Why I “Heart” My Freelance Writing Career: 6 Reasons I Wouldn’t Trade It for Any Other Job in the World

Share

February 14, 2012

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day. And, there’s nothing like it . . . especially when you’re in love with what you do for a living. And boy, do I love my career as a freelance writer. Following are six reasons why.

Is this a career you can fall in love with?

I. Travel the World: Thanks to the internet, I can work from anywhere in the world. As an avid traveler, I no longer have to wait for “vacation time” each year to indulge my love of globetrotting.

I have worked from the kitchen table of a friend in Minnesota; the apartment of a friend in Spain; the front porch of a family in Argentina; the balcony of a hotel in Panama City, FL; a coffee shop in New York City; and the beach in Negril, Jamaica. Really!

There just aren’t a lot of careers that allow you to do this.

***********************************
Editor Note: Inkwell Editorial Valentine’s Day Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!***********************************

II. Money: As a freelance writer, I decide how much I want to earn. I set my own rates; I decide how many clients to take on (or not); I decide whether or not to hire other freelance writers (eg, outsource work); etc. In short, all of the choices as it relates to earning power are mine.

This is freeing because I’m not tied to one employer for a paycheck. If my writing company loses a client – even a big one — it’s not like losing a job. I may work with 10, 15 or 20 clients at one time as a freelance writer. And, I’m careful to never let one client become a huge part of my income because that’s too much like “working for” them, instead of “with them.”

why-i-love-freelance-writing1

III. My Time Is My Own: This is probably the thing I enjoy most about being a freelance writer. I decide when my workday starts, when it ends, when to take a day off, etc.

Now I’m not gonna lie – I put in a lot more hours as a full-time, self-employed professional than I ever did when I worked in corporate America. And, I work a helluva lot harder – sometimes the hourly rate actually sucks when I break it down.

BUT in spite of this, I still get to decide. I don’t have to wait for vacation time to do “x”; take sick days to recover from “y”; or take a personal day to take care of “z.” I arrange my schedule to suit my life. I can’t begin to tell you how liberating this is.

IV. My Financial Future Is Set: I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993. But nowadays, I earn a good portion of my income from internet marketing and self-publishing ebooks.

The thing is, being a freelance writer allows me to earn money in many different ways online. I put my skill set to use beyond just writing for clients. Internet marketing and self-publishing ebooks are natural earning outlets for freelance writers who are ambitious enough to strike out on their own in these areas.

I don’t worry about my financial future, because I know how to earn money under my own steam. And, when you have this kind of control over your career, you don’t have to worry so much about being financially secure later in life.

V. Recession-Proof Income: As mentioned above, thanks to my skill as a writer, I’ve developed other income streams, so if one area is slow (eg, writing jobs from clients), I still have other monies coming in (eg, from my ebook sales and internet/affiliate marketing efforts).

This kind of income diversity kind of inoculates you from what’s going on with the economy and allows you to get on secure financial footing. And, if you learn how to manage your money well, you can secure your financial future in no time at all, especially as you never have to “retire” as a writer.

You can keep adding to your product lines, promoting your affiliate products and even writing for clients if you want.

VI. I Love My Job! If you’ve ever had a job you hate, then get one you fall in love with, you know how it feels. Quite simply, I love what I do. I don’t dread getting down to work each day. In fact, most days I can’t wait to start.

Now, do I get frustrated with my work? Yes.

Do I abhor some projects? Yes.

Am I grinning from ear to ear 8, 9 or 10 hours a day every day? No.

Being self-employed is not for the weak of heart. It’s a lot of work – a lot! And I get as tired, angry and frustrated as any employee.

But I always – always – manage to come out of my funk. I realize how lucky I am to be able to do what I do for a living, for it allows me to follow my passions (eg, marathon training), travel, spend time with friends and family no matter how spread out they are, etc. Some days, I literally pinch myself because I can’t believe this is my life.

And, it’s a life anyone can have (FYI, this post is Inkwell Editorial’s old design).

The Pursuit of Happyness: It’s a Basic Human Right!

Life is simply too short to spend chunks of it (years!) doing something you hate. Find your passion  – whatever it is — and learn how to make a living from it. After all, one of the foundational elements of the American constitution is the pursuit of happiness.

The Founding Fathers were definitely on to something when they wrote those words, so don’t take them lightly. Embrace them for the brilliance they are – and get busy in your “Pursuit of Happyness.” You owe this to yourself as a human being.

Let Me Help You Start Your Freelance Business

If you have questions, send them in. I’m more than happy to help you get started in any way I can. There’s tons of free info right here on this site, as well as on http://SeoWritingJobs.com.

Good luck if you decide to start a freelance writing career. As I said at the end of yesterday’s post, my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner (like, right out of college!).

What do you love about being a freelance writer? Please share in the comments section below.

Here’s to a very Happy Valentine’s Day.

Yuwanda
Find this post informative? Please RT It and Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.
coverP.S.: Get the freelance writing opportunity that allowed me to be financially secure enough to travel, live abroad, get out of debt and really “live the freelance life!”

P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.

Be Sociable, Share!

Related Posts

Freelance Advice: How to Transition from a Job into Freelancing Full-time and/or From Writing for Clients to Writing for Yourself
Why Web Writing Is an Easy Career to Start Compared to Other Types of Freelance Writing
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 2010: What to Do & Most Importantly, What NOT to Do
Want a Freelance Writing Career? Here’s How to Achieve That Dream This Coming Year
Freelance Writing Job: The Stressful Side of Being an Online Writer & How to Handle It

Share and Enjoy!

Share

Comments are closed.

Inkwell Editorial

Learn how to start a career as a freelance writer -- full-time or part-time. These instructional guides on freelance writing teach you everything you need to know. You can get started right away.

Inkwell Editorial

How to Start a Successful Freelance Career Newsletter: Get concrete specifics on how to start, grow and run a successful freelance writing career.