Diary of a Freelancer – 1
It seems like everyone has a cousin, or a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend’s-wife’s-cousin that is a freelance writer - and they’re all doing better I am. I don’t mind being at the bottom of the totem pole but I get irked when I hear stories about successful self-employed writers. I’m happy for them but they also represent my competition, and when I consider my limited portfolio and lack of technical skill I get a little … tense …
If I’m at a party and an acquaintance asks what I do for a living, I sputter. My nine to five is boring, but it’s better a better option than discussing my work as a freelancer because that usually prompts someone to tell me about their neighbour’s-boyfriend’s-daughter’s-friend who was hired right out of high school as a senior editor for The Economist, with no previous experience.
But enough about that. This article isn’t about the obstacles stacked against us freelancers. It’s about getting started.
One of the most difficult tasks for a new writer is setting his or her rate. Last week I was turned down for a job because I set my price too high (apparently $0.03/word is outlandish)!
I found the following articles helpful.
Enjoy:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/89685/crunching_the_numbers_setting_your.html?page=2&cat=31
http://www.ehow.com/how_4465184_negotiate-freelance-writing-fees.html
Update: If you’re looking for work, check out this great article:
Filed under: Diary of a Freelancer | 3 Comments
Tags: freelance writing, freelancing, gigs, self-employed, Writing
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Just stick with it. Believe me – it’s worth it.
And if it makes you feel any better, no matter how successful you are, trying to explain what you do can be just as uncomfortable. I’ve been doing this (reasonably successfully) for a few years, and I still have family who shove job ads in my face and people who earn less than I do “working for the man” telling me when job opportunities open up as though I should quit freelancing and get a “real job.” lol You just can’t win. But in the end, if you’re happy and getting by you’re doing a pretty good job in life, right? So just smile politely and go about what you do.
Great advice Jenn.
And thanks for those articles!
-C