As I planned for this month’s blog post, I thought I’d peek at Answer the Public to see what people are searching for online about freelance writing. I love this site to generate writing topics and headline ideas that mirror popular search queries.
Freelance writing has a healthy search volume, and one topic that jumped out at me was the question, “Is it possible to make a career in freelance writing?”
Oh, I have thoughts on this!
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Celebrating 15 Years as a 1099 Contractor
I started freelancing in 1998 as a side hustle to my newspaper career. In 2009, I decided to make the leap and quit my news job to do freelance writing as my sole source of income.
In August of 2024, I celebrated fifteen years as a full-time freelancer. I don’t receive any W2’s and all of my income funnels through 1099s from my content marketing and journalism writing clients.
So the short answer to this blog post title is yes! You can make a career in freelance writing. But, is it easy? Heck, no!
Building a Career in Freelance Writing
When I made the leap into full-time freelance writing, I was living with my boyfriend (who became a husband) and his income provided a safety net during my slower months. That was extremely helpful when I was just starting out.
We eventually divorced. Ten years into my freelance career, I found myself relying solely on my freelance income for all my monthly expenses. Sure, there have been ups and downs, but freelancing is my full-time career. It pays my mortgage, car payment, utilities and other bills.
Also, I live in Iowa. The cost of living is modest here compared to many areas of the United States.
Tips for Making Freelance Writing Your Career
I’ve written about this transition many times on the Web Writing Advice blog. But the first thing that comes to mind today is to treat your freelancing as a small business. It’s not a hobby. It is your livelihood, so you need to respect this choice and show up every single day as the best boss possible.
You might enjoy reading:
- How to Set Up a Freelance Work Schedule
- A Pep Talk for New Freelance Writers
- The Freelancer Onboarding Process: Tips for Writers and Publishers
This means being organized and keeping yourself accountable for the projects you accept. Meeting deadlines and delivering exceptional copy is imperative if you want this career to last. I use Google Calendar to schedule each task.
You might enjoy reading:
- 6 Green Flags That (Potential) Freelance Client is Awesome
- How Not to Reply to a Pitch Request (And Tips to Do Better!)
- Here’s My Lifestyle Blog Pre-Publication Editorial Guidelines Checklist (Go Ahead and Steal These Ideas for Yourself)
You also have to make time to take care of yourself. It’s easy to get trapped in the hustle culture mindset and work seven days a week to check those tasks off the list faster. That’s a quick path to burnout, and possibly losing your freelance career.
You might enjoy reading:
- My Thoughts About Self-Care and the Self-Employed
- Value Yourself, Value Your Work
- A Reflection: Embracing the Free in Freelance
More Freelance Writing Guidance
I’ve spent years populating this blog with helpful advice for freelance writers, specifically those in content marketing and journalism. If there’s a topic on your mind that you’d like to hear about from my perspective, please reach out. I’m always adding new blog post ideas to my calendar from my readers.
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