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.

As new freelancers, it's so easy to get sucked into taking low-wage gigs in our quest for clips. Sometimes newbies, and non-newbies alike, end up sticking with low wages for reasons beyond the clips. It's tempting to stay within our comfort zone. Low-wage jobs rarely have much editorial oversight, and they tend to be rather easy. We don't have to stretch our talents or risk rejection with these typs of assignments. I've discovered in my short time writing professionally that it feels so much better to write for my worth than to write for safety.

The subject must be on a lot of people's minds lately because I've seen blog posts about what kinds of wages freelancers should accept all over the internet lately. Deb Ng of Freelance Writing Jobs writes one of the best posts I've seen when she asks, "Who Sets Your Writing Rates?". Deb encourages us to set our own rates, within reason. We, of course, must consider what a company or individual is willing to pay. Small start-ups and individual operations won't be able to pay what the big guys can. We know that. But we also know what feels right. I've learned it's so important to go with your gut when deciding which jobs to accept.

It's scary to turn away jobs, and I know it can be overwhelming the first time you have to give someone your rate for a project. All the "what if's?" come into play. What if I bid too high, and they laugh at me? What if I bid too low, and I screw myself out of a decent wage? Do some research. There are sites online that can help. Freelance Switch has a rate calculator that takes into account things like time for marketing, health insurance costs, and the like. Also, check out Jennifer Mattern's article on setting your freelance rates. She lays it all out in an easy to understand way. I like that.

Setting rates for your writing is simply a step in the negotiation process. It's likely the prospective employer will be willing to discuss the possibilities with you. If it doesn't work out, you can at least feel good about getting your feet wet in the art of negotiation and knowing that you didn't accept less than you're comfortable with. Trust me, it's a good feeling.

Short answer - I don't know. Sorry, I just don't. There are so many different kinds of freelance writing; each one demands different skills and effort, thus each one commands a different level of payment. What I do know is that there are a lot of people out there ready to suck writers dry and to take advantage of them, and it's imp;ortant that you don't fall prey to such scammers.

Decide what's right for you.

This may be based on your enjoyment of the material you're writing or the time involved. You may be shooting for a particular amount of money per hour. There are lots of factors to consider here. Lisa from Work at Home Mom Revolution wrote a great post on this matter and provides a link to a resource from Freelance Switch that can help you to calculate your ideal rate. The bottom line is not to accept a position that's going to make you feel burnt out or resentful in terms of what you're being paid.

I just had a discussion with a blogging pal who asked me if she was being offered enough for a particular job. After hearing the offer, I hesitated to tell her that I thought it wasn't enough. Each person has to decide this for themselves, but I did feel what was being asked of her was not nearly enough for the compensation being offered. I told her this as well as letting her know that her talents are beyond that. I also gave her some information on how I've gotten paid blogging jobs as a starting point.

Evaluate Your Situation

While I'm not currently making the money I'd like to be, I am confident that I'm building bridges that will lead me to more paid writing opportunities. I've struggled with whether I'm making the right decisions for my career, and I've had to reassess my plans a few times already. Because I have three children, I know my writing time is limited. I'm now focusing on realistic goals and writing pursuits that are less time consuming than full-length magazine features.

I'm not saying limit yourself, and I'd never advise anyone not to follow their dreams. For me, however, it makes sense to tailor my writing to a smaller scale for now. I still have long-term goals set and feel good about the path I'm taking to reach them. That's something I'd say is most important of all when deciding the types of writing and rates of pay you'll accept. Does it fit into your lifestyle and does it mesh with your goals?

For More Information

You'll want to read what Deb Ng has to say at Freelance Writing Jobs on the subject of low-paying writing jobs. She gives some wonderful advice on the subject. She also explains why some folks pay writers so very little and how this affects the rest of us. Be sure to read the comments at this post for valuable insight from other writers. You're sure to learn a lot.

I wish I had a definitive answer to give. I just don't. Follow your gut. Cliche as it may sound, sometime it's the best advice there is. What are your thoughts and experiences? Please let me know!