I’ve never been so glad to see the end of year like I have with 2020. Which is weird in some ways because I’ve had my most financially successful year ever (in the middle of a pandemic – what?!) and I feel more balanced with work and life than I have in a long time.

Even though I’m pretty organised, I’m not someone who likes to do a huge amount of forward planning.
The problem with this is that it means I have items on my ‘to do’ list that inevitably get put to the bottom because they’re not urgent.

I am fully aware that I’m going to sound like I’m about 110 years old, but where did October go? I had a busy month

My partner is a pragmatic, methodical sort of chap (the kind who unpacks suitcases as soon as we return home from a trip). Last week he told me that he’d read 14 books this year ( yes, he keeps an annual tally).

I think this is the first month ever that I haven’t pitched a single story.

I didn’t set out for August to be like that, but with the lockdown Victoria (the state in Australia where I live), I knew I had to be conservative in how much work I went looking for and how much I accepted.

Well, it finally happened.

After 18 months of talking, planning, recording and editing, I launched Write Earn Thrive – my online course in July.

As you’ll see in this post, it’s been an enormous month, not only because of the launch but also because I was still pitching and writing articles for magazines, newspapers, online outlets and corporate clients.

But as I write this, another lockdown seems imminent where I live.

I’m now preparing to re-enter the world of home schooling/remote learning and to significantly reduce my working hours.

So I think July will be the last decent month for a while …

I hope that wherever you are reading this you’re healthy and safe.

Please let me know if there are topics that you’d like me to cover in upcoming posts.

I’ve still got a few articles based on suggestions from readers that are coming up, but I’m always keen to hear from you about what would be useful.

My goodness, who would have predicted that the first half of 2020 was going to be like this?

It’s been a rough old ride, and we’re only half way through the year.

I hope you’re all holding up okay.

In Australia, the end of June marks the end of the financial year and so I wondered if you’d like me to update you with where things are at for me.

I realised that last June I didn’t share my income for the 2018-19 financial year, but this time in 2018, I had been commissioned for over $120,000 worth of work and had invoiced for just over $116K.

So, shall we take a look and see how this financial year has gone?

But first, let’s take a look at June.

Is it me, or is 2020 going from bad to worse?

I know this is a blog and newsletter about freelance writing, but I don’t think I can send this out without acknowledging what is happening in the world (particularly in the USA) at the moment.

I know that as a white, middle class person my words mean very little and it’s hard to know how to express myself without seeming glib, but I wanted to say I am more motivated than ever to fight for equality and to donate to causes that promote civil rights.

As freelance writers, we write about, and report on, what’s happening in the world and this feels like it could be a turning point where we all have a duty to stand up and fight for equality.

I know that’s a big shift from what I usually talk about in my monthly reviews, but I think it’s important to say.

Okay.

Here’s my post for this week …

When I first started out freelancing, I never believed there would be a time when editors and clients would come to me with work.

I was on a hamster wheel of pitching and hustling, and most of the time, I loved it. 

I loved the buzz of getting a ‘yes’ or receiving a positive reply to a letter or introduction that I sent to a potential client. 

But I must admit, since the pandemic, I’ve felt my energy flag. 

Last month I managed to get my hustle on and send out 8 pitches, but this month I only managed a measly one pitch.

Still, as you’ll see, I ended up busting through my income target working only 2 days a week.

I started April with nothing.

I had no work lined up.

Just the sound of silence from my editors and clients.

Since the middle of last year, I’ve had a recurring retainer gig with a corporate client, which brings in around $2000 a month.

But in March, this client let me know that due to budget cuts they would be dropping my regular gig.

I asked if they might have other work for me, but they said they were working out their approach and couldn’t commit to anything.

At the end of March, I had made a plan, but to be absolutely honest, half way through the month (or even before), I ran out of puff.

But you know what?

I ended up exceeding my income target.

In fact, I made $500 in about five minutes.

Keep reading to find out how …

A few days ago I was on the phone interviewing a local chef who is making and donating meals every day for people in the community when he stopped the conversation. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” he said, “but how are you doing?”

I nearly cried.

Here he was, trying to ensure his 30+ employees have jobs, while making meals for people in need and he took the time to ask me.

How are you?

So, I want to ask you: how are you?

Because goodness knows, this is a crazy time.

And if you’d like to share how you’re going, I’d like to hear.

It’s been an unsettling start to 2020 for lots of reasons. The year started with the terrible bushfires that ravaged so many parts of Australia and now global

January was a pretty flat start to the year for me. I had a couple of big work lowlights, my partner broke his heel and it was one of the quietest, slowest, lowest-income months ever. It would have been nice to start the new decade with a bang rather than limping in.

But (there’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there?) it’s also afforded me some much needed space and time to think about what I want from 2020.