On this submit, I’ll be discussing the principle execs and cons of freelance writing. Whether or not you’re contemplating a radical profession change, or just desirous about incomes a bit of additional cash on-line on the facet, this one is for you.
I’ve been doing freelance writing for a few years now. Whereas I completely love the advantages of being a contract author (and there are lots of – which is why I do it), there are positively a couple of downsides as I’ll clarify under.
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For me, the largest benefits of freelance writing embrace the flexibleness to decide on when and the place you’re employed, in addition to the flexibility to determine precisely what sort of work you need to do. Nonetheless, on the flip facet, there isn’t any job safety and no assured paycheck every month.
It’s essential that you just bear this stuff in thoughts when deciding whether or not or not it is a profession (or facet hustle) that can give you the results you want. General, I feel the disadvantages of being a contract author are vastly outweighed by the quite a few advantages. However, you could contemplate what’s best for you.
Professionals of Being a Freelance Author
Listed below are a few of the key benefits of being a contract author. This record displays my very own private expertise, in addition to the experiences of different those who I do know who work as freelance writers. There’s numerous overlap between every level, however I’ve damaged them down for the sake of readability.
Keep in mind that each job is totally different, and each freelance author is exclusive. So, the precise execs and cons of being a contract author will fluctuate in response to every particular person and their particular person circumstances. Nonetheless, the next are some basic benefits which can be more likely to apply to most individuals.
1. Flexibility
One in every of my favourite issues about freelance writing is the massive quantity of flexibility it gives. As a freelancer, you have got whole management over your schedule, together with when, the place, and the way a lot you’re employed. This flexibility might be particularly useful for individuals who have children or different commitments.
It’s arduous to overstate fairly how a lot of a recreation changer this flexibility is, significantly in comparison with a “conventional” job – i.e. full-time, in-person employment. You possibly can set your individual hours and take as many breaks, or as a lot break day, as you need. It’s superior!
For instance, in the event you’re feeling burnt out, need to attend a good friend’s wedding ceremony in Italy, fancy a spontaneous highway journey, or just want a change of surroundings, you’ll be able to take a day (or every week, or a month) off with out having to ask for permission out of your employer or boss.
After all, you continue to have to handle the expectations of your shoppers. Nonetheless, the dynamic is completely totally different from being an worker. You simply have to allow them to know what you’re doing – you don’t have to ask permission. It’s an essential distinction!
2. Autonomy
One other main perk of being a contract author is the autonomy it offers. This goes hand in hand with flexibility (see above). As a freelancer, you’re your individual boss. So, you set the foundations – together with the way you need to outline “success” in your profession.
You may have whole freedom over which shoppers you need to work with, which initiatives to just accept, and the way you need to deal with them. The period of time you need to spend researching and writing is totally as much as you, as is how a lot cash you determine to cost on your work.
You even have management over your profession development. No extra inflexible employment hierarchy with another person dictating when or whether or not you get a promotion! Personally, I discover this degree of independence actually liberating and rewarding.
I’m a lot extra motivated figuring out that I’ve whole company over what I do and the place my profession takes me. It additionally permits for lots of private development and growth, as I’ll develop on under.
3. Various Initiatives
Some of the thrilling facets of being a contract author is the truth that you’ll be able to work on no matter initiatives you need. Some freelance writers select to specialize and area of interest down greater than others. However, primarily, the selection is yours.
If you wish to tackle a various vary of initiatives and discover a number of totally different niches or industries, you’ll be able to completely try this. Once more, you get to set the foundations (therefore the autonomy, above)!
So, say you’ve at all times fancied dabbling in artistic fiction writing. However, you’re additionally a fan of doing a little bit of journey writing and completely love writing persuasive advertising copy. As a contract author, you’ll be able to select to do all of this stuff in the identical week, offered you handle your time properly.
You possibly can develop your ability set and discover new matters as a lot as you need. This not solely helps to maintain issues attention-grabbing and difficult, nevertheless it additionally provides you the chance for steady studying and development.
4. Talent Growth
Following on from the earlier level, selecting to work on a various vary of initiatives is, in my expertise, a sure-fire method of creating new expertise and broadening the vary of your experience.
For instance, as a contract author, you may select to write a weblog submit for an internet site at some point, craft social media posts for a model the following, draft advertising emails the following, after which assist write an e-book or white paper the following… And so forth – you get the image.
Additionally, you’ll be able to select to have a variety of shoppers throughout a broad spectrum of sectors (e.g. journey, advertising, monetary, enterprise, and so forth.) which helps to make sure you’re consistently studying. Having a various vary of initiatives helps make you a extra versatile author with a broader set of expertise.
Moreover, freelancers usually should handle their very own admin and enterprise operations. For some folks, it is a drawback of being a contract author. Nonetheless, you can see it as a chance to develop transferable expertise reminiscent of time administration, group, and monetary admin. See Additionally: finest apps for freelance writers
5. Work From Wherever
One other huge perk of being a contract author is the flexibility to work from wherever. I’ve gotten paid to do freelance writing from some wonderful locations all around the world, together with once I was dwelling as a digital nomad in Mexico, Costa Rica, Albania, Italy, Sri Lanka, and even a distant nook of the Scottish Highlands.
