I’m Teaching Two Online Writing Classes This Summer

May 21, 2019
by Nicole
2 min read
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It’s time for another round of online classes! Here’s what I’m teaching this summer:

HOW TO GET STARTED AS A FREELANCER

June 25–July 16, 2019

How do you get started as a freelance writer? Is it possible to turn freelancing into a full-time job? Nicole Dieker has been a full-time freelancer for nearly a decade, and she’ll teach you everything she knows about how freelancers make money; how to pitch (even when you don’t have clips); how to build a freelancer schedule that combines writing, pitching, networking, and administrative work; and how to grow your earnings over time.

THE ART OF INTERVIEWING

August 8–August 15, 2019

If you want to build your freelance career, you need to know how to interview. How do you find and interview a source when your editor wants your draft by Friday? What questions should you avoid? What do you do when your source wants to approve the interview before it’s published? This course will cover the mechanics of interviewing, including how to locate sources, how to prep the interview, and how to help your source feel comfortable during the process.

Both classes are being run through Seattle’s Hugo House in partnership with WetInk.

These are self-directed courses, in the sense that you can complete the work at your own pace—however, you’ll also be part of a group of students all taking the class at the same time, so you’ll get the benefit of being able to discuss ideas, share thoughts, and build your writing network.

Plus, you’ll have me around to provide guidance and feedback.

On the subject of feedback, here’s what a previous student had to say about my “How to Get Started as a Freelancer” course:

I took Nicole’s freelancing class. By the end of the class, I had submitted my first pitch, had it accepted and the article published. She guided us through the process of building a freelance career, with concrete steps to get started, ongoing resources for growth and answers to wide-ranging questions. She taught one of the most informative classes I’ve taken and she did it while providing individualized information for each member of the class.

Beth Swanson, freelance writer and journalist

Hugo House member registration begins on June 3, and general registration begins on June 11. If you register before June 17, you’ll get $20 off.

Hope to see you in class! ❤️

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Registration Is Open for Two New Online Classes: The Finances of Self-Publishing and How to Develop a Writing Practice

March 12, 2019
by Nicole
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Very excited to announce that I’m teaching two online classes with Hugo House this spring!

Take The Finances of Self-Publishing if you’re planning to self-publish a book and want to know 1) how much it’ll cost to produce the book and 2) how much you might earn back in sales. It’s a short course — just two hours’ worth of material spread over two weeks.

Take How to Develop a Writing Practice if you want to learn how to make time to write a book, a blog, or anything else you’ve been itching to put into words. This four-week course will get you writing right away, and help you build writing habits that will last a lifetime.

Both courses are group courses, which means that although you can work at your own pace within the course (there aren’t any class sessions that meet at specific times or anything like that), you’ll be part of a group of students who are all taking the same course at the same time. It’s an excellent way to get to know other writers.

Registration for both courses opens today, and you can get Early Bird pricing if you register before March 19.

Full course details below. If you have questions about either of these courses, leave ’em in the comments!

THE FINANCES OF SELF-PUBLISHING

April 18–April 25, 2019

Self-publishing is easier than ever—but it isn’t cheap. When you become your own publisher, you take on all the costs associated with publication: hiring editors and designers, getting industry reviews, planning book launches and book tours. This course will cover the finances of self-publishing, explain the types of expenses you can expect as a first-time publisher, and discuss ways to keep your costs low while still creating a professional-quality book.

HOW TO DEVELOP A WRITING PRACTICE

April 30—May 21, 2019

Successful writers understand that writing is not just an art—it’s also a practice. If you’re having trouble finding time to write or feel like you lack the motivation to complete your writing projects, this class is for you. Students will learn how to track their creative energy throughout the day, analyze their schedules to set aside time for writing, use measurable goals to maximize productivity while writing, and discuss how to remain committed to their writing practice long-term.

Want help with your freelance career and/or your manuscript?

November 27, 2017
by Nicole
2 min read
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This post was originally sent to my TinyLetter subscribers.

It’s CYBER MONDAY, and I cannot believe that I am sending this out on CYBORG MONDAY, but I wanted to let you know that I was recently invited to become a career and manuscript consultant at Seattle’s Hugo House.

Which means that if you are looking for something to purchase THROUGH THE INTERNET, you can buy sessions with me.

You already know that I give away a lot of my freelancing wisdom for free—you might have heard the most recent episode of the Writing & Money podcast, for example—and I’m not going to stop doing that. But if you are interested in setting up an hour or two to talk specifically about your freelance career goals and how to achieve them, I am here for you.

I am also here to offer editing, copyediting, and proofreading services on your manuscript. I am a VERY GOOD EDITOR who hasn’t misspelled CYBER MONEYDAY once.

I’ll just quote myself here:

As an editor, I focus on whether the writer is effectively communicating their story to their audience. Sometimes there are narrative gaps that need to be filled so that a reader can link one section of text to another; sometimes the text is unbalanced, with too much time spent on a certain story element (most commonly exposition).

I read very quickly and can complete a 90,000-word manuscript in 2–3 hours, though you’ll want to add in another hour for me to write up my feedback. I’ll send the first round of feedback via email, and we can have a follow-up conversation over the phone or online (via text or video chat)—whichever is most comfortable for the writer. If you just want my initial feedback on a draft, that’s great; we can also continue the conversation and I can provide additional written feedback on subsequent drafts.

If you’d like copyediting/line-editing/proofreading services, estimate 30 minutes for every 600 words.

If you’re a freelancer who is looking to build your career, we can set up an hour-long consultation. We could look at your pitching strategy, discuss how to expand your client base, or address any questions/concerns you have about freelancing.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, my rates are $90/hr and you can sign up right here.

I ALSO MAKE AN EXCELLENT HOLIDAY GIFT. ❤️

Registration is open for my Hugo House class on how to manage—and grow—your freelance income!

August 22, 2017
by Nicole
2 min read
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Registration just opened for my newest Hugo House class, “How to Manage—and Grow—Your Freelance Income.”

This is a one-session course on Saturday, October 7, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. It’ll be held at Hugo House in Seattle, and although all students are welcome, it is specifically designed for writers who have started their freelance career (full or part-time) and are looking to increase their income.

Here’s the official class description:

To build a successful freelance writing career, you need to learn how to both manage and grow your income. This means tracking your current income, knowing how much work you need to book in order to hit short- and long-term income goals, and budgeting for both high and low cash-flow months. This course will look at the mechanics of freelance income management, and students will leave with spreadsheet templates to help them track and grow their own freelance earnings.

I’ve been publicly tracking my freelance income since 2012, and I’ve grown my income by $20K each year for the past two years, so… I have some experience with this. 😉

Early Bird pricing is in effect through August 28, which means prices are currently $70.10 for Hugo House members and $79.00 for non-members. After that, prices will go up to $80.10 and $89.00, respectively.

My classes have hit capacity before, so sign up now if you’re interested! Leave any questions in the comments, and I hope to see you there!