It’s Official: I’m A Full Time Blogger/Writer (I’m Also Available For Hire)

Hello, my name’s Catherine, and… I’m a full-time blogger. Lets out a deep sigh of relief

Six months ago I wouldn’t have dreamt in a million years I’d be saying (writing) that. At all. Yet here I am, at my PC, telling you that I have done the unthinkable: I left my full-time job after 11 years to work on the blog and be my own boss as a writer/publisher… I left in June and have been trying to decide what to do since then. I thought I knew; a few months of internships (even at the ripe old age of 41) followed by a full-time job in social media. And that would be that.

But doing the blog full time was so much more enjoyable than I expected. I had time to Tweet. I could post extra things on Facebook. I found time to finally get to grips with Google+. I drafted tons of posts for my musings and photo tips. I signed up to lots of opportunities I would normally have had to turn down due to having a 9-5. I even interviewed Gok Wan up in London even though it was a weekday and hey, I could go anytime.

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I MAY ALSO THROW IN SOME SPONSORED POSTS, BUT I WISH TO WRITE THEM MYSELF AND MAKE THEM GOOD. AND INTERESTING TO READ. I WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR INTERESTS AT HEART, BECAUSE IF NEITHER OF US LIKES WHAT I’M WRITING, THEN THERE’S NOT MUCH POINT, IS THERE.

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So I am letting you know, lovely (and loyal) readers, that Not Dressed As Lamb is here to stay – I’m setting up my own business as a writer. It’s going to be a tough old struggle and this is the big crunch: I therefore need to earn a living. I want you to know that I fully intend to maintain the integrity of my blog, despite having to monetise it, and I promise to bring you the same amount of outfit posts, musings and photo tips I’ve always produced. I may also throw in some sponsored posts, but I wish to write them myself and make them good. And interesting to read. (That may mean an awful lot more work for me – I could just accept pre-written posts for cash, but who wants to read those?) But in order to keep the blog going I do need to monetise it to some extent. I will, however, always have your interests at heart, because if neither of us likes what I’m writing, then there’s not much point, is there.

So fear not, dear reader. I promise to keep your interests my number one priority, along with my love for writing stuff for you (and my sanity). Cross my heart and kiss my elbow.

I’m also available for hire. As a writer. [Update January 2016: I am no longer doing this.]

This bit I have to shout from the rooftops… this is where I am unashamedly telling the world that I will write stuff for them. So I guess I am now a freelance writer. No, I am a freelance writer. I’m currently freelancing ad hoc for a digital agency and doing a lot of copywriting about all sorts of subjects, from recruitment to horses to engineering, so doing research is not a problem. Of course I’d love to write about style and fashion all the time, but meantime I’m happy to write about anything (within reason, I should say), and I actually rather enjoy the diversity of subjects I’ve been covering.

So – does your company need blog posts written for them? Do you have articles that need writing (on any subject)? Is it a one-off assignment or an on-going project? I’ll consider them all. I might even continue writing the screenplay I started writing in 1996. Or adapt it into a novel. Who knows.

Weirdly, English (or rather, writing) was my best subject at primary school. My mum always said it was a shame I stopped writing because she loved reading my over dramatic, lengthy prose. So it seems it’s a full circle that’s taken more than 30 years to go round.

But I meant what I said about maintaining integrity. I’ll keep our best interests at heart, and at the same time earn a little to keep the blog alive and well. If you want to support the blog and get yourself a bit of advertising at the same time, why not take out an ad in my sidebar? Two birds, one stone. Hopefully lots more stones thrown your way.

So that’s me: a brand new, truly scary start at the age of 41. I can’t wait…!

P.S. You may be wondering how I’ll afford to live. I took (mutual) redundancy from work, plus I have a supportive husband who works full time – but we still have a mortgage to pay. We’re going to treat the blog as we would a baby: I gave up a full-time job to look after a baby, we have to therefore scrimp and save to live on one income. And bring up a baby. But I’m hoping that within a couple of years that baby will become a chimney sweep or go down the mines and earn me some money out in the big wide world. Here’s hoping.

Catherine