Reflection after a year spent freelancing

To all my subscribers, and my regular and non-regular readers:

My life (or the semblance of it) as a freelance editor and writer started on the 14th of December 2008. I didn’t have a damn clue as to what I was doing except that I realised that I was one of the few wannabe writers who knew that an ABN was necessary.

I’ve worked unbelievably hard in the last year – even I am amazed. I think I forgot to sleep.

I’ve volunteered for four different things, held three positions on one committee and one on another board and put in weekends fixing up grammar, referencing and spelling for students. I’ve experienced the death of one editor, the depression of another and the total awesomeness of a third. I’ve seen my column discontinued without warning and regular readers disappointed. I’ve learnt the ins and outs of working in a radio station, interviewed scientists and researchers and met a former State Premier. I’ve gone to a media ball and hobnobbed with the best in the business in the state of WA, I’ve got a number one Google search result and wrangled a regular paying writing gig thanks to my first mentor/freelancing buddy Amanda Ellis.

I’ve doubted the decision to freelance, loathed it, loved it and felt both unsupported and supported throughout it. I’ve stressed about rent, about bills, about laws, about tax and most recently about super and enough savings to buy a house/apartment with. I’ve gone from “websites, writing and editing” to “writing and editing”. I still don’t know if I should post my book reviews on here or set up a seperate blog for them. I have had nasty comments from anonymous people who don’t realise that I can trace them via their IP address, a lot of spam and a few lovely comments from others. I have drunk too much Coca Cola and eaten too much chocolate. I have taken the IPEd exam, gone to workshops and been disappointed by my experience of both. I still have not finished writing my novel because it frankly scares me.

It’s now December 2009. I have a notepad full of ideas for where the business is going to go. I have redesigned the website. I am bootstrapping because I really don’t have any cash and any cash I have is going straight to pay bills and rent. But I’ve also been contacted about potential jobs more so during this month than any other month in the past year. I see that as everything I’ve done slowly paying off.

One thing hasn’t changed: my mother still wants me to get a proper office job. But she finally accepts that the landscape of how jobs and careers are structured is now changing with more of a shift towards outsourcing work to freelancers.

I’m not just 26. I’m also now a one year old playing in the sandpit of freelancing.  I wanted to thank all of you who dropped by to comment or read what was going on so I made a card that some of you may have received already via email.

I’m looking forward to 2010. If you want to support me, you don’t need to hire me in order to do so. You can turn up here, read something and enjoy it, pass the word on, link to me, drop a comment, bookmark the site or sign up for RSS/email updates.