The Pros and Cons of the Independent Writing Life

In honor of Independence Day, I thought it might be cool to reflect on the pros and cons of being an independent (or freelance) writer.

I’ve been a professional writer for over 21 years, and an independent writer for 18. What I mean by that is I have my own writing business, I work out of my home, and I make a full-time living. I don’t work any side jobs—I support myself entirely on my writing.

Just like any situation, there are pros and cons to this sort of life. In case you’re considering it yourself, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned along the way. You can see whether the pros outweigh the cons for you!

What’s Tough About Being an Independent Writer

Before I made the leap to full-time freelance, I spent about three-and-a-half years as a writer for a large corporation, so I’ve seen both sides of the fence. I know what it’s like to work for a company, and to work for yourself.

It may be hard to believe when you’re slaving away in that cubicle, but there are definite perks to working for a company that go away when you claim your independence.

1. No Security

This is the one most people think about when they consider leaving their jobs, and for good reason.

When you set out to work for yourself, you lose the security of the regular, “guaranteed” paycheck. Of course, no job is ever guaranteed, and companies make cut-backs all the time, but as a freelancer, the fact that your next meal depends entirely on your ability to hustle can wear on your nerves after awhile.

I’ve definitely had some scary months. They usually occur after a client closes their doors or shifts their focus and I have to scramble around to find a new one to fill their place. It’s always worked out okay, but the stress can be significant at times.

2. No Benefits

With the costs of health insurance rising higher every year, this one is significant, too. If you work for a company, you (hopefully) have health insurance benefits, and that can save you significant cash.

As a freelancer, you have to foot the entire bill on your own, and that bill continues to grow every year even if you’re a basically healthy person.

I hardly ever go to the doctor, but the insurance premium keeps ticking up, even though I have the highest deductible possible. I know it’s only going to get worse as time goes on, which means I may have to work even harder in the future just to cover this expense.

3. No Retirement

You can set up your own retirement account as an independent writer, but you miss out on the “match” that most companies provide salaried workers. When I worked for the corporation, they matched whatever funds I deposited into my IRA, and that was a big help when planning for retirement.

Now it’s entirely in my court to try to save for the future, and considering the ups and downs of running your own business, that’s easier some months (and even some years!) than others.

4. No Vacation Pay

This is one that I feel more and more with each passing year. When you work for a company, you get approval for vacation and off you go, and you have your nice paycheck waiting for you when you come home.

As a freelancer, though, all you have waiting for you when you get back is the knowledge that you have to catch up. When you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. That means not only do you need to work extra hard to make sure your clients are taken care of before you go, but you also have to work extra hard when you get back to make up for the lost income.

Bottom line: a lot of hard work!

5. No Colleagues

I formed some solid friendships while I worked at the corporation that I still have to this day. There’s something about working in the trenches in the same department that helps you form some pretty tight bonds.

As a freelancer, you work on your own most of the time. You lose that daily back-and-forth communication—the shared complaints and triumphs—and the job can feel a little lonely at times.

If you work well alone, as I do, you’re fine most of the time, but you do have to be ready to offset the isolation with other social activities.

What’s Great About Being an Independent Writer

Obviously since I worked for a corporation for a short time and I’ve freelanced most of my professional life, there has to be some pretty great “pros” to the life. Though I find myself missing some of the perks of working for a company now and then, I wouldn’t want to go back.

1. Choose Your Own Hours

This was one of the main reasons I went freelance in the first place. I’m a night owl by nature, and having to get up to be at the office at 8:00 in the morning was a constant problem as I was always staying up too late at night.

As a health writer I know the value of sticking to your own circadian rhythms and getting a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, my schedule today more closely matches my natural energy flow.

I can also decide how much I want to work, to a point. As a freelancer you usually feel compelled to “make hay when the sun shines,” so to speak, so the load can get heavy at times, but on the whole it’s up to you how many projects or clients you want to take on.

2. Work Where You Want

As an independent writer, you can work from most any location. I like working in Idaho because of the low cost of living. The fewer expenses the less I have to work! But I could move to another location and still retain all my clients if I wanted to.

As a freelancer, you’re not tied to an office or your company’s location. Anywhere you can set up your computer and your printer, you’re good to go.

3. Choose Your Projects

One of the problems with working for someone else is that you have to do the projects they give you. What if those projects are boring? What if they don’t challenge you? There’s little you can do about it.

If you’re an independent writer, though, you have more choices. If I’m getting into a rut or feel like I need something new, I can seek out new clients and add a little novelty to my work routine.

That doesn’t mean things can’t still get boring, though. I like to keep my good clients, which means I may end up working on the same sorts of projects for years and years because they’re coming from a reliable client. As a freelancer, you learn that reliable clients are gold.

The good thing is that I can work on something for another client now and then that spices things up a bit, and keeps me learning and enjoying what I’m doing.

4. Diversify as You Like

This one is similar to number three, but taking it a step further.

As an independent writer, I’ve worked on just about every type of project there is, from script writing to magazine writing to book writing to reports and ads and brochures and blog posts and interviews and manuals and workbooks and product identity and more. I’ve said “yes” to just about anything my clients have asked me to do, and then learned how to do it and added another checkmark in the experience column.

Meanwhile I’ve specialized in health and wellness, but I’ve stayed open to doing other things, which has kept my job interesting and exciting. It also makes me more useful to my clients as I can help them in a number of ways.

Specialization helps you create the experience you need to attract higher quality clients and higher-paying projects, but diversification opens you up to additional opportunities. As a freelancer, it’s up to you what you do—you’re not boxed in by what a superior dictates, which can be very freeing and great for career and personal growth.

5. You’re Your Own Boss

This may be the most attractive part of being an independent writer, and I have to admit that I like this part a lot, mostly because if I need to be somewhere, I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission. I can travel to speak at conferences, go see family, or set up a trip to research a novel when I want to, and I don’t have to clear it through a manager or boss.

It’s also up to me if I want to expand in a different direction—writing more books, for example—or if I want to cut back in some way. All the decisions are mine, which can be stressful at times, but on the whole, helps me to feel more like if things aren’t going the way I’d like them to, I can change them. That’s the sort of empowerment that can help any entrepreneurial-minded writer succeed.

What are your thoughts about the pros and cons of the independent writing life?