Introducing: The Triumphs and Trials Report

The triumphs and trials report will be published at the end of every month to record my (you guessed it!) triumphs and trials as a freelancer. Did I land a gig? Missed a deadline? Impressed an editor? Had a difficult client? etc. So without further ado, I present to you my report for November.

Triumphs:

• Landed my first gig. Pay is less, but it comes with editors and online help. Perfect for a new fish in the pond.
• Got my first freelance work enquiry through my blog. I polished my blog to some semblance of respectability and within a few days of publishing it, I had someone email me making inquiries about my rates.
• Will get my first pay! I’ll update this point once the pay is in my account. But I’m due a payday!

Trials:

• Clients who hire you, ask you to sign up someplace and then disappear. This seems to have happened to me for the 10th time! I keep wondering if I’m doing anything wrong.
• Gigs that only offer revenue share as compensation. This was a lesson only time and experience could have taught. Or a mentor, but since I don’t have one, I figured it out only after I’d accepted the work.
• Spam Filters. As heaven sent as they are, every now and then they become responsible for major goof ups. I’d been waiting for an assignment for four days and Had decided to mail my contact on Monday. By chance, I decided to check my spam on Sunday, and there it was! It had been in my spam filter for four days and it turned out that the deadline was for Monday! Phew. Close save!