2021 Freelance Income Report: Q2

It’s hard, balancing this blogging and freelance writing thing. I write so much for articles, that by the time I’m done, I’m just done at the computer.

It’s been a busy quarter, but the good news is I HAVE A BABYSITTER!!! I have childcare now after a year and a half of not. And it’s been fantastic. I get so much more done and it’s less I’m working in the evenings and weekend. (Right now I’m blogging at 9:00 at night sipping wine and hoping I’m not too stimulated from the light to not be able to sleep tonight.)

In fact, I’m multitasking by doing laundry while blogging and thougtht I just smelled naturual gas while walking to switch out the clothes, but Chris reassures me it’s not, it’s more like a septic smell which I’m fairly confident isn’t much better.

(I also may be slightly tipsy.)

(I’m fine, I promise. There probably isn’t a gas leak here, but that septic thing is really weirding me out.)

I digress.

We have a babysitter. And it’s been fantastic.

WINS

I’ve been tracking my hours again more diligently, and more important, starting to track my hours for individual articles. I’ve only been doing this since the start of May, but it’s been interesting to see my hourly rate. In fact, the other win I’ve had was in working with a writing coach who is amazing and has been coaching me about taking my business a step up a notch. Tracking my work time was a huge thing. I’ve made $70/hour all the way up to $420/hour. For example, there is one client where I make $525 an article. I can complete those in about an hour and fifteen minutes, therefore, my hourly rate for that client is about $420. Another client I work with pays me $350 for an article, and that particular one took me 5 hours to do (it was an article reviewing home test kits) so my hourly average for that one was $70.

I started writing for an amazing fertility client earlier in April on retainer and I’ve really enjoyed working with them.

A company I reached out to for work recently to write their blog posts asked me if I could come on as an editor. I was transparent with them that I had never done editing in a professional realm before, but I’ve worked on four articles with them so far, and it’s been working out really well.

I also have been writing a few articles for a well-known pet care company (apparently I can write more than on health care topics like male enhancement products, or RSV in babies). They paid splendidly and I’m hoping more work comes my way.

HERE’S WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED THIS QUARTER

• Started with 5 new clients/publications
• Attended the virtual American Society of Journalists and Authors conference for the second year in a row
• Wrote 45 articles for 12 clients (and edited four)
• Started coaching new nurse writers
• Made $2,850 with one client writing three articles
• Now have 2 clients on retainer

Q2 FREELANCE INCOME BREAKDOWN

April:

• Wrote 15 articles
• Worked with 6 different clients/publications
• $4,800 in income

May:

• Wrote 17 articles
• Worked with 9 different clients/publications
• $8,177 in income

June:

• Wrote 13 articles
• Worked with 8 different clients/publications
• $5,266.25 in income

Q2 total: $18,243.25

Total so far in 2021: $27,388.25

In my last update, I talked about being really cautious about setting any goal this year, which of course was understandable, given the lack of childcare options available. I wanted to make $40,000 this year, but now I’m going to up it to challenge myself to get to $60,000. I need to make $5,435 a month for the next six months to do this. Which I think I can.

Now it is 10 and I’m half drunk and I am supposed to write another blog.  But I’m so tired that I can’t even funny drunk blog and you know what else? I keep typing everything wrong and having to backspace and then retype. Not very efficient, this whole drinking and blogging thing.

Good night, friends.