More evidence that the recession is winding down: writers and editors are on the move.
Last year was all about hunkering down, sticking with what you were doing, or taking the gigs you were offered even though they might not be your long-term dream assignments.
But in the past few weeks, I’m hearing from writers, editors and publishers who’re making major moves, all of them positive:
- An editor friend got the offer of a lifetime to run a new nonprofit news daily covering a major metropolitan area.
- An author, blogger and ex-newspaper editor got an offer to run a start up being launched by a major magazine company.
- A former daily newspaper business reporter and editor who’d gone to work for a college communication department after being downsized landed a job at the same start up.
- A West Coast media company is looking to full a junior-level website editor and production position on the East Coast as work for their clients there grows.
- A Rocky Mountain area freelance writer and editor reports being crazy busy with assignments, including a series she pitched to a national business publication.
- A Midwest freelance writer is beginning a publicity project for a well-known media training company
I know it’s only anecdotal, but it’s good news all the same.
One more thing: although I don’t know the particulars of every situation, I do know that for the most part, this work didn’t just fall out of the sky for these people. It happened because even while opportunities were frozen solid they were preparing for the day things would start to thaw. How? By staying in touch with their contacts, present and past. By working their virtual and real-word networks. By tinkering with side projects to learn new skills, even if those endeavors didn’t bring in any income.
What’s your good news? Is your business picking up? Are you seeing cracks in the ice? And if so, what did you do to make them happen?
