Adventures In Freelancing

Are you happy with your writing career and where it's going? Even if you're not exactly where you want to be right now, do you feel like you're on your way? There were times that I felt this kind of satisfaction and hope along my writing journey. Unfortunately, lately has not been one of those times.

The freelancing waters are murky for me right now. I won't repeat a long story that I've already told once. But because writing is what I do, it just makes sense to try to sort things out a bit here, with other writers who likely understand. I thought I was doing well and that everything was going along smoothly. Things really seemed to be good.

But then something started tugging at me. That nagging feeling I so often get that things aren't how they should be. Yes, I was writing. For money. Isn't that what I wanted to do? When my main gig fell out from under me, I realized that simply writing wasn't enough. I'm an idealist, a romantic, and do-gooder. When I do something, I have to feel it. I have to know that it's meaningful, that it's what I'm meant to do. Even in traditional jobs that were less than fulfilling, I could usually carry on for a while if I believe that what I was doing had meaning, that I was doing something good. Writing SEO for corporations that would end up making tons of money from my work while only paying me peanuts was not giving me the warm fuzzies. Do you know what I mean?

So when that job ended (after the initial panic), I realized that it's probably time to make a change. A change for the better. For me and for them.

They need a mama who is content with what she's doing, or at least who is satisfied with what she's contributing financially to her family. I'm not naive enough to think that all jobs are going to be perfect. But recent events have been a wake-up call that the path I was on was not the right one for me or for my family. Though I'm feeling kind of low and a bit defeated, I am resolved to moving forward and working toward a career that fits.

I've begun reading or re-reading books on freelancing, and I'm working to regain my focus. I'm taking notes and really trying to pull the information from the material that I think will be most relevant and helpful for me, and it's been a beneficial process. I'm feeling hopeful about where my writing is going and am beginning to see a glimpse of just where it might take me. I can't wait to get there.

What do you do when you get into a writing rut? How do you pull yourself out to the point that you're excited about moving forward?

In my last post I talked about setting writing goals and sticking to them for 100 days. When I told my husband about it and the goals that I set for myself, I noticed that he looked at me a little strangely. I immediately realized what the issue was. My goal of posting to two blogs each day and sending out three queries per week didn't seem like very much to him, I believe. So I then reminded him of what else I spent my days doing - marketing.

Marketing means many things to many people. For a business it may be advertising your product, sending out press releases, and creating buzz about your product. We freelancers need to market as well. Writing is our business! Without getting ourselves in front of our audience or people who could potentially help us in our pursuits, our chances of earning an income significantly decrease.

For me, marketing includes writing query letters. Those are a key marketing piece for many of us. My marketing efforts also include social networking on sites like Twitter and Facebook to spread the word about my blogs. I recently spent some time creating a fan page on Facebook around my new blog for adult learners as well as submitting the blog to various blog directories.

All of this takes a tremendous amount of time. So if you've decided to take the writing challenge, please don't neglect to think about all the other aspects that go into your career as a freelance writer. Choose goals that are realistic for the time you have available to dedicate to your business. Like me, many of you may be juggling freelancing with raising children. You may have a full-time job and be writing on the side. Whatever the case may be, it's imporant to take outside obligations and the big picture into account when setting your goals.

There. Now I've explained myself to you as well. I feel better. What are your thoughts on marketing? Do you enjoy it or would you rather just write? I have mixed emotions about the subject. I find it fun to reach out and enjoy the challenge of using my creativity to advance my projects; however, it can get kind of tiring as well. It's a delicate balance.

Well, I'm off to do some marketing!

Photo by Sun Dazed

I just read about a fantastic movivational challenge at  Writing Spirit called The 100 Day Writing Challenge. The gist of the challenge is that you'll choose a writing goal or two and work for 100 days to complete them. You can keep track of your progress in a few different ways. I've thought long and hard about this and have decided that I plan to take this challenge and will be using the Box a Day method to stay on track. What this means is that I will keep daily inventory of whether or not I've met my goal. This way I can have a visual of how successful I am. There's even a handy chart you can use to keep track of your goals.

My Goals

My goals are to post on at least two of my three blogs each day and to send out one query or manuscript to a website or print publication at least three days a week. One thing I know about goal setting is that your goals must be specific, measurable, and realistic. I think mine are. I feel very empowered having shared my goals and commited to completing them.

Join Me!

The challenge technically began September 23rd and is to end December 31st, but according to the rules, you can start any time.  So what do you think? Will you join me in The 100 Day Writing Challenge? There's a forum at Writing Spirit to share goals and encourage others. I'd be honored if you'd share your goals and check in right here with me as well. What are your goals, and how do you plan to implement them? Is there anything I can do to help?

Happy writing!

Wow! It's been a long time since I've blogged. I took a bit of time off because my whole family was sick with some kind of yucky flu for a couple weeks. I have to confess that I actually started it and then shared it with everyone else. Usually, it's the kids who bring it home from school. But this time, it was mom. So I took some time to lay aruond, drink ginger ale, and administer cold medicine.

Taking Time Out

The last week or so, I've been taking some time to once again reevaluate some things. The past year that I've been blogging has been wonderful. I've learned so much and made so many online friends. But I've realized that I'm not where I had hoped to be professionally by this time. I started blogging as a springboard to freelance writing. I wanted to get myself in the habit of putting words down on a regular basis and learning to handle the fear of putting myself out there. I've done that, but I haven't accomplished what I'd set out to do.

I've gotten some paid writing jobs, mostly blogging gigs. And I've enjoyed them greatly. They've taught me about choosing content, dedicating myself to posting daily, how to work with a virtual boss, how to write concisely, and how to invoice. What I haven't done is score good paying gigs on a regular basis, as I had hoped I would by this point.

My New Outlook

After taking this down time to think things through, I'm feeling better about where I'm going. I've started researching writing markets and planning out queries. I'm also taking time to get some business cards printed and make some connections in my local community. I've arranged to put the baby in part time daycare when school starts back up for the older kids. My amazing husband is supporting me in this decision, even though we really don't have the estra funds in our monthly budget for childcare. We're doing the daycare thing on a trial basis. If I'm not able to bring in some worthwhile income with my writing within a few months, I'll discontinue daycare.

I'm also working on developing a new blog project with an online friend. I'll tell you more about it when it's off the ground, but it has to do with advising college students. That's what I did in my professional life before leaving the traditional workforce to become a work-at-home mom. I've blogged about higher education for others; I think it's time to take the leap into starting my own blog using what I know to help others.

Feeling Optimistic

I"m feeling very excited about my new professional outlook. Taking some time off these past few weeks has really helped me to put things into perspective. I know that I have the ability to use my writing skills to earn a living, and I plan to move forward in a more productive fashion than I have been. Not that I regret anything I've done over the past year. I'm glad I took the time to test out the waters, do my research, and meet amazing people who've inspired and motivated me to succeed.

And I'm thankful that my family has stood by me in this exploration and that I've been fortunate enough to be able to take this time to explore. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.

Cross posted at my personal blog Everyday Baby Steps