Freelance Writing Part-Time
Many of us dream of the day that we will be able to write full-time, leaving the workaday worries of our day jobs behind. Perhaps you have yet to take that leap because you have a family that relies on that steady paycheck and a mortgage that demands to be fed. To leave your day job on the gamble that you will be able to support yourself and your family on your freelance writing income seems like a dangerous gamble. I agree. While I don’t currently have a mortgage I do have a stay-at-home wife, a three-year-old son and a baby on the way. If you have also chosen the path of writing part-time while simultaneously working a full-time job know this: it can be done, but it is a path of compromises.
Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 I work hard at my federal job, which I do enjoy by the way. So how do I manage to juggle that with my writing projects and all the other aspects of my life? There are five rules that I feel are important to follow.
Rule #1 - Set aside writing time everyday and make it sacred
I make certain that I set aside a block of time everyday to write and I stick to that. If I don’t have any writing projects on the burner I spend that time marketing myself or reading books on how to make myself a better writer.
Rule #2 - Work ahead
Are you a procrastinator by nature? It is O.K. to admit it, I am. Some of the best writers are. It is a simple enough affliction to battle by following rule #1. But it is not enough to merely stay on schedule; you must strive to stay ahead of schedule. Life being the unpredictable rascal that it is, you can count on it throwing unexpected obstacles in your path as the week progresses. By working ahead in your dedicated time (as well as any spare time that you may happen across) you will build up a handy time buffer.
Rule #3 - Collaborate when need be
Writing is usually a fairly lonely endeavor and writers by nature are accustomed to working solo. But when the world is coming down around you and a deadline is barreling down the road in your direction, it might be time to ask for back-up. It is always good to keep a list of writers whom you know and trust for such occasions. You need not pawn off the actual writing to you colleague, but if the project requires research or performing an interview perhaps he or she would be willing to take that particular burden off your shoulders, provided you share the fame and fortune that comes with the project, or at least promise to return the favor in the future.
Rule #4 - Think twice about the assignments you take
A full-time freelancer can handle several writing projects at a time, and in fact, must handle several at a time in order to make ends meet. As part-time freelancers we don’t usually have that luxury/responsibility. Our time is a rare commodity and we must be ever diligent in how we spend it. I have decided that I cannot in good conscience handle more than one writing project at a time. By doing this I know that I will be able to give the client the best possible service in a timely manner. There is also the not inconsiderable benefit of maintaining my own sanity. Perhaps you can take on more than one project at a time. But be wary of taking on much more than that.
Rule #5 - Be honest with your clients
If you are a part-time freelancer then be proud of that and don’t attempt to present yourself as anything other than. Some writers are self-conscious about their part-time status, assuming that clients will think of them as less than professional. Sure, some will. But remember, as part-time writers we must be more picky about the jobs we take anyway. Also, plenty of clients will see the added benefit of hiring a writer who has a more varied pool of life experiences from which to draw, which is invariably the case with a writer who has an occupation other than just writing.
The part-time writing life can be just as fulfilling as its full-time counterpart. Each of us must decide for ourselves when the time is right to make that final leap into the full-time life. Some will never choose to take that leap and may have very good reasons for not doing so. As for me, I intend to continue on part-time for quite a few more years. By then I will be vested in my pension, have savings as well as a sizeable portfolio and list of contacts on which to build my full-time writing business. That is the plan at least.
