Writers and Editors

I've been freelance most of my career (after several years as an editor in book publishing), so I know it's possible to make a living this way. Eventually I'll provide more advice here about how to do it. Right now I'm concentrating on getting the bones of this website in place and providing links that serve as a gateway to the information and resources you will need to do the same yourself.

Freelancing doesn't suit everyone. I happen to prefer working alone because it helps me concentrate, and being selectively gregarious I go out when I need the company--but don't need to be working around people all day. The loneliness gets to some freelancers, as do the serious problems with cash flow (because even if you have enough work, payments are sometimes slow in coming). Many people say they want the security of a job, but when job security became an issue for many people, a few years back, my comfort level with not knowing what I would be doing a year later served me well. You need to be able to market yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to be a salesperson so much as you have to let people know you are there, are dependable, and can and will do the work you're being hired to do. There is a learning curve, but there are places to learn and books to learn from. More on those later.