Starting a Business: "I'm the CEO of My Writing Career"

Posted by: Lauren | Posted on: March 26, 2008 | Comments 19

fwm staffer Lauren weighs in on our hot topic of the week: Starting a Business.

In January of 2006, I gave up a fairly cushy job in financial services to pursue my dream of being a freelance writer. I was excited not only to write full time, but also to enjoy a less stressful working life.

It's more than two years later, and I now realize how wrong I was! Being a freelance writer is a business, and as Chairman and CEO of my writing career, I've got to hustle constantly. I've got to network, keep up to date on topics I write about, constantly seek out new work and then,of course, write. If five deadlines fall on the same day, so be it. As any entrepreneur will tell you, you must put your client first, always.

Is it stressful? Yes. Making an actual living as a writer is not about coffee shops and long lunches. It's about long hours, persistence and patience. And it can be lonely. But is it worth it? Absolutely, and at times, it's actually thrilling.

The truth is, stress is part of any new venture, and probably part of work, period. It's all in how you manage it. I'm looking forward to being involved in this community and finding better ways to do exactly that!

Related tags: entrepreneurship, freelance, writing

19 people have responded so far. Add your comment below.
Joni Daniels said:
03.26.08 4:31 p.m.
I consider myself a 'back door' entrepreneur. After being laid off in 88, I jut wanted to find another job. But all the opportunities lacked something I thought was essential. In 89 I let everyone I had interviewed with know that I was starting my own consulting practice and I never looked back! Having my own firm has allowed me to create a career path I never could have imagined. I've learned things the hard way, had opportunities that have taken me into uncharted territory, figured out how to trust my gut and developed a network for professional growth and support. When I started I couldn't see myself as a business owner, and now I can't imagine anything else.
Viviana said:
03.26.08 10:46 p.m.
"I can't imagine anything else." We should all look to do whatever it is that makes us say THAT about our careers (and lives). Thank you, Joni. I'm not the least bit surprised by your success. :-)
Alexandra said:
03.27.08 11:37 a.m.
You know what else is great about entrepreneurship? It becomes a path towards self-discovery. I found out that I can do much more than I ever thought I was capable of. Who would've thought I could build a website, design graphics, and learn everything I needed to know about accounting...all just to make the jewelry business work. I'm sure anyone can do it...once you start, the momentum keeps you going and you'll end up finding a solution to every challenge you face. You'll surprise yourself if you try! P.S. If you haven't started yet, start with step 1: finding out what your business venture should be. Don't overwhelm yourself. Worry about everything else later!
Jeannie said:
03.27.08 2:36 p.m.
Thanks for the blog...I am a stay-at-home-mom on leave from my career to care for my family. I recently decided to utilize my skills and experiences and start writing children's stories. It's nice to know when starting a your own business, all the stress that comes along with it is normal stuff and the end results are worth the hard work.
Carolyn Kepcher said:
03.27.08 8:06 p.m.
Thanks for the input ladies. Starting your own business is a huge decision - yes there is stress - there are good days and bad days. The goal is to have a lot more good days than bad days. I believe if you are dedicated to your business proposition - you will succeed and enjoy the rewards later. Thanks for your comments Best Carolyn
Mike said:
03.31.08 9:31 p.m.
One of the things I've enjoyed about reading these postings -- and about my discussions with women friends who left corporate life, as I did, to become an entrepreneur (in my case as speechwriter, scriptwriter, lyricist -- well, you sense the common theme!) -- is the UNIVERSALITY of entrepreneurship. The core truths of working on one's own -- from stress/anxiety to success/excitement -- are largely the same for all of us, regardless of gender. I know that, for me, leaving the SURFACE security of working in a big building for a big corporation with lavishly big resources was the single bravest decision I have ever made. Taking that path is not right for everyone, but I believe that, in my case, it means I will actually live longer. And certainly more happily. What could be a better goal, in our business AND personal lives, than Finding What Matters? Wishing success and satisfaction for every "fwm" participant. Mike
Dorinne said:
03.31.08 11:01 p.m.
Thanks Mike, I wish you success and satisfaction as well! I have never worked in the corporate world, I resisted, my husband wanted me to have a career so we could have the finer things in life. Well he moved on and has the finer things in life, but I have my children, that does not compare to all the luxuries in the world. I have fantastic kids and they also have the desire to be work hard for what they believe in and for what they are good at. I am happy to see by other comments that women want to spend their energy doing something that makes them happy without sacrificing family. That is why I resisted, I knew deep down raising my children was a career. I appreciated your comments, it is nice to know that men take notice of what women are trying to achieve.
Viviana said:
04.01.08 12:35 p.m.
