Transitioning from a Full-Time Job to Freelance Writing

by Camela Thompson

Writing has always been instrumental to my career—even before my title was “Writer.”

In my business operations roles, my job was to figure out which systems and processes weren’t working, implement changes, and then ensure adoption.

I wrote technical requirement documents, presentations to obtain executive buy-in, resource estimates, developer specs, and project updates for multiple audiences. Once the technical work was done, I wrote online help for people maintaining the system, embedded help for end users, tutorial video scripts, job aids, and training decks.

My title wasn’t Technical Writer, but I acted like one!

Once coworkers discovered I had published fiction novels, they asked me to edit their documents. This ballooned into writing email campaigns, editing marketing collateral, and writing video scripts.

I Knew It Was Time for a Change

I left my position as a marketing technical stack manager in the summer of 2019.

After several lateral moves into very similar positions, it became clear that I needed to make a big change.

The stress of being on call to field major system issues and constantly defending my position as an expert across multiple functions caught up with me. I knew my health couldn’t support another twenty years in a role that felt like a series of never-ending emergencies.

I took several months to reflect on where to go next. I didn’t know what my future entailed. It was liberating and, at the same time, terrifying.

I needed to find a position that leveraged skills I already had. I didn’t have the patience to go back to college, but I knew I couldn’t stay in the same line of work.

Eventually, things came into focus.

The leap to full-time writer made sense.

Why I Wanted to Transition from My Full-Time Job to Writing

I mentioned I took time off to reflect after leaving my technical job. I loved the people and enjoyed the company, but still felt burned out. I thought I grew frustrated because I only had time to maintain the technology already in place instead of improving it.

As time passed, I realized I had stretched myself too thin across technical and creative functions. I could have refused to write or edit. I was greedy and exhausted myself.

I enjoy writing and editing more than managing and overhauling technology. This wasn’t always the case, but it’s where I find myself now. With a background writing novels and crafting technical documents, I thought the transition would be simple.

I was wrong.

Freelance Writing Work Made it Possible for Me to Get My Foot In the Door

Although I wrote technical documents, I didn’t know the terminology used by the technical writing world. My resume was a mess!

I described guided help as “online help prompts,” and online manuals as “training material for admins.” My resume didn’t show up in search queries, and recruiters thought me unqualified because of my previous titles.

To make things even more difficult, I wanted to try my hand at copywriting. I liked the idea of simplifying technical jargon for a non-technical audience.

It truly is who you know and not what you know. People I knew (either directly or through someone willing to vouch for me) met with me. I didn’t approach them asking for a job. I asked for advice.

After a few meetings, I decided to start with freelance contracts rather than targeting a full-time position. I didn’t have an extensive portfolio to send prospective employers, and a contract makes it easier for both parties to walk away if it’s not a good fit.

Freelance work made it possible to get my foot in the door and build a portfolio.

Now I’m Living the Dream!

Now that I’ve spent a little time as a freelancer, I’m not sure I’ll go back to corporate.

The benefits and consistency of corporate are a plus, but I love the variety I encounter as a freelancer.

I’m not “stuck” maintaining a blog or updating website copy. I can take on customer training content development or an email template series if the opportunity presents itself.

The biggest perk? I’m home with my dogs! I’m living the dream.

I Had to Learn About SEO and Link Building to Help My Clients

The young businesses I work with don’t possess the budget for a web department or SEO specialist.

I had to learn about search engine optimization (SEO) and link-building tactics on the fly (Moz, SEMRush, and other companies offer free blogs).

However, I think the most important thing I do is work hard to make my customers happy—their referrals are the lifeblood of my business.

Position Your Content from the Perspective of the End User

The most critical aspect of my business operations roles was convincing people that using technology helped them do their jobs faster and better.

WIIFM (or “What’s In It For Me?”) is often overlooked by technical developers, which can kill implementations. Positioning content from the perspective of the end user was a must and benefits me in my new career.

It doesn’t hurt that I’m a psychology nerd. People fascinate me.

Tools that Help in My Freelance Writing

Answerthepublic.com is a cool tool! Type in a keyword term and it returns phrases and questions people are searching for regarding the topic.

This not only helps me understand what to blog about—it helps me narrow down a list of keywords to research.

SEMrush offers a plug-in for Chrome to use with Google Docs. It takes your topic and lists keywords used in similar content.

Autocrit.com is an awesome editing tool, and I use it even for non-fiction. I also keep The Chicago Manual of Style nearby.

Advice for a Young Writer: Ask Yourself Why You Want to Write Full Time

You need to ask yourself why you want to write full time. If you simply want to write and don’t care about the topic, there are a lot of jobs out there (particularly if you’re technically inclined).

Companies are building out content departments because of the demand and Google algorithm perks. You’re going to struggle if you dream of supporting yourself with fiction or are picky about your topics.

Start networking now and think about people you’ve worked with in the past who may be willing to connect you to marketing departments in their own company.

If this is your first job, look for internships, volunteer opportunities, and meetups in the area. Attend local conferences and find someone who writes full time. Ask lots of questions!

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Camela Thompson is a freelance writer and novelist with a Seattleite’s affinity for coffee. Over the past thirteen years in business operations, her time was split between project management, systems administration, analysis, technical writing, executive presentations, and end user training. She caught the freelance copywriting bug after helping marketing with their email campaigns and video scripts. The rest is history.

When she’s not at her laptop, you can find Camela painting, video gaming, meditating, practicing yoga, or exploring Seattle with her husband and dogs.

For more information on Camela and her work, please see her website and Amazon author page, or connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.