My boss is going to fire me

Hi Reader,

“I want to start writing online, but I’m afraid about my employer getting upset with me.”

A newsletter reader wrote in with that exact problem.

They asked what they should do.

Like many new writers, I worried what a boss would think of me when I started writing online.

A few years ago, I landed a cushy job as a copywriter for a software as a service or SaaS company. I wrote copy and content about software for small businesses.

I needed the work.

And it paid well.

Sweet!

But I’m a sucker for side projects.

I still wanted to write online using my byline and build a personal brand.

So, in the mornings before work, I wrote a column for an Irish website aimed at small business owners.

Writing on bigger websites was a great strategy for building an email list a few years ago.

I was geeking out about productivity. And I wrote article after article about getting sh*t done at work.

One morning, I checked this business website to see if my latest article went live.

My article was live alright.

But, I was horrified to see this small business website was advertising a competitor to the company I worked for.

And they’d plastered a large banner ad for this competitor next to my byline.

It looked like I was advertising this product.

What if my employer saw the article? Would she fire me?

I emailed the site’s owner and asked them to remove my article.

I sweated about that one until the website owner took down my article.

I was worrying about nothing.

I wrote for this site for a year.

And my employer never even noticed I’d a column.

I mentioned it once in passing during a performance review.

She was more interested in what I wrote for my job… and not outside work.

You see…

When you start writing online, your biggest problem isn’t what people will think.

It’s capturing their attention in the first place!

The reality is an employer is unlikely to get upset with you.

Most employers today welcome writers and marketers who can express themselves clearly and concisely. They want writers who understand the importance of personal brand.

If they don’t, you’re probably working for the wrong employer.

Of course, some exceptions exist.

Posting on LinkedIn about the merits of getting baked on weed before work won’t end well.

And trashing your company in public is never a good idea, even after you quit.

But writing helpful information content that readers love?

I know dozens of employers who’ll pay over the market for that.

If you need help writing online, two posts are open in Pro Writers Only.

It’s my exclusive program for writers who want to earn more. Reply “Pro Writer” and I’ll send you the details.

Write on,
Bryan Collins