As the economy has worsened, I’ve watched friend after friend lose jobs or have work hours reduced or take a cut in pay. I’m sad to see this happen and hope the best for them in the near future. However, I have to say that I’m a little bit irked by the number of them who have suddenly turned to me to ask for tips on how they can earn money doing the work that I do.
Don’t get me wrong. I am flattered that they think that I’m good enough at my job to be able to train them a bit in how to do it. And I really don’t mind helping them. It’s just that the sheer number of them that have asked recently has made me realize just how many of the people who love me really don’t have a clue how tough my work is.
Almost every single friend that’s brought up this conversation lately has said something along the lines of, “I need to make money. I could probably write. What do you do to get work?” The implication here is that, even though they don’t really like writing all that much and have no experience in doing it, they could probably do what I do fairly easily.
Let me tell you from my ten years of experience in the business that there is nothing easy about freelance writing for a living. I love my job. But I also work harder than almost anyone that I know. I put in more hours that don’t include coffee breaks and water cooler conversation. Every day that I work involves not only doing my writing but also editing my writing, promoting my writing, looking for new writing work and managing the freelancer’s finances.
I’m not sure exactly what people are thinking that I’m going to say to them when they ask me to show them how I do my work. What I feel like saying is that it took me ten years to understand what I understand about job applications, web portfolios, writing for specific audiences, using blogging tools, networking online and dealing with the SEO/SEM issues that I have to be knowledgable about to write well.
I don’t say most of that. Instead, I point people in the basic direction of where they can find online writing work. I really don’t mind helping to an extent and I really do hope these people find a source of income. I just think that as soon as they see a few of those job leads and what’s entailed in applying for those jobs, they’re going to realize how hard this work is and give up before they’ve gotten started.
Is anyone else fielding these types of information requests from friends these days?
There’s Nothing Easy About Freelance Writing has 9 Comments
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March 26th, 2009 at 10:49 am
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March 26th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I do fiction, but your experience underscores what ALL of us writers face: the persistent belief that what we do is easy. Hello?? It’s NOT. It’s a CRAFT. It takes time, devotion, attention, and hours spent debating a simple comma.
Hang in there. The wanna-bes will realize this soon enough and go away. Hopefully the friends who can hack it will help throw work your way.
@Susan … Thanks for commenting. I wonder why it is that people do assume that this work is easy. If it were so easy, wouldn’t they be doing it in the first place?!
March 26th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
The ‘Oh, what’s there to it, we can do it’ attitude is directed at most arts.
I study the violin – my teacher had a girl, with no musical instrument playing experience, come and ask to be taught to play the violin in one week – she wanted to perform onstage at her office ‘do’. I have half an hour to spare daily, she said. She was really put out when he said it could take her 2-3 months to just master the basics and that too with a minimum of 2 hours daily practice.
Similarly, most people don’t realize all the effort involved in writing work., illustration work, design work and painting.
I suppose they will realize ‘what’s there to it’ once they try it.
A good thing. Time we got some respect.
@Sonal Panse … It’s a good point that you make here. I’m not sure that I understand where people got the idea that what we do is easy. Perhaps it’s that we make it look easy by being good at it. Or maybe it’s that our passion for it shows through and people who work at jobs they aren’t passionate about can’t imagine feeling passionate about anything that’s not “play”.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Another big factor that I have encountered is that my “friends” see that I work from home. They assume that the work is cushy, comfortable, and easy, because it’s “just” writing and I have a 10-second commute. What they don’t realize is that I probably work more hours than they do.
@Michael Kwan … I definitely work more hours than any of my friends at regular office jobs. And I don’t get paid for just showing up. And I have to purchase my own health insurance. But I think the benefits outweigh this … even if my friends don’t understand the real situation!
March 27th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
[...] turning to Kathryn to see if they can write for some extra money too. What they fail to realize is there’s nothing easy about freelance writing. There’s a difference between writing and writing [...]
March 29th, 2009 at 1:32 am
I get this sometimes. I used to get it when I was programming (also from home), too, which was even crazier to me.
For many people it really is the desperate desire or need to work from home. With writing, I think there are a lot of people who remember being good at it in school and feel like they can polish up those skills and give it a shot. Some really can if they are dedicated.
I am always willing to help by sending links. I send links to places to find work and links to informative sites on freelance writing. I flood them with information that way, not to discourage, but to be helpful. If it’s too much trouble to go read the information then writing is not for them. If they make use of the links and then want to ask me more questions, I am willing to help more. So far, I have not been approached for further help, but it could still happen.
I don’t normally find it insulting, but it depends on the attitude.
Some people make a lot of assumptions because I don’t look like their image of a professional. I don’t have any need to since I don’t meet with my clients in person.
I am a night owl and my work schedule reflects that, too. People have a very hard time understanding that when I work does not indicate how many hours I work.
Then again, I also meet a lot of people who think it’s just wonderful that I can work at home and want to know more. When I tell them what I do they say they could never do it – the writing or the self-discipline to work at home.
@ Sandi … Great points here. I also do get a lot of people who will hear what I do and realize quickly that they can’t do it for themselves although they wish they could. And I, too, am happy to send some informative links to people. Really interesting to know that you got this with programming as well – I wouldn’t expect that. Perhaps there’s just something about the idea of working from home that sounds easier than it is.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:51 am
Great post! I am always amazed at how easy my friends and relatives think my work day is. They just don’t get that it doesn’t end at 5, nor do I have weekends off.
@ Lisa … Most of them don’t seem to think that your workday even ever begins do they?!
April 15th, 2009 at 4:17 am
[...] was reading a recent post that mentioned how the current economic conditions has caused people to consider writing as a [...]
April 15th, 2009 at 9:55 am
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