I had a great time helping  a group of women with some last minute PR work.

The group had been focused on the myriad practical details of putting on a rally and a march – but needed a last minute push for press.

I created a quick press release, shopped it around locally and in Seattle, and the march got some great coverage in Spokane, including previews in both The Inlander and The Spokesman-Review and live coverage from a couple of TV stations and The Spokesman-Review. Below the photo is a link to the press release: WM Press Release final

… said my friend over waffles and coffee at Dolly’s this morning. You are an exceptional writer, he added, don’t stop writing.

I shrugged and smiled and blushed a little. It’s flattering isn’t it, for those of us who have left ink journalism, to hear that our writing is missed.

About 15 months ago I made a career transition as I left my daily newspaper reporter job and went to work in development for a local non-profit. It was a huge leap of faith, but I’ve never looked back. I’ve also never – not even when I was part of an upstart local news weekly in the late 1990s – worked harder in my life. And that’s okay. I am farm raised. I work hard.

I’m just not sure I’m ready for freelance writing. I don’t think people realize how much time truly good writing takes. Occasionally a person gets lucky and a story just flows out on to the page, and from there, out over the whole world. But for most bread and butter reporters that’s a rare moment.

Over the years I was offered unpaid freelance gigs, or writer friends called me and said they’d been offered the same – and asked if they should sign up “for the good exposure.” My answer was always that the only thing you get from exposure is a cold.

Yet here I sit on a rare Monday off and troll through WordPress to see if my four-year-old profile is still here – it is – and here I am, writing, ironically seeking exposure.