Issue #38: What is my job?
Every freelance writer is different, but here's a peek into my work at any given time
Five years ago, I was one month unemployed and on an epic road trip in New Zealand. After 15 years working for a small(ish) company, I was ready to see what else was out there in the world. I wore so many hats for so long in the jobs there that I was very excited to free up some brain space for things like song lyrics, fun words in new languages, and interesting stories.
If I had a crystal ball and knew that just one year later, the world would shut down, I’m not sure if I’d have taken that leap. I’m generally a careful person with a lot of worries. But dammit, I’m so glad I did it. The pandemic forced me to get creative about finding work since I had no permanent address, the worst health benefits the government could offer budget travelers, and no clue what was next.
Freelance writing became a way for me to earn a few dollars while we figured things out. My first few assignments literally paid me $5.00 so I could get some reviews on Upwork. It was pretty sad, but with persistence, I slowly started building up enough work to pay for groceries. My husband found a job with health insurance, and that allowed me to continue to see if I could make this into something worthwhile.
The idea of a freelance writer would have intrigued me five years ago, and I get a few questions about what exactly I do, so I figured I’d share a little breakdown of where my words and work end up in the world.
Magazines and Online Publications
My biggest assignments are from larger magazines and online publications. I work with editors on specific content they want covered. These projects require research, which is done by interviews, collecting sources, and gathering quotes. I love these assignments because they allow me to dive deep into a specific topic and try to find a unique angle.
I would love to do more of these, but I rarely have time to build pitches. I have a notebook full of ideas, and my goal this summer is to pitch to a few new publications.
Daily Newsletters
Many companies are utilizing email newsletters to connect with customers. I write a daily newsletter for a marketing company that reaches around 200,000 people every weekday. The most time-consuming part is planning out content calendars a month ahead. The content is light-hearted and fun. This is a great client for me, and I absolutely love the people I get to work with. Plus, it’s nice to have something so consistent for planning purposes.
Podcast Recaps
Many podcasts have writers recap their episodes and make them easier to find through regular online searches. I work with an amazing woman-owned podcast production company that has helped launch dozens of podcasts. I help turn the podcast episodes into blog posts for two of the pods.
These assignments are simple because the content is all there. It’s just about reorganizing it into a post that makes sense. If you speak marketing, a lot of the work here is doing SEO, which means writing them in a way that is helpful to people asking specific questions to Google.
Travel Website/Blog
We started The Tumbling Nomads when we were planning our trip around the world as a way to document this big adventure. It was a fun outlet for writing and a place to share photos. It turned into a place where people could find some inspiration and information about the places we’ve traveled.
Here are a few I’ve written that are popular:
This space brings in a teeny tiny bit of money with affiliate links when people book a hotel I linked to or a product I shared. I’d love to help people build their travel itineraries or put together more in-depth guides to sell at some point. But I also worry that the internet is packed with these things already.
One piece of advice when reading travel content online is to validate that the person has actually visited the place. AI and travel companies are hiring writers to put together “travel guides,” but these writers have never stepped foot in that destination. I know this because I’ve been offered those jobs. Ask questions and look for those who share their personal experiences.
Business Launch/Rebrand Projects
Websites are necessary for every business today (in my opinion), but website builders can cost a fortune. I’ve been working with small businesses that need websites and some basic copy and design work to launch. I operate in the “teach a man to fish” school of thought. I charge way less than others and help business owners set up a website that they can manage and update themselves going forward.
This is one of my favorite things to do because it’s more project-based than writing. I’d love to do more of this. In the past, I’ve helped with pieces of the process, including education on Google reviews, social media management, website copy, contact forms, and other automation for websites.
Hit me up if you’re looking for some help or know someone who wants to start a business but doesn’t know how to get online and show themselves off.
Side Projects for Pennies
Because I’m a freelancer, there are definitely lulls in work. During these lulls, I will help with just about anything that will make me money. I have turned down weird requests to be a photographer for someone’s dating profile and some other jobs, but it’s not often. Here are a few examples of other things I do:
Copy and pasting web copy and reformatting for website design changes.
Cookbook reviews on thecozychill.com to drive some traffic and get some ad revenue. Hoping this grows a little this year, or it might not be worth the time.
Sharing links in these newsletters that will pay me a few pennies if any of you click on them.
A percentage of sales from Beautycounter (I’ll share more about that below.)
Serving as the administrator for some online forums for an employment company.
Pledges on this Substack newsletter that let me know that you would pay for this if I ever put some of the content behind a paywall. Shout out to those of you who have!! Make sure you’re subscribed, and you can pledge there if you’d like.
I’m sure there are some things I’m forgetting, but I think that covers most of the things I’m working on in any given month. It’s not easy, and if you’re just starting out, it can feel like you’ll never make any money. But persistence pays off.
I’ll share more about my daily routine, things I miss about working for the man, and things I’ve learned in this process in the future, so if you have any questions or want to chat more about it, let me know. I think transparency is important in many different career paths, so I’m happy to talk about it and help if I can.
I mentioned Beautycounter above, but wanted to share a few thoughts on this company. If you’ve never heard of Beautycounter before, it’s a clean beauty company that focuses on education and quality products. I purchased some and fell in love with the skincare routine.
I became an “advocate” probably about 10 years ago. It felt MLMy, but I was interested in buying everything at a discount. I never had to purchase inventory. The idea of hosting a party or constantly reaching out to people in my life to try to sell them something was not really in my wheelhouse, but I did love a lot of their items, and sometimes that’s just a natural share for me. I just kept doing it because the discount was great. I made a few hundred dollars each year through sales linked from my websites or people I know who buy it.
A few years ago, the founder sold the company to an investment firm, which quite literally ran it into the ground—from a $1 billion valuation to nothing. So, the founder stepped back in and purchased the assets and the rights to sell the products again under a new company. Unfortunately, that won’t be back up and running until Q4.
Personally, I hope they get rid of the advocate program. Instead, they could offer an affiliate program where someone might make 5% if they share your products. They could sell things at a lower price point, likely reach more people, and shed the MLM-ness and “team” structure of the organization.
So, if you are someone who has used Beautycounter and you run out before the end of the year, you’ll have to find a substitute (I’m happy to help). I’m already on the hunt for Vitamin C Serum and a good daytime moisturizer, so let me know if you have any suggestions. I’m excited for the OG founder to bring this brand back, and I’ll be sure to share when the time comes.
The NY Times Travel section often does a feature outlining 36 hours in a city. They just did 36 Hours in Minneapolis, and it gave me so many new places to explore on my next trip home. And now I’m laughing like I really have any free time when I go back.
I’m in love with every last thing in this house tour and I would like to live in it.
My review of this specialty cookbook should be live this week. Are you on board with this new food trend?
Here is a piece on the Beautycounter CEO talking about how corporations can advocate for change.
Has anyone else read this book? I just finished it and it won’t be making my favorites of the month, but I want to know what others thought.
I’m pretty surprised at how much I love this new Billy Joel song. I’m so excited to see him again in concert here in Seattle on my actual birthday in a few weeks.
My favorite is actually Summer, Highland Falls, but I know only one other person who loves that song as much as I do.
I hope you found this peek into my “job” interesting or at least informative. Let me know if you have any questions or want to connect about anything I talked about. One huge perk is that I set my schedule, and with 80 degrees in the forecast this weekend, I’ll be working a lot to ensure I can enjoy a sunny Friday afternoon with no responsibilities.
Cheers!
Steph
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