Are you Worth More than This?
With the economy in the proverbial shitter, I am no exception to the effects of this fiscal disaster. With government cutbacks and Congress being too politically stubborn to come to a let’s-just-agree-to-disagree conclusion with regards to the budget, the consequences have trickled down to my pocketbook. But, this post is not about my financial worries, but about setting the bar higher.
I am writing this to share with you information I obtained from a blog post written by a successful freelance writer about low-paying freelance writing jobs. Lori was writing a letter to “bad job listing owners”, imploring them to STOP their insulting tactics to score a writing job.
If you are someone who feels you are either underpaid, or have no idea that you are underpaid, read Lori’s post and ask yourself this: What are you worth as a freelance writer?
This may even be a question you have never thought about because of your love for writing.
Maybe you have been writing for free or pennies to address your creative passion.
Or maybe you have given up on making a real career as a freelance writer because of those low-paying gigs that are posted all over the Internet.
Or maybe you are in the company of Lori and other freelance writers who are fed up with these pennies-for-writing ads.
Wherever you fall on that spectrum, you may want to reevaluate your writing skills. Do you have what it takes to make a decent living as a freelance writer? Is you writing (and time) worth more than $.01 / word? Don’t despair – there ARE REAL WRITING JOBS OUT THERE, you just have to believe you are worth it.
Take that first step and ask that question.
Where do I begin?
Well, after you analyze and decide you ARE worth it, start taking your writing serious and not just a hobby. This does not mean you can not still write with a passion and maintain your writing habits that your enjoy for the simple pleasure – blogging, journal writing, a novel in the works, etc.
Free-form writing for pleasure is the practice that keeps you in the game, without the pressure of performing. Never make it solely a JOB, or you will start to dread it. But, instead think of it as a skill – a skill that you have and that people are WILLING to pay you more than peanuts for.
Just as a professional athlete loves the sport, it does not mean he can not get paid for his passion. Consider yourself lucky if you have a skill you love and can bring in an income as well. Don’t underestimate your value, your skills, your writing abilities. Not all paying jobs have to be doing something you dread. Getting paid for something you enjoy is NOT a bad thing!
As a follow up to the conversation on that blog post, Lori wrote one on her own blog, offering advice for freelance writers who may not know where to begin to get out of the low-paying rut. She mentions me and asks others for advice to dig me out of this rut. If you don’t know where to begin as a freelance writer, this may be a place to start.
Whatever you do, don’t give up your hopes of being a professional writer. Just because someone dictates what your writing is worth, it doesn’t mean you have to agree.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
great tips Julie! Lori did a great job with his letter. We definitely write more because of our passion for writing and less for pennies and dimes some might want to give us. So being it a cultivated skill, we will never dread writing.
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Thanks for all the link love, Julie! But thank you especially for taking up the torch and trying to pass word to other writers. It’s disheartening to be in a new profession – a solitary one – and find yourself stuck in a pennies-per-day type of job. If we as a community let others know that it doesn’t have to be that way, we may help someone gain the courage to try for better.