In lieu of an e-book about freelancing

Instead, I'll be writing weekly and candidly here about my job as an independent journalist

A year ago, I sort of quietly announced that I was going to publish an e-book about freelancing, sharing everything I had learned over the years of doing it full time since 2020 (plus almost a decade before that of doing it as a side gig).

In my years as an independent journalist, I’ve been published by internationally-recognized publications like Outside, Women’s Health, Texas Monthly, etc. I make a salary that’s competitive to full-time magazine editors. I get to work when I want and where I want. I go on work trips to places like Panama, Denmark, and Mexico. I choose the people I want to work with. I choose what I want to work on.

I really love my job. And I love answering questions from friends and subscribers about how I organize my days, make enough money, generate story ideas, and get assignments and land pitches. But I don’t talk enough about how hard it is.

I question myself daily. My pitches get rejected a lot. Sometimes I pick up random gigs to fill gaps in my salary goals. I’m constantly deciding whether a new product or press trip is worth my time. I feel guilty about deleting so many emails.

So it’s not that I don’t have anything to say in an e-book. I have chapters’ worth. It’s just that everything I want to tell you is too fluid for a static PDF.

No day looks the same, and at any given moment, an email could land in my inbox with a rejection or an opportunity, a killed story or an assignment.

It’s an adventure, and I’m going to start documenting it weekly, right here. It’s not going to be an advice column (at least for now) or a playbook but rather an honest account of what I’m dealing with as a self-employed writer and creative person.

Beyond today and occasional posts, this column will only be available for paid subscribers because this is an extension of my work as a freelancer. My livelihood is writing, and that includes publications as well as here on Substack. Plus, I’m going to get really candid and vulnerable. I don’t want everyone knowing about my worst press trip ever or a thorough breakdown of my finances, ya know?

Here’s a sample of what you can expect, and a handy button to upgrade your subscription if you’re interested. Thank you for your patience and support!

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Becoming a contract copywriter saved my freelance writing business

In December 2022, I posted the following on LinkedIn:

One of the inquiries to roll into my inbox was from a former colleague who went to work at Outdoorsy, the RV rental marketplace. Their marketing copywriter was leaving, and they needed someone new. Would I be interested? We talked over video, and I asked for a week or so to think about it. I wanted to be certain that taking on a copywriting client would boost my business, not drain my energy. I’m not new to email marketing. I’ve had this newsletter for 4 years and before that, I created and sent the newsletters for an outdoor industry magazine where we met.

We agreed on a trial period of 3 months to make sure it was aligned for the both of us. This gave both sides the opportunity to cut and run (in a healthy way that wouldn’t burn bridges) if it wasn’t what we expected. My role was to provide copy for email newsletters, travel blogs, and company campaigns usually around a holiday. I was overwhelmed at first learning new content systems like Figma and project management tools like Jira. But I knew it was good for me to be exposed to systems I normally wouldn’t engage with as a self-employed person.

Ultimately though, my hope with a copywriting client was to boost my income. I’d made the decision to distance myself from commerce writing (another post for another time) and refocus on storytelling. But that meant I’d need to replace the lost income. Commerce writing pays really well, while reporting hasn’t been as reliable for me. I needed some stability to support my journalism, and the Outdoorsy contract would provide consistent work and a paycheck ($100/hour).

What I didn’t expect was to have fun in the role. After the trial period, we renewed my contract through the end of the year. And here I am, still working with them on a contract basis, having an absolute blast. The whole team is wonderful and brilliant and, importantly, kind. I look forward to our occasional meetings because it can get lonely as a freelancer. Early on in a meeting with the CMO, I was told to be “spiky” and “spicy.” Challenge accepted. I get to use a different part of my brain to experiment with quippy copy, like “Yes, chef” for a CTA or “Too hot to handle” for an email subject line. I even wrote a guide to nude camping. And I get to match my words with the designers gorgeous layouts for a thematic approach. The work is really creative and engaging.

Being a copywriter not only keeps the lights on, but I think I’ve also become a better writer. I feel more confident getting a little voice-y with my pitches and offering suggested headlines for my stories. I’m not afraid to try something new and a little weird. The CMO me permission, after all. I get to interact with with people who are smarter than me and those who think differently than I do. I’m constantly learning new things about tools or the industry or the company. And I have community to share ideas and brainstorm with.

Some weeks, I have a lot of copywriting work to do so I don’t get to my journalism projects as much as I want. But then the next week, the copywriting load is lighter and I can get back to pitching and reporting. It keeps me on my toes.

Unless they get rid of me, I’d like to stay there. If you’re curious about renting an RV or van, check out Outdoorsy, where you can also catch some of my writing.

Thanks for reading and let me know what other freelance topics I should write about!

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