We recently connected with Monika Dziamka and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Monika, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Working with authors, whether the content is nonfiction or fiction, always feels meaningful to me because the goals are so personal. With first-time book authors in particular, I’m helping them achieve what’s usually been a long-held dream. I recently had a profound experience working with someone who had always wanted to be a writer but had been immensely self-critical. By her own admission, she had been her own worst enemy in terms of convincing herself why she shouldn’t write a book, even though she felt passionately about writing, had studied it, and had earned high praise from teachers and mentors. Decades went by, and a few years ago, she was diagnosed with ALS. Finally, she began to write, acutely aware now that her time to do so was limited. She had one chapter left when she lost the use of her hands. She hired me to ghostwrite the rest of her book and then edit the whole thing before sending it over to a publisher she had already acquired. We worked together as quickly as possible; her health was rapidly declining. She passed away before she got to see her book in print, but she told me the day before she died that she felt at peace knowing the manuscript was complete and that it would be published after all. I feel so immensely grateful for this experience, honored that I got to help her this way. She was a fascinating person who reminded me to push through my own fears and feel more urgency about my own goals.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My elementary school had a newspaper, and I joined because immediately I was intrigued by having the ability to go behind-the-scenes and learn more about whatever was going on. I’ve always been very curious about the world and how people think and behave. I stayed involved in a variety of student publications and loved the mechanics of it all, working with so many kinds of people and having a tangible product to show as a result. My editing career formed alongside my writing career; the two skillsets blended in different ways, but in my early 20s I realized that the editing was helping me pay the bills more than the writing was, so just from a practical standpoint I focused more on editing, which I always did as a freelancer regardless of whatever my day job was. I missed doing more of my own creative writing, though, so in my early 30s I got my MFA in creative writing. The brutality of student loans aside, I’m so glad I did that! I have no doubt that my program made me a better writer, editor, reader, thinker, creative person, and, I think, overall human being—there’s nothing quite like an MFA program to simultaneously challenge your ego, identity, and determination while building confidence, empathy, and patience. I was fortunate to land some great jobs in the years that followed, and all the while I kept freelancing.
About two years ago, I organized myself into an LLC and pursued contract work more aggressively, expanding beyond the book and magazine world. I now provide ghostwriting, grantwriting, copywriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, and other related services for local and international presses, government entities, organizations, marketing agencies, and private clients. I write magazine articles, book reviews, newsletters, speeches, blog posts, product descriptions, press releases, essays, flash nonfiction, short stories, and more. I edit everything from YA novels to cookbooks. I think the variety keeps me sharp, allowing me to stay curious. It’s truly fulfilling for me to help someone execute their goals, and I love championing the talents and dreams of other people. The feeling of having my own work published is just as great as sitting at my author’s book release party or winning a grant! I also love having the opportunity to build a close relationship with a client in the process—it’s a unique experience because when clear communication is at the heart of what you need to accomplish, there’s little room for bullshit. I think I’m most proud of these relationships because with that trust, I’ve built meaningful, long-lasting friendships—friendships that have led to referrals and other professional opportunities.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Not gonna lie: getting paid well for my work is immensely rewarding. Struggling financially can really hinder the process, you know? But beyond that, reaching that moment of deep connection with someone else through the work is just magical. As a creative writer, I can sometimes lose sight of the fact that what I write will affect another person; I’m more focused at first with my own experience and what exactly I want to say and how I want to say it. So then when someone reads my personal essay and tells me, for example, that she felt seen and that my essay encouraged her to end a bad relationship, it reminds me of how unique and yet similar our human experiences can be. It reminds me that whatever we struggle with to get our form of art out into the world, it’s worth the effort.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In the last year alone, I’ve applied to well over 200 jobs, most of them with a personal referral. I’ve heard back from fewer than 10 percent. From that number, I only got two, maybe three interviews, all with positive reviews—they led to freelance work, but nothing more permanent. I’ve tried all sorts of techniques with my resumé, cover letters, portfolio, and so on, embracing the help of AI but also from professional recruiters. I know I’m not alone in this insane experience; it’s a tough job market for a lot of people, and it’s been tough for a while. And maybe it’s always been tough for creatives! In my mind, I still have this idea of what success means, and I still crave the security of a steady, full-time paycheck and good benefits. But lately, more and more, I find myself questioning “success” and thinking about how I’m so, so grateful for my flexible schedule, for being able to work remotely, for having more time for my personal life, and for being able to pursue a variety of projects that keep me energized and inspired. I still crave stability, but I’m also starting to feel more at ease with the idea that I can be the one who creates that stability for myself. Or that, at least, whatever full-time or part-time job I have, I always have my freelancing to fall back on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monikadziamka.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikadziamka/
Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Elizabeth Fogel