Olivia is one step closer to her dream job!
Thursday 8th January, 2009 - £6,627.96 in debt…
I’ve just had my first bit of amazing money-related luck of 2009: more work! Hooray!
Like lots of people who are into books and writing and stuff, when I moved to London I decided to look for a job in publishing as I wanted to edit the next Harry Potter and be all clever and get lots of money. It didn’t quite work out that way: apparently everyone wants to work with books, and nobody gets anywhere without a lot of luck and determination and what-have-you.
So I bumbled along for a bit - writing reports, webpages, editing businessy stuff, etc - and ended up doing a mixture of all of this when I turned freelance a few years ago. And then, two days ago, I got some work with a proper publisher. Of books.
It’s just typesetting and proofing at the moment - maybe some editing later if I can hack it - but it’s good enough for me, it will look great on my CV, and it pays well. At this rate, I could pay off my debts and actually enjoy the work along the way - is that really too much to ask?
You cannot be serious
Monday 7th July, 2008 - £8,850.98 in debt…
Welcome to the busiest week of my working life.
A few days ago, practically everyone I’ve ever worked for, worked with, or brushed past in the street, called to ask if I was free this week. What I heard was “Can we give you some money?”, and of course I said yes to all of them.
This has left me in something of a pickle.
As I had to have five hours off yesterday, to watch the greatest tennis match that has ever been played (and a further hour to calm down - while watching the highlights), I now have to work for 14 hours per day from now until Friday. At least.
Along with the eight hours I worked over the weekend, this makes it a 78-hour working week, which must contravene some sort of employment policy, but I’m self-employed so I tend to live on the wrong side of the law.
But, if I can make it through the week successfully - blogging in my lunchbreak, working in my sleep and thinking on the toilet - I’ll earn £791.30 after tax.
I’m just glad this has happened after Wimbledon and Rafa Nadal’s taking some time off. If anyone had asked me to miss one of his matches, I’d have laughed in their face.
