In two different networking locations today, I heard the same story / question. There was a young journalist (so let’s assume the individual can hold their own well enough on the writing front) who was considering getting into the freelance writing scene. The real question shouldn’t have been the “how,” but instead “should I?”

Not everyone has what it takes to be a freelance writer… not even some of the best writers could cut it with a freelance lifestyle. The thing that I think is most often overlooked is the fact that freelance writing isn’t just writing… it’s business. And frankly, not everyone can make it in business.

Here’s a slightly edited version of my response through a newsgroup regarding this question tonight:

“Here’s the big thing to consider:

Do you know anything about business, and do you have what it takes to constantly market yourself and your work? With an employer, you get your assignments, you research, you write, etc. As a freelancer, you’ll only bill out a little over half of your working hours (on average, and if you’re putting the proper amount of time and energy into marketing, financial, and admin tasks).

I work with new freelancers constantly, and one of the things I try to drive home to them is that there’s enormously more to it than writing. So start by doing research into small business, freelance career management, and the fundamentals of marketing, and then decide if it’s something you want to (and can) pursue over a regular paycheck.

Also (another big thing I try to encourage), a smart move as a freelancer is to diversify your income streams. With writing, that’s extremely easy to do. Take on client work, but also “write for yourself” as much as possible – write and market an e-book, write a blog or other website, sell reprints of your own articles, PLR content over and over, etc. Choose what works for you and keeps in line with your goals and target market. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, so to speak, or that first client dry spell (extremely common, especially for new freelancers) is going to be one heck of a surprise.”