I'm Baaaaaaack! Welcome to Dollars and Deadlines, Redux

I'm baaaaaaack!

And it's been, as my 12-year-old would say, a minute. 

I launched this blog way back in 2010, with a simple goal: to help freelance writers make more money, in less time. I wrote hundreds of blog posts covering topics like how to get your first assignment; how to "reslant," or write about the same idea more than once; how to get into ghostwriting; and how to make editors and clients love you. 

Over time, I segued from writing primarily articles to ghostwriting books, and my blogging became more sporadic. Then, in January, 2019, I embarked on a new adventure--going in-house as a content specialist with an SEO company. I still wrote for a living, but as a W-2 employee. I cut way back on my freelancing. I worked there for two and half years, keeping notes about the experience and writing a (still unsold) memoir about joining corporate America after 22 (!) years of full-time freelancing. Last June, I left that company for a new position as a copywriter for a global company. I freelanced occasionally, mostly working on essays and some straightforward health pieces, but it was a sideline to my full-time work. 

Last week, I was laid off in a reduction in force (RIF), a term I'd heard but never actually experienced before. It was a shock. But freelancers are made from resilient stuff. Within two hours, I'd called my boss and left him a voicemail. I wanted to see if it was possible to freelance for the company and be able to continue to work on a number of big projects I had underway--including optimizing (woefully under-optimized) category pages; creating guidelines for the company's new global blog; finishing product copy for a major new product launch; and crafting blog posts designed to support the recent launch of an outdoors product collection. 

Will that happen? I don't know, but I'm glad I asked. I've lost freelance clients before, and have always been able to replace them with new ones. The question now is, do I return to full-time freelancing? Find a different full-time job? Find a part-time job and freelance the rest of the time? Work two part-time jobs? Or do I decide to completely change careers? (That last one's a stretch but it's flitted across my mind.) 

I have too many options. And according to The Paradox of Choice (a great read), the more options you have, the more difficult it is to make a decision. More choices also means that you're less likely to be happy with your decision. You have too many opportunities to second-guess (and third-guess, and so on), that decision. 

It's better to winnow down your options at the start. So instead of deciding you want to buy a car, you decide on a small SUV, or set a price cap, or even pick a color from the outset. You limit your options which will make that decision-making process easier, and improve the likelihood that you are happy with your decision. 

Except. 

Except that right now, I'm not ready, or willing, to do that. I am keeping my options open. I think I may want to return to writing that helps people live happier, healthier lives, so I'm focusing on looking for positions in the health/wellness, fitness, and nutrition areas. But when I see a position that sounds intriguing, I apply for that, too. I'm not 100 percent sure, yet, what I want. But to quote Stuart Smalley, from SNL, "I'm good enough; I'm smart enough; and doggone it, people like me."  

Let me add one more thought. Getting laid off, as a single mom with a teen and tween, has been pretty scary. I find myself occasionally waylaid with random, unwelcome thoughts and emotions, like "I'll never find another job," "No one will ever hire me," and "How could this happen to me?" 

Those thoughts are unproductive. So, I take some deep breaths, or go for a walk, or remind myself that this is another adventure. Kind of like when my husband and I were waiting to adopt. I knew "my" baby was out there. I just didn't know when he or she would arrive. 

That's the approach I'm taking today. I know my next position is out there. My work in the meantime is to stay open to possibilities, spread the word that I'm looking, get my resume out there, and continue to stay grateful for all that is good in my life. And there is a lot that is good. (The two best parts of my life are shown above.)

Feel free to come along for the ride! And if you have any questions about writing for a living, whether as freelance or as an employee, comment here and I'll be happy to answer. :)  

[Shameless self-promotion of my freelancing books follows.] 

If you're serious about making your freelance writing business a money-maker, I suggest my freelance classic, Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. 

If you're more interested in getting into ghostwriting and content marketing, I suggest Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition. 

If you're brand-new to freelancing, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets walks you through the process of launching your freelance career. 

Finally, if you like your books full of shorter pieces, check out a different format--Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success is divided into five broad sections to help you make more money regardless of what kind of nonfiction writing you do.