The Valentine’s Day scam

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Valentine’s Day purports to be a celebration of love. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. It is a celebration of guilt. Consider all the people who feel bad on Valentine’s Day, because they’re not in a “traditional” relationship like the ones shown in greeting cards and on romantic TV shows. Well, what about the … Continued

The dishonesty of The Dawn Project’s anti-Tesla Super Bowl ad

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An advocacy group called “The Dawn Project” aired an ad challenging the safety of Tesla’s Full Self Driving feature during the Super Bowl. The ad is a good example of dishonest fearmongering. Before I analyze the ad, let me clarify two things. First, this ad appeared, not nationally, but in local markets like Washington, DC … Continued

$7 million pays for a lot of annoyance

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It’s a noisy world. There are two ways to be heard. First way: Say something loud. Say it a lot. Shout and scream. Fill people’s inboxes over and over. Create ads that pop up and intrude. Annoy. Second way: Say something interesting. Say it to a few people who trust you. See if they’ll tell … Continued

How to price freelance projects for maximum growth and joy

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I price jobs by the project, not by the hour. That allows me to maximize value and enjoyment both for myself and for the client. And I include some unusual factors in my pricing strategy to maximize my happiness. Why price by the project? If you’re a freelancer, charging by the hour has significant problems: … Continued

Freelancing is better

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Here’s why. I don’t have to keep my workspace tidy. I can choose which clients to work with and which not to. Nobody tells me what to do. I can work late if I want and sleep late if I want. Nobody cares when I do the work. I can charge whatever I want. I … Continued

Hiring a ghostwriter? Pick a published author, not a rookie.

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A friend reached out for advice yesterday. “How much should I charge to ghostwrite a business book?” he asked. I was surprised, because I knew he hadn’t written a book before. My first thought was, “You’re still a rookie author. So you and your potential client are going to be doing some very expensive learning … Continued

How (and why) to hand in a “clean manuscript”

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There are two ways you can hand off your manuscript to the publisher: in a tidy and well-organized way, or in a screaming, error-filled rush. Not surprisingly, you should try for the former. What it means to hand in a clean manuscript When I handed over my latest book to the publisher, he called it … Continued

You’re not building a career. You’re building a network.

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I started my career at age 23. It’s 40 years later. And I’ve finally figured out what I was doing all that time. Sure I was accumulating skills and experiences and figuring out ways to get well paid for doing things I was good at. But that’s just work. As it turned out, the most … Continued