So You Want to be Freelance Writer?

Two more months and I’ll be a freelance writer for the past five years. Whenever other moms ask how they can earn money from home, I always say try freelance writing but this doesn’t mean a rainbow kind of life. The common picture of earning money without leaving your house is totally false especially if there is an assumption that this is one easy money strategy.

I’m not writing this to show the disadvantages of freelance writing but to reveal the real story behind the show. I love my job as a writer but this is not pure romance. This is not a hobby but a job.

This is for those who are thinking of working at home as a freelance writer. That before you leave your day job or make a career change, I hope you can weigh some things first.

Do you qualify?

There are many online jobs out there from programming to watching games or clicking ads. Since this post is about becoming a freelance writer, ask yourself if you really have a knack for writing. At least do you enjoy writing?

Online writing jobs like those for web content don’t require bombastic writing skills but at least you have to know your grammar. I have worked with those who were extremely enthusiastic with the idea of earning money from home and then go unavailable when actual work began – writing. Horrifying for those when they realize the deadlines to meet, the number of words to complete and communicating with a client.

Before applying for any online writing job, sharpen your dull writing blades by writing. You can start blogging or writing your thoughts. Check what topics you like and work hard to be an expert. Through the years,  I picked travel as my niche and gradually worked as a travel writer.

How much money do you need?

Money matters a lot for freelancers just like anyone else.  I highly discourage those to leave their day jobs for freelance writing. If you badly need money, becoming a full-time freelance writer is suicide. I suggest you do it part-time first and when you have a stable pool of clients, you can eventually leave your current job.

Likewise, freelancing means, ” no work, no pay”. You start at the bottom. Even naturally-born rockstar writers start with low rates. You cannot earn as much as that of your freelance writer friend in a few months. Some maybe, but most freelancers don’t. Think about your competition as well.

You have flexibility but you have to say goodbye to employment perks like bonuses and paid leave vacations. If you don’t have a client or an article to write, you don’t earn a dime.

Are you business-minded?

Freelance writing is not just a job, this is business. To survive, you have to be an entrepreneur. Business means looking for customers – clients. You have to look for clients yourself. The first question you will ask is “Where can I find clients?“.

Starting as a ghostwriter, you have to look for people outsourcing their writing assignments. Jobs can be long-term but sooner or later, the project will end and you have to start the cycle again. Looking for work is tedious enough. Travel writers like me have to pitch to many editors where rejection is normal.

Do you believe in all freelance-related myths?

I have to burst the bubble, freelance writing is not a dream job. I too thought I had the best job in the world but “best” doesn’t apply to “job”. Those who brag about how fantastic their life is as a freelance writer are actually newbies and wannabes. A stable writer equally works hard.

Working at home with kids is picture perfect but that means you have to stay up all night finishing an article – if you still have the energy. Or waking up way too early to write. Answering emails while the kids are busy creating a mess.

Freelance writing is the job I will never trade with but you have to work really hard to earn your badge. Do not let yourself be eaten up by the fantasy of the freelance world.

Thus, if you want to be  freelance writer, drop all those illusions. Get real and face it like any other job. A challenging job. If freelance writing is easy, all of us should be working at home.

Do you want to be a freelance writer? Feel free to ask by leaving a comment.

Are you a freelance writer? Please share your experience.