Monday, December 2, 2019

Should YOU Become a Freelance Writer?

For freelance writer, Robert Kurzban, freelancing is the perfect fit. But is the freelance route the right fit for for every writer? Before you dive into the unknown territory of freelance writing, there are a few questions you should ask yourself first!

For some writers, the idea of freelancing seems like a dream. You have all the freedom in the world, right? No boss looking over your shoulder; no one telling you what to do! You are your own boss -- you create your own schedule. For writers who’ve grown comfortable with the structure of a salaried position, freelancing is scary. It’s the unknown. For many writers, diving into that unknown territory just doesn’t feel like it’s worth the risk! Before you take the leap, ask yourself these three questions:

Robert KurzbanAre you an independent worker?


When working in an office setting, do you gravitate towards contributing to the team? Or are you more comfortable working on your own? Working as a freelance writer requires almost complete independence. For some, this is an advantage. For others, this makes things tricky.

Are you self-motivated?


Many writers are drawn to the ‘be your own boss’ mentality of freelancing. Some even look at this as an advantage that offers a writer freedom. The reality is that being your own boss comes with a load of extra responsibility. Not having a boss looking over your shoulder means that you are entirely responsible for your own successes -- and your own downfalls. You won’t have anyone to ask for help, nor will you have anyone else to keep you on track. Staying on task and completing your work will be entirely up to your own level of self-motivation.

Can you handle rejection?


In many cases, inexperienced freelance writers submit their work to publications without knowing whether or not the piece will actually be published. Most publications maintain an entire contact list of freelance writers. This means that if the editor is unhappy with your work, they’ll be more likely to move onto the next writer, rather than editing or improving your work. This also means that time and time again, your work will be rejected -- regardless of how great you might think it is. This can be very discouraging for newcomers. But it is something that every freelance writer must adjust to!

No comments:

Post a Comment