My name is Hannah. When I started this blog, I was a recent college graduate with an English degree. If you, too, are an English major, you’ve heard it all before: “Oh, so you’re going to be a teacher?” “So, what do you do exactly?” “Is that really practical?”
When I graduated college in 2015, I told myself I was going to prove all the naysayers wrong and find work actually doing what I love: writing. And guess what? I’ve actually broken into the writing industry as a freelance editor, proofreader, and ghostwriter!
If it hadn’t been for my husband Stephen’s income, I probably would have lived with my parents for the first year of my career, as much as it pains me to say it. However, after getting my bearings and building a portfolio, I launched my own business, PurpleInkPen, in May of 2016. In July of 2016 I made a four-figure monthly income for the very first time! (You can read a post about how I did it here.) Now, in 2019, I’m about to reach my goal of $50,000 a year!
This blog is my way of reaching out to all the other budding writers out there trying to make sense of all the programs, pamphlets, and other resources claiming to be your one-stop shop for making it as a writer but that always seem to fall short in actually telling you exactly how and where to start.
I’ve felt overwhelmed many times when trying to break into the writing industry, particularly the world of book ghostwriting, and I know I can’t be alone. So, I want to share how I’ve managed to make an income as a writer and hopefully help other writers avoid some of the headaches I went through in the process. I would also love to hear from you about your successes and struggles as a writer.
This blog is for anyone who doesn’t want to settle for a mediocre back-up plan. It’s for anyone who has ever been discouraged by the daunting task of figuring out where to start after college or even during college. It’s for anyone who looks through classifieds for keywords like ‘copywriter,’ ‘ghostwriter,’ ‘proofreader,’ ‘fiction,’ or ‘essay’ and by the end of their search feels like screaming, “For crying out loud, I just want to write!”
Much luck to you. You ARE brave to start your career in this business. But because of your bravery and self-confidence, I think you’ll make it. Connecting with other bloggers like this is a great idea!
Thank you so much for putting a smile on my face!
The best of the best of luck to you! As an aspiring writer myself, I understand those questions you get when you tell people you just want to write for the rest of your life and is it too much to ask to get paid nicely doing it? *exasperated sigh*
P.S. I love the name PurpleInkPen. 😀
Thank you, Jade! Best of luck on your writing endeavors as well. I really appreciate you taking the time to connect.