Many people wonder how they can start a freelance writing career if they have a full-time, 9-5 job. This is a great question, and one that can scare the heck out of you if you are not careful. When I decided to become a freelance writer I never thought too much about the drawbacks. Sure, I was a bit scared, but that did not hold me back from leaving my day job. Of course, this is not something that I suggest; especially if you have major responsibilities such as a family, bills to pay, etc.
So what do I advise? If you want to become a freelance writer but are afraid to jump “all in†you should consider doing so on a part-time basis. This is something that I have discussed before, but I feel that it is important to do so again. After all, many people never chase their dream because they use their current job as an excuse. By becoming a part-time freelance writer you can avoid this excuse and instead get moving towards your real career.
Believe it or not, you can find time to work as a part-time freelance writer even when working another job. Most people I know in this position work in the morning, at night, and of course, on the weekends. But since you are only working part-time for now, there is no reason to kill yourself. Instead, start slow and see how much work you can get. As you begin to obtain more and more clients you will get a good feel for how much time you need to spend on your writing.
If you are lucky, you will come to a crossroads where you can no longer keep up with both positions because your freelance writing workload has become too much. In this case, you need to make a decision on whether or not it is time to move into a career as a full-time writer.
A part-time freelance writing career is a great way to get your feet wet without having to leave your current position. Â
Earlier this year I posted about the possibility of offering a freelance writing course/ training. As of late, I have revisited this idea due to an increasing number of emails asking for one-on-one assistance. In fact, I already work with two aspiring writers in this capacity and from what I can tell, they are quite happy with the service.
So my question is: would you be interested in signing up for a freelance writing course in which you would have access to one-on-one assistance and training? Of course, it may be difficult for you to answer this question without all the details, so I am going to outline some preliminary points below:
1. Due to time constraints, I am only going to take on 10 new “trainees.†As mentioned above I am already working with two writers, and in order to be fair to everybody involved, I am only going to make this opportunity available to 10 more. When somebody drops out I’ll open up the spot until another writer jumps in.
2. One-on-one assistance and training via email, instant messenger, and/or telephone. While I am not sure on the exact number of hours I will offer each member per week, it is safe to say that it will be enough to address any questions, concerns, etc.
3. In addition to one-on-one communication, members will also receive email updates several times per week. Updates include tips, job openings, and basic correspondence to ensure that everybody is moving in the right direction.
4. Information from my past. While you are probably familiar with my monthly freelance writing income report, as you can imagine, there are more details to be seen. I will share my spreadsheets, project breakdowns, and much more with members.Â
5. Based on the setup with my two current trainees, the price is $100/month with no obligation to stay on board longer than you want. By paying in advance, either by quarter or annually, a discount is available. I was not going to offer this until my second trainee asked if they could pay in advance, and I decided it was only fair to offer a discount for their loyalty.
This freelance writing course and training may not be the right move for every aspiring writer. From email conversations and past posts, I am confident that all 10 spots will fill up in a relatively short period of time. Both members that I am working with right now are happy with the results and the cost that goes along with the course. By working with them for the past few months it gave me a good idea of what I should offer, when I should make the course open to new members, and how to get started.
Any comments would be great. And if you are interested in getting a jump on the competition to ensure your spot, send me an email. Within the next week or so the course should be open to everybody via a page on my blog. But as noted earlier, you can email me your request to be added as a member to ensure entrance.
I get a lot of emails asking about my freelance writing routine. As always, I tell these people that the life of a freelancer is never the same two days in a row. In other words, I do not have to be in my office at a certain time or leave for lunch when my boss says so; after all, I am the boss. That being said, I try to keep a basic routine in order to ensure that all of my days move forward in a similar fashion. This helps to keep me productive while also ensuring that I do not burn out.
Time to Wake Up
Monday through Friday, I get out of bed around 7 am. I know many freelance writers who sleep until noon and then work through the night, but that would never work for me. I prefer to work “normal hours†when I can, and getting up this early in the morning allows me to do just that.
After I roll out of bed, I head for the computer and check all of my email accounts as well as traffic and income stats from the day before. I like to slowly move through this process so it usually takes me approximately 30 minutes or so. Of course, this can change based on how many emails I received throughout the night, etc.
Time to Start Writing
On most days, I begin tackling my projects sometime between 730-8 am. Since I write a to-do list at the end of each workday, I do not have to spend time trying to determine how to get started or which project to take on first. Instead, I simply check out my list and start at the beginning. Some days I have more projects than others, but in most cases I have approximately 10 items on my must-do list and several others that I hope to get to during the day.
Time for Lunch
Like many workers, freelance or not, I usually take a quick lunch break around noon. Of course, it is tough to stay away from the computer for too long so I usually eat lunch at my desk. This gives me time to once again catch up on email and other related tasks.
Time for more Writing
The afternoon is pretty much a mirror image of the morning. After lunch I usually have a better idea of how much progress I am making on my to-do list and what still needs to be done before I call it quits. On most days I am done with my freelance writing projects sometime between 3 and 4 pm. At this time I put together my to-do list for the next day, and usually move onto reading some blogs, researching new projects, or just relaxing as I browse the internet.
Miscellaneous Tasks
Throughout the day I tend to take care of many miscellaneous tasks that go along with being a successful freelance writer. This can include anything from paying bills to responding to emails to following up with clients on the phone. There are times when I complete these tasks between writing projects, and times when I save them all for the end of the day. It simply depends on how much work I have, as well as my progress for the day.
As you can see, my freelance writing routine is nothing special. This is a basic outline of what my workday looks like. But keep in mind that no two days are alike when you are a freelance writer. In my opinion this is one of the biggest benefits of being self-employed.
