This month’s freelance writer VIP is Jessica Rosenberg, a freelance writing mama who blogs daily at It’s My Life… and does frequent product reviews and giveaways at The Lemonade Stand. Without further delay, let’s get to the questions and meet Jessica.

What type of freelance writing and editing do you do? What types of clients do you take on?

I haven’t been freelancing for very long, so I’m not very picky about taking the majority of the jobs that come my way! That said, I do like to work with clients that I really click with. It makes it easier to get behind their products and really do my best to promote it.

My specialties include punching up existing web copy to make it more readable and user friendly and writing copy that is inviting and attractive to moms/women.

How do you find clients, market your services and/or sell your work?

I’ve had good luck finding clients on Twitter, but I’m very active there and it does take a considerable amount of my time. I’ve also had some luck through Craigslist and word of mouth.

Instead of posting directly to Craigslist and Twitter/Facebook I post through http://www.ilist.com. It allows me to have an ad and to promote it to all three outlets with one click. Anyone who’s posted to Craigslist knows how much time that saves!

When I first started out I spent some time reaching out to people on LinkedIn and adding contacts to my profile. As soon as I was up and running I sent a message to everyone letting them know I was available and where to find out more about me. Over the holidays I sent out a “Happy New Year” message reiterating the same thing. I’ve gotten a few hits from my LinkedIn contacts. You never know who’s going to need a writer!

Why did you decide to become a freelance writer/editor?

I wanted to do something that would leave me with a more flexible schedule than working 9-5 in an office. Plus, rumor has it that I’m pretty good with words, so, since it’s actually something I enjoy doing, I thought it would be a good avenue for me to explore.

What portion of what you do is writing/editing and what portion would you say is other business related work (e.g., marketing, networking, querying, etc.)?

Right now it’s safe to say that it’s 40% writing and 60% everything else. But of all that writing only a tiny percentage is paid work.

How do you schedule your day?

My day is scheduled around my kids. Monday/Wednesday/Friday I take one daughter to preschool and the other to daycare. I work at Starbucks until it’s time for preschool pick-up then I take the oldest to daycare. Depending on my workload or my appointments I then either head home or go back out to another coffee shop.

On Tuesday/Thursdays or days when preschool is closed I take the girls straight to daycare, go for a run/walk for an hour or so, and then head home to work for the day.

After their dinner/bath/bedtime routine and my husband’s and my dinner you’ll usually find me right back on my laptop doing more work, blogging, or promoting myself and my services online.

Typically I’ll spend the first couple of hours working on networking, answering ads, sending out queries and then focus on writing. I am trying to change that. I’d like to start the day working on personal projects, then focus on the tasks that I tend to put off, and then work on writing for clients. Sticking to that schedule should mean that my own projects stop getting sidelined.

What are your favorite tools for making your work easier?

My laptop is essential. I carry it around the house with me – kitchen while I cook dinner, bathroom while I bathe the kids. My BlackBerry has eased my stress a lot – I’m no longer worried that I’m missing important, time sensitive emails from potential clients.

What resources do you regularly use or have been useful to you in the past?

I’ve read a million books about writing, and my favorites are The Renegade Writer books by Linda Formicelli. As for the web, I heavily rely on Twitter for support and links to helpful sites and to Help A Reporter Out for sources, but also to get a feel for what’s hot.

[Ami's Note: I also follow The Renegade Writer blog.]

What skills would you say are most important to your success as a freelancer?

I think that my writing skills and my writing style are always going to be my most helpful tools. Learning to sit down and just get to work would be helpful, but I think that’s a skill that might take a while to develop!

Where is your favorite place to work? What is your favorite time of the day to work?

I have different places I like to work, but my couch, in my livingroom is the place I always gravitate. That said, I concentrate differently at the kitchen table, and if I’m working on my novel there’s a particular coffee shop that really gets my juices flowing!

What strategies do you use to stay on top of deadlines and manage multiple projects?

I have a notebook that works as my extensive to do list, but I also use the to do list at iGoggle, and my mental to do list which is quite firmly attached to the butterflies in my stomach. I always seem to know if I’m missing a deadline or forgetting something crucial! We’ll see how that keeps working as my workload increases.

What one piece of advice would you give to other writers who are hoping to build a freelance business?

Starting a freelancing career is like starting a start-up. It takes time. It takes lots of work. It takes a lot of faith in yourself and your talent. And more importantly, it’s going to take a year, if not two, to break even.

I keep reminding myself. Oh, and “Editors are people too.” It helps me calm down when I’m sending out a query!

If you’d like to chat with Jessica about her freelance career (or anything else), you can find her on Twitter. Visit her blogs to read more about what she’s doing or reviewing and giving away these days.