Help a Fellow Freelancer

Blogathon, day 21. 

I've been talking about the blogathon with my kids, and letting them help me come up with ideas. This morning my soon-to-be-nine-year-old son said, "what about helping people whenever you can?" (That's him, almost seven years ago.) And that may be something that you don't always consider as a freelancer, but it's smart advice wherever you are in your career. After all, it's a close corollary to the golden rule, "treat others the way you want to be treated." 

Here's an example. Two days ago, I received an email from a reader of Writer for Hire. She said she loved the book (which is always nice to hear), but she had a question about looking for an agent, and wondered if I could help her. I responded with a section of Six-Figure Freelancing that talks specifically about agents and includes websites to help her locate potential ones. And yesterday, I referred two potential clients to Jodi Helmer, a talented writing coach and teacher I know. 

It doesn't take much to help other freelancers. Maybe it's liking their new business page. Or responding to questions about rates for one of your regular markets. Or writing a review of their new book. Or sharing a Facebook post where they're looking for sources. These little things don't take much time, but they make life better for all of us, and they make you feel good. According to karma, what goes around comes around, so why not put some good in the world? 

Your assignment: Find a way to help a fellow freelancer. 

**And now for my usual book plug: if you're a new freelancer, get up to speed fast with Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets, which is aimed at brand-new freelancers in search of their first clips. Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition is a freelancing classic that helps both new and experienced writers boost their bottom line. And my latest book,Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition, shows how to break into the ghostwriting/content marketing field.