I just glanced at my archives and realized that I’ve only written 18 posts in 2016. Eighteen! A-list bloggers (and many mid-tier bloggers, too) will publish 18 posts in that amount of days. And if they hustle, some can even get 18 posts up on their site in a week. Normally, I’d be ashamed of my lack of productivity, but there’s a good reason why I’ve been neglecting the blog…
This year I’ve been seriously trying to step up my freelance writing game. Journalism has always been an interest of mine — remember when I almost majored in magazine journalism? As much as I enjoy the first-person narrative-style of blogging, I’ve been feeling the pull to write more informative, yet entertaining, pieces that require researching and interviewing and aren’t necessarily about…me.
Since January, I’ve been working hard to secure more freelance opportunities, and happily, I’ve gotten a few! One of my new gigs is writing for eHow, and I’ve recently contributed a few tech-focused articles about looking better in selfies, using apps to find shopping deals, and buying dad clever photo gifts for Father’s Day.
In the time I’ve been away from the blog, I also put together another slideshow for BHG.com and was assigned my first-ever beauty piece: How to Clean Makeup Brushes the Easy Way. For this story, I reached out to makeup artists for their advice, and although the editor slightly changed the formatting of my story, I’m still really happy with how it turned out.
Then there’s my ongoing relationship with The Land of Nod and my new relationship with Oriental Trading. You can read my latest posts for both blogs here and here. And since the beginning of the year, I’ve been offering my copywriting services to Artfully Walls, writing descriptions for their curated wall galleries and select newsletter text. I’ve also started writing for Brides.com, but my work hasn’t been published yet!
Eventually, I’d love to see my name in print, whether it’s the byline for a story in a local publication (perhaps Washingtonian or Bethesda Magazine) or a feature in a national magazine. In the meantime, however, I hope to plan to pitch many more style, beauty, wellness, and tech stories to many more online outlets. If anybody has any leads (or tips on pitching), I’d be so grateful if you’d share them with me.
But this doesn’t mean that I’m planning to quit the blog — at least, not yet. I’m working hard to determine how to best utilize A Girl Named PJ to complement my updated professional goals. Any suggestions?
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Finally, I may not be posting every day, but I’m regularly sharing bits and pieces of my daily life over on Snapchat. Truthfully, I was hesitant to get into a new social network; however, I’ve been having so much fun posting random (and often embarrassing) photos and videos. If you’re reading this on your phone right now, you can find me here or open Snapchat and use the app to take a photo of my Snapcode below:
Photography by Laura Metzler for A Girl Named PJ
LOVE this, PJ! I think it’s an amazing direction for you and I know you’re going to be hugely successful. I will definitely let you know if I see any cool freelance gigs pop up, but it looks like you’re killing it!
Doesn’t matter where you write, blog or not, you are killing it PJ!
Enjoyed this little update PJ and I’m so excited to see (and read!) all you do!
Hey PJ! I’ve been wondering where you’ve been. I’m so glad to hear about all the fun projects/jobs you’ve been working on. Congratulations on making such big steps towards your new endeavors. (p.s. if you ever need images for your Brides.com posts, I’d love to be feature on their website!)