photo by broken thoughts
I took an evening writing class late last night. For 4 hours I sat, listening to the teacher speak. Four hours later, I realized. Why didn’t I learn this as an undergrad in English?! Then it hit me. There was this entire aspect of freelance writing that I hadn’t even considered previously…the Business Side of Freelance Writing! Doh!
What the class taught me, besides the fact that maybe only retired folks and mommies take these kind of classes, is that you need more than passion to be a successful writer. Sure passion is what inspires you to write. But what Gordan taught us last night was, “You need to be emotionally and financially moved to do the work.” Amen to that!
So what does taking into account the business side of freelance writing mean? It means realizing that your writing is a business. Take it as seriously as you would any other job. Consider whether what you are writing is sellable and save the rest for your own personal blog or journal.
Think about what you need to do on a daily basis to survive-keep your head above water. This means always acting professionally. This means making sure to confirm assignments before you even write them and to make sure that your time is as valuable as your clients. (All things I wished I learned a few months ago.)
Here’s what I learned from Gordon. I learned that we all have to make a living. There is a romanticism about writing. But that alone can not pay the bills. Develop a focus. Spend time researching your topic and then possible publications and then focus on the sell.
What you do now, well effect how well you do in the future. Try it and let me know how it goes…
Freelance writing as a career is not a hobby and it’s not a get-rich-quick business. Any writer who’s been freelancing for more than three years will tell you it’s hard work. Freelance writing is a home-based business shoehorned into an expanding market of opportunity..Amazing post..