At the end of April 2021, I took the bold decision to quit my job in order to pursue my freelance writing side hustle on a full-time basis. I’ve always loved writing and have, at various points in my career, been lucky enough to provide written copy to clients as a paid hobby.
Now, after 13 years of carving out an enjoyable and well travelled career in the gambling industry that has taken me around 3 continents, the time has come to go it alone as a freelance iGaming copywriter.
Having started a new job in January 2021, I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better company to work for in the LiveScore Group. The onboarding couldn’t have been any better. The people were extremely welcoming, professional and friendly. The company does everything it can to further your personal development and look after your mental health. The salary is as high as I’ve been paid in my career to date.
My decision to leave is, quite rightly I would say, being questioned by people. Am I mad?
2020 – A Difficult Year
Maybe I am mad. But after a difficult year with a huge amount of personal upheaval, I have begun to look at life in a different way. The end of a long term relationship, the loss of a retail-focussed job due to COVID-19, the move to living on the paradise island of Boracay. All of these things have contributed to reshaping my focus, and to making me question what I really want out of life.
I have fallen in love with working from the beach. I am fed up of working for bosses, with office hours and targets, living for the weekend. The time has come to put my effort into building something that is for me. I can monetise what I love doing. I can have the freedom to work the hours that I choose and from wherever I want. When the world starts to reopen, I really want a taste of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Thanks to freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, I am able to easily showcase my writing skills. I have been able to pick up several regular clients away from those platforms too, providing copy on a range of subjects.
The gambling industry remains my area of expertise, but I have written on a variety of topics already. Everything from website copy for a signage company, to the devastation of wild fires in the USA. I have been editing a dental hygiene blog. I have written about the best glue products to repair a broken fridge. Even immigration to Australia. No two jobs are the same!
Freelance: The Future?
I know that freelancing is not going to be easy. There will be dry spells. Copywriting is a competitive business, too. But I do think that COVID-19 has made people realise that they can have a much better work-life balance.
I believe that in the next few years, more and more people will start to freelance, and not just copywriters either. Freelancing allows you to work from home, see more of your family and utilise your skills to earn money for yourself, rather than someone else’s company.
And although Fiverr and Upwork are frequently discussed, there are plenty of other options too. LinkedIn is about to launch a new platform to help freelancers. Contra has recently launched. There’s plenty of these platforms around today that make it increasingly easy to be a freelance writer, designer or whatever you wish to do.
Whether my prediction turns out to be right or wrong, only time will tell. But freelance writing is certainly my immediate future, and I can’t wait to start my new adventure. If you know anyone who needs any written iGaming copy, whether it’s blog posts, site or game reviews, website copy or press releases, please get in touch!