Master of My Domain

When I was trying to get things in place to start my freelance writing adventures, I thought it would be a great idea to have a spot on the Internet to store writing samples. That way, I wouldn't have to send a bunch of attachments via e-mail. I could just send interested individuals a link, and they could peruse my writing samples and resume at their leisure. I also thought I might get a little web traffic.

Since I'm trying to keep expenses low, I set my site up as a subdomain for an existing domain my husband and I use. We made the URL http://writing.chris-andrea.com. Everything was live and it didn't cost us a penny that we weren't already paying. I had the URL printed on my business cards and began distributing them to people.

Then I started getting a comment here and there. People wondered who Chris was and what he had to do with my business. I got the oh-so-subtle vibe from people that I was someone without a "real" business, just using someone else's domain. This was particularly true when I attended a business expo in town last week and handed my business card out in mass quantities.

No one came right out and said it, but I started to think my efforts to be frugal could affect my ability to get new business. After all, a domain can be purchased for as little as $9.95 a year. Was it really worth it not to get my own? It would mean the added expense of reprinting my business cards, but they weren't that expensive to begin with and it would be a lesson for me. I would also need to either migrate my content to another site or point the new domain at my old one, which isn't complicated.

It's true that I don't have much money now. I decided to be a freelancer after I quit my communications job. That left me with the month's notice I gave to drum up business and save my pennies. The result is that I have to spend the money I have left extremely carefully. This will become a recurring theme for me as I try to decide which expenses are justified to build my business. However, I think this expense is justified, so I purchased the domain http://www.andreadavisfreelancewriter.com. I shouldn't have to explain that one to anyone.

A New Beginning

Recently, I left my job of eight years to follow a different direction. My full-time communications position at a professional association had its advantages, not the least of which was security. It was a steady paycheck and was leaps and bounds ahead of the jobs I had when I first graduated from college. I was using my skills, but something, namely professional fulfillment, was definitely missing.

Originally, I looked for a replacement full-time position. When I decided to quit my job, I opted to pursue freelance jobs to make some money while I looked for another position. Then I came to a realization—I wanted freelance writing to be my new position, rather than just an interim measure.

Things in my personal life, namely a recent marriage, made the prospect of self-employment feasible. The stars aligned and the timing was right, so I jumped in with both feet.

The opportunity to start my own freelance writing business is both exciting and daunting. While I embrace the concepts of working for myself, picking my projects carefully and being able to do different types of writing, I realize there are drawbacks. The writing is the easy part. I've been doing that since I learned to read and have always had an aptitude in that area. Self-promotion is the challenge. I've never wanted to be a salesperson, but I understand that this business will require me to sell myself.

I finished at my job two weeks ago, and after a week's vacation, I began my freelance writing business in earnest earlier this week. I'll be figuring this out as I go along, tapping into resources I find along the way, capitalizing on contacts I've made during my professional career and trying to spread the word. I hope you'll join me for the ride as I begin my freelance writing adventures.