June Writer’s Life: My GLAMOUR piece and Q2/YTD totals [#yearofwriting]

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So it’s officially been 6 months since I started my #yearofwriting challenge. It’s been a really interesting road since then. At the beginning, I hired a writing coach to reach the next level of my career and ended up spending a lot of time pitching new stories. In fact, one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve achieved is that I have already been published in 17 publications this year (which was one of my top writing goals for 2017). So woo hoo!

In June in particular, I have FINALLY been published in one of my dream publications: GLAMOUR! That’s been a really huge accomplishment, really, and it’s a piece that I absolutely love (about how I got engaged with a $35 engagement ring and basically about the new trend to go away from diamonds in creative ways). Other than that, I also wanted to share my Quarter 2 totals as well as the 6-month check-in of how my writing has gone this year. It’s fun to track, so check it out below.

What was published: 

• I Got Engaged With a $35 Engagement Ring, and the World Didn’t End [Glamour]
• My Body, My Choice: What Body Positivity Advocates Get Wrong About Weight Loss [Ravishly]
• Genius woman figures out how to sneak her dog into hospital. Take notes. [Someecards]
• 7 Rules a nutritionist follows to lose weight [MamásLatinas]
• Everything you need to know about lip reduction surgery [MamásLatinas]
• The TLC Diet: What you need to know to lose weight [MamásLatinas]

Romper, specifically: 

• 11 Things Your Partner Does That Keep You From Orgasming & How To Fix Them
• Can You Have Sex After Having An Abortion? Here’s What You Should Know
• 7 Sex Hacks If You Have A Tilted Uterus & Want To Avoid Pain
• How Soon Can You Masturbate After Giving Birth?
• Am I More Fertile Postpartum? What You Need To Know About Getting Pregnant Again
• Should You Use A Condom After Having A Baby? It’s Something To Consider
• 13 Everyday Things That Kill Your Sex Drive Without You Knowing It
• 8 Old Wives’ Tales About Getting Baby To Sleep That Work
• Is It Safe To Have Rough Sex 6 Weeks After A ”Natural” Birth? You May Want To Take It Easy
• 13 Feminist Father’s Day 2017 Quotes For The Woke Dad-Daughter Duo
• 11 Things That Happen To Your Body When You Suddenly Stop Having Sex
• Will I Bleed The First Time I Have Sex After Having A Baby? Here’s What To Expect
• How Soon Can You Use Anal Beads After Giving Birth? The Toy May Be Better Than Before
• 16 Father’s Day 2017 Gifts From Etsy For A Truly One-Of-A-Kind Dad
• 12 Father’s Day Gifts For Men Who Don’t Drink Or Grill
• Is It Safe To Have Rough Sex 6 Weeks After An Episiotomy? Here’s What You Should Know
• 13 Subtle Signs You Have A Toxic Relationship With Your Mom
• How Soon Can You Use Anal Beads After A C-Section? You Have To Proceed With Caution
• How Soon Can You Use An Egg After A C-Section? It Could Help With Recovery
• How Soon Can You Masturbate After A “Natural” Birth? It May Not Be A Long Wait
• Is It Safe To Do Girl On Top 6 Weeks After “Natural” Birth? It May Be The Best For You
• 7 Things You’re Not Doing In The Bedroom That Are Holding Your Relationship Back
• 5 Things You Think Are Signs Of OCD, But Aren’t
• How Does A Gentle Cesarean Affect Your Vagina? It Will Be A Little Different
• 10 Things No One Tells You About Being Sexually Active On Your Period
• Why Do You Have To Wait 6 Weeks To Have Sex After A Vaginal Birth? Doctors Aren’t Trying To Torture You
• Can Using An Egg Improve Your Orgasm During Sex? It May Be Worth Grabbing One
• Is Kinky Sex Safe Postpartum? You Have To Ask Yourself A Few Questions Before Trying
• What Defines Kinky Sex? There Are Some Specific Parameters
• 9 Things You Think Are Signs Of A Doomed Marriage, But Are Just Normal Relationship Issues
• 7 Things To Do At Night To Wake Up Without Bad Breath, Because It’s About The Little Things
• Is It Legal To Shoot Fireworks On The 3rd Of July? You Have To Do Some Research First
• 9 4th Of July Games For Adults, Because Kids Shouldn’t Have All The Fun
• 7 Indoor 4th Of July Games, Incase The Weather Ruins Your Outdoor Festivities
• 14 4th Of July Facebook Statuses For Every Level Of Patriotism

Look at all of that! I didn’t have quite as many freelance pieces published this month as in the past, but my Romper writing has officially increased to 3 pieces a day (3 times a week) and that’s pretty intense. I really love everything that I am writing so far, but am especially proud of the “My Body, My Choice” piece for Ravishly. It’s something that I feel very strongly about, that needed to be said, and that I have had a lot of positive feedback on.

How much I wrote: 39,077 words

How much I made: $2302

Well, and I am sure that this is because I have been doing more for Romper this month, my word count definitely increased this month. So exciting! However, I had less of an income because I didn’t put myself out there that much (in terms of pitches) in the month of May, so I had less to write this month.

Pitches sent out in June: 5*
Pitch rejections: 2
Pitch non-replies: 0
Pitch acceptances: 0
Pitch reply with question: 0

Follow-ups with previous pitches: 0
Pitch rejections: 0
Pitch non-replies: 0
Pitch acceptances: 0

*1 editor received 4 pitches, 1 editor received 5 pitches and 1 editor received 8 pitches… so this could also be 19 instead.

Here’s the thing about pitches this month and last month, which subsequently made me make less money this month: I am okay with it. My writing coach actually warned me about this, how if I slack off on pitches one month, it is likely to affect my income the next month.

It’s true, yes, that I have had a lot less pitches going out since I started writing for Romper. It’s also true that I have made less money from those particular pieces… BUT I am also really happy with having regular work (and thus regular income) from Romper every single week. It’s now a huge chunk of my overall monthly freelance writing income, along with a little bit still from Mom.me and MamásLatinas.

In the coming months, I’d like to strike a little bit more of a balance and have some more pitches going out… but for now, I am happy to be writing tons for Romper, Mom.me, and MamásLatinas and less for other publications. After all, I already accomplished my BIG goal of having a byline in at least 17 publications this year, so that’s a huge win for the year.

That doesn’t necessarily mean I want to slack off on my pitches, but it does mean that I can take it a little easier and give myself a break because the reality is that I wouldn’t even have the time to take on too many new freelance pieces even if I tried.

Quarter 2 totals: 

How much I wrote: 91,014 words
How much I made: $6,860
Pitches sent out: 12
Pitch acceptances: 4

6-month totals: 

How much I wrote: 138,508 words
How much I made: $10,410
Pitches sent out: 78
Pitch acceptances: 14

So in looking at these Q2 totals and my YTD totals (aka the 6-month check-in), I am astounded by the fact that I have written basically two novel’s worth of work. That’s seriously CRAZY to me!

Considering that this time last year, I was writing here and there and basically haphazardly (while working full-time as an editor), this is a huge turn-around for me. I’m still working mostly as an editor, but finding the time to exercise my writing skills has really been amazing these past six months.

As you can clearly see, I definitely made more money and have written a lot more in Q2 and that’s mostly due to Romper. However, with this new job and reaching the 6-month mark of my #yearofwriting, I have decided to take a look at my writing goals for 2017 and I may be editing them some. Stay tuned…

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