Freelancing Is Fantastic, But You Might Want To Disregard the Exaggerated Headlines About It

Sharing some truths about freelance work

We all have seen them — YouTube videos and Instagram pictures of freelance writers in a picturesque, nature setting. Usually, these writers appear absorbed in thought. The image exudes tranquility and freedom.

We have also seen the headlines about the high income these writers make. Some even claim to make money passively or work only a few hours a day.

All these things might be true for some people, but let me share with you my reality. I am a full-time teacher who enjoys doing freelance work.

1. Workspace

My workspace is far from being a place of nature and tranquility. It is a small office in the garden-level basement of my home. On my desk, I have two notepads that I keep next to my laptop for jotting down ideas.

I also have printouts of materials for easy reference. Even with notepads nearby, I sometimes jot down ideas on these printouts. My workspace is cluttered and disorganized.

I tried working on my deck, which is tranquil and next to an apple tree, but that lasted only a couple of hours. I needed my office, no matter how messy it is.

2. Type of Work

According to several YouTube videos, copywriting is the most lucrative type of freelance writing. For me to become a copywriter, I would need to learn more about it. At this stage in my life, I don’t want to invest the time or money to learn it.

Many companies need content on their websites and social media platforms. Content is what you and I typically read when we visit a company’s website or Facebook page.

If you find yourself reading about someone’s experience with a product, chances are you are reading the work of a freelance writer. Many companies don’t have in-house content writers.

Most content writers will not overtly try to sell you anything overtly. They will just share their experience. Because I like storytelling, content writing is a natural fit for me.

Another area of writing I am familiar with is assessments (standardized tests). In assessments, there is passage writing, which means you write stories, informational pieces, and poetry that are used for testing. There is also item writing, which means you write the test questions to go with the passages.

3. Hours and Time Commitment

The reality of freelance work is it is still work. You need to put in the time just like any other job. Sometimes, you might work harder and longer hours because it’s easy to work early or late since there is no set time.

The benefit is that you can stop whenever you need to run errands, attend an appointment, or go for a walk.

4. Compensation

In my current freelance job, I was initially contracted to write content. Every Monday I would get a list of topics to write about. Then, I would submit my articles and hours by Sunday. But my work has moved from writing content to modifying existing content.

Although the company pays me per hour, some companies pay per article. When you are paid by the hour, you need to be conscious of your time and write it down. Sometimes, a quick reread of what you thought was a finished passage might lead to over 30 minutes of revising and editing.

I track my hours on a spreadsheet. I usually write down my start time, do my work, and then write down my end time. I might do this several times throughout the day if I need to take a break or run errands.

Being paid per article gives you more flexibility, especially if you are like me and like to be thorough about checking facts and making edits. I can do so without feeling guilty that I am costing the client extra money.

However, the negative is you can spend too much time on a piece trying to be perfect even though the piece will most likely be touched up by the company’s content editor for alignment with the company’s style preference.

Some companies accept writers into their pool of freelance writers. Then, when the company needs articles, it will reach out to you and all the other writers to pitch ideas.

However, some companies don’t require you to be in a pool. They will consider pitches from any writer. Once they accept your pitch, they will give you more specific directions.

In freelance work, it’s common to have periods of feast or famine. In some periods you will get lots of assignments — almost overwhelming. Then, there will be periods when your services might not be needed.

5. Isolation

Feeling isolated is not new for most of us after having to work from home during the pandemic. But freelance work means you pretty much spend a lot of time working alone. Some people thrive on that, but for others, that’s hard.

Another freelance worker and I work off one spreadsheet. Sometimes I see his avatar and know that he is online. Most of the time it’s just me and a computer screen.

So far this summer, I have had only one Zoom meeting and one phone call with other people on this project. All other communications have been through email.

You might not have anyone to bounce ideas off or to make small talk with. You have to be comfortable researching information on your own and getting used to the quietness and discipline of your work schedule. Email becomes important.

6. Setting Boundaries

Since you work from home, it is easy not to have work and home-life boundaries. I don’t have young children at home, but I imagine this would be more challenging if my children were young.

It’s tempting to disregard regular mealtimes, household chores, and self-care. I try to stick to a schedule but have not found a way to be consistent.

The work is always there, so I find myself thinking about it even when I am not in my physical workspace. Sometimes, when an idea hits me, I would go turn on my computer even if it’s early in the morning or late at night.

7. Professional Growth

In a regular 9 to 5 job, your workplace might have training workshops and pay you for the training. In freelance work, you are pretty much responsible for your own professional growth. The great thing is YouTube and Google have terrific free tutorial materials.

Recently I had to get a subscription for a new software and learn how to use it. I went through a day of stressing about it because I could not purchase the subscription. After many failed attempts at trying to reach a live person, I finally left a message. Eventually, I received a call from the company.

The representative had to email me a different link to sign up for the subscription. Next, I had to teach myself how to use the software. Fortunately, the company had a playlist on YouTube, so I was able to watch and learn from the tutorial videos.

8. Forming Work Relationships

With most freelance jobs, you might never meet your colleagues. Therefore, it’s important to make sure communication through email is clear. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I confirm due dates and instructions so that I won’t get halfway through a project to discover that I did it wrong.

A great thing about communicating through email is I have a string of emails to reference if a question came up. That saves a lot of time calling or asking for a repeat of directions and expectations.

You might never get to meet your freelance colleagues in person, but respect, clear communication, and courtesy go a long way. I am mindful that the other person’s time is valuable. I try to seek out answers to my questions first before reaching out. And I definitely express gratitude and appreciation.

9. Remembering That Freelance Writing Is Not Your Personal Writing

Although your writing voice will naturally come across in any writing, it’s important to remember that the writing you do in a freelance job is not your personal writing.

Try to determine the client’s purpose and target audience and make them your purpose and target audience. Your ultimate goal is your client’s success.

Conclusion

Freelance work is glamorized and even exaggerated online. Don’t get me wrong. It definitely offers time flexibility. But sometimes people claim to make a huge amount of money doing little work. Although that might be true, what I have shared is my experience of doing freelance work.

My husband is an engineer in the medical devices industry. He left W-2 work to do contract work for a couple of years. His assignments did take him to some warm and sunny destinations, but he still had to work.

The image of having so much free time because you are a freelance or contract worker has not been true in both of our experiences. The upside is you do have more freedom to take time off. But the work does not complete itself.

Besides the extra money, there are other benefits to freelance work: 1) you will learn new things, and 2) it will provide a change from your full-time job, which I have found to be the best way to prevent burnout from my full-time job.

I would like to recommend two stories that I read and completely adored. They are beautifully written with vivid details that stayed with me long after I finished them. The first one is by Jasmine Ann Smith and the second is by Susan Nanfeldt.

Thank you for reading. To read my other stories, click here.