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Interview with a Professional Freelancer:
Cathy Chatfield-Taylor
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This is the first of a series of interviews of professional freelance writers and editors who are Writerfind subscribers.

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Tell us a bit about yourself, and the work you did before you became a freelance writer.

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor: I’ve been a full-time freelancer since 1999, when I quit my job as a senior content developer for an architecture/engineering/planning (AEP) company. I had been working on websites, interactive multimedia programs and digital video productions for the company’s clients. I had learned a lot, but working under so many layers of bureaucracy was unsatisfying. I decided to eliminate the middle men. I parlayed my skills in journalism and technology to carve out a niche writing trend stories, case studies, technology reviews and white papers.

It was not the first time I had jumped ship. In 1989, I quit a job as publications editor for a technology company to freelance part time while I raised my son. That experience taught me the value of networking to market my services. After six years, I returned to the full-time work force—but reclaimed my freedom four years later.

Why did you move into freelance writing as a career?

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor: At first, freelancing gave me the flexibility I needed to take care of kid stuff. But it also fed a desire to work directly with clients: To discover what they wanted to say and to whom, and deliver their messages in ways best suited to achieve the desired results. Going solo was a trade-off from working in a corporate setting, where advancement brought more managerial responsibilities and fewer opportunities to write. 

Going freelance was also like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane without a parachute. Ten years ago, I gave up a good salary, excellent benefits and a retirement plan in exchange for the freedom to do my own thing. It took five years as a freelancer before I regained that income level. Today, I earn a decent living, invest in a Self-Employed Pension plan, and manage a home office where my “co-workers” shed and the “boss” lets me knock off early when I finish an assignment. Too cool!

Describe one of the most challenging experiences you have had in your career as a freelance writer.

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor: This challenge has been continuous: Learning to market myself. As a freelance, I accept that work is sporadic, and that sometimes I will be crazy busy, and other times I won’t. When I have assignments, I give them undivided attention until they’re done to the clients’ satisfaction. Then I use these work products to market my services when I’m not busy. I’ve learned to leverage the Internet, because face-to-face marketing and cold calling are not my thing.

I launched an email newsletter in 1999 with tips and resources for clients, developed a website in 2001 where I post my portfolio samples, and began blogging in In 2003 to keep up with the latest developments in Internet marketing and media. In 2006 I integrated my website and blog and optimized the site for search engines. These measures, in combination with my Writerfind subscription, have kept the freelance assignment pipeline full.

Describe one of the most interesting experiences you have had in your career as a freelance writer.

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor: A client who found me on the Internet in 2006 has since become the source of my most interesting assignments. I contribute trend stories and case studies to the company magazine, covering sustainable infrastructure projects around the world. I’ve written about smart bridges, green buildings, renewable energy—projects in every sector and on every continent. In one 4-month period, I recapped more than 250 award submissions for the annual Project Yearbook. Was it tedious at times? Yes. But a majority of the projects were truly fascinating applications of engineering design technology. 

From your experience, what is the most important skill of a successful freelance writer? 

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor: The skill that I think is essential, and has contributed most to my own success as a freelance writer/editor, is the ability to articulate what the client can not. That requires attentive listening, thoughtful questioning, probing research, and intelligent distillation of reams of information. Turning facts, figures, propaganda and—in some cases, misguided misinformation -- into an accurate, ethical and compelling story.

This is a skill that I call “journalistic marketing” -- telling compelling true stories, with a selling twist.

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Cathy’s Writerfind profile can be viewed at http://www.writerfind.com/cc-tunlimited.htm  

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