@Mike, welcome and well said. I couldn't agree more--not everything is a male-female issue, and you'll see when our site launches that instead of having great *women* writers and contributors, we simply have great writers and contributors, men and women alike. I've also always thought that true equality is achieved when we don't care whether the CEO of our company is a man or a woman (I don't like those "it's time we had a woman in that job!" comments) and we care only about having the best CEO.
Viviana said:
04.01.08 12:36 p.m.
@Dorinne, I just love your writing and your ideas! It sounds to me like YOU have the finer things in life...
Dorinne said:
04.02.08 10:34 p.m.
Thanks Viviana, I appreciate your kindness!
Quinisha Watkins said:
04.04.08 9:41 p.m.
This is my cup of tea, talking about writing and making it happen. I've enjoyed reading all of the comments and it is great to know that no one here is sexist. I love that the men can still represent themselves. I've always been on the other side of the fence. I've never been in the corporate world, but I always wanted to see how it would be. I just always wanted to have my writing be apart of it. So I started to say to myself, I can do this and I can have my own company. I live writing and that is all I want to do as of today. Alexandra is also inspiring. I would love to see what else I could do. The sky is the limit to what we can have!!!
Teia Collier said:
04.04.08 11:23 p.m.
I find that the circle of people you surround yourself with is just as important as nurturing your idea within yourself...starting your own business is definitely a business of faith in action.
Quinisha Watkins said:
04.05.08 3:12 p.m.
That is very true, but for some of us who don't have much support have to learn to stand in as a leader and not always the follower. I feel in a business there will always be times to sit back, listen and follow, and other times where you have to step up and lead. We have to learn how to find that balance in our life, in order to run the business succesfully. It is also a big learning experience. I think you pretty much learn something everyday. If it is with yourself, your children and so on. You aren't going to always touch and agree on everything, but you can learn something to make a choice work for the better. You just have to be willing, even when you don't feel like it. We go through challenges or pick up something that will benefit yourself as well as others around you. Yes sometimes storms are going to rise, but it is our choice to survive. We can live an abundant life, full of great and happy memories. The choice is ours and the time is now.
Quinisha Watkins said:
04.06.08 9:42 a.m.
Hey everyone, I was thinking of pushing myself to see how much more I could acheive. I wanted to start writing about ten poems a day including adding to my book, that was a bit much and it seemed like everyone really needed me as soon as I thought up the whole concept. So maybe I could write about four or five every other day and add to my book daily. Anyone have advice for me to retain? Keep in mind, I don't have a laptop or the money to get one. I do have a hand held recorder, but it is very old and the batteries seem to run its course very quickly. Even the good ones, ha ha!!!
Quinisha Watkins said:
04.06.08 9:45 a.m.
Lauren,did you realize that your passion for writing was more than just that, or was it after you had got started? Anyone, when did you hit a bottom low when trying to do this on your own and when did you hit your all time high?
Dorinne said:
04.06.08 10:59 p.m.
Quinisha... a notebook and pencils will work just as well as a laptop! I rely on them for taking notes, mapping out layouts for the market and writing down new ideas. I guess I am old school on this kind of stuff, technology has it's place, but you cannot beat good old fashioned paper and pencil. If one of your children can draw have them create a picture to go with your poems, this includes them in something that is important to you, encourages family time and helps create a bond that they will never forget.
Quinisha Watkins said:
04.07.08 1:34 p.m.
Dorinee, I absolutly agree with you. Old school sometimes is the way to go. Along with that good old music. Ha Ha! I also like to listen to soft music as I write, and get this, read! It helps to soothe me and keep me focused. Do anyone know if I need to go and get a tax id? If so, how does it work? My husband is a music producer and he went years ago to get a tax id, so he could sell cd's. Is that the same for someone like me?
Lauren said:
04.07.08 7:09 p.m.
Quinisha, writing has always come easier to me than other subjects of study, so I guess I was drawn to it out of sheer laziness! But the more I write, the more I realize how much I have to learn. That's a great feeling. I think practice is more important than passion when it comes to writing. I wish you all the best and lots of success with your writing!
Renata said:
04.08.08 2:13 p.m.
I recently read a Q&A with Kate DiCamillo, one of my favorite authors (Because of Winn Dixie, Tale of Despereaux). She was asked about her writing discipline. Her response was that she has trained herself to write 2 hours a day. Concentrated, serious writing, no fluff. The rest of the day she spends on other tasks related to her writing, as well as to her life. But for the actual writing, it's 2 hours a day. Because, as she says, good writing is very taxing work. And I agree. And once you get past the point that you're producing good work, it's wasted time. Kate has set her threshold for quality work at 2 hours. I find the whole concept inspiring. And, Quinisha, your question triggered my memory of her words. I think it's less important to crank out a set number of pieces each day than it is to spend serious, dedicated time honing words, phrasing and thoughts.
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