I’m officially finished with client work for 2009, and boy does that feel good! I’ll be kicking back, relaxing, and focusing some attention on pet projects of mine as well as some sorely-neglected hobbies until January 4th. Some freelance writers aren’t so lucky.

While a few colleagues I’ve talked to are taking a week or two off during the holidays, I was surprised by how many aren’t — and not because they take big vacations at other times of the year. They echo similar concerns of not being able to go for a week or so without the income coming in or fearing that if they take time off they’ll lose regular clients.

I was in that same situation at one point, so I sympathize. But look at it this way — time off (whether you want it over the holidays, in the summer, or even both) is a perk of being paid well for what you do. If you can never afford to take time off, you probably aren’t earning enough.

I’m not going to tell you exactly what you should be charging. Everyone has to set their own freelance writing rates. But no matter what your actual number works out to, remember that it should do more than cover your bare minimum expenses. It also has to account for things like vacation time, sick time, personal savings, retirement savings, and any benefits you might want such as health insurance.

So if you’re stuck working through the holidays and you’d rather not be, spend a few minutes thinking about it. This time next year would you like anything to be different? Are you being paid enough to make that happen? Are you worth more than you’re currently being paid? Whether or not 2010 is meant to be the year of the well-paid writer, it can still be the year of the well-paid YOU. Decide now where you want to be when the holidays come around again, and find a way to make that happen if you’re not already.

(Note: some posts are still scheduled to go live on AFW, and others on the  team will also have posts scheduled, so I hope you’ll check in still if you do find yourself working).