It’s Friday the 13th, and since I’ve had a run of bad luck lately, my mother told me I shouldn’t get out of bed this morning. I’ve never subscribed to such superstitions, so I got out of bed.
In my daily browsing of fellow freelance writers’ blogs, I came across an interesting post (read it by clicking here) on the topic of common misconceptions about the freelance writing life. Inspired by Chris’ post, and in honor of breaking superstitions on this lovely summer day, here’s my own list of myths about freelance writers I’d love to see debunked:
1. When they’re not busy working for free, freelance writers are willing, or should be willing, to work for $3 per article.
2. Freelance writers should therefore be eager to crank out 5 such articles per hour to thereby earn a whopping $15 per hour.
3. Yet surprisingly, freelance writers probably earn enough money to wait for several months before you get around to paying them.
4. Since most freelance writers spend their days at home, they must not have anything better to do than run their friends’ errands, babysit their neighbors’ children, or talk endlessly on the telephone about their sisters’ latest love interest.
5. Freelance writers have no lives and are mostly shut-ins. They’re eccentric, too, and probably wear granny sweaters, smoke pipes, and lead secret double lives as drug dealers.
6. They become freelance writers because they lack the skills to get a “real career” — you know, like working at McDonalds.
Of course, there are many more. And sadly, freelance writers are responsible for propagating many of these myths. Society probably won’t change their collective opinions. However, there’s one little word that comes to mind that freelance writers can say when confronted with such speculations: NO!
That’s right:
No, we won’t work for free.
No, we won’t work for your proverbial sweatshop.
No, it’s not acceptable for you to pay us three weeks from never.
No, we don’t have time to take your dog to the vet or your mother to the allergist for her shots every two weeks.
No, please don’t pass the bong.
And no, we don’t want fries with that. Thank you. Please drive through.
