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Do You Take Advantage Of The Benefits You Get From Freelance Writing?

May 18, 2011

Late nights, lack of a social life, next to no spare time — it doesn’t sell the freelance writing career well to anyone who’s just starting out, but for most freelance writers, there has been at least a few months in their career where they’ve had to make these — or similar — sacrifices.

What I want to talk about today is the flip side of the coin and being able to take advantage of the many benefits that are on offer as a freelance writer.

The benefits can change from writer to writer and often vary depending upon what a writer perceives to be a benefit, but there’s no doubt that being a freelance writer brings with it a lot of benefits.

Take me writing this post as an example.

It’s 12.39pm on Sunday afternoon. I had a bit of a lie in today, watched some TV while I had my breakfast, played some Xbox for an hour and now I’m sat doing some work for a few hours before heading out for my mum’s birthday. I’ll then probably do an hour or so’s work tonight before crashing out in front of the TV, finishing off the bottle of red I opened last night.

For many, there won’t seem to be any particular benefits that I’m taking advantage of today and the fact I’m working on a Sunday will seem to a lot of people as a negative part of freelance writing.

However, when you compare today’s plan with that of one on the same day this time last year — my week, from 8am until 2am Monday to Friday and 10am until 8pm Saturday and Sunday, was almost solid work — the fact I have the choice and flexibility to be able to wake up late, have an easy morning and take some time out on an afternoon is fantastic.

I was going to mention a few more examples of the benefits I take advantage of, but now I’m sat thinking about it, they all have a common theme — choice and flexibility.

The one thing in life that I’m not a big fan of is monotony. As many of you know, I work a full time job alongside freelance writing and as much as the work is enjoyable, I have strong feelings against the fact that work starts at 9am, lunch is at 12pm until 1pm and work finishes at 5pm.

OK, it may not be as rigid as this and I’m aware that this is an issue that millions of people around the world share, but it’s one that I’m trying to get away from and it’s also one of the major benefits that freelance writing gives me.

No one tells me when to start work or when to finish. I don’t have to eat at a specific time and if I don’t have any client appointments, I don’t have to get showered, suited and booted — I’m sat here at the minute in a t-shirt that’s going in the wash in a few minutes, a pair of shorts and some black socks. Hardly the epitome of someone who’s trying to impress clients, but I don’t need to be portraying that image today.

I’m actually considering a part-time position that I’ve recently been offered which would almost completely remove that prescribed aspect of work that I don’t like. It’s not a freelance writing position, but it’s a position I’d find interesting and one that would allow me to work as and when I want — my freelance writing career would fit round it seamlessly and it would remove the need to work on a weekend at all if I didn’t want to.

When you’re working 70 hour weeks, it can be difficult to not only remember what you’re working towards, but also to realise that the benefits do eventually materialize.

If you’re reading this while becoming a freelance writer, it will take more than a few weeks, but as long as you’re determined and motivated, there will come a time when you’ll be able to choose when you work and where you work from.

And if you’ve been a freelance writer for years and you’re reading this, well, there’s a very good chance you’re sat in a coffee shop somewhere or relaxing in your garden reading this in the middle of the day, wondering whether or not to have an extra hour online before you head off to start some work.