Kristen Hall-Geisler

Category: Freelancer

  • Is AI My Competition?

    Is AI My Competition?

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    Kristen
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    In the summer of 2023, I stopped writing for How Stuff Works after more than a decade of freelancing for the company. After I left, I learned from my editor (who has also since left the company) that article updates would be performed by artificial intelligence. I posted about this change in several places, including…

  • I Was Replaced by AI

    I Was Replaced by AI

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    Kristen
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    For more than a decade, I wrote for How Stuff Works. I started as an automotive writer, and after a few years, the editors figured out that I could take on almost any topic they threw at me. So I was farmed out to other departments (except health; they were very picky about those writers…

  • My Go-To Freelance Tools and Apps

    My Go-To Freelance Tools and Apps

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    Kristen
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    I’ve noticed, after six months of stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, that a lot of people are striking out on their own to build freelance businesses. I’ve been out here living a freelance life since 2006, and I would like to welcome you all! It can be tough going for the first few years,…

  • Freelance Perks: Serious Time Off

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    Kristen
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    Here is what it is like to be a mid-career freelance editor and writer. After building up subject expertise and reliable contacts and great clients, I get to take a month off. Like, a whole month. This month, to be exact. How I Planned It In the spring, Mr. KHG and I discussed taking time…

  • KHG-Force

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    Kristen
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    What I’m up to the week of Dec. 3, 2018:

  • Obvious Freelance Lesson: Honesty Is the Best Policy

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    Kristen
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    I’ve been freelance writing and editing since 2006, and it’s gone pretty well. I’ve had lots of happy clients, one unhappy one, and a reasonably steady income from an ever-evolving roster of publications. I’m pretty good at the whole freelancing thing. But every so often, I need to have a basic lesson pounded into my…

  • How I Improved My Productivity in Two Easy Steps

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    Kristen
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    You may think that headline is clickbait-y, but I did indeed improve my productivity this week in two easy steps. One of the steps was free, and one was not. The free one, actually, was harder. Here they are, in numbered list form so you can follow along: What have I completed this week? I…

  • A Bullet Journal Journey to Page-Chomping Freedom

    A Bullet Journal Journey to Page-Chomping Freedom

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    Kristen
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    When I was a kid, probably about eight years old, I got my first hardcover journal. I think it was for my birthday, though it could have come in an Easter basket. We were a gift-giving family, so sometimes after decades have passed, I don’t remember precisely what holiday was the occasion for a gift.…

  • I, a Design-Challenged Person, Have Made a New Logo

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    Kristen
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    I have not been happy with my previous attempt at a logo. It had too many words because I am a word person, so that’s what I added. It was two shades of gray, light and dark, because that seemed trustworthy and professional. It was boring and looked like this: I am trustworthy and professional,…

  • Freelancing Is Like Baking

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    Kristen
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    or, a study in forced metaphors and The Great British Baking Show For a little less than a year and a half, I contracted with TechCrunch to write nearly a dozen posts a month on automotive technology. As of July 31, 2017, that contract came to an end. This is how things work in the freelance…