SiteAre You Ready to Freelance?
If you’re thinking of making the leap to full-time freelancing, first take our quiz to find out if freelancing is for you — and to improve any areas you may be weak in.
1. I’m self-motivated. Yes__ No__
When you freelance, there’s no boss looking over your shoulder to make sure you get your work done. You’re the boss. When you have an article due and the TV and laundry and phone are calling your name, what do you do?
If you’re not self-motivated (yet), don’t worry — this is something you can fake with external motivators. For example, you can partner up with a goal buddy who will hold you accountable for meeting your goals. You can also tell all your friends and family what you plan to do, so you’ll feel a responsibility to get it done. Or you can remove home distractions, for example by working at the bookstore (though that provides distractions of its own!). Here are more ideas for getting motivated.
2. I love to market. Yes__ No__
This is a sticky one. Most freelancers hate to market. It’s all about the writing, man! But in order to make it as a freelancer, you have to sell yourself to editors and clients. This means sending out letters of introduction, writing queries, making calls, sleuthing out the names and contact info for potential editors/clients, and maintaining a website. The only advice I can give is to just do it. You may hate it, but as you’re doing it, imagine all the wonderful things this marketing can bring you — the freedom to work where you want, to set your own hours, to write about things you love. If it seems that somehow you always run out of time in the day before you get any marketing done, set aside a certain day — such as Fridays — where you do nothing but market.
3. I can handle rejection. Yes__ No__
Let’s face it: As a freelancer, you will experience rejection. Even the best writers get rejected! You can get upset and lose a day of writing because you’re so angry/sad/frustrated, or you can suck it up and move on. I recommend the suck-it-up-and-move-on method. Just keep in mind that each rejection brings you closer to an acceptance, and, to be clichéd, the only way to fail is to never try. Also, remember that not all rejections are flat-out no’s…a personalized, friendly rejection from an editor is an invitation to send more ideas.
4. I have an emergency stash of money. Yes__ No__
Many experts recommend you have three to six months worth of savings stashed away before you start freelancing full-time, though of course more is even better. If you don’t have enough to get you by as you gear up your writing business, you may want to freelance on the side as you save up money from your day job. When I started out, I had a part-time office job, and I wrote queries and did assignments on my days off. If you work full-time, you can do interviews on your lunch hour, or before or after hours (thanks to sources in different time zones), and write in the evenings or early in the morning.
5. I’m fine with being alone all day. Yes__ No__
As a freelancer, you won’t be gathering with coworkers around the coffee machine chatting about last night’s Project Runway. I’m lucky that my husband is also a freelance writer, so we keep each other company. But if you’re an extrovert and don’t have the benefit of a freelancing spouse, you can call friends during breaks from work, have lunch dates with other freelancers, and work at Starbucks, the bookstore, or the library so you’ll be around other living beings.
6. I’m good at other things besides writing. Yes__ No__
As I wrote in a blog post last week, only about 15% of what I do is writing. The other 85% is marketing, invoicing, researching, interviewing, and other non-writing tasks. To succeed as a freelancer, you have to be good at all aspects of the business. Not so hot at all of your non-writing tasks? It may be worth it for you to hire a virtual assistant research assistant, accountant, or other expert who can take over what you’re not good at so you can concentrate on what you are good at.
7. I’m an extrovert. Yes__ No__
It would seem like writing in the perfect job for introverts: You sit in your office all day pounding at your keyboard, without having to deal with other people. But a lot of freelancing is about networking — with writers, with editors, with sources. I’ve made more than $30,000 in the past few years by networking with other writers on online forums, and I met several editors who were looking for writers at a conference I spoke at last year — one of whom gave me an assignment. I also go to New York City once a year or so to have lunch with my editors.
If you’re afraid to schmooze, start small. Join an online forum such as Absolute Write and respond to other writers’ posts. Send cards to editors you’ve worked with to thank them for their business. E-mail your family members and friends to let them know that you’re getting started as a freelancer; maybe they know someone who can help you. Soon, you’ll be talking to writers and editors like a pro!
Are there any questions I’m missing? Please post your tips in the Comments section! [lf]
13 Responses to “Are You Ready to Freelance?”
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Diane
Said this on October 6th, 2008 at 7:56am:This is a great post! Although I suspect that if I had read it before I started freelancing it would have put me off… perhaps correctly, as I’ve struggled for confidence, commissions and cash at times and it’s been harder than I anticipated… But a stash of cash wasn’t an option for me, as health problems meant I needed to work from home or rely on welfare, and I didn’t want to do the latter (anymore).
