That Announcement!

Last week, I made a pre-announcement on Twitter.  Announcing a forthcoming announcement is kind of a mean, teasey thing to do, I know, but I was feeling feisty.  So sue me.  I bet you'd already forgotten about the fact that I had an announcement to make, hadn't you?  Ha ha, joke's on you, I didn't forget! I'm going to announce it! Right! Now!

A few months ago, I was contracted as a copywriter for a new iPhone app/website: GroceryGuru (check out the "I also write for" bit in the left column now, and PS, new articles are also up at Valley Loop).  The exciting thing about these GroceryGuru articles is that I am actually getting paid to write them.  You know this blog doesn't make me any money (and I'm not just saying that), and I mostly just write for fun...but to be paid for writing is just glorious!  The money from these freelance writing assignments will cover my ticket to BlogHer 2011 (hell yeah! no begging for money!), and some of the additional costs as well (such as hotel, possibly flight), and jeez, that is just the most exciting thing ever.

I'm not looking to be a full time freelancer, by any means (have I mentioned that I love my new job? And that we're hiring? Come work with me!), but it is a fantastic source of additional income.   The irony of writing grocery shopping/lifestyle articles geared towards moms is not lost on me (see: not a mom, reads too many mommyblogs, has a thing for homemaking, ovaries that feel like they do this when a baby -or small boy dressed as superman- is near), but I know what I know, right?

Anyway, it looks to be a pretty sweet app, so please check it out and share it with your friends (download from iTunes here).  I have an article up this month*, another due to be published next month, and another in February, I believe.  Yay!  If you don't have a smartphone, you can also read the articles online here.  And if you're on Twitter, you can follow the app here.

I know it's a massive screenshot, but look at that! It's my name!

I'm learning a lot about writing for specific audiences, and about the highs (published! payment! my name on an iphone app!) and lows (giving up control over your words, waiting for revisions to be made, fretting over what The Public will think of you) of copywritership, and I'm excited about the possibility of writing more articles for these nice people!

Thanks again to the kind folks at Lunchbox and GroceryGuru for bringing me on board, and thanks to you readers for letting me toy with your emotions (ha ha yeah right) and for reading the blog!


*at this point, it appears that articles are posted to the mobi site, while the actual app is for managing your grocery lists. to view the articles on your phone, go to http://www.groceryguru.mobi/ from your mobile device.