Leaving Work Behind

Why Client Specificity is Vital to Your Success as a Freelance Writer

By Tom Ewer on May 16, 2013

Sometimes you get lucky, but it is how you react to the luck you are handed that really makes the difference.

My online business was essentially built on that principle. I tried any number of ways to make money online before I stumbled across freelance writing, practically by accident. I didn’t really think that I could ever make a living from freelance writing and yet I submitted a few pitches via the ProBlogger Jobs Board and managed to land a client. That was (in part) the lucky bit, but it was what I did next that made all the difference.

In this post I want to show you not just how to become a freelance writer, but how to become a successful freelance writer. I want to show you how you can carve a niche out for yourself so that prospective clients come to you. I want to put you in a position where you’re never short of work. That is the position I find myself in these days, and I want to help you to achieve the same.

How to Defeat Self Doubt [in 5 Steps]

By Tom Ewer on May 14, 2013

If you’re just starting out on the road to leaving work behind then one of the biggest issues you’re likely to face in the coming weeks and months is doubt. Doubt that your plans will succeed. Doubt that you have what it takes. Doubt that you’re capable of really quitting your job and building a successful business.

I know this because I had that same self doubt when I started out. It is a common theme in many of my early posts here on LWB such as How to Combat a Loss of Enthusiasm, The Importance of Mindset, and What Cricket Can Teach You About Blogging.

When I wrote those posts back in mid-2011 I had achieved nothing in the world of making money online. I can tell a different story today, but only because I fought and defeated the doubts I had in myself. And that’s what I want to help you with in this post.

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Blogging: How to Build Authority From Scratch [in 5 Steps]

By Tom Ewer on May 9, 2013

A lot of would-be bloggers are paralysed by an indecision as to what they should blog about.

Many feel that they don’t have anything particularly interesting to say or don’t feel that they are an “expert” in any given field.

I have two pieces of advice in response to this common issue:

You only have to be “expert enough” (i.e. more knowledgeable than most) in order to write authoritatively on a topic.
If you feel uncomfortable with presenting yourself as an authority on a topic, turn the approach on its head and use the blog as a journal of your journey to expert status.

In this post I want to focus on that second approach — the approach I took with Leaving Work Behind and the approach I am taking with other blogs of mine such as P90x Journal and Piano Journal. It ensures that you can avoid any feeling of discomfort over representing yourself as an “expert” and allows you to launch a blog on any topic that takes your interest — whether or not you have any experience in it.

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My Monthly Income Report — April 2013

By Tom Ewer on May 7, 2013

I constantly remind myself that life is short and one should live each day accordingly, but conflicts often arise from this way of thinking.

For instance, life is short so I should strive to earn money so that I can afford all of the things I would love: a bigger house, a better car, and so on. Yet at the same time, life is too short to spend all of your time working, isn’t it? Therefore, what each of us must find is our own personal equilibrium — a balanced and ultimately satisfying involvement in every aspect of our lives.

That is something I have been working hard on in April and will continue to work hard on through May and beyond, and it could have a direct impact on my earnings. Read on to find out how I got on last month and what the future may hold for me.

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WordPress Security: Everything You Need To Know

By Tom Ewer on May 2, 2013

As many of you who are subscribed to my Facebook and Twitter accounts will know, Leaving Work Behind was hacked a couple of weeks ago.

For two days the site was either complete offline or in a rather mangled state. For two days my hosting provider and I worked our asses off to get LWB back online. It was an experience that I would rather not go through again, and one that I hope you will never have to go through.

With that in mind, in this post I want to outline the comprehensive steps I have taken to make my site more secure. I have spoken to some of the most influential and respected web security guys out there over the past couple of weeks and have been able to distill their wisdom into this post. It is my hope that you will take action on these steps to make your WordPress website(s) far more secure.

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