Is it crazy to expect to earn a full-time income from freelance writing?

It really depends on the job market I would think. Looking at freelance in my area, there isn't much offered and the payrate is close to nothing. I suggest if it's something you want to do, do it on the side and see. However, with three kids in the house, unless something wonderful happens, it wouldn't be enough to live off of. Not now anyway.

Hey,

I've worked as a freelancer for over 10 years now. Many of us have.

You should be able to, at the least, earn $15 an hour. Many earn more than that. If that is more than what your current job is paying you, go with that. If you need a full time salary, there also may be openings for writers with salaries, but you have to look in the right places and be patient.

You don't need to work for a newspaper, but you can mix and match content writing, magazine writing and maybe some copy writing work from local companies. You have experience in a few areas, but it won't be too much of a stretch to start working with maybe a handful of content companies (the work will be simpler than writing for a newspaper, no interviews!) and then go from there.

If you have a job now, it's good to work on this on the weekends until you get used to it.

There's no reason to give up the dream, hun. Plenty of us work full time from home. I know a few with kids who do so. It helps if they are in school but even if you have all three at home, it can be done.

My mom used to complain to me for years to get 'a real job'.

But I've paid my bills on time better than my siblings who have 'real jobs'. One of them asks for money every week.

Nope, it's not steady every month, but you may work for more than one employer. You may find the work more steady than your own job. You can be fired from your job at any moment. With freelancing, if you lose a client, you can always rely on other clients while you search for another one. Having more than one boss does have advantages.

jasperd said:

I have written for several newspapers. I did well and my features have been published on the front page several times. I didn't get paid very well but it boosted my confidence.

Now, flash forward seven years to a woman raising three kids with little help (more hindrance) from her ex-husband. Juggling a full-time job that pays all the bills but makes her absolutely miserable.

My goal is to write fiction but I just love to write. I'm so tired of the rat race but every time I start moving toward writing, though doors open up, my family (mom in particular - the one who encourages me to write) thinks I've lost my marbles because it's not a steady paycheck.

Can you really, really make it as a full-time writer?

Click to expand...

Jasperd,
I highly recommend Stephen King's book called, "On Writing". You can earn enough money freelance writing. There are plenty of content sites on the web that pay you anywhere from $5 to $25 dollars per article. You can click on my signature to read how to build clips book. It will give you a list of companies that you can start writing for with no experience.

Magazines are another place that allows you to sell your articles to them. Magazines pay you a ton more money than content sites do. Magazines either pay on acceptance or publication so make sure that you only submit to acceptance ones unless you wait forever for first check. You can also become a professional blogger.

Advertise your skills to everyone that you know. Seek out clients on the Internet as well.

... look around for a better job for starts. No need to work one you hate. Since you've made money from newspapers I'd go back to doing that again. Try for a column. They're not so difficult to land if you've got a knack for nonfiction as you seem to. The pay is relatively good too. With the pressure off focus on fiction in your spare. G'luck.

I freelance full-time, so obviously it can be done. If you want to write fiction full-time, then it's another story. But I write like ButtonTheCat suggested, a mix of content, web copy and magazine articles. I actually earn more money now than I ever did with a "regular" 9-6 job.

Writing is like everything, though. You have to treat it like a job or you'll never make it.

I've been freelancing full time since 1994. The thing to remember is that it takes a lot of work and perseverance to get a freelancing business off the ground. It took me about three years before I could pay all my bills with my writing income. I'd echo the advice to keep your day job and work on the writing business in your off hours.

I'd also echo the advice to diversify. Diversify, diversify, diversify. In the past year, I watched half of my steady income disappear due to budget cuts. I'd had the gig for ten years and had gotten complacent. (Horrible warning, that's me!) Instead of keeping up a range of projects in different markets, I got comfortable and lazy. Now, I'm playing catch up.

It can be done. Just go in with realistic expectations. It's a big leap.

Good luck!
Barb

I don't freelance full time but I'm in the process of switching over. It doesn't matter if there are no writing jobs in your area, all of my clients live a continent away and except when China cracks down on google I have no problems with it.
Start doing small writing jobs in your free time, get some experience and customers. After a few months if you have some luck and work hard you can make the shift with reasonable security.

Free lancing with dependents is not a good idea right now. I'd suggest looking for a new job while staying in the old.

You need to think about things like health insurance, and having an emergency cushion saved for at least a few months. I'd also suggest paying off any credit card debt.

I do know what it's like to stay in a job that you hate; I did, for several years even while it was making me sick.

But making enough money freelancing to pay rent and take care of kids is not something you can do right away; it can take several years to build up a client list, or to place enough work in that you get paid well, and can go for better markets.

Making a living writing fiction, especially with kids, means you need to have a steady selling back list, as well as contracts in hand.