On this put up, I’ll be discussing the primary professionals and cons of freelance writing. Whether or not you’re contemplating a radical profession change, or just involved in earning a bit of extra money online 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 undoubtedly a number of downsides as I’ll clarify under.
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For me, the most important benefits of freelance writing embody the flexibleness to decide on when and the place you’re employed, in addition to the flexibility to resolve 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 necessary that you simply bear this stuff in thoughts when deciding whether or not or not this can be a profession (or side 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 should think about what’s best for you.
Execs of Being a Freelance Author
Listed here are a few of the key benefits of being a contract author. This listing displays my very own private expertise, in addition to the experiences of different people 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 professionals and cons of being a contract author will fluctuate based on every particular person and their particular person circumstances. Nonetheless, the next are some normal benefits which are prone to apply to most individuals.
1. Flexibility
One in all my favourite issues about freelance writing is the massive quantity of flexibility it provides. 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 could be particularly useful for individuals who have children or different commitments.
It’s arduous to overstate fairly how a lot of a sport changer this flexibility is, notably in comparison with a “conventional” job – i.e. full-time, in-person employment. You may set your individual hours and take as many breaks, or as a lot day without work, as you need. It’s superior!
For instance, should you’re feeling burnt out, need to attend a buddy’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 purchasers. 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 necessary 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 how you want to define “success” in your profession.
You’ve gotten whole freedom over which purchasers you need to work with, which initiatives to just accept, and the way you need to sort out them. The period of time you need to spend researching and writing is solely as much as you, as is how a lot cash you resolve 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 stage of independence actually liberating and rewarding.
I’m a lot extra motivated understanding that I’ve whole company over what I do and the place my profession takes me. It additionally permits for lots of non-public progress and improvement, as I’ll increase on under.
3. Numerous Initiatives
Some of the thrilling points 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, basically, 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 do this. Once more, you get to set the foundations (therefore the autonomy, above)!
So, say you’ve at all times fancied dabbling in inventive fiction writing. However, you’re additionally a fan of doing a little bit of travel writing and completely love writing persuasive advertising and marketing copy. As a contract author, you’ll be able to select to do all of this stuff in the identical week, supplied you handle your time effectively.
You may increase your ability set and discover new subjects 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 progress.
4. Ability Improvement
Following on from the earlier level, selecting to work on a various vary of initiatives is, in my expertise, a sure-fire method of growing new expertise and broadening the vary of your experience.
For instance, as a contract author, you would possibly select to write a blog post for a website someday, craft social media posts for a model the subsequent, draft advertising and marketing emails the subsequent, after which assist write an e-book or white paper the subsequent… And so forth – you get the image.
Additionally, you’ll be able to select to have a spread of purchasers throughout a broad spectrum of sectors (e.g. journey, advertising and marketing, monetary, enterprise, and so on.) which helps to make sure you’re continually studying. Having a various vary of initiatives helps make you a extra versatile author with a broader set of expertise.
Moreover, freelancers sometimes need to handle their very own admin and enterprise operations. For some folks, this can be a drawback of being a contract author. Nonetheless, you may see it as a chance to develop transferable expertise akin to time management, group, and monetary admin. See Additionally: best apps for freelance writers
5. Work From Wherever
One other large perk of being a contract author is the flexibility to work from anyplace. I’ve gotten paid to do freelance writing from some wonderful locations all around the world, together with once I was living as a digital nomad in Mexico, Costa Rica, Albania, Italy, Sri Lanka, and even a distant nook of the Scottish Highlands.
Basically, your purchasers don’t care the place you’re, so long as you get the work achieved 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 secure internet connection abroad and an influence outlet, you’ll be able to principally work from virtually anywhere on the planet. That is large for anybody who loves touring and with the ability to do it for various weeks per yr of annual depart.
It’s additionally one of many explanation why freelance writing is such a popular job with digital nomads and different distant staff. In truth, that is the primary motive 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. If you happen to select to work with a various unfold of purchasers, you’ll have the possibility to construct a wide-reaching net {of professional} relationships.
That is clearly an effective way to increase your skilled community. Connecting with fellow writers, editors, purchasers, and different professionals in varied niches can result in a wealth of recent job alternatives and but extra beneficial connections sooner or later.
Plus, having a robust community also can assist offer you assist and assets that could be helpful sooner or later. It’s additionally an effective way to construct your individual private model and get your title on the market.
7. Work-Life Stability
For my part, it’s a lot simpler to keep up a wholesome work-life steadiness as a freelancer than as an worker. I say “in my view” 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 can provide you a worse work-life steadiness. In accordance with these folks, as a result of freelancing is inherently much less secure than employment, there’s an inclination for freelancers to overwork to compensate for it. That is undoubtedly true to an extent.
Nonetheless, in my very own private expertise, it doesn’t need to 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 large quantity of flexibility you acquire means you can select the way you need to construction your work life. So long as you’re capable of handle your time successfully, together with consciously permitting your self sufficient downtime, you have got the facility to engineer an incredible work-life steadiness.
8. Artistic Freedom
Artistic freedom is a significant 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 person forcing you to do any initiatives that you simply actually don’t need to do.
Moreover, the elevated choices and management over your profession trajectory (mentioned above) means you can select to give attention to areas that offer you extra inventive expression if that is one thing that’s necessary to you.
If you happen to select the proper initiatives (and purchasers), you will get plenty of private achievement out of your work. It additionally lets you select to put in writing for publications or purchasers that align along with your private values and beliefs.
