How a Fulltime Homeschooling Mom of Six Kids Became a Freelance Features Writer

When people ask me how I became a freelance writer, I tell them, "By staying home and raising my children." The long answer goes like this.

My mother worked at a chain bookstore that presented min-seminars. The community outreach person wanted to offer one on homeschooling. Because I had nearly a decade of experience, my mother volunteered me. It went well; and I was asked to do several more, at different locations. The opinion page editor of the local newspaper heard about the events and invited me to discuss homeschooling on his weekly radio show. After that, too, went well, he invited me back twice and soon asked me to write two columns a month for him.

At first I declined for lack of time (I had six kids, eighteen months though age fifteen) and was homeschooling the oldest four. Then I decided it wouldn't hurt to reharpen my rusty writing skills (I had been a journalism major when I decided I couldn't wait to get married and have lots of kids). Nine months later, I was a single parent and delivering newspapers, so I quit writing the columns.

However, the distribution center manager had liked and remembered those columns, so she sent me packing, with her recommendation, to the features editor. I had no resume, only a fistful of old clippings, but she and another editor took a chance on me anyway. I worked really hard, continued to learn, and additional jobs came my way.

Still, like many new authors, when I wrote a book, I had little knowledge of the publication process. Thank heavens for the internet. Before I submitted Bryony anywhere, I thoroughly researched my options. Tomorrow, I'll share what I learned.