Normally, your shoppers don’t care the place you’re, so long as you get the work carried out to a sufficiently excessive normal. Once more, that is completely totally different from most employment relationships. (I actually hated being employed, in case you hadn’t figured.)
So long as you have got a steady web connection overseas and an influence outlet, you’ll be able to mainly work from just about wherever on the planet. That is enormous for anybody who loves touring and with the ability to do it for quite a lot of weeks per yr of annual go away.
It’s additionally one of many the explanation why freelance writing is such a standard job with digital nomads and different distant employees. In actual fact, that is the principle purpose I selected to do it.
6. Networking Alternatives
Being a contract author can open up alternatives for networking with folks throughout a variety of sectors. In case you select to work with a various unfold of shoppers, you’ll have the possibility to construct a wide-reaching internet {of professional} relationships.
That is clearly a good way to develop your skilled community. Connecting with fellow writers, editors, shoppers, and different professionals in varied niches can result in a wealth of recent job alternatives and but extra helpful connections sooner or later.
Plus, having a powerful community may also assist give you assist and sources that is likely to be helpful sooner or later. It’s additionally a good way to construct your individual private model and get your identify on the market.
7. Work-Life Steadiness
In my view, it’s a lot simpler to keep up a wholesome work-life stability as a freelancer than as an worker. I say “for my part” as a result of it’s a little bit of a contentious debate, and I’ve had discussions with different freelancers who disagree with me on this.
I’ve heard folks say that working for your self may give you a worse work-life stability. In keeping with these folks, as a result of freelancing is inherently much less steady than employment, there’s a bent for freelancers to overwork to compensate for it. That is positively true to an extent.
Nonetheless, in my very own private expertise, it doesn’t should be the case. Whereas being self-employed does, in fact, include its personal pressures, and requires appreciable self-discipline and arduous work, autonomy is vital.
The massive quantity of flexibility you achieve means that you may select the way you need to construction your work life. So long as you’re in a position to handle your time successfully, together with consciously permitting your self sufficient downtime, you have got the facility to engineer a tremendous work-life stability.
8. Artistic Freedom
Artistic freedom is a serious benefit of being a contract author. As a freelancer, you have got the chance to work on initiatives that actually curiosity and encourage you. And, conversely, there’s no one forcing you to do any initiatives that you just actually don’t need to do.
Moreover, the elevated choices and management over your profession trajectory (mentioned above) means that you may select to give attention to areas that offer you extra artistic expression if that is one thing that’s essential to you.
In case you select the correct initiatives (and shoppers), you will get loads of private success out of your work. It additionally permits you to select to put in writing for publications or shoppers that align together with your private values and beliefs.
Cons of Being a Freelance Author
Whereas I actually take pleasure in freelance writing for all the causes mentioned above, it’s not excellent. (No job is, proper?) There are positively a couple of downsides to being a contract author, which I’ve set out under.
I’m not attempting to place anybody off right here from changing into a contract author. I simply need you to enter it together with your eyes open, having made an knowledgeable determination. That mentioned, not all of those points will have an effect on each freelance author, however I’d nonetheless suggest contemplating the next.
1. Unpredictable Revenue
For me, one of many biggest disadvantages of being a contract author is the shortage of economic stability. As an worker, you usually receives a commission each month, on the identical day, usually the identical quantity. This makes it simpler to plan financially as you have got a predictable revenue.
As a contract author, it’s the alternative. Your revenue can fluctuate drastically from month to month, and never all shoppers pay on time. Some months you may earn extra, some months you may earn much less. In case you don’t get any work, you don’t receives a commission in any respect.
This lack of economic predictability might be difficult to handle. It’s essential to have a buffer of money in your account if potential so that you just’re not left in a precarious monetary state of affairs you probably have a quiet month or, for some other purpose, your revenue drops off.
2. Requires Self-Self-discipline
Freelance writing requires a substantial quantity of self-discipline. Since you work for your self, you could be your individual boss. This implies setting deadlines and targets for your self, being organized together with your time, and guaranteeing you retain your self on observe.
It’s essential to have the ability to stability the workload of a number of initiatives, whereas on the identical time maintaining together with your different duties and basic life admin. Talking frankly, this was a little bit of a problem for me once I first began working for myself.
Generally I additionally discover that working alone for lengthy intervals of time could make it tougher to remain motivated, given the shortage of colleagues and coworkers to present assist or recommendation.
Finally, you want to have the ability to encourage your self to work arduous and write creatively, even on days while you don’t actually really feel prefer it. It’s additionally essential to have the ability to stability work with rest to assist keep away from burnout.
3. Probably Isolating
Being a contract author might be isolating at occasions, particularly in the event you work remotely by your self.
Earlier than changing into a contract author, I used to work in an workplace in London. Whereas I actually didn’t benefit from the workplace politics and performative tradition, there was at the very least at all times anyone to go for a espresso with, or to cease by and have a chat.
