“What have you been up to?”
An update on my first few months of freelancing.
In the four months since I unwittingly became a full-time freelancer, I’ve fielded some version of this question more times than I can count. I haven’t always had a good answer. Through most of July, even though I was spending more time contacting editors, chasing leads, and preparing to launch Leg Day, I felt weird saying anything other than “Nothing, really.” I knew I needed some recovery time. But I also felt more engaged in my work than ever?
I have always believed I couldn’t hack it as a freelancer. I love being part of a newsroom, where success was not entirely determined by my own efforts. When I signed off on Friday afternoons, I knew there was someone around keeping the ship up and running.
I am the captain now.
And it’s going … well? Leg Day is up and running. I’m still in the afterglow of throwing a party that raised a rack for the Bike Plant Repair Fund. Most attendees were my friends, but plenty of people came because it sounded fun. Other people actually read the newsletter. Sickos! (My sickos!)
I have been trying not to pay too much attention to the subscriber count and failing. Thankfully, it’s growing. Another milestone: I’m now making enough money from paid subscriptions to pay for ONE MONTH OF BROOKLYN RENT! Absurd!
The main thing that makes me happy about Leg Day is that I still haven’t posted anything there that I think sucks. It has felt weirdly easy to put together, probably because I haven’t had to temper any of my ideas to suit an imagined audience. I am the audience now. So far, I don’t think I’ve screwed anything up, or published anything I wouldn’t stand behind. I’m trying to prioritize keeping that true over just doing stuff to maximize its potential growth.
But also, please please please … subscribe to it, hit the like button, leave a comment. It matters!
Another fun result of getting laid off is that I have been writing more than ever. Here on the Digest, I’ve written about window shopping for new pants on my birthday, testing notes on a newly re-released film camera, and the sad state of commerce journalism. But I’ve been getting assignments from actual outlets too. In just the last two months, I’ve placed stories in GQ, Men’s Journal, and Condé Nast Traveler. And I have even more assignments in the pipe that I’m really really excited about, including two pieces for independent magazines that actually invoice on time. What a concept!
I’m feeling good about the beat I’m shaping for myself. I’m focusing on menswear and endurance sports, but also getting to try doing so from a bunch of different angles. (Not sure if you’re ready for my upcoming profile of the Canadian Women’s Ski Team!) Whenever any of that stuff is feeling stale, I’m able to just pitch and execute other ideas. I’m hoping to do more stuff about cities and urban design, with biking as the entrance point. And the outdoors. And travel. And food? It’s feeling good.
The one thing I really want to do more of in the next few months is edit. I love editing other people’s work. Other people rule. I’ve really enjoyed helping Christina Casillo launch her newsletter about all of New York’s best burgers. (It’s called Burger Diva and I’m honestly so jealous of how good it is.) But my editing muscle has otherwise been limited to my own cover letters.
So, if you’re an editor in need of pitches or editing help, a writer who needs someone to help them launch or maintain an independent project, or a PR person with some truly awesome thing you want me to try, please get in touch! It’s as easy as responding to this email!