a twist on the commercials.

While it isn’t legally advisable to hijack a hashtag or use imagery from another brand, DeBroff says companies can still find unique ways to play off of Super Bowl commercials.

“The reason people are spending a lot of time on social is we now have a consumer demographic who all considers themselves to be discerning consumers,” DeBroff says. “We’re always analyzing the creative and the messaging to come up with our own determination of creditability.”

Companies can find ways to send their own message after an ad airs, DeBroff says–perhaps in an industry their brand works in, perhaps something a bit more creative.

DeBroff gives an example of a craft beer company playing off a Budweiser commercial by immediately posting a status, tweet or picture featuring a statistic on how many people drink craft beer during the Super Bowl, or something as easy as a toast to craft beer.

“You know within an audience [of beer drinkers] there will be people who feel strongly about craft beer,” DeBroff says. “You’re not hijacking, but adding something relevant.”

5. Be creative to go viral.

What’s at stake as a marketer? It could be a few stray impressions and a day or two of work, or it could be a brand being unveiled for the first time to an audience of millions. DeBroff says the only way to truly know what happens is to make some creative content and get involved.

“It means that you have a chance of getting a very focused audience,” she says. “If you can capture a small amount their attention, you have a chance of going viral.”

Hal Conick is a staff writer for the AMA’s magazines and e-newsletters. He can be reached at hconick@ama.org or on Twitter at @HalConick.

The American Marketing Association is the pre-eminent force in marketing for best and next practices, thought leadership and valued relationships, across the entire discipline of marketing. Its online publications include posts on industry trends, career advice and more.

Topics:

Advice From the Pros

4 Brilliant Marketing Ideas to Steal From Super Bowl’s Top Brands

A $5.5 million Super Bowl ad may not be in your budget, but here a few techniques you can afford to copy

Amirah Bey is a digital marketing strategist with over 10 years of experience across global brands including Amazon Web Services, Procore Technologies, and Mediabistro. A Howard University graduate and Army National Guard veteran, she specializes in lifecycle marketing, analytics-driven strategy, and digital experience optimization.

4 min read • Originally published February 6, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

If you want to build a successful freelance career, check out this online course. You’ll learn the right way to market yourself, how and who to pitch, how to navigate contracts and more.

Amirah Bey is a digital marketing strategist with over 10 years of experience across global brands including Amazon Web Services, Procore Technologies, and Mediabistro. A Howard University graduate and Army National Guard veteran, she specializes in lifecycle marketing, analytics-driven strategy, and digital experience optimization.

4 min read • Originally published February 6, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

With millions of viewers each year, the Super Bowl lives on as the premiere event for brands everywhere. More than the most-watched televised event, it is the one time of the year where viewers welcome and anticipate commercial breaks.

The prestige of these slots means advertisers bring their A-game, so we’ve compiled the best of the best Super Bowl brand ideas for you to emulate in your marketing efforts.

Express Yourself

Set to a moving score of violins, Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad paid tribute to its founder and the immigrant history of America. Many took the ad to be a commentary on immigration and today’s political climate, and speculated the 60-second spot was a criticism of the current administration.

Audi also switched gears to debut a touching commercial about a father’s hope for gender equality (equal pay) for his young daughter.

Both immigration and equal pay are often topics fraught with discord and bipartisan friction, but these brands took chances that paid off. They sparked a ton of conversation, made multiple headlines and trended on social media.

Taking a stand on an issue is something that should be meticulously evaluated and carefully executed. However, aligning your brand with the values of your employees and consumers can generate awareness and engender loyalty.

Try Real Time

Viewers were first treated to a live Super Bowl commercial in 1981, when Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company ran a taste test. This year Snickers also decided to unwrap their ad live during the big game.

Think of ways you can incorporate live streaming into your marketing and communications plans. Many consumers crave the authenticity and immediacy that live action provides.In order to have a successful broadcast you’ll also want to publicize the time you’re set to go live. Snickers released teasers in the days prior to the game to pump up anticipation. The candy brand also set up a 36-hour live stream leading up to the game that resulted in tons of shareable content.

BREAKING: @BettyMWhite is about to show up on set at #SNICKERSLive! Go to https://t.co/ef8ayGifTi #SB51 pic.twitter.com/yfTmoI1kU6

— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) February 2, 2017

Go Long

Buffalo Wild Wings actually released a series of spots featuring NFL icon Brett Favre. The campaign, “The Conspiracy” features Favre on a mission to uncover the forces behind a scheme that led to his all-time interception record. In the finale of this long-form ad, Favre resolves that Buffalo Wild Wings was behind the plot to drive up his number of interceptions.

