How long have you been working as a writer?

Tess:  Although I have been writing all my life, including material for my high school newspaper, I didn’t get serious about it as a career until the spring of 2008, when I had the opportunity to help a friend write content for her blog and website. I enjoyed it so much, I began looking for more writing opportunities online, started writing my own material and as of December 2008, began writing full-time from home officially. This month marks 9 months that I have been working as a freelance writer.

How did you get your start?

Tess:  I started out with writing twenty blog posts a week for $1 each for the JobDrama.com community. I then started writing articles for websites like Associated Content to earn a few dollars here and there. It was through the advice and encouragement of many fellow writers on WAHM.com that I found opportunities online and wonderful companies that were willing to give me a chance to write for them, including All Custom Content.

What motivated you to become a writer?

Tess:  From the time I was a small child and could write my name, I loved observing the world around me and writing down everything I experienced, in pictures and words. My mother taught me the value of telling a good story as she was the keeper of many stories in our family. She passed that gift down to me and so I knew I wanted to share this gift with others. As a teenager I kept hundreds of journals and then as an adult, I enjoyed all of my college days writing term papers and doing research. Being able to seek out and share information is what motivates me to write everyday. Seeing my work published is a great feeling!

How do you market your services?

Tess:  I market my services via my website, article submission sites, online forums and communities, any kind of free or low cost advertising I can find (Backpage, Craigslist) and I take time every week to look for project leads. I’ve also found success with sending out letters of inquiry to companies that may need articles or web content written for them. The rest of it comes from referrals from my existing clients who like my work.

My website is : http://www.TaylorResourcesWriting.com

What tools and steps did you use to establish your business?

Tess:  I started out slowly, since I was still working a day job as a Human Resources manager in 2008. I spent time researching what companies were out there hiring writers, what kinds of writing I could offer and how to market myself to maximize what little time I had in the evenings and weekends to build my business. Then I started taking on work, adding clients as I went. I made goals for how much work I wanted to take on and how much I wanted to earn. Before I resigned from my day job, I made sure I had 2 week’s worth of salary in the bank to cover myself financially. Then I just did it! It was the best decision I ever made and I’ll never look back now.

Would you describe to us your typical day?

Tess:  My day starts at 6:30 am when I help get my husband, a teacher, and our 17 year-old son off to school. Then I make coffee and have a quick breakfast as I check emails for about 30 minutes. I review my day-timer, make sure everything is in order for the week and then start working on writing projects in order of deadline and pay rate. I stay in my “zone” until around Noon, when I grab a lunch or get out of the house to run a quick errand. My son gets home from school at 2:30 so I try to spend at least 30 minutes with him. Then I write until my husband gets home at 4:30. If I have a pressing project or any unfinished work, I will work in the evenings for a few hours until I get tired. I try to avoid working weekends, but have a tendency to do so anyways since I am in the habit of working at least one day every weekend.

How do you find balance as a writer working from home?

Tess:  To me, balance is having all the things you want in life without feeling guilty. This is something I am struggling with presently because I am new to working full-time from home. But I am getting better at setting priorities and sticking to them.

What are your struggles and how do you overcome them?

Tess:  As mentioned earlier, I struggle with finding that balance between being a working professional and being a wife and mother. I am overcoming that by committing myself to getting more structured with my weekly schedule so that I can spend more time with my family and friends in the evenings and weekends when they are home. I am also trying to incorporate exercise into my weekly schedule as that is a very important aspect of being a working professional that I often neglect, but a big reason why I decided to quit the day job in the first place.

What is the most difficult part about being a freelance writer?

Tess:  The most difficult part about being a freelance writer is having so many ideas floating around in my head, so many projects I want to complete and not enough time to do it all. I joke about this all the time with my friends and colleagues, but I really need someone to invent a 36-hour day!

What’s the best or most rewarding part about being a freelance writer?

Tess:  The most rewarding part about being a freelance is of course being in control over what I do, how I do it and how much I can earn if I put my mind to it. It’s far worse to be stuck at a dull or unfulfilling job and be staring at the clock all day, than any day as a freelance writer.

What advice or tips do you have for people aspiring to start their own freelance writing business?

Tess:  The best words of advice I can tell anyone starting out is to write your own stuff first, create a professional looking website that highlights your work and that says something about you and then start looking for the kind of writing jobs that you want to do. Never devalue yourself by taking on very low paying or unethical work, no matter how hard it is starting out. Take pride in your work and spell-check it and do your best to use correct grammar – remember you are representing not only yourself, but also other freelance writers out there.

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