Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Redefining Yourself After Career Loss

This blog started with the feelings of grief and despair. I promised you then that I would succeed and share that along the way. You have read about my struggles, fears, nightmares, and anger, but now it is time for me to deliver on my promise to share the successes.
My first success came this morning when my 9 year old daughter woke up too sick to go to school. I gave her medicine, breakfast, and tucked her in on the couch for the day. She just said to me "Mommy, I am so glad you are home and don't have to go to work so you can take care of me." Yes, I can! And I can nurture her and fulfill her needs while doing my writing. Now let me tell you about that.
I have been writing internet content for the last few months. There is a website that connects publishers that need content with writers that can create that content. After applying for a writing position with them I was accepted as a beginning writer, at tier 1. This provided me with about .07 per word. The article needs appear in a queue every day that is ever changing as things get written and new ones get added. These articles are about every subject from basic finance to fashion, health, and a rich variety of other topics. The first few weeks of writing I made about $20 per week, writing everything that I was comfortable accepting.
After the first few weeks I was promoted to a tier 2 writer, which paid about a penny per word. That was a big day for me! During those weeks, my earnings grew to about $40 - $50 per week. Not a full time living, for sure, but something productive to do in order to supplement my meager unemployment earnings.
Just in the last few weeks, I requested a raise to tier 3. That required the editors to review my content submissions. To my happy surprise, the advance me to tier 3!! That was a happy day in my house, as I now made 1.5 cents per word.
Now I am here to tell you that I am not getting rich. I now have the capacity to earn a little over $100 per week from that website and that is writing part time. That income alone will not keep me solvent when the unemployment stops but it is a beginning. I am beginning to redefine myself as a writer!
I recently attended my first writer's workshop. There are 3 of them in town that meet at various frequencies in various locations. I intend to attend all of them in an effort to network with other people who have a greater knowledge of the business. I have also found another website that brokers writers with publishers and applied to that one as well. My application was accepted and  am now awaiting a level assignment based on my previous work done and samples submitted. I hope to begin on that site making a bit over 1 cent per word, but the availability of more assignments and more exposure will be the next step in my journey.
I can't begin to tell you how satisfying it is to work for myself and begin this journey of re-creation. I will never abandon my nursing knowledge nor all the knowledge I gained from the corporate work world, but I really do not desire to re-enter that world. I would rather be here for my family, and work for myself, living the dream I have always had to make my living as a writer or an author. Sudden job loss and forced unemployment is providing me the opportunity to begin to live my dreams! 

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