Think of how you can stretch out your content. Break up that long article into a series of mini blog posts or develop an engaging video series. This keeps visitors coming back to your content and your brand top-of-mind.

Cover the Field

Not only did 84 Lumber premiere their first-ever Super Bowl commercial, “The Journey Begins,” they drove viewers to a related microsite in the ad. During the spot we see a mother and daughter on a grueling trek across Mexico. We don’t see where the journey ends, because the ad cuts to a prompt for viewers to visit a microsite to see the remainder of the commercial. Interest in the conclusion of the family’s story was intense as traffic flooded the site and crashed it temporarily.

Squarespace also used a microsite to interact with their audience across different platforms. The ad begins with John Malkovich, very confusedly asking, “How is it that JohnMalkovich.com is taken?” Malkovich becomes even more angry when sees who it is actually occupying his domain.

In actuality John Malkovich has made the transition to fashion designer. Those who head to JohnMalkovich.com are treated to a splash page of the other John Malkovich, an award-winning fisher, that falls away to reveal Malkovich’s fashion website presented by Squarespace.

In what ways can you bring your brand campaigns to life? Consider creating a microsite or a landing page to attract more leads and engage visitors longer. Be sure to decide how you’ll coordinate these efforts across social media channels.

Tie In Pop Culture

50 Shades of Grey is a pop culture phenomenon and whether you love or loathe the film, you’re sure to know what it’s about. With the sequel premiere set for the same week as the Super Bowl, T-Mobile’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” spoof was a strong example of the timely use of a pop culture tie-in.

Stay abreast of news and popular culture and look for ways that you can tie your message into these trends. This technique allows you to hook your audience with a buzzed-about topic and communicate your brand messages.

Topics:

Advice From the Pros, Be Inspired

Business Basics

7 Costly Mistakes Every Freelance Writer Should Avoid

Rookies and veterans alike should beware of these gaffes

By Amanda Layman Low

@AmandaLaymanLow

Amanda Layman is a B2B tech content writer and strategist with over 15 years of experience creating content for startups and enterprise brands. She founded Tigris, a content agency serving leading tech companies, and authored The New Freelance: A Book for Writers.

7 min read • Originally published February 8, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Amanda Layman Low

@AmandaLaymanLow

Amanda Layman is a B2B tech content writer and strategist with over 15 years of experience creating content for startups and enterprise brands. She founded Tigris, a content agency serving leading tech companies, and authored The New Freelance: A Book for Writers.

7 min read • Originally published February 8, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Whether you’re a newbie writer or you’re already flailing in the uncertain waters of freelancing, it can be helpful to learn from others’ mistakes. Rookie mistakes are invaluable if a writer learns from them, says editor and writer Suzann Ledbetter Ellingsworth. “Then again, a writer should be, and should welcome being, an eternal rookie. Thankfully, the writing business presents unlimited opportunities to practice humility,” she said.

I’ve been doing this freelance thing for three years, and my climb from anonymity to relative success has been a grueling one. Come along, eternal rookies everywhere, and learn from some of the mistakes we’ve made.

1. Working for peanuts

It’s tempting to think you’re not worth much when you first start freelancing. And while you probably aren’t going to land that lucrative New York Times feature when you’re virtually unknown, that doesn’t mean you should write for free, either. I wasted precious time writing for a massive website that promised serious income if I generated enough “clicks” from readers, but never made more than $30 for writing over 30 well-constructed articles. There are paying markets for new writers: content farms, up-and-coming publications, trade magazines and multi-author blogs are a few examples. Tap into them first instead of selling yourself short.

2. Firing off pitches like a trigger-happy hunter

You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and say, “Hey! I need a new best friend, let’s go spend all day together,” would you? Though that’s one way to make a first impression, it’s certainly not the best way. Your pitch letter is your first impression on an editor—so it had better have a professional tone, be well-researched and be grammatically correct.

Know the market to which you’re submitting. C. Hope Clark, founder of FundsForWriters.com, says she would have taken more time studying markets she submitted to and avoiding pitching the same piece simultaneously to competing markets. “That lesson came with experience and it took a negative situation where competing markets accepted my work for me to learn that was a big no-no.”

However, this isn’t to say you should only send your work out to one market at a time. My strategy is to send the same pitch to two or three non-competing markets (an essay about postpartum depression, for instance, could be sent to both a women’s health magazine and a mommy blog). If a market rejects my pitch, I’ll immediately send it out to another similar publication. To increase my odds of publication, I also try to have a variety of pitches out at any given time, rather than focusing on selling one piece at a time.

