How I Turned Freelance Writing as a Stay-at-Home Mom Into a Career

Over the last five years, I’ve grown from creating a few articles that took me months to do—while parenting 2-year-old twins and a 4-year-old—to having a full-time freelance writing career.

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, other than my high school language arts teacher, no one around me believed writing could be a career. So instead, I pursued a Master of Education in Counseling and Development—working in a variety of human service roles for over a decade. Always, though, I was buried in words. The ones I read, and the ones I wrote. 

In 2017, a friend asked if she could write about my family for a magazine. I was curious. Sure, she could. Could she also teach me how to write about my own family or things that interested me? She let me into the world of freelance writing. 

My first two local articles about a refugee resettlement program, for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PublicSource, went live in the spring of 2017, and my first national article in Romper (where I later became a staff writer) was early the following year. Over the last five years, I’ve grown from those first few articles that took me months to eke out amongst parenting 2-year-old twins and a 4-year-old, to a full-time freelance/staff writing career. We even added a fourth kid.

I won’t claim to have it even remotely together. However, I’ve learned from other mother-writers along the way how to increase my earnings and grow my career. Here’s how I became a freelance writer.

Know What Your Time Is Worth

At first, I couldn’t believe someone had paid me. I took what was offered—which was low. Thankfully, over the years I have continued to write for both of those publications, and their rates are currently fair and competitive. In addition to the low rate, I was agonizingly slow as a writer.  Having two degrees but no journalism training meant that I was looking at drafts with words like “lede” and “nut graf” and feeling clueless. But I Googled and I learned. My hourly rate, though, was probably below minimum wage. I don’t regret that time period of my career. I was a young mother, transitioning fields, and I took that season to develop my voice and make connections. 

I was a young mother, transitioning fields, and I took that season to develop my voice and make connections. 

As I became a stronger journalist, I began to assess what my time was worth. A 400-word article that is a summary of a press release that I write while watching America’s Got Talent for $200? Sure. A 1,000-word essay where I need to spill my guts for $200? Not anymore. Some journalists have a flat rate per word they do not go below. That works for them. For me, once I set a goal of not working for less than $50 an hour, my income increased dramatically.

That leads into the next lesson I learned. There will be a time soon when I increase my mental non-negotiable rate. What my time is worth grows as I become more experienced, and so does yours.

Ask For More Money

Many experienced writers told me to always negotiate the rate offered, especially with a new-to-me publication. I found that once I did that, I almost never heard “no.” At first, I couched my request in excuses. “I was wondering if you might have an extra $50 in your budget for this piece. These kids are growing like weeds!” Eventually, though, I became convinced that I needed to value my time and the service I was offering. I now directly state what my rate is, or ask for an increase on a low rate, without shying away. For about 90 percent of new publications, I ask for a higher rate. Some are already quite competitive, and I feel comfortable with their initial offer. 

I spent years marketing services to people when I worked in human services. I tried to show them why a therapy or program was right for their family and worth the commitment. Marketing myself, though, felt different. It was only once my mind shifted to realize my work was worthy of a fair rate that my confidence grew. Once I have been with a publication for a while as a regular freelancer, I also renegotiate. I have proven that I am worth it to them. 

You Can Always Become a Better Writer

I don’t say this to induce anxiety or make anyone think they will “never be good enough.” I, like many mothers who choose to launch writing careers, have always been a natural writer. That in no way means I am beyond sharpening my skills. Take those workshops. Sign up for industry newsletters. Read the media, every day. Especially the publications you want to write for. 

Take those workshops. Sign up for industry newsletters. Read the media, every day. Especially the publications you want to write for.

I learned when to make my tone direct and more on-the-nose for newsy articles, and when to add a bit of humor or whimsy. I not only learned what lede and nut graf meant, I learned how to strengthen mine so that my writing was punchier and grabbed the reader right away. Online courses like Freelancing With Tim and Poynter trainings improved both my pitching skills and writing skills. Also, I paid attention to every change in my work an editor made. I learned where to trim; where to add more detail. I began to think of writing as a product I was delivering, and I wanted to deliver quality. Editors come back over and over again to quality writers. Never stop learning.

Learn to Say No

I remember the first time I tried to negotiate a rate with a national parenting magazine. It was low, but within the ballpark of other low rates I had been offered. Everyone else had come up at least $50 when I asked. This editor said no, she could not do it. Knowing what my time was worth, I declined her offer and walked away. I’ve never written for them and don’t regret standing my ground. I would never shame anyone who took the initial low rate because they needed the money. We have been there, putting groceries on a credit card and hoping I can eke out enough freelance with three toddlers to cover the bills at the end of the month. But as your career grows, know that you can say no and still find more work. I took that pitch elsewhere–to The Washington Post. It continues to be a piece, years later, that mothers email me about. I am so glad it found a home, and a fair rate. 

As your career grows, know that you can say no and still find more work.

Look Beyond Journalism

My heart will always be with journalism. I’ve been a news junkie for as long as I can remember. However, what really boosted our income was branching out into content writing for private companies. I’ve gotten to write about disability access, interviewing for your first job, early childhood education, and one of my favorite travel destinations. It’s not boring, as I assumed it would be. Listening to fellow writers, I almost passed out when I threw out $1.50 per word as my content writing rate, and was surprised when not one company batted an eye at that. This goes back to point one. Know your worth–and know your client. Private companies just have bigger budgets. Content writing jobs can be found in a variety of places like LinkedIn or Write Jobs Plus.

Enjoy the Journey

It’s exhilarating to find a way to support your family by doing something you love. If you’ve been home with the kids for years or are transitioning careers to writing, give yourself grace. Some pitches might get 10 no’s while others resonate with the first editor to see them. This happens to even the most seasoned writers, so keep at it. If you have a story in your head dying to get out, there’s a home for it somewhere. Promise. 

Read more:

11 Tips & Tools for Striking a Work/Life/Mom Balance—From a Freelance Editor & Writer

Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published in 2022. It has been updated for timeliness.