The Pros & Cons of Freelance and How You Can Take Advantage

byJamesGoolsby

481 followers

10 years ago

Writing is just about my most favorite thing in the world to do. I just love words, and I find the clickity-clack of a nice keyboard to be quite meditative (in fact, I actually miss my old typewriter.)

So, for years I worked as a freelance writer. I was what is known in the biz as a “generalist”. While my main area of expertise—a word I hate, by the way… it just sounds so darn arrogant— was writing sales copy, I would take jobs writing about practically anything.

I don’t do much freelance work anymore, for a variety of reasons, but if you like to write and are thinking about making a go of it, here’s a quick review of some pros and cons…

“The Good”

First things first; I’m assuming that if you have read this far you are a word nerd like me and are thinking of doing a little freelance work. Great. Let’s get started with the good stuff.

You can earn a living. Obviously the first benefit is that you are getting paid to do something you love. I mean, for me, receiving money for sitting at my computer and being creative is, well, the best.

You can promote your skills. Freelance work is a fantastic way to get your name out there and get noticed.

You can write what you want. There are basically two categories of freelance writers: generalists and niche writers. As a generalist, you take jobs that require research. You can write about all sorts of topics and it gives you variety. As a niche writer, you basically stick to one thing and try to become a recognized expert in that area.

You can set your rates (eventually). When you first are getting started, you may have to settle for low pay. For example, you might be hired to write a single blog post or article and get paid $5 to do it. Not bad, especially if it’s something you enjoy, but not exactly Donald Trump money if you know what I mean. Eventually, however, once you get established you may be able to dictate what jobs you take and what you get paid.

“The Bad”

You can’t budget anything. There is an old joke is sales about eating steak one month and Ramen noodles with ketchup the next. Freelance writing is very much the same. Unless you can nab a consistent job that will pay you for months or years to come—which are fairly rare—the money you make is terribly inconsistent. You might have twenty jobs this month and only four the next. This makes it difficult to budget your cash flow; you never really know when that next dollar is going to come.

You can’t take a break. I can guarantee you will be spending as much or more time looking for work as you will actually writing. This is very much a proactive business. Until you really build a strong reputation, no one is beating down your door. You have to constantly market your services.

“The Ugly”

No Time. The bottom line is that you will have very little time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Between looking for work, writing, and running your business, you will be lucky if you get a normal night’s sleep much less anything else.

Difficult Clients. Ugh… let’s face it, there are simply some people out there you will hate working for. Seriously. They are god-awful. They will nitpick and nag until your head is ready to explode. Even if you are uber-clear about what it is you do and outline everything in writing, they will still find a way to drive you crazy.

Payment Problems. Until you get established it can be very difficult to get paid in full up front. You may have to agree to terms and conditions that aren’t exactly favorable. For instance, you might only get 1/4 up front, 1/4 when you submit your draft, and the rest when the job is approved. Of course, this can be a challenge if you get one of those difficult clients we just talked about.

“Turn That Frown Upside Down”

Okay, so maybe you are having second thoughts about this whole making money as a writer thing. I know I certainly did. Would you like to know how you can still benefit from it?

First, focus your writing energy on yourself. Obviously if you are a member of WA you have plans for a website. Write for yourself and your business.

Next, understand that there are thousands of writers out there who either don’t know or have no interest in creating a business like the ones we are taught to do here at WA. That’s a good thing…

You can find other freelance writers out there that are more than willing to write for you. You see, I’m a firm believer in being an entrepreneur. Which means I generate the ideas, come up with the plans, and then “outsource” the rest to other people.

Of course, with my new soon-to-be blog I will be writing a lot of content myself. But that is only because I enjoy it. You know what I don’t enjoy? Accounting. Even though I am in the final stages of a graduate degree in business (and the many accounting classes that go along with that), it is simply not something I wish to do. I’m not a fan. So I pay someone else to do it.

The point is, if you are not a good writer, or if you simply don’t enjoy it, you can still benefit from the freelance market. For instance, you can set up an account of Fiverr, hire a writer to create an article for you, and then pony up a Lincoln (or five Washingtons) when it’s done and post it on your site.

So, whether you love to write or hate it with a passion, there is now no excuse for not getting it done.

Please share your comments or suggestions about the pros and cons of freelance writing below.