Work coming out of my ears
…well, not quite, but I been approached for quotations for three jobs since I signed up to various online freelance directories, and I’m fairly sure I’ve got two of them. One is a piece of romantic fiction for a private client (not the sort of stuff I’d usually read, but hey – I’m a tart) and the other is the chance of regular small pieces from a local ad-mag – editorials, advertising copy, that sort of thing.
Neither job is completely in the bag, but I’m very hopeful about the romantic novel – I’ve spoken to the author a couple of times on the phone, and he seems a nice old cove who loves the fact that my quotation was a third of the amount he’d been quoted for an editorial package from an online self-publishing site. From what he said I think he has more manuscripts than the one I’ve already seen, so if I do a good job there may be the possibility of more income there. Awaiting word on a detailed quotation and sample edit I posted today.
And the ad-mag will be a few £s here and there – again, if the editor likes what I do, a small but regular income stream. Still waiting to hear back from this one, though. (The third job was to proofread a long research document for a Health Trust in the North of England – don’t think I got this one, because the client stressed the urgency and I haven’t heard anything in over a week, despite an enquiry. Either it went elsewhere or it wasn’t as urgent as she suggested…)
Onwards and upwards. Neither job is going to mean T can give up work and live off my earnings any time soon, but it’s a long long way better than nothing. Which is where I was a month ago. And I haven’t even spoken to my sister about the Uni work yet…
By the way – still thinking about you, Steph, and sending luck and love for tomorrow. X
Hey! I’m so HAPPY to hear about the work coming in! Even if you don’t get awarded all of it, the fact that it’s out there and that you have been asked to quote on it is heartening! I applied for an ideal freelance managing editor job and haven’t heard back. It was perfect! I wonder if they just haven’t finished taking in apps or if I simply missed the boat.
I came here without knowing you linked…
But thank you, and thank you for thinking of me. I’m taking deep breaths! I’m almost relieved the day is finally here, and at the same time, I suddenly feel, being in such proximity to possible bankruptcy now, that nothing is going to happen. That we’ll go and get the usual looks down the nose and the humiliating and stern talking to and all in very matter-of-fact emotionless tones, and we’ll end up deciding to try to continue as we are (like running a car on empty to see how far it will take you), or, if we can do a consumer proposal, doing that. We’ve never been able to do one before, or go bankrupt, actually, because of the student loans, but we’ve been paying them off for over 7 years, which is their new cut-off, so our options should be different. I have a feeling we won’t have to go bankrupt or we will choose not to, to push the boundaries as far as they will go (after all, not *everyone* is calling us for money yet), on the hope that I’ll get a regular-paying job very soon and we can try to pay stuff down as we go.
Part of me SO wants to have our huge debts just erased because I’m oh-so-tired of being in the same state forever and ever, because we can never make enough money (hey, at the library called Hell I was making $17 an hour, and that wasn’t helping, and no job now is going to pay me nearly that, so we’re not going to be any better off, really, except that I will probably be contributing more than a thousand or so a month, though really I don’t know!). But at the same time, if we can’t keep our house and car, then forget it. The repercussions of having your debt erased really, really suck. For a decade or so you’re frozen from making any headway. You may have no debt but you also have no chance of credit or loans, no chance of a mortgage, sometimes even no phone (though that might be a relief!), etc. I don’t want to be stuck in some apt for the next ten years. I abhor apt living. There aren’t any nice options around here.
Anyway. I’ve got to the point at which I’m thinking, whatever. Whatever. Whatever. All I can try to control is my emotion.
I hope you get those jobs! A novel would be fun to work on! And the here and there work is nice for supplemental income. Keep us posted!
“Keep *us* posted”? Hahaha! In actual fact, my love, I think it’s only you that reads here regularly. And that’s ok. We’re a select group.
I got both jobs – the novel and the ad-mag. I love ad-mag-lady already – the job was tiny, only a few £s, but she paid TODAY, by direct bank transfer, within two hours of receiving the invoice by email. We’ll have her back, please.
And romantic-novel-man still thinks I’m great after receiving my sample edit and wants me to carry on, so (as they say in poorly-written Mockney soap operas) the job’s a good ‘un.
As for you, my friend – keep taking those deep breaths. Bankruptcy is a big deal, but you’ll be in good company – most of the banks seem to be going down the tubes themselves, so I can’t think they’ll give two hoots about your piffling debts.
Seriously – you’ll come through, whatever. Regular work will help, of course – I don’t know what the deal is with student loans is in Canada, but I think in the UK you don’t have to start paying anything back until you’re earning over a certain threshold. (I never had one – I just missed out, they brought them in just as I was graduating. But I do know my younger sisters have only just finished paying theirs off.) Is that different with you, or have you gone through all that and come out the other side?
Good luck with all meetings, job applications, compromise scenarios, whatever. Just don’t lose your internet access, please!
Wow.
As a wannabe freelancer, I have to say I’m (more than) a little jealous!
Three job offers – that sounds wonderful.
Keep up the good work,
- C
Hi Cheryl – welcome, and thanks! I have to say, I was being slightly ironic with the ‘coming out of my ears’ thing – it’s just that I’ve never before had two (count ‘em) jobs on my books at once, so I got a bit over-excited.
I’ve also found out that ad-mag-lady has written a very positive review of my service on a private forum for publishers of other similar magazines (I have a contact there who keeps her ear to the ground for me), so I’m glowing quietly, and hopeful of more work from that direction…
Good luck with your own freelancing – we independent types should stick together, if only for the mutual support… Thanks for dropping by, and come again soon.
Hx,
LOL! There is no way I can lose my Internet access; it’s my livelihood!
And how funny is it that right after you say I’m the only reader, another one shows up?
Besides, you never know who might be lurking, too. 
CONGRATS on the jobs! I totally knew you would get them. YAY!! I’m happy. There’s nothing better, really, than getting work when you’re a freelancer! Well, aside from actually receiving the cheques on time, of course, and ad mag lady is a gem in that department! AND she wrote a positive review of you! Ideal client. I’m sure she’s sending more your way, including referrals. I want a few of her, too!
As for student loans, we had 100,000+ when we were finished, the equivalent of a mortgage payment every month (we had to increase the amortization period to get it more manageable monthly) and the deal is you have to start paying once you’re 6 months out of school, regardless of what you’re making. Starting out life with that kind of debt is just too debilitating.
I applied for another job last night (still no response from anyone at all, and that makes six applications so far), and as for how the appt went yesterday evening…well, read the post!
I have, and am overjoyed there has been a positive outcome for you. A comment will appear in the appropriate place on your site very soon.
Thanks for being so…awesome. Supportive. Encouraging. Here.
Yer welcome…
And I’m sorry I haven’t been here much lately. Stuff has got on top of me (see new blog post), and half term is almost upon us here in the UK so the weans will be around for a week from Friday. T has also taken the week off in lieu and we’re going away for half of it, so I’ll be blog-breaking for a while next week.
But I’m here in spirit, cheering you on. You know that, right?
I do. I do.
Thanks.:)