Friday Speak Out!: Me? A Paid Writer?

by Mary Ann Sromoski

I never would have thought that my passion for writing and editing would lead to an actual career. I get paid for writing articles. The following is my story.

I am a 45-year-old with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science. I began working in the mental health field immediately following graduation. I spent 10 absolutely miserable years working at a thankless job with horrible pay. I was toast, so I quit. What was I to do now? I had several interests, but they all required going back to college. I wanted a job that wasn’t a chore. I wanted a job that I loved and looked forward to. I could’ve gone back to college, but seriously, that wasn’t happening. Ever. I’ll share a secret. I hated school with a passion.

I searched online for jobs allowing you to work from home. Have you ever done that? There are so many scams, and guess what? I was scammed time after time. I looked into paid surveys. Seriously? Half of the time, I didn’t even qualify. Each passing day, I became more disheartened.

I didn’t work for years and lived on my husband’s income. I still wasn’t happy. I had to seriously think about what I liked to do and somehow get paid for it. Well, I came up with zip. Zero. Nada. How frustrating. After all, I believed I was intelligent enough to do something.

One day, I came across a website online. Yes, I searched again on the internet. I watched a video about this woman who got paid for doing voice over work. Well, of course, you had to buy the “secret” in order to get my “dream job”. Yeah, right. But, she was compelling and sold me. Would you believe the only thing I took away from 5 different e-books that I downloaded was the name of a website. That is it! Thank goodness I was able to get a refund.

What I found was that many people will hire you to write certain articles. I was able to complete some projects and successfully get paid. At least it was something.

One day I was accepted for a project that needed to be completed in one hour. The content needed turned out to be about plumbing, air conditioning, heating, etc. Really? What have I gotten myself into? But, I was determined to complete it and complete it well. I jumped in, did my research and completed it on time. The next day I received $90 via PayPal. I had gotten paid for something I loved to do.

I continue to freelance write for different clients and projects. I started blog sites of my own and began to market my services. At least, I now have one foot in the door.

I was finally doing what I loved. If you take one thing away from this article, I hope it is this: Never think you cannot achieve something no matter what it involves. Sometimes you have to struggle through the hard times and disappointments, but when you least expect it, it will happen. You just have to start out small and take one step at a time.

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Mary Ann Sromoski’s career did not begin with writing. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science with a major focus in Psychology. Immediately following graduation, Mary Ann began working in various specialties in the mental health field. However, ever since she can remember, she’s had a passion and affinity for reading and writing. As a result, she decided to pursue a career as a professional freelance writer, author, copywriter and blogger.

Mary Ann currently has four e-books for sale on Amazon and in print version on Lulu Publishing. She’s a member of a premier writing community and maintains several blog sites.


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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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