6 Ways To Expand Your Freelance Writing Career

This time last year, I was folding panties and meticulously arranging them by color, only for a 14-year-old girl (or a 57-year-old woman) to come and rummage through and destroy my hard work six minutes later.

I was miserable, doubtful of my purpose, and ready to throw in the towel. For months, I took time to learn everything there was about bras and panties, because I was gunning for a promotion at my part-time turned full-time job at Victoria's Secret. After spending weeks kissing ass and perfectly folding all of the underwear I could get my hands on, my managers overlooked me for the promotion and offered the position to someone with no experience.

Depressed and hopeless, I sought help from a very successful friend, who advised me to start a journal, and use it like I would Instagram. He told me to record in it everything I wanted for my life. I obliged, and one of the items on my list was, "Get paid to write."

Shortly after Christmas, I developed a cyst at the top of my ass crack, which left me on bedrest for a month, and unable to fold panties for the man. I was devastated and heavily relied on my parents to pay my bills during that time.

This is why I went to school for four years? I feel like such a failure. Why even bother?

After I snapped out of my one-woman pity party and let my nuts drop, and picked my pride up off the floor. On the couch, sprawled out, in pain and desperate, I applied to xoNecole.com for the third time. Shortly after, I was invited to come onboard as a freelance contributor. Over time, I became a daily writer, and only a few months after my start date, I was promoted to staff and named editorial assistant.

I'm writing this not to flaunt my come-up, but to let you know that you can come up too, girl. I'm literally living my vision board, but there were some steps I had to take to get here, and here's what they were:

Be Consistent

If you want something, it's because God put that desire in your heart. The first time I applied to work for xoNecole.com, I was in college. I read Necole's story and was immediately inspired to get involved in her latest endeavor, but unfortunately, I wasn't ready.

I applied again last year, right before the ass crack incident. Although I got a reply this time, I didn't hear back from the Editor again after sending in my writing samples.

I applied one more time in February and asked for another shot at proving my worth, and was asked to come on board as a celebrity daily writer.

This position has been years in the making for me because I worked at it and because it was my time. It wasn't my time when I was folding panties, and it wasn't my time in college. God orchestrated my life so that I could actually receive it when he blessed me and know that it was nobody but him that made it happen.

Don't get discouraged easily. You might not have been right for the position you applied for, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Shoot your shot, even if you miss sometimes. That's how you win.

Featured image by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash