Freelance Life: One Year On

It’s a year exactly since I launched this website and this phase of my writing career.

Although freelancing has its challenges, barely a day goes past when I don’t take a moment to consider what a privilege it is being paid to put words on a page. I may not be an award-winning novelist or playwright, but 15-year-old me is still pinching herself and feeling very lucky indeed.

The last few months have been my busiest yet.

I completed one job with the University of Tasmania, working on their Engagement and Impact submission, and it was a fascinating insight into the world-class research that takes place right here on our little island. The team that I worked with have provided an extremely generous testimonial and I hope to cross paths with them again in future.

After the EI submission, which took more than 5 months, it was great fun to work on a couple of shorter term projects. I did some proofreading and editing for another University of Tasmania submission to the Australian Research Council – this time a bid for an ARC Centre of Excellence.

I also wrote a couple of travel pieces about Tasmania for Time Out London, which I’ll share when they are online. As ever, the challenge was narrowing down what to include because we are so spoiled here with wonderful events and activities.

On an even lighter note, I had a playful little poem published on The Island Review. I suspect the intersection of people who are interested in both Tasmanian place names and the work of Edwin Morgan is a small one, but if that’s you then I hope you enjoy this tribute.

You might have spotted that I’ve removed the section on social media from my site. While I still offer services such as content writing for blogs and newsletters, I no longer offer ongoing social media management. Digital strategy is such a fast-evolving space that your heart really has to be in it to stay on top of the changes, and while I think my background in social media and community management will always add value to the work I do, the more time I spend on copywriting the more I realise that’s my strength and my passion.

There are other wonderful Tasmanians out there doing digital marketing and social media at a very high level, so I’ve been referring potential clients onto them. If that’s something your business is looking for I would urge you to start by contacting Emily Quintin at Sea Salt Social to discuss your requirements and budget.

The one bit of digital work I have been involved in recently is very close to home: building my husband’s new website. Young has taken the same leap of faith that I did last year and left the world of employment to set up as a sole trader. He is now a consultant, offering services in philanthropy, strategy and communication. I know I’m biased, but if you are an organisation looking for fundraising advice then I genuinely believe there is no-one better, so please take some time to check out his site and get in touch if you think he can be useful.

Finally, a quick thank you to all the clients, friends and acquaintances who have helped me over the last year.  Your referrals and testimonials have given me an enormous boost as I establish myself in Tasmania. Every time you share one of my posts on Facebook, click through to read an article I’ve written, or pass my name on to a colleague, you are helping support this small business and helping support our family.

I deeply appreciate it.