Now I work for myself, I discover myself needing to make extra of a acutely aware effort to socialize with different folks. It’s not an excessive amount of of an issue for me, however it’s one thing to consider.
Whether or not or not this is a matter for you relies upon, partly, in your persona – together with how introverted or extroverted you’re, and the way a lot you wish to socialize generally. Working from coworking areas may also be a great way to get a dose of social interplay and fight emotions of isolation.
4. Lack of Job Safety
This one ties in with the purpose about unpredictable revenue. Normally, being a contract author doesn’t supply the identical job safety {that a} conventional 9-5 job does.
Most international locations world wide have authorized protections in place that supply workers a level of job safety. These fluctuate from nation to nation (they’re significantly robust in Europe in contrast with the US). Nonetheless, the important thing level right here is that these protections principally apply to workers solely.
As a freelancer, employment regulation protections typically don’t apply to you. If one among your common shoppers abruptly stops needing your providers or their enterprise goes beneath, that’s too unhealthy for you – you’ll want to exchange that revenue from elsewhere.
This lack of stability might be powerful, particularly you probably have monetary commitments reminiscent of lease, a mortgage, payments, or childcare prices to pay. It’s additionally why I’d at all times suggest having a number of totally different shoppers to diversify your revenue streams and defend your self from sudden adjustments.
5. No Worker Advantages
Staff usually obtain advantages reminiscent of medical health insurance, paid break day, and retirement contributions from their employer. Sadly, these perks usually are not usually accessible to freelance writers. That’s the worth you pay for all that freedom!
Because of this you’ll have to cowl these bills your self, which might be pricey. Medical health insurance, particularly, generally is a enormous expense for freelancers, particularly in international locations the place healthcare isn’t free. It’s essential that you just funds for these further prices.
And, whereas that is positively not monetary recommendation, it’s extraordinarily essential to have monetary provisions on your retirement. In any other case, previous age goes to suck – severely.
6. Having Too Few (or Too Many) Shoppers
One other main con of being a contract author is needing to strike a stability between the variety of shoppers you have got at one time. As mentioned above, as a freelancer, you’re typically not assured a gradual stream of labor, and it’s widespread on your revenue to fluctuate significantly.
Some folks select to try to fight this by doing a number of work for one or two shoppers. Nonetheless, what occurs if one among these shoppers abruptly stops providing you with work or goes out of enterprise? Dangerous issues, so far as your funds are involved.
So, as we agreed above, it’s essential to diversify your revenue streams. Nonetheless, working for plenty of totally different shoppers comes with its personal challenges, together with managing competing deadlines, expectations, and customarily increased ranges of admin and problem.
It’s a tough one and requires you to strike stability, which isn’t at all times simple. In actual fact, that is one thing that I usually discover most difficult about working as a contract author.
7. Extra Admin
As a self-employed freelance author, you usually should deal with extra admin than an worker. This contains duties reminiscent of consumer outreach, invoicing, organising and paying right into a pension, preserving observe of your bills, and managing your individual taxes.
Freelancers are normally paid gross with none deduction for tax, so you could be certain that you retain ample data to allow you to file your tax return annually. You additionally want to make sure that you truly have the funds for to pay your tax invoice each time it falls due – don’t make that mistake!
These admin duties require you to be pretty organized. They may also be time-consuming and, for many individuals, a bit overwhelming. But it surely’s essential that you just carry on high of them to maintain what you are promoting operating easily and forestall additional complications down the road.
Professionals and Cons of Freelance Writing: FAQ’s
Listed below are solutions to some steadily requested questions concerning the ups and downs of being a contract author.
For me, freelance writing is unquestionably price it. The flexibleness and freedom it’s given me have been completely life-changing.
There are numerous execs and cons of freelance writing, as you’ve seen from this submit. General, freelance writing might be a wonderful profession so long as you don’t thoughts the downsides an excessive amount of and are ready to place within the work wanted.
There are numerous advantages of working as a contract author. These embrace the flexibleness to work everytime you need, the flexibility to earn a living from home or wherever else on the planet, and the liberty to pursue matters that curiosity you.
The principle downsides of being a contract author embrace the shortage of a steady revenue, advantages, and job safety. It could possibly additionally typically be troublesome to search out good shoppers that pay properly and on time.
It’s not significantly arduous to change into a contract author. However being a highly-regarded, sought-after freelance author who can command excessive charges of pay generally is a difficult path to navigate. It’s completely doable although and properly well worth the effort.
Conclusion
In case you’re desirous about being a contract author, it’s essential to suppose severely about whether or not it’s a profession that’s appropriate for you. There are numerous execs and cons of being a contract author, which fluctuate from individual to individual and job to job. You need to weigh up whether or not the professionals outweigh the cons.
For me, the advantages of freelance writing vastly outnumber the disadvantages. However, in fact, all people’s totally different. Both method, I hope this submit helped make your determination slightly bit simpler.
