Ok, so for this week’s “Work at Home Wednesday” post, I moved it to Friday so that we could be a part of Erin Flynn Jay’s virtual book tour. Erin is a fellow Philly Social Media Mom who is having her first book published. How awesome is that? And, at the end of the post, you can win your own copy when it’s released. Here is a bit about Erin and her “work at home” experiences and persona-Erin Flynn Jay—writer, author, publicity expert.
I have been a freelance writer and PR executive since 2001. Can’t believe it’s over 11 years on my own. I am author of the new book, Mastering the Mommy Track: Juggling Career and Kids in Uncertain Times (ISBN 978-1780991238, 2012, John Hunt Publishing, available on Amazon and barnesandnoble.com). I was recently accepted into the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).
My clients are small businesses, authors and PR agencies. I’m hired on an as-needed basis to write material and promote their products or books. When living in NYC, I learned the ropes of book publicity from a literary PR firm. Since then, I’ve worked with individual authors and experts, securing them media interviews and coverage. I’m promoting my own book, saving the cost of hiring a publicist.
I got started in 2001 by freelance writing for careerbuilder.com. I began to write more articles for them and thoroughly enjoyed it—this gave me the idea to go out on my own. A business coach gave me the wise advice to offer several services if I wanted to be self-employed—so I launched my Flynn Media website www.flynnmedia.com, offering writing, editing and PR services.
I enjoy working from home and the flexible schedule. I do end up having to work sometimes in the evenings or weekends. Some clients want material written immediately, so when I’m offered work at a decent rate, I take it even if the deadline is immediate. I don’t mind working at midnight if I have an enjoyable assignment.
The hurdle I face at times is replenishment of clients. When I’m busy with client work, I have little time for marketing. When business is slow, it can be frustrating. When a long-term contract is up, I sometimes find it stressful to find replacement work. But I just keep plugging away, and win new business in due time.
I really hope I can remain self-employed forever. I mention in my book I’d like to get involved with ghostwriting books for others and also social media management. I’m building my own social media platform—it’s been a learning curve. This past week, my facebook author site Mastering the Mommy Track had over 800 views! Really excited that moms are interested in the content. It’s a timely topic given the economic downturn. There are a lot of struggling moms out there—my book was written with them in mind.
Thanks so much for sharing with us. Now, to win your own copy, all you have to do is leave a comment below–one entry per person. Tell us what is one of your biggest challenges in “mastering the Mommy track.” What things are hardest for you to juggle, between work and home? A winning entry will be chosen by Random.org on Sunday, October 7 and I’ll notify you with the email you used (not visible to public) to enter. Good luck….both with the giveaway and with “Mastering the Mommy Track.”
