Advantages of Being a Freelance Writer

Being a freelance writer is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career paths that one can ever take. Freelance writers are usually contracted by clients to write articles of different types depending on the niche that a writer has specialized in. For example, some people write SEO and web content articles while others specialize in academic articles. Whatever one's specialization is, there are several advantages of being a freelance writer:

Unlike being employed whereby one's monthly earnings are capped, for freelancer writers the  earnings are uncapped; you can earn as much as you want depending on the effort you put into  writing. Some people put in about 21 hours per week into writing while others put in more than 64   hours each week into writing. In most cases, the exact number of hours that one puts into writing depends on whether writing is the sole or major source of one's income. If writing is your sole source of income, you would want to put in more hours into it.

A freelance writer also gets to set the preferred rates. At the beginning one may find it hard to set high rates but once one has become an established writer, he or she can set the preferred rates and not worry about being pricey. After all, some clients are usually after quality and do not mind paying more for high quality articles. This freedom to set one's preferred rates does not apply for freelance writers who write through some of the writing companies as such companies set the pay rates and so a writer has to decide whether to work at the given rate or leave it.

Another good thing about being a freelance writer is that one gets to decide where to work from. It is not uncommon for freelance writers to work from coffee lounges or from the comfort of their homes. The best thing about being able to work from home is that one does not have to commute and this translates into savings on fare. For stay-at-home-moms, this means being able to look after children, do household chores and still be able to work. Being able to work from any location also means that one does not have to put off visiting friends and relatives for extended periods of time as one can still work while there provided that one has a PC and Internet connection.

Being able to work at any time is also another thing that makes freelance writing quite appealing. Freelance writers get to choose when to work. This means that there is no need to wake up at 5a.m. or 6 a.m. so as to make it to the office by 8 a.m or whatever time is stipulated as the reporting time. Some people find it better to write at night while others find it better to write during the day-it all boils down to individual preferences. The best thing about this freedom is that you can attend to your personal issues whenever you want to without asking anyone for permission.

Being a freelance writer also has its disadvantages. First and foremost, freelance writing is not for those without self-discipline. This is because without someone to boss them around some writers find themselves spending a considerable amount of their time doing nothing and this translates into lower than optimal earnings. Another thing is that with freelance writing there is no sick pay, no paid leave, and no guaranteed paycheck. However, if one is dedicated, freelance writing is far much better than being an employee.