What you should know about freelance writing
Rebellion is cool and it sounds exciting. There is a romantic vibe
on anybody that can do things differently and remain successful. If you
don’t have a 9-5 job and still has that capability to earn good money, your job is on the same ranks as astronauts and actors,
careers that kids dream of.
Freelance writing is no exception. It is exciting and gives you the
freedom to have control of what projects you will work on and how much
time you will put in. Plus, you can earn good money, perhaps more than
what you are earning right now. The limit, of course, is what you can
accomplish.
Like a career in show business, however, freelance writing is not all
roses and butterflies. That the new lead actor is as virtuous and
beautiful as he or she appears to us from the TV or the silver screen,
we soon learn, is a myth.
Popular beliefs like this are dangerous because they often have a
snowball effect. They sound ridiculous at first but with the frequency
we hear them, they start to become real to us, until reality hits us on
the face. So before you leave your 9-5 job and write your way to a
freelance life, it is better to have the following freelance writing
myths settled once and for all.
1. Good command of the language is enough. Faulkner is hard to read
because he uses big words. Hemingway, on the other hand, is easy to
read because he uses short, familiar words. But both of them are
well-recognized for the brilliance of their works. They got talent.
Whichever school of thought a writer belongs to, he can have success
because he is good.
But that is not the case in freelance writing. A good command of the
language and mastery of writing style are often not enough. Freelance
writing, after all, is a business. And like other businesses, a
freelance writer necessarily should have the right network to get a
project. Participating in communities for writers is a good way to
build your network, as well as joining conferences and freelance
writing jobs sites where potential employers can be found.
2. There is no steady flow of work to make freelance writing a reliable
source of income. That freelance writing opportunities can dry up and
leave you out of work only depends on your ability to find the avenue
where you can advertise your services. Freelance writing jobs are
limited only by your capacity to take them.
The trick is not to get daunted if you can’t get to write in the niche
that you want. Freelance writing is a competitive industry. But with a
commitment to be a freelance writer, you will distinguish yourself from
the competition.
3. Anyone can do it. Unfortunately, not anyone can be a freelance
writer. Freelance writers don’t have a boss to answer to and receive
regular assignments from. They are on their own most of the time.
Writers are only good if they know what they are writing about. And
that is not always the case in freelance writing.
Freelance writers are managing editors, copy editors, researcher, and
copy writer all at the same time. He should have an exceptional
research skills set to be successful. It is important that a freelancer
can have a good grasp of the topic in as little time as possible,
writes a copy, and produce the final draft.
To find out more details about starting a freelance life, there is an article in CNN that you can access here.