Cons of Being a Freelance Author
Whereas I actually get pleasure from freelance writing for all the causes mentioned above, it’s not excellent. (No job is, proper?) There are undoubtedly a number of downsides to being a contract author, which I’ve set out under.
I’m not making an attempt to place anybody off right here from becoming a freelance writer. I simply need you to enter it along with your eyes open, having made an knowledgeable choice. 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 Earnings
For me, one of many best disadvantages of being a contract author is the shortage of monetary stability. As an worker, you sometimes 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 earnings.
As a contract author, it’s the other. Your earnings can fluctuate drastically from month to month, and never all purchasers pay on time. Some months you would possibly earn extra, some months you would possibly earn much less. If you happen to don’t get any work, you don’t receives a commission in any respect.
This lack of monetary predictability could be difficult to handle. It’s necessary to have a buffer of money in your account if potential so that you simply’re not left in a precarious monetary scenario if in case you have a quiet month or, for some other motive, your earnings drops off.
2. Requires Self-Self-discipline
Freelance writing requires a substantial quantity of self-discipline. Since you work for your self, you should be your individual boss. This implies setting deadlines and targets for your self, being organized along with your time, and guaranteeing you retain your self on observe.
It’s necessary to have the ability to steadiness the workload of a number of initiatives, whereas on the similar time maintaining along with your different duties and normal 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 more durable to remain motivated, given the shortage of colleagues and coworkers to offer assist or recommendation.
In the end, you want to have the ability to encourage your self to work arduous and write creatively, even on days once you don’t actually really feel prefer it. It’s additionally necessary to have the ability to steadiness work with rest to assist keep away from burnout.
3. Probably Isolating
Being a contract author could be isolating at instances, particularly should you work remotely by your self.
Earlier than turning 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 least at all times someone 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 character – together with how introverted or extroverted you’re, and the way a lot you wish to socialize usually. Working from coworking spaces will 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 earnings. Normally, being a contract author doesn’t provide the identical job safety {that a} conventional 9-5 job does.
Most nations all over the world have legal protections in place that supply staff a level of job safety. These fluctuate from nation to nation (they’re particularly strong in Europe compared with the US). Nonetheless, the important thing level right here is that these protections largely apply to staff solely.
As a freelancer, employment legislation protections usually don’t apply to you. If one among your common purchasers abruptly stops needing your providers or their enterprise goes beneath, that’s too dangerous for you – you’ll want to switch that earnings from elsewhere.
This lack of stability could be robust, particularly if in case you have monetary commitments akin to 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 purchasers to diversify your earnings streams and shield your self from sudden modifications.
5. No Worker Advantages
Workers sometimes obtain advantages akin to medical health insurance, paid day without work, and retirement contributions from their employer. Sadly, these perks aren’t sometimes accessible to freelance writers. That’s the value you pay for all that freedom!
Which means you’ll have to cowl these bills your self, which could be expensive. Medical insurance, particularly, generally is a large expense for freelancers, particularly in nations the place healthcare isn’t free. It’s necessary that you simply price range for these further prices.
And, whereas that is undoubtedly not monetary recommendation, it’s extraordinarily necessary to have monetary provisions on your retirement. In any other case, previous age goes to suck – critically.
6. Having Too Few (or Too Many) Shoppers
One other main con of being a contract author is needing to strike a steadiness between the variety of purchasers you have got at one time. As mentioned above, as a freelancer, you’re usually not assured a gradual stream of labor, and it’s frequent on your earnings to fluctuate significantly.
Some folks select to try to fight this by doing a lot of work for one or two purchasers. Nonetheless, what occurs if one among these purchasers 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 necessary to diversify your earnings streams. Nonetheless, working for plenty of totally different purchasers comes with its personal challenges, together with managing competing deadlines, expectations, and usually increased ranges of admin and problem.
It’s a difficult one and requires you to strike a great steadiness, which isn’t at all times simple. In truth, 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 sometimes need to deal with extra admin than an worker. This consists of duties akin to shopper outreach, invoicing, establishing and paying right into a pension, protecting observe of your bills, and managing your individual taxes.
Freelancers are often paid gross with none deduction for tax, so you should make sure that you retain adequate information to allow you to file your tax return annually. You additionally want to make sure that you truly manage to pay 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 will also be time-consuming and, for many individuals, a bit overwhelming. Nevertheless it’s essential that you simply carry on high of them to maintain your enterprise operating easily and forestall additional complications down the road.
Execs and Cons of Freelance Writing: FAQ’s
Listed here are solutions to some continuously requested questions in regards to the ups and downs of being a contract author.
For me, freelance writing is certainly price it. The pliability and freedom it’s given me have been completely life-changing.
There are numerous professionals and cons of freelance writing, as you’ve seen from this put up. General, freelance writing could be a superb 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 various advantages of working as a contract author. These embody the flexibleness to work everytime you need, the flexibility to earn a living from home or anyplace else on the planet, and the liberty to pursue subjects that curiosity you.
The principle downsides of being a contract author embody the shortage of a secure earnings, advantages, and job safety. It will possibly additionally generally be troublesome to seek out good purchasers that pay effectively and on time.
It’s not notably arduous to grow to be 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 effectively well worth the effort.
Conclusion
If you happen to’re involved in being a contract author, it’s necessary to suppose critically about whether or not it’s a profession that’s appropriate for you. There are numerous professionals and cons of being a contract author, which fluctuate from individual to individual and job to job. It’s a must to weigh up whether or not the professionals outweigh the cons.
For me, the advantages of freelance writing significantly outnumber the disadvantages. However, in fact, everyone’s totally different. Both method, I hope this put up helped make your choice a little bit bit simpler.
