Is a Career in Freelance Writing Right for you?
Would a freelance writing career make you happy? While you may think that you know the answer on the surface, you really need to dig deep in order to determine if this is the right career choice for you. Even though there are many benefits of freelance writing, the drawbacks can be just as plentiful. If you are not willing to deal with both sides of the industry, you may be better off sticking with your current line of employment.
In order to determine if a career in freelance writing is right for you, check out the three pros and three cons listed below. These are things that I looked at when getting started, and to my amazement, they still hold true for me today.
Pros
1. If you are looking for a job that offers flexibility, freelance writing could be the right choice. Take my work schedule yesterday for example. In the morning, I worked from 7am until noon; and that was that. The rest of the day I spent time working on this blog, as well as several others that are just getting underway. Obviously, I could have spent this free time however I wanted. But of course, I had to do something work related!
2. There is money to be made. There are many freelance writers who are earning in excess of $100k a year. While I have yet to reach that plateau, I currently earn in the range of $5,000 a month. For me, this is a good income for all of the perks that go along with it.
3. Are you a good writer? Do not overlook the obvious when considering a freelance writing career. While it may sound like fun, if you are not a good writer you will soon get frustrated. Anybody can become a solid writer in time, but those who have a bit of natural talent usually find the road to be less bumpy.
Cons
1. If you are used to a steady income, and can’t live any other way, freelance writing is not right for you. Some months I earn more than $8,000, and others this number will dip to right around my average of $5,000. Is this something that you can deal with?
2. Most freelance writers work at home, independent from others. Will you be able to concentrate when working from home? Will the lack of outside contact begin to wear on you over time? These are questions that you need to answer. Even though I love working from home, other people hate it because they never get to talk with co-workers, socialize face to face with clients, etc.
3. Until you are established, a career in freelance writing can be stressful. It was not until my third month of freelance writing that I broke the $2,000 mark. Do you have enough money to keep you afloat while you work on building your freelance writing career? If so, you will be able to greatly lessen your stress load.
So what do you think? Is a career in freelance writing right for you? These pros and cons may not be enough to help you make a decision, but they should definitely open your eyes. As mentioned above, these pros and cons still apply to me, even after a few years working as a writer.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
One pro that you haven’t mentioned is that your work time is now writing time. One of the primary reasons that I started writing professionally was simply that I had to do SOMETHING to support myself and my child, and if that something wasn’t writing, then that was 8-10 hours of the day that…well…weren’t available for writing.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Tiffany - You are exactly right! As a full-time freelance writer I always have the time to work. And time to work means time to make money!
October 19th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Chris. Wow! I know you said you were going to starting posting more than once per day, but six in one day? Is that excessive? I’ve also read that posting too much can work against you as well. Any thoughts on that?
October 19th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Deborah - Personally, I dont think that anything is excessive. I have heard rumblings that it can work in a negative way, but I’m not totally on board with that idea. In fact, after checking stats over the past two days it shows that the additional posts were well worth it. Of course, I am going to settle into a groove of an average of 2 to 3/day; which should be just about right!
October 20th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
[...] Fancy making your living from freelance writing? I just came across ChrisBlogging.com and WOW! A fantastic resource for anyone wishing to make their living on the written word. But before you embark on that, find out if a career in freelance writing is right for you. [...]
October 20th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
“It was not until my third month of freelance writing that I broke the $2,000 mark.”
Wow! If I could make $2,000 in a single month then I’d be able to quit my day job and never look back. And you achieved that level of income in yout third month… You really must know how to find writing jobs and, above all, how to keep your customers satisfied. Congratulations!
I’d love to be a full-time freelance writer. But being a non-native English speaker, I’m afraid I wouldn’t get as many clients as I’d need. So, for the time being I’m working on my writing skills, tring to learn more and fix my mistakes.
October 21st, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Karen - Stick with it! Even if your writing skills are not up to par just yet, you can get there in the end. Remember, it takes time to build a successful freelance writing career!
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:55 am
Hi Chris - I didn’t mean to say it was excessive (rereading what i wrote), but was really just asking the question. I think 2-3 would be great… if I check all day for 5 I might not get any work done and I certainly won’t get paid for reading your site (bummer!)