However, I can deal with being alone (would rather work alone most of the time, in fact), am self-motivated and good at getting organized. The marketing/networking side I’m improving upon – I’ve volunteered to lead a workshop for writers next year, for free, for the experience/networking, which I hope will lead to another avenue of paid work.
Something I find hard is staying positive when the chips are down, and the rejections pile up, but sites like yours do keep me inspired and I think to myself, I just need to keep going. (Stubborness helps a lot!)
x
Mary
Said this on October 6th, 2008 at 10:36am:I’m slowly learning about the value of marketing and am beginning to feel more comfortable with the concept. Just reading about the necessity of marketing, invoicing, etc. doesn’t cut it. I knew I had to do those things, but now I’m starting to embrace them as part of the road to what I truly want to do for a living. Thanks for introducing me to the concepts when I first read Renegade Writer a couple years ago!
Valencia
Said this on October 6th, 2008 at 2:02pm:Great questions to consider, especially the last: are you an extrovert? Freelance writing involves putting yourself out there. It can be difficult for shy people and persons who like to keep to themselves. But with practice, I think anyone can fake it.
Mike
Said this on October 6th, 2008 at 2:23pm:I’m still in the thinking about it stage. I’ve been in the corporate world so long that I’m terrified. To add to my trepidation, I have a mortgage and two daughters about to enter college. Is there advice you can give to someone who is ready for some part time freelancing?
LindaFormichelli
Said this on October 7th, 2008 at 9:38am:Thanks for your comments! I tried to keep it positive by pointing out that though you need these skills, if you don’t have them you can certainly develop them.
Mike, it IS scary to make the jump, but also invigorating. I freelanced part time while I had a part time office job in 1996. You can try to do what I did, which is to query on your days off and do interviews with your cell phone during your lunch hour. When you think you have enough freelance income coming in, see if you can slowly cut down on your hours at your full-time job.
The thing is, when I made the jump we had no kids, no car payment, no mortgage. I also had an office job with very flexible hours and they were happy to let me cut my hours as I got more freelancing work. My husband was going to college full-time so I had to support us both, but that doesn’t come close to having a mortgage and two kids near college age! Has anyone here made the jump from the corporate world into full-time freelancing? Do you have any advice for Mike? (Calling Diana!)
10/07/2008 Writing Jobs and Links : PoeWar.com Writer’s Resource Center
Said this on October 7th, 2008 at 9:43am:[...] Are You Ready to Freelance?: A nice quiz with explanations. [...]
Are you ready to go freelance? « write you are…
Said this on October 7th, 2008 at 7:42pm:[...] How do you know if you’re ready to make the leap to being full-time freelance? The checklist over at The Renegade Writer is a pretty good start, but there are more questions you need to [...]
Anne
Said this on October 7th, 2008 at 7:47pm:I’ve blogged some more items for the checklist at http://writeyouare.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/are-you-ready-to-go-freelance/
LindaFormichelli
Said this on October 7th, 2008 at 9:19pm:Great list, Anne. Thanks!
Janine
Said this on October 13th, 2008 at 8:05pm:I have some questions about age, what if your a teenager who goes to school half of the day because thats your scedual? Would it be alright for someone like me to do Freelance Writing?
Julia
Said this on December 29th, 2008 at 8:47pm:Great post Linda, it’s definitely confirmed that I think I’m finally ready to go freelance. I’ve been talking about it for several years now, & I think I’m finally comfortable enough to give it a go. While I’m not going to leave my full-time job just yet (although in this economy I might not have a choice in that matter. *wink*), I’m ready to dive in. I’m working on my website now, & am planning on starting to network & “query” for technical writing gigs. I’m excited and nervous at the same time, but feel that it’s the right thing for me. The corporate world has just ground me down enough that I’m ready for a change. Bring it on!
LindaFormichelli
Said this on December 30th, 2008 at 9:58am:Best of luck, Julia…I know you can do it!
John Agathon
Said this on March 31st, 2009 at 9:48pm:Julia, you will love free lancing. Just make sure you can pay your bills and enjoy the good life and you’ll be so happy =)