Can Freelance Writers work 7 Days a Week?
I received two emails this week from two aspiring writers asking pretty much the same question: is it possible for a freelance writer to work seven days a week? While this is a strange question, I assume that they are asking because they feel that more hours on the job will result in more income. Although more hours can equal more income, this is a very tricky question to tackle.
Simply put, any freelance writer can work seven days a week if they so desire. After all, there is no rule that says you have to work eight hours a day, five days a week. With that being said, working everyday is sure to bog you down sooner rather than later. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious, but as I have mentioned in the past, freelance writing burnout can be a major issue. If you attempt to work everyday of the week, you are going to find this creeping into your career. This is not to say that you shouldn’t try to work this many days, but be prepared for what it may bring.
When I first started my career as a freelance writer, I would say that I was working almost six days a week. And even with one day off, I was still burning out from time to time. Not only was my mind wondering, but my wrists and arms began to hurt as well. You can only type so many words before your hands, wrists, and arms begin to ache. This led to me cutting back to five days a week, and a more reasonable work schedule.
So yes, you can work everyday of the week if you have the time and desire. But just like most freelance writers who try this, you will probably fizzle out soon enough. When this happens, take the time to revise your work schedule to better suit your life.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Chris — I have to agree with you on the burnout thing. I worked seven days a week for a few years, with only taking a half day here and there for an appointment. I eventually got mono and wasn’t able to work at all — or even sit up — for over a month. I am taking things easier this year, after learning the hard way. Physical burnout is a danger many of us workaholic types don’t think will ever happen to us — but once it does, wow!! Hope you’re having a good weekend.
July 7th, 2008 at 6:38 am
[...] Chris Bibey of ChrisBlogging.com recently had an interesting post that I’d like to expand upon: Can Freelance Writers Work 7 Days a Week? [...]
July 7th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Excellent post Chris. I’ve often wondered this about my full time colleagues, much less freelancers. I have always been of the mind that while one should dedicate as much time as one can to a project, in the end life should win out. We are after all, here to live, and not here to work, right?
July 11th, 2008 at 9:15 am
[...] that you limit yourself to what you can comfortably handle. If you don’t, you could find yourself working seven days per week which is not always [...]