Not Content With The Status Quo For 2010
What are your plans for 2010? Hopefully, the new year will find you actively pursuing your goals including taking a more nuanced approach to your freelance writing. I’m certainly looking forward to Christmas, but I know that once the holiday season has come to an end, 2010 will be in full swing.
I sense that 2010 will be far different from the past two years which had all of us battling through a tough recession. I’m grateful that I’m still getting plenty of work although, sadly, a couple of my favorite clients have cut back or canceled some of their assignments due to economic pressures.
Yet, I can’t look back as what is done is done. A new year offers a chance to start over and, more importantly, to move forward. What better time to outline a plan to press on than with the new year? Unless, of course, you’re content with maintaining the status quo for the coming year.
Nah, I didn’t think so.
On the occasion that someone asks for my advice regarding their plans for the coming year I try to help them as I can. One friend, who is a gifted artist/teacher, has been mulling starting her own website for many months now. Once she commits to making that move, I’ll be advising her on the approach she should take.
This will be a huge, but important move for her as she isn’t particularly computer literate, but knows that expanding her options will bring in much more work. And, when you’re pushing 60 you can’t rely exclusively on tried and true ways to sustain you. Linda’s fresh outlook will help her and has inspired me to make some important changes myself including doing the following:
Visibility – I often feel as if I’m in a non-stop campaign mode, showcasing what I do to current and prospective clients. More than half of my work is with the auto industry, a market that has been battered for several years. Yet, hope springs eternal and I believe 2010 will offer additional opportunities for me. I’m currently the automotive columnist for a pair of regional publications and have contributed to two other publications in the past month. For me, 2010 is all about cashing in on my visibility by querying people I’ve crossed paths with in 2010. My Twitter presence has yielded several excellent leads, people whom I will contact in the first two months of the year.
Reassess – I absolutely enjoy blogging and can’t see myself ever stopping this activity. Still, I understand that some of that time spent blogging for myself should shift to writing copy for clients. The former brings little remuneration except through ad income while the latter can help sustain my lifestyle. I expect that I’ll be selling or perhaps merging one of my blogs in 2010. Auto Trends is the most likely to go before 2011 rolls in.
Target – Relating to my first two points is my desire to target specific clients while opening up the possibility that I may ditch my freelance work to become a staff writer. Yes, I’ve certainly have said in the past that I prefer to freelance, but if the right opportunity presents itself, I’ll gladly reconsider. There is a dream employer whom I would like to work for and, no, they don’t have anything to do with the auto industry. Naturally, if an opportunity to work for them turned out to be a freelance assignment, I’d still be interested.
How about you? Do you have goals you would like to see realized in 2010? If so, please share them here – inquiring minds want to know!
See Also — Will You Be Reaching Higher In 2010?
Photo Credit: Poormanz Graphixz
Tags: 2010, Christmas, freelance, New Year, work, Writing
Writing | Matthew C. Keegan, 15 Dec 09 | 
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