Kristen’s post on her Inkthinker blog (Setting Boundaries and Saying No) got me thinking…

As I previously touched on in another post, freelance writers are often as misjudged as stay-at-home parents, homemakers, or anyone else whose work happens to be done from home. As freelance writers, we’re also often viewed as people who want to give their work and time away for free. Combine both factors, and a freelance writer has gotta learn how to set boundaries, how to say no.

Whether it’s a potential client asking us to write for no pay, a friend who makes a habit of asking us to watch her kids, or a respected organization asking us to speak pro bono for their next convention, there comes a time when we have to say no.

There’s only so much time in the day. As freelance writers, most of us work to earn a living. We rely on our paychecks to pay our bills, just as any other working person does. If we want to pay the rent, we’ve got to learn to set boundaries. It might not be easy, but it’s necessary.