Reasons Being Freelance Sucks (and one reason it doesn't)

I'll start this post by pointing out that, mostly, I really like what I do for a living. I get to write about lots of things I'm interested in, I talk to plenty of people every week, and most of my clients are a pleasure to work with. Being a journalist is better than a proper job, basically.

But really, there are weeks when being a freelance journalist/trainer/pretend PR person really sucks. Here's why:

1. Because freelancers are at home in the day. And this means relatives think we're just baking muffins and filing our nails. It also means, of course, I have to answer the door to a never-ending stream of market researchers, window cleaners, meter readers, neighbours and Mormons. I'd sabotage the doorbell myself but then how would I hear the pizza guy?
2. Because freelancers have to be nice to people we hate so we can work for them. One of my favourite editors just got laid off, to be replaced by an ex. So now I have to be nice to someone I would rather bury in a big hole - or I have to find another client to replace them.
   
3. Because people insist on calling my work line at 8pm. Sure, it's not my home line but it's a phone line in my home, and the ringing sound is interrupting the Gilmore Girls.
4. Because freelancers have to pretend they know about everything. Can you write me a feature about four-legged lesbians? Absolutely, I know several I can call right away, when do you need it by? How about digital photography techniques? Why, that's one of my hobbies, when do you need it by? And then we get to spend late nights trying to understand the difference between digital and optical zoom. Ugh. (This might just apply to me, to be fair) 
   
5. Because freelancers don't get paid unless we demonstrate that we REALLY want the money by phoning accounts payable repeatedly and sending at least 10 emails to chase the invoice. Otherwise, some publishing companies (and the biggest papers are the worst offenders by far) simply assume you'll manage without it because writing is just a hobby you use to earn pin money in between cashing cheques from the trust fund.
   

Comments

[Sherrilynne Starkie]

I had someone ring the home line at 22.45 once to cry about news release. I mean that literally. She was crying. I tried to be patient. I hope she's in treatment now. Oh well, all in a day's work eh?

[Anne]

I once saw off a meter reader when I was on a deadline by pretending to be "a friend" who'd "stayed the night with someone in the house" and claiming I didn't feel comfortable letting the guy in, just so he'd go away and let me work. (It did the trick.) It doesn't help that I live in a flat so I can't look through a peep-hole and see who's there before I choose whether to answer the intercom or just pretend I'm not in.

But re point number 4, the difference is that at least you can say no. When I was on staff, if I was told to find four-legged lesbians, I'd have to find them. Snowed under? My boss would tell I'd "just have to make time." I once overheard an editor I worked with telling said boss that an assignment he was about to give me was completely impossible. His response: "She's a journalist, isn't she?" If you're freelance, you can at least say you're too busy when actually you just don't want to take on something impossible and ridiculous. Though 99 times out of 100 I'll say yes anyway.

[Sally Whittle]

Number of times I wish I'd said no: approx 1m

Number of times I've said no: Zero.

(I suspect the same is true of most freelancers, unable to prevent their inner voice from screaming "But you might never work again, you fool!")

[Neil Baker]

Some solutions:

1/ Don't answer the door.

2/ Forget nice. Just do what you are asked to do, on time

3/ Turn off your ringer or divert all calls to voicemail

4/ Specialise

5/ A business adviser once told me there's no such thing as a good client that pays late. If they annoy you so much, don't write for them

[Sally Whittle]

Neil, liking the problem-solving, no-nonsense approach. However, I take a teeny issue with "No such thing as a good client that pays late"

Let me tell you friend, not many of us can afford to live by the Guardian Media Group alone.

[Neil Baker]

>However, I take a teeny issue with "No such thing as a good client that pays late"

Depends what you mean by a "good client". This guy was talking from a strictly business point of view.

I wrote a piece last year for a great magazine (IMHO), did *all* the interviews face to face, did tons of background research. I got paid £95 for 2000 words. From a business point of view, that makes no sense - unless it a/ was a way into a new, lucrative market (it wasn't), or b/ I owned rights and could sell the piece many times over (I couldn't), or c/ It somehow gave me a big profile boost that would help me to make money elsewhere (it didn't). Nevertheless, I'm glad I did it. Sometimes, the money is not important.

The question with late payers is this: does the money you get from the job justify all - and I mean *all* - the time you put in? Including chasing payment, re-doing work because the brief was crap, etc, etc. If not, why are you writing for them? Is it because you can't get work elsewhere? I doubt it. I'm sure you've got your reasons, but do they make sense from a business point of view?

[Anne]

I have an excellent client that pays late. The work they give me is so straightforward, I can earn about £60 in an hour. I usually get chunks of about £400-500 of stuff to do, and it rarely takes more than one day. So it's definitely worth it...

[Neil Baker]

... And if you don't have to spend ages chasing payment, fine. When I talk about "late payers" I mean people who don't pay when they promise to and need loads of chasing before you get your money. Such people are not worth it, in my experience. But I find they are rare.

[Louise Bolotin]

One of my regular clients always pays late. By which I mean that usually about a month after payment was due I have to pick up the phone and politely remind them that payment for what I did two months ago is outstanding. But then the cheque does always arrive (accompanied by profuse apologies). It's ok - this particular client's monthly bill covers a fair few of my own monthly bills.

OTOH, I'm currently suing a one-off client for work done months ago that they clearly had no intention of ever paying for.

Swings and roundabouts... and still better than having a boss.

[Sally Whittle]

"If not, why are you writing for them?"

Well, if I said I wasn't going to write for people who have are often late payers, as a business journo, I'm not sure who'd be left to work for. Every B2B publishing company I've ever worked goes through spells of paying late.

Doesn't mean they aren't good clients. They commission regularly, they pay good rates and if the money you bill in August doesn't reach you until December, it's not too bad, as you're usually just cashing the cheques for work done in May.

Late payment is a slight irritation most of the time but when something comes up you need a set amount of money for (like writing off a car, say), then waiting indefinitely for cash becomes a real bind.

I still think the best ever comment I heard on the issue was when I was a features ed at VNU and Ambrose McNevin was freelancing for me. He called to chase an invoice and was being v laid back. When I asked if he was annoyed, he said: "Not so long as I think of VNU as a long-term savings scheme rather than income."

[Neil Baker]

"Well, if I said I wasn't going to write for people who have are often late payers, as a business journo, I'm not sure who'd be left to work for."

I suppose I must be really lucky, because this rarely happens to me. Of course, it does happen sometimes. I hope my luck doesn't change!