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Freelancing full-time

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by CarlSpackler, Oct 23, 2007.

  1. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    <i>"If you're good enough after a while, you can get sports stuff -- or whatever else -- in Playboy, Esquire, Men's Health, Maxim, whatever....even Reader's Digest, which seems to pay well. Plenty of local magazines if you're near a big city, too.</i>


    Aim high, absolutely, but know that your chances of making consistent sales to these magazines are really, really slim.

    This advice reminds me of the Seinfeld when George was jobless and thinking of things he could do -- like be a network game analyst or the general manager of a baseball team.
     
  2. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    You don't have to live in one of the three biggest markets. On the contrary, some smaller markets may not have a glut of writers, so a good freelancer can stay plenty busy. Some editors at regional magazines will tell you their town doesn't have enough good, reliable writers. I've heard it.

    Five figures, Mizzou?? I won't argue that some freelance checks come at a snail's pace, but any writer who lets clients run up that kind of tab has only themselves to blame. In that case, the word isn't "bulldog", it's "lawyer."
     
  3. musicman

    musicman Member

    That's spot-on advice. I went through this experience in a decent market (two pro teams) and enjoyed some very easy money for the work involved. That said, like Stone Cane alluded to, you have to have an anchor client to make a real go of it.
     
  4. markvid

    markvid Guest

    I have been freelancing since 1985, never held a full-time job.
     
  5. musicman

    musicman Member

    lot of variables involved there...for one, what does your wife do for a living if you have one? inherited money? enjoy a decent standard of living (not in terms of bullshit american i want to buy the next great thing or have more than the neighbors)...whatever it is that you prize, can you do it without putting down plastic? to me, that means travel. and even with a f-t gig it's still not easy.
     
  6. markvid

    markvid Guest

    My wife is raising our 3 kids (and doing a damn good job, too), no, not money except what I earn, and we make a decent living, not many toys, but you get the idea. Also, we abhor carrying debt on plastic, it just isn't a good idea if you don't have to.
    Yes, there is a lot of travel, but my wife understands even if it's starting to wear on me.
     
  7. young effin dud

    young effin dud New Member

    Do any of you know of people who teach and freelance? Teaching at the college level seems like such a flexible profession that you could easily have time to freelance on the side. I'm considering grad school, and once that's over I've thought about trying to teach as an adjunct prof. at the small/community college level part-time and freelance part-time.

    Is that feasible?
     
  8. markvid

    markvid Guest

    I know an ESPN director who does that. It can be done.
     
  9. I'm actually thinking about doing that, too, depending on if I go to grad school once I graduate in two years. Good thing you brought it up, because I had been wondering the same thing.
     
  10. chazp

    chazp Active Member

    [blue] Isn't that an insult to demons everywhere?[/blue]
     
  11. Eagleboy

    Eagleboy Guest

    Speaking of which, is there any kind of action that can be taken here? I have a buddy who's getting screwed left and right and neither of us can think of anything else to do short of take a battering ram to their front doors.
     
  12. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    Small-claims court.
     
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