Wednesday, October 12, 2011

How Can I Make Enough Money Freelancing To Afford to Quit My Salaried Job

How Can I Make Enough Money Freelancing To Afford to Quit My Salaried Job?
I graduated Summa *** Laude with a BA in print journalism and I have a small portfolio of writing and design clips that I've accumulated over the last 10 years. Right now I'm employed full-time at a job that pays very well, but that I hate. It isn't vaguely related to what I want to do--write for a living and be able to stay home to raise my child(ren). I am currently doing part-time freelance marketing and design work and some writing, but only 1 gig out of 3 is paid--and it doesn't pay that well. In addition to this, I also work full-time and part-time and have a husband, house and active toddler I am devoted to. I need to make the most out of any endeavor I undertake. I know I have the skills necessary to make a living by writing or doing graphic design and marketing at the very least. I just need the opportunity to make it happen. How can I obtain better-paying freelance gigs that will eventually allow me to replace my 9-5 salaried job with more fulfilling and flexible work?
Philadelphia - 3 Answers
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1 :
Contact your local newspapers to see if they need help in that area. Also, I highly recommend purchasing the 2007 Writer's Market book. It has MANY opportunities to write articles, snippets, and so on. You may make $50 on one thing and several hundred or more on another. It has many well-known magazines and publishers listed with the requirements on contacting them, how much they pay (usually), etc. Good luck. :)
2 :
Unless your husband can carry the financial load, I would keep my job and wait to see what happens. As the saying goes.........."the starving writer"..........so even though your job is probably miserable, life could be even more miserable without a paycheck. I hope something works out for you, but now that you have a child to think about, don't trade his future dreams for yours. I wish you the best.
3 :
You've taken the first step, which is to figure out what you want to do! It's absolutely possible to replace your full-time salary with freelancer income. But it's important to do it wisely - and gradually. If you jump too quickly, you'll have that crazed "I need work" look, which won't help at all. I'm going to send you to a site that lists a bunch of excellent books you should read as you move forward. There are some good freelance sites (especially Guru.com) where you can start bidding on projects. I recommend the lowest PAID level membership - if you go with the free membership, you won't be able to bid on as many projects. Set a goal of bidding on about five projects a day, and you'll start getting work. Good luck

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