Questions people ask when I tell them I'm freelancing, cont.

Part two in my series of silly questions people ask me.

2. You can make money doing that?

I'm not sure where this question comes from. When people plunk down several dollars to buy one of those glossy magazines full of articles and pretty pictures, do they not realize that someone is paying the people writing those articles and taking those pictures? What about the books you pay $10 or more for? The author gets some of that. There are many, many people who make a living writing. The last time someone asked me "you can make money at that?" I answered, "No. We eat dirt and live under a bridge." Not only is it a stupid question, it's actually kind of rude. Why would I quit my job to do something that won't make me any money?

Questions people ask when I tell them I'm freelancing

Every time I tell someone I quit my job to become a freelance writer, I get asked the same questions. I'll discuss each of them, one at a time.

1. What do you write?

There are a variety of ways a freelance writer can get paid. You can make easy, steady money writing for article warehouses like Associated Content or Demand Studios. There are also a variety of revenue share sites like Suite 101, Triond, paid blogging sites, etc. These do not pay a lot of money, but there are people who make a living just writing for them.

A more professional and lucrative way to make money freelancing is writing articles for print or web and writing web content. There are many different tasks that fall loosely within these categories. Press releases, letters, sales material, translation, transcription, rewriting articles...you name it. If you can string words together with good grammar in a way that makes people want to read what you wrote, you can make money doing it. If you decide you want to be a freelance writer, it's your choice what you want to do!

I do a combination of the above. I do magazine articles, online articles, website content and article warehouses.

Ten things I love about my new job

This is my second week of working my new job as a freelance writer. Here are ten things I like about it, in no particular order:

1. No commute
2. Wearing (or not) whatever I feel like (or not) to work
3. I can take a nap or a bath or a gardening break whenever I want
4. I am in control of my income. If I need to make more money, I write more. If I want some time off and can afford to take it, I can.
5. My co-worker won't rat me out to my boss if I annoy or offend him.
6. I can have Take your Pet to Work Day any time I want.
7. I can work wherever I want.
8. I can take care of appointments and errands during the week when everyone else is at work.
9. I spend all day doing what I want to do, not what someone else is telling me I have to do.
10. I can blog at work any time I want.

Give my hubby some clicky love?

Loyal readers, my husband, Greg Walker is trying to get the whole writing business thing off the ground. He has written a few articles on Associated Content and is just 48 views away from actually receiving a payout! Will you do me a personal favor and read a few of his articles? I just went and read them all again, but I can only give him so many. He has an engaging writing style--quite entertaining to read! Greg's Associated Content page

Thank you!

What's your goal?

I've set various goals and challenges for myself over the years, and it always motivates me to get work done. I am goal oriented, so it really helps me to have something to work toward! On Michy's forum, LaurieM started the August Challenge, but we all set our own goals. I set a goal for myself of 100 articles and 20 queries for the month of August.

The first goal should not be hard--I already have 21 for the month. The second is a little harder, because I am usually so busy trying to earn money, I don't stop to write queries. However, I must! This is the way to break into higher paying markets and get higher paying projects. So, I only have 2 in for the month, but I have about 24 days left to get the other 18 in.

Do you set goals for your work? What are they? If you don't, consider trying it!

Today's epiphany

Today I figured out something very cool and exciting. I am writing a long article for a magazine that requested it. I realized that the same topic can easily be reworked for a different magazine with a different subject matter but the same idea...and then I thought of several more places where I can do the same thing! I could even break it up into a series. I'm starting to figure out the system!!!

I'm FREE!!!!

Today was my last day at the day job I've worked for over eleven years (most of my adult life). It was at once sad and exhilarating! It's such a big change that I'm kind of in shock. I'll miss the routine and my co-workers immensely, but I won't miss a lot of the work and BS that went with it. I am very happy to be leaving on my own terms to do what I want to do! It is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, and changes of this magnitude are always hard and scary...even if the change is for the better and you know that. I know I am going to be successful--I'm determined!