We were lucky to catch up with Tara Karr Roberts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Starting my freelance writing business felt like jumping off a cliff with no idea what, if anything, might catch me at the bottom.

I had a busy and stressful academic job that I’d loved in many ways, but it was completely exhausting me, especially combined with my responsibilities to care for my school-aged children and older relatives. During the chaos of 2020 and 2021, I also learned I have a genetic connective tissue disorder — which explained my chronic pain and a host of other issues, which I realized I’d been attempting to “take care of” by totally ignoring.

It was time for a big change.

I’d done freelance writing work on the side since I was in college. I knew I enjoyed it and was paid well, especially when I worked for universities, which I had quite a bit of experience and familiarity with. But I didn’t know if I could actually find enough work to sustain a business, and life was too hectic to start building clientele before I quit my full-time job.

So I just quit. (I did give a long notice, so I could at least start making contacts before I was totally without a paycheck.) And I got to work.

I found tons of great advice online and through helpful newsletters and podcasts. I heard over and over again that I needed to reach out to anyone I’d ever written for or worked with before, which felt terrifying – but paid off. Some contacts that I hadn’t talked to in years were generous and enthusiastic, and actually did pass my name around like they promised to.

Now, I have a steady base of clients, mostly at universities, which I love. There are occasionally highs and lows as the work ebbs and flows or projects end, but I’ve learned how to weather them.

I’m hardly ever stressed or anxious about work anymore. I have time and emotional resources to help with family needs the way I want to. I get enough sleep, get more exercise, take better care of my body, and am feeling healthier than I ever have before.

Three years into starting my business, I’m so thankful I took the risk.

Tara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I run a freelance writing business, specializing in writing features, especially about science and research, for universities and colleges around the country.

I’ve always been obsessed with writing, and I knew I wanted a writing career from a young age. I studied English in college but spent all my time at the student newspaper, magazine and radio station, where I had the chance to write as much as I wanted, learn new skills and challenge myself. (I tell every aspiring writer I know: Go work at your student paper!)

I graduated during the recession, got married, and started my career as a small-town journalist. After my kids were born, I decided to pivot to marketing and communications — and fortunately found an awesome job as a science writer at the local university, where I’d gone to school.

I meandered around the university for almost 12 years in various roles (including advising the student media programs I’d loved as a student) before becoming a full-time freelancer.

I launched my business in January 2022 and love being a freelancer and business owner. My work is interesting, fulfilling and flexible, and I have time to take care of myself and my family. I also have more time to write creatively — my debut novel,<i> Wild and Distant Seas</i>, came out in January 2024.

What makes me stand out as a freelancer, I think, is my curiosity and enthusiasm. I love learning about new things, interviewing new people and puzzling out how to make complex topics understandable and meaningful for readers. Every story I write is an opportunity for a new adventure!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Being friendly!

I’m an outgoing person and enjoy getting to know people, which helped me build bonds everywhere I worked when I was working full-time and freelancing on the side. When it came time to send out the scary “I’m starting a freelance business” emails, I was happy to find that people remembered me. I got to work with some old connections again, and others helped me find new clients.

Even though it’s hard to build relationships working fully remote, I try to make genuine connections with the editors and clients I write for. I make sure to thank them for their work and let them know when I’ve truly enjoyed an assignment.

When I’m working on a big project or have a complex question, I like to schedule phone and video calls rather than sticking with email. It gives me a chance to see my editors’ faces and demonstrate to them that I care about my work.

I’ve worked with some editors for multiple years now, and I love getting surprise emails that start with “So-and-so spoke so highly of you …”

I know that the quality of my writing plays a huge role in keeping regular clients, of course, but I believe kindness is essential, too. Not just because it helps me find work — but because I value other people, even if I only get to work with them one time.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

For freelance inspiration and advice, I recommend the podcast “The Writers’ Co-op” to everyone. Their first season, hosted by Wudan Yan and Jenni Gritters, is packed with practical and friendly advice for running a freelance business. The later seasons provide incredible insight into how different people build and run their businesses. And It’s absolutely worth buying a few things from their Resource Store — I still use adapted versions of their templates for tracking my payments, calculating my taxes and mapping out my work matrix (from the Season One Learning Materials).

I love that the show doesn’t just focus on the mechanics, but also the social and emotional aspects of being a freelancer and small-business owner. One of the most meaningful episodes to me was a discussion (I think in Season 1) about how to figure out whether running a full-time freelance business is truly a fit for your personality and life. I had been hoping I could make it work, but the episode affirmed that I really was heading in the right direction.

In my other life as a novelist, I can’t say enough wonderful things about <i>Before and After the Book Deal</i> — both the book and the newsletter — by Courtney Maum.

I live in the rural West, so the New York-based publishing world felt like a total mystery to me as I was writing and selling my novel. <i>Before and After the Book Deal </i>(the book) demystifies it by sharing stories and insights from authors, editors, agents and publishers. Maum’s newsletter is packed with interesting ideas and helpful advice for authors, no matter what genre they write or where they are in their career. The tone is honest and friendly, making what is often framed as a competitive business feel like a community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TaraKarrRoberts.com
• Instagram: @tarabethroberts
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarabethroberts/
• Other: Bluesky: tarabethidaho.bsky.social