There Are No Freelancing Shortcuts
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Question of the day: Is it totally impossible to become a freelance writer and actually make some money at it? I've seen some websites like "Suite101," that indicate it's a piece of cake to write a 500-word blurb, and make $100 overnight. Is that too good to be true?
To begin with, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. I don't know anything about Suite101, but I can tell you, in my experience, most successful freelance writers became successful by getting their feet (and hands) very dirty while establishing themselves, and that, like it or not, there are no easy shortcuts on the way to ascending the ladder of writing success.
I've blogged about starting out in the industry before - so you might want to check out the archives - but I'll suggest once again that you start small while aiming big. When I say start small, I don't mean a quick fix for $100 (again, I'm not slandering the above website - I took a look at it, and it looks like a decent enough place to learn a few things, though I really have no information on them at all, so please don't infer this as either an endorsement OR a disparagement). I mean taking the time and care to attempt to build your clips and portfolio with decent work that can lead you to a bigger platform. These days, websites are an incredible way to do that: many of them are looking for a lot of content with a quick turn-over, and though I've been out of the freelancing trenches for a bit, in my experience, they were usually much more willing to take a chance on a greener writer than the national magazines were. Will they pay you a ton? No. But will you hopefully get a great clip to prove to a bigger market that you're indeed a writer? Definitely.
Back when I was starting out, front-of-book pieces (the short 100-300 word blurbs in the first 1/3-1/2 of magazines) were another excellent place to get your feet wet. Editors are never, ever going to take a chance on a totally new writer by handing them a feature, but they might give you something smaller to prove your worth. These days, with so many magazines shuttering and others handing assignments to in-house editors, this venue may be even tougher to crack, but like I said - there really aren't any shortcuts in this industry, and like it or not, you'll have to put in long, hard hours (and probably years) until you're earning a steady income.
Which, of course, doesn't mean that you can't or won't. I did, and I have plenty of friends who did and who do. But freelancing has a snowball effect: you need to build momentum and keep that momentum going to really build into something great. It's okay to start small, but I wouldn't suggest trying to cut any corners - I think you'll likely only be put back at square one when those corners prove to be dead ends.
Magazines
Reader Comments (6)
I occasionally think about diving into the freelance market. But then I read articles like this and I scurry back into my shell to hide. That, and I kinda sorta love my fiction work and I don't think I have room for other writing with that and my paying job. Maybe next decade!
I started freelance writing for an online site at the end of January and while they don't pay a ton, I already have 35 published articles. As you said, it's a GREAT way to build clips. I hope to get into high-paying markets soon.
Ahhh, the freelance writing gig. I know it too well. I'm in total agreement with Allison! Sorry to say, it can take years to build up your business. When people hear what I do, they think it's cool and always ask how they can get into it. You have to work hard and as Allison says there are know short cuts. You have to prove yourself. I worked hard to build it up, after working full time for more than a decade and then using those contacts to build up my freelance business. And when you become a freelancer, you have to constantly - while working on assignments - stay in contact with other clients because you never know what the next week or month will be like. Also, when I go on vacation, I'm not making money or getting paid leave, and when I get back from vacation I have to plug away and put out r calls and emails. Don't get me wrong - I love freelancing. I love the flexibility of it. I love being my own boss, as cliche as it sounds. And I love being able to work anywhere. But, like anything you have to work hard at it - not only building it up but sustaining it by creating good work.
Hey -- I think it's important to note as well that sites like Examiner, Suite101, eHow, etc. (they're called "content aggregators") are looking for very, very easily read/skimmed, high traffic content: everything is boiled down to short lists, tips, how-tos, really simple snapshots of a topic. There is not nearly the depth, coverage, or insight required in these pieces as in a magazine feature; they're driven instead by adwords & SEO optimization, not content and style of the writing. Most online writing is of almost a completely different genre than good magazine/periodical writing. For freelancers who are looking to develop clips with strong content, I wonder if writing for some of these sites will so dilute your work that it's not even worthwhile.
For the genre that I write in, I've found it's better to submit to online magazines/journals (focused on thought and quality, rather than a content aggregator) that don't pay at first but offer a byline. That gives you a little more freedom in writing really sparkling clips, better geared towards what you actually hope to write as a freelancer.
Also note that some, like AssociateContent.com, often want to retain the rights to your work, and may not allow you to print it elsewhere or remove it from their website if you find that it is not the best vehicle for your work.
Thanks, Allison
Thanks for your perspective Allison!
I've been sending queries to magazines and websites since August 2009. So far I've sent 34 unique queries and have had two articles published. It takes a lot of work to research the media outlet you are querying so you know what kind of articles/themes/format they are looking for. It's been fun. I love generating ideas and writing, but it requires a lot of patience to wait for a response. I work a full-time job, so I don't have tons of free time to try my hand at freelance, but I'm hoping it will develop into a meaningful creative outlet and my success rate will increase as I hone my skills.
I'd like to echo what Heidi said. I personally think these content aggregators are exploitative and lead a lot of people to delude themselves Yes, you get published - because they accept anyone. You may get some payment if your piece gets a lot of views, but if you're going to write for free you'd be better off building a quality blog, writing for charity magazines, or for great quality online publications with small budgets.
That way what you write has integrity. (These sites are the equivalent of those embarrassing nude photos that resurface years after a star gets famous. If you make it as a writer, you'll be embarrassed by them, later.)
I started writing for blogs, then online publications, then finally magazines (trades + glossy) and national newspapers. It's a long, slow road but good writers do still get chances.
However, if you try and try and try and get nowhere, maybe it's time to look at taking classes or getting some kind of professional guidance.
I think a lot of people (maybe not the person who sent in this question but a lot of others) think freelancing is an easy, do-it-on-the-side kind of thing. But it really takes years of dedication and hard work and dealing with a ton of rejection. Keeping going is the key.
Having said that, most freelancers I know teach, do copy writing or editing to supplement income. Whether it's possible to earn a great living without doing any of these things... I remain to be convinced. If you're in writing for the money... well, you probably won't stay for long! (Not that all writers are poor, but it can take a long, long time to get self-sufficient.) It has to be about the writing.