subversivethoughts asked: so how does one qualify as a freelance writer? just curious... I wanna be one. :)
What freelancers have in common is that they are all self-employed, meaning that they work on a per project/contract basis and typically juggle several clients at once. They don’t have to go into work and sit at an assigned desk all day (though some clients may offer temporary office space to long-term contractors), and they largely determine their schedule on their own. Beyond that, though, freelance writers come from all kinds of backgrounds and work on a very diverse array of projects. People typically assume that freelancers primarily write for magazines or newspapers, but in actuality, publishing constitutes a very small portion of the freelance market, especially now that so many publications have folded. Off the top of my head, freelancers are hired to do the following:
- Blogging for new media properties
- Public relations, such as press releases, media kits, and marketing materials
- Corporate writing, such as text for a company website, industry white papers, and product descriptions
- Grants and proposals for non-profits
- Private editing of manuscripts like college admissions essays, resumes, independent book projects, etc.
I primarily freelance as a gender and sexuality beat reporter, but it’s a tough market, so it’s always comforting to know that my skills would be useful even if I end up leaving the publishing industry. I’m sure that there are more examples of the type of work writers can do, so other freelancers, feel free to add to my list!
More burning questions? Ask Lena Chen.
Related posts on freelance writing:
Freelance Friday: Aussie Rachel Hills on “Accessible Feminism” & Writing For Women’s Mags
Freelance Friday: A Beantown Social Media Maven Talks Blogging & The Freelance Life
Reader Question: “Do you think being a freelance writer is a sustainable career?”
Reader Question: “Aren’t you anxious/scared about life postgrad especially since you don’t want the normal 9-to-5?”
