Pros and cons of being a freelance journalist

I’ve been at The Nation since the beginning of 2013 and I’ve always been a freelancer. However, this doesn’t mean I rarely go to office and mostly work from home. I don’t make much use of the ‘free’ in freelancer. Instead, I’m usually at office from 8.15 to 5.15 (thanks to the staff transport van) at least four days a week.

From time to time I’ve been asked if I want to join full-time, which to me means signing a contract, being tied to the company (a thought more terrifying than marriage) and having to answer to the company. This is how I look at full-time employment in general and in the two jobs (three months as a substitute assistant librarian at school and 2 ½ years at The Nation) I’ve never signed any sort of document that will tie me to either place.

However, I was in my teens when I started working and as a teenager I obviously shouldn’t be signing any contracts. But I’m 21 now and suddenly I’ve been pushed into the adult world where I’ve been forced to think about pensions, retirement, savings, insurance and EPF or whatever.

Now to be completely honest, after working since 2013, I’ve saved only one month’s salary. I once saved  three months salaries and then bought books or food or something like that. I can’t save money. The thought of saving money gives me a headache. The reason for that is I expect the worst in life, which isn’t illness, sudden need of money or poverty but death. So if I save and save and then just die before I can spend my savings, what would have been the use of my life?

(But I’ve started saving a specific amount per month and since I’m forgetful a standing order will be set up or fixed or whatever starting from next month. So don’t worry, when I’m 55 and old and alone, I’ll have saved around 900,000 which might be enough to live the last 20 years of my life relatively worry-free.)

And yet the question of ‘do you want to join full time?’ keeps haunting me.

Let me tell you this. Besides a bit of unavoidable unpleasantness with certain people, I’ve got along with the people here. The job is amazing and the place is… nice (no, really. It is. I love this place. I cry whenever I think of leaving). So this isn’t about me not wanting to be tied to this particular company. It’s a general dislike of being a slave.

Since my answer to the question ‘why don’t you want to join full-time?’ was ‘I don’t want to lose my freedom’ which sounds quite young-rebel-who-can't-be-bothered-to-do-any-real-rebelling, I Googled the pros and cons of being a freelance journalist.

Most results were ‘pros and cons of being a freelancer’ which is slightly different to being a freelance journalist. But that doesn’t matter. So find below the pros and cons of being a freelancer (according to the internet!)

Pros

You get to be your own boss

(Laughs hysterically)

I have a boss. In fact, I have many bosses and one main boss and in the labyrinth that is the editorial, I have to answer to many people depending on the section I’m working on. So no, I’m not my own boss.

The money is better

Maybe. Yes. Definitely. But that’s only if you work your ass off and stop being lazy.

You get to work on a variety of projects

Not me because I have no time and really can’t be bothered to deal with more than one company at a time.

You get to work from anywhere

Yes. I handle the youth section so Friday is when I have to go through articles and whatnot and Monday is when we work on pages. So if I well… procrastinate on Friday I can still spend the weekend working so that while typing an article I can also watch a TV show. Multitasking!

But the work I have to do are the youth section, articles and the crossword, none of which I can really do at home. Except a few articles, of course. So while I technically can work from anywhere, it isn’t practical.

You set your own hours

Yes! This is what I love about the job. I get to set my own hours but this is a right I don’t make use of so…

You determine your rate of pay making your financial freedom limitless

How is this a good thing? Whenever I’m asked how much I charge… okay… here’s how it goes…

Magazine/website guy: so what are your usual charges?

Me: ummm…

Guy: Well… what’s your usual rate? Tell me and we’ll work something out if my company doesn’t agree to it

Me: just pay me whatever you feel like paying me

Guy: No, you need to decide that

Me: *fuckbucket* *asks for ridiculously low amount*

You have the ability to only take on writing assignments that interest you

Yes! Huge advantage.

Freelance writing is a great way to express your creativity

Isn’t writing in general a great way to express your creativity?

Cons

You do less of what you really like doing

Nope. I love writing and journalism is what I want to do. So I get to do tons of what I like doing, including blogging during work because you know… I find the time (sometimes… rarely.)

You have to manage yourself

Doesn’t apply to me since I basically live in office.

You have a lack of security

Yes. I live in the constant fear that one day I’ll walk into office and find that my corner has been given to someone else.

When first starting out, it can take some time before you land your first job

Yes! Unless you hit jackpot like I did. Though I think this applies to proper freelancers

There are dozens of ways to make money as a freelance writer; it can feel overwhelming exploring each option

Yes!

Some writers find it hard to know when to step away from the computer and take a break

Yes! There’s so much work to do! Which is then followed by a period of writer’s block and then procrastination.

Now for my own list based on my own life and the place I work

Pros

I can leave office whenever I want to

This is a great advantage because I love buying books and I also have uni work. And if I have a way to get home early, I can always leave early without having my salary halved. So while I spend most of my time in office, I do know I can leave whenever I want to without having to fill forms or anything.

And I can freely go shopping during work hours without feeling guilty.

I don’t have to worry about how many days I’ve stayed at home and how much of my salary I’ve lost

I can walk away whenever I want to

Which I won’t do but I know I can.

I can work for various people

Even though I don’t…

Company rules don’t apply to me

‘No wearing jeans to office’

‘You must work from 8.30 to 5.30’

While I don’t know if these are actual company rules, I don’t need to care because they technically don’t apply to me. (Okay, who are we kidding?!? They obviously do apply to me although I pretend they don't)

Cons

I don’t have a fixed pay on a fixed day

So when all you full-timers talk about pay day, I have to just pretend to be excited because my pay day is random. This is mostly my fault BUT I do love the surprise that awaits me when I check my bank balance and find I’ve been paid. Whoohoo extra money!

The company can kick me out whenever they want to

Just as I can walk away whenever I want to, the company can kick me out whenever they feel like it. (but please don’t, okay?)

Being a full-timer sounds better

Somehow full-timing is considered better as if you are better at your job if you are a full-timer.

I had to fill some form recently attach three articles I've written and it said that you need to also attach a letter from your editor certifying the articles are your own BUT if you are a freelancer you need to get a letter for each article. Gah!

No bonuses or holiday gifts (or whatever)

*Cries in a corner while full-timers get vouchers and whatnot*

No insurance or EPF

I think I’m too young to bother about any of this though.

So that’s about it. Pros and cons of being a freelance journalist.

I also think that a company is in no way obliged to give us holiday bonuses (like, omg it's Christmas, here's some more money even though you don't even deserve it), leave (hello! Unless it's for unavoidable reasons (illness, death of a family member etc. you should just work five days a week or have your salary reduced) and casual or half-day Fridays. So it goes against my (silly) principles to agree to such things.

 

And so I think I’ll stick to being a freelancer for at least a few more years.