19/12/2017

​When aspiring writers, copywriters, journalists (the list goes on) read or hear all that is written or said about doing it freelance, it is usually these fairytale-like things, like freedom,  working at your own pace and no bosses or colleagues trying to climb over your back or even doing it based on your work. These last few elements seem to be prevailing elements. Oh, so I don’t forget, after you set yourself up, the money starts flowing like best red wine…
    Now, let's leave the money thing aside, even the new starters in the writing venture(s) have their doubts in that respect. We’ve all had too many of those sweepstakes winners stories piling up in our (regular or email) mailboxes every day. If you are any good, the money will start coming. Eventually,
    But that ‘eventually’ can be a long, ongoing process and certainly an unpleasant one if you constantly have nagging and demanding bosses and trickster back-stabbing colleagues, that are not that collegial after all. That is one of the key reasons why most of the people would contemplate going freelance. And anyway, most of the writing is a single person process, isn’t it?
    Well, you can only hope so. Even if you start writing freelance, you have that publisher, site or magazine editor, or company PR guy who wants all those white papers. They can and would be all your bosses. One after the other, or sometimes, a few of them at the same time. And all those trickster colleagues suddenly transform into anonymous writers who bid for the same writing job achingly low, giving you no chance of getting it, even if you seem to be a perfect fit for it.
    When freelance writing jobs are offered these days, the term often used is - remote work. And remote seems to be the operative word here. In all its positive, but also negative aspects.
    It might seem nice and pleasant, even time saving to have as little personal contact, particularly these days when online writing seems to be dominating. But that remoteness can create a loss of sense of obligation, even decency.
    Just remember how many times you solicited for a writing job, sent in your writing samples, CV’s, and you didn’t even get a one sentence response in the form of: “Sorry, we(I) am not interested”. Or, you get a job, with a ‘trial rate’, with a promise you’ll get more work that would be paid better, only to never hear from these people again. And lets not even mention those SEO writing scavengers circulating the content mills trying to suck out work out of fresh into the field writers without ever paying them a single cent.
    In the words of grate late Captain Beefheart that he sang on his “spotlight Kid” album - “When it blows its stacks, he ain’t nowhere to be found…”
    Not the stuff that all those inviting established freelance bloggers would tell you about, but then, they are still here, aren’t they? Just,  have in mind that there’s quite a few of the other stuff you’ll have to swallow along with all that milk and honey that is coming to you when you become a freelance writer.

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