I’ve been at this freelance thing for years. And you know what I’ve learned? You’re only valued as much as you value yourself. My dad always used to say “You’ve got to toot your own horn, Bren,” and here I am 10 years into writing professionally, finally singing loud and proud.
That’s my way of saying Welcome to my little corner of the web, Digital Inkwell. Please won’t you stay for some tea?
This blog is designed to help people just like me-bloggers, writers, social media managers, etc-trying to find solid ground in the oft-times shaky world of freelancing. You’ll find the kinds of posts I like to read, filled with actionable advice, clear tips, and a healthy dose of pop culture nerdiness to keep things interesting.
Because I believe anyone with the drive and a passion for the written word can accomplish what I have. You just need to want it.
While you’re here, why not take a moment to sign up for my newsletter? Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get back.
About Brenda Barron
Hello there, kind Internet traveler! I’m Brenda. I live in southern California with my family (and two cats) and I spend my days writing for a living. Yes, you caught me. I’m a freelance writer and editor and The Digital Inkwell is my personal brand. You can often find me typing furiously at my local Starbucks. (Yes, I’m that person).
I’ve been published on numerous websites and blogs. I’ve interviewed top social media gurus for the Intuit Small Business Blog, “followed the money” via business analysis for The Motley Fool, pondered social media and inbound marketing trends for Brandxten, and analyzed the implications of the latest news on content marketing for Content Standard by Skyword. I’ve also written in-depth tutorials for WPMU DEV and WP Buffs. Currently, I write for Envato Tuts+ and GoDaddy and consult and manage content production for a variety of WordPress theme developers.
And that’s just scratching the surface of what I’ve been up to!
I’ve been at this freelance writing thing for many years. I worked my way through college (graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in English Literature from California State University, Long Beach in 2007) by putting pen to paper. Back then, I wrote for print magazines like Cat Fancy, Critters USA, and ePregnancy. I wrote a lot of keyword-rich articles for clients, too.
And those were all excellent experiences but I didn’t really get this freelancing thing until around 2013 or so. Something clicked in my mind. I realized I didn’t need to work my ass off day in and day out to scrape by, and still not earn enough to pay the bills. I didn’t need to agonize over lackluster job postings that offered pennies and apply anyway because that’s all there is.
As soon as I realized there were opportunities out there for the taking I started seeing them line up more and more. I got a gig here. And that gig led to another. And that published article led to a contract with another blog and so forth. If I had any major lesson to give my fellow writers it’s this: confidence is everything. March into that virtual meeting like you know what you’re doing. Because chances are, you actually do and you just need to convince the other guy of the same thing.
Won’t you come on the journey with me? There will be plenty of references to Doctor Who and Back to the Future, I promise.