So you’re considering a freelancing career. You dream of making big money, firing your boss, and taking control of your own life and all the potential big money you would earn. Nice dream, isn’t it? Then reality bites and it’s not as glamorous as you might think. You must ask yourself, should I even ponder this decision? How else can I make ends meet?
These days, you must think outside the box and not constantly rely on traditional methods of gaining employment. It’s not worth wasting time staring at the web and sending out resumes or going to an employment agency who lies just to get you to come in. Instead, utilizing the power of social media is the most lucrative way to stand out above others—as long as you don’t post racy photos or profanity on your Facebook page! If that’s the situation, it might be time to get a “facial” and use the new “Facewash” app, which deletes that derogatory content. It might be your next employer who Googles you and wants to see more of your work or looks at your profile on LinkedIn, so avoid off-the-cuff content and always be careful what you post online!
Freelancing may be the only solution in a difficult economy with very few options. Many media companies are either closing because of high printing costs or they are transferring their content directly online. They don’t have enough money to pay full-time staff and prefer to hire freelance journalists.
Exploring the Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Freelancer
First, decide what type of writer you are. If you’re an SEO blog writer, you may want to investigate a blog content provider. If you’re an article writer, find websites that include news or entertainment content. If you specialize in a specific category, it’s more exciting and fun!
You may want to consider utilizing a content writing service to get you started.
Once you know what type of writer you are and the level of experience you have, then it’s time to do your homework and market your work.
Here are some disadvantages of freelancing for yourself:
- Not financially secure; you won’t make a decent living being a freelancer
- You don’t have your own office, you work primarily from home or anywhere
- You may sometimes have to write free articles (without being paid) such as blogs
- No benefits (health benefits, etc.), you are responsible for your own taxes
- The competition is very stiff (many people want their content marketed and noticed)
- The higher paying websites are often picky and will only choose the best writers they wish to employ
- Inconsistent work: The editor you work with may not have the funds or enough work to assign you
- Long hours: If you are under tight deadlines, you may be at your computer for long hours and it can be very stressful on the body
- If you are not devoted to the freelance journalist life, you could suffer job burn-out
Advantages:
- You get to pick the topics you are interested and specialize in
- You are not chained to an alarm clock
- You have the freedom and flexibility of when and where you want to work
- You get paid for your articles
- Your content is viewed by thousands on the web
- You get to learn more about the topics you are interested in
- In fields like music journalism, you get all kinds of perks for promoting the artist (free concert tickets, CDs, digital downloads, books, etc)
So what are you waiting for? Take the leap of faith, control your own destiny and you’ll be on your way to becoming the next freelance superstar!
Suzanne R is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
