What is a Reasonable Freelance Writing Income Goal?
I get asked a lot of questions by freelance writers and those who want to join the industry. Some of the most common are based around income. More specifically, how much money one can earn and what a reasonable income goal looks like. It is hard for me to tell others what is reasonable when it comes to how much money they should earn as a freelance writer. The reason for this is that every writer is their own person and dealing with unique circumstances. For example, a part-time freelance writer may not be able to set their sights quite as high as a full-timer.
My best answer is this: your freelance writing income goal should be based on a number you are comfortable achieving and one that will give you enough money to meet your personal needs. In other words, you first need to be realistic when setting this goal. As a new freelance writer you may dream of making $10k+ per month. But realistically you probably are not going to reach this plateau until you are more established. At the same time you need to think about how much money you need to get by. What do your expenses total each month? After you know this number it becomes clear as to what your income goal should be.
Also keep in mind that your freelance writing income goal will change over time. Early in my career I just wanted to make a few bucks to prove to myself that it was possible. From there my goal switched to earning as much as I did at my last 9 – 5 job. Presently, my income related goals are higher than I ever thought they would be.
I hope this information gives you a better idea of how to set a reasonable freelance writing income goal. Don’t let others influence your goals. This should be based on your comfort level and what you need to get by.Â
