Katie's Writing Notes

To balance my articles titled “10 Advantages of Writing Nonfiction” and “10 Advantages to Being a Freelance Writer and Entrepreneur,” I’ve come up with nine disadvantages to the freelance life, some tongue in cheek but with some serious points, too.  Here are nine disadvantages to being a freelance writer:

1. I don’t receive a steady paycheck, guaranteed each week or month.  Any money coming in is from my direct efforts as a writer, writing coach or consultant (oh, or from the sales of my books and products and a few other income streams I’ve developed).  While building a freelance business, this situation creates some tense moments, but eventually I can produce an income stream that pay the bills and allow for some large purchases, like furniture.

2. I don’t get any paid time off:  no vacation or sick days, no personal time off or “mental health” days.  While everyone else is enjoying a paid holiday, I’m at my desk working.

3. I have to buy my own medical insurance, which is expensive.

4. I have to buy my own coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and birthday cakes.

5. I miss out on the water-cooler activities: the group birthday parties, fellowship with other employees.  Human contact is important – in the flesh, face-to-face stuff.  Freelancing means working at the computer, talking on the phone, or emailing, but with little human contact unless you initiate it.  That’s one of the reasons networking is so helpful for freelancers.  It’s takes a scheduled meeting to make that contact.

6. I have to make contributions to a retirement fund if I want one.

7. I have to buy my own office supplies, which can get expensive, especially paper and cartridges for the printer, since I print out a lot of stuff.  And I can’t sneak any of the company-paid supplies home because they are home.

8. I can’t slide or mess around while still getting paid.  In most companies, productivity isn’t 100% all the time.  It isn’t for freelancers either, but since freelancers are working for themselves, they must be productive, or they see their income drop.  In a company, employees can screw around, and they still get their paychecks.  Of course, this behavior can’t be too obvious, or the paychecks stop.

9. I am not “being taken care of” by a company.  The key advantage of working for someone else, besides all the freebies and benefits already discussed, is that the employees are taken care of by the company, until they get laid off or fired or something else happens.  Then the stranded employee is lost. Who’s going to take care of him now?

So there are my nine disadvantages to being a freelance writer, some offered tongue in cheek.  Being an employee offers its advantages and disadvantages, as does being a freelancer.

You need to decide the advantages that are most important to you and the disadvantages you can put up with, whether on the job or as a freelancer, and pick the one that suits your needs and situation the best.  With proper thought beforehand, the chosen route should work out — unless the economy falls apart, blowing apart many a plan.

Good luck.