David Henry Sterry made the same mistake with a book he’d been working on for five years. “I sent it to all these great agents and they all said, ah, your cake is half-baked!” He says he was lucky that they gave him the reasons it wouldn’t work, but more often than not it’s better to get that feedback from a friend, colleague or book doctor before you start chasing down agents and editors.

3. Assuming you’re so brilliant that readers will just fall into your lap

Unless you’re Barack Obama or Stephen King or Stephenie Meyer, people aren’t just going to mindlessly consume anything you write.

Sterry warns against tossing your life’s responsibilities to the wind because you believe your story is going to be a megahit. “I’ve got people who’ve written these books who are like, I’m going to take a second mortgage out on my house—I’m like, no, don’t take a second mortgage out! Please, I beg you! You’re not going to get a $100,000 advance for this book, ever!”

Ellingsworth is of the same mindset. “Magnum opus to ‘filler article about diaper rash’ writing is 100 percent reader driven.” She reminds new writers that even when professionals speak about how they really only “write for themselves,” they’re usually saying it at a promotional event, with the intention of selling their writing. Truly successful writers write with their audience in mind: Their readers’ needs and wants always come first.

4. Overshare

You walk a fine line as a writer between having a strong online presence and oversharing. It’s valuable to connect with editors and colleagues on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, but spamming them with photos of your lunch and your baby’s various bowel movements won’t do much to further your career.

I have worried about sensitive information going public in my writing. I’ve written a few anonymous pieces for Mommyish.com and they’ve been wonderful about honoring my privacy, but I wouldn’t have submitted these delicate stories if I didn’t already have a trusting relationship with the editorial staff.

5. Freaking out about comments

You don’t have to be a blogger to get instant feedback on your writing anymore. Any piece you sell to an online publication has the potential to reach a massive, and often vocal, audience. Even magazine articles often get reprinted online.

Maria Guido, blogger and author, gives this advice: “Just chill out. Don’t worry about what everyone says because it really doesn’t matter. Try not to take every comment to heart because I totally believe that’s something people just do—all day! They just get online and attack people.” She also reminds writers that the people who comment are a very, very tiny portion of your actual collective readership.

I once wrote a hasty, overly sarcastic blog post for Mommyish, and it was met with a slew of comments attacking my character. I felt paralyzed for days—mostly because I knew I’d written poorly and in a way that was untrue to my voice, but also because readers who had loved my work were now claiming to hate me. I learned to take my time and to ask my editors for help when I was uncertain about something. I haven’t written anything I’ve been disappointed in since.

Remember: You’re the one getting paid to write. At the end of the day, if your editor is happy with your work and you’re happy with it, it doesn’t matter what the comment trolls have to say.

6. Failure to research

When I started freelancing, I thought it was a waste of time to study the masthead of a particular publication or learn about different editors’ preferences. I also didn’t read the publications to which I was submitting. I figured if I just sent a piece out to plenty of different markets, someone would eventually accept it. Plus, there was just so much else to do—file cabinets to organize, social media to update, ideas to jot down.

Ellingsworth says you can really only learn by reading, by doing—and by osmosis. I wholeheartedly agree. It’s no surprise that I sold my first “real” piece to Mommyish.com, a website I’d been pleasure-reading for months. Through osmosis, I’d figured out what kind of tone Mommyish preferred and what kinds of angles they needed for their pieces.

Another practical research tip for Internet writing: Just because a website doesn’t have a “submissions” page doesn’t mean they don’t accept work from freelancers. Dig a little deeper. Find an editor’s email address and send a brief email asking if they accept pitches from freelancers, and to whom you should send that pitch.

7. Giving up too soon

At the risk of sounding pretentious, I’ll say I knew I wanted to be a professional writer when I was 8. But I didn’t publish my first story until I was 17, I didn’t start making serious money writing until I was 25, and I didn’t have a readership until I was 27.

This isn’t to say it will take you 20 years to make it as a writer. But you have to put the work in and hope for the best. The whole process of freelancing is about building your portfolio, and using each job as a stepping-stone to the next bigger, better one.

Guido used her blog as her foundation for her writing career. “I really pursued the blog very aggressively and got it out there___ then I was able to use it as a resume to get writing jobs.” She adds, “Put in your time and have something that people can look at and see your body of work.”

Persistence Pays

If you keep at it, you’ll find your place in the freelance world. Exhaust your arsenal of knowledge. Everything you do, every hobby, skill or passion you have has the potential to become a salable story. Pay attention when you’re talking to friends or coworkers. Which of your stories intrigue them? What do people frequently come to you for advice on? If you’re always getting complimented on your garden or your extreme couponing habits or your ghost-hunting hobby, chances are there’s a readership that would benefit from your experiences. You’ll make mistakes, as all writers do, but as long as you have the gumption to bounce back from rejection and keep pitching your magnificent ideas, you’ll be unstoppable.

