Once upon a time, I was a full time freelancer who was constantly hustling for the next assignment. My calendar was an array of to-dos, deadlines and milestones. But once I reentered full time employment, I slowed down my freelancing. As much as I loved the freedom, I needed the security of a job with benefits. Twelve years later I’m still freelancing and still have a full time job. It’s a careful balance, and one that I am constantly evaluating and reevaluating.
As I was considering content for SarahCaron.com, I started to think about ways I could get real about what happens behind the scenes as a writer who is pitching across genres and platforms. I write for magazines and websites, author books and am an aspiring fiction writer. My areas of expertise range from food and lifestyle to news and crime to technology. But I also love the craft and creation of stories. An agent I recently spoke to called me a generalist in terms of my food writing, but really I am a generalist as a writer as a whole.
So that’s where this has come from. This is a site that I want to connect with other writers. So why not open up about what I am doing, how I am promoting myself and my plans for the next month?
As I keep writing, keep pitching and keep getting published, I am also tracking what’s working and what’s not. Writing is, after all, all I ever really wanted to do with my life.
What does accountability look like for you?
So here it goes …
Writing Assignments & Publishing
My newest cookbook was published this month. I’ve also been working on a project with a writing partner, as well as my own writing project. I wrote and published three posts on Sarah’s Cucina Bella, and also filmed a lot for my Instagram. I have no idea how many words I wrote this month, but it was a lot.
Outside of this, here’s what I was working on:
| Type | Pitches | Assignments | Rejections | Outstanding (This Month) | Outstanding (Overall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine/Web – Articles | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Literary Journals – Fiction | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Agents – Cookbook | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Agents – Fiction | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 |
Events & Interviews
This month, I was promoting the launch of my newest cookbook, Disney Princess Cookie Party, so I spent some time promoting my book via events and interviews, as well as social posts. Here’s a selection of that promotion from October 2026:
- Good Morning Maine – TV Appearance
- Book Launch Event @ The Briar Patch in Bangor, Maine
- Instagram Reel Promo about the recipes
- Launch Day Instagram Reel
- Guest speaker – College class
Final Thoughts
This month was particularly busy with teaching college courses, traveling to Washington, DC, and Connecticut, my full time job and so many other life things. That definitely impacted how many pitches, proposals and queries I sent.
In November, which tends to be very busy and very rapid, I will be doing a lot of blog writing on Sarah’s Cucina Bella as November to February is my busiest traffic time of the year there. But I also have plans to query more agents, including for a newly completed project, as well as to pitch more short fiction. I already have one magazine assignment due as well.
How was your writing life in October 2026?
