Irina Gonzalez

Journalist | Editor | Author of the Parenting in Hard Mode newsletter

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September 2018 Writer’s Life: Slowly back to it [#yearofwriting]

Posted on September 30, 2018February 22, 2019 by Irina Gonzalez

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Well, I made it! I made it through a fairly difficult summer full of physical therapy for my recent shoulder surgery and a LOT of home repairs and stress. But I made it! Of course, this month wasn’t all that great for me (financially) but it was full of other happy things. For instance, I got a new job as a regular writer at Simplemost (yay!) and I decided to leave my editor role at 21Ninety (sad, but sometimes moving on is the best thing you can do).

And, most importantly, I moved into my new house last month and spent this month setting it up. I know that may not seem super relevant to my #yearofwriting adventures but the truth is that everything in life can affect your work and, for me, I am happy to be finally settled in my new home so that I can focus on things OTHER than the renovation stress I had last month.

How much I made: $3804

Since last month was my worst earning month of the year, it wasn’t necessarily difficult to beat that this month. Still, I was happy to see the number steadily increase even though I’m still below my monthly earnings goal of $5,000. Just to do the math, though, I wanted to see what the rest of my year might entail and if I have any chance of actually making my yearly goal. So, here we go:

Quarter 3 total: $12,463

Up-to-date total: $38,165

Year-end needs: $21835

Monthly goal: $7278

So, as you can see by the above, I made $38,165 out of the $45,000 that was my goal for the first three quarters of the year. Now, this isn’t ideal, and I am definitely very far behind right now. The way that it all works out is that I have to make just over $2k more every month for the rest of this year in order to make my income goal… And, well, I just don’t know if that’s likely.

But I’m not giving up hope! This month went well for me and next month I am primed to do even better. Maybe I won’t quite hit my goal for the year this year but, well, I’m still going to try!

What was published (by 21Ninety): 

  • The Life of a Boss Mom with Jazz Smollett-Warwell
  • A Thrifting Expert Shares Her Top 5 Tips For Great Shopping
  • How Williams Sonoma Executive Anddria Varnado Personalizes Her Style On The Move (And You Can, Too)
  • Modern Mom Essentials with Christina Brown of LoveBrownSugar and Pottery Barn Modern Baby
  • The Life of a Boss Mom with Kristel David

What was published (by Simplemost): 

  • Celebrities Who’ve Shed A Ton Of Weight — And Kept It Off
  • The Most-Awarded TV Shows Of All Time

What was published (by Fierce by mitú): 

  • 20 Awkward Prom Photos That Will Make You Relive Your Greatest Moments
  • 25 Women Talk About How Birth Control Changed Their Lives For The Better And Worse
  • My First Time Having Sex Was Just The Way I Planned It, Nothing Special At All
  • Ibi Zoboi Takes Down “Insulting Review” Of Her New Afro-Latin YA Novel
  • I Have $150k in Debt — Here’s What Financial Experts Told Me To Do

Want more? Check out all of my writing above and subscribe to my newsletter for news and updates, then follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Irina Gonzalez is a journalist, editor, and sober bisexual Latina mom with ADHD. She is the author of the Parenting in Hard Mode newsletter—for those of us who are raising social justice-minded families and getting real about mental health for parents navigating life on the difficult setting. She is also working on an upcoming book on impactful Latinx Americans with The Quarto Publishing Group.

©2025 Irina Gonzalez