So I'm feeling pretty special today. I was interviewed and highlighted on the AOL website about work-at-home moms. :) Here is the article, complete with a picture of the munchkin and me from Easter. Not only is it way cool, it's also some nice PR for me and for what I do.
Freelancing has it's ups and downs. Upside: staying at home. Downside: budgeting. Upside: saving on daycare costs. Downside: unsteady work. But considering everything, pros and cons, it's gotten me by. Sure, money is tight, but what family isn't struggling paycheck to paycheck these days? Things have been pretty crazy on the freelancing front, but lots of positives with some side projects I've been doing.
I've even worked with a few companies as a contributing writer to help get my name out there more as a freelance writer. I started out working from home doing audio transcriptions and some desktop publishing work, but about 90% of my work now is writing, which is my true passion.
And I've been asked to be a contributing writer for several sites. I write a monthly column for I Got Mom Power, writing from the angle of being a single mother. I love the atmosphere on that site, lots of fun and conversational moms to talk to! In addition to writing iPhone app reviews for my own site, HappyApping.com, I am also a contributing reviewer for Tech on the Go, which has been a fun little side gig, too. Last but not least, I've also started writing for ParenteSource, which is an awesome new website that has great growth potential.
Of course, I'm still managing my other sites, including Omaha-Moms.com which has gotten quite the readership lately, and am juggling my own little projects here and there. Also redesigned my portfolio site, which already needs some updating with some of my newest work. eHow just recently decided to ditch their Writer's Compensation Program, which really bites because that was dependable residual income from articles I wrote years ago. Kinda makes me sad, as that was money I knew I could budget every month as income. Not anymore. :(
I recently got a job offer for a local print company, but had to turn it down. I mulled over the offer for a while, but when it came down to it, it wasn't enough pay for how much I was expected to write. At this point in my life, I have established myself as a quality writer, even if I *am* ghostwriting and not getting bylines. Taking that job and investing that kind of time and energy into print publishing would have cut me short on time for my more higher-paying writing gigs, which would have put me in a financial pickle altogether. A girl has to pay the bills, but getting that offer out of the blue was a nice and uplifting surprise!
Over the last few months, I have lost a few of my more regular clients due to dips in workload, not enough work to keep me busy, or changes in their business game plans, so I've been doing a lot more smaller jobs to get by. But that's okay--it keeps me on my toes, and keeps me motivated to find a variety of fun and fabulous clients to work for! I'm always writing about something different--it's like lifelong learning! :) It just goes to show, however, that you can't rely on just one client to pay your bills, so by spreading myself over a number of more regular clients, I at least keep busy if anything else!
To all my clients, old and new, I thank you for all the work you send my way! Many of you know how much you mean to me, but it's also nice to be recognized for the fact that you help me pay for the roof over our heads and the clothes on our backs. I don't know what I'd do without my amazing clients!
(PS--for an update on my marathon, check out this article over at I Got Mom Power that I wrote afterwards. And yes, my knee is fine! I went back to yoga class yeseterday for the first time since the run--spent the week icing, heating, and babying my knee!--and warrior pose showed it who's boss! LOL Gotta get back in the groove, as I have a Memorial Day run to do, and a half-marathon in September!)
0 comments:
Post a Comment