What a blast the ASJA conference was! It was my first time, and I was thrilled to meet so many writers – and so many different types of writers. There were health writers and business writers and a specialist in water. There was a think tank fellow and the author of a Dummies book. The variety was endless! I decided to get back in touch with a few of my new acquaintances by integrating them into a blog post. I reached out to four writers around the U.S. and Canada and asked: “When did you know you’d made it?”
Suzanne (Sue) Bowness
“I felt like I had made it as a self-employed writer the first time I looked around my apartment and thought, ‘Writing has bought every stick of furniture in this place, and every book on the shelves.’ I look around and think that regularly so I’m not sure when it first happened. It wasn’t a lightning bolt but a quieter pleasure that doing something I liked was sustainable.”
Sue is a writer/editor from Toronto who has been freelancing for 15 years and a member and volunteer with ASJA’s Canadian equivalent – the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) for almost as long. She recently joined ASJA and is online at www.suzannebowness.com.
David Paul Clarke
“I became a full-time freelancer in August 2015. Before that, I wrote freelance over the years while holding down full-time jobs, mainly as an environmental journalist but also for five years as a policy advisor to industry. Although I wouldn’t say I’m completely confident that I’ve turned the corner yet, I do feel that I’m moving forward–however slowly—and increasingly feel that I’ll arrive where I want to be over time because I’ve had very positive client feedback in recent months. It’s cumulative, not a eureka moment.”
David is a reporter, writer, and editor interested in environmental science and policy, the emerging field(s) of sustainability, and, more broadly, science as the frontier of human discovery that – if pursued properly – can contribute to the advancement of humanity’s social goals. He blogs at http://davidpaulclarke.com/eco
Jodi Helmer
“There was never a moment when I felt like I ‘made it’ as a freelancer. There are a lot of accomplishments I’m proud of, including publishing books, breaking into dream markets like National Geographic Traveler and hitting income goals. But it is a constant hustle, which I love. For me, the best part of freelancing is knowing there is always a new goal to set and a new dream to chase.”
North Carolina-based freelance journalist Jodi Helmer writes for national consumer, trade and association publications and coaches new writers who want to build (or boost) their freelance careers. She’s online at www.jodihelmer.com
Susan Johnston Taylor
“When I started having to turn down assignments because I was already booked, that was a great feeling. If it was something I really wanted to do, I’d try to negotiate a longer timeline or find a way to make it work. I now have the confidence to say no to projects (because the pay is too low, the contract stinks, the topic doesn’t interest me or the deadline is unrealistic) and know that something better will come along or that I already have something better. I think that confidence developed after a year or two of full-time freelancing and it’s been reinforced at various times.”
Susan specializes in business and personal finance. She belonged to ASJA from 2009-2014, then rejoined in 2016. She also moderated and/or spoke on conference panels in 2013 and 2012. She’s online at www.staylorwrites.com
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As for me, I have to admit I still don’t have the feeling that my career has turned the corner. I’m always waiting for one more byline to confirm to myself that I’m really doing this. But meeting so many writers who have that confidence has gotten me a lot closer to that “turned the corner” feeling. I’m definitely ready for life on the other side.