A term that continues to appear in front of my reading glass adorned eyes is “freelance.” I don’t know if the universe is trying to tell me something, but, as a soloentrepreneur, it’s a term to which I feel a need to pay attention.
Take, for example, this quote from Mary Kettl, a freelance writer for Trib.com: “Freelancing seems to be part of the future, however, and as companies continue to hold off on hiring full-time employees, I predict a return to the itinerant peddler and trade guild model of the Middle Ages.”
The Freelance Opportunity
Perhaps the current state of the economy is the chief antagonist of those who wish to build a full-time career, but whatever the reason it seems that freelancing is a viable option. That certainly appears to be the case where publishing is concerned, which is why I was excited to come across a site called Contently.com.
According to its “About“ page Contently’s sole purpose is to empower and connect freelancers with publishers.
“We created Contently because we saw the world of publishing changing around us. In the midst of the disruption of traditional journalism, digital advertising and social media, the world economy was in a slump, causing throngs of talented journalists and creative storytellers to strike out on their own as freelancers – and not necessarily by choice.
“At the same time, nontraditional publishers are rising – brands, nonprofits, and lean new media companies – all of which need talent and efficient ways to manage, measure, and achieve business results with content.”
Even more to the point is its manifesto, which contains this equally impressive declaration:
“The future of content on the web – content that gets discovered, creates value, and builds audiences – is not cheap text cranked out by content farms. It’s high quality, editorial and entertainment created by experienced journalists and passionate bloggers. The future is a social media world, where humans are the arbiters of quality, and search algorithms reward sharing and human readability.”
One could surmise that all Contently intends to do is help out of work journalists find jobs, which is certainly a noble purpose. However, I see something even nobler; I see opportunity.
This quote from a post at Bazaarvoice sums it up best: “Brands are starting to realize that their writers and content creators aren’t necessarily their best marketers. If the aim is to create better, more engaging content, many companies are looking outside their walls and hiring established experts that bring with them skills, an audience, and established cachet.”
Like I said, a genuine opportunity exists for brands in particular to employ freelance writers, journalists and bloggers to enhance and strengthen their content marketing efforts.
My Personal Writing Journey
From my college days, I’ve always been interested in journalism. The first two years of my post high school education was spent at a community college (they were called “junior colleges” in those days), where I served on the newspaper staff and received the “most promising journalism student” award. Moving on to “senior” college, I served as editor of “The Cobbler,” the school newspaper.
Instead of pursuing a journalism degree, however, I opted for a career in music education, and later entered the ministry. In my 40s, I embarked upon a career in Internet marketing, a field in which I’ve worked for the past 16 years.
In all that time the love of writing has never left. It’s why, for years, I’ve written or blogged for online publications like Practical Ecommerce, Weblogs Inc, AllBusiness.com, MarketingProfs, and Social Commerce Today, among others. It’s also why I’ve authored or co-authored four books on the topics of business blogging, social media marketing and social commerce. And the writing bug remains with me to this day!
It’s for that reason I’ve thrown my hat in Contently’s ring in hopes of landing some freelance writing assignments. If I’m honest, I would cherish the opportunity to contribute to publications such as Forbes or Entrepreneur, but would also enjoy the challenge of editing a digital publication focused on social media or social commerce.
On my desk is a gift given to me by my son, Alan, after completing my book The Digital Handshake. It’s a pen and pencil holder (or should I say “writing instrument” holder) inscribed with a quote from Ernest Hemingway, which says, “A writer must write what he has to say. Not speak it.”
If I’m anything, it’s a writer. It took a long time to reach that conclusion, but there it is.
Social media and social commerce are the topics that drive my passion, and digital media is the tabula rasa upon which any words related to those topics are to be penned. Now, I look to the universe to afford even more opportunities to ply that trade.
