Adventures In Freelancing

I've written before about what your writing is worth. It's a real hot button topic for many. People get pretty heated about it. The subject's been on my mind again recently. In fact, I just wrote a post about a blogger's worth at Type-A Mom. Everyone has an opinion about how much writers and bloggers should be paid, as well as the kinds of writing they should do.

My Views

Personally, I kind of cringe at the word "should". I'm very much an advocate for doing what works for you. I've heard the argument over and over that if writers accept extremely low wages, it will cause the market to go down for the rest of us because employer will no longer be willing to pay fair writers' rates. Honestly, that argument truly does make sense to me. I can see that one may be worried about their own future freelancing income and that it can be upsetting to see others accept such low fees. I get that you may want others to do better for themselves and to change for the better. What doesn't make sense to me is cutting others down for their actions, using condescending tones, and making assumptions about people's character in the name of trying to give freelancing advice.

I'm not going to give links or point people out. It's not my style to publicly criticize. And, frankly, I don't wish to give links to those I don't feel deserving of the time it would take. But there are a number of writers who are doling out tons of "advice" on the kinds of jobs not to take and the places writers shouldn't work for rather than giving helpful, encouraging advice on what new writers could do to increase the amount they are paid. I read these folks preach that there are lots of well-paying writing jobs out there, that you have to go beyond the job boards to find them. I get that. And I think we're all smart enough to be able to know that. I don't believe people necessarily want to have their hands held or are too "lazy" to find the good paying jobs. I just really think that they may not know how or that they feel overwhelmed at what's involved in the process. And the writers who are taking this stance are not making things seem any less confusing.

My Advice

I've spent the last year and half sort of floundering. I've found myself struggling between not wanting to accept low-paying gigs and finding it difficult to manage the time and the waiting game of querying. And you know what? I haven't been making much money at all. Again, I don't completely regret the time I've spent learning, What I do regret is allowing myself to be deterred from just going out there and writing because I've been too concerned about whether the pay is enough or whether people will consider me a real writer.

I'm done with that. I've just picked up some regular writing work, and the pay is good enough for me. In fact, I'll be freelancing for a well-known lending site and their subsidiaries. No, I won't be making $100 a post., but when I break it down per hour, it should be about $20 an hour, which is sufficient for me. And it's a start. It's a better rate than I was making earlier this year, so I'm making progress. I intend to be satisfied with that.

Jodee Redmond wrote some good advice over at Freelance Writing Jobs. She talks about diversifying your work. That's just what I intend to do. I'm going to be happy with the great blogging jobs I've just scored, and I will probably even write for some content and revenue sharing sites as I have time so that I can add to my income. I also intend to continue querying print publications as I have great ideas. I'm a mom. My time is limited and sporadic. Blogging works well for my lifestyle. Writing short pieces is ideal for fitting in during a nap or while waiting for the kids' bus to come. As a mom, I also need to be concerned with bringing in some income and being satisfied with my life, NOT with what others may think or what they would do.

Final Thoughts

I wanted to write this post as a means of encouraging others to pursue writing in a way that works for them. If you're satisfied with your writing, that's what matters. However, if you feel a nagging doubt or worry that you're not working to your potential, don't hesitate to do some research and to learn how you can move forward with your writing career. What do you think? Honestly. If you disagree with me, I welcome conversation and discussion.