Disclosure: I have done some freelance work for The Times, part of New International, in the past.

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Despite feeling terrified, in April 2012 I made the leap into freelance work and spent a number of months accruing steady contract gigs as a digital content producer and writer.

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In fact, like plenty of people in the freelance pool, I routinely do work for nothing, or for reputational gain.

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From there, I gained additional freelance opportunities, and within a year I was able to transfer all my work efforts into writing, leaving behind the grunt work.

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