For more help with your freelance career, consider taking our online course.

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Business Basics, Go Freelance

Climb the Ladder

The Art of the Pitch: Why Selling Stories Is a Lot Like Seduction

Perfect your persuasive pitch with a few tips from the romance department

Amirah Bey is a digital marketing strategist with over 10 years of experience across global brands including Amazon Web Services, Procore Technologies, and Mediabistro. A Howard University graduate and Army National Guard veteran, she specializes in lifecycle marketing, analytics-driven strategy, and digital experience optimization.

4 min read • Originally published February 13, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Amirah Bey is a digital marketing strategist with over 10 years of experience across global brands including Amazon Web Services, Procore Technologies, and Mediabistro. A Howard University graduate and Army National Guard veteran, she specializes in lifecycle marketing, analytics-driven strategy, and digital experience optimization.

4 min read • Originally published February 13, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

The phrase, “it’s not personal, it’s strictly business,” is rarely said following an amiable exchange. If pop culture is to be relied upon, the saying is often a line of justification from a questionable character after some shady business dealing. This supports a theory that no good can come from treating people differently simply because they’re at work. When we’re on or off the clock, human-to-human interaction matters.

As for communications professionals (because journalists don’t stop being people when they walk in to the newsroom), the act of pitching the press is much like the courtship of a desired partner. Many of the same techniques you would use to seduce a romantic companion will be effective in the persuasion of members of top-tier media.

Make a good first impression

It’s so challenging to overcome a bad first impression. Typically the women and men who capture our hearts nail their first introduction. They are enigmatic, sweet, funny or polished.

The same goes for a journalist’s first impression of you. Often times this is via an email inbox, so make sure your message is spell-checked and formatted correctly.

Also, just like the guy or girl you’re trying to seduce doesn’t want some long-winded pickup line, the journalist you’re pitching would also like you to get to the point. Use your email message to describe your story idea as concisely as possible.

Personalize your communication

Mass-texting a group of men or women you happen to be dating, or want to date, isn’t a smart move. All of your potential mates would find out about one another and they would feel the opposite of special. The same is true for the journalism contacts you are trying to pitch.

Sending a mass email is impersonal and will never be as effective as crafting a personalized message to a high-value media contact. Failing to do so could mean a non-response or an unopened email that lands right in the right trash. It’s much easier to compose a tailored, well thought-out pitch email with our next tip.

Do your research

In modern dating, seduction has gone digital as dating apps become ubiquitous. Many of you use Google to research a prospect before you’ve even had a first date (just admit it). Spend no less time reading the articles of a journalist you want to pitch than you would scrolling the depths of that guy or girl’s Instagram feed.

Journalists often cite their number one pitching pet peeve as: communications pros that don’t do their research. Don’t pitch a journalist a story that has nothing to do with their beat. In fact, if you do your research well, you’ll find that journalists often operate in a specific niche within a beat. Your pitch will be warmly received if it hits all their soft spots.

It’s rare that public relations practitioners actually do their research so it’s easy to stand out. To get an ‘A’ for effort, demonstrate you’ve taken time to acquaint yourself with the writer’s previous work.

Also, flattery will get you everywhere. This is true in dating and pitching as well. If appropriate, give a compliment on their work for bonus points!

Don’t follow-up relentlessly

When trying to seduce someone, it’s important that you’re not overbearing. The person you’re interested in could share that interest initially, but be turned off by a barrage of texts or phone calls.

Relatedly, a journalist could receive your pitch, like the idea and plan to get back to you. Give them time to follow-up, and certainly don’t harass them with an onslaught of subsequent emails or phone calls.

Do follow-up

Wait, you just said—I know, I know, but we’re talking seduction and dating. Of course there are mixed messages. Both men and women agree: it’s the little things. Whether one remembers her zodiac sign, his favorite sports team or sends the always reliable “good morning” text; the little things make people feel cherished.

If a journalist runs with your pitch, the seduction doesn’t end there. Continue to build your relationship by sending them a thank you. Prove that you’re unselfish (and seeking a mutually advantageous relationship) by sending articles or other links pertinent to his or her beat, even when you aren’t actively pitching.

Pitching isn’t just for communications practitioners; the art of persuasive pitching is a skill that could advance the careers of a professional in any field. It’s important to know how to conduct thorough media research, choose the best channels for your messages and how to get noticed.

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