This article appeared on www.writersweekly.com in 2005

No More Pantyhose! By Connie Lynd Sievers


For 12 years I worked as a freelance writer while holding down a day job, often worrying that I would never be able to freelance as a career. It took me until I was 35 years old, but I now earn my living solely as a freelance writer and plan on never going back to the daily wearing of pantyhose again.

In retrospect, it was the experience I gained at my day jobs that led to my current main source of income - grant writing. I had worked as a non-profit administrator where grant writing was part of the responsibilities. In fact, I wrote at every job I held during those 12 years, which were mainly marketing positions. While grumbling about not having time to write, I was actually gaining valuable writing experience.

I started freelancing by writing concert reviews for low pay for a local entertainment weekly. After a year of acquiring clips there, I moved on to higher paying magazines and was published in a handful of regional and national publications. I was happy to be published and earning money as a "real writer." But the checks weren't nearly enough to replace the paychecks from my other jobs. I was almost resigned to a lifetime of writing "on the side."

Then I had a baby and life was different in more ways than one. I stayed home for his first few years and had more time to write. I enjoyed it tremendously. When the time came for me to start helping with the bills again, I was determined to get a good paying job as a writer. An ad in the paper landed me the grant writing position. The pay is good, the office is conveniently located in my home, pantyhose are optional, and the steady paycheck is allowing me to chase another dream - a book deal.

Connie Lynd Sievers is a freelance author of more than 100 published works and has experience in all types of non-fiction writing and editing. She has been published in several local and national magazines, including Catholic Digest, Dog Fancy, Home Cooking and Long-Term Care Interface. Over 50 corporations have come to her for written promotional materials, including Bonne Bell Cosmetics and Forest City Land Group. She also has experience writing for physicians and the medical community, including health-related grant proposals, through her work for Case Western Reserve University's Medical School, Pro ED COMMUNICATIONS, Inc., the American Diabetes Association and Southwest General Health Center. And if you need an opinion, she has one. She has experience writing concert and restaurant reviews, and has published many opinion pieces. See http://www.authorsden.com/connielyndsievers for writing samples and contact information.





source: http://www.writersweekly.com/success_stories/001710_06162004.html