Though I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I began penning my first verses around the age of 14, it’s been bad luck that’s enabled me to begin my career as a freelancer. I recently took a flying leap of faith into a full time freelance career, though the circumstances that led up to my decision to do so were a little extraordinary.
In 2000, while I was still working on my BS degree in Communication at the Florida Institute of Technology, I self-published a poetry book, titled Midnight of Imagination. I hated how it turned out, and I began to feel like it was jinxing my work as a writer. I didn’t find any work after that, as hard as I tried, though I had it set in my mind that a writer is what I would be, if not a Special Forces team member. I could never see myself spending the rest of my life working in a cubicle. Needless to say, my first job out of college was, you guessed it, surrounded by the maze of walls that was a cubicle farm. That was two years ago. Shortly after receiving the job, I was laid off due to an economic downturn, and I’ve not been able to find a real job since.
After a couple months without work, I got desperate. I moved back in with my parents, and tried to find anything I could to stay afloat. I had a diversity of skills and experience, but, for some reason, I was always the second choice for every position I interviewed for. Using skills I developed while studying for my degree, I began to seek small freelance jobs in a number of fields, including writing. But since I’d had little writing experience besides a poetry book, it didn’t matter how good my skills were, I couldn’t seem to land an assignment.
I finally found a Canadian music magazine that offered me a recurring job as a CD reviewer. This led to band interviews, which led to an increased portfolio. Now that I had something besides a poetry book on my resume, work was easier to find. I didn’t want to be classified as strictly a music writer, so I accepted a broad range of assignments, including articles on dating, technology, business, music, and more. My portfolio was, and still is growing, but I’ve also continued to seek freelance work in other aspects of communication, just in case.
Recently, I moved to Vegas and started a Media Services company that offers several communication-related services to clients. The company, DynaScrypt (www.dynascrypt.com), has started off well, especially considering I have a marketing and advertising budget of zero. The writing assignments are coming in, mostly through my website, and through several online freelance sites. If I can keep this up, I will spend the rest of my career never seeing the inside of an office again, and it’s thanks, in large part, to WritersWeekly.com and the services it provides.
I have found business through more than one of the job offers posted in this newsletter. Thanks to all who help to make it work; it’s a great service to novice and experienced writers alike. In return for the career advancement I’ve received, I would like to offer discounts to all who mention Angela’s newsletter when they request a service that I offer through my website.
Justin Silves is a freelance writer and graphic designer currently living in Las Vegas, NV. Originally from Seattle, WA, Justin hopes to return there for his Masters degree some time in the near future. Justin recently started a media services company in Las Vegas, which is quickly gaining recognition because of the diversity of services that the company offers. He’s hoping to one day hire an employee to manage the company so that he can continue his travels, writing from far off destinations.