Ways of Making Money: Freelance Writing
Freelance Writing: Case Study 3
Some people are looking for freelance writing opportunities for extra cash, and some are looking for a full-time income. If you are looking for the latter, you might find Sandra’s advice helpful. Listen to her experiences transitioning from full-time reporter to full-time freelance writer online:
It is possible to make money writing online, but it certainly isn’t easy. It’s also not usually a way to become rich, but it can be rewarding. I started writing for local newspapers while I was still in high school, and began working as a full-time reporter after graduating from college. That was fun (though exhausting, thanks to long and crazy hours) for many years, but the newspaper business was starting to change. Eventually, I found myself out of a regular job. From there on, I began freelancing. I found work through a variety of ways: personal connections, online ads and freelance job sites like JournalismJobs.com and Elance.com (I highly recommend Elance.com). I’ve taken on a variety of jobs since then: a telecommuting editor for a print magazine, a news reporter for a technology website, a blogger for several environmental websites and, most recently, a blogger/editor for a clean-technology website. One of the benefits of working this way is flexibility: I can set my own hours and arrange my work routine around other tasks at home. That’s a big plus for me, as I have a seven-year-old child who has to be taken to and picked up from school every day. It also give me the option of getting out to enjoy a beautiful day, head to the beach or try lunch at a new restaurant without having to worry about missing work. Working this way isn’t for everybody, of course. If you crave lots of “real” personal interaction (as opposed to online conversations), you might not enjoy working alone at a computer at home all day long. It’s also challenging if you’re not good at managing your schedule, setting tasks for yourself and making sure they get done without a boss or manager looking over your shoulder. Self-discipline is really important for the self